Once upon a time, in a place that may or may not have ever actually
existed outside of my own head, there was a man who had far, far
too much time on his hands, and he was becoming rather bored.
Fortunately, this man commanded a rather large and powerful Fanfic
studio, based in a complex that was almost but not quite a complete
rip-off of the Biles' Story Command Center. And one day he was
surveying a room in his complex. It had a large movie screen that
was readily adaptable for fic viewing, big, comfy plush couches,
snack-filled refridgerators, and two of the man's lackeys were in it
at the time, arguing over which one got the good couch.

The man had just finished watching a certain show featuring two
bickering robots and a human reviewing movies.

Suddenly, he had something to do with his spare time.

And just for the record, HE gets the good couch.

Submitted for your approval....

LST1/2K: Lunatic Science Theatre 500.

Feauring the wacked-out cast of...

Mercutio: Tybalt baiter extraordinaire and chief reviewer.

Mackie Stingray: Hentai-in-Residence.

Hikaru Gosunkugi: Never, EVER ask him about the eyes.


Mercutio: Awright, what's up today?

Mackie: Yet another installment of "Ill Met by Starlight."

Gos: Inin't that the one where the nutball Ranma seemingly murdered
Nabiki in Chapter Nine?

Mercutio: What are you, the narrator?


> Completed in fairly good time. Enjoy, and let us know what you think.
>
>  --------------------------------------------------
>  ^_- I L L	M E T	B Y	S T A R L I G H T ^_-
>  --------------------------------------------------
>  by Susan Doenime and Mike Loader
>
>  Based on characters and situations created by Rumiko Takahashi, and used
>  without knowledge or permission.
>  We ask that you obtain permission from us before printing, posting, or
>  storing this story in any form.
>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Previous Chapters At: http://www.humbug.org.au/~wendigo/imbs.html
>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>  Chapter 10 - Things Fall Apart

Mercutio: "... the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned..."

Mackie: What is he DOING?

Gos: Completing the quote. Gotta love Yeats.

>  I'll read to you now, save your eyes
>  You'll need them; your boat is at sea
>  Your anchor is gone, you've been swept away
>  And the greatest of teachers won't hesitate
>  To leave you here by yourself chained to fate
>  I alone love you, I alone tempt you, I alone love you
>  Fear is not the end of this.
>  - Live
>

Mackie: Sounds kinda like the Love Boat on acid.

>
>  "No heartbeat!"
>
>  "Right. One, two, clear!"
>
>  "Nothing!"
>
>  "One, two, clear!"
>
>  ^_-
>
>  "Akane. Akane, wake up. Please."
>
>  Reluctantly, Akane opened her eyes. "Hi Kasu...."
>
>  A faint trickle of wrongness filtered through the haze of
>  sleep. There was a certain hard stiffness in her sister's voice
>  that was alien to her.
>
>  She sat up in bed, sleepily throwing the covers off. Why
>  was Kasumi waking her up, anyway? It was a school day; her
>  alarm should have woken her... was she late for class?
>
>  "Hurry, Akane." A bundle of clothing was thrust into her
>  hands, and she looked up in surprise. And saw Kasumi's face.
>
>  The sleep vanished.
>
>  "Kasumi? Kasumi, what is it? What's..."
>
>  The frozen, sick mask on her sister's face twitched. "Get
>  your clothes on, Akane. We may not have much time."

Mercutio: At least something finally got through the damn 'Happy
happy Kasumi' mask. That alone almost makes it worth it.

>  Confused, frightened, Akane pulled on the shirt and dress.
>  Kasumi knelt beside her and pulled on her socks, then shoved
>  her shoes on her feet as she finished dressing.
>
>  Kasumi's hand clamped around her arm and pulled her up.
>  "Hurry, Akane."
>
>  Akane let herself be led out the door by her sister, a sort
>  of numb panic rising in her. "Kasumi? Please, Kasumi, what's
>  going on? What's happening?"
>
>  Kasumi didn't break her stride. "There's been an accident,
>  Akane. Nabiki and Ranma are in the hospital."

Mercutio: GUH!?! When did RANMA get hurt? This is weird.

>  No. Oh, no. "What.. how bad..."
>
>  Her legs kept moving, as if they were someone else's, and
>  she was pulled into the entry hall. Her father stood there, and
>  he was not crying.
>
>  "The cab is here." Soun's voice had all the life of a slab of
>  granite. A sick feeling began to build in the pit of her stomach.
>  God, she remembered this. All that was needed was Nabiki,
>  shrill and angry and confused and scared... not again, not again,
>  not again...
>
>  The front door swung open, and Akane felt herself be
>  ushered down the garden path towards the yawning door of a
>  black car. "How bad... please..."
>
>  Kasumi's hand tightened painfully around her arm. "We
>  don't have much time."
>
>  There was warm sun and birdsong, and the garden was
>  green.

Gos: Yuh-huh. No symbolism THERE.

>  ^_-
>
>  "Careful. Careful."
>
>  "We're losing her."
>
>  "Ten ccs of antometaphine."
>
>  "We lost her before she was even in the ambulance."
>
>  "Careful."
>
>  "Suture."
>
>  "Is that Jazz?"
>
>  "Benny Goodman, yeah."

Mercutio: Paramedics in Japan are allowed to listen to Jazz while
preforming resuciation?

Mackie: Remind me to emigrate sometime soon.

>  "Another 3 ccs."
>
>  "Careful. Watch that.. yes, good. Careful."
>
>  "Heissenmann Fork."
>
>  "Heartbeat's down."
>
>  "Careful."
>
>  "We're losing her."
>
>  "Clamp."
>
>  "Adrenaline, 5 ccs."
>
>  "Look at this..."
>
>  "Sponge."
>
>  "Punctured synamic flow. Careful."
>
>  "She's convulsing, hold her down."

Gos: Huh. Maybe Nabiki ISN'T dead. Hmmm.

Mercutio: You sound real concerned.

Gos: I'm more worried about that Hikaru guy Ranma beat up last
Chapter, and whether or not he was supposed to be me.

>  "Suture."
>
>  "What do I do?"
>
>  "Damn."
>
>  "Arterial graft. Watch me. Scalpel."
>
>  "Heartbeat erratic."
>
>  "I don't think she'll live long enough for the graft."
>
>  "Sponge."
>
>  "It's a good opportunity to show the technique. And she'll
>  die without it."
>
>  "Five ccs Sedaline."
>
>  "She'll die with it."
>
>  "Watch. An incision here..."
>
>  "Oh, careful. Careful."
>
>  "Surgical thread."
>
>  "Is this still Goodman?"
>
>  "We fold the artery like so.."
>
>  "Nah, this is Porter."
>
>  "Careful."
>
>  "Heart rhythm's going all over the place..."
>
>  "The tape a mix?"
>
>  "6 ccs Dipentathol."
>
>  "We cut away this portion of the vessel..."
>
>  "Vitals dropping."
>
>  "I see... nice technique."
>
>  "Yeah, mix tape."
>
>  "Oh, damn."
>
>  "Messner Tool."

Mackie: Are these ACTUAL medical tools, or are they just throwing
out terms and hoping nobody notices?

>  "Careful."
>
>  "We're losing her."
>
>  "And graft the ends like so..."
>
>  "Careful."

Mercutio: Damn. That entire section practically SCREAMS "Susan
was Here."

>  ^_-
>
>  The waiting area was cramped and crowded, and it still
>  felt as empty and remote as the dark side of the moon.
>
>  They sat on the green plastic seats, and Akane listened
>  to hospital noises. Doctor So-And-So to here. Nurse This, room
>  That. Would the owner of the grey compact move his car.

Gos: "Paging Doctor Fine, Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, Doctor
Howard..."

Mercutio: That was in EXTREMELY poor taste.

Gos: Your point?

>  It was all horribly familar, the noises and the smells and
>  the way her father and older sister sat like statues, Kasumi's
>  hand crushing her arm like a steel vise. And the way she
>  herself sat, lost and confused and afraid. It was all exactly the
>  same, except little Nabiki wasn't pacing about the room,
>  asking for a drink and looking upset.
>
>  And the terrible thing was that she didn't know. Nabiki
>  was in the hospital. Ranma was in the hospital. There had been
>  an accident. It was bad. Bad for who? Were they dead? Dying?
>  Badly hurt, but going to pull through? No-one knew anything. So
>  they all sat on the ugly green seats and waited for someone's
>  words to make Nabiki and Ranma either alive or dead.
>
>  Her father said something inaudible. Kasumi tried to
>  smile at him. The resulting expression made Akane flinch.
>
>  They sat, and the clock ticked.
>
>  Finally, after what must surely have been either years or
>  seconds of waiting, someone came to talk to them. He said his
>  name was Doctor Kieru, and Akane tried not to stare in
>  fascination at the blood on his scrubs.
>
>  He shook Soun's hand, which she felt was a good sign. But
>  she didn't like the expression on his face.
>
>  "I assisted the operation on your daughter," he said, and
>  Akane wanted to hit him.
>
>  "How is Nabiki?" This was from Kasumi, flat and almost
>  indifferent in tone.
>
>  Kieru rubbed his hands. "She was very bad. Punctured
>  lung, all sorts of broken bones, more internal injuries than..."
>  He stared at them as if seeing them for the first time. "She
>  was very bad. I don't know if she'll get through the night. The
>  chances are against it."
>
>  This was worse than she had hoped, and better than she
>  had feared. Soun just stared at the doctor's shirt like a
>  sleepwalker.
>
>  "But if she makes... she makes it through the night, she'll
>  be all right?" she heard herself say. "We just have to wait and
>  see?"
>
>  The doctor looked at her with something like pity, and
>  shook his head. "If she makes it through the night, she'll
>  almost surely slip away tomorrow." A hand was placed on her
>  shoulder, and she flinched. "We didn't operate to save your
>  sister's life, Miss Tendo. It was too late for that even before
>  the ambulance arrived. We operated because we are doctors,
>  and must operate. If she does not die in the next few hours, she
>  will die in the next few days. There's simply too much damage.
>  I'm sorry."
>
>  She didn't know if this was worse than... should she be
>  glad Nabiki was alive at all... for the moment... oh God...
>
>  Kasumi sat down, and looked at something across the
>  room with a bemused expression. The corners of her mouth
>  twitched.
>
>  Slowly, mechanically, Soun's mouth opened. "The son of a
>  friend is here as well. I suppose I am his guardian at the
>  moment."
>
>  "Saotome Ranma, yes. Broken collarbone." The doctor
>  shrugged. "Painful, required minor surgery to set. I imagine he
>  can go home in a day or two."
>
>  He was alive, and would be well. It would be all right. A
>  wave of relief washed over her, followed by an almost
>  crippling sense of guilt and anguish. Nabiki would not be well,
>  and it would never be all right again.
>
>  "I made her lunch," said Kasumi absently to the wall.
>
>  "How did it happen?" There was a hint of an emotion in
>  her father's voice. It was not good to hear.
>
>  "There's a police officer waiting for you in room five.
>  The nurse can show you it. I'm very sorry." He faded into the
>  crowds, still presumably very sorry.
>
>  A man in faded blue clothing came, then, and led them
>  through corridors of antiseptic and salmon-coloured linoleum,
>  past other people in scrubs and street clothes, down an
>  unpainted flight of stairs, and finally into a small room done
>  in muted colors where a man in uniform rose from a sofa.
>  There was blood on him, too.
>
>  "Mr. Tendo?"
>
>  "Yes."
>
>  The man crossed his arms unhappily. He seemed to know
>  about there being a time and a place for handshakes. "I'm
>  Officer Dorobou. I was there when it happened."
>
>  Soun nodded impassively. "Tell me."
>
>  "I was on Ogawa, by the train station. I remember her
>  shoving past me, in a hurry... but most people on that street are
>  in some kind of hurry." Dorobou frowned unhappily. "About a
>  half minute later I turned, sort of on an impulse, and I saw her
>  fall into the street right in front of a large car. It looked as
>  though she had tripped, and the crowd..." He trailed off. Soun
>  waited.
>
>  "She had just enough time to look up, and while she was
>  doing so I see the kid... Saotome?"
>
>  "Yes," Kasumi said, again trying to smile. Akane wished
>  that she would stop.
>
>  Dorobou shook his head in admiring disbelief. "Bravest
>  thing I ever saw. Jumped right out in front of the car, tried to
>  knock her out of the way. Almost made it." He sighed, mouth
>  drooping. "He knew he wouldn't, about a second after he
>  jumped. I could see his face. It's a miracle he wasn't hurt any
>  worse than he was."
>
>  In her mind's eye, Akane could picture the scene with a
>  cold clarity. Nabiki looking up in horror. Ranma springing from
>  the curb like he had in their training sessions, knowing he was
>  going to be too late but not caring... maybe even hoping he
>  would... realising that it wasn't just too late for him but for
>  Nabiki as well...
>
>  "The car?" Soun's voice again, the flames creeping into it
>  once more.
>
>  Dorobou again shook his head. "The car was going four
>  miles under the speed limit, and the driver began to brake the
>  second your daughter fell into the street. He threw up when he
>  saw what had happened, and the paramedics had to sedate him.
>  I think he's probably going to need counseling before he's
>  willing to drive again, and he'll spend the rest of his days
>  knowing that he ended a young girl's life, however unwillingly."
>  He unhappily tucked his hands in his pockets. "I'm afraid that
>  this is a tragedy without a villain, Mr. Tendo. Only victims and
>  a hero, and him too late to help much."

Mercutio: Ah-AH!!! Now what's THAT suposed to mean? Would'nt
be a metaphor for this story by any chance, would it?

>  "Yes. Yes. Thank you," mumbled Soun, turning away. Akane
>  waited for the tears to start. They didn't, and she found that
>  alarming.
>
>  The policeman pressed a piece of paper into her father's
>  hand. "Here's my office and home number. If I can help in any
>  way, please call me."
>
>  "Yes. Thank you."
>
>  Dorobou nodded slightly and left. He did not say that he
>  was sorry. It really didn't need to be said.
>
>  ^_-
>
>  An odd day, Ukyou thought.

Mercutio: Well, NO SHIT.

>  ^_-
>
>  "Akane, why don't you go see Ranma."
>
>  She shook her head. "I've got to stay."
>
>  Kasumi shook her head, looking horribly tired and old.
>  "He'd probably feel a lot better if you went and kept him
>  company, Akane. Being in the hospital isn't nice."
>
>  Akane choked back a sob. "But Nabiki..."
>
>  Kasumi took her head in her hands and looked directly at
>  her. "Akane-chan, Nabiki's gone."
>
>  She tried to turn away. "No..."
>
>  "Akane, you said goodbye. Staying isn't going to help you,
>  and it isn't going to help Nabiki. Nabiki doesn't need our help
>  anymore."
>
>  "But I love her."
>
>  "She knows. And she knows how much it's hurting you to
>  see her like this, and I think she wants you to feel better.
>  Akane, go see Ranma. I think you both need each other right
>  now."
>
>  Crying now, Akane made one more try. "I can't just leave
>  her alone in here. I can't...."
>
>  Kasumi's lip trembled. "This is my job, Akane. Yours is to
>  go to Ranma. I'll see Nabiki off."
>
>  "Kasumi..."
>
>  "Akane, I did it for Mother. I can do it again. Please don't
>  stay."
>
>  She hugged Kasumi, gave Nabiki's hand a final squeeze,
>  and slowly walked out of the room. She did not look back.
>
>  Ranma's room was in another wing of the hospital, in the
>  part reserved for the non-serious cases. Akane trudged out of
>  the critical ward, dabbing away the tears and trying to get a
>  hold of herself.
>
>  It was like trying to wake up from a nightmare. Things
>  had changed so suddenly, one on top of another. She had gone to
>  bed last night almost in tears over her own stupid romantic
>  problem, and when she woke up Nabiki was a living corpse. Not
>  her insensitive, untrustworthy oneesan, just a thing that lay
>  there and stared at nothing with eyes like a dead fish.
>
>  Do you have any idea how much easier my life would be
>  without you? Her own words, not even a day old.
>
>  The horrible impact of it all hit her like a hammer, guilt
>  and grief and pain sending her falling to her knees. Curling into
>  a ball, Akane knelt in the middle of the antiseptic hallway and
>  bawled like an infant, oblivious of the people who stepped
>  around her with sympathetic or irritated glances.

Gos: You know, change the names and this could be an episode
of 'ER.' All they're missing is Clooney.

>  When she had finally cried enough, she pulled herself to
>  her feet and staggered on.
>
>  It took her a while to find the door to his room. All the
>  hallways looked the same, all the doors were painted the same
>  pale yellow. But she arrived at last, and straightened her dress
>  and wiped her face, and went in.
>
>  Ranma lay in bed, shirtless, gauze surrounding his left
>  shoulder. He looked up as the door opened, and managed a wan
>  smile. "Hi."
>
>  Walking over to sit on the side of the bed, Akane tried to
>  return it. "Does it hurt?"
>
>  "A bit. I've been hurt worse." The smile flickered and
>  vanished. "It was my fault that it happened. I'm sorry, Akane."
>
>  She forced a shaky laugh. "You tried to save her, Ranma.
>  The policeman said...."
>
>  He shook his head. "No, listen. We... me and Nabiki... we
>  had a talk, and it ended badly. She went storming off, and I
>  went after her, and she quickened her pace and then..." He
>  trailed off, unable to look her in the eyes. "I'm supposed to be a
>  martial artist, and I hesitated. I didn't jump soon enough. And
>  now..."

Mercutio: Interesting how he's able to tell the absolute truth about
what happened, and yet give no indications that he might've been
the one who pushed her.

>  Akane sighed, and brushed a hand across his chest. "You
>  jumped in front of a moving car to try to save the life of
>  someone who I know you don't like very much. You didn't save
>  her, but you almost killed yourself trying."
>
>  "If I had just..."
>
>  "Stop it!" she said fiercely, the grief turning to anger. "I
>  yelled at her last night, Ranma, and now she's dying. Maybe she
>  slipped away as I walked down here..." The tears welled up
>  along with the guilt. "My own sister, and I never told her...
>  Ranma, it was no-one's fault. Not even mine...."
>
>  She broke down then, her world crashing apart in pieces
>  around her. She felt his right arm fold around her, and she
>  leaned into him, sobbing uncontrollably.
>
>  They sat like that, each leaning against another, until
>  Akane's sobs died away. Sitting back, she looked at him and
>  managed to smile a little. "The only spark of light I've had
>  today was when they told me you were alive. I don't think I
>  could have taken it if you hadn't been okay. I need you here."
>
>  He gripped her hand. "I'm here."
>
>  "Why did you leave last night?" There. She had asked it.
>  Last night she had gone over and over the question, trying to
>  figure out why, why... did he not see her as attractive? Was she
>  only a friend? Did he find her repulsive?

Mackie: Her sisters hovering at death's door, she'd just been
traumatized, her boyfriend is injured, and out of all things in the
world, she asks why they didn't do the ecchi the previous
evening?

Gos: Could it be that Mackie is growing some sensibility?

Mercutio: Maybe...

Mackie: DAMN!!! I LIKE this chick!

Mercutio: ...not.

>  Ranma stared at her, and again lowered his head. "I was
>  scared."
>
>  She stared at him in shock.
>
>  "I didn't... I wanted to. But it was so fast, so sudden... I
>  was afraid I might hurt you, I was afraid we weren't thinking
>  clearly, I was afraid you didn't really want to..."
>
>  She looked at his sad, confused face, and nodded. It might
>  or might not be the truth, might or might not be a ploy to spare
>  her feelings. But she would accept it as truth for now.
>
>  "I wanted to," she said, squeezing his hand. "But you're
>  right. We probably weren't thinking clearly, and we probably
>  would have regretted it." She gave a sad little smile. "I
>  thought... I thought you didn't find me attractive. I thought you
>  didn't want to."
>
>  The crooked smile appeared. "You're the most beautiful
>  woman in the world, and I did want to. But not like that."
>
>  She smiled, and tightened her grip on his hand. "We're
>  going to get through this, together." Nabiki in her hospital bed
>  swam before her, and she desperately tightened her grip.
>  "Promise me that you won't leave me again."
>
>  "I promise."
>
>  His arm reached out and pulled her against him, and she
>  closed her eyes and put her head on his chest. For a short while
>  she cried a bit more, the quiet weeping finally dying to
>  sniffling, and then to breathing. They lay there, the two of
>  them, and for a time the scent of antiseptic and death seemed
>  far away.
>
>  Ranma ran his hand through her hair, mouth parting in a
>  horrible expression, and shut his eyes.
>
>  ^_-
>
>  Tsen scowled as he watched the spatula boy lie down on
>  the guest futon. From his perch in the tree, he could see most
>  of the house through the windows. The boy appeared to be the
>  only one home.

Gos: No matter what the continuity, Shamps always refers to Ukyo
as "Spatula _insert gender here_." I like that. Helps to associate with
the normal Ranmaverse.

Mackie: You like being reminded of the world where you constantly
get hit and Akane doesn't even know you're alive?

Gos: Uhh... ummmmmmm....

>  Why, he asked himself again, was he here? Ranma didn't
>  seem to be home, and even if he were... no, Tsen was not going
>  to risk an even fight unless he had to. Akane? Akane was a
>  definite no. Killing or kidnapping her seemed likely to remove
>  any vestiges of restraint he has left. Information? That was
>  the mysterious Azusa's job, and the Hibikis seemed to feel
>  that their source was reliable. So why on earth was he risking
>  himself like this?
>
>  Because he was curious, he ruefully admitted to himself.

Mercutio: You'd think Shampoo would remember: Curiosity killed
the cat.

Gos: If we had a rimshot, I'd beat you over the head with it.

>  ^_-
>
>  Ukyou shut the window, the chuckle turning into a sigh.
>  The lunatics after Ranma weren't lunatics after all.
>
>  Mariko's motivations were pretty easy to understand. The
>  past few years had taught Ukyou all about the need for
>  revenge; there was nothing mysterious about what the Hibiki
>  girl was after. Tsen, on the other hand... he was a cipher. He
>  professed not to want to kill Ranma, although she got the
>  feeling that he wouldn't lose any sleep over it either. No, he
>  said it was a matter of honor. That was something else Ukyou
>  could understand and respect. Honor wasn't always easy or
>  pleasant or even good, but without it you got people like
>  Genma.

Mercutio: Actually, I think Genma is coming off rather well in this
story. He appears to have gained a sense of honor, duty, and
responsibility because of what happened to Ranma.

Gos: We agreed that was the whole neko-ken thing that scarred
him like this, didn't we?

Mercutio: Well, maybe. There's growing doubt about that. And
considering who the authors are... ya' ever read "Poison?"

Gos: Oh... ick. You think...

Mercutio: It's a possibility.

>  The big question, and the one she wished she had asked,
>  was why Tsen's honor hinged around killing Ranma. Because
>  with a little thought, perhaps a loophole could be found.
>
>  Ukyou winced. She'd managed to walk into a very ugly
>  situation, here. There was no room for negotiation or
>  reconciliation; it wouldn't truly end until either Ranma or his
>  enemies lay dead.
>
>  She didn't want that. Even if Ranma emerged alive, she
>  had grave doubts about him ever recovering from the
>  experience. And she liked Tsen. Mariko... Mariko was too much
>  like her for Ukyou to feel comfortable with, but she understood
>  the other girl, and knew that she didn't deserve to be killed.
>  Whichever side won, the cost would be too high.
>
>  So what could she do to help?
>
>  The obvious thing was to keep Ranma alive. But that, she
>  glumly realized, was just a holding action. Tsen and Mariko
>  would keep trying for the rest of their lives, if need be.
>
>  The second thing that came to mind was to negotiate a
>  peace. This was harder. Tsen seemed reasonable; Ukyou had no
>  doubt that if a loophole could be found, he'd take it. But Mariko
>  was being driven by hate, and that hate had been building for
>  so very long... Ukyou knew from experience that reasoning with
>  her wouldn't help. The only thing that would defuse it would be
>  to prove that Ranma had not, in fact, killed her brother - and
>  since he clearly had, that option was out.
>
>  The only other thing she could think of was for Ranma to
>  leave Nerima again, to keep moving before the hunters could
>  catch him. This wasn't much of a solution. She knew Akane
>  would insist on going with him, and both of them would spend
>  the rest of their lives moving from place to place, always
>  wondering when their enemies would catch up... No, this wasn't
>  an option at all. She didn't think Ranma would be able to deal
>  with it for long before he snapped.

Mecutio: BEFORE he snapped? That ship has sailed, sister.

>  So she had a no-win situation here.
>
>  ^_-
>
>  The door rattled.
>
>  Akane looked up from the living room TV, and watched as
>  Kasumi slowly entered from the hall. Her heart clenched into a
>  ball.
>
>  "Oneechan...?"
>
>  Kasumi smiled wanly. "Not yet. They wouldn't let me stay
>  overnight." She shook her head. "Father's staying. I suppose...
>  he'll let us know."
>
>  Akane nodded, oddly relieved. "Ukyou made us dinner.
>  There's still some left, if you want."
>
>  "That was nice of him." She looked absently around.
>  "Where is Ukyou-kun?"
>
>  "He went to sleep. It's late."
>
>  Kasumi nodded. "It is. You should be in bed."
>
>  "I can't sleep." She had tried, and been unable to, visions
>  of another bed seeping into her mind. It frustrated her. After
>  all, she had dozed in the hospital, with Ranma...
>
>  "I don't think I can either." Her sister drooped, the last
>  vestiges of her usual calm energy seeming to slip away. "We'll
>  stay up together, you and me. Can I sit down?"
>
>  Akane obligingly moved over, and Kasumi slowly lowered
>  herself onto the sofa next to her. "There. Goodness."
>
>  On an impulse, Akane leaned against her sister, hugging
>  her. Kasumi seemed to tense for a second, and then tenderly
>  wrapped her arms around Akane's waist, cradling her.
>
>  They sat there, and the TV flickered in the shadows of
>  the room.
>
>  "Kasumi?"
>
>  "Yes, Akane-chan?"
>
>  "Are you okay?" She knew it was a stupid question.
>
>  Kasumi sat for a while, silent, and then tightened her
>  embrace slightly. "No, Akane, I'm not. But it will get better,
>  really it will."
>
>  "Was this what it was like when Mother died?"
>
>  "I think that for me, it was a lot like you are right now."
>  Kasumi seemed to tremble a bit, and Akane felt a hand muss
>  her hair. "It seemed like the end of the world, but it wasn't.
>  And I still talk to Mother, and she still lives here. You'll see,
>  Akane. It really will get better for you."
>
>  "And you?"
>
>  Kasumi sighed. "Oh, goodness, Akane, I expect it will get
>  better for me as well. It's different. You miss Nabiki, but I
>  miss what she was going to be."
>
>  Akane frowned slightly. "I don't understand."
>
>  Her sister laughed sadly. "That's all right. We'll both
>  miss Nabiki, let's put it like that. But we still have her, and
>  she has us."
>
>  "I love you, Oneechan."
>
>  "I love you too, Akane-chan. We will get through this, you
>  know. We will."
>
>  The two clung to each other, and the clock ticked, and
>  after a time their breathing slowed into the shallow rhythms
>  of sleep.

Mercutio: I'm noticing a definite shift in the Kasumi charachter.
In earlier Chapters, she was coming off just as nutty as Ranma,
and in fact reffered to Ranma as a complete psychopath. Here,
however, she's acting more like the Kasumi from "Thy Inward Love."
That's really, really odd.

>  ^_-
>
>  Ranma's room was at the end of the hall, and as she
>  walked Ukyou thought on what she would ask him. And on what
>  she wouldn't.
>
>  He sat up in bed when she entered, and waved. "Hi,
>  Ucchan. How've you been?"
>
>  "Better than you, it looks like."
>
>  Shrugging - and wincing at the movement - Ranma smiled
>  crookedly. "Just a small fracture. I'll be almost well by next
>  week."
>
>  Ukyou raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a tad optimistic?"
>
>  "I'm a fast healer. And there are ways of helping the
>  process along. The martial arts don't just deal with fighting,
>  you know."
>
>  "Yeah." She sat down in the chair by the bed, and fixed
>  him with a piercing gaze. "So what happened?"
>
>  Ranma met the stare, the smile flickering back and forth.
>  "Didn't Akane tell you?"
>
>  "Akane told me some of it. She was too messed up to
>  really go into details."
>
>  The smile died completely. "Yeah. Well, she didn't get the
>  entire story, anyway."
>
>  Ukyou nodded, her throat tightening. "It had something to
>  do with that talk, didn't it."
>
>  He was silent for a moment, eyes seeming to reflect the
>  empty wall at which he looked. Finally, his face twisted into
>  an ugly expression of contempt. "She was the one who
>  engineered the trap at the Ooni Temple. And the one who set up
>  the thing at the office building. The little bitch. Her own
>  goddamn sister, and she sold us out. And I was real unhappy, as
>  you can imagine."
>
>  She nodded in horrified fascination, almost not wanting
>  him to continue.
>
>  "So I told her... hell, I implied some pretty unpleasant
>  things, Ucchan. And she took off running, and I followed, out of
>  sight. And she tripped and fell, right in front of my eyes... right
>  in front of me..." His voice choked up, and he turned his head
>  away. "God, Ucchan, her eyes as she realized, if you had just
>  seen them... I jumped, I don't know why. Maybe it was guilt,
>  maybe it was heroics, maybe something in me knew what
>  Akane's eyes would look like yesterday. Maybe I just wanted to
>  jump." Closing his eyes, he leaned back in the bed, hands
>  balling into fists. "I hate her. I couldn't even save her, the
>  damn little sneak. She didn't deserve that. Akane doesn't
>  deserve it."
>
>  Ukyou shook her head sadly. "No, she doesn't. Did you tell
>  her..."
>
>  "...that the sister who's dying in the next room sold us to
>  the people trying to kill me? That her loving Oneesan had her
>  hit on the head and chained naked to a chair in an abandoned
>  building?" He shook his head. "She'll never know. It's better for
>  everyone. Let her have her memories."
>
>  "She's a wreck, Ranchan."
>
>  "I know." He laughed, the sound bitter and wondering. "You
>  know, Ucchan, I've been sleepin' badly, and maybe it's only
>  because of the shoulder. Sometimes Nabiki's face floats by,
>  with that damn look in her eyes, and it feels like someone
>  stuck a knife in me. But the worst is when I think of Akane
>  yesterday. Isn't that the damnedest thing? Nabiki's dead, and
>  Akane's alive, and it's Akane I feel the worst about."
>
>  Ukyou smiled. "Only natural, Ranchan. You love Akane, and
>  you didn't like Nabiki much at all. I wouldn't like someone who
>  tried to kill me either."
>
>  "Yeah," he said quietly, not looking at her. "But I killed
>  Nabiki."
>
>  She chose her next words carefully, as much for her own
>  benefit as for his. "Nabiki killed herself, Ranchan. What were
>  you going to do, just let her try to send you to your death time
>  and time again? Let her kidnap Akane again, or worse? You
>  gave her more than she gave you, and when the time came you
>  put your life at risk to save her."

Mercutio: Dammit! For NINE, count'em, NINE chapters, this was a
simple, clear cut story: Ranma is a nutball. Ranma is evil. Everything
will be cool if Akane finally realizes this and then Ranma dies. But did
that happen? NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Now they have to inject some
HUMANITY into the guy, and we all have to wonder if he's lying like a
or if there's hope for him.

Gos: It's referred to as a 'plot twist.'

Mercutio: There's twisting the plot, and then there's making pretzels with it.

>  Chuckling slightly, he smiled the damn crooked smile she
>  had begun to hate. "What would you have done, man?"
>
>  That was easy. "I'd have beaten the tar out of her, and
>  then I'd have let Akane take a turn. You should have gone to her
>  with this from the beginning, Ranchan."
>
>  He smiled, and shook his head. "Maybe."
>
>  "No maybes." Ukyou sighed, smiling ruefully. "You have
>  something real special there, Ranchan. I don't know which of
>  you got the better of the deal."
>
>  Ranma's smile broadened, and actually reached his eyes
>  for the first time. "I really don't know what it was like before
>  I had her to focus on, y'know, Ucchan? I didn't even know her a
>  few months ago, and now she's my direction in life. She'll be
>  ready, soon."

Gos: Uh-oh. I do NOT like the sound of that.

>  Ukyou glanced over at him. "Ready?"
>
>  He shrugged. "Over this. Ready to get on with life." The
>  crooked grin reappeared. "How bout you, Ucchan? Got some
>  lucky girl back home?"
>
>  She flushed a bright red. Damn it, why did he have to say
>  that? Why the hell hadn't she just told him she was a girl from
>  the beginning? "Not really, no."
>
>  "Huh. I'm surprised. You're almost as good-looking as me."
>
>  Ukyou laughed. "You know, you haven't changed that much,
>  Ranchan. You always did think the world revolved around you."
>
>  He looked at her in mock astonishment. "You mean it
>  doesn't?"
>
>  They looked at each other, and then burst out laughing,
>  Ranma wincing slightly as he did. When they caught their
>  breath, Ukyou stood and offered him her hand. "C'mon. Let's get
>  you home."
>
>  Grinning, Ranma stood. "Thanks, Ucchan. Tell you what,
>  after all this is over I'll set you up with one of Akane's
>  friends.
>
>  "Er, that's okay, really." She flushed again, furious with
>  herself. Damnit, she had dealt with come-on lines from women
>  for years, why was she getting so flustered now?
>
>  Ranma nodded, a speculative look in his eye. "Let's go. I
>  want to check up on Akane."
>
>  "Okay."
>
>  ^_-
>
>  Mariko went through her morning exercise routine, one
>  eye peeled for any love-crazed kendoists that might be
>  wandering around the park. Actually, she wasn't sure if an
>  appearance by Kuno would be a good thing or not. The flowers
>  and poetry were nice, but the revelation that he enjoyed being
>  beaten to a pulp had somehow taken all the fun out of it. In
>  fact, it made the thought seem almost dirty.

Mackie: Ohhhhhwaaaa. (Eyes glaze. Drool begins.)

>  She shuddered. No, she wasn't that desperate. Even if
>  Tsen had turned out to be a woman. Ick. She still wasn't quite
>  sure what the deal there was; something having to do with
>  Chinese curses and magic. Whatever. If she hadn't have seen it
>  herself...
>
>  As she went through a series of thrusts and parries with
>  her umbrella, she brooded a bit on the subject of Ukyou. A nice
>  guy. More than that, one who had actually seemed to understand
>  the situation, if not the true extent of Ranma's evil. That
>  would hopefully change. If it didn't...
>
>  Mariko snarled in frustration, and neatly severed the
>  limb of a nearby tree with an overhand slash of the umbrella.
>  If it didn't, she'd be in the unpleasant situation of having to go
>  through two decent, likable people in order to rid the world of
>  a monster. She didn't want to do that.
>
>  In her mind, she had replayed the fight in the park a
>  dozen times. Pictured Akane not knocking away the barrel of
>  the umbrella, pictured the armor-piercing round blasting
>  through Akane's head in an explosion of crimson, pictured it
>  slam into Ranma's chest to kill him.
>
>  The picture sickened her.
>
>  She wanted him dead so badly. She needed him dead. That
>  was what she had devoted the past few years of her life to,
>  and she had no doubts as to the justice or necessity of her
>  cause. But she had been about to kill Akane, who she liked, in
>  order to take down Ranma. And that scared her a little.
>
>  Another slash cut a deep notch in the tree's trunk. It
>  would have been nice to be Akane's friend. She hadn't had a
>  friend in a long time.
>
>  But Akane was on the wrong side of the line now, and
>  afterwards... afterwards she didn't think Akane would have
>  many comradely feelings. She didn't think Akane would do
>  anything except try to kill her on sight.
>
> "Stupid Akane," she muttered, umbrella slamming into
>  the tree once more. It would be for her own good. She'd never
>  see it that way, of course, but it was the only way to keep her
>  alive and unabused.
>
>  And, as if the mention of her name had summoned her,
>  Akane jogged into the clearing. And froze.
>
>  Mariko opened her mouth to call a greeting, then noticed
>  the very unpleasant expression on the other girl's face. "Hey,
>  Akane, something..?"
>
>  She barely had time to throw herself to the side, Akane's
>  flying kick missing her head by centimeters. Coming up, she
>  punched the other girl square in the stomach. Akane doubled
>  over, and Mariko stood up, mildly annoyed. And curious.

Mackie: YES!! Finally, a chickfight!

Mercutio: Haven't we been through this?

>  "What's...."
>
>  A hand clamped around Mariko's calf, lifted her, and
>  threw her into the tree. Hard.
>
>  Her vision swimming, the Hibiki girl blocked the next
>  punch, kicked Akane's legs out from under her, and reached for
>  where her umbrella had fallen on the grass. Her hand had just
>  closed around it when a foot slammed into her back, causing
>  her to yelp in pain.
>
>  Pivoting on one hand, Mariko swung the umbrella in a
>  wide arc that missed the other girl by centimeters. Still, it
>  was enough to let her regain her footing.
>
>  Her vision swam again, and she shook her head groggily,
>  still a little stunned by the sheer speed and force of the
>  attack. Since when had Akane gotten so goddamn good?

Gos: Perhaps THIS is what Ranma meant by 'ready.'

>  And then a fist slammed towards her face, and there was
>  no time to think of anything but the fight.
>
>  The next few attacks were more subtle, although still
>  obviously fueled by a very unsubtle rage. A series of straight
>  punches, a spinning kick, an intricate flurry of legs and arms...
>
>  At first, it was all Mariko could do to merely keep the
>  hail of blows off her. She closed once, expecting to be able to
>  wrestle the smaller girl to the ground. Akane picked her up
>  with one hand and slammed her facefirst into the turf.
>
>  Then, gradually, the momentum swung the other way.
>  Akane began to tire, the berserker rage slowly draining her
>  spirit and energy. Mariko, on the other hand, began to hit her
>  stride; the second wind coming with a cold rush of adrenaline.
>  The tan umbrella swung and cut, and the parries began to turn
>  into jabs and thrusts.
>
>  Five minutes later, Akane fell to the ground, Mariko's
>  umbrella at the ball of her throat. Grinning raggedly, Mariko
>  waited for her opponent's eyes to regain focus. Her own vision
>  wasn't doing so hot either.
>
>  "What... whew... whatever happened to  a simple 'Hello'?"
>  she asked, smiling wearily. She was going to be stiff and sore
>  for the rest of the day, she just knew it. Still, she hadn't had
>  that good a fight in ages.
>
>  "Go to hell," Akane managed, her breath coming in gasps.
>  "And take your brother and your Chinese friends with you. Just
>  leave us the hell alone."
>
>  Mariko frowned. This didn't sound like Akane at all. "I
>  was just doing my morning exercises, Akane. You're the one
>  who wanted to play today."

Mackie: Hmmph. "Play." They didn't even tear their clothes. Let's
see some FLESH, dammit!

>  The rage suddenly seemed to drain from Akane like air
>  from a punctured balloon. "Damn you. Why can't you just give
>  this up and leave?"
>
>  "We've been over this before," Mariko replied evenly. "You
>  were a lot more rational about it last time."
>
>  Akane's face twisted, a look of remorse mixing with
>  something else. "Yeah. Sorry. There's been a family tragedy, and
>  I'm not in a great frame of mind right now. And I really don't
>  need you trying to kill Ranma on top of everything else."
>
>  "I already told you, he's..." Mariko trailed off in horror,
>  the meaning behind the other girl's words sinking in. "Oh God.
>  What happened to Nabiki?"
>
>  "There was a car accident. She's dead. Dying. God, I don't
>  know. She's not there anymore."
>
>  Mariko felt the blood drain from her face, felt her hands
>  clench around the haft of her umbrella. She dimly heard Akane
>  continue, voice somewhere between pain and hate. "And the
>  person you're trying to kill, the one you were ready to kill me
>  in order to murder? He almost died trying to save her life. He'll
>  be fine, though. I'm sure you're real sorry to hear that."
>
>  God, poor Nabiki. She had been so damn scared that day,
>  wearing borrowed clothes. Mariko's clothes. And the girl had
>  kept going anyway, and look what it had gotten her.
>
>  "Yeah," she said dully, removing the umbrella from
>  Akane's throat. Car accident. Yeah. Right. And Ranma just
>  happened to be right there. Of course he tried to save poor
>  Nabiki. Of course he would never even dream of pushing her, or
>  tossing her in front of the car, or whatever the hell had really
>  happened.
>
>  And she knew that nothing she could say would ever
>  convince Akane that Ranma had murdered her sister. Nothing.
>  Akane was completely blind. The only person who had ever had
>  a chance of showing her Ranma's true nature was dead.

Gos: Well, Kasumi's still about. And with her newfound sanity.

>  "Mariko?" There was a bit of a questioning tone in
>  Akane's voice.
>
>  Not trusting herself to speak, shaking with a mixture of
>  rage and grief, Mariko stormed out of the clearing. She was
>  just glad that she had learned the damnable news after the
>  fight.
>
>  She got lost, of course, but by now the park was filled
>  with markers. Before long their guidance had led her back to
>  the lake, and to the stepping stones lying beneath the scummy
>  water. A balancing pole still lay in the reeds to one side of
>  them. It wouldn't be needed any more.
>
>  Forcibly composing herself, Mariko sighed. There was
>  now a duty for her to perform, and she was not looking forward
>  to it at all. Leaping across the stones, she reluctantly walked
>  into the campsite. "You here, Koji?"
>
>  Her brother looked up from beside the fire, a pan of bacon
>  frying merrily near him. "Hey, Marichan." He frowned, then,
>  examining her more closely, noticing her less-than-optimal
>  condition. "Jeez, you look like hell. What happened?"
>
>  She hesitated, trying to find the best way to tell him.
>  Finally, she decided that the direct route would be the easiest
>  for both of them. "Koji, Nabiki's dead."
>
>  For a few seconds the only sound in the camp was the
>  crackle of the cookfire. Mariko watched her brother's face
>  move from shock to agony to impassive mask, and wished
>  that watching him didn't hurt so much.
>
>  "How?" The tone was flat, emotionless.
>
>  "Supposedly a car accident. I don't know the exact
>  details. But guess who was there? Guess who tried his best to
>  save her life, guess who didn't quite manage to, guess who the
>  fucking hero of the hour is?"
>
>  Koji laughed, the sound making Mariko wince. "Oh,
>  Saotome, you bastard. You goddamn sick bastard. You... oh God,
>  Nabiki..." He buried his head in his hands, voice trailing off.
>
>  She sat down next to him. "Did you love her?"
>
>  He was silent for a while, then slowly shook his head. "I
>  only knew her for a few weeks, Marichan. That's not enough
>  time. But if it had been a month more, two months, a year...
>  then I would have been helplessly, completely, utterly in love
>  with her. I suppose that's kind of silly."
>
>  Mariko hugged him. "No, it isn't, brother mine. I'm sorry."
>
>  He returned the hug. "I'm sorry too. She was a good friend.
>  And braver than I am."
>
>  Reluctantly, she broke the embrace. "There's got to be a
>  reckoning for this, Koji."
>
>  "There will be."
>
>  She frowned, irritation beginning to well up. "I mean an
>  immediate one. We've played the honor game too long. Enough.
>  To hell with it. I'm just going to blow his head off from a
>  distance."
>
>  Her brother calmly met her glare. "No."
>
>  The irritation grew into anger. "Nabiki's dead, Koji.
>  Really dead. Because Ranma was still alive to kill her. This is
>  the twentieth century; you kill people with guns. It may not be
>  the honorable, proper way, but I really don't give a crap. Honor
>  wasn't worth Nabiki's life, and it isn't worth Akane's either."
>
>  The look on her brother's face hurt a lot. Still. It was the
>  truth, and if they had just done things her way Nabiki would be
>  alive and ready for that lunch date.
>
>  "Honor's not the only reason," Koji finally said. "I agree,
>  it wasn't worth Nabiki's life. But if you kill him that way, you
>  can say goodbye to Japan forever."
>
>  Mariko blinked. "What?"
>
>  "The police are far less forgiving of murder with a
>  firearm than of a simple death in unarmed combat. You should
>  know that from all the oh-so-painstaking investigation they
>  did on Ryouga's murder. If we kill Ranma the usual way... well,
>  we just leave the country for a few years. There's enough
>  people after Ranma's head to make guilt hard to prove, and no-
>  one's going to convict us three years later for following
>  tradition and avenging our brother's death. Hell, they'll just
>  blame it on Tsen. But if Ranma dies from a bullet... Akane's
>  going to go right to the cops with your name. We'll have to race
>  to get out of the country before they pick us up, and even if we
>  do make it... that's the end. If we ever return to Japan, we'll be
>  arrested, convicted, and probably go to prison for years. And if
>  we settle in another country, well, there's always extradition
>  and Interpol."

Mercutio: How did he get THAT? It would simply be Akane's word
against their's. If they ditch the weapon, the Tendo's have no case.
All they to do is go "No, it wasn't us. Maybe another one of his
enemies...?" and stick by it. There probably wouldn't even be a trial
for lack of evidence; nobody can PROVE that Mariko ever even
owned a gun.

>  She listened, the rage slowly being replaced by a sober
>  reappraisal of her brother. "You're a lot less stupid than I give
>  you credit for, brother mine. How long have you had this
>  thought out for?"
>
>  "Ever since the failed attempt in the park. I got to
>  thinking about what went wrong, what we could learn from it.
>  And I came to the conclusion that Akane might have actually
>  done us a favor."
>
>  Mariko studied her brother, pleasantly surprised at the
>  side of him she was seeing. "Whatever happened to revenge at
>  all costs?"
>
>  Koji snorted. "Part of my revenge is going to be living a
>  long and happy life. I'm going to raise a family and enjoy
>  myself, and know that he never will. I'm going to make his
>  death a thing of joy for me, not something I'll be paying for the
>  rest of my life."
>
>  "And Nabiki's life?"
>
>  He sagged a little. "I think the cops would have picked us
>  up before we left Japan. But still... I almost wish we had tried
>  yesterday. Almost. Nabiki knew what the risks were."
>
>  "Does that make it any better?"
>
>  "No." He sighed. "As horrible as this is going to sound, she
>  died at a convenient time for our plans."
>
>  Mariko scowled. "You're right. That does sound pretty
>  horrible. Explain."
>
>  "With Azusa gone, Ranma will think we've lost our source
>  of information, our man in the Tendo household. He'll think
>  we're running blind."
>
>  "We are running blind," she pointed out, confused.
>
>  Koji smiled.
>
>  ^_-
>
>  Akane arrived home to find a familiar figure waiting on
>  her doorstep.
>
>  She didn't panic. Although she knew she was still tired
>  from her fight with Mariko, she snapped into a defensive
>  posture and wordlessly waited for the attack. If it was
>  careless enough, perhaps she could stun her opponent long
>  enough to flee.
>
>  The expected barrage of strikes never came.
>
>  "What do you want?" she finally asked, not lowering her
>  guard. The attack could still come at any moment.
>
>  The weapons dropped from her adversary's hands, landing
>  with a clatter on the path.
>
>  "Has gone too far," said the Amazon. "Shan Pu sorry. Here
>  to make amends. Will help you and Ranma. On oath as a warrior,
>  Shan Pu will defend you to best of ability from Tsen and
>  others."
>
>  A cool breeze swept through the garden, bearing with it
>  a ragged scrap of colored paper. It tumbled into the koi pond as
>  Akane lowered her guard and stepped forward, and then it
>  slowly faded and sank.
>
>
>  -< End of Chapter 10 >-

Gos: Well, hot damn. Shamps enters the fray at last. This'll be cool.

Mackie: I'm more interested in how she'll act around Ranma. I don't
expect her to throw around "Wo da Airen's" but Amazon law should
compel her to try something.

>  11'l be along in under a month. ^_^ C&C is welcomed.

Mercutio: Oo! Can't wait, can't wait!"