Darkness. Comforting, soft, warm darkness. Floating freely, freedom felt in the removal of physical constraint.
Ah..... so.... comfortable. But lonely.
A spot of light? It beckons, promising company. Why not? Wow, moving's just a thought away. Cool.
Wha.........!?
Another world. Light. Brightness all around.
PAIN!
Then more comforting warmth.... and a physical presence. Soothing.
Akane?
Akane holds out her hand. She is wearing nothing.
Goodness, I'm turning Hentai!
No?
I already am!?
AKANE!
Riiiiiiiight, you were joking.
You want me to follow you? Of course.... I'd follow you to the ends of the earth if need be.
Another vortex? Not agaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain.......!
Where am I now?
This place.... it looks familiar. It's more lively. Greener, more.... life.Well, what am I here for, Akane? Oh, just watch? Ok.
The sky is turning dark. Brrrrr..... it's cold. Looks like a storm. Aw man, am I gonna get wet!? No? Oh. Silly me.
Hey? Who's this guy? Looks real beat-up. The priest? Ech, whose head's he carrying!? Kuriimu's? Since when did that furball's head.... oh, he could take another body instead of a cat's? Duh. What's the priest doing now?
Eh? What's that tree?
The priest, bloody and ragged, stumbles through the bushes. Every step is a battle won, every breath a defeat of death. But he knows he can't hold out much longer, his blood is draining away. Staggering towards the tree he marked out for the safety of his people, the priest looks down at a horned head. It stares back with unseeing eyes. He smirks, a massive effort on his part, but infinitely satisfying. Finally, he reaches the tree. He drops the head in front of the tree, where it lands horn up. Now.... only one last thing to do. The priest begins chanting. Ranma can't help but think, he looks simian.... ape-like.... like some priest he heard of elsewhere.
The tree's roots grow impossibly fast over the head of the demon, dragging it into the earth. As it does so, a bolt of lightning blasts the island, striking the priest dead on. Just before the smoke dissipates, a glow surrounds the island momentarily.
A moan in the wind, Ranma can barely make out.
"Till the evil is destroyed, the innocent shall suffer. A touch may be all that matters."
Ranma wakes up suddenly, gasping for breath. That is, gasping before a sharp pain in his back makes him wince, curse, AND gasp, all at the same time.
Akane: " 'Bout time you woke up, sleepyhead."
Ranma blinks for a moment, then looks down. His shirt is gone, replaced by bandages wrapped around his body.
Looking up, Akane is the first thing that fills his vision. She is smiling slightly.
Akane: "Boy, you know how to sleep, Ranma."
Ranma replies with silence. Looking around him, he notices he's in the tent by the lakeside. Akane crawls over to his side and sits down. Ranma notices she's wearing a dress, the very same one she was wearing when they first arrived. And she is wingless.
Ranma: "Akane?"
Akane: "Yeah?"
Ranma: "What happened?"
Akane's smile widens, then she giggles and playfully knocks Ranma's head.
Akane: "You were unconscious of course, Ranma. You slept for three days."
Ranma: "......oh. I didn't mean that."
Akane: "Then what did you mean?"
Ranma struggles to sit up, but Akane puts a hand on his chest. He settles for pointing at the space behind Akane.
Ranma: "Where're your.... wings?"
Akane blinks once, then tilts her head slightly, a bewildered expression on her face.
Akane: "Wings? What wings? You must've knocked your head harder than you thought, Ranma."
Ranma blinks at Akane's simple and innocent answer. Then his surprised face slowly changes into a suspicious one.
Ranma: "Akane, stop playing games with me. I know what happened, and I very much doubt that pain in my back is because of a sprain."
Akane sighs, then nods.
Akane: "Well, it was good while it lasted. You were resting, Ranma. I carried you out from the cave after you got your back shredded, and Sekki saved you."
Ranma: "Oh no. Does that mean....?"
Ranma groans, and covers his eyes with one hand while feeling around his back and head with the other. Akane's eyes widen in amusement, then she nearly laughs.
Akane: "Oh no no no no no, Ranma, you're not one. Don't worry, all we did was staunch the bleeding, stitched you back up. You'll heal soon enough."
Ranma: "Oh, I feel so much better."
Akane laughs as Ranma replies with his best sarcastic tone. Then, Ranma hears a voice outside the tent.
Voice: "Is Handsome awake, dearie?"
Akane looks out the tent as a shadow appears in front of it.
Akane: "He is. Come on in."
Sekki opens the tent flap and walks in. Ranma notices she's dressed casually too, with no sign of anything out of place except maybe those unnaturally perfect features. Sekki sits besides Akane and looks at Ranma.
Sekki: "Well, Handsome, time for you to go home. I wouldn't want you around when Kuriimu regenerates himself, it usually gets rather messy."
Sekki smiles at Ranma sweetly before a nudge from Akane reminds her of something.
Sekki: "Oh, and I got that Mark off you. You should run off screaming at the sight of a cat now. Akane made me remove it. Too bad though, it was fun, knowing everything you knew and did..."
Akane jabs Sekki in the ribs again as Ranma stares at them both for a moment, then scratches his head.
Ranma: "Whaddabout going home?"
Sekki: "Oh, that's been taken care of. You were out for three days, Handsome. We built a boat that ought to take everyone back to Japan in one piece. That blind boy was a great help. I have GOT to find out how he keeps everything in such a small place."
Ranma: "You don't want to know, Sekki. Trust me." <I think you've accomplished that quite well yourself though...>
Ranma and the two women in the tent stare at each other for a second, not knowing what to say, before a shout breaks the silence.
Soun's Voice: "Hey, Ranma awake!? We're leaving soon!"
Sekki shrugs to Ranma.
Sekki: "Well, time to go home, boy."
Ranma nods, and Akane helps him up. The three exit the tent and see the boat already loaded and crewed. A modest affair of a boat, it's big enough to carry everyone on board but small enough to carry around with said passengers. Ranma nods to Soun, waving to him, and grabs Akane's hand as the they trot over to the boat.
Ranma notices that Nabiki and Ukyo are also there, looking much better. Haggard, weak, and with enough bags under their eyes to carry Mousse's equipment, but alive and well. Soun nods to Ranma and Akane as they reach the boat, Sekki behind them.
Soun: "Come aboard, Ranma. We're going home. You too, Akane-chan."
Ranma: "Yeah! Come on, Akane."
Ranma tries to pull Akane on board the boat with him, but she resists. Ranma and everyone on the boat stares at this unusual behavior. Ranma then blinks and something pops into mind.
Ranma: "Akane....."
Akane: "You know that, Ranma. You know I can't leave. I'd just hit an invisible wall."
Ranma looks confused, and points at Akane.
Ranma: "B...but, you're..."
Akane looks at Ranma's expression and smiles sadly, looking down at the sand for a moment before turning back toRanma.
Akane: "Normal? No, just.... in another form. I can't explain that. I can't leave, Ranma. The island won't let me go. The spell."
Ranma: "......"
A chilled wind blows, ruffling everyone's hair, as Ranma looks at Akane for a few seconds. A teardrop begins to form at the base of Akane's eyelids.
Akane: "I'm sorry, Ranma. You'll have to go home alone."
Ranma: "But.... but.... isn't Kuriimu destroyed? At least temporarily?"
Akane: "No. Until he is permanently removed. I just slowed him down, Ranma."
Ranma can feel something welling up inside of him. A wetness comes to his eyes. He walks the few steps over to Akane and stops there. He looks down, not knowing what to say. Instead, he clenches his fists and grits his teeth at the tide of emotion washing through him. Akane can sense the blood dripping from his hands, unnoticed by everyone else. She reaches a hand out to caress Ranma's face.
Akane: "Ranma...."
Ranma looks up suddenly and pushes her hand away gently, but firmly. Pain eats at him, visible in his face and eyes.
Ranma: "Akane, I.... I don't know what to do.... or say."
Akane: "Nothing, Ranma. Just leave. And don't come back. Please. For your sake."
Without another word, Akane strokes Ranma's face and turns around.
Akane: "Gomen-nasai, Ranma-kun. I can't go with you."
She begins to walk off. Ranma can feel something warm running down his cheek.
Ranma: "Akane!"
Akane doesn't respond. Sekki watches the whole incident silently, slowly moving away herself. Ranma looks at Akane's departing figure, which suddenly shimmers and is replaced with the winged-version of Akane.
Ranma: "AKANE!"
Akane just stops for a moment, begins to turn her head, but stops and continues walking away. Ranma clenches his hands so tight bones begin to pop. He yells at the top of his voice, and everyone flinches at the dripping poison in it.
Ranma: "AKANE NO BAKA! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!? AKANE!"
Akane doesn't respond. She is almost at the bushes now. Ranma makes one last try, this time with everything he's got. Tears are running down his cheeks now, and blood drips steadily from wounded palms.
Ranma: "AKANE NO BAKERO! STOP RUNNING AWAY! AKANE! COME BACK HERE! AKANE..................!!!!!!"
Akane disappears into the bushes and trees by the lakeside as another chill wind blows. This one carries with it three words, and, as if moaning, the wind stretches them out sadly.
"Sayonara, Ranma-kun."