Eternal Sleep:? Part Three
Written by: Son Pan
Ranma ½ Homepage
Eternal Sleep?: Part Four
Ryouga smiled and stretched on the small cot the Tendo’s had set up for him. Kuno had left a few minutes ago, and they’d decided to let him stay the night. Something distracted his attention, and he sat up. The house was fairly dark, and most of the family had gone up to sleep. He managed his way over to the kitchen, where he saw Akane on the floor, her head in her hands. She hadn’t seen him.
He took a few steps towards her. She was crying openly, her tear drops pooling on the cold floor. Nervously he came closer to her, and knelt down at her side. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to look up.
"Ryouga-kun…" She breathed. He tried to smile back at her. She looked back down at her lap. Rested there was a botched yellow-looking scarf. Ryouga looked at it, and then back at her.
--Such pain in her eyes!-- He thought, feeling a strong tug at his heart. Akane lifted the scarf up.
"I . . . gave this to . . . him, for Christmas." She began. Ryouga listened to her intently. "He . . . he actually thanked me for it. I was so happy…" She trailed off, unable to continue. Ryouga remained kneeling at her side, unable to express his feels for her any other way. He silently sat. Akane looked at him again, and blinked. A few stray tears feel down her cheek.
Ryouga reached up to wipe them away, his fingers hesitantly dancing by her delicate face. He reached forward and brushed the salty tears off. Akane lowered her head, an Ryouga blushed deeply.
"It’s my fault." She muttered, her gaze cast at the floor. "If . . . I wasn’t so clumsy . . . " She breathed harder. "I only I hadn’t tripped he wouldn’t have gotten mad!" She whimpered in agony.
Ryouga paled. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to his rear. Akane looked over at him. Quickly he got back up. "No, Akane." He breathed, his heart suddenly beating wildly. "It wasn’t your fault. Don’t blame yourself." He coaxed. "I’ll see that the real offender be punished." He got to his feet. Akane looked up at him.
He couldn’t bring his eyes to look down upon her.
--I’ve cause you so much pain!--
He turned and ran from the Tendo’s, tears forming in his eyes.
"Ryouga-kun!" Akane called after him.
Outside
"Whoa . . . hey, whoa! Ryouga?! Where do you think you’re going?!" Ranma called chasing after Ryouga. The moon was high and full overhead so the path was fairly well lit. Ranma jogged along side Ryouga, who was blindly heading into the forest.
"I . . . hurt Akane . . . I must do time in the wilderness to repay the pain she has suffered because of me." Ryouga sputtered, ducking a branch.
"What?! What’d you do to her?!" Ranma cried grabbing Ryouga’s shoulder and trying to spin him around. The branch passed right through him "Dammit!"
Ryouga turned anyway. "I was the cause of your death…and that has hurt Akane." He turned and kept walking into the forest.
"What?! Ryouga! You can’t leave! I need you here!" Ranma growled. Ryouga stopped and looked back at Ranma over his shoulder. Ranma crossed his arms in front of him . . . almost ready to take back what he’d just said.
"What’d you say?" Ryouga whispered in the silent night. Ranma sighed.
"I might regret saying this later, but its the truth. If I’m not here . . . I need you to watch over Akane." Ryouga turned completely around, stunned. "She is a sensitive girl, and I know you’ll care for her." Ranma nearly choked on his words. "Running away will only hurt her more. She needs someone to help her through this . . . I think it should be . . . you." He gasped.
--I canNOT believe I just SAID that!--
Ryouga took at step towards Ranma. "I think that was the bravest thing I’ve ever heard you say, Saotome."
Ranma gritted his teeth. "You’d better get out of here before I change my mind." He said, through clenched teeth. Ryouga turned and took a step, then stopped.
He looked back at Ranma. "I can’t leave you here." He told Ranma.
Ranma looked at Ryouga. "There is nothing left for me at the Tendo’s anymore." Ranma answered. His heart thudded thinking he might never see Akane again. He realized how much he did love her, and how hurt he was that he had never been able to express his feelings for her, and now it was too late. "But, I will come back to say one last good bye." He added. Ryouga nodded, somewhat relived.
Both turned and headed back towards the Dojo, walking side by side. Flesh and ghost.
Tendo Dojo
Akane still was on the floor, sobbing audibly now. Ryouga and Ranma both entered the kitchen together, and stood shoulder to shoulder. Akane weeped and wrung the botched scarf around her fingers. Ranma paled. She looked so awful. Ryouga remained standing in the door ways as Ranma took a step towards her.
"Akane . . ." He whispered, crossing the void between himself and her. She of course did not hear him.
The moonlight filtered through the windows, bathing Akane in a soft pale blue light. Ranma got half way to her and stopped. He looked back at Ryouga, he stood tight lipped, looking past Ranma at Akane. Ranma turned around and walked back to Ryouga. The two looked at each other silently.
"This isn’t going to work for me, Ryouga." Ranma said. "I can’t touch her, I can’t feel her, I can’t talk to her." Ryouga nodded and placed his hand on Ranma’s shoulder . . . it fell through.
Ranma sighed and gulped. "I guess I’m breaking down . . ." He absently said. "There’s noting left to do then is there…" He muttered. Ryouga looked at Ranma, and for the first time saw actual tears form in Ranma’s eyes. Ranma walked past Ryouga, and the looked back at Akane.
"Goodbye, Akane . . ." Ranma whispered.
"Ranma . . . wait . . ." Ryouga called. Akane looked up, hearing his voice. She spied Ryouga, looking at the empty doorway.
Ranma hung his head. "I can’t do this Ryouga. I can’t stand to see her like this, an be unable to help her." He sighed. Ryouga took a step towards Ranma.
"What if we . . . joined souls. I . . . could let you use my body . . . " He trailed off, not sure what he was suggesting. Ranma looked up Ryouga, and then spied Akane looking at them.
"Akane!" He called. Ryouga turned around.
"Akane . . . " He whispered.
"Ryouga-kun . . . ?" She questioned, slowing getting to her feet. Ranma looked at Ryouga.
"It might work. I’m gonna try it." Ranma called. Ryouga turned and looked at Ranma, not understanding what he was talking about. "Saotome School of Martial Arts Technique: Ghostly Merge!"
Ranma out stretched his arms and suddenly became illuminated. Ryouga looked at him, and was suddenly enveloped in the light. Ranma stepped towards Ryouga, until his soul was inside Ryouga’s body. The light increased.
Akane watched Ryouga silently. His seemed to be staring off at something. He’d stopped talking, and now seemed to be listening or concentrating on something. Without warning his eyes rolled into his head and he collapsed to the floor.
"Ryouga-kun!" Akane cried, rushing to him and kneeling at his side.
The light around Ranma faded as Ryouga’s semi-soul stepped from his body and Ranma took control of Ryouga’s body. Ryouga’s semi-soul blinked and looked down at his motionless body.
"What the-?! Ranma, you did it . . . " Ryouga whispered, looking down at the two.
Ranma-Ryouga slowly opened his eyes. He saw a frightened Akane looking down at him. He tried to get to his feet, but his head pounded. He blinked.
"Where am I?" He groaned.
Akane wiped her face free of tears. "You’re in my house, Ryouga." Akane answered.
Ranma-Ryouga blinked. He knew that. He finally pulled himself into a sitting position. He saw himself sorta standing away from him. He blinked. Things started coming together. He and Ryouga had switched places! He was in Ryouga’s body, and Ryouga was in his spirit ‘body’ .Ranma-Ryouga jumped to his feet and then nearly feel again. Akane startled, looked up at him. He grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet.
"Akane!" He cried. Akane looked at him confused.
"What just happened? Are you alright?" She questioned, scared.
"Akane! It’s me! Ranma!" He gleefully called. "Ryouga and I switched places!" He added. Akane’s brow wrinkled.
"Switched places?" She questioned. "What?!"
Ranma-Ryouga frowned a little. He took on an air of seriousness. "Akane, it’s me, Ranma. I’m dead, but was able to switch places with Ryouga because he could see me. I died such a sudden death, I was never able to say goodbye . . ." He paused. Akane looked up at Ryouga-Ranma, her eyes wavered.
"Ranma?" She whispered. She looked at Ryouga-Ranma’s eyes, and somewhere deep inside saw Ranma looking back at her. "It . . . it is you!" She cried softly. Ranma-Ryouga smiled.
"Yes, but I only have a little time to say goodbye to you." He answered. Akane gulped and looked back at him. He smoothed her hair from her face, and dried her tear stained cheek. "I don’t want you crying over me. I’m gone, and you can’t bring me back. My death wasn’t your fault, it was my own blindness. I don’t want you to blame yourself, okay? It’s very important to me that you don’t." He told her kindly. Akane nodded.
"O-o-okay." She sniffed.
Ryouga-Ranma smiled. "I wish it didn’t take these extremes to bring out my true emotions, but knowing that I will never be able to say this again, I have to let you know before its too late . . ." He paused. Akane’s heart was beating wildly. Something clattered in the distance, but neither totally noticed it. "I love you, Akane. I think I always did . . . but I’m clumsy at love . . . I never was able to tell you." He said the words withough hesitation, knowing he might only have this once . . . He gulped.
Akane smiled, shocked, but happy. "I love you too, Ranma." She answered. Ryouga-Ranma smiled, and took Akane into his arms.
He leaned forward, and both closed their eyes. Soon they were embraced in a passionate kiss neither had experienced before. Ryouga-Ranma became lost in his emotions for Akane. Only a cried broke them apart. He opened his eyes and pulled away from Akane. Someone had turned the kitchen light on, and the room was flooded in color. Both turned and looked at the doorway.
Soun, and Nabiki stood there, both mouths gaping. Ryouga-Ranma let Akane go, and she looked at her father and sister and then back at Ryouga-Ranma. She gulped.
"Akane!" Soun cried. Nabiki, marched forward, grabbed Akane by the arms and lead her over to the corner. Soun marched over to Ryouga-Ranma.
"Mister Tendo, let me explain . . . " Ryouga-Ranma started, trying to see what Nabiki was doing to Akane.
"No explanation! I SAW enough!" Soun cried. Ryouga-Ranma gulped.
With in seconds, Kasumi and a bedraggled-looking Genma appeared.
"What’s going on here?" Genma called, seeing Akane in her pajamas, being scolded by Nabiki, and Ryouga and Soun glaring at each other.
"Dad!" Ryouga-Ranma called. Genma burst into tears. He glared at Ryouga-Ranma.
"It pains my heart to hear that, Hibiki Ryouga! How dare you claim to be my son!" He cried, clutching his chest. "I have had enough pain for one day!"
Ryouga-Ranma baffled froze. Akane looked at him over her shoulder. She broke away from Nabiki.
"Wait!" She cried. Soun, Genma, Nabiki, Kasumi, Ryouga semi-soul, and Ryouga-Ranma looked at Akane. "That isn’t Ryouga!" She tried to explain. "It’s Ranma! He…he, went into Ryouga’s body…" She stopped realizing how absurd that sounded.
"Akane-chan," Nabiki started. "We all know you would never kiss Ranma like that . . . " She pulled Akane back over to her.
"Oh my." Kasumi cried, putting her hands to her face. "Akane kissed Ryouga-kun?"
Nabiki leaned towards Ryouga. "I don’t know what has gotten into you, but I’m beginning to think you are off you rocker." She put her hands on Akane’s shoulder. Akane flung them off.
"I’m NOT lying! Ranma and Ryouga switched!" She protested.
"That’s impossible, Akane." Nabiki scolded, to low for anyone but Akane to hear. "Ryouga may have TOLD you he switched, but physically he couldn’t." Nabiki, paused. "You must be under a lot of physical stress to believe a story like that . . . "
"But . . . if it isn’t true . . . why would Ryouga . . ." Akane stopped as Nabiki butted in.
"Ryouga’s had a crush on you forever! You never noticed . . . " Nabiki paused as Akane took it all in. She looked back over at Ryouga-Ranma. Nabiki continued. "God how naive." She put a hand to her head and sighed. "Well, it isn’t up to me, but . . . Ryouga’s a good guy. Don’t tell dad I told you, but you just go ahead and be with him." She added, thinking that Ryouga wasn’t bringing any money into the family. She shrugged, couldn’t let Akane have Kunou though, could she?
Akane looked at Ryouga-Ranma, and he caught her glance. She held her breath. She saw Ryouga, but more than that, she saw Ranma. She couldn’t be imagining this . . . could she?
She turned back to Nabiki. "You don’t have to believe me, Nabiki, but that IS Ranma over there. I know it is." She firmly stated.
"Akane, Ranma would NEVER express his love for you like that. And definitely never kiss YOU like that . . ." She paused as Akane glared at her.
"Well, you’re wrong!" She spat. A loud thump from behind made everyone turn around. Ryouga-Ranma had fallen to the ground, and now lay there, unconscious.
"Ryo-er, Ranma!" Akane called running towards him.