tjrich@aol.com (TJRich)


TJRich@aol.com




    The cast and crew of Ranma 1/2 are the creation of Rumiko Takahashi
and I hope she won't come hunting any fingers for my unauthorized use of
them. Hope you enjoy it and be kind, this is my first attempt! You can
reach me at the above address with any comments, positive (hopefully) or
negative (not wanted, but accepted) you would care to pass on. (I have no
idea of what Dr. Tofu's given name is so I made one up. If anyone knows,
please pass it on and I'll do a fix-it!) Thanks for reading it.
_________________________________
CHIESAI - DREAMS OF DARKNESS
A RANMA 1/2 STORY
by Shannon M. Richmeyer
Part 1 of 15




    Kasumi's Room. The clock reads 5:13 a.m. Kasumi is sleeping
peacefully on her side, then rolls over onto her back, a very
uncharacteristic frown creasing on her normally untroubled face. She
drapes her forearm over her eyes and whispers in her sleep, "Oh, no. Not
again."


    It is night, the moon is full, and she is flying, exulting in the
freedom of her hawks body. She wonders briefly, (however did I become a
hawk?) Then that thought leaves her as her sharp eyes catch a glitter of
light reflected from the ground. She folds her wings and dives, laughing
in delight which springs from her throat in a hunting scream, as the wind
whips through her feathers. She snaps her wings forward to halt her dive
as she nears the ground and settles onto a piece of wood, tied
horizontally to a pole of some sort.


    She shrieks in horror, flaps her wings and leaps back into the air as
she realizes where she has landed. She rises over a battlefield littered
with the hacked remnants of men and animals which loom to form stark
outlines against the moonlight. The smell of blood and death threaten to
overwhelm her.


    She flies as fast as she can, trying to get away, but the battlefield
seems to stretch on forever. Every now and then, the screams and pleading
of those not quite yet dead rise up to her. A single tear rolls out of
her eye as she echo's their dispair with her hawks plaintive cry.


    She flies and flies, exhaustion threatening to pull her down, but she
struggles on, refusing to land in that horror below. Finally she sees a
thin fringe of a forest in the distance and beyond that, built high on
the side of a mountain, a palace. Somehow she knows that safety and rest
wait for her there.


    She circles the tower once, spies an open window. She soars in and
alights on an intrically carved wood perch waiting for her. It is an
ornate bedroom, lit by hanging oil lamps. An older woman in the mauled
remains of some early period armor is stretched out on the bed, covered
with blood. A red sheathed sword is laying beside her, her hand resting
limply on it's hilt. She is staring at the ceiling, ignoring the
ministrations of the doctor hovering over her.


    The Doctor looks over at Kasumi as she settles onto the perch and
Kasumi is startled to see that it is Dr. Tofu. Another man, middle aged
and also in armor and bandaged in many places, is kneeling by the head of
the woman's' bed. He looks a lot like Soun Tendo. There are two young
children, maybe seven, an oriental boy and a caucasian girl with red
hair, dressed in early-period court clothing, sitting in seiza a few feet
away from the side of the bed. The boy is crying silently.


    "Grandmother is dying." He sniffles softly to the girl beside him.


    The girl reaches over and takes his hand into hers. "I know. But she
is so hurt, and in such great pain, that to go over will be a blessing.
And she misses your Grandfather and her sisters so much, and they will be
waiting there for her."


    "How do you know?" The boy challenges.


    The little girl shrugs, squeezes the boys hand gently. "I just do."


    "But I'll miss her!" He wails.


    Dr. Tofu glares at him, and the little boys eyes get wide. The little
girl frowns back at Dr. Tofu, then puts her arm around the little boy,
protectively.


    "Maybe the children should leave." Dr. Tofu states, his voice hard.
Very much not the same, kindly Doctor that Kasumi loves.


    "No." The woman on the bed answers, her voice strong despite her
condition. "I will have my grandson and his fiancee here, with me."


    Dr. Tofu gives an angry nod, then steps back from the bed. "Warlord
Tendo, there is nothing more I can do for your mother."


    The man at the head of the bed nods. Swallows back his grief.


    "Tsuba?" The woman asks.


    The Warlord takes his mothers hand. "I am here, Mother."


    "I have something hard to ask of you."


    "Anything Mother."


    She reaches up, the remains of her beauty visible in her soft
expression, to gently touch his face. Then her eyes harden.


    "You must swear to it on the family sword." She raises her hand from
the sword hilt.


    Warlord Tendo grasps the hilt, the woman covers her hand with his,
holds it there with more strength than an old dying woman should have.


    "This is what you will swear. No more than two girl children will be
born of any Tendo heir from this generation forth, until the end of
time."


    "But Mother," Warlord Tendo loosens his grip on the hilt, but the
woman holds it firmly in place.


    "Swear it!" The old woman's eyes seem to glow with the force of her
will.


    The Warlord looks down at the wooden floor for a few seconds, visibly
torn, then meets and holds his mother's gaze.


    "I, Warlord Tsuba Tendo, so swear that no more than two girl children
will be born of any Tendo heir from this generation forth, until the end
of time."


    "You will make it the responsibility of every Tendo heir to swear
this same oath on this sword, until the end of time."


    "I...I will make it the responsibility of every Tendo heir to swear
this same oath on this sword, until the end of time."


    "Good. Now I can die." She says simply. The old woman loosens her
grip and lets the Warlord withdraw his hand. He sits shaken.


    "But why, Mother?"


    The old woman smiles. "We have won the battle. The Darkness has been
locked away from us again. But to keep it there, all the Families must
make a sacrifice. This is to be ours, to make sure that it can never
again gain access into our world." She turns her head to look at the
children.


    "Shiro, come here."


    The little boy moves to the side of the bed. "Do you want me to make
the oath, Grandmother?" He reaches out his small hand toward the sword
hilt. The old woman intercepts it, holds it between her own.


    "No, dear one. For you, it will not be necessary." She gets a faraway
look in her eyes. "For you will be lost to us, yet always with us."


    "Grandmother, I don't understand...?"


    "Tsuba, take the sword."


    Warlord Tendo takes the sword, holds it in front of him at arms
length and bows formally to his Mother.


    "Stay by me, Shiro." She looks over to the little girl. "Rhiannon,
will you sing for me, child?" The little girl bows, then starts a
soothing lullaby in a clear sweet voice.


    "Remember Shiro," the old woman whispers, "I love you. Rhiannon loves
you. And love is the only force that can conquer the Darkness." Then she
leans back into her pillows and closes her eyes.


    Kasumi feels a great dispair well up inside her.


    (Only two Tendo daughters? Akane! Akane makes three! Oh, poor
sister!)


     She has been so caught up in the drama unfolding before her that she
hasn't noticed Dr. Tofu moving up beside her. He is wearing a falconers
glove and has a pair of jessie's and a hood held in one hand.


    "Come, beautiful one. Let your Mistress die in peace." He holds out
his arm encased in it's leather glove. Something about the way he's
looking at her frightens her. She knows instinctively that if she goes
with him, she will loose not only her freedom, but her life. She hisses
at him and launches herself out the window and towards the waiting forest
that surrounds the palace.


    "You shall not escape me that easily." He shouts after her.


    An intense pain pierces her under her right wing and she starts
somersaulting down. In panic, she sees Dr. Tofu standing in the window,
holding a crossbow and the bolt implanted firmly in her body. As the
trees rush up to meet her, she closes her eyes.


    She is caught, gently. A pair of glowing golden hands hold her, she
raises her head to see who has caught her, but the figure is glowing so
brightly that she can't look directly at it.


    "Gently, Little Sister." It says. It is a woman's voice, soothing and
calm. The glowing hands move her slightly. She feels the bolt move, cries
out in pain. Then, the pain is gone, and the bolt tossed away. Warmth
moves through her body, she knows the wound is healing. She snuggles into
the woman's arms, feeling safe and whole.


    "Come Little Sister." She sees a male figure on one knee before her,
a bare arm extended.


    She snuggles deeper into the glowing arms. The arms give her a gentle
hug, then she is placed onto the arm of the waiting man. She grasps his
forearm as gently as she can with her talons, not wanting to hurt him. He
rises gracefully, moves fluidly through the trees. Kasumi studies him as
they move. She can't make out his features well, but there is a dark gray
sheen glimmering around him. They come to the edge of the tree line which
is bounded by a cliff. Kasumi can hear the roar of the ocean far below.
The man stops a few feet from the edge and stares longingly at the
horizon.


    "Fly, Little Sister. The sun is coming soon. Fly into it and see it
in all its' glory." He launches her into the air, towards the horizon.
"And remember," his voice echoes behind her, "dispair is the first step
into the Darkness."


    Kasumi groans, sits upright rubbing her right shoulder. She swings
her legs over the side of her bed and slides her feet into her slippers.
She stares at her clock. It says 5:21 a.m. She stands, goes to the full
length mirror hanging on her closet and tugs the neck of her nightgown
down over her shoulder and stares at the angry red circular bruise there.
Nabiki's room. The clock reads 5:27 a.m. Nabiki is sleeping on her back,
arms and legs akimbo. She looks like she has been wrestling with the
sheet all night. One corner is still tucked in the bottom, but the rest
has been twisted and wound around one leg twice, under the other, up over
her stomach, over her right arm, back around underneath and the free end
draped over her face. She is sleeping deeply, the sheet covering her face
moving slightly with each exhalation. Then, suddenly, she makes a soft
mewing sound and curls up into a fetal position, pulling the one secured
corner free.


    Nabiki is seated on a very nice, dark velvet upholstered wing back
chair in a large, well furnished room. She's dressed in a stunning formal
gown. There is a thick carpet covering the floor, one half black and one
half white. Nabiki's chair is dead center on the white half.


    Kuno is kneeling on the black half of the carpet across from her, his
knees just millimeters from the dividing line. There are huge heaps of
expensive gifts on Nabiki's side of the line, as if Kuno has placed them
at arms length from his side of the line.


    Kuno bows formally to Nabiki, addresses her with his head lowered.


    "If you will be mine, beautiful one, I will give you all these
things. And more. Everything I have. Money, power, influence, position,
it will be yours, to do with as you please. And I will demand nothing of
you, except that you be mine. Put no restrictions on you, except that you
come with me."


    "Kuno, I....I don't know what to say." Nabiki stands, takes a few
steps towards him, kneels before him on her side of the gifts.


    "I...you love me?" She asks, incredulously.


    Kuno looks at her, no expression showing on his face. "What do you
think?"


    Nabiki hears a shuffling sound behind her, turns to look. Two little
kids are standing next to her chair; one, an oriental boy, one, a
caucasian girl with copper colored hair. They look terrible, their
clothing hanging in rags around them, and both painfully thin.


    "Who let those brats in here!?" Kuno demands. "Nabiki, don't let them
touch you! They're filthy!"


    Nabiki whips her head back around to look at Kuno, who is staring at
the children with naked hatred.


    "Kuno, they're just some poor kids." She sounds disgusted.


    "Here." She reaches into a pile of jewelry and pulls out a gold and
diamond encrusted necklace.


    Kuno reaches across the line and grabs her by the wrist. His hand is
so cold, it hurts her.


    "I forbid it." He hisses at her.


    She jerks her hand away and scampers backwards on hands and knees,
retreating to the chair. She looks at the children, who are staring wide
eyed at the wealth hanging from her hand.


    "I FORBID IT!!!" Kuno bellows at her.


    She glares at Kuno, then takes the little boys hand and pours the
necklace into his emaciated, dirty palm, curling his thin fingers around
it.


    "You go sell this and buy yourselves some food, for God's sake."


    "So be it!" Kuno's back to hissing. "Your choice."


    The room fades around Nabiki, the dress dissolving into rags. She
looks down at herself, shocked to see how thin and filthy she is. She's
standing in the rubble of a building, a dark cloud of dirt and ashes blot
out the sun. She recognizes this place. It's out of one of the pictures
of the aftermath of Hiroshima after the bomb. She had nightmares about
being a survivor, wandering around sick with radiation, for weeks after
the first time she saw it. It was her nightmare now. She sinks to her
knees, puts her hand in her face and sobs. A gentle hand touches her
shoulder.


    "Little Sister, why are you crying?" The voice is a melodic
contralto.


    "I....I..." is all she can choke out. Two strong arms pick her up and
start to carry her. She tries to focus on the face of the man who is
carrying her, but it is in shadow and her tears are making her vision
blurry. She can see the form of a woman with long red hair walking beside
the man in a dress so yellow it seems to be glowing.


    "Where are we going?" She gets out around her sobs.


    "Someplace else." The man states simply.


    They walk for a while, Nabiki weak and drowsy in the mans arms. They
stop and Nabiki starts awake. They are in a park by a small lake, it's
night and there is no trace of the horrors of Hiroshima. The moon is full
and casting sharp shadows so she can't quite make out the features of her
companions. The man sets her down gently so she can rest her back against
a tree. The woman sits down next to her, spreading her skirts out onto
the grass. The man leans against the tree beside her, and Nabiki gets the
impression that he is standing guard over them.


    "Now, tell us, Little Sister." The woman covers Nabiki's hand with
her own warm one. "Why where you crying?"


    "I gave it all away." Nabiki squeezes the woman's hand, as the tears
start back up. "Everything I've always wanted. For two scrawny,
half-starved brats."


    "You said that one offered you everything your heart desired?"


    Nabiki nods, sniffles.


    "Are you sure?"


    Nabiki looks up, somewhat startled by the question. "I don't
understand."


    "That one offered you wealth, power, all the things of the earth. But
not love." She picks a dandelion out of the grass, twirls it between her
fingers, then reattaches it to it's stalk. "Never love. You, on the other
hand, offered a gift to ease suffering. A gift of love."


    "But he said, 'Be mine, come with me...'"


    "But he never said he loved you."


    Nabiki looks at the dandelion, wonderingly.


    "Did he?" The woman prompts.


     "No, I guess not."


    "What did he say?"


    "He said, "What do you think?'"


    "And what do you think?"


    Nabiki stares at the grass around the dandelion. Sighs.


    "Come with me." The woman rises gracefully, her dress throwing light
out around her. She walks over to the pond. Nabiki follows her.


    "The sun will be coming up soon." She guides Nabiki to some large,
smooth rocks, gently forcing her down to sit on one. "Stay here, watch
it. And think about what you think."


    The woman turns and Nabiki can hear her steps whisper away through
the grass. The man touches Nabiki's shoulder, causing her to look up
startled. She hadn't heard him coming.


    "Remember, Little Sister, you gave your gift in love in a time of
need. As you always have. And as you always will." Then he too turned and
was gone.


    "I think you have the wrong girl." She says after him. Nabiki's eyes
snap open, she tries to sit up but is pulled back by the entangling
sheets. She mutters a few choice words as she unwinds herself, and glares
blurrily at her clock. It says 5:37 a.m.


    "Shit." She states simply, and drops her head into her hands. Akane's
room. The clock reads 5:39 a.m. Akane is in bed, P-Chan snuggled close.
She twitches, then thrashes, caught in a dream.


    Akane is standing in a field of grass, colored a dull blue by the
light of a full moon. It seems to stretch endlessly in all directions,
dotted here and there by softly glowing flowers. The milky way is so
bright and clear that she feels like she could reach out and touch it. A
warm breeze is gently ruffling her hair and causing the grass to ripple
around her like waves. It caries the scent of orange blossoms. Fireflies
dance around her, weaving intricate patterns.


    She is so enchanted by the magic of the scene that she doesn't notice
the darkness gathering behind her, slowly advancing and blotting out the
stars. The breeze starts to pick up, turning into a hard wind that whips
at her pajama legs and top. The darkness stretches out to cover the moon.
The change in light causes Akane to look up, then whirl to look behind
her with a "huh"?


    Lightning creates jagged patterns far against the horizon. She hears
the distant rumble of thunder which resolves into the slow beat of a
heart. A somewhat familiar voice is calling from far away. It sounds like
Ranma, but deeper, more mature.


    "Akane! Akane!" There is an edge of panic in it.


    "Akane! Where are you? I can't find you!" The voice starts to sound
desperate.


    "I'm here." She whispers, frightened, but not knowing why.


    "Where?" It calls longingly.


    "H..h..ere, " she stammers louder.


    A shape forms, striding towards her through the darkness. Akane
squints into the shadow, looking unsure. The shape gets close enough for
her to see clearly that it's Ranma, but as he will look maybe five years
in the future, taller, totally filled out and very handsome. He stops,
maybe ten feet back from the line that divides the darkness from the
gentle light of the plain where Akane stands. He holds out his hand to
her, a charming smile on his face. Some part of Akane notices that his
color is off and his eyes are glinting as if he is running a high fever.


    "There you are, Akane. Come to me, my beautiful one."


    Akane takes a step towards him, then another, her eyes full of hope
long denied.


    He smiles again, that smile that girls can't resist, "Please, Akane,
I've waited so long."


    She starts running into the darkness, wanting nothing more than his
embrace, not noticing that when she crosses into the darkness, it parts
and swirls around her like thick fog. A huge sphere of glowing golden
light springs up before her, a shimmering form in it's midst, bringing
her up short.


    "Never! Never shall you have her!" A beautiful voice shouts from the
sphere.


    The glowing form coalesces into a female figure, her hair long and
glowing and standing up and away from her head like a halo. The glowing
woman moves her hands up to the level of her chest, palms outwards,
thumbs and forefingers touching, forming a triangle. A blast of energy,
the color of sunlight, roars towards Ranma.


    Ranma raises his arms to protect his face, and the power flows around
him, as if parting before some invisible barrier.


    Akane screams "Ranma!" and begins to charge the glowing figure. A
pair of strong arms grab her in a bear hug from behind.


    "Wait." A soft male voice whispers in her ear. "Things in shadow are
not always what they seem."


    Akane tries to struggle, but can't move. Ranma snarls at the glowing
figure, a pair of oversized canine fangs bared.


    "You cannot keep her from me, she's mine!" The thunder seems to
punctuate his words.


    He brings up his hands and releases a blast of darkness back. The
glowing figure staggers, starts bleeding light from a number of wounds.
The sky behind Akane starts to lighten. The glowing one returns fire.
Ranma staggers back, darkness leaking from his chest. He grimaces and
returns another burst of darkness. The glowing one falls to one knee.


    "Wait here until the sun rises, then you shall be safe." The hands
are gone, but Akane is still standing as if held, one thought going
around and around in her mind.


    "What is wrong with Ranma?"


    A male form flows into/through/with the darkness to take up a
fighting stance in front of the glowing one, who isn't glowing so
brightly anymore. Ranma snarls again, hatred and death promised in his
eyes.


    "I'll kill you both," he hisses as he advances on the couple, then
throws up one hand and turns his head against the first rays of sunlight.
He turns his head back, obviously in pain and reaches pleadingly out to
Akane.


    "Akane." His voice is full of pain and need.


    Akane tries to move, but can't. Then Ranma turns and runs back into
the darkness. The man guarding the glowing woman sinks to his knees as
the sun touches him. The woman pulls his weight up against her and slides
her shoulder under one of his arms, starts dragging him towards the
retreating darkness.


    "Turn, Little Sister," she calls over her shoulder, "turn and face
the sun!"


    Akane sits bolt upright in her bed, gasping. Her eyes dart
frantically around the room which is dimly lit by the newly risen sun,
and pause on the clock. It says 5:55 a.m.


    P-Chan is standing with his front feet on Akane's thigh, squealing
and looking as worried as a pig can. She gathers him up and buries her
head into his back.


    "Why am I having this stupid dream every night?" She whispers.


    She hears the sound of sparing and Ranma and Genma's voices faintly
floating from the back yard up to and through her open window. She
shudder's slightly, slides out of her covers, still cuddling P-Chan, and
peeks out from behind her curtain.


    They must have just started, because both of them are hurling
insults, and each other, back and forth in their un-cursed forms. Then
both jump into the air, collide, grapple, fall into the fish pond, come
up as Genma-Panda and Ranma-chan, not even breaking the rhythm of their
fight. Akane shakes her head in wonder.


    (They've become so used to their transformations that they don't even
notice when they change), she thinks.


    P-Chan wiggles in her arms, so she puts him down, then follows as he
trots to her door and bangs it with his foot. She opens it and lets him
out, then crawls back into bed, determined not to let some silly dream
keep her from a few more hours of sleep. It was the first Friday of
summer vacation and she was going to sleep in.


    Twenty minutes later she was still wide awake and staring at the
ceiling, listening to the household stir around her. She could hear
Kasumi, rattling around in the kitchen making breakfast. Nabiki was up
early too, the radio in her room coming on right after Akane crawled back
into bed. Akane wondered if Nabiki was having trouble sleeping too, cause
she never woke up early, only two to three minutes of annoying alarm
buzzing could get her to open her eyes.


    After another ten minutes, she decided to give it up. Besides, the
sounds of Ranma and Genmas' workout where slowing down. If she wanted to
get into the bathroom before them, she'd better do it now. She got up,
slid on her slippers and wandered into the hall.


    In the bathroom, she stared at her own tired and too pale face in the
mirror as she brushed her teeth, wincing inwardly at the dark, bruise
like circles under her eyes. She looked terrible. She decided that she'd
better go to Dr. Tofu today and see if he could give her something to
make her sleep better.


    "Who's in the bathroom?" Ranma's high girl voice demands from the
other side of the door. Akane sighs and rinses her mouth.


    "Just a minute. O.K.?" She calls back. She runs her brush through her
hair, sighs again at her reflection. Then she takes a deep breath and
opens the door. Ranma-chan is standing, leaning against the wall,
waiting, tapping her foot impatiently. She looks at Akane as she steps
out the door, a little startled at how pale and tired she looks.


    "I thought sleep was supposed to make you look better, not worse."
She quips.


    Akane glares at her. "Just shut up, Ranma." She starts stomping back
towards her room. "For once, just SHUT UP!"


    "Sheesh. Talk about not being a morning person." Ranma says after
her. And is answered by the slamming of Akane's door.


    "Akane's up early," Kasumi says to her father as she refills his
coffee cup. "She's been up early every morning this week. And so has
Nabiki."


    "That's nice dear." Soun replies, absorbed in his newspaper and not
really paying any attention to what his oldest daughter is saying.


    "I hope they're O.K."


    "Oh, I'm sure it's nothing but the beginning of summer vacation
excitement, Kasumi." Genma assures her as she fills his cup. "Surely, you
remember how much you looked forwards to some free time with no
homework."


    "Well, I guess that could be it. They just look so tired all the
time, and they haven't been eating well, and..., "


    "Kasumi," Genma breaks in, "if you're that worried about them, take
them to see Dr. Tofu."


    Kasumi frowns at that, and rubs at her right shoulder, glancing at
the family sword sitting in it's position of honor below the family
shrine. Genma wonders at that frown, something that Kasumi did so rarely,
and never in conjunction with Dr. Tofu's name. He looks at her closely,
and notices with some concern the tiredness in her own face.


    "You're looking a little worn out yourself. Maybe you should go and
see him, too. What do you think, Tendo?"


    "Whatever you say, Saotome." Soun responds automatically from behind
his paper.


    "See, your father agrees with me. After breakfast, all you girls go
to see Dr. Tofu and then maybe you should go and treat yourselves to
lunch together, or something."


    "O.K. Mr. Saotome. If you think we should." She sounds unsure.


    Genma nods, changes the subject. "Delicious coffee, as usual, Kasumi.
It makes me wish I had a daughter, too."


    "I won't even touch that one with a ten foot pole." Nabiki says, as
she slumps down to the table.


    She holds out her cup, says "Thanks, sis." as Kasumi fills it and
then heads back to the kitchen.


    Genma opens his mouth to reply, then notices how pale and tired she
looks. Akane comes down and joins them, staring distractedly at the cup
at her place. She looks even worse than Nabiki. He takes a few sips of
coffee, hears Ranma thumping down the steps, by the sound of it, taking
three at a time. He comes striding up to the table, then plunks himself
down between Nabiki and Akane. He is bristling with energy, making the
two girls flanking him look even worse.


    "I'm starved, what's for breakfast?"


    Genma scowls at him from across the table.


    "What?" He asks, genuinely confused. Genma raises his eyebrows and
nods at the girls. Ranma looks at Nabiki, then Akane.


    "Boy, you two look terrible." He then struggles to catch his breath
when an elbow from each girl slams into his ribcage, forcing the air out
of his lungs. "Ow, what did you do that for?!"


    The girls pointedly ignore him and Genma just shakes his head sadly.
A rustle from the curtains of the kitchen announce Kasumi's arrival with
breakfast. Ryoga is following her, balancing four of the plates. Kasumi
sets the plates down in front of everyone, except Akane. Ryoga is holding
her plate in reserve so he can place it before her. He smiles, shyly.


    "Here Akane, you'll like this. Kasumi made a special breakfast for
all of us."


    "Thanks Ryoga." She gives him a wan smile as he sinks down to sit
crossed-legged next to her.


    It's a western style breakfast, scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. A
rare treat for the Tendo family. Soun, Genma, Ryoga and Ranma set to some
seriously eating, Soun's fork appearing and disappearing around the edge
of the newspaper with amazing speed.


    But Kasumi only takes a few bites of her eggs, Nabiki just pushes
them around on her plate and Akane pushes her plate away.


    "Akane, aren't you going to eat something?" Kasumi asks from across
the table, emphasizing the 'something'.


    "I'm sorry, Kasumi." she sighs. "It's a lovely breakfast, but I'm
just not very hungry right now."


    "Well, I'll eat it, if you don't want it." Ranma volunteers.


    Akane shoves the plate at him. "Go ahead, pig out."


    "I'm not the pig." he mutters around a mouthful of food, looking
meaningfully at Ryoga. Ryoga glares back then turns his attention to
Akane.


    "Aren't you feeling well, Akane?" Ryoga asks, gently.


    Akane looks down at the table. "No, I'm not. I think as soon as the
clinic is open, I should go and see Dr. Tofu."


    "You're not sick, are you Akane?" Ranma looks at her with concern. "I
don't want to get sick the first week of summer vacation!"


    At the word 'sick' Soun looks over the top his newspaper, seeming to
notice his girls for the first time this morning.


    "Akane, you look terrible. You too, Nabiki. And Kasumi! Are you all
right?" He asks, full of concern, now.


    But now everyone is ignoring him, watching the growing confrontation
between Ranma and Akane.


     "You're not contagious, are you?" Ranma asks as he leans away from
Akane, bumps back into Nabiki, causing her to sloosh some coffee onto the
tabletop.


    "I hope so." Nabiki mutters.


    Akane looks up from the table and glares at Ranma.


    "You...you...you...JERK!"


    Ranma looks stunned by the hurt fury on Akane's face


    "At least Ryoga cares enough to notice when I'm not feeling good."
Tears well up in her eyes. Ryoga smirks at Ranma from across the table.


    "Akane...wait, I didn't mean, I..." Ranma stutters at her.


    "I'm going to wait in my room until it's time to go see Dr. Tofu!"


    She turns around and storms back up the stairs, the group at the
table watches silently, twitching with each stomp, and wince as one when
the house reverberates from the slam of her door.


    "When am I going to learn to keep my big mouth shut." Ranma mutters
into his plate. "At least she didn't hit me." He looks in the direction
of Akane's room. "She really must not be feeling well."




 TJRich@aol.com  The cast and crew of Ranma 1/2 are the creation of
Rumiko Takahashi and I hope she won't come hunting any fingers for my
unauthorized use of them.  Hope you enjoy it and be kind, this is my
first attempt! You can reach me at the above address with any comments,
positive (hopefully) or negative (not wanted, but accepted) you would
care to pass on. (I have no idea of what Dr. Tofu's given name is so I
made one up. If anyone knows, please pass it on and I'll do a fix-it!)
Thanks for reading it. 
________________________


CHIESAI - DREAMS OF DARKNESS
A RANMA 1/2 STORY
by Shannon M. Richmeyer
Part 2 of 15


   It's early morning, about 9:00 a.m., and Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane and
Ryoga are walking as a group, Ryoga between Akane and the fence,
which has Ranma walking along the top, pacing them.


The girls look a little more animated and their color seems to be
improving each minute they're in the sunlight. They are chatting about
nothing in particular, Ryoga doing most of the talking, and even manages
to make Kasumi laugh. Akane is pointedly ignoring Ranma.


"Father and Mr. Saotome said we should all go out to lunch after we see
Dr. Tofu." Kasumi smiles at her sisters. "Where would you like to go?"


"What about the Uchan?" Ranma suggests from the fence.


"Who said you where invited?" Akane seethes at him.


"Now Akane," sighs Kasumi, "Ranma did apologize."


"Six times." Ranma mutters .


"And I'm too tired to referee a fight right now."


"You're right. I'm sorry, Kasumi." Akane reaches over and gives her
oldest sisters hand a squeeze.


"Great!" Ranma yells, and somersaults off the fence to land in front of
Akane. "That means you forgive me, right?"


He leaps back onto the fence to avoid Akane's punch.


"No." She mutters and keeps on walking.


They walk a few more blocks in companionable silence, Ranma trailing a
little behind them, until they reach the clinic.


"Ryoga, Ranma, why don't you wait out here for us?" Kasumi suggests as
Akane and Nabiki slide off their shoes and step inside. "Don't wander
too far, Ryoga." She adds as she too slides off her shoes and steps
inside.


Ranma comes up along side Ryoga, watches Kasumi disappear inside.


"Ryoga, what's wrong with Akane." Ranma asks, the concern he feels for
her now visible in his voice and face.


"How should I know?' Ryoga shrugs.


Ranma's eyes narrow, and he clenches his fist unconsciously.


"You sleep with her." He says, his voice full of barely subdued anger.


The two lock eyes for a few seconds, then Ryoga looks down, his
embarrassment and concern for Akane overriding his anger at the triangle
the three of them form.


"She's having bad dreams."


"Well, I have bad dreams sometimes and it don't do that to me."


Ryoga glares at Ranma. "It doesn't matter what it does to you! It
matters what it's doing to Akane!"


"Yeah, your right, it's just that..." (I'm worried about her), he
finishes to himself. "What kind of bad dreams?"


"I don't  know." He goes over and sits at a bench that runs along the
clinic wall. Ranma follows, looking dejected. Ryoga looks at Ranma out
of the corner of his eye, seeming to be debating with himself.


"I think they're about you." He says, finally.


"About me!" Ranma responds in shock. "Why would she be having bad dreams
about me?!"


"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she's engaged to a
self-centered, sex-changing asshole who can't even say a kind word to
her when she's obviously not feeling well."


"Why...you...you," is all Ranma can sputter as that barb hits home.


"What is it the American's say? If the shoe fits, wear it?" Ryoga leans
back against the bench, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.


Ranma leaps up, storms over to the other end of the clinic, plunks
himself down onto the low stone wall that shields the tiny patch of
grass and flowers that  form the clinics garden from the sidewalk, arms
folded.


"What do I care if that un-cute girl is having bad dreams about me,
anyway!" He mutters to himself.


(But I do care. I care a lot.) He admits to himself, (And she is cute,
especially when she smiles.) An image of Akane laughing and laying her
hand on his arm brings a soft smile to his own face and creates a warm
feeling in his chest. (Why can't I just say something nice to her every
once in a while? I mean, I knew she wasn't  feeling well. It's just like
my mouth engaged before my brain caught up. And I always say something
that really hurts her, and I don't even know why.)


He sighs. He uncrosses his arms, grips the edge of the wall and leans
forwards. (What am I going to do? I mean, I can't let her marry me, not
when I'm like this!) He sees an image of himself looking in a mirror and
his girl form looking back. (I should tell Pop to call the engagement
off.) A part of him that he denies so hard freezes up at that thought.
(Ukyou would have me, no matter who I am. And, technically I am engaged
to her, too.)


(But you don't love Ukyou that way,) that denied part reminds him, (not
the way you love Akane.)


(Yeah, I know.) He tells it.


Inside, the girls sit on the waiting bench quietly, Kasumi fiddling with
the end of her ponytail, Nabiki flipping through a magazine, Akane
leaning with her head back resting against the wall, just fuming.


(You're a jerk, Ranma.) Akane thinks. (If you hate me so much, why don't
you just leave. I'd break the engagement anytime you ask, without even a
thought.) She frowns to herself, knowing that last statement isn't true.


The rustle of a curtain parting announces the presence of Dr. Tofu.


"Why it's Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi!" He smiles a gentle, distracted
smile at the oldest sister. "What can I do for you today?"


Kasumi forces a smile back, the Tofu of her dream overlaying this one.
"We think we may all be coming down with something." She answers for
them all.


"That's putting it mildly." Nabiki says quietly into her magazine.


Dr. Tofu seems troubled by the cool reception from Kasumi, but continues
to smile brightly. "O.K. Who's first, then."


"Akane seems the sickest." Kasumi volunteers.


"Then Akane it is." He slides aside the door to the examining area and
ushers Akane in with a gallant bow. Akane crosses the room and hikes
herself up onto the examining table.


"So what seems to be the problem?" he asks.


"I just haven't been sleeping well, lately."


"O.K., lets have a look."


She sits passively as he examines her, nodding yes or no to his
questions. Finished, he steps back and slides his glasses down his nose
slightly to check her aura. He is shocked at how faint it is.


"Well, Akane, I can't find anything physically wrong with you." He tells
her, puzzled.


"You're on the point of sever exhaustion and slightly malnourished. The
malnourished part is because you haven't been eating well, but I'm at a
loss for the exhaustion. You're sure you haven't been overdoing it
training?"


"I haven't been training." She sighs, looking down at the floor, then
back up at him.


"I was hoping you could just give me something to help me sleep through
the night without that stupid dream."


"Dream?" He echoes, warning bells going off in his mind.


She nods miserably. "I'm just so tired. I know I would feel better if I
could just get a good nights rest." Her eyes start to water with
frustrated tears.


"Akane, tell me about your dream." Dr. Tofu asks her sharply, startling
her out of her tears. He perches himself on a metal stool.


Akane looks away, uncomfortably. "I...I really don't want to talk about
it."


"Anything you tell me will be held in the strictest of confidence, and I
promise you I won't laugh or be offended."


Akane studies him for a minute, taking in the sincerity reflected in his
eyes. She nods and swallows.


"O.K. Well, I'm standing in this field and it's really beautiful and the
moon is full overhead and there's this breeze blowing and it smells like
orange blossoms and it's really nice and peaceful and then the light
changes and I look up and this big dark cloud has covered up the moon
and I look behind me and it's all dark and weird and there's lightning
in the distance and then thunder and then the thunder turns into the
sound of a heartbeat and someones calling my name and I'm really scared,
but I don't  know why, and I say 'I'm here' and Ranma comes up out of
the darkness, but he's older, I think, and he calls me his beautiful one
and says he's been waiting such a long time and I try to go to him but
this big ball of yellow light comes between us and this pretty voice
shouts, 'Never, you shall never have her' and then it turns into this
lady with really big hair and she shoots sunlight at Ranma and I try to
grab her but somebody, a man, grabs me from behind and I can't move and
he says 'Little Sister, things in darkness aren't always what they seem'
and Ranma snarls at her with these really big teeth like in the vampire
movies and fires a whole bunch of black chi at her and she's hurt and
bleeding light all over the place and she fires back and hits him and
he's hurt and bleeding dark all over the place and he shoots back and
she falls to one knee and then the man behind me says 'Wait here, the
sun will be coming up soon' and goes to defend the Lady and Ranma's eyes
get all strange and I know he's going to kill them but then the sun
comes up and Ranma's hurt by it and reaches for me one more time
pleading for me to come with him but I still can't move and the Lady
helps the man up and they go into the darkness too and she says 'Turn,
Little Sister, turn and face the sun' and then I wake up."


She glares at Dr. Tofu, waiting for him to laugh, or smirk or do
something. He just studies her back with the same gentle smile he had
when she started.


"You know Akane, you have remarkable breath control."


"Uh, thanks." She responds, not knowing what else to say.


"And you've had this dream more than once?" He asks.


"Every night, for the last five nights." She snaps.


"Does it happen at various times?"


"No. I always wake up at 5:55."


"Always?"


"Always." She watches him rest his chin in his hand and rub at his lower
lip. A sign that over the years of watching him she knows means he's
deep in thought.


"I'm going to give Kasumi a powder to put in your tea after lunch. It
will make you sleepy and I want you to sleep yourself out. O.K.?"


Akane slides off the table and bows to Dr. Tofu.


"Will it make my dream go away?" She asks hesitantly.


"I hope so." He smiles at her. "Would you ask Nabiki to come in next?"


"O.K." Akane replies as she slides the door open and steps through. She
doesn't see his worried frown follow her.


He hears her call "Nabiki, your next."


While he waits for Nabiki he is thinking frantically, turning the dream
over in his mind. When Nabiki comes in she is meet by the same kind
expression, no trace of the worry that is roiling in his mind visible.
He waves at the table and she hops up.


"This is really a waste of time, you know." She tells him. "I'm not
sick, I just haven't been sleeping well the last couple of days. It's
just P.M.S. or something."


"Well, I'd like to take a look at you anyway, O.K.?"


She just shrugs and answers his questions with curt 'yeses' and 'no's'.
When he's done he checks her aura too, and isn't surprised to see that
it is very dim, but not as near as bad as Akane's.


"Are you having a reoccurring nightmare?" He asks.


Nabiki's eyes snap open wide in shock. "How did you know?"


"It's a Doctor thing." He quips back.


"Akane's having them, too?"


"I didn't say that." He says in a little warning tone, "and even if she
was, I wouldn't tell you."


(You just did.) She thinks.


"Tell me about your dream, Nabiki."


"I don't want to talk about it. It's stupid." She says, getting a
stubborn look on her face.


"Please."


She stares at her toes, arms crossed.


"Nabiki, it might be important." He puts all his will into that
statement.


She finally looks up at him, distrust written all over her face.


"I promise I won't laugh, be offended or judge. I just need to know what
it's about. O.K.? Besides, it might make you feel better to talk about
it."


"I don't think so, but O.K." She closes her eyes and leans back a
little. "I'm in this really nice room with this really weird carpet
that's half white and half black and I'm sitting in this really
comfortable chair on the white side and I'm wearing this really nice
dress and K....this guy is sitting in seiza on the black side of the
carpet as close as he can sit without going over the line. And there's
heaps of really nice stuff just over the line on my side and...This is
really stupid." She frowns.


"Please Nabiki, go on."


"And the guy says that I can have it all and more if I'll just be his."
She stops.


"Is that it?"


Nabiki squirms a bit. "Then I ask him if he loves me and he says, 'What
do you think.' and then these two kids are standing by my chair, and
they look really bad. Really poor, you know." She looks at him. He nods.
"And I think 'here's all this stuff, more than anyone, even me, could
need' and I take a piece of jewelry to give to the kids. And the guy
gets really mad and yells at me, but I give it to them anyway." She
looks at him out of the corner of her eye. He's staring at the floor, a
little wrinkle of concentration on his forehead, listening intently.


"Go on, please."


"And then the guy says, 'This is your choice', or something like that
and then I'm standing in the ruins of Hiroshima, right after the bomb.
And I'm, like, one of the survivors. I always hate that part of history
class, you know?"


"It was a terrible waste." He waits a few seconds, "And...?"


"Well, I'm crying and sick and then this woman comes up behind me and
says, 'Little sister, why are you crying?' But I'm crying so hard I
can't talk. And then this man picks me up and starts to carry me away
and there's this red-haired woman with him wearing this yellow dress
that glows, but I can't see them clearly because I'm crying." She stops,
swallows hard against remembered tears.


"And...?" Dr. Tofu prompts gently again.


"And I ask where we're going, and the man says 'Somewhere else.' Then I
think I fall asleep for a while, then I realize that we've stopped
walking and the man puts me down so I can sit against the tree, and
we're in a park somewhere and it's night and the moon is full and so
bright that it's casting shadows on their faces so I can't see them
clearly and the woman with the red hair sits down next to me and says
'Little Sister, why are you crying?' and I tell her it's because I gave
away everything I've always wanted for two poor little kids and she
says, 'Everything, even love?' and I say, 'He said he wanted me, needed
me,' and she asks, 'But did he say he loved you?' and I say "He said
what do you think?' and she says "What do you think?' and I don't know
what to answer and she takes me over to the pond and tells me to watch
the sunrise and 'think about what I think' and then she goes away and
the man comes up and says something like 'Remember, Little Sister, you
gave your gift in love in a time of need. As you always have. And as you
always will. And then I wake up." She finishes in a rush. "Pretty
stupid, huh? And except for the Hiroshima bit, not really very scary."


Dr. Tofu blinks once, deciding that superb breath control must run in
the family.


"Are you scared by this dream, Nabiki?" He asks gently.


She nods, "Yeah. " She tries a grin out on him. "Pretty stupid, huh?"


"Have you had it more than once?"


"Every night for five days." She shudders a little.


"Does it happen at random times of the night?"


"No. I always wake up at 5:37. Right on the dot."


He hops off his stool, pats her on the head. "I want you to drink some
of the tea I'm going to have Kasumi make for Akane, O.K.? It'll make you
sleepy and I want you to sleep yourself out."


"I'm just about ready to give up on sleep." She says to her feet.


"Well, this should help chase away nightmares, O.K.?" He sees her
doubtful look. "Just give it a try. For me?"


She sighs, "O.K.".


"Will you send Kasumi in on your way out? Oh, by the way, did you see
the sun rise?" He asks of her retreating figure.


"No, I was in the bathroom."


He is comparing the two dreams when Kasumi comes in, bows to him
formally. He bows back and checks her aura in the process. It's about as
dim as Nabiki's.


"Kasumi?" He offers his hand to help her up onto the table.


She pretends not to see it and lifts herself onto the table gracefully
and fixes her focus onto the backs of her hands, which are folded in a
tight knot on her lap. He starts his examination, wondering why she
seems to withdraw herself from his hands. Not a flinch, but almost.


He's checking the pressure points along her neck when she gasps as he
brushes her right shoulder. He stops, snags the stool with a foot and
drags it over and sits as close to her as he can without causing her to
feel threatened. He reaches out to gather up her hands, then stops as he
feels her withdraw from him even further.


"Kasumi, what?" He asks, not knowing how to articulate the cold chill in
his soul her rejection is causing him. "Talk to me. Are you having bad
dreams?"


She raises her head to look at him, nods, her eyes guarded.


"The others are too, then." She asks/states.


He doesn't answer, but she sees it in his eyes.


"Oh, Kinie!" She half-sobs and covers her face with her hands.


He is truly startled and troubled that she has used his given name.
Unsure, he moves to sit beside her on table. For a moment, she seems
poised to move away from him, then she leans into him and lets him
surround her in the circle of his arms.


"I think Father has done a terrible thing." She says into his shoulder.


"What terrible thing?"


"He allowed Akane to live."


"What...?" He moves her gently away from him and tilts her head up by
her chin. She looks miserable. "What do you mean, Kasumi."


"I've been having this dream. It's a long time ago, I'm not sure when,
and I'm a hawk flying through the air. I see something on the ground and
go down and find myself over a battlefield. It's... awful. I try to fly
away, but it goes on and on and on." She lays her head back against his
chest.


"Sometimes I can hear the cries of the dying, just laying there,
forgotten." She whispers. She feels his grip tighten around her.
"Finally, I see a forest in the distance, and a mountain rising out of
it, and a palace built on that, and I know that I must go there.


I fly in through a window and there is this old woman in the remains of
some armor lying on a bed and she's covered with blood. There's a Doctor
there attending her." She draws back to look at him. "It's you."


(I thought it must be something like that,) he thinks. (But what did the
dream version of me do to frighten her so much?')


"And there is a man in armor there, too, her son, Warlord Tsuba Tendo.
He looks a lot like Father. He's kneeling by the head of her bed. And
there are two children there. One is her grandson and the other is a
little red haired girl who is his fiancee. Their names are Shiro and
Rhiannon.


The little boy is crying, the little girl is comforting him. The old
woman makes the Warlord swear on the family sword that there will be no
more than two girl children born of any Tendo heir, until the end of
time. And then she calls the little boy over, and he puts his hand out
to take the oath but the old woman stops him. She says, 'For you it
won't be necessary. For you will be forever lost to us, but always with
us.' Then she says, 'Remember, Shiro, I love you, and love is the only
force which can conquer the Darkness.'


Then you, the Dr. Tofu in my dream, comes over to me and he's holding
and pair of jessie's and a falcons hood. And I'm terrified of him. I
know that if I let him take me, I'll die.


I fly back out the window and then fall, shot by a crossbow. I see the
dream Dr. Tofu standing in the window with the crossbow. 'You'll not
escape me that easily!' He shouts as I fall.


I close my eyes, waiting to hit the ground, but I'm caught. I try to see
who's holding me, but she's glowing so brightly I can't look directly at
her. She takes the crossbow bolt out and heals the wound. I feel very
safe with her. Then there is a man before us, holding out his arm for me
to sit on. He calls me Little Sister, and I notice that there is a
silver gray glow around him as we walk. We get to the edge of the forest
and he says, 'Fly, Little Sister! The sun is coming soon. Fly into it
and see it in all it's glory!' and launches me into the air, to the
east, over the ocean. I can hear him call after me, 'and remember that
dispair is the first step into the Darkness.'


And then I wake up."


He just holds her, sickened to his soul by the dispair flowing from her.


"Kasumi, how many times have you had this dream?"


"Five times."


"Every night?'


She nods into his chest.


"What time do you wake up?"


"5:21 a.m."


"Kasumi," he whispers into her hair, then clears his throat and speaks a
little louder. "A dream should not always be taken literally. The little
boy and girl could represent Ranma in both his forms. The oath, your
concern about how the relationship between Akane and Ranma is
developing. The dying woman could be your mother and the Warlord your
father." Knowing in his heart that there was much more to it than this.


She rests against him for a few more seconds, then pushes herself
upright.


"That's not all." She slides the sleeve of her dress down so he can see
the angry red circular bruise. "It's where I was shot."


Dr. Tofu stares, incredulous. "Somebody dared to do this to you? Wearing
my form?" There is fury in his voice.


"What is happening to us?" Kasumi asks, on the verge of tears.


"I don't  know, Kasumi," He returns her sleeve to her shoulder, "but I
promise you I will find out."


He squeezes her hands gently between his own strong ones, then releases
her, becoming once more the kindly Doctor.


"All of you are suffering from extreme fatigue and mild malnutrition. I
told Akane and Nabiki that I was going to give you a powder to put into
your tea after lunch. I want you to drink some, too. It will make you
sleepy, and I want you to sleep yourself out, O.K.?"


"But who will make dinner?" She asks.


"Tell your father that it's Doctor's orders and to order out."


"But..."


"No buts, Kasumi. It is what I prescribe, as your Doctor." He tells her
firmly.


She blushes a little, slides off the table, bows.


"Akane and Nabiki haven't had much of an appetite, lately. Nothing I've
tried has tempted them."


"I'll take care of that." He smiles at her. "Go on out and I'll bring
you the powder."


Kasumi goes to join her sisters in the waiting area and after a few
minutes Dr. Tofu comes out. He hands Kasumi a packet.


"Put in half a teaspoon for each cup of tea you brew. And you two," he
puts a hand on each of their shoulders and gives a firm squeeze, "you
eat some lunch and then drink up that tea. But no more that two cups,
O.K.?"


They nod, and he escorts them to the door. While the girls are putting
on their shoes, he looks out front, sees Ryoga dozing on the bench at
one end of the building, Ranma doing a kata at the other.


"Ranma!" He calls.


Ranma trots down to him.


"Could I speak to you a minute?"


"Uh, sure." He looks at Akane, full of concern. Akane is busy with her
shoes and doesn't see it.


"In here, please." Dr. Tofu waves him in. Kasumi looks at him with a
questioning expression.


"Nothing to worry about. He'll be out in a minute." He takes another
look a Ryoga, snoozing on the bench. "Is Ryoga having trouble sleeping,
too?" He asks her.


Kasumi smiles a little secret smile to herself, remembering the first
time she saw Akane's little black pig sneak into the bathroom, heard the
water running and then the squeak of the bathroom window opening and
then Ryoga appearing a few minutes later, tapping on the back door,
still slightly damp.


"No, I just think he got up a little earlier than he's used to this
morning."


Dr. Tofu nods, follows Ranma inside.


"Akane's O.K., isn't she?" Ranma blurts out in a rush.


"Well, no, she isn't." He says quietly. He can see the anxiety building
in the young man before him.


"What?" His voice is high with panic and a cold terror invades the pit
of his stomach. "Does she need to go to the hospital? I can take her
right now! She isn't going to die, is she!?"


Dr. Tofu shakes his head. "Calm down, Ranma."


"What's going on in here?" Akane looks in, concerned by what she can
hear of Ranma's tone.


"Uh...Uh..." Ranma stutters.


"He'll be out in a minute, Akane," Dr. Tofu smiles at her. "I just want
to speak with him in private for a moment, O.K.?"


"Well, don't take long, Ranma." She seems to focus inwardly. "I'm
hungry." She looks surprised as she steps back out into the sunshine.


"She's hungry?" He echoes, narrowing his eyes at Dr. Tofu, the cold
feeling is being replaced with a warm flush of annoyance.


"What's going on?!" He demands.


"Just a little accupressure." The Doctor answers as he crosses his arms.
"Is Happosai staying at the dojo?"


"No." Ranma looks somewhat confused by the change of subject. "Um, he
went to Nagasaki chasing some lady pop singer. Why?"


"Something is draining off all of the Tendo girls life-forces."


Ranma just stares at him, slack-jawed, knowing now why he asked about
Happosai. That old pervert was constantly tinkering with magic he didn't
know how to use.


"Akane's level is dangerously low." The Doctor looks concerned.


Ranma feels the cold creep back into the pit of his stomach. "Define
dangerously." He asks.


"Well, with a few days of good rest and some food, she should be all
right."


Ranma let's out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.


"I want to ask a favor of you." Dr. Tofu adds, bows formally to him.


"Yeah, O.K. What?" He says, obviously embarrassed by the formality the
Doctor is using, as he bows back.


"I want you to keep your eye on all the girl's for the next few days
and, especially, no fighting with Akane."


"Oh man." He groans.


"Any strong emotions, especially negative ones, will only weaken her
further. And that would be very bad."


"I might as well move out." Ranma mutters.


"If that's what it takes." Dr. Tofu responds.


"You're really serious about this, aren't you?"


Dr. Tofu nods. "Just try, Ranma? She'll probably be asleep for most of
the next twenty-four hours, anyway."


"O.K. No fighting with Akane." He states, and sighs inwardly, wondering
how the hell he's going to manage that.


He joins the group outside, who are holding a small discussion on about
where to eat.


"There's a new restaurant on Fifth Street that I would like to try."
Kasumi volunteers. "And it's closer than Uchan or the Nekohanten."


 Ranma breaths a silent sigh of relief, thankful that Kasumi has chosen
neutral territory.


"I don't care where," Akane says, as her stomach growls. "I just need to
eat!" She looks at Ranma waiting for some smart-aleck reply.


"Good." He says. "You haven't been eating enough lately, anyway."


Akane and Ryoga both look at him, surprised.


"O.K. Fifth Street it is." Kasumi says and starts off, the others
trailing. Akane walks beside Nabiki, wondering to herself what Ranma's
up to.


"Ryoga, hold up!" Ranma asks.


Ryoga slows down so that they're walking about ten feet behind the
girls.


"What did Dr. Tofu want?" He asks.


"Listen." Ranma says, pitching his voice low, so the girl's won't hear.
"Akane's really sick. Something is stealing her life force. And Kasumi's
and Nabiki's,  too."


"W..what?" Ryoga looks stricken. "What's doing it?"


"I don't think he knows, yet. But he said they should be all right with
some rest and food. But we can't let anything upset Akane."


"I don't upset Akane." Ryoga states, emphasizing the I.


"I'm serious, Ryoga. You can help me," an evil glint comes into his eye,
"or spend the next few days as a pig."


"You dare...!" Ryoga snarls, and Akane, sensing the beginning of a
fight, looks back at them. Ranma drapes his arm around Ryoga, thumping
him in the ribs on the way and puts his hand behind his head and smiles
at her.


"It's nothing, Akane," he calls to her. "Just some guy talk."


Akane looks at Nabiki, who just shrugs, then responds to some question
Kasumi directs at her.


Ryoga pulls back his fist, but Ranma steps in, puts up his hand and 
captures it before Ryoga can get any power behind it, bringing them face
to face.


"Listen Ryoga." He says firmly. "It's not for me, it's for Akane. If she
gets upset, she could get really sick."


Ryoga studies Ranma's face, taking in the concern and seriousness of his
expression. He struggles internally with himself, then looks at Akane
and relents.


"O.K. For Akane."


They run and catch up with the girls. Ranma moving to walk on Akane's
right and Ryoga to Akane's left. They move along, Ryoga and Ranma
telling jokes, trying to get the girls to laugh. By the time they reach
the restaurant, everyone is giggling.


They get seated, order, still breaking into laughter every now and then.
All three of the girl's look much better, and all three order huge
dinners. When the waitress brings it out, the girls look at all the food
spread out before them and then at each other, and giggle some more.


"No way are they going to eat all that." Ranma whispers to Ryoga. Ryoga
nods back, then both boys watch amazed as the food starts to disappear.


After ten minutes or so, there isn't a scrap of food left anywhere on
the table.


"Wow. And I thought I could eat." Ranma says softly to himself.


"What was that Ranma?" Akane challenges.


"Uh... I just was saying that Kasumi chose a really good place to eat."


She continues to stare at him suspiciously. Ryoga distracts her by
offering her a flower he had picked earlier and hidden in his pocket.
It's a little crushed, but Akane is delighted. She gives him a quick,
one armed hug. Ranma glares at them, biting down on his tongue.


"I'll be back in a minute." He seethes, and storms away from the table.
Akane watches his retreating figure and sighs, seeming to deflate a
little. Ryoga watches Akane and thinks, (This isn't going to be easy.)


In the men's room, after taking out his anger by demolishing a trashcan,
Ranma looks at his reflection in the mirror and mutters, "This isn't
going to be easy." 




CHIESAI - DREAMS OF DARKNESS
A RANMA 1/2 STORY
by Shannon M. Richmeyer


Part 3 of 15 


It's early afternoon at the Tendo house, Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane are
sitting around the table, waiting for the tea to finish steeping. They
can hear the soft thumps of Ryoga and Ranma working out in the adjoining
dojo through the open sliding doors that face onto the back yard.


Genma and Soun are sitting by the front window, playing chess.


Kasumi pours the tea into the three cups before her, then hands one to
each sister.


Nabiki takes the first sip, makes a terrible face. "How much of this
stuff do we have to drink?"


"Dr. Tofu said at least one cup, but no more than two." Kasumi answers.   


Kasumi takes a sip, her eyes widen a little. "One should be sufficient,
I think."


"Oh, come on." Akane says, looking back and forth at her sisters. "It
can't be that bad." She takes a big swallow, coughs and sputters as
taste hits her. "Oh, that's nasty!"


All three put their cups down and stare into them for a full minute.
Then Kasumi closes her eyes, picks up her cup and downs the contents in
three quick gulps. She opens her eyes, looks meaningfully at Akane.


Akane swallows convulsively, then sets her jaw and gulps down the
remainder of her cup in two big swallows. She looks a little queer for a
few seconds, then shakes her head, as if to clear it. Then both sisters
look at Nabiki.   Nabiki picks up her cup and knocks it back in one big
gulp. She sits, calmly, raising her eyebrows at her sisters' amazed
expressions.


Kasumi looks at the other two. "I think we should probably go and lay
down now."


Akane and Nabiki obediently rise and file up the stairs, heading for
their rooms. Kasumi goes over to her father, kisses him on the cheek.
"Don't forget that Shampoo will be delivering dinner at 6:00, Father."


He nods, concentrating on his game. Kasumi smiles at him and Mr.
Saotome, then heads up the stairs.


The rest of the afternoon passes quietly, with Ranma or Ryoga every now
and then peeking into the girls bedrooms, checking to see if they're
O.K. At 6:00 promptly, a bicycle bell rings at the front gate.


Shampoo comes sashaying up to the door, balancing the heavy delivery box
easily on one upturned palm.


"Nihao, Ranma!" She bubbles, as he comes to answer the door. "I put
these on table for you? No?" She springs by him before he can answer.
"Why you need food? Where Kasumi?" She sticks her head into the kitchen
after depositing the boxes onto the table.


"She's upstairs, sleeping."


"Why, she sick?'


"Just a little worn out, but Dr. Tofu said she was to sleep herself
out."


"Where Akane?"


"She's asleep too." (Uh-oh.) He thinks as he sees the shift of emotion
across Shampoo's face.


"She sick, too?"


"Yeah."


"She sleep as much as can, too?"


"Yeah." He answers guardedly.


"Good. Then you have nothing to do tonight. You take Shampoo out on
date!"" She drapes herself around him.


"Uh, Shampoo," he says, tries to remove her gently without much luck, "I
can't. I told Dr. Tofu that I'd stay around and keep an eye on
everyone."


"Why he want you to keep eye on?" She asks as Ranma gets a little
leverage and starts to peel her off.


"I think he thinks that there's something draining their life-force, or
something like that."


"Oh. You want Shampoo to come back after restaurant close and keep watch
with you?" She wiggles seductively.


(Oh man, why does she have to wiggle like that?) He gulps, a few beads
of sweat springing up on his upper lip.


"No. Thanks." He says it hard, hoping to make her mad enough to leave.
He didn't want to take the chance of Akane waking up and finding her
here. Especially when she was in one of her seduce Ranma modes.


Shampoo "humphs", turns and strides out, pouting, taking the money Soun
holds up without breaking stride.


Dr. Tofu is sitting in the library with a pencil held in between his
teeth. The clock on the wall reads 8:00 p.m. Books on a variety of
subjects are spread out around him, open to various pages. He is taking
notes on a yellow legal pad, comparing information between various
texts. One is so old, it's in scroll form. He reads something out of it,
pales, checks his notes, checks a book, then the scroll. He stands up
suddenly, clutching the pad to his chest.


"Oh no." He whispers.


It's dark outside the Tendo house, the kitchen clock says 11:00.


Ranma yawns, switches off the TV., stretches and rises, heads for the
stairs. He sees Ryoga, in his pig form, going up a few stairs ahead of
him. Ryoga whirls on the stair, glares at him. Ranma narrows his eyes,
then sighs, picks Ryoga up and carries him to Akane's door. Ryoga sits
quietly in Ranma's arms, not quite sure what's going on. Ranma opens the
door quietly, studies Akane's still form in the dim light from the hall.
"You'd think they'd have to go to the bathroom or something by now?
Wouldn't you?" He whispers, then cat-foots across and puts P-Chan onto
Akane's bed. Akane immediately cuddles up to the pig with a happy sigh.


"She sleeps better when you're here." He whispers to Ryoga, then reaches
out his hand to brush an errant strand of hair off her face, then turns
and leaves, closing the door quietly behind him, Ryoga staring after
him.   


In the quiet darkness of the Tendo kitchen the clock reads 4:42.


Outside, Dr. Tofu is taping a white sheet of paper with some arcane
symbols to the north corner of the high wall that surrounds the house.
There is a similar one on the south, east and west corners, too. There
is a long bo made out of white wood and capped at both ends with iron
leaning against the wall beside him. Finished, he looks up at the full
moon, which is sinking slowly towards the eastern horizon, picks up the
bo and leaps easily to the top of the wall, then over into the maple
tree that shades most of the backyard. He finds a comfortable nook that
allows him to see most of the backyard and the three surrounding walls,
then settles in to wait.


At 5:00 a.m. he hears a whispered hiss from behind the wall that backs
onto the alley.


"Someone's put up some wards!" A male voice growls.


"Wonderful. Just what we need." A melodic contralto answers, her voice
dripping with sarcasm. He sees a little shimmer of golden light flow up
and over the wall in a four foot swath. A lithe male figure leaps to the
top of the wall, turns and reaches down to haul a female form up after
him. They both leap soundlessly down onto the grass of the backyard,
move over to stand in the deeper shadow of the tree. Dr. Tofu takes
advantage of an errant breeze to reposition himself, the rustle of the
air in the leaves masking his movement.


The two below him stand, the woman leaning back against the man, who
encircles her with his arms and rests his chin on the top of her head.
In the dim light, he can only make out their outlines and the metallic
red gleam of the woman's hair.


"What do you think?" the man asks his companion.


"Didn't slow us down much, did it?" She responds.


Then he can see a tension grip the form of the man. "It's coming."


Dr. Tofu feels a pressure in the night air around him, sees a darker
patch of the night soar out of the sky and hover over the house. He
checks his watch, it says 5:12 a.m.


The disturbance in the air swirls once, then arrows into Kasumi's
window. Dr. Tofu takes a firm hold of his bo, prepares to swing down,
then is halted by the sight of the couple below him. She has started
glowing a brilliant yellow/white, the man a gray glimmer against her.
There is tension and strain showing in every angle of their bodies.


Dr. Tofu has been splitting his attention between the couple and the
house, and after about eight minutes, the woman's glow has dimmed a
little, and a movement at the house attracts his attention. The dark
flies out of Kismet's window, swirls for a second then dives into
Nabiki's.


Dr. Tofu checks his watch, it says 5:27 a.m.  At 5:29 Kasumi's light
turns on. In five more minutes the eastern horizon starts to lighten
with the coming sun. After three more minutes, the dark exits Nabiki's
room and enters Akane's. The couple below him seem to have faded a
little more. At 5:40 Nabiki's light turns on. At 5:50 the woman below
him flares into an incandescent pillar of light, then the light fades to
almost nothing. She drops to her knees and the gray gleam of the man
behind her flares. Then the first ray of sunlight clears the horizon,
the dark oozes out of Akane's window, then tatters into nothing in the
light. The man drops to his knees also. They rest for a few seconds,
panting under the tree, then the woman pushes at the man's arm.


"Hurry, Shiro. The sun's coming!'


The man staggers up, turning his back to the coming light. The woman
rises behind him, glances up into the tree and sees Dr. Tofu. They lock
eyes for a moment, the woman seeming unsure, he, entranced for a moment
by her beauty. Then she hurries to the man, gives him a boost to help
him clear the wall and jumps up after. Dr. Tofu follows, but when he
reaches the top of the wall, there is no one in sight.


"Dr. Tofu? What are you doing up there?"


Dr. Tofu looks down at Ranma, looking up.


"Just out for my morning walk." He smiles down at the young man.


5:57 a.m. upstairs at the Tendo house.


Kasumi and Nabiki rush into Akane's room, Nabiki closing the door firmly
behind her. Akane, holding P-Chan close, looks in confusion at her
sisters.


"Kasumi, why are you looking at me like that?" Akane asks.


"Give." Nabiki glares at both her sisters. "What's with these dreams?"


P-Chan jumps down from the bed, taps the door. Nabiki lets him out as
Kasumi crosses over to sink down onto Akane's' bed.


At 6:30 Soun is standing at the foot of the stairs, wondering if he
should go and wake up Kasumi or start the coffee himself.


(Well,) he thinks, (Dr. Tofu did say to let them sleep themselves out.)
and turns toward the kitchen.


Genma-panda passes him on the way back in, holds up a sign that says,
"Still asleep?"


Soun nods, starts rummaging through the cabinets, looking for the coffee
filters. He hears someone talking outside with Ranma.


"You know, Ranma," Dr. Tofu says, "if you block that kick a little
lower, it will slow down your father's reaction time."


"Really?" Ranma says, as she steps into the house and heads for the
bathroom. Soun sticks his head out of the kitchen, trying to get the
filters to separate, and sees Dr. Tofu step in.


The Doctor bows to him. "Good morning Mr. Tendo, the girls aren't down
yet?"


Soun bobs back, still fighting with the filters, "Uh, no. You said we
should let them sleep themselves out. Right?"


"Right." He comes over to Soun, takes the filters and deftly slides one
from the top. "Here, let me give you a hand. After being a bachelor for
so long, I've learned to make a mean pot of coffee." They go into the
kitchen.


Ranma dumps her clothes into the hamper, then goes into the bathroom.
Ryoga is waiting for her there.


"They had it again."


"Had what?"


"The nightmare."


"Well, do they seem better?"


"Yeah, I guess so."


"Wait. You said 'they'."


"Yep. Kasumi and Nabiki came storming into Akane's room right after she
woke up from the dream."


"And?"


"And I left." Ryoga snorts.


"What? Why?"


"Man, I know better than to stay in a room with three women on the
warpath."


"Warpath?"


"Yeah. They were really freaked."


Ranma sighs, finishes toweling himself off. "Better go and see what's
going on."


They come into the dining area the same time Soun and Dr. Tofu come out
of the kitchen, carrying the coffee pot and some cups. Soun has a
pleased expression on his face that changes into shock when he sees his
daughters standing across the table from him, presenting a unified
front. Kasumi is holding the family sword. Genma's sitting at the table,
trying to be invisible.


"What?" Soun asks.


"Oh, man." Ranma and Ryoga say together, softly.


"Father," Kasumi says and holds the sword out to him. "Tell us about the
history of this, please."


Soun puts the coffee pot down, swallow hard, takes the sword from his
oldest daughter, sinks to his knees.


The girls kneel at the opposite side of table as one, wearing hard but
expectant expressions. Dr. Tofu puts the cups down quietly, then sits,
pours three cups, pushes one across to Genma, one to Soun and keeps the
last one for himself.


Soun studies the sword, runs one hand caressingly down it's red lacquer
sheath. "This sword has been in our family for more than 2,500 years."


"Wow." Says Ranma softly.


"There is a legend that, at the dawn of time, this sword was involved in
a great battle against a terrible evil. An evil that it struck down."


"And the oath, father?" Kasumi asks.


"How...?" He asks, startled. He looks down, studies the patterns on the
tablecloth, then takes a shuddering breath and raises his head. "There
is an oath that every Tendo heir must take upon it."


"That being?" Nabiki asks.


Akane is sitting very still, looking pale. Ranma and Ryoga look at her,
wondering what's going on.


He stares at his youngest daughter. "That no more than two girl children
will be born of any Tendo heir, until the end of time."


"What?" Ranma, Ryoga and Genma all gasp.


Akane swallows hard, Kasumi reaches out to hug her with one arm.


"Did you take that oath, Father?" Kasumi asks.


"Yes." Soun states, still holding Akane's eyes with his own. "Your
mother was so sure she was carrying a boy. So sure."


"I can't imagine why." Ranma tells Ryoga quietly, but not quiet enough.


He barley manages to dodge the book that she launches at him.


"Shut up, Ranma!" She hisses.


"And when I held Akane in my arms for the first time, I couldn't...."
Soun trails off. He bows formally to Akane. "Forgive me." He asks
quietly, silent tears streaming down his face.


"Oh, Daddy." Nabiki says quietly, looking back and forth between her
Father and youngest sister who is just sitting in shocked silence.


"Does somebody want to tell me what the hell is going on!?" Ranma asks,
his voice breaking the silence.


"I think I might be able to answer some of that." Dr. Tofu says, pushing
the coffee at Soun. "Drink your coffee, Mr. Tendo, compose yourself."


"I did some research after the girls came to see me yesterday, thinking,
hoping, that there was nothing more to their dreams than normal
anxiety." He and Kasumi lock glances for a moment. "It seems that the
Tendo line goes back into legend, and legend, being what it is, is
filled with exaggerations and fancy. I was surprised when I found an old
legend that matches Kasumi's dream, in fact, hers goes into more detail
that any of the renditions I could find about it." Kasumi looks down
miserably.


"The basics is that somehow this sword, combined with the might of many
magical Families, hurled an unspeakable evil out of our world.
Apparently, to get back, it needs a variety of conditions that can be
met by any of the Families. It needs three Tendo daughters born of one
generation from this one."


"So what, do I have to kill myself?" Akane asks, a determined expression
appearing on her face.


Everyone gasps.


"No way!" Both Ranma and Ryoga shout.


"I don't think it will come to that, Akane." Dr. Tofu tells her
soothingly. "Because all  three of you have some guardians, too."


"The red-haired woman and the gray man?" Nabiki asks. Dr. Tofu nods.


"I believe that this dark force can only break through on the week of
the full moon and tonight is the last night of this cycle. I think we
should let the guardians do their work, then contact them and see what
else can be done."


The sisters look at each other, then nod.


"Why did the dreams start now?" Genma asks.


"I wondered about that too, until I remembered that Akane turns 17 this
month." Dr. Tofu answers.


"So?" Asks Nabiki.


"In magic, 17 is an important number. When a girl turns 17, she is
thought to come into her power, become an adult, magically."


"Get real." Nabiki snorts. "I've been 17 for 11 months now and nothing
'magic' has happened to me."


"How much money have you made betting this year, Nabiki?" He asks
innocently.


Nabiki glowers at him, then her look turns thoughtful.


"Well, I'd better get breakfast started." Kasumi rises. "Dr. Tofu, would
you like to stay?"


Dr. Tofu smiles at her, delighted. "I'd love to. Can I give you a hand?"


She nods yes with a shy little smile. He gets up and follows her into
the kitchen.


Akane rises slowly, not looking at anyone. "I'm going to get cleaned
up." She crosses behind her father as she heads for the bathroom.


"I couldn't kill my baby, not my little girl." Soun says to himself.
Akane hugs him from behind.


"It's O.K. daddy. I love you, too."


The mid-morning sun is shining softly through the maple tree, casting
sharp patterns along Akane's body. P-Chan is sitting droopy eyed by her
head, making endearing little pig noises. As Akane's mind drifts, she
could almost swear he is humming a lullaby.


At Dr. Tofu's suggestion, she had taken a bamboo mat out to take a nap
in the sun. Nabiki is laying by the pond, on another, originally
sunbathing and now snoozing with a magazine over her face. She hears a
rustle, turns her head languidly and opens one eye. She sees Ranma's
feet and shins. As he lowers himself to sit cross-legged beside her, she
sighs, closes her eye again, feeling drowsy and contented.


"Kasumi just told me about her dream." He studies her, seeing that she
looks much better. "Pretty weird stuff, huh."


"Uh-huh." Akane answers.


"And Dr. Tofu says that a lot of it really happened."


"Uh-huh." Akane answers.


"Uh...you want to tell me about your dream?" He suggests shyly.


"Uh-uh."


He frowns. "Is it about me?"


"Ranma, go away." She says, sighing as the drowsy contentment starts to
fade.


"It is about me, isn't it?" He persists.


"I'm trying to sleep." She responds, starting to sound aggravated.


"I don't, uh, hurt you or anything, do I?"


The tone of his voice brings her totally awake. She looks at him but
he's not looking at her , picking at the grass by his knee instead. She
studies him for a few seconds but can't read his face. He swallows hard,
a hint of distress touching his features, still picking at the grass.


"I do, don't I?"


She shakes her head no, thinking (he's really concerned!)


"You're sure?"


She nods her head yes.


"Then why is it a bad dream?" He really sounds like he sincerely wants
to understand.


She sighs inwardly. "Ranma, I just don't want to talk about it, O.K..?
You don't hurt me. From what Dr. Tofu said, it's not you, anyway, just
something," she emphasizes that, " that looks like you. So don't worry
about it. Just go work out or something and let me get some beauty
sleep." She smiles at him, waiting for his smart-ass response.


"Well, you look a lot better than you did yesterday, almost cute." He
offers.


Akane looks at him startled.


"Why are you being nice to me?" She responds, eyes narrowed in
suspicion.


"What, I can't be nice to you?" He asks back, his voice getting hard.


"No, I don't think you can!" She says back, her voice hardening in
response to his.


"Fine! See if I ever..." He realizes suddenly that they are starting a
fight, remembers his promise to Dr. Tofu, stands up quickly and stalks
away.


"Ranma, wait!" Akane calls after his retreating figure, but he doesn't
seem to hear her.


She flops her head back onto the mat. (He was really trying to just be
nice. Why can't I ever let him? Why do I always take it the wrong way?)
She can hear the sounds of fists striking the punching board set up in
the courtyard of the dojo. They get faster and faster until she hears
the sound of splintering wood.


(Oh, Ranma, I'm sorry!) She thinks and blinks back some tears, then
cuddles P-Chan close.  After a few minutes, the sunlight and the soft
whisper of the leaves reassert their power and she drifts off to sleep.


It's late afternoon when she wakes up. She stretches, luxuriously,
feeling a lot better. P-Chan lets out a huge yawn, stretches out too,
grunting little noises of pleasure. She smiles at him.


"Nothing like a good nap and a good stretch, eh, P-Chan?" She asks him,
rolling onto her belly.


He rubs his snout against her cheek. She gets up, rolls up the mat and
wanders into the house, not noticing that P-Chan heads for the dojo.


"Akane!" Kasumi calls to her from the kitchen. She heads that way, gets
a can of juice out of the fridge and perches on the kitchen stool.


"Are you hungry?" Kasumi asks.


Akane thinks about if for a minute, decides she is.


"Yes, I guess so."


"Good. I saved you some lunch." She pulls a bowl out of the fridge,
hands it to her. Akane starts eating and suddenly notices how quite the
house is.


"Where is everybody?" She asks around a mouthful.


"Well, Kuno came by after lunch and invited everyone to a party
tonight."


"Really!?"


"Yes. A country and western party. So Nabiki took Ranma shopping with
her. She said she'd get everything we needed."


"Nabiki? Spend her money? On a party?" Akane asks, amazed.


"Well, she said something about some owed favors, you know Nabiki."
Kasumi sighs, not quite approving of her middle sister's activities.


"Wow. But, should we go, I mean with everything that's going on?"


"Dr. Tofu said it would be a good idea, if we're feeling up to it. Get
our minds off it, for a while."


"Cool!" Akane bubbles, wondering what she's going to wear.


At 6:00 p.m. Dr. Tofu arrives at the Tendo house, wearing a cowboy hat,
brightly colored western style shirt, Levi's and boots. Kasumi meets him
at the front door, also in a cowboy hat with a frilly blouse, short jean
skirt and boots. They look at each other and giggle.


Behind her, Akane and Nabiki are similarly clad. Ranma and Ryoga are in
full cowboy garb also, jockeying for position to see themselves in the
hall mirror, trying to figure out how to wear their hats so that they
look cool.


"Clint Eastwood always wears his like this." Ryoga says and pulls the
brim down so low he can't see anything above mid-eye level.


Ranma puts his way back on his head, says "nope" and pulls the brim down
until it's lower than Ryoga's. "Nope." Moves it back. "Nope."


"Enough, already." Nabiki reaches over and adjusts both hats just right.
"Lets' go!" And starts out onto the sidewalk.


Dr. Tofu extends his arm, bent at the elbow, to Kasumi, who links her
own through it with a shy smile.


Ranma and Ryoga both offer their arms to Akane, glare at each other over
her head. Akane links arms with both of them. Soun and Genma watch them
leave.


"Now that's a strange sight." Soun says.


"A strange sight indeed." Genma responds, with a slow nod.   


By the time they reach the party hall, Ranma is wondering how to get rid
of the boots. The heels have been throwing his balance off the whole way
and he almost tripped twice over the pointed toes. He's pleased to note
that Ryoga is walking somewhat gingerly, too.


"Man," Ranma says to Ryoga as they usher Akane through the door, "how do
those guys stand to wear these things?" He rocks back and forth, toe to
heel.


"Oh, come on Ranma, they're not that bad." Ryoga quips back then almost
trips as a heel catches on the step.


"Yeah, right." Ranma snorts as he steps past him into the party.


Inside, it's packed, a line-dancing lesson going on at the dance floor.
Nabiki wades straight in while the rest of the group elbow their way to
a table. They have just sat when Kuno strides over, a little overdone in
the cowboy way, grinning hugely. He looks at the group and his smile
fades a little.


"Where is the pig-tailed girl?" He asks, forlornly.


"She couldn't make it." Ranma answers him, thinking (when is he going to
GET it?)


"Ah, well. Come Akane, dance with me!" He lifts her lightly out of her
chair, swirls her around once on his way to the dance floor, before
either Ranma or Ryoga can protest.


They look at each other, then leap up to follow them and are soon
stomping and spinning with the rest of the lines. Dr. Tofu and Kasumi
sit and watch for a few minutes, then Dr. Tofu takes her hand and leads
her to the floor.


Ranma and Ryoga are in the line behind Akane and Kuno, both starting to
have fun but neither going to admit it. Ranma watches Akane, amazed at
how fast she is catching on. When the song is over, Ranma is starting to
step forwards to move in beside Akane when two hands cover his eyes from
behind.


"Nihao, Ranma." A sweet voice chimes in his ear.


(Oh, no! Not Shampoo.) He thinks, getting a sinking feeling in the pit
of his stomach. He spins around, right into Shampoo's embrace.


"Hello, Shampoo." He states flatly, unwinding her arms from around his
neck.


"This kind dancing hard, yes? You teach Shampoo how?"


"No, I'm dancing with Akane."


"Really?" Shampoo asks, glancing over his shoulder. "Looks like Akane
dance with Ryoga and Kuno to Shampoo."


Ranma spins around and is pushed sideways by the line as another dance
starts. Ryoga has moved into the line on the other side of Akane.


"Why that..." He hisses, trying to keep pace with the line, Shampoo
locks arms with him, following the dance beside him effortlessly. Ranma
finishes the dance glaring at Ryoga and Kuno's back and trying to shake
Shampoo off his arm.


"See, Shampoo even better dancer than Akane." Shampoo says loudly when
the song ends. Akane whirls, glares at them.


"Actually, I thought she caught on really fast." Ryoga tells her.


"Uh, yeah, me too!" Ranma adds with a weak smile, pushing Shampoo's arm
down repeatedly from where she keeps encircling his waist.


Akane glowers at them.


"Akane, it's not what you think, she's just dancing beside me, like
you're dancing with Kuno and Ryoga!"


"I'm not dancing with Kuno or Ryoga like that!" She snarls, pointing at
Shampoo who has given up on Ranmas' waist and has encircled his left
bicep with both hands and is leaning against his arm, smiling
blissfully.


"And the next one is a slow one, for all you lover's out there. Grab
your partner, and follow me." The instructor calls, coming over and
pulling a blushing Kuno out after her.


"Come on, Ryoga." Akane growls, "let's dance." And holds her arms out to
him.


Ryoga embraces her gently, like she's some fragile piece of porcelain,
not believing his good luck.


"Uh, Shampoo, I," Ranma looks around frantically, sees Kasumi standing,
waiting for Tofu to get her a drink from the bar. "I promised I'd dance
the first slow dance with Kasumi." He wiggles away from her, dashes over
to Kasumi.


"Please." He pleads quietly to Kasumi.


She sees Shampoo bearing down on them, says "Oh, my." and steps up to
him, placing her left hand on his shoulder and offering her right. "Go!"
She says and follows him into the circle of dancing couples.


Dr. Tofu comes back with the soda, sees Kasumi and Ranma circle by,
Kasumi smiles at him and Ranma is watching his feet with a somewhat
panicked expression on his face. He sees Shampoo standing, arms folded
looking miffed watching them and spies Ukyou on the other side of the
room, watching the two-stepping couple also.


(Why can't anything ever be easy with this family?) He sighs to himself.


He scans the crowd, hoping to see Mousse, but can't sight him. (Never
easy.)


He wends his way over to Shampoo, depositing the soda on the table they
claimed earlier on the way, and smiles a charming smile at her. "Would
you care to dance, Shampoo?"


"No. Shampoo dance with Ranma." She grumps, still focused on Ranma and
Kasumi.


"Where's Mousse?" He asks.


"Mousse not like to dance. He stay home."


"Well, I like to dance, and Ranma seems to have stolen my partner, too."


Shampoo looks at him from the corner of her eye, not fooled.


"Why you not want Shampoo to be with Ranma?"


He decides to be frank with her. "Come here, Shampoo." He leads her over
to the quieter table and explains to her what has been happening at the
Tendo house.


"Oh." Shampoo looks at the table when he's done, troubled. "Chiesai, the
Dark One. My village have this legend too. Many Amazon woman die in that
battle. He really after all Tendo girls?"


Dr. Tofu nods.


"Hi-ya." She looks over, picks out Akane, flanked by Ranma and Ryoga who
have started the opening steps of another line dance. She sighs.   
"Shampoo not know what do, want Akane dead, but not that way. I wish
Great Grandmother here, not in China." She seems to hold a silent debate
with herself then looks at Dr. Tofu.


"Shampoo want help. Not like Akane, but Nabiki and Kasumi O.K.."


Dr. Tofu heaves a huge sigh of relief. "That would really be a help,
Shampoo."


"What you want Shampoo do?"


"Run interference. You dance with Ryoga and don't hang all over Ranma."


"Ryoga?" She wrinkles her nose a little, studies him, then nods. "Ryoga
not bad. Shampoo do it! For Nabiki and Kasumi." She adds.


Another slow dance is coming up, Dr. Tofu shoo's at her with his hand.
Shampoo goes and captures Ryoga. But Ukyou has closed in on Ranma,
giving Akane no way out when Kuno asks her to dance. Dr. Tofu looks
defeated, rests his chin on the palm of his hand. He's so distracted
that he doesn't notice Kasumi come up behind him. She slips her arms
around his neck and gives him a little squeeze. He turns beet red.


"Don't worry about them, you've averted the major disaster. The rest
will work itself out." She tells him, bringing her lips close to his ear
so he can hear her over the noise. She can feel the little tremor her
closeness is causing in him through her arms.


"Come, dance with me." She whispers in his ear and leads him unresisting
onto the dance floor.


After a few more line dances, Ranma manages to commandeer Akane for a
waltz.


"Uh, Akane, about Shampoo..."


"It's O.K.. Ranma," she sighs, "I know it's not your fault, I just hate
the way she hangs all over you."


"You do?" He asks, incredulously.


"Yeah," she says, blushing. "Don't make a big deal out of it, O.K.? I
just want to have a good time for the rest of the night."


"Uh...uh..." he stutters, not knowing what to say. "You dance really
good," he blurts out, "but stop leading." His mouth says, before he can
stop it. He winces inwardly.


Akane glares at him, then her expression softens. "O.K." She relaxes
into him and let's him guide her around the floor.


Ryoga had grabbed Ukyou at the beginning of the dance in self-defense
against Shampoo. They are waltzing opposite the circle from Akane and
Ranma. They're both glaring at them. Then Ukyou sighs.


"We're pretty pathetic, you know, Ryoga."


Ryoga focuses on her for the first time since they started dancing. He
has the good grace to look embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Ukyou. It's just,"
he looks at Akane, then looks away.


"Yeah, I know." Ukyou commiserates, then looks at him with a
conspiritorial gleam in her eye. "But they're not married, yet."


Ryoga meets her eyes, then smiles and nods. 




CHIESAI - DREAMS OF DARKNESS
A RANMA 1/2 STORY
by Shannon M. Richmeyer


Part 4 of 15 


As Kasumi predicted, the young couples adjust and readjust, but with no
major damage. Akane spreads her attention evenly among all of her
suitors, Ranma takes pity on Ryoga and dances with Shampoo every now and
then, and he and Ukyou laugh and quip back and forth between each other
in the line dances.


At 9:00 p.m., the band calls a break and everyone converges at the
table, huffing but in high spirits. The boys go on a bar run, the girls
chat about the fashions around them and the really cute lead singer. On
the way back, Dr. Tofu senses. . . something. He looks around, notices
Ranma looking around suspiciously, too.  He catches a glimmer of gray by
the door and the unmistakable flash of copper colored hair.


"Uh, Ranma, could you take this to Kasumi?" He glances at him for a
second to hand him the two drinks he's carrying, and when he looks back,
can't see the pair. He strides to the wall, pulls a vacant chair over
and stands on it to scan the crowd. Nothing. He frowns to himself,
returns to the table, leans down to speak to Kasumi.


"I feel the need for a breath of fresh air. I'm going to step outside
for a few minutes." He tells her.


"O.K." She smiles back, "I'll stay here and keep and eye on things."
Looking meaningfully at the chattering group of teens arrayed around
her.


Dr. Tofu hurries outside, walks up and down the front of the building,
but has lost the feeling of the two guardians.


"Tsk." He mutters, returning to the entrance. He glances up and sees a
lone figure perched on the roof, watching the comings and goings of the
partiers.


"Mousse?" He asks.


"Doctor." Mousse nods back.


"What are you doing up there?"


"Waiting for Shampoo." The young man hugs his knees.


"Well, why don't you come on in and join us?"


He can see Mousse shake his head 'no' in the moonlight.


"Why?"


"I don't dance very well." The young man states simply.


(More likely Shampoo threatened to kill you if you stepped foot inside.)
"Well, just come in and watch, then." He tries one more time.


"No. Thank-you."


Tofu sighs, wishing he could mend spirits as easily as he could bodies.
"Well, I'm pretty sure that everyone will be bushed pretty soon, and
heading home."


Mousse shrugs against the moonlight. Dr. Tofu goes back in and gets
hauled into a two-step by Akane.


At 11:00 p.m. the band has said good night and the party is dispersing.


"Can I walk home with you guys?" Ukyou asks Kasumi.


"Of course, Ukyou." she.


"Great! I'll be right back.!" She returns buckling her weapons belt
across her shoulders.


"I had to walk here by myself," she explains at Kasumi's questioning
look. "A girl can't be to careful , you know."


"Shampoo, would you like to walk with us?" She asks.


"Yes, Shampoo come with you, if you not mind?"


"Of course not." Dr. Tofu smiles at her.


"And I, too, shall escort you home." Kuno announces, striding up to
them, boken tucked into his belt.


"That's really not necessary, Kuno." Ranma tells him.


"Ah, but it is. For it gives me a few added moments to bask in the
lovely glow of the fair Akane." He offers her his arm.


"Oh, Kuno." She giggles, looking at him and Ranma and Ryoga, who are
hovering at Kuno's shoulder. She gets a playful look in her eyes.


"Three noble escorts await her hand, but, between them she cannot
choose, so sadly, she must walk alone." And walks stately out of the
door, leaving Kuno, Ryoga and Ranma staring after her, open mouthed.


"What's gotten into her?" Ranma asks.


"I guess she's been around Kuno to much tonight." Ryoga answers.


"Shut up, you cretins." Kuno answers them. "Wait, beloved!" and charges
after her.


"Oh, Jeez." Ranma and Ryoga say in unison as they hurriedly follow.


"Nabiki, come on, we're leaving!" Kasumi calls over to her middle sister
who is flirting with the lead singer. Nabiki blows him a kiss.


"Remember! Call me next time you're in town." She saunters over to join
them.


"Nabiki!" Kasumi scolds, scandalized.


"Well, Sister, I've got to find someone." Nabiki looks at the Doctor and
Kasumi and smiles sweetly.


"Oh, Nabiki." Kasumi responds, flushing a little. "I'm sure you'll find
a nice boy soon."


"Yeah, right." Nabiki says in a hard voice and heads out the door.


Kasumi and Dr. Tofu follow her out, Shampoo and Ukyou bring up the rear.
There is a soft whisper of air as Mousse leaps down to take up position
beside Shampoo.


"Hello Mousse." Shampoo says, her voice devoid of emotion.


"Did you have a good time?" He asks.


"Yes, very good time. To bad you not come. Ranma, wait for Shampoo!" She
shouts and springs forward to walk beside him.


Mousse just sighs, lowers his head and tucks his hand into the
voluminous sleeves of his kimono. Ukyou pats him on the shoulder.


"I know how you feel." She tells him, watching Ranma, Ryoga and Kuno
jockey for position around Akane.


They walk for a while, Ryoga, Kuno and Ranma turning their efforts at
walking beside Akane into a combative game, full of shoves and elbow
pokes. Akane pretends not to notice and is carrying on a conversation
with Kasumi and Dr. Tofu. None of them notice the slowly gathering group
of big dogs that have begun to tail them.


They are walking down a poorly lit, untrafficed street full of tall
walled warehouses when Dr. Tofu sees the dog sitting in the middle of
the street before them. It grins at him, showing long sharp teeth, it's
eyes glittering orange. Then more dogs form out of the shadows around
the buildings and slink over to gather behind the sitting one.


Dr. Tofu stops, pulls Kasumi back behind him protectively, puts his arm
out in front of Akane to stop her.


"Why'd we stop?" Ranma comes up to stand beside him as the sitting dog
stands and starts advancing, head lowered.


"What's with the dogs'?" Ryoga asks, coming up on the other side.


"Hi-ya!" "Shampoo!" "Oh, Shit!" Comes from behind them.


Ranma, Ryoga, Kuno and Akane whirl around to see Shampoo, Mousse and
Ukyou besieged by dogs. Dr. Tofu keeps his eyes on the advancing pack in
front, backing himself and Kasumi towards a wall.


"Ukyou!" Ranma shouts, as Ukyou swings her giant spatula sending a dog
flying, taking Akane by the arm and pulling her behind him.


"I'll go." Ryoga tells him and runs toward Ukyou. "You stay with Akane!"


A group of dogs surge around the fighters in the back and lunge towards
Ranma and Akane as the pack in front charges, the pack leader holding
back, watching.


Dr. Tofu uses the attacking dogs momentum against them, sending them
flying into walls and each other. Kasumi looks around, sees a discarded
push broom poking out of a trash can, ducks under a dog and retrieves
it, unscrews the brush part with a few strong twists and slides it into
the Doctor's hands. Armed with his weapon of choice, he keeps a barrier
of wood between them and the dogs.


Kuno, seeing a dog leaping at Nabiki, strikes it away with his boken,
then pushes her behind him, to put her and the wall to his back, and
starts to inflict some serious damage on dogs, Nabiki whacking on the
few that manage to flank him with a board she finds laying behind her,
driving them back.


Shampoo and Mousse are fighting back to back, Mousse flinging a variety
of sharp edges and swinging a length of chain and Shampoo using two
short  iron pipes she discovered in a trash heap, keeping a small circle
around them clear.


Ukyou's swinging her spatula before her, slapping any dog bold enough to
dare it into the walls. Ryoga is holding his own at her back, throwing a
dazzling bunch of punches and kicks, but the dogs are scoring too,
leaving gashes with razor sharp claws and slashing teeth. And the dogs
keep coming.


Ranma is a blur of motion, but also taking similar damage as Ryoga,
Akane fighting a little behind and to the side of him, fending off dogs
with a trashcan lid.


There is an impressive pile of dog bodies building up around the
combatants, but the fighters are tiring quickly. And the dogs keep
coming.


Shampoo steps back to avoid an attack, entangles her feet with the body
of a dog and goes down with a little shriek. Mousse whirls to stand over
her, deflects two of the dogs leaping for them and braces himself for
the impact of the third which is heading straight for his throat. It
never reaches him, being snagged in mid air from behind by a man, his
eyes glaring blood red, oversized canines bared in a frightening snarl,
who shakes it once, the snap of it's neck clearly audible, then tosses
it away, never breaking stride on his way toward Akane and Ranma. Mousse
stares in amazement, first at him and then at the woman following him,
glowing like a miniature sun and swinging a katana which is flickering
with yellow light and scattering dogs around her. The dogs are yelping
in terror and fleeing back into the shadows away from her.


One of the dogs in the ring harrying Ukyou and Ryoga sees an opening and
leaps in low to sink fangs and claws deep into Ryoga's thigh. Ryoga
cries out in pain, drops to his knee and straight arms the beast away.
Ukyou, hearing Ryoga's cry, swings around and splats the dog heading for
Ryoga's head into the wall.


The Pack Leader stalks back and forth between the embattled groups,
growling in frustration. He can not get to any of the targets his master
has set for him. The man is too powerful with his broom handle, the boy
with the wooden sword is impressive, also. He moves to Akane's and
Ranma's position, then sees the opening he has been looking for. Akane,
in the momentum of her attacks, has drifted away from Ranma's side. He
springs.


Ranma, seeing him coming, throws himself in front of Akane, bellows in
pain as the Pack Leaders jaws tear into his shoulder and his claws
scrabble against his chest. They fall together, Pack Leader landing on
top. Pack Leader snarls into Ranma's face with frustrated fury. He
thrusts his head down to savage the boys' throat.


Pack Leader's teeth snap together on air as he is lifted from behind and
thrown clear of the fallen protector. He twists, cat-like to land on his
feet facing his attacker. The Man, crouching with one hand on the
pavement to regain his balance from the force of the throw, has placed
himself between Akane, Ranma and the dogs, snarls at him. Pack Leader,
seeing the Glowing One coming up quickly, narrows his eyes at the Man,
then turns and leaps away into the shadows, the rest of the pack
dispersing with him.


Ukyou, just having smacked the dog who was attacking Ryoga into the wall
sees the Man, much scarier than any of the dogs, who seems to be
attacking Ranma and flings her last four spatula-shaped shiriken at him.
She sees them score as she launches herself at him, one sinking into his
upper arm, one into his shoulder and the other two into his chest. He
dodges her blow, grabbing one wrist as he come up under it, she hears
more than feels the snap of bone, then he strikes at her chest, sending
her crashing into the wall across from him. She slides down,
unconscious.


Ryoga, seeing Ukyou launch herself at the man, ignores the pain in his
leg and leaps forwards with a round-house kick at the man as he is
throwing Ukyou into the wall. The man flies back, bounces off the wall
behind him and collapses into a huddle on the pavement. Ryoga, loosing
his balance as his leg gives out on him, falls and sees the woman
bearing down on him, glowing sword raised, murder in her face.


Tofu, seeing Ukyou bear down on the man shouts, "Ukyou, no!" Then
"Shiro, stop!"


He hears Kasumi gasp behind him as she realizes who the two are.
"Kasumi! Quick! Tell them to stop!" He gasps at her, trying to get some
air back into his lungs, as Ryoga sends the man into the wall.


"Rhiannon! Stop!" Kasumi commands.


The sword blade halts a hair's breath from the side of Ryoga's neck.
Wide-eyed, Ryoga scoots himself away from the woman, using his hands and
buttocks, then rolls over to hands and one knee, dragging his damaged
leg behind him, when she lowers the sword and crawls to Ukyou.


The woman, sword coming back up to the ready, backs toward Shiro,  who
has sat up and is plucking the shiriken out of his body and puts herself
between him, Akane and Ranma and the rest of the group. She tracks
Mousse, who is carrying Shampoo and Kuno, who is circling around past
her, guiding and keeping Nabiki behind him with one arm, boken held at
the ready before him in the other hand, with her eyes.


Akane, a terrified expression on her face, is trying to keep Ranma
prone, but he is struggling against her, trying to sit up. He is
clutching his shoulder, blood flowing from between his fingers, his face
grimaced in pain.


The woman stands, violence promised in every angle of her body. Then
Tofu steps forwards and bows to her, holding his makeshift bo out before
him with both hands in a posture of submission. The woman studies him
for a second, then lowers her sword and bows back, breaking the tension.


"Dr. Tofu!" Akane yells, her voice full of panic.


Tofu hurries to her and Ranma, Kasumi going to Ryoga and Ukyou. Kuno
drops to one knee, rests the tip of the boken on the ground, one hand
still on the hilt in a position to bring it back into play, if
necessary, and leans on it a little for support, chest heaving and body
trembling from exertion. Nabiki encircles his neck with her arms from
behind and gives him a gentle hug.


"Kuno, that was amazing!" She tells him.


He reaches up with his free hand, gives her crossed wrists a little
squeeze. "Oh, course. What else do you expect from Tatewake Kuno?" He
doesn't see her roll her eyes, but she doesn't remove her arms.


Mousse has knelt and gently placed Shampoo on the ground, Shampoo feels
of her ankle, decides it's not broken but badly sprained.


"Mousse, go see if Ranma hurt bad." She commands.


"No." He tells her firmly.


She looks at him, sees the stubborn, worried expression on his face,
sighs. "Then help Shampoo up."


She offers her arm and lets him haul her up, then shakes him off to
start limping over to where Dr. Tofu and Akane are working on Ranma. She
makes about six steps before she steps badly and Mousse is there
instantly to catch her. He sweeps her up into his arms and heads over to
where Ranma is.


Shampoo studies him for a moment.


"Thank-you Mousse." She simply says.


He doesn't respond, but lowers her gently down beside Dr. Tofu, then
steps back to stand guard over her.


Ranma has finally managed to push Akane enough out of the way to sit up,
the fierce fire in his shoulder subsiding into a nearly tolerable throb.
Dr. Tofu is stripped to the waist, making a pressure bandage out of his
shirt.


"Ow!" He yells as Akane dabs at one of the gashes on his chest.


"Oh," she draws back her hand, sits back onto her heels, bringing her
hands up to her mouth. "I'm...just trying to help." She whispers.


Ranma reaches over with his undamaged arm, gathers one of her small
hands into his own, hisses and squeezes it hard as Dr. Tofu starts to
apply the bandage.


"It's O.K. Akane. It just hurts." He whispers, twitching under the
Doctors ministrations. She nods at him, covers his hand with her other
one.


"Kasumi, how are Ukyou and Ryoga?" The Doctor calls to her, without
looking up from his work.


Ukyou is sitting up and leaning against the wall, looking dazed,
cradling her left arm against her chest. Kasumi is finishing a
make-shift bandage  for Ryoga's leg out of the remains of his shirt.


"I think Ukyou has broken her arm. Ryoga's got some deep wounds in his
thigh. They need stitches, I think." Kasumi calls back.


Dr. Tofu shakes his head. "I should have known better." He mutters to
himself.


The woman has sheathed the sword in the scabbard resting across her back
and helped the man up. She places her right hand on his chest, over the
shiriken wounds and a golden glows seeps out from under her palm. The
man encircles the woman with his arms, rests his forehead onto the top
of her head as her power flows into him, speeding his healing, driving
back the Darkness that has entwined itself into his soul. Then his head
snaps up as he hears something that the others can not.


"Take the children and go." He tilts her face up to him with a gentle
pressure under her chin and kisses her on the forehead. "I'll stay and
provide a little distraction."


She squeezes his hand then turns and glides over to Tofu.


"We must move." She tells him. "Pack Leader will be reforming the Pack
to try again."


Akane stares at her. "You're the woman from my dream."


The woman smiles at her. "None other."


Akane opens her mouth, a hoard of questions springing into her mind. The
woman raises one finger to her lips. "Later, Little Sister." She cocks
her head, seeming to hear something.


"We must go now." She pulls at Tofu's shoulder.


Ranma struggles to his feet, Akane lending him support, then starts to
sink back down as darkness invades the edges of his sight.


"Oops." Dr. Tofu says as he steadies him, then crouches and settles
Ranma's weight over his shoulders in a fireman's carry.


"Ow...ow...ow..." Ranma complains with every step Dr. Tofu takes. "I'm
going to throw-up."


"That's all right." Dr. Tofu tells him. He feels Ranma swallow hard
against his back, and is thankful that nothing else follows.


"Kuno, you carry Ukyou. Akane, Nabiki, help Ryoga." He instructs. Mousse
has already picked up Shampoo. "Kasumi, come and walk behind me and keep
pressure on Ranma's shoulder."


They start out, moving as fast as Ryoga can hobble.


"Where are we going?" Dr. Tofu asks the woman pacing beside him.


"Are the wards still intact at the Tendo house?" She asks.


He nods.


"There, then. Pack Leader could get through them, but not the rest. And
he won't come by himself."


"Where's Shiro?" He asks.


"Providing some distraction." She answers as she slows and lets the
group go past her, a look of worry flickering across her face. She looks
behind them, draws her sword and brings up the rear.


Ryoga, hobbling between the two girls, looks at Akane who hasn't taken
her eyes off Ranma's still form.


"He'll be all right, Akane." He tries to reassure her.


"There was so much blood." She whispers, more to herself than to him.


"Oh, Ryoga! What if..." She can't finish that thought.


"He'll be all right." Ryoga tells her firmly, feeling a little knot of
cold tighten up around his heart.


The battered group stagger into the warm safety of the Tendo house.


"What...What's happened?!" Soun stands open mouthed and stuttering.


"Ranma!" Genma bellows, and helps unload his son from Dr. Tofu's
shoulders.


"I'm O.K." Ranma keeps muttering, over and over, managing to sit
upright.


Kuno takes Ukyou and sets her down so that her back is supported by some
cushions.


"Sorry." He says as the movement causes her to wince and turn even
paler.


Akane and Nabiki let Ryoga down beside her.


"Who are you?" Soun asks the woman with the drawn sword who enters last.


"Rhiannon of the House of Tendo." She bows to him, takes the sword and
holds it horizontally before her. "May I enter your house?"


Soun bows back, a look of terror coming into his face and nods
frantically. The woman sheaths the sword as she steps past him into the
main room where Dr. Tofu is firing out orders.


"Nabiki, get us some towels and the first aid kit. Do you still have the
one I made up for Kasumi?"


"It's on the shelf in my closet." Kasumi tells her sister.


"Kasumi, we're going to need hot water, some cold, some bowls and a lot
of bandages. Mr. Saotome, Mr. Tendo, could you give Kasumi a hand?" He
tells them, physically moving Genma out of his way.


"Shampoo and Mousse help." Shampoo volunteers for them both and limps
toward the kitchen, leaning on Mousses' arm.


"Akane, come here and keep pressure on Ranma's shoulder." Akane swaps
her hand with Kasumi's, who rises and herds both fathers before her into
the kitchen, starting in on an explanation.


Dr. Tofu undoes the bandage, nods at Akane who lets up on the pressure.
He lifts the blood-soaked shirt, looks at the wound with a critical eye.
Ranma hisses and lists over. Akane leans into him to keep him upright.


"I'm O.K." he mutters, eyes half-closed. Akane takes one good look at
the torn and gaping flesh and muscle, gulps and looks away. It's still
seeping blood slowly. Tofu puts the bandage back in place and places
Akane's hand back onto it.


"When Nabiki comes with the towels, exchange this," he indicates the
remains of his shirt, "for one. And keep the pressure firm. If he
totally looses consciousness, tell me." And turns to see to the others.


She nods at him, wide-eyed with worry.


"I'm all right Akane." Ranma finally manages to focus on her. "It's just
a little scratch, right?"


"Yeah, right." She says, letting her tone be hard, trying to tease him.
"I've done worse damage without even trying."


He starts to laugh, then quits suddenly as the movement causes the fire
to flare up in his shoulder.


"This sucks." He hisses through clenched teeth and lets his head rest on
Akane's' shoulder.    


Rhiannon looks the group over, sees that Dr. Tofu is busy tending Ranma
and walks to Kuno, who is standing on the sidelines. She bows to him.


"I am Rhiannon."


"Tatewaki Kuno." He bows back.


"May I ask a favor of you, Warrior?" She says, her head still low.


"I, uh, of course." He stutters, surprised.


"Would you stand guard on the door?"


"I would be honored." He bows deeply and goes to sit in seiza by the
door, but angled so he can still see what's going on in the main room.


Rhiannon heads for Ryoga and Ukyou. Ukyou draws back deeper into the
pillows, Ryoga rises to one knee and moves forwards, defensively.
Rhiannon stops a few feet away from him, sinks into seiza gracefully and
studies the pair in front of her.


"I'm sorry. You attacked my husband, I responded." She bows formally to
them. "I ask your forgiveness."


"You almost killed me!" Ryoga snarls, angry.


"Yes, I did. I would have, if Kasumi had not stopped me." She replies in
a steady tone.


Ryoga blinks, taken aback at her frankness.


"You attacked my husband, I defended him. Would you not do the same for
the one you love?" She continues, looking him straight in the eyes. She
does not miss his look at Akane. He lowers his gaze, eases himself down
off his knee to stretch his leg back out in front of him.


"Yeah. I guess I would."


(Why do you look to Akane, when it is this one) she glances at Ukyou's
pale face (who you guard so steadfastly?) She keeps that thought to
herself, sensing that it would only upset the boy more, and she needed
their trust to help them.


"I would make amends. I am a healer of some little skill. Will you let
me tend you wounds?" She asks.


He nods and she moves in to Ukyou. "I am Rhiannon." She tells her. "May
I?" She nods towards Ukyou's arm. Ukyou nods back, grits her teeth and
extends it into Rhiannon's hands.


"I'm really sorry." Ukyou gulps. "Your husband, I thought he was
attacking Ranma, and he looked so scary!"


Rhiannon extends her power, "seeing" a clean break across the radius and
ulna under the swelling and bruises, discovers some cracked ribs also.


"Yes, he can be very frightening sometimes." She says with a smile.


"Dr. Tofu." Ukyou says with quiet relief to the man who has come up
behind them. He kneels down beside her.


"If you can set the bones, I will mend them." Rhiannon tells him as he
gently commandeers Ukyou's arm away from her.


"You can?" Tofu asks in a surprised voice.


"I, too, am a healer." She responds with a little smile.


"Well, it's a clean break." He says. "This may hurt a bit, Ukyou."


She sets her teeth but still let's out a small shriek as he pulls the
bones into place.


"Hold it there." The woman beside him says, and lays her hands, one over
the breaks, the other over Ukyou's left ribcage. A flicker of light
travels up Ukyou's arm, flows over her shoulder and down to the other
hand against her ribs. She feels a rush of heat and is suddenly very
lightheaded.


"Oh." She says quietly as the pain leaves her, and faints into the
pillows.


The woman leans back a little as Dr. Tofu whirls on her, distrust naked
in his eyes.


"What did you do to her!" Ryoga snarls from her other side.


"She's all right." She defends herself "Just sleeping."


Dr. Tofu turns back, examines the young woman, feeling with amazement
that the bones in her arm are whole, her breathing deep and even and her
color coming back up.


"How'd you do that?" He asks her.


"Magic." She answers and flashes him a secret little smile.


While Dr. Tofu and Rhiannon are treating Ukyou, Akane is breathing a
small sigh of relief that Ranma's shoulder has finally stopped bleeding
after soaking through the towel. She exchanges it for a clean one,
keeping the pressure firm still, since Dr. Tofu said to keep pressure on
it. But he is so pale and she's having a problem keeping him awake.


"Ranma, wake up!" She wiggles him a little.


"I Am Awake." He mumbles at her, getting heavier against her shoulder.
"I'm just resting my eyes."


"Dr. Tofu said you need to stay awake." She pokes him gently in the ribs
on his undamaged side.


"Stop that." He grumbles and bats weakly at her hand.


"Come on. You can do better than that!" She taunts him, and pokes gently
again.


"Akane." He groans and lifts his head off her shoulder. At that moment,
Genma balancing a pan full of cold water in one hand and a bowl of hot
in the other, walks by and gets his feet entangled in Akane's discarded
towel. He stumbles and slooshes half the pan of cold water onto Ranma.
Ranma sits bolt upright as the change ripples through him, followed by a
blinding pain. She breaths out a soft ,"oh...". Nothing more will come
out of her around the pain.


"Sorry, son." Genma says, and pours half of the hot water over her.
Ranma screams as the change ripples back, accompanied by the pain, and
curls over himself and collapses to the floor in a tight knot. The
shoulder wound starts bleeding profusely again. Genma stands staring,
shocked.


"Dr. Tofu!" Akane screams, slamming the towel back onto his shoulder.


 "It hurt! It never hurt before." Ranma hisses at her before passing out
from shock and blood loss.


Tofu and Rhiannon rush to them, Dr. Tofu moving Akane aside, looking at
the wound then covering it with the towel again, a grim expression on
his face.


Rhiannon places both of her hands onto Ranma's chest, flares
incandescent as she lets her power flow into him. Akane throws up one
arm to shield her eyes, Tofu turns and ducks his head, keeping up his
pressure on Ranma's shoulder. Genma just squints into the light and
watches, dumbfounded. Ranma slowly uncurls under her hands, the gashes
on his arms and legs closing into fine lighter lines of almost healed
wounds. The ones on his chest, made by Pack Leader close, but leave
ugly, red and swollen welts. She sags a little and the light ceases as
quickly as it came. Tofu quickly checks Ranma, sees he's breathing
easier, his pulse is even and strong under his fingers but he is still
very pale. He lifts the towel, sees that the wound has stopped bleeding,
but remains raw and open, yet is tinged with the healthy pink of healing
flesh.


"Kasumi, I need some bandages." Tofu calls.


"Coming!" She calls back from the kitchen.


"You saved his life." He says to Rhiannon, somewhat awestruck by the
power he's just witnesses.


Rhiannon shakes her head 'no' at him, breathing hard.


Akane keeps reaching out to Ranma with a trembling hand, but never quite
touches him, tears streaming down her face.


Rhiannon pushes herself to her feet, avoiding Dr. Tofu's questioning
expression and comes around to her, encircles her with her arms. Akane
sobs into her shoulder.


"Hush, Little Sister, hush." The woman rocks her back and forth. Ryoga
crawls over and gathers one of Akane's hand into his own, squeezes it
gently.


Kuno has watched all this silently from his post, understanding finally
dawning on his face as he sees Ranma turn from he to she to he again.
Then a great sadness comes over him as he watches Akane, realizing that
she truly loves Ranma, and that Ranma is the pig-tailed girl of his
dreams. He thinks about that and shudders a little.


Kasumi comes from the kitchen carrying a pile of newly created bandages,
followed by Shampoo, limping heavily, but on her own and Mousse, who is
carrying a tray filled with a large tea pot and cups.


"You very powerful witch." Shampoo says to Rhiannon, as she sinks down
beside the table and starts to pour tea into cups. Nabiki starts to pass
them around.


"And you are?" Rhiannon asks, taking the proffered cup and placing it
into Akane's hands. "Drink this, Akane." She commands.


"Shampoo. This Mousse." She indicates with her head to the dark haired
boy wearing inch thick glasses hovering behind her.


Dr. Tofu has finished bandaging Ranma's shoulder. "Mr. Saotome, take
your son to bed."


Genma picks up Ranma gingerly, worry visible in his eyes and face, and
heads for their room. Akane starts to rise, to follow. Rhiannon
restrains her with a gentle hand.


"He's all right, Akane." Dr. Tofu assures her. "But he needs to sleep."


Akane looks to the woman comforting her. "He will be all right?"


Rhiannon nods. "He will mend. Now drink your tea." She takes a cup from
Nabiki and sips at it.


"I'd say your not a bad witch, yourself." She looks at Shampoo, who
smiles delightedly.


"Special tea Great Grandmother teach Shampoo to make. Help to restore
spirit and body."


Rhiannon studies the pair for a moment as she drinks her tea, then her
eyebrows go up with surprise.


"You're shape-shifters!"


Mousse coughs around a square swallow of tea, Shampoo looks embarrassed.


"Mousse and I fall in cursed springs. Now when get wet, change." She
sighs.


Rhiannon looks at Ryoga, who is gritting his teeth as Dr. Tofu gently
undoes the bandage around his thigh. "You too."


He shakes his head 'no' at her frantically, looking to see if Akane
heard her and has figured him out.


She swivels her head to look at Nabiki and Kuno, who are talking by the
door, frowns.


"Genma and Ranma are the other ones." Dr. Tofu tells her, guessing she's
searching for the rest of the magical auras, as he starts to clean the
deep gashes on Ryoga's leg. 




CHIESAI - DREAMS OF DARKNESS
A RANMA 1/2 STORY
by Shannon M. Richmeyer


Part 5 of 15 


Akane, tea finished, holds the cup between her hands, liking the feeling
the warmth that remains in the ceramic feels against her palms and
relaxes against Rhiannon, emotionally and physically drained, listening
to the rumble of conversation going on around her, but not paying
attention to the words. She's asleep before she knows it. Rhiannon
deftly catches the cup as it slides from her fingers.


"Soun Tendo." She calls. Soun peers at her from around the kitchen door
frame. "Put your daughter to bed."


Soun comes and gathers Akane out of Rhiannon's arms, looks at her, a
mixture of fear and shame in his eyes. She avoids his eyes and looks
around for the oldest sister.


"Kasumi." She calls, who is unhurriedly hustling about, picking up
towels, gathering bowls, etc.


"Yes, Rhiannon?"


"I want you and Nabiki to sleep in Akane's' room tonight."


"I had almost forgotten." Kasumi says quietly. Then, "Of course. Father
can put Ukyou in my room, I guess."  She looks meaningfully at Shampoo
and Mousse.


"You want us stay?" Shampoo asks Dr. Tofu. Tofu looks questionally at
Rhiannon.


"If you wish." She responds.


"O.K. We stay then. You want Shampoo stay with Ranma case he need
something in night?"


Kasumi leaves to get some mats and blankets. Rhiannon sees the
tightening of Mousse's shoulders.


"Why don't you both sleep down here and guard the back door?" She
suggests.


"If Dark One come, Mousse and Shampoo not be able stop him, anyway."
Shampoo counters.


"Dark One?" Mousse asks.


"Chiesai." Shampoo tells him.


"Chiesai! Coming here?!" There is a trace of terror in his voice.


"Who's Chiesai?" Soun asks, coming into the room, Genma following.


"Chiesai very powerful Creature of Darkness. Enslave my tribe for many
generations." Shampoo tells him.


"Why is he coming here?" Soun, Genma and Mousse ask in unison.


"He's after your daughters." Rhiannon directs her answer at Soun.


"My daughters!? Why?"


Rhiannon looks at him, her eyes full of sorrow. "With three of the
daughters from the House of the Sword, the Gate may be opened once
again. Do you recognize these words, Soun Tendo?"


"It's only a legend!" He says, loudly.


"Well, that legend is coming here tonight, and he intends to take your
daughters from you."


"What can I do?" He asks her pleadingly.


She sighs and shrugs. "Pray?"


"I'll start right now." He tells her and heads for the family shrine.


 "I'll help you." Genma says and follows.


"Rhiannon." Dr. Tofu summons her, "if you can?" He nods to Ryoga's leg.


She places her hand over the wound, Ryoga tenses, expecting it to hurt.
A warm tickle flows up and down his body, the smaller gashes from claws
and fangs closing completely, heats up at the fierce wound on his thigh
then surges up into his solar plexus. She lifts her hand and the gashes
are puckered up and scabbed over. The best part is that they've stopped
hurting.


"Wow." He says, leans down to take a good look, then straightens up and
yawns hugely.


"I don't know why I'm suddenly so tired." He mumbles around another
yawn.


"Kasumi, why don't you take Ryoga to Ranma's room and let him sleep
there for the night?" Tofu asks as he leaps up to help her deposit her
armload of blankets and mats into a corner. "I'll take Ukyou up to your
room." He gathers Ukyou's sleeping form and heads for the stairs.


"Come on, Ryoga." She tells him, as he blinks at her sleepily. She puts
her hand on his elbow to guide him as he obediently follows.


Kuno rises, takes his boken and goes to stand outside, looks up into the
night sky. He is mulling over everything he has just heard and seen.
Nabiki comes out to join him, a cup of gently steaming tea steady in her
hand. She offers it to him, he shakes his head 'no'.


"I didn't like the way the last cup tasted, but