This is one of the stories (or maybe chapter 1 of a larger one) that I
needed names 
for.  Until I determine which ones I like (#number) will refer to the child
(it's birth order.  Stewart is a character in another fanfic that I've not
quiet finished yet.

Enjoy.

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Northern Japan 2032  0001 hours

 * The Flames, the beam, Ranma where are you?  Where are the others?
Help!!! * Akane sat up in bed, calling with no words, sweating,
shaking.  "Ranma!! She felt his arms around him.  She shagged against
him * Safe. *

"Akane ... What was it?" Ranma asked worry in his face. Akane looked
up at her husband of so many years.  Age had treated Ranma much
better than his father, he was still fit, strong and had all his
hair, although now some grey was streaking it.   * Like mine. *
"I was back at the time of  the earthquake.  I couldn't find you or our
children.  There was fire and a falling beam.  I couldn't dodge.  I
thought I had lost all of you."

Ranma hugged her tighter, while he still had problems with public
displays of affection, here at least he could show it.  "I know, I
was getting (Rho) out when it happened.  I thought I had lost you,
then Uk-chan..."

"Yes, Uk-chan."  Akane sighed, letting Ranma rock her.  * Did it
really have to take that for us to reconcile?  Yes, * she thought *
It did for me to do it fully.  And then Uk-chan .... *

 ** 1996 **

Akane was hiding on a roof as Ranma stood before Ukkuyo.

"What was on your mind Uk-chan!!  Shampoo I half-expected, Kodochi
I'm surprised didn't try it.  But you?"

"I..I..I'm sorry Ran-chan, but it..it.  I don't know why for sure,
one last try maybe?"

"You should know better!  It will be years before I get the nerve to
do it again but I am going to marry Akane."  Ranma faced away from
his best friend hands clinched, "I know it hurts Uk-chan, but I'm
going to do it.  If I could spare you I could, but I can't."

Ukkuyo was on her knees.  Ranma looked at her and had a rare moment
of insight.  "No don't you dare.  I know what you are thinking.  If
you do that I could never forgive you.  And you could never make it
up to Akane.  I want the woman I love and my best friend to at least
get along.   You're like me, stubborn, unwilling to give up on a fight.
Life is a fight, don't give up, don't throw it."

Ukkuyo turned and ran away.

* Maybe your strong enough to forgive at least her Ranma.  But right
now I'm not, maybe never.*

She hadn't told him what she had seen and heard, at least not until
_that_ day. But she never objected when he helped Konatsu help
Ukkuyo.  Once Ukkuyo almost did do "it", but Ranma, Konatsu and their
friend from America, Stewart saved her.  Stewart had used one of his
gifts to shock her heart into moving again, while Konatsu and Ranma
had done CPR on her before he arrived.        

* Thank the gods the government required all licensed Martial Arts 
instructors to have at least that knowledge *

Stewart had told her of what happened next.  "We got her to the E.R.
in time Akane," his voice soft and gravelly at the same time as his
own wife sat next to him. " Although the docs had the devil of a time
getting her breathing her own. Ranma gave Konatsu credit for dragging
him down when Konatsu had a "vision" as he called it.  Five minutes
more and there would have been nothing anyone could do,"  he looked
at his coffee, "I had my people drop him in one of our sleep rooms
back at the building.  He was exhausted from the CPR,  I also think
he was trying to use his chi  to  help her, but he lacked the
knowledge to use it correctly."  He  grinned for a second, "He told
me to make sure you knew everything he did.  He sounded like a
Captain I knew in the 'Nam, the one I relieved when he got hit.  He's
still Ranma, but he's grown up a lot."

*We both have. *

Akane continued  to reminisces.  When Ukkuyo  had finally woke up,
Konatsu was there holding her hand.  Ranma had been in the waiting
room with her.  She  had let him go in, but she still couldn't bring
herself to see Ukkuyo face to face. She know it had hurt him some,
but she also knew he knew why, it wasn't time yet..."

==================================================================

1999

Akane had just finished cleaning their new apartment.  Ranma  and
herself had gotten married quarters at the university,  in part
thanks to Nabiki's connections.  They still fought some but not as
hard as the old days.  She laughed.  "I think I shocked him more when
I pulled out that noise-making mallet instead of my old one."  And
they were both doing  well in school, much to both of their surprise,
Ranma as a PE major with a business minor of all things * Watch out
Nabiki, if he figures out how to do 'Martial Arts Business' *, she in
Theater Arts, but she was also minoring in PE.  "We  are both going
to carry on the Tradition," she had told him in no uncertain terms.
"So accept it."

She had even learned to cook better.  "But I have to admit, to myself
at least, I will never be as good as Kasumi.  And Nabiki never even
tried to learn!!"  And today they were going to celebrate their 6th
month anniversary!  She had taken extra time to be even more careful,
and had known that it was going to be as perfect as it could be.
"Even if he does still tease me about it!!"

Ranma bounded in through the door.  "Happy Anniversary!!  And I've
got good news!!!!" "Nabiki's not going to make  you do that modeling
gig?" "No, but it is good.  Uk-chan's marrying Konatsu!!  Finally!!"
"I see.  Are we invited?" Akane said in a "I hope not" tone. "Yes we
are, in fact here is  the invitation.  And it is addressed to BOTH of
us." "Ranma ... I ... still." "Akane, we can be in the back, and if
you want we can skip the reception.  That is what she did at ours."
"I never saw her, were you looking for her?"  the familiar blue glow
was surrounding Akane, but she hadn't lashed out yet.

"No, my favorite tomboy, I wasn't.  Like you I was in to much of a
daze.  But Mom saw her and talked some to her.  Uk-chan and Konatsu
paid for the flowers, Mom said.  They weren't sure if you would
accept anything else from them."

"OK" she said as the glow disappeared, "we will go".  It would be the
closest she would be to Ukkuyo for 10 years.

January 2009

Akane held her first born to her breast.  "At last!! We've tried for
so long, I thought the curse had made him sterile, but now we know it
was something else."  Akane pushed that thought aside. "You little
(#1) are the best revenge for that.  And I  plan on giving you plenty
of Brothers and Sisters to play with."  Ranma still had that same
look all first time fathers had, even after three days.  "We are
ready to go home now Akane.  Here let me lift you into your wheel
chair."  Akane's protest were deliberately feeble.

As they rolled out toward the  taxi some one intercept them from the
side.  Ranma when to a defensive stance.  They both thought Cologne
or Kodochi might try something. But it was...  "Ukkuyo?"  "Uk-chan?"

"Hi.  Congratulations.  Here is something for the baby.  Bye." Then
she fled.  It was baby clothes, with little okonomiyaki drawn on
them. "Thank you Ukkuyo," called out Akane to Ukkuyo's retreating
back. She rushed into a very nice car and was driven away.

"She must be doing well with the shops," Ranma mused out loud.
"Financially at least." said Akane.  * Is it time yet?  Are we both
strong enough?* "But we are doing fine at the Dojo, aren't we?" "Well
I had to do some  more 'Nabiki Work' to take up the slack for the
classes you couldn't teach, but yes, we are.  This little guy" he let
his first born grab his finger, "Isn't going to want for anything."
"Good, and you had better keep both your shapes, because he is not
going to be an only child, got it?"

2025

"Mother are you Ok?" (#4) her youngest daughter looked up at her.  At
twelve she was trying to learn several things at once, Kempo,
Anything Goes from Ranma and herself, and cooking from Kasumi.  Going
in several directions slowed her down in some areas, she was not as
good as her elder sister for example in fighting.  * But already she
is almost as good at cooking as Kasumi. *  Smiling she said "I just
feel anxious about something, I don't know what.  You go on cooking.
Are you using one of your", Akane's voice caught a bit, "Grandmothers
recipes from her book?"

Before (#4) could answer her little brother came in.  "Could it be
some of your old rivals for Dad?" asked (Rho).  Akane sometimes
thought he was just to inquisitive, but he had a sharp mind, and
loved all sorts of puzzles.  "I don't think so.  They always struck
without warning, and it was so constant I could only tell just prior
to an attack."  She ruffled his hair, getting a 10 year old's protest
in response. "Everything will be OK"

Early the next morning the earthquake hit.

"I've found Rho!  He's fine, just shaken!  (#1)'s got the others out!
Let's go!!  Head for the Dojo!!"  shouted  Ranma over the flames
roar.  * That makes sense, it is less likely to collapse than this
place. *  They had been living in a condo/apartment building close to
the Dojo, they had loved being back in the old neighborhood, even
with the changes and the children liked being near all their
Grandparents,  this however was worse than the largest fight they had
ever had.  Ranma had cleared the building while Akane was doing a
last check to see if  she could help anyone of her neighbors.  Then
some of the debris had shifted and her foot had been caught.  As she
tried to free herself she saw a beam start to fall.  "No!! Ranma!!
Help!!!"  she had just enough time to realize she was going to miss
seeing all her children grow up when a figure bounded past Ranma

"Akane!  No!!" shouted Ranma as he gave his youngest to his second
eldest.  But the figure had thrown something at the beam.  The end
that was going to crush Akane was sliced neatly off, missing her.
Then an object was slammed into place to keep the beam from falling
further.  It looked like a giant ... Spatula??

"Ukkuyo?"
"Quick free yourself, Ran-chan will never forgive either of
us if you die now." She did just that.  Turning they started to run
out. Then Ukkuyo's giant Spatula gave way.  Akane leaped clear but
Ukkuyo was now trapped and the route they had planned to use was also
blocked.
"Go, leave me!  It's what I deserve after ..."
Akane's eyes hardened.  "No Way, not now!  Now that we both have the strength"
Dimly she was aware of (#2) and Ranma trying to clear a path to them.
(#1) was behind them shoring up what he could.  But she was focused
on Ukkuyo.
Strength.
Akane tapped  something deep inside herself, something she knew she could
have tapped
earlier if any of her children had been trapped and unable to  free themselves.
Strength.
But now it was Ukkuyo, she needed the help, after she had risked
herself to save her main rival.
Strength.
She had seen the old leach do it, she saw her father-in-law do it as well,
but not for long.
Now she knew how to do it, she had just needed the proper motivation
Strength.
And now she had it.  An blue aura formed around Akane, but
not the familiar one of anger.  This one was making her look much
larger, like a much stronger version of her younger self.  She moved
as if the aura was her body, making a grasping motion with her hands
directed toward what was trapping the begging Ukkuyo.  She moved like
she  was lifting a heavy  object
Strength.
And it moved.  Ukkuyo was so shocked Akane had to "fling" her toward safety.
Her oldest child
caught her.  "Now we all get out of here"  she heard herself  say as she let
the power leave her,
"Uk-chan"
======================================================
2032  0100 hours

Akane finished the herbal tea she had made for herself to relax.  Her
middle child had just come in, most likely from some scam or business
deal, how she could give birth to a male Nabiki, she just didn't
know.  * That's unfair, but he did have some of her traits.  However
he did have one very redeeming one.  Even if he  was the weakest
fighter of all her children he would defend anyone of them, or his
parents, like a lion."

"Mom, why are you up?  You didn't have to wait up for me."

"Who says I can't?  Besides, I couldn't  sleep.  So I was just
sitting here, thinking of things."

"Like?"

"What friends will do for one another, and how forgiveness is so
important."

"You OK Mom?"

"I'm fine (#3)"  she said with a smile, * Now *

====================================================================
Ben L. Harrison - HM1(FMF)/USN/RET
Harriso3@ix.netcom.com
====================================================================
Anime Excuse #212: Went  on a  mission with the  Lovely Angels
Anime Excuse #213: Tried to help Linna start her car