Subject: [PMFFML] [Ranma]Lost Days Lamenting Lost Days: Chapter 1
From: asheschan
Date: 4/5/2001, 9:48 PM
To: FFML2@listbot.com, FFMLRefuge@listbot.com, ffml@patchmonkey.net

Disclaimer:  Don't own Ranma, despite my many attempts
to impersonate Rumiko Takihashi at the bank.  I think
they were tipped off by the whole 'not being japanese'
thing.  ^_^;;

C&C is great.  Helpful critism is appretiated.  Flames
I find morbidly funny. Complements make me want to
write.  Nothing.... makes me sad =(

      
By:  Ashes2ashes
Email: slayerette0@yahoo.com
Aim: ashes chan

                    Lost Days Lamenting Lost Days

                           Prologue

The sun was setting on the Nerima district, bathing
the town in a soft orange-red light.  Night would soon
fall, bringing with it climatic martial arts battles,
crazy fiancee chasing women, and many other strange
creatures that call Nerima their homes while
lowering(or raising, depending on who you ask) the
property values of Nerima.

Ukyou Kounji walked happily down a sidewalk on her way
to meet her Ranchan.  The cool spring air was slightly
damp and felt invigorating as the wind blew.  The
cherry blossoms were just starting to bloom and
occasionally dotted the sidewalk.  She stopped a
moment to admire one as it slowly made its chaotic
journey to earth.  It fluttered to the ground and
joined it brethren on the newly paved sidewalk.  

She smiled.

It was such a beautiful day!  Everything was going
great, she had made a killing at Ucchan's today, and
now she was on her way to give her Ranchan an
especially made okinomayaki.  Extra work had been put
into it.  The toppings had been applied lovingly and
with care.  She had even written "Ranchan plus Uchan 
Forever!" on the top with sauce.  She doubted he would
actually see it before he inhaled it, but if never
hurt to try.  The warm box clutched next to her chest 
felt good . . . like a hug from an old friend. 

"Would Ranchan's embrace fill like this?"  Her hand
clutched the takeout box tightly.

"This time I'll show him that we belong together. 
That bimbo Shampoo doesn't have a chance!  He's afraid
of Kodachi.  That's not exactly a basis for a good
relationship, can't really blame Ranma honey either. 
He thinks he's honored bound to marry Akane.  I'm not
going to let him get stuck in a loveless marriage! 
I'm engaged to him too!  It's just as good!  And we
don't fight like they do.  He doesn't call me names
either."

She stopped abruptly and a troubled expression crossed
her face.  The wind lifted up her hair and spread it
in tendrils across her shoulder.  Cherry blossoms
rained on her from overhead, a few getting caught up
in the her long chestnut strands of hair.

"Why does he do that anyways?"  She shook her head. 
Poor Ranchan was just getting picked on by her after
all.  "Akane insults him too, it must just be in 
retaliation."  A long sigh escaped her lips as she
gazed up at the stars.

The first star of the night had twinkled into
existence in the ebony blanket of the sky.  She was
tempted to make a wish but quickly cast the thought 
away.  Wishing never got anyone anything.  You can't
just wait around for your prince to come.  You have to
go out and make your own fate.

She tore her gaze from the stars and continued her
walk.  She walked for several moments in silence,
listening to the wind rustle through the trees.  
Before she knew it, the Tendo gate stood before her. 
Its patched and marred surface made her smile. Ranchan
could be a little hard on the scenery.  She went to
push the large wooden doors open . . . and stopped at
the sound of voices.

"You don't have the guts."  Ukyou peered through a
crack in the gate.

"It's not that."

On the other side of the fence, Ranma and Akane stood
by the koi poind, obviously arguing.  No one else was
in sight.  If Ukyou didn't know any better, she would
have sworn they both were blushing.  She squinted her
eyes.  

"You chicken?"  Akane took a step toward Ranma.  The
two were nearly touching.  Ukyou resisted the urge to
attack her right there.  No matter how much she wanted
to, it just wouldn't be right.  She wasn't Shampoo
after all.

She slowed her breathing and tried to remain silent.

"Am not!  It's just . . ."  Ranma's voice faded out. A
bead of sweat rolled down his brow.

"Just what?"  Akane's voice took on a dangerous edge,
daring him to say the next expected line.

A gentle wind blew in from the west, ruffling Akane
and Ranma's hair.  The stars twinkled overhead and the
moon cast a silver glow on the couple.  Akane's
threatening demeanor had disappeared.  She looked on
Ranma with a look of . . . anxiousness . . . hope? 
Ukyou wasn't sure.

But she didn't like it one damn bit.  

Suddenly, Ranma grabbed Akane's hand and swung her
toward him in one smooth, quick motion.  He cupped her
face with his hand, his fingertips like the touch of a
feather on her chin.  His head tilted down and he
pressed his lips against her's in a tender kiss. 
Akane's eyes widened in shock but she didn't pull
away.  

It was all very beautiful and romantic if you weren't
the girl watching all her hopes and dreams as they
shattered like a fragile heart of glass.  Every shard,
ripping and tearing into your very soul. 

This wasn't happening.  She was the cute fiancee.  It
couldn't be happening. . .it just couldn't be.  

She couldn't tare her eyes away.  It was like looking
at a car wreck, you didn't want to, but you couldn't
help it . . .Didn't they ever need air?  

It was just one kiss.  It should have meant nothing,
but the look in their eyes . . .  It was the same way
she looked at Ranch--

She numbly dropped from the wall.  Her face was
emotionless as she turned and walked away from the
dojo.  The warm okinomayaki next to her chest reminded

her of its presence.  She tossed it in a nearby
trashcan with the other . . . trash.  

Ukyou Kounji headed back to her own, empty restaurant.
 She didn't even feel the tears as they started to
streak down her face.  

----

Ryouga was lost.  He knew it.  Everyone else expected
it.  The world was on the proverbial straight and
narrow.  His sense of direction was something he knew
he couldn't fix.  All Hibiki's had it.  There just
wasn't any way around it.  That didn't mean he had to
like it though.  

Every once in awhile, during the lonely winter nights,
he would find himself thinking, of what he would do
with a sense of direction.  It was a guilty pleasure. 
He knew it wasn't healthy to think of things that
could never be, but he couldn't help it.  Besides, it
helped pass the long journeys.  Of course, he'd go to
Junsekyou first and rid himself of his curse.  Then
return and defeat Ranma.  The details on how he would
do that were sketchy at best but he figured he would
burn that bridge when he came to it.  It couldn't be
_THAT_ hard if he had a sense of direction.  After
that, maybe he could go to school . . . it had been so
long since he had went to school.  It would have been
nice to graduate.

He sighed and wrenched himself from his inner musings.
 He should know by now not to dream for the
impossible.  Like a crippled dreaming of walking, it 
hurt to dream, but it also hurt not to.

The paved streets he was walking on seemed oddly out
of place for the location.  The lost boy looked around
himself, seeing shop after identical shop pass by his
view.  He pulled his cloak closer to his body.  He
knew it was chilly in the mountains but . . .
sidewalks?  What will they think of next?

A familiar face passed by his line of sight, making
him blink.  

What was Ukyou doing in the mountains?  

He waved to get her attention.

"Hey Ukyou!"  His voice went unnoticed as she kept
walking.  Ryouga frowned.  If he followed her, she
might lead him to her restaurant.  In the last few
days, all he had only eaten mushrooms.  At least, they
were the normal kind.  The thought of a warm
okinomayaki really appealed to him.  He couldn't let
her out of his sight.

"Ukyou wait up!"

Her was head cast down, the long strands of her hair
fell across her face.  She took a random direction,
not caring or paying attention to where she was 
going.  Ryouga started to jog to catch up with her. 
He almost reached her when she turned and walked into
the road.

"Idiot, get out of the road!"  Ryouga heard a car's
horn.  He turned his head and saw a semi truck
barreling down the road.  Ukyou didn't look up as the 
truck's lights illuminated her.  Without thinking, he
ran and pushed her out of the way.  The last thing he
saw was the grill of the semi coming toward his face .
. .

----
Lost Days Lamenting Lost Days

Part One

"Heh, I can't believe the boy's still alive."

"Yeah he should be a smear on the pavement from the
speed the semi was going."

Where . . .where am I?

"Suction."

"There you go doctor."

What's going on? . . . I'm so cold.  Why is it so
dark?

"I hear he's one of those Nerima martial artists."

"Well that explains a lot.  Although, I bet he hadn't
trained for that tractor tailor."

"I wouldn't talk Akira.  I heard he saved some girl's
life."

Am I . . .dead?  No I can't be dead!  I haven't
defeated Ranma yet!

"Doctor his pulse is weakening."

"Damn it!"

"He's flatlined!"

"Give me the paddles! . . . Clear!"

Ryouga didn't know where he was.  Usually nothing
would be out of the ordinary with that, but he felt .
. . different.  Something wasn't right.  He 
felt so lightheaded.  It was almost like he was rising
. . . higher and higher  It was a weird sense of
detachment, not really being pulled or lifted just . .
. going up.  He thought he saw a speck out light out
from the darkness.  Was that his Uncle Kenji?  Nah,
can't be  . . .Uncle Kenji's dead . . . or lost in the
Bermuda Triangle like mom always insisted.

"Again!  Clear!"

He rose higher.  The light was almost at his
fingertips now.  Did he have fingertips?  Oh well . .
.closer and closer he came until suddenly . . . He
stopped.

"We got him back doctor!"

 The Lost Boy opened his eyes.  He was in some kind of
operating room.  Weird, he'd never gotten lost in one
of those before.  He looked across the room where some
poor sap was being operated on.  Doctors hovered over
his prone form cutting, sucking, poking, and lots of
other things that made Ryouga feel slightly queasy.

The guy was a bloody mess, like he was hit by a
speeding truck or something.  

Ryouga turned and walked quietly out of the room.  He
didn't want to disturb them and have them accidentally
cut out something they weren't supposed to.

He walked through a side door and picked a random
direction down a hallway.  Periodically, he passed
doctors and patients as he walked through the
wallpapered hallways.  No one stopped him or asked him
why he was there.  It didn't bother him much.  He was
used to indifferent people.  Taking a right, he 
entered a small waiting area.

Akane, Ranma, Ukyou, Genma, and several members of the
Tendo family sat in the waiting area.  Ukyou held her
face in her hand, choking down sobs.  Akane tried to
console her, but she was worse for wear herself.  Her
eyes were red and blood shot from hours of crying. 
Ranma stood in front of a large bay window silently
gazing out at the stars.  His expression was for once,
unreadable.  

The rest of the occupants sat quietly, wringing their
hands.  Well, except Nabiki, she was reading a
magazine in the corner.  Free manga was nothing to be 
scoffed at, regardless of the situation.

"He was always such a nice young man."  Soun's voice
broke into the silence of the room.

"Stop saying _WAS_ dad."  Akane glared at her father. 
"He's going to be fine.  He's going to be ok.  I know
it.  He's gotta be."  She looked up at Ranma for
support, but he continued to look out of the window
silently.

Kasumi set her knitting down.

"Your right father, he was such a good friend to
Akane."

"Not you too Kasumi!"

"Oh my .  . . I'm sorry Akane."  Kasumi blushed. 
Genma, for once in human form, cleared his throat.

"I'll say this much, he always kept the boy on his
toes.  He was almost a worthy opponent for him."

"He WAS a worthy opponent."  Ranma's voice was low and
confident.  All eyes turned to regard him.  It was the
first thing he had said all night.

"And pop, stop talkin about him like he's already
gone.  He's a lot tougher than he looks.  I'm more
worried about the semi.  I know he's gonna be ok."  He
met Akane's eyes.  "Right Akane?"

Akane nodded, thankfully.  Everyone else was too busy
with their own thoughts to notice the way her eyes lit
up when he spoke her name.  But Ryouga did.

And he didn't like it one damn bit.  

He was about to walk up and ask them what was wrong
when a nurse walked into the room.

"Excuse me . . ."  An older nurse, her dark hair shot
with streaks of gray, held a clip board in her hand. 
She cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.  

Various degrees of hope and dread shown across
everyone's faces.  Except Nabiki, who was busy
stuffing a couple of mangas into her purse.
	
"Is. . .he ok?"  Ukyou asked softly hardly daring to
know the truth.  What if he was dead?  Dead because he
tried to save her . . .  She didn't know what she
would do. . . if he . . . . 
	
"I don't know miss.  I just need the names of the next
of kin."  She held a form up expectantly.  

Everyone looked at each other for answers.  Silence
hung in the air until finally, Genma turned toward
Ranma.
		
"Boy do you know?"  

Ranma shook his head.
		
"No pop we--" he trailed off.
	
--Never really bothered to ask," Akane finished softly
for him.

"Does anyone know a phone number?  An address?"  The
nurse looked back at Ranma.
	
"No, I never knew his phone number and it was years
ago that I went to his house."

"So your telling me if this boy dies I will have no
way to contact the next of kin?  What about the
medical bills?"  The overweight nurse put her hands 
on her hips.  She hated when people made her work
harder.  She only had a few months till retirement and
she didn't want to have to deal with this crap.

"Shut up!  He's not going to die!"  Ukyou stood and
glared icy daggers at the nurse.  The nurse shrugged,
non plussed by Ukyou's outburst.  Stupid emotional
people.  They think they're the only ones with
problems.
	
Ryouga was confused but he was used to it.

'Who are they talking about?  Why is Ukyou so upset? 
Everyone seems to be here.  Well, everyone that Ukyou
would get upset if they died.  Ok, so maybe she
wouldn't be that upset if Genma died but still . . .
it must be someone I don't know.'   

"Hey everyone, what's going on?"  Ryouga scratched his
head.
	
"Well, I suppose if no one knows we're going to have
to ask him when he wakes up," the nurse replied and
turned to leave the room, clipboard in hand.

"Hello?"  Ryouga spoke louder to get everyone's
attention.  No one turned around or even twitched. 
"Damn it!  Someone pay attention to me!"  He waved his
hands above his head for emphasis.  

"What the hell is going on?  Why is everyone ignoring
me?!"
	
"_IF_ he wakes up,"  Ukyou sighed miserably and sat
down.  She hugged her knees to her chest and tried to
get her tears under control.  She was tough;  tough
girls don't cry.  

Ryouga walked toward Ranma.  He would MAKE Ranma
notice him.  He pivoted on his heel and accidentally
bumped into the nurse.  Or he would have if he hadn't
passed through her.  A shiver ran through the nurse's
body.  She hoped the heater wasn't starting to
malfunction.

"That idiot he didn't have to do that.  It's all my
fault.  It's all my fault."  Ukyou muttered to herself
softly.  Akane put a comforting arm around her.

"Ukyou it wasn't your fault."  

Ukyou's head rose and gazed at Akane with haunted
eyes.

Ryouga really wished Ukyou would stop crying.  She
looks so sad.  And what did she mean by 'it was all
her fault'?  Did she drop a grill on someone or what?

"Then who's fault was it?  Huh?  Whose fault was it?!"
 She stood up and clinched her fists.  Her eyes closed
tightly trying to suppress her tears.  She 
didn't want pity from Akane.  Ranma walked over to her
and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Ucchan calm down.  I know Ryouga.  He's too stubborn
to let something like this kill him."

. . . Ryouga?  I'm the one hurt?!  And . . . Ranma's
defending me?!

"I've hit him a lot harder than this before and he
still came back for more."  Ranma smirked confidently.


"You . . . really think so?"  Ukyou wiped the newly
shed tears off her face with the back of her hand.

He couldn't believe it.  Maybe Ranma wasn't as big a
jerk as he had thought . . .

"Besides, didn't he make that vow that he wouldn't
rest until he defeated me?  And you know what that
means. "

"What?" Ukyou sniffled.

"He's going to live forever!"

The corner of Ukyou's mouth turned up into a slight
smile.  "I suppose your right."

HEY! . . . Damn you Saotome!  . . . I have to live. 
There's no way I'm letting him get away with that
statement!

"And besides he's . . ."  Ranma looked thoughtful a
moment.  Realization dawned on his face.  "He's my
friend.  I'm not going to let him die."

. . . Damn it Ranma!  Stop confusing me!
	
"I guess your right Ranma."  She stepped back from his
embrace.  Hugging him hurt too much.  It felt like he
was hugging his sister.
	
Why is she so broken up over me?  It's not like we
were friends or anything, but she looks so sad.  Maybe
we were friends? . . . or maybe I'm the one she
dropped a grill on.  Damn, that must have been a
really big grill.

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of white as the
scene before him began to fade away.  He tried to
fight it but it was an uphill battle.  He felt 
as if he was being ripped into two, almost as if he
was existing in two places at once.  The last image he
saw before darkness claimed him was Ukyou smiling 
hopefully.  Ryouga let go of his fight, it didn't seem
so bad leaving now. . .

----



Comments are appretiated.
slayerette0@yahoo.com


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