Okay, folks, you asked for it, you got it. Here is the long
awaited second part of "The Death of Ukyou" trilogy. But, before we
begin, I should warn you that I am attempting another experiment into
Ranma fanfiction. Namely, the use of the "Documentation" style of
writing, where the story is told through documents relating to the
events going on in the story.
Now, near the middle of the story, I chamge format slightly, this
is because there just wasn't anyway to relate the events in a
document style, hopefully this won't detract from the overall effect.
Enough notes, on with the show...
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RANMA 1/2:
THE SHADOWS
by Erin Mills
based on characters created by Rumiko Takahashi
Excerpt from the "Tokyo Daily Herald", April 27
"GRAVE ROBBER CAPTURED"
Nerima district police apprehended one Ranma Saotome at the
Nerima Community Graveyard last night. Saotome, 17, was allegedly
breaking into the grave of a Ukyou Kuonji. According to sources,
Saotome was babbling that Kuonji was still alive and that he was
trying to prove it.
Ukyou Kuonji, a local restauranteur, died three weeks ago. When
asked why he thought she was still alive, Saotome replied "Because
I've seen her..."
>From the Journal of Akane Tendo
April 27
Ranma's been arrested! I know he's been acting strangely, but I
didn't think he'd go this far.
Wait, calm down, you're getting ahead of yourself, begin at the
beginning...or rather, the end.
Ukyou was dying of some weird disease. She asked me, Ranma,
Shampoo, Ryoga, Mousse and Tsubasa to come to Ucchan's so she could
say goodbye. She also made us heirs to Ucchan's. Later, Shampoo's
great-grandmother Cologne told us that the only cure for Ukyou's
illness was the water from a mytstic spring in the mountains. The six
of us went after the water, but Cologne double crossed us and tripped
Ranma, sending the vial of water crashing against a wall. Ukyou died
shortly afterwards in Ranma's arms.
The funeral was held the following week. Ukyou's parents decided
that she should be buried here in Nerima, where all her friends were.
Ranma was asked to give the eulogy. He spoke for half an hour on
Ukyou. He even admitted that he loved her. I felt a twinge of
jealousy but really couldn't blame him. Ukyou was a very nice person.
Things changed in the days following the funeral. The six of us
began looking into running Ucchan's. Things became a little easier
when both Mousse AND Shampoo had a blazing fight with Cologne and
moved out of the Nekohanten altogether. They're currently living in
the rooms behind Ucchan's. Shampoo still clobbers Mousse on a regular
basis, but the experience seems to have drawn them closer together.
While we all help out at Ucchan's one way or another, the two of them
really run the place.
Ryoga vanished after the funeral. My guess is he was going to
meet us at Ucchan's afterwards, like we planned, but ended up getting
lost again.
Tsubasa took Ukyou's death very hard. He's stopped his
crossdressing, cut his hair, and doesn't disguise himself at all.
When he's not at school, he's waiting tables at Ucchan's. He doesn't
say much aside from taking orders and giving them to Shampoo. But
he's a hard worker.
As for Ranma, he refused to talk to anyone for three days after
Ukyou died. When he wasn't sitting on the roof of the dojo, he was
training so hard that *everyone* including Mr. Saotome was worried
that he'd end up hurting himself.
And me? I've been trying to get on with my life. Ukyou's gone,
but we're all still here. Life goes on, and we have to stop asking
why.
Not that I don't have questions. Where's Ranma been the past few
nights? What's he been doing? Why was he breaking into Ukyou's grave?
Is he all right?...
Transcript of interrigation of Saotome, Ranma. 4/28 8:30 AM
Lt. Keibu Watanabe and Sgt. Reiko Tsereba, interrogating.
Watanabe: Okay, Saotome, let's take it from the top. You say you were
digging up this friend of yours...
Saotome: Ukyou.
Watanabe: Right. Ukyou. You were digging up Ukyou to prove she wasn't
there?
Saotome: Right.
Watanabe: Wait a minute. What makes you think she isn't in that
grave? Weren't you at the funeral?
Saotome: Yes, I was. But she isn't in that coffin.
Watanabe: What makes you so sure, Saotome?
Saotome: I've *seen* her. She isn't dead!
Watanabe: Excuse me? According to the reports, Ukyou Kuonji died in
*your* arms. Is that right?
Saotome: Yes.
Watanabe: Then how the hell can she be alive?
Saotome: I DON'T know!
Watanabe: You know what I think? I think you killed her.
Saotome: What?
Watanabe: Yeah. You killed her. The M.E.'s report said there was
nothing wrong with her. In fact, he said that he was surprised she
died at all. She was in excellent physical condition. So, when I hear
this, I think that something screwy's going on. I think, "This
Saotome guy is hiding something." I think that you did something,
poisoned her, maybe, then decided to do the grave robbing thing to
cop an insanity plea.
Saotome: WHAT?! I tried to save her!
Watanabe: Yeah, yeah, we heard the little cock 'n' bull story from
your friends. That's the kind of thing they write about in the
comics, Saotome. You and your friends must be either severely fucked
up in the head, or you think we're all stupid down here! Now what
really happened?!
Saotome: I've told you--
Watanabe: You've told us *jack*, Saotome! What was it that made you
kill her? Jealousy? She seeing another guy behind your back?
Saotome: What? NO! Ukyou and I weren't involved like that!
Watanabe: That's funny. According to all our information, you were
engeaged to her.
Saotome: That's nothing, I'm engaged to two other people as well!
Watanabe: Boy, you work fast don'tcha, Saotome?
Saotome: It isn't like that! None of my engagements were my idea!
Watanabe: Admit it, Saotome! You and Ukyou got into an arguement,
words were exchanged and you hatched this little plot to kill her!
Saotome: NO! I DID NOT KILL UKYOU! IF YOU WANT TO GET SOMEONE FOR
MURDER, GET COLOGNE! SHE KILLED UKYOU! SHE PREVENTED ME FROM GETTING
THE CURE TO HER!
Watanabe: You expect me to believe an old woman killed a healthy
young girl like Ukyou?
Saotome: I don't care what you think! Ukyou's NOT dead and I'm going
to prove it!
Watanabe: Not for a while, you're not! Get him outta here! (sounds of
Saotome being escorted out of the interrogation room.)
Tsereba: Don't you think that's a little rough?
Watanabe: No 17-year-old kid goes around digging up his friend's
grave to prove she isn't there!
Tsereba: You're sure he isn't telling the truth?
Watanabe: Look, I *know* he's from Nerima, but I don't buy half the
crap he was telling us.
Tsereba: So, you're going to keep on him?
Watanabe: Yes, until he tells us what he was doing in that graveyard!
Tsereba: You're impossible, Keibu.
Watanabe: Where're you going?
Tsereba: We *do* have other options, you know...
END TRANSCRIPT
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There's part one. I hope this whets your appitites for more,
because there's more to this story than meets the eye. >:)
---Erin 2.5