[REPOST] Well, Well Part 1 of 6

Hello all!  This is a sequel to my first fanfic "The Second".  The 
first response to that fanfic was "That was deeeepressing!"  Soooooo, 
I came up with this fanfic.  Enjoy!
C & C are welcome!

"Well, Well - Part 1"


Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction
"Well, Well - Part 1"
by Suds-kun (suds1964@tir.com)

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Ranma 1/2 characters are created by and copyright Rumiko Takahashi.  
Published by Shogakukan Inc. and VIZ Comm. and are used without 
permission.  Intended for the sole non-profit use of R.T. fans.
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Ryoga walked along the street.  "How long has it been since I left 
Utcchan's?" he wondered as he passed a number of very tall buildings.  
"This has got to be New York, I remember those two tall buildings 
over there and the Statue of Liberty.  It's going to take me forever to 
find that well!"  Ryoga stopped and looked at his map.  It was a little 
worn and he could still make out the big X at the bottom.  "One of 
Ukyo's okonomiyakis would sure taste good, now."

Trudging along, his thoughts drifted back to when he found Ranma.  
Blood.  Lots of blood.  And it seemed like a piece of Ranma was over 
here, and a piece over there and ....  Then there was the mad dash to 
the Tendo dojo.  "I was the first to find Ranma, but it took me three 
hours to get to the dojo."  Tofu-sensei was there.  He said he gave a 
sedative to Tendo-san and Nadoka-san.  Kasumi was hugging her 
sister, Nabiki.  Genma-san was at the police station.  Ryoga remembered 
his knees give way and slumping against the wall.  Tofu-sensei said 
some comforting words and patted me on the back.  "I remember 
waking up the next morning and seeing Tofu-sensei helping Kasumi 
with the morning chores."  He mumbled to himself.  "But I could tell 
that the Tendos and Saotomes were devastated."

The funeral was dark.  Everyone showed up, except for the Kunos.  
Everyone started crying.  First Ukyo, then Shampoo and then everyone 
else.  I never would have been able to make it through the funeral 
without Akari.  She was there when I woke up at the Tendos.  Kasumi 
had called her and she was there for me.  She made sure I was at the 
funeral and then the Tendos and everywhere else.  "It sure was hard 
leaving her behind,"  he breathed.  I know now that Akari will always 
be there for me.  She's the one who loves me and even doesn't mind 
that I don't turn into a pig.  She loves pigs and when she found out I 
was cured.  She still said she loves me.  "When I return, I swear I will 
never leave you again, Akari!"  Ryoga shouted.

The sand Ryoga was trudging through was hot.  The sun was hot.  But, 
he had experienced this before.  The extra clothing in the back-pack was 
there for the different places he ended up in.  He saw a caravan of camels 
in the distance.

Shampoo, Cologne and Mouse had returned to China a month after the 
death.  They quietly closed up shop, sold the Nekohatten and left without 
a word.  No one was surprised.  Mouse finally kept his mouth shut around 
Shampoo.  He didn't proclaim his love once.  Just helped Shampoo with 
everything she did.  "I hope they find happiness."  Ryoga wished.  Shampoo 
had taken it pretty hard, but held up far better than some.

As he slid across the ice towards a mound of earth.  Ryoga looked at the 
penguins that waddled about.  This made him think of Kuno Tatewaki.  
The police had interrogated him all night.  In the morning they let him go.  
"It would have been a waste of time and money to press charges against 
him," the police alleged.  This didn't sit well with Kodachi.  "Kuno is now 
permanently paralyzed on his right side and Kodachi is in an insane asylum 
for the rest of her life," Ryoga said, his breath hanging in the cold air.  Two 
of three more casualties.

Ryoga looked at the map.  "Happosai gave this to me," he said as he 
remembered the last time he saw Happosai.  Happosai had gone on a 
rampage after hearing of Ranma's death.  No matter how many bras and 
panties he "collected," he would start crying into the delicates and then 
scream in rage.  He would continue the stealing, crying and raging cycle 
until he would fall asleep from exhaustion.

Ryoga thought of how Akari had brought him to the Tendo's.  Happosai 
had asked specifically for him.  Ryoga walked into the room.  Happosai 
motioned for him to come in and close the door.   There was only the two 
of them in the room.  "Ryoga, my boy," Happosai wheezed from his bed, 
"I have a quest for you.  My heart is broken and soon my physical heart will 
also break.  Tofu-sensei says that my running around the last month has 
overtaxed my body.  I don't have much longer.  I have found a way to lift 
the darkness from our lives, but I am unworthy to fulfill the quest."  
Happosai handed Ryoga a piece of paper.  It was a map.  "These instructions 
will guide you to a special well.  I'm unable to remember its name.  If you 
throw a five yen coin into the well, any wish that you have will be granted.  
This can be done unlimited times.  But, your wish has to be noble."  
Happosai started to cough and couldn't stop.

Ryoga slapped Happosai on the back a couple times and the coughing 
subsided.  "I reached the area near the well, but I couldn't enter the 
clearing where the well was located.  It was as if there was a barrier 
that prevented me from reaching the well.  I returned home and that is 
what caused my first heart attack."  Ryoga let out a small gasp.  "Yes, 
Ryoga.  I did try to bring back either Ranma or Akane, but a hentai can't 
get near that well.  I want you to try.  If your thoughts are noble, you 
could have your heart's desire.  For me, I want you to try to reach the 
well.  Now, go.  I'm tired and need to sleep."  Ryoga stood and left, not 
looking back at the old man.

"I was going to try and complete Happosai's quest, but I had to tell Ukyo 
first.  If I succeeded, would Ukyo be able to handle the consequences?" 
Ryoga thought.  Ukyo had closed down the restaurant for a week when 
she learned of the seppuku.  After prodding by Konatsu, Kasumi, Nabiki 
and Akari, she reopened.  Akari had talked to Konatsu about something.  
Probably about how to treat Ukyo.  Ukyo had taken Ranma's death the 
hardest.  But she was also recovering better than everyone else.  She was 
treating Konatsu more fairly, and the two of them would toss Tsubasa out 
as if they were a tag team.

"Sweet Akari had guided me to Utcchan's," he remembered.  "I shared 
Happosai's story and then my plan.  Ukyo paled at the thought of what I 
was going to do.  Konatsu noticed this, walked over to Ukyo and then 
stood beside her.  Not saying a word or touching her, just trying to be 
there for Ukyo.  "We should plan this out a little better, sugar."  Ukyo 
said as the color came back to her face.

I kissed Akari good-bye as I left Utcchans.  There were no smiles, just 
grim expressions.  "I will return to you, Akari."  Ryoga said out loud.  
He looked around.  There was a clearing just ahead.  He looked at the 
well worn map and realized that the well was just ahead.  With joy he 
ran towards the clearing, hit something hard and landed on his back.  
"Nani?" he shouted.  He stood up and held his hand out.  He could feel 
something, like a steel wall, but could not see the wall.  It was like the 
wall was invisible.  Then a bird flew by Ryoga.  "The bird will hit the 
wall," Ryoga thought.  But the bird flew on, as if there was nothing there.  
Ryoga could feel that the wall was still there, even where the bird had 
flown through.  "This must be what Happosai said about being 'unworthy', 
" Ryoga choked.  He fell to his knees and felt the old despair engulf him.

End Part One

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In Part Two ...

Ryoga stood, turned and opened his eyes.  Standing before him were 
Ranma and Akane!

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Thanks to Don Wang and skywise for their comments and help!