Hello all!

I got depressed again, and needed an outlet. This is the result of
working out those feelings. Oh, it's not what you think, this is NOT
a darkfic.

Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction
"The Nightmare"
by Suds-kun (suds1964@tir.com)

============================================
Ranma 1/2 characters are created by and copyright Rumiko Takahashi.
Published by Shogakukan Inc. and VIZ Comm.
Story copyright Shaun Schillinger.
Intended for the sole non-profit use of R.T. fans.
============================================

Akane yawned and stretched as she slowly woke up. "What a strange
dream." she muttered as she climbed out of bed. "That baka even gets
me upset in my dreams." She made her way to the bathroom to prepare
for school.

"Ohayoo, oneechan." Akane returned her sister's smile as Kasumi
handed her a bowl.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Inquired Kasumi, a hint of concern
in her voice.

"Not really, I had a dream last night about Ranma. That baka went off
and married Ukyou. Can you believe that?"

Soun looked out from his morning paper and stared at his youngest
daughter.

Nabiki sat her half eaten bowl of rice on the table, stood up and
walked towards the front door.

Akane looked around at the table and noticed that Ranma wasn't there.
Even Genma was missing. She turned and looked at her smiling sister
questioningly. "Where's Ranma?"

Kasumi walked around the table and knelt beside Akane, she put her
arm around her sister and gave a small hug. "Akane, I know it's hard
to accept at times, but Ranma doesn't live here anymore."

"Nani?" shouted Akane, "Where is he?"

Nabiki turned and walked out the door, while their father started to
cry.

"What's wrong, oneechan? What's happened?"

"Akane, I'd like you to think about what happened a few months ago.
Just after you started your senior year in high school."

Akane looked at her sister in shock. "My _what_ year in high school?
I'm sixteen and a sophomore. What's going on, oneechan? Why is daddy
crying like that? Where's Ranma?"

Kasumi fiercely hugged her hysterical sister. "Akane, please try to
remember. You're eighteen now and ready to graduate in a couple
months. Do you know what happened at the start of the school year?"

"What are you talking about, oneechan? Ranma and I came home from
school yesterday, he insulted me, I kicked him into the pond and then
I went to bed. Where's Ranma? Is this one of his stupid jokes?"

Kasumi grabbed her sister by the shoulders and looked her straight in
the eyes. "Akane, you are eighteen and a senior in high school. You
and Ranma broke up at the beginning of the school year. He's married
to Ukyou now. Please, remember Akane!"

Akane stared at her sister and then began to shake. "Nuh, nuh, no.
No! Noooooo!" Akane began to scream uncontrollably. "That was a
dream! It didn't happen! He didn't leave me! Noooo!" Akane then fell
to the floor and curled into a ball. She rocked back and forth,
repeating her denial over and over.


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

Ranma yawned and stretched as he slowly woke up. He smiled as he
placed his arm around the warm body next to him. She snuggled closer
to him and laid her head upon his chest. He sighed as he smelled the
sweet fragrance of her hair, and began to stroke the soft, dark hair
of his wife.

She lifted her head and looked into his eyes and smiled. Tenderly
their lips met in a short kiss.

"Ohayoo, Ran-chan."

"Ohayoo, Uc-chan."

They again kissed, but more passionately. Their tongues exploring
each other and the sensations that were the result of the kiss. The
couple moved together in unison as only two lovers can.

===

"Hold on, I'm coming!" shouted Ukyou, tying her robe together as she
made her way through the restaurant to the front door. She looked out
the window at the visitor and nodded. Opening the door, she invited
the guest inside.

"Ohayoo, Nabiki."

"Ohayoo, Ukyou. Is Ranma around?"

Ukyou looked at Nabiki apprehensively. "Can I help you, he's busy
right now."

Nabiki sighed, "Don't worry, Ukyou, I'm not here to take Ranma away
from you. He married you, and that's the end of the contest. I need
to speak to him about something that's very important to me, though."

Ukyou started to reply in the negative, when she was interrupted.

"Ohayoo, Nabiki!" boomed Ranma. A smile on his face. "It's good to
see you again."

"Ohayoo, Ranma. I just wish it could be under better circumstances."

A concerned look appeared on his face, Ukyou stepped beside him and
put her arm around her husband. "Did something happen?"

"It's about Akane."

Ukyou flinched at the name, Ranma put his arm around her and gave a
quick squeeze.

"I noticed that she hasn't been to school this past week. Is she
o.k?" Ranma asked with genuine concern.

"No, she's not." snapped Nabiki. Her face a mixture of anger and
pain. "She thinks she's sixteen again and that you never left. Every
day this week she wakes up and acts like the past two years was a
dream. When we try to explain the truth to her, she curls up and
shuts us out. Right now she's probably in bed while daddy and
oneechan are crying their eyes out. Ranma, if you talk to her, she
might snap out of it." Nabiki's eyes were pleading, betraying her
true feelings.

"No! It's a trap Ran-chan! They're just trying to get you back! Don't
do it! Please!" Ukyou was hugging Ranma with her head buried in his
chest.

Ranma held her chin and looked into his wife's eyes. "I love you,
Uc-chan. Don't ever doubt that. I don't love Akane anymore. But I do
consider her a friend. I want to help my friends, Uc-chan.

Ukyou nodded her head in agreement and hugged her husband as if she
would die if she let go.

"Nabiki, let me get dressed and I'll go with you."

"Arigatoo, Ranma." Nabiki bowed and sat in a chair to wait.

===

Nabiki opened the door and hesitantly looked inside. Seeing no one,
she cleared her throat. "I'm home!" she announced. Soun appeared and
tried to smile at his daughter. She noticed that his eyes were red
and puffy. "Daddy, I asked him to come over and talk to Akane.
Please, don't be upset."

Nabiki opened the door and motioned for her visitor to enter. As
Ranma appeared, Soun's face became a mask of anger. He was ready to
say something when Nabiki stood in front of him.

"Daddy, he can help us get Akane back. Please, let me try this.
O.k.?"

Soun looked down at his daughter and noticed the pleading in her
eyes. His face softened a bit and he nodded.

"Thanks, daddy!" she said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Soun's gaze never left Ranma, as he was lead by Nabiki up the stairs.

===

Nabiki poked her head through the door and saw Kasumi sitting in a
chair near the bed. She followed her sister's gaze to the bed, were
Akane lay, facing the wall.

"Oneechan," whispered Nabiki, "I brought him."

Kasumi stood and moved toward the door, wiping away the tears
from her eyes. Her face lit up when she saw Ranma and her smile
returned. She then turned and walked to the bed.

"Akane, someone is here to see you."

Akane turned over to look at her sister and then at her visitor. Her
eyes widened and she quickly sat up in the bed.

"Ranma! I knew you were here, I just knew you didn't leave me!"
Akane's face flushed, "I, uh, I mean 'us'." She watched Ranma walk
over to her and noticed how much older and more mature he looked.

"Akane, I hear you haven't been feeling well lately." he smiled as he
looked down at her.

"Oh, I'm fine, it's just that every one says that I'm eighteen now,
that you don't live here anymore and that you married Ukyou. That's a
lie, isn't it Ranma?"

Ranma looked down at the pleading face before him. "Akane, it's not a
lie, it's not a dream. I moved out at the start of the school year
and I've married Ukyou."

Akane looked at him and began to shake with anger. She jumped out of
the bed towards Ranma, who stepped away from her. "Ranma, no Ba.."

She stopped her yell as Ranma had caught her fist, before it could
reach his face. She tried to pound him with her other fist, but that,
too, was held in check by Ranma's stronger grip.

Ranma looked down at the furious woman in front of him. "Akane, I
vowed I would never let you hit me again. Do you remember?"

She looked into his eyes, searching for the Ranma she knew. All she
found was the tired eyes of a concerned stranger.

"No!" she cried as she pulled away from him. "I don't want to
remember! I, I just want things to go back to the way the were." She
fell to the floor in a heap, sobbing. "I, wuh, want you tuh, to luh,
love me aguh, again. I'm suh, suh, sorry, Ranma! Please, can't yuh,
you fuh, forgive me?"

Ranma knelt in front of her and took one of her hands in his. "I
forgive you, Akane. But I don't love you, not anymore."

"Buh, but I pruh, promise not to hit yuh, you."

"Akane, when I asked you to stop last year. I promised to stop
calling you names and picking on you. And I did stop, but you didn't
stop beating me.  You didn't hurt me physically, but my love for you
was beaten down. I had to leave, before I started to hate you."

Akane looked at him through her tears. "You, you don't hate me?"

Ranma squeezed her hand. "No, Akane. I still want to be your friend.
That's why I came here today. My friend was hurting very badly and I
wanted to help her." He patted her hand and looked at her face. "Do
you remember what's happened?"

Akane nodded her head. "Yes, but it hurts so much. I was so mean, To
you, to Ukyou, even to daddy and my sisters."

"Akane, your family loves you very much, inspite of what you did.
Your sisters endured pain and even humiliation, just to help you get
better."

Akane turned her gaze from Ranma to her sisters. She saw that both of
them were crying. She let go of Ranma's hand and reached out for the
two of them.  Kasumi and Nabiki both ran and hugged their little
sister.

"I'm so sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to hurt anyone." Akane
cried into her sisters' combined hug.

Ranma turned toward the door and opened it. He stepped back as Soun
came into the room.

"Daddy!" Akane cried as she looked up. "I'm so sorry!"

"Akane!" sobbed Soun as he joined the group hug.

"I'm so sorry, daddy, for what I've done."

Soun just hugged his daughter tighter in response.

Ranma bowed his head and quietly closed the door as he left.

===

"Uc-chan?" Ranma called out as he entered the restaurant.

"Ran-chan!" cried Ukyou as she ran to her husband and hugged him. "I
was so worried that you would leave me for her."

Ranma kissed her on the forehead and stroked her hair. "Uc-chan, I
told you that I love you, now and always."

Ukyou sighed and looked into Ranma's eyes. "I love you, Ran-chan,
with all that I have."

Ranma tilted his head towards his wife and kissed her. She returned
the kiss with as much energy as she could muster. The two enjoying
the knowledge that the one they love, loved them.

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

*snif* C&C is welcome *snif*

--
suds-kun (Shaun Schillinger)
suds1964@tir.com
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/8222/
"THIS time, we didn't forget the graaavy!" Cat & Mouse to Dog