This is my first attempt at a series.  Suggestions for improvement are
welcome.  "You suck" messages do not fall into said category.

Note: The events described herein occur after the end of the manga.  I
do not change the manga continuity in any way, though the tone of this
story is (as should become evident) much more serious than the manga. 
Though I had originally intended on writing it as a more serious story with
no (deliberate) attempts at humor, I found this to be largely impossible for
me.  In any event, it's definitely not a silly fic, at least its not meant to be.  I
also make a few assumptions about events that occur after the manga
ends (for example, I assume Ryoga and Akari get together).  I also take
some other certain liberties, such as with the school year in Japan and
with international communication, but they shouldn't affect the story
except incidentally.  In spite of how this chapter ends, I envision roughly
4-5 parts to this series.  And no, it's not going to end up a sadfic, darkfic,
or revengefic.  In any event, enjoy...

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Ranma 1/2: The Return
   by tom schauer

***************************

Akane was worried.  Ranma had been gone for five months and no one
had any idea where he might be.  He had purportedly left to return to
Jusenkyou shortly after their botched marriage attempt, but when she,
Genma, and Soun had travelled there to find Ranma last summer, they
discovered that Ranma had arrived shortly after he left Japan, but simply
left again when it developed that Jusenkyou was still flooded with no
expectation that the water level would go down anytime soon.  He didn't
tell anyone where he was going after that.

Akane and her father returned to Japan, but Genma stayed in China to
look for his son, though he had recently returned announcing complete
failure.  Upon hearing the tidings Akane brought back, Shampoo and
Cologne returned to China, also to look for Ranma, with Mousse tagging
along after Shampoo.   

The only hint of his whereabouts came from Ryoga, who, in the course
of his wanderings, stumbled upon some information about a pig-tailed
martial artist from Japan.  Apparantly, Ranma, assuming it was Ranma,
had wandered through a remote village in Tsinghai.  Not that he had done
anything, but the appearance any foreigner in such a remote locale was
a rare event and much commented upon.  In fact, Ryoga said they
mentioned this other fellow when they told him how strange it was to
have *two* Japanese wander through.  Of course, Ryoga hadn't
intentionally gone to the village, but Ranma, if it was Ranma, had walked
through the village determinedly and didn't stop to talk or even glance at
anyone.  That was five months ago, though Ryoga only returned to
Nerima with the news several weeks ago.  Ryoga was going out again,
this time taking Akari with him, and they both promised Akane to keep an
eye out for Ranma.

Sighing, Akane got up off her bed and began to do her homework.  Of
course, the school year had started again, with or without Ranma. 
However, she had found that she was unable to concentrate on her
studies, and as a result, her grades after one semester were well below
her normal standards.  Her father hadn't said anything, but she could see
that he was disappointed.  So she, in her own inimical style, resolved to
put all her effort into her studies.  This was why she didn't hear the
knock on her window, despite the fact that the window was roughly one
meter in front of her face and the curtains open.  There was another
knock.  No response.  Again.  Nothing.  Louder.  A twitch.  Louder still. 
Akane looked up, startled.

Startlement gave way to open astonishment.  She stared for several
moments, then rubbed her eyes to clear them.  She looked again.  "R-
Ranma?"

Ranma knocked on the window again, and motioned for her to open it. 
After a moment Akane shook off her torpor and flung open the window. 
He entered her room and just stared at her for a while.  

The shock began to wear off of Akane.  Anger began to take its place
"So, where were you?"  she demanded archly.

"Um, you know, I was looking for a cure..." he replied.

"And I suppose it would have killed you to call or write a letter?"

Ranma grimaced.  "Don't say that, Aka-"

"Why?  Don't you know how worried everyone's been?  Your parents
have been worried sick!"

"And you?  Were you worried?"  That startled her.

"What?  I- I couldn't... I..."  She stopped and turned away from him.

He came up to her, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.  "I
missed you, you know."

"Eh?  What did you say?"  

"It's true.  I thought about you a lot."

She shrugged him off and backed away from him.  "What's going on,
Ranma?" she said suspiciously.  "This isn't like you."

Ranma winced slightly, then his shoulders slumped and he sat down on
her bed.  "Yeah, I know.  Hm.   Once there was a time when I thought I'd
never say something like that.  A lot has changed, Akane.  A lot has
changed."

Akane softened at the sincerity and... resignation?  of his words.  She
sat down next to him and asked "What happened?"

"First, there's something I've got to tell you."

"What?"

"I... um... I, er, well... I... it's like this, I, uh, Akane?"

She was puzzled trying to figure out what he was going to say but
prompted him to continue.

"I, um, well, I... well, that is... um, I mean..."

Akane began to get impatient.  "What is it Ranma?"

"I- I love you, Akane..."

"Huh?"  She couldn't believe her ears.  She shook her head as if to clear
it.  "What did you say?"

"I love you."  It seemed to be easier to admit now that he had said it once.
 "Also, I want to apologize..."

Tears brimmed in Akane's eyes as she cut him off.  "Oh, that's all right,
Ranma.  I'm just glad you're back.  I-"

"No, I meant about before.  All the cruel things I said and did.  I didn't
mean any of it, I was just too proud, too stubborn, too... scared, I guess. 
Oh, don't cry, Akane.  I know this is kind of sudden but, OWf" he was cut
off as she hugged him.  After he got his wind back, he returned her hug. 
She realized that this was all extremely strange, but for once she didn't
want to question it.

"I forgive you, Ranma.  I guess I wasn't always as nice as I could've
been either.  I love you, too, Ranma" she sobbed.  "And... I've known you
love me.  I've always known."  She smiled.  "That's why I was willing to
marry you after that fight with Saffron."  She paused, then added in a
quiet voice "I still am..."

Instead of smiling back, however, Ranma relaxed his hug, closed his
eyes and turned away from Akane.

"What?  What's wrong?"  she asked, and even though it seemed silly,
she felt a cold dread about what his answer would be.  When he didn't
answer right away, cold dread began to give way to panic. *He's gone
and married someone else!* she thought frantically.  Then he turned to
her.

"I found a cure."  

She digested this information.   That didn't seem too alarming.  In fact, she
was under the impression that that was why he had gone.  To find a
cure.  Why then did he appear so melancholic?  "Um, isn't that good,
Ranma?  I mean, I thought..."

"Yeah, I know.  But the cure came with a price."  

That sounded rather ominous.  "Price?"

"Yeah."

She waited for him to continue, but when he didn't she asked "Ranma,
just what is this *price'?  You're not engaged to someone else again, are
you?"

"Huh?  Oh, no, Akane, nothing like that.  I promise."

"Then what is it?"

He paused, then smiled at her bitterly.  "Oh, nothing important.  My life. 
My life."

It took some time for this to register.  When it did her eyes widened and
she gave out a small gasp.  "R- Ranma... I... I mean..."

"That's why I came back.  I came back as soon as I could because I had
to tell you... because I had to tell you how I felt about you before I died."

"Ranma, wait.  Wait.  This is totally not like you, Ranma.  I can't believe I'm
hearing this from you.  You've never given up hope before, and you've
faced bad odds before, so..."  

Ranma cut her off.  "That's true, but they were never against a god,
Akane.  I have been sentenced to death by the Goddess of Death, and at
midnight tonight, she Death will come for me.  You see, she's the one
who cured me, and my life is the price she demanded."

"Huh?"

"Let me explain."  Ranma rose and began pacing as he spoke.  "You see,
when I got to Jusenkyou, it was still flooded, and- you knew that?  Huh. 
Well, I wasn't able to find anything else in China, so I kept going west.  I
picked up some rumors and I followed them even further west.  I kept
going, across a great desert.  It was hard going, but all I could think about
was the cure.  That, and... and you."  Akane smiled and blushed slightly
at this.  Ranma gazed at her softly for a bit.  Then he shook his head and
continued "Anyway, a week ago I found an old underground temple near
an ancient ruined city.  Normally, I wouldn't have paid it much mind, but
for some reason I became inordinantly curious.  I went in and found an
alter.  That's when she appeared before me.  I didn't know what she
was then, of course, but this woman appeared out of the mist behind the
alter, and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever- ah!  Don't get
mad, Akane.  Wait, wait!  She's a goddess, remember?  She can assume
any form she wants, OK?  There.  Well.  Whew!  In any case, she
offered me a wish if I was willing to pay the price.  I was skeptical at
first, but she showed me things she could do, I mean, I can't even
describe them.  I got excited and began to believe she could do it, so I
made my wish."

"But you forgot about there being a price" Akane said.  Not a question,
just statement.  "Idiot."

"Yeah," Ranma agreed, to Akane's mild surprise, "I didn't think about that. 
Anyway, she cured me.  I tested it out right away with some water from
my canteen.  I didn't change into a girl.  Heh.  I must have looked silly
jumping around for joy and all, but I couldn't help it.  But then she says
*Aren't you forgetting something?'  I look at her and she says *The price.' 
When she says this she changes... um, I don't know if you've ever seen
it, but there's this American action movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark... 
you've seen it?  Well, you know at the end, when the angels change
into... well, that's what happened.  I don't mind admitting I was scared. 
The power and awe she radiated was palpable and oppressive.  I
couldn't think or flee.  It was like being a rabbit staring at oncoming
headlights.  It was awful.  In a fell voice she announced the price.  My
life.  She told me I had one week to live, and that at midnight on the last
day she would come and drag my soul to Hades.  She disappeared, but it
took me several hours to recover from that, it was so bad.  After that, I
left.  I had hoped it was a dream, but when it began to rain and I didn't
change into a girl, I knew the truth.  Terror came upon me again, and I
knew I had to come back as quick as I could, because after what I saw
her do, I knew there was nothing I could do to stop her.  I had to come
back because I had to tell you, I had to tell you how I really feel about
you.  I'm sorry, Akane."

Akane listened to this in mute horror.  It just didn't sound credible.  Death
goddess?  Raiders of the Lost Ark?  It sounded ridiculous, but... but
Ranma seemed to be taking it gravely enou- scratch that.  Seriously
enough.  And it's not like she hadn't seen bizarre things before,
especially since Ranma came into her life.  In fact, as she pondered this,
she realized that things had pretty much settled back to normal when he
left.  She wondered briefly if he was a weirdness magnet or something. 
She giggled at this thought.

Giggling, however, was not the reaction Ranma expected.  "What, you
think this is funny?"

"Oh!  No, no.  I mean, Ranma.  I don't know what to think.  I mean, really,
Ranma.  You can't be serious about this.  Can you?"

"I wish I weren't.  Believe me, if midnight passes and nothing happens,
no one will be happier than me.  But I don't think that's going to happen.  I
just have this *feeling*, you know?  That's why I came back in such a
rush, you know.  I had to see you one last time, to tell you... I..."  he
stopped, unable to finish.  He sat down on the bed again and put his
head in his hands.  Akane reached over to comfort him, her own face
marred by the act of fear for Ranma.

***************************

"...and so, that's what happened on my trip" Ranma concluded.  He had
just told his story to the rest of the Tendo family and his parents, who
was still living at the Tendo house (the Saotome's house still being rebuilt
after the destruction wreaked by Ranma's other female suitors.  Of
course, construction wouldn't begin until the Saotomes had the money to
pay the contractor, and with Nodoka unemployed, Genma's income
working as a receptionist/janitor for Dr. Tofu didn't go very far.  In fact, in
the roughly one year since the event, Genma had managed to save
barely enough to have the rubble cleaned up.  Thus, it was unlikely the
house would be rebuilt anytime in the near - or even far - future).  

Nodoka didn't know what to think.  This was a disaster.  She had only
been reunited with her son for a few brief months before he went off on
his quest.  She could only cry and hold her son, her emotions conflicting
between happiness at seeing her son again and grief at his impeding
fate.

Soun didn't know what to think.  This was a disaster.  How could his
family unite with the Saotome family now?  He supposed he'd have to
have a little chat with Genma and Nodoka.  He hoped they weren't too old
to have another child...

Nabiki didn't know what to think.  This was a disaster.  Her profit margin
had always been substantially reduced whenever Ranma was out of
town, and now he comes back to tell her that her prime money-maker
was to be gone forever.  How could he do this to her!

Kasumi simply didn't think.  She stopped doing that long ago in reaction to
the craziness surrounding her.  What was the use in worrying about it,
she figured.  After all, these things were going to happen regardless of
whatever input she might supply.  She smiled and offered to make
Ranma a quick (but nevertheless tasty) dinner so he wouldn't have to die
hungry.  Everyone else stared at her except Genma.  Genma was rather
peckish himself.

After a bit, Akane spoke up.  "Well, we can't just let Ranma die.  There
must be something we can do."

"THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO!" boomed a voice.

Everyone started (even Kasumi) and looked around.  Suddenly, in one
corner of the room, a mist began to develop.  Soon they were able to
make out a glowing figure in the mist, which presently stepped forward
out of the mist.  A miasma of fear enveloped the room, freezing everyone
(again, even Kasumi) in place.  Ranma recognized it and was only able to
say anything because he had faced it before.

"Wa- wa- wa- wait!  Wait!" he stammered.  "It's not time yet!  You're early!
 It's only eleven!"

"YOU FORGOT ONE VERY IMPORTANT POINT!" the Goddess of Death
said in an earth-shakingly loud voice.  

"Huh?  What?"  replied Ranma.  "What did I forget?"

"YOU NEGLECTED TO ALTER YOUR CLOCKS LAST WEEKEND FOR
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!  IT IS ACTUALLY MIDNIGHT!"

Soun recovered enough to snap his fingers and say "Damn!  I thought my
students arrived a little early this morning..."

"WHAT!"  screamed Ranma.  "How could you-"

"SILENCE!" commanded the Goddess.  "IT IS TIME!"  At this the figure
raised its hand and pointed at Ranma.

"WAIT!!" cried Akane.

The Goddess turned.  "WHAT DO *YOU* WANT?"

Akane was taken aback by the sheet force of the Goddess, but
managed to blurt out "Can't you just undo what you did before and let it
drop?"

"WHAT!" screamed Ranma.  "But my cure..."

"It won't be any use to you if you're dead, Ranma" Akane pointed out. 
She turned to the Goddess.  "Well?"

"NO!  THE EFFECT IS PERMANENT!  THE PRICE MUST BE PAID!"

"Well, isn't there some other way, some other price or something? 
Please!"  begged Akane.

"ACTUALLY, YES!  THERE IS ANOTHER WAY!"

Hope began to return to Ranma's breast.  "What way?  What is it?!"

"IF YOU CAN FIND ANOTHER TO TAKE YOUR PLACE, THEN MY
SENTENCE UPON YOU IS LIFTED!"

Everyone looked at Genma.  Next panel we see Genma as a panda
playing with a tire.

"C'mon Pop, whaddya say?"  asked Ranma.  The panda shook its head. 
"Oh, come on!  It's not like you have anything to live for!"  The panda held
up a sign with "NO!" written in large letters.

"I'll do it, Ranma."  This was from Nodoka.  Ranma paled.  "You have your
whole life ahead of you and I don't want to see it end like this.  I just want
you to be happy." 

"No.  I'm sorry but I can't let you do it, Mom.  I refuse to have you die on
my behalf."  Ranma turned again to Genma.  "Pop, don't make me beg..."

"ENOUGH!  IT IS TIME!" the Goddess pointed at Ranma again.  Her hand
began to glow.  Ranma let go of Genma and drew himself up resignedly.

"NO!  I'LL DO IT!  TAKE ME INSTEAD!" cried Akane.

Ranma tried to shout out, but before he could the Goddess shifted her
aim to Akane.  

"YOUR OFFER IS ACCEPTED!"  There was a blinding flash and a
thunderous boom.

***************************

It took a little while for Soun to clear his head.  When he did, he stood up,
still somewhat groggy.  He heard some noise behind him.  Presently, he
recognized the noise as someone screaming.  He turned around, and his
world was shattered by what he saw.

He saw his daughters and Ranma's parents sitting in stunned grief,
staring vacantly as Ranma held Akane dead in his arms, screaming
incoherently to the heavens.  

END PART ONE

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Author's notes: Well, how is it so far?  I realize it's fairly OOC, but I hope
that the circumstances justify it.  Yeah, the end of this part makes things
look pretty grim, but I swear this isn't a sadfic.  Actually, those of you up
on your Greek mythology should be able to guess the general direction
this story is going to go (yeah, I stole this plot, too).  The first person to
guess which myth I'm adapting gets a hot kiss from Ryoko Mendo, or if
you're female, from Shutaro Mendo, and the prize is doubled if you know
the particular UY storyline the first part of this sentence references.