Untitled
Michael Chen aka Zenki
michael.h.chen@yale.edu

Ok, this one I really need C&C on.  Do you think that I'm going too fast? 
Do you think that I should save this for a later chapter?  Do you think
that the characters have gone a bit too far in OOC?  Do you think that I am
a pervert?   ETC..............

And I really need to do one thing before we start.....

Thank you Mouse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would be dead with embarrassment and be the laughing stock of the FFML if
you hadn't preread this chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those who are wondering what was wrong, don't ask... the grammatical
and typological horrors that existed in my rough draft were probably bad
enough to kill my english professor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, here we go!

Chapter 6 - Revelation

       Ranma, shouldering his backpack, leaped out of the window, leaving a
hastily scrawled message on the table.  'Goodbye Akane!  I should be happy
leaving such an uncute person like you, but I am not.  There is a sadness
that I feel.'  Landing silently on the ground, Ranma strangely found
himself thinking of Nabiki.  'Well goodbye to you too Nabiki, I've been
most impressed with your changes this past week.'  Pausing as if torn
between two positions, Ranma looked at the darkness that stretched beyond
the Tendo Dojo.  Swallowing hard, Ranma steeled himself.  'If Ryoga can do
it, so can I!'  Ranma dashed off, preparing to camp out for the night, and
leave Nerima forever the next day.

     Nabiki cheerfully bounced into the dining room, and took a seat,
slightly amused by the emotional show that her father and Mr. Saotome were
performing.  

     "Why must Ranma be such an insensitive clod?"  sobbed Soun, as he
drank tea.  "Why?  Why must the world be so insane?"  Soun continued to
cry, drenching Genma.  However, Genma was too sad to notice.

      "My son, is such a weakling!  Defeated easily by Kuno!  Why!  Where
have I failed?  The honor of the Saotome School of Anything Goes is
destined to be doomed!" Genma wailed.  Nabiki hid a smile, and she turned
to Akane who was sitting down, her back slouched, and her face showing her
inner sadness.  Guilt seized Nabiki, and she instinctively placed her hand
on Akane's shoulder.  'What have I done?  Is is possible that I love Ranma
so much, that my passion has blinded my conscience?'  

      Akane had been seated for a half-hour, depressed at the events that
were unfolding before her.  In her mind, Ranma's voice constantly echoed,
"I refuse."  She fought back her emotions and tried to put on a straight
face.  As she watched her father and Mr. Saotome lament, she just sat in
silence, thinking.  'Maybe Ranma hates me.  But that is no problem.  He's a
hentai!  And he's immature, and boorish, and barbaric, and...and stupid!' 
Somehow, even to herself, Akane's thoughts felt hollow.  Suddenly, Akane
felt a comforting hand land on her shoulder.  She slowly turned her head,
and met the gaze of Nabiki, her eyes filled with understanding,
encouragement, and a hint of sadness too.

     For some reason, Nabiki's presence warmed Akane a little, and brought
her somewhat out of her depression.  Nabiki smiled at Akane, and her eyes
seemed to convey, "Everything will be alright in the end."  Akane, despite
her current feelings, felt a tentative smile form.

     "There all done!"  Kasumi walked into the room, carrying the final
dishes for dinner.  She carefully set them on the table, and was surprised
not to find Ranma present, eager to eat.  "So where is Ranma?  Can someone
get him for dinner?"  Nabiki looked around, and found no one moving at all.
 Genma was too busy gorging himself and crying.  Soun just looked as if he
was completely lost, and Akane probably did not want to see Ranma. 
Shrugging her shoulders, Nabiki stood up, and headed to the guest room.  

       Nabiki gently knocked on the door.  No response.  Slightly
flustered, she knocked again, a little louder.  Still no response.  She
semi-shouted, "Hey Ranma, you ok...  Want dinner?"  The silence overwhelmed
Nabiki.  Almost angered, she slammed the door open, and found an empty
room.  The only sound she could hear was a sheet of paper fluttering in the
cold breeze from the open window.  There was no sign of Ranma.  Nabiki
walked to the table and looked at the paper, revealing a hastily written
and almost illegible scrawl.  'This has to be Ranma's.  Wait, oh no!' 
Nabiki's mind flashed back to the message that she had left on her desk
almost five days ago.  Struggling hard, she managed to read the message,
which was poorly written, and covered with scratchouts.

     "Dear Everyone:  Living in the Tendo Dojo for a year has been fun, but
recently I've felt it was my time to move on.  Bye, and I thank Mr. Tendo
for his hospitality."  Nabiki stood there shocked.  Holding the message,
she ran out to the hall, and shouted really loud.  

      "Hey, everyone come here!  There's something wrong!"  In a flash,
Soun, Genma, Kasumi, and Akane surrounded Nabiki."Oh Nabiki what's wrong? 
Where? Why? How?"

      Nabiki struggled to keep her emotions in check.  She sort of
succeeded "It's Ranma!"  

      Genma paled.  "No he didn't!"

      "Yes he did..." 

      Genma panicked.  "No!  He couldn't have!  By the way, what did he
do?"  Nabiki held out to Genma the note that Ranma left behind.  Squinting
hard at the incorrectly written kanji, Genma slowly read out the message. 
When he was done, everyone panicked.  Genma had fallen to his knees with a
loud thud.  

       "Oh, will the gods have mercy on me?  Me, a lowly man abandoned by
his son!"  Genma screamed, tears flowing out of his eyes.  Soun too joined
the crying gallery.  "Oh the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts shall die
and not be passed to the next generation...."  Both Soun and Genma were on
the floor, allowing their tears to flow wildly.  Akane just looked sad, and
she calmly walked into her room, and closed the door behind her.

     'That Dummy!'  Akane thought, as she threw herself onto her bed, and
allowed her pent up emotions to break out.  'Why must he do this?  Why?  He
definitely hates me.'  Feeling a depression crushing her to the ground, she
laid on her bed, and cried herself to sleep.

       Kasumi, feeling sorry for her father, tried to comfort him, leaving
Nabiki with nothing to do.  She walked down the stairs, and she grabbed her
windbreaker as she ran out of the Dojo.  `I've been so self centered, and
I've almost destroyed my home for pursuing Ranma.  I must fix the
problem...'  Her guilt served to push her faster...

****

       Nabiki ran about Nerima searching for Ranma.  Her mind was already
analytically crossing off a huge mental list of places that Ranma could be
hiding.  She crossed off the Neko Hanten, Shampoo was just too hostile now.
 She crossed off Ukyou's place, she thought that Ranma wanted to be alone. 
She glanced at the sky, and her eyes landed on the moon, which was
completely hidden in clouds.

      After an hour or so, of fruitless wandering, Nabiki was about to give
up, when she luckily happened to stumble in on Ranma's camp.  He was
sleeping on the ground, wrapped only in his jacket.  A small fire burned
with an aura of depression.  Nabiki quietly walked up to Ranma, and
gentlely shook him awake.  He grumbled, and looked up into Nabiki's wet
eyes.

      Nabiki hugged him fiercely.  Ranma started to gasp from the force of
the hug.  Nabiki's emotions let out in a torrent.  "Oh Ranma, thank god you
are safe.  I thought you were going to do the same thing I tried to do. 
Everyone's worried.  Akane, Soun, Genma, Kasumi..."  Ranma gulped hard,
feeling the new sensations that he felt for Nabiki grow stronger.  His mind
struggled hard and tried to comprehend them, but he couldn't.

      Nabiki blushed when she noticed Ranma staring at him, and turned her
head away slightly.  Unsettled by Ranma's attention, she shifted slightly,
and sat next to Ranma, the small fire illuminating them in bursts of light.
And suddenly, as if by instinct, Ranma placed his hand over Nabiki's hand.

      Ranma leaned back, and started to speak, mostly to himself.  "Why
does Pop have to be so harsh?  It's not my fault that the engagement is
ruined!  It's Akane's fault!  Why does she have to constantly beat me for
having other fiancees, and boom!  She goes out an gets flirty with the
boys..."  As Ranma spoke, his back slouched down and down.  Simultaneous,
Nabiki started to feel guilt gnaw at her insides.  Uncomfortable, she
shifted around nervously.

     Ranma continued, completely oblivious.  "Despite how she's been and
now that we are not together anymore, I finally have the guts to say that I
still love her."  Ranma stopped, and sat back fighting back the pain that
raged within.  Sighing, Ranma laid down, and stared mindlessly at the sky. 


     Nabiki could no longer hold it, her guilt, which she had successfully
ignored, suddenly broke forth.  The guilt of making her sister suffer.  The
guilt of making her object of love suffer.  She carefully placed her hand
on Ranma's shoulder, which caused Ranma to shake a little.

     "Ranma, I have a confession to make."  Nabiki stared into Ranma's
eyes.  "Before I begin, promise that you will get back with Akane!  I don't
care if you beat me or hate me, but I feel so guilty and I really want to
make this confession."  Ranma looked at Nabiki, wondering how she could
have any skeletons in the closet.  'Must be something left from the old
days before her improvement.'

     "Ranma, I was the one."  Ranma sat up, and burst out laughing.  Nabiki
looked at Ranma strangely, and she held up her hand to stop Ranma.  He
stopped the instant that her hand went up.  "Wait!  I'm not finished!  I
was the one who made the photo book of Akane kissing those boys.  All of
the photos were made by me.  There!  I'm done.  I'm sorry Ranma, I hope you
will forgive me later."  Tears streamed from her eyes, and she started to
run off.

     Ranma sat up straight and was completely shocked.  The entire world
seemed to whirl around him, and when it finally can to a halt, he was not
murderously angry, not even slightly angry.  Ranma was displeased that
Nabiki kept that for a secret for such a long time.  But he saw the
expression on Nabiki's face when she made the confession, and he had no
doubts:  'Nabiki must have been suffering, carrying a secret like that.' 
For some reason, Ranma felt a burning desire to chase after her, and try to
calm her down.  Ranma did so.

    "Nabiki! Stop running."  Ranma took off after her, and despite his
shouts, Nabiki started to run faster.  "Come on Nabiki, I'm glad that you
told me the truth!  I'm not angry with you!"  Ranma stopped running,
shocked that he shouted that.  'Wait!  I'm not angry with her at all,  I
should be.  I don't understand.'  His last shout had the desired effect. 
Nabiki stopped running, and reluctantly returned to Ranma.

     On impulse, she fiercely hugged Ranma, and cried into his chest.  "I'm
so sorry.  I'm so sorry."  Nabiki said, as her body shook with each breath.
 Ranma stood paralysed, not knowing what to do.  Automatically, as if they
had a will of their own, his hands gently returned the embrace, surprising
himself and Nabiki.

     Ranma's senses came back, and he immediately broke away from Nabiki. 
He nervously stared at Nabiki.  Her messed hair, red eyes filled with
tears, her wet smooth cheek, all details that Ranma suddenly noticed.  He
turned away, and shouted.  "No!  No!  No!  This is not right!"  'What have
I been doing?'  Hugging Nabiki seemed so natural at the moment and nothing
felt amiss.  'Why do I act that way around Nabiki?  The only other person
that makes me feel that way is Akane...'  He ran off leaving Nabiki, who
still sobbing turned around and walked home alone.

* * *

     Nabiki openned the front door, and let herself in.  Akane came running
up.  "So!  Where were you..."  Akane stopped talking when she saw Nabiki,
her tangled hair and her tear-streaked face.  "Nabiki!  What happened?" 
Akane quickly took hold of her sister's arm, and took her to the bathroom. 
"Here, let me wash your face."  Taking a cold damp towel, Akane gently
wiped her sister's face.  Both left the bathroom, and went to Akane's
bedroom.

     "So, sis, what happened?"  Akane asked again.  Nabiki looked at her
sister, and once again, guilt gripped her, just as it did when she was with
Ranma.  'I must tell her too!  I've already told Ranma, and godwilling,
he'll come back.  He must come back!'  Nabiki, motioned her sister to sit
in the chair.

     "Akane, I have a confession to make."  Akane nodded, and motioned
Nabiki to continue.  Nabiki took a deep breath, and continued, her voice
shaky.  "I was the one responsible for breaking you and Ranma up."  Nabiki
could feel Akane stiffening slightly, and for a moment she felt the need to
disappear.  Fortunately, Akane did not make an outburst.  Instead she sat
deep into her chair.

     "I was the one who made the photos and made sure that Ranma got angry
with you, and that you would get angry with him..."  Nabiki didn't have a
chance to finish, since Akane stood up, breathing heavily, and slapped
Nabiki rather lightly.  Still, not being used to be physically abused,
Nabiki reeled backwards, and fell onto her butt. 

      Akane realized that she had slapped her older sister on impulse, and
she placed a hand on her mouth.  "Oh, Nabiki!  I'm sorry...."  Nabiki
interrupted Akane.

      "I don't blame you for hating me.  I mean I broke up your
relationship with Ranma.  He's great!  You two should get together.  Bye!" 
Nabiki ran out of Akane's room.  Akane, feeling terrible for slapping her
sister, ran out after her.  She dashed down the stairs, and ran into the
dining room, where Genma and Soun were still eating and crying their eyes
out.

      Akane stopped and sat down, feeling bad.  'I hope that Nabiki doesn't
run off.  It was nice of her to confess though.  Now I'm sure that Ranma is
faithful.   Will he come back?'

* * *

     Nabiki ran out into the backyard, filled with so much sadness that she
did not watch where she was going, and bowled straight into Ranma who was
walking in from the back gate, planning to return.  Both tumbled down,
tangled together.  Ranma got off of Nabiki, and sensing her emotions,
helped her to her feet.

      "You want to talk about it?"  Nabiki looked into Ranma's eyes, which
were filled with concern.  She nodded slightly, and almost gasped, when
Ranma wrapped his hands around her waist.  'What is he going to do?'  Ranma
did nothing, but he jumped, and landed on the roof of the dojo.  "I don't
know, but being up here sometimes helps me think clearer."

     Nabiki sat back and looked at the stars that twinkled in the sky. 
Ranma looked at Nabiki, and was surprised to see the faint red outline of a
hand on her cheek.  "Did Akane hit you?"  Ranma sounded shocked.

     Nabiki nodded.  "Yes, I confessed to her too."  Ranma sat
uncomfortably close to Nabiki, and automatically placed his arm around her
shoulders.

      "Well, I'm impressed.  It takes a lot of guts to tell Akane that you
tricked her.  Although I'm still a little angry at what you've done, my
respect for you has gone up majorly.  I think I'll have a talk with Akane,
a little later."  Nabiki shook, and a single tear dropped from her face. 
Ranma noticed, and kneeled in front of her.

      "Come on, what's wrong?"  Nabiki shook her head, and whispered back. 
"I can't tell you.  But I want to go to sleep, can you take me down." 
Ranma laughed.  He leaped down from the roof with Nabiki in his arms. 
After landing, she left his arms, and walked into the Dojo.  Ranma sat on a
stone outside, looking up at the clear night sky.  Glancing at his watch,
he sighed inaudible.  'I hope I get to make up with Akane.  I hope that
Nabiki feels better tomorrow.'  

* * *

     Akane was sitting in her room, constantly replaying what she heard
Nabiki said to her.  'Poor Nabiki, why would she go through the trouble of
trying to break up Ranma and I.  There is no profit in doing this.'  Before
Akane could think further, she heard a knock of the door, a rough, loud,
and obviously rude knock.  In other words, it was a knock that only Ranma
Saotome could make on the door.  In her haste, Akane almost tripped over a
pig doll, and she finally openned the door, revelling a red faced Ranma.

      "Errrr, Akane?   I wanted to say... I wanted to say that I am sorry."
 Ranma started to breathe again and the redness flushed out of his face. 
"There I said it!  Well, I feel better now!"  Akane surpressed a smile, and
tried to put on a tough girl look, it failed.

      "Well Ranma!  Coming back to beg forgiveness?"  Akane couldn't
continue and she started to laugh quietly.

      Ranma placed his hands on her shoulder, and he said.  "I ask you to
forgive me for acting like you.  I was irrational, unwilling to listen to
reason, and completely overreacting to the situation...."  Ranma continued
on and on, not noticing the very angry Akane, who's body was accented with
a flaming blue aura.

       "RANMA!  You idiot!  The moment we're back together, you go ahead
and insult me!"  She launched her fist at Ranma, and instead of taking it,
Ranma ducked.  Akane was surprised that instead pounding Ranma, she had
succeeded in pounding a large hole in the wall.  Ranma placed his hands on
her shoulder.

       "Akane, please cool it.  Today was already bad enough.  Let's get
some sleep, and we can fight tomorrow."  Ranma left Akane, and headed to
the bathroom. Akane shrugged her shoulders, and she went to her room,
cuddled up in her bed, and went to sleep.

* * *

       An hour later, Ranma walked out of the bathroom, dressed for sleep,
and completely refreshed.  Silently walking to his room, he slid the door
open, and shut it right behind him with his foot.  Staring at the huge
snoring panda, Ranma prepared to lie down next to his father, when he heard
muffled crying.  'Hmmm that sounds like Nabiki.'  Ranma walked over to the
window, and swung his legs out onto the the rafters.  'I guess I'll pay her
a visit.'

     Nabiki sat in bed, her knees crunching up a pillow to her chest.  She
was using the pillow to muffle her crying.  'Life's just not fair.  Why did
I give up Ranma?  Why?'  She was startled by a knock on her window. 
Pulling her face up from her pillow, she saw the upside-down concerned face
of Ranma.  Jumping off her bed, she walked to the window, and let Ranma in.

      Both sat down next to each other.  Nabiki and Ranma were silent for a
moment.  Ranma looked into her eyes, and finally spoke.  "What's wrong?" 
Nabiki couldn't answer, and instead, she started to cry, allowing her pent
up emotions to escape again.  Concerned, Ranma gently brushed away her
tears, and suddenly wondered, 'Why am I doing this?  Why do I care how
Nabiki feels?  How come I feel so bad when Nabiki's sad?'

     Nabiki, somehow encouraged by Ranma's presence, finally felt the
courage to admit her true feelings to Ranma.  She looked at Ranma, and she
pulled away, leaving a very shocked Ranma.

       "Ranma... I've been meaning to tell you for some time, but I never
really had the courage to say this, but..."  She faltered, and Ranma
instantly, placed his hand on her shoulder.  

       "Come on, you can tell me."  Ranma shined a smile which helped
Nabiki.  

       She finally whispered.  "I love you Ranma, I'm madly in love with
you.  But that's not right, since you're supposed to be with Akane."  Ranma
sat there shocked, his mind completely paralysed with the reality.  He
managed to let out a breath, and nothing else happened.  Nabiki frowned a
bit, and she bopped Ranma on the head with a pillow.  

      "Hey, what did you do that for?"  Ranma pulled the pillow with his
right hand, and with his left hand, he automatically grabbed Nabiki, and
pulled her close to him ready to hit her with the pillow.  He suddenly
realized that in his hands was Nabiki, not Akane.  He stopped abruptly, and
took a step away from Nabiki.  He suddenly realized the feelings that he
had for Nabiki.  He suddenly felt lightheaded, and stumbled backwards.

      He muttered.  "It can't be true.  It can't be true."  Nabiki quickly
reachout and steadied Ranma.  In Ranma's mind, a voice screamed.  'Push her
away!  It's not right!'  He struggled, however his body had another agenda,
all together.  He hugged Nabiki.  It was Nabiki's turn to enter shock.

       Ranma struggled to control himself, but his body again betrayed him.
 He heard himself speak,  "Nabiki, this might seem wrong, and I know I'm
being unfaithful, but I love you."  With that said, Nabiki grabbed the back
of his head with her smooth heads, and pulled Ranma's lips down to her own.
 Locked in an embrace, both kissed for what seemed to be an eternity, and
both tasted each moment, their tongues interlocked.

       The door slid open, and both faintly heard Kasumi say, "Oh my!" 
Ranma and Nabiki quickly disengaged from each other, and Ranma stumbled
backwards, completely afraid of the past events.  He took a couple steps
back, and tripped on his own foot.  He landed on his bottom, and leaned his
back against the wall, his eyes completely glazed over.

      He looked at Nabiki and Kasumi completely bewildered.  "What have I
done?"

Nothing to say, but thanks to all who have responded in the past......

And a couple story ideas that are brewing in my mind....

Dark Second...
   Ranma darkfic... blah blah.... A really bad rough draft exists for
chapter 1 exists..........

Altered Reality
   A rough draft of chapter 1 has already been posted.  Rough drafts of
chapter 2 and 3 are completed, but I will not post them at all...  I need
to think whether this story is feasible or not.

Macross II -- Ranma 1/2 Fusion.
     I have done no work on this at all.  Just an idea right now.  This
story may never surface at all.

Ranma 1/2-- Dune Fusion....
   If no one does anything about this, I might take matters into my own
hands... (keyword, "I might...")

Macross + -- Ranma 1/2 fusion.
     This was suggested by roommate...  I'm not sure since I haven't really
seen Macross Plus yet.

Michael Chen