Okay, the alignment is finally BETTER, but not perfect yet.  What the hell, I
don't care anymore.  It's close enough.  

Chapter 8: Funny Running Into You Here
	"Akane, please... you've got to wake up," pleaded Ranma.  The new Happosai
had drained her dry of all her life energy.  And she sacrificed herself all
for him.  Ranma began slapping Akane around.  "Damnit girl, you're stronger
than this.  Get up already you wimp," shouted Ranma.
	Tux and Sailor Moon were standing around the desperate Ranma and comatose
Akane.  Sailor Moon was leaning on Tux, still weak from Happosai's attack.
 They both looked very somber.
	"Oh no, this is all my fault," cried Sailor Moon as she buried her face in
Tux's chest.  He puts his arm around her, and said "It's not your fault.
 It's Beryl's.  We'll get her for this, if it's the last thing we do, we'll
get her for this."  He turns to Ranma.  "Ranma, I promise you, Beryl and
Happosai will pay for this."
	Ranma turned around at them and roared "She's not dead! She's gonna wake up!
 Akane isn't going to die because I couldn't save her!"
	He returned his attention to Akane.  "You stupid jerk, why'd you get in the
way.  You know I've got more energy than you, I would've been able to handle
it better than you!" he shouted as he picked up Akane's limp body again. 
"Akane, stop joking around!  I don't care if you hate
me, but I've learned my lesson.  Just get up!  Please, just get up, I won't
take you for granted anymore," Ranma says as he begins to break down.  There
was still no reaction from Akane.
Tux puts his hand on Ranma's shoulder.  Ranma turns
around to look at him.  Tux didn't say anything, but the look he gave Ranma
was "I'm sorry, but we have to move on now."
	"NO!  Akane, it can't end like this," he sobbed.  Tears were beginning to
streak down his face.  "She can't die without knowing that... that I
didn't... dislike her as much as I showed."  He brings Akane's head up to
his.  "She can't die without knowing I... I lov...," Ranma stops as his lips
connects with Akane's.  (I know it's girl-type Ranma, but pretend it was like
that Whoopi Goldberg/Patrick Swayze thing in Ghost.)
	Akane's body was cold, but her mouth was still warm. As Ranma pulled his
head back, Akane's head dropped back laxly.  He put her down.
	"Akane..." he whispered sadly.  He began realizing she really was dead.
	"ranma..." a voice weakly whimpered.
	"Akane!" Ranma shouted with glee.  He picked her head off the ground.
 "Akane, you're not dead!" Ranma happily exclaimed.
	Somehow, Ranma had brought her back.  Whether he had passed some energy to
her with the kiss, or rekindled some with it, or maybe just the fact he
kissed her did it. Whatever the reason, she was alive.
	Akane was still weak, but she managed to open her eyes. Funny, she thought,
her lips were tingling.  "Ranma, were you crying?" she asked.
	Ranma was surprised to suddenly taste his salty tears. He hadn't even
realized he was weeping.  He quickly wiped the tears away.  "No, of course I
wasn't crying.  It's just some water splashed on my face, that's all."
	"Ranma...," Akane begins.  "Ranma, did you just... kiss me?" she asks him,
still shaken by the possibility.
"Kiss you... um, no... I was just giving you CPR.  I
wouldn't have had to do it if you didn't try to prove something stupid,"
replies Ranma.
	"Prove something stupid?  I was busy saving your dumb hide!" she yells back,
as she begins to get up by herself. 
"Exactly.  You were tripping over the fact that I saved
your dumb butt so many times, so you just had to try and save mine.  The
difference is I usually can handle saving you, but you're too weak to save me
from anything I can't handle myself!"
"You insensitive jerk!" she screams as she punches
Ranma in the face.  She pulls herself away from Ranma. "Don't even appreciate
what I do for you!  And CPR my ass! You pervert, you had the gull to try and
kiss me while I was down!  Good thing it took me so long to wake up or I
would've...," she says but stops when Ranma holds her shoulders and looks at
her seriously.
"Akane, don't think for an instant I don't appreciate
you.  Thank you for trying to save me," he says.
	Akane looks into Ranma's eyes and see's a tenderness she's hardly ever seen
from him.  "Ranma... you're welcome. And thanks for saving me all the time."
"But if you ever get in over your head again... I'm
going to have to leave your body for dead."
	"Ohhhh, this is so beautiful," Sailor Moon cries as tears were flowing from
her face.  "It's just like Snow White."
	"I don't remember Snow White and the prince quite so hostile," Darian
mutters to himself.  "Well guys, now what?"
	Malachite woke up to find himself sweeped onto a boulder amidst the rushing
stream.  His whole body hurt, and he wasn't sure the roaring in his head was
the water or just him.  Those kids had really upstarted him.  Especially that
Ranma.  Ranma?  An idea suddenly strikes Malachite. 
"Funny," he thought.  "I can't sense the consciousness
of the creature I placed inside Happosai anymore.  Either they killed him
or..."  He stops as he realizes the complications.  "If he's now a loose
cannon, no one is safe. Luckily I still have my trump card," he thinks as he
teleports away.
	"Akane!" Soun cries as he picks himself off the ground where the waterfall
had deposited him.  He quickly runs up to Akane and hugs her tightly.
"Son!' Genma holds up the sign as he runs to Ranma.
Instead of hugging him, he smacks Ranma in the head. "Stupid boy!  It's all
your fault I nearly got killed!" read a sign.
	"That's fatherly love for you!" shouted back Ranma.  He began to pour hot
water on himself.  Apparently, they had brought the water heater with them.
 "And this is all your fault!  If you had taken care of Happosai when you had
the chance back then, none of this would've happened!"
Screams were heard as Sailor Mars, Jupiter, and Venus
were swept out of a cave.  They fell ten feet before landing in a pile.
	Next thing they knew, Kuno and Mercury fell right on top of them, with
Mercury at the top of the heap.  "Glad to see everyone's safe," chirped
Mercury.
"I should've stayed in Europe," grumbled Venus. Somehow, they manage to
disentangle themselves.  A few
meters away, cat Shampoo and duck Mousse were also deposited into the main
cave.
"Gee, we're sure lucky all the caves lead here,"
commented Tux.  (Lucky for the writer too!)
	Akane gets everyone up to speed on what had just transpired, and Happosai's
current condition.  Jupiter is the first to ask "So what'd we do now?"
"We have to find Beryl.  We can't stop Happosai by
ourselves, I doubt she can either," says Tux.
	"Tuxedo Mask, you aren't suggesting that we...," begins Venus.
"I don't think we have any choice in this matter.
We're going to have to team up with Beryl to stop this madman," answers Tux.
	"But we still have to find Ukyou!" interrupts Ranma. "She's the most
important thing right now, I don't care what the rest of you do, but I've got
to find her."
"Ranma," a voice cries out from behind everyone. "Ukyou!" shouts Ranma as he
turns around to find her
all tied up.  Malachite was holding her with one arm around her waist and
another wrapped around her throat.
	"Don't make a move," ordered Malachite as he formed a blade in his hand, and
moved it to Ukyou's throat.  "I come here to offer my aid in stopping
Happosai."
"If you're here to help, let go of Ukyou!" yelled
Ranma.
	"Not so fast boy," Malachite said as he moved the blade


closer to Ukyou's throat.  "I need a favor from you first before we can stop
him."
	"What do you want?" barked back Ranma.
	"I want you," answered Malachite.  "None of us have a chance against
Happosai right now.  His powers were tremendous before he was possessed, and
now his power is unparalleled.  However...," he grins, "...we might have a
chance if I placed a creature inside of you."
	Ranma is stunned by this answer.
"Your powers would be amplified as much as his.  And
with all of us joining forces, we should be able to overpower him," Malachite
says.
"No, don't do it," shouted Jupiter.  "If you do it,
you'll be under his control, and become his pawn."
	"She's right," adds Mercury.  "Besides, I have another plan to stop
Happosai."
"They're right Malachite, I don't need to become your
henchman to stop Happosai," yells Ranma.
	Malachite begins to cut into Ukyou's throat.  A sliver of blood was created.
 "I'm not exactly asking, but demanding," Malachite responds.
	"Ranma... don't listen to the jackass," chokes out Ukyou.  "Don't worry
about me, just go and stop Happosai." 
"Well Ranma, we're about to see how much you care for
this girl, aren't we?  Yes, it's true after I use you to defeat Happosai,
I'll use you to take over the world.  But if you don't, cute little Ukyou
here won't be so cute without her head," sneers Malachite.
	Ranma was shaking violently, he wanted to rip off this guy's head.  Through
his anger, he spitted out "Fine.  I'll do it."
"Ranma, you can't," begged Akane as she grabbed his
arm.
	Ranma turned around and looked at her tenderly.  "Don't worry Akane, I'll be
fine.  Don't forget, I might be able to break the control like Happosai,"
assured Ranma.
"But what if you don't," cried Akane.  "What if we,
what if I lose you forever?"
	"Then I guess you'll get your wish," joked Ranma as he wiped the tears from
her eyes.  "Akane, whatever happens next, I want you to know..."
	Before he knew it, Sound and Genma were around the both of them.  "Don't
back down now son!" read a sign from Genma. Ranma punched him in the face.
	"Get away from me, I was just going to say I wanted her to know that I'd be
happy to be possessed!  At least I won't have to be engaged to her anymore,"
Ranma shouted irratadedly.  He began walking to Malachite.  "I'm ready." 
Before Ranma got away, Akane had grabbed his pig tail,
slammed him to the ground, and smashed his face with her foot.  "Did you
think I was going to let you get away with that!" shouted Akane.
	Ranma picked himself up and gazed into Akane's eyes. His gaze penetrated her
soul.  "Do you think I meant that," Ranma said delicately.  He began walking
to Malachite again. 
Soun and Genma could be seen crying.  "Such a brave
boy," Soun sobbed.
	Shampoo quickly jumps in Ranma's way.  "Shampoo no let you die for stupid
spatula girl," protested Shampoo.  She had apparently used some hot water
too.
	Ranma stared at her meanly, and ordered," Shampoo, get out of the way.
 Now."
Surprised by the sterness of Ranma, Shampoo moves.
Tears were swelling in her eyes.
"Ranma..., please don't do it," pleaded Ukyou. "Forget the girl boy, come
here and let destiny unfold," Malachite said.  As Ranma got closer, he
stretched out his arm, preparing to place his palm on Ranma's forehead.  "The
next best thing," thought Malachite. 
"Ranma..." whispered Akane.
He didn't know why he was going to save Ranma.  He
should just let Ranma die and be possessed or whatever. Then he'd be able to
have Akane all to himself.  He rationalized that he didn't want Ranma getting
more 
powerful, or becoming an instrument of distruction.  If this Malachite person
ruled the world, he and Akane would never have any peace he told himself.  As
he leapt down out of a cavern, he knew deep down that he couldn't let this
happen because it simply wasn't right.  Despite Ryoga's flaws and impatience,
he had always tried to do what he thought was the right thing.
"Baksie Tenkitz!" roared Ryoga as he shattered the
ground underneath Malachite.
	Malachite's grip on Ukyou was broken as she was blasted forward with Ranma,
while Malachite was blasted back and over Ryoga's head.  He landed on his
head as his neck twisted a way it wasn't supposed to.
	"Ryoga!" Akane cheered.
	"Damn you all!" cursed Malachite.  "I don't have enough power to handle them
all, best to get while the getting is good," he realized before he teleported
away.
	"Ryoga, how the hell did you find your way back here so quickly," asked a
surprised Ranma .
       "True love guided me," thought Ryoga.  Instead, he
said, "I guess I just got swept with the currents over here."  That was true.
 He was walking around in where he figured was either Alaska, the Himalayas,
or Antarctica, when some ice he was walking on broke and he ended up falling
back into the water filled caves.
Ranma began untying Ukyou.  "You okay," asked Ranma. "Ranma!" she chirped as
she hugged him.  Ranma pulled
away before Akane started getting mad again.
	"Okay, now that everybody's here, I guess there's just one thing left to do.
 Let's get Happosai!" yelled Ranma.

Authors Note: Send all comments and critics to schi@uci.edu or
chihokodan@aol.com.  Remember, the more comments I get, the more motivated I
am to pump more out.  For all those people complaining that my parts were too
long, well, I hope you're happy, this one is just one lone chapter.  Gee,
it's almost over! The conclusion is done, and will be posted shortly.  Hope
everyone's enjoying this as much as I was writing it.  Jya Ne!