Chapter 5 - Aftermath

      Ranma slammed the door behind him, and he lay down on his cot, his
mind trying to forget what Akane said.  He surpressed the urge to cry, and
he lay there emotionless.  However, after a couple minutes he gave in to his
emotions, and silently lamented.  `Why did you say that Akane?  Do you
really hate me?'  Ranma lay there, tears trickling down the side of his
face.  Slowly drop by drop rolled down his cheek, and landed on his cot.
Ranma turned onto his side, and went to sleep, waiting for the next day.

     The next day was almost normal.  Well, almost normal was an
overstatement.  A depressed Ranma woke up early in the morning: he just
couldn't sleep with so many problems whirling around in his head.  So, after
making himself an early breakfast, he decided to leave the dojo, and head
off to school early, before anyone else woke up.  A few minutes after Ranma
left, Kasumi woke up, and surpressing a yawn, struggled into her clothes,
and walked downstairs, ready to serve her family yet another day.

      She walked into the kitchen, and was surprised to see some leftovers
on the table.  She shrugged her shoulders, and started to prepare breakfast.
Some time afterwards, Genma poked his head into the door.  "Um, Kasumi, have
you seen Ranma?  He's never missed a sparring session..."

       Kasumi turned around, her perpetually cheerful face smiled.  "Oh, Mr.
Saotome, I don't know where Ranma is.  If you like, you can have the
leftovers on the table.  Someone cooked them this morning..."  The moment
food was mentioned, Genma's stomach immediately growled, and he fell onto
the dishes like a predator.  In his right hand, the knuckles of his hand
turned white as Genma slightly tensed before attacking his defenseless prey
lying in the dish below.

       However, suddenly a thought entered his mind.  "Um Kasumi, is this
Akane's cooking?"  Kasumi responded almost laughing, "Oh no!  Akane's still
asleep..."  With that final doubt erased from his mind, Genma's chopsticks
flashed over the food, and he consumed it.  After the plates were emptied,
he carried them to the sink and rinsed them off.  

       "Kasumi, whoever cooked this dish knew what she was doing..."  Genma
patted his stomach affectionately, and marched off to the dining room.
Kasumi nodded absentmindedly as she quickly added some oyster sauce to the
wok.  She paused and looked around for some sugar.  As her eyes strayed
around, she saw Ranma's cap.  Kasumi's eyes openned slightly.  `Wow!  So
Ranma cooked that...'

***

      Nabiki groaned as the alarm clock next to her started to scream like a
dog being neutered without painkillers.  Her hand snaked out of her bed, and
started to slap at the clock, but her aim was off.  After a couple fruitless
attempts, she finally found the clock, and crawled out of bed.  Her eyes
barely open, she struggled into clothes, and staggered to the bathroom.
Splashing some ice cold water on her face, she gradually woke up.  She
almost laughed to herself.  `I wonder what happens when Ranma does this in
the morning...I'd better wake up Akane and Ranma.'  She walked down to
Akane's door and knocked on it.

      "Akane, wake up now.  You don't want to be late for class, do you?"
Nabiki could hear the creaking of bedsprings with a couple of moans.
Satisfied that she had woken up Akane, she crossed the hall to Ranma's room.
She knocked on the door.  "Hey, Ranma wake up.  You're going to be late if
you wake up any later..."  Getting no response, Nabiki shrugged her
shoulders, and went to breakfast.  Seeing Genma, already gorging himself on
the food, she grabbed a bowl of rice, and proceeded to eat.

       "Mr. Saotome, have you seen Ranma today?"  Genma paused in his rapid
siphoning of food into his mouth, and answered, his mouth still full.  "Ah
no, I guess he already went to school.  All the better, more food for me..."
Nabiki grimaced as she saw the half chewed food, mostly mashed rice with a
hint of mangled pork, in Genma's mouth as it openned and closed in front of her.

       Akane walked down the stairs, and was surprised to see everyone
except Ranma at the table.  Silently, she sat at the table and started to
halfheartedly eat.  Breakfast was strangely silent.  Soun gravely ate, while
Genma ate like a vaccuum cleaner, inhaling almost everything in sight.
Nabiki delicately picked at her food, while Akane didn't eat much.  Wanting
to break the silence, Nabiki looked at her watch.

      "Wow, it's getting late.  Come on Akane, let's go to school."  Both
girls shouldered their satchels, and they left.  As they left the main gates
to the dojo, Akane ventured to ask Nabiki a question.  "Do you know where's
Ranma?"  Nabiki shrugged her shoulders, "Mr. Saotome said that he probably
went to school early."

      Akane, as she ran, felt something eat at her mind as she ran to school
next to Nabiki.  She thought of sitting in class all day with Ranma
purposely not looking at her.  `I really do not want to be in class today...
I just want to be by myself, and think over everything.'  She looked at
Nabiki who was silently running next to her, amazingly keeping pace.

       "Um, Nabiki?"  Nabiki turned her head to look at Akane, silently glad
that the silence had been nullified.  "Yes?"  

       "I was wondering, whether you could cover for me.  I feel I need some
time alone to think, and I want to cut class today, if that's ok with
you..."  Nabiki was shocked.  `Akane, she wants to cut her classes?  Now
that's a new thing...'  Nabiki halted her run

       "Are you sure?  I mean it's pretty serious to miss a class on
purpose..."  Akane stared at Nabiki, her eyes soaked to the brim with
sincerity.  Nabiki coughed, and after a delay and against her better
judgement, she agreed.

      "Ok, Akane, just this once.  I'll make sure that this absence won't
show up on the report card..."  Akane smiled, hugged Nabiki, and ran off in
another direction.

***

      For the past hour, Ranma had sat at a bench outside of the school, his
depressed mind completely blank, as he waited for school to start.  Life
without Akane seemed so moot, so unbearable.  His mind contemplated dark
thoughts as a limosine pulled up to the school.  The door swung open
revealing Kuno Tatewaki.  Taking a calm step, he took a deep breath.

      "Oh the morning, fresh with an energy that belies the..."  He paused a
moment in his expousing of useless, archaic phrases, when he saw Ranma
nonchalantly perched on the bench, lost in thought.  Kuno felt the blood
boil inside of him.  Before him stood an empty schoolyard, and the evil
enchanter who had charmed away his two lovers...

      He gripped the wooden sword that always hung on his belt, and drew it.
He then screamed, "Ranma!  Die!" and charged.  Ranma heard Kuno scream his
typical battle cry, and made no motion, he turned his head, and looked at
Kuno straight in the eyes.

      Kuno laughed to himself.  `Oh Ranma finally acknowledges his
inferiority to me, the Blue Thunder of Furinken High School....' "Omph!"
Kuno lost in thought, had ran past Ranma, and tripped on the bench...
Struggling to his feet, he charged again.

      "Ranma!  Fight like a man!  How dare you use your evil magics!"  He
swung, and his sword connected with Ranma this time.  Ranma was propelled
backwards like a rag doll and crashed into the wall.  Without a word, Ranma
stood up again.  Kuno's eyebrow raised slightly, and he attacked again.  And
just as before, he knocked Ranma flying a few feet, and again Ranma stood
up, not willing to fight back...  Pretty soon, Kuno tired of fighting a
motionless target.

      "Ranma you coward why don't you fight."  Ranma's depressed face
scowled at the comment.  He coldly replied.  "Who's the coward?  A man who
doesn't fight back or a man that attacks a man that doesn't fight back."  It
took Kuno a few moments of thinking to finally comprehend what Ranma had
said, and when the meaning finally dawned on him, his anger increased beyond
human bounds.

      "How  dare you taunt your superior!"  With that said, Kuno started to
beat the pulp out of Ranma, who refused to scream, or beg for mercy to
pleasure Kuno.  He just stood their, and took the damage.  After awhile,
Kuno gave up.  Ranma's completely passive involvement offered no pleasure,
and he walked off grumbling to himself.  Ranma lied on the floor,
motionless, bruised, bleeding from various points on his body, made no
effort to get up.  And for some strange reason, the sky quickly covered over
with grey cloudsm and started to rain hard and cold.  Ranma-chan stayed on
the ground, his will for life having disappeared.

      Suddenly foot steps came up to Ranma, followed by a gasp.  "Ran-chan!"
Ranma made no effort to respond, since the hit to his jaw, had dislocated
it.  He couldn't speak.  Ukyou kneeled in front of Ranma's face, her eyes
filled with tears.  "Ranma, don't tell me?  Akane did this to you?"  Ranma
shook his head no.  Reaching up with his bruised hand, he punched himself on
the jaw, completely shocking Ukyou, but the punch served to relocate his jaw.

       Clenching his teeth, and trying to ignore the cold and the bruises
all over his body, Ranma struggled to leave Ukyou's arms.  "Leave me alone.
If you were my friend, you would just leave me out here."  Ukyou looked at
Ranma and stared.  Her mind was tumultuous.  On one hand, she couldn't leave
Ranma outside like this.  On the other, she respected Ranma's wishes.
Finally, after staring long and deeply into Ranma's eyes, Ukyou sighed and
spoke.  "It's against my judgement to leave you out here in the freezing
rain, but since you wished it, and I am your friend, I will listen."  Ukyou
took off her jacket, and rolled it up, forming a makeshift pillow for
Ranma's head.  Ukyou gently placed Ranma's head on her jacket, and slowly
walked to the doors.  

       Ranma laid there, his eyes shut as he felt extremely depressed.  He
ignored the sounds of passing students, their footsteps, their exclamation
at seeing Ranma beaten  After what seemed like eternity, Ranma heard a gasp,
and felt someone feeling his cheek.  He looked up into the eyes of Nabiki,
who was completely shocked by the damage Ranma had sustained.

       Nabiki wrapped her arm around Ranma, and struggled to lift him up.
Ranma weakly fought against Nabiki, but the icy cold water and Kuno's
serious beating had taken all of his energy, and Nabiki easily resisted.
"Come on Ranma!  This isn't the time to wish you were dead..."  She glanced
at her watch... and sighed.  `I guess I'll be cutting school too.'  She then
helped Ranma limp to Dr. Tofu's office.

***

     "Not a problem!  Just a couple minor bruises, almost like a wooden
sword hit him..."  Dr. Tofu cheerfully reported to Nabiki.  Nabiki nodded
ever so slightly, not revealing her burning desire to go out and make Kuno
pay for what he did...  And just as a plan was formulating in her head, she
felt a hand land on her shoulder, which pulled her attention away from
revenge, to the person who touched her.

      "Why did you help me?  You're not thinking of blackmailing me again?"
Ranma looked warily at Nabiki who appeared to be shocked.  She managed a
little grin.  "Of course not, but now that you mentioned it...."  As soon as
she saw the look of dismay on Ranma's face, she burst into laughter.

     "Come on Ranma, I'm joking.  Come on, let's go home."  Nabiki leaned
over to help Ranma get out of bed.  Carefully wrapping her right arm around
Ranma, both managed to sort of walk out the door and return to the Tendo Dojo.
***
     Ranma and Nabiki slowly limped into the dojo, causing strange glances
from the others.  Genma had stopped looked up from his game of go to watch
the two.  So did Kasumi and Soun, both interested in the fact that Ranma and
Nabiki had returned very early.  Kasumi smiled.

     "Oh hi Ranma, Nabiki.  Back so soon?"  Kasumi smiled as she carefully
washed the floor, she suddenly noticed the bandages and such wrapped around
Ranma.  "Oh my, Ranma.  Are you ok?  What happened?  How come Akane did not
come home with you?  She didn't have an argument with you again?"  Nabiki
shook her head, and explained.

     "Apparently Ranma got beated by Kuno.  He should have some rest."
Nabiki helped Ranma struggle up the stairs.  Making sure that Ranma didn't
trip, she slowly guided Ranma to his room.  Hastily sliding the door open
with her foot, she and Ranma approached the cot.  She laid him down.  Ranma
smiled back.

     "Thanks for helping me.  I don't know what came over me when Kuno
attacked...."  Ranma's voice trailed off, lost int thought...  Uncomfortable
silence followed, and after a couple unbearable moments, Nabiki replied.

     "No problem...   Gotta go..."  Nabiki walked out the door, careful to
shut the door quietly behind her.  Ranma thought a bit, before he went
asleep.  He thought about Akane... and Nabiki.  Mildly confused at his
mind's interest, he dozed off, into a dreamless state.

* * *

     Ranma woke up when some miscreant gave him a kick.  Ranma scrambled out
of bed, 
to see his father, looming over him.  "Ranma you good for nothing, poor
disgrace to the 
Saotome name!  You've allowed the family Kuno to taint our family honor!"

      Ranma stood up, ready to argue.  "What?  I ruined our family's honor?
What about 
those countless times where you broke all of those promises?"  Ranma's and
Genma's 
mind flashed back to numerous incidents, one of which was Genma's stealing
of the 
Kunonki yattai...., another was Genma's attempt to sell off Ranma for some
food....

      Genma's face turned red, as he tried to find a counterargument, he
stuttered 
incoherently, when Soun backed up his old chum.  

      "How about the time when you, Ranma, did not refuse your other
fiancees?"  Soun 
was referring to Shampoo and Ukyou.  Ranma retorted, "Well I did refuse them
for the 
record."  Both Soun and Genma, seeing that their attack on Ranma had failed,
made a 
strategic retreat to come up with a new plan.  The two men left the room the
confered 
quietly outside.

     Soun looked at Genma.  "How will we make Ranma feel guilty about
Akane?"  Genma 
added.  "And make him regain our school's honor...."  Soun stared at Genma,
who had 
struck a pose, that of a hero about to conquer his goal.  

     Soun tapped Genma impatiently on the shoulder.  "Wouldn't it be better
to make 
Ranma want to get back with Akane first?  Then he can seek his revenge?"  A
flash of 
inspiration struck Genma.  "Why don't we...."  He whispered into Soun's ear.
Slowly. 
Soun's serious face broke into uncontainable joy.

      "Yes Genma!  Such a plan!  It will work!"  Both men slide the door
open again, and 
walked up to Ranma.  Their chests puffed out as they presented their
ultimate attack.  
"How about breaking your promise to marry Akane!"  Ranma looked dumbfounded
at Mr. 
Tendo and his father.  His jaw slacked, as his mind revolted.  `How could
they use this to 
attack me!  It was her fault....'  He managed to mutter and stammer a few 
incomprehensible phrases.

      Genma looked at Soun with a wide grin.  "See, guilt is written all
over his face."  Soun 
shook Ranma, and adapted a tone of an overzealous preacher.  "Son, you can
repent!  You 
can repent!"  Ranma turned away from Soun, and stared out of the window, at
the fish 
swimming in the pond.  His mind was cloved into two separate parts.  On one
hand, he 
would give anything to be with Akane again.  On the other hand, his pride
refused to 
accept any wrong.  Resting his hands on the table, he looked up at the full
moon, and 
sighed.  Eventually the war within him ceased, with his pride emerging as a
victor.

      "I refuse..."  Both Soun and Genma could not believe what Ranma had
said.  Akane 
and Kasumi, who were eavesdropping, shook their heads in disbelief.  Akane
sat quietly, 
slowly clenching her hands trying to fight back the tears.

      "Such disgrace!"  Both Genma and Soun started to trample Ranma, who
shouted 
protests.  "Aw!  Pop cut it out....  Ouch!  Mr. Tendo!"  Minutes later Genma
and Soun 
gave up, and left, leaving Ranma on the floor.  `Damn you father!'  Ranma
thought as his 
wounded dignity and pride took over him.  `If that's the way you feel!  Then
perhaps, you 
really would enjoy it if I disappeared....'  Struggling up, Ranma grabbed
his old traveling 
backpack, and began to pack.