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.

Hmmm, yep, I'm ALMOST done with this.  For all those people complaining that
the parts were too big, well, here you go.  This is deffinitely the shortest
part by far.  Okay, the finish line is in sight!  Oh, one more time, e-mail
all comments and critiques to chihokodan@aol.com or schi@uci.edu.
Jya Ne
Shiaw Chi "Hokodan"