Okay... here's 'Wayward Son'... so any of you who play the Drinking Game, CHUG!  
Anyways... I'd like some C&C from you... thanx!

Ranma 1/2: Wayward Son
By ShadowJack

	Ryoga walked through the streets of Nerima.  <This time, Ranma, I�ll beat 
you... I�ll kill you for what you have done to me... for the hell you�ve put me 
through...> Anger and depression blanketed him with a passion and a fire that 
would not be quenched, even by the rain that even now covered the streets of 
Nerima with mud.  Ryoga held his umbrella above him, the rain making 
pitter-patter sounds as it hit the ground around him.
	By the time he reached the Tendo residence, the rain had ceased to come down.  
He walked out into the back and saw Ranma-chan sitting on the rock next to the 
pond, staring into its depths.  Rage filled Ryoga, and he launched a flurry of 
bandannas at Ranma.  She must have noticed something, for she leapt aside in 
time to avoid most of the bandannas.  A few she couldn�t quite dodge slashed her 
clothing. "Ryoga! What are you doing here this time of night?" Ranma stood, 
confusedly staring at Ryoga.
	"I�m here to kill you, Ranma... for all you�ve put me through... Now DIE!" With 
that, Ryoga leapt to the attack.  He hurled his umbrella at Ranma, and, as she 
dodged to the side, kicked her in the side.  Ranma fell to the ground, gasping 
for breath.
	"Come on, Ryoga... Isn�t it a little late for this?" 
	Ryoga didn�t waste any time responding, attacking with a grunt and a flurry of 
bandannas.  Ranma leapt above them, using a tree as a springboard, and kicked 
Ryoga in the face.  Ryoga stumbled back, then grabbed Ranma�s leg as she was 
coming down and slammed her into the ground.  He picked her up by her pigtail 
and swung her around, repeatedly.  Ranma screamed as Ryoga let go and she flew 
into the wall.  Ryoga stepped toward Ranma, chi burning on his hands as he 
prepared his next attack. Ranma just lay there, unmoving.
	"Shishi Hokodan!" 
	The chi-blast threw Ranma through the wall.  Ranma bounced, once, against the 
ground as she fell, then began to stand.  Ryoga just laughed, a short, cruel 
bark that chilled Ranma to the bone.
*     *     *
	The laugh was what awoke Akane.  It was harsh and brutal, sending shivers up 
and down her spine. She rushed down the stairs and out into the back yard to see 
Ranma struggling to stand, her face covered with blood, and Ryoga just watching, 
preparing another chi-blast.  His face was twisted and distorted, looking like a 
cruel mockery of himself in the light of his chi. Akane rushed over to him and 
grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away from Ranma.
	"Ryoga! Stop!" Akane kept pulling on his arm, trying to slow his advance.
	Ryoga didn�t know who was pulling on his arm.  He only knew that they were an 
insect, trying to stop his revenge. For that, they deserved to die. He swung his 
hand out and unleashed a blast of chi at the person hanging on his arm.  As the 
weight left his side, he turned to his victim.  "Oh, no. Akane... What have I 
done?" Ryoga stood in shock, staring at her broken form, her chest just barely 
rising and falling. He screamed and ran, uncaring of where he was going, just 
knowing he needed to get away.
*     *     *
	Kasumi was awakened by a thud at her door.  She got out of her bed and opened 
the door, to see a battered and bloody Ranma-chan lying on the floor, struggling 
to rise.  "Oh, my! Ranma, What happened?"
	"A... A.... Akane..."
	"Did Akane do this to you?"
	"N... no... Akane..." Ranma pointed her arm in the general direction of the 
back yard.  "Akane.... help..."
	Kasumi nodded, then helped Ranma to rise and ran out to the back.  What she saw 
there put her into shock for a moment before her instincts took over. "Ranma, go 
get our fathers... I�ll call an ambulance." Ranma nodded and stumbled back into 
the house.
*     *     *
	Ryoga ran through the streets, tears running down his face. <Oh, gods... what 
have I done now... I hurt Akane...> He could hear music playing from 
somewhere... a voice singing... saying:

	"Masquerading as a man with a reason,
	My charade is the event of the season,
	And if I claim to be a wise man,
	It surely means that I don�t know.

	On the stormy seas of blooming emotion,
	Tossed about, I�m like a ship on the ocean,
	I set my course for the winds of fortune,
	I can hear the voices say,

	Carry on, our wayward son,
	There�ll be peace when you are done,
	Lay your weary head to rest,
	Don�t you cry no more."

	He stumbled and fell to his knees, his tears hitting the ground with agonizing 
slowness.  He felt arms wrap around him, holding him. Someone whispered quiet 
words to him, telling him it would be all right, that it was okay. He looked up.  
"A... Akari?"
	"Yes, Ryoga... I�m here..."
	Ryoga collapsed in her arms, the tears no longer held back, rushing in twin 
rivers down his face.
*     *     *
	Ranma paced in the waiting room, eyes clouded with tears.  He was muttering to 
himself about something.  "Dammit! Why didn�t I *do* something instead of just 
sitting there and letting her get blasted?" Ranma stood stiff and straight as a 
ramrod, his hands clenched into fists at his side.  "There was nothing you could 
do, Ranma-kun. I saw you when you came to tell me...  You couldn�t even stand on 
your own. There was nothing you could do..." Kasumi�s voice was backed up by a 
hand on Ranma�s shoulder. "But I should have been able to do something! What 
good is all my skill if I couldn�t even save Akane...?" Ranma fell to his knees, 
tears flowing silently. 
	"Ranma." He looked up at Nabiki as she spoke his name. "What good is all your 
worrying and whining and self-pity going to do Akane right now? Huh? Don�t have 
an answer? That�s because the answer is *NONE*.  It will do nothing to help her! 
So stop whining and bawling about what you *should* have done and start thinking 
about what you *can* do now."
	Just then the doctor stepped in, a carefully crafted look of neutrality on his 
face.
*     *     *
The sun was breaking over the horizon as Ryoga stepped out of Akari�s house.  
There was something coming closer...  It was Ranma.  Ranma leapt and kicked 
Ryoga in the chest.  "Ryoga, for what you did to Akane, I will KILL you! Now get 
out here and fight! Stop hiding behind Akari�s skirts and fight like a man!" 
Ryoga rushed at him with a cry of rage.  They fought like this for several 
minutes, hurling each other into trees and walls and buildings, before a voice 
interrupted them.
	"Stop this! It�s foolish! Stop acting like little boys and grow up!" They both 
stopped and turned to look at Akari. "Don�t you think there�s been enough pain 
for one day?"
	Ranma stood and nodded, a sheepish expression on his face.  Ryoga did the same.  
"Now, Ranma, what about Akane? How is she?"
	"She�s still in critical condition... She�s not expected to live through the 
day... But if she does... she should be all right..." Ranma turned to face 
Ryoga. "Ryoga, let�s end this... all the hatred and rivalry... you see where it 
has gotten us... If we can�t be friends... then let�s at least call a truce... 
This has gotten us nowhere..."
	"A... all right, Ranma... a truce, then..." Ryoga glared at Ranma.
	"And Ryoga... I won�t stand between you and Akane anymore... but you have to do 
one thing..."
	"What?"
	"Tell her... tell her about P-chan..." Ranma looked up at Ryoga again. " She 
deserves to know..."
*     *     *

End for now....

Please, let me know what you think... I just got this idea while listening to 
�Carry on Wayward Son� by Kansas... BTW, the lyrics belong to them and are used 
without permission, as are all the Ranma 1/2 Characters.
You can reach me at jarald@hotmail.com.
Cya!

This message has been brought to you from....

��h�d�wJ��k�

"There's only one way to hurt a man who's lost everything:
Give him back something broken." Stephen R. Donaldson, 
The Wounded Land

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