DiScLaImEr:  Rumiko Takahashi and a bunch of rich corporations own all 
the characters in this fic.  My use of them in no way is meant to
undermine those claims, and suing me would be a huge waste of time.
If, for some reason, you actually think this meager tribute to RT's
genius deserves to be further distributed, you may do so, so long as
you: a) reprint this disclaimer; b) give me credit (blame?) for the
story and; c) don't actually sell it (Yeah, like that's a concern!).
And now, on with the fic.

*****************
* Illuminations *
*****************

**************************
* A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction *
**************************

***************
* By Freemage *
***************

*Author's Note:  This story draws on both the anime and the manga.

 This is a dark story, with several sexually suggestive scenes,
 although no outright Lemon scenes.  If such material offends or
 disturbs you, please consider not reading this story--Unless, of
 course, you like being offended and/or disturbed....

  This chapter starts out nastier than most of the others.  The
 squeamish may wish to skip to the first scene break.

  Thoughts are denoted by {X}, text/Panda signs by [X].*

  As noted above, this is a revise.  The only major change is the
 addition of a much-needed "Akane reacts" scene.  Those not
 wishing to re-read the entire chapter can skip to just after the
 fight with Hinako.  Barring major gripes, this'll be the final form
 of this chapter.
  
                       *******************
                       * Chapter Sixteen *
                       * Echoes          *
                       *******************

    Ranma looked around in confusion.  {Where the Hell am I?}  A
 wry grin crossed his face.  {Kuso.  Now I'm starting to sound
 like Bacon-breath.}

    Trying to get his bearings, the young martial artist walked
 around through halls and rooms that seemed naggingly familiar,
 yet utterly strange at the same time.  The dim twilight didn't
 help matters any.

    {OK, now I _know_ I've been in this room before.}  He cast
 his gaze around the barren chamber, trying to figure out when he
 had last seen it.

    Suddenly struck by inspiration, he grabbed the door to the
 left of the one he had come in.  Opening it, he thought to
 himself, {If I'm right, this should be....}  He looked at the
 tiny closet, empty save for dust and cobwebs.  {Yeah!  I'm still
 at the Tendou's.  This is Akane's room.  But, where is everyone?
 Hell, where is everything?  I ain't seen nothing around here
 since....}

    Gripped by a horrific dread, he started dashing through the
 house, calling Akane's name.  There was no answer, save the echo
 of his own panicked cries.  He took the steps to the first floor
 in a single leap, and ransacked the lower level, kicking in
 doors, only to find more abandoned rooms behind them.  Just as
 he was about to give up, he heard a faint humming coming from
 outside, in the back.

    As he burst into the yard, he pulled up short.  Akane was
 there, sitting on the largest of the boulders.  She was dressed
 in a filmy white cloth, so translucent that it did more to
 highlight and accentuate the curves underneath than to conceal.

    Even in his state of anger and confusion, Ranma felt himself
 responding to her beauty.  It was then that he noticed that he,
 himself, was totally naked.  He felt no embarrassment, merely a
 heightened arousal.

    Blood pounding in his ears, he watched, like a man blind from
 birth given a miraculous vision of the sun, as she slid off the
 rock and gracefully approached him.  Her voice, low and husky,
 seeped in through his ears and wrapped around his soul.  "I've
 been waiting for you."

    "Oh, thank the kami, Akane.  I thought, I thought--"

    "You thought I had left you?" she finished.  In response to
 his mute nod, she merely smiled seductively.  "Not a chance.  We
 belong together.  I'll never leave you."

    "Yeah, but, what about the others?"

    "What about them?  I've already taken care of them, see?" she
 asked with a casual glance over her shoulder.

    Following her gaze, Ranma cast his vision around the moonlit
 yard.  A small part of his mind, unable to even face the greater
 horror before him, noted that the ground was dry and bare, and
 even the koi pond was empty of all save a few fish skeletons. 
 The rest of him, though, just stared in silent terror.

    Bodies littered the yard.  The first one he really focused on
 wasn't even a complete body, just a head mounted on the tip of a
 katana, hilt planted in the ash-gray soil.  His mother's katana,
 and his mother's head.

    Behind that lay a Panda, his entrails spilling out of a wide
 gash across his gut.  Flies buzzed fiercely about the remains,
 and the noise sounding to Ranma like a thousand demons reciting
 some obscene litany.

    Ryouga lay in a shallow pit, not far away, his body slowly
 cooking from the coals he rested on, an apple stuffed
 grotesquely into his mouth.

    Ukyou hung by her feet from a rope attached to her combat
 spatula, which was in turn set as a crossbar between the
 branches of a barren tree.  Her throat had been slit, covering
 her face with blood that pooled in the dirt below her.  Next to
 her dangled Mousse, his head and limbs contorted into impossible
 angles, swinging on his own chains like a hell-spawned
 marionette.

    Shampoo, skull caved in, draped over the rotting wood of the
 fence.  Beneath her, Cologne's body lay impaled on her own
 blood-soaked staff.

    Others were there, too.  Happousai, the Guide, the Kunous,
 even Akane's family.  All had died horribly.

    He yielded as she gently took him by the chin and turned his
 face away from the carnage.  "Akane, why?" he choked as he gazed
 into her loving eyes.

    "They were keeping us apart.  And I couldn't let them do that
 to us.  Isn't this what you've wanted, all along?  For us to be
 alone together?"  Her eyes glistened with tears, though whether
 with fear or joy, he could not say.

    "Yes, but, but not this way--"  She cut him off by placing
 two fingers on his lips.   Absently, he noted from the copper
 taste that her fingertips were coated with blood.

    "Shh.  Does it really matter, now?  It's done, and they can't
 ever get in our way again."  Her voice sank into him, filling
 his spirit with calm, quenching his fear and his doubt.  As she
 pressed her body against his, he felt his heart pounding against
 his chest.

    Akane whispered faintly, even as her gown slipped from her
 shoulders, "You're mine, Ranma.  You'll always be mine."

   ***********************************************************  

    Akane sat bolt upright in bed, sweating and breathing in
 rapid, shallow gasps.  As the full force of the nightmare came
 crashing down on her, she bolted through her door, down the hall
 and into the bathroom before getting violently ill.

    As the taste of bile and the smell of her own sweat clogged
 her senses, she thought miserably, {Is...is that what I really
 want?  Ranma, at any cost?}

   ***********************************************************

    Ranma-chan, Akane and Ryouga walked together, none of them
 saying a thing on the way to the hospital before school.

    Akane was too shaken by her nightmare to be talkative.

    Ranma-chan was trying to figure out why Akane was so quiet,
 but wanted to wait to ask her about it until they had dropped
 off Ryouga to visit Nabiki.

    Ryouga was just too exhausted to talk, having spent the night
 praying before Ukyou's shrine.

    They reached the hospital, and got their passes from the
 registration desk before going up to see Nabiki.

    Nabiki gave them a wry grin as they entered.  "And to what do
 I owe this pleasure?"

    Akane replied, "Well, Ranma wanted to change back into a guy,
 which he can't do at the house while his mom's visiting, and
 Ryouga said he thought he could visit with you while we were in
 school today."

    Nabiki cocked an eyebrow at Ryouga.  "Well, that's sweet of
 you, Ryouga.  Or was it just that you didn't feel like watching
 my father and a Panda cheat at shogi all day?"

    Ryouga blushed while giving a small grin.  "That might have
 had something to do with it."

    As Ranma, still damp, emerged from the bathroom, Akane said,
 "Now be nice, Nabiki.  Even if he didn't feel like sitting
 around the house all day, he didn't have to visit you, you
 know."

    Nabiki replied, "That's true. That's very true," while Ryouga
 flushed under the heavy scrutiny she was giving him.

    Akane turned to Ranma.  "Are you ready, now?"

    "Yep.  Let's go.  We'll see you later when we pick him up,
 okay, Nabiki?  Try not to let him get los--"  A quick, but mild,
 swat from Akane cut him short.

    "We'll be back right after school, Nabiki.  Bye, Ryouga!"

    Ryouga flushed even deeper at Akane's friendly grin. 
 "Uhmm... Bye, Akane.  See you later."

    After the other two had left, Nabiki looked back at Ryouga. 
 "So, why did you want to see me?"

    "Well... It's not that, exactly... It's just that, well, I
 kinda enjoyed yesterday, having someone to talk to, I mean."

    "Oh?"  Nabiki's tone managed to convey some of the surprise
 she felt at his answer.

    "Yeah, well, it's like this, you see... Growing up like I
 did, just following Ranma and Genma's trail, I never really had
 much of a chance to talk to anyone.  So it was kind of nice just
 sitting around with somebody, spending time with them."

    "Well, you spend a lot of time with Akane, don't you?"

    He gave a grin that showed more frustration than amusement. 
 "Sure.  I've got two modes of conversation with her:  flushed
 stammering and 'BWEEEE!  Buu-kee!'.  Real great conversations,
 you know?"  Ryouga blushed as he felt Nabiki's thoughtful gaze
 on him again.

    "You know, Ryouga-baby, you're just a little more self-aware
 than I was giving you credit for," she said with a sigh.  "It's
 too bad," she continued, "that you didn't wander into Kasumi's
 room instead of Akane's that first night.  She probably would
 have treated you the same way, if not better, and the two of you
 would probably be engaged, already."  Something flickered
 through her mind as she said that, but the thought was fleeting
 and ephemeral, and passed too quickly to be examined.

    "Oh, yeah?" Ryouga responded, a more open grin on his face. 
 "And what would have happened if I had wandered into _your_ room
 that night, Nabiki?"

    "Hmmm.... That would have depended on how much pork bellies
 were going for that day, Ryouga-chan."

    Ryouga made a series of choking noises as he tried to figure
 out how serious she was.

   ***********************************************************

    "C'mon, Ranma, we've gotta hurry if we're gonna get to school
 on time!" Akane shouted as she sprinted down the street.

    "Right behind y--" Ranma started to respond, before
 screeching to a halt, saying, "Wait up a sec, Akane."

    Her face a blend of frustration and confusion, Akane turned
 around.  "Now what?" she asked, before she realized Ranma was
 staring intently at the building they had just passed.  "What is
 it?"

    "There's something about this place...," he replied, "I'm
 getting some kind of weird feeling from it."

    Akane groaned.  "Ranma, we don't have time for this right
 now.  Hinako-sensei said if we weren't there on time today, she
 was going to 'set us straight once and for all'."

    With a distracted air, Ranma turned to Akane and said, "Okay,
 you win.  But would it be alright if I check this place out
 after school?"

    <Sheesh.  He reminds me of the last time I baby-sat, the way
 Kimiko kept trying to negotiate for a later bedtime,> she
 thought as a grin crept across her face.  "Sure, Ranma," she
 said out loud, "You can check out the creepy abandoned building
 after you get out of school today."

    "Great, thanks, Akane, I...."  Ranma's voice trailed off as
 he realized he'd just been patronized.  "Hey!"

    "NYAAAHHH!!!" Akane shouted, making a face and running as
 fast as she could towards the school.

    "Kawaiikune!" he shouted as he dashed off after her.

   ***********************************************************

    "Well, Ranma, what do you have to say for yourself?  And you,
 too, Akane!  Coming in late after all my warnings!"  Miss Hinako
 was clearly upset, and as she was in her "little girl" form, it
 was taking everything Ranma had to not laugh at the show she was
 putting on.

    "I'm sorry, Hinako-sensei," Ranma replied with a bow.  "It
 was my fault, not Akane's."

    Akane brought her head up in surprise.  Miss Hinako grew
 quiet for a moment, then looked Akane in the eyes.  "Very well,
 Miss Tendou, you may be seated.  Mr. Saotome, we will discuss
 this in the gymnasium.  Follow me.  The rest of you students,
 stay seated until I return."

    With a heavy sigh, Ranma trudged out of the room in the
 little girl's wake.  Akane, still a little stunned at Ranma's
 actions, sat down quietly, trying to ignore the murmuring voices
 around her.

    Finally, Sayuri leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder. 
 "Hey, Akane, you aren't going to just sit there, are you?  I
 mean, are you really going to let those two go at it without
 even trying to peek?"

    Akane just shook her head.  "Forget it, Sayuri.  The last
 thing I need right now is to get in _more_ trouble with
 Hinako-sensei.  Ranma's a big boy, he can handle himself."

    Hiroshi's voice came in clear response from across the room,
 "Yeah, and he can 'handle' Hinako-sensei pretty good, too." 
 Rude laughter rose from the guys surrounding him.

    Eyes flashing dangerously, Akane walked over to him, her
 stride a more casual than a perceptive observer would have
 expected.  "Why, whatever do you mean, Hiroshi?"

    "Oh, well, just that it seems kinda strange that the best
 martial artist in Nerima, if not Japan, can never seem to hit
 those pressure points before she transforms, you know?  Not that
 I blame him, mind you.  After all, he is a guy...."  Hiroshi's
 voice trailed off as he finally noticed the aura that had been
 building up around Akane.

    "Excuse me," she said frostily, "I have to go take care of
 some... business."  She turned and walked out of the room.

    Sayuri waited until her footsteps were out of hearing,
 figuring it would be safe too speak.  "Way to go, Hiroshi.  I
 just hope Ranma manages to think from somewhere _above_ the
 waistline.  And you'd better hope he doesn't find out you've
 been putting ideas into Akane's head."

    Hiroshi swallowed audibly and nervously.  "Hey, you were the
 one that suggested she go!"

    "Yes, but I didn't say anything about Ranma trying to grope
 Hinako-sensei.  And as for you not 'blaming' him...," she paused
 while raising her English book, "You pervert!!!"  With a loud
 *thud* that caused everyone in the class to wince, she brought
 down the heavy text across the back of his head, sending him
 into the land of Nod.

   ***********************************************************

     Akane paused as she reached the door to the gym.  She could
 hear the two nemeses exchanging their regular banter.  Even
 though she couldn't make out the actual words, long, hard
 experience had taught her enough that she could guess the
 content.

     An opening statement of intent from Hinako.  A plea for
 setting the whole thing aside from Ranma.  Hinako laughing, then
 calling out a battle-cry... probably her chi-drain.  Ranma
 shouting a boastful rejoinder while dodging and trying to get
 close enough to strike.

     Akane peeked in.  Sure enough, Ranma was leaping over the
 shimmer in the air that was the only trail Hinako's attack made
 before it actually struck.  Of course, she knew that Ranma could
 actually perceive the vortex, just as she and the other
 top-flight martial artists of Nerima could.

     Then it happened.  Ranma came down in front of her, allowing
 a small portion of his body, and, more significantly, his
 battle-aura, to fall within the range of her attack.

     And "allowing" was the operative word.  Akane knew Ranma's
 moves almost as well as her own.  Although she never even
 thought the words consciously, let alone spoke them, she knew
 that Ranma was the most graceful person she had ever laid eyes
 on, and she had made a discreet habit of watching that grace in
 action.

     So she knew him well enough to know a deliberate opening
 when she saw it.  As Hinako's form filled her dress out to
 button-popping proportions, Hiroshi's words echoed through her
 head, mocking the rage and shame that washed over her as she
 watched Ranma's hand close around Hinako's heaving breast.

     Acting on an instinct so primal she would have been unable
 to even give it a name, she stormed in, wielding her faithful
 hammer.  Just as Furinkan's most feared disciplinarian shrank
 back to her diminutive state, Akane called out, "Ranma no
 hentai!!" as she brought the mallet down upon his head.

     As Ranma tried to sputter out an explanation, Akane turned
 to her teacher.  "Hinako-sensei, I will not be able to remain at
 school today.  I'm afraid I'm not feeling well."

     Chibi-Hinako pouted, but nodded.  "Of course, Miss Tendou. 
 Go home and rest."

     Ranma stood up.  "I'll walk you home, Akane."

     "No thank you."  Akane's words carried an icy tone that
 surprised Ranma with its intensity.  "I'm just going to go
 straight home, so you'll need to pick up Ryouga later, anyway."

     "But, but...."

     "Forget it, Ranma, you're staying.  You missed more school
 than I did while Nabiki's been injured."

     Akane turned and strode out of the room, while Ranma just
 helplessly watched her go.

   ***********************************************************

     As she walked up to the gate, Akane shook her head in
 frustration.  {I can't deal with much more of this.  I was
 hoping Ranma would focus on getting us out of this damn wedding
 his mom's planning, but no... He's gotta go grope Hinako--again!
 I can't believe _Hiroshi_, of all people, was right, but I saw
 it with my own eyes.  Ranma should have dodged her ki-drain
 easily, but he just let her have enough to start growing.  Damn
 hentai!}

     Wearily, she pushed the gate open and trudged into the
 house, only vaguely noting that "Mr. Panda"'s status had
 apparently been upgraded and he was now wearing a collar
 attached with a thick chain to the biggest tree in the yard.

     {Oh, yeah, just one more thing to be happy about.}

     Entering the house, she set aside her shoes and book-bag and
 went upstairs, ignoring Kasumi's questioning look.  When she got
 to her room, she just collapsed in a heap on her bed.  She
 looked around the room without actually focusing on anything,
 trying to force down with sheer willpower the tears that
 threatened to overwhelm her at any moment.

     {I won't cry.  I won't!  That damn baka!  Doesn't he even
 know how it looks?  Doesn't he care!?  How can he expect me to
 face the class--all those knowing smirks, the whispers, the
 "sympathetic ears" from girls that just want to get the juicy
 details for the grapevine?   I hate him!  I hate him!  Just
 once, can't he think about my feelings?  Is that so damned
 hard?!}

     Uttering a low growl, she jumped off the bed and stormed
 over to her closet.  She quickly changed into her Gi, and went
 out to the dojo.  After a perfunctory bow to Ukyou's shrine, she
 started hauling out the practice dummies.  

     Within moments, nearly half of the backyard was filled with
 various targets, all of which had a black pigtail attached.

     The sole witness to the scene of carnage and mayhem that
 followed, Genma-Panda simply shook his head sadly.

   ***********************************************************

     "C'mon, Pork-butt, we've gotta get going," Ranma called as
 he stuck his head in Nabiki's room.

     "Hey!!  Ranma, if you're looking for a fight..."  Ryouga let
 his words trail off threateningly.

     As the two boys looked daggers at one another, Nabiki
 cleared her throat.  "Ahem.  First of all, neither of you can
 afford to repay the hospital if you wreck the place, which you
 will do if you follow your current course of action.  Secondly,
 you both ought to be trying to figure out a way to break the
 news to Akane, rather than bashing each other around the
 neighborhood.  Finally, I'm due to be released tomorrow, and I
 am looking forward to it greatly.  If my stay in this infernal
 building is prolonged any further because of an injury suffered
 as result of proximity to one of your classic brawls, I will
 _personally_ ensure that what you two go through will make
 Akane's reaction look like a day at the beach by comparison. 
 Any questions?"

     Looking a bit sheepish, the two just shook their heads and
 walked out, Ryouga shooting her a quick wave and a grin just
 before they passed out of sight.

     "They are just _too_ easy," Nabiki said aloud to the empty
 room.

   ***********************************************************

     "So, what was that you called me, again, Ranma?" Ryouga
 asked menacingly as they ran in the direction of the dojo.

     "Ahhh, forget about it, Ryouga.  You heard Nabiki.  We need
 to get working on this mess.  She's coming home tomorrow, you
 realize."

     "Oh, man.  I hadn't realized it was that soon."

     "Figures.  Why should someone unable to keep track of the
 first three dimensions have any better luck with the fourth?"

     "Hey!  I thought we were gonna drop the insults!"

     "Yeah, well, you shouldn't make it so...."  Ranma's words
 ground to a halt as he did the same before an abandoned-looking
 building.  "Oh, yeah, I had almost forgot...."

     Ryouga looked back and forth between the building and Ranma
 several times before responding.  "So what's with the sudden
 interest, Ranma?"

     "I dunno.  Something about this place really gives me the
 creeps."

     Ryouga studied the building intently.  "Now that you mention
 it, I feel something, too.  It's almost like... deja vu...."

     "C'mon, let's check it out!" Ranma shouted exuberantly, as
 he leapt over the wall.

     "Why not?" Ryouga replied as he followed suit.

     Ranma peered through the dust-covered window.  "Man, it's
 dark in there."  Expecting to be disappointed, he tried sliding
 the window open.  Much to his surprise, it actually rose.

     Ryouga looked around, scanning for any sign of passersby. 
 "Hurry up!  Either get in or let's get out of here.  I don't
 feel like spending the night in a jail cell."

     <How about a petting zoo?> Ranma struggled not to reply.

     After they had climbed in, they peered around in the
 shadows.  "I'll go this way," Ranma directed, "and you go that
 way.  Shout if you find something."

     "Right."

     Cautiously, Ryouga made his way through the shadows of the
 building's interior, occasionally stopping to look around. 
 Satisfied that the first room was empty, he passed through a
 doorway.

     And came face to face with Death.

     "AAAHHHHHH!!!"  Backpedaling furiously, the bandanna-clad
 boy shattered the glass sliding doors and snapped off a low
 branch from a tree before being brought to a halt when he
 impacted the outer wall.

     Ranma came dashing out through the ruined door.  "Ryouga! 
 What's wrong?  What'd you find?"

     Pulling himself together somewhat, Ryouga stammered out,
 "It w-was horrible.  Some kind of leering, skull-faced ghoul."

     Suppressing a shudder, Ranma said, quietly, "C'mon, Ryouga,
 we gotta find out what's really in there."

     Nodding in acquiescence, Ryouga walked side-by-side with
 Ranma to the shattered panes of glass.

     The shattered door allowed in a lot more light, permitting
 them greater visibility than before.  Dust motes, stirred up by
 Ryouga's passage, danced in the sunbeam streaming through the
 broken glass.  Ranma noted absently that the doors themselves
 had been soaped over.

     They worked their way cautiously to the open doorway where
 Ryouga had encountered the apparition.  They took up positions
 on either side of the doorway.  Ryouga indicated silently that
 he would go through first, and that Ranma should follow.  After
 receiving an affirmative nod from the pigtailed boy, Ryouga
 leapt through the door.

     Even as Ranma followed him through, he was aware of the
 unmistakable sound of a large body or bodies crashing to the
 floor.  Looking around from his new position, he saw Ryouga
 thrashing around on the ground, grappling with... a skeleton?

     Ranma's laughter suddenly echoed through the place, making
 Ryouga aware of the fact that his "opponent" wasn't fighting
 back.  He stopped fighting as confusion settled across his rough
 features.

     Ranma went over, pulled the skeleton off of the Lost Boy and  hung 
it back on the rack it had apparently hung on before its
 encounter with Ryouga.

     Ryouga flushed with embarrassment as he looked sheepishly at
 Ranma.  "I feel silly," he admitted.

     Ranma decided to take pity on his friend and rival.  "Ahh,
 don't worry about it.  I'm sure it was a lot more unsettling in
 the dark."  He paused, looking around the new room, and
 continued, "This must've been a doctor's office.  See the
 curtain slits in the ceiling?"

     Ryouga nodded in agreement, and then said, "We should get
 going, before somebody calls the cops.  I think we might've made
 a little too much noise."

     The heir to the School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts smirked
 in reply.  "We?" he asked with an archness that would have made
 Nabiki proud.

     "All right, all right, _I_ made too much noise.  Happy now?"

     "I guess you're right.  Let's get going."

     As they jumped on top of the wall, Ranma turned around and
 waved at the darkened building.  "So long, Betty."

     Ryouga looked at him in confusion.  "Who?"

     "Your dancing partner.  Somebody wrote her name on the back
 of the skull.  Weird, huh?"

     "Yeah... Hey, waitaminute!  What did you mean, my 'dancing
 partner'?" Ryouga furiously asked the space where Ranma had been
 standing.

     At that moment, Ranma shouted out the classic taunt,
 "Biiihh!!" from his new position further down the wall, as he
 made a face at Ryouga, who gamely pursued his tormentor back to
 the Tendou Dojo.

    Three epic battles later, as well as one deliberate jump in
 the river by Ranma, now Ranma-chan, neither remembered what the
 fight had been about, in the first place.

   ***********************************************************

                         End Chapter 16

Author Rambling:

Many thanks to those who gave suggestions on how to improve this 
chapter.  The general consensus was that it needed an extra "Akane 
reacts" scene, so I went with that.  Did it work?

As always, C&C, MSTs, even some flames fervently requested, either to 
the list or directly to me.  (Okay, you can send it to Hoboken, but it 
won't do a whole lotta good, there.)

--Freemage  


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com