FIrst off, I'd like to thank eveyrone who responded to my first
attempt at this. Secondly, I'd like to thank Allyn Yonge for the idea for
this draft and Gary Kleppe for getting me off my dead ass and starting this.

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        The streets of Nerima were empty, the windows of the houses and
stores dark as the night outside. Streetlamps provided their pale
flourescent glow, complimenting thelight from the  harvest moon in the sky.
The air carried with it a noticeable chill, promising winter soon.
        Ranma stared up at the black sky, hating the feeling of helplessness
that stole over him whenever he thought of Akane's plight. Every time Akane
had been threatened, he'd be the one to save her. He had defeated dragons,
princes, and demons to protect her. He had faced impossible odds, and had
come through for her.
        This, however, was an entirely different enemy. It was an enemy that
fullly intended to kill her, but from the inside. An enemy that Ranma's
fists couldn't stop.
        Ranma had no idea what to do. The doctors said that Akane didn't
have very much time, that the best thing to do was to ensure that her last
days were as comfortable as possible.
        No matter how he tried, though, he felt like it was a cop-out. There
had to be some way, some cure that he was missing. In desperation, he had
gone to Cologne in the hopes that the wizened matriarch would know what to
do. She only shook her head sadly and repeated what the doctors told him.
Ranma walked through the empty Nerima streets with the moon full and high in
the dark sky, no closer to an answer than he was before.
        It had started two months ago. Akane began having severe headaches,
forcing her to remain in her room with the lights off and a cool cloth on
her forehead. At first they thought it was just stress, with final exams
weighing heavily on the students of Furinkan. Once the finals were over, the
headaches only got worse.
        Soon after, she began losing weight at an alarming rate. Her
appetite was all but gone, and she slept most of the day, when the headaches
let up. It took days of urging to get the stubborn girl to at least see
Doctor Tofu. He referred her to someone named Izawa at Tokyo General,
calling him an Oncologist. Ranma thought it was some weird insult, until
Kasumi explained that it was the title of a doctor who treated cancer.
After a day of constant tests, they were all sent home to await the results.
Three days later, they were all called back to hear the diagnosis.
        Akane had been diagnosed with a malignant glioblastoma on her
cerebral cortex. At first, Ranma had no clue what Izawa was talking about.
Izawa sorrowfully explained that a cancerous tumor was growing on Akane's
brain, and that no method of treatment or surgery could get rid of it. Never
in his whole life had he heard anyone apologize so many times in the space
of twenty minutes.
        Ranma stopped outside an old Shinto shrine and stared up at the
well-lit interior. The soft glow from the lanterns bathed the stone steps in
a warm light, the surfaces of the steps worn smooth by years upon years of
use. For a second, he was tempted to go in, but decided against it. After
all, it wouldn't help him any. Turning around, Ranma began to walk away.
        "Are you lost, son?" The voice startled Ranma, bringing him back
around in an instant. In the center of the top step stood an old man in a
traditional kimono. His skin was lined and weathered, the light from the
lanterns reflecting off his clean shaven head. His features were slightly
angular, with almost hypnotic eyes peering out from a serious face. Ranma
could have sworn the spot was empty a second ago.
        "Nah... Just lookin'," Ranma replied.
        "You seem troubled," the priest said. "Would you like to some in?"
        Ranma's refusal died on his lips as he looked at the old priest's
eyes. All of a sudden, he realized that he was very thirsty. A cup of Oolong
Tea would really hit the spot. Ranma walked up the smooth stone steps and
followed the old man into the shrine.

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        The inside of the shrine was as most Shinto shrines, simple yet
elegant. Kneeling at the low table in an anteroom to the main chamber, Ranma
sipped tea across from the old priest. Ordinarily, Ranma would probably
never have set foot in there, but there was just something about this
particular man. Ranma couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he could be
rather persuasive.
        "Now, tell me what could be troubling a young man such as yourself,"
the priest said as he took a sip of tea. Ranma related the story of how
Akane was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, the frustration building as
he spoke.
        "This Akane, she is important to you, yes?"
        "Yeah," Ranma said. He couldn't bring himself to admit to anyone
else that he loved her, he could hardly say it to himself. The old man
nodded sagely, his eyes twinkling.
        "They are right," the priest began, "you should make her as
comfortable as possible." Ranma's face fell slightly at being told once
again that there was nothing he could do to help her. Angrily, Ranma rose to
leave when the priest spoke again. "Of course, there may be another way."
        "What?" Ranma whispered, staring at the priest's weathered face. His
heart was stuck in his throat, hope rushing throughout him. Could there be a
way after all? 
        "Have you ever heard of the Ebon Vein?"
        "No," Ranma answered.
        "A substance flows through it called Crimson Dawn. This wonderous
fluid can reverse the ailment your Akane suffers from..."
        "Where is it?!" Ranma shouted, grabbing the wizened man by the front
of his kimono and lifting him off the ground. The priest merely smiled at
Ranma's reaction.
        "Of course I'll tell you young man," he replied, "but first, there
is something you must do." Ranma released him, an angry scowl twisting his
features. "I am in need of a strong, able fighter such as yourself."
        "Why?" Ranma asked.
        "All in good time, my boy," he answered. "I will give you the
Crimson Dawn, and in return I will retain your services indefinitely."
Warning bells went off in Ranma's head at the catch.
        "What services are you talkin' about?" Ranma asked.
        "Never mind that, now," he replied. "You will learn soon enough."
        "An' you're sayin' that Akane'll live?"
        "Akane Tendo will be spared the disease which is killing her," the
priest replied. Ranma's face clouded with doubt. It sounded almost too good
to be true. Was it possible that this Crimson Dawn stuff could cure Akane?
Could the old priest be telling the truth? 
"Consider, young man," the priest said. "And quickly. Time is of the
essence." Finally, Ranma consented.
        "All right," he said.
        "Excellent," the priest said, extending his hand. Ranma clasped the
man's forearm, the priest returning the favor. "As I promised," he said,
producing a small emerald vial from the inside of his kimono. "Pour this
into her drink, and ensure that she drinks it immediately." Ranma reached
for the vial, which the priest snatched away with a speed that defied his
age. "Do not expect results immediately. It will take several days for the
tumor to be completely destroyed, and some time for her to regain her
strength and vitality."
        "I got it, already," Ranma growled, "now gimme the vial!" The priest
handed the vial to the young man, who charged out the door, a triumphant
yell bursting from his lips.
        The priest's face twisted into a lunatic grin, his eyes sparkling
with a menacing light. Reaching into his kimono, he produced a large green
emerald.
        The emerald was roughly the size of an adult human heart, and was
cool to the touch. The surface of the obscenely large gem was smooth, the
color flat and muted. However, that would soon change when the deal was
completed.
        Chuckling smugly, the priest replaced the emerald in his kimono.

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        "Hey, Akane," Ranma said as he stepped into her bedroom. A lamp
shone beside her bed, casting its light on her pale and gaunt face. She
turned her face to him, a small smile spreading across her lips.
        She nearly disappeared beneath the comforter that covered her to her
chin. Her eyes shone in the light of the small lamp, pain clear in their
brown depths. Ranma's heart nearly broke again at the sight of her.
        "How ya doin'?" he asked her. It was a stupid question, but small
talk was never his strong suit.
        "Okay, considering," she said, her voice weak. The skin on her face
seemed almost translucent. The once-beautiful girl he fell in love with
looked now to be little more than a skeleton with flesh. However, she still
fought to hold on, letting Ranma know that the girl he met the first day he
arrived was still there.
        "Can't sleep, huh?"
        "No," she answered. There were nights when the pain was too much to
allow her to sleep. Those nights were becoming more and more frequent
lately. "The medicines aren't helping as much as they used to."
        "I, uh, brought you some water," Ranma said, handing her the glass.
With another smile, she drank the clear liquid, not noticing Ranma's intent
stare. Surprisingly, she drained the whole glass, handing it back with a
pleased look on her face.
        "I haven't been that thirsty in a while," she said.
        "Want another?"
        "No, Ranma," Akane said, wincing as another spasm of pain hit her.
Ranma placed a hand on her shoulder, a concerned look on his face. Akane
gave him another small smile as the pain gradually subsided. "You know
what's funny?"
        "What?"
        "That it took something like this to get us to stop fighting," Akane
said. Ranma's face fell as she said it, realizing that he had wated so much
time. "I'm sorry, Ranma," she said when she saw his reaction.
        "No problem," he replied. "You want me to go?"
        "No," she replied. "Stay. Please." Ranma took a seat in the chair
beside her bed, and stayed all through the night.

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        Ranma started seeing results inside a week. Akane's appetite began
growing, her skin regaining it's color. Everyone considered it a minor fluke
but remained silent, not wanting to ruin Akane's brief respite from the
pain. Only Ranma knew what was happening, but remained silent himself. 
        At first, he was skeptical, thinking that maybe it was just a silly
pipe dream. But as the days went by, Akane's health steadily improved much
to everyone's surprise. As Akane's strength returned, Ranma began to wonder
just when the priest would come by to collect his fee, and what it would be.
Ranma tried not to think about it, instead preferring to spend all his
available time helping Akane recouperate.
        Finally, they visited Izawa again, who ran more tests. To the
surprise of everyone, the tumor had vanished completely. Izawa was
absolutely stumped, as were his colleagues. Spontaneous remission was
something only rumored to happen, and only rarely. To have a case right in
Tokyo General was almost a dream come true.
        However, none of the Tendos or Saotomes cared about any of that.
Akane was all right, and that was all that mattered.

=====================================================

        Okay, here's take two. The Ebon Vein and Crimson Dawn were lifted
from an X-Men comic, of which I only read the first installment. Wolverine,
Archangel, Dr. Strange, and some short guy named Gomurr search for it to
heal Psylocke, who was badly injured after a fight with Sabertooth.

        Now, here's the main question (aside from what you think, of
course), should Akane live or die? I had the priest phrase his promise as he
did to leave that option open, spare her from the cancer only to have her
die soon after by some other means.

        Anyways, I hope you enjoy this draft, and want to know what you think.

Jed