Ranma 1/2
(shortfic)
The Last Snowfall
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Ryoga Hibiki was lost.

Again.

That was nothing new and he was quite comfortable with it. He 
looked around, trying to work out where he was. He could see 
trees all around him. He was lost in the dense forests of Japan, 
he realized. He'd been walking for days with no idea of where he 
was or how he'd gotten there. In the distance, he could see the 
lights of a small house. It wasn't too far.But it was late and 
he suspected the people in that home would think it 
inconsiderate of him to knock so late. Instead, he resolved he 
would check with them in the morning. He retrieved his sleeping 
back from his backpack and curled up in it.

During the night, the temperature dropped considerably, but 
Ryoga slept and did not know this. Nor was he aware of the 
blizzard which hit so suddenly and so devestatingly, covering 
the ground in a thick blanket of snow which was easily knee-deep 
to a standing man.

Ryoga opened his eyes and found he was already standing. He 
suspected he must have been sleepwalking. He tried to find his 
backpack, but there was no sign of it, or his encampment. He 
frowned at the snow, as if it held some terrible secret he 
didn't want to know, then ran that place as fast as he could. 
His footfalls felt strange to him, but he suspected he'd gone 
numb from the cold. A nice fire and a hot meal would do him 
good.

Then he saw his old rival. Perhaps, he thought to himself, the 
heat of battle would revive him a bit.

"RANMA SAOTOME! PREPARE TO DIE!" he cried out, rushing at the 
youth in question.

Ranma didn't even acknowledge him.

Ryoga stopped just short of contact and blinked. He waved a hand 
in front of Ranma's face, but Ranma didn't even flinch.

He yelled in Ranma's ear, but it also did no good.

"STOP IGNORING ME!" He screamed at Ranma.

But he was soon to find, that something else was going on.

Ranma walked into Ucchan's and saw her standing there with tears 
in her eyes.


"Ryoga," she sobbed. "Oh Ryoga. Ryoga!"

"I'm here." Ryoga replied. "What did Ranma do to you?"

"Ryoga, my poor poor Ryoga... Oh, Kami-sama, how could you do 
this to me?"

Ranma noticed the policeman standing there for the first time. 
"Ucchan?" he asked, gently.

"They found Ryoga's body in a snow drift." Ucchan wept softly. 
"He froze to death during the night."

Ryoga blinked. "Its not true." he protested. "I'm right here. 
I'm here, Ucchan. Don't you listen to them. Don't..."  but as he 
slammed his hand down on the table, final proof of his demise 
came as his ghostly hand passed through the table without any 
solid contact.

"I am dead." he wept. "There was so much I wanted to say, so 
much I wanted to do."

"Look at the bright side," a gentle voice, neither male nor 
female and yet both said, in a kindly tone.

"What bright side?" Ryoga asked as the scene around him changed 
and he found himself in a place too beautiful and too wondrous 
to describe.

The voice spoke again, its tone welcoming and compassionate. 

"At least you're not lost anymore."