***

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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Ecartis --
-- File: authorthomasciteoc7.txt

Comfort in the Eye of Chaos
By Troy Thomas

Ranma 1/2 and its characters are the creations and properties 
of Rumiko Takahashi. Tenchi Muyo and its characters are the 
creations and properties of Masaki Kajishima. Excepting 
flames, if you have any comments or criticisms, feel free to 
send them my way.

***

I can be found at the following adresses:
URL: ca.geocities.com/therealsilentnova/fanfiction/index.html
E-mail: Silentnova@go.com

***

Chapter Seven

"How is he?" Tenchi asked, his voice edged with worry.

"He's fine." a nurse replied, soothingly. "He just woke up, 
in fact." Her voice was very jovial.

Ranma lay in bed, listening, watching the ceiling.

"Is it okay if I visit him?"

The door opened, and into the hospital room walked Tenchi.

"Hi, Ranma." Tenchi said. "I'm so happy you're okay."

"Tenchi?" Ranma asked, finding his voice dry and harsh. "I'm 
glad you're okay." He looked about, hoping to find a glass of 
water, but only found his mother sleeping on a nearby bed. 
"Mom?"

"She was awake almost all last night. I wonder if she just 
went to sleep?" Tenchi mentioned. He looked towards the open 
door, and then asked, "Could we get some water in here?"

A nurse replied, "Of course. It'll be a minute, Sir."

Tenchi looked at Ranma, smiling. "Sir? I'm younger than her!" 
He shrugged. He looked at his Auntie Nodoka, and then back at 
Ranma. "You want to know how long you've been out?"

"Sort of."

"The tournament was two days ago." Tenchi smiled.

"Two days?"

"Auntie's been here the whole time. Wouldn't let the doctors 
and nurses say otherwise." Tenchi sat down on Ranma's 
bedside. "It's really good to know you're awake. Nobody knew 
what was wrong, and we didn't know if you'd wake up."

'Two days?' Ranma thought.

"Here's your water, Sir." The nurse, after entering the room, 
handed to Tenchi a paper cup of water. Before leaving, she 
quickly stated, "You can visit for another ten minutes, but 
Ranma needs to get some sleep afterwards."

"Okay." Tenchi handed the water to Ranma, and then sighed. 
"You might want to know about what happened to Akane and the 
others before I leave."

Nodding as he was drinking, Ranma curiously listened.

"Akane was here for a day, but she was released. She's at her 
house right now." Tenchi smirked. "And those Chinese fighters 
just disappeared. Akane probably knows more than I do though. 
I only heard that you fell down and didn't wake up after that 
monster guy disappeared."

'Kamen. He said he'd come back.' Ranma suddenly remembered. 
He placed aside the empty cup, and threw off his blankets. 
Swinging his legs over the bedside, he was suddenly overcome 
with an exhaustion, like a heavy quilt over his heart.

Tenchi pushed Ranma down onto the bed. "Nope. You're staying 
here until at least tommorow. You haven't eaten in two days, 
you know. You need some food and rest before leaving." He 
pulled the blanket over Ranma. "I'll tell the nurse you're 
hungry before I go."

"Tenchi, Kamen's coming back." Ranma said, his voice worried. 
"I couldn't stop him. I need to start training before he 
returns."

"Not now." Tenchi replied, before exiting the room.

Ranma fell back. The ceiling, so secure in its place, could 
not provide any protection from his thought, 'How do I beat 
him?'

***

It was in the distance, unapproachable due to the ferocious 
snowstorm.

He didn't know what it was, but he knew it was there, beyond 
death, beyond reach.

He could hear, besides the storm, a child's weeping, a deep 
prolonged cry to the heavens.

He heard it coming from beyond the reach of death.

***

Ranma opened his eyes, quickly shielding them from the light.

"Ranma!" Nodoka excitedly cried, rushing to his side. She 
took his hand, and squeezed it to give comfort, more for her 
benefit than his. "I'm so happy..."

He reached up, and took his mother into a hug. "Hi, Mom."

***
%
Tenchi alone sat in the living room watching outside his 
grandfather and Mister Tendo speak quietly. He knew of what, 
about returning to the shrine to grab his belongings. He 
supposed he also had to grab Ranma's belongings.

'The cave...I can finally find out what's in the cave.' he 
thought, brushing aside his feelings, which told him his 
grandfather didn't want him to enter the cave, for an old and 
foolish superstition.

He returned his attention to the television set. 'Ranma...I 
hope you'll be okay when I'm gone."

***

"Are you ready to leave, Ranma?" Nodoka asked. "Do you have 
everything?"

"I don't know, actually. I don't even know what I brought 
here. Just my clothes, I think." Ranma looked at his mother. 
"What...what would Dad think? Do you know?"

"Hmm?"

"It's, it's nothing." Ranma looked at his hand. 'It's not 
strong enough, I guess.' He flexed and relaxed it. 'I need to 
be stronger.'

"We'll take a taxi to Soun's place, Ranma. Don't forget, the 
doctor told you to see Doctor Tofu sometime today." Nodoka 
began to hum a tune.

'How do I get stronger?' Ranma wondered.

***

The car travelled over the highway. Contrary to its actual 
speed, Tenchi believed the car to not be fast enough.

Often, he would daydream.

Dreams of riches, history, and fame passed through his 
fancies. Thoughts of demons or nothing were quickly 
dismissed.

"There can't be nothing in the cave!' he stoutly thought.

The car wasn't at all fast, he decided. 'My heart is faster!'

***

"Tenchi, I know you're disappointed to have to leave the city 
girls behind..." his father teased. "But you don't have to 
show it so badly!"

"Huh?"

"Ha! You met a girl, didn't you?"

"What are talking about?"

Noboyuki grinned, and then looked at Katsuhito. "That boy of 
mine. He'll be breaking all those city girls' hearts, won't 
he, Dad?"

Katsuhito himself was lost in thought, but he somehow 
answered Noboyuki with a quick nod.

"Daydreaming, that son of mine...You would make Achika proud, 
I'm sure."

Tenchi remained silent, returning his gaze towards the land 
passing by, or the sights he was passing, in retrospect. 'I'm 
bored.' he decided.

***

Removing his head from the seat cushion, Tenchi wiped his 
cuff against the side of his face, drying his drool. 'I fell 
asleep?'

"We're home." Noboyuki said. "We'll be spending the night, 
and the tommorow we'll head out back to Tokyo."

"I thought we'd be spending a couple nights, Dad." Tenchi 
protested.

"No, not with what's happened. We have to be back quickly, 
for Ranma and his cute girlfriend's sake."

"I don't think she's his girlfriend, Dad." Tenchi said.

"Ooh, are we getting jeaous?" Noboyuki asked, his eyes 
glinting over with mischieviousness. "You don't want her to 
his girlfriend?" he asked, emphasising the word his.

"Uh, I guess I should get inside to start packing, right?" 
Tenchi opened his door, and then quickly stumbled out of the 
car.

"Wait, Tenchi." Noboyuki opened his door, and caught up to 
his son, who was hurrying into the house. "I'll pack. You go 
see your grandfather. He wants you up at the shrine, right 
away."

"He's already up there? But I just woke up!" Tenchi frowned. 
"It's a long way there, from here."

Tenchi's father shrugged. "He's weird, but talented. Anyway, 
you just go up there. I'll take care of everything here."

***

The trail was dark. It was a particular depth of darkness, 
Tenchi thought. 'It's almost excited...Ready to come alive at 
any minute.'

The top step to the shrine was approached, and then passed.

Tenchi looked about, but saw nobody. "Grandfather?" he called 
out.

He walked ahead to the shrine, but nobody met him.

"Where is he?"

In the recesses of his mind, he wondered if his grandfather 
was again going to test him.

Placing his hands on his hips, he waited a moment, and then 
turned around. "Humph, where is he?"

***

It raced, but it had no competition.

It flew around trees, through leaves, and over roots.

Its destination...

***

He suddenly was chilled, right to his bone. "Wow, this wind's 
cold..."

Tenchi hugged himself, and looked to the stairs.

"I guess I should go back..."

***

Its destination...

It rushed ahead...

***

"Whoa!" Tenchi screamed, when a wind lifted him off his feet, 
throwing him into the air.

He landed hard, facing the trail to...

"What's going on?"

A wind, from the cave's direction, almost living, ran across 
his face, caressing every corner, every detail.

He tried standing, but found the wind's strength too great.

"I'm...I'm coming!" he shouted.

Was it coincidence?

The death of the wind.

***

The key in pocket, Tenchi walked forward.

Every step in rythm with his heart, every beat of his heart, 
pounding.

He breathed heavily, knowing there wasn't nothing.

However, what lived?

The cave?

A demon?

"No, there's no demon..." Tenchi quietly said, knowing his 
words true. "Not the cave..."

He reached, a gate? "I've never been here before." he 
suddenly realised.

He reached forward, key pointed forward.

The key entered the lock, and then Tenchi turned the key...

The gate opened, as a sunrise against a cold and long night.

Freedom and redemption erupted into the world.

And then Tenchi walked into the cave.

End Chapter Seven

***



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