You'll See I Based on characters and situations created by Takahashi Rumiko, Ranma ½, characters, and plot devices are all copyright of Shogakukan, Kitty Animation Circle, and Takahashi Rumiko. This story copyright 1999/2000 - Rebecca A. Catanzaro Genre/Rating: This part of 'You'll See' contains a bit of violence, but there is Akane/Ranma shipping! Becka believes that violence and Akane go together anyway, though... Notes: For all of you who don't know, Gosunkugi first appears in the Ranma OAV title, "Stormy Weather Comes to School! Growing up with Miss Hinako!" released on the Viz tape "Like Water for Ranma." Gosunkugi is the weak teenager who's attacks consist of throwing around wimpy straw dolls. ^.^ Basically, he's pretty pathetic, even in the Ranma-verse. ***** ## *** ## ***** There was a rush, a tingling sensation that swept throughout his entire body. Suddenly, without warning, Ranma's eyes opened. More specifically, Ranma opened his eyes. He looked around for a moment, confused and disoriented. He was standing in the middle of a crowded walkway. People, young and old, bustled around him. Ranma noticed something else as well; he could move. He did so, wandering aimlessly rather than holding up the gestating mass of people who surrounded him on all sides. 'Huh,' he thought, 'I can move… last time, I wasn't able to at first… last time…' He shuddered, clenching his eyes shut, 'Oh God, Akane…' It all came back to him; the feeling of helplessness when he discovered he couldn't move, the pain from taking repeated beatings from his… from Genma, the fleeting elation when she'd confessed the three words he'd longed to hear, the anguish when he held a dying Akane in his arms. People around him saw him stop for the second time, and a few of them even went so far as to look into his face. They saw pain and anguish and regret, but most noticeably, they saw sorrow in a depth that none of them had ever encountered. It was painful for -them- to look at him, but no one stopped to see if they could help him. They just kept on moving, seeing his horror-struck face burned into their mind's eye. Most were relived when he started walking again, until they saw where he was walking. Then they just stopped where the stood and stared. Ranma was so distracted in the pain his thoughts brought him that he didn't notice the shouts of warning from all who bordered the sidewalks. Blinking away tears, he looked up into two bright and shining lights, murmuring softly, "I'm sorry Akane… next time, I'll protect you. Next time…" There was a sickening screech of rubber against flesh as the large moving truck lighted into Ranma's body. He was ground into the ground beneath the tires, but still the cars didn't stop. If he wasn't dead when the first car hit him, the second or third finished him off. He would probably remember it later, having been his first experience of being run over by a truck. Most looked down at the remains of his body with shock, but one dark-haired little boy tugged on his mother's sleeve, pointing at the body frantically, "Mama! Mama! Look at the funny man, mama! He's all red inside! Why is he all red inside, mama? Why is there red every where? Am I red inside mama? Who is the funny man, mama? Why is he red?" Akane Hibiki looked fondly down at her son, gently explaining, "That man is dead, honey. He was careless and he paid the price. As for who he is…" She looked up curiously, "He's a dead man, Ranma. No one important." ***** ## *** ## ***** Ranma groaned, sitting up and tossing the covers off his body. It was a nightmare. He'd just died, again. He had the memories of the man who he died as, again. And once again, he was in another body with an entirely new set of memories. Experimentally, he lifted one arm. It was a slight strain on his mind, but he found he could move with relative ease. Mentally sighing, he carefully checked over to newest edition to his memory, cataloging what he wanted to know. Name: Ranma Soatome. Occupation: Student of Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu or "Anything Goes Martial Arts". Location: The Tendo Dojo. Fiancés: Akane Tendo. Shaking his head, he stood and dressed quickly. It seemed like almost everything was the same, but there was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind, telling him that something was most definitely wrong. On impulse, he jumped out the window, landing lightly on the balls of his feet. Moving cautiously, he made his way to the pond whose interior he knew by heart. Leaning forward, he looked over the edge and… Holy Shit! Ranma's eyes widened in horror as he stared at his face, seeing for the first time what he looked like in this universe. His face, gods… he looked like a monster. A thick scar striped the side of his face, from the top of his brow and down over one eye. The thick, knotty cord ending half way down his neck. That scar was the most prominent, but by no means was it the only. All kinds of scars covered his face- thin, thick, large, and small. Pulling his shirt up over his head, he stared down at himself. If he thought his face was monstrous, then his body was born from hell. Thick rigid scars stripped him from chest and further downwards. They knotted and clumped together, reminding him of the gnarled roots of a tree. Claw marks, teeth marks, burn marks… they adorned his body, a martial artist's most precious weapon, in scores. Why did he look like this? What had happened that had caused him to change from an average looking, kind of handsome man, to someone who would be better suited as the brute squad of a particularly mangy mobster. As always, as soon as the question was asked, his new memories supplied the answers. He, Ranma Soatome, had done it to himself. He had sacrificed everything for the sake of his Art. If, in his original life, Ranma thought he was good, the Ranma from this universe made him look like about as powerful as Gosunkugi. The Ranma from this universe had started even younger than himself, mastering the Neko-ken at age four. From there, he had gone onto even more deadly attacks and defenses. Memories from this life flashed through his mind… Age five, walking through a room coated in hornets in an exercise to learn stealth, repeatedly… Age seven, smeared in fresh blood and tied to the tail of a deep diving shark repeatedly, his father had told him it would cancel any premature panic, and as an added bonus, he could control his breathing, minimizing oxygen use for hours at a time… Age eight, a combined attack to raise the Neko-ken to the next level. Wrapped in fish sausage, with fifty or so cats tied to him, his father had cheerfully tossed him into a pit full of starving dogs, repeatedly… Age ten, arms and legs tied to wild horses, his father strove to teach him some of the finer points of agility… Age thirteen, his father had collected hundreds of ninja and samurai, telling them that there was a young pigtailed boy who was possessed and the only cure was death… Age fifteen, his training in the elements began. The booklet his father obtained had very simply and very explicate instructions: Burn by fire to teach the 'Blaze of Hell' technique, drown by water to teach 'Poseidon's Double-Trident Strike' technique, bury in earth to teach the 'Dead-man's Waking' technique, and smother in wind to teach the 'Hurricane Blockade' technique. Of course, the actual practice was a little more painful… Age sixteen, his father's 'best' idea yet. This newest attack would enable him to harness the power of electricity, and blend it with his chi. Sound technique in theory, though it would probably kill anyone who had no clue what he or she was doing. Of course Genma, his teacher, had no clue what he was doing... Ranma closed his eyes, realizing how he was probably going to die in this life. There was one small comfort that he could offer this other Ranma Soatome. His suffering and knowledge would not die with him. That much a considerably more humbled Ranma could swear. Quietly, using one of his many newly acquired 'stealth' techniques, Ranma made his way back to his sleeping role, having concluded several things. First, it seemed he was in some kind of punishment loop. He died, then was transported to another body in another universe. Next, he concluded, it would do him no good to avoid the death, because some way or another, he would die. Essentially, he was in the middle of a road; he could step out of the way of an oncoming car only to find he was now in the path of a truck. He decided, he could live with dying a thousand deaths, knowing that each time he was transported into 'Ranma Soatome's' body, he would preserve their memory in his own. Last, he was beginning to come to grips with the fact that he loved Akane, and he would never let it end like it had the first time. He would protect her no matter the cost, after all, death held no fear for him anymore. Smiling softly, he closed his eyes and slept. ***** ## *** ## ***** The next morning, Ranma awoke with a start. He stood slowly, stretching out slightly stiff muscles. If he was going to die soon, he had a lot to take care of in this lifetime. First thing… he stepped out of his room, moving to the unadorned door down the hallway. His light knocking was answered by Nabiki, who blinked owlishly at him. Her features were the same as his Nabiki, but her hair was much longer, falling down past her waist. Her words were tired and a little terse, "Well?" "May I come in, Nabiki? I have a small favor I'd like to ask you…" he paused, unsure how she would react to this. His voice was quiet, "Please." She examined his face for what seemed like an hour, then stepped away from the door, allowing him entry. Plopping down on the bed, she gestured for him to take the chair opposite her. She seemed a little more interested as she spoke again, "You do realize it's five in the morning? What is so important that you'd be willing to ask a favor from -me-?" Ranma took the offered seat, staring down at his twisted and muscular hands. His voice sounded subdued as he responded, "I need you to get life insurance for me, the largest amount possible. Put it under the Tendo name." Nabiki blinked, surprised. "Life insurance?" she questioned. "What brought this on?" His smile was bitter, "Just call it a hunch. Something is going to happen to me, soon I think. I just want to make sure that your family is… compensated." Ever practical, she grabbed up a note pad and a brush, furiously writing in concise strokes. She examined him quizzically, "You want it today, I assume? Under the Tendo name? Don't you want your father 'compensated' if, for some reason, something does happen?" "No." "No?" Ranma stood swiftly, heading towards the door. He paused, his voice back to it's arrogant cockiness once more. He spoke, "No. It's a word, Nabiki. You should know. It's one of your favorites. I don't want my… father… receiving anything from me if I die." He added softly under his breath, "After all, he's the one who's going to get me killed." Flashing a bright grin that made him look almost handsome, in spite of the scars, he walked out the door, tossing his words over his shoulder. "Thanks, Nabiki. Take care of it as soon as you can. Hey, I'm sure you'll find a way to charge them interests…" And for the first time in her adolescent life, Nabiki couldn't think of a thing to say. ***** ## *** ## ***** About an hour or so later, Genma and Ranma began their morning ritual of sparring by the pool. They exchanged violent blows almost too fast for the eye to see. Genma enjoyed this particular spar because his son seemed to have regained the will to win, while Ranma was able to explore a body that was stronger, faster, and more agile than his own original body. Akane and Nabiki sat at the dining room table, watching their houseguests with interest. Kasumi was in the kitchen preparing breakfast and their mutual father was still asleep. Akane observed Ranma's movements as he skillfully blocked several punches that would have left a lesser man crippled for life. Nabiki followed her sister's stare, her voice interrupting her sisters wandering mind, "You like him, don't you, sis?" Akane blinked, startled. She responded quickly, "Yeah right! Like I could lo… like a scarred perverted idiot like him…" The older sister lifted one brow in a mildly reproving look. "You're telling me that you judge him solely on appearance?" "Well, I… no…" Akane mumbled, looking down at her hands. Nabiki grinned, returning to her question, "Good. So, give me an answer, silly. Do you like him or don't you?" Akane lifted her head once again, her eyes hungrily seeking out the boy whom she was beginning to fall in love with. A little half-smile crossed her mouth as she spoke, "Yeah… I think I kinda' do…" Nabiki turned her head towards the window just in time to see the older Saotome slam the younger into the floor. She remembered her earlier conversation. Quickly, she stood, "I have a couple calls to make before school. I'll be back soon." Ignoring Akane's questioning stare, she walked back up to her room, pulling out the business card of a particularly wealthy Life Insurance Company. She smiled as she picked up the phone. "I knew that little twerp would come in handy…" she muttered as she dialed the number. ***** ## *** ## ***** A delicious breakfast passed by uneventful, and soon Ranma and Akane were on their way to school. Ranma hopped up onto the fence by the river, walking at a comfortable pace as Akane looked up at him. As she watched him, a surprising view laid out in front of her. The sun which was just beginning to rise, served to accent his background, silhouetting his body. From her unique perspective, his scarred face was taken from her line of sight, leaving only a distinctively flattering and well-muscled body. She stopped for a moment, just looking at that image. Ranma blinked down at Akane as she stopped, staring up at him like she was seeing his for the first time. She was so cute when she wore that pensive expression… Startled, he shook himself away from that line of thinking. On impulse, he bent down, offering her his hand. Puzzled, she accepted his hand and he pulled her up on top of the fence. He grinned down at her, an infuriating expression on his face, "If you want, I can show you the secret to keeping your balance when you're walking on a fence. We've got some time to kill before school…" She gazed at him in amazement as she wondered at Ranma's new attitude towards her. "What brought this on?" He laughed and shrugged. "I dunno'. I guess I just wanted to share it with you…" A bright blush spread across her face, deepening to crimson as he placed his hands lightly around her waist. It was quite a picture they made. He walked backwards, seeming to have no problem balancing, with his hands steadying her as she learned to find her center. Each time she fumbled, he would help her catch her balance as though she weighed no more than a baby. After a few moment of silence, Akane hesitantly spoke up, "Ranma?" He tilted his head a little, keeping them both moving at the same steady pace, "Hmm?" She looked down at his hands, then questioned, "I never asked before… but how did they happen? Mr. Saotome said it was a training accident, but he didn't tell me anything else…" Seeming unperturbed by her question, he continued walking. His voice was quiet, very much unlike the arrogant egotistical boy she thought she knew, "The scars?" She nodded mutely, embarrassed at asking such a childish and personal question. His scornful laugh was not directed at her as he mumbled, "'training accident' huh? So that's how the old man explains them…" She nodded again. Ranma lowered his eyes to his hands self consciously, "The scars aren't a result of an accident, Akane. The scars are from the training itself…" Akane stumbled, but Ranma gently steadied her. Her voice trembled a little, as though she really didn't want his answer, "What do you mean?" "Ever heard of the 'Neko-ken'?" She blinked, "The 'Neko-ken'? Father told me about it once. He said that it's a forbidden attack that was banned because of the way it is supposedly taught. I think he mentioned something about a pit full of starving cats, but… you don't mean to tell me that you…" "I was trained in the Neko-ken when I was four, Akane." His eyes were downcast when he said that, and wisely, Akane didn't press the matter. Her mind was reeling. 'If he was trained in a forbidden attack that young… how good is he really…?' The second thought which followed that was less shocked and more horrified, 'Oh my goddess, what kind of father could do that to his son…?' They continued to walk in silence. Finally reaching the end of the fence, Ranma hopped down. He caught Akane as she jumped, setting her lightly on the ground. He grinned, "Come on, Akane. We're a little late, so I'll help you out. But don't get any ideas that I like you or nothing…" He ran off towards the school grounds and set about beating up the usual group who would, 'date with' her. Akane blinks, her eyes following his controlled precise movements as he fought for her. "Ranma…" ***** ## *** ## ***** Akane was in for several surprises that day. As the day passed, Ranma proved himself thoughtful and considerate time and time again. It started with taking care of usual group of 'date'ers in the morning, and though she was miffed for a moment, she couldn't stay mad at him for helping her out. Of course, Kuno had to show up. Kuno had jumped out in front of Ranma, waving his wooden practice blade in the air. Ranma had just sighed, calmly removing the blade from Kuno's hand. Kuno hadn't noticed, and so continued to swing his now empty hand above his head. There had been, needless to say, a perpetual state of sweatdrop. When Tatewake finally had noticed that he no longer had his bokken, he used the only other weapon he had available to him: his voice. "Filthy fiend who holds the beautiful Akane Tendo prisoner, release her from thy hideously scared reach, beast, for the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High shall punish you!" Ranma sighed, "Look, Kuno. Akane's my fiancé. Get that through your head. I ain't holding her through evil sorcery, or whatever you wanna' call it. She's my fiancé. Do you understand what that means?" Tatewake Kuno blinked, having expected a fist to the face rather then calm reasoning. Suspecting that the question had a trick answer, he inquired cautiously, "What does it mean…?" Rolling his eyes, Ranma shook his head, "It means I'm gonna' marry her, lame brain. You can't date a married woman." By this time, most of the boys who Ranma had previously defeated staggered to their feet, their eyes going wide. A low murmur rippled through the crowd. "Hey, he's right!" "Dating someone who's married is like committing adultery, almost…" "Yeah! So why do we get the shit beat out of us every morning…?" "Hey, why do we?" "Even if we won, we still couldn't date her." "So whose stupid idea was this?" The mass of confused boys looked around for a moment. They saw three people, not including themselves and the crowd of students who had gathered around them: Ranma Saotome, Akane Tendo, and Tatewake Kuno. They looked at each other, then at Kuno, as if seeing him for the first time. Kuno blinked. Ranma reached out and took a stupefied Akane by the hand, leading her into the school. A few moments later, cries of 'How dare you lead us on like that!' and 'What are ya' trying to do to us? Getting us to date someone who's practically married!' were heard. The entire school shook with the more frequent resounding bangs and yells of 'DIE!' Ranma pulled her into their class just before the bell rung. For the first time in the history of Furinkan High, Akane Tendo was not marked, 'Late.' Akane was out of it for most of the class. She was too busy trying to figure out how Ranma had just taken care of a problem that had plagued her entire life, and how he had done it in under ten minutes. The real shock was he had solved it using a *non-violent* solution. No fighting, no beating, no… no nothing! He'd just reasoned with them as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and they'd understood him! Once she got over that initial surprise, she also realized how protective Ranma was of her. He'd called her -his- fiancé; he'd said they were going to marry. Akane was amazed at how warm and fuzzy she felt when he talked about her being his wife. The day went on. Akane caught Ranma just gazing at her out of the corner of her eyes. There was a loving, slightly sad expression on his face, and she felt her own face grow red in response. That was when she noticed the girls around her giggling and talking to one another. "He's so KAWAII!" "Even if he isn't gorgeous, he's got this charm around him…" "I so envy her." "Did you hear about this morning?" "Yeah! He said they were engaged!" "He even called her his wife!" "Just look at that body! He's hot." "I know. If Akane weren't my friend, I'd go after him in a second." "Same here." "But they are a couple." "I know. He's so cool!" "He is! Have you seen how he looks at her?" "That boy is in love." Akane went even redder. She looked over at Ranma, embarrassed beyond belief at the girl's words. He just smiled at her, then went back to listening to the teacher's lecture. Still blushing, Akane made an effort to pay more attention to the teacher instead of Ranma. It didn't work. Later that day, during lunch, Ranma sat across from her, munching down his meal. He looked up at her periodically, and the two of them talked. There was no yelling or disagreement; there was just a wonderful conversation that they both enjoyed. Akane asked about his past and his life, and Ranma did the same for her. For the first time, they truly began to understand each other. After lunch, during their break, they sat outside on the grass, still talking. The student whispered and watched, remarking on what a cute couple they made. While the guys still stared longingly at Akane, and the girls drooled over Ranma, they too began to realize how deep the bond between the couple was. However, only a few of the students saw Akane's hand joined with Ranma's as the two of them gazed up at the sky. At the end of the school day, Ranma and Akane walked out together. Before they reached the gates, they were stopped by a mummy. Two eyes blinked at them out of the waded cloth and Kuno's voice was muffled, "Ah, sweet sorrow. That the fair Akane should choose the beast over the prince! He who is not even a real man, but a twisted and scarred monster! Sooth! He was born with a face that makes woman and children cry! And a face that reflects his true self! A beast!" There was silence. Akane's eyes widened. How could Ranma take that from Kuno? He wouldn't! Never ever! Kuno, because of his stupid ideas, had just taken the open and wonderful boy names Ranma Saotome and grievously insulted him. Everything that had happened today, all the progress made in their relationship, had just been washed away by an idiot who had no idea what he was doing. At least, that's what she thought. Ranma looked at Kuno sadly, his eyes shadowed, "Do you have any idea… what you just said?" The Blue Thunder blinked. A bandage fell, covering one of his eyes. "Do you know how I got these scars, Kuno?" Everyone collectively held their breath. They'd expected for Ranma just to pound Kuno into a bloody pulp, not reveal something they all so longed to know. They leaned forward in anticipation. Kuno blinked again, trying to push the bandage out of his face with his wrapped up hand. Pulling Kuno forward by the throat, Ranma spoke quietly into the Kendo Captain's ear. The bandages fell away from Kuno's face to reveal surprise at being so easily handled. After the first minute of soft words, Kuno looked a little green. After the second minute, he was turning a frightening shade of white. By the third, he was pale and looking quite seriously ill. When Ranma released him, Kuno stumbled back, falling comically on his rear. He looked up at the pig-tailed boy in horror. Ranma took Akane's hand in his own again, and led her down the street, leaving the proud Blue Thunder gapping after them like a stranded fish. ***** ## *** ## ***** "Ranma?" "Yeah, Akane?" "How did you…? I mean, what did…? Why didn't you hit…? Or…?" "Akane?" "Yeah, Ranma?" "'cause I didn't have to." ***** ## *** ## ***** Akane settled down against a tree in the forest. The tree was on the outskirts of the clearing where Ranma, Genma, and a several large imposing glass vats of boiling water were located. The vats were hooked to each other, and off to the side was some kind of generator. Mr. Saotome was currently fiddling with the switches. Ranma had told her that his father was going to give him some special training today, and she'd asked if she could watch. It had confused her, because he didn't really seem like he wanted her along. He'd explained, "It's… it's not that I don't want you around. It's just that the training, it's really dangerous, Akane. I don't want you getting hurt." She'd just glared at him and told him, quite plainly, that she could take care of herself. Ranma had looked at her and sighed. He'd offered her his hand, and she'd taken it. "Alright," he'd said, "you can come along, 'cause I know you'll probably just follow us anyway, and it's safer for you if I know where ya' are." She'd been surprised, to say the least, and now she sat in the forest, watching Genma prepare the equipment for his son's training. Genma called out, "Come on, boy! Let's see if this training manual holds the secret to chi-transformation!" Ranma hoped down from the tree Akane was sitting by. He looked a little hesitant, but resolved. Moving over to where Akane rested, he knelt down beside her and spoke in a low whisper. "Hey, Akane, I'm gonna' to be going in a minute. Try to stay as far away from whatever happens as possible, alright? If it gets messy, run." Akane blinked curiously. "Ranma, what are you talking about…?" The boy shook his head, "Nothing, Akane. Just be careful, okay?" At her nod, he continued. Pulling out a small white envelope with her name written on it , he pressed the paper into the palm of her hand. Then he leaned over to kiss her softly on her cheek. "You'll know when to open it," he murmured. Hoping up, he left a surprised and blushing Akane staring after him. Genma eyed his son thoughtfully and murmured to himself, "Too bad the manual didn't give better instructions like the Neko-ken guide did. Oh well, what good is a martial artist who can't improvise?" The same son in question stopped a few feet from his father, "Well, pops, what am I supposed to do?" Genma indicated the boiling vats next to him proudly, "This is where you begin, boy! With this you will become the only living human to have ever mastered the Electro-ken!" Ranma eyed his father warily, "Yeah… and this is supposed to happen how?" Genma smacked Ranma across the back of his head. "Insolent boy! You'll see! Those," he said, pointing to the containers, "hold water boiling at a level that broke the thermomete, and right now, there is almost a thousand watts pumping through the last container." Ranma blinked, "And what exactly do you want me to do?" Genma charged his son, grabbing the unsuspecting boy by the neck, and tossing him into the first of the vats. Ranma, who had been questioning his father a moment prior, was now hurtling into a boiling tub of liquid. With a startled noise, he spluttered to the surface. The water was hot, no doubt about that. He treaded there for a moment before calling out, "All right, pops. What now?" The older Saotome began to fiddle with the switches again. "Boy, if you haven't figured it out by now, you don't deserve to be called a martial artist. I can change what tank the electricity is pumping through. All you have to do is sense which of those tanks it's safe to be in. Jump from one to the next, boy!" Slightly confused, Ranma felt a tiny tingling in his body, the first and only warning he would get to move out of that tank and fast. Placing his hand on the rim of the tank, he hurtled over to the adjacent vat, barely avoiding a very painful bolt of electricity that could kill even his monstrous body. Within a split second, that same tingling came to him once more, forcing him to move quickly to the next tank. A few minutes of his jumping successfully from tank to tank passed when his father added a second electrified tank to the first. Not only would he have to continue moving quickly from one vat to the next, but he would also have to make sure that he didn't jump into a container that already had the deadly currents of electricity flowing through it. It took everything he had, but somehow, he still managed to stay alive. His entire focus was on his jump, and he didn't have time for anything else... not even Akane. Akane watched from the sidelines, her eyes round. No one should have to go through that kind of training. No one should be -able- to go through that kind of training. By Ranma's expression, he was concentrating hard to stay alive. His worlds floated back to her, "If it gets messy, run." He might die. If he were anyone else, he would already be dead. The thought of Ranma dying sent her hurling towards Genma, her intent to turn off the machine. What she hadn't remembered was that Genma, despite his bulky appearance, was a martial artist too. He sensed her approach with ease, turning just in time to keep her from the controls. One of his meaty hands grabbed both of hers as the other one continued to control the machine. She struggled, crying, "Let me go! What do you think you're doing to him? We have to help him!" Genma stared at her dumbly, "Help him? Why should you want to do that? He's learning the secrets of the Electro-ken as we speak." Her eyes were full of horror, "He could die!" Genma shrugged, still keeping her from going to the vat, "Yes, but he won't. I trained him well, and nothing so weak as electricity is going to kill him. Hurt him, maybe, but no pain, no gain, I always say." "What kind of monster are you? That kind of electricity would kill even you!" She yelled at him, her eyes on the vat, where Ranma still lived. "Girls know nothing of martial arts. Stay out of this," Genma paused and added, as an afterthought, "and why should you care anyway? His life belongs to the arts." Akane shook her head, finally wrenching free of Genma's grip. She reached once more for the controls. With a growl, Genma made a second grab at her, and the two of them struggled over the panel. Suddenly, Genma's hand slipped, crashing down onto the controls, causing them to go haywire. One heartbeat later, Ranma began to scream. And he screamed. And screamed. And screamed. The vats and the controls had shocks of electricity running across them, and there were more which ran through Ranma. The generator burst into flames from the strain, and all of this- the screaming, the fire, the electricity running wild, happened in less that five seconds. Akane paled, her body slinking to the ground as Mr. Saotome released her. No one spoke, and the screaming stopped. There was total silence… and for the first time, it began to dawn on Genma Saotome, that maybe, just maybe, his son wasn't invincible to the training he'd been given his entire life. Akane knew he was dead. There was no way anything human could have survived that, and she was right. Numbly, she looked down at the crumpled envelope, picking it up from where she had dropped it earlier. Slowly, almost fearfully, she opened it, extracting a small square of paper, even as the doll-like thing which was Ranma sank to the bottom of the vat he was in, eyes open wide, though nothing was behind them. As she read it, her throat tightened and salty droplets trickled down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around herself, sobbing. When the Tendo's found her there later that night, Genma had already fled, and she was asleep. Nabiki looked at the huddled body of her sister, then at the odd glass vats which looked more like a mid-evil torture device than anything else, and the preserved body of Ranma, . Leaning over, she gently picked up a crumpled piece of paper, the only other thing in the clearing. Akane, I don't suppose we've really known each other long enough in this life for me to write this, but I think I love you. Even if my father's training doesn't kill me, I want you to know that. - Ranma Saotome