Ranma closed his eyes tightly as he drove the knife down towards his abdomen, only to have it knocked out of his hands before it could penetrate the skin.

     "What the hell do you think you're doing, boy?" Genma yelled angrily, as he bent down to retrieve the knife from off the ground where he'd kicked it. "Have you gone crazy?"

     Ranma's eyes opened in surprise as he stared around in confusion. Genma stood before him, glaring angrily as he held the knife firmly in his hands, standing just out of Ranma's reach.

     An uncomfortable silence followed as Ranma returned Genma's angry glare, both father and son locked in a heated battle, each one unmoving and neither one's gaze wavering. Then, mere seconds later, Ranma watched with a mixture of disbelief and red-hot fury as Genma sent the knife hurling through the air where it landed firmly in the trunk of a tree.

     Ranma stood up in one fluid motion, staring in shock and anger at the place where the blade now lay embedded. "Wha'd you do that for?" Ranma demanded, jumping angrily to his feet.

     "What do you mean, 'what'd you do that for'?" Genma replied, his fists shaking. "Foolish boy! Do you have any idea what you were about to do?"

     "I was about to do the right thing for once!" Ranma declared, his words becoming more forceful as he spoke them. "AKANE'S DEAD NOW BECAUSE OF ME! WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSE TO DO?"

     "Well, suicide definitely isn't the answer." A soft and timid voice declared. "Besides Ranma," the voice continued, getting braver as it went on. "You can't keep blaming yourself, you know it's not your fault."

     Ranma turned around to come face to face with Ukyo.

     "You're right." he stated angrily. "It's yours."

     "Look, Ranma," Ukyo began calmly, refusing to meet his eyes. " I already said I was sorry. I didn't know it would turn out this way... if- if I did... well, I never would have done it. You've got to believe me Ran-chan."

     "Don't you dare call me that!" Ranma replied, his voice low and dangerous. "You're sure as hell not my friend anymore."

     Ukyo cringed at his harsh words, but Ranma only smiled. Not one feeling of regret passed through him at the pain he was causing her. He had seen and experienced too many things to just forgive and forget.

     Ranma turned away from Ukyo, the desire to hurt her in any way he could think of becoming too strong to overcome. He wanted her to hurt just as badly as he was; to feel the dull pain in his chest where his heart used to be. "How can you even have the nerve to face me right now? After everything you've done? After you went behind my back and lied and betrayed me?" Ukyo sniffed, and took a step forward, trying hard not to cry. "Ran-Cha--" she caught herself before she said it, and coughed uncomfortably. "Ranma... I..."

     Ranma ignored her and glanced over his shoulder, meeting her tearful gaze. "I look at you now and I'm disgusted. I can't help thinking just how much like Shampoo you've become."

     Ukyo began to sob uncontrollably, no longer able to keep the flood of tears back. This couldn't be happening! This wasn't how it was suppose to be. SHE was supposed to have Ranma, not Akane, not Shampoo. HER. He was hers. She'd given up EVERYTHING for him. He *owed* her.

     Ranma ignored her cries, and turned his head away. "I don't even know you anymore." He replied flatly.

     Ukyo gave a bitter laugh at that statement. "Well, Ran-MA. That makes two of us."

     "'Nough of this." Ranma muttered as he turned away from Ukyo to face his father, his face resolute and determined. "Pop. Give me the knife."

     Genma shook his head sadly, watching his son carefully. "No." he replied, his voice low. "I won't let you take the easy way out, Ranma. Not this time."

     "The easy way out?" Ranma yelled angrily, his face turning white. "YOU THINK THIS IS EASY FOR ME?!"

     Genma watched his son carefully, ready to spring into action if Ranma decided to go after the knife himself. After all, he wasn't sure what he was capable of. After everything he'd been through... and then losing Akane... well... he was sure he was capable of almost anything. "Ranma, listen to me. Akane's death is *not* your fault. She died to save you. Don't you think she would have done it for a reason?! Her sacrifice will have been in vain if you throw your life away so easily!" Genma took a calming breath, praying this would work and make him understand. "Akane wouldn't want it this way. And you know it."

     Ranma bowed his head. He knew what his father said was true. Akane wouldn't want him to throw his life away. But, what else could he do? He loved her. He missed her. He wanted to be with her. But the only way that could happen was through death. And if that's what it took to be with Akane, then so be it. "To be honest... I don't care what Akane or anyone else wants anymore. I want to be with her and that's all that matters." he paused to take a deep breath. "... and there's really nothing you can do about it, pop."

     "Maybe not. But I can."

     Ranma turned around in surprise, but it was too late. Dr. Tofu had moved so quickly and quietly, that he hadn't even heard him coming. The doctor's hands trailed lightly along his neck, his touch soft and soothing.

     Damn. He was using his pressure points...

     Seconds later, Ranma couldn't feel anything and slowly began to slip into unconsciousness. Which, in his opinion, was worse than death. With death the memories would stop, but in an unconscious state, nothing could prevent the memories from resurfacing...

     Ranma watched Akane as she walked slowly towards him, a troubled expression on her face.

     It was probably because Ukyo hadn't shown up to school that day.

     After his confrontation with Ukyo, Ranma had gone straight to his room, refusing to come out. He knew Akane was curious about what had happened with Ukyo and would demand to hear the whole story sooner or later. He had just hoped it would be later...

     Akane sat down on the roof beside him, tucking her skirt demurely beneath her. "So... um... what happened between you and Ukyo?" she asked nervously, not sure how to broach the subject. "I mean... how did she take the news?"

     "Horribly." Ranma muttered. "Besides making her cry... which I promised myself I'd never do, she made it sound like I owed it to her! Like I ruined her life, and not my idiot father."

     "Ranma you can't be made to pay for all of your father's mistakes. He was the one that took Ukyo's yettai cart, and left her behind. You were too young to know what was going on. It's not your fault."

     "Yeah, I know." Ranma replied. "But... I can't help but feel guilty, ya know? I just wish I could find her stupid yettai cart and return it, but I know that's impossible." Ranma sighed. "I still want to be her friend, but I'm not sure if she'll let me anymore."

     Ranma looked thoughtful for a minute, staring at the stars above. "I really screwed up, Akane. Letting this drag on for so long... I should a put an end to it a long time ago."

     Akane coughed in reply. "Well... Whatever happens Ranma," she began softly. "I just want you to know that... I'll always be here for you. I mean... look on the bright side... at least, you'll always have me." She smiled.

     "That's just it, Akane. I'll always have you, but Ukyo has no one. She's all alone..." Ranma took a deep breath, breathing in the fresh, clean air. "And I'm all she has." Sighing, he turned to face Akane. "Unless of course, I've managed to screw *that* up too..."

     "Oh." Akane said sadly, brushing some hair out of her eyes. "I guess I never really thought about it that way before." Akane took Ranma's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. He smiled softly and returned the gesture. "Do- do you think she'll be alright?"

     "Jeez, I hope so." Ranma replied.

     "Well... look on the bright side..." Akane smiled. "That's one fiance down, now only three left to go!"

     "Yeah." Ranma replied with false cheer. "And Ukyo was suppose to be the easy one."

     Akane moved closer against Ranma, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Don't worry Ranma," she said confidently, snuggling up closer against him. "Everything's going to work out. You'll see."

     Akane yawned, struggling to keep her eyes open but failing miserably. "You'll see..." she murmured, as her eyes finally stopped fluttering and closed completely.

     Ranma smiled down at Akane, watching her lovingly as she slowly fell asleep in his arms. "Yeah." Ranma whispered, wiping away some of the hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. "At least I know that when this is all done, it'll be worth it."

     "Besides," Ranma contemplated, staring down at Akane's soft, smiling face. "It's about time I took my life back."

     Ukyo watched Ranma intently as he slowly lifted himself off the bed, cringing and blinking away tears of pain that assualted his eyes. He had been unconscious for about twenty minutes and had just recently regained consciousness.

     "Where am I?" he asked as he looked around in confusion.

     Dr. Tofu walked over to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You're back at the camp." he informed him. "I had to give you something that would calm you down. You were near hysteria."

     "Can you blame me?"

     "No." Doctor Tofu answered truthfully. "I know that you're in shock right now Ranma, but I want you to try an relax and think straight."

     "Look, Doc..." Ranma began uncertainly.

     "And I want you to start thinking of all the different people your death would affect." Dr. Tofu replied, cutting him off before he could finish. "People that care for you and would be deeply hurt if you did something foolish like what you almost did back there."

     "Exactly!" Genma agreed, crossing his arms across his chest. "Just think of what your poor mother would've had to go through! She finally gets you back only to lose you again! And what of Akane? Why, if she were still alive..."

     Ranma's fists clenched tightly, and he bit down hard on his lip, the coppery taste of blood clear in his mouth. "BUT SHE'S NOT ALIVE!" he shouted angrily.

     Ranma stood up abruptly from the table and felt a wave of dizziness hit him. The room slowly began to go out of focus, and a black fog seemed to obscure his vision. Ranma grabbed onto the table behind him and stood still, waiting for the blackness to recede. *This must have been what it was like for Akane,* he found himself thinking. *Only the light must not have returned, so the darkness remained.*

     Ranma silently willed the darkness to stay, and was disappointed when the darkness faded and the room slowly began to come into focus.

     "What's happening to him?" Ukyo asked, her voice and face betraying her nonchalant attitude.

     "I believe his memories are returning."

     "Yeah, but why's it so painful?" Genma asked confused.

     "It doesn't have to be painful." Dr. Tofu replied thoughtfully. "It's as painful as Ranma makes it. The more he struggles to stop his memories from resurfacing, the more pain will be inflicted on him. If he accepts the memories, the pain will be minimal."

     "Why is he fighting the memories, then?" Ukyo asked confused. "I thought he wanted to remember?"

     "I believe he did." Dr. Tofu replied contemplatively. "But recent events have changed his mind."

     "You mean Akane's death." Ukyo said softly.

     Dr. Tofu merely nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Even after everything that had happened, he still couldn't believe Akane was dead. But it was his job to stay strong and hold everyone together. And that's exactly what he intended to do.

     In another corner of the room, away from Ranma's prying eyes, Genma was wrapping Akane's body very carefully in a large black sheet. The knowledge that they'd have to take it back to Nerima where there could be a proper burial, weighing heavily on his mind. Although he was concerned about Ranma, there was another concern that fought for precedence: How his good friend, Soun Tendo, would react to the fact that his daughter was dead.

TO BE CONTINUED