The Things We Wish For Chapter 14

[DB]

Hadn't been posting this here. For those that are interested

The Things We Wish For...
Chapter 14


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Preface: What's happened before: Akane got her hands on a wish and used it to wish her mother had never been in a car accident and was alive in the present. Well, her mother wasn't in an accident, and is with them in the present. There's only a slight complication; Kachiko had been in two accidents, the first occurring when she was the ripe old age of seventeen.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were coming home.

Two weeks had passed since the Tendous and Saotomes received word that there had been some sort of disastrous accident on a ship, one that had resulted in Ranma and Kachiko sustaining a number of injuries. Upon arriving at the hospital where the two had been taken after being recovered by paramedics at the docks, the families were relieved to discover that neither of the pair were critically injured (though it had been a near thing for Ranma, who had suffered a stab wound that luckily had missed any vital organs). They had suffered a host of lesser injuries that would take a couple of weeks to heal, but the doctors reassured the families multiple times that all would be well.

During the two weeks, every member of the two families visited the hospital, and in the cases of Akane, Kasumi, Nodoka, and Soun, spent nearly every day with the patients. Or tried to in Kachiko's case since she refused any company. Ranma had remained quiet and pensive every time Akane had seen him. She knew something was troubling him deeply, but the few times the two of them had been alone all of her attempts to get him to open up failed miserably. He would give a terse, 'It's nothing,' and wouldn't let the matter go any further. Due to his injured state, Akane didn't press the issue, but his unwillingness to confide frustrated her. He had always been there for her when she needed help, now why wouldn't he let her do the same for him?

Akane's ruminations were interrupted as Kasumi gave an excited, "They're coming!" and turned away from the window overlooking the front walk to rejoin the rest of the family waiting in the entryway.

Rather than escorting the duo home from the hospital, Kasumi had suggested a surprise welcoming home party for them. Akane thought it might cheer the dour Ranma up, and agreed. Now a small series of party decorations lined the hall and doorway, celebrating the pair's return.

Less than a minute after Kasumi made her announcement, the front door opened, issuing a depressed Kachiko first and a concerned Ranma following close behind.

"Welcome Back!" everyone shouted.

Kachiko appeared surprised at the display. Then her eyes focused on the banner that said, "Welcome Home!" in bright red letters. "Yeah, I'll be going home," she intoned mournfully, looking even more depressed than before.

Seeing the utter devastation on her face, the party-filled atmosphere died a quick and miserable death.

Despite recent friction between her and her mother, even Akane was concerned with the bleak look upon Kachiko's face. There seemed to be an aura of depression surrounding her that made her as unapproachable as a fortress with mile high walls, especially when it so sharply contrasted with the joyous atmosphere that the occasion should have called for. No one approached Kachiko, or barred her way as she ignored everyone and trudged with the gait of the defeated deeper into the house.

Forcing concern about Kachiko from her mind, Akane turned to Ranma. "It's wonderful having you back."

Ranma said nothing, instead staring off in the direction Kachiko had departed.

"I said, it's wonderful having you back," Akane repeated louder and in a more forceful tone.

"Yeah," Ranma said distractedly. "Look, I gotta check on Kachi and make sure she's okay."  Without a backward glance he rushed off to catch up with Kachiko.

"So much for feeling welcome," Nabiki said dryly as she headed off. Soun and Kasumi stared in concern at where Kachiko had gone, while Nodoka was actually chewing on the cuff of her kimono in worry at Ranma's brusque behavior.

Akane's reaction was the most intense. She remained where she was, seething in anger. She had displayed a huge amount of concern for Ranma's well being and went out of her way to welcome him with open arms, and how did he react? By casually ignoring her, as though she hadn't existed. Instead he was running around, mooning over Kachiko and her stupid mood swings even after barely seeing Akane for the better part of two weeks. Apparently he didn't have the time to acknowledge his ex-fiancee's existence.

As incensed as Akane was with Ranma, she was a dozen times angrier with Kachiko. It was all her fault Ranma was treating Akane this way! It had been bad enough that she lured him into that stupid date and was responsible for him being injured, now she was manipulating Ranma somehow into giving her all of his attention while sparing none for anyone else. Akane couldn't believe she had been tricked into feeling sorry for the time-lost girl and wanted to cheer her up. Seeing Ranma dote on her was all the truth Akane needed to see. This was another one of Kachiko's twisted schemes to get Ranma under her thumb, and the jerk was too blind to see it.

It was just further proof of what an interfering self-centered bitch the girl was. Why did she have to come into their lives? Why couldn't she have just remained where she was? The only thing Akane wished for now was that she had never received a wish in the first place.

Akane stormed off to her room, visions of throttling Kachiko dancing in her head.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

More depressed than any time since Mount Phoenix, Ranma slowly trudged to the backyard. Once again his attempts to cheer up Kachiko, or at least find out what had happened to her, had been rebuffed. No matter how hard he tried, it was always the same. Even turning on his considerable charm, which had always worked before the horrible events of that night, was useless. She had been dying for his attention before that. Now, it seemed nothing he did made her react to him. He might as well have been a lump of dirt for all the attention she gave. Whatever Tarou did to her must have been terrifying. He would break the bastard's neck the next time he saw him for what he did. Whatever it was.

Ranma blamed himself for whatever events had led to Kachiko's depressed state. She had been with him. They were on a date. More than any other time, he should have been there to protect her. How could he have been so stupid and let his guard down? He knew Tarou was interested in her. He had appeared a couple of times trying to woo her. Why didn't Ranma anticipate the bastard's attempt to mess up the date? Of course Tarou would panic knowing Kachiko was dating Ranma, which would ruin his insidious plans to woo the girl. Mousse would have done the same thing had Ranma been on a date with Shampoo, or Kunou if it was Akane Ranma had been going out with. It was only natural Tarou would react the same way as those other two idiots. Yet Ranma had failed to realize it, and now Kachiko was paying the price.

He still hadn't figured out what had happened. It seemed more mental than physical, although during their stay in the hospital, Ranma had overheard the doctors mention that Kachiko's heart had stopped twice. The moment Ranma discovered that, he ran to her room and once again tried to make her tell him what had happened. When she learned his concern stemmed from her 'heart condition' she revealed to him that she had simply not been hooked up to the monitor, and that she was in no danger of dying from a heart attack. The assurance had a ring of truth to it, so Ranma let the matter lie, though he stayed two extra days at the hospital until Kachiko recovered, just to stay close to her in case something else went wrong. There were no further incidents, and the doctors finally allowed Kachiko to return home on this day.

Ranma had been trying to get her to open up and allow him to help her recover, it was the least he owed her, but it was like trying to run up the side of a mountain covered in ice. He was afraid to press too hard for fear of making her worse, but at the same time, he couldn't just stop trying to help no matter how many times he was rebuked. Coming home hadn't made things better, like he had hoped, so he would have to remain next to her for when she needed him again. This time he would be there no matter how long it was or what it took. Failing a second time was not an option.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kachiko lay on her back, staring at the familiar ceiling. That was one thing that would remain the same. She wondered if the next 'attack' would be the final one, where she would wake up in the past on her bed, looking at the familiar ceiling and having no idea that her life was about to begin its downward spiral into hell in a few scant months. It would be the sort of horrible symmetry she had come to expect since learning what her final fate would be. It consumed her thoughts every minute of the day, and there was nothing she could do to change it. The two attacks she had suffered in the hospital had  been more painful and lasted longer. Instinctively she knew one more, two at the most, and it would all be over, at least in any sense that it mattered.

There was a firm knock on the door. Kachiko considered remaining where she was, since it wouldn't make any difference, but then realized the knocking would just continue. There was no sense in making her final moments of freedom filled with the din of a pounding door and being barraged with a series of questions she had no desire to answer.

"Come in." Her voice lacked anything resembling its former enthusiasm. That had been a lifetime ago, in feeling and soon to be in reality.

Kachiko was slightly surprised to see her visitor was Nabiki. Her 'middle daughter' was shifting uncomfortably, an odd contrast to the smile she wore.

Nabiki cleared her throat, then tried to speak casually, though there was a hesitation in her voice. "Hey, there, nice to have you back." She stopped, leaving an obvious opening for Kachiko to respond so they could start a conversation.

Kachiko couldn't find the desire to talk to the girl. She continued lying limply there, staring at the ceiling.

Nabiki leaned against the door frame and continued. "I have to admit, things have been pretty quiet around here since your accident."

They would get quieter still once she was gone, but Kachiko couldn't bring herself to admit the reality aloud. It would have been too much for her to bear.

Nabiki tried spurring her on. "You look bored. Want to play some cards? We can do it for money. Single yen pieces, of course."

Even in her current state of mind, Kachiko was taken aback by the offer. Nabiki had been avoiding card games like the plague since learning Kachiko was the superior player. What was she up to? The curiosity caught some small portion of Kachiko's interest, probably the first since her time in the hold of the ship.

Since Kachiko didn't try to insert herself into the second opening, Nabiki proceeded yet again. "Anyway, don't let anyone else know this, but I have to admit, I kind of missed you while you were gone. You're the only person I can talk to. Everyone else is, well, you know how everyone else is. In some ways, it's like being alone in a room full of people. But you're fun to spend time with. I didn't realize how much until you weren't around anymore. So I just wanted to let you know I'm glad you're here and everything turned out okay and I apologize for trying to kill you with that cursed hourglass. Heck, I'd even be proud if you were my mom, though don't expect me to start calling you that. I'm not Kasumi."

Kachiko stiffened slightly, but said nothing.

Nabiki shifted uncomfortably. "Well, that's what I came by to say. If you're feeling better later on, we can hang out and do something. See you." She headed out, closing the door behind her.

Once Kachiko was certain Nabiki was gone and not in danger of returning, she sat up. That had been unexpected, and she'd wager that was the most sentimentality Nabiki had displayed in years. What a pity it was too late to enjoy. If anything, the acceptance of Kachiko's presence made the reality of the situation worse than before. She didn't want to feel at home. She wanted to hate it here, so going back wouldn't seem so terrible. It was far better to have every path paved in misery. That way being forced down one didn't make a difference. It was having an unreachable one paved in gold that broke her spirit. She hated being forced to look at things she couldn't have.

The warmth from Nabiki's approval made Kachiko all the more bitter. She decided to go downstairs and find someone that would make her feel uncomfortable with being here. Something to make the inevitable departure seem a like blessing in disguise, or at least less painful.

Kachiko left her room, carefully examining the layout of the upstairs. Different furnishings, a different feel, even different paint. Except it no longer looked different. It seemed more like her home now, instead of the seventeen plus years she had lived in it with only her parents whom she had little in common with. It was odd, how her memories of the past betrayed her at this time. She would have done just about anything to juxtapose the sensation of belonging.

It was then she thought of someone who might shake her out of her melancholy. Kachiko headed directly for the kitchen. Sure enough, Kasumi was there, dressed in one of her sedate, boring dresses and toiling over a hot stove. Kachiko was certain once the older girl went into her usual spiel about the joys of housework and cleaning, it would serve to remind her that not all here was joy and rapture.

Turning away from a boiling pot, Kasumi looked up and smiled as she noticed Kachiko for the first time. "Good day, Moth... I mean Kachi. Do you mind of I call you Kachiko, though? I don't like being quite that informal."

Kachiko's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

Missing the time-lost girl's suddenly dazed state, Kasumi continued talking. "I'm preparing your favorite meal tonight, since this is your first day back. You don't have to worry about any of the cooking. I'll do it all myself. You just relax and enjoy yourself."

Kasumi moved the pot off the burner and grabbed a ladle. She dipped it in and pulled it up next to her face, blowing on the contents for a moment before sampling it. Shaking her head, she returned the pot to the burner.

"Maybe I should do some cleaning?" Kachiko asked as a way of probing the waters.

"Oh no! I wouldn't even think of it. From now on, I'll take care of all your belongings, just like I do everyone else," Kasumi assured her. "You're family, just like my sisters."

Kachiko felt like passing out. This was not going the way she had envisioned. It was far better than anything she would have imagined, which ironically, only served to make her feel a dozen times worse.

Kasumi blushed slightly as she asked, "By the way, once you're feeling up to it, would you like to go out dancing again sometime? I had a great deal of fun, though I'll be having much less to drink. I'm still not good at knowing which places are fun to dance at, so I'll have to let you choose, but I'd really look forward to it."

Kachiko's lip trembled slightly. "Time permitting, sure," she said weakly and all but  raced out of the kitchen before she was overcome by emotion. What was wrong with the girl? Why did  she have to choose now to get over her mother complex and start treating Kachiko like a normal person? She didn't want acceptance, not now. She wanted to be cursed and reviled, anything to make her feel her presence was unwanted.

Her vision blurred as her eyes started to tear up. She pointed her face downward as she walked, trying to get control of herself before she started bawling and had everyone worrying over her. That was why she was caught off-guard and slammed into something that was soft on the outside, but had a firmness to it like rock underneath. Off-balance, she started to fall to the ground, but was caught by a strong pair of hands before she could hit the floor.

Kachiko looked up into the face of the man who held her. Good. It was the creepy old guy. Now that he had her in his embrace, he'd go into his usual weepy 'Kachi-chan' act and make a pass at her, refusing to let go and most likely trying for a grope. His continued adoration was almost enough to make her relieved she was going back, save for the fact she was destined to end up in his arms again, even if she still couldn't fathom the how of it.

Rather than continuing to hold her, Soun set her back on her feet and looked down on her in concern. "Are you all right?"

She was surprised by his civility, and his willingness to release her. "I'm fine." She waited for his diatribe on how much he missed her during her absence and that they should date, or something worse.

Instead he said, "Good. You really must be more careful. You've been in a terrible accident, although thankfully you've recovered."

"Uh, yeah," she said, wondering why he was so behaving so subdued. Had someone tranquilized him?

He asked, "Is there anything I can get for you? I'm going to be out later tonight, but I have the time now to get something for you if you want."

"Going out?" Kachiko asked, wondering  why he wasn't dropping any hints about her coming along. He always had before. His refusal to act like his normal self was even weirder than Nabiki acting touchy-feely and Kasumi not ranting about her being 'Mother' and trying to turn her into a housewife.

Soun chuckled, his amusement tinted with a touch of embarrassment. "Yes, a date, if  you must know. It seems Hinako is a very nice girl after all, just as you thought. We've been getting along very well of late." His eyes took on a distant gleam. "It is nice dating again after all these years. I'm not as rusty as I used to be." The brief trip down memory lane stopped as he once again focused on the girl in front of him. "I'm sure you don't want to hear about that. In any event, if there's anything you need, feel free to ask, and I'll help you as best as I can. It's nice having you back."

Finished with his offer, Soun continued on his original destination, shouting, "Saotome, how about a couple games of shogi before I have to get ready?"

Left on her own, Kachiko felt a sense of detachment, like traveling through time, but without the pain. If she had not known better, she would have sworn she had traveled to a parallel universe and was dealing with calm, rational alternates of the people she had met in this time.

How could they all have changed so much? And why now? For the first time since her arrival she wanted their irrational demands and obsessive wants thrust upon her, they had instead changed into normal people who were treating her like someone welcomed for who she was instead of what she represented to them. It was all she had wanted from them until this moment, and when she needed them to behave normally, they turned on her again and deny her the harassment and pestering that had been their trademarks for so long. She damned them for their understanding at a time when she wanted their ire. Now she felt worse than ever.

Radiating an aura of depression that rivaled the terror Soun's demon head attack could generate, Kachiko trudged toward her room. She was almost to the base of the stairs when a figure suddenly appeared to block her passage.

Kachiko found herself the recipient of a glare that unnerved even her. Nodoka's gaze threatened to bore holes through her, and made Kachiko relieved the woman possessed no battle skills.

The matriarch of the Saotome clan stood before the shorter girl, bringing all of her regal mien to bear. "While I am... not totally displeased at your continued survival, let me assure you that I will never allow you to endanger my son again, you annoying little trollop."

What had started out as a near frightening experience for Kachiko suddenly changed. Instead of cringing back, or returning the threat with one of her own, she released a relieved laugh and slapped Nodoka affectionately on the shoulder. "Thanks. It's nice to see someone around here acting normal. I feel a lot better now."

Kachiko slipped past Nodoka. While her tread was not light, it lacked the hopeless oblivion that had previously clung to her.

A confused Nodoka was left behind, muscles in her face twitching uncontrollably at her threat having the opposite of its intended reaction. She spun on her heel, intent on finding her husband and complaining to him about the little brat's intolerable behavior.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Moonlight filtered through the window of the room, shining on Ranma's face, taunting him with his perceived inadequacies. Guilt's only company was his father's snoring and the threats his mother mumbled under her breath while in the throes of some dream.

He rolled over for the fifth time in as many minutes. This was useless. Rest proved as elusive as Azusa Shiratori on roller skates. Ranma threw off his covers and rose to his feet, regardless of the time, intent on demanding Kachiko tell him what was bothering her. Only together could they bear the burden that would break them should they try to bear it individually.

Moving quietly, dressed only in tee-shirt and shorts, Ranma silently padded out of the bedroom. Awakening his parents, especially his mother, would only lead to a host of questions whose answers would sound bad no matter how he phrased them. Taking his time and mindful of his step, he walked past his parents' sleeping forms and left the bedroom.

The hall was shrouded in darkness, as it should be this close to midnight. He continued moving silently through the house. While having to explain his actions to his mother was the worst possible thing he could do, having to explain them to Akane was a close enough second he could barely distinguish one from the other.

Ranma's skills were up to the task as he made his way up the stairs, only creating noise from one misstep that was caused by a loose floorboard. Mentally cursing himself, he waited in the darkness for someone to stumble on his nocturnal maneuvers. Five minutes passed, producing no reaction from any of the other occupants in the house. Once again he continued walking up the stairs and locating the dagger that was being thrust into his conscience.

He made his way to Kachiko's door without further incident. Deciding to try the door first, rather than knocking and possibly arousing the other denizens of the house, he found  the doorknob turned easily in his grip. Rather than opening it slowly, and producing a long, excruciating squeak from infrequently oiled hinges, he thrust the door open, then slid through the aperture before closing the door behind him. Hopefully Kachiko would remain asleep until he could draw close, then he could awaken her without making a major disturbance.

Ranma silently began making his way to the bed, pausing when he was only halfway there. With his and Kachiko's bedrooms located on the same side of the house, moonlight also poured through her window, illuminating the bed.

It lay empty, covers tucked neatly in place as though it had never been slept in.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kachiko Tendou sat cross-legged in the middle of the dojo floor. The cool feel of wood caressing her bottom stood in stark contrast to the heat she felt coming from her body. She absorbed her surroundings. The wooden boards lining the walls and floor, both ones from her time and newer ones from as recent as a couple of weeks ago. The sign bearing the black symbols of the kanji for the Tendou School of Martial Arts. The smell of sinew and strain of combat that was worked into the very air as decades of martial arts had been practiced in the dojo. It was a little overwhelming when taken all at once.

But essentially, the reminiscing was nothing more than a delaying tactic. She had to face the reality of the situation. It was time. Her decision had been made shortly before nightfall, and lying in bed and pondering the matter had only reinforced the appropriateness of the decision. There was no reason to postpone it any longer, and every reason to continue forward, before it was too late, and the act rendered meaningless.

Kachiko picked up the small bundle wrapped in white cloth. Delicately she unwrapped the item. It hadn't been difficult to find. The Tendou clan, especially with it being steeped in tradition for generations, would have at least one lying around somewhere. The tanto had been stored with the other weapons in the dojo. It had been carefully maintained, well oiled and sharp, perfect for the task it was intended for. Soun might have been a weepy guy, but he kept his tools of the trade in good shape.

Her hand was trembling as she gripped the handle. She tried taking several deep breaths to calm herself. It wouldn't do now to mess up. It would ruin everything and defeat the whole purpose to what she wanted to accomplish, making her situation even worse than before.

Delicately, the tip of the blade rested against her abdomen. With the touch of metal pricking her flesh, she suddenly had no confidence in completing her task in that manner. It was too slow, and she was a fighter. Even coming this far went against her basic nature in so many ways, though in others it was exactly what she would do. It was a conflict, like so many she had suffered since coming here. But this would be the final one.

She changed her mind. Better one quick thrust to the heart to end it all, rather than the prolonged agony of disembowelment. True, there was a chance the blow might not be fatal, but she had confidence in her strength of arm and steady aim.

The point of the blade lay poised above her heart, hovering a foot away. It was so very hard to make it go forward. It took a moment of pondering what would happen if she didn't use the blade, and the inevitable outcome, before her resolve firmed once more.

Using all the force she could muster, the blade descended. It sliced into flesh, eliciting a snarl of pain.

"No!" Kachiko cried out as Ranma bit through the agony and ripped the blade out of her hand and hurled it away.

Kachiko tried to crawl forward to the blade, but Ranma stopped her, ignoring the blood flowing freely from his slashed fingers. He had never been more determined to stop someone from doing something, and refused to allow her to move him a centimeter. Luckily, the battle didn't last long, as though Kachiko had no desire to win in the first place. She quickly gave up the struggle, going limp in his arms and releasing a mantra of deep throated sobs.

Once Ranma was convinced she would struggle no further, but keeping a firm hold on her body, he shouted, "What do you think you were trying to do?!"

Kachiko trembled in his strong grip, continuously sobbing and barely able to speak. "Don't you understand? I have to do this. I won't play the game Fate's trying to stick me with. If I can't have control over my life, at least I can have control over my death. Let me die!"

"No! If you kill yourself, you won't have any future at all," Ranma angrily retorted.

"I don't have one no matter what I do. This way it's my choice instead of me being victimized by others. It'll be under my terms. It's the only choice I have left. And now you're denying me even that. Now I'm doomed to a slow, lingering death by pieces instead of a quick one. I hate you." There was no true malice in her words. They were a weak attempt at lashing out at a convenient target. All her true anger was directed at her situation, and the hopelessness in it.

Kachiko sank into his arms, sniffling almost inaudibly. The ordeal had drained her of her strength and that was the best she could  manage.

Ranma held her cradled in his arms. He didn't fully understand the situation, but he had an idea of what she was talking about. He did the only thing he could do. His arms wrapped around her more firmly, and he held her nearly limp form close to his body.

"Don't worry. I'll be at your side the entire time. I won't leave you for nothing, no matter what."

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Silently, Akane stepped away from door leading to the dojo. She had only seen the very end of whatever had transpired between the pair, but that was more than enough to understand what had happened.

It was over.

There had been no warning it would end so abruptly. It had started inconspicuously enough. Akane had been restless, waking up a couple of times earlier in the evening. She was just starting to drift off for the third time when she thought she heard someone moving out in the hall. Since people moving around in the middle of the night tended to lead to bad situations, Akane decided to investigate. Mindful not to awaken Kasumi, she threw on a bathrobe over her pajamas and went out into the hall. Worried about Ranma, she went by his room first. After waiting for a moment, she decided to barge in unannounced and hoped she didn't wake his parents in the process. To her horror, it was devoid of the man she loved. The covers on his futon had been mussed, indicating he had been slept in it earlier, so whatever had happened to him was probably recent.

A cascade of emotions tore through Akane, running from blind rage to terror that left her trembling uncontrollably to everything in-between; all of them assailing her at the same time. Not wanting to, but knowing she had to, Akane ran to her old bedroom and did not hesitate to throw the door open. The sight of the empty bed that greeted her turned the cascade of emotions into a waterfall.

Before she had a chance to regain her bearings, she heard a sound come from the direction of the dojo. Almost before the her brain was able to process the information, her legs were in motion as she raced downstairs in a panic. Bile rose to her throat in fear of what she would find waiting for her.

Her luck held true as she arrived just in time to see Ranma embracing Kachiko and swear his oath. It was the sort of thing he would have done for Akane, at least before Kachiko had appeared and stolen him away before Akane knew there was anything wrong.

Akane turned away before they knew she was there. She couldn't stand to see Ranma now. She couldn't stand hearing his pathetic apologies, if he would even spare her any. He might not have cared enough to manage that. It didn't really matter. They would be meaningless. They couldn't undo the damage that had been done. The intricately woven relationship that had started the day he came into the Tendou home and said, "I'm Ranma Saotome. Sorry about this," had become unraveled in the span of a couple of months. It had ended not with a bang, but with a whimper in the form of a quiet vow made by Ranma. He always kept his vows, save the one he had made to Akane at Mount Phoenix. He had turned his back on that one fast enough. But then, everyone always said love was a fleeting thing. It was just proof that adage was true.

What was left for Akane now? Kachiko had come in and taken everything she wanted. The others had made her an accepted part of the family. She would probably inherit the dojo.

She had Ranma's love.

That was the only thing Akane truly felt an aching longing for. Ranma. He had become the center of her world without her knowing it, and now he was gone, despite still being there in the same house. She didn't know how to deal with it. It was too much, too fast, to have all of her month long fears become a reality before her eyes. And she only had herself to blame. All of it because of one hastily worded wish that she never wanted to make in the first place.

Akane had made it only halfway back to her room when a girl's high-pitched scream come from the dojo. It was the most horrifying thing Akane had heard in her life, and ran a chill down her spine that for one fleeting moment, drowned out the sorrow in her own soul.

Akane had only taken a single step in that direction when a rumbling came from above. Suddenly the air around her filled with a green mist that seemed to be everywhere, surrounding her. Curiously the airborne cloud produced no scent, and Akane found her breath coming to her easily.

The mystery of the cloud lasted only a moment when the strange hue triggered Akane's memory. Her heart nearly stopped as the mist moved away from her, swirling about in a funnel and taking on the form of a pillar. Even that did not last long as the top of it slowed, coalescing. The upper half become solidified, changing into an almost human form, while the lower half remained a cloud of mist hovering above the floor.

Inhuman, pupilless yellow eyes, gazed at Akane. She swore they looked both at her and through her simultaneously.

"You!" Akane gasped. "What are you doing here?"

No emotion was on the creature's face. It might as well have been chiseled from marble. "I AM HERE AS PER MY INSTRUCTIONS."

"I didn't tell you to come back," Akane insisted, a fear blossoming in her chest. A hope blossoming in her chest.

"NOT YOURS, BUT RATHER HE WHO SCRIBED THE WISH, BINDING A COVENANT BETWEEN YOUR WORLD AND MINE."

"Why didn't you tell me then?" Akane asked, neither hope nor fear being confirmed by his response.

"THERE WAS NO NEED FOR IT. YOU WOULD NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD WHY, BUT NOW YOU MIGHT. NOW IT FALLS UPON YOU TO FINALIZE YOUR WISH."

Now hope seized control of the situation. "It's not permanent?"

The being's voice boomed. "NOT YET. IT IS A SAFEGUARD BUILT  INTO THE VERY WISH ITSELF BY HE WHO SCRIBED THE WISH. DID YOU NOT WONDER WHY ONE WOULD CREATE A WISH, YET NOT USE IT? WHY BIND IT TO PARCHMENT ONLY TO BE USED BY ANOTHER?"

"I hadn't thought of that," Akane admitted. It was Happosai who had it in his possession, not her. She had just accepted the opportunity presented to her, and screwed it up in the worst way possible.

"HE DID IN FACT USE ONE, EVEN AS YOU HAVE USED YOURS, AND THOSE THAT CAME INTO POSSESSION OF THE OTHER SCROLLS USED THEIRS. HOWEVER, HE LEARNED, MUCH TO HIS ETERNAL SORROW, THAT THE THINGS WE WISH FOR ARE RARELY THE THINGS WE TRULY NEED... OR EVEN WANT."

For the first time since Akane saw the magical being, she detected an emotion coming from him: that of sadness. "Yes, I know what you mean."

"AND SO THE SAFEGUARD NOW COMES INTO PLAY, A MOMENT OF TRUTH EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHEN YOU FIRST NAMED YOUR WISH. THE TIME HAS COME TO MAKE YOUR CHOICE."

She needed to be certain. "What choice?"

"THE WISH WAS NOT PERMENANT. IT WAS BUT TEMPORARY, GIVING YOU A TASTE OF WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU DESIRED. NOW THAT YOU HAVE MADE YOUR WISH, YOU HAVE THE CHOICE OF LEAVING IT IN PLACE, OR MAKING IT AS THOUGH IT HAD NEVER TAKEN PLACE."

This was it! The thing she had hoped for when the being first mentioned a choice. Now things could  go back to the way they had been. Everyone could go back to normal like before Kachiko stuck her nose in where it didn't belong. Kasumi would act like her old self. Nabiki wouldn't be siding against Akane. Their father wouldn't be pursuing Hinako and the teacher wouldn't become the girls' stepmother. Ranma would love Akane like he had before. And Kachiko could go back to...

...Back to being dead.

Now that Akane was confronted with the reality of the situation, she felt hesitation. Wouldn't undoing the wish be the same thing as wishing her mother was dead? She couldn't possibly do such a thing. Except, Kachiko wasn't really her mother in any sense of the word. The time-lost girl would have been the first to eagerly point it out, and did so with regularity. Even Kasumi wasn't treating her like their mother anymore. She was just some annoying teenager ruining things worse than Shampoo or Kodachi ever had.

And it was Kachiko's fate to be in the past, wasn't it? Doing something wasn't the same thing as undoing it. She would only be setting them back to their proper place, which had already happened. Even the wish hadn't undone that. Akane wouldn't be making something happen: she'd be allowing events to unfold the way they were meant to. The way they already had. The natural order would be restored. That wouldn't be wrong, would it? Interfering with destiny was what had been wrong, wasn't it?

"Can't I just get a second wish, or rephrase it?" Akane all but pleaded.

"NO. YOU MUST DECIDE YES OR NO IF YOU WANT THE WISH TO CONTINUE OR IF YOU WANT IT TO END."

This was what Akane had been afraid of. But this time she had a chance to think about the nature of the wish. She had thought of little else in the last couple of months. If only she had wished for something simple, like Ranma being cured or Happosai not being a pervert, or for better martial arts, or even for the weather to be clear. Had any of those happened, she wouldn't have had to deal with this hell she had been thrown into. She wouldn't have to consider such an unpleasant decision that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Again Akane began grasping for another way out of the dilemma. "What happens if she goes back? Will it change the present or something?"

"ALL WILL BE AS IT IS NOW."

That was one concern taken care of, and the easiest way out of the situation. But there were other matters of equal importance. "If she stays here, will it mess up the present, like my sisters and I won't be born?"

"ALL WILL BE AS IT IS NOW."

Again, she was denied having the matter taken out of her hands. In a voice so soft it was barely audible, she asked, "If I make the wish go away, will I... will everyone remember what happened?"

"WHAT HAS HAPPENED WAS REAL. WHETHER OR NOT YOU REMEMBER IS IRRELEVENT. IF YOU UNMAKE THE WISH, YOU UNMAKE IT. THAT IS REAL. IF YOU LEAVE THE WISH AS IT IS, THAT IS REAL, TOO."

He was correct. She didn't want to admit it, but was unable to deny it. Even if she couldn't remember, she still would have been responsible for her actions and the effect they had. It was what Akane was afraid of. It was everything she had wished for, but didn't want to face. It would solve all of her problems, but in the worst way possible.

The being's voice lost some of its intensity as it said, "MY TIME ON THIS PLANE OF EXISTENCE GROWS SHORT."

"I need more time to decide!" Akane pleaded.

"TIME IS USELESS TO YOU NOW. YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU MUST DO," the being said simply.

And Akane felt the truth of his words. Deep in her heart, she knew what she had to do. She had simply wanted to postpone the choice forever, so she wouldn't have to deal with the burden placed upon her by the decision. But there was no time. She had to say it aloud to make it true, and live with the consequences for now until the end of time.

She had made the wish in the beginning, it was only just that she would decide how everything would turn out. Others' opinions didn't figure into the equation. Not her family's. Not Ranma's. Not even Kachiko's, despite so much of the wish involving her. It was a choice that Akane had to make for her own sake and hers alone, since she would bear sole responsibility for everything that had happened and would happen from that moment onward.

Voice heavy with regret, Akane said with a tone of finality, "Very well. I want you to--

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[END CHAPTER] Only the epilogue to go.

Special thanks to

Special thanks to:
Eternal Lost Lurker
The Apprentice
Max M.
Christopher Horton
David Tai
Michael A. Chase