"Ronald Johnston Jr." <rtj@hotmail.com>


***PROLOGUE***

     Soun Tendo stares nervously at the go board before him.  A hint of
sweat appears on his wrinkled brow as he tries to figure out the problem
before him.  He sits there and stares at the board as a rather smug
looking Genma Saotome sits right across from him, beckoning him to make
his next move.

     "What's the delay Tendo?"  Asks Genma, "Are you going to continue
to play the game or aren't you?"

     "I'm just trying to decide on where to put my piece."

     "Just admit it Tendo, I won this game."

     "Not yet you haven't!"  Replies a defiant Soun Tendo as he slams
down his black go piece.  "Take that!"

     Genma's jaw hits the ground as he realizes that Soun had found the
one place that would turn the game to his favor.

     "Now who's in trouble?"  Asks a now rather confident Soun as he
crosses his arm in triumph.

     Genma stares worriedly at the go board.  Soun believing that the
game is as good as his, turns his attention towards the window and looks
outside.  The sun had set hours ago and the full moon was already up in
the night sky.

     Genma looks up from the board and notices that Soun has turned his
attention away from the game.  A sly smile appears on his face as a plan
forms in his head.  "Thinking about Ranma and Akane?"  Asks Genma as he
reaches for the pieces on the board.

     "Yes I am."  A concerned look comes across Soun's face.  "I'm
wondering how their date is going."

     "After all the trouble we went through to get them to go, it better
be going good.  Especially with all that money you spent on the ring
that you gave to Ranma so he could give to Akane."

     Soun nods back in response.  He closes his eyes and pictures the
ring he gave Ranma.  It was a simple gold ring with two entwined hearts
on it.  A single small diamond was set in center of both of the hearts.
Soun smiles because it wasn't the ring itself that was expensive.  The
ring was the same exact ring that he gave to his wife when he propsed to
her.  All he did was adjust the ring to fit Akane.  The part that made
it cost him was that he was giving a piece of his wife away.  The
thought of Ranma losing it before he gave it to Akane sent shivers down
his spine.  "Maybe we should go and check on them."

     "But father," replies Kasumi as she enters the room with a pot of
tea, "You both promised that you wouldn't spy on them if they went on
this date."

     "Yes Kasumi, I remember."  Soun raises his empty tea cup for Kasumi
to fill.

     Kasumi fills her father's cup and Genma's cup as well.  When she
finishes she sits down next to her father and puts the teapot down.  She
places a comforting hand on her worried father's shoulder.

     "Don't worry father.  You know that Ranma would never allow
something to happen to Akane.  How many times has Ranma saved Akane from
being married to someone else or saved her from a fight."  Kasumi's
words seem to be working as the concerned look slowly leaves Soun's
face.  "Even though Akane and Ranma won't admit to it, they do love each
other."

     Soun places his hand onto Kasumi's.  "You're right Kasumi dear."

     "Yes father, I know."

     The three of them sit there in complete silence until the sound of
ringing phone breaks the silence.

     "I'll get it father."  Kasumi remove her hand, picks up the teapot
and then leaves to answer the ringing phone.

     Soun looks back towards a smiling Genma.  "Well Saotome, are you
going to play the game or what!"

     Genma pick up a piece and happily places it onto the board.

     Soun's eyes nearly jump out of their sockets when he looks at the
board.  "I don't remember those pieces being th......"

     The sound of shattering ceramic seems to echo throughout the house,
disturbing Genma and Soun from their game.

     "Kasumi......"

     They rush out of the room and run down the hallway towards the
phone.  When they get there they see a pale Kasumi with a broken teapot
next to her feet as she slowly hangs the phone up.

     "Kasumi who was that?"  Asks her worried father.

     It takes Kasumi a few moments to regain her composure.  "It.....
It..... It was Dr. Tofu calling from the hospital.  Something has
happened to Akane and Ranma.  We need to go to the hospital."

     The trio quickly grab thier jackets and leave the house.  As they
leave, they fail to spot a single crow resting itself on the wall next
to the exit.  The crow cocks it's head and watches them as they scurry
off down the street.  When they disappear out of sight, the crow spreads
it's wings and takes off into the seemingly endless night.

                            ***************


     Writer's opening thoughts:  The Crow, what an excellent movie.
By that I mean the first one, not the second one.  Don't get me wrong,
the second movie wasn't as bad as some people claim.  I admit that it's
a bit weaker than the first one but I'm not here to debated that.  I'm
here to annouce my new fanfic.  As you can probally guess by now, it's
based on the crow movie/comic series.  I put in a few scenes from both
of the movies, mainly because I lost my only copy of the crow graphic
novel.  The book was completly differnt than the movie anyways.  Enough
with the chit-chat and let me get on with the story.
                                                                  RTJ

     One last thing:

                           ***DISCLAIMER***

                      RANMA 1/2 IS COPYRIGHT OF:
         RUMIKO TAKAHASHI, VIZ COMMUNICATIONS, SHOGAKUKAN INC.
                       KITTY FILM & PONY CANYON

                       THE CROW IS COPYRIGHT OF:
                     JAMES O'BARR & MIRAMAX FILMS

                         ***END DISCLAIMER***

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             *             R A N M A   1 / 2            *
             *                                          *
             *                    I N                   *
             *                                          *
             *              T H E   C R O W             *
             *                                          *
             ********************************************

                            ***************

     "People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their
soul to the land of the dead.  Sometimes, something so bad happens that
a terrible sadness is carried with it.  Then sometimes, just sometimes,
the crow will bring the soul back to put the wrong things right."
Sarah, The Crow

                            ***************

                           ***CHAPTER ONE***
                          ***RESURRECTION***

     The sun rises to great Nerima as it always does.  Ukyo Kounji is
scene sweeping in front of her shop.  She's dressed in the same outfit
she always wears when she is at work.  For the last few days though,
there has been something different about her outfit.  If one looks
closely enough, you can see the black ribbon tied around her right arm.

     The chilly morning breeze picks up and ruins all the work that she
just did.  She stops sweeping and watches as the dead leaves drift
almost effortlessly across the ground.  For a few moments she just
stands there and watches on.  Suddenly she snaps her wooden broom in
half and tosses the pieces down the street.  She turns and runs teary
eyed into her shop.

     Ukyo stops long enough to turn the open sign around to close before
she runs upstairs to her room.  She throws open her bedroom door and
collapses onto her bed and breaks down even more.  An hour passes by
before she finally regains some composure.  She rolls over onto her back
and thinks back to the events of the last few weeks.

     "Why........"

     She thinks back to that night she got the call.  She had just
finished cleaning up the shop and had gone up to her room to relax.
Within minutes of turning on the television the phone rang and it was
Nabiki calling from the hospital.  Ukyo still remembers the terror she
felt when Nabiki told her what had happened.

     "Why........"

     She thinks back to the double funeral that they held several days
later.  Ranma and Akane were both buried next to each other in the same
cemetery that Akane's mother was.  The sheer number of people that
showed up for the funeral still held Ukyo in awe.  Now that she thinks
about it, Ranma and Akane did know allot of people.  Even though at one
point in time, everyone there was either trying to marry them or kill
them.

     "Why........"

     She thinks back to the days aftwards.  Many people have come by to
try and comfort her.  Tsubasa help was the worst of them all.  He told
Ukyo to just forget about Ranma.  When she heard that, she sent Tsubasa
into orbit and haven't scene him since.  Just a few days ago her father
came by and told her that she could come back home since Ranma was gone.
She told him that she wouldn't and she would only come home when she was
ready.

     "Why did you have to die......."

     Noise from the outside distracts Ukyo from her current mood.  She
sits up and finally gets off of the bed.  She walks over to the her
room's only window and opens it.  A blast of cold morning air hits her.
Ukyo wraps her arms around herself and looks out at the people passing
by her shop.  Several people stop long enough to notice the close sign
and then continue on their way.

     (Listen girl, if you don't open the shop soon.  You will have to
move back home because a closed shop doesn't pay the bills.)  Ukyo
stands there for a moment longer before decides to head back downstairs.


     As she leaves her room she hears another noise behind her and turns
around.  There perched on her window sill is a crow.  The crow tilts
it's head to the side and looks at Ukyo.  She looks back at the bird in
pure bewilderment.  The bird caws at her a few times.

     "Get out of hear!"  Ukyo picks up a pillow and tosses it at the
bird.

     The crow takes the hint and flies away.

     (Stupid bird.)

                              **********

     Detective Takada sighs as he tosses his jacket onto the back of his
chair.  Soon he joins his beaten jacket in the chair.  He sighs again as
he reaches into a nearby white box and pulls out a jelly donut.  The
chair lets out a mighty squeak as he leans back in it.  After finishing
off the donut he reaches grabs a thick manila folder in his In box.  He
pulls out a cigarette as he opens the folder to examine it's contents
once again.  He picks up two pictures and looks at them.  One is a
picture of a young girl with short black hair and the other is of
another young girl with her red hair done up in a ponytail.

     "Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome, two friends out having fun when all
hell comes crashing down on them."  Detective Takada pulls his lighter
out of his pocket and lights his cigarette.  "What was going through
your minds when you two decided to take a nightly stroll through the
park."

     He puts the pictures down and picks up the hospital reports.  Ones
claims that the red head was dead before the ambulance got to the scene.
Another states that the other girl had died at the hospital several
hours later.  Both reports state that both girls where brutally beaten
and sexually assaulted.  All money and jewelry was missing so the people
upstairs had written the report off as a mugging gone fatal.  One thing
bothered Detective Takada though, Nerima park was one of the safest
parks in all of Tokyo.  A mugging hasn't been reported in that park in
over a year.  Fellow officers say that it must be a new gang moving in
on the area.  If that was so, how come no one at the precinct has heard
anything about some new gang?

     This bothered him.

     A couple walking through the park caught the end of the event and
called the police.  From these people, the police was able to get a
description of the four men who did this.  The descriptions were
slightly vague but Takada recognized them.  One tall bald male with a
tattoo on his forehead, one short male with a eye patch over his right
eye, one average height male with long green hair and glasses, and
another male with short black hair and a large scar going down the left
side of his face.  Just from the first description he knew who the
others were.  The tall bald man with a tattoo was Nagateru "Skull"
Katau.  His nickname was Skull because the tattoo on his forehead was
that of a skull entwined in barb wire.  The other three man were Yuzo
"Patch" Ikeguchi, Yutaka "Specks" Ootsuki and Torao "Scar" Arai.  Skull
was the brains of the group because he was bigger and stronger than the
others.  But mainly it was because Skull could form a thought in his
head, unlike the others.

     Detective Takada takes one last drag on his cigarette before he
puts it out.  He puts all the papers back into the folder and gets up.

     (Those four don't belong to any gang,) thinks the Detective to
himself, (What are they doing down in Nerima.  They're usually
terrorizing the west side of town.)  He shakes his head as no answers
seem to appear forthcoming.  Detective Takada grabs his jacket and puts
it on.  (Time to earn my pay.)  He leaves his office.

                              **********

     Ukyo waves goodbye to the last of her lunch rush customers.  She
picks up a large metal brush and proceeds to scrap her grill clean.  As
she scraps the grill she looks around her store and notices that it's
completely empty.  She sighs and puts away the metal brush.  She instead
moves over to the small television she keeps on the counter and decides
to see what's on.  A weather report is on and the weather lady is
talking about how the weather is starting to get colder.  The weather
lady rambles on for a few more minutes about the cold weather before
another reporter appears.  The scene changes and the reporter starts
talking about the an event that happened in the park several weeks ago.

     Ukyo immediately turns the television off.  "It's been a month now
and the media is still talking about it.  When will they stop talking
about it!"

     The door to her shop opens and in walks a lone gentlemen wearing a
beaten brown jacket.  Ukyo puts on her best false smile and greets the
gentlemen.  The man walks up to Ukyo, reaches into his pocket and pulls
out a badge.

     "I'm Detective Takada.  Are you Ukyo Kounji?"

     The false smile disappears from Ukyo's face and is replaced with a
frown.  "What do you want!  I run an honest restaurant here!"

     "Miss Kounji, I'm not here for any of those reasons."

     "Then why are you here?"

     Detective Takada takes up a stool at the counter.  "I'm here to
talk about Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo."

     Ukyo's face goes white.

     "I take it that you knew them."

     "Yes.......  I did."

     Takada realizes that he must have struck a sensitive nerve.  "Hey,
since I'm here I might as well order a deluxe okonomiyaki.   I've heard
allot of people talk about how good they are and I haven't had lunch
yet."

     Ukyo nods back in response and begins working on his order.

     Detective Takada notices her mood has change for the better.  "So
how did you know them?"

     "I was Ranma's fiancee."

     Detective Takada is taken back by this remark.  "Did I just hear
you say FIANCEE!?!"

     (That's right, Ranma was brought to the hospital as a girl.)  Ukyo
gives the detective a nervous smile.  "No I didn't say fiancee, I said
friend.  Ranma and Akane were both good friends on mine."  Ukyo puts the
finishing touches onto the okonomiyaki and hands it to the detective.

     Takada looks at the okonomiyaki and then back at Ukyo.  (I could
have sworn she said fiancee.  Then again, why would a girl be engaged to
another girl?)  Takada shrugs off the remark and proceeds to eat his
meal.  He finishes off his meal in a matter of minutes.

     "Wow, you must have been hungry."

     "I was.  Anyway you said you were good friends with Ranma and
Akane."  Ukyo nods her head.  "Then you would know if they had any
enemies."

     "That would be an understatement."

     "What do you mean by that?"

     "Ranma and Akane had many enemies."

     "Why would two young girls have so many enemies?"

     "Many people were in love him them and wanted to marry them.  The
funny part was that one person would love one of them and hate the other
one."

     "Why?"

     Before Ukyo can respond several customers enter the restaurant.

     "I'm sorry detective.  I would love to explain it all to you but I
have a shop to run."

     "Thank you for your time Miss Kounji."  Detective Takada reaches
into his pocket for some money.

     "Don't bother detective.  It's on the house if you promise me
something."

     "What's that Miss. Kounji."

     Ukyo looks the detective dead in the eye.  "Promise me that you'll
make those bastards pay for what they did."

     "I'll do my best."

     "Don't do your best.  Just make sure you do it!"

     Takada is taken back by the sincere look in Ukyo's eyes.  "I
promise."

                              **********

     Detective Takada exits Ukyo's Okonomiyaki shop as the cold autumm
wind picks up.  Takada pulls out a cigarette and lights it up.  He
stands there and takes several drags on his cigarette.

     (I got this funny feeling that she's hiding something from me.)

     Takada takes another drag on his cigarette before he decides to
move on.  As he prepares to leave he hears a noise behind him and turns
around.  There perched on a mailbox several meters away is a crow.

     Takada stands there, cigarette in hand, looking at the bird.  The
crow hops around on top of the mailbox and caws at him a couple of
times.

     "Now what do you want?"

     The crow lets out one mighty caw before it flies off into the sky.

     (Now what was that all about?"

                              **********

     The sun finally sets ending another day in Nerima.  Soon the moon
replaces the sun again in the cloudless sky.  Shortly, one by one, shops
start to close down for the day.  Since her customers left earlier than
normal, Ukyo decides to close down early also.  After a quick cleans up
and decides to take a nice hot bath.

     After a nice long hot bath she retires to her room.  She enters
her room with hair wrapped up in a towel and some leftover okonomiyaki
in hand.  She sits down in front of her mirror and turns on her radio.
Soft music permeates throughout the room as she fixing her hair.  After
putting her hair in several different styles she finally decides to keep
it the same way she always kept it.  When she finishes she gets up and
walks over to her window and opens it.  The cold night air instantly
chills her to the bone but she decides to keep it open anyways.

     She places her arms on the ledge and peers out at the night sky.
She looks up and marvels at how the stars shine so brightly in the sky.
A shooting star catches her attention.  Ukyo closes her eyes and makes
a quick wish.

     (Oh shooting star, all I wish for is vengeance for my Ran-chan.)

     Ukyo finishes by saying a little prayer for Ranma and Akane.  When
she opens her eyes she spots a crow perched on the street lamp in front
of her.  The crow opens it's wings and swiftly flies off.

     Ukyo watches as the crow disappears in the night.  She turns her
attention back to where the shooting star was.

     (Please shooting star, please grant my wish.)

                              **********

     The crow glides effortlessly through the chilly night sky.  It
catches an updraft and lifts higher into the dark sky.  Many who would
look up into the sky would never see this bird because of it's dark
color.  Those who did would just shrug it off as just another bird
flying about in the sky.  This little black bird was different though.
This little black bird was on a mission and it was looking for
something.  After a while it spots it's destination and swoops down into
a poorly lit cemetery.

     The bird lands on a tree branch and looks around the cemetery.  It
spots what it's looking for and swoops out of the tree and lands on one
of the headstones.  The crow lets out a few mighty caws and then stops.
It stands there on the headstone as if it was waiting for something.
Not getting a response, it then begins to peck at the headstone and lets
out a few more caws.

     Slowly the ground in front of the headstone begins to move.

     The crow notices this and begins hopping around the headstone and
lets out a few more caws.

     A hand breaks through from underneath the ground.  Soon another
hand breaks through and shortly afterwards the rest of the body breaks
through the earth.  As the figure slowly drags it's ragged form from the
hole in the ground, the crow takes flight once again.  When the figure
finally pulls itself from the hole it curls up into a ball on the nearby
grave.  The figure slowly lifts it's head and reads the name of the
grave it's laying on.

     "Akane Tendo......"  Seeing this, the figure wraps it's arms around
the headstone and lets out a mighty wail.

     "No it can't be true!  This can't be her grave!  IT JUST CAN'T
BE!!!!!"  The ragged figure breaks down and starts crying.  After a few
minutes the figure stops crying and turns it's head to look at it's
surroundings.  The figure spots the hole it just crawled out of and the
headstone in front of it.  The figure leans in closer to read the name
carved on it.

     "Ranma Saotome....."

                         ***END CHAPTER ONE***

                           ***CHAPTER TWO***
                           ***AWAKENINGS***


     "Ranma Saotome....."

     Ranma-kun leans in closer to get a better look at the headstone.

     "Ranma Saotome....."

     He just stares at the name on the headstone for countless minutes.
Then unexpectly he begins to laugh uncontrollably.

     "Ranma Saotome!!!"

     Still laughing, he gets up and starts walking away from his
apparent grave.  As he leaves the cemetery laughing like a crazed
lunatic.  A light misty rain begins to fall, changing Ranma-kun into
Ranma-chan.  This doesn't bother him in the least bit in his current
state of mind.  He mindlessly wonders into town and makes his way
through the alley ways in his tattered burial clothes.

     After traveling a few blocks, Ranma finally starts to calm down and
so does the rain.  Ranma looks around and notices that she is in front
of Ukyo's shop.  She looks up at Ukyo's bedroom window.

     "UKYO!"  Screams out Ranma.

                              **********

     Ukyo suddenly sits up in bed and looks around her room.

     (That's odd.  I thought I heard something.)  Ukyo shakes her head
in disbelief.  She gets up and walks over towards her dresser.  She
picks up the teapot resting there and tests it to see how warm it is.
To her disappointment she discovers that the tea is cold.  As she is
putting the teapot down, a strange feeling comes over her.  She looks
around her room again and as was before, no one is there.  Even though
no one is around, she just can't seem to shake the uneasiness that she
feels.

     As she heads back to her bed, she happens to glance in the
direction of her window.  Through the window she spots someone in the
street.  She walks closer to the window to get a better look.  When she
reaches the window, the figure is gone.  All she sees now is a crow
perched on the street lamp in front of her.

     (That's odd.  I could have sorn that I saw someone.)  Ukyo glances
at her watch.  (It's almost time for my meeting.  I better change and
get going.)  She turns and heads towards her closet.

                              **********

     (That was close.)

     When Ranma-chan saw that Ukyo was moving towards the window, she
bolted into the alley next to the shop.  Ranma leans up against the
brick wall of Ukyo's shop.

     (You idiot!  If she saw you.......)

     Ranma clenches his right hand into a fist.

     (Who knows what she might have done.)

     A black object flies by Ranma's head.  Ranma turns her head and
spots a crow perched on the trash can few feet away.  Ranma stands there
and stares at the strange bird.  A cold bitter wind pick up.  Ranma
wraps her arms around herself to keep warm.  The crow starts pecking at
the trash can's lid.  Ranma ignores it and decides that it's just a bird
looking for scraps of food.  The crow looks up at Ranma and starts
cawing at Her.  Ranma turns her attention back to the bird.  The crow
opens it's wings and starts hopping around on top of the lid.

     (If I didn't know any better.  I would swear that that crazy bird
is trying to tell me something.)

     Ranma moves over to the trash can as the bird continues to peck at
the lid.  As Ranma reaches for the lid, the crow flies off and lands on
a nearby street light.  Ranma takes off the lid and discovers a pair of
old black hiking boots.  Ranma garbs them out of the can.

     (These are Ukyo's.)

     After looking the boots over, all Ranma can see wrong with them is
that the soles are a little worn but that's about it.  Ranma looks down
at the pair of cheap dress shoes that she is wearing and then back at
the boots in her hand.  After deciding that the boots look like they
would fit better than the dress shoes, she makes a quick exchange.
After she throws the dress shoes into the trash can, the crow starts
cawing at Ranma again.

     Ranma watches as it flies out of the alley and glides down the
street.  It flies on for a bit before it lands on a street light.  The
bird turns to look at Ranma and starts cawing again.

     (I think that it wants me to follow it.)

     Ranma walks down the street a bit and stops under the street lamp
that the crow is perched on.  When she gets there, the crow takes flight
again.  After flying a short distance it lands again and starts cawing
at her again.  Ranma picks up the pace and starts running after the
bird.  The bird takes off again and then turns down one street.  Ranma
breaks out into a full run to keep up with the bird.  After a few miles
it lands on a street lamp to see if Ranma is still following and sure
enough, she is.  After flying for a few more miles the bird lands again.
Ranma, slightly out of breath, catches up with the bird.

     "So where have you been leading me to?"

     The crow turns it's head to look at the structure before it.  Ranma
turns her head and instantly recognizes the place.

     "The Tendo dojo......."

                              **********

     Four men of rather questionable morals are walking down a dimly lit
street in another part of town.  The leader, a rather tall bald male, is
leading the group.  As the leader walks underneath a street lamp, one
can vaguely see the tattoo of a skull wrapped in barb wire on his
forehead.

     Another of the group, wearing an eye patch over his right eye,
walks up to the bald male.  "Hey boss, what are we going to do tonight?
Are we going to bust up another store?  Or how about we go hunting in
the park like we did a few weeks ago?"

     "Yeah Skull, what are we going to do?"  Asks a man wearing glasses.

     Skull stops dead in his tracks and turns around.  He looks down at
the eye patch wearing male.  "We're going to meet an old employer of
ours.  Our employer didn't want to pay us because of Patch's trigger
happiness.!"

     "Hey boss, I was told that I could do anything I wanted as long as
I didn't do anything to that boy.  Did you see any boy with that girl.
No, all I saw was another girl with that girl.  How was I suppose to
know that our employer would get pissed if I took out that other bitch."

     Skull backhands Patch across his face and Patch goes crashing to
the ground.  Skull steps over Patch.  "Idiot!  Our employer said to kill
that one girl and to ruff up anyone else with her.  Our employer did not
say to kill the other."

     Patch lifts himself up on his elbows.  He takes the back of his
hand and wipes off his bloodied busted lip.

     "Because of your recklessness, the cops now have twice as much
reason to come looking for us."

     Patch gets back up on his feat, reaches into his jacket, pulls out
a revolver and points it at Skull.  "Listen Skull!  I'm really getting
tired of putting up with your crap!  So what if I off that little bitch,
big deal!"

     Skull stares fearlessly at Patch.  "When our employer found out
about us killing the other girl, she was so upset that she didn't want
to pay us."  Skull gives Patch a sinister grin.  "It took a little sweet
talking on my part but I finally managed to convince our employer to pay
us after all."

     Patch lowers the revolver.  "How did you convince our employer?"

     Still grinning, "Don't worry about it."  Skull turns and continues
on his way.  "Let's continue on our way and meet our generous employer."

     Patch puts the revolver back in it holster under his jacket.  "Now
you're talking boss!"   The two other men pass by Patch.  Patch quickly
rushes up to the long green hair man wearing glasses and gives him a
hearty slap on the back.  "Guess what Specks?"

     Specks pushes his glasses back in place.  "What is it Patch?"

     "It's payday!"  Patch lets out a mighty howl of joy.

     Specks just shakes his head as Patch starts to hassle the man next
to him.

     The four men continue on their way down the street.  Every now and
then they make a turn onto adjacent streets.  Soon Skull stops dead in
his tracks and turns to his followers.

     "I'm going to meet with our employer.  You three stay here."

     "Why can't we go with you?"  Asks the male with a giant scar down
the left side of his face.

     "Probably because you'll scare our employer away with that beauty
mark on your face."  Replies Patch.

     Scar reaches into his vest and pulls out a rather large knife.
"What did you say to me Patch?"

     Patch reaches into his jacket and pulls out his revolver.  "Why,
didn't you hear me Scar."

     "Put your toys away fools!"  Bellows out Skull.

     Patch and Scar just stand there and eye each other.

     "I said, put your damn toys away!"

     Patch and Scar eye each other for a few moments before they
grudgingly obey Skull.

     "Specks, try and keep these two morons from killing each other
while I'm gone!"  Orders Skull as he disappears down a dark alley.


                              **********

     "Stupid idiots are going to kill each other one of these days.  I
just know it."  Grumbles Skull as he walks down the dim alleyway.  He
stops when he gets halfway down the alley.

     "You're late."

     Skull turns his head and spots his employer keeping to the shadows.
"Had a unexpected hang up."  Skull's eyes narrow.  "So where's my
money?"

     "I don't know why I should have to pay you.  After all, you botched
the job!"

     "Hey!  You said to kill that girl and not to harm that guy.  If
anyone else was around, you said we could ruff them up.  The girl was
there with some other girl.  The guy was nowhere to be scene."

     "Yes I said to kill that one girl but that's was the only person I
said to kill!  When I said to take care of anyone else with her.  I
didn't mean to have them kill to!"

     "Oh well.  What's done is done."  Skull holds out his hand.  "We
did the main part of the job, so why are you so damned pissed off.  Just
give me my money!"  Skull gives his employer a wicked smile.  "If you
don't.  Then I won't be responsible for what happens if certain
information leaks out about you....."

     A sack is thrown from the shadows and lands at Skull's feet.  Still
smiling Skull leans over and pick up the sack.  He opens the sack and
looks around in it.  A frown swiftly replaces his smile.

     "This is only half of what you said you would pay!"

     "I'm keeping the other half since you did a half ass job."  Skull
continues to frown before as he storms out of the alley.  "Pleasure
doing business with you Skull."

                              **********

     As Skull emerges from the alley, the others can easily tell that
all did not go well.

     Specks steps forward, "What happen Skull?  Did our employer decide
not pay after all."

     "Our employer did pay."

     "Then what's the problem?"

     "We only got half because of what Patch did!"

     Scar turns and shoves Patch.  "Because of you're stupidity, we're
only getting half!"

     "Fuck off Scar!"

     "Make me Patch!"

     "Will you two shut the hell up!"  Bellows Skull.  Skull reaches
into the bag and pulls out the money.  "Because you screwed us out of
some money Patch.  I'm gonna screw you out of some of your money."

     "WHAT!"

     Skull divides up the money and passes it around.  "You heard me
Patch.  I'm cutting into your share to make up for our lost."

     "But Skull," whines Patch, "You always get more than the rest of
us."

     "You got a problem with that Patch."

     "No."

     "Thought so."  Skull finishes handing out the money.  "That's it
for tonight gentlemen.  You're free to wreck what ever havoc you want to
for the rest of the evening."

     "Alright it's time to party!"  Howls Patch.

     "Remember, meet back at the usual place tomorrow night."

     The three men nod their head in response.  Soon Skull walks off
with Scar right behind him.  Patch and Specks head off into another
direction.

     "So what are you gonna with your money Specks?"

     "That's none of your concern Patch."

     Patch sticks his hands in his jacket pockets.  "I would go off an
get loaded but I got screwed out of my money."

     "Didn't you make any money from the jewelry you took from those
girls?"

     "That damn bloated fool wouldn't give me much.  Didn't even give me
a fair deal on that nice looking ring."

     "Takei can be a cheap son-of-a-bitch."

     "You can say that again." Patch puts his arm on Specks' shoulder.
"Tell you what.  Since you got paid, I'll let you by the first round."

     "You're to kind Patch."

                              **********

     Ranma-chan carefully opens the window to Akane's room.  Without
making a single sound, she enters the room and closes the window
partway.  Ranma looks about the room and notices that it hasn't change
at all.  As Ranma walks around the room, she spots a picture sitting on
Akane's dresser.  She walks over to the picture and picks it up.  It's
the picture of the gang at the beach.

     "Akane....."  A small tear forms in Ranma's eye.  Suddenly Ranma
doubles over in pain.  She grabs her head in agony as the memories of
that night come rushing back.

     "No I don't want to remember......"

                              **********

     Akane and Ranma are walking down the dimly lit park path.  Akane's
white sequin dress seems to glow in the bright moonlight.  Ranma doesn't
notice, he's to busy staring at the stain he has on his rented tuxedo.
Akane, who is leading the way, stops and turns around to face Ranma.
Ranma doesn't notice this and he walks into her.  Ranma instantly takes
a step back and cringes as he waits for Akane to yell at him.  To his
amazment she doesn't, instead she starts to giggle.

     "Ranma....."

     Ranma relaxes just a bit.  He still half suspects that she going to
pull a sweet act before she smacks him.  "Yes Akane."

     "Ranma..... I really had I good time with you tonight."

     This shocks him, "You did!"

     "What's the matter?  Didn't you have fun too?"

     Ranma starts scratching his head.  "Well yeah, I did.  Even
though......"

     "Even though what?"

     With a smile, "Even though I expected Kuno or someone else to come
and ruin it."

     "But no one did."

     "The date isn't over yet."

     Akane widens her smile as the wind slowly begins to pick up.  Akane
wraps her arms around herself to keep warm.  Ranma notices this and
takes off his jacket and puts it on Akane.

     "Won't you be cold without your jacket?"

     "I'm wearing a full suit and you're just wearing that short dress.
You're the one who needs to be wearing extra clothes."

     "Speaking of clothes," Akane points towards the stain on Ranma's
shirt, "Getting that cleaned is going to cost a fortune.  Your father is
going to be mad."

     "Hey, it was his idea for us to go to that place.  He should know
that I've never eaten pasta american style."

     Akane giggles as she remembers the moment Ranma dropped the
spaghetti on himself.

     "It wasn't that funny Akane."

     With a smile. "Here, let me see if I can't do something about it."
Akane opens her purse and pulls out a white handkerchief.  The wind
suddenly picks up and snatches the handkerchief right out of her  hand.
Just as fast as the wind picked up, it just as quickly dies down.  The
handkerchief lands in the grass a couple of meters away.

     "I'll get it Akane."  Ranma walks out into the grass and picks up
the lost handkerchief.  "Got it."  A metallic object abruptly pops out
of the ground.  "I hope that isn't what I think it is."  Water starts
showering out of the metallic object.

     "A water sprinkler."  Groans Akane.

     Later, Akane with a soaking wet and slightly peeved Ranma-chan
continue their way through the park.  Akane is doing her best to keep
from giggling.

     "Here Ranma," Akane starts to take off the jacket, "I think you
need this more than I do now."  As Akane takes off the jacket, a small
package falls out of it's pocket.  Akane notices the package and picks
it up.  "What's this?"

     "It's a....."

     "It's a what?"

     Ranma puts on the jacket and puts her hands in her pockets.  "It's
a gift for you."  Responds Ranma with a sheepish look on her face.

     Akane slowly unwraps the package and open it.  Inside is a small
golden ring with two entwined hearts on it.  The diamonds set in both of
the hearts gleam brightly in the moonlight.  Akane's eyes start to water
up.  "It's beautiful Ranma."

     "Well try it on."

     Akane takes the ring out of the box and puts it on.  "It's a
perfect fit."  Forgetting about Ranma's current form, Akane grabs Ranma
in a fierce hug.  "I love it Ranma!"

     Ranma stands there not knowing what to do.  Usually when something
like this happens, someone instantaneously appears and breaks it up.
Ranma looks around and sure enough, no one appear.  Ranma finally
decides to give in to the moment and wraps her arms around Akane and
returns the hug.  The two stand there embracing each other for what
seems to be for an eternity.

                              **********

     "No!  Please end it here!  I don't want to remember the rest!"
Cries out Ranma as she rolls around on the floor.

     "Please.....," whimpers Ranma. "Don't make me remember the rest."

                              **********

     Akane looks up into Ranma's eyes.  (If only Ranma didn't change.)

     (If I only didn't change.)  Thinks Ranma to herself.

     "Aw, ain't that cute," remarks a strange voice.

     Akane and Ranma break thier embrace and turn to face the stranger.
It turns out to be four strangers instead.

     Patch pokes Specks in the ribs.  "Think they're lesbians Specks."

     "If they are," responds Specks, "Then this just got more
interesting."

     Ranma grabs Akane's hand.  "Come on Akane, let's go."  Akane and
Ranma turn and start to leave but Scar runs in front of them cutting off
their escape.

     "Now where do you think that your going?" Mocks Scar.

     "Far away from here!"  Ranma cocks back her arm and punches Scar in
the face.  Scar goes flying backwards until he hits a tree.

     "The red head has some spunk," remarks Skull.  Specks nods in
agreement.

     Patch pulls out his revolver.  "I hate spunk in a woman."

     Akane and Ranma freeze when they spot the gun in Patch's hand.

     "Ranma...."

     Ranma steps in front of Akane.  "Don't worry Akane.  I won't let
anything happen to you."

     Akane places a hand on Ranma's shoulder.  "But that man has a gun."

     "Only a weakling has a need for a gun."

     "The red head just called you a weakling Patch.  I guess she knows
you after all."  Mocks Specks.

     "A weakling you say!  I'll show you weakling bitch!"  Patch levels
and aims the gun at Ranma.

     Specks interrupts Patch.  "Now hold on a moment Patch.  You have a
gun and they don't.  I say we give these lovely ladies a fair chance to
get out of this."  Specks reaches into one of his pocket and pulls out
a deck of cards.  Specks masterfully shuffles the deck and hands it to
Ranma.  "Here you go sweetie.  Pick a card from the deck.  If your card
beats mine then you two get to go free."

     "What if you win?"  Inquires Ranma.

     "Then," Specks jesters towards Patch, "I let my friend continue on
with what he was about to do."  Specks holds out the deck to Ranma.

     Ranma nervously reaches out and chooses a cards.  With a smile, she
lifts her cards and flashes a jack of hearts.

     "Nice card sweetie.  That'll be hard one to beat."  Specks quickly
reshuffles the deck and draws a card.  "A king of clubs, you lose."
Specks steps out of the way.

     Patch levels his gun and takes aim.  As he does, Ranma grabs Akane
and tries to make a quick get away.  The sound of Patch's gun going off
echoes throughout the whole park.  Ranma falls to the ground clutching
her left leg.  Akane kneels down to examine the bullet wound in Ranma's
leg.

     Ranma pushes Akane away.  "Get out of here stupid!"

     Akane's sudden concern for Ranma quickly turns into anger.  "Who
are you calling....."  A pair of strong arms wrap themselves around
Akane and picks her up.

     "Stupid girl," mocks Skull from behind, "You could have left her
behind and gotten away.  Good thing you didn't."

     Scar walks up to Ranma and looks down at her.  With the side of his
hand, he wipes the blood away from his bloodied lip.  He then spits on
Ranma.  "Stupid bitch!"  Scar cocks his leg back and kick Ranma in the
stomach.  "You made me lose a tooth!"  Scar continues to kick Ranma.

     Specks walks up to Scar and put a hand on his shoulder.  "Scar, try
not to damage her to much.  We might want to have fun with her later."

     Scar stops kicking.  "I get your point Specks.  She is kinda cute."

     "I'll show you cute!"  Ranma swiftly jumps back to her feet.  With
a great amount of pain, she attempts a round house kick.  Her attack
catches both of the men off guard and she strikes both of them.  Both
men are knocked over backwards.  Another shot goes off and Ranma crashes
to the ground again.  Akane cries out Ranma's name.

     "Let's see how nimble you are with a bullet wound in both legs."
Cries out Patch.

     Scar gets back on his feet and undoes his belt.  "Bitch, you're
about to be had like you've never been had before."  Scar descends onto
the helpless Ranma-chan.

     Akane valiantly tries to break Skull's grip on her but he is just
to strong.  She watches in disgust as Scar violates Ranma.  When Scar
finishes he gets up and looks towards Akane.

     Ranma notices this.  "Don't you dare touch her!"

     Scar looks back down at Ranma and gives her a swift kick to the
face.  "Bitch you ain't in any condition to tell me what to do!"

     Ranma spits out a tooth and gets up on her knees.  "I swear....."

     Specks grabs Ranma by her hair and lifts her up.  "You swear what?"

     "If you touch her...... I'll kill you all."

     The four men stare at Ranma in pure silence.

     "Oh Ranma....."

     The four men suddenly start laughing out loud.  Specks lets go of
Ranma's hair and she lands on the ground with a thud.

     "Did you guys hear that?  She said she would kill us if we touch
her."  Scar walks up to Akane.  "Did you hear what your friend said?
She said she would kill us if we touched you."  Scar backhands Akane
across her face.  Scar then turns to Ranma.  "I touched her, now what
are you going to do?"

     Ranma gets back to her knees and stands back up.

     "I don't think so little girl."  Patch aims his gun again and
fires.  The shoot strikes Ranma in the chest but Ranma still stands.

     "Amazing," goes Specks.  "Despite being shoot in both legs and
again in the chest, she still fights on."

     "Let's see how well she can fight if I fire again."  Patch fires
his gun again.  The shot strikes Ranma in the chest again.  Ranma falls
down to her knees but struggles to get back up.  "Bitch!  Won't you
die!"  Patch fires again and again it strikes in Ranma the chest.

     The pain and torment afflicted upon Ranma finally takes it toll on
her spirit.  "AKANE!!!!!"  Cries out Ranma as she collapses to the
ground in a bloodied heap.

     Specks walks up to Ranma's still form and kneels down to examine
the body.  Ranma's had suddenly shoots forth and grabs Specks by his
throat.  Specks franticly grabs Ranma's hand and tries to pry it off his
throat.

     "I SWEAR THAT I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!!"

     Patch fires his last round into Ranma.  Ranma's grip weakens enough
for Specks to finally free himself.

     "RANMA!!!"  Cries out Akane.

     "Akane....," whimpers Ranma.

     Patch opens his gun and empties out the spent rounds.  "Damn bitch
took six rounds and she's still alive."

     Scar kicks Ranma in the stomach again.  "Don't worry Patch, she
won't be for much longer."

     Skull finally lets go of Akane and she immediately rushes to
Ranma's side.  She carefully picks up Ranma's prone bloody form.
"Ranma....."

     No response.

     "Ranma....."

     Still no response.

     Shaking Ranma, "Ranma!!!!"

     Ranma's eyes slowly open, "Akane......"

     Akane places a finger to Ranma's lips.  "Don't try and talk just
hold on until I can get you to a doctor."

     "You ain't going nowhere till we have a little fun!"  Remarks Skull
as he grabs Akane by her hair.  With a yank, he pulls Akane away from
Ranma.

     "RANMA!!"

     "Akane....."  Mustering up every bit of energy she has left.  Ranma
tries once again to stand back up.

     "I don't think so!"  Patch points his reloaded gun at Ranma and
fires off two rounds.

     Ranma crashes to the ground again.  As her vision begins to fade,
Patch stands over Ranma.  "And our employer said it would be hard to
take them out."  Patch fires his gun once more.

     The last thing Ranma remembers before everything goes white, is
Akane calling out her name.

     "Akane......."

                              **********

     Ranma is curled up in a little ball on the bedroom floor.

     "Akane......."

     Ranma slowly unravels herself and uses the dresser to help her
stand up.  She raises her head and looks into the mirror.  In a fit of
rage she rips off the clothes that she is wearing.  When she tears off
the last piece of clothing, she stares deeply into the mirror.  She
stares at large scars the bullet wounds left on her chest.  In another
fit of rage, Ranma punches the mirror.  The mirror shatters and large
fragments of the mirror imbed themselves in Ranma's hand.

     "Akane......."

     Ranma pulls her hand away from the mirror and examines her ruined
hand.  To her amazement, her hand slowly rejects the pieces of the
mirror and heals back to normal.  (What the.....)  Ranma reaches towards
the mirror and grabs a fragment of the mirror.  She raises the piece
high in the air and promptly brings it down to impale her hand.  Even
though the mirror shard is impaled through he hand, she feels no pain.
With her good hand she yanks the shard out of her hand.  Again her hand
heals back to normal.

     Ranma hears a noise behind her and turns around.  Perched on the
window is the crow that brought her here.

     "You brought me back, didn't you?"

     The crow nods it head in response.

     "And I'm willing to bet that you're responsible for this to."  Asks
Ranma as he hold up his hand.

     The crow nods again.

     "But why?  Without Akane, my life isn't worth living."

     The crow stares at Ranma.  An old memory comes haunting back to
Ranma's head.

                              **********

     Patch is standing over Ranma.  "And our employer said it would be
hard to take them out."  Patch fires his gun once more and everything
goes white.

                              **********

     "Somebody hired them to kill us.  Who could do such a thing."

     The crow just stands there silently.

     Ranma's anger begins to rise.  "Who would be cowardly enough to do
such a thing."  Ranma's anger starts to become uncontrollable.
"WHO..... WHO......"  The sound of Akane calling out her name echoes
throughout her head.  Ranma storms up to the crow.  "TELL ME!  WHO SENT
THEM TO KILL US!"

     The crow just stares at Ranma.

     Ranma backs away from the bird.  "You don't know do you?"

     The bird caws back in response.

     "That's why you brought me back.  To find out and take my revenge."

     Again the bird caws back in response.

     Ranma looks herself over.  "I can't go taking my revenge dressed
just in these boots."  Ranma turns and walks over to Akane's closet.  "I
hope they haven't packed everything away yet."  Ranma opens the closet
and notices that it's still full of clothes.  With a smile she goes
browsing through the closet.  She selects a black shirt and the rushes
over to the dresser and opens it.  After doing a little digging she
pulls some black shorts.  As she puts on the shirt and shorts, Ranma
decides that she still needs something else.

     Out of the corner of her eye she spots a smiling theater mask
mounted on the wall.  Ranma walks over to the mask and pulls it off the
wall.  (I bought this for Akane after Romeo and Juliet disaster.)
Ranma remembers the smile on Akane's face when she gave it to her.  She
tosses the mask over her shoulder and rushes back to the dresser.  She
yanks out Akane's makeup bag and starts digging through it.  Finding
what she was looking for, she pulls out a small container and starts
applying white makeup all over her face.  After she completely covers
her face, she grabs a piece of the mirror.  She then pulls out a tub of
black lipstick and uses it to copy the black marks that were on the
mask.  Soon she finishes.  She places the lipstick back down and garbs
a large piece of unbroken mirror to look into.

     "Perfect."  Ranma puts down the mirror piece and looks around the
room.  "But I still need something."  It suddenly dawns on her and she
rushes towards the closet again.  (I think that it's still in here.)
Ranma yanks objects off of the closet's top shelf.  Not finding what
she's looking for, she begins to open the boxes on closet floor.  After
opening some of the boxes, she finds what she is looking for.  With
shaking hands she pulls out a black leather jacket.  "Ryoga got this for
Akane when he was in the States."  Ranma holds the to her face.  "She
loved this jacket."

     Ranma gets back to her feet and slowly puts the black leather
jacket on.  With a wicked grin, she turns towards the crow.

     "Well my feather friend, let us be off.  The night is young and we
have to find four certain men."

     The crow caws in response and takes off.

     When Ranma gets halfway out of the window, she stops and turns
around to look back into the room.  "I swear that I will get revenge for
us Akane.  I swear......"  Without a further moment of hesitation, Ranma
turns and exits the room.

                         ***END CHAPTER TWO***

     Well that's it for now.  I have finished chapter three and have
chapter four almost done.  I should have them posted by no later than
Saturday of next week.  If you want to leave comments, praises or flames
you can contact me at  rtj@hotmail.com   Till next chapter!!!

                                               RTJ  September 26, 1996



                            Ranma 1/2 Xover

                               The Crow
                            Chapters 3 & 4

Quick Disclaimer:

Ranma 1/2 is copyright of:
Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Communications, Shogakukan Inc.
Kitty Film and Pony Canyon

The Crow is copyright of:
James O'Barr and Miramax Films

     To really understand what's happening you're going to have to read
the first two chapters.  You can Email me at  rtj@hotmail.com  and I can
send you a copy in case you can't find it posted anywhere.

     A quick remainder on what has happened.  Akane and Ranma were
forced to go on a date by their loving parents.  While on their date
Ranma got splashed with water and changed while they were in Nerima
park.  While in the park they were attacked by four men.  One of the
four men had a gun and killed them both.  A month has past and the cold
fall weather is starting to set in.  A crow goes to Ranma's grave and
returns him to the mortal plane.  Ranma follows the crow back to the
dojo and relives the events of that fateful night.  Ranma remembers one
of the men saying that someone sent them there to ruin their date.
Desiring revenge, Ranma in his cursed form, puts on some of Akane's
clothing and applies the white and black face paint.  We now pick up as
Ranma goes after his first victim.

                          ***CHAPTER THREE***
                           ***RETRIBUTION***


     Ranma-chan jumps from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit of the crow.
The adrenaline in Ranma's body is on overtime as she follows the bird
from roof top to roof top.  The crow suddenly swoops down and lands on
a television antenna a few buildings away.  In seconds, Ranma catches up
with the bird.

     "Well, where did you bring me?"

     The crow flaps it's wings and motions it's head down towards the
street.  Ranma peers over the building's ledge and looks down.  All she
can see from the angle is the pawn shop across the street.

     "I still don't understand why....."

     An object glimmers slightly from the pawn shop's window.  Curious,
Ranma leaps off the roof and lands in the street.  The crow leaves it's
perch, flies down and lands on Ranma's shoulder.

     Ranma approaches the shop's window and looks in.  In the window is
a couple of televisions, some fans, and to the left of them is some
jewelry on display.  Ranma is about to leave when a certain piece of
jewelry catches her attention.  She quickly turns and looks back into
the window.  There, sitting on a small red velvet cushion, is a small
golden ring with two entwined hearts.  The diamonds in two hearts shine
brightly even in the blackness of night.

     "That's.... that's.... that's the ring I gave Akane."  Ranma looks
up at the window.  "Takei's pawn shop."  Ranma then looks back at the
window.  A faint light can be scene in the back of the store.  "It looks
like Mr. Takei is putting in a late night.  I wonder how Akane's ring
came into his possession.  Maybe I should ask."

                              **********

     Takei's bloated form is resting on a stool while he counts out the
money he made today.  When he finishes, he reaches out with a massive
hand and grabs a nearby BLT sandwich which he promptly stuffs into his
mouth.

     "Yes," grumbles Takei between bites, "Another good day."  He looks
around his cluttered shop.  "Over half of this stuff is stolen.  The
creeps steal it and then I buy it from them for a third of what it's
worth.  Then I turn around and sell it again for full market value.
Sometimes I get twice what I paid for it."  Takei smiles as he picks up
his money and stuffs it into a large envelope.

     He picks up the envelops and slowly lifts his fat self from the
stool.  As he reaches to turn off the light, a knocking is heard at the
store's door.


     "WE'RE CLOSED!  YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK TOMORROW!"  Yells
Takei.

     The stranger at the door begins to knock louder.

     Takei drops the envelope on the store counter as he reaches
underneath the counter and pulls out a small pistol.  "I SAID, WE'RE
CLOSED YOU BAKA!"

     The stranger at the door just knocks louder.

     "I SAID....."

     The glass door shatters and in walks a red headed female dressed
all in black.

     "I hope you're planning on paying for that door."  Takei looks the
female over.  "If you don't have the money then I know another way to
make up for it."

     Ranma slowly walks up to the fat man.

     Takei cocks the pistol.  "Not a step closer sweet heart.  You may
be cute but you're not that cute."

     Ranma holds her arms out.  "Go on.  I dare you to shoot."

     "Don't tempt me."  Takei starts to perspire fiercely.

     "Oh come on."

     Takei's sweating hand start to shake.  "I'm warning you!  One more
step and I will shoot!"

     A smiling Ranma takes a single step forward.

     That single step does it for Takei.  He pulls the trigger and the
pistol goes off in response.

     Ranma hunches over as the bullet strikes her in the chest.
Laughing, Ranma stands strait up and exposes the bullet wound.  Blood
runs down the front of her shirt but soon stops as the wound quickly
heals.  Soon all that can be scene is just white skin exposed by the
hole in the shirt.  Ranma sinisterly smiles at Takei.  "Is that the best
you can do fat man!  Come on!  I dare you to try it again!"

     Takei fires the pistol over and over again.  Ranma just stands
there as the bullets tear right through her form, laughing all the
while.  Takei watches to his horror as all the wounds on the strange
female almost instantly heal back to normal.

     Takei drops the pistol and falls to his knees.  "My god.....  What
are you?"

     Ranma grabs Takei's shirt collar.  "I'm no one you want to mess
with."  Ranma picks up Takei's plump form and tosses him behind the
store counter.

     Ranma then turns and walks over to the front window display.  She
knocks over the televisions and reaches for the red velvet cushion and
then cautiously picks the ring up.  She holds it just mere inches away
from her face.

                              **********

     Akane takes off the Ranma's dining jacket.  A small package falls
out of it's pocket.  She notices the package and picks it up.  "What's
this Ranma?"

     "It's a....."

     "It's a what?"

     Ranma-chan puts on the jacket and puts her hands in it's pockets.
"It's a gift for you."  Responds Ranma with a sheepish look on her face.

     Akane slowly unwraps the package and open it.  Inside is a small
gold ring with two entwined hearts on it.  The diamonds set in both of
the hearts gleam brightly in the moonlight.  Akane's eyes start to water
up.  "It's beautiful Ranma."

     "Well try it on."

     Akane takes the ring out of the box and puts it on.  "It's a
perfect fit."  Forgetting about Ranma's current form, Akane grabs Ranma
in a fierce hug.  "I love it Ranma!"

                              **********

     "This is defiantly the same ring."  Ranma moves back to the counter
as Takei manages to stand back up.  She reaches out and grabs Takei by
his hair.  "You got one chance you fat fool."  Ranma shows the ring to
Takei.  "Tell me how you came upon this ring."

     Takei takes one look at Ranma and then looks back down at the ring.
"I.. I... don't remember."

     "LIAR!!"  In a fit of rage, Ranma takes Takei's head and smashes it
through the glass counter.  "I'll give you one more chance," she thrusts
the ring in front of his face, "How did you get this ring!"

     Takei groans as the pain really starts to kick in.  Takei looks
back up into Ranma's face.  "I said I don't remember!"

     Ranma growls and throws Takei across the room.  He hits the wall
with a sickening thud.  From his position on the floor, Takei watches as
Ranma goes on a rampage and starts smashing things left and right.
Ranma knocks over display racks, smashes glass cases, and breaks various
objects.  Using a guitar Ranma busts huge holes in the walls.  When she
finishes, she turns her attention back to fat man sitting on the floor.
Takei struggles to stand back up but Ranma is on him before can get a
chance.

     "I'm warnings you fat man!  I've not in a playful mood."  Ranma
grabs hold of Takei and lifts him off of his feet.  "This is you last
chance."  She looks him dead in the eyes.  "Where did you get that
ring!"

     Takei looks deeply into her eyes.  As he helplessly stares into her
eyes, something strange happens.  The pupils in her eyes slowly change
shape into the of skulls.  "Oh sweet mother of god."

     "I'm waiting!"

     "It's slowly coming back to me now."  Ranma lets go of Takei and he
lands on the floor with a thud.  "I bought it off of someone."

     "Who?"

     "It was one of Skull's gang."

     "Which one?"

     "It was the one they call Patch."

     "Let me guess, he had a eye-patch over his right eye."

     "That's right."

     "Give me the names of the rest of them."

     "Let's see.......  There is this guy who has glasses.  I think I
heard Patch call him Glasses or something along those lines.  Then
there's Scar, he's a frequent here."  Takei tries to smile but his
busted lip won't let him.  "Scar was here not less than an hour ago.  If
you hurry, you can probably catch him."

     Ranma smiles as she looks down at the broken man.  "That I will."
She turns around and proceeds to leave the shop.  When she reaches the
door, she stops and picks up a lighter and a small package off of the
floor.  She tears open the package to pulls out some firecrackers.  She
looks at the firecrackers and then turns around.  "Is it just me or do
you smell gas too?"

     Takei detects a hissing sound and looks into one of the holes Ranma
made during her rampage.  Takei spots a broken pipe spewing out gas.
Takei tilts his head to read the writing on the pipe.  "Natural gas
heating pipe."  Takei turns around and looks at the smiling female.

     Ranma holds out the firecracker's fuse and light the lighter.


     Takei quickly turns and runs for the rear exit.

     The fuse on the firecrackers catches and begins to burn.  Still
smiling, Ranma drops the lit firecrackers and leaves the shop.

     Ranma is only a few meters away when the pawn shop explodes.  Takei
was only halfway out of the rear exit when it did.  The flames singed
his body as the explosion helped him the rest of the way out.
Exhausted, Takei collapses in the street and watches helplessly as his
shop burns down.

                              **********

     Detective Takada is sitting in a booth at his favorite all night
donut shop.  He is busy milling over the information he gathered earlier
today.

     "How can," he takes a bite out of a donut, "someone have so many
enemies."  Takada finishes off the donut and downs it with some lukewarm
coffee.  "What's even more strange is what their families told me."

     Detective Takada thinks back to when he was at the Tendo's.  At the
time he didn't know who crazier.  The family for telling him about
Ranma's curse, or him for actually believing the story.

     "It sounds like something straight from some silly manga that kids
are reading today."  He looks down at his notes.  "The funny thing is
that all this makes sense after what they told me."

     Suddenly an explosion is heard from down the street.  Takada
quickly get up and rushes out the door.  About a block down the street
he can see a store on fire.  The detective turns to the shopkeeper who
came out with him.  "Call the police and fire department."

     The shopkeeper nods and rushes back inside.  Takada reaches into
his jacket and pulls out his revolver as he run downs the street.  As
Takada gets to the shop he spots a lone figure walking away.  He raises
his gun and takes aim.  "Freeze!  Police officer!"

     The figure stops and raises it's arm.

     "Turn around!"

     The figure slowly turns around to face Detective Takada.  Takada
tightens his grip his revolver when he spots the makeup on the woman's
face.  His eyes slowly travel down to examine the female.  He spots
several holes in the figure's shirt, exposing her pale white skin
underneath.

     "Are you responsible what happened?"  Asks the Takada.

     "The man was making a living off of other people's misery.  The fat
fool deserved it."

     "Whether or not he deserved it was not the question."

     "Then yes, I did."

     "Move over to the curb.  I'm going to keep you here till my backup
gets here."  Something stirs inside Takada's mind.  "Hey, don't I know
you from somewhere?"

     "Maybe you do and maybe you don't."

     "Stop playing mind games with me girl!"

     "Can I play mind games with them instead."  Ranma motions towards
the store.

     Detective Takada turns his head slightly and spots several people
looting the store.  "Hey, hold it right there!"  Takada suddenly
remembers about Ranma returns his attention to her.  To Takada's
surprise Ranma is gone.  He rapidly looks around but he cannot find her
or those looters.

     "Damn!"  Curses Takada to himself.  As he puts away his revolver he
spots a crow perched on a stop sign.  The bird stares at him for a
moment before it takes off into the night sky.

                              **********

     Scar walks down the dark alley counting the money he made tonight.
"God damn Takei.  I should have stuffed that VCR down his throat for
what he paid me for it."  Scar grudgingly folds up the money and stuffs
the wad in his back pocket.

     Scar opens his vest and exposes several large knives held inside.
He reaches into a pocket, pulls out a pack of cigarettes and places one
in his mouth.  He then starts searching the pocket for some matches.
Failing to find any he starts searching his other pockets.  Out of the
corner of his eye he catches some movement.  He looks up and spots a
crow sitting on a dumpster.

     "What the hell do you want bird!"  Scar picks up a discarded bottle
and tosses it at the bird.

     The bottle misses and the bird takes off.

     "Stupid bird."  Mumbles Scar as he continues to search his pockets.

     "What's the matter," Asks a mysterious voice, "Need a light?"

     Scar reaches into his vest, pulls out a knife, and turns to face
the owner of the voice.  Leaning against the wall, holding out a
lighter, is a female clad in all black.  The shadows guard her face.


     "Well do you need a light or don't you."

     With his free hand, Scar reaches out and snatches the lighter from
her hand.  After he lights up, he tosses the lighter back to it's owner.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like me."  Scar waves the knife
around.  "You could have gotten hurt."

     "If you say so.  By the way, are you the one they call Scar?"

     "Yeah."

     "Do you work with a man named Skull?"

     A concerned look emerges on Scar's face.  "Maybe I do and maybe I
don't.  What's it to you?"

     "I have business with the man.  You wouldn't perchance know where
he's at?"

     Scar nervously grips his knife.  "Are you some sort of cop?"

     "Nope."  The female emerges from the shadows and walk over to Scar.
"I just have a few questions to ask him."  Scar nervously notices the
white makeup on her face.  "I ask again, where's Skull?"

     "Go to hell bitch!"

     "Been there, done that."

     Scar swings his blade but Ranma easily ducks the attack.  In
response, she shoulder slams Scar to the ground.  Before Scar can get
back to his feet.  Ranma grabs hold of his shirt collar and tosses him
across the alley like a rag doll.  Scar crashes into the alley wall and
drops his knife.

     Scar staggers to his feet as Ranma approaches him.  With surprising
speed Scar punches Ranma in the face but Ranma just grins it off.  Scar
attacks again but Ranma blocks the blow and counters with a punch to the
mid-section.  Scar stumbles back a few steps and as Ranma approaches, he
kicks out and nails her in the stomach.  Scar attempts a follow up kick
but Ranma blocks it and counters with another punch.  She then grabs him
again and throws him across the alley again.

     Ranma races over to Scar and pins him to the wall.

     "What the hell do you want girl!"  Cries out Scar.  "I ain't done
nothing to you!"

     "You cold blooded killer!"

     "What the hell are you talking about girl!"

     "Listen carefully, cause I'm going to tell you a story."

     "What are you talking about?"

     Ranma slaps Scar across the face.  "Listen to me!  About a month
ago two people walking through Nerima park.  While in the park, four men
approached them and did horrible things to them."

     "Yeah I remember that night.  I still remember how fine that red
headed girl was."

                              **********

     Scar walks up to Ranma and looks down at her.  With the side of his
hand, he wipes the blood away from his bloodied lip.  Then he spits on
Ranma-chan.  "Stupid bitch!"  Scar cocks his leg back and kick Ranma in
the stomach.  "You made me lose a tooth!"  Scar continues to kick Ranma.

     Specks walks up to Scar and put a hand on his shoulder.  "Scar, try
not to damage her to much.  We might want to have fun with her later."

     Scar stops kicking.  "I get your point Specks.  She is kinda cute."
Scar starts to undo his belt.  "Bitch, you're about to be had like
you've never been had before."

                              **********

     Scar looks up at Ranma's painted face.  "You can't be her, we
killed you."

     "You did."

     "No!"  Scar head butts Ranma, causing her to lose her gripe.  Scar
reaches over and grabs a discarded metal pipe and hits Ranma in the head
with it.  Ranma crashes to the ground as Scar get back to his feet.
Scar strikes Ranma again with the pipe.  Then again, and again and
again.

     "Killer....."  Cries out Ranma as she tries to get up.

     Scar tosses the pipe aside and pulls out two knives from his vest.
"Let me tell you something about killing.  It's fun, it's easy and
you're going to learn all about it all over again."  Scar begins
snickering to himself as he walks away from Ranma.  When he gets about
a dozen meters away he turns and faces Ranma as she finally gets back to
her feet.

     "Let me introduce two buddies of mine," Mocks Scar.  "We never
miss."  Scar takes the first knife and throws it at Ranma.  Ranma duck
as the knife flies overhead.  Scar tosses the second knife but Ranma
slaps it out of the air as she advances towards him.

     "Try harder!"  Cries out Ranma.

     With a mighty cry, Scar pulls out another knife and tosses it.
Ranma catches it as it flies at her and tosses it back at Scar.  The
knife embeds itself deeply into Scar's shoulder.  Ranma reaches out and
grabs him by his throat.  She reaches into his vest and pulls out one of
his knives.

     "Victims."  Ranma raises the knife above her head.  "Aren't we
all."  She then brings the knife crashing down.

                              ***********

     "Here's the drinks that you ordered."  Chirps the waitress as she
places two bottles of beer on the table.

     Patch glares at the pretty waitress with his good eye.  "Just put
them on his bill."  Patch motions towards Specks.

     Grudgingly, Specks nods and the waitress disappears into the
crowded bar.  "God damn it Patch!  When are you going to pay for your
own beer!"

     "When I use up your money."  Mocks Patch as be grabs the beer
bottle.  Specks grumbles a bit under his breath  "What was that Specks?"

     "Nothing."

     "Thought so."

     Specks reaches out and grabs the other bottle.  As he drinks,
Specks looks around the bar.  It was a low class bar that dealt with
people of their type of morals.  Different types of chairs and stools
where scattered about the establishment.  They were all different mainly
because of all the fights that broke out here.  Occasionally someone
would pick up a chair or stool and use them as weapons.  Which meant
that new chairs and stools were always being bought to replace the
broken ones.  A thin layer of sawdust covered the floor to soak up the
beer or blood that was always being spilt.

     The bar was popular with Specks for several reasons.  It was close
by to his place, the beer was cheap and the atmosphere was good.  Patch
on the other hand liked it for a whole different reason.  He liked it
mainly because of the "well endowed" waitress that worked there.  One
could say that was what perked his interest in the place.

     Specks sips his beer and watches Patch as he tries to pick up some
chick at a nearby table.  He watches on as the woman eventfully slaps
Patch and storms off into the crowd.

     "Damn bitch must have been a dyke if she wasn't interested in me."

     Specks smiles because Patch always seems to have that effect on
women.  "Patch my friend, your problem is that you just don't have any
style in the way you work."

     "Piss off Specks."

     "Whatever."  Specks glances around the bar.  "Hey Patch."

     "What."

     "Have you scene Scar lately?"

     "Haven't scene him since we split up early tonight.  Why do you
ask?"

     "Just wondering.  Normally he's here by now."

     "He's probably still haggling with Takei."

     "You're probably right."  Specks finishes off his beer and stands
up.  "I'm calling it a night."  He reaches into his pocket and pulls out
some cash.  He hands the waitress the money as she passes by.  "I'm
going to head back to my garage."

     "Don't forget the meeting tomorrow night."

     "Unlike you Patch, I don't forget."  Specks leaves the bar.

     "Asshole."  Patch downs the rest of his beer and hassles the
waitress to bring him another.

                              ***********

     The lights of the police cars fill the once desolate alley.
Detective Takada moves around the police barricade and walks up to his
old partner, Homicide Detective Koohei.  Takada taps Koohei on the
shoulder.  She turns around and greets him with a smile.

     "Detective Takada, to what do I owe the honor."

     Returning the smile.  "I was several blocks down the street
checking out an arson and heard about this.  Thought it might be related
to it."

     "Well I don't know how, but you're free to look around."

     "Where's the body."

     "Over there."  Detective Koohei points over towards her right.
Several feet away rests the body covered with a white sheet.  Takada
walks over to the body and kneels down next to it.  He slowly lifts up
the white sheet.  Underneath is a male with a half dozen large knifes
sticking out of his chest.  Koohei walks up behind Takada.  "It happened
only a short while ago.  The medics say that each of those knives where
stuck in a major organ.  He must have suffered terribly before he died.
We're running a check now on who use to be."

     "Don't bother, I know who he is."  Takada stands back up and
reaches into his pocket.

     "Who is he?"

     Takada pulls out a cigarette and lights it.  "His name was Torao
Arai, or as Scar among his friends.  I was investigating a double murder
that might have involved him and his friends."

     "What's that have to do with the arson?"

     "Takei's pawn shop just blown up by some wacko chick.  Before she
blew the place, she was asking Takei about Scar and his friends.  Takei
told her that Scar had left shortly before she arrived."

     "You think that after she blew the place, she went looking for
Scar?"

     "Yeap, and apparently found him to."

     "Got any ideas on who she might be."

     Takada rubs his chin.  "I happen to be nearby when the shop
blew.  When I got there, I caught a quick glimpse of her before she
disappeared.  I know I've scene her somewhere before but for the life of
me I can't remember where."

     "Before you leave there's one more thing I like to show you."
Koohei motions towards the wall behind Takada.  Takada turns around and
before him, drawn in blood, is a large rough sketch of what looks like
a bird.  "It appears to be a drawing of a bird of some sort."

     Takada takes a long drag on his cigarette.  "I have a feeling that
it's suppose to be a crow."

                        ***END CHAPTER THREE***

                          ***CHAPTER FOUR***
                      ***THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT***


     Specks kneels down next to his motorcycle and examines the problem
before him.  The fuel line to the engine was leaking gas somewhere.  He
knew that after a prolonged ride, fuel would leak out all over bike's
frame.  Any spark could spell disaster for the rider.  Specks stood back
up and wiped the sweat off of his brow.  It was hot in the small
confines of his garage.  To let off some of this heat, Specks walks over
to the garage door and opens it.  As the huge garage door slowly lifts
up, a chilly wind sweeps in and instantly replaces the heat with it's
chilliness.

     Deciding that he would rather deal with the cold, Specks leaves the
garage door up.  He turns and looks over his cluttered garage.  His
garage was really just an empty and run down gas station that had gone
out of business.  Since it was in such a bad neighborhood the real
owners didn't really care what happened to it.  Since they didn't care,
Specks decided to move in a few months back.  The best part was when he
discovered that the previous owners didn't empty out the fuel pumps
before they left.  Using some gear that he scavenged, he drained the
tanks and now had fifty to sixty gallons of usable fuel in the back
room.  Some people asked him if it was wise to keep that much fuel
around but he just ignored those comments.

     His watch beeps signaling another close to another hour.  Specks
raises his arm and looks at his watch.  It very late at night or early
in the morning depending on your point of view.  Specks then raises his
arms above his head and stretches.  It still bothered him that Scar
never did arrive at the bar.  He said that he would come straight over
after he went to Takei's.  It just wasn't like him to not show up.  Oh
well, mumbles Specks to himself, he probably met some hooker on the way
to the bar and changed his mind.

     Deciding not to worry about it any more, Specks continues to work
on his bike.  As he walks up to his bike, a black bird flies over his
head and lands on his bike.  Specks stops in mid stride and stares and
the bird.  The bird stares back at him in the same amount to curiosity.

     "Bird, you better not make a mess on my bike."  He leans over and
picks up a discarded soda can.  As he winds up to throw the empty can,
someone grabs his arm from behind.

     "Why does everyone like to throw things at my friend?"  Asks the
voice behind him.

     Specks twists his head and spots a red headed female holding his
arm.  The makeup on her face makes her smile look more unearthly.

     "You wouldn't perchance be Specks."  Inquires the female.  Specks
nods his head.  "Good."  Ranma cocks her free arm back and punches
Specks square in the face.

     Specks falls over from the blow but is yanked back up to his feet
by Ranma.  Letting go of his arm, the Ranma spins and kicks Specks in
the jaw and he goes flying backwards.  The crow flies off of the bike as
Specks comes crashing down on top of it.  Specks spots the wrench he was
using earlier and grabs it.  When Ranma reaches for him, Specks swings
the wrench and strikes Ranma in the temple.  Ranma grabs her head in
agony.

     Specks uses the free moment and picks up his bike.  He quickly gets
on the bike and hits the starter.  The bike roars to life in response
and Specks tries to leave the scene.  Ranma hears the bike and spots
Specks as he tries the flee.

     "OH NO YOU DON'T!"  Cries out a defiant Ranma as she dives forward.
Ranma manages to grab a handful of Specks' long hair and yanks him off
of his bike.  The bike continues forward for a couple of dozen meters
before it crashes to it's side.  Ranma yanks on Specks' hair again to
bring him to his feet.

     "What do you want girl!  What the hell did I do to you!"  Cries out
Specks as Ranma shakes him around.

     "Nerima park, one month ago."

     "I have no idea what you're talking about."

     "Maybe this will clear up your memory."  With her other hand Ranma
grabs Specks' shirt and tosses him through the doorway.  Specks slams
into some metal barrels stacked up in the that room.  Ranma menacingly
enters the room and turns on the lights.  It's a large storage room half
filled with some large metal drums.  A small hand pump is connected to
one of those drums.  Specks groans and holds his head as he sits up.
Ranma pounces on him and slams him up against the stacked metal drums.
"So, has your memory cleared up any?"

     "Like I said before!  I have no idea what you're talking about!"

     "Strange, your friend Scar had the same memory problem.  It took
him awhile before he finally remembered.  He was the one who told me
where I might find you and your friends."  Ranma gives Specks a sinister
smile.  "He confined it with me shortly before he died.  He seemed to
have problems breathing with his own knives stuck in his lungs."

     "You're crazy!"

     "No.  Just slightly mad."  Ranma slams him against the metal drums
again.  "Do you remember Nerima park or do you need help in
remembering?"

     "Nerima park.......  It's suddenly coming back to me now."

     "Thought so.  Now what do you remember?"

     "Me and some friends were talking a stroll through the park and met
some chicks.  That's all that happened."

     Ranma smacks him across the face.  "Try harder and remember more."

     "Ok, Ok.  We had some fun with them while we were there."

     "Do you consider killing fun?"

     "Hey!  I had nothing to do with that!  Patch was the one who shot
them.  I was there only to provide extra support in needed."

     Ranma tightens her grip on Specks.  "You could have stopped Patch
from shooting them."

     "I didn't feel like it at the time!  So what's it to you anyway?"
Specks' eyes narrow.  "Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?"

     Ranma pulls Specks closer to her face.  "Take a good look and see
if you can remember."

     Specks stares at the female before him and tries to recognize her
without the white face makeup.  "If I didn't know any better.  You look
like that red headed girl from the park."

     "I am that red headed girl from the park."

     Terror like he never felt before comes across him.  "But you died!
I know, I checked you myself!  When you die there isn't no coming back!"


     "I died in more ways than you can possible imagine."  Ranma tosses
Specks across the room into another stack of barrels.

     This time when Specks hits the barrels they come crashing down on
top on him.  On lands on his leg and smashes the bone.  The lid on
another comes loose and starts spilling it's contents all over the
floor.  Specks tries to lift the barrel off his shattered leg but he
can't.  From his pined position he watches helplessly as the crazed
woman walks over to him.  "He... hey look," cries out Specks.  "I.. I
gave you a fighting chance remember!"

     Ranma stops.  "That you did."

                              **********

     Specks interrupts Patch.  "Now hold on a moment Patch.  You have a
gun and they don't.  I say we give these lovely ladies a fair chance to
get out of this."  Specks reaches into one of his pocket and pulls out
a deck of cards.  Specks masterfully shuffles the deck and hands it to
Ranma.  "Here you go sweetie.  Pick a card from the deck.  If your card
beats mine then you two get to go free."


     "What if you win?"  Inquires Ranma.

     "Then," Specks jesters towards Patch, "I let my friend continue on
with what he was about to do."  Specks holds out the deck to Ranma.
     Ranma nervously reaches out and chooses a cards.  With a smile, she
lifts her cards and flashes a jack of hearts.

     "Nice card sweetie.  That'll be hard one to beat."  Specks quickly
reshuffles the deck and draws a card.  "A king of clubs, you lose."
Specks steps out of the way.

                              **********

     "You wouldn't happen to have a deck of cards on you?"

     "Yes I do!"  Specks reaches into one of his pockets and pulls out
his lucky deck.  He holds out the deck for Ranma to grab.  She snatches
the deck from him and open the box.  After a quick shuffle she holds the
cards out in front of Specks.  (I can do this.  I never lose with this
deck.)  He nervously reaches forward and selects a card.  With a smile,
he shows Ranma the king of hearts that he selected.  "Beat that!"  He
cries out triumphantly.

     Ranma frowns as she reshuffles the deck.  She cuts the decks and
draws a card.  Specks notices her smile and knows it can't be good for
him.  Ranma turns the card around and shows it to Specks.  "Ace of
spades.  I guess it isn't a good night to be a bad guy."  Ranma takes
the deck and tosses it at Specks.

     "No it can't be.  I never lose with that deck."  Mumbles Specks to
himself as the cards slowly descend on him.

     With a smile Ranma turns and walks towards the exit.  She stops
when she reaches the door.  She reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls
out the lighter she picked up at the pawn shop.  She lights the lighter
and stares at the flame.  She then looks away from the lighter and looks
at Specks as he continues to mumble to himself.  She spots a cleaning
rag and grabs it.  Using the lighter she lights the rag and the kneels
down gently places the rag on the floor.  She stands back up and watches
as the barrel continues to belch out it's liquid contents all over the
floor.  It will be a few more moments before it spills enough on the
floor to reach the burning rag.  After one last look at Specks, she
exits the room.

     Specks watches to his horror as the fuel creeps closer and closer
to the rag.  He closes his eyes when the fuel finally reaches it.

                              **********

     Patch stumbles down the street and bags into a mailbox.  He had
spent most of the night at the bar.  Not only that, me spent most of his
money too.  Tired, reeking of booze, and broke, he decided to call it a
night.  He knew that he wouldn't make it to his place so he decided to
head over to Specks' place and crash there.  He had just made it to the
garage when he spotted someone leaving.

     "Hey Specks!  Is that you!"  The black clad figure stops and turns
to face him.  (That ain't him.  That's just some freaky bitch wearing
way to much makeup.)

     "Hey!  You're Patch, aren't you?"  Asks the girl.

     "Yeah, who the hell are you?"

     "Death."

     The garage suddenly explodes and within seconds there are several
more explosions as the rest of the fuel drums explode.  Patch drops to
the ground and covers his head with his hands.  When the explosions seem
to stop Patch lifts his head and spots the female standing right in
front of him.  A black bird is perched on her shoulder.  "Let me guess.
You're suppose to be pirate and that's your parrot on your shoulder."

     "Funny, very funny."  Ranma cocks her leg back and kicks Patch in
the face.  Patch grabs his face as Ranma continues to kick him.

     "What's the matter," shouts Patch from the ground.  "To afraid to
take me on fair and square!"

     Ranma stops kicking Patch and reaches down grabs him his hair.
"What the hell do you know about fighting fair!"

     "Not much really."  Patch reaches into his jacket and draws his
revolver.  Before Ranma can react, Patch jabs the gun into her stomach
and fires.  Ranma lets go of Patch's hair and takes a few steps back.
Patch quickly gets to his feet.  "Nobody but nobody touches the do!"
Patch pulls the trigger again and empties the revolver into Ranma.  All
five shots rip through Ranma's body.  After staggering around a bit, she
falls to the ground.  "That'll teach you to mess with me!"  Patch opens
the revolver and empties out the spent shells and quickly puts in six
new ones.

     Laughter starts coming from Ranma.  Patch watches as she slowly she
lifts herself off of the ground.  "It's gotta be the booze.  No one
could have lived through that."  Patch aims the gun and fires but Ranma
continues to stand up.  Patch fires again but has the same effect as
before.  Ranma finally gets to her feet and walks towards Patch.  Taking
several steps back Patch fires his gun again.  He watches as the bullet
strikes her dead in the chest.  He watches on as the wound quickly heals
up and soon the only evidence of the wound is a hole in her shirt.  "DIE
DAMN YOU!!!"  Again and again her fire the gun.  Again each strikes home
and again each wound heals back up.

     Patch pulls the trigger again but this time it responses with a
metallic click.  Ranma reaches out and grabs the revolver.  "Out of
bullets, what a shame."  With her other hand she strikes Patch in the
face with a punch.  Patch goes flying backwards until her strikes a
lamppost.  As Ranma approaches Patch, sirens can now be heard
approaching the area.

     Patch groans and rolls over to his side.  When his vision clears up
he spots Specks' still running motorcycle on it's side.  He turns and
spots Ranma as she walks over to him.  "Sorry babe but when you hear
that noise it means it's time to go."  Patch hastily gets up, races over
to the bike and picks it up.  He quickly guns the cycle's engine and
speeds out of there.

     "You won't get away from me that easily Patch!"  Ranma looks up at
the lamppost and spots her feather friend.  "Follow him!"  The bird
cries out and takes flight after Patch.  Ranma gets a running start and
jumps up onto the rooftops.

                              **********

     Patch guns the engine to it's full potential and tears down the
deserted street.  He takes a quick glance behind him and doesn't see
anybody following him.  Just to be safe he decides to not slow down.  He
turns a corner and rips down another street.  The events of what just
happened race through his mind.  Who was that girl and what was her beef
with him.  Sure, he's pissed off his fair share of the opposite sex but
none of them have ever come after him like this.  He must have done
something really awful to her to get this done to him.  She blew up
Specks' place, maybe it wasn't something he did after all.  Maybe it was
something the gang did to her.  They've done their fair share or
terrorizing.  Patch finally decides to slow down and makes another turn
onto a bridge crossing a large stream.  Patch briskly  comes to a halt
when he spots who's waiting for him on the other side.
     "How the hell did you find me!"

     "I had help."  Patch hears a bird squawk and spots the crow resting
on the bridge's guardrail.  "Let's end this game Patch."

     "I agree.  Let's end this game."  Patch guns the engine as Ranma
stands motionless on her side on the bridge.  After revving the engine
a few more times, Patch guns the bike and takes off towards Ranma.
Ranma holds her hand out in front of her and draws on the cool night air
around her.  Patch spots a small ball of light appearing in front of
Ranma but ignores it.

     The ball glows brighter and surrounds Ranma.  "HIRYU SHOTEN-HA
REVISED, HORIZONTAL BLAST!"  The blast launches from Ranma's hand and
fully engulfs Patch.  The force of the blast doesn't have much time to
slow him down before it ignites fuel that leaked out during his ride.
The fuel tank quickly catches and explodes.

     Patch's flaming body flies forward and lands at Ranma's feet with
a sickening thud.  Using the last of his strength, Patch weakly looks up
at Ranma.  "It's you..... The girl from the park......"

     "Yes."

     Patch feebly laughs.  "And we didn't believe you......"  His eyes
roll up and he stops moving.

     Ranma just stands there and watches as the flames consume Patch.
The crow flies over and lands on Ranma's shoulder.  "I know.  The
morning will soon be upon us.  I guess Skull is going to have to wait
till later."  The crow caws back in response.

                              **********

     Ukyo climbs down her stairs and enters her shop for another day of
work.  After doing a few stretches she goes outside and does a quick
sweep job.  With the sweeping done she goes back inside and heats up her
grill for the customers.  Ukyo yawns as she puts the finishing touches
on her ingredients.  (Damn.  I spent to much time at that meeting last
night.)

     When she finishes with the ingredients she leans forward and turns
on the television sitting the counter.  A news report in on
and a picture of a newly burnt down building fills the screen.
Interested, she turns up the volume.

     "Before me now is what use to be Takei's pawn shop.  Late last
night a single female busted into Mr. Takei's shop as he was working on
his books.  The female then proceeded to hassle Mr. Takei before she
went on a rampage and busted up his entire shop.  During her rampage she
busted open the shop's gas heating pipe.  On her way out, she lit some
fireworks and left them in the shop.  The explosion of the fireworks was
enough to ignite the leaking gas.  Mr. Takei barely made it out of his
shop before it exploded.  He was later admitted to the local hospital
for his injuries.  After fighting the fire for several hours, the local
fire department finally managed to put it out."

     (What could make a person do such a thing?)  Wonders Ukyo to
herself.  The scene on the television changes to a sketch of a female.
Ukyo stares at the picture on the television screen.  (Wait a second.)
She moves up closer to the screen.  (That... That.... That looks like
Ranchan.)

     "This is a sketch of the female who the police are looking for.
She was last scene wearing a black leather jacket with matching black
shorts and shirt.  She had painted her face white and highlighted it
with black makeup.  Police say she did it to try and conceal her real
identity."

     Ukyo places a shaky hand to the television screen.  (Maybe he's
still alive after all this time.  Maybe......)

     "Also in the news, another building was burnt down in another part
of town...."

     Ukyo suddenly draws her hand back and slaps herself in the face.
"NO!"  She places a hand on her forehead and shakes her head slightly.
(Get a hold of yourself girl.  Ranma honey is gone.  You just have to
accept.)  A single tear runs down the side of her face.  (You were at
the funeral remember.  You saw the body and watched them bury it.)  More
tears start to follow the first one.  (Give it up Ukyo.  Ranma's gone
for good.)

     The door chimes as some customers enter her shop.  Ukyo swiftly
tries to regain her composure and greets them.

                              **********

     Detective Takada stifles a yawn as her exits his car.  He grumbles
to himself as Detective Koohei walks up to him.  She greets him with
another of her cheery smiles.

     "What's the matter Takada?  Not use to the sunlight?"

     Takada's rolls his eyes at that remark.  "Very funny Koohei.  I
have another crime scene to visit so make it quick."

     With a smirk, "I have a feeling that this might be related to your
case.  That's why I called you out here."

     Takada looks over her shoulder and notices the remains of another
burnt down building.  "So another building got burnt down last night.
What makes you think that it is connected to my case?  You better not
say woman's intuition."

     Koohei frowns, "Well I was told that a certain Yutaka Ootsuki had
taken up residence in that building."

     Takada is taken back, "Did you say Yutaka Ootsuki!"

     "Yes."

     "He was know as Specks in Skull's gang."

     "It's more like was know as now."

     "What to you mean by that?"

     "Sources say that your man was in the building shortly before it
exploded.  While putting out the fire, fire fighters found the remains
of a body.  The only way I'm going to be able to identify it is by it's
dental records.  I've got a feeling that it's Ootsuki."

     "Anything else?"  Asks Takada.

     "Well fire fighters say that the fire looks like that it was
deliberately started.  Plus the victim was trapped under a heavy metal
barrel.  If you ask me, I think that your friend from earlier is
responsible for all of this."

     Takada crosses his arms, "What make you say that."

     "Follow me."  Detective Koohei turns and leads Takada to several
police officers taking pictures at something on the ground.  Detective
Koohei points to the ground.  "Does this look familiar?"

     Takada looks at the ground and is taken back again.  On the ground
is a large picture of a bird done out in broken glass.  It resembles the
same one from the alley.  Takada reaches into his pocket.  "I need a
cigarette."

                        ***END CHAPTER FOUR***


     Well that's it for now.  Five is still in the works and should be
down soon.  As for all of you that Emailed me after the posting of
chapter one & two, THANK YOU!!!!!!   I never thought that I would get
such a response back.  Now that I've posted the next two chapters, Email
me back some more!  Again my Email address is:  rtj@hotmail.com

     Till next chapter.

                                                   RTJ  October 2, 1996



     Here it is folks, the final chapters of the Ranma 1/2 & The Crow
Xover.  Sorry about the big delay in it's posting.  Some very
unexpected things came up.  Enjoy!!!!

                                                                 RTJ

     One last thing:

Ranma 1/2 is copyright of:

Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Communications,
Shogakukan Inc., Kitty Film, Pony Canyon

The Crow is copyright of:

James O'Barr & Miramax Films


                          ***CHAPTER FIVE***
                        ***THE SECOND NIGHT***


     Detective Takada plopped down onto his couch.  Before him,
resting on his coffee table, was a thick manila folder.  Sighing,
Takada reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He
gradually pulled out a single cigarette and lit it up.  He sucked on
the cigarette for a few moments and sighed again.  Takada leaned
forward and reached for the folder.  He slowly opened the folder to
examine its contents once again.

     It had been a very long night for him.  First it was Takei's pawn
shop.  Some crazy red headed woman busted right in and demanded that
Takei tell her where she could find Skull and his gang.  After Takei
told her what she wanted to know, she blew the place up.  The worst
part was that he had a chance to arrest her right then and there, but
he blew it.

     Not one hour later, the first body was found.  Takada reached and
picked up two pictures.  One was of Scar's body, with the knives
embedded in his chest.  The other was the picture of the bird drawn on
the brick wall.  Takada stared at the picture for a moment before he
put them down and picked up a police report.

     The report talked about the other building that was set on fire
about an hour after Scar was found.  It was an empty garage that
another of Skull's gang had taken up residence in.  The report stated
that the fire was purposely set and that the remains were those of one
Yutaka Ootsuki, otherwise know as Specks.  Another bird symbol was
found, this time it done in broken glass pieces.

     Takada put down the report and picked up another report.  This
one was about another murder.  Tests indicate that it happened shortly
after the second one.  A burnt male body was found on the Seito bridge
along with the remains of a motorcycle.  This one was almost written
up as an accident because it looks like the bike exploded on the
rider. They found the bird symbol, drawn in blood again, next to the
body of the rider.  After Takada found out that it was Patch's body,
it didn't take much to convinced them that it wasn't an accident.

     Three dead gang members, two burnt buildings and one crazy red
headed woman somehow connected to them all.  Takada sighed yet again
and put out his cigarette.  Even after some sleep, he still couldn't
remember where he had seen that girl before.  It nagged at him, he
knew he'd seen her before.  Takada glanced at his watch and decided to
head off to the office early.  He gathered up the papers and pictures
and picked up the folder.  As he picked up the folder, a single photo
slipped out.  It glided slowly and fell to the ground with it's back
up.  Takada placed the folder back on the coffee table and reached
down to fetch the photo.  He grabbed the picture and turned it over.
It's a picture of female Ranma that Nabiki had given to him.  As
Takada stared at the photo, it suddenly dawned on him.

     "No.  It can't be."   Takada placed the picture down on the
coffee table and pulled out a black marker.  He applied the same black
marks he saw on the girl last night to the picture before him.  "Well
I'll be damned.  Saotome here would be a perfect twin for that psycho
chick.  The problem is that Saotome is dead, so that means that she
definitely couldn't have done it." Takada studied the picture some
more.  "But the resemblance is just too uncanny."  He frowned as he
puzzled out the problem before him.  He carefully placed the photo
back in the folder and stood up.

     "Two dead girls and now three of their four killers are found
dead. Each of those girls left grieving fiancees behind.  Did one of
them finally crack and go after the killers?"  Takada rubbed his jaw.
"It couldn't be, the killer was a girl."  Takada suddenly remembered
the conversation he had with the Tendo's.  "That's right, Ranma was
supposed to really be a male who became a female.  Maybe one of his
fiancees decided to do it.  That still doesn't explain why the killer
looks so much like him or should I say, like her."  Takada rubbed his
chin some more and then smiled.  "Maybe Ranma came back to life and
decided to take revenge just like in the movies."  He laughed at this
remark.  He quickly stopped laughing and looked back at his watch.
"Enough of this, time to go to work."  Takada grabbed the folder and
fetched his jacket.  "That is, after I make a few stops."

                              **********

     Ranma-chan's form was highlighted by the setting sun as she
practiced one of her katas with her eyes closed.  With fluid
movements, Ranma gracefully practiced while waiting for the sun to
set.  The crow watched from a nearby boulder as Ranma continued in
perfect silence.  Her jacket was hung on a tree branch.  The sunlight
shone brightly through the many holes in the black leather jacket.
The only sound being made was by the babbling brook that ran only a
few meters away.

     Ranma had come to this section of Nerima park many times before
to escape the craziness around him.  Often it would be after he and
Akane had a fight.  Not wanting to go home to face her or his father,
he would come here.  It was located in a relatively vacant part of the
park.  Which meant he could come here and get his desired peace.

     His desired peace was all he could want now and he was close to
getting it.  Three of the men that killed Akane had been dealt with.
All that was left was their leader and whoever hired them.  Ranma
stooped low and slowly continued on with the kata.

     But who would stoop so low that they would resort to hiring
someone to kill Akane?  The information that Scar gave to him pointed
out that it was Akane they were after, not him.  They were told not to
harm him in any way.  Since he was in his girl form, they didn't know
that it was him.  Ranma guessed that their employer forgot to tell
them about his other form.  A wiry smile appeared on her face.  What
fitting justice, the men accidently kill the person that their
employer was trying to get for theirself.  It was morbid justice, but
it was fitting justice.  Just as fitting as the justice he was giving
out now.

     Ranma finished her kata and bowed.  Ranma had decided to stay in
his cursed form.  Alive or undead, Ranma Saotome died on that fateful
night along with Akane.  Without Akane, even the afterlife wasn't
worth living.  If he was still alive after he finished his job, he
wasn't going to continue living in a dead body.  No, he would continue
on in his female form.

     Ranma stood up straight and opened her eyes.  The sun was finally
starting to set.  Noting that it was almost time, Ranma walked over to
her jacket and reached into it's pocket.  She pulled out a large roll
of black electrical tape.  "Can't go around town with a shirt full of
holes."  With another smile, she pulled out a large strip of tape.
"It just isn't lady like."  Ranma took the tape and began wrapping it
around herself.  The crow watched on as Ranma covered her torso with
the black tape.  When she finished, she tossed the tape to the ground
and put on the hole filled jacket.  She turned around and looked at
her feathered companion.  "Let's go."

                              **********

     The sun set as Ukyo waved goodbye to her customers as they left
her shop.  It had been another rough day for her, both mentally and
physically.  The day had started off thinking about Ranma, and it
threw her whole day off.  She moved from behind the grill and briskly
cleaned the now empty tables.  She whistled a tune as she cleaned.
Her door suddenly chimed as a customer entered her shop.  She stopped
cleaning and turned to greet her guest.

     "Welcome..."  She stopped when she recognized who it was.  "What
do you want now detective?"

     Detective Takada smiled.  "Can't I come in to eat?  Last time I
checked, this place was a restaurant, or did that change?"

     Ukyo moved back to her spot behind the grill.  "What would you
like?"

     Takada walked up and took a seat near the grill.  "Give me the
same thing I had last time."  Ukyo nodded and started on his order.
"So, Miss Kuonji..."

     "Ukyo."

     "Okay.  So Ukyo, where were you last night?"

     Without looking up from the grill. "I was at a shop owners'
meeting last night."

     "I know."

     "So why did you ask?"

     "I was told that you were a little late in getting there."

     "I fell asleep and didn't wake up in time."

     "I'm sure."

     Ukyo finished the order and handed it to the detective.  "Just
what are getting at!"

     Takada took the order from her and placed it down.  "Torao Arai,
Yutaka Ootsuki, Yuzo Ikeguchi and Nagateru Katau, do you recognize any
of those names?"

     "No!  Am I supposed to?"

     "Those are the names of the four men that supposedly killed your
two friends."

     "So why tell me!"

     Takada picks up his chopsticks.  "Three of those four men died
last night.  The last one, Nagateru Katau, was still alive last time I
checked."

     "So!  Is that supposed to be a bad thing!?!"

     Between bites, "As long as it's against the law, yes it is."

     "I still don't see how this concerns me!"

     Takada stopped eating and placed his chopsticks down.  "I
happened to catch a glimpse of the killer.  If I didn't know better, I
would say that it was that fiancee of yours."

     Ukyo was taken aback.  "What do you mean by that?"

     "Don't give me that look.  I went to the Tendo household and was
told all about his curse and engagements to several women.  No need to
play ignorant about his true form with me now."  Takada leaned forward
and placed his hands together.  "So Ukyo, why were you late to your
meeting last night?"

     "As I said before, I overslept!"

     Without breaking his gaze, "So what about Ranma?"

     "What about him?"

     "Have you seen him recently?"

     Ukyo reached over her grill and grabbed the detective.  "How can
you say such thing!  Ranma's dead!  How on earth could I have possibly
seen him!"

     Takada gently grabbed Ukyo's hands and pryed them from his
jacket.  After he got loose, he sat back down.  "I just happened to be
in the neighborhood of your Ranma's graveyard and decided to pay my
respects."  He fold his arms.  "Boy was I shocked at what I found."

     "What do you mean by that?"

     "Ranma's grave, it was empty."

     Ukyo was taken aback again.  "Empty....."

     "Yes, empty."

     "But I was at the funeral.  I saw him in the casket.  I saw them
bury it!"

     "Well it's empty now."

     "You're lying!"

     "Am I?"

     Ukyo turned her grill off.  "I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask
you to leave now."

     "Why?"

     "I'm closing up for the night!"

     "Isn't it a little early for that?"

     "JUST GET OUT!"

     "Ok, ok."  Takada stood up and Ukyo escorted him out of the shop.
After he left, Ukyo locked the door behind him and removed the open
sign. Takada reached into the fold of his jacket and pulled out a
cigarette.  "Well if Ranma is really alive, she didn't know."  He lit
the cigarette.  "Let's see if I can find Skull before whoever she is
finds him."

     Takada put the lighter back in his jacket before he disappeared
into the night.

                              **********

     Skull leaned back in his chair and watched the barmaid scurry
away.  Skull cursed to himself.  They were all late tonight.
Normally, Patch was the late one, not Scar and Specks.  Damn it, what
was taking them so long?  Skull glanced down at his watch and cursed
some more.  The barmaid returned with his beer on a tray.  Before she
could hand it to him, Skull lashed out and snatched it from her.
Noting his mood, the waitress quickly left without seeing if he needed
anything else.

     Skull downed the bottle of alcohol in a matter of seconds.
Angrily, he took the now empty bottle and tossed it at the wall.  The
bottle shattered when it hit the wall.

     "What's the matter Skull?  Why so angry?"  Asked an unfamiliar
voice.

     Skull looked across the table and noticed that he had company.
Her red hair and white face paint gave her an eerie look.  "What the
hell are you supposed to be!"

     "I'll give you three guesses."

     "I don't know, a mime from hell."

     "I don't think so.  I personally hate mimes."

     "Doesn't everybody.  Look, I don't have time to play games with
you.  I'm waiting on three late associates of mine."

     "I really don't think that they're going to make it, if you ask
me."

     "And why wouldn't they make it?"

     "Because I killed them."

     This information didn't break Skull's current mood.  "Killed them
you say."

     "Yes.  First Scar, then Specks and shortly after that I killed
Patch."  Ranma pointed directly at Skull.  "Now I'm after you.  I'll
go easy on you if you'll tell me who hired you to kill those girls in
Nerima park."

     Skull smiled.  "Just out of curiosity, what happens if I don't
want to tell you?"

     Ranma returned his smile.  "Then I'll be forced to do unpleasant
things to you until you do tell me."

     "Then I'm afraid you're going to have to do it the hard way.  I
really don't feel like telling you at the moment."

     "Well, then, the hard way it is."

     "Before you start," Skull stood up, "Let's make this more
sporting, shall we?"  Skull turned his head and pointed at Ranma.
"FIFTY THOUSAND YEN TO THE PERSON THAT KILLS THIS WOMAN!"  He yelled
above the noise of the bar.

     Everyone in the bar heard, despite all of the noise.  Promptly,
they drew their guns and aimed at Ranma.  Ranma stood up, spread her
arms out and gave a laugh that Kodachi Kuno would be proud of.  Bullet
after bullet struck Ranma, but she just stood there laughing as she
absorbed the damage.  When the last person ran out of rounds, they
stood there, staring open jawed at Ranma.

     "IS THAT THE BEST YOU ALL CAN DO!!!"  Cried out Ranma
hysterically.  "HERE, LET ME SHOW YOU HOW TO DO IT!!!"  Ranma reached
and grabbed the table before him and tossed it at the gaping crowd.

     One of the patrons reloaded his gun and prepared to fire it at
Ranma.  Ranma spotted him and hit the gun in his hand.  The gun went
off and shot the man in his leg.  He fell to the ground grasping his
leg.  Another man approached Ranma from the rear.  Ranma sensed this
and jabbed his arm backwards, shattering the man's nose with her
elbow.  Someone else prepared to fire at Ranma, but she grabbed some
poor fool and used him as a human shield.  After the man absorbed the
shots, Ranma dropped him and attacked the man with the gun.  With a
few swift kicks, she easily took him out.  A woman snuck up behind
Ranma and stabbed her in the back with a switchblade.  Ranma
immediately turned around and punched her in the stomach, causing her
to double over.  Ranma grabbed her hair and slammed her face-first
into the wooden floor.

     The others slowly started to back away from devil like woman.
Ranma stood back up and removed the knife from her back.  She took the
knife and waved it at them.  "Ok, who feels lucky?"  One man nodded to
several others, and they dove together towards Ranma.  Ranma caught
the first one in the shoulder with the switchblade before she lost her
grip on it.  Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Skull leaving
the bar.  "Enough with the playing around!"  Ranma knocked the men
away and charged the group.  "Time to take off the kid gloves!  KACHU
TENSHIN AMAGURI-KEN!"  Ranma delivered blow after blow to the
seemingly endless hoard of bar patrons.  Ranma finished her attack but
she didn't get them all.

     Thinking that she was now tired, the remainder charged all at
once.  Ranma ducked the attack and dove out of the way.  She rushed
across the bar and picked up a chair.  To their surprise, Ranma took
the chair and smashed the large front window.  The cool night air
flooded into the bar.  Again the hoard rushed Ranma.  Ranma took a
stance and drew on the cool air in the bar.  As they descended upon
Ranma, they spotted a small glowing ball.  "HIRYU SHOTEN-HA!"  Ranma
cried out.  Suddenly, a large whirlwind appeared around Ranma and
engulfed the last of the attackers.  The wind grabbed the attackers
and slammed them into the ceiling of the building with bone jarring
force.  When the wind died down, they crashed to the floor.  Panting,
Ranma looked around the bar and noted that she was the only one left
standing.  Carefully, the bartender and barmaids looked up and over
the counter.  Spotting Ranma, they ducked back underneath.

     "You won't get away from me that easily Skull!"  Ranma raced out
of the bar.

                              **********

     Ukyo stopped hesitantly at the entrance of the cemetery.   She
took a quick look around before she hopped the gate.  With her keen
skills, she easily made it over and landed on the other side.  She
started to walk deeper into the cemetery.  After taking a few steps,
she stopped.

     (Girl what are you doing!)  Screamed her instincts.  (It's late
at night and you're in a cemetery!  Just what do you hope to
accomplish!)

     She stood there, lost in her thoughts.  (Ranma's dead!  When are
you going to accept it!)  A single tear formed.  (That detective was
just saying Ranma's grave was empty to rile you.)  With a sniffle, she
wiped the tear away and turned around.  (But what if he was telling
the truth?)  She turned her head to side and bit her lip.  (Since I'm
here, I might as well check.  If it's alright, then I'll pay my
respects.  If it's not, then......)  Another tear replaced the one she
just wiped away.  (Then I'll do what's right.  I owe him that.)  Ukyo
turned back around and walked off to Ranma's grave.

                              **********

     Detective Takada leaned back in his car seat and yawned.  He
raised his arm and looked at his watch.  He watched Skull enter the
bar over two hours ago and she still hadn't arrived yet.  He put down
his arm and picked up his binoculars.  Word had it that Skull and his
boys met here when they had a job.  He managed to keep it quiet that
Patch and the others had died so as not tip Skull off.  If Skull knew
that someone was after him and his gang, Skull would promptly go into
hiding.  If he did, the chance that the girl would get to him before
he could would increase.  Takada got lucky and spotted Skull on his
way to the bar, and had been following him ever since.  For the last
two hours, he'd been across the street watching the patrons enter.  So
far, no crazy woman.  Takada put down the binoculars and reached into
the folds of his jacket.

     Unexpectedly, multiple gunshots were heard from the bar.  Takada
grabbed his radio and immediately called it in.  One gun toting bad
guy he could handle, not a whole bar full!  When he finished, he
pulled out his revolver and exited his car.  Several people quickly
exited the bar as he approached it.  Another patron left the bar.
Takada instantly recognized him.  It was Skull.  Takada raised his
revolver.  "Police, Freeze Skull!"

     Skull stopped and raised his hands.

     "Turn around!"

     With his arms still raised, Skull turned.  "Look pig, I ain't got
time to fool with you!  I got some crazy chick after me and she wants
blood!  My blood!"

     "Well that's too...."  A chair flew through the bar's window and
slammed right into Takada.

     Skull lowered his arms.  "Later!"  He turned and ran for all he
was worth.

     Takada groaned as he stood back up.  He raised his hand to block
out the bright light radiating from the bar.  The light died down and
another familiar figure ran out of the bar.

     "You won't get away from me that easily Skull!"  Cried out Ranma.

     Again, Takada raised his gun.  "Police, freeze!"

     Ranma turned and looked at the detective.  The look of pure anger
and hatred on her face sent chills down Takada's spine.  "I didn't
listen to you the first time!  So what makes you think I'll listen to
you now!"

     "If you even breathe wrong, I will fire."

     Ranma snorted and started to walk off.

     "I'm warning you!  I will fire!"

     "So!  Go ahead and fire already!"

     "I warned you!"  Takada pulled the trigger and his revolver went
off.  The bullet struck Ranma, but she continued walking like nothing
had happened.  Takada lowered his revolver.  (I shot her clean in the
torso.  She should have dropped to the ground.)  He watched as Ranma
headed off into the same direction Skull had.  He reholstered his
revolver and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.  (I need a cigarette.)

                              **********

     Dark clouds gathered in the cool night sky.  Skull didn't know
that, though.  He was too busy running for his life.  He rounded a
corner and ran into a trash can.  The can fell over, but Skull
continued running.  He ran down the street for a block before ducking
into a handy alley.  He stuck his head out of the alley and looked up
and down the street.  The only living thing he saw was a black bird
perched on the streetlight.  With a smirk, he ducked back into the
alley.  (That girl will never find me now.)  He started to laugh.

     "What's so funny Skull?"  Asked the one voice he never wanted to
hear again.

     Skull slowly turned around and gazed upon the female from the
bar.  Many holes now filled her shirt and jacket.  If it wasn't for
the black tape she used earlier, they would have fallen off.  "How in
hell did you find me!"

     "That's my little secret."  Ranma smiled sinisterly at Skull.
"So, are you willing to talk now?"

     "Why should I?"

     "If you won't tell me, then you die slowly and painfully.  If you
do tell me, it will be quick and painless."

     "Oh, joy.  If you don't mind, I'll take choice number three."
Skull reached into his back pocket and drew his knife.  "If you're
wondering, choice three is that I don't tell you and I kick your sweet
ass."

     "We'll see who does the dying."

     "Die damn you!"  Skull swung his knife.  Ranma didn't move and
Skull struck her directly in the stomach.  Ranma grabbed his wrist and
snapped it.  Skull let go of his knife and grabbed his broken wrist
with his good hand.  Skull looked up and watched as Ranma removed the
knife from her stomach.  To his horror, he watched as her wound healed
back to normal.  "This ain't happening man.  No way this is
happening!"  He turned around and ran deeper into the alley.

     "There's no place for you to hide Skull!"  Yelled Ranma.

     While running down the alley, Skull spotted a door.  With his
good hand, he tried to open it, but it was locked.  He turned his head
and noticed that Ranma was getting closer.  He stepped back and
slammed into the door with his shoulder.  The wooden door creeked, but
didn't give.  Again and again, he slammed into it.  Just as Ranma got
to him, the door finally gave.  Skull rushed inside and slammed the
door behind him.  With his borrowed time, he glanced around and
spotted another door down the hallway.  He raced down the hallway and
entered the door.  A stairway went up.  Ranma smashed the door and
entered the building.  Skull quickly decided that going upstairs was
better than facing Ranma.  To his disbelief, the stairs took him
directly to the roof.

     "Oh damn!  This is not good."  Something struck him from the
rear, and he stumbled forward.  Skull turned around and faced Ranma.

     "What's the matter Skull.  Is your wrist bothering you?  Here,
I'll make you forget all about it."  Ranma flashed him the same blade
from earlier and stabbed him in his upper right leg.  Skull crashed to
the ground, clutching his wounded leg.  "See, didn't that make you
forget about your wrist?"

     Skull looked up from the ground.  "L.l.l..look!  Can't we cut a
deal?!  How about I tell you who hired me and you just beat me up real
bad!  How about that?"

     Ranma grabbed Skull by his shirt and lifted him off his feet.
"TELL ME!"

     Skull was now sweating profusely.  "Look, it happened like this.
Me and the boys were in Nerima checking out the area.  We got hungry
and decided to stop in one of the shops.  Patch caused a scene and the
lady at the shop kicked his butt and threw him out, literally.  She
told us unless we wanted the same, we all had to leave.  Scar, being
the idiot he is, wouldn't leave.  She repeated the same thing to him.
Me and Specks decided to play it safe and left."

     "What does this have to do with what I want to know!"

     "Hold on!  I'm getting there!  Anyway, we decided to return later
that night and repay her for what she did.  She was expecting us and
kicked all of our butts.  While the others were out cold, she
approached me and said she wanted to make a deal."

     "What kind of deal?"

     "She told me that she wanted us to interrupt someone's date and
kill the girl.  She promised a big pay off if we did.  I agreed to do
the job.  She did tell us one thing though.  She told us not in any
way to harm the guy she would be with.  When we got there, we found
the girl with another girl.  We killed both of them to be safe."

     "Give me a name!"

     "I never got her name."

     "Describe her!"

     "Well, she had this accent and seemed to own the place.  Oh yes,
she had this club like weapon that she hit us with."

     (Knows martial arts, accent, owned the place, and a club like
weapon.)  Ranma relaxed his grip.  "Ukyo....."

     Noting Ranma's distracted look.  Skull grabbed the handle of his
knife with his good hand.  Forgetting about his pain, he yanked on the
knife and pulled it out of his leg.  He swung the blade, but Ranma
caught it.  Skull gritted his teeth as he head butted Ranma.  Ranma
stumbled backwards.  Skull shook off Ranma's loosened grip and
attacked again.  This time, his knife contacted with Ranma's throat.
Ranma grabbed the knife with one hand and lashed out with her other.
She managed to clip Skull in his jaw.  Ranma pulled out the knife and
tossed it over the ledge.

     "Bad move Skull."  Ranma approached him.

                              **********

     Takada stopped his car and got out.  He glanced around the
deserted street.  Frustrated, he spit out his cigarette and stomped on
it.  (Damn it!  I lost her!)  He had been following her ever since she
left the bar.  Takada knew that she had a partner, it was obvious.
Who that partner was, was another question all together.  He followed
the girl until she climbed up a fire escape and disappeared onto the
rooftops.   He heard a noise down in this direction and decided to
check it out.  Takada was about to enter his car when he heard another
noise above him.  He looked up in time to catch Skull doing a terrible
swan dive off the roof.  The car's windows shattered as Skull landed
head first onto it's roof.

     After staring at Skull for a moment, he looked back up at the
roof.  He spotted the girl looking back down at him.  "Are you happy
now?!"  Yells Takada.  "That's the last one!"

     "He's the last of the gang but not the last of the killers."
Ranma turned and left.

     Takada looked back at Skull and noticed that he was still moving.
"Hold on.  I'll get an ambulance."  Takada reached for his radio.

     "No... time...."  Skull meekly reached out and touched his
shoulder.  "Got.. to... tell..."  He started to cough up blood.

     "Tell me what!"  Skull mouthed something, but Takada couldn't
hear him.  He leaned in closer to listen.  Skull whispered something
into his ear.  Skull took one last deep breath and then died.  Takada
took a step back.  "I see."

                        ***END CHAPTER FIVE***

                           ***CHAPTER SIX***
                       ***THE GATHERING STORM***


     Dark clouds gathered in the night sky, blocking out most of the
moonlight.  A low ominous rumble was shortly heard.  Lighting crashed,
illuminating the dark sky for but a brief moment.  The coming rain was
the last thing on Ukyo Kuonji's mind.  Other more important things
were on her mind.

     She stopped for a moment and leaned up against a telephone pole
to catch her breath.  She'd been running ever since she left the
cemetery.  When she caught her breath, she continued on her way.
After a while, she reached her shop.  She unlocked the door and
quickly entered.  She took off her jacket and turned on the shop's
lights.  The lights flickered and brightened the shop.  Ukyo collapsed
onto the nearest table.  With the lights on, one could now see how
pale Ukyo looked at the moment.

     (He... He was right.  Ranma's grave was empty.)  She ran a
shaking hand through her hair.  (But it doesn't look like someone dug
it.  It looks like.... like....)  She removed her hand from her hair.
(Like something emerged from the ground.)

     Lighting crashed nearby, causing Ukyo to jump.  The lights
flickered and then went off.  Ukyo looked out of her shop's window and
noticed that even the streetlight was off.  (Power failure.)

     "Ukyo."  Went a mysterious voice.

     Ukyo jumped again.  She grabbed her giant spatula from her back
and took a stance.  She looked around her shop, but didn't spot
anybody.  (Relax girl.  You're starting to hear voices.)

     "Ukyo."  Went the voice again.

     She spun around again and still couldn't find the source of the
voice.  She drew her spatula.  "WHO'S THERE!"

     A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.  "Ukyo."

     Ukyo dropped her spatula and fell to her knees.  "Ranma."

     Lightning crashed again.  Its light illuminated the shop for a
brief moment.  Ranma just stood there and looked down at his old
friend.  "Ukyo.....  Do you know why I'm here?"

     Tears started flowing down Ukyo's face.  "Yes I do Ranchan."

     "Then tell me why."

     "I was so jealous and confused when I found out about your date.
You two always fought with each other and said that you hated each
other.  Yet you were going out on a date."

     "Like I told you earlier that day.  Our parents made us do it."

     "I know Ranchan, but I was still angry.  I figured that if you
really didn't want to go, you would find a way out of it.  But no, you
went anyway."

     "That's still no reason to do what you did."

     Between sobs, "I'm so sorry, Ranma.  I felt so bad arguing with
you that day.  Please forgive me Ranma.  Please....."

     "Forgive you!  How can I forgive the one who sent killers after
Akane!"

     Ukyo looks at Ranma with total confusion.  "Send killers.....
What are you talking about?"

     "Don't play innocent!  I was told by their leader that you sent
them after Akane!"

     "I did no such thing Ranma!  Yes, I did hate Akane, but not
enough to kill her.  I knew that I couldn't make you love me if I did
something to Akane.  I wanted you to leave her because you loved me."

     "If you didn't sent them, then who did!"

                              **********

     Ranma-chan grabbed Skull by his shirt and lifted him off his
feet.  "TELL ME!"

     Skull was now sweating profusely.  "Look, it happened like this.
Me and the boys where in Nerima checking out the area.  We got hungry
and decided to stop in one of the shops.  Patch caused a scene and the
lady at the shop kicked his butt and threw him out, literally.  She
told us unless we wanted the same, we all had to leave.  Scar, being
the idiot he is, wouldn't leave.  She repeated the same thing to him.
Me and Specks decided to play it safe and left."

     "What does this have to do with what I want to know!"

     "Hold on!  I'm getting there!  Anyway, we decided to return later
that night and repay her for what she did.  She was expecting us
though and kicked all of our butts.  While the others were old cold,
she approached me and said she wanted to make a deal."

     "What kind of deal."

     "She told me that she wanted us to interrupt someone's date and
kill the girl.  She promised a big pay off if we did.  I agreed to do
the job.  She did tell us one thing though.  She told us not in any
way to harm the guy she would be with.  When we got there, we found
the girl with another girl.  We killed both of them to be safe."

     "Give me a name!"

     "I never got her name."

     "Describe her!"

     "Well, she had this accent and seemed to own the place.  Oh yes,
she had this club like weapon that she hit us with."

                              **********

     (Knows martial arts, accent, owned the place, and a club like
weapon.)  Ranma moaned,  "Oh my god.  Why didn't I see it before?"

     "What is it Ranchan?"

     Ranma walked over to Ukyo and kneeled down in front of her.  "I
made a big mistake Ucchan.  Can you ever forgive me?"

     "Only if you forgive me."

     Ranma leaned forward and hugged Ukyo.  "Deal."  The two remained
together for what felt like an eternity.

     "Ranchan."

     "What?"

     "How is it that you're here?"

     Ranma pulled back form the hug.  "I couldn't get my proper rest.
So I was brought back to take my revenge."

     "So.... Are you dead?"

     "I'm not sure.  All I know is that I can't die.  I've been
stabbed, beaten, and shot many times.  No matter how bad the wound, it
just heals back like magic."

     "What's going to happen once you're finish?"

     "I really don't know Ucchan.  I really don't know."

     Ukyo stopped crying.  "Why don't you come and live with me after
all this is over?"

     Ranma smiled.  "But what about everyone else?  Once they find out
that I'm back, who knows what will happen?  I am, after all, supposed
to be dead."

     "We'll move away from here.  Far, far away, where no one has ever
heard of either of us."

     "I don't know Ukyo.  I'm going to have to think about it."  Ranma
gets up and prepares to leave.  "I'm sorry Ucchan, but I have to
leave.  There's still one more person I have to see tonight."

     "Who."

     "Cologne."

     Lighting crashes once more.

                              **********

     Detective Takada leaned back in the passenger seat of Detective
Koohei's car.  He cracked the window a little bit to let some of the
heat out of the car.  He couldn't crack it too much because of the
pouring rain.  Detective Koohei lightly snored next to him.  Before
the ambulance arrived, Skull had muttered a single name in his ear,
Neko Hanten.

     Takada knew that that name sounded familiar.  He searched his
file and came upon it.  The restaurant was owned by another of Ranma's
fiancees.  Takada didn't know if the clue meant that they were
responsible for the men's deaths or something else.  Needing to check
it out, he tried to convince Koohei to let him borrow her car.  Not
wanting the same thing to happen to her car, she insisted on going
with him.  He caved in and agreed.  Something still bothered him,
though.  It was something that the girl said before she left.

                              **********

     After staring at Skull for a moment, he looked back up at the
roof. He spotted the girl looking back down at him.  "Are you happy
now!"  Yelled Takada.  "That's the last one!"

     "He's the last of the gang but not the last of the killers."
Ranma turned and left.

                              **********

     (What did she mean by that?)  Takada thought about it for a
moment. (Wait a minute!  Maybe she meant that there's a fifth person
somehow involved.  That would make sense.)  He sat back in the seat
again and smiled.  Another case solved by Super Detective Takada.  All
that was left was to wait.

                              **********

     Shampoo lay in her bed and stared up at the ceiling.  Her eyes
were puffy from another night of crying.  The only man to ever beat
her and her first true love was dead.  He may not have loved her, but
he did always come to her rescue.  She always thought that somewhere
in his heart, he really did love her.  It was Akane that stopped him
from expressing his true love for Shampoo.  Now that he was dead, how
was she ever going to return home?

     Her great grandmother never did speak about going home.  It was
almost as if she was waiting for something to happen.  The night Ranma
and Akane went on that date, great grandmother went to her room and
told Shampoo that she didn't want to be bothered.  Several hours later
she heard Cologne scream and she rushed to her room.  It was then that
Cologne told Shampoo that Ranma had died.  Shampoo was furious, she
didn't want to believe her.  Shampoo had raced from the shop and gone
to the Tendo's house.  She bumped into them as they were heading to
the hospital.

     Ever since then, great grandmother had been acting strange.  She
placed wards all over the shop and living areas.  It got even stranger
last night.  When she woke up and went to Cologne's room, she wasn't
there.  She went down to the shop and found her there.  It was almost
as if she was waiting for somebody.  Before Shampoo went to her room
tonight, she checked Cologne's room.  Again she wasn't there.  Shampoo
snuck downstairs and found her grandmother there.  Again it looked as
if she was waiting for somebody.

     Shampoo rolled over and tried to put it out of her mind.  She
tossed and turned some in her bed.  She couldn't get it out of her
mind, no matter how hard she tried.  Shampoo sat up, determined to
find out what was going on.  She grabbed her robe and left her room.

                              **********

     Cologne stood in the center of the Neko Hanten.  She had felt his
powerful presence leave the mortal plane that fateful night.  Last
night, she felt that same presence return.  She knew that it had to be
him.  Someone with such a fighting spirit was capable of anything.
How he returned was still a total mystery to her.  He had suffered
such an unhonorable death.  She was willing to bet that was why he was
back.  To claim his desired revenge.

     She knew that Ranma would go after the four men.  From them she
knew that Ranma would find out about the deal with their leader.  That
meant that Ranma would be coming for her.  Those four men would pose
no challenge to Ranma.  He would take them out with no problem.  She
did not plan on going out as easily.

     This was the only reason that they remained in Japan as long as
they had.  Something in her old bones had nagged that something like
this could happen.  She had seen too many things in her life to not
believe in such things.  Her village even had a such a legend.  One of
its mightiest warriors was killed in such a unhonorable fashion.
Legend said that a bird spirit brought her back to life so she could
have her revenge.

     Cologne tightened her grip on her cane.  Curse him, when was he
going to show up!  The wait was starting to get to her.  She almost
hoped that he would show up.  She grumbled on a bit and continued her
vigil.

                              **********

     Shampoo carefully made her way down the stairs.  She even more
carefully made her way down the hallway.  Her luck held, and the door
to the dining room wasn't closed all the way.  She peeked into the
dining room.  Her great grandmother was still there, she had moved the
tables to the sides of the room.  It looked almost like she cleared
the area for a fight.  Maybe those stupid men were coming back.  If
they were, why hadn't her great grandmother told her?  Maybe she
thought that it was such a trivial thing that she wasn't needed.
Well, what ever the purpose, she was going to find out.

                              **********

     Cologne continued her vigil.  Soon, it was finally answered.  A
dark form approached the door and opened it.  In stepped Ranma-chan
with a black bird perched on her shoulder.  It was a full minute
before Cologne fully recognized her.  The white face paint confused
her for a moment.

     "Well son-in-law, long time no see."

     Shampoo gasped.  (Ranma alive!!!)

     The bird flew off her shoulder and landed on the cash register.
"I figured that you would be waiting for me.  I guess you know why I'm
here."

     "You left me no choice."

     "NO CHOICE!!"  Ranma sneered.  "What do you mean by no choice!"

     "If you only accepted Shampoo as your proper bride, then you two
would still be alive."

     Shampoo entered the room.  "What you mean by that!"

     Cologne turned her head towards Shampoo.  "Go back to bed!  This
does not concern you!"

     For the first time in her life, Shampoo ignored her great
grandmother.  Instead she walked over to Ranma.  "Ranma.....  Is that
really you?"  Ranma nodded her head.  "But you died."

     "I did die, Shampoo."  Ranma pointed at Cologne.  "It's her fault
that it happened."

     "Great grandmother killed Ranma!"  Again another first in
Shampoo's life, she felt anger towards Cologne.

     "Yes great granddaughter, I am responsible for Ranma's death."

     "Let's not forget about Akane's death, too."  Added Ranma.

     "How you responsible, great grandmother!"

     "Remember those men a few weeks back?"  Shampoo nods.  "I hired
them to interfere in son-in-law's date.  Unfortunately, something went
wrong and they killed them both."

     Tears streaked down Shampoo's face.  "How could you....  You
always teach Shampoo to do honorable thing.  Making those men kill
Akane was not honorable.  It very unhonorable.  Shampoo no can forgive
great grandmother."

     Cologne shook her head.  "If had you only stayed in bed, you
would have never found out.  Now you have to share in my dishonor."

     "Are you ready old ghoul?"  Asked Ranma.

     Cologne turned to face Ranma again.  "I'm ready."

     Shampoo watched helplessly as the two people who meant the most
to her faced off.  Their battle auras glowed as they prepared
themselves.  Shampoo wanted to help Ranma, but was it really Ranma?
It looked like Ranma-chan, but didn't Ranma die?  If he did, then who
was this in the restaurant?  Confused, Shampoo just looked on.

     With a mighty yell, Ranma charged at Cologne but she nimbly
jumped out of the way.  Again and again, Ranma attacked, and again and
again, Cologne countered each move.

     "You're still too early to defeat me, sonny!"

     "We'll see about that!"  Ranma attacked again.  "KACHU TENSHIN
AMAGURI-KEN!"  Ranma launched her fastest attack ever.

     Cologne launched into her own version of it.  "I taught you that
little trick!  Don't think for a second that I've be....."  Ranma's
fist soared by her head unexpectedly.  (Damn, almost didn't see that
one.)  Several more blows came close to hitting, but none did.  "Well,
sonny boy, it appears that you've gotten better."

     "Shut up and die you old ghoul!"  Ranma gritted her teeth and
drew in all her anger and sorrow.  A small ball of energy forms in her
hand.  "I couldn't use this technique before, because I was never
depressed enough."  Ranma closed her eyes and thought back to that
night.  She remembered how afraid Akane felt when they approached her.
She remembered the look in Akane's eyes as Ranma lay dying in her
arms.  She remembered the anger and pain she felt when they repeated
her torment on Akane.  Fueled by her anger and depression, the ball of
light began to glow brighter and brighter.  "For Akane!"  Ranma raised
her hands and pointed them at Cologne.  "SHISHI HOKO-DAN!"

     The ball of energy shot forward in a huge beam of light.
Surprised that Ranma managed to pull it off, Cologne failed to dodge
out of the way.  The beam struck her and continued out the front of
the shop.

                              **********

     Bored and tired, detective Takada was about to fall asleep.  The
sound of shattering glass and an explosion woke him up though.  It
also woke detective Koohei.  They covered their eyes as a bright beam
of light shot out of the store.  The beam hit a telephone pole, and it
crashed to the ground.  A small person landed on the street a few feet
away.

     "Oh my god!  Some kid got caught in that explosion!"  Detective
Koohei grabbed the radio and called it in.

     Detective Takada decided to brave the downpour and exitted the
car.  The wind pulled on his hat and tried its best to yank it off.  A
black bird flew out of the shop.  Soon, he spotted a familiar figure
following the bird.

     Ranma stopped in her tracks when she spotted the detective.
"Leave!  This is none of your concern!"

     "Trying to kill someone again!  Last time I checked, that was
police business."  Takada pulled out his revolver and aimed.  "I put
special ammo in it this time.  Move and you will die."

     "Don't make me......"

     Takada fired his gun.  The recoil of the special round almost
caused him to drop the gun.  The bullet successfully struck Ranma.  To
her surprise, she was knocked off her feet and fell backwards.  Takada
walked over to Ranma's body and looked down.  A large gaping hole was
exposed in her abdomen.  "I told you I had special ammo.  Special
anti-armor round that explodes on contact, that is."  Takada's eyes
got big as he watched Ranma's wound heal over.  Soon, not a trace of
the wound can be seen.  "What in God's name...."

     Ranma suddenly jumped up.  With one hand she grabbed the gun,
with the other she grabbed his throat.  "I told you to stay out of
this."  She took the gun from him and tossed it away.  Ranma spotted
the other detective racing over to rescue her partner.  Ranma threw
Takada at Koohei.  He struck her, and they both fell to the ground.
Ranma turned to face Cologne.  "Now where were....."

     Cologne snuck up on Ranma and clubbed him in the head with her
cane.  Cologne launched into her own version of the kachu tenshin
amaguri-ken with her club.  Still tired from the shishi hoko-dan,
Ranma failed to block some of the attacks.

     "What's the matter boy?  Use up too much energy to fast!"
Cologne followed up her attack.  "Take this!  BAKUSAI-TEN-KETSU!"
Cologne jabbed the ground under Ranma, and it exploded.  Ranma flew
backwards from the explosion and crashed to the ground again.  As
Ranma tried to get back up, Cologne reached into the folds of clothing
and pulled out several knives.  She threw the knives, and they struck
with stunning accuracy.  Each one hit a vital point on Ranma's body.
Ranma laughed as she removed each one.

     Cologne frowned.  (This is not good.  Each time I wound him, it
just heals over.  He must have a weakness.  He must!)

                              **********

     Shampoo watched helplessly from the restaurant.  Ranma was
fighting her great grandmother outside.  It was obvious to her that
there was only one way that this could end.  One of them was going to
die.  She lost Ranma once before, she didn't want to lose him again.
Unfortunately for Shampoo, it was raining outside.  One step out there
and poof!  Instant Neko-Shampoo.  Being a cat would not help Ranma's
condition much.  Yes, it would help him in using the Neko-ken, but he
got too distracted in that condition.  Plus, Akane was the only person
who could control him when he was like that.  Shampoo watched as Ranma
prepared to face off against her grandmother again.

                              **********

     Ranma stood up and removed the last of the knives.  "Is that the
best you can do, old ghoul?"

     "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."  Cologne gave him a
false smile.  Good thing that it was raining, because despite the
cold, she was sweating.  This was one of the few moments in her life
that she had been worried.  How did one fight someone who appeared to
be impervious to pain?  It suddenly dawned on her, the legend!  It
talked about a bird spirit bringing back the warrior.  Didn't Ranma
walk in with a bird on his shoulder?  Maybe the same thing happened
here.  Maybe that was his weakness.  She looked around the area and
spotted the bird perched on the felled telephone pole.  She reached
into the folds of her robe again and pulled out several more knives.

     "Going to try the same trick again!"

     "Not exactly."  Cologne suddenly turned away from Ranma and
tossed the knives at the crow.  The crow tried to get out of the way,
but one struck the bird.  The crow disappeared behind the telephone
pole.

     Ranma grabbed her shoulder in agony.  To her surprise, the pain
did not go away.

     "Not so powerful anymore are we."  Mocked Cologne.

     "A minor setback."  Ranma gritted her teeth and bore the pain.
"I'm still going to kill you!"

     "I don't think so."  Cologne used her other hand and twisted the
cane.  She pulled on the head of the cane and exposed a short sword.
"Let's see if you can live with your head cut off."

     Ranma spotted the crow as it hopped back on top of the pole.  It
was clearly wounded, but still going.  "Let's not and say we did."

     Cologne charged at Ranma and swung her blade.  She missed and
swung again.  Ranma jumped back and took a defensive stance.

     "Stand still and I'll give you your desired rest."

     "Not before you die!"

     Cologne gave a mighty war cry as she charged Ranma once again.
Ranma didn't move, and Cologne plunged her sword deep into Ranma's
gut.  To Cologne's surprise, Ranma wrapped her arms around her.

     "What do you think you're doing!"

     Ranma coughed up a little blood.  "Just wait and see."  Cologne
tried to free herself, but Ranma's grip was to strong.  Ranma mustered
her remaining strength and generated a massive battle aura.  As the
hairs on her neck stood up, Cologne realized what Ranma was doing.

                             *************

     Shampoo screamed out as her great grandmother fatally plunged her
sword into Ranma.  She expected Ranma to fall down, but instead she
just wrapped her arms around Cologne.  To her further bewilderment,
Ranma started generating her battle aura.

     "Why he do that?"

     A bolt of lighting shot from the sky and struck Ranma and
Cologne.  Windows down the entire street shattered in response.  When
her vision started to clear up, she spotted two figures laying on the
ground.  Forgetting about her curse, Shampoo raced out into the
street.

     Her nightgown landed in a puddle as she changed into a cat.  She
nimbly raced across the street to the two prone figures.  To her left
was the charred and lifeless remains of her grandmother.  She turned
her head and examined Ranma.  Through the shredded remains of her
shirt and jacket, Shampoo could see that Ranma suffered the same fate
as her grandmother.  Something caught her attention.  Slowly but
surely, Ranma's skin turned from a black to a pale color.  Ranma's
body shuddered as life returned to it once again.  Shampoo went up and
licked Ranma's face.

     When Ranma's vision cleared, the first thing he saw was Neko-
Shampoo.  Ranma instantly sat up and removed himself from the cat.
Fear slowly removed itself from Ranma's face.  Ranma began laughing.
"I can't die and I'm still afraid of cats."  Ranma continued to laugh
as she stood back up.  She walked over to Neko-Shampoo and picked her
up.

     "So, is it finally over?"  Asked a familiar voice.

     Ranma turned around and faced detective Takada.  "Yes, it's
finally over."

     "You're Ranma Saotome, aren't you?"

     "Yes."

     "Didn't you die?"

     "Yes."

     "Let me guess.  You came back to life to get revenge."

     "Yes."

     Takada reached into pockets of his jacket.  "I need a cigarette."

     "So what are you going to do with me?"  Asked Ranma.

     Takada pulled out a pack of cigarettes.  To his disappointment,
it was empty.  Takada muttered a curse as he balled it up and tossed
it over his shoulder.  "Not a thing.  You're dead, our rules apply to
the living."  Sirens could now be heard.  "Get out of here before my
friends get here."

     "Yes, sir."  She handed Takada Neko-Shampoo.  "Make sure she gets
some hot water."  Ranma turns and prepares to leave.

     "Wait a second!"  Ranma stopped and turned back around.  Takada
took off his jacket.  "Here, take this.  We don't want you to be
arrested for indecent exposure, now do we?"

     Ranma smiled as she took the jacket from him.  "Thank you."

     "Don't mention it."

     Ranma put on the jacket as she left.

     Takada watched as Ranma disappeared into the darkness.

                              **********

     The rain finally stopped on her way back to the cemetery.  Ranma
spotted a figure waiting for him at the gate.

     "Ukyo...."

     Ukyo walked up to Ranma.  "I knew you would come back here."  She
lowered her head.  "You're going back, aren't you?"

     Ranma placed a comforting hand on Ukyo's shoulder.  "It's where I
belong."

     Ukyo looked back up with tear filled eyes.  "I don't want to lose
you again!"

     "Ucchan....."

     Ukyo tightly embraced Ranma.  "Can't you stay, at least for a
couple of more days?"

     Ranma tightly hugged her back.  "I'm sorry Ucchan, but I have to
go."

     "Why!"

     Ranma sighed.  "Please Ucchan, please understand."

     Ukyo cried in his arms a bit more before she pulled back from the
embrace.  "Unfortunatly I do understand."

     "As long as you carry me in your heart, I'll always be with you
Ucchan."  Ranma gave her a quick hug before she let go.

     "Sleep soundly Ranchan."

     "I will Ucchan.  I will."  Ranma turned and walked towards the
gate.  The crow flew from a tree and landed on her shoulder.  The
cemetery gates groaned as they opened for its long awaited resident.

     Ranma stopped, turned around and waved goodbye to Ukyo.  Ukyo
waved back as the cemetery gates slowly shut.

     "Never forget about me Ucchan."

     "I won't!"  The cemetery gates closed with a thud.  "I won't,
Ranchan.  I promise."

                              **********

     Ranma stood in front of Akane's headstone.  Tears filled her eyes
as she fell to her knees.  Ranma reached forward and hugged the
headstone.

     "I did it Akane, I got our revenge.  You can sleep peacefully
now."

     Old memories came flooding back.  Ranma remembered when Akane and
Ranma first met.  Ranma remembered the first time he saw Akane with
her hair cut short.  He wanted to tell her how he truly felt then, but
his pride got in the way.  He thought back to all the times someone
tried to take her away from him.  Each time, he managed to rescue her.
Each time, he failed to confuse the true reason why he did.  He loved
her and would do anything for her.  Even return from the dead.

     "Akane....."  Ranma hugged the headstone tighter.

     "Ranma....."

     Ranma felt a hand on her shoulder.  She turned around and there
stood Akane, wearing the same dress from the date.  "Akane!"  She got
up and hugged her.  "I did it for us."

     "I know."  Akane smiled.  "It's time to go Ranma."

     "I love you Akane."

     "I know."

     The loving pair began to glow.  Soon, the intense white light
becomes blinding.  When light died down, and the pair was gone.  All
that was left was the crow perched on the headstone.  It spread its
wings and takes off into the night sky.


                         ***END CHAPTER SIX***

***EPILOGUE***


     Ukyo slowly made her way home.  That walk from the cemetery
seemed like it just went on and on.  She sighed as she unlocked the
door.  It felt good to finally let it all out.  She paused as she
opened the door.  She closed the door and looked around.

     "Just too many memories.  I really should get away from it all.
At least for awhile."

     She turned around and quickly entered her shop.  Several minutes
later, she emerged with a bag slung over her shoulder and a sign in
her arms.  She placed the sign in window.  It read, "Gone on vacation.
Be back in a week."  She locked the door and turned around.

     (I haven't been home for over a year.  Now is a good time as any
to visit.)

     Ukyo hummed a tune to herself as she left.  Something flew by her
head and landed on a mailbox.  Ukyo looked at the crow as it hopped on
top of the box.

     She walked up to the crow and spotted a golden ring in it's beak.
She held out her hand and the crow dropped the ring.  Ukyo examined
it.  It was a small golden ring with two entwined hearts.  Ukyo
spotted the inscription inside the band.  It read, "Love is eternal."

     Ukyo looked up at the bird.  "This is from Ranma, isn't it?"  The
bird just cawed back.  "Thank you."

     The crow spread its wings and disappeared into the sky.

                              **********

     Takada stroked the purple cat in his arms.  It purred back in
response.  Takada watched as they loaded Koohei into a waiting
ambulance.  He sighed.  When Ranma threw him into Koohei, she had hit
her head on the pavement and suffered a minor concussion.  They were
taking her to a hospital to be safe.  Detective Takada continued to
stroke the cat as he walked over to several offices taking pictures.

     "What the hell happened detective?"

     Takada looked at the ground.  In the middle of a giant bird
shaped scorch mark was the remains of Cologne.  "There's your psycho
killer.  Tried to attack me with a sword."  Takada smiled.  "I guess
one shouldn't sword fight in a lightning storm."

     "What about the bird shaped mark on the street?"

     Takada turned and walked away.  "Just a coincidence officer.
Just a coincidence."

     "If you say so, detective."

                              **********

     Meanwhile in a peaceful far off place.  Ranma-kun and Akane are
walking down a sunny meadow.  A warm breeze sofly waifs through the
meadow.  Ranma reaches out and grabs Akane's hand.

     Akane looks up into Ranma's eyes and smiles.  "I love you Ranma."

     "I love you to Akane."

     Akane moves up closer to Ranma as they continue thier walk
through the meadow.


                            T H E    E N D



     Author's closing thoughts:  It's finally finished!!!!!  Hurray!!!
I'm not happy that it's over, I'm just happy that I finished writing
it!!!!  I never thought it would end.

     THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU to all the people that wrote me
back as I posted the first chapters.  YOU REALLY LIKED ME!!!!!   This
is only my second story.  Can you believe that!  I almost didn't write
this one because I was discorauged after my first one.  No one said it
sucked or anything, it was just that only THREE people wrote back!
Only THREE!!  To me that was just as bad as getting mail stating that I
sucked.  For this one I got back a huge response.  I posted the first
two chapters on a Thursday and when I checked my mail on Monday, it
was flooded with comments.  More poured in after I posted the third
and forth chapters.

     THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!!   I put many things on hold to finish this
story.  Including my much needed beauty sleep!  Working a double shift
and attending classes has really gotten to me.  Slap some candles on
my head and I could pass as Gosunkugi!

     Shutter.

     Whoops, almost forgot to thank one person in particular.  I did
most of the story without an editor.  Counldn't find someone willing.
Halfway through, someone voleentered to edit it for me.  The poor
fool.  Despite my intnese misuse of grammer, she did an excellent job.
So I give a BIG thank you to Risha&Tzigane.  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!

     Anyway, thank you all again for reading and responding.  Hey, if
you haven't yet, drop me a line a tell me what you think.  Hell, even
if you already did, drop me another comment!

     BTW:  In case you want to read my first fic, The Key to it All,
and you can't find it in the fanfic archives, or don't know where to
find the archives.  Drop me a line and I'll mail you a revised copy of
it.  This one will contain all the corrections to the minor mistakes that
made it's way to the posted version.  It's a good short story!

     Well I'm out of here.  Till then may the almightly Rumiko
Takahashi continue to make more mind blowing manga.  All bow down to
her presense.


                                                 RTJ  October 17, 1996


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*  __        __  *   ___               *  "I just cut your bloody    *
*  \ \      / /  *  |   |              *   arm off!"                 *
*   \_\    /_/   *  |   |          |   *  "Don't worry, it's just a  *
*       |        *  |___|   |      |   *   flesh wound.  It'll grow  *
*   |_______|    *  | \   --|--    |   *   back."                    *
*     | | |      *  |  \    |   |  |   *                             *
*     |___|      *  |   \   |   |__|   *  Monty Python:              *
*                *  rtj@hotmail.com    *    Quest for the Holy Grail *
**********************************************************************