***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 sating 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 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