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Success Is Counted Sweetest…
I killed him. After all this time, I finally killed that thrice-cursed Ranma Saotome. I should be thrilled, I should be elated, I should be dancing with joy.
So why do I feel like throwing up?
In my mind, I always found Ranma doing something that would ruin his honor and forever hurt Akane. Then I would challenge him--Ranma vs. Ryoga, the final fight. Who will win Akane, and who will go home in shame?
Of course, I always won. I would rescue my fair maiden, and we would live happily ever after. And then the perfect opportunity arose. My fantasy played out around me exactly as it had so many times before in my head. I knew just what to do.
"The Tendo Dojo has to be around here somewhere!" Ryoga cried out. From his numerous trips here, he could tell he was definitely in Tokyo, but where in Tokyo was a different matter completely.
"I could have sworn it was just around this corner." Ryoga turned down an alley and stopped dead. In front of his eyes was something that chilled his blood. Akane lay on the concrete, unconscious, the neck and sleeve of her dress ripped exposing her shoulder. There were bruises on her upper body. Ranma kneeled next to her, hands reaching out to touch her. Ryoga had no doubt in his mind what was going on. As quickly as it had frozen, his blood began to boil.
"Ranma…" he snarled, his battle aura flickering to life around him. Ranma looked up, startled. *Caught in the act is more like it,* Ryoga thought abusively.
"Ryoga!" Ranma cried out.
Ryoga's eyes narrowed. "Get away from her, you pervert! I never thought you would stoop so low."
"What are you talking about?" yelled Ranma, standing up. "Akane…"
Ryoga's rage was almost tangible. "Shut up!" he screamed, aiming a fist at Ranma's face. The other boy barely managed to dodge the punch, but lost his balance and tripped backwards.
"Ryoga, calm down! I didn't…"
"I said SHUT UP!!"
Ryoga lunged again, managing to connect his foot with Ranma's midsection. As Ranma doubled over in pain he realized that Ryoga was definitely out for the kill. He rolled out of the way of the next kick just in time, using the momentum to sweep Ryoga's legs out from under him. Taking the opportunity, Ranma jumped to the roof of the building next door.
"You're not getting away, Ranma!" Ryoga yelled, rising to his feet and leaping after the other teenager. They battled on the roof for a few minutes, then broke apart, Ranma leaping from rooftop to rooftop away from Ryoga.
The two battled over most of the city in this manner: meet, fight, break, travel, meet, fight, break, travel. Well over an hour later they found themselves in an empty warehouse which was obviously in bad repair. Ryoga was starting to feel nervous. Ranma was looking less winded than he was, and more of his punches were getting through Ryoga's defense. There had to be a way to end this quickly. Then Ryoga spotted the two beams supporting the roof--one on his side of the building, one on Ranma's side. It was the perfect opportunity.
"Prepare to die, Ranma Saotome!" yelled Ryoga. "Bakusai Tenketsu!!"
Ranma looked confused. "What are you talking about? That doesn't work on living…" then Ranma spotted the support beams as well. There was no way out; Ryoga was standing in front of the only door. He gasped as Ryoga's attack destroyed the support… on the wrong side of the building. The Eternal Lost Boy had demolished the wrong beam, and the roof was collapsing on him instead of his foe.
Ryoga was frozen, staring in grim fascination as his death approached. And then he was no longer looking at the ceiling. Something plowed into his side, driving the breath out of his body and knocking him clear of the destruction. When the dust settled, Ryoga saw a single hand sticking out from under the rubble. Hesitantly, fearful of something he couldn't define, Ryoga reached out his own hand towards the exposed one. His mind raced as the distance closed.
What was he doing? What if he's still alive? There's no way Ranma could be alive under there. But what if he is? What if he's not? It was all his fault, pushing me out of the way like that. He can't be alive, there's no way.
But what if?
Under Ryoga's questioning fingers, there was a faint, fluttering heartbeat.
Without fully realizing what he was doing or even why, Ryoga tore through the wreckage, trying to get to Ranma. It seemed to take hours, but in reality it was only a minute or two before he finally he uncovered Ranma's head and upper body. He checked the wrist and again felt the faint heartbeat, although it was even weaker than before.
Ranma's eyes flickered open as the sunlight hit them. He looked up, staring at Ryoga yet never seeming to see him. Ryoga bent closer as he started whispering something in a voice so soft it could hardly be heard.
"Ryoga? Make sure, they didn't hurt Akane, okay?"
Then Ranma Saotome took one last shuddering breath and died.
And then in my mind I saw the truth. There was Akane sitting on the ground, unconscious and prone. There was Ranma, crouching beside her in what I had rashly assumed was his heinous crime. And there were the street thugs, bleeding and unconscious, partly hidden by the shadows.
But only partly hidden; Ranma had even tripped over one of them. I should have seen them, recognized what had really happened. I should have, but I didn't… because I didn't want to. Ranma hadn't hurt Akane, Ranma had saved her. And now I've killed him for it. It's what I'd been trying to do for so long, and now I've succeeded. I killed my rival, my bane…
…my friend.
What in heaven's name have I done?
********
SUCCESS is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
Not one of all the purple host
Who took the flag to-day
Can tell the definition,
So clear, of victory,
As he, defeated, dying,
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Break, agonized and clear.
-Emily Dickinson
The End