It started off as an innocent enough question. He just had no idea why she reacted that way. Ranma expected to be hit with a mallet or end up face to face with a beet-red Akane. But instead, he was greeted with a solemn expression. It's a face he'd never expected to see, and one he doesn't get much of a good look at before Akane excuses herself and leaves the room.

When he finds her again, she's in the dojo, piles of bricks broken down the middle overlapping the mats. She gets better every day. The strikes are cleaner, the dust doesn't stir in the air, Katsumi doesn't need to clean up as frequently. But Akane sits in the center, not happier or at least in a state of peace.

Ranma couldn't understand it, it was just one question! Why did girls have to be so weird about everything?

He looks through the main entrance, waiting for Akane to move from the spot. She appeared to be in a trance; eyes closed and statuesque.

"I know you're there," Akane said quietly, but the additional 'idiot' or 'pervert' comment is absent. Ranma hesitantly steps into the dojo, feeling like an intruder despite how often he and Akane had come to spar. Or should he say, where Akane tries to hit him and always misses. It was like a game so long ago, Akane doing everything she can to land a strike while Ranma stays always out of reach with a quick verbal taunt and tease.

Nowadays, those times are rare and Ranma now feels her knuckles grazing against his shoulder once in while, now ending the sessions with bruises on his arms. The taunting had since ceased and Akane is always rewarded with an approving smile and nod her way.

"Any reason you're out here by yourself?" Ranma asked as he stepped over debris and gravel.

Akane opened her eyes and Ranma could see the fire he had grown used to seeing over the years wasn't there now. It frightened him to see her in a state like that. Even that fateful day when her long hair had been unceremoniously lopped off, she had a flare in her gaze that pooled in with her sorrow. It gave her purpose and an outlet.

"What do you want?" she asked in a tired voice.

Ranma felt his cheeks burn and ducked his head like a schoolboy receiving a scolding, "J-just wanted to see how you were doing?"

"I'm fine, happy?"

No, he wasn't, but for once, Ranma wasn't letting his anger get the better of him. Not after everything they had been through together. Not after Akane…

He promised himself he would never let that happen to her again, so lifeless and cold.

Ranma advanced deeper into the chaos and stopped several meters away from Akane.

"Is this still about earlier?" He asked. It was just an innocent question, he couldn't understand her reaction to it.

What are you afraid of?

Akane blinked and then the flare in her eyes returned, "Why do you care to know about? Gonna make fun of me for running off like a coward?"

"No, I –"

"Or are you just looking for a reason to argue again like a child?"

"Akane, that's not what –"

Now Akane stood up and leaned into his face, "Or are you just trying to pull a sick joke on me if you think it'll get a few cheap laughs –"

"AKANE!"

She leaned back, startled, as Ranma took a deep breath, readying his lungs for what he was about to do.

"I've been terrified of cats since I was six and I'll always hate Pops for being the reason for it."

Akane's eyes widened, not at the statement, but at the bluntness of it. Everyone already knew of his phobia to cats. Ranma never admitted weakness.

"I'm afraid of letting my mother down and not fulfilling that contract of hers because I want to make her proud. And I was terrified of her finding out about my curse because I couldn't bear the thought of her thinking less of me for it."

Akane knew this as well, everyone had thought if Nodoka Saotome had seen her son's Jusenkyo curse, then she'd declare Ranma to had failed in fulfilling the contract and have him and his father commit seppuku. Having lost her mother at a young age, she could sympathize with Ranma's efforts to please Nodoka.

"And back in China, when…" Ranma stopped, "When you…" He stopped again, "When you almost…you know…I…thought I was…gonna…"

His voice trailed off at the end and Akane could barely make out the words "lose you" in the end.

"Wh-what are you…?" She couldn't finish her question.

"I'm telling you what I'm scared of so you won't feel left out," Ranma said simply.

There was a silence.

Akane ducked her head and turned away, "I had a nightmare recently. About us. We were married, but we weren't happy. We were miserable but we wouldn't admit it. I'd hurt you, worse than I used to in the past. You've be battered and bruised all over but wouldn't raise a hand in defense after a while."

Her voice started cracking, "I sent you to the hospital once or twice and you still wouldn't leave me. I scared off everyone, even Katsumi. And then I went too far and…and…"

She covered her hands and shook. Her eyes were wet and hot, but no tears fell. Ranma stood there in shock, unable to believe what he was hearing.

He made a move to speak, but Akane beat him to it, "You were dead and it was because of me. I stabbed you in the heart in anger and became a murderer. And then I lost my mind and was sent to a mental hospital. I lost my memories, I lost my identity, and the only reminder of who I was came in dreams."

Akane choked down a sob and trembled again, "Everyone was singing, and I wanted them to stop. And you were trying to hug me and I saw the wound and the blood…"

"Okay, Akane, I get the picture," Ranma said hurriedly, his face etched with horror.

"I don't want that," Tears fell from Akane's face, "I don't want that future. I don't want to kill you. I don't want to think about death or lose my mind or lose my identity. It'd be like I never existed."

She could only sob now, out of grief of what she did in the nightmare or terror of what she might become, she didn't know. Her knees touched the floor and she shook even more. A moment later, she felt Ranma kneeling beside her, but he didn't move. He didn't know how to approach her.

He chuckled bitterly, "So we're afraid of losing each other, then. Our parents'll be pleased."

Akane didn't have the energy or want to retort, only letting her sobs quiet down slowly. A hand touched her shoulder and gave her strength. After a short time, a chill ran through her body and she welcomed it. Ranma, unused to giving comfort, was still.

"I'm sorry I asked you," he mumbled quietly.

"You didn't know," Akane said weakly.

A few more moments of silence. Then, Ranma stood up, helping Akane to her feet along with him. Then, without warning, Akane pulled him into an embrace. Ranma froze, his arms hung limply at his sides. Then, he rested his chin on top of Akane's head.

"I got so scared thinking about that dream and what happened to us in the end," Akane said, "You, dead. Me, alone and crazy. Everyone else dealing with what happened in the only ways they knew how. And then I stared thinking about death and what happens afterwards. It was the song, I think. The one that everyone was singing in that nightmare. I can barely remember the words. What if forget I had that dream altogether? And that dream in that dream?"

"I don't know," Ranma said, because he wasn't sure how to fathom much of what Akane was talking about. All he knew that she was scared of losing him the same way he was scared of losing her, maybe even more.

"I heard you," she whispered.

"Huh?"

"Back in China," Akane elaborated, "I heard you say you loved me. Was it true?"

A pause, and then, "Yeah."

"I want to deserve to hear that from you," she continued, "And I want to be able to say them back to you. Even if it takes the rest of our lives."

Ranma smiled, "I'd rather not take forever."

Akane smiled back, "Ranma?"

"Hm?"

"I love you, too."

And Ranma saw the flare back in her fire, the spark that he identified as her. But something about it was different; more controlled, more refined. Like the way she kept improving in their spars and in breaking the bricks. She was learning. And so was he.

And for that, he was happy. And so was she.

Author's Note: Just a few notes explaining myself here. Why did I write this? Well, there is this dark fic called The Bitter End, which is what Akane had been dreaming of. Published back in 1997 and rereleased by a fan of the author, who is sadly no longer with us. Along with this follow-up fic called Death is Not The End, a song-fic written by a fan of The Bitter End describing Akane's state of mind after the dark fic.

I could only find the fic in question under an old link and checking the email address listed got me nothing. And it reminded me of a common occurrence on many sites where writers stop publishing, they stop giving updates, they stop keeping in touch with stories. Until one day, their accounts are closed and all of their precious works that they spent hours or even years working on are gone just like that.

And before long, people begin to forget about those who wrote those stories because it was like those people never existed. No proof at all. And it depresses and frightens me the same way the dream frightened Akane. Frightened of what would be lost.

This was just me venting though these characters and I would very much like my stories to still exist even after I'm gone. I'd like them to be listed under my account and not under OrphanAccount like Archive of Our Own does. And I know that is a wish many writers on here have as well. Rant done, hope you all enjoyed this Hurt/Comfort fic with a hopeful ending.

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