Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Initial D Fan Fiction ❯ Initial D: Anything Goes Drift Racing ❯ Afterwards ( Chapter 9 )

Initial D: Mt Furinken. Anything Goes Drift Racing.

Chapter 9: Afterwards.

Ranma conscious washed over his body in a gentle wave, every part of his body ached and when he opened his eyes there was nothing but a bright blur nothing distinguishable. There were sounds too, the faint buzz of powerful electric lights and a regular piercing beep that did nothing for his headache. Ranma ran through the obvious questions in his mind, where was he, how had he got there, where had he been?

The memories flooded back in a second and in the same instant the world dropped into sharp focus around him, he was in a hospital room sitting in one corner in a comfy if battered old chair, a figure was asleep on a blanket at his feet and he was surprised to see it was Edy. Ranma stood unsteadily and caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, he was filthy with dirt and dust and blood and the clear streaks running down his face where the tears had cut a path through the grim but suddenly that didn't matter for he caught the reflection of something else, a figure in the bed heavily bandaged linked to a range of machines with readouts Ranma couldn't understand and an IV drip feeding into her arm but under all the wires and cloth Ranma could still recognize Akane and he could feel the tears building up again as he stared down at her, taking her hand in his listening to her labored irregular breathing.

"Akane, wake up please." There was no response and Ranma gripped her hand tighter. "Please Akane, you have to be alright you're safe now." Ranma pleaded but still there was no response. He clenched his eyes shut hoping futile when he opened them, everything would be alright and all this would have been a bad dream. Several of the tears dripped off his chin and splashed on Akane's skin.

Her breathing suddenly became more violent as the machines started going wild, the beeps irregular and dangerously fast Ranma in horror threw his arms around her the tears a torrent now.

"Akane don't leave me, I think I, I think I love you." Akane drew one last long breath and her eyes snapped open, she screamed a scream of fear pent up from the moment the car struck then her arms were around his neck and she too was crying but now they both cried on each others shoulder in relief.

"I thought I'd lost you." Ranma hiccupped.

"You saved me, didn't you?"

"He sure did." A voice said behind them and Ranma turned to see Edy leaning against the wall. "And a lot of other people too, that was some piece of driving Ranma."

"Did you bring me here?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah." He coughed. "I should go get the doctor and you're folks will want to know you're awake." Edy winked at Ranma and then left the room. Like a shock of electricity he felt Akane's fingers tracing the tear stains on his face.

"Did you mean it?" She said timidly.

"You heard me." She nodded.

"I think you pulled me back from the edge."

"Last night, when I saw you injured and I thought I'd loose you, I realized how important you are to me." Akane smiled at him.

"I think I love you to." There was a softly uncomfortable moment then Ranma leaned down and planted a gently kiss on her forehead.

"Maybe when we get out of here, we could go get some ice cream or something." Ranma suggested. A tiny flicker of annoyance crossed Akane's face. "No no, I meant me as me not…" Akane beamed and hugged him again.

At that moment the door opened and Soun, Genma, Nabiki and Kasumi stood in the doorway smiling and even Happossai was there. Behind them in the corridor Ranma could see Edy and Sakura who gave him a thumbs up before turning and walking away down the corridor while the doctor came in to give Akane a check over.

Outside Edy and Sakura found Neji standing by a flatbed lorry, the stricken S15 strapped to its back.

"How is it?" Sakura asked. Neji shook his head.

"A right off. He'll never race that again." Sakura patted the car sadly.

"The people that saw the crash, they said this think seemed to turn into a glowing red fireball or something and knocked the Chaser away from the crowd." Edy said looking at the others.

"Weird, though that other cars movement was weird too. I don't know how it was able to brake like that." Neji scratched his head.

"I had a look at the wreck, there was a hold cut in the floor under the driver's seat, if this guy was as abnormally strong as Ranma said then I'm guessing he pulled a Fred Flintstone." Edy laughed, the others looked at him confused. "He used his feet to brace against the ground and stop the car, there's some strange scaring I noticed on the track now too."

"Is that possible?" Edy just shrugged. Sakura looked up at him and saw the sadness of a memory flit across his features and she put an arm round him.

"It reminded you didn't it, of her and the accident with Mitzuki?" Edy smiled weakly at her.

"Yeah, but this time they get a happy ending."

"Is this an ending?" Neji asked surprised.

"Well that depends on them. Edy replied. Sakura shook her head.

"No, I think he'll be back. I can feel it." The others laughed. Edy put his hand on the door of his dark blue NSX type R and looked back at the hospital.

"See you on the mountain Ran-man." Then climbed in and followed by Sakura's FTO and Neji's 86 Supra took of up the road in a blast of tuned engine and oversized muffler.

[Authors Note] Ok, you could call this end of season 1. And like all series work, the next series depends on the audience, so please review with comments, ideas, flames or complements and anyone who doesn't review after reading this far, then you're just mean.