Two years before the coming of the new Millennium, Ranma Saotome disappeared under mysterious and suspicious circumstances. The friends and family who knew the young man mourned his loss, and all of them moved on in due time, though some scars never healed. Time brought changes, triumphs and defeats; love bloomed in the strangest of places, but the half-mythical events that became a trademark of Ranma's presence in Nerima ceased, until one rainy day, when a simple chance meeting between two young people, who had never laid eyes upon one another before, started the circle all over again, with one fated glance.

Misery Loves Company
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction
by Ryan Erik

Prelude: Love at First Glance

Countless people walked past the black-haired young man as he patiently waited in the airport terminal for his twin sister. Commuter traffic on the weekends was horrible year-round and the youth simply had to experience it at its worst time. Being pressed up against the wall while searching through a sea of travelers was one thing, but he had to make his way across the terminal to find out which gate his sister would come from as well.

Wondering how he let his mother convince him to pick his sister up in the first place, the teenager shook his head in disgust. He had just arrived home from his summer job at the market and was tired from lifting those stupid crates full of fresh fruit. Simply unable to deny her anything, even when he had good reason to do so, he obeyed her and immediately left to the airport, sulking the whole way. He did not even have time to change out of his work clothes!

While trudging his way through the crowd, someone slammed into him, jarring him backwards. While the actual impact normally would not even have fazed him, any pressure to his still tender ribs was another story. Holding his sides, he continued cautiously, maintaining his extremely slow pace through the river of people, as if cutting upstream in a canoe with half of an oar. Glancing at his watch distractedly, he noted the time. His sister's flight should have arrived by now.

What kind of mess have you got yourself into now, Kenichi Tendou? he sarcastically thought as he searched the arrival board for his sister's flight. He could be at home right now, training with his mother's class, or better yet, enjoying a meal at Ucchan's with his friends. Instead, he was walking towards her gate, disgruntled. He shrugged off that train of thought as he saw his sister's sprightly figure bouncing through the crowd.

"Mayako!" he shouted in an attempt to gain her attention. He cut his way through people a little more aggressively to reach her, receiving more than a few angry words and obscene gestures.

"Hey, Kenichi!" she cried back, likewise working her way towards him. When they reached each other, she collided into him like a freight train, nearly knocking him off his feet, then threw her arms around him in support.

"It's so good to see you, little brother!" she greeted him, not missing a chance to tease him on their birth order, while squeezing the air out of his lungs.

"It's only been a few weeks, sis," he said, but he felt the same. Although they probably fought only a bit less than any normal brother and sister, he could relate to her better than anyone he knew. There were so few people that he could connect with, and his sister, whether fortunately or unfortunately, was one of them. It might have been the fact that they were twins, or that their hobbies were virtually identical, but he did not know for sure.

"Yeah, but I missed you anyway," she replied with a smile. "Is daddy or mom here?" she asked as they began to walk with the flow of traffic.

"Nah, just me," he answered, hoping she would not be upset. One thing about his sister was that she was emotionally fickle, extremely happy one moment and utterly sad the next. Half of it was an act, though. "Mom had to teach the evening class and dad..." he trailed off, hoping she could figure out why he was not here.

"Took another training trip?" she finished, shaking her head with a chuckle. "Silly daddy."

"Yeah," Kenichi said with less humor.

"Ah, cheer up," she whispered, putting her arm around his back and flashing one of her trademark kawaii smiles at him. "He usually finds the time to visit us."

"Most of the time," he said, holding his side remembering their last meeting.

"Are you okay, Kenichi-chan?" his sister asked, concerned. "Dad smack you hard last visit?"

"Yeah," he sheepishly admitted, biting his lip. He decided to change the subject. "Grandfather was all worked up about something yesterday," he informed her. "I couldn't get many details out of him, though. He was crying as usual, so what he said was very slurred, something about an old friend's son meeting him about some business or another."

"No names?" she asked, probably wondering if she knew him.

"Nope, but I think he mentioned something about him being from the States."

She looked at him curiously. "From the States? Grandfather knows someone from there?"

Kenichi shrugged in reply. "Like I said, I couldn't get much out of him. Guess we'll see."

"Yeah."

They continued walking slowly through the crowd until they entered the cafeteria, when Mayako turned to her brother with a strained look on her face.

"Can you wait right here, Kenichi?" she asked, a little tense. "I have to go to the bathroom! The one of the flight smelt bad!"

He grinned, shrugging. "Sure thing, sis. Try not to take too long though. I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"I won't take that long," she promised before disappearing into the ladies' restroom.

Kenichi impatiently paced outside the door, watching different people commute through the airport's cafeteria. Something about crowds made him shiver. He tended to avoid them like the plague, and situations like this put him on edge. Perhaps it was good for him, like his mother always said, to get out and socialize, meet new people besides the one's he knew since birth, but that excuse never really worked for him.

Sighing deeply, Kenichi turned to face the door of the ladies' restroom, cynically thinking that if he wished hard enough, his sister would stop taking her sweet time and rejoin him so that they could leave. A bit of nausea wormed its way into his cast-iron senses, and he closed his eyes and held his forehead. Maybe if he took a brisk walk around the food court...

Not paying the least attention to his path, he collided into someone, hard. Surprised, he sprawled onto his bottom.

"Ouch," someone moaned as Kenichi regained his senses.

"I am so sorry!" he apologized, bowing his head from his prone position. "Please forgive me...miss," he said, looking up quickly at the person in front of him. He only caught a glimpse of her fiery red hair as he began to help her collect her bags.

"Forget it," she muttered unenthusiastically.

The suitcase she carried had jarred open, spilling some of its contents. Aside from some undergarments, which he tactfully let her pick up, a properly folded martial arts gi bound with an ornamental black belt caught his attention. He quickly searched for any specific identifying marks as to match it with a school before he shoved it in her suitcase, but did not recognize any. As he reached for a rolled up shirt, their heads collided quite hard.

Shying back from her slightly, he looked up and caught her quick glance. His mouth cracked open slightly and his eyes widened. Before him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his young life, bar none. Her sapphire blue eyes caught the light, reflecting back into his eyes. Her lightly tanned skin was completely unblemished, with no trace of make-up seen. Parted down the middle, her messy, crimson bangs shaded her eyes, as her long red hair spilled over her left shoulder in a loosely tied braid. She wore a simple red, knee-length dress, yet on her it seemed fit to be worn by royalty. Turning her head quickly, she broke their mutual glance.

His heart leaped through his chest and he realized he had yet to take a breath since he laid his eyes upon her. Standing up quickly, he offered his hand to her, his breath still held, hoping that she would take it. Sparks shot up his arm when he felt her touch; her small, warm hands felt softer than silk. Time seemed to freeze as he pulled her to her feet, their eyes meeting one last time.

He bent over quickly, retrieving her suitcase and a sealed bag that he failed to notice earlier and handed it to her. She took it slowly, their hands touching again as the bag passed into possession. The look on her face showed that she wanted to say something, but instead she smiled.

"I'm sorry, miss...?" he apologized again, hoping that she would give him her name.

"Nishiyama," she replied. She turned to leave, but looked at him one last time. "You are forgiven, Kenichi-san."

His mouth creasing in a broad smile, he watched her until he could see her no longer. The exchange over, he felt light-headed as he unsteadily walked back to the door of the ladies' bathroom. Never in his life had he ever felt like that, his heart beating rapidly, sweating under his clothes and all together nervous.

"Nishiyama," he repeated, a dreamy look appearing on his face. "How'd she know my name?" he thought out loud.

"I think the name tag was a big giveaway," his sister said, having just exited the restroom. "You really should change out of your work uniform before you go places." She paused for a moment and asked, "Who's Nishiyama?"

"The girl of my dreams," he answered, still looking towards the direction she had departed.

"Come on, lover boy," his sister said, tugging on his shirt- sleeve. "Let's go get some grub."

"Uh-huh," he answered, the girl's face still pictured in his head. "I hope that I see her again."

"Wish hard enough," Mayako told him, taking his hand a pulling him towards the food court. "Airport food now or Okonomiyaki later?" She paused as they entered the food court.

"Let's wait," he answered, catching up to walk beside her. "Auntie is probably cooking, and that's more than worth it." Mayako nodded picking up her pace. Kenichi could hear her stomach growling.

Something out of the corner of his eye caused him to turn his head, and he saw her again, sitting across from a young man wearing a business suit. "Hey, hold up a second, Mayako." She stopped and peered at him curiously, while he looked at the redhead he bumped into earlier.

"What are you looking at?" Mayako asked with a nudge.

Kenichi pointed towards where the girl sat. "See her?" Mayako nodded. "That's the girl I was talking about. Isn't she amazing?"

"Can't see her too well from here," his sister stated, resting her elbow on his shoulder. "But I see what you mean."

"Man, I wish I could go talk to her," Kenichi whispered, shaking his head.

"Hey, now I get it," Mayako said, the tone of her voice foreshadowing a brutal round of teasing. "So you DID have a crush on Susanna Jimenez, that foreign exchange student who was in our class last year!"

Warmth rushed to Kenichi's face as he stepped back, warding his hands out in defense. "What?! Where'd you get that idea from? She could barely speak Japanese!"

"Yeah, but her hair was almost that red!" Mayako shot back, grinning at him. "And then there's that obsession with you and Jei-Jei! Wow, I wonder why I didn't see it before. You've got a fetish for redheads!"

"I am NOT obsessed with Jei-Jei!" he replied angrily, crossing his arms over his chest. Jei-Jei, along with about two dozen other warriors, were digital 'skins' for an adventure game the two of them owned. Jei-Jei was a very attractive redhead warrior. "She's just the best fighter; that's all. It's not like I use her a whole lot anyway. I mostly use Jeraban." Jeraban, of course, was the bishounen guy with an unrealistically long katana that he did use most of the time. He let a simulant, a computer controlled character, use Jei-Jei, unless someone played with him.

"Sure, whatever, making me play Jei-Jei and getting off on it," Mayako said disgusted. "And I thought I knew you!" She took off down the terminal.

Kenichi stood stunned for a moment before running after her.

"That's disgusting, Mayako! How could you even think that?!"

"My brother, lusting after me like a hormone crazed animal? Whatever is a girl to do?"

"Ack!"

"Haha! Gotcha...!"

And so Kenichi left the airport, completely forgetting about the redheaded girl he had accidentally met in the airport, for the time being.

Moments before, a Boeing jumbo-jet performed a near flawless landing, coming to a stop at its destination: Tokyo, Japan. After a few moments, the runway crew had the portable stairway pressed up against the plane, allowing its passengers to depart the craft. As the first people made their way down the stairs, a gentle rain began to caress the asphalt runway.

A pair of sad, sapphire blue eyes regarded this new event stoically, and the redheaded girl that owned them held out her free hand, catching a few droplets before reclaiming the suitcase at her feet. She kept a steady pace down the stairway, her luggage steady at her side. This homecoming would not be an easy one, no matter how short she planned it to be.

Intent on meeting her older brother at the food court, she followed the line of people into the airport terminal. The crowd in San Francisco was nowhere near as bad as the one that greeted her here. No matter how large the new airport in Tokyo was, there were too many people clustered together in the center. Though she was not exactly nervous around large groups of people, that did not mean she had to like being in them.

Throughout her life, one constant always seemed to be solitude. Her childhood was spent in poverty and traveling, and she never had a chance to grow accustomed to the large populations that cities held. She could not wait to cast aside formalities and be back in the countryside that had raised her. She wanted to surround herself with something familiar, like a protective cloak shielding her from the chill of her cold reality.

Why did it have to be so hard? Here she was, back in Tokyo where everything had begun, and everything had ended, and yet she needed to pull herself together to endure it all. Though the emotional calm that she struggled to keep was not in much danger of crumbling, she was still somewhat of a wreck. Her anger and frustration often got the better of her, and that was only the start of her self-realized problems.

The fact that her sleep, for the past week, had been restless at best did not help the matter. Nightmares of her past, present and future all led up to the decisive moment that she might soon face, but she could only wonder if she was ready. Her former life's love would be so nearby that she needed to decide whether or not she was ready to endure that conflict now, or later, after she had better prepared herself. Unfortunately for her, fate always seemed ready to make that choice for her.

Pressing those thoughts away for later, she mindlessly joined the crowd. Jarred in every direction, she sorted through the people, paying little attention to where she actually was being led. Eventually the food court came into her sights, and she sighed. The crowds had thinned by that time, and her brother would be waiting for her.

Ready to begin search for him, she looked up, and gasped in shock. Standing a few feet from the ladies' restroom door, a youth dressed in a navy-blue shirt and gray slacks seemed to be waiting for someone. The not-quite-short, not-quite-tall stature and short black hair were not lost on her. She trembled at the very sight, barely able to keep walking forward.

It's probably not who you think, she thought, readying herself for disappointment. Picking up her pace, she changed her course slightly to walk past the person in question, and with every step, the resemblance became closer. With growing hopes, Kimiko Nishiyama approached whom she thought to be her former love, coming just close enough to see the face.

She was totally caught off-guard when her target took a quick step back and smacked straight into her.

"Ouch," Kimiko moaned, her eyes still locked on the fallen form in front of her. Something was wrong with the picture, and the answer slowly dawned on her. The person she mistook to be Akane Tendou...was male!

"I am so sorry!" the young man apologized, moving to gather her bags. She could only stare at him dumbly. If the Akane that she remembered had a younger brother, this would be him. From the short black hair parted down the middle and hanging over his ears, to his cute, heart-shaped face and large brown eyes, she did not feel quite as stupid as she initially felt in mistaking him for Akane.

"Forget it," she muttered to him, very disappointed that he was not who she wished him to be.

She shied her gaze from him the instant he looked up at her and began to assess the condition of her fallen bags. She blushed slightly, seeing her underwear scattered across the smooth, tiled floor. As she began to return them to the proper suitcase, she leaned over too close and their heads collided, rather hard. After she quickly returned the clothing to the proper suitcase, she looked at him again. This time, he returned the gaze, forcing her to quickly shy her face once more in embarrassment.

He then stood and offered his hand to her. She debated his offer for a moment, but could not see the harm in it; after all, her legs still feeling a little wobbly. His cool hand easily enclosed her much smaller one, as he helped her to her feet.

From the expression on his face, it appeared that he had something to tell her, or that he knew her somehow. Smiling casually, she looked at him intently, desperately wishing she could ask him if he was any way related to Akane. Unfortunately, she could not will herself to ask such a question out of the blue.

"I'm sorry, miss...?"

"Nishiyama," she answered mechanically.

With nothing left to say, she turned her back in preparation to leave. There was more to this than a chance encounter with an Akane clone, and she turned back to him again, noticing a name tag on his shirt. "You are forgiven, Kenichi-san." She began to walk away from him as fast as she could without attracting unnecessary attention. Now, she had to locate her brother.

Kiyoshi Nishiyama patiently waited for her at one of the small tables around one of the food vendors, sipping a cup of coffee, and reading a newspaper. He had come on an earlier flight, the reasons for which she did not know. Looking up as she approached, he smiled warmly, pulling back a chair for her to sit on.

"Hey," she greeted, taking the offered seat.

"It's about time, Kimiko-chan," he replied, giving her shoulder a fond squeeze before going back to the paper. "I was beginning to worry."

"Someone bumped into me," she explained, stealing the coffee from him and taking a sip. "He knocked my stuff all over the place."

"Oh?" he replied, looking up for a moment. His smile turned into a grin. "Caught off guard?"

"Yeah, whatever," she admitted, turning out towards the busy food court. "Ran into some kid who wasn't watching where he was going."

Kiyoshi's face took on a more grim manner, like when he was ready to tell her one of his depressing stories to maybe make her feel like her situation was not as bad as she thought. She did not give him the chance.

"Hey, look," she quickly stated, then stole one more sip of the burning hot coffee, before surrendering it back to him. "I've got something that I really have to do, Kiyoshi-kun," she informed him. "I'll call a cab when I'm ready to go. Where are we staying?"

"The Hilton in Tokyo proper," he responded with a blank face. "I guess this is one of those 'Don't ask, don't tell' things?" She nodded slowly. "Okay, but try to finish it up as soon as possible. When you're done, ask at the front desk and someone will show you to the room. And be back by dark?"

"I'll try," she told him, rising to her feet. "I'll probably get there before you, knowing how slow you drive."

"Just be careful," he said, slightly irritated at her choice of subjects in which to tease him. He would never get over the fact that a turtle could beat him in a race as he drove a Corvette. He halfheartedly waved to her, and whispered, "See you later."

"Bye, Kiyoshi-kun."

Without further notice, she took her red handbag from the table and quickly slipped back into the food court. She truly wished that she had worn pants instead of a dress, but with Amanda dropping her off at the airport, the outfit she now wore had been picked out for her days in advance. While using her preferred travel method through busy cities, she realized that wearing dresses tended to give the male population nose bleeds.

Kimiko quickly discovered her target who was being half-dragged by a dark-haired girl roughly his height. Keeping a safe distance away, Kimiko followed the couple out of the airport, to the parking lot outside. A bit of panic started to fill her when she realized that she probably would not be able to keep up with them if they took a car.

She grinned when they unlocked a pair of bikes and begin to leave the parking lot. She could easily follow bicyclists. Hiking her dress up slightly to give her more mobility and strapping her handbag around her shoulders and waist, she sprinted to keep up with the teenagers. Stunned onlookers watched her as she sped by them in her marathon to keep up.

Running down the sidewalks after them soon proved difficult through Tokyo's crowds, so Kimiko had to improvise. Steering down the nearest alley, Kimiko launched herself at the concrete wall on one side of the enclosed space, and immediately rebounded to the opposite side. A few more bounces, and she neatly landed on top of the shortest building. All of the structures in the immediate area were roughly the same height, to her luck.

The chase continued, but this time she was a hawk following her prey, instead of a wolf. The sky was her element as she leaped rooftops, easily keeping track of her targets. The couple had stopped at a light, giving her a chance to rest on top of an apartment building. From her seat on bench, a bewildered teenage girl, reading a book, sitting under an umbrella, stared at Kimiko with wide eyes.

"Hi," Kimiko greeted with a smile.

The girl's only response was to blink.

The light turned green, and Kimiko leaped off the building in a blinding surge of speed. Time slowed as she descended towards the sidewalk on the opposing side of the street. Luckily, she did not land close enough to startle anyone too badly, and the bike riders had already passed her moments before so they would not notice her.

Already slightly winded, Kimiko followed their trail a little more slowly, hoping for another red light to slow their pace. Akane's look alike, Kenichi, and the girl with him tore down the street, as if racing one another. Kimiko fought to keep up, but she just was not up to the long distance, high speed chases anymore.

The couple turned down a street, leaving the redhead's sight for a few moments until she turned the corner. They had dismounted their bikes, walking towards a train station.

"Thank God," she muttered, slowing to a walk. Unknown to her until now, sweat covered her body. Her dress clung to her as if it were a size too small, especially around her breasts and thighs. She brushed away her soaked bangs, slicking them back and tightening the tie on her ponytail. Quickly readjusting her red dress and ignoring a few voyeurs, Kimiko unstrapped her handbag and calmly followed the two who were walking their bikes towards the station.

After a brisk walk up the stairs, she watched as the teenagers led their bikes into the train. Locating a few coins in her handbag, she slipped them into the turnstile, and approached the train. The snake- like machine was only a few cars long, but the design took her breath away. It was shaped like a tube, and its silver coat was shiny enough to reflect the sun brightly into her eyes. The bottom of the train was flat, and it hovered several feet off the clear track. Electricity sparked underneath the floating metal snake as it hung there, as if its tail was hook around a branch above, and its head was gobbling up the passengers as they approached.

Kimiko cautiously entered the same car as the teenagers did, except she used the other door. The interior of the train was just like a bus and had about as much room. There was room for two people to sit on each chair, and there were bike racks well above them. The boy, Kenichi, was hooking his to the ceiling, while the girl was sitting down.

Kimiko ducked into an empty seat behind a tall, blond gaijin man, who partially obscured her view of the teens. She scooted to the window seat to see past him, and then watched as Kenichi sat next to the girl.

With a deep sigh, Kimiko slouched into the soft bench seat and closed her eyes. The electric hum of the train tempted her senses with the release of sleep, but she knew well she did not have that option, no matter how badly she wanted it. Train safety was never very high when she had last been in Tokyo, though some sense told her that things had changed.

The train's doors closed with a loud swish of air, and the metal snake began coasting, though she barely felt the transition. Her heart began to race when she saw the view. The city of Tokyo glittered against the sunlight, a brilliant star on Earth. When her mind had been focused on chasing the teenagers, she had kept her senses all trained on the race, but now that she had the time to stop and smell the roses, they were sweeter than she could have imagined.

As she began taking in the sights, the city blurred as the train accelerated like a flash of light, burning from one side of the city all the way across, into a less populated suburb. The train kept burning its trail through Tokyo, and Kimiko only sat stunned until it began to slow as they approached the next station.

The teenagers did not even budge, so Kimiko stayed in her seat. The blond gaijin that had been in front of her stood and exited the train. This time, a decent sized crowd boarded the train, quickly filling the seats. A brunette in a dirtied school uniform beamed a smile at Kimiko as she sat.

"Hello," Kimiko said quietly, turning back to the window as the doors swished shut. She could only perceive the train's movement through the cityscape's movement in her window, and the blur of her vision. She only half watched it, thinking about what she planned to do after she discovered where the boy lived, or wherever he was going. What would she do then, lift his wallet and pretend he dropped it when they bumped in the airport? Although now that she thought about it, it was not a half-bad idea.

Again the train arrived at the next station. As it came to a complete stop, half of the occupants stood, obscuring her view of the teenagers. Kimiko calmly stood, but most of the people around were taller than her, so she still could not make out the couple. Walking past the brunette and into the aisle, she approached where the two had been seated, and saw them in the same spot they had been. Noticing the seat behind them empty, she quickly sat in it.

"No way," Kimiko heard a female voice in front of her argue. "Dan Lieu beats him nine times out of ten. Plus, he's way hotter."

"Attractiveness doesn't count," a male voice retorted. "If I remember correctly, I beat you three times in a row while you were using Dan, and I beat you every time. Don't even give me that "he's way hotter, too" bullshit, Mayako. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Okay, baka," the girl said back, amused. "But he is, anyway. Have you ever really looked, and I mean REALLY looked at his butt? He could kill somebody with that thing if he isn't careful, whew."

If Kimiko would have known they would be talking about butts and hot guys, she would have thought twice about sitting behind them. But it was too late as the doors swished shut and the train started again.

"I don't really look at digital guy's butts," the boy defensively said.

"Oh, that's right. You only look at real guy's butts."

And that was when their conversation turned into a long string of insults. Kimiko tried to block out their constant banter, preferring the scenery and her thoughts. She rested her head against the vibrating glass windows, closing her eyes. When they reached the next station, the two teens stood and began to unhook their bicycles from the racks above the walkway. Kimiko did her best to hide from them as they finished and began to exit the train. She followed.

Kimiko should not have been surprised at their new location, but she was none-the-less. The very familiar streets of Nerima were a hard one to forget, and any relative of Akane would almost definitely come here. Almost all doubt of their relationship with her former love vanished as she left the station, following them closely behind.

In the suburbs of the Nerima district, she hardly had any trouble taking to the rooftops, as they were almost all the same height. Following them from up above, Kimiko glided effortlessly from one to the next, easily keeping up. Though the rooftops were still quite wet from the rain, she had little trouble maintaining her balance. They were all very similar, tiled in classical Japanese fashion, slanting downward from the center.

Drops of rain silently began to fall from the heavens once again, at first a light mist and then an all out downpour a minute after it started. Kimiko scowled and jumped from the roofs onto the sidewalk. It was simply too dangerous to travel over slick tiles in the rain. She would have to keep to the other side of the road to not be seen.

Watching the two teenagers dismount from their bicycles, chaining them to a pole in front of their destination before entering it, Kimiko felt her knees wobble. Although in a different location, "Ucchan's" stood, doors open, almost as if beckoning for her to enter. She wondered whether Ukyou would be there or not, since twenty years had passed since she had last seen the girl. With the hopeful notion of seeing her old friend again, she cautiously entered, avoiding the boy she had followed here.

Taking a seat in the back with a view of the bar, she plopped down in a padded bench seat with a sigh. She looked around at all the people, wondering if she knew any of them in her past life. With a good view of the teenagers she had followed, she quickly recognized their distinctive appearances. She knew for a fact that those two were twins, both looking like younger versions of Akane. The girl's hair was much longer than her brother's, but that was probably the only difference other than their clothing. Just seeing them sent chills up her spine.

"Hello!" a cheerful, young waitress, popping out of nowhere, greeted, startling Kimiko. She bowed deeply. "Welcome to Ucchan's! I'm Mai and I'll be your server." The bouncy girl in front of her seemed vaguely familiar, but Kimiko could not place her. She was very beautiful and probably no older than thirteen or fourteen. She was dressed in a makeshift outfit, consisting of white blouse, light blue skirt and an apron. She smiled at the redhead warmly, showing her thin elfin features. Though her beauty might have made her stand out, the natural purple highlights in her otherwise normal black hair only did more so.

The waitress placed a menu in front of Kimiko and said, "Can I get you anything to drink?"

She responded, "Water will be fine."

"Okay, just flag me down when you're ready to order!" With that said, the girl skipped away, leaving Kimiko to herself again. Who could she be? She pondered for a few moments when her eyes opened wide. Flipping okonomiyaki on the grill in Ucchan's usual spot, whom Kimiko had expected to see stood someone more than a little familiar. The identity of the waitress also became clear upon seeing the purple-haired Chinese Amazon warrior wearing an Ucchan's apron. Mai clearly was her daughter.

Shampoo, though definitely showing signs of age, looked very good for being approximately thirty-six. She looked much more mature and wore a style of clothing that Kimiko had never seen her wear before: modest. When Kimiko had been pursued by her, all Shampoo had worn were skin-tight outfits which were anything but that. Her pretty violet hair was styled very differently, cut much shorter than Kimiko remembered it to be.

Pretending to glance through her menu, her eyes shifted between the twins and Shampoo. This was simply too weird. She watched Mai go over to the twins and start a conversation, apparently familiar with each other. Maybe she would ask her if they were related to Akane, but she decided just to generally ask about them, instead. Kimiko waved towards the little waitress.

Returning to Kimiko's table, Mai asked, "Have you decided yet?"

"I'll have a plain and a special," Kimiko told her. As Mai turned to tell the cook of her order, Kimiko quickly asked, "Can I ask you a quick question?"

The waitress turned back curiously and responded with a nod.

"Do you know who those two by the bar are?"

"Huh? Oh, they're Kenichi and Mayako Tendou," Mai answered. "Why do you ask?" Placing her hands on her hips, the girl stood, smiling.

"No reason," Kimiko said, staring between the two. "They're twins, right?" Mai nodded. To dispel any further curiosity on the waitress' part she explained, "They just look familiar - that's all."

Tendou. That was not a name she expected them to bear. Soun could have remarried and had more children, one of the Tendou girls got pregnant without a husband, or maybe the husband took the Tendou name. The second option seemed very unlikely, since the three girls were much too smart to do so. Kimiko disregarded Akane without so much as a thought, and Nabiki was much too clever to put herself in a position like that. Kasumi probably married Dr. Tofu and she would not have sex without marriage anyway. One of them must have married, having the father take the Tendou name. Again, without even thinking, she had already narrowed them down to being either Nabiki's or Kasumi's children.

Eighteen years was too long of a time to be away. She desperately wanted to run up to Shampoo and throw her arms around her, but she knew much better than to cast off her identity. The consequences would be more than she was willing to pay. Her mind further wandering, she wondered how all of her friends would react to her being back. Considering her current condition and appearance, they might mistake her for her own daughter, but hopefully they would not even make that much of a connection. Even if they did find out, would they accept her again, or would they disown her?

Ranma was dead and Kimiko felt the need to keep it that way. Bringing him back would only sully the Saotome name. She did not deserve to be one anymore. Holding her head in her hands, she knew that what Ryouga did to her was the worst thing that could possibly happen to her, the loss of everything she held dear. He did not even put her out of her misery. Without realizing it, tears started flowing down her cheeks.

"The usual, Kenichi-kun?" Shampoo asked for the third time.

"Yeah," he muttered. His mind was definitely not on eating right now. Up until he bumped into that girl in the airport, he did not believe in love at first sight, disregarding it as nothing more than a creation of cheap romance novels. It was too bad it had to be at the airport where she probably was going to take a flight out of the city, and he would never see her again. And if it was not for Mayako's teasing, he might have even worked up the nerve to go and talk to her at the airport's food court.

"You okay, Kenichi-chan?" Mayako asked, concern evident in her voice. She put her hand to his head. "You look out of it. You're not still thinking about that girl from the airport are you?"

"Who is she, Kenichi-san?" a curious Mai asked, startling him.

"I don't know," he told them truthfully. "She was the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life." He sighed, resting his head on his hands.

"If you like the exotic, drain every yen out of you, shark type," Mayako teased, patting her brother on the back.

"Why would you like someone like that, Kenichi-san?" Mai demanded when Mayako finished.

"Hey, she was not like that at all," he said in the redhead's defense. "At least, she didn't seem that way. It's not like either of us even met her."

"I didn't even really get that good of a view of her. What did she look like?" Mayako inquired further.

"Red hair, blue eyes, tanned skin," Kenichi began, picturing her face in his head. "She was kind of small, probably only a couple inches over five-foot tall. She wore a red dress, and..." He stopped, sighing wistfully. "She was really pretty."

"Oh," Mai replied sadly. "Well, maybe you'll see her again."

"Yeah right," Mayako laughed. "With his luck?"

Kenichi only grunted in reply to his sister. His mind already began to wander again, thinking about her black belt. The symbols on it were strange, and they certainly did not look Japanese. Then, his mind started poking around a fantasy of meeting her in a martial arts tournament, and after he beat her, he would...

"He's really got it bad," Mai muttered to his sister. Kenichi paid them little attention, his focus still on her image. "I've never seen him like this, even with all the girls at school after him."

"No kidding," she whispered back. Turning back to Kenichi she teased, "I was starting to think you were gay."

Letting the remark go, he simply stared forward at nothing.

"Hey, wait a minute. I think I've seen that girl you're talking about," Mai blurted, gaining his full and complete attention. "She even asked about you."

"W-what?" he stammered in complete incomprehension. "You've seen her?!" More of her words clicked in. "She asked about m-me?" Had his wish come true? Could she actually be here, or was Mai teasing him?

"Sure is. She's sitting right over there," Mai said, pointing towards the back.

"If you're kidding me..." he trailed off, leaving the threat unspoken. He stood up, getting a grip of his senses, and with all the calm he could muster he walked towards the direction Mai indicated, his sister close on his tail.

No more than five seconds later, he stood before her, just as beautiful as he remembered. Her head rested on the table in her hands, tears fresh on her cheeks. Her hair was still wet with rain, falling over her face. He heard a muted sob sound from her and became determined to find out what was wrong.

"Mind if we join you?" his sister asked for him, he silently thanking her.

Looking up at them, the girl stopped crying instantly, her face full of unreadable emotions. Her eyes, still bright red from her tears, danced between them. He stood there waiting for her answer in suspended animation, nothing moving and no one speaking. He could do nothing but stare at her, the closest thing he had ever seen to an angel.

"Suit yourselves," she finally told the twins, wiping tears from her cheeks with her bare, right forearm.

They sat down, Mayako across from her and he next to Mayako.

"What's wrong, sugar?" his sister asked, offering the redhead a napkin, which she took. "You look like you needed a friend."

"More than you know," she mused, chuckling sardonically. "I'm Kimiko Nishiyama," she managed to say between sniffles.

"I'm Mayako Tendou," his sister began, introducing herself. Then she continued, indicating towards him, "And this is my brother Kenichi, whom I think you've met before."

"Hi," he managed to say, still shocked at meeting her again. Fate must be beside him, he decided. There was simply no explanation to bumping into her twice, neither knowing the other before the events.

"Do you come here often?" Mayako inquired, trying to spark conversation. "I've never seen you before."

"I don't live in Tokyo," she told them. "I've never been here before."

Just as Kimiko finished talking, Mai strode up to them, their okonomiyaki in her hands. She calmly placed them in their prospective places, smiling weakly at Kenichi. "If you guys need anything else, just holler." With that, she left them to their conversation.

"Where in Japan are you from, then?" Kenichi asked, hoping she did not live too far away.

"Actually, I'm from the United States," Kimiko said, beginning to pick at her food. She did not quite look Japanese and her accent sounded a little strange, but she definitely had learned in Japan. "How about you guys?" she asked, in between mouthfuls.

"We live here in Nerima," Mayako answered. "How long are you staying?"

"I'm not really sure," the redhead answered, solemnly. "Probably no longer than a week."

Kenichi's hopes wilted. He had found his dream-girl...only to find that she would be leaving soon.

"Ever been to Japan before?" Kenichi asked, trying to get more information out of her. She nodded to his question, her mouth full of food.

"Did you want to talk about it?" Mayako suddenly asked the girl.

"Talk about what?"

"You know, what you were crying about," Mayako clarified. Kimiko stopped eating, putting her chopsticks down, her eyes downcast. Kenichi turned to his sister, disapprovingly. She bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so nosy."

"Don't be," Kimiko replied nonchalantly. "I've just had a long day; that's all. Nothing for you to worry about."

"If you're sure," Mayako sighed. "It is nice to have someone you can talk to if you need, though."

"I appreciate the offer," Kimiko said, her face softening. "I really don't know you guys, but if you want to talk, why don't you tell me about yourselves?"

Kenichi, waiting for a moment to speak, deemed it time. "What would you like to know?" With his gaze unwavering from her, he wanted to know everything about her. Nothing escaped his eyes, especially not the way she looked at his sister and him, as if she knew more than meets the eye. Something about her simply called to him, begging for the release of her sadness. Her simple presence was more gratifying than any novel he had read, sport he had played or technique he had learned.

"Anything," Kimiko said. She hummed and her eyes lit up. "Do you know martial arts?"

"Yeah," he replied evenly. That in itself was an understatement, or so he figured. His parents, since he was old enough to walk, had been teaching him and his sister to be the successors of the Anything- Goes style of martial arts and the Tendou dojo. Both of them were the best fighters in their school, not to mention in their age group at tournaments. Though he openly admitted his sister was better, he more than knew martial arts. "How about you? I couldn't help but notice your black belt when your suitcase broke open."

Her face visibly reddened as did his, most likely remembering some of the other contents that spilled from her suitcase. "I'm okay," she responded. "You two any good?"

"We've been practicing since we were little," Mayako bragged, grinning at him. "We enter lots of tournaments, and we win most of them."

"Oh, so modest," Kenichi teased, elbowing his sister playfully, a little sad he did not get the chance to follow up asking about her training.

"Maybe we can get together before I leave and spar or something," the redhead suggested, picking up her chopsticks.

"That'd be great," he replied emphatically. He turned to his sister and asked, "Does mom have class tomorrow?"

"Nope," she replied. "Tomorrow's Saturday. Why, what's up?"

"How about we set up a date for tomorrow?" When Mayako grinned at him deviously, he added, "Just the three of us at the dojo?"

"I don't think I have plans," Kimiko said.

"Works for me, little brother."

They continued to converse, talking about nothing important. Kenichi had few moments in his life that were this happy, but tomorrow would exceed them all. If she would only be here a week, he would try to make the best of it. His heart soaring, they left Ucchan's for home after Mayako reminded him that Kimiko did not know the location of their dojo.

As they had finished eating at Ucchan's, Kimiko smiled inwardly. Luck could not have been better for her. Here she was, expecting to have to follow them and eavesdrop to figure out who they were and other information, and maybe even have to pick-pocket Kenichi, but now she was talking to them freely and invited to their house.

While this was good news, she could not help but feel a little scared, not that she would admit it of course, but she knew she had to face everyone sometime. Though she may be leaving in less than a week, she might as well take a look around the place. If Akane was there, she would take it like a...well she would act for all she was worth. She had to know Akane's fate and she now had the chance. Nothing could cause her to back down now.

As they exited the building, she looked up at what few stars were visible, silently thanking whatever god existed that she had a chance to see Akane again. Her unhappiness forgotten, she followed the friendly twins to their home.

"Kimiko?"

"Huh?" she asked, embarrassed that she had been so deep in thought that she missed what they were saying.

"You feeling okay?" Kenichi asked her, much concern evident in his voice.

"Oh, yeah," she replied. "I was just thinking."

"Yen for your thoughts," Mayako said with her head arched back so that she could view the heavens.

Kimiko thought about a response for a second before answering. "I'm just happy that I've made a few friends already. I was a little scared I'd only have my brother to talk to the entire trip."

Her answer made Kenichi beam. She wondered if he did not have many friends, either. He had not exactly been acting strange all night, but his behavior stood on a fine line in between. Although, she figured that she was the last person who should be judging other people, her weird friends and everything she had been through.

Mayako had acted like she knew a joke that no one else quite understood. Though she was undeniably joyful like her brother, her good mood was more directed towards Kenichi than towards her, or so it seemed. Maybe Kimiko's first assumption was right in that he did not have many friends.

The trio arrived at the gates of the Tendou residence, looking exactly like Kimiko had left it so many years ago. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared through them into the compound. She barely noticed that the heavens picked that moment to start the rain showers once more.

"Let's get inside quick!" Mayako exclaimed, pulling Kimiko and Kenichi towards the house.

Up until this point, Kimiko did not think about what would happen if someone recognized her. Her heart skipped a beat as they entered the house, removing their shoes. Who would be here to recognize her?

As if answering her unspoken question, someone very familiar waved to them as they entered the living room. Soun Tendou, his hair as white as a sheet of paper, smiled at his grandchildren. Still wearing his off-white, disturbingly old gi, the elderly man stood and walked up the trio.

"I'm glad you two are back," he told them. "It seems you have brought one of your friends."

"Yes, Grandfather Soun!" Mayako said cheerfully, hugging him with the same enthusiasm. "Grandfather Soun, this is Kimiko Nishiyama."

"Greetings elder," Kimiko replied with a deep bow, praying he did not recognize her.

Leaning forward, Soun shifted a pair glasses to the bridge of his nose and looked at the redhead thoughtfully. His mouth creased slightly, and his eyes narrowed, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled broadly. "It is good to meet you, dear." After being released by Mayako, he calmly turned and walked back to his chair, sitting down and pretending to read the newspaper.

Casting nervous glances at the children's retreating figures, he tossed the paper aside, rushing into the kitchen. Lifting the phone receiver, he quickly dialed a set of numbers and waited as it rang.

"Hello?" a high-pitch voice piped on the other side.

"Hello, Eiji-chan," Soun greeted, his voice audibly shaken. "Is your Uncle Genma around?"

"Yes, Grandpa!" Eiji replied enthusiastically. "I'll go get him right now!"

Hearing the receiver drop and slam against a hard surface, Soun smiled nervously. Weakly sucking cold air into his lungs, he warily closed his eyes, placing his hand to his brow. Pulling up a kitchen stool to his position, he quickly sat before his legs fell out from underneath him.

"Yes?" a deep, male voice asked, exhausted.

"It's me, Saotome-kun," Soun replied quickly, removing his hand from his sweaty forehead and wiping the perspiration on his gi pants.

"Ah, Tendou-kun, my friend. What is the matter?"

"I have met someone who may be related to your son."

The silent sound of static responded to his statement in addition to Genma's heavy breathing.

"Are you sure?" Genma asked finally, copying the shaky tone of his friend's voice.

"Not totally," Soun admitted. "But the girl my grandchildren introduced me to looked exactly like your son's cursed form did when we last saw him...but maybe a bit younger, I believe."

Another dramatic pause filtered through the receiver, praying upon Soun's nerves.

"Anything else?" Genma asked slowly, breathing heavily against the receiver.

"Yes," Soun replied, nervously adjusting his belt with his free hand. "She gave her name as Kimiko Nishiyama."

"As in Nobukazu Nishiyama, and his adopted son?"

"That might be, Saotome-kun. I'm meeting the boy in a few days, so we shall see by then."

"It has been too long," Genma stated solemnly.

"Aye, it has."

"Would you like to talk to your daughter?"

"No, let's leave her out of this for now."

"Good thinking, Tendou-kun. Find out what you can."

"I will, Saotome-kun. Ja ne."

"Ja ne," Soun heard Genma reply as he placed the receiver on its hook.

Relaxing a bit as the trio left the living room, Kimiko sighed. She figured that Soun was as oblivious as Kasumi used to be. The thought that bothered her, though, was the fact that the twins had addressed him as "Grandfather Soun," and not father. One of the Tendou sisters must have had them. She dreaded the answer to that mystery.

"Let's go to my room," Mayako suggested.

Not having anything better to do at the moment, Kimiko simply shrugged, and Kenichi followed the two girls as they made their way through the hall and up the stairs. They passed the room that Kimiko had used with her father and walked into Kasumi's old room. As they entered, the room was dark but Mayako quickly flipped the wall switch, lighting up a small globe on the ceiling.

The room was furnished brightly, reminding Kimiko of Sally's taste in decoration. Her dresser, on the immediate left, seemed to be the only plain furnishing in here, most likely a hand-me-down. The bed across the room had sky blue sheets with matching pillow cases. A vanity mirror and a shelf, holding a stereo and various music items, were against the right wall across from the bed. Next to the bed, a night stand with dozens of trophies stood. The walls were completely covered from ground to ceiling with every type of poster one could imagine, from athletes to bunnies. The window on the left wall and far wall were shaded with sky blue curtains, matching the bed.

"Wow," Kimiko said, kneeling by the night stand. Some of the trophies were for soccer, while the others were for martial arts competitions. The trophies themselves did not impress her much, but if they represented half the talent they hinted at, the girl was a superb athlete. Kimiko then sat down on the bed, right next to the stand. "You must be pretty good to win all of these."

"Miss Perfect?" Kenichi sarcastically asked, sitting next to her. "She's the world's best at everything! Haven't you heard?"

Jumping onto the bed and grabbing her brother in a head lock, Mayako ground her knuckles against the top of his head. When she released him, she sat back, and turned to Kimiko. "He meant that I am good, but I have lots of room for improvement."

"Yeah, but you use every free moment of your time to rub it in how good you think you really are," he teased, and then stuck out his tongue. Kimiko chuckled at their antics.

"Mock me again, and you're not going to be able to stand for a week!" Mayako then feigned a punch, which Kenichi attempted to dodged, leaning back into Kimiko, who was caught off guard by the sudden contact. His shoulder brushed up along her body as he sat up. Mayako just laughed out loud.

"Sorry," he apologized, scooting back to the middle of the bed, blushing every inch of the way.

"Do I need to separate you two?" Kimiko asked jokingly.

"I'll be good," Mayako promised, saluting her. "You'll get used to us beating on each other after a while. Everyone else does."

Kimiko had to smile at Mayako's answer. As Kenichi started to bicker with his sister more about her always starting their bickering, Kimiko just watched them, crossing her arms over her chest. She studied Mayako's face, still trying to shake off her stunning resemblance with Akane, but something did not fit, and it was not her longer hair. The girl's personality reminded Kimiko more of Sally or even Shampoo rather than Akane.

The girl noticed Kimiko's scrutinizing eye, responding with a friendly wink and a smile. Although not quite Akane, Mayako definitely seemed like friendship material, from her flamboyant attitude to her ability to be so outgoing. A little bit of that girl was all that Kimiko really needed to cheer up. Now, her brother was another matter entirely.

Somehow, Kenichi fit Akane's description better than his sister.

"Oh, be quiet," Mayako finished, putting her hand across her brother's mouth. "Go sit on the floor before I boot you off. You wouldn't want me to kick your ass in front of our new friend, would you?" She flashed her eyebrows innocently.

Taking her hand from his face, he rolled his eyes and slid back to the wall. After flashing an apologetic look to Kimiko, he settled and seemed concede his defeat to his sister.

"He gets the top grades in his class, yet he can't even figure out that he's the root of all my problems!" Mayako teased, throwing her hands up in the air. "But, he is my little brother after all."

Kimiko blinked in confusion. "Aren't you twins?"

"Well-" Mayako began.

"We are," Kenichi interrupted, ignoring his sister's glare. "She just says that because she was born a few minutes before me, although you'd think it was a few years by the way she treats me." He smiled at Kimiko, and then shied his face, staring at the bed.

"You only get what you deserve," Mayako replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "But we argue about this all the time, so let's change the subject."

By Kenichi's grumbles, Kimiko figured he wasn't done talking about it, but Mayako changed it anyway.

The girl turned to Kimiko, absently massaging her own shoulder with her hand. "So, Kimiko-chan," she began, looking directly into her eyes. "What's the scoop on you? Have a boyfriend? Girlfriend? Fiance? Husband?"

She felt a twinge of pain the moment the word fiance was spoken, but she hid it inside, but couldn't stop her cheeks reddened a little bit as she shook her head. "I was in physical therapy for a long time, and then was too busy training all year. I didn't have time to get involved with anyone."

"What was the physical therapy for, Kimiko-san?" Kenichi inquired. She turned to him, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I had an...accident a while back." Carefully wording things, she tried to tell them about her problems without giving too much away. "I had to retrain my body to get back in shape, but I'm well now."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mayako whispered. With slightly raised volume, she added, "But I'm glad you got better."

"Me too," Kenichi said, smiling. Changing the subject, he asked, "Did you arrive with your parents, or are you here alone?"

"I'm with my brother," she replied nervously, hoping that they did not delve any further into the subject. Careful not to volunteer too much information, she added, "After he finishes business of some sort, we're heading to China."

"Cool," Mayako stated, grasping her knees with her hands. "You going to see the Great Wall?"

"Probably not," she answered. "Kiyoshi has business in China, and he offered me the chance to accompany him. What else would I do with my summer?"

Kenichi quietly listened to his sister and Kimiko talk about China, since his sister had visited twice before and he had not. The subject mildly interested him, but he really had no reason to traverse outside of Japan. Martial arts, books and art were his idea of a good time, which made China more of a distraction from his hobbies. When his sister had offered for him to go previously, he had declined.

Merely listening intently to Kimiko's voice, he silently sat back, relaxing in her presence. He watched her lips move as she spoke with her light, thoughtful voice. Recognizing an intelligence beyond her age that she held within the depths of her eyes, he stared at her as if paying attention to their conversation.

He continued to look at her, the best thing ever to happen to him, with unrelenting interest, failing to take notice to the fact that they were trying to address him.

"Wake up, zombie-boy," his sister said, knuckling his forehead.

"Hey," he shot back. "Why'd you do that?"

"I asked you a question, dopey," she informed him. The twist of her lips and the slant of her brows denoted her obvious amusement, threatening future teasing.

"What is it, then?" he sighed.

As Mayako only continued to smirk, Kimiko answered for her.

"She asked if you were ever going to leave Nerima, or if you would rather stay here and be a hermit." the redhead repeated for Mayako, the edge of a smile hinting on her lips.

If his sister had spoken the question, he would have had a witty remark or just ignored it, but he could not very well think of a reply to Kimiko.

"Well," he began. "I don't have any reason to leave yet, but I do plan to see Italy someday, and maybe even Greece."

"Yeah, yeah," Mayako teased. "He's always jabbering about Italy, and the great artists and stuff like that, but he never takes the time to go out and see it!"

"Like I have that kind of cash, Mayako," he replied icily.

"All you have to do is ask Mom," she told him neutrally. "It's not like we're starved for money, or anything."

"Whatever," he said. Diverting the conversation from his personal business, he asked, "So, Kimiko, what's California like?"

Kimiko yawned softly, placing her hand over her mouth, and then faced him. Her bright blue eyes blinked as she considered her answer. "Well, where I'm from, it's pretty cold and windy, and rains a lot." She turned to Mayako with a smile. "A few miles drive from where I live is Pebble beach. It's not exactly good for swimming and bathing suits, but it's beautiful and great for training. I haven't traveled all that much, so I haven't seen L.A. or San Francisco."

"I bet there are lots of blond guys running around on the beaches over there," Mayako said with a half-smile and a dreamy look on her face. Kimiko laughed out loud, stifling it a moment later with her hand.

"Some," the redhead replied, nonchalantly. "But they're bleach blondes."

"How's the schools over there?" Kenichi asked, leaning forward with interest.

Kimiko turned and smiled. "They're a lot like schools here, except the students have to go from class to class instead of the teachers. Pretty dumb idea, making thirty kids walk around instead of one stupid teacher. That's really the only difference that I noticed."

"When did you go to school here?" Mayako inquired. "I thought you grew up in America?"

Shaking her head, Kimiko answered slowly. "Well, I mostly lived in Japan." Something in her voice told Kenichi that this was a delicate area. Kimiko glanced around, as if searching to further answer their question, but instead went in a different direction. "How well do you guys know English?"

"Enough to pass the class with a B." Although Kenichi answered her question, he did not forget her evasion of Mayako's earlier question. "Mayako knows less than me. Languages aren't our best areas of learning."

As if to test his statement, Kimiko said something in English. He knew it was a question, but could make no sense of it. He wondered why everyone who spoke English fluently had to speak it so damn fast.

"Ah, too bad," she said, pouting at him. "But you really don't have to know great English to survive in California. As long as you know Japanese or Spanish, you'll find someone to translate. You will be left out of a lot of stuff, though."

"I speak a little Mandarin," Mayako offered, smiling. "Both of my friends Ryosei and Mai know it fluently, and my cousin Reiko speaks English pretty well. But I doze of in English class. It's really boring, and it's not like I want to go to America anyway."

Kimiko shrugged. From the look on her face, she had a different opinion, but kept it to herself. She glanced over at Mayako's digital clock, staring at it in disbelief. "Is it dark out already?"

Mayako opened the window, and pointed at the dark sky.

"Oh, damn. I promised my brother I'd be back at the hotel before dark. I really ought to leave now."

"If you want to do anything before you leave to China, Kenichi is here most of the day, besides when he works," Mayako told her, smiling casually. "I'm here from five or six on, unless I'm having friends over, or something. You're welcome to just drop on by anytime."

"I will," Kimiko promised. "How about tomorrow?"

"We're earlier risers, so whatever time is good for you is good for us," Kenichi told her.

"Okay, I gotta go now," she said sadly. "Can I use your phone?"

"Sure," Mayako answered, pointing to the phone on the wall next to her bed.

Kimiko stood up and sat on the bed, grabbing the phone and dialing. She waited, receiver to her ear. "Hello? Yes, this is Kimiko Nishiyama. Great, I'm at the Tendou Training Hall. Know where that is? Cool, I'll do that. Bye." She put the receiver on its stand and stood up. "The cab will be here in ten minutes. I'm gonna go wait out front for it."

"I'll wait with you," Kenichi offered quickly.

"I've got some stuff I have to do," Mayako said reluctantly. "I'll see you tomorrow though!" With that she nudged her brother with her hip and winked, then waved to Kimiko.

The redhead nodded and calmly walked out of the room, Kenichi following close on her heels. They walked down the stairs. "I want to say good-bye to your Grandfather," Kimiko told him, and he nodded, following her into the living room.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Tendou-san," Kimiko told the elder Tendou, bowing low. "To meet one of the masters of the Anything-Goes School of martial arts is a great honor."

The old man smiled, and bowed to her. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Nishiyama-san. If you ever need a place for instruction, you're welcome here." They turned to leave, but Soun put his hand on his Kenichi's shoulder. "I need to talk to my grandson for one second."

"I'll meet you out in the front, Kimiko," he told her. She nodded and left.

"What is it, Grandfather?"

"Did she mention who her parents were?" he inquired seriously. "This is very important."

Seeing his grandfather so serious startled Kenichi, since it was totally unlike his usual behavior. The old man usually wore his emotions on his sleeve, allowing all around to know his current state. Right now, his eyes were filled with determination and he wore a poker face that rivaled his Uncle Genma's.

Kenichi soberly shook his head, raising an eyebrow at his Grandfather's question. "I don't think so. Is there a problem?"

"No, no," the Tendou patriarch denied, shaking his head. "I was just curious. She looked familiar, and I thought I might know them."

As Kenichi was about to ask him why he had been so serious, the old man threw him off when his expression shifted, forming into a sly grin. "Well, at least you have your grandfather's taste in women, son. She's beautiful."

Bashfully turning away, Kenichi's face turned a bright shade of red, and quickly exited the house. Holding his arms against the cold night, he rubbed them briskly. Walking across the stone courtyard, Kenichi found the gates opened.

"Sorry about that," Kenichi apologized as he met Kimiko outside.

The illumination from the electric lamp across the street lit her face eerily, distorting her features as it flickered, slowly dying. When she lifted her hands from the back of her head, her long red hair swayed loose from its braid, spilling over her back and shoulders. The bottom of her red skirt ruffled slightly against her knees, and its dirty hem seemed to have seen better days, for a few loose strings hung from it.

"No problem," she said, leaning up against the wall. "It's too bad there are so many lights around here."

"How's that?" he asked, going up next to her and doing likewise.

"Can't see the stars," she whispered. "The sky is so beautiful at night." He looked up at the dark, empty night's sky. "I used to spend so much time under them that I sort of took 'em for granted. They were always there for me."

"I know what you mean," Kenichi said, looking at her, her features hypnotizing him. "Whenever my family goes camping, I always sleep outside the tents, under the stars. I memorized as many of them as I can."

"I almost can't wait," she whispered back.

"Wait for what?"

"Remember how I told you I was leaving for China in a week?" He nodded to her question. "Well, my brother and I are going to travel the countryside. You can see millions of stars there with no stupid lights to wash them out."

"Why almost?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Why can you almost not wait?" he clarified.

She looked at him, her face expressionless. "Mainly because of you."

His heart skipped a beat. Could she be feeling the same for him? "M-me?" he stuttered, hoping against hope.

"Well, you and Mayako. You guys are really cool, and I'd really like to get to know you, even though there's not much time.

"Oh," he sighed, turning back to the sky. "I think you're cool, too and I'll be sad to see you go." He would be sadder than she could ever know.

"Really?" she questioned, her breath on his shoulder, shooting a tremble down his spine. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

"Of course, I'm not. I mean it," he told her. "I know we just met and all, but I feel like I already know you well." There, he got it off his chest, somewhat. Though he made it sound much less intimate than the feeling really was, he at least told her.

"Me too," she whispered to him, shivering a little bit. "I hope this taxi arrives soon."

I don't, Kenichi thought to himself. He was enjoying his time with her. He looked over at her, her teeth chattering and arms clenched together for warmth.

"You cold?"

"N-no, of course n-not!" she denied, sounding silly as her teeth began to chatter even more. "Are you?"

"Kind of," he whispered. Gritting his teeth, he pulled his guts together and reached around her, placing his arm on her shoulder. Wondering how she would respond, his heart fluttered nervously.

Readily comfortable with his friendship, Kimiko allowed Kenichi to drape his arm over her shoulders. Regardless of his gender and her usual attitude towards overly friendly males, she had actually been much closer with Sally, and she instinctively knew that she could trust him like she had with Sally.

The warmth his arm provided cascaded down her body, but she still rubbed her chilled, exposed arms. Warm puffs of steam spurted from her mouth as she exhaled, evaporating in the frosty air. Still on the verge of freezing, she wrapped her left arm around his waist, basking in his warmth.

"I'll make sure to bring a jacket next time," she said to herself. "Thanks for waiting with me. It's taking longer than ten minutes."

"Don't mention it," he whispered. "No need for you to wait alone and freeze yourself to death." He laughed nervously, placing his free hand behind his head, and she giggled lightly. "When will you be back from China?"

"Who knows," she replied, shrugging. "A month or two, more or less."

"What are your plans for afterward?"

Her mind elsewhere, she said, "I'm not sure." Something about him made her feel completely at ease, much like Kiyoshi and Amanda. Her eyes slowly slid shut with sleep threatening her consciousness. It had been a long day with the draining plane trip, the long run from the airport to Ucchan's and not to mention all of the emotional stress she had been under.

Opening her eyes, she looked up at to his face and smiled. He looked so much like Akane. A few tears began to well up in her eyes and she took in a deep, shaky breath. He was Akane's height, build and pretty much had her hairstyle, though it was slightly shorter. God, how she missed simply just holding Akane.

"It's not fair," she whispered softly to herself, but apparently not quiet enough.

"What's not fair?" he asked, turning to face her. "What's the matter?"

Mentally cursing at herself for letting her emotions slip yet again, she dried her damn face with her hand. "Nothing," she replied quickly. "The cold air is bothering my eyes; that's all." She turned her head away, not wanting him to see a few more tears streak down her face. Silently gritting her teeth, she wiped her face again, barely able to hold back sobs.

"Oh," he whispered. "I'm sure everything will turn out all right, Kimiko."

Pausing for a moment, she turned to him again. "I hope so." Hearing the sounds of a car approaching, Kimiko looked over her shoulder. "That's my ride."

The red taxi cab pulled up in front of them and stopped.

"You take care of yourself, Kenichi Tendou," she whispered.

He walked over to the door, opening it for her. "You too." She smiled, squeezing his shoulder as she walked past him and sat in the cab.

"Later," she said, as he closed the door for her. They waved to each other as the car departed, leaving behind Kenichi, the Tendou residence, her past and future, just for a single night without worries.

He sighed, letting out a deep breath. He opened the gate and walked silently toward the house, pausing at the front door. He put his hand on his shoulder, still damp from her tears. She was so emotionally torn, and so vulnerable. He wondered what could have done this to her.

"Good evening, honey!" he heard someone yell out from behind him. He turned around and faced his mother, his little brother grinning happily on her shoulders as they approached him. She was dressed in an informal kimono, and her long, black hair was pulled into a ponytail ending half-way down her back.

"Hi, Mom," he greeted, smiling.

"Sorry I got back so late," she apologized. "There was so much to do at the Saotome's! Did you pick up your sister?"

"Of course, Mom." He wondered if he should tell her about Kimiko. Deciding to tell her later, he took his little brother, Eiji, from her shoulders, putting his feet down on the floor. "How's it going, little brother?"

"Rintaro taught me and Shintaro some cool martial art moves!" he exclaimed, his voice full of vigor. "I bet I can beat you up now, Kenichi!"

"It can wait for tomorrow, Eiji-chan," Akane Tendou told her youngest child. "It's time for bed." She opened the front door allowing him to run through. She then turned to Kenichi. "How was your day, love?"

"Great," he replied. "I'll tell you about it later."

End Prelude

Author's note: With the scene set, the first die cast, and the day over, I conclude the prelude of this tale. I wrote this in August of 1998, and have added and subtracted sections of the text since then. I've been working on it off and on since then, though the longest gap was from when I started reposting this in 2013 to when I last updated it on my deceased website in 2007. It is scheduled to be completed in 2014, so I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. It's a long, but good one.