Broken

Shadow Knight

Chapter 17: Cracked

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

(Author's Note at End) Very very very very long.

1717171717171717171717171717

"The itsy bitsy spider. . . went up. . the. . . water spout. . ."

A pale light filtered through the darkness. Suddenly two pale hands darted back and forth in the light. Fingertips met and formed an arch, then pulling apart and dancing back together to join again.

"down. . . came the rain. . . and. . . washed the. . . spider. . . out."

The hands were clasped tight, blood rushing to the fingertips. A sharp tap pierced in the silence. The hands darted back from the light. Suddenly the figure was still, bowed over and encased in a dark cloak.

"You know, I really love that song."

A faint buzzing was the only sound that seeped into the darkness.

"Did you follow my orders?"

"Yes."

"Good. You actually did something right. Tomorrow. . . tomorrow visit our dear Ranma. He's sure to be off his sorry ass now after your little visit."

The person on the floor twitched at these words. A mouth full of ivory teeth gleamed in the dim light. "Ooh. . . did I touch a nerve?"

The form began to shake fiercely, trembling. A sharp intake of breath and the figure on the ground lunged for the cocky grin. A heavy thud followed, the sound of flesh smacking the ground. As the pale bulb swung wildly above the two sprawled figures, an angry snarl escaped the attacker's lips.

"Don't you EVER talk that way about him! He doesen't deserve that! I'll make you eat those words!"

The grin grew larger. To surprise of the attacker, the words that came out next were soft and steady.

"Then why don't you do it already?"

There was a pause, a frantic breath. The pale fingers convulsed around the throat, yet nothing more happened. A quick shove and the once fierce attacker fell back, ramming roughly into a metal radiator. The single bulb began to flicker with the increase in movement. Gasping through cracked lips, the figure held up a clenched fist and wondered out loud, "Why. . . why can' t I do it?"

"You poor, little fool. How long will it take you to realize?" a step closer and a hand reached out for the harried face.

Looking up just in time to see the hand reaching out, the cloaked figure sputtered, choking back a scream. "N. n. no. . . Get away from me!"

The outstretched hand paused for a moment, as if debating the plea. Two eyes suddenly opened in the darkness. As if sensing something terribly wrong in the stillness about the air, the cowering figure slowly tilted a hooded head upward. With pale, trembling lips, the figure stared as the two golden orbs watching in the darkness were suddenly dripping, the golden liquid that made up the irises pooling out onto the floor and seeping between the cracks. Soon there were only two dark eyes staring back, outlined by the pale flesh of a grinning face. The dark eyes unmoving, the figure stepped closer.

"When you finally accept the fact that nothing you do can hurt me," the pale faced demon spoke softly, the flesh around the two dark ovals scrunched together in something akin to pleasure, "You'll realize that you and I are alike in ways that you can't begin to comprehend."

Pausing for a moment before the frozen figure, the voice then became harsh, "Maybe then you'll understand who's the boss around here."

The light flickered out before the scream hit the walls.

17171717171717171717171717

What was she doing here?

Staring at the clean and sturdy door in front of her, she pondered over this, her right hand cocked right above the door. Slowly she lowered her fist. Maybe this wasn't really the right time. She had, after all, been away for so long. . . She brought her left hand up from her side and frowned as a few petals fell away, leaving a naked stem in her bouquet. The plastic crinkled as she turned her hand over. So maybe flowers weren't the best gift after so long, but it wasn't like anything else she brought would be any better.

Except. . . .maybe. -

Her thoughts were suddenly cut off when she heard a loud crash from inside. Instinctively she reached for the handle, ready to help. But as she the knob refused to turn in her hand, she realized that at the moment she was stuck outside. Without a second thought, she rapped sharply on the door. Within moment she heard footsteps steadily approaching the door. She looked up as she heard the steps stop and gazed at the little, private hole protruding from the door. After what seemed like a moment of hesitation, she heard a series of locks turn back behind the door and slowly, but surely, the door opened like the gate to a fort.

She found herself gazing at a pale face peering between the crack of the door and the frame. The brown eyes staring at her were red-rimmed and tired, having begun to sink in. As they ran over her own curious face, she gave a reassuring smile. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is still the Tendo residence, is it not?"

The pale lips turned into a polite smile. "Yes. . . yes it is." The door opened a little wider and she could now see the pale face outlined by the same old brown ponytail placed to the left. But now the hair looked thinner, the heart shaped face more narrow and bony.

She was a little startled as she recognized that this person was someone she knew, "Hello, . . .Kasumi. It's me, Ukyo."

As she heard her name, the girl smiled deeper. The door was pulled open and Ukyo was quickly ushered in amongst a thousand mumblings of "I'm so sorry's" and "I didn't even recognize you!"s. As the older girl continued to babble happily, Ukyo watched her. Yes, the polite and comely smile still sat on her face, but it seemed strained, stretched across her real feelings like a carefully set mask. As Kasumi continued to remark to her about how she "looked so different, but still pretty as always," Ukyo let her eyes wander about the house. Things didn't look so bad here. Nothing seemed to have changed that much. . .

When they began to leave the foyer, Kasumi's foot caught on a slipper. Ukyo ran to help her from falling, but Kasumi was fast enough and her arm reached out to the step out of the foyer and braced herself. Ukyo froze, her arms still outstretched for support when she saw the older girl's arm. Sharp lines bit through the girl's pale flesh. As she stood there, transfixed by the jagged scars, she watched Kasumi turn back to her with a panicked look on her face. Standing erect, she pulled her sleeve down sharply over her arm. Coughing, Kasumi smiled awkwardly and pointed to for Ukyo to go inside.

Stepping in, Ukyo instantly felt a depressing air fall about her. The house looked the same, but the feeling was different. She looked reflexively toward the shogi board near the sliding door to the back. Or at least that was what she was hopping to see. Yet, there was nothing there, it was as if the board had never existed and Mr. Tendo and Ranma's father had never played there. Where were those two anyway?

"Ukyo-san?"

Hearing her name, the chef snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the face in front of her. "I'm sorry, Kasumi, what were you saying?"

"I was wondering if you wanted any tea?"

Softening her eyes, Ukyo smiled, "Yes, please. That would be wonderful."

Kasumi's lips were snagged into a small smile as she turned around and walked to the kitchen. Moments later she returned with two cups of tea and a small pot. As they sat down at the table, Ukyo continued to observe the surroundings. There were little things missing that seemed to have no relevancy in the past but now seemed like huge holes punched through a picture, leaving her confused and doubting her own memories. Her fingers cradled the small glass as her eyes wondered about.

"So what brings you back to Nerima, Ukyo-san?"

Half distracted, she responded, "I actually came back to check on things. Like my old shop and R-," her eyes dropped at her slip of tongue, "other things. . "

Turning her eyes back to her host, Ukyo asked, "Where is everybody?"

Kasumi's eyes grew sad. With a slight damper on her smile, she set her tea cup on the table and began to frame its mouth with her finger. "Oh. . various places. Father is in his room resting, Nabiki is at work, Mr. Saotome is at his wife's house. . ."

"What about Ranma?"

The finger on the cup stopped. Kasumi lifted her eyes and her smile was gone. "He's in his room."

". . . May I. . . may I go see him?"

Ukyo almost held her breath. All her intentions had been aimed toward this one moment. This was the reason why she came back to the island. The reason why she had came to Nerima. The only reason she came to this house. Yet. . .there was a fear inside that made her hesitate knocking on the door and also made her wish that in some way Kasumi would have given her a blatant "No."

"Yes, . . .yes I suppose you can."

But she didn't.

Standing to her feet, Kasumi ushered Ukyo forward to the stairs. As they began to climb, the chef felt the fear inside of her grow, spreading like a weed, threatening to cut off her senses and make her daft to the world. Yet, her foot fell upon each stair and her hands pulled her forward. She wished this climb would last for eternity. Only it didn't and she had reached the final step. Ukyo's breath began to quicken in her lungs, her knees began to shake harder with each step, her hands became clammy. She wouldn't admit her fear to anyone (she was to strong for that), but she was intimate with her demons. This one she knew the best.

At the door, Kasumi knocked softly. "Ranma? This is Kasumi. I just wanted to let you know you have a visitor."

Turning toward the visitor, Kasumi spoke softly, "I will leave you alone for now. If you need anything, just call for me. I'll be right down the hall."

Taking a deep breath, Ukyo lowered her hand for the door handle and gave it an experimental twist. As the handle spun deftly in her hand she pushed forward. The demon was wrapped about her now. And as she stepped in, the demon kissed her forehead.

She was going to see Ranma again.

Ukyo stepped in and shut the door behind her. The room seemed dark but it was actually well lit by the window. There he was, sitting near the window. His back was too her, but she saw enough. His raven hair was longer now, his black braid rolling down between his shoulder blades. It was unkept and wild, having not seen a comb in several days, if not weeks. His clothing was clean, and he appeared healthy. Yet, she flinched when she saw the IV needle protruding from his arm. Holding her hands in front of her, she thought to herself, so this is what he's become without her. .

"What do you want?"

Ukyo nearly jumped as if she was bitten. "I. . .I. . " she sputtered about, trying to form the words she had practiced so many times in the airport, on the plane, in the car. . . but nothing came out of her mouth.

"Well, are ya going to speak or what?" his voice was sharp with malice and unfortunately, it only made her more flustered.

Slowly, his head turned. He wasn't looking directly at her just yet, but she could see his profile. His blue eyes were dark and narrowed as he stared at the wall and his lips were drawn tight across his face. She was transfixed by this sudden darkness in her once beloved that she couldn't stop herself from staring. "I know what you're thinking," he interrupted as if pulling away from her in a dance, "How could a man of such 'supposed' strength suddenly wind up in this state where he rarely leaves his room except for a freakin' piss while attached to a pathetic IV. . . right?"

His expression suddenly became contorted, a wicked grin corrupting his face. "Or maybe the real question you're asking yourself is why should I go on living like this? Right? Right!" his eyes flew open wide and he raised a hand toward his head in a mock gun style, the "barrel" pointed at his temple, "I really should just get a gun and just let it go right! Right!"

Frightened was not a word that even began to describe Ukyo's state. She trembled at his harsh and bitter words, but still she knew she had to reach out to him. Try to talk to him. Her voice was caught in her throat, but she was still able to utter one word.

"Ranma-"

"BANG!" he shouted, pushing down his thumb as if it were a cocked hammer on a gun, releasing an imaginary bullet in his head.

She flinched, but still persisted. "Please, Ranma don't-"

"BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!" he shouted even louder, covering her voice in a blanket of blank shots.

This final retaliation left her mouth shut and her hands shaking. She felt tears begin to sting her eyes as she stared at him, not wanting to know what would happen next. The silence pursued as his eyes softened and after a moment he turned toward her. As his eyes laid on her, she watched a transformation take over his face. His eyes grew wide once again, but this time with surprise, not wildness and his mouth dropped open in shock. Turning toward her, he stared. "U. . .Ukyo?"

This sudden break in his voice made the chef cry even harder. With a happy smile, she nodded vigorously even as the tears flew down her cheeks. Exhausted from all the emotions running through her, she fell back against the door and sank down until she sat on the floor. She laughed a bit at herself and looked at him. "Hi Ranma, long time no see."

Ranma stood up and walked toward her the IV pole dragging behind. Stooping down in front of the chef, he laid his hands gently on her shoulders. "Ukyo, I'm. . I'm sorry. I didn't realize that it was you," his eyes shifted to the side with a glare, "I thought you were one of those stupid psychiatrists coming to visit me."

She laughed and wiped a hand across her eyes. "So this is how you treat your psychiatrist? I'd be afraid to see what else would have happened if it wasn't me."

He didn't smile at this. Sitting down in front of her his eyes wandered down to the ground. Fearing the silence once again, Ukyo cleared her throat and spoke up, "So. . . what have you been doing while I was gone?"

"Why are you here, Ukyo?"

The question threw her off and once again she was set into a depressing stupor. She knew what she was asking was dumb of her, but she hadn't expected such a response. Shuffling about, she looked at the floor as well. "I. . .I don't know. I just wanted to come back. I felt like I needed to. I. . .I needed to see you."

Ranma turned away from her. "You needed to see me. . . ," he muttered, "Why? To feel sorry for me? Ukyo, I don't need your sympathy. Go back home. Don't get stuck in this hell hole."

Ukyo paused, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips. "But, Ranma. . . I am home."

"No you're not," he muttered, turning to stare at her, "Not anymore."

She stopped smiling and simply stared him in the eye, waiting, hoping for his face to suddenly change and for him to say "gotcha." But he didn't. Her eyes dropped and drifted to the bouquet of flowers in her hand. Funny, the colors seemed so dull now. Looking back up, she was now faced with Ranma's backside. Closing her eyes, she sighed and stood up. Watching him from behind, the urge to grab him in a hug or shake him out of his depressed stupor welled inside her. She reached a hand out for his shoulder before quickly drawing it back. Before she did anything else she laid the bouquet beside him. "I got those for you. I guess they're not the best gift, but. . .I still want you to have them."

He said nothing.

"You know, it doesn't matter where I go," she watched his backside carefully, looking, searching for some kind of response, "Nerima will always be my home."

Ukyo turned and grabbed the door knob. Gazing back at him once more, she frowned. He still hadn't moved. She closed her eyes and pulled open the door. Turning to the hall she was suddenly confronted with a face that was inches away from hers, a red nailed fist poised to knock on the door. Stepping back, she took a moment to catch her breath before she recognized who it was. "Nabiki?"

The infamous "ice-queen" gazed back at her, eyebrow raised in faint surprise. "Ukyo? How nice to see you again."

The chef took a moment to take in Nabiki's appearance. Her clothes were ruffled and her hair slightly disheveled. Suddenly, she noticed that Nabiki's hands were shaking. This was not normal. Ukyo had seen this woman in a lot of dangerous situations, some that threatened her life, but she had never seen her break a sweat. So what was this?

"Well, Ukyo, as much as I would love to chat with you," she said quickly, reaching for her breast pocket, "I've got something important to discuss with Ranma."

Ukyo nodded deftly, still wondering what could have scared Nabiki. Yet, just when Nabiki pulled out a packet of cigarettes, she saw it. A dark red stain spilled over Nabiki's sleeve. There were only so few things that left a mark like that. Gazing at the pack of cigarettes and placing them back in her pocket, Nabiki looked at Ukyo's startled face. "Please, dear, they're only cigarettes. Don't worry, I quit."

"But Nabiki. . . there's bl. . .blood on your sleeve," Ukyo pointed out, a wild look in her eyes.

Nabiki stared back at here, her eyes blank and cold. Then, she gazed downward, looking at her sleeve. "Oh yes," she mumbled, "I forgot about that. That will be difficult to get out too. Damn. I really liked this too."

Silent, she walked past the stunned Ukyo and in front of Ranma, his back still to the chef. "Ranma. . . we've got to talk."

He was silent as he sat on the floor in front of her. Nabiki stepped closer to man. "Ranma. Whether you believe it's true or not, she is back. And I know deep down you already knew that as well."

Ukyo was surprised when she found Ranma straighten up at the statement. They knew who was back? Her? That didn't make sense. Unless. . . She gasped as the realization hit her. Nabiki couldn't possibly mean. . .

"Akane?" Ranma voice cracked over the name.

"Yes, Ranma, my dear little sister has decided to come home."

Jumping up quickly, Ranma stared into Nabiki's eyes. "Don't lie to me Nabiki. . . tell me the truth! I don't want any more stupid schemes of yours."

Nabiki stared right back, her eyelids heavy and low on her eyes. "Ranma my dear, you don't need me to tell you it's true."

His face slack with relief, Ranma rested his forehead into his palm. "So it was real," he muttered, "I wasn't dreaming it was there."

Glancing sharply at the man, she asked, "What do you mean 'it was real?'"

He didn't look at her but he answered her softly, "Her name. . . Her name was carved into the floorboards. She. . . she was actually here. It says so right over there near the window."

"I am here," he said numbly as Nabiki inspected the spot Ranma indicated, "I am here. . . She was here! When I was by myself I had wondered out loud where she was. . . she right here!"

"She was at Kuno's too."

Ranma glanced up, his eyes wide. "What?"

"Akane. . . she was at Kuno's place. I was waiting for him to get dressed when I heard some noise upstairs and the next thing I know, Kuno's flat out on the floor, coughing up blood after he hit a mirror. . or was thrown into it."

"You think that Akane did that? There's no way! She's strong yea, and she didn't like Kuno very much but. . . but there was no way she'd do something like that. That's not like her," Ranma shouted.

"I agree," Nabiki mumbled looking out the window, "but Kuno didn't just throw himself at the mirror. The bruises that the medics found told me that much. But Ranma, when I asked them if they could tell me what kind of person could cause that much damage to him, being tougher than the normal person, they told me it looked like a big guy with lots of strength, but. . . but they said the imprints on Kuno's neck didn't match that theory. . .mostly because the hands that did it had to be small hands."

Ranma stared at her, his face in confusion. "But. . .why?"

A sigh escaped her lips. "I don't know, Ranma. But there's something different about her. It's almost as if it's not really her. Like someone parading around with an 'Akane' mask. But whoever it is," she gazed at him, "we have to stop this nonsense. . . Oh yes. . the person who attacked Kuno left him with a message for you."

"What? What kind of message?"

Nabiki went on as if she didn't hear him, "Even when the medics came, Kuno made me swear to give you the message. Even when he was coughing up blood. . ."

Ranma stood next to Nabiki, shaking her shoulders slightly as if to wake her from a daydream, "What! What was it!"

Her eyes rolled over to his face. She smiled softly, "This person. . .this person who hurt Kuno. . . this person said that an old friend of yours was back in town. . . and that they were going to see you soon."

Ranma's hands dropped away from Nabiki's shoulders. He fell back against the wall and sank down to the floor. "It can't be true. . . someone must be acting like Akane. There's no way she would do something like that."

As Ranma and Nabiki stood there, engrossed in the thought that this attacker might just be Akane, Ukyo watched them, struck by the thought as well. She agreed with Ranma. There was no way Akane would do something like that. No matter how bad tempered she was. Yet, Nabiki's story made her wonder. Hadn't Akane said she was going to come back stronger?

Perhaps it was true then. .

"Ranma?"

He turned to her, his eyes open wide in disbelief. She didn't wait for an answer. "Ranma, if this person. . . if it is Akane, we should go look for her. We shouldn't just sit here wondering if it is her or not. We. . . we need to go find out the truth ourselves."

His eyes held hers for a while before the dropped. " . . what if it is her?"

"Then it will be her. We can only do our best and talk to her. But sitting here, waiting for her isn't going to solve anything."

"But. ."

"Damn it Ranma! I came here from the US just to see how things had gone. If Akane is back, I'm not just going to stand by idly," Ukyo shouted, glaring at Ranma.

She yelled at him, wanting to curse him. This was not the man she loved. That man had disappeared into this shell. And she was mad. She was mad at him and mad at herself. Why'd she ever fall in love with a guy like this? A guy who fell to pieces over a stupid girl.

This wasn't how her return was supposed to be. It was like nothing had changed since she had left. What an idiot she had been! She had followed him all her life, hoping, praying that some way he would return her affections. But no, he never did. All he did was come over for food, for help with dealing with Akane. Yet, she helped him. She fed him. She cheered him on, always with a big smile on her face.

Even now, even when everything was falling apart because Akane had left, she had hoped that there would be a glimmer of the man she loved still there. In her heart, she knew it wouldn't happen. Even when she waited to board the plane to another country, she waited, looking toward doors, hoping to see him chase after her. She had left plenty of notes. She left one on her door, at the Tendo house, . . she even told him, bags in hand.

And through all of this, she didn't blame Akane. It was Ranma she blamed, the one who her anger was directed at. The one she cursed in her first few nights in the US. Because deep down her heart filled with guilt, but angry all the same, she hoped Ranma would be chasing. . . .

"Quit being such a freaking weakling!" she screamed it in his face, red with angry tears.

. . . after her.

Out of breath and exhausted, she slumped to the floor. She knew Nabiki stared at her, wide-eyed and surprised. Not too much though, just a raised eyebrow. The ice queen could never allow herself such emotion. She didn't care. All she wanted to do was disappear. She wished she had never come back.

She covered her face in her hands, trying to hide the tears that continued to run down her cheeks. It was horrible, she knew, but she could help it. After everything had happened and even though he probably couldn't do it any ways. . .

Ukyo hated Ranma for never asking her to come back.

She just wanted to go home. . . to her real home. . in New York.

Behind her hands she heard a shuffle of clothing and suddenly a wet pop followed by a questioning "Ranma?" Still, refusing to look up, she heard a soft padding her way until it stopped in front of her.

"Ukyo. . . look at me."

Still hiding behind her hands like a little girl, Ukyo refused to look up.

"Ukyo. . . please. . . look at me."

Blinking back tears, Ukyo's hands slid down from her face and she tilted her head upwards. There, looking down at her calmly, Ranma scanned her eyes. She dimly realized that the wet pop she had heard earlier must have been the IV attachment swinging limply from where it had been pulled out. "Ukyo. . . you're right. We should be looking for her."

She stared at him, her eyes still red. "I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm sorry for all those years ya spent chasing after me, wasting your own life. I'm sorry that when you cared for me, I could only care for you as a friend, a sister. But most of all, I'm sorry for letting my best friend leave without saying good-bye."

He reached down and gave her hand a squeeze as she stared at him deftly. "I can't say it enough Ucc-chan."

"Ucc-chan". . . . he called her "Ucc-chan." How long had it been since he called her that childhood name? She didn't want to count. Looking through her red rimmed eyes, she watched his face. His smile was sincere. A small part of her cried out as she grasped his hand firmly and squeezed it back. But she ignored it. She had to put it to rest, let it die quietly.

Ranma would never love her as anything more than a sister.

He said so himself.

And she certainly didn't need to feel heart broken by it any longer. It would sting for a while, but she was Ukyo. She would get over it. If there was one thing she was good at, it was getting herself back on her feet.

No matter how hard the fall.

"I'm glad you two are now so pleasantly reacquainted, but as Ukyo stated earlier, there are other matters present that must be dealt with now."

The almost magical peace that had settled the two friends was lifted when Nabiki said this, one hand on her hip. As much as Ukyo wanted to glare at her, she knew that the ice queen was right. Figuring out this new character was more important at the moment. Catching up could wait.

"But how are we going to find her?"

Nabiki smiled a red lipstick grin. "We smoke them out. Leave them no possible hiding spot in the city."

"After all," Nabiki turned her eyes to Ranma and both women glanced at him, "if this person wants Ranma. They'll get Ranma."

1717171717171717171717171717171717

Today seemed different.

Shrugging his shoulder, the man kept on walking, his shoulders hanging low. Suddenly he stopped. He watched his feet dimly, as if concerned with a nick on his shoe.

Someone was following him.

His eyes shifted back and forth, trying to catching something. . . anything. The light of the day may have dimmed down quite a bit, but it didn't stop him from knowing when someone was following.

Suddenly he saw a shadow flicker in his peripheral vision. Whoever this was, they were fast, but he didn't need speed to stop them. He watched for the shadow as he walked along the outskirts of the more industrial part of the city. Slowly the dark figure crept closer, hopping rapidly back and forth, always followed by a soft padded step.

Slipping a hand to his forehead, he withdrew his bandanna, clenching it loosely in his fist. With a swivel of his wrist he began to spin it sharply until it was like a blade, cutting through the air. His eyes strained as he tried to glance behind him without fully turning. A dancing shadow suddenly dropped to the pavement. Before the padded footstep fell, he swung around sharply and let the bandanna fly from his hand.

The bandanna swung toward the shadow and he heard the bandanna hit something solid. Knowing the distraction would only last a moment, he ran toward the shadows where his bandanna had fallen.

Abruptly he stopped and stared at the ground. The bandanna was sliced in two. All of a sudden, his face tensed up and his eyes grew still. He could feel a warm breath tickle the hairs on the back of his neck as a sharp, needle like edge dug lightly in the flesh beneath his hair.

A weight formed on his back as his tracker leaned across his backside and spoke near his ear. "I wouldn't do something like that again."

The dimple on his neck became a small hole, a bead of blood welling to the surface. He waited, his mouth clamped shut tightly. Suddenly there was a shift in the weight on his back. It was the chance he had been waiting for. He dropped forward and twisted around, reaching a hand out and grabbing for the attacker's wrist. There was a metallic glint in the streetlight and facing the attacker for a moment, dodged to the right. The blade cut in the air beside him with a sharp whistle. Twisting the arm roughly, he stepped behind the attacker and brought the forearm up behind the attacker's back. There was a small yelp of pain and the attacker tried desperately to swipe the knife behind in order to attack him. But every time, he quickly side-stepped the blade.

"Drop it," he barked.

There was a huff for breath, but the blade didn't fall.

"I said 'Drop it!'" He bent the forearm toward him and there's was a pop as something shifted beneath the twisted flesh.

Another yelp and the blade clattered against the ground. He sighed. "What's your problem with me? Why are you following me?"

The stranger was silent.

Irritated, he wrung his hands around the arm. "Tell me and I won't hurt yo-"

"I've been looking for you. . . . ,"

He paused, his mouth gaping as he heard the voice. So soft compared to the harsh warning before. He knew this voice. . . he heard it before. . .

". . . Ryoga."

His finger grew lax and he felt the arm slip from him. He stared at this stranger. . .no. . . maybe not a stranger but someone closer. . . someone he knew very well.

"Is. . . is it really you?"

In stunned disbelief, Ryoga looked up for an answer, but all he saw was the heel of an open palm. Tears teased his eyes as he felt the cartilage of his nose jam upwards with the fist and shifted. He fell back for a moment before shaking his head and staring through bleary eyes. "No," he thought out loud, "you can't be her. You can't be her at all!"

With a yell, Ryoga charged forward and threw a punch at the figure. When his fist failed to contact, he didn't skip a beat and dove straight toward the ground with two pointed fingers and yelled "Bakusai tenketsu!"

The sidewalk before him exploded in a million fragments, an impact like a crater carved out the ground. As the cement rained down around him, Ryoga searched, his arms braced and his lungs heaving. He hadn't been this active in a while. "Don't hide in the shadows. Come out and face me, damn it!"

"I'm right here."

Ryoga quickly turned around. There, the attacker had a cupped handful of cement dust before a grinning mouth. Ryoga tried backpedaling, but it was to no avail. A fine cloud of cement blew into his eyes. A painful yell escaped him as he fell back, brushing frantically with his hands.

Reaching out blindly, Ryoga tried to feel out the attacker's presence. There! His right arm shot up and blocked a punch toward his head. Then another block toward his stomach. Although he was able to stop the attack, he knew he couldn't keep it up for long. As he blocked a blow from the front with crossed arms, he suddenly felt a leg hit him from the side. He gasped as he tried to catch his lost breath.

Then a sharp kick to the back of his knees caused him stumble forward onto his hands and knees. He coughed spasmodically, still trying to clear his eyes. Every time he tried to get up, a knee ricocheted into his back and caused him to slam into the pavement beneath him.

"Poor, poor Ryoga. ."

Hearing the clucking tongue, he sneered. "You think just because I can't see that I'm finished? Hell no! You just wait you son of a bi-"

Another knee cracked into his back. "Tut-tut. That's not very nice language. After all, I wasn't the one who started the fight."

Ryoga felt tears down his cheeks. The dust finally flushing out of his dried eyes, he blinked and steadily began to focus on the ground beneath him. A foot was planted in his back, making his face grind into the pavement.

"You're right," he muttered from the ground. "You didn't start it. . . ."

Suddenly he reached out and latched onto the attacker's other foot.

"But I'm sure as hell gonna finish it!"

With a jerk, the attacker was flipped backwards and onto their back. From the ground, Ryoga slowly dragged himself upwards, all the while latched onto a leg to keep the stranger off balance. Blinking steadily, he glared down at the attacker whose head lolled back and forth, unsteady from their head smacking against the ground.

Ryoga saw that the stranger's hood had been removed, but he still couldn't see the face. Holding the leg, he slowly dragged the attacker and himself toward the streetlight. The body completely in the light now, Ryoga turned to gaze at the face of his attacker. As he did so, his triumphant face dropped. His doubts from before suddenly came rushing back at him.

. . . it was true. . .

This monster was really-

Suddenly a sharp pain pierced his stomach. Dropping the leg in surprise, he looked down to investigate the pain and found a small kodachi sticking out from his stomach. Blood began to flow freely, his shirt becoming matted with red.

He tried to focus as he began to lose more and more blood, some already having been lost during the fight. The attacker slowly began to limp away, cradling one side of their head.

Ryoga reached out, trying furtively to stop the attacker, but he slumped down to the ground in a fleshy heap. Gritting his teeth, he wrapped his hand around the handle of the kodachi and gave a rough jerk. Ryoga gasped in pain. Breathing heavily, he felt some characters under his fingers on the handle. Dimly, he glanced at it. The words "Property of Tatewaki Kuno" was engraved on the side. With a snort, he tossed the blade to the side and saw that his hands were bathed in red. He would be getting dizzy soon. Pulling himself up, he looked around. There. . . there was that doctor's clinic that he had seen before. Maybe. . . his vision began to fuzz out of focus. . . maybe he could get some help there.

Slowly, he dragged his body to the door. He pounded on the door with what energy he had left and sank there. After a moment the door opened. By now all he could see was a thin figure dressed in black. He felt his arms being taken up and his body quickly dragged into the clinic.

Then. . .then he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

171717171717171717171717

It was quiet in the Tendo household.

Signs of departure marked the whole house. Shoes were gone from the front door and several papers had been scattered about the floor in the Saotome's room and a large map marked with red sat in the center.

A sudden ring pierced the silence and made the telephone vibrate. After three rings, a small beep ensued. An urgent voice suddenly filled the house, echoing off the abandoned tea cups, the vacant rooms. . . .

"Ranma? Kasumi? Is anyone there? Please, please pick up! I have a patient here who was hurt pretty badly. His name is Ryoga. I know that he's a friend of Ranma's. Is anyone there?"

The open window in Ranma's room let in a cool breath of wind that made the papers on the floor spin and curl about.

"I was able to revive him for a few moments and get some information about his attacker. Please, if anyone is there, pick up! He said that at first he wasn't sure, but now he seems certain. If what he says is true, you must call me back right away! He said that the person who attacked him was-"

A finger suddenly pressed down on the machine and the voice was abruptly cut off. A grin stretched in the darkness. With a pale finger braced upon two lips a soft shushing noise was heard. "Shhh. . . We don't want to give away too much."

With a quick start, the figure jumped to the stairs, landing without making a sound. Softly padding up the stairs, the stranger made their way to one of the doors down the dark hallway. A pause. . . then a pale hand slowly drew the paper screen door aside.

Moonlight poured through a window in the dark room. Yet, as the figure stepped into the room, there was nothing but a few papers blowing around in the wind. Seeing the map on the ground, the figure took a few minutes to glance at it and grinned. "Trying so hard, but looking in all the wrong places, Ranma. . ."

Eyes gazing about carefully, the figure scanned the room and then proceeded to check the rest of the rooms. Yet, one door was left shut and quickly bypassed. A wooden duck plate swung lightly with the movement of the figure going from door to door and finally down the steps. Suddenly, the figure stopped and turned to look to the side of the stairs.

A pale light stretched from a doorway behind, pooling on the wooden floorboards just outside. Silently, the figure made their way to the light, eyes never leaving the shadowed frame that flickered in and out of the pool of light on the ground. Now only a step away from the entrance to the kitchen, the figure tensed. A flush of water was heard and the tight frame relaxed. As the water roared in the silence, the figure stepped forward into the door frame.

Just as they did so, the water was turned off. The figure watched as, with a glass of water in one hand, and a small blue pill in the other, the other occupant of the kitchen turned. Then everything grew still.

"Who are you?"

Silence was the only answer as the figure took a step closer into the kitchen.

"Excuse, me, but who are you?"

Raising a covered head, the figure stared at the questioning person full on, dark eyes like holes. The hood was pulled back and a bundle of hair fell about the pale face like two black wings.

A loud crash sliced through the stillness as the glass of water shattered on the floor, splinters of glass spinning and sliding in a pool of water. The blue pill fizzed and bubbled, slowly dissolving into a blue liquid mass.

"Oh dear. . . . A. . . Akane? It is you?"

The two dark orbs never moved.

A pale pink slipper shuffled forward. "Don't you recognize me? It's me. . . . Kasumi.."

The silent figure only watched as the pink slipper soaked up water from the floor and how a slow seeping branch of dark pink traveled up the slipper.

"Oh my. . . . not again."

Looking up, the stranger saw Kasumi grasp her head in her hands, beginning to crouch to the floor. Her head began to shake and her body shivered. With one clenched hand to her head, she clenched her eyes shut. She muttered with a frown, "No, no, no! This can't be happening! I've been a good girl and I took my pill every night! Why would it start happening again!"

Tears began to piddle into her lap as she cried. She looked up for a moment and stared at the figure before her. Her eyes wide, she yelled, "Why couldn't you be real for once! Bring back my sister! I don't want to see another imaginary sister! I don't want to hug something that isn't really there! I'm sick of you breaking my heart every time you disappear!"

She screamed at the figure and sank to the floor, covering her face and weeping loudly. As her cries grew louder, she fell to one side and lay on the floor, curled in a ball. Her cries wracking her body with convulsions, she barely felt the pressure on her shoulder. Suddenly she grew silent. In her confused state of mind, she tried to rationalize how if this person was a figment of her imagination how they could touch her.

"Shhh. . . no need to cry."

Kasumi's eyes opened wide.

With a quick twist, she turned to look at her comforter. A pair of gold eyes looked down at her, a small smile marking the pale face. Kasumi reached a shaking hand to the smiling face. A smile on her face, Kasumi cupped a pale cheek. "I'm not imagining after all. . . . it's really you. . . .

. . . . Akane."

A sudden twitch ran over the pale face. Kasumi's hand dropped away as she felt the skin convulse beneath her touch. The smile was dropped and the eyes grew cold. Kasumi's own smile grew into a concerned frown as she watched the younger woman turned her head away from her, the black hair forming a veil. "Are you alright. . . Akane?"

Another quick spasm ran through the still body. Slowly, her head turned back to Kasumi.

When Kasumi thought of smiles, she had always thought of happiness, sunshine, and warmness. And for good reasons. Whenever she herself smiled, she felt all those things glowing in her countenance and in her heart.

But Kasumi wasn't so young anymore.

The smile that stretched across the pale face in front of her was neither happy nor warm. It reminded her of a piece of twisted metal, a beautiful spectacle to behold, but cold and sharp. The smile that sliced through the pale face was tight and thin.

This was not a happy smile.

"Dear, dear Kasumi. . . it's quite late, isn't it? You should not be up so late in the night. . . it's not good for people like you."

Kasumi tried to slide back, but an iron grip had clamped on her shoulder. Her eyes jumped to the grinning face. "After all, you might accidentally tell Ranma about me and 'whoops!' ruin the surprise. And that would be no fun. . . no fun at all."

Frozen in a mixture of confusion and fear, Kasumi felt a cold hand touch lightly near her neck. "Just so that you don't do that, how about we get you to bed?"

"A. .Akane. . .No-!"

Anything else Kasumi might have said was suddenly cut off as she felt an intense pressure on her neck. She gasped for a moment before her eyes rolled back and she fell limp on the floor. The hand lingered on the neck for a few moments before reaching gently for a wrist and gently pressing. Yes. . . there was still a strong pulse. She was just unconscious.

Reaching an arm under Kasumi's neck and crook of her legs, she was quickly picked up. With gentle care, the woman carried Kasumi's sleeping body up the stairs and nudging a door open with her foot, entered one of the rooms. Having laid the unconscious woman on a futon, the two dark eyes watched her calmly. For a brief moment, the pale face softened. Reaching a hand out, the woman brushed a strand of hair out of Kasumi's eyes.

Then, turning away abruptly, the younger woman opened a window and climbed onto the sill. Then, pulling her body to the edge, she prepared herself to jump.

"Who the hell are you?"

1717171717171717171717171717171717

"Note to self: running around town in heels is not good for the feet." A sigh escaped the painted lips.

"That's just plain suicide for your delicate little feet," the chef laughed at Nabiki's wincing as they walked along, "Really, they're murder for anyone."

"Thanks for telling me now, Ukyo," Nabiki glowered at the giggling chef.

Hearing the girl laugh was something different from the norm. It was nice. . . to hear laughter again. Real laughter. Not the kind she had to force up her throat to laugh at some of her client's stupid jokes. As much as her feet were throbbing, it was worth the pain to let a little light in her life.

Yet, as she looked ahead and saw Ranma's frame stalking down the street, her smiled dropped a little bit. She hated to admit it, but she began to hate seeing Ranma. Just the mere depressing gloom hanging around him was enough to make her leave a room. She understood his sadness of course but. . . people can't spend their whole lives moping. He had to pick himself up and get over her sister.

Hell, she was Akane's own sister, flesh and blood, and she herself had gotten over the sadness. She picked herself up and got back on with her life. Of course things were a little different now, but she was not going to lay her life down just for a cloud of pain and guilt from her missing sister.

How could he, of all people, not turn around? Didn't he understand that you'd only get stomped on if you just showed your weaknesses like that? How could he not understand it? The logic was perfectly sound. The fact that he didn't seem to acknowledge it annoyed and bothered her.

Lost in her thoughts, she nearly ran into Ranma and Ukyo. She stopped just before hitting their backs when she heard an angry shout from Ranma.

"Who the hell are you?"

Looking up carefully from behind Ranma, Nabiki's eyes suddenly froze. There, leaning out of a second story window was a cloaked figure. But what bothered her most is when she realized which room the window was attached to.

It was their house. . . and that was Kasumi's bedroom.

A sudden spark of fear lit through her system. She felt the thought brewing and before she could stop herself, she admitted her fear in a hushed whisper, "That's Kasumi's room. . ."

Both Ukyo and Ranma turned as they heard mumble this, her eyes widening as she began to hyperventilate. The figure seemed to watch them for a moment before grabbing the window frame and swinging the cloaked body out the window. Both martial artist watched as the figure landed with a careful arc onto the roof and quickly began to run across to the next roof.

Ranma's body was beside Ukyo for one moment and suddenly was gone the next. In a blur of red, she watched as he jumped onto the roof and chased after the figure with a dark frown lingering on his face. She was about to follow when she suddenly felt a hand clutch her sleeve. Turning around, Ukyo saw Nabiki's red manicured nails clinging to her shirt.

Two wide eyes looked up at her from Nabiki's blanched face. "Ukyo. . . what if they- No. I can't lose another one!"

Ukyo didn't know what to do. Of all people, she expected Nabiki to be the calmest. The ice queen. But now. . . where had that woman gone? There was only a scared little girl now. Grabbing one of Nabiki's arms, she squeezed lightly. "Nabiki, run inside and check on Kasumi. I'm sure she's fine. Stay with her and watch over her. I'll be back soon."

Nabiki seemed to slowly regain control of her frenzied mind and she nodded roughly and ran into the house, clacking up the steps. Ukyo herself had already jumped onto the rooftop, chasing after Ranma's red silhouetted form. They were so far away. How could they move so quickly?

Instinctively, she reached behind her head for a familiar handle. As she grasped nothing, she cursed. Damn. She had forgotten to bring her spatula. Going back to Nerima, she didn't figure she'd really need it.

What irony.

Running swiftly across the shingle roof tops, she began to get closer. Aha! She was now close enough. Reaching into the back of her belt, she withdrew a small, sharp spatula. Luckily, she had been smart enough to bring at least one or two small spatula with her. She could never feel completely secure without some kind of weapon.

"Ranma," she yelled ahead, "jump!"

Looking back briefly, Ranma must have seen the shine of her spatula in the moonlight because he quickly launched himself off the roof and into the air. Swinging the almost blade like weapon around in two fingers, she let the spatula fly at the running figure. Her spatula cut through the air and lodged itself into the back of the figure's right knee. A sharp yell of pain, and the figure fell onto the roof.

Ukyo ran toward the figure, but Ranma got there first, his aerial flight dropping him toward the sprawled figure. Before he could knock his fist into the fallen body, the figure rolled to the side. A blast of brick and mortar shot up around Ranma's fist. Ukyo watched as he tried to pull his fist from the deep hole in the roof, grunting with effort. She didn't have time to run over and help him because her vision was suddenly enshrouded with black as the figure leaped toward her.

With a surprised squeak, Ukyo threw her arms up in front of her face as a fist rushed toward her. Fist began to rapidly rain down on her arms, as she backed away. She tried to throw a punch, a kick, anything, but the fist continued to pound on her arms, taking every bit of her concentration to focus on defense.

It was then that she realized that her feet were near the edge of the roof. The sneaky bastard! The attack had been meant to knock her off the roof and then corner Ranma. As the balls of her feet tilted over the edge, her burst of anger suddenly turned to fear. If she fell off and couldn't turn around in time. . .

Clenching her eyes shut, she shifted her weight forward and pushed with her shield of arms, praying that she could gain some leverage. Then, suddenly, the constant pounding on her arms was gone. Falling forward a step, she looked up surprised. The figure let out an angry yelp and was jerked backwards by Ranma. Stumbling from the forceful tug, the figure wasn't expecting a palm thrust in the chest. Crashing down onto the roof, a loud moan of pain escaped the figure. Ranma pounced again, and as the figure tried to jump up and run, Ranma's fingers snagged the dark hood of the cloak.

171717171717171717171717171717

Ranma's eyes widened as he saw the black hair fly from the hood. His fingers felt numb and he lost his grip. The figure quickly spun around and glared at him.

"It can't be. . ."

His eyes ran over the pale face, the cold eyes, the thin lips cutting downward in a sharp frown. . . . This couldn't be his Akane. She was never so. . . vicious. This woman before him. . . this merciless fighter. . . this wasn't his Akane.

"Oh my-. . . Akane?"

Ranma's eyes never left the woman's face. Her eyes glared back at him. Then, with a twist of her lips, she was grinning, and her eyes narrowed. Before Ranma could react, she suddenly disappeared. His eyes roamed wildly, searching fervently. Then he suddenly heard a thump behind him. Spinning around, he saw Ukyo's form sprawled on the roof.

"Ukyo!"

He was by her side in an instant. Her breathing was shallow as she stared at him numbly. Placing his fingers on her neck, Ranma checked for her pulse. Thank goodness. . . .she still had a good pulse. As he looked back at her eyes, he noticed that they were wide and strained as she looked behind him. Her lips quivered as she tried to talk. Wait. . . behind him. . .

"You should never leave your guard open."

Ranma whipped around on his heels. She was there again, smiling darkly down at him from his crouched position. Suddenly she leaned down and brought her face close to him. Transfixed, he could only stare.

He was suddenly reminded of an empty well he had seen once as a child. With his childish imagination he had only thought of how it was like an endless hole. To test his theory, he had even dropped a stone down the well. As Ranma thought about this, he couldn't remember ever hearing the stone hit the bottom.

This was the only thought that ran through his mind as he stared at those dark, cold eyes.

Ranma then felt a small hand grasp his cheek. He couldn't move, he could barely breathe as she brought her face closer. Then he felt a tender kiss tingle on the tip of his nose. As she pulled away, he almost felt as if all the energy he had in his body had been drained. His shivered as she smiled. "Does that help erase the doubt? I'm exactly who you think I am."

Ranma can barely speak. Seeing her again like this. . . after all the pain and guilt he had felt, he couldn't talk. All he could manage was her name. ". . . Akane. . ."

The hand on his cheek fell and her face became contorted in confusion. She stood and grabbed her head in her hands as if trying to understand something. A pained frown stretched over her face as she stared down at him with sad and confused eyes.

With a mixture of happiness and sadness, her face screwed up in a twisting smile. "No. . . Ranma?. . . No. . it's not supposed to . . . . Where. . ."

Suddenly she began to step away, muttering to herself and grasping her head as if in pain. Ranma stood up and quickly grabbed her wrist. He wasn't sure what was going on with Akane, but he was going to find out. If someone had hurt her or made her do this, he was going to make sure they didn't do it again.

As soon as his hand wrapped around her wrist, she grew silent. She didn't pull from his grasp, but she only grew very still. Her head dropped forward and her hair fell down, masquerading her face. Ranma drew closer, growing more and more concerned. He was so determined before, to sit her down and just talk to her, just to have her near him. . . but now, he couldn't get even a sentence past his lips. Guilt pulling heavily at his heart, he tried to make his tongue work out some kind of apology, some admission of him hurting her, "Akane. . . I. . . I'm. ."

With a sudden jerk, Akane yanked her hand away from him. Ranma stared at her, surprised. Then she turned and faced him. Her eyes were thin slits on her pale face as she bared her teeth in an angry snarl, "Don't you ever touch me."

Ranma didn't know what to say, but he couldn't help but take a step forward. "Akane. . .I'm sorry-"

She suddenly screamed and shoved her hands out at his chest.

Ranma knew how to read people's auras to a point. He could tell when someone was relaxed, when they were scared, and of course. . . when they were angry. He had been able to read it more after he learned how to manipulate his own aura in battle. Ranma knew that in a lot of attacks, emotions were what boosted up battle energy. In Ryoga's it was depression, in his, either his anger or someone else's.

He should have realized this when he saw Akane's face. He should have recognized the heat growing around her frame as she stood near him. He should have done a lot of things. But unfortunately, there was that one little thing that conflicted with his rationalization so many times:

His heart.

As Akane's hands pressed against his chest, Ranma slowly felt a small heat spread through his body. For a split second it was like sliding into a bath. But as the heat continued to pour into his body, it quickly became uncomfortable. A searing blast seemed to explode through his chest, shoving him backwards. Having fallen back, he gasped as he tried to catch his breath, the blast only allowing him to expand his lungs so much.

Struggling to breath, he looked up at Akane. He noticed with shock that her hands were red, as if all the blood from her body had rushed into her hands. Slowly his eyes drifted up to her face. She herself was breathing roughly. Her eyes watched him with fervent interest, like a wild animal, carefully analyzing the movement of the prey. As her eyes caught his, she quickly composed herself and stared at him smoothly with a smirk on her face. "Silly boy. That wasn't very smart of you, now was it?"

He could only huff in reply. With one eyebrow raised in mockery, she spoke, "So this is how weak you've become? Some challenge. Ryoga was tougher than you."

With a questioning glance crossing his face, she smiled. "Yes, I met him on the way here. Lovely little time we had. He almost got me too, but just like you and everyone else, he let his guard down. Such fools."

She looked up at the sky and saw the moon slipping beneath the clouds. "Hmm. Well, well. Since you're not really worth fighting right now, I must be going. Ta-ta."

Taking a deep breath, Ranma forced out the words he had been trying to say for a while, "Akane. . . why are you doing this?"

Akane paused and turned back to him with a pleasant smile. She quickly strode to his side and crouched to her knees beside him. Grabbing his chin, she spoke, "You know. . . curiosity isn't what really kills the cat. It's the answer behind the question that does that. . ."

Her face suddenly grew serious. "Just because you're weak doesn't mean I'll let you off easy," she pulled his face closer, "I'm going to make you suffer until you want to drop off the face of this earth. I'll practice the golden rule. . . the way you treated me. . . that's how I'm going to treat you."

She leaned forward suddenly and brushed her lips against his. As she pulled away, he stared at her with a blush on his cheeks. She herself shivered for a moment before she beamed a sickly sweet grin down to him. "Now don't you worry little boy," she said as he looked at her with pain and longing, "We'll continue this little lesson of revenge later."

Dropping his chin, she laughed and jumped off the roof. Ranma slumped heavily against the roof. His eyes were wide open as he stared into the sky, a million fragmented and burning questions searing through his mind. With his hand on his chest he, just sat there, blank. He couldn't move. And although his chest still hurt, he knew that it wasn't because of the blast anymore.

171717171717171717171717171717

Drip. . . .Drip. . . .

Bowed over a dingy sink, a woman watched as red droplets ran down the sides of the sink and escaped down the drain. Gripping the frame of the sink, she seemed lost in thought, her eyes occasionally moving to watch the roaming drops.

"Why. . . . why am I here?" she wondered out loud.

"You know perfectly well why you're here."

She didn't jerk her head up to look behind her. She already knew who it was. "No. . .," she muttered, "no I don't."

"That weak bastard is getting exactly what he deserves. . .and you're the one dishing it out," came the voice again, a hint of excitement making the it rise in pitch.

"I don't care anymore. I stopped feeling angry a long time ago. I'm only hurting myself all over again," she murmured, a sad look on her face.

She felt the temperature drop in the room. With a look of fear on her face, she stood up and looked into the cracked mirror in front of her. She could only see dark eyes glaring at her. Her mouth began to tremble, and her eyebrows dipped in dread.

"You don't have to care. I don't give a shit about what you feel. You simply do what I tell you to. If I want revenge, you want revenge. If I feel hate, you feel hate. If I want to beat the crap out of Saotome, you want to beat the crap out of Saotome. Do I make myself clear, Akane?"

Akane simply nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. Her wet locks were plastered to the side of her face as she simply watched the pale face that reflected in the mirror from behind her. She looked down for a moment and when she glanced back up, the face was gone. She sighed in relief and sank to the sink again, her cheek pressing against the sink.

"If only I could escape," she whispered quietly to herself.

As she glanced back down at the sink again, her eyes grew wide. A shadow was stretching over the sink. Her breathing began to quicken as she shook, unable to move. Suddenly, she felt a presence from behind her.

"See? It's thoughts like these that get you in trouble. It's always thoughts like these that cause rebellion."

Akane turned and shouted fearfully, "No! I didn't mean it!"

"And see now you're just lying, another no-no."

The door to the bathroom suddenly slammed shut. A scream ricocheted off the walls and a bang made the door shake violently. Then suddenly it grew quiet. For a few moments the silence persisted before a squeak was heard and the rush of water filled the air. A few splashes and then the water shut off. The door handle turned and Akane stepped out, a bright smile on her face. Her dark eyes scanned the room as she came out humming.

She suddenly broke off from her humming as she opened the front door.

"And the itsy bitsy spider never got up again."

The door shut behind her.

17171717171717171717171717

CONFUSED! YES:P Well, all will be explained! I promise. . . in the next chapter!

Whew! I'm am truly amazed! This took me forever. But then a lot more things than just a plot change have been going on:P New place, new work, new . . . well. . . stuff! It's taken me a bit to adjust and with studies I just don't have ANY time. I barely have time for sleep. Anywho, I know it's been forever since I've update. So sorry. L But like I said, I've been incredibly busy. But, in a way to make it up to my so very nice readers, I figured I'd write a SUPER long chapter. Okay, so maybe 26 pages isn't the longest thing in the world, but hey, I tried. :P

Well, as for a plot development. . hmm. . . I had to make some teeny, tiny changes in the last chapter. Nothing too big. The only scene I really changed was the one where the "stranger" goes to the Neko Haten. There might be some confusion cleared up (well. . maybe not :P) after this chapter.

dragongirl455: Well, now you know my reasons. And yes, there were times that I could have done more, but writer's block + life equals slow progress. :)

Aumi-chan: I'm sorry. . . but it was Akane doing all those things!. .crazy, no? ; thanks for the nice reviews. Always a pleasure to read reviews like yours.

mycquester: Oy, oy! I'm not a guy. Anywho, as for Ranma hitting Shampoo. I agree that Ranma wouldn't hit a girl, even in anger. But I don't know. I don't think he's ever been pushed quite that far in the series (or maybe he has and I just didn't see it :P), but I'm trying to put them into a real setting (well, as real as Ranma ½ gets) and trying to express them almost as real people. Of course, I'm trying to stick to the original character, but emotions can do a lot to you. And as for Ranma chasing after Akane, yes, maybe he was going to, but just like when she ran to help Shinnosuke (sp?) from in the manga/anime fight the monsters, he chased her, thought she loved Shinnosuke, and felt bad, letting her choose her own path. Maybe love vs guilt is different in this, but I think feeling guilt makes you dwell on thoughts too much. As does he. Thanks for the review. I do enjoy questions like yours. Helps me look back and fix mistakes time to time :P

mike: Yes, depressing. . . but it will get better, I swear:P As for your questions, well, it's the same as mycquestor (above). Same reasons. As for making it more positive. . . well it will. . but a look into what happened to Akane during her absence is coming up. And as for the depressing stuff. . . yea, I think I dragged that out just a little bit too much. Sorry, sorry. Maybe I'll go back and revise to cut some parts down. These chapters get long, but getting the actual actions to take place. . hmm. . .yea, I think I get too much into description. Oh! And for the time that went by, that could be 1-3 years. And on a final note, this isn't a happy fic. I never really intended it to be. At the end, of course I'm gonna have a happy ending, but for now, if you want to keep reading, bear with it a little longer. Depression is basically done, now it's action, explanations, and finally reunited love. :o)

SakK: Yes, it was Akane. I just had to keep her hidden for a while to raise suspense and questions. I guess at least half of it worked. :P Thanks for the review.

Koalakitty: Interesting comment at the beginning:o) As for giving up on life, again, the explanation can be found in mycquestor's (3 above) questions. Well, think about this, if Akane had died at the end of the series, how would Ranma be? A lot of people say he would travel to the underworld to get her back or make some bet with the devil, but hey, he's no Orpheus :P Plus, like I said before, I'm trying to make it more life like. As for getting strong, I'm getting to that soon, but for a bit to chew on, think about how long she's been gone and how she said she needed to "grow up" before she left. I hope that helps. And as for destination, less depression, more action, explanation, and happiness (finally!). Thanks for your review!

Kat Monroe: Thank you for your comment! Very cool! And about smoking, yea, I remember learning that. I know people who smoke and I don't agreeit at all. It's disgusting. But, I think like some people with drugs, Nabiki took up smoking in a way to escape (although nicotine doesn't have quite as much an effect as other drugs). People look for something, anything, to take their minds off stuff. Even if they know it's not the right thing. But hey! She quit!

Wanderer: Yes, I know. . . But there will be! I promise!

The Liz: Thank you so much! I think the anti-writer's block got through!

TheWhiteMonk: Not quite over yet. . . :)Thanks for your comments.

Doctor Emmit Brown: NOOOOO! I can't! I finally did this crazy long update! NOOOOO!. . . okay, I'll stop. :P

FlameRaven1: Aww! You're so nice! I'm glad it's back too! . . .finally! As for Akane, I hope this clear it up a bit. I also went back in Chapt. 16 and made a few edits. And yes, she was the one who attacked both of them.

milkiss: And God bless you! Thank you so much for the sweet comment. Those are always refreshing. I'm super glad that made your week. Hope this chap makes your week again. And yes, 4 in the morning now and I'm glad I finally got it done.

Grey8: Hope Akane coming back (finally!) was good enough. And thanks for the observation: I am trying to link everyone back together. There's just a few more people, but now it's finally getting somewhere!

Everyone else: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I really appreciate every review. And I mean EVERY review. Thanks again and I hope you all enjoyed this chap. Hopefully I'll get another one out sooner!

If you have any more questions, ask away! I'll try to answer them the best I can.

Ciao.