"She's....just like I remember her. Beautiful."

The sound of wind mournfully blowing through barren trees.

"Yeah. I know. And she's back now. Alive. With us."

In the distance the sound of sirens are possibly heard, but ignored.

"That's right! She's back with us and we won't let anybody hurt her ever again."

A soft plop once…twice…thrice…

"Blood?"

A strike of flesh against flesh, quick and precise…

"Sleep well gentlemen and don't worry. I'll take good care of Akane for you."

A cold and dark voice, rough and full of breaks…a dark chuckle…

"No...."

Blackness.

Severed Ties
By Johnny O'Brien
Chapter One

Ranma started awake with her name on his lips again. He fell back onto his bed and stared at the darkened ceiling. He had the dream again and just like all the other times it felt so real. It felt as if it had just happened, instead of having really happened almost two years ago. After the battle they had all be told that the police had arrived along with the fire department and the paramedics, who quickly saw to the wounded. Nabiki had arrived near the tail end of the battle and had remained hidden as she watched Kaseru escape with Akane. She'd confessed to wanting to try and shoot the mysterious martial artist but hadn't for fear of hitting Akane. Nabiki's eyesight had not diminished any during the years and she knew her sister when she saw her.

Nabiki had acted quickly however when she heard the sirens and had run to a pay phone a few blocks away, the nearest one on that side of the grave yard. She had placed a call then to emergency services and in her best concerned and frightened tone of voice conveyed the fight, what she had seen at least and attributed most of the damage to the cemetery to the mysterious Kaseru. She had given her name as well and then hung up and hurried back to the site.

The authorities were already there and once they knew she knew the victims she proceeded to repeat the story she had told those upon the phone. She was fairly sure she would be the only eyewitness of any decent use to the police in this matter. A few calls from her cell phone to some of her local contacts before the police began their investigation assured that. The destruction of the cemetery as well as the possibly unconfirmed theft of the corpse of the late Akane Tendo was the charges laid upon one Shodoro Kaseru. Ranma and Ryouga were never ever suspected in the case, especially after the rest of the victims recovered enough to testify, they all also blamed everything upon Kaseru.

Nabiki had hoped to have the authorities stop him before he boarded a plain or a boat to get off the islands of Japan but Cologne had simply stated that even if they authorities did catch him they'd never be able to hold him Kaseru had hundreds of ways of eluding pursuit and capture. He would disappear with Akane and likely would never be seen again, until he wanted to be perhaps. The only thing which had Cologne stumped was a reason why. She couldn't figure out why Kaseru wanted Akane, though she would continue to ponder it until an answer came to her. Almost two years had passed and still she had sent no word that an answer had come to her.

Cologne had also left word that she would have the amazons keep a close eye out within China for either Kaseru or Akane and send word immediately. She had returned to the Amazon Village with Shampoo and Mousse within days of the attack to warn the Village and the other Elders of Kaseru's return. Ranma could tell that Cologne knew more of Kaseru than she was willing to tell and had he been in any shape to fight the answers out of her he would have. The effects of whatever attack Kaseru had used upon Ryouga and Ranma had taken over a week to fully leave them and by then Cologne was already in China and far away.

Ranma sighed heavily and lowered his head into his hands, his fingers curling and his fingernails lightly biting into his scalp and forehead. The small pinpricks of pain forced him to accept the reality of things. Akane was alive was again but in the hands of an evil man and had been for two years. Things were different than they had been in their youth, before Akane had died so senselessly. The one who had kidnapped Akane had not left an easy trail to follow, nor did Cologne have a scroll or an artifact with which they could find her. With bad news came good, however, and on the heels of Akane's kidnapping had come very good news.

Genma and Nodoka, while getting the papers to make good their words to Ryouga, had quite by accident ran into his father. Nodoka recognized him from a photograph Ryouga had shown her a couple of years prior. They had taken the man to lunch to discuss what they intended and what all had happened. Rather than being angry the man had been relieved that Ryouga was not only alright but had found someone who cared for him and could take care of his son. He confessed that it was his one wish for his son to have a stable home, something he and his wife were unable to give him, the whole family being cursed as it was. They were going to escort the man to see Ryouga but upon the way out of the restaurant a waiter had tripped and upended a glass of water on Genma. In the resulting disturbance, Ryouga's father had gotten lost as only a Hibiki can; utterly.

The days immediately following the battle with Kaseru all blended together in Ranma's mind. The kindness of Kasumi and the calm assurance of Nabiki that they had both never once blamed either of the two boys for Akane's death, even unknowing of the circumstances as they were. He remembered the comfort of Nodoka and Genma and Ukyou and their promise, their vow to the still silent and unresponsive Soun that they would bring Akane back to them. There were many sleepless nights the two had lain in their beds and just talked long into the nights, of old times and recent, and of future times. Ranma remembered one day out of that blur and he was sure Ryouga did as well.

They had woken after their first night of dreamless sleep and been pleasantly surprised to find the last of the effects were gone from the attack and their bodies responded as they should. They also found they were very stiff and without a word had proceeded down stairs and out to the Tendo Dojo which still stood thought it had not bee used in years. After a look around Ranma had fetched them water and rags and the two boys had cleaned the dojo from top to bottom as a warm up. They had then sparred with each other until they were ready to drop from exhaustion. They had stopped with no winner to the match and had bowed low to each other. Their eyes had met on the way back up and both realized at once what had truly happened to them.

The depression and the self-loathing and the anger and the sense of loss were gone from within them. Akane was alive again and they had no reason to doubt she would not remain so. Kaseru had gone through so much trouble for her he surely didn't want her just to kill her. He had some other goal in mind for her, one that had to mean keeping her alive. And as long as she was alive there was still the chance that they could find her and save her. Akane was alive and waiting for them to come to her rescue. They had simply nodded to each other in wordless agreement as to their goal. They knew there would no longer be the black days of before ahead for them, no longer would they wish for death. They had a reason to live now…and her name was Akane.

Ranma lowered his hands from his head and shook the sleep out of it; he knew he'd not be going back into the land of dreams tonight. He turned in his bed and pushed aside the covers as he silently placed his feet to the cool floor. He looked to the other bed in the room and blinked a bit as he saw it was empty. Ryouga must have been having a harder night of it, but Ranma wasn't worried as he once might have been. His brother wouldn't fall so deep into himself as he once was capable of. He was probably just blowing off steam, and Ranma knew just where to find him.

Ranma stepped out onto the small stepping stone like path which led through their back yard to the dojo. He paused as his toes curled up from the feel of the suddenly cool stone upon his feet. He reached a hand behind him and slowly slid the door shut. He stood for a moment feeling the cool night air drying the sweat slowly from his brow. He moved then stepping lightly from stone to stone as it crossed the backyard to the dojo. He hopped up onto the wooden floor of the dojo and paused them listening and he heard it. The music played softly from beyond the walls of the dojo and quietly Ranma lifted a hand up and pulled the door open just enough to allow him to slip inside.

Ryouga was inside just finishing a kata, his back to Ranma and the door. He stopped and shifted his stance to a new one. Ranma slowly closed the door with silence as a sound like a gong came from the speakers of the small radio and disc player that Ryouga owned. It was an interesting radio because it was of the kind that could get broadcasts from just about anywhere in the world. A World Band Radio Ranma thought it was. Ryouga seemed to like listening to a lot of music from the Western side of the world, mostly in English. Ranma didn't know much English so it was all strange to him to listen to. But he had gotten in the habit of listening because of something Ryouga had shown him.

Ryouga had explained a number of years ago that he had learned how to do this when he had gotten some training in Rhythmic Gymnastics in his youth. You simply put on music in the background while you practiced and instead of listening to the words being sung you listened to the beat of the words being sung and you moved in your practice to that beat. It was an exercise to help build both timing and grace, something that gymnasts would need. Ranma walked to the middle of the dojo in silence and stood facing Ryouga who acknowledged him with a nod only. The guitar from the song's intro got harsher and faster as the tempo of the song build and the two boys could feel their muscles tense in preparation for the sparring match.

…And the road becomes my bride
I have stripped of all but pride
So in her I do confide
And she keeps me satisfied
Gives me all I need

At the first word of the song the two men began to exchange blows. Fists and feet struck out in graceful movements in time to the music and the words. It would have been easy for either of them to suddenly shift their way of moving and score a crucial hit, but that was not the purpose of this practice exercise. They made their choice of blows and followed through even if it meant they had a hit scored upon them. It was an intricate dance of moves and movements the two were committed to.

…And with dust in throat I crave
Only knowledge will I save
To the game you stay a slave
Rover! Wanderer! Nomad! Vagabond!
Call me what you will!
But I'll take my time anywhere
Free to speak my mind anywhere
And I'll redefine anywhere
Anywhere I roam
Where I lay my head is home

The two moved in a tight spiraling circle of grace, their faces almost identical masks of serene contemplation. The two kept a tally of hits in their minds whenever they fought like this. It didn't matter who won really, but it was a good way of keeping score.

…And the Earth becomes my throne
I adapt to the unknown
Under wandering stars I've grown
By myself but not alone
I ask no one
…And my ties are severed clean
The less I have the more I gain
Off the beaten path I reign
Rover! Wanderer! Nomad! Vagabond!
Call me what you will!
But I'll take my time anywhere
I'm free to speak my mind anywhere
And I'll never mind anywhere
Anywhere I roam
Where I lay my head is home

Ranma saw the look held within Ryouga's eyes as this song neared its end. He was glad that Ranma had gotten up; he wanted someone to talk to about something. Ranma was glad that it had been him that had gotten up. Seven years now the two of them had clung to each other for support. Seven years they had only had each other who truly understood what the other was feeling. Ranma didn't like to think it but he knew it was the truth. It was the loss they had both shared which had brought them to be such close friends. They couldn't fight each other as they had once long ago even if they wanted to.

But I'll take my time anywhere
Free to speak my mind
And I'll take my find anywhere
Anywhere I roam
Where I lay my head is home
Carved upon my stone
My body lie, but still I roam
Wherever I may roam

The song ended and Ryouga bowed to Ranma, who returned the respect he had been given. The two they walked over to the radio and sat down, Ryouga shutting it off with the flick of a switch. The night time silence which filled the neighborhood fell to blanket even the dojo. The only sound they could hear was the sound of a few insects and the hum of the power lines nearby. That was all nothing but background noise that no one really noticed unless the sounds stopped.

Ryouga said nothing as he sat there, just staring at the dojo's wall, or floor it was hard to tell. Ranma didn't want to push him into talking about whatever it was he was thinking on, but sometimes with Ryouga he knew you had to push. It was a hard balancing act, being so close a friend to Ryouga as he was now. He was so physically strong but he was so emotionally weak. Depending upon the person the slightest words of ridicule could fire him into a towering rage or drop him into a black pit of despair.

"So did you understand any of that song?" Ranma shifted as he spoke and lay back on the dojo floor to stare at the ceiling. He laced his fingers behind his head for a makeshift pillow as he waited to see if Ryouga would answer.

"…Some of it. It's from an older band over there. I forget the name, but I've always liked the song." Ryouga's voice was soft and he sounded preoccupied. The sparring was a way to take his mind off it…whatever 'it' was.

"At least it had a good beat to spar to." Ranma said as he rubbed part of his neck.

"Ranma do you think we'll ever find her; ever get her back? It's been two years…it will be in just another week. We haven't heard from her at all, Cologne hasn't found anything and neither has Nabiki." Ryouga's voice had an edge to it, a sharp and cutting edge of panic.

"Ryouga…I know what you're feeling but remember. We made a vow, a promise to Akane that would we come for her no matter how long it takes us to find her. We're martial artists and more than that, in a way you could call us modern day samurai. And you know as well as I do that a samurai's word and his actions have no difference between them. Our word, our vow to Akane, and the action of it are no different. The only reason we haven't left yet to go and get her is because we don't know where to start looking. Once we know that Ryouga, we'll be moving." Ranma lifted his head to look at Ryouga and smiling slightly. Ryouga sighed heavily but there was a note of relief in it; he nodded his head and lay down beside Ranma to look at the ceiling as well.

"Thanks Ranma. I needed that. Are you ready for the big exhibit today?" Ryouga asked turning his head to look at Ranma.

"That's today? I thought it was on Friday?" Ranma blinked trying to recall. The site they worked at as security was having a large exhibit on one of the floors of various art pieces and artifacts of ancient Japan.

"No Ranma it's today. We have to be in early for the briefing too. I'll be on desk duty. I always am." Ryouga said with a sigh of long suffering.

"Yeah but only because you'd get lost on patrol; besides all that, you're the best Base Officer we have. You know that's the real reason they always put you there." Ranma said sitting up with a grin.

"Yeah yeah, flattery will get you no where. Want to go and make breakfast for Mom and Pop?" Ryouga asked grinning almost like a little boy. Ranma rolled his eyes but grinned as well. Ryouga just enjoyed doing things for his new parents way too much.

"Yeah sure, let's get to it Mr. P." Ranma joked as he got up and headed for the door.

"Whatever you say, Miss Ranko." Ryouga taunted with a smirk of his own and the two headed out of the dojo and back into the house.

"Coffee. Black. Strong. Now." Nabiki spoke to her husband in short clipped and very flat tones as he passed him in the hallway of their home and headed for her office. It was morning and she had just gotten a shower which had failed completely to wake her up. The new shampoo and conditioner, one of the 2 in 1 varieties, claimed to be invigorating. She would have to write a complaint to them for false advertising. She had almost fallen asleep in the shower while lathering her hair. It could be all that invigorating if that could happen. It didn't matter that she'd only had four hours of sleep after a late night of work. Her husband moved towards the kitchen to get his wife her coffee. He had been married to her for a number of years now and he knew what that tone of voice meant. Do as she said or there would be trouble. It had taken a little getting used to being married to such a strong willed woman, but the benefits far outweighed anything bad. Nabiki had quickly proven to be invaluable to his family, mostly to his Father who was the Head of the Family. She had help them make more money, and get out of tight legal situations more times since she had become a member of the family than they could ever claim to have done on their own before.

She wasn't even a lawyer, but she knew every law that applied to business. She was a businesswoman at heart and she was very good at what she did. What she did was to make money and to know about every opportunity to make money. He heaped out three teaspoons of instant coffee into a large cup and added the water which had boiled a few minutes ago for his own tea. He added just a spoonful of honey to the coffee, something which could never understand her liking for and stirred it in. Then he carried the cup down the hall and into her office. He placed it on the small glass coaster especially for her coffee cup as she stared blearily at the screen.

"Thank you Katsuhiko-kun." Nabiki murmured absently and lifted the cup up to her lips taking a sip. He waited a couple more minutes and then quietly excused himself to go finish getting ready as well. Nabiki sipped her coffee a few more times relishing the bittersweet taste of strong coffee with a hint of honey. When the cup was half empty from her sipped she placed the cup back onto the saucer, rubbed the sleep from her eyes and removed her glasses from their fur lined case. She slipped the spectacles upon her face and pushed them up from the tip of her nose and then looked at the screen again. She only really needed her glasses for reading fine print and occasionally for her computer work. Far-sighted was the sight defect she had developed over the years, not that she'd tell anyone unless it was unavoidable. She had a reputation to protect and a sight defect could be construed as a weakness.

The small room was soon filled with the clacking of keys and the softer sound of the clicking of a mouse's buttons as she began to sift through her resources and her search engines and e-mails from a veritable army of resources. She had presented her case to the Head of the Family, leaving out certain things but stressing that the man she sought was a powerful martial artist and possibly even a sorcerer. He had attacked members of her family and friends, and worse he had destroyed the grave yard where her younger sister had been buried. It was possible that he had even stolen her corpse. This man had brought great dishonor to her family and she wished permission to use some of the resources of The Family to track him down.

He had agreed and given her whatever resources she wished to use available to her, but saying that they would only help her find this man, not fight him for her. She had agreed to that and said in fact, she already had a pair who was ready to move against this man in her behalf. She only needed the help to find him in the first place. So it was that for the past two years all the major contacts The Family had within Japan, China, Korea, and India and even in The Americas kept an eye out for this man or his 'daughter'.

She took the last gulp of her coffee and grimaced at the cold liquid but swallowed it down. Her eyes flicked over the screen as she sifted from e-mail to e-mail, reading on reports. It was like reading the same report over and over again. 'No sightings of either target. Next report will be tomorrow at same time.' She had read the same thing so many times she could probably write it in her sleep. She had a brief mental image of herself in a nightgown, a big black magic marker in her hand, sleepwalking through her house and writing those two sentences over every surface she came to. She snorted a brief laugh before she turned her attention back to the screen.

She shut down her e-mail and moved on to the mailing lists. If there was nothing here then it would be business as usual for today. She tapped a well manicured nail upon the smooth wooden surface of her desk as she waited for her computer to compile the list of all messages in the past twenty-four hours. A soft chime let her know this was done and she brought up the search tool and put in the same parameters she had every day since she started this search. She hit the enter key and pulled off her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. She felt a headache coming on and it was building right between her eyes. Another soft chime brought her attention back to the screen and she opened her eyes and looked at it. She blinked and squinted and after a moment remembered her glasses and slipped them back on her face.

The print then swam into sharp focus before her eyes and they made her gasp softly in surprise. She had one hit. It could be nothing, she'd had hits before that were nothing, but it could be something. She double-clicked on the item and opened the message and read it softly to herself out loud.

"Dear Miss Tendo, I must admit I was surprised to find such a request directed to the community which I am a member of but I can't help but be intrigued by it. I have not seen the people you speak of in person; however I do have an item in my private collection of pieces which does bear the name of Kaseru to it. I am nervous of speaking about my collection in such a public forum, but if you would like to call the number below and set up a time I would happy to show you personally around my collection and show you the item in question. I am not sure if it will help your search but…it never hurts to check does it? I shall be awaiting your call."

Nabiki swallowed and found her mouth was a bit dry. She grabbed a pen and jotted down the number on a scratch pad she always kept beside the computer. She rose from her chair, tore off the top paper from the pad and took her coffee cup with her as she went into the kitchen. She snatched the cordless phone from its base and hit the talk button. She dialed a number and cradled the phone to her ear as she began to make another coffee in the large cup.

"Frank? Change of plans today. I want you to call the airport and book me a noon flight to Hong Kong. Also get in touch with a limo rental company from there and have a limo waiting for me at the airport. Let them know you'll be driving me Frank so I don't need one of their chauffeurs. …I got a lead Frank." She added the last bit after a pause and heard his affirmative free of confusion now that she had explained. Frank had been with her during that whole series of events two years ago. She stabbed the talk button with her thumb shutting the phone off. She quickly made herself another coffee and then picked up the phone again and this time dialed the number on the piece of paper she had brought with her. She had a meeting to set up with a Mister Yuan for later this evening.

Nodoka and Genma woke up to the smells of breakfast cooking and tea brewing from the kitchen. They both looked to each other and then to the door of their bedroom. Quietly the two of them got dressed in their morning robes and wandered out of their bedroom and into the doorway of the kitchen where they saw their two boys, each wearing one of Nodoka's frilly aprons, in the middle of cooking breakfast. It seemed to be degenerating into a fight however.

"Ranma what are you doing?" Ryouga snapped watching him add cubes of meat into the scrambled eggs he was cooking.

"Adding some ham to the eggs, what does it look like?" Ranma asked sarcastically.

"I don't like ham, Ranma, you know that!" Ryouga countered.

"So what, I do. Live with it Ryouga…it's not like it's a relative of yours or anything." Ranma shot back with a smirk and then went back to his eggs. At least until a cup of cold water took him in the back of the head. Some of the water fell to the front of the stove with a hiss of steam.

"What'd you do that for Ryouga?" Ranma-chan asked, glaring from under a wet mop of red hair.

"Because that apron just didn't look right on you, but it looks perfect now. You really fill it out now Ranma." Ryouga said with a snicker.

"Oh...my boys, my boys whatever are you doing?" Nodoka finally spoke up, one hand over her lips to hold back the laughter.

"Making breakfast Mom. Ryouga, check the rice. I think it's done now." Ranma said turning back to the eggs and sliding them out onto a large plate of them. Nodoka only laughed again and moved in to help the boys straighten up the small mess that was becoming their breakfast preparations. Genma shook his head and moved to the front door sliding it open and peering out into their mailbox. The paper was in at least so he grabbed that and returned to the kitchen, setting down just as Nodoka placed a cup of tea at his spot.

It wasn't very long after that the whole family sat at the table eating breakfast while Genma read his morning paper. It was a quiet affair and the two boys were telling Nodoka about the exhibit being shown at the tower today and that with any luck they'd get to walk through after the official showing and see the sights. Breakfast was finished by the time Genma set his paper aside and looked up at the two boys. The table had fallen silent and all knew why. They were waiting for the sound of the front gate to open to let them know that the mail had come. They always waited for the mail because they were waiting for word from Cologne that she had found something. They had received word twice since then and both times were to mention that they had found someone who had seen them in China, passing through a small town or a village. It wasn't much of a lead but it was something to give them hope. They were finding his trail.

The faint creak of the front gate got their attention and Genma rose slowly from the table and left the kitchen. Ranma and Ryouga stayed at the table while Nodoka also rose and moved around, beginning to clear the dishes from the table. They could all hear Genma's voice coming from the front door as he talked with their mailman, thanking him as he did every morning for the prompt delivery of their mail. Soon the door could be heard to close and Genma returned, with a small stack of mail in his hands as he looked through it.

"Hm, bill, bill, flyer, junk, coupons, bill…and a letter, from China." Genma looked up to the two boys and removed a plain looking envelope and held it out to them. Ranma took it from his father and the old man sat down to go through the rest of the mail The two boys peered down at the letter in Ranma's hands, their names neatly written above their address but there seemed to be no return address. The postage stamp was located in China. The style of envelope sealed with wax was identical to those others Cologne had sent. After a moment of staring at the envelope Ranma broke the wax seal with his thumbnail and removed the sheet of thick paper. He unfolded it and stared at it a long time, frowning softly.

"Ranma, what does it say?" Nodoka finally asked him.

"I don't know, I can't read Chinese." Ranma replied and looked up with a confused smile upon his face. Ryouga scowled and snatched the letter from his hands.

"Give me that, you idiot. Let's see here now…ah. It says 'Dear Ranma and Ryouga, I am writing this letter to you in Chinese just in case Kaseru is watching our communications. It would be an easy enough thing for him to do. I have written it especially in an old dialect of my village which I know Ryouga knows as I taught it to him but which Kaseru does not know. I have some good news for you but please do not get your hopes up yet. We have found the house which Kaseru had been staying at with Akane but they are gone from there now and have been for almost a year. There was magic used there around the time they had left and I am trying to decipher the feel I am getting from the area. I will keep you informed. Also, I have met with Happosai and informed him of what has occurred. He is currently on his way to Japan and should arrive within a few days of this letter. Yours truly Cologne; The Matriarch of the Amazon Village.' That's all it says…" Ryouga sighed and lay the letter down upon the table.

"Hmm…The Master is coming, is he? Well, that settles that. I hear Hokkaido is nice this time of year Nodoka." Genma said with a small chuckle.

"Genma dear, do shush. Master Happosai is coming to help Ranma and Ryouga. The least we can do is to offer him our hospitality. Should he abuse that hospitality then we'll deal with him accordingly." Nodoka smiled pleasantly and rose once more continuing to clear the table of dishes.

"Well Ryouga, we'd best get ready for work. It's going to be a long day." Ranma said as he stood up and headed for their bathroom with Ryouga in tow.

About one year ago…

Akane stood letting her breathing become steady once more, letting her mind clear of all thought. Her eyes were blindfolded, her ears stuffed with cotton and her feet secured to pegs in the ground by chains. She stood which her legs braced apart and didn't try to listen for her attacker. Instead she tried to feel for his strikes. How long had seen been chained here today, her body being attacked by the hard end of an oak staff. Her opponent was circling her now, waiting, and judging for an opening in her defenses so that he could attack.

With a sudden movement she twisted her body and brought a hand around back in a sweeping arc and blocked a staff strike before it could hit her in the back of her knee. She quickly moved her other hand to block a second follow-up strike to the back of her neck and spun in the opposite direction to block a third aimed for her chest. Her attacker backed off then. She resumed letting her breathing slow down as she stood, feeling for him. How long had this been going on today alone? Her stomach felt like growling, so lacking in food she had been today, but she refused to let her stomach control or even distract her. What was happening to her she knew was her own doing. She had all but asked for it so she couldn't back down now.

She moved again as quick and sudden as a snake strike and almost without thinking, her palm blocking a staff jab not once or twice, but three times in quick succession. She shifted and dodged a fourth aimed at her head, blocked a fifth and sixth. The seventh jab aimed at her midsections she dodged and grabbed the staff, pulling it suddenly from her attacker's hands. She spun it about her body in a tight arc and lashed out with the staff, feeling it strike flesh and the attacker fall to the ground. She suddenly gasped and dropped the staff tearing off the blindfold and pulling the cotton from her ears. She crouched and pulled the pins from the anklets chaining her down and rushed over to the falling man, crouching and helping him to sit up.

"Father, are you alright? I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to attack you so suddenly, it just happened." Akane said to the portly man who reclaimed his glasses from the dirt and slid them onto his kindly face. He winced slightly and placed a hand to his shoulder but he smiled as he did so.

"Worry not my little one. It is only a bruise and will heal soon. You have not hurt me; in fact I am pleased that you have attacked as such. It means you have reached the limit of all I can teach you here. We shall have to move on now to continue your training…that is if you want to continue it?" Kaseru asked and smiled at his daughter.

"Oh…oh yes Father. I want to continue to learn. I want to learn all about the Art so I can defend myself, so you won't have to ever worry about me again. But Father, where will we go?" Akane asked helping him to his feet and dusting off his usual blue kimono. Kaseru placed a hand to her shoulder and guided her towards their small house and inside. He gestured for her to sit at the table while he went about the motions of preparing tea. Once a pair of cups was filled with steaming warmth he sat down and looked to his daughter smiling.

"Do you trust me, my little one, to do what is best for you?" Kaseru asked lifting his cup to his lips.

"Yes Father. You've always protected me as best you could, even from…those two who haunt my dreams. You're teaching me the Art so that I can protect myself from them. You've taught me so much already. I'm just glad my body was able to remember most of what you had taught me before I lost my memories. I'm ready to move on and I trust you Father." Akane said with a small but bright smile to him.

"Excellent Akane, we shall leave tomorrow. I'll make the preparations tonight for our departure tomorrow. We're going to go to Japan, my little one, but fear not. Where we're going, we'll not run into those two who so hurt you. Not until you're ready to face them for what they've done to you."

End of Chapter One

Author's Miscellany: Well, the sequel has now begun. I'm not sure how angst filled and dark this will be but there will be some dark moments. Not many in this one because I'm still setting things up. I'm going to enjoy keeping my readers in suspense and curiosity as to what's going on. Worry not however, by the end of Severed Ties I will explain why Kaseru is capable of what all he's done. Enjoy!