A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! I know many of you are probably thinking "Why is she working on another story and not updating "Just Married!"?" WELL, have no worries, I am not putting the story on hiatus; I just wanted to work on something a little more fresh. This idea has been in my head for so long, it's about time I put it on paper er... screen. n_n Anyways, enjoy!

Memories

A Ranma Fanfiction

Story by: Kaywi

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"HELPPP! KASUMI! NABIKI! DADDD!!" Akane screamed as her hand began slipping off the cliff's edge. I can't hold on any longer! Her mind screamed. I'm going to die!

Akane clenched her eyes closed as she felt her hand begin to slip. A single tear rolled down her cheek as her young life flashed before her eyes. Her hand had almost completely fallen when she felt a strong, warm hand atop of hers.

"Hold on!" someone screamed above her. Akane looked up to see a young boy, about her age, grabbing onto her. He tugged with all his might to save her and even felt himself slipping.

"Save yourself!" the dark haired girl shouted to the boy. She didn't want both of them to die!

"No!" he shouted back and tugged even harder. Within seconds, the boy was able to grab Akane off the ledge of cliff and pull her safely onto the ground.

Tears flooded down the young girl's cheeks as she sat to the ground. The boy was breathing heavily and turned to look at her.

He placed a tender hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay..." he soothed. "You're okay now."

"Thank... thank you..." Akane whispered, looking up at him, her chocolate brown eyes damp.

"What's your name?" he said with a warm smile.

"A-Akane. My name's Akane."

~* Xx *~

Akane awoke with a startled gasp, her head positively throbbing. She placed her hand on her head, attempting to stop the pain. The clock read 5:13. She'd awoken again, to the exact same dream.

The dream, however, was not simply a dream. It was... a memory. A very far off memory that had happened many years ago. That same memory repeated itself every night, never resting. It woke her up at all hours in the night and just wouldn`t cease.

What is going on? Akane thought. Why do I keep having this dream? Why does this childhood memory keep coming back to haunt me?

The raven-haired girl got up from her bed; there was no use in going back to sleep. She was exhausted. These dreams were waking her up way too early.

Akane felt her body damp with sweat and decided to take a morning shower. It would do her some good.

Ranma awoke to the sound of the water running from the furo down the hall. Damn, he thought. Akane again? This must be the fourth one this week! Ranma wondered what was keeping his fiancé up all night. He'd heard her mumble to her family something about dreams, but he just couldn't quite put his finger on what was bothering her.

Deep down, the boy had strong feelings for the girl. Those were obvious. He wasn't sure HOW strong those feelings were, and by damn he would NEVER admit them, but they were there. It hurt him seeing her so weak, exhausted, defenceless.

Ranma padded down the hall, softly, trying not to make Akane jump to conclusions. Usually, if Akane heard a single sound during the night, she would immediately assume it was a predator and grab her bokken. In the end, it would result in Ranma orbiting in space with a sword mark imprinted on his forehead. No thank you, he thought.

He quietly approached the bathroom door and hesitantly pondered whether he should knock or not. In the end, he realized that he was concerned and the only way to get to the bottom of this was to confront her. With much trepidation, he knocked, startling the teenage girl.

"Wh-who's there?" she called, fear lacing her voice.

Ranma cleared his throat, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "A-A-Akane?" he said. What a place to have a conversation, Ranma! the boy thought.

"Ranma?" Akane replied, her fear dying down. "What are you doing up so early? Don't tell me you came to peak on me!"

Ranma bit his tongue, trying not to slip any insults out. The young martial artist had a bit of a problem with "diarrhea of the lips" or "foot-in-the-mouth syndrome". In other words, he always had a knack for letting out insults that really hurt his fiancé. You name it and he'd come up with it. Flat-chested, built as a brick, thighs too thick... and those insults also resulted in an orbiting Ranma. That was the LAST thing he needed. In order to talk to her, she needed to be calm. But damn, that sure ticked him off. Why did she always assume he was such a pervert?

"No, of course not!" he said, trying not to raise his voice.

"Well, hold on a minute. I'm almost finished. I'll meet you in the kitchen, alright?"

Ranma nodded silently to himself and walked softly down the hallway. He entered the kitchen and filled a large pot with hot water and placed it on the stove. The pot made a soft humming sound. It was comforting.

The silence made Ranma question his relationship with Akane. Sure, he had feelings for her, but how did he know if they were mutual? It had been three years since he'd arrived at the Tendo residence. Three years! A whole year since the failed wedding and nothing had changed. The same suitors, the same arguments... he wondered if it would ever just stop. If him and Akane would... could ever settle down.

Ranma heard soft footsteps arrive at the door and saw his fiancée standing there. She was clad in damp, fuzzy slippers and a soft, pink robe. The towel wrapped around her head was her favourite, like he'd heard her say many times. It was her mother's, to be exact.

"Hey," he said, softly and sat down onto one of the chairs against the kitchen table. He'd matured a bit since his childhood days but hey, so did Akane.

"Hey, yourself." She said and sat down in the chair next to him. However, he noticed there was a large space between them.

"It's hot outside, isn't it?" Akane said, fanning herself.

"Let's cut to the chase." Ranma replied, narrowing his eyes. "Akane, why are you up so early? What's wrong?"

Akane closed her eyes. "Nothing, Ranma... it has nothing to do with you."

"Damn, yes it does!" he growled, his voice rising a bit. "Look at you! You're exhausted!"

Akane looked down, not keeping his gaze. He placed a tender hand on her cheek and she caught his eye for a moment. His deep blue eyes seared into her.

"Tell me." He whispered. Akane's heart thumped wildly.

She quickly swatted his hand away and Ranma's heart squeezed. Finally, after a moment of silence, she spoke.

"Alright, I'll tell you, Ranma... but you promise you won't laugh?"

"Of course not!" he said, a little too loudly. Akane placed a finger against her lips, motioning for him to be quiet.

"Okay, Ranma... I'm having these... dreams."

"Dreams?" he repeated, concern lacing his voice.

"Yeah... about this boy..."

Ranma's eyes flickered for a second at the word "boy". Those dreams had better have not been about Ryoga or Kuno... unless they involved a very violent scene. He wouldn't bare hearing her speak about other guys with him alive.

"I don't know what's going on! I met this boy like ten years ago, when I was very young... he... saved my life as well."

Ranma mentally groaned. If this was about Shinnousuke again, he would tear him apart with his bare hands. "Don't tell me... Shinnousuke?"

"No, you idiot! See why I didn't want to tell you?!"

"Okay, okay. Continue."

"Ranma... I'm scared... what if this situation IS like Shinnousuke? What if this is a sign that that boy is in trouble or something... all because of me?"

"Oh, Akane..." Ranma sighed. "Don't tell me-"

"YOU SEE?!" she shouted, then quickly placed two hands on her lips. She repeated, more quietly. "You see? I can never tell you anything! You never believe me!"

"Akane..." he repeated, trying to calm her down. Sometimes his fiancée had a knack for jumping to conclusions. "Listen..."

"No." She said firmly, with finality. "YOU listen. I'm going to prove you wrong, you got that?" with those last words, she turned and ran up the stairs, tears in her eyes.

Ranma glared at her back and stamped his foot down with a grunt. "Uncute, uncute, UNCUTE!" he hissed. Why did she always have to be like that? Whenever "trouble" was all over the place, Akane didn't run from it. Oh, no. She WENT to it and tried to fight herself! Akane was strong. Everyone knew that. But the girl needed to realize there WERE people stronger than her.

Ranma grimaced yet again, turned the stove off and walked back upstairs quietly.

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Akane walked down the street, just passing the cat cafe. She watched as Shampoo, the busty, beautiful, purple-haired Chinese girl pranced around the restaurant, serving the men who gave her lusty-looks. She rolled her eyes. Her and Shampoo had never gotten along. Shampoo, you see, was one of her rivals. She, too, was one of Ranma's fiancées. However, she was much more... affectionate than her and Ukyo. She was constantly pouncing on Ranma, giving him random embraces and attempting to kiss him.

Sometimes, deep down, she wanted to be more like her. Not in everything of course, but just the fact that she wasn't shy to show her emotions.

Akane shook her head, not believing that she almost wished she could be like Shampoo.

She decided to concentrate on what really mattered. Those dreams she was having. They were obviously happening to tell her something. The first thing she needed to find out was who the boy was.

Akane faintly remembered where the whole scene had happened, ten years ago. It was in Hokkaido, during a family vacation. All she remembered was that she'd wandered off by herself and that resulted in absolute disaster...

Akane clenched her fist in determination. So that was it. She needed to go to Hokkaido as soon as possible. She needed to clear up everything with that boy and help him if he needed help. That was the only way her dreams would stop and her conscience would leave her alone... for good.

Akane walked a little farther, toward Nerima park and then turned back around, heading back home. She'd left right after breakfast, just for a little walk to clear her mind. Her and Ranma hadn't spoken since the morning.

That baka... she thought. He never believed anything she said. Akane tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the wind blowing a light, heated breeze her way. Akane also felt leaving for a little while would help her relationship with Ranma... that is, if you classified what they had a "relationship".

She wouldn't tell anyone she was leaving. That would mess everything up. Her father, being the most paranoid father she knew, would never, ever agree to this. Also, Nabiki would definitely do something to embarrass her for her own profit. Plus, Ranma would just follow her or also force her not to leave.

It was settled. She would buy a ticket to Hokkaido as soon as possible, and return once she'd found the person she was looking for. It was the least she could do.

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A/N: A little short beginning, but beginnings are the hardest things to write. It is going to be RanmaXAkane, of course, don't worry. So WHO is Akane's blast from the past? Wait and see!