A Second Chance

'This feels weird,' was the first thought that came to Ranma's mind. 'I can't quite put my finger on what it is but something is defiantly weird.'

It wasn't the first time Ranma had felt this way in the past few weeks. Ever since the fight with Saffron, and ever since he started walking to school beside Akane instead of above her, Ranma had a strange feeling on their daily trek. It wasn't all the time, but it happened at least once on their way both to and from school.

He gazed around, kicking fallen leaves from his path. 'This isn't the feeling of being followed by Ryoga, or (shudder) Kodachi, I can't quite put my finger on it but it seems, I dunno', meaner. Almost like Saffron, but harder to pin down.'

'Huh, well if whatever it is thinks it can get its hands, or hooves, or tentacles on my Akane…Whoa, where did that come from? My Akane? It's not like I like her at all… that much…Anyway if she heard me say that she would send me back ta' China with that mallet of hers.'

"What do you want Ranma?"

"Huh?"

"You've been acting all fidgety, and looking at me for the last three blocks. That and you look like your dad stole your breakfast."

"Ah, it's nothin'."

"Humph, you were probably…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"I was probably what, Akane?"

"It's nothing, just drop it Ranma."

Ranma chose, wisely, for him incredibly wisely, to do just that. For the rest of the trip to school they were both silent. For Ranma this was fairly difficult, since the sensation of being followed had ended some time during his talk with Akane. It wasn't that he liked to talk so much as he didn't like it when Akane seemed so down, which she did now for some reason.

'I can't believe that I almost called him a pervert again.' Akane groaned internally. She had decided to try to be a bit nicer to Ranma, but just a little bit. At least until she got a chance to ask him the question that had been rolling around in her mind for the last few weeks. Back at Jusendo, when Ranma was holding her he had been telling her something. He cut off before he said what he had meant to, but while he was yelling her name she had felt something. It was almost like getting shocked, but it didn't really hurt, it seemed almost refreshing. And with the shock had come a part of an unspoken sentence. She was almost sure that it was Ranma's Ki she had felt and that meant the thoughts that came with it were his. She could almost make out what they were, but not quite. But she thought one of the words might be love. Now the only problem was how to find out for sure. Obviously she would have to ask Ranma, but how could she do it without him bolting, or ruining the moment by stammering and making up excuses.

During all this pondering Akane seemed to be depressed to Ranma but, Ranma never was one to be able to tell what people were feeling all that well, especially not girls. Ranma was considering saying something to make snap out of it, though most the options he considered would end up with her mad at him, and he had made a promise to himself to try to be nicer to her after she almost… But he never got the chance as they had just arrived at school, right on schedule Ranma's daily punching bag showed up.

"My soul bleeds to see that the fair Akane Tendo is still under the control of the foul sorcerer Ranma Saotome, but fear not my flower, I the valiant Tatewaki Kuno shall smite him and then, when his vile spell is broken you and I shall..."

"Kuno, do we really have to do this every day? I mean its getting kinda' old."

"You would interrupt me, villain? For this crude interference I shall fell you where you stand!"

As Kunos boken swung down aiming for his head Ranma had to admit that the 'Blue Thunder' was pretty fast. Before he had arrived Kuno and Akane were probably the two best martial artists in Nerima. After all Kuno could swing so fast the air pressure he generated could shatter stone. Ranma almost chuckled.

'He ain't nearly fast enough though'

Not in the mood to show Kuno that he couldn't beat him, ever, Ranma ended the battle with a side step and a quick kick to the head. As Ranma watched the samurai wannabe hit the ground he couldn't help but wonder how much longer this was going to go on. Sure Martial Arts were his life, but he had already beaten a demigod, a half dragon, and more than a few other assorted freaks and wackos. Beating on Kuno was almost, boring.

The usual crowd watched the somewhat shorter than normal fight with a faint air of being uninterested. Sure it was one of the greatest fighters of all time pounding on Kuno, one of the more irritating inhabitance of their school, but it was something that happened all the time. Nabiki was already taking bets on when Ranma would get tired of it all together and go ballistic on Kuno. Unfortunately for Kuno the latest bet was only a few weeks away. No one was sure why, but Ranma had seemed different after getting back from China. And the change did not bode well for the upperclassmen.

Another long and boring, for Ranma, day at school later and Ranma and Akane were on their way home. Again Akane seemed quiet and vaguely sad. Ranma was going to figure out something nice to say to snap her out of it, but that just wasn't him.

"So what's wrong with ya' already, Akane?"

"What?" Akane asked; she had been so close to figuring out a way to ask Ranma, and his question had caught her off guard. Then what he had said hit her.

"What do you mean 'wrong with me'!? There's nothing wrong with me Baka!"

"Wait a second, I didn't mean…"

"Just because I don't spend all my time latching on to you and telling you how great you are like those other bimbos doesn't mean there is any thing wrong with me! And after all you…"

Ranma, not in the mood to get bashed again decided on a new strategy, one not involving shoving both feet in his mouth. He waited until she was done yelling at him and, after only a few seconds of hesitation made his reply.

"I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that ya' look kinda' down, and I wanted to know why, ok?"

Akane was shocked; Ranma had never acted like this before. It was completely out of character. Then she thought about the question she had for him. Maybe now was the right time.

"Ranma, when you thought I was dead, did you," she paused; the most horribly pained look had just come across Ranmas face, could it be that he felt that bad about almost losing her? Then he must love her right? "Did, well, I though I heard, or maybe felt, or well it is kind of hard to explain, but I think that you said or thought or felt that you, Ding Ding"

"That I what? Gack!"

Of course the Law of Ranma says that any time that something can go wrong, and will end up with Ranma getting pummeled, smashed, hammered, or bent, it will go wrong. This time it was a collision with a bike propelled by a certain purple haired Amazon.

"Wo ai ni, Airen!" Shampoo gushed as she locked Ranma in a hug that he was sure could cause chronic back problems.

As Ranma was about to ask why Shampoo felt she had to hit him with a bike every day when he started to feel something. It took him a second to realize why the feeling was so scary, after all Shampoo wasn't threatening.

As Shampoo was using broken Japanese to ask Ranma to take her on a date she suddenly felt her 'husband' tense, she found herself lying on air and abruptly obeyed the law of gravity. Unfortunately for Ranma, gravity seemed to ignore him as he sailed higher, wondering what kind of cold water he would land in this time. He didn't mind fountains or pools, but it was a bit hard to explain just exactly what that smell was as he tried to get home after some of his more unpleasant landings.

One good thing about his time up here; it always gave him time to think.

'Why, why can I never dodge Shampoo and her devil bike? I mean she always rings the bell, but I never can get out of the way. I can avoid Kuno and Mousse on their best days, so why is it so freakin' hard to avoid Shampoo? I couldn't be... flinching... could I? No way, I can take Ryogas hits without blinking, hell I didn't even flinch when Herb was blasting at me. And it isn't scary; after all I ain't afraid of anythin', except for those monsters people call (Shudder) cats.' As Ranma played his last few moments not spent in the air through his head something started to dawn upon him. It was the very last sight before rooftops and clouds. It was Akanes face. She seemed, as far as he could tell, even sadder than before. 'Could it be that I'm not afraid of the bike, or even of Shampoo? Is it Akane that makes me flinch? Nah, she hits me all the time, and it don't hurt that bad. Maybe it's cause' she's mad at me, or maybe it's 'cause she's sad? "

Ranma decided to figure it out once and for all. He cleared his mind, and then he imagined something that would make Akane mad. The joy he felt at smashing an imaginary P-Chan was short lived since it didn't produce any results.

'Well, picking on Ryoga makes Akane mad, not sad, lets try something else.. Hey Akane, your cooking tastes worse than road kill, and trust me, I would know!'

That did it! As his imaginary Fiancée stared sadly down at the ground, which was coming up rather quickly, Ranma felt his body involuntarily clamp down. His discovery distracted him from his landing and he went face first into the glass roof of an indoor swimming pool.

Ranma was ringing the last of the water from, currently, her shirt as he walked into the Tendo Dojo.

"Welcome home Ranma, How was school?" Kasumi stood in the kitchen cutting up some of the ingredients for dinner, and pivoted to greet Ranma as she did every day. Ranma instantly relaxed, for some reason just being in Kasumi's presence could make anyone's worst day seem alright. It was one of the things Ranma cherished most of all in Nerima, and it made Kasumi his second favorite person, after a certain dark haired fiancée.

"Hey Kasumi, it was fine. Did Akane get home yet?"

"Yes she did, though she seemed rather upset. You two had another fight today, didn't you?

"Yeah, well I didn't start it. I can't stop Shampoo from grabbing me even though I want to."

"Maybe you should talk to Akane, she did seem unusually upset. If you told her that you didn't like Shampoo maybe she won't get so mad. I think she is in the Dojo."

"But I have told her Kasumi! She just doesn't listen. And when I try to explain things she just gets mad and pounds me again. Nothing works. Any way I wanna' take a bath and get back to being a guy."

"Alright, but please try to talk to Akane, I know she may be stubborn, but she really is very kind and sweet."

Ranma just grunted as he headed off the furo and blessed warm water. Kasumi thought she heard him mutter something about Tomboys and violence, but decided to let it go. After all she had to go talk to Akane and get her to listen to Ranma when he decided to talk to her which, Kasumi was sure, would be soon. She couldn't help but smile as she thought about how nice it would be when Ranma and Akane were married. That brought thoughts of a certain spectacled doctor to her mind. She found herself blushing as she headed out to the Dojo.

Akane was furiously striking the pole in front of her. The body attached to it was nearly flat and the head with a fake pigtail hanging off it had already broken off and was slightly swaying from side to side in the floor across the room. Sweat was already streaming down her face, but she started hitting the dummy with even more force, after all the sweat helped hide the tears,

'That baka jerk, he acts like he cares about me and then he goes and starts making out with that, that… (Growl) Henti baka"

Her anger fueled a few slight additions to the memory. Ranma was now gently taking Shampoo in his arms, instead of being made into a human brake. It also prevented her from realizing she had said that last part out loud. And from hearing Kasumi enter.

"Really, Akane, you don't think Ranma willingly allows Shampoo to treat him that way, do you?"

"Humph, he's always talking about what a great Martial Artist he is, I could avoid Shampoo, and he certainly could too, if he wanted to."

Kasumi let what she guessed was a slight over assumption in he sisters skill slide. "Akane, you know if Ranma wanted Shampoo he could just go with her to china, Ukyo would probably follow him too, so why would he stay here if he wants Shampoo so much?"

"The jerk probably gets a kick out of making fun of me, I bet he just stays here to mock me."

"Akane, we both know that's not why."

Akane let go of a small, sad sigh. "Your right, I know. But some times I just feel like even after two years we aren't any closer, and every time I try to talk about it with Ranma he starts to stammer and ends up leaving." Another sigh came from Akane, this one was considerably louder.

"Well, it is hard for Ranma to deal with things like that, but don't worry I think things will get better. How about you wait for Ranma to talk to you, and then try to listen, thing are sure to work out."

"Yeah, if I wait for Ranma to talk I'll need hearing aids to listen; he never talks about that kind of stuff. But I guess I could try, for a little while anyway."

"Oh good, I am sure everything will turn out all right."

Kasumi started walking back to the kitchen and Akane went back to her somewhat simplistic training. 'Wait for Ranma to talk to me, huh, like that's ever going to happen. Oh well, I guess it couldn't hurt to try it.' The inanimate punching bag even managed to feel some relief. Now it no longer had to endure blows that could turn cinder blocks to dust.

Ranma emerged from the changing room mostly relaxed and fully male. He wished he could calm down, but what Kasumi said had convinced him. He had almost figured out what to say to Akane, now he just had to find her, and get her to listen. He had the sneaking suspicion that he wasn't the only one Kasumi had talked to, he only hoped that Akane had taken her older sisters advice, unless it was advice against listening, but of course Kasumi wouldn't do that, Nabiki maybe, but not Kasumi.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise. The feeling of being watched was back, but this was the first time he had felt it at the Tendos. He decided it could wait and shrugged it off for the moment. After all people were constantly trying to kill him, but he only rarely had both the courage and the chance to talk to his Akane. There it was again. His Akane? He was starting to sound like Kuno.

He turned as he passed the kitchen, and turned to look in. "Hey Kasumi, is Akane still in the Dojo?"

"I think so Ran," she suddenly stopped talking, as she turned towards Ranma the window facing the outer wall came into view.

"Oh My!" Almost before she was done saying the words a blinding flash of light erupted front the direction of the yard. The sound was so deafening Ranma found himself pressing his hands to his ears and closing his eyes. When he looked up he immediately wished he hadn't.

Resting against the wall opposite the window was Kasumi. Her face was badly cut from the glass exploding inward. Small shards that glistened like water were stuck in her hair. She also had a large red gash that seemed to be growing larger, right across her neck.

Ranma recoiled from the sight and moments later his mouth that had been hanging open started yelling madly. "Kasumi! No! Get up, come on, get up Kasumi! We need to get you to Dr. Tofu. Please, please Kasumi get up." By the time the last words fell out he was trembling and his vision was blurred with tears. The calm voice that came through what had been a wall barely registered at first.

"Damn, I guess that wasn't the one we wanted, oh well she must be around here somewhere."

Standing in the rubble of a wall, window and counter was a man in a flowing light brown robe. Strange green markings snaked their way around the arms and legs and waist, and next to a scabbard with a long sword in it at the mans side.

If his voice didn't jog Ranma the next one he heard certainly did. "What happened…Kasumi? Oh no!"

Akane had apparently gone around the house as she was now on what was left of a lawn behind the robed figure.

Without even a seconds hesitation Ranma was moving to put himself between Akane and the intruder. But even his unmatchable speed wasn't enough. With a single fluid motion and without turning his head the man in robes unsheathed a sword that seemed to glow a faint red and swung it in a wide circle.

Ranma saw it all in slow motion; Akane looked away from her sister towards the blade streaking closer to her. She started to get out of the way. But it was too late. The actual strike couldn't have taken more that an instant, but to Ranma it, and watching her fall seemed to take two eternities.

It was impossible to talk, to move, even to breath. The girl he loved, the woman who he would always see as a mother, both taken within seconds, and without reason. The man turned to face him.

"For someone who is obviously a skilled Martial Artist you don't appear to have seen much death, that is a fatal flaw." As he laughed lightly at his pun Ranma started to regain motion.

He was already lunging at the figure in front of him as more words fell from his lips, though he wasn't aware of it. "…Loved her…No reason…Can't be…I'll KILL YOU"

"Now now, you're angry, not thinking clearly. That's hardly the state to attack someone in. And really, do you expect those wild punches to connect, at least try to have some control."

Ranma didn't hear any of it, or at least he didn't seem to. He had been throwing punches at Chestnut fist speed, but few managed to connect and those that did were blocked with seemingly no effort with only one hand as the other still held his sword.

"You aren't really on my list, and it would be a shame to kill such a promising Artist as you without a reason, so why don't you just give up? I promise I'll let you go." The offer only seemed to increase the speed and power or Ranmas blows. "No? Oh well, all that potential wasted."

Suddenly Ranma found himself gliding amidst a rain of sword strikes. The first one to connect neither hurt nor slowed him down. In pressing his attack his opponent had let his guard down, only a bit but it was enough. Within a tenth of a second twenty blows connected with the mans ribs. Instantly a lightning fast kick separated Ranma and his nameless foe.

"Wow, I felt that one, even through this," he said tenderly rubbing the fabric above his chest. "I guess I underestimated you, well its time to finish this."

The swordsman assumed a stance with his hip holding the now sheathed sword behind him, slightly bent at the waist with his upturned hand slightly above the blade.

For the first time in the battle Ranma planed out his next attack. If he could hit the end of the sword before it was fully drawn with one hand that would leave his other to go for the mans throat. One punch was all it would take; sure it was risky, almost certainly suicide, but at the moment Ranma didn't really care. He would take his enemy out, what ever happened after that didn't matter.

Ranma made his move. It was over in a fraction of a second, the man and Ranma were now back to back on opposite sides. After a brief moment Ranma dropped to his knees.

'No, I know I hit his sword. I Know It!'

"That was truly impressive Ranma. If I were anyone else I would probably be dead now. But in the end you didn't stand a chance." He spoke slowly and deliberately as he sheathed a second short sword in a scabbard on his back.

That was the last image of the man Ranma had, as he fell to the floor he could feel the life oozing out of him. He managed to turn his head to see where Akane had fallen. Before it all went black he managed to squeeze out the one thing he could never say

"Akane, I love y…"

"We can't have you dieing now Ranma, there is still so much for you to do."

As he slowly opened his eyes Ranma found himself in an almost bear off white room. The only other occupant was a tall man in cloths that looked vaguely like what Ranma usually wore after a few too many washing.

"Am I dead?"

"You were."

"Where am I?"

First let's get you something to eat; we have a lot to talk about."

TO BE CONTINUED…