Author's Note: I have decided that I will continue the story of Ranma ½ because, I just didn't like the way it ended. The majority of this chapter are the memories of Ranma, and some of them belong to Akane. It might not make sense currently, but ties into later chapters. Any words with numbers next to them check the glossary at the end of the chapter for meanings.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Rumiko Takahashi's characters, just borrowing them.

Remembering…

Akane lay on her bed, eating potato chips and reading a manga. The manga was one of her favourites, Mars, by Fuyumi Soryo (1) . It was a shoujo (2), about a boy and a girl who struggle with their own demons while finding their love for one another. In some way it reminded her about her relationship with Ranma.

'Ranma, why did you leave me?'

Akane was sitting alone in her room, still in her wedding dress; her hair and make up were both ruined. Parts of her gown were singed by a small gun-powder okonomiyaki, courtesy of Ukyo. The house was empty except for Ranma and her. Everyone else had left someplace else; Nabiki to do business, Kasumi to Dr. Tofu's to borrow a book, and her father and Mr. Saotome had gone to the local pub to drown their sorrows over the failed wedding.

"Akane…" I looked up, it was Ranma.

"What do you want?" I looked at him; my eyes were filling with tears. It was the night of our failed wedding, and it was all because of stupid Uyko and Shampoo.

"Akane…"

Ranma didn't know it but I wanted to marry him, for real. Not because of the Nannichuan, but because I…

"Akane, goin' ta leave tonight…I can't marry you, I hafta be a man. I'm leaving with Pop…I'm sorry."

His hand connected with the back of my neck, and then there was darkness.

"Where is that stupid Ryoga?"

Ranma was hopping from building to building, looking for his friends…if you could them that.

"Ryoga no baka (3)! Where in the hell are ya!"

Ranma stopped for a moment, and jumped down from the building top; he had no idea where he was, thanks to that baka Ryoga.

"I swear I won't lose the map you guys!" Ryoga was on his knees begging Genma, Mousse, and Ranma.

"Do you really think that we are gonna let someone like you, who loses his way home have that map?" Mousse yelled angrily at Ranma.

"Mousse…ya might want ta look at Ryoga." And with that, Ranma pushed Mousse into a puddle that was fairly deep, and out emerged a very irritated looking duck.

"Why won't you guys let me carry the map?" Ryoga whined.

"Why won't we let ya carry the map!" Ranma exclaimed. "Do ya think we are a bunch of idiots? Give the map ta the guy who gets lost ta a lot behind his house!"

Ryoga was about to protest, but Ranma pushed him in to the puddle before he could get a word out. A fairly ruffled looking duck smirked at a small black pig that was emerging from the puddle.

Ranma placed his foot on the pig's head. "Listen P-Chan," he said sarcastically, "I have had enough of your crap. Now you and your little white buddy over there are goin' ta go inta my bag, O.K.?" The small black pig named P-Chan looked like he was about to protest, but kept his mouth, or should I say snout, shut. The white duck, however, began quacking crossly.

Ranma scooped up both animals and placed them both in the bag that contained the map.

"Come on Pop, let's go. Do ya remember which way the map said ta take a right or ta take a left, 'cause I am too lazy ta get it out and see."

His father looked at him indignantly, and began scribbling something down on a sign. Once held up it read, "Don't look at me, I'm just a cute panda!".

Ranma looked at his father and said, "Ugh, Pop, that works better when you are a panda."

The city was looking familiar to Ranma…very familiar indeed…

Mousse looked at the pig that he was currently sitting on top of, and was very curious as to what he was doing. Ryoga was acting oddly. When the were being placed in the bag, he didn't protest as he usually did (Ranma had done this more than once), and once they were in the bag, he didn't fight to sit on top so he could get more air; the bag was fairly small, all it contained was some money, water, some rations, and the map to Jusenkyo. Then it struck Mousse, Ryoga was planning something that had to do with the map, since it was the only thing in the bag that had any value to any of them.

'Don't worry Ryoga, I'll get to that map before you get to execute whatever you are scheming!' Mousse vowed.

'I'm Nerima ain't I? No wonder I feel like I've been here before…it's been almost three years since I left.' Ranma thought to himself. He began remembering the night he left.

Ranma was about to leave when he heard the creaking of floorboards and somebody leaning against the doorframe; he looked up and saw Nabiki.

"What are you doing Saotome? If I didn't know you any better, I would swear you were trying to rape her or something." Nabiki said in her usual drawl.

"I am not trying ta rape her!" Ranma exclaimed angrily, he paused for a second, looked down at the ground and Nabiki looked at him curiously, and he continued hesitantly, "I-I am leaving." He sighed "And I didn't want her ta put up a fight. She would think I was leaving because I didn't want ta marry her, and would take it as an insult."

"And that's not the reason? I thought you were a man of honour Saotome." interjected Nabiki.

Ranma's head snapped up. "No! I mean, I want ta be a real man before I marry Ak- a woman…not a 'trans-gendered bitch'." Ranma said bitterly.

'Isn't that what Pantyhose called him? I never knew Ranma took comments like that so seriously.' Nabiki thought. "Well I'll keep my mouth shut…for a price, 20,000 yen. And that'll hold my mouth shut for about a day."

Ranma grumbled and handed over the money. "Nabiki?"

"Yes?"

"Could ya do me a favour?" Ranma asked.

"And what sort of favour would that be Saotome?" Nabiki drawled.

"Could ya give me a picture of Akane? So I-I could remember her." He was staring at the floor once again.

Now Nabiki was shocked, this was something she had never expected from Ranma; he was never the hentai (4) type in her eyes. "Why do you want half naked pictures of her anyway! So she can star in your hentai fantasies! Well you can forget it; you know that I stopped taking pictures like that a long time ago!"

"No Nabiki! I don't want half naked pictures of her! I-I just want a picture of her, ya know, like from a photo album. I know you guys have tons and…and I guess I figured ya could give me one so I could remember my fiancée!"

Nabiki looked at him; he had shocked the Ice Queen again within the span of five minutes.

"I just want a damn picture!"

Nabiki, looked down at Akane who was still lying on the ground, was it possible that Ranma felt something for the girl he called 'kawaiikune (5)' everyday? "How long is she gonna be out for?

"Probably for an hour. Now the photo…" Ranma said.

"One second…" Nabiki left the room for a moment and returned with a medium sized picture of Akane. "Ranma," she said, "don't break her heart…you need to return…as soon as possible."

Ranma gave her a swift nod. "Take care of her…" and with that, he was gone through the window.

'Maybe I should have stopped him… well; it's too late for that. What's done is done; all that is left is to wait for Akane to wake up and break the news to her."

Ranma was currently searching for his father, who had probably crawled into a bottle of sake because of the failed wedding attempt; the panda was yet to be found. 'Come on old man, I don't have all day ta get outta town and I've searched ever pub; where are you?' Ranma thought, 'maybe they went ta Nekohaten (6).' Ranma's guess was right, he found his father and Mr. Tendo lying on the floor of the Nekohaten. He was thankful no one noticed him enter; he was not in the mood for an Amazon glomp.

"Hello son-in-law," said Cologne. Something suspicious was going on; the boy was carrying some light luggage, and had come for his father. Normal, he would leave his father in his drunken sleep, and let him suffer his hangovers. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"I am here ta take my father," he replied. But it seemed like he was withholding some information from Cologne.

"You are leaving aren't you? Well don't think you are going to escape Shampoo so easily sonny boy, we are coming too." Cologne declared.

"No!" Ranma shouted, "I mean; I'm leaving other fiancées, so it wouldn't be fair if I took Shampoo." Cologne nodded understanding the situation.

"Well, we won't leave with you tonight, but if we follow you tomorrow, then your honour is upheld, because you did not request out presence."

"Please don't follow me; I have enough trouble as it is and I don't wanna hafta deal with you two." Ranma pleaded.

"Are you saying Shampoo and I are trouble, son-in-law?" Cologne inquired with and evil glint in her eye. "Well it doesn't matter, fine, I'll try to convince Shampoo not to follow you, but I won't follow you." 'However,' she thought to herself, 'if Shampoo were to request my assistance, I would be following her, not you.'

"You are searching Nannichuan, am I right?" Ranma nodded, "Well, I have an interesting piece of information, but I will give it to you under to circumstances. You must agree to these circumstances before you hear them, understood?" Once again, Ranma nodded. He would do anything for the Nannichuan.

"I agree."

Ranma was almost at the Tendo dojo. Needless to say, he was nervous to see everyone especially Ak-Mr. Tendo, since he had run out on an engagement almost three years ago.

Well he was here, and there was no time like the present right? Ranma jumped to the dojo roof. He heard blocks shattering into small piece that flew everywhere; one piece lodged itself in his arm.

'Who knows the Breaking Point Technique?' Ranma thought to himself. 'Ryoga, that dirty bastard! He came here ta try to steal MY fiancée!'

He was about to jumped down when he looked down and saw…

…Akane…?

(1) Author of the manga entitled Mars; a rather good manga too, read it!

(2) A manga intended for girls.

(3) Idiot; dummy.

(4) Pervert

(5) Uncute

(6) Cat Café

Post Author's Note: Ranma's been gone for almost three years, how will Akane react when she sees him again? What were Ryoga and Cologne planning? And how did Akane learn the Breaking Point Technique? So many questions, I guess you'll just have to wait until the next chapter. I also had a lot of difficult toning down on language when I was write Ranma's part, because, (no offence to Ranma lovers because I am one too) Ranma isn't the most intelligent person. Most of the time he speaks like a country bumpkin, and I noticed when I read other stories that the author's forgot that part of Ranma's personality. So any suggestions like, how to make all characters seem more realistic, and ideas on how to make the story better; which includes flames, are all welcomed.

I hope you like it!