Ranma, Love

by DemonSaya

After the failed wedding...Akane get's a note from Ranma...(Can't say anymore, it'd spoil the story.)

Ranma, Love

Prolouge: Ryugenzawa

Akane slept soundly, her face in a tiny smile, her body covered only partially with the blanket they'd shared. Ranma looked down at her, pained. "I can't let her remember this...I can't...she'll kill me...but...what if...what if...she winds up..." He bit his lip before he finished the sentence.
Carefully he pulled from her warm arms and dressed, then dressed her, sepperating their sleeping bags. Her peaceful face was still smiling when he left the tent to make them breakfast.
Akane woke a few moments later, feeling slightly empty. The dream she'd had the previous night made her blush lightly. *His arms had been so warm...* She sighed, closing her arms, and revelling in the memory. *And he'd been so...gentle...*
Ranma walked in a few moments, holding a tray of food, which he placed beside her. He moved over to his side of the tent, eating his breakfast silently.
Akane looked over at him, blushing slightly. *I wish I could make that dream a reality..." She gulped, nibbling at her food. She couldn't take her eyes off him. She tried to stand and cried out in pain.
Ranma was up and at her side in a moment, supporting her.
She felt tears of pain fill her eyes and put her arms around him, crying into his shirt. He bit his lip, painfully, praying she wouldn't know why she couldn't stand without pain.

Part 1: Widow
Wedding Pains

Akane walked stood up, walking to her room, her face an unreadable mask. She saw Ranma a few steps ahead of her, and looked away. When she reached her door, she looked down towards him.
He wasn't going to look at her. He couldn't. She'd been so beautiful at the wedding and he'd just screwed up his chances again by worrying about himself more than her. He could barely see her standing down the hall from him, her face down. "Goodnight, Akane." He said softly, but loud enough for her to hear.
She closed her eyes and entered her room. On her bed was a letter. She curiously flipped it open, skimming it before her eyes widened in shocked pain. "Ranma...no, don't, please..."
She heard a soft grunt of pain from the next room and stood, flying into his room. "No..." She opened the door and saw Ranma had a knife plunged into his abdomon.
He heard her enter, but was in too much pain to care, much. Her arms went around him, pulling the dagger from him and throwing it away. She stared down at him in horror. "Ranma no baka!" She whispered, hugging him, removing his shirt and pressing it to the wound.
He shook his head. "I...I want to...die...I marred my...families honor...my honor...your honor..." He looked away, trying to pull away, but she didn't release him. She simply held him against her chest, rocking him back and forth. "If you kill yourself...I'll follow." He jumped at her words.
"Don't you understand, Ranma?" She asked, running her hand along his face. "I never really lived before you came here...if you die, I die."
"Akane..." His hand cupped her face and he smiled weakly. "Akane...I...I...I l-love...you..." She stared down at him in shock. "Ranma..." He smiled sadly, running his hand along her face. "Couldn't...live with...knowing I'd dishonored you..."
She shook her head, seeing him losing his strenght. "Baka! You...you didn't...you can't die! Please, Ranma, don't die! I-" She pressed her face into his shirt, covering his body partially with her own. "I love you, Ranma!"
He smiled weakly. "I'm...so stupid...ne, Akane... chan?"
She ran her hands along his face, crying. "Don't die, Ranma, live! Don't give up! You have to live! You...you saved me, told me you love me...you can't just die now...please, don't die..." She kissed him, trying to give him her lifeforce.
He put his arms around her. "A-at least...I die...with the one...I love..." He said between kisses. She shook her head. "You're not going to die, remember?" She smiled, trying to convince him. He brought her lips back down to his, kissing her softly.
She kissed him back before she realized his kiss had ended. Her head rose and she saw his eyes were closed, his face ashen, his body limp. He wasn't breathing. She whimpered softly, shaking him. "Ranma?!" She said in a tiny voice. He didn't respond. "Ranma?!"
She began attempting CPR, pressing against his abdomon, breathing into his mouth, trying to bring him back to her. She stared down into his face, before noticing something. He was smiling.
Her hands frantically searched for a pulse, but to no avail. He was dead. She collapsed upon him, crying hard. "RANMAAAAAAAAAAA!" The scream was ripped from her lungs, and she clung to him, sobbing. It was a cry of sheer pain, hurt and suffering filling it. *He left me! How could he leave me after we finally told each other?! Oh, Ranma, you never dishonored me! Come back! Please, don't leave! Come back... please, Ranma...I love you...come back...*
Their families stood silently in the doorway, the scene before them turning them into statues. Nabiki almost thought it was just a set up before she saw the blood covered knife in the corner of the room. "Akane..."
There was no reaction from the youngest Tendo. She lay against him, her sobs slowly subsiding, her eyes becomming blank with grief. Soun attempted to drag his daughter off her dead fiancee, but she wouldn't release him. Her eyes were like aged glass, dull and worn.
Genma attempted to help, but Akane just took Ranma with her. "Akane, let him go-"
"NEVER!" Akane screamed, hitting them, hard, holding her fiancee in her arms, her eyes dead, but her voice telling them she'd snapped more than a little. "W-why...? Why, Ranma? I told you...I finally told you...and you left me, still...oh, god, RANMAAAA!"
Suddenly, she felt a finger poke her back, and her arms went numb. Tofu Ono came into her line of sight and she began crying again as he pulled her away from Ranma.
"How...could you?" She whispered, feeling pain of betrayal from her friend. "Don't...take Ranma...please, Ono-san, please...don't take my Ranma...please..." She repeated it as he lifted Ranma, setting him on the futon. "Ono-san, you... you can bring him back for me, right?"
He turned to her, his eyes filled with sadness and pity.
"You always make things better, Ono-san...you can bring him back to me....." His eyes said otherwise. She shook her head. "No! NO!" She felt her father's hands on her shoulders and pulled away, breaking out in a dead run. *That dead man in there is not my fiancee! My fiancee can't die! He fought Saffron and saved me...he...he loves me...he always protected me!*
She tripped and her hands scrapped on the pavement. Two hands touched her shoulders and she looked up, seeing Ukyou.
The okinamiyaki chef looked confused. "Akane?" She asked softly, expecting to get punched to the next island.
Akane threw her arms around Ukyou, hugging her, sobbing against her shoulder. "Oh, UCCHAN!"
The girl shocked, not expecting to be glomped by one of Ranma's other fiancee's, much less called by her nickname. "Akane, what's wrong?!"
The girl pulled away, her face an ashen, contorted mask of pain. "It's Ranma..." Ucchan grinned. "So, what else is..." Her joke faded when Akane began sobbing again. "Oh, Ucchan, Ranma's DEAD!"
The okinomiyaki chef froze, unable to move. "He's... what?" She said in an uncharacteristically soft voice.
"DEAD, UKYOU! DEAD! DEAD BECAUSE OF HIS GODDAMNED HONOR! DEAD BECAUSE OF HIS FAMILY, HIMSELF, ME, YOU, SHAMPOO, KODACHI, EVERYONE! IT'S OUR FAULT!"
Ukyou staggered, falling to the ground. "Ranchan..."
Akane fell to her knees, her eyes filled with tears of despair. "I...It's my fault...I couldn't stop him...couldn't save him..." She began crying. "I loved him, Ukyou...but he's dead because of ME!"
"Not just you..."
Akane looked up, seeing Ryoga and Shampoo standing there. "Ryoga...Shampoo..."
Shampoo and Ryoga looked about as ashen as Ukyou did. She put her hands in her face, sobbing softly. "I could have stopped him...I could have made him see reason...I reached him before he died...he...he...died in my arms...I couldn't save him...but he always saved me..."
Lightning flashed, showing the others that Akane's face, clothing, and hair was covered in blood. They gasped, and Ukyou stood, grabbing Akane's arm. "Let's get you back to the dojo-"
She shook her head. "I can go there myself. Y-you all wont see me for a long time...I'm going...away...maybe I can forget the hurt...or maybe it'll get worse...I don't know... Goodbye..." She hugged each in turn, before heading back toward the dojo.
She saw Kuno approaching from the corner of her eyes and faced him. "Pray we never meet again, Kuno Tatewaki, or the day we do, you die." She said fiercely, continueing toward the dojo.
"Oh, fair Tendo Akane, I have saved you from the sorcerors wrath, so now I give you permission to be my fiancee!" He clasped her hands.
Akane rose her eyes, staring into his. But, Akane was dead. Those were not her eyes. Those were the eyes of the man who'd died that night. Ranma's eyes. "GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME YOU STUPID, UGLY, PERVERTED IDIOT!" She screamed, hitting him, and sending him clear out of the atmosphere, stratesphere and near the moon, before he plummeted back down to the earth.

Honor, Life, and Love

Akane walked into her house, her eyes burning with something different than pain. They were filled with fury. A fury that was found only in Ranma's eyes. Nodoka approached her, her eyes worried. "Akane-chan-"
"I'm packing a bag, and going on a training trip. Who knows, maybe I'll visit Jusenkyo. I'm going alone, and you all probably wont see me again, unless I send pictures." She walked from the room in silence, determined. *This life was not meant for me alone. Ranma should be by my side, but because of our stupidity, we're apart...so I'm living his life for him.* She went to Ranma's room, and opened his closet, seeing unlimited amounts of his chinese outfits. Her hands ran across some of them, before she came across one that appeared smeared with dirt. It took her a moment before she realized that it was the one he'd wrapped around her while they were in Jusenkyo.
She saw him laying on his bed and walked over to him, taking his hand in her's. *I'll wait till after the funeral. I love you Ranma...I'll see you in heaven...I'll join you. It seems like my life will take forever, but...I have to go for a long time...I'm going training, love...* She smiled, kissing his lips gently. "I'm going to borrow your clothing, alright, love? You don't need it anymore...I...I want to be reminded of you every day. I never want to forget. Ever. I love you, Saotome Ranma."
Nodoka watched pained from the doorway. "He loves you, too." Akane looked toward her. "I know." She smiled. "Nodoka-san, I'm sorry about being rude in there..." Nodoka shook her head. "It's alright, child." She left.
Akane smiled sadly. "His honor was so damned important to him...why'd he think he'd dishonored me?" She fussed with him a bit, straightening his shirt and listening to the sound of the approaching sirens. "They were too late..." Her hands ran across his face.
His room was in disarray, his face completely lacking the life that had made him 'Ranma'. She smiled, pulling a pair of sisscors from his desk and holding it to his hair. "I know you loved your hair, but..." She smiled finding her hair also in the desk. "I'll tell them to bury you with mine in it's stead, alright?"
He didn't answer. She hadn't expected him to. She silently snipped the braid from his hair, tying a string around the top piece too. She smiled, running her hands through it. "I'll never forget you..." She started to replace the shears in the desk, when she noticed a thick spiral bound note book and a thinner leather bound book. She lifted them, flipping through both. Smiling, she held them to her chest.
Under that, she found a single piece of paper, reading the will and testimant of Saotome Ranma. She lifted it, reading it silently. *His arts and his journal?* She looked at the two books in his hand then, to him.
Just then, men in white scrubs pushed into the room, rolling a stretcher in. She watched them lift him onto it. Silently, she stood, walking downstairs, following them. In her hands were the two books and Ranma's will.
"Saotome-san, otou-san...I found Ranma's will." They looked at her, shocked. "Huh?" She displayed a piece of paper.
They snatched it away from her, reading it. They stared at her, hard. "Everything he owns is left to YOU?!"
She looked sad. "I don't understand it. I'm still going on my training trip and am only taking two things with me. His journal, and his arts." They stared at her hard. "Those books belong in the dojo!"
She simply shook her head. "As they are mine, I shall keep them with me. I loved him, father Saotome. He loved me, and he said so before he died. I read a piece of the journal and I have to learn why he thought he'd dishonored me." She smiled fondly, before leaving the room. "I'm taking some other things of his. His clothing, probably. It'll be easier to move in. She hugged her father and her in-laws.
They stared at her in shock.
"My baby has...grown up..." Soun said, hugging his daughter.
Nodoka just smiled as she hugged her. "You will be missed, Tendo Akane."
She shook her head. "Iie...I'm not Tendo Akane anymore. The moment he died, I stopped being her. My spirit is that of a Saotome now, Kaa-san." She walked from the room, her face smiling slightly.

Akane watched them lower her fiancee-NO, husband- into the ground, her eyes teary. "Aishiteru, baka..." She smiled affectionately, dropping the first shovel full of dirt onto the casket. She was dressed in one of his red chinese shirts, and had on his black pants. She hauled her pack onto her shoulders, looking up into the rain. "Ucchan, give these to Ranma." She handed her new best friend a bouquet of red long-stemmed roses.
Ukyou nodded, swallowing painfully. She hugged Akane before the girl walked away. Something told her it wouldn't be the last time she saw her ex-rival.

Akane flipped through the journal listlessly while she sat on the train. It was filled with pain, most of it being before he became a part of her life. She smiled at some of the entries, laughing occasionally.
People looked at her each time she laughed, her laughter lighting up the seat beside her, which was empty.
A man stood, walking to her. "Excuse me, miss, may I have this seat?" He gestured to the seat beside her.
Akane looked up at him, then smiled. "No, but you may sit across for me. This seat is reserved." The man frowned.
"For who?"
She ran her hand across the journal. "My husband." The man then blanched. "How old are you miss?" She looked up at him. "Seventeen, sir." The man sat across from her. "You're already married?" She shook her head, her short hair brushing along her neck.
"Then you mean your boyfriend, ne?" He smiled. "Such a weak bond..."
The girl slapped the man. "Who are you to judge love, sir? He is not my boyfriend, he was my fiancee, who I will be joining someday. He is my fiancee, and my husband." Her eyes dared him to challenge her.
The man cockily stood, sitting in Ranma's chair. "I'll move when he comes onto the train."
"Move yourself, or I'll move you." She said, her face darkening. He didn't budge, just sat there with a satisfied grin on his face as he leaned toward her to kiss her. "You make me horny when you look at me like that." He said, giving her a look of desire. Akane snapped. She picked him up, throwing him out of the chair.
He stared at her in shock. "Who are you?"
She smiled bitterly. "Saotome Akane, heir to the School of Indiscriminate Grappling." She smiled, bowing to the people who were applauding her. She looked up and saw it was time for her to get off. She pulled her pack down, looking at the man staring up at her. She gave him a steady glare, running up to the linking doors, before going through them, standing in between each car.
She smiled lightly, and launched herself into the bush on the side of the tracks, landing lightly on her feet.

The landscape was even more dessolate then she remembered it. The springs were empty, drained of all water. She looked around what had once been the Jusenkyo cursed springs. She saw the guide running toward her and smiled. "Hello, guide. How is Plum?"
He stared up at her in surprise. "Honored guest!"
She giggled, then saw Plumb approach her. "Hello, Plum. How are you?" Plum smiled. "Plum is fine. How is Tendo Akane?" Akane shook her head. "I am a Saotome, now."
Plum smiled. "Would Saotome Akane like some tea?"
She nodded, smiling brightly.

"What is honored guest doing here without husband?" Plum asked curiously. Akane's eyes flickered with grief, but she quickly masked it with a smile. "Ranma couldn't come. He didn't know..." Plum looked confused. "You run away?"
She shook her head. "My husband is dead..." She watched the early morning sun rise and faught nausea. "I must do some reading before I go to practice."
She lifted Ranma's journal, carressing the leather with care. She opened it to just a few days after the incident and Ryugenzawa. She felt alot of pain as she read it.

~ Akane doesn't remember what happened on the trip home... she doesn't remember what we did...oh, god...I don't know what I'm going to do. If she finds out she'll kill me, but I know I'll die a long painful death if she finds out from someone other than me...I have to tell her...I don't know how...
Oh, gods I didn't prepare for it either. What if...oh, gods...what if she winds up pregnant?!~

Akane reread the last sentence to be sure she read right. She stared at it for a long time before she continued reading.

~ She said she loved me...oh, god, I told her I did too, then she forgot all about it. I can't tell her...I'm afraid that she will hate me for taking advantage of her. I don't want her to hate me...I love her too much...
I dishonored her. I can't believe I could be so thoughtless. I...I tried to stop myself, but it was as if I wasn't in control...SHE was...she pulled me on top of her and we made love...and what makes me hate myself was...I ENJOYED it...I loved it when she screamed my name...I'm such an idiot...I broke the most precious thing to me...I'm so stupid...oh, gods...~

Akane swallowed painfully. Oh, dear god in heaven. She was pregnant. She morning sickness...all that emotional strain, saying all those things to Ranma...
*Dear gods, I killed him...* She held her stomache. *He didn't think I loved him because of all those things I said to him...oh, god...* She petted her stomache, long loving strokes.
*I wonder if Cologne has returned...*

The old hag watched her grand-daughter pound away at people during the contest. Her ancient eyes saw her daughter was proud that she hadn't failed and was accepted into the tribe once again.
Suddenly, someone spoke behind her in perfect Japanese.
"Cologne-sama."
She spun to the imagined threat, only to find a Akane standing behind her. "YOU!" Akane lifted her hands defensively. "Hai, please, listen to me. I have a...situation, I was wondering if you could help me with." Cologne saw some fire in the girls eyes. "What is your problem?"
"I'm pregnant. The child will be born out of wedlock, and..." She saw Shampoo looking at her. "It's Ranma's."
Shampoo stared in shock, her eyes disbelieving. "Ranma take you?!" She gasped in japanese. Mousse appeared, staring at the young girl. "What are you doing here?"
"I left after they buried Ranma. I didn't find out until today that I was carrying Ranma's child. I thought I was just a little depressed about Ranma's death..."
Cologne declared her daughter the victor, then ushered Akane inside a hut. "Are you certain? Do you remember when Ranma and yourself had sex?"
Akane shook her head. "Yes to the first question, no to the second."
"How-"
Akane pulled his journal, opening it to the entry. "We evidentaly made love just after I got lost in Ryugenzawa...I didn't remember..." She felt tears in her eyes.
"You realize you have inside you, a child with the potential to become the strongest martial artist in the world, correct?" Akane nodded, her eyes teary. Cologne sighed. "You want to have it, yes?" Again, only a nod. "Then, we have work to do. I will train you, then you will train your child. I have a feeling it will be a boy. What do you plan to name him?"
Akane smiled. "If it's a boy...only one name will do." Her eyes rose to Cologne's. "Ranma." Cologne smiled at the girl. "You have his fire. He lives on, inside of you."

Akane trained hard for the next two months. When her stomache was too large to do the excersizes, she settled for her normal jogs, only now, she ran everywhere. She'd learned balancing like Ranma and frequently went back to the guides house using the most complicated route she could take.
After five more months, she was halfway to Cologne's house, when a painful contraction took her. She gasped when she felt liquid pour down her legs. Her water had just broke.

Akane gritted her teeth together, pushing. Cologne was standing at her head, while Shampoo was the one doing the delivering. Shampoo had wanted to hold Akane's baby. Akane had agreed to letting her deliver it, because the normal mid-wife was delivering another baby.
Akane gasped, panting. She felt a hand pat her's and saw it was Shampoo's. Her eyes widened. "Will be okay, Akane."
It was the first time she'd ever heard Shampoo use her own name and not a nickname. She smiled and nodded, before another contraction took her and she pushed, hard. She felt the great pain leave her, and sighed, dropping back onto her back. Cologne propped her up on pillows, allowing her to lounge comfortably. Shampoo brought the child around, placing it in her arms. "It is boy."
Akane smiled, staring into the baby's slate blue eyes. Just like his fathers. She prayed that they would remain that color, and not become brown like her own. Cologne stared at the boy in shock. "This boy...has twice the amount of chi it should..." She said softly.
Akane placed a gentle kiss to her babies head, holding him against her chest, hugging him lightly. "Ranma...can you see him?" She asked softly. Shampoo's eyes filled with tears. "I see to it he get good care among us while Akane stay."
The tired girl looked up at her, grateful. "Thank you, Shampoo." The purple haired Amazon smiled, a genuine smile. "I do it for Ranma's son and Shampoo's friend." Akane felt tears in her eyes. "Again, I thank you..."

"Mommy, wait!" The little steal-eyed boy ran to catch his mother. "You run too fast!" The woman turned to him, catching him around his waist. "I'm sorry, love."
The boy grinned, hugging his mother tightly. Akane closed her eyes, feeling a light tug. "I love you, Ranma." He smiled. "I love you, too, mommy. Where are we going today?"
She ruffled her son's hair. "I haven't gotten to speak to my father or the Saotome's. They don't know about you yet. I think we'll pay them a visit."
The boy flashed her a dazzling smile that made her heart flutter. "Are we gonna train at a dojo, now?"
The tall, brown eyed woman stared down at her pig-tailed son. "Yes, Ranma, we're going to my home."

Homecoming

There was a loud knock at the door, and Kasumi wearily went to answer it. Since her youngest sister had left, she had been working hard to keep her family out of depression. It had been six years since Akane had left. Six years since Ranma had died.
No one had really gotten over losing Ranma. He'd been such an active part of everyone's lives, that when he was gone, it was like the life of the house had died with him. She heard a loud child-like laugh on the other side of the thick doors and opened them. "Kon-"
"NEE-CHAN!" The woman glomped onto Kasumi and didn't release her. The woman was strong. Her muscular build was lean, but she was probably as strong as Ranma had been. The oldest Tendo eeped.
There was also a little boy who stood outside. His hair was long and black, hanging loose around his shoulders. "Mommy, can't you wait till we're inside to glomp everyone?"
Kasumi watched the woman pull away and stared in shock. It was Akane. "Akane...chan?" The woman nodded, smiling. "I'm HOME." Kasumi collapsed into Akane's arms, sobbing.

Soun walked into the house, his face tired. he was startled to see Kasumi talking to a girl who had her back to him. "Kasumi, who's your friend."
"She's not a friend." Kasumi smiled brightly. The girl turned around, smiling at him. "Tadaima." She said softly, just as her father glomped onto her, hugging her and sobbing into her chinese shirt.
"Kaa-san...you have a wierd family..."
Soun pulled away from his daughter to stare at the young boy beside her. His hair was now pulled back into a tight braid at the nape of his neck, his eyes bright steel grey. "Akane, this is your son?"
She nodded. "This is the heir you and Mr. Saotome were hoping for." At his confused look, she smiled, a bit sadly. "This child of mine, is also Ranma's." Soun fainted.
Seconds later, Nabiki walked in. "I heard daddy crying, what's-" She stared at her sister. "AKANE?!" Akane smiled. It was good to be home. "Hi."

Ranma sat in the furo, relaxing. "Kaa-san, why'd you bring me here?" He asked, looking to his mom, who was wrapped in a large robe. She smiled fondly. "Mainly so I could show you what your father looks like. Partially because I have to start classes at the school, and third, I don't want what happened to Ranma to happen to you."
"What happened to Tou-san?"
"He was taken away from his mother when he was six, and he didn't get reunited with her for ten years. During that time, he got hit with a chinese curse that turns him into a girl when ever he is hit by cold water and a man whenever he's hit by warm."
He stared at his mother, confused. "Did you love Tou-san?" She looked to him, shocked. "Why wouldn't I?" He frowned, doing a very Ranma-like expression. "Kasumi-obaasan said you were engaged to him because of your parents."
She smiled, fondly. "Yes, I loved Ranma." He looked up. "I know you love me, I meant-" She stood, kissing her son's forhead. "Your father's name was Ranma. He was a wonderful martial artist, and...if his honor hadn't meant so much to him, he'd have carried on the dojo, and you'd have been born in Japan, and you'd have a father." Tears filled her eyes.
"Aw, come on, kaa-san, don't cry..." He hugged her, getting out of the furo and toweling off. "Kaa-san?"
"Hn?"
"Will I be a wonderful martial artist like tou-san?"
Akane smiled, petting her son's hair. "You bet. Maybe even better."

Ranma watched his mother teach the class, and saw a young girl in it, with her hair just barely past her shoulders. Her face was determined. She looked about his age.
The girl caught him looking and glared at him.
"Miss Kounji, please, demonstrate the move I just did."
The girl nodded, stepping forward, and bowing. His mother watched the girl critically, before corecting her. "Very good, but don't bend your knee so much. Ranma, love, would you demonstrate it?"
He smiled, standing, and giving his mother a bow. He didn't just duplicate the move, he MADE it. The mother smiled proudly, her eyes showing a little bit of sadness.
"Thank you, dear."
He sat back onto the floor and saw the girl glaring at him. After class she stayed behind. "Who the heck are you, anyways, Teacher's pet?" She snapped. He looked up at her surprised. "Iie...I'm Saotome Ranma, Sensei's son..."
"Oh, that's soooo much better!" She said, angrily. "You jerk! Why'd you show me up in front of my class mates?!"
"It's not my fault!" He cried. "I've been training since I could walk!"
She felt a tear slip from her eyes. "RANMA NO BAKA!"
Akane looked up, seeing the mallet already in young Kounji's hand. "Kounji-san." The mallet vanished. "Sensei..." She approached the girl and her wide eyed-son. "Ranma, love, this is Akane Kounji. Her mother Ukyou is one of my best friends, please, don't make her upset. It would appear that she has Ucchan and I's temper."
He nodded, bowing slightly. "Hai, Kaa-san."
"And, Kounji-san, please, refrain from hitting my son with large bludgeons. I used to do the same thing to my husband, so save that for when you're both teenagers."
Ukyou ran into the dojo. She saw the new teacher talking to two boys. "Akane-chan, don't tell me you were beating up the new boy's agai...n..." The teacher looked up, smiling dazzlingly at Ukyou. "Kon'nichi wa, Ucchan."
"AKANCHAN!" The two women glomped each other, giggling at their children's baffled expressions.
Ranma yawned, leaning against the wall. "Kaa-san, can we do some trainin' now?" He asked, sounding bored.
"Kaa-san?" Ukyou looked at Akane. "YOU HAD A KID?!"
"You did, too."
"Oh..." Ukyou blushed. "Um...Ryoga...managed to find his way somewhere..." She said, before laughing. Akane giggled. "I'll bet I know it wasn't just your restaurant either." She pulled her son to her side. "Ukyou, this is Ranma." Ukyou paled. "You named him after him..."
"It was the only name suited for him." She said, smiling. "You named your daughter after me...?" Ukyou nodded. "She was born with a mallet in her hand, so it seemed like the only suitable name for her." Akane laughed.
"What's that mean, Kaa-san?"
"I used to use large weapons of pain on your father. I did it to knock sense into him." Ukyou and Akane giggled. "I see you're teaching my baby girl, now. Is she a good student?"
"Best in the class."
"She's still not as good as me."
The young one lunged for him, bringing out a mallet, and swinging at him. Akane caught it easily. "Kounji-san..." She warned.
"See, just like ya. Say, would you guys like to come over for dinner tonight?"
Akane smiled, nodding. "I just have to buy some flowers, first. I have to visit him..." They nodded, their smiled faltering. "Ranma is his son isn't he." Akane nodded, her eyes closed slightly, tears coming to them. "Yeah. He is."

Sensei

Ranma held his mother's hand as she cried at the grave. He didn't know why it hurt her so much. Maybe he'd ask Kounji-san later.
Akane stood, lovingly placing the flowers on his grave, wiping her eyes. "Gomen, Ranma. I haven't been here since the funeral. I went to train in Japan." She ran her hand across her husbands name.
"Kaa-san, is it true what that Kuno kid in class is sayin'?" Akane's face darkened at the name. "What did he say?"
"He's been tellin' people that I wasn't really Ranma's child, that you weren't really married to him, that he just seduced ya and that neither of you really loved each other."
Akane felt her chi raising. "Ranma, I'm taking you to Ucchan's. I want you to stay there. I'll be there in a bit."
He nodded, startled by the raising level of yellow chi around her. "Momma, remember to come back in one piece. You're all I have." She smiled, running her hands along her son's hair. "I promise to remember."

Kuno held his son loosely. "You see, your sensei was really in love with me. Saotome actually cast a spell on her so she thought she loved him."
"KUNO TATEWAKI!" A voice from outside screamed. "KUNO KODACHI!"
The pair appeared, holding their respective children to see a woman with short black hair. "SENSEI!" The children ran to her, hugging her legs. Kuno stared at her in shock. "Ah, fair Tendo Akane, what bringeth thee to my humble abode?"
Akane put her hands on the children's heads. "Hello, my students. I want you all to tell me something." They nodded eager to please their teacher. "Did any of you say anything about my son being illigitimate?"
They flinched. "Hai, sensei." She looked disapprovingly at them. "I want you to understand, my son is precious to me, and that if I hear anymore of that manner of talk, I will promptly kick you out of my class." They nodded sadly. "Hai, sensei."
Now, she turned to Tatewaki and Kodachi. "Go inside, children. I need a word with these two." The two boys ran quickly into the house. Her eyes burned with angry fire. "You two have been filling your children's heads with lies. Ranma loved me and I loved him. It was no spell that did it, it was our hearts. After our wedding, he committed Seppuku, because he believe he was without honor-"
"HE WAS!" Tatewaki cried.
"No, Kuno, he was not. He had so much honor it made me sick. He believed he dishonored me, because we made love. He thought he'd taken advantage of me. He was wrong. My son is without a father because of Ranma's honor. He is not a bastard and if I hear him called that, I will destroy you. I'm sure they can find a safe place elsewhere." With that, she jumped onto the wall that divided the property from the real world.
The pair watched her run across it in shock. Kodachi's child, who was also a bastard, because Kodachi didn't know the father, stepped out, his eyes sad. "Sensei's not a liar, she's a very honorable woman. She wont hesitate to protect her son and husbands honor."

Ranma dodged Akane's attacks with an okinomiyaki flipper. "You stupid *Swing* perverted *slice* idiot!" She didn't hear the door open or see Ranma's mother enter. "HENTAI!"
"Please, refrain from calling him names, Akane."
She spun around, and saw her sensei. "Gomen." she dropped the flipper. Suddenly, the sound of laughter filled the room when Ryoga was guided into the room, wearing one of his bandana's over his eyes. "What's this all about, hon?" He asked Ukyou.
"There's someone very special here to see you." Ukyou grinned and removed the bandana. He stared at Akane in blunt shock. "AKANE?!" She smiled, and hugged him. "Hi, Ryoga. Ranma-"
The boy walked up and bowed to Ryoga, politely. "Kon ban wa, Ryoga-san."
Akane smiled and watched Kounji's daughter fume. "What on earth are we gonna call you, Akane?" She asked, dropping down to her level. Akane blinked. "My friends at school call me A-chan."
Ryoga's eyes hadn't left Ranma. "He could be his father's twin." He said, his eyes wide with wonder. Akane smiled. "I haven't gotten to tell him much about his father yet..." Ranma's eyes turned to the floor, a bit sadly.
Ukyou smiled, patting his head. Suddenly, A-chan started making angry growls. Akane smiled. "Ranma, love, go talk to her." He looked up at her, a look of hopelessness on his face. "I been tryin' to since I GOT here."
"Just, try, hon." Finally he nodded, walking toward her. "Hey, Akane, can I talk to ya?" He asked softly, understanding that his mother wanted some time alone with her friends. "Can I call you A-chan?" He guided the girl toward the stairs.
Akane sat down at the grill. "The Saotome's are comming. I haven't let them see Ranma, yet. And I swear if I hear the words 'training trip' come out of Genma's mouth, I'll kill him."
Just then, the door jangled open. Akane looked up and went to embrace her in laws. "What's that, Nodoka-san?" She held it up, letting Akane read the cover. "Saotome family register?"
"We're putting your name next to Ranma's."
Akane smiled. "Get ready to put one other name down in there, too."

Ranma watched A-chan glare at him. "Why'd ya take me out of there, anyways? Mom likes havin me in the kitchen!"
He frowned at her. "I just took ya out so they could have their privacy. Besides, mom told me not to let the Saotome's see me till she called me." A-chan looked confused. "Why?" He shrugged. "Something to do with Tou-san."
"RANMA!"
He jumped up, the sound of his mother's voice pulling him to the door. "Hai!" He turned back at her. "Don't get so angry with me all the time." She angrily approached him. "Why not?!" He smiled, winking. "Cause you're kinda cute when you smile."

The Saotome's were confused when Akane called out Ranma's name up the stairs.
After a few moment's, a six year old boy glomped his mother. "KAA-SAN!" They stared in shock. The boy had a braided pig-tail at the nape of his neck. When he looked over to them, they saw his eyes were large and steel-colored. Their hearts melted. "He...he looks like Ranma..."

Ranma sighed, laying in bed with his mother. She was warm and comforted him, and he comforted her, too. Her eyes were open, although it was well past midnight. "Ranma, love?"
"Hai, Kaa-san?"
"Do you want to know about your father?" The boy sprang into a sitting position. "HAI!" She shushed him, smiling. "I do believe I met him...about seven years before you were born. Yes, that's about right. The first time I saw him he was in his cursed state, kinda like uncle Ryoga and Granpa were tonight."
He nodded, leaning toward her, hanging onto each word she said.
"The first time I saw HIM, he was getting out of the furo, while I was coming into the bathroom. Embarassing to say the least. I hated all guys back then, and I fought our parents tooth and nail about the engagement. He did too, actually.
"He constantely called me names and wasn't very kind about it. I heard you call A-chan some of them tonight. Like Uncute and unsexy."
"Well, she is..." He said.
Akane smiled. "We'll, I wasn't much better. Eventually, I learned he had two other fiancee's, Auntie Shampoo and Auntie Ukyou. I constantly got really jealous. I don't know when I started loving him, but...I realized it while I was in Ryugenzawa. I'd tell you about it, but that would take up too much time. He was incredibly protective towards me. He got pretty jealous too. Especially about uncle Ryoga. Did you know his cursed form was my pet?"
Ranma shook his head.
"That really got to Ranma. After I found out, I kept at it. I loved watching Ranma squirm. Sometimes, though, I would watch Ranma watching me and feel a pang of guilt. Even several months after we met, we still constantely fought the engagment, not that it did any good. Ranma kept saving me, and...I kept pushing him away. I learned several months before you were born that while we were in Ryugenzawa, we made love."
"How can you make love if you're already in love?"
Akane smiled at her son's naivety. "You'll learn that when you're married."
He blushed.
"Well, I totally forgot about it. My memory of that time was a blank. Perhaps, I made myself forget. I don't know. Well, awhile after that, I finally accepted I loved him, but never told him. About a month later, he battled a man named Saffron. I think that was the first time he said he loved me. Saffron was a powerful person, and I came very close to dying that time. Ranma, however, defeated Saffron and managed to get the water to save me."
Tears had begun rolling down her cheeks.
"When we got home, our parents gave us a...surprise. They knocked Ranma out and dressed him in a white tuxedo. He looked so handsome." She smiled whistfully. "Father told me he had a barrel of Nannichuan, which would cure Ranma, and it was a wedding present. I accepted partially out of wanting Ranma to have his cure, and partially out of love. Mostly out of love.
"Unfortunately, the wedding didn't go through. Due to damage, father said the wedding couldn't take place. So, later that night, I picked up a letter in Ranma's handwritting and read it. He'd been rambling about being sorry, and said Seppuku would be the only way to keep his honor. I got their too late. He had stabbed himself."
Ranma was crying softly against his mother. "Kaa-san..."
She shook her head. "Ranma was too honorable for his own good. I want you to understand something, son." He nodded, laying beside his mother. "Hai?" She kissed his cheek. "Don't let anything keep you from what you want. Not even honor."

Part 2: Fiancee
Alone

Ranma looked down at A-chan as they made their way to their first day as juniors in high school. "Are you gonna stay mad at me forever?" He asked exhasperated. "This ain't my fault!"
"Oh, shut up, Ranma."
*How could you do this to us, grandpa? Just to save your own hide!* Both wondered. Engaged at sixteen. Furinkan loomed ahead, like a fortress. Ranma sighed. "The guys are there again."
A-chan went through them quickly, only to see upper classmen Kuno Tatewa stood blocking their entrance. Both sighed, rolling their eyes. "I must lead a charmed life. Unhand the beautiful, charming Kounji Akane, foul Ranma!"
Ramna facefaulted. "Looks like someone's been taking poetry from their dad..." He said, irritably.
Tatewa glared at him. "At least I'm not a bastard, born out of wedlock to a slut of a mother."
His battle aura flared angrily. "You sunova bitch..." He growled. Several boys stared at him. No one EVER spoke to Kuno like that. He stepped toward the boy, his face a mask of anger. "Listen here, you sorry excuse for a martial artist, If ya value your life, you'll take that comment back."
A-chan stared at him in pity. His father was a sensitive issue to Ranma. It was bad enough having him dead, but being born out of wedlock hurt him worse.
Tatewa laughed haughtily. "Why should I weakling fool?!"
Ranma didn't say another word. He just lunged at Kuno, hitting him hard it the stomache. "Weakling, eh?" He asked, glaring at his slumped body. A-chan hurriedly caught up with him, and they walked into the school. "Did you have to hit him THAT hard?" He looked over at her. "Believe it or not, I pulled it."
Behind the, a crowd of students looked down at the unconsious Kuno.

Ranma walked home in silence. As he entered the dojo, he shouted his usual cry, then went up to visit his mother. She was thirty four, far too young to be sick.
"Kaa-san..." He said, walking into the room. "Tadaima."
She smiled, looking at her son. "Ranma, love..." She stretched her arm out, reaching for him. "I'm glad you're home, love...I...I'm not going to be here much longer..."
Ranma felt shock course through him. "Nani?" He said in an uncharacteristically small voice. He didn't sound like her Ranma at all.
"Oh, my beautiful boy..." She stroaked his face. "I wanted to live to see my grandchildren...Tofu Ono says there's nothing he can do for me...just like he couldn't help my mother. Ranma, love, go get my photo album...please?"
He obediently went to the small desk and pulled out the thick album. "I haven't shown you your father yet...although you see him whenever you look in the mirror." She opened it, and stopped flipping through the pictures when she found one of Ranma doing a complex kata. She showed it to her son, while pulling out more pictures. "Ranma, my will is in the desk. I have done for you what your father did for me. I'm leaving you everything. As heir to the...dojo...you must survive. I love you, my son. Don't forget me. Please, bury me with your father's hair...so I can find him in heaven..."
Tears spran to her son's eyes. "Kaa-san..." He said, sitting beside her on the bed. "Please, mom, I don't want to be alone...please, don't leave me..." She smiled running her hand across his face. "Don't cry, love. We'll be together, someday. Then you can meet your father. I've loved and lost, Ranma, darling. I just hope your father can see the wonderful man I've raised. The boy with his father's face and spirit...and hopefully his protectiveness." The boy shook his head. "You can't leave me momma...please..."
She smiled, carressing his cheek. "I'll never leave you..." She smiled. "I leave you my arts..." She said softly, her strength failing. "I leave you my journal. Don't screw up with Akane, Ranma...we've been given a second chance...so don't screw up..."
He nodded fiercely, holding his mother's hands. Her eyes rose to the mirror. "Ranma...did you come to take me with you?" She asked softly. Her eyes closed slowly. "I'm coming, love." He watched his mother take her last breath and a few tears escaped his eyes. "Kaa-san...I'll never forget you, momma..." He crossed her hands over her chest, placing a soft kiss to his dead mother's cheek, before he bowed and left the room.
*I'm alone...* He thought. *I'm all alone...* He closed his eyes, letting himself sink to the floor, sobs wracking his body. "Kaa-san..." He choaked. "KAA-SAN!"
His scream brought the rest of her family running. When they saw him leaning against her closed door, their eyes widened. "Ranma..." Nabiki said, pained.
Soun burst into sobs, hugging his grandson, who continued to cry soundlessly. He stood abruptly. "I...I have to go tell Saotome-Ojisan and Saotome-obasan. I'll be back soon. I have to follow through with her wishes..." He left his aunts and grandfather to grieve.
As he walked along the street, he absently kicked a stone, sending it into the air to burst into powder. His eyes remained on the road till he bumped into a well-formed girl. He started to apologize, till he saw it was A-chan.
He didn't look up. He knew she was glaring at him, but he kept walking. "Gomen..." He said as he passed her.
Akane stared after him, wondering what was wrong.

"Obaasan, ojiisan..." Ranma sat on the floor, his feet tucked under him. "I have very, very bad news concerning my mother's condition..."
"Oh, no..." Nodoka whispered. "Don't tell me that she's d-"
"She is, obaasan. I was with her for her last moments. She...she was talking to father when she left." He tried not to cry in the presence of his grandparents. *My mother is dead, my father is dead...I am truely alone...*

Ukyou closed down shop while Ryoga sat at the grill. Since he'd gotten married, he'd managed to wander home every night for dinner, and not walk off till after breakfast. As Ukyou flipped the sign, her best friends son stood before the door.
"Ukyou-sama...Ryoga-sama..."
Her hand froze. She was so used to being called auntie by the boy that she was at a loss for words. "Ranchan..."
He stepped in, his face ashen, his eyes almost dead. "I have to tell you something." He took a deep breath. "It's about kaa-san..." Ukyou's heart hit the floor. "N-nani? What happened?!" Ryoga joined her as they ushered him inside. He sat at the grill, his eyes still dead. "She's dead."
"Wha-" Tears filled Ukyou's eyes. She began sobbing and her husband, who was crying also came around the grill, hugging her, gently.
A-chan, hearing her mother's sobs came running downstair to pulp whoever made her cry. Seeing Ranma at the table only made her anger worse. "RANMA! WHY DID YOU MAKE OFUKURO CRY!?"
"Calm down, Akane."
She jumped at his use of her real name. "N-nani?!"
He stood, grabbing her wrist, pulling her from the restaurant. "They need time alone and I need to talk to you. I need to talk to you NOW."
She tried to pull from his grasp, but, soon decided that wouldn't be a good idea as he jumped nimbly onto the roof. "I HATE YOU, SAOTOME!" She hissed angrily. He winced a bit. "I couldn't care less, Akane." She jumped again. "What's with you today?!"
"Sensei is dead."
Her body froze. Her favortie person in the world was dead. Her teacher and aunt and friend was dead. "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT SO COLDLY?!" She lashed out slapping him before she knew what she was doing. Her hand came back wet. She froze. "Ranma?"
He didn't look at her. His fists were clenched, his body trembling. He chuckled. "Heh, guys aren't supposed to be able to do this..." He said, turning away.
She walked around him, staring up at his face. He was crying. Her mouth gaped, before she hesitantely put her arms around him. "I'm sorry, Ranma, I should have remembered that she was your mother..." She didn't feel him holding her back.
He stood there stiffly. "She was everyone's mother. Kaa-san...she wasn't just my mother. She gave birth to me, but she was my mother, my father, my sister, and my only friend for a long time..." He attempted half-heartedly to push her away. "Ofukuro was all I had."
Akane stared up at him. "Ranma, I need comfort right now. Your mother was my best friend. I think you could use a bit of comfort too, so please, just for now..." She rested her face on his chest, and wondered if he would.
He hesitantely brought his arms around her, pressing his face into her shoulder. Tears rolled down his face and he silently wondered if his father ever cried. Akane finally started to cry and her sobs were slightly muffled by his shirt.
*Maybe...maybe I'm not alone as I could be...* He thought, closing his tear filled eyes and biting his lip. *I might not be as alone as I could be...*
They finally broke apart and Ranma saw tears in her eyes. She smiled up at him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, carelessly. "Thank you, Ranma...you were here when I needed you, so maybe you're not as big a jerk as you act..." He smiled weakly. "Thanks...I think..." She giggled, brushing away his tears. "Don't worry, I'll always be here, when ever you feel alone, Ranma. You have friends and family all around you, if you'd just let them in."
He nodded, helped her down from the roof, and vanished. He really did like her company, but...he needed to be alone.

Tatewa saw Ranma running across rooftops, much like his father said he did. "Tou-san, something's wrong with Saotome."
His father went to the window. His son was right. The boy's shoulders were slumped, his face down, his mind obviously elsewhere. "Go, go save your sweet love from his evil clutches!" The boy nodded, running after the boy.
When he caught him, he was sitting on a roof, staring of into the darkness. "Kuno." He said simply. He didn't even look in his direction.
"Free the beauteous Akane from thine evil clutches, foul Saotome!"
"How long did it take you to come up with that one, Kuno, a whole week?" The boy growled. "Shut up and fight me, Saotome!" Ranma sighed, still not looking at him. "Kuno, you have a kaa-san, right?"
"Of course!"
"Well, if you don't want blasted to the next continent, stay away from me. Oh, and tell your father, Saotome Akane died this morning." The boy sprang up, running back to his house.
Kuno stood there in shock. He silently returned home, jogging listlessly. When he reached the Kuno estate, his father waited patiently. "Did you free your fiancee?"
Tatewa shook his head. "I bring a message. It's from Saotome Ranma. It's about his mother...my sensei..." He paused, swallowing damply. "The fair Saotome Akane is dead. She died today."
Tatewaki fell into a chair, his eyes shocked. "Wh-H-How?!"
"I did not get a chance to ask."

Someone to Protect

Ranma lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. For some reason, comforting Akane had felt RIGHT. He shuddered to think he may actually be falling for her. "Hmph. Who'd fall for that stupid, kawaiikune, iirokegane tomboy...?" He sighed.
He stood, going over to his mothers album. Inside it were alot of pictures that he hadn't seen. Of his mother and father, several warmer pictures, a few embarasing ones. Some of his father in female form. He sighed, pulling out one of his mother and father.
*She was right, I do look like oyaji...* He wondered why he was using the less formal word now. *Probably so it wont hurt so much...* He bit his lip, setting those away and lifting a spiral bound book. Three slips of paper fell out.
One was his mother's will, the other, his father's the third paper a note to him. "Ofukuro..."

~ Dear Ranma, love,
If you're reading this, I'll already be dead. I'm sorry that I had to leave you...
My mother died at a very young age, and since I haven't told you yet, the Saotome line is curiously enough, cursed to live interesting lives. You are a Saotome, like me and your father. You will be pursued by people all around the world, enemies and friends.
I have one wish, however, that after I die, you find someone to love, who loves you. Someone who can make you feel how I felt towards your father. Someone you don't want to lose, and this, alone will make you strong.
I love you, Ranma, and no matter what happens, never forget me. Bury me with your father's braid. It's in the desk, too. Goodbye son...Love, Your mother, Saotome Akane.~

Ranma didn't realize he'd begun crying again. "Kaa-san..." He whispered, pressing his face into his pillow. He cried himself to sleep, knowing his eyes would be red and puffy tomorrow.

Akane sighed as she prepared for school, happy, despite the fact that her aunt just died. Her face was bright, and the reason she was so happy was she'd gotten Ranma to open up, just a bit, last night.
"Akane! You'll be late for school!"
"COMING!" She called, racing down the stairs. Down there, she saw Ranma waiting for her. He looked like he'd gotten pink eye. "Ranma, genki desu ka?" She asked, skipping the last few steps.
He smiled a bit, nodding. He looked worn and tired, like the slightest breeze would blow him away. She attempted to stay smiling, although his sadness was like a blow to her soul. "Let's go, Ranma!" She caught his arm, dragging him out the door.

He was quiet. Unusually quiet. It irritated her. She wanted him to call her names, just so she'd know he was alright.
He was given his respects to at the door, and he almost lost it, then. The only thing that prevented it was his fiancee next to him, a comforting presence. He sighed as he sat in class.
In homeroom, Akane had to physically hold him back, so he wouldn't kill another student that called him a bastard. After she got him calmed down, she went and had 'words' with the boy.
He got a one way ticket to the nurses office, care of Akane Airlines.
Lunch wasn't much better. Akane had to stay near him, fearing he'd try to kill himself or someone else. He heard another kid call him a bastard, and flinched, but didn't get up.
Akane glared at the kid. "Leave him alone, he's not in a good mood and if you piss him off-"
"Akane, please, if you could let me be alone for awhile."
She froze at Ranma's words. "I-I'm...I'm just worried about you, you jerk!" Ranma was silent. His eyes rose to hers, begging her almost. Finally, she sighed. "Fine, you stupid idiot, go be alone."
His hand covered hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm not gonna hurt anyone. You, of all people, know how I am. So, please, don't get angry..." He said softly. She sighed, pulling her hand away. "Fine, RANMA. I'm going to eat with my real friends." He looked to the ground as she left. "Akane no baka..." He whispered, closing his eyes.

Akane angrily stormed into the house, slamming the restaurant door shut. "OOOOO! Why'd I have to get engaged to that stupid, perverted FREAK!"
Ukyou smiled, giggling. Suddenly, a hearty 'Nihao' broke the sound. Ukyou looked up to see Shampoo, and a girl with purple hair and turquoise eyes standing in the door.
"SHAMPOO!" Ukyou cried, glomping onto her.
"Hello, Ukyou. How are you?" Ukyou blinked a few times. "Your Japanese has gotten better. Shampoo smiled. "I brought my daughter here so she could meet Akan...what's wrong?"
Ukyou wiped the tears away, pulling Shampoo into the back room. "Shampoo, Akane's dead. She died yesterday." The chinese woman froze. "Akane..." She blinked away tears, her eyes closed. "Khan di, please go wait in the other room." The girl nodded and vanished. "Your daughter?"
"She's going to be my heir." She paused. "How is Ranma?"
"He isn't taking it so good...he's really upset." The purple haired woman nodded. "I'm going to pay the Tendo's a visit. I'll see you 'round." Ukyou put a hand on her arm. "I beg of you, don't let your daughter become engaged with him. He lives a charmed life, too charmed. He may not be lucky forever."
Shampoo nodded, leaving the room.

Ranma sighed, effortlessly going through his kata's. Without his mother here to train him, he felt like his skills would decrease. He kicked every now and then, feeling lazy.
*Maybe I should go on a training trip...* He sighed, dropping to the ground, closing his eyes. *Why'd you have to die, ofukuro?"
Suddenly, the dojo door slid open and a woman with purple hair appeared. "Ranma..." She said softly, walking towards him. He looked up. "A-Auntie Shampoo..." The woman sat beside him, and he noticed her eyes were filled with tears.
With a soft sigh, he hugged her. "It'll be okay, Shampoo-obasan..." He said, smoothing her hair.
"Why is mother crying?" A chopped japanese voice said. He looked up, seeing another girl with purple hair, only she had turquoise eyes.
Shampoo turned to her daughter. "Darling, this is Saotome Ranma. He's the son of an old friend of mine." She choaked on another sob and her daughter ran to soothe her. "It be okay, mother. It fine. We go back to China, yes?"
Her mother shook her head. "Your father will be joining us, Candi. We are staying here, reopening my restaurant." The girl began crying. "Candi want to go back to CHINA!!!"
Ranma silently stood and left them. *I need to think. It's a good thing my mother was so good with not letting me fight the Amazoness'.* He sighed, collapsing on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. They were going to bury his mother tomorrow...

Ranma watched them lower her into the ground after the funeral. *A charmed life, eh, momma? Heh...Cursed to live an interesting life...* He sighed, dropping the shovel of dirt onto the casket. He bit his lip hard to keep from crying. He wasn't the only person at the funeral. His mother's friends were there, and some of his friends were there, lending their support.
Akane was a bigger mess than him. She was sobbing uncontrollably, her face in her hands.
Silently, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay, Akane." He said softly. She looked up at him, and pressed her face into his chest, crying hard.
Unfortunately, the bright sunny skies, did nothing to lighten anyone's mood. The older Tendo sisters, cried on each other's shoulders. Ranma had seen Genma and Soun downing liquour that morning. Most of Akane's fellow students were sobbing as well.
When she was under the dirt, buried completely, the priest said a few more words before leaving. Most of the people followed, but Ranma, stayed. Akane, sank to her knees, crying uncontrollably.
Once everyone was gone, he knelt beside her, hugging her slightly. Both graves bore the name Saotome. His mother and father. He closed his eyes and a tear fell. It splashed on the loose earth of his mother's grave.
Akane looked up at him, her eyes puffy and red. "He was your tou-san?" She asked, pointing to the other grave bearing the name Saotome. He nodded silently. "Hai. He was the best martial artist of his time..." He laughed scratching the back of his neck. "I'm startin to sound like oji-san..." She let herself smile sadly.
He stared at the graves. *I hope they find each other. I love you, mom...I love you, dad...* He stood, placing red roses on both graves. "Come on, Akane." He offered her a hand, pulling her to her feet. "Are you gonna be okay?" He asked softly.
She nodded. "You? What about you?" He smiled sadly. "I don't know. I guess I'll find out soon. She...she was all I had..." She silenced him by laying a long finger on his mouth. "No, she wasn't. You have friends, family...and...you'll always have me..." She blushed at the last part, hugging his waist, gently.
He closed his eyes, letting himself hug her, comfortably. She looked up at him, running her hand along his cheek. "I promise. I'll ALWAYS be here for you." He looked down at her, his eyes sad. "I'll always be here for you, too." He said softly.
She smiled, before pushing herself onto her tiptoes, to kiss him on the cheek. He blinked when her soft lips pressed to his face. She dropped down to her feet and ran off to join her parents.
His hand slowly rose to his face, and he blushed. Slowly a smile spread across his lips.

It Can't Be Love

Akane sighed, flopping back on her bed. *I can't believe I did that...* She blushed, running her fingers across her still-tingling lips. *I...I don't know why I did...maybe to comfort him...it can't be that I like him...could it?*
She rolled over onto her side, and sighed. *Maybe being his iinazuke wont be so bad...if he could stop calling me names.*

Ranma nimbly sprinted along the fence toward school. Akane jogged along on the ground. "Akane?" She eeped. "Nani?"
Ranma looked down at her, seeing her blushing. "Thank you." She looked up at him. "Huh?" He smiled a bit. "For being a friend. I don't have many."
She smiled back up at him. "You're welcome, Ranma."
They continued their walk to school in silence.

Ranma sat in his chair, remembering what his mother had said to him in the letter. *Find someone to protect...right, mom? Like how oyaji protected you, right? Did you mean Akane, ofukuro? I have a feeling you did...* The teacher attempted to call on him, but evidentaly thought better of it, when Akane softly reminded her that Ranma was not in the mood.
*I do want to protect Akane. I don't want her to feel any kind of pain...I'd die for her...* He looked toward his paper, looking down, he noticed he'd inadvertently written Akane's name on the paper.
Akane nervously looked back at him. *He's so...cute...and he's not perverted...he's...kinda sweet...* She decided she wasn't going to let him be cold to her.
The bell ran and she didn't hear it. "Oi, kawaiikune!"
She growled at the sound of her nickname. "RANMA!" She faced him, but he was smiling down at her and she lost her concentration, hence, losing the mallet. He just smiled, ruffling her hair. "Ya comin'?" She nodded, snagging her lunch box.
Kuno appeared out of no where, taking Akane's hand. "Ah, fair Akane I doth grace you with my-"
>punt
Ranma sighs. "I really HATE him..." He said, sighing. She looked up at him, then to Kuno who was sailing past the horizon. "I think he made it to Hong Kong, that time." She said, giggling. He grinned, too, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Akane, I need to speak with you."
She looked up at him, confused. "Doshite?"
He just looked a bit solemn. "On the roof, after school. I'll tell you then." She nodded, placing a hand over his. "I promise. I'll be there." He smiled, then snagged his bento, heading out for lunch. "I'll see ya then."
She nodded, her hand over her heart. *I can't have fallen for him...could I have?*

Akane sat nibbling her okinomiyaki, a rather dreamy look on her face. Her friends giggled. "A-chan, are you dreaming about Ranma-kun?" Her face flushed and she shook her head. "NO!" She objected.
They gave each other knowing looks. "So, is it true he's your iinazuke, now?" They asked leaning forward. Akane's eyes caught a flash of red, among the black and blue school uniforms. "Yes, he's my iinazuke...our parents arranged it." Satsuki smiled, leaning back against the grass. "He's sooo handsome..."
Mika nodded in agreement. "If you ever get tired of him, please, call me. I wish I had a fiancee as strong and cute as he is...oh...and what a BUTT!"
Akane blushed. "NANI?!"
Suddenly, she felt a familiar presence. "Come on, guys, I think we can talk about something else."
They didn't take her hint. "Was he really born out of wedlock? It's so romantic...his parents must really have loved each other..."
"It's amazing how females and males differ on such topics." Ranma's voice said behind them. Akane blushed, turning to him. "I tried to get them to stop talking about you..." He nodded. "I know. I heard."
Mika looked at the ground, a bit ashamed. "Gomen nasai, Ranma-kun...we don't mean to talk about you...but..."
Ranma shook his head. "May as well. At least you're makin' my bein' a bastard sound better than the male population." He pushed away from the tree, walking away.
Akane tried to stop herself, but couldn't help checking out his butt. A soft blush swept across her cheeks. "See." Mika said. "I told ya he had a cute butt." Her blush deepened.
Satsuki's eyes followed him, but her brow was furrowed. "I feel sorry for him...he seems so...alone..."
Akane blinked. "Alone?"
"His mother was all he really had, right?"
"Yeah."
"Mother child bonds hurt when they're broken. They say his mother became a complete tomboy after her mother died. She pushed away all guys, and never dated. When his father came along, she changed so completely, no one could believe it."
Akane watched after him, her eyes sad. "His father would die for his mother..." She said softly.
"Huh?"
"Oh," She blushed, realizing she'd voiced her thoughts. "When I was younger, his mother told me that. She said in the end, he died to protect her honor. Every time she spoke about him, or Ranma gave her one of his smiles, she almost burst into tears..."
The three girls watched the red and black form until he disappeared into the crowd.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the bastard."
Ranma's shoulder's went rigid. Anger started to fill him, but he remembered what his mother had said. *Control, Ranma, control...* He faced the boy, seeing a face he'd prayed he'd never see again. "Raiku..."
The boy smirked. "Hello, Ranma. Long time, no see, ne?"
He sighed, gathering his ki to control himself. When he found his center, he opened his eyes. "Why do I have a feeling this is about the fight in China?" He said, frowning.
"Well, let's just say I don't like to lose...in anything. If you have anything I want...I'm going to take it from you."
"Like?"
"The illustrious Kounji Akane."
"You wont touch her." He snarled. His eyes were angry his face had a resonably calm expression. Raiku laughed. "We'll see, Ranma. By the way, how is your fair mother?" The young martial artist closed his eyes. "She's dead, Raiku. She died last week."
"Oh, too bad for you. Not a friend in the world, eh?"
"I have friends."
"Not too many from what I hear."
Ranma silently walked away. He heard a soft whistling sound and caught the boomerang, before spinning it back at him at twice the speed. It caught Raiku in the hand, and there was a soft snapping sound.
"Stay the hell away from my iinazuke, Raiku. If you touch her, I'll make you wish you hadn't."

Akane stood on the roof, her face worried. *Ranma's late.* She felt a presence behind her, and tensed. *That's not Ranma...who?* Her hands tightened on the edge of the roof. "Who are you?"
"Ahhh...senses like a true martial artist." She bit her lip. The voice was unfamiliar. "I asked you a question, sir. Who are you?" She felt rude hands begin fondling her and she jumped. "My name, fair maiden is Raiku...Ranma's arch enemy."
He smiled slyly, beginning to pet her between her legs, keeping her in a hold she couldn't break. "LET ME GO!" She cried in horror. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He smiled. "Getting my revenge on Saotome..."
"RAIKU!"
Akane felt relief flood her at the sound of Ranma's voice. He sounded furious. *Is he worried about me?*
"Ah, Ranma...you always come in time to spoil my fun..." She was released and she fell back agaisnt the ledge. Raiku faced Ranma, who looked like he was about to kill him.
"I told you to keep your goddamned hands off of my iinazuke." He said in a dangerously calm voice.
"Oh, this is your fiancee?! I had no idea..." Raiku smirked, lunging at Ranma. "We finish this!"
Ranma simply kicked him down the stairs, shutting the door when he hit bottom. He went to Akane and helped her up. "I'm sorry he drug you into this, Akane." He said, brushing away the tears that had begun falling down her face.
She looked up at him, before throwing her arms around him.
"I'm so sorry..." He said, letting her cry into his shirt. He tried not to notice that the top of her head was directly under his chin, and she was enough to fill his arms, a comfortable fit. He blushed at the track of his thoughts.
When she finally pulled away, he was reluctant to release her. He held her at arms length, looking worriedly at her. "I-you need to talk to me?" She asked. He nodded. "Have you ever had something you wanted to protect with your life?" He asked softly.
She nodded. "Yes." She said softly.
"My mother wrote a letter to me that I found after she died. It told me to find someone to protect. Someone to love. She had strong powerful feelings about father. When she died, she told me she thought of us as her second chance..." He hesitantely looked at her. "Akane, I want to protect you."
Her eyes widened. "Ranma..." She hugged him, closing her eyes and trying not to cry. "Oh, Ranma..." He put his arms around her, hugging back. *I can't love him...his family is cursed to live interesting lives...I can't handle living like his mother did...can I?*

Bastard

Ranma kissed Akane's cheek before she walked into the Ucchan. Her face was beet red when she saw her mother watching. "Kon'nichi wa, ofukuro..." She said, walking to her room.
Ukyou smiled knowingly. "Saotome...you sly fox..."

Ranma sighed, running his fingers across his lips. *Her face is so soft...* He sighed, closing his eyes. *Why do I feel so warm around her?* He wondered.
"Ranma, dinner!"
He drug himself from the bed, walking down the stairs. He saw the Saotome's there too, and frowned. "What's up?" He asked, sitting in his usual spot beside where his mother used to sit.
"Ranma, you loved your mother, right?"
"Of course!"
"She...she told us she wrote up her will. She doesn't want you to be angry with her, no matter what she does or doesn't leave you..."
He sighed. "Do you know what she left you?" He stood, preparing to get the will.
"Everything."
He glared at Genma. "I'll be right back with it. I already read it, and I don't think you're going to be very happy."
When he returned, he handed the will to Soun. "EVERYTHING?!" Soun wailed.
"She didn't own the dojo, yet! She didn't own the house! She wasn't married-"
"Everything that belonged to my father belonged to her. He was heir to the dojo, so when he died he handed that down to her. Also, you don't have to remind me and keep reminding me that I'm a bastard. I get enough of that at school."
Nodoka looked at her grandson in sympathy. "I'm sorry about Genma. He's just been shunned by his son and daughter-in-law-"
"SHE WASN'T MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW!"
Ranma grabbed his cup of water, splashing Genma with it. "Shut up ya old fool!" He snarled. "I know my mother and father weren't married. I don't care! Neither should you. At least they gave you an heir to your precious dojo!" He slammed the cup down on the table and stormed from the house.
"Oh, my..." Kasumi said.

Ranma sat on the roof, staring at the stars, his eyes filled with hurt. *Why, oyaji? Why do they keep telling me I'm a bastard? I know I am!*
He fought tears and failed, putting his head in his hands.
"Nihao, Ranma."
He looked up to see Shampoo standing nearby. "Hi, Shampoo." He looked back at the sky.
"You're not a bastard. No matter what anyone says, you're not a bastard. Perhaps you were born out of wedlock, but your parents hearts were married, and that is a far stronger bond than pieces of paper." She patted his shoulder. "Your father was an honorable man. I know he loved your mother."
"How could you know that?!"
"Because, when we were in China, after the fight against Saffron, he thought your mother was dead. He held her, sobbing. He screamed her name, and his pain and grief came out in his voice. He said he wished he could have told her that he loved her, but...then her hand touched his face and she was alive."
Ranma sat there. "Ofukuro said that she imagined it..."
"She didn't." Shampoo stood. "I must go. The dinner rush should begin soon. Mousse sends his regards.
"Tell him I said hi."
"I will."

Akane looked out her window, a dreamy expression on her face for the second time that day. *He wants to protect me...how could I say no...?* She rested her forhead against the cool glass, running her hand across the cheek he'd kissed.
Her eyes caught a motion and she saw Ranma walking down the street, looking rather lost. She smiled, sliding from her chair and hurrying down the stairs. When she reached the outside, she saw he was not far from her.
"Ranma?" She called tentatively.
He turned towards her, his face unreadable. "Akane..."
She smiled, walking towards him. "You look a bit lost, Ranma, is something wrong?" He looked down at her, his eyes shadowed by his eyebrows. "Akane...am I a bastard?" He asked softly. "Nani?!" She caught his arms. "Why do you ask me this? Who...why?"
"My grandfather on my fathers side says I'm a bastard. Maybe I am...maybe that's why no one really likes me..."
"I like you..." She said without hesitation. He looked down at her, and he began trembling. "I like you, too..." He said, trying to keep his pain from manifesting as tears. Her hands linked in his. "Come on, I'll make ya some okinamiyaki. On the house?"
He sighed, nodding and letting her draw him into the restaurant. When he was seated at the grill, she put a plate in front of him and poured some batter on the grill. Some voices murmered about 'the bastard getting service before them' and Akane glared up. "Who said that?!" She snarled angrily. A hand touched hers. She looked at Ranma and she watched him shake his head.
"But Ranma-"
"Control, Akane."
She nodded, but still shot the customers an angry look. "One special!"
She started cooking the other's okinomiyaki and caught her mother's approving glance. When the other's had been served and had left, Ukyou turned the sign to read closed.
Akane finished Ranma's okinomiyaki and sat beside him at the bar. "Ranma, you can't just let people call you that..."
He was silent. She put her hand over his. "Ranma-"
"Why did my father have to die..." He whispered, his eyes pained. "Why did I have to be born a bastard...?"
Akane looked up at her mother, stricken.
"Ranchan..." Ukyou shook her head. "You're the way you are and your live is like this for a purpose. There's always a reason. You grew up with your mother. Ranma and Akane Saotome were both raised by their father-"
He slammed his fist down, accidentally hitting the grill. "I'M A BASTARD!" A burning sensation covered his hand and he lifted it off the grill. "Nothing anyone says, whether it's that they were married int their hearts, or that they loved each other doesn't change it! I'm an illigitamate child!"
Akane gingerly took his hand. "Ranma, you're burnt. Let me take care of it, please?" Her mother looked stricken, her expression disbelieving. "For a moment, I thought I saw the old Ranma..." She whispered.
Akane led him to the bathroom, sitting him onto floor. "I can't believe you just yelled at my mother..." She put her hands on her hips. "I'm sorry, Akane..." He whispered, not looking at her. "I shouldn't be taking my pain out on everyone else." Akane gently took his hand, setting it in cold water. "Ranma, I want you to listen to me. Listen carefully."
He nodded.
"You are only a bastard if you choose to be. I am an illigitamate child born out of wedlock as well. I was an accident, too. My mother was depressed after Ranma died and oyaji...comforted her..." She didn't look at him. "True, they married, but only after I was born."
He looked away as she began to tenderly dress the burn. "I was called a bastard most of my young life. I didn't let it get me down. Now, I'm not called it anymore. If people know that you get defensive about being a bastard, it creates a weakness. You're too damn strong to get something like being a bastard when your mother loved you so much get too you, do you understand, Ranma?" He still didn't look at her. "Hai..."
She smiled, running her hand along his face. "Don't let anyone get you down, Ranma..." His arms suddenly closed around her and he was hugging her tightly. "Oh, god Akane..." She blushed lightly, hugging him back.
When he pulled away, she stared up at him, getting lost in his steal grey eyes. He ran a finger across her face, leaning toward her. "Akane..." He whispered.
She leaned toward him, and he kissed her gently. Her heart was thumping hard in her chest and she wound her arms around his neck. The kiss was nothing more than a gentle brushing of lips, but it sent her heart racing.
He stared down at her in surprise. She blushed, fainly, lifting her hands to tangle in his hair. "R-ranma..." He leaned down, kissing her again, more firmly.

"Oi, bastard!"
Raiku's voice caused Ranma to stiffen.
Akane, who's arm was linked in his felt his body stiffen and put her hand over his giving it a tiny squeeze. Ranma nodded, counting down from ten. "That's NOT my name Raiku." He said in the most bored tone he could.
Raiku stared in shock. Ranma didn't attack him. He'd just called him the most hurtful thing he could, and Ranma DIDN'T REACT! "Hey, where the fuck are you going! We have a fight to finish!"
"After school, then. I don't want to be late, besides, I'm escorting someone at the moment. It's a rather inappropriate time."
Raiku snarled in irritation. "Fight me you cowardly bastard!"
She felt him tense again and rested her head on his shoulder. "Remember what your mother left you?" She asked softly, tapping his spiral binder. He nodded. "After school Raiku. I'm not repeating myself."
Ranma led Akane into the school gates, seconds before they were closed in Raiku's face.

Part 3: Bride and Groom
First Fight

Ranma smiled at Akane from where he sat during lunch. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she remembered his kiss the previous night.
"I wonder what it'd be like to kiss a guy like him..." Mika sighed. Akane answered without thinking. "Nice..." She said softly. Her friends spun to her. "You kissed him?!"
"Well...actually, he kissed me...twice..." She blushed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. The girls squeeled. "Is he a good kisser?!" Satsuki asked excited. Akane nodded, slowly. "What was it like? Did he use his tounge?!" Her blush grew. "Um...it's hard to explain...and...no, he didn't. It was just lips...but..." She sighed, leaning back against the grass.
"Akane?"
She bolted upright and saw Raiku staring at her. "Raiku!"
He smiled cruelly. "Well, well, well..."
Her friends stared at him in shock. "Who is THAT hunk, Akane?"
He made a sweeping bow. "Honsho Raiku." The girls giggled except Akane. "Get the hell out of here, or I'm calling Ranma over." Raiku smiled. She shuddered. "What makes you think I DON'T want him here?"
She backed against the tree in fear, remembering him trying to molest her on the roof.

"Hey, Saotome, who's that guy harrassing your girlfriend?"
*Huh?!* Ranma looked up and saw Akane's back pressed against the tree, and Raiku about three feet away from her. He was up in a flash, casually walking over.
"Oi, Akane, is Raiku botherin' ya?"
Raiku spun around. "Hey, if it isn't the product of female slut and lusty male..." He grinned, thinking he'd gotten under Ranma's cold facade. Ranma yawned. "Raiku, this bastard crap of yours is gettin' real old. So I was a bastard? At least my parents loved each other." The other boy lunged at Ranma, who quickly stepped out of the way, letting him sprawl across the ground.
"Tsk, tsk." Ranma said softly. "Our fight's not till this afternoon."
Raiku glared at Ranma, then to all his laughing companions. "This will not go unnoted..." He snarled.
Ranma yawned, helping Akane to her feet as the bell rang, announcing lunch was over. "See ya after school, Raiku. Come on, Akane." He smiled at her and she took his arm as he led her into the school.

Ranma held Akane's hands before Raiku came for the fight. He smiled down at her, before kissing her lips gently. A few of her friends swooned. Akane giggled, kissing him back.
When Raiku stepped into the field, Ranma noticed his aunt Nabiki holding her camera ready to take pictures of her nephew in action.
Raiku held a large boomerang in his hand and had a few smaller ones were tied to his clothing. "RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!"
It took all of Nabiki's control not to laugh. She let a giggle slip and received a sharp glare from Raiku. "Sorry, just had a MAJOR case of de ja vu..." Akane sat down beside her and began talking with her.
"Okay, Raiku, whenever you're ready. Just remember, that boomerang may do more hurt than good." It came flying at him and he jumped over it, in a split before ducking down, letting it pass over him again.
Raiku snarled catching it. Soon, a larger crowd had formed, containing most of the school. Even Kuno had stopped to watch. Ranma smiled, moving in closer to Raiku. "See, Raiku, your problem is, you only work on long range...I have good range anywhere..."
He ducked another boomerang. "I remember my mom used to tell me about my dad's fights here...they say he was one of the best...naw, the best. Only Shampoo, Ryoga, and Ukyou could compare, though my mother got alot of good hits in, too."
"I don't give a damn about your father!" He felt a knee get slammed into his stomache and slouched to the ground. "You BASTARD!"
The cry echoed in the feild. Nabiki froze, her eyes wide with worry. Ranma stood still. "What I just gave you was a technique my mother taught me. Distract the enemy with small talk till you can get close enough to bring them to their knees." Nabiki grinned. "Yep, sis was deffinately right to teach him both Saotome-ryu and Tendo-ryu..." Ranma walked up behind Raiku and poked him in the back of the head. "You're wide open." He said, before walking off the field. He'd won. Fighting anymore would be too much like gloating.
The students murmered softly, watching him walk off the field. "SAOTOME, YOU COWARD, GET BACK HERE!"
Ranma turned back, looking at the man on his knees, who still had fire burning in his eyes. "What IS it, Raiku?"
"This fight...isn't over yet!"
Ranma sighed, closing his eyes. *I tried, ofukuro, looks like I'm gonna have to knock some sense into him, eh?* He walked back to the field, stopping in front of Raiku. "This fight may as well be over. The stakes aren't exactly fair."
Raiku stood, pulling out his smaller boomerangs and began throwing them at Ranma. Ranma managed to evade most of them, but when those he didn't hit, he felt his skin sliced. One his his face and a trail of blood formed. Ranma winced, putting his hand to it. "Nice little boomerangs. Metal tapered to a point, eh?" Raiku laughed cruelly. "You were right, the stakes weren't fair! I have the advantage!"
Ranma watched him draw daggers and throw the, but was already on his way towards him. "Perhaps, but I'm not fighting for myself. This is for what you pulled with Akane!" He took one of the blades to his shoulder but when he reached Raiku he snarled. "KENSHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKETEN!" He cried, blasing off the chestnut technique.
Akane stared in amazement while Ranma's fists moved, when it was over, Raiku slumped to the ground unconsious. She saw Ranma slump to the ground too, only he was awake. His hand reached for the blade embeded in his shoulder and yanked it out.
People stared for a minute before cheers broke out in the crowd. They watched Akane run to Ranma, putting her arm around him. "GENKI DESU KA?!" She cried, panicked.
He smiled at her, running a bloody hand across her face. "Genki desu..." He said softly. "I've never felt better..."
"I know you didn't dodge that blade or those boomerangs that hit you." Ranma grinned at her comment. "Another technique, only this one oyaji taught ofukuro. Give the attacker a false sense of security..." He rested his head against hers. She smiled, helping him stand.
The crowd burst into loud cheering again and Ranma smiled. It felt good. It felt good to teach him a lesson. It felt good to have Akane's arm at his waist. He staggered to his feet and they walked off the field together. Nabiki joined them shortly.
"That was like watching your father fight..."
He grinned. "Mom always said I had his spirit..." He chuckled, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. "I just hope I can heal as fast as they said he could..."
"That attack..." Akane said. "Kenshu tenshin-"
"Chestnut fist." Ranma said. "I learned it just before ofukuro and I left China. I mastered it a few years later. Sometimes I still can't quite get it..."

Tofu ono studied the wound, frowning. "It's clean, at least. It should heal up quickly."
"Hey, doctor-"
"Hmmm?"
"When are you gonna ask Kasumi to marry ya anyways?"
Tofu Ono blushed, his glasses fogging slightly. "I...I don't know..."
"If you don't ask her soon, she may wind up like my ofukuro." Ranma looked at the table. "Kasumi likes ya alot. I think you're just a bit shy to tell her...that's why I called her before I got in here, telling her you have to tell her something."
"WHAT?!"
Tofu Ono was pressed against the oposite wall. "I...I can't tell her! It isn't that easy!"
"Isn't it?! I just gave ya some incentive! You were ofukuro's first love, but she gave up on ya when she realized you loved Kasumi. Now, you have to tell KASUMI!"
"Yes, Ranma?" Kasumi asked walking into the room. Tofu Ono blushed. "K-k-kasumi...s-s-san...I need to sp-sp-s-"
"He needs to speak to ya." Ranma got up. When he reached the door, he turned to Tofu Ono. "Don't screw up, Ono-san."

Akane sighed, looking out her window, smiling. *I have...the cutest iinazuke...*
She felt a presence behind her and spun around. "RAIKU!"
He smiled at her, dispassionately. "Hello, Akane."

Don't Touch My Iinazuke!

Ranma heard a shrill scream as he approached the Ucchan and looked up to see Akane struggling up in her room. He jumped up to her sill, opening the window to see Ryuki there, kissing his fiancee, while she cried and struggled.
"RAIKU!" Ranma screamed, pulling him off Akane and slamming him into the wall. "YAROU!" Akane sniffled, wiping her eyes and trying to wrap her torn shirt around herself.
"Hit a nerve, did I Ranma?" He asked, smiling coldly. "I do believe your fiancee was pretty...wet when I started tearing off her-"
>SLAP!
"You keep your goddamned, filthy, molestin' hands off Akane. If you don't I'll give what I gave you at the school feel like a friendly, playful tap between friends. I'm a better martial artist than you. We both know it. Pick on the big guys, not the smaller ones. The smaller ones are faster."
"You're pretty big yourself, or is that just talk?"
"I try to make myself seem less skilled than I am. If I do that, they're more likely to do something stupid, like you did." Ranma punched Raiku hard, then headbutted him. When that had been done and Raiku slumped to the ground, he turned to his fiancee to find her crying. "Akane..."
She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I couldn't stop him...I'm not good enough with the arts...I'm still not good enough..." He held her in his arms, letting her cry against him. "Akane, get some clothes together, I want you to come stay with us at the dojo...please." She nodded silently, grabbing a small bag and stuffing some nessesities in it. Then, she went to a small chest, pulling out a LOT of yen.
He pulled off his shirt wrapping it around her. "Akane, I'm sorry about this, but I'll feel more comfortable-"
"I will too." She faced him, putting her arms around his neck. "Let's go...please?"
He nodded, lifting her off the ground, much to her surprise. He took a few quick steps toward the window before jumping out. Akane gasped, pressing her face into his shoulder.
After a while, there was a bone-jostling thud, and Ranma bound along the ground till he reached the dojo.
Akane had fallen asleep in his arms and he pressed a sweet kiss to her forhead, ignoring the faint throbbing in his shoulders. *This is worth the pain...* He thought, going into the dojo. Both of his grandfathers sat playing Shogi, while he snuck past.
"Ranma-"
"Ranma-"
Both of them spoke at the same time. Ranma went rigid, wincing. "Nani, ojisan?"
"Well, first off, your engagement to Kounji Akane has been canceled, and second-"
"WHAT?!" Ranma cried angrily. "You JERK!" He glared at him. "Why do I have a feelin' this has more to do with my gettin' all of ofukuro's stuff, instead of you!"
"Perhaps it does..."
"Perhaps it doesn't..."
"Well I don't give a damn. I'm not lettin' ya screw up my life like ya did ofukuro's and oyaji's! By the way! We're going to be having company until I can get rid of the creep who's trying to rape my fiancee!" With that Ranma stormed up the stairs, to his mother's old room. It was his now, but he would let her sleep there till she woke.
He lay her against the bed and slowly unwound her arms from around his neck. Her face was peaceful, her nose at a graceful slant upwards. Her short black hair and brown eyes made a beautiful contrast against her alabaster skin. (Ooo, all descriptive and stuff ^.^) He smiled down at her, carressing her face gently.
"R-Ranma..." She whispered. Her watched her eyes slowly open and smiled down at her. "Hi, there, sleepy-head." He said softly. She blushed.
"Our grandparents called off the engagement." Ranma said closing his eyes. He heard her suck in her breath. "S-so you no longer feel obligated to protect me?" She asked softly. He leaned over her, his face serious. "Did I say that?"
She blushed. "Ranma..." He smiled, caressing her face. "I'm not going to let my family control my life like they did my parents...I love you, and I'm wanna marry ya..." Tears filled her eyes. "You...love me?" He nodded. "Hai..." She sobbed happily, glomping him. "Aishiteru, Ranma!"
He rested his head against her shoulder, kissing her neck gently. "I'll always protect you...zettai..." He felt her tears soaking through his tank and sighed, his eyes going to the sky. *Please, don't let me lose her...*

Akane woke in a warm bed, two warm arms around her. She sighed, burrowing into Ranma's chest. *Such a nice chest...* She thought sleepily. She heard the door open and a soft gasp, but paid no attention.
The door opened again and she saw Genma standing there. She just stared at him. Ranma stirred, putting his arms around her and pulling her close. "'Kane..." He murmered.
"SAOTOME RANMA! You dispicable bastard! You're no better than your father was!"
Ranma went rigid at the sound of his grandfather's voice. "Excuse me?" He asked, looking towards him, completely disintrested. Akane smiled, sighing.
"You had sex out of wedlock, fool!"
"I did?" He asked, moving the covers aside to reveal himself in his pants and her in her skirt and his shirt. "Did I? Well, Ojisan? Did I? Or were you worried I'd thwarted your plans? What is it this time? Another fiancee?!"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have engaged you to Shampoo's daughter, Chan Di. You two will never see each other again when my son becomes an Amazon!"
Ranma growled, lunging for his grandfather. He slammed him agaisnt the wall angrily. "Listen you old coot! I'm my own person! You have no control over me! NONE! I am NOT your son and because I'm a bastard, I-"
"If you do not, I'll remove you from the Saotome family register-"
"You can't do that, Genma..." Nodoka said softly.
"WHAT?!"
"You have already drove your son to Seppukku because he thought he'd dishonored you, you filthy pig!" His grandmother cried, drawing her katana. "My son was NOT dishonorable! He had more honor than you'd ever dream of having!"
"Our son was a-"
"Wonderful martial artist." Ranma said softly, glaring dangerously at his grandfather. "And in love with the woman YOU engaged him too. Well, news flash, jiiji! I'm not under your control! Try to break our engagement! Go ahead, I swear to god, I'll elope with her!"
Akane gasped, covering her mouth. *He'd...do that...for me?!* He fianlly released his grandfather. "I'm heir to this dojo. Get out of my house!"
Genma stood in shock. *I've just...been kicked out!* "If your Kaasan hadn't died-"
"But she did! I haven't got anybody except my aunts and grandmother and Akane! I swear, if you ever try to take her away again, I'll hurt you..."
Akane staggered towards him, pulling him away from his father. "Ranma, yamate...onegai..."
"Hmph." Gemma straightened his gi. "So much for your grandson being a man among men!"
Fortunately, all that Ranma's mother did to him was pound him. She snarled. "My grandson is more of a man than you ever were, Saotome Genma! I hope he's happy marrying the woman he loves because my son never knew that happiness, and niether did I!" She felt tears in her eyes and Ranma hugged her and his fiancee.
Ranma closed his eyes, stroaking Nodoka's greyed hair, and feeling a deep pain for his grandmother.
Akane clung to Ranma's tank, breathing raggedly. *I love you, Ranma...I love you so much...*

Marry Me NOW

Akane sat between Satsuki and Mika looking at her iinazuke every now and then. Mika noticed. "I hear that you're staying at his place now, huh?"
Akane nodded slightly.
"Ya done it yet?"
"Huh?" Her gaze moved to her friend.
"Ya know, made love?"
Akane blushed. "NO!" She said, shocked. "What made you think we'd...I mean...we're not...we're not even married yet!"
"Told ya..." Satsuki said.
Mika sighed.

"Hey Ranma, did you sleep with her yet?"
"Eh?"
"Did you fuck her, DUH!"
Ranma's jaw hit the dirt. "Did I just hear you right? I ain't stupid! Me and Akane aren't ready for that yet!" He felt totally insulted by the comment.
"Jeez, ya don't gotta get so damn defensive!" The boy, Kitei, yawned. "But ya can't say ya don't want to even if ya aren't." Ranma looked him straight in the eyes. "I love her, Kitei. It ain't like I'm engaged to her just cause I wanna have sex. That's a stupid reason."
"Well, ya better do somethin' soon, cause that kid, Raiku ain't givin' up. He wants to take her virginity, and he's gonna rape her to get it if he has to."
Ranma looked at Akane for a long time, a soft look in his eyes. "I'm not gonna let that asshole touch her."
Kitei frowned. "You really do love her huh?"
"Ee."
"Man, you're in trouble then. She's-"
"In love with Ranma."
The guy looked up and saw Akane standing there, smiling down at her iinazuke. "What's up, Ranma?"
Kitei blushed.
Ranma smiled, taking his fiancee's hand. *Kawaii...* He stood, placing a warm kiss on her cheek. "Ohayo..." He said softly.
She smiled back.
Kitei stared at them. "Awww...do you get that...warm and fuzzy feelin' too?" He asked Akane's friends who were approaching.
They nodded, grinning. Ranma and Akane blushed, when they noticed most of the eyes in the school yard were on them. Akane grabbed the collar of his chinese shirt, pulling him down to whisper in his ear. "I wish we had more privacy..." She sighed.
"We can always go hide on the roof..." He whispered back. She nodded. "I know, but...remember last time...and if we go up there together-" His lips pressed a kiss to her ear. "Alright, let's play hookie, then."
She shivered just a bit. "Hmmm...sounds good to me..." She released him, straightening.
The students kept staring. Akane looked up at him, her eyes saying 'typical'. "Ummm...could ya'll please quit starin'?" Ranma said, loud enough to get the entire place back to what they'd been doing in the first place. He held her hand loosely in his own. "Hey, guys, cover for us." He smiled, winking at them as he drug his fiancee toward the gate.
"Free at last!" She said, linking her arm in his, and leaning against him. He smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Akane...I have to ask you a serious question." He said, looking down at her. "Do you really want to marry me?" She blinked, looking up at him. "What brought this on?"
"I don't...I don't want to push you in to this. If you don't want to-" Akane pushed herself up on her tiptoes, kissing his lips gently. "Ranma no baka..." She smiled, putting her arm around his waist. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't." She smiled up at him and he smiled back at her. "I'm glad."
"Aishiteru, Ranma."
"Aishiteru, Akane..."

Ryoga sighed, wondering where his daughter was. He held his shaking wife gently, worried she may have a nervous breakdown. He heard the door open and saw his daughter and Ranma walk in. "AKANE!" He cried.
"Oyaji, ofukuro...I have an announcement to make." Akane sat down at the grill. "But first, could I have one of your yummy okinomiyaki?"

Akane sighed, leaning against Ranma as he walked her back to his house. *I feel wonderful...* His arm was snuggly around her waist, and hers was around his. Ranma nuzzled her head, kissing her temple. "I like being with you like this..." He said softly. "I do too..."
"I..." He paused, freezing. "I don't like this...I have a bad feelin'..." She began to speak, but he silenced her with a gentle kiss before pulling her into an alley. Seconds later Raiku passed them. He gave her a look. "See. Told ya I had a bad feelin'."
She nodded, grabbing his collar, and smiling at him as she pulled him down to kiss him. "Ranma...when we marry...who's name do you wish to take?" She asked softly. He stared straight into her eyes. "Who's do you wanna take?" She blushed. "I think your's...you...lead an interesting life. I wouldn't want any of my children to be bored, would I?"
He chuckled, playfully pulling at her lower lip. "I guess not...so...what now?" She looked confused. He caught her head, pulling her in for another kiss. "When?"
*He already want's a date?!* She blushed. "Ranma...don't ya think you're rushin' it?"
He frowned. "I'm not pressurin' ya or anythin'...I just want to be able to be with you...even when we're sleepin'...ya know...without all my family listenin' in..."
She smiled. "How 'bout...now?"
His eyes widened. "And I'M rushin it?" She nodded. "I love you, Ranma and I don't want to have you taken away from me." He smiled, running a hand along her face. "I love you so much, Akane..." He smiled down at her.
"I love you more!"

The wedding was quick and quiet. No one dared disturbing them. Ranma kissed her, barely daring to part his lips. She smiled, clutching his face closer.
The priest sighed. The witnesses, Kitei, Satsuki, and Mika cheered. "At this rate," One said, "the kiss'll last longer than the wedding!"
Ranma and Akane broke apart, laughing.

Ranma lay next to his new wife, her legs tangled in his, her hands behind his back, her face flushed. He smiled, kissing her lips tenderly. Her eyes slowly opened and she yawned. "I like how ya say g'morning..."
He grinned. "Better than how I say good night?" She shook her head, the sheets shifting slightly as she looked at the clock. "Oh, Ranma...we're gonna be late..."
"S'okay. I told Kitei to cover for us." She giggled, kissing him. "Hmmm...how bout we say goodnight again..." She purred, pressing up against him. He grinned, kissing her lips. "I dunno...ya wore me out all fifteen times last night!"
She playfully slapped his chest. "If wasn't that much... maybe eight." He sucked at her neck. "Oh, that's soooo much better..." She pouted and he sighed. "Oh, Akane, what am I going to do with you?" She grinned. "Well...let's see...there is a instruction manual...First...you do this..."
He jumped under the covers. "Whoa, there..." He moved under the covers, and she began squirming a bit. "Mmmm...See, ya don't really need the instructions do you...?"

They finally rolled out of bed around eight o'clock, both ready to go take a long bath. Soun and Genma sat at the dinning table, while Kasumi served tea. "Oh, my..." She lost her aim with the tea pot when she saw Ranma only in his pants and Akane in a robe.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Genma cried. "What about your fiancee, Ranma!" He yelled. Ranma glared at him, displaying his ringed finger. "Do you see this?" Genma gulped. "You didn't..."
"We did." Ranma grinned. "You're looking at Mr. and Mrs. Saotome, Ojisan." Genma fainted. Nabiki just stared in shock. "You two...WHEN?! Why wasn't I invited?!"
Akane smiled. "It was kinda...spur of the moment. We knew we were going to...we just decided yesterday around...two o'clock that we were gonna, right then."
Unanimous facefault.
She insistantely tugged his hand. "Come on Ranma, I wanna go get a bath!" He grinned goofily, waving at his family. "I gotta go...see ya..." They disappeared into the bathroom, and soon, the sounds of giggling came out.
Nabiki just grinned. "I guess I ought to call Saotome-obasan-"
"NO!" Genma stood, his face contorted with anger. "We're getting their marraige annulled."
Ranma's head popped out the bathroom door. "Don't try, ojiisan, obaasan gave us permission. She bought our rings. She ain't gonna be too-whoop!" A hand came out and he was pulled back into the bathroom.
Kasumi blinked. "Oh, my..."
"I wonder if you and Tofu ono will be like that when you two get married..." Nabiki grinned at her older sister. Kasumi blushed. "I guess I just have to wait till then, now wont I?"
"Oh, Kasumi-obasan-" Akane leaned out. "Could you PLEASE propose to that poor doctor? He's gonna die before you two get hitched other-whoop!"
Akane was pulled back into the bathroom.
Kasumi blinked, then, looked at her younger sister, then began to laugh.

"Forgive me master, I have failed you. Saotome lives and he has married your woman-"
The hand connected with Raiku's cheek, sending him sprawling across the ground. "FOOL!" Saffron paced the ground angrily. "I should have known the son of Saotome would be too powerful for you. I'll just have to go kidnap her myself!"
"But master-"
The hand connected again and this time, he didn't move. "Shut up, worthless fool. The Saotome line is known to be protective toward the one's they love. The first time I battled one, I lost, and used up too much of my energy, becoming a child again. I'm now a man...this time, the transformation is complete. He doesn't stand a chance against me..."
"He has his father's book. He has his father's and his mother's secrets..." Saffron flipped his hair over his shoulder, his wings twitching restlessly. "It matter's not. I shall triumph this time..."

Saffron

"Where are we going Ranma?"
"Well, that day Raiku broke into your room, you cried about how you couldn't defend yourself, so I thought we'd go train. Ofukuro said Mt. Pheonix is near Jusenkyo-"
"Ranma, why can't you train me here?" She asked, hugging him tightly from behind. He sighed, turning toward her. "I want to, I really do, but I'm afraid Raiku may find you and I don't want you hurt..."
"Then I wont get hurt-"
"Akane!" He shook her, a tad hard. "Please, just this once, listen to me!" She began to cry softly and he kicked himself. "Gomen nasai..." He tilted her face up. She shivered, blinking away tears. "It's...it's alright, Ranma. I love you..." He leaned down, kissing her fiercely. "I love you..."
Suddenly, there was the flapping of wings and Ranma opened his eyes. Outside was a man with long golden hair, seeming to float in line with the window.
Ranma protectively held Akane, staring at the man. "Who are you?!"
"I am Saffron-"
Ranma stiffened. "You fought my father..." He glared at the man. "You almost killed my mother..."
"Today, I will take your bride!" Saffron burst into the window, trying to grab ahold of Akane. However, when he reached the place where Ranma and Akane had once stood, they were no longer there. He spun towards the window to see them behind him. "You are faster than your father was..."
"..." Ranma just glared at him, while Akane looked between the two. "Ranma..." He ran his hand down to her waist, holding her gently. *I can't fight here...or ofukuro's family will be at ground zero...* He lifted her off the ground and jumped out of the window backwards.
"SAOTOME!" Saffron cried in anger, pursuing.
"I gotta find a safe place...I'm sorry about this, Akane. I didn't want to get you involved and now-"
"Shut up, Ranma. I want to be with you, no matter where you are!" She pressed her face into his shirt, hugging him. "I don't care who he is! I'm not gonna sit around and wait to find out what's happened!"
He smiled fondly down at her. "I know..."
When they stopped, they were in the park, and Ranma just held Akane gently in his arms. Ranma and Akane turned to see Saffron and Raiku standing at the entrance, looking at them. "I see it didn't take you long to find us..." Ranma said, softly, still holding his wife. *I'm not going to lose her! NEVER!*
Akane faced them, her brown eyes flickering steel grey briefly. *Saotome Ranma...had two forms, ne? One male...one female...Please, Saotome Ranma, lend me your power...* Ranma's arm tightened around her.
Raiku stared in shock. "This is impossible..."
"Two bodies, two minds...one heart..." Saffron paused. *We don't stand a chance if we fight now. I...I must wait...I must learn how the boy fights...* "We're leaving..."
Raiku stared at his master while he flew away, then scowled at Ranma. "I'll still have her."
"You try it, Raiku, I dare ya..." Ranma's eyes began to gleam with the fire that his father had. His hand went to Akane's hip, pulling her back against him. "You've failed. Get out of our life!"
"We'll be back...be prepared..." Raiku bowed deeply before he ran off after his master.
"My mother said...Ryoga and Shampoo saw the battle against Saffron...I wanna know what my father did to beat him..." She nodded, letting him lift her into his arms. She wound her arms around his neck, and sighed. "I don't want to fight, Ranma...I want to live with you...I want us to LIVE!"
He nodded, kissing her neck. "Let me talk to your father and Shampoo-obasan...more than likely they can help..." She nodded sleepily, dozing against his shoulder.

Ukyou was wiping off the bar when she felt two arms boldly grab her waist. She giggled as she was pulled back against a familiar chest. "Oh, Ryoga..."
"I love you, Ukyou..." He said softly in her ear. She smiled back at him. "I love you, too..." They were about to kiss when the heard the door open. Ukyou began to turn around, sighing. "We don't open till-RANCHAN!"
Ranma gave her a tired smile. "She's okay, she's just asleep. Ryoga-tousan-"
"TOUSAN?!" Ukyou and Ryoga cried.
Ranma winced. "I guess we forgot to tell you guys...well, Akane and I are...well...married?"
Akane woke tightening her grasp on Ranma's neck. "Ranma..."
He blushed, scratching his head. "I...I really need you to get Shampoo-obasan down here...I need to talk to you about Saffron..."
Ryoga paled. "What about him?"
"I need to know how oyaji beat him."

"I saw it well..." Shampoo sipped her tea, sighing. "It was a version of Hiryu Shoten Ha, except, it went horizontal instead of vertical..." She closed her eyes. "It didn't kill Saffron, did it?"
Ranma looked at his sleeping wife who lay on the bench.

Ranma felt a presence behind him and closed his eyes, trying to put a finger on it. It wasn't very familiar, and had great power, but it wasn't the level of Saffron.
He glanced toward the booth that held his wife and saw a girl with purple hair holding a knife over her. "NO!" He lunged, putting himself between the knife and his wife. "Who?!"
Candi thrust the knife down, her eyes filled with hatred toward the girl who had stolen her husband. "Ranma mine."
"CANDI!" Shampoo cried.
She couldn't stop the forward momentum. It cut through flesh and blood splattered her face and hands.
Ranma winced as the knife cut him. It fortunately only grazed his shoulder, and stuck into the seat that Akane lay in.
Akane's eyes were now open and frightened. She stared at the Amazoness, terrified. Her eyes slowly moved to her husband, who was in a protective stance, covering her. "Ran...ma..."
He cracked his eyes, smiling down at her. "Ohayo..." He winced when she tenderly touched his shoulder. "Te..." He said softly. She sniffled, before throwing her arms around him, crying into his shirt. "Ranma no baka!" She whispered. He glanced toward the Amazoness. "You tried to kill my wife..."
"She not wife! Candi wife!"
"You are not my wife. Akane is."
"CANDI!" The young girl winced at the sound of her mother's voice. -HE'S MINE, MOTHER! TELL HIM!- Shampoo shook her head. -He is wed, Chan di. He is not yours. His heart and soul belong to Akane.-
"NO!"
"I'm afraid so, daughter."
Candi began sobbing and fled the room.
Ranma watched her go, his face in a deep frown. Akane continued to cry on his shoulder. "Why do you put yourself in danger for me?!" He pressed his lips to her forhead. "I'm fine, Akane...calm down...it's okay..." She pressed her face into his shoulder. "NO! It's not! You got hurt!" He sighed, kissing her face, trying to calm her.
"Take her upstairs." Ukyou said.
Ranma looked up and nodded, lifting her into his arms. "Thank you..." Akane hadn't calmed down even after he'd entered the bathroom and turned on the water. She trembled on the floor, tears rolling down her face. He sighed again, pulling off his clothes, then removing hers.
When the warm water engulfed them, Akane began to calm, her body relaxing. "Ranma...I'm so scared that you're going to get hurt when Saffron comes back..." He held her against his chest, his arms draped around her waist. "I'll be fine. Trust me." She turned to face him, holding his face in her hands and kissing him, tenderly.
He smiled, pulling her into his lap. She broke off the kiss and rested her head against his chest. *I like his smell...* She ran her hands across his damp skin. "Akane, if you want..."
She silenced him with another tender kiss. That was all the answer he needed.

Saffron frowned deeply, resting his head in his claws. "I believe that Saotome has Ranma's ki as well as his own. His father's fighting spirit...That girl also has far to much..."
Raiku frowned deeply. "Do you believe it is because he has bedded her?"
The lord looked up. "Not likely. She is linked with him at more than just a physical level...If she was who I think she was, then she was Ranma's love in her previous life...and after his mother died, she inherited Tendo's as well..."
Raiku twitched irritably. "I can take 'em-"
"Shut up, Raiku, I'm thinking."
"..."
"He no doubt knows how his father defeated me the first time. I must hope he will attempt to use a similar method."

-A week later
Cologne felt a great presence snd stiffened. "Lord Saffron, it has been a while..."
"Tell me everything you know about the Saotome line."
"They are well bred and powerful."
"I know that."
"Ranma was born out of wedlock to Tendo Akane seven months after his father committed seppuku. I have not seen the boy since he was six, and even then he had twice the fighting ability of most of the adults in the village."
"Thank you, Cologne." He smiled coldly and walked away.
Cologne frowned, her eyes worried. *It would appear I am soon going back to Japan...*

Ranma held Akane against him as they slept in her old bed, her eyes closed in sleep, her arms around him, her body relaxed for the first time since that morning.
He sighed, kissing her forhead gently. *I don't want her to get hurt...I'm so scared she's going to die...*
"Boy..."
Ranma tensed, and in less than a second, Akane and he were across the room.
Cologne laughed softly. "It would appear that I was right..." She frowned, noting the minor disorder of the room. "I take it you've met Saffron..."
"Hai..." He relaxed when he realized it was Cologne. "I have to admit, he scares me..." He sounded a bit ashamed. The old woman nodded. "Do not worry. He is scared of you and your wife as well." Ranma let a grin play upon his lips. "Good."
Akane moaned softly, and put her arms around him, hugging him as she woke. "R'nma..."
Cologne cackled. "It didn't take you long to get comfortable with your wife-"
His young bride bolted upright, staring at the intruder. "Who-?"
"This is Cologne-Obasan, Shampoo-obasan's great-grandmother." Akane relaxed, smiling. "Ohayo..." Cologne nodded. "Meet me downstairs when you are dressed. We must talk."
"Alright."

Part 4: Husband and Wife
Training

Ranma and Akane staggered downstairs, Akane trying to drag him back upstairs for another 'goodnight'. He finally smiled, lifting her off her feet and carrying her downstairs. "I told ya, we have to speak to Cologne!"
She giggled, kissing him as he went down the stairs. "But Ranma...I just wanna do it one more time..." He almost gave into her that time, but sighed, shaking his head. "After we talk to her, I promise." She pouted, but nodded. "Alright..."
Four Amazons, as well as his father's other marial artist friends sat downstairs. They glanced up, eyes troubled.
"Ranma..." Akane noticed the 'not too happy' look on her parents faces. "What's going on?"
"Ranchan, why didn't you tell us Saffron was back?" Ukyou asked softly. He sighed, raking his hair. "Look, this is MY fight, this time...I don't wanna put ya'll in danger."
"You should have told us."
Mousse nodded. "We can help. We fought with your father the first time."
"I appreciate what you're offerin, but..." He sighed, raking his hair again. "It's VERY personal this time. Raiku, the guy who's been the thorn in my side since birth, is after MY wife."
Cologne, who'd been silent till now, cleared her throat. "I understand what you're trying to do, Ranma. You want to prevent anything from happening to your wife, but going after Saffron ALONE will more than likely get you both killed. I'm certain your friends and family would be more than happy to help you, as am I."
Finally, his head fell in defeat. "Alright, but I want you to help train me and Akane, Cologne. My mother is dead and died before she could finish my training. You're the Elder of the Amazon village that is your home. If anyone can help us, it's you."
"I'd be more than happy to." Cologne stood on her walking stick, which seemed to have grown compared to herself. "Let's get started now." Ranma nodded, and Akane sighed.
When they were on the roof waiting for Cologne to come up, Akane turned to him. "Ranma, I don't want to do this, can't we just run away and-"
He shook his head. "I will NOT run away. I will NOT back down from this fight. Although I didn't challenge him, running away is as bad as letting him win." She grabbed his shirt. "I don't want to lose you!" She whispered. He smiled. "I said that to my mother before she died. Don't worry, I'm strong. I ain't gonna let you get hurt, and I promise, I'll live through it."
"You better." She said softly, grabbing his arm.
"Hmmm?"
"I was supposed to start my period last week. It still hasn't started."
"Huh?!" She looked down, sheepishly. "I...I wont know for awhile now...but I may be pregnant..." His face widened into a smile. "HONTO NI?!" He threw his arms around her, spinning her around. "Oh, AKANE!"
She hugged his neck, smiling, too. *I've never seen him so excited...well...that's not exactly true...*
"Ranma."
"Cologne..."
"We'll start now, by seeing what all you know now."

Saffron went through a book on amazon lore quickly. "That hag knows I'm going after Saotome and so he'll probably go to her to get help..." He grinned. "So I have to learn all the little secrets, so I don't get caught that easily..."

Akane collapsed to the ground, exhausted. "Rest, PLEASE!"
Ranma sighed, nodding. "Hai..." He sat beside her, pulling her onto his lap. She smiled up at him, while Cologne frowned. "You both have large aura's...If you and Akane had been raised in the village, you would have been unbeatable."
Akane smiled, resting her head on Ranma's shoulder. "I wish we didn't have to fight, though..."
Cologne cackled. "Didn't he tell you?! The Saotome clan is cursed to live interesting lives. Your husband's life is toned down compared to his father's, probably because he was raised by his mother."
He sighed, looking up at the sky. "I wish I'd known him..." Akane caught his hand, holding it gently. "I know, Ranma, I know..." He grinned, kissing her temple. "Ready to get back to work?"
She nodded reluctantely, standing. "Only if you promise, that when we're done tonight..." She grinned down at him. He grinned, too. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Her alarm clock went off and Ranma lashed out at it, 'killing' it. Akane woke from her half-sleep, and smiled, finding herself crushed against a warm chest. She placed a soft kiss to it, and sighed. She was still exhausted, and making love after they'd just HAD a work out, seemed to make it worse.
He slowly rolled out of the bed, landing on the floor. "Aw, damn, it's school day!" She bolted, running over to her dresser and pulling out her other uniform. Inside it was only her clothing. "Crap..." She muttered, glancing back at him. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare outfit for yourself, would ya?" He shook his head.
A soft sigh escaped her lips. "Oh, Ranma..." He pulled her back against his chest, kissing her neck. "Don't worry about me, rewearin' something wont kill me..." She shivered. "I like it when you do that..." She said, feeling him still kissing her neck and shoulder. "But if we don't get a move on, we're gonna be late..."
He sighed in disappointment. "I know, I know..." He pulled away and quickly dressed. "Akane-"
She turned to him, fastening her outfit. "Hmmm, dear?"
"You look great..." He kissed her lips quickly before he hurried toward the door. "I just realized, our back packs are at my place."
>Facefault
"Come on, let's hurry." She grabbed his hand, pulling him from the room.

Genma watched Ranma and Akane walk into the room. "Well, Ranma, what the hell are you doing here?"
Ranma grinned. "I could ask you the same." He drug her up the stairs to their room and grabbed their packs. Ranma stood there a moment before he sighed. "I'm gonna get changed."
"Alright, hon." He grabbed a white shirt and black pants from the closet. When he'd changed, he scooped her into his arms, kissing her. "I love ya..." He said, smiled. She smiled back. "I love ya, too, baka..."
"I love ya more..."
"We'll see when we finish practice tonight, ne?"
"Is that a challenge?"
"Perhaps..."
He grinned at her answer. "Let's get to school-" He paused. "Sweetheart..."
A faint blush colored her cheeks as she followed him from the room. *So...sweet...*
Genma stood at the base of the stairs, hands on his hips, legs akimbo. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Going to school, ojisan. Some kids do that, ya know. I happen to be one of em." He put his arm around his wife, and they left Genma standing at the foot of the stairs in shock.

"How dare you touch the fair Kounji Akane?!" Kuno cried, lunging out of nowhere, holding his bokken tightly.
Ranma yawned, looking at Akane. "Who takes care of him-"
She didn't give him a chance to finish. "KUNO!" She lunged, swinging her mallet around, full force, sending him flying. Ranma watched him disappear into the distance with admiration. "I think he reached the U.S." She giggled and he led her into the school.

"How was the honeymoon?!" Kitei asked, slapping Ranma on the shoulder. Ranma grinned, glancing at his wife, who was obviously having a similar discussion with her friends. "Oh, I'd give it a ten." The other boy whistled. "That good huh?"
"Off the charts." Ranma grinned. "Believe it or not, SHE wore ME out the first night."
"Damn..."
"Yeah..."
"So, she any good in bed?"
"You didn't get that hint yet?" Ranma eyed the curve of her waist, wishing he could say 'goodnight' to her again. "I believe she qualifies as a screamer...and even had her way with me on the first night, at least half the time..." Ranma shivered.
"You don't think maybe she had experience?" A hateful voice said.
Ranma turned slowly to face Raiku. "Hey, there, moron."
Kitei stood, casually walking over to Akane. "Hey, that bastard Raiku is bothering your hubby again."
Akane's eyes moved over to her fiancee, and she stood, walking calmly over to him. "Hi, Ranma, hon. Raiku, can I ask you somethin'?"
"Depends..." He grinned. "Can I fuck ya after ya ask?"
Akane looked down at Ranma and rolled her eyes. "You can't afford me, boy." Ranma had to put his hand over his mouth to smother the laugh. "Oh, by the way, why can't you do like my father does and GET LOST?!"
She was in front of him in a moment and kicked upwards, kicking him in the face.
Ranma simply applauded. "Nice kick, sweetheart." She giggled, leaning down and kissing his lips gently. "Anything for you, darling..."
For the second time that day, Kuno attempted to approach the happy couple, only to get blasted to the moon by Ranma and Akane.

Raiku limped away irritably. *She's gotten better...much much better...* He held his jaw in his hand, wincing at the sharp pains. "Master...Cologne is here..."
"I knew it..." Saffron laughed softly. "This fight should be...interesting to say the least..."

Pregnant?!

"We're not training you in the ways of the Amazon's today, Ranma." Cologne shifted slightly. "I have several friends from different parts of China, who study different arts than the Amazon's."
"Why aren't we training the way we have been?" Akane asked, as she sparred with her husband. Her fists and feet flew rapidly, as did his own.
"Because Saffron knows I'm here. If I train you in the ways of the Amazons as I have been, you will be beaten. He has a strong aura, stronger than your father's was. If you...if you are trained in many different arts, you will be harder to defeat." She hesitantely looked to the skies. That was when she saw him. "SAFFRON!"
He swooped down, lunging towards Ranma and Akane, as Cologne got between them. She held her hands up, and threw something above them. It scattered all around them, and when Saffron hit it, he was thrown backwards. "Well, well, little Cologne, it seems you have some tricks up your sleeves."
"Keep your hands off my pupils." She said coldly. Saffron landed on the roof, walking towards them. "Why should I?" She lifted her hand, and caught Ranma and Akane's with the others. "They aren't ready yet."
"Good. Ranma will be easier to kill, then."
"Wrong, you couldn't kill him without killing her as well."
"How is that, Cologne?"
Cologne grinned. "To kill one, you must kill both. Their souls are strong, and tied together by bonds that are too strong to break." She cackled at the anger on Saffron's face.
"I'm your superior, Cologne!" He shouted.
"You haven't always been, Saffron."
Ranma hugged Akane a bit closer, his hand protectively at her waist. Her face was worried and her hands trembled. "I'm afraid, Ranma..." She whispered. He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. "It'll be okay."
Her eyes slowly rose to Saffron, who looked amused. "How close are you two anyways?" He asked, examining his claws. She silently put her hand over Ranma's. "Close enough."
Ranma smiled, his hand running along her waist. "Okay, it seems you're not gonna leave us alone until we fight ya, huh, how about Mt. Pheonix, in China, exactly one month from now."
Saffron frowned at the boy. "It will do..."

-Three weeks later-
Akane sat in Dr. Tofu's office, nervous. "Ummm...I know you aren't a...ummm..."
He frowned. "Is something wrong, Akane?"
"Well...umm...IthinkImaybepregnant..."
"Excuse me, I didn't catch the last part."
Akane nervously brushed some hair behind her ear. "I think I'm...well...pregnant." She spat the word out finally, her face blushing deeply. Dr. Tofu nodded and smiled. "Is this a problem?" She nodded. "I told Ranma I might be, and...I'm afraid of what may happen if...if I am and our fight against Saffron is next week...I'm scarred that I may hurt the baby, and I'm worried that Ranma wont let me fight if I am..."
"You're afraid he'll die and the baby will be born without a father..."
She nodded.
"Well, I can have the test done now, and I can tell you in a week. By then the fight should be over-"
"I need to know now. Otherwise I'll be so worried about it during the fight I may take some unnessesary risks."
"Very well."

Ranma sighed, looking up at the roof of the office. Kasumi walked in and he grinned at her. "Ohayo, Kasumi-obasan."
"Ohayo Ranma. Is Akane in there?" Her face was nervous, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. He nodded. "She wouldn't let me go in with her." Kasumi nodded and walked into the room where Akane was.
"...and it is probably going to be a-" Dr. Tofu looked up and smiled sheepishly at Kasumi. "Ummm..."
Akane smiled. "You can tell me that later, doctor. I'm sure you and Kasumi would like a moment of privacy..." She stood and walked to the door. Dr. Tofu and Kasumi looked at each other, both blushing slightly. "Ummm..."
Kasumi smiled. "Ono-san, I think it's time we had a nice long talk."

Ranma stood when Akane left the room. "Well? Are you okay?"
"Ummm...I'm better than okay...but..." He looked nervous. "Akane, what's wrong?!" She shook her head. "Nothing. You know how we felt when we married, then that night after we... made love?"
He nodded nervously. "What's up? Are ya losin that feelin?" She shook her head, going up to him, and putting her arms around him. "Ranma, darling...I'm...I'm pregnant..." His face became incredibly excited and he lifted her, spinning her around. "HONTO NI?!"
She nodded, sheepishly. "But you have to promise me you'll let me fight!"
He stopped, looking nervous. "Akane-" She looked up at him, seriously. "Promise me, Ranma." He sighed, seeing her eyes told him she wouldn't take no for an answer. His head fell in defeat. "Alright, love..." He whispered, holding her tightly. He closed his eyes. "Alright..."
She smiled, and sighed softly. "Oh, Ranma...I love you so much..." He kissed her shoulder, nuzzling her neck. "I love you too..."
Kasumi walked out with Tofu Ono, her hand tucked into his, his glasses fogged. "Ranma, Akane, thanks for pushing us in the right dirention..."
The pair broke apart, blushing slightly.
"Ono-san finally asked me to marry him..." She blushed, lifting her hand to display the ring. Ranma grinned, his hand closing around Akane's. "'Bout time, Ono-san!" Both said, before they left, Ranma standing just closer to Akane, and his hand not leaving her shoulders even when they walked out of the building.

"So, Ranma, how's Akane?" Kitei asked, plopping down on the ground beside Ranma, who was sitting closer to Akane than normal.
Ranma smiled, glancing over to his wife, who was talking happily to her friends. "She's great..." He laughed softly, laying back against the grass. "And within the next eight or nine months, I'm gonna be a father."
"WHAT?!?!?!?!" Kitei fell backwards, shocked. "YOU?! Ya mean she's..." His voice dropped. "Pregnant?!"
Ranma grinned and nodded. "Yeah..." He sighed, looking wistfully over at his wife. *Kawaii...*
"SUGOI! Can I be the godfather?!"
"Kitei, you're not catholic."
"So?!"
Ranma laughed, sighing.

"Akane, why're you so cranky today?"
"Is it your time of the month?"
Akane saw her husband looking at her and smiling, and felt her face flush. "Uhhh...no...I'm just...ummm..."
"Well?!" Mika and Satsuki insisted.
"I'm pregnant."
"WHAT?!" They sounded dismayed. "But you're still in highschool! How are you gonna deal with it?! You won't have time!"
Akane sat up, her face upset. "What are you saying?! I-I love Ranma...he loves me...so what if for a few months our baby wont be around us twenty four seven! Kasumi-obasan, Nodoka-obasan, and Ofukuro can help me take care of it!"
"Aren't you worried that Ranma will treat you worse because you're pregnant?"
"Absolutaly not! Ranma already knows I'm pregnant and he isn't treating me any different. If he has been, I haven't noticed because he seems ecstatic!"
They sighed, glancing at each other. "Akane, we're just worried about ya..."
Akane smiled gratefully. "Don't worry about me. Ranma and I will always be happy. He loves me and I-"
"Like how he is in bed?"
Raiku's voice caused her to stiffen. "THAT is none of your business, Raiku."
"Oh, but isn't it?!" He pulled her to her feet and started fondling her chest. Mika and Satsuki stared in horror.
"I'll warn you once, Raiku, get your fucking hands off me, or I'll kill you." She felt his finger reaching under her skirt and kicked. Hard.
He flipped bacwards, just in time. She glared at him. "I believe you've gotten better, ne?" He laughed. "But of course. I want to be perfect for the appointed day, so I can take you down while your husband is battling Saffron!" He lunged, only to meet a shoe.
"Keep your goddamned hands off my WIFE!" Ranma shouted, his fists moving in an intricate pattern he'd only just learned that week. Akane watched him move, happily. He didn't knock him unconsious, and left him standing. He just broke three rips, gave him a concussion, and broke his hand.
"You've gotten better, darling." She said, putting her arm around his waist. "Much, MUCH better." He simply smiled down at her, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Anything for you, sweetheart."
"You do know the slut is pregnant with my child, right?" Raiku smiled grimmly. "That child in her belly is MINE!"
Akane had to hold Ranma back to keep him from killing his enemy. "Ranma, no, remember what your mother said?! Control, Ranma, CONTROL!" Finally, she put herself between them, putting her arms around his waist. "Please, stop, darling..."
His body relaxed, but his face didn't. Indiscribable anger was in his eyes and his brow was knitted together angrily. "I swear, if you ever touch her again, I'll kill you, you sunuvabitch!"
Silence enveloped the courtyard. "Akane is my wife, and the child she carries is MINE! I garuntee it!"
"Ranma..." She kissed his chest, hugging him, trying to calm him down. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Akane, it's okay..." Her arms went around his neck, hugging him tighter. "I love YOU, Ranma!" She whispered fiercely. "Don't forget that! We fight in a week, until then, please, try to stay in control!"
He hugged her back, while glaring at Raiku over her shoulder. "I guess we'll see you in a week, Raiku. Be prepared."
"Of course." Raiku smiled nastily. "Of course..."

Part 5: Mother and Father
Battle: Alone-part 2

Ranma sighed, resting his chin in his hand. He and his wife sat in a room in a small hotel not far from Mt. Pheonix. "Not too much longer, eh, love?"
She nodded, putting her arms around him. "Ranma-" His eyes met hers. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I can't get my mind off the fight..." She smiled, her hands running up his chest to circle his neck. "Maybe I can get it off for you..."
He smiled, rolling her back to the matress. "Akane, love, are you trying to seduce me?" She smiled, putting her arms around his neck and tugging him down to her. He resisted, but finally gave in to her insistant tugging. "Oh, Akane..."
She smiled, kissing him. "Ranma, tomorrow we're going to a fight we may not come back from, I want...please, just tonight? We haven't made love in days..."
He smiled, putting his arms around her, keeping himself over her. "Okay..."

Saffron watched Ranma and Akane step onto the field, smiling, confident. "So, you had the audacity to show?"
Akane just held her husbands hand, feeling his strength, but also his nervousness. Behind her, her mother and father, as well as Shampoo's family, appeared.
Ranma grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Let's get this over with. I wanna go home."
Saffron nodded and several people appeared behind him. "I see that this match is...hardly even..."
Ukyou tensened, pulling out her HUGE spatula.
Ryoga smirked, pulling his umbrella, while Akane struck a loose ready pose. Ranma stood stark still.
"Your move." He said.
Saffron grinned. "I had a feeling you'd say that..."

Cologne watched Saffron's battle aura grow, while her pupils remained small. A small smile crossed her lips. Their 'smaller' calm aura's were still larger than Saffron's battle aura.
Saffron moved with blinding speed towards Ranma and Akane, striking in the middle, attempting to separate them. Ranma simply scooped Akane up, moving with her. "You'll have to do better than that." The lord frowned noticing that their aura's were still small, despite that they were in battle.
Ranma pulled out a cloth, tying his and Akane's wrists together. She just smiled at him, slyly, knowing he meant to do a special attack they'd just learned. When Saffron lunged again, he winked at her and she caught Saffron around his neck with her feet. Ranma grinned and spun them around, his hand linked with Akane's. Akane released Saffron and he flew backwards.
Saffron managed to stop his movements before he hit the side of the mountain. "You've gotten better..." He said, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "But the end result will be no different."
Raiku appeared, throwing boomerangs at Akane, his eyes gleaming. Ranma kicked a few boomerangs, while Akane kicked others, sending them back to the source.
Raiku yelped, catching them. *They've gotten MUCH better. Could it be her child that links them?* He grinned. *Looks like the only way to win is to separate them...*
Ranma and Akane now had their back facing Raiku while they fought Saffron. They could hear the sounds of their allies battles, while they fought, but practically ignored them.
Suddenly, Akane felt pain explode in her side and saw a foot there. Raiku smiled nastily at her, while the boomerang he'd thrown just seconds before struck the cloth that bound their wrists, sepperating them.
She gasped, falling down the steep slope of the mountain.

"AKANE!" Ranma lunged after her, only to be blocked by Saffron. "We're not done yet!" Ranma growled, kicking his face, and running down the slope after his wife.
He felt pain in his wrist from when the binding had been cut and knew deep down he was bleeding. With a silent prayer, he lept off the slope and free fell for what seemed like hours. Just as he was coming down, he saw Akane reaching and outcropping, her downward fall rapidly increasing. "AKANE!"
She hit the edge, and managed to catch a weak tree branch before she fell off. "AAA!"
Ranma's eyes narrowed as he continued to fall. He'd almost reached the outcropping, he heard a snapping and reached out, catching the limb as it broke. Relief filled him. Her eyes met his over the branch, filled with fear. "It'll be okay, love..." He whispered, trying to pull her up, only to wince, noting that the hand that was her lifeline was injured from the cut.
"Ran...ma..." She held on with both hands, and tried to climb up the branch. Suddenly, a boomerang sliced through the branch, and Akane fell...

"RANMAAAAAAA!" He watched her fall in slow motion. "A-Akane..." Tears filled his eyes. "No...not her, too...she's all I have left...my beautiful wife...please, no...oh, god..."
-Flashbacks-
Sweet smiles...
Ranma showing Akane up in front of her Martial Arts classes...
The first time Akane admitted she was Ranma's friend...
Their constant bickering, only to be smiling and laughing about it later...
Shared hugs and warm words...
Akane trying to comfort Ranma after his mother died...
Akane kissing his cheek after the funeral...
Sweet smiles...
Akane telling him he was only a bastard if he believed he was...
Their first kisses on the floor of her bathroom...
Accepting their engagement...
Akane's look of joy when he defended her from his grandfather...
Akane's smile when she admitted she loved him...
Their wedding...
Her laughter...
Her warm arms...
Not feeling alone anymore...
Having someone to protect...
-End Flashbacks-
He felt tears fill his eyes. "AKANEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Warm light flooded him and he felt tears rolling down his cheeks. "Yurusunai..." He whispered, his steel blue eyes lighting up with the fire that his father had possessed when he'd wanted to save his mother. "Yurusunai..."

Akane felt like the drop to the bottom was taking forever. Her body almost felt like it was floating. She watched Ranma's face disappear. There was incredible lonliness in it. *Oh, Ranma...I don't want to leave you...I want to fight by your side...Ranma...Ranma!* Fire began to build inside of her. She had seen it before. In the eyes of her sensei.
-Flashbacks-
Best friends...
Ranma saying she was cute when she smiled...
Ranma sticking up for her when she got in trouble with boys at school...
Ranma defending her from her would-be boyfriends...
Warm arms...
Him comforting her when she'd broke her leg...
Him holding her tight the night her sensei died...
His presence when she was afraid...
His protectiveness...
Strong will...
Refusing their engagement...
Him fighting his grandfather and fellow students about being a bastard...
Him angrily declaring he would elope with her if nessesary...
Soft lips...
His gentle kiss to her cheek before she entered her home...
Him stealing her first kiss, and her heart on the bathroom floor...
His lips brutally crushing hers, and kissing her everywhere when they made love...
His comforting kisses to calm her down in the most dire of circumstances...
Quick fleeting kisses stollen in the mornings before school...
His warm hands...
His gentle eyes...
His calm nature...
His protectiveness...
Not wanting for him to be alone...
-End flashbacks-
The fire flooded her being, and she tilted her head back, letting herself scream. "RANMAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The light that surrounded him quickly focussed on his back and he felt pain greater than anything he'd ever felt before. It was black, but blue filled the inside as his battle aura began to become solid behind him. He screamed in pain, feeling his skin tearing and then, felt something protruding from his back.

The light that enveloped the mountain was black, but then, white enveloped that, lined with pure gold. Cologne stared in wonder. "This...it couldn't be..."
The battle stopped. Everyone was so filled with emotional pain and suffering, that they couldn't fight. They were practically frozen to the spot.

Black feathers swirled around Ranma. His eyes were spilling forth bitter tears, his face a mask of grief. The graceful black wings folded outward, fifteen feet in diameter, reaching from far above his head to his feet. He looked up the mountain, feeling the great injustice of losing his first and only love.
"YURUSUNAI!" He cried, flying up the steep slopes.

Akane felt her pain focus on her back, warmth filling her, and then, something exploded from her back. Around her body a dougi formed, made of white and black, fitting snuggly around her, and then, there was an odd sensation of something growing from her, like extra limbs, only she couldn't see them.
An exposion of white feathers surrounded her, then, and she flapped her knew wings, stopping her freefall immidiately.
The fire in her moved up into her eyes, and she looked upwards, ready to fight.

An Ending, To Be Sure...

Ranma reached the location of the battle and caught sight of Saffron duking it out with Cologne. A soft growl errupted from him. "SAFFRON!" He cried in anger.
Saffron looked up and stared in shock. "Wings..."
Ranma began walking towards him, his eyes blazing with anger. "You stole her...you took her away from me. I could have saved her if you hadn't stopped me..."
"That stance!" Ryoga stared in wonder, shocked. "It could be...Ranma..."
A dangerous look was on Ranma's face. The look that his father had when trying to save his mother. Dangerously determined. "Your opponent..." He snarled. "IS ME!" He lept into the fight, his eyes ablaze.
Saffron was taken by surprise when Ranma lept up into the air and punched him in the face. He fell into a familiar cavern and saw the Kinjakan and Gakkaja. Malice filled his gaze and he went for the weapons.
Ranma wasn't far behind him and when Saffron latched onto the Kinjakan, Ranma had grabbed the Gekkaja. He glared at him, his eyes filled with angry pain. "You didn't let me save her!" He screamed, lunging.
Saffron swung the blade, slicing for Ranma, but only getting air. Seconds later, he felt the blade of his opponents weapon strike his face. "You dare to strike royalty?!"
"I don't care what you are! You asshole! You let my happiness slip through my fingers!" He swung again, slicing air as Saffron dodged. "I'm gonna kill you!"
Blue black light exploded everywhere and Ranma moved closer to Saffron, headbutting him. "I lost my Akane because of you! MY WIFE! MY CHILD!"
Saffron felt a surge of energy coming at him from all directions. He felt himself implode from the pressure. A shrill scream punctuated the scene as blood flew everywhere.

Akane reached the top of the mountain as a shrill scream was heard. "Ranma..." She closed her eyes, praying that he would be alright. Suddenly, something hit her in the back of the head and she collapsed. Raiku stood over her, smiling. He began to drop his pants and reached to remove the dougi.
"I'm sorry you couldn't live through the pleasure I'm about to give you..." He sighed, smiling as he straddled her hips. Just then something struck him and he went flying through the air, his scream gradually fading away, till it stopped abruptly.

Ranma staggered from the cave, bleeding from his own wounds, most gained from his trip down the mountain. He looked around and saw his friends standing around, staring at him in wonder. He tried to smile, but failed. Finally, he gave up and sank to his knees, putting his face in his hands and crying for the first time in almost a year. Since his mother had died.
Ryoga hugged Ukyou as she began to cry as well. Shampoo covered her daughter's eyes so she could not see her mother's tears. Mousse comforted both, while Cologne stood alone, her face sad. "I'm sorry, Ranma."
"Akane..." He whispered, looking at the sky. "AKANEEEE!"
Just then, two arms wrapped around his shoulders. He tensed, ready to spin around and fight. He looked down and saw the arms were clad in white sleeves with white and black arm braces. "I'm here, Ranma..." A soft voice whispered.
He felt a few more tears slip from his eyes. "A-Aka...ne?" He whispered. She came into his sight and he saw two graceful white wings slowly fading. He felt the weight from his own wings fade away and he grabbed her around her waist, hugging her tightly. "Oh, Akane...I love you...I love you...I love you so much..." He cried against her shoulder while she hugged him gently.
"I promised I wouldn't leave you..." She whispered, pulling back and kissing his lips tenderly. His eyes were so filled with relief, she couldn't take it. "I'm alright, Ranma, I promise."
He silenced her with an urgent kiss, holding her close. A tiny smile lit up her face. Tears of joy slid down both of their faces. "Oh, Ranma..." She whispered. He pulled her into his lap, still kissing her.
When they finally broke appart long enough to breath, Ranma rested his forhead against her. "I was so scared I was alone..." She smiled, looking up at him. "I'll never leave you. I won't let you be alone." He finally smiled, his eyes a bit teary still, but she quickly dried his eyes by kissing him again.
"WAY TO GO, RANMA!" Ukyou called, her tears now dry, while the others started cheering as well.
Ranma and Akane broke apart, laughing delightedly.

-About eight months later-
"Come on, Akane, push! You're almost there!" Shampoo quickly wiped the sweat from her brow, waiting to catch the baby. Ranma had been forced to wait outside with the other men.
"This ain't no place for a man, Ranma." Ukyou said, shooing him out of the room. Cologne, Ukyou, Mika, Satsuki, Kasumi(Who was pregnant also, now.), Nabiki, Nodoka, and Candi also stood in the room.
"Come on! Just one more big push and the heads out!"
Akane nodded and ground her teeth together, pushing with all her might. She felt something gradually empty her and when it was finally gone, she fell back against the matress. Joy filled her as a healthy cry filled the air. She laughed, feeling her friends and family hugging her. She weakly hugged them back.

Ranma paced outside her bedroom door. Ryoga, Mousse, Kitei, Tofu, Genma, and Soun waited nearby, their eyes anxious. He sighed, hearing her pained crys and had to be restrained from barging into the door several times.
One particular time, his wife had screamed loudly, her voice pained. His name. That time he'd almost lost it, trying to break down the door.
Seconds later, a tired looking Shampoo exited, covered in blood and sweat. "You may go in, now, Ranma..." She said wearily, disappearing into the bathroom.
He didn't need a second invitation. He walked into the room, his eyes worried.
The second he saw her, his life changed.
She cradled a baby to her chest, her friends and mother cooing over it, her face lit up with a happy smile. She looked up and her smile broadened when she saw her husband. "Ranma..."
He walked toward her and the other's moved toward the door. When he was at her side, he saw it was a beautiful baby, it's hair black as it's mother's. He looked down at her. "What is it?" He asked softly.
She smiled up at him. "It's girl, Ranma, a beautiful, strong, healthy, baby girl..." She began to cry happy tears and felt her husbands arms go around her. "I'm so happy Ranma...so damn happy...I want us to always be like this...I want more babies, Ranma...I want a happy life..."
He smiled, leaning down to kiss her gently. "Don't worry about it, love. We have time to have plenty..."

Epilouge: Daughter

Ranma sighed, looking down at his parents graves. "Well, ofukuro, it was a girl. A beautiful baby girl. Her name is Saotome Akari Nodoka." He set the flowers down on his parents graves before sitting before them. "She's beautiful. Akane's on her way, so we can show her to you." He smiled, running his hand through his hair. "I'm teaching at the dojo now. I have some wonderful students...They're great. The Kuno's grandchildren are under my instruction.
"I don't suppose I told you that I met Saffron. He's dead now. He wont be coming back. I killed him. I'm not proud of it, but I thought he'd killed Akane. I felt incredible power surge through me when she fell. It felt like I was on fire. I think it was you, oyaji...
"Well, anyways, what matters now is we're happy and we have had your granchild. Oh, I wish you could have seen her when she was born. She was born smiling. Her face could light up a room. I have a feeling we're going to wind up with a heartbreaker." He smiled. "Tofu Ono and Kasumi-obasan are finally married...In fact, she's pregnant with their first, and Nabiki is engaged to someone named Kazuya. I've only met him once, but he seems nice enough."
"Talkin to em?"
Akane's voice behind him caused his face to jerk up. "Hi, love..." He said softly, smiling at his wife. She knelt beside him, holding her child to her chest. "Hi, Akane-sensei, Ranma-otousan..." She smiled, pulling the blanket from the baby's face. "Isn't she beautiful?" She whispered, tears of pride coming to her eyes.
"Oh, come on, Akane..." Ranma pulled her close, letting her cry into his shirt. "It's gonna be okay."

Two forms watched Ranma and Akane kneeling before their graves. They glanced at each other and smiled. "You raised a good man, Akane..." One said. He smiled at her, his hand wrapping around hers. "I know, my husband." Akane said, smiling at her son.
"Looks like Ryoga and Ukyou raised one hell of a beautiful woman, too." She nodded, leaning against his strong chest. "I can't help but wonder if it would have turned out like this if you hadn't died, Ranma..." Akane lifted her eyes to his. He grinned. "No chance in hell. He would have been ten times as stubborn as me."
Akane laughed. "You're probably right, darling. I can hardly believe I'm a grandmother, now. It's kinda scary."
Ranma smiled, one of his 'make-your-knees-jelly' smiles. "Yeah, especially since you don't look a day over sixteen." She laughed softly, kissing him gently. "They made a beautiful little girl. Didn't I tell you they would?" He caressed her cheek gently. "So did you."
Tears rolled down Akane's face. "Oh, Ranma..." She pressed her face into his chest. "I'm glad we helped them fight Saffron. I was so scared our son was going to die...I was terrified that his wife would die and he'd kill himself to follow her and his baby..."
"It's okay, honey. I love you, you know?"
She nodded. "I love you too, Ranma."
They watched in silence for a long time. "Akane, it's time to go."
"Alright, Ranma, love..."
He took her hand, flipping his braid over his shoulder. "I can't believe you cut my hair..." He said, tugging it, making sure it wouldn't come off. She smiled. "Let's call it even. After all, you're part of the reason mine was cut off."
"It wasn't my fault! It was Ryoga's bandanna!"
She made a funny face at him, sticking her tounge out.
"Put that back unless you intend to use it, you kawaiikune tomboy!"
"Make me, you stupid hentai!"
They chased each other, laughing and calling out to each other, until they faded into one large sparkling golden light.

~Fin...or...is it?~

(Okay, okay, go ahead, rant. This is NOT the way I wanted the fight scene to go...I was planning this long, epic battle type thing...and well, somewhere between my mind and my hands, it fell apart ^.^; If you loved it, great...if you didn't...well, not much I can do, I ain't gonna rewrite it, took too damn long to write it in the first place...(no offense ^.^;;;))

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