Author's notes: Thanks to: goku905041 (I'm glad you find it interesting!); Taechunsa (it isn't set at the end of the manga, it is anywhere in the middle. They still haven't admitted they love each other (losers). I was just saying that I finished the manga, and was inspired to write something!); CleverWitch (I'm so happy you like it! ); and cherrybloss9 (This is totally AkaneRanma. My fave pairing! Ranma is being mean and all that cuz of the himokimo, it is a side effect of something good happening between AR later.)

So, here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 2: Words are Painful

beep, beep, beep! Akane glanced at the alarm clock. -Time to get up.- While Akane was changing into her school uniform, her hand encountered a large bruise on her shoulder. She winced and finished dressing.

-I hope Ranma isn't crazy today…- Hesitantly, she padded downstairs and to breakfast. Ranma wasn't there, and she sat down in her customary place. Everyone gathered at the table started as Ranma crashed down the stairs and dropped into his usual seat next to Akane.

"Sorry," he panted, "overslept." No one paid him any mind, this being a common occurrence. "Pass me the salt please, Akane," he asked.

Akane looked at him, slightly bewildered. He was grinning at her. Blushing softly, she quickly handed him the saltshaker and returned her attention to her breakfast. -I guess he's back to normal. Good. I don't know what I would have done if he had kept up his abuse! If he does it again I'll tell Kasumi. Maybe Dr. Tofu as well. Yesterday I was feeling to stunned to do anything. I won't let that happen again. I wonder what was making him act like that.- Akane turned her thoughts to the previous day. He had been fine until the last break. -Maybe Shampoo fed him some weird ramen! I'm sure she and Cologne are capable of doing something like that. I wonder if she knew what it really does…-

"Akane, it's time to go," she heard Ranma say.

"Huh?" She looked at him dazedly.

"Huh?" He mocked, waving his hand in front of her eyes. She smacked it away irritably, and he grinned at her again.

­-I really hate it when he does that,- she lied to herself. He offered a hand to help her up.

"Thanks," she said quietly She headed for the door with her book bag, Ranma not far behind her. -I wonder if I should say anything to him about yesterday… I think he would have made an attempt at apologizing or something, but you can never tell.-

"So, Ranma, what did'ja do yesterday?" she asked casually.

Ranma, who was walking easily along the top of the fence, as he was wont to do, shrugged. "I don't remember."

"Anything?"

"Nothing after the last break."

"Well, that's odd," Akane remarked.

"Shampoo was doing her best to kill me by stuffing ramen down my throat, maybe she has somethin' to do with it."

"What, you think she fed you something that would make you act weird and forget about it?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," he stated, echoing an earlier thought of Akane's. "Do you know where I was?" he asked.

"I know you were at home."

"Well, that's good." Akane wasn't able to ask why the fact he was at home was good by their arrival at school and the simultaneous arrival of Kuno.

"Saotome, you cursed fiend!" he yelled, trying to strike Ranma with his bokken. Akane, not wanting to put up with Kuno's antics today, kicked him over the school building. She turned to see Ranma looking at her oddly.

"What?" she asked, irritated.

"You usually have me kick him."

"I felt like kicking something."

"Oh. I see. Well, I'm glad you didn't kick me," he replied. Together, they started walking to their class.

Gosunkugi had arrived at school early so he could check the effects of the himokimo. He watched Akane and Ranma enter the schoolyard together, Akane kicked Kuno, and then watched them head inside. -So, it doesn't stay constant.- he mused. As Gosunkugi pondered the problems his errant himokimo had spawned, Akane and Ranma entered the classroom, just before the bell rang.

"Well, that's a nice surprise! You two not being late," Miss Hinako remarked. Akane and Ranma moved to their seats, ignoring her.

The school day progressed normally. Gosunkugi watched Ranma and Akane carefully for any signs of abnormal behavior. This normalcy continued up until the last break of the day. Akane passed Ranma an extra cookie Kasumi had packed and sat with him on the grass under a shady tree. It was especially warm for April today. Neither one of them felt much like talking, they were content to sit together in silence.

"I'm surprised Shampoo hasn't showed up," stated Akane.

She probably had too many deliveries to come and harass me," Ranma replied darkly. Akane glanced at the watch in her bag.

"It's 1:54, six minutes 'till we're back in class," Akane sighed. She wanted to go home. She was thinking this and watching Ranma when he… changed. His eyes glazed over and his head lolled on his neck. Then, his head snapped back up, and he glared fiercely at Akane.

1:55 pm

"What are you doing here, stupid slut?"

Akane, startled by the transformation, replied: "I brought you a cookie from Kasumi, then we were sitting together."

"Why would I want to sit with a stupid, fat, ugly whore like you?" he demanded.

"I…"

"I wouldn't!" he snarled. "Keep your ugly face and nasty body out of my sight!" Gosunkugi took this in and looked at his watch, making a mental note that the transformation took place at 1:55 pm. -The reversal probably happens at midnight, then. Yesterday was physical abuse, today it looks only to be verbal. It looks like things will be getting better at a pretty fast pace.- While Gosunkugi had been analyzing the situation, Akane had been staring, stunned at Ranma.

"Well? What the hell? You must be stupider than a goddamn brick. You fucking, ugly, bitch. Get the hell away from me! What person would want to be near someone like you! Go and torture someone else with your bad looks!"

Akane picked up her backpack, stood, and walked away calmly. When she couldn't see Ranma anymore, she slowly sat down next to a tall tree with drooping branches. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and rested her chin on them. -Well, he's not trying to beat me down, at least.- she thought, trying to distract herself from despair. -Whatever Shampoo gave him must last for a few days, or more. It must loose potency after a while. Oh, Ranma!- Akane gave up, and wept. She buried her face in her hands. She heard the bell ring for return to class, but ignored it. Once she felt cried out, she wiped her eyes and left school.

She didn't go home, she wandered around Nerima. She found herself in one of the cities many parks, and sat down next to a small pond. She leaned forward and stared at her wavering reflection. Ranma's words had hurt more than usual. She was pretty sure when Ranma teased her normally, he didn't really mean it. Obviously, it bothered her a little, but it didn't make her feel like she was the lowest person on the planet.

Akane sat watching her tears slowly run down her cheeks and worried about Ranma. Through the months he and Genma had been living with the Tendos, she had come to care for Ranma. Deeply. It scared her sometimes, how deeply she cared for him. She thought about him constantly. She was afraid to say anything to him. She was afraid of rejection and afraid of what may happen if he returned her love. She snorted at that last thought. -Like that would happen. I think he tries to suppress any… serious feelings when it comes to his fiancés.-

She sighed and moved so she was lying on her stomach, hidden in the long grass. There, surrounded by quiet and calm, Akane was able to forget the hurt Ranma's words had caused. She knew it was a spell or something like that. She would have to pay a visit to Nekohanten and ask Cologne if she and Shampoo had done anything to Ranma.

Akane was calm now. She had learned as a young girl not to let others words drag her into depression. It was just harder to dismiss words when they came from Ranma. As Akane settled her complicated emotions, she grew tired and fell asleep.

The Tendo house, 8:13 pm

"Akane hasn't come home," Kasumi stated as she served a late dinner. Late because she had been waiting for Akane to get home.

"She wasn't at school when I left," Nabiki added.

"Ranma, do you know where Akane is?" Kasumi asked.

"No."

"I'm sure she's fine, if she doesn't come home soon, we'll send Ranma to look for her," Nabiki said.

"But-"

"Please, Ranma," Kasumi asked sweetly. No one, no matter what kind of curse they were under, could resist Kasumi.

"The rest of dinner was eaten in silence, except for Genma and Soun arguing over the last piece of sushi.

9:00 pm

Ranma found himself tossed out the door to look for Akane at 9:00.

"Don't come back until you've found her," Nabiki ordered.

"Fine," Ranma muttered.

-Why do I have to search the city for that stupid ho-bitch?- Ranma repeated this in his head like a mantra as he diligently searched for Akane. He found her in the park about forty minutes later, sleeping.

"Hey," he nudged her prone form with his foot. She didn't stir. He bent down to yell in her ear: "HEY!" Akane jumped up, ready to punch someone's face in.

"R-ranma?"

"Your family wants you home, for some reason," he started. Akane pushed him into the pond.

"I don't feel like dealing with your crappy attitude right now," she muttered.

Ranma-chan surfaced, spluttering, "what'd you do that for?" she asked, wiping water from her eyes.

"I don't feel like dealing with your mouth!"

"What are you talking about? I haven't even seen you since this afternoon! I know Kasumi and Nabiki told you to look for me, so I did."

Akane was thinking hard. ­-Maybe girl-Ranma isn't affected by whatever it is that is messing Ranma up!-

Ranma, listen up!" Akane demanded. Ranma-chan stared at her stoically. "You have been acting very oddly, beginning yesterday after the last break. Yesterday, you became physically abusive to me, and today it was verbal, but it was still fierce. This morning, up until first break, you were fine, and you didn't remember anything. I think Shampoo fed you something funny, but I'm not sure."

"Have you gone to ask the old ghoul?" Ranma-chan asked.

"No, I was gonna do that earlier, but I forgot…"

"You mean you passed out," Ranma-chan teased.

"Quiet, you."

"Why don't we head home. I'll stay this way so I don't go off on you again."

"Thanks, Ranma," Akane said, touched.

"You're probably hungry, but I'm sure Kasumi's hidden your dinner so Pop and Mr. Tendo couldn't get it," Ranma-chan continued.

"Why are you being… extra nice?" Akane asked.

"Well… I feel kinda bad about what I'm doing, even if I don't know I'm doing it," Ranma-chan scuffed the ground with a foot, embarrassed.

"Thanks," Akane grinned.

"Yeah, whatever. Lets go."

When they arrived home, they discovered that Kasumi had, indeed, saved some dinner for Akane. She ate quickly and went to her room to get ready for bed. While she was changing, Ranma-chan entered her room without knocking.

"What are you doing!" Akane shrieked, and covered herself with her nightshirt.

"Sorry, sorry!" Ranma-chan slipped out the door and shut it again. Feeling very agitated, Akane pulled her shirt on. She opened the door to find a blushing Ranma-chan waiting for admittance.

"Come in if you still want to."

"I just wanted to apologize again for everything," she said.

"Thanks, Ranma, that means a lot to me."

"Yeah, well, and like I said, I won't mind staying like this if it will make you feel better…"

Akane leaned forward and hugged Ranma-chan. "This means a lot to me, Ranma. It hurts when you do mean things to me, and this time it was so much worse." Ranma, stiffly hugged Akane back. Girl body or not, he was still a man, and didn't really know how to act with emotional girls. When Akane pulled away, her large nightshirt fell off of her right shoulder, revealing a huge bruise.

"What's this?" She asked Akane softly.

"It's from yesterday," Akane whispered. "So are these," she held up her arms to show Ranma-chan numerous small cuts.

"What'd I do?" She asked gently.

"I was carrying a stack of dishes, and you tripped me. They fell and broke and I fell on top of them. Then a bit later you gripped my shoulder really hard…" Akane's voice trailed off.

"I… I'm sorry, Akane," Ranma said, and fled. She stared after her, bewildered.

Ranma

Ranma-chan was up in a tree, the tree that faced Akane's window, again.

-What's wrong with me?- she wondered. -Why do I feel this way? Why do I feel so horrible about what I did to Akane, when it wasn't even really me?- she sighed. -I can usually avoid these kind of thoughts, but not tonight. This really sucks. I'll try to make it up to her, somehow.- Ranma continued to think uncomfortable thoughts, and spent several hours in silent vigil over Akane's dark window.

Author's Notes

I was using Ranma-chan so we'd all remember Ranma was in girl form. I still had trouble remembering at some points '. Like I may have said before, I hand write my stories first, then type them. My mom owns a restaurant where I work, and before work and breakfast, I was working on this chapter. I had a glass of orange juice. Guess what! I spilled it all over my notebook! Luckily for me, my pen ink was mostly dry and didn't smear very much. My notebook now smells like OJ now '.