Love found

Genre: Romance/Humor/Drama

Author: HEISMEANDIAMYOU

Rating: T

Disclaimer: This (as in Ranma ½) does not belong to me obviously only my made up characters (those I do own!)

AN: Well gomen for the super late update *whispers*(blame school ). Ahem *clears thought* anyway here it is for those of you who actually read it…. Oh and thank you for the reviews it helped get me inspired… Well enough BLAhhh blahhhh read on…

Chapter 4: Deadly Encounters

Akane suddenly jerked from her shock and ran to a tree that was currently keeping the unexpected guest alive.

"Chess….. Down…. Stop…Sit!" Akane ordered but the Akita only became more enraged. All of Chess' hair was standing on end, she jumped and caught the young man's pants and ripped a piece of them.

"Oohhh…" Akane exclaimed, and turned to Ranko and Kataro who had followed her outside. "Go get your father, he's the only one that can calm her down" both kids nodded and ran towards the dojo.

"So do you now understand? If you talk trash I'll treat you like trash you got that?!" Ranma smirked as he saw people fall face down on the ground, struggling for air out of exhaustion.

"Congratulations you all just wasted a whole class. Maybe next class I'll actually teach you something. Class dismissed" Ranma finished, quickly, everyone exited through the back gate.

Ranma gave a tired sigh and grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his brow. He was walking out when he bumped into Ranko and Kataro.

"Daddy! Daddy! Chess is attacking someone!" they shouted together in a hurry.

Ranma wasted no time and dashed outside toward the loud barking and screaming.

When he reached Akane's side he gave a high pitched whistle. Chess backed down and sat at her master's feet but kept growling fiercely.

"Shhh, Chess. Focus. Stop" Ranma ordered and the dog sat in attention. The piece of cloth still clearly in her snout, Ranma tried to take it but the dog ran into the house, refusing to give the piece of cloth.

"Ummm you can come down now" Akane called up to the person on top of the tree.

"Hey Akane who is it?" Ranma asked Akane in a whisper

"You'll see" Akane whispered back

After the dog was gone Gousonkugi safely jumped to the ground. Facing the couple fully, the kids hid behind their parents for protection. Ranma stared in shock for a few moments before coming to reality. Ranma quickly narrowed his eyes at Gosounkugi in a warning glare.

"What do you want?" Ranma asked in a warning tone.

"Ranma!" Akane warned him while she elbowed his ribs. Ranma though was so focused on the scrawny man in front of him to react. "I'm sorry. Would you like to come in?" Akane offered politely.

Akane then motioned Gosounkugi the way to the door, and dining room.

"Akane are you crazy? I don't want that freak in my house" Ranma hissed to Akane at the doorway, while the 'guest' sat in the dining room.

"Ranma why are you always so damn paranoid allll the time?" Akane accused

"Well… I wouldn't have to if you weren't so damn trusting 'allll the time'" Ranma whispered in frustration the last part mockingly.

"Ranma your such a-"

"Akane the guy's supposed to be in a mental institution!" Ranma pointed out, and had a good point.

"Mmmm dad, mom" Kataro and Ranko voiced their presence. Ranma and Akane looked at them intently. Then Akane sighed, and looked at Ranma he had a point and one of the things that she had learned was to trust him. Plus he was almost never wrong with these sorts of things; it was like a six sense of his.

"Fine one cup of tea then he's out" Akane finally voiced out. Ranma nodded.

"Ranko, Kataro, go upstairs okay?" Ranma told them his responses were two nodding heads and a race upstairs.

Kataro looked around bored at his room "Ranko why did we come up here?"

"Because daddy told us to" She responded matter-of-factly. "Plus you don't want to see that skeleton man do you?" she asked

"Nu-huh" Kataro answered quickly shaking his head vigorously

"Okay then" Ranko stated and looked around the room for something to do.

"There's nothing to do here" Kataro whinnied then got an idea "Let's go to mom and dad's room" he declared suddenly and made his way out into the hall.

"You know we can't go in there" Ranko reminded him, as she caught him by the collar of his shirt.

"Hey daddy said just to go upstairs, he didn't say we had to stay in our bedhooms" Kataro resorted.

"It's 'bedrooms' not 'bedhooms' you dummy" Ranko said with a sigh, then smiled slyly "…well you do have a point I guess"

Then both walked, or ran, to their parent's room.

After 15 minutes the bed was a mess, like the rest of the room, and two little toddlers stared at it dumbly.

"Oh well" Kataro stated breaking the silence and walked over to sit on the bed.

"We're in trouble" Ranko said finally finding her voice "Well at least we didn't—" She cut herself off as she heard a crash. Her sweat dropped at the sound.

"…break anything" She finished lamely. "Hey Kataro don't touch it!" Ranko yelled pulling Kataro away from the glass he had broken which he wanted to touch. Yanking him to the side she said "Sorry okay? But you could have gotten hurt" Ranko said in a small voice hugging him "I don't want you to be hurt okay? You don't touch broken glass. Remember the cut I got?" Kataro just nodded and obeyed.

Then Chess who had been quietly sleeping the whole time became alert and angry. She started to bark loudly at the bedroom door, trying to open it. Ranko and Kataro just watched partly covering their ears because of the loud volume of the barks of the disturbed dog in the room. But they didn't try to stop the said dog because they had closed the sliding door….

Or so they thought…

In one smooth move the skilled canine used her snout to slide the door open, from the crack it had been left open, and charged downstairs. Kataro and Ranko 'epeed' and ran after her until they stopped at the top of the stairs.

"What's wrong with her?" they kids chorused

They listened for a moment. Then heard a lot of whimpering and a loud howl, at that sound the two children ran downstairs to the dining room.

Then next thing they saw left them frozen in their place and with a horrified look on their faces.

Happosai jumped on the roofs of Nerima once more. Oh how he missed this town, but he had to admit he missed torturing Soun and Genma the most. Too bad that his disciples couldn't say the same and for that they must suffer even more. Happosai had just left the Saotome home an hour before and had made a few stops for his haul. Now he was on his way back to the dojo. Nodoka had asked him to stay just as long as he would skip his haul, so he declined, but assured her he would be back the next day.

As Happosai neared the dojo he heard loud crying and the dog howling mercilessly. Something didn't feel right so he quickened his pace. When he got there he dropped his collection on the floor in utter shock.

Kataro was crying in loud wails while Ranko held him to her chest in a comforting embrace, but was crying herself nonetheless at the same volume. They were both looking at Ranma and Akane that were collapsed on the floor. They were both breathing heavily sweating profusely, and were considerably pale.

Happosai shocked at the scene before him, stood frozen for a few more moments before he re-gathered his wits and found his voice.

"What happened here?" Happosai asked, finally acknowledging the two crying toddlers.

"W-w-we d-don't know they were like that when we came downstairs" Ranko replied in a shaky voice between sobs. Happosai's eyes locked on the little red head's eyes he could practically feel the helplessness, fear, and panic transfer with her gaze. Suddenly Happosai felt a sense of responsibility and protection toward the two toddlers.

"It's going to be okay" he reassured them the best he could "I think I can help them"

The two of them calmed down at that and nodded their heads. Thinking quickly he called for an ambulance, along with a few other calls, and made his way back to Ranma and Akane. Both kids were following him like lost puppies but he didn't mind them.

When he approached Akane and Ranma Chess got on the offensive but Happosai just pushed her out of the way and started examining them from head to toe. The dog then just watched as this stranger poked around her owners, deciding that he was not a threat, she backed off.

Meanwhile, they waited for the ambulance to get there, the whole NWC arrived. Happosai quickly informed Cologne of the situation while Ryoga and Ukyo talked to Ranko and Katoro as they tried to calm them down. Shampoo and Moose tended to Ranma and Akane but listened to Happosai intently.

"They have been poisoned with dead leaf spice." Happosai explained to Cologne.

"How do you know?" Cologne asked nervously. That particular spice was hard to come across at all especially enough to conjure a poison.

"It was ingested by spiked tea do you think that we could formulate a cure fast enough?" Happi asked as he gave Cologne the tea cups he found.

"If we act fast enough we might, but who would do this?" Cologne voiced

"We know who did it!" Ryoga and Ukyo declared in unison as they burst in the room

"It was Gosunkugi at first we didn't believe it but they described the person as a 'skeleton man' I mean who else could it be" Ukyo explained.

Everyone was in thought for a moment until paramedics came in the house quickly and started setting up Ranma and Akane. Suddenly Happi took control of the situation by separating everyone in groups, and told them to inform the rest of the family. As for the paramedics they were told to stabilize them as best as they could without any type of drug/medicine because it might back fire. With that the paramedics took Ranma and Akane to the hospital.

The empty house was quiet as Moose and Ryoga were in thought; they had stayed in Ranma and Akane's house in case they could find any more clues. Moose and Ryoga's job was to catch Gosonkugi, they couldn't just leave a lunatic loose, but how could they find him? As they thought, Chess wouldn't stop bothering them.

"Would you stop you-" Ryoga started but stopped as something caught his eye. He took a piece of cloth from the dog's mouth and looked at it.

"What's that?" Moose asked as he stared at Ryoga, and yanked the cloth away.

"A piece of cloth from pants I think?" Ryoga thought "Do you think it might be from Gosonkugi?"

"Well it's better than nothing but how are we suppose to find him with this?" Moose voiced his thought

"Well we could-" Ryoga was cut off by the dog again.

"Wait the dog!" Moose exclaimed

"The dog…what!?" Ryoga urged on

"Didn't Ranma train her to be some type of guard dog or something… maybe she can follow a scent!" Moose finished

"That's right" Ryoga said as he took the cloth back and held it up to the dog's nose.

Chess sniffed at it and growled as she lowered her head. Taking it as a good sign Moose gave the order.

"Chess go hunt!" Moose ordered clearly and the two ran behind Chess that was hot on the trail, heading towards a small part of town that neither was used to go to.

Ukyo made her way to the Neko Haten calmly, at least as calmly as she could. She was the one that was in charge of Ranko and Kataro. Everyone was in the hospital except for Happosai, Cologne, and Shampoo. They were in the Neko Haten trying to pull off a cure. 'I wonder how Ryoga-honey and Moose are doing with the bounty hunting' Ukyo thought but was cut out of her thoughts by her cell phone going off. She picked it up Ranko and Kataro still in tow.

"Hello Ryoga?"

"You caught him already?"

"That's great!"

"Yes I'm on my way I just need to drop off the kids…mmhhm….bye"

She hung up and walked in to the Neko Haten. She felt her hands being let go as Ranko and Kataro joined a group of toddlers that were already there. Ukyo gave a small smile as she saw them but her smile went as quickly as it came. God she hoped that everything would work out for the kid's sake. The poor things probably had no idea of the gravity of the situation. Ranma and Akane's lives were in jeopardy.

Quickly pulling herself away from her thoughts she walked into the kitchen. Hopefully they could have the counter potion done. When she entered the kitchen she found Happosai and Cologne deep in thought.

"What's going on here?" Ukyo asked bringing them out of their trance.

"We just send Shampoo to the hospital hopefully it will work" Cologne said

"Oh I hope it works" Ukyo voiced

The sliding doors of the hospital opened to reveal a tired Shampoo. Quickly everyone rushed to her, as she gave Dr. Tofu the vile that had the potion her and the elders had concocted, asking questions in a state of desperation. Being overwhelmed and not finding an answerer to any question she started to spout stutters until Moose came to her rescue. He told everyone to sit and wait for Dr. Tofu to come back.

It was 5 minutes. 5 long, painful, excruciating minutes later that Dr. Tofu came out to the waiting room. He was wearing a somber expression.

Whatever he was going to say it was not good…

Back in the Neko Haten the kids were sitting in a circle. First was Ranko then Kataro, followed by Harada, Son-yu, and finishing with Kamiya. They were trying to figure out what was going on.

"Does anyone know what's going on?" Ranko asked

"No" Son-yu answered

"No" Kamiya responded as well

"Yes" everyone looked at Harada then she thought for a second "Oh no never mind"

"Well we do know that Uncle Ranma and Auntie Akane are in the hospital but why?" Kamiya laid out what they knew

"Maybe they're sick" Harada said

"Well we know that already just not why" Kataro resorted

"I heard something about tea? Or something like that" Kamiya remembered

They sat in thought for a moment when the phone rang. Suddenly Ukyo, who decided to stay, Happosai and Cologne ran to answer the phone that was next to the cash register. Curious the little toddlers quickly and quietly listened.

"Hello! Yes what is it?" Did it work?!" all tree but screamed to the receiver.

"Oh my god!" Ukyo whispered covering her mouth, tears falling down her face.

"What do you mean it didn't work?!" Cologne and Happosai took the phone from Ukyo's limp hand.

There were small gasps from under the table followed by quick retreating steps. They all ran to the kitchen, when they reached it they all stayed silent, the commotion from outside muffled now.

"So does that mean their… dying?" Kataro asked looking up at Ranko. She could only stare back and nod slowly. Both too shocked to even cry.

"It makes sense now" Kamiya said breaking the silence "they drank tea and got sick"

"So now what?" Harada asked

"So if they don't drink it they won't get sick right?" Ranko answered

"But it already happened we can't change that" Kataro said

"Not unless-" Son-yu thought for a moment "you go back in time?" he finished

"Yes" Ranko said

"But how? It's impossible" Kataro asked

"We could use the mirror" Son-yu stated

"That's would be a good idea" Ranko and Kataro exclaimed. Kataro understood perfectly well what mirror they were talking about by now.

"Mirror? What mirror?" Kamiya asked interested

"But I could get into trouble" said an unsure Son-yu

"What mirror?" Harada asked with interest

"Please if you do this I'll be your best friend! Please we could stop this before it happens" Ranko begged

"Okay!" Sun-yu agreed delightfully

"What-!" Kamiya said in confusion

"It takes you when you want back in time okay" Sun-yu informed

"Oooohhh" Kamiya and Harada drew out

"So where is it?" Ranko asked

"My great-great-grandmother's mirror it's in the basement, under the kitchen" Son-yu said and everyone followed him to a big wooden door on the floor.

After a few moments of struggle and frustration the 5 kids were able to open the door enough to squeeze in. They had to put a small pan to hold up the heavy door open. In a big huddle they cautiously walked down the dark stairs. The only light was from the crack of the open door. All of them were feeling a little anxious going down there and were thinking it was creepy until….

SLAM!

A lot of things happened simultaneously, the door slammed shut witch caused them to shout and bump into each other and tumble down the remaining stairs in a jumbled heap. With a groan they got up.

"Did anyone die?" Son-yu groaned

"No I don't think so" Kamiya said his eyes adjusting to the darkness and making out them if only barely to be alright.

"Okay I'll be back" Son-yu said as he blindly set out to find the shiny box that had the mirror.

"Hey where's my hat?" Ranko asked in surprise as she couldn't find it on her head

"I don't know" Kataro said as he looked down. Which was pointless, to find a black hat in a dark room.

"I found it!" Yelled Son-yu suddenly out of the blue.

So out of the blue it scared Harada…

"Ahhhhhhhh!" She shrieked loudly jumping backwards and bumping into something.

That something bumped into something else that caused two bottles to fall and spill its contents on Ranko and Kataro's heads. Apparently they were standing under a shelf or something.

"Ewwww what's this?" Ranko shrieked as she touched her head was it goo?

"Yuck" Kataro just said in a grossed out tone as he to touch his damp head it smelled weird.

"Hey are you two okay?" Son-yu asked as he made his way to them they nodded or at least he thought still trying to see clearly in the dark room. "Look here it is" he continued as he opened the box.

They all 'ooohed and ahhhed' at the mirror, it seemed to glow. Ranko carefully took it into her small hands. She looked at it in wonder.

"So how does it work?" Harada asked

"I think that you cry on it…right?" Son-yu said unsure

"That's what mommy and daddy told us" Ranko said eyeing it.

Then their heads turned up as they heard shuffling and murmured voices from upstairs.

"Hurry if you are going to go, go now" Son-yu said hurriedly

"Okay but all of you have to promise not to say anything to the adults" Ranko warned

"We promise" Harada and Son-yu chorused

"Kamiya" Kataro urged on and all of them looked at him intently.

"Okay, Okay I promise" Kamiya said defeated by their gazes

"Okay you are all under the honor oath" Ranko said in a hurry they nodded quickly "Kataro cry" she ordered her brother, who was strangely batter at it than her.

It didn't even take a second for him to oblige being young had its advantages. Carefully Ranko put the mirror under her brother's chin and caught three tear drops, hopping it was enough. After 5 milliseconds the mirror became alive and shinned brightly in Ranko's hands. The rest of the gang took several steps back to a far wall frightened.

"N-now what?" Ranko asked in a panic, grabbing Kataro's hand

"Tell it when you want to go" She heard but not sure who said it

"Okay…Uhh…take us to our parent's greatest time of need" Ranko said clearly

At Ranko's words the mirror shook in her grasp. The mirror grew extremely bright. So bright that Son-yu, Harada and Kamiya had to close their eyes. When they opened them, there was an empty space and darkness like before. Kamiya looked at the emptiness worried.

Hopefully it was for the best….

AN: So uh not much to say here… I can't really say much about it at all. I guess you'll have to inspire me to put up the next chapter soon. And by inspire I mean REVIEW (yes that's black mail)…