A transited street, a well known way.

Familiar faces, new buildings.

A majestic sight for tired eyes but indeed a poor view for lonely souls.

A city bustling in activity, a man waiting in the desert.

A feeling of wrongness permeating the air, a sentiment of unbecoming.

A mind trying to grasp the secrets held by men, the lies told by gods.

And finally the light of knowing the truth doesn't lie out there somewhere, for it's been found inside your soul, your very own being.

The trip back home, old acquaintances met once again, new memories made forever.

To stare upon the school of your childhood and see new windows and old trees.

The need to remember a promise, the pain of knowing that vow remains unfulfilled.

So, Ranma walked the streets of Nerima once again, with a heavy black coat used to cover old scars and new blemishes.

The memory of a lifetime spent at this same town enveloping his hazy mind in a cold blanket, and the promise remained unfulfilled.

It was time to start fighting back, to reclaim what was once lost, it was time to win.

And Ranma Saotome always wins.

Even if he had lost all held dear to him to accomplish it.

He would win, no matter the cost.

For the hero is back.

I've seen so much

A Ranma ½ Fan fiction

----------------------------------------           Chapter Six B  -----------------------------------------------

**********     With certain air to you     **********

There he went again, always walking along those same streets, never looking back, never remembering the way people used to look up at him.

And the pain sometimes became unbearable, and the guilt on occasions became a great burden, too great a burden.

For Ranma had asked for her help, for a moment of peace among a chaotic life, and she had dared to ignore him.

It was easier that way, ignoring the outside world and dreaming, she had always dreamed about the past, and had sometimes even dreamed about the future, a future she now had achieved but despised more than anything else, for it had come at a great cost, a life had to be given in exchange for her own happiness, and for that she could not, dared not be happy.

Because if she accepted this happiness of knowing the man she had loved so dearly all these years was finally hers then she would be betraying his memory, the memory of gray blue eyes that shone in the afternoon's light and sang with joy in the dawn of each day.

Because if she let this joy of having a new family, her own family, take over her being and heart, then she would be forgetting the sight of a chiseled body training until exhaustion took over in the dojo, the remembrance of black hair flapping in the air.

And so she regretted her feelings of happiness, her desire of living life once again.

But still, she dared not go back to dreaming, to always dreaming.

For the real world must not be ignored, a lesson she had paid for in tears and nightmares.

And she started seeing the world in a new light, as if by Ranma's death she was reborn a new person, a being able to love and live and see.

And at that precise moment she saw what was rapidly becoming a common sight in Nerima, she saw Tendo Soun walking along the street as he always did when classes were over, and she could see the way his shoulders were dropped below their usual level of confidence that marked him as a powerful martial artist, and the way his feet moved heavily on the floor belaying the great pain he suffered inside.

And she despaired because he had not cried, not since the day Ranma died, for a tear was never coming out of his eyes, and a whimper would never escape his lips.

And so she remembered the way he used to be, with his mustache always well cared for and his hair well brushed even if the world was about to end.

And she always cried for him, for a broken man that had lost everything that mattered to him, but dared not claim it back.

And she always stared at him, seeing in his sculptured body, which had regained that same firmness she remembered from previous years, the hurting he so well hid from the rest of the world.

And so her eyes followed him as he crossed the street and turned, if briefly, to look at a man walking beside him.

And her breath caught in her throat and her eyes became moist once again, a thing that hadn't happened since she cried all her remaining tears in a rainy night.

And she raised quickly from her seat by the window and practically ran to the front door hoping she could reach that man in time and talk to him.

But when she reached the street it was empty, devoid of people and the man was not seen anywhere.

And still she was sure of it, surer than she ever was before, Ranma was back.

She, Tendo Kasumi, had seen Ranma walking beside her own father.

Then she remembered those commentaries, those accusations.

And her tears fell anew with even more intensity than before.

May god forgive those poor boys, Ranma was back. . .

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It was a dark room, always a dark room at home.

For the despair never left, the loneliness never actually went away and despite it all, despite the pain of knowing her life had turned more solitary, more unclear Kuno Kodachi lived on.

To breathe, to cry in dark nights on cold beds, to watch those she cared about leave her behind, alone, always alone, despised by most, feared by others, but always alone…

However she still remembered a time when this was not the case, a time when someone cared enough for her to protect her from a fall that, if it wouldn't had killed her, it'd hurt a lot, everybody else would just let her fall but not him, not his sweet blue eyes and warm smile, not his strong arms and comforting words, his knight in shining armor, his ray of hope when the world had just turned against her, he was there for her in a moment, he was there for her whenever she needed comfort, if only to say hello, oh but what a bright day it'd be when she finally heard him say "I love you" a sweet dream, a melancholic memory that would never come now, all because of that harridan, that mannish chef who dared to dream of taking him away form her warm embrace, all because of that Kuonji…

And she tried to take her revenge, to make her suffer the same fate her Ranma-sama had suffered on that rainy night, she attacked her once and again, and damn those that protected her, damn her brother for celebrating her beloved's demise, damn that Tendo girl for not giving in the least, damn that gaijin whore for trying to take her Ranma… damn herself for not being there when he made that fateful choice….

And she had failed him, it was no use trying to kid herself, she had failed, not only in stopping him from taking his own life, but in avenging his death too.

It didn't matter anymore, he was gone and she was a failure, even if her beloved would return he wouldn't recognize her anymore, because even she didn't.

And it was past time to let go of the past, a long time ago she would have laughed if someone would of told her that she's forget her dear Ranma, not anymore.

For she had changed, and in changing she had found a small measure of peace her life was lacking since her mother passed away, and as she had done with her death she will do for her beloved.

Yes, Ranma would be forgiven for leaving her behind.

Forgiveness she would give him, forgetfulness never.

[------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]

He had seen some of his old acquaintances, and he had remembered their faces, he had remembered the tears on Ukyo's eyes the night he found peace, and the sadness behind the quiet strength Soun had shown him when he took the sword, he had seen the old ghoul, looking even older than he remembered, older than he thought possible, and Mousse was still the same blind fool pushing for Shampoo, who still had that same smile and that confident gait.

But there was still a person left to see, a person his heart cried for him to see even when his mind refused to let him, even when his legs dared not move beyond the spot they were occupying, for if she didn't remember him, or even worse if she didn't want him, he wouldn't know what to do.

And despite having conquered some of his greatest fears through sheer will force, he dared not confront this one, he could not face his Akane and try and see love behind anger as he so commonly did before.

For if the anger was missing, maybe, just maybe, the love would be as well, and if the love was lacking….

It was better not to think about it, he had faced the Orochi down, he had fought against musk and phoenix for her, of course there would be at least some feeling left in her, some feeling left for him.

For how could he be a man, a real man among men, if he couldn't tell her what he felt in his heart? If he couldn't hold her, even if it was just to let her tears fall on his shoulders?

No, he had to do it, before he lost his nerve, before he lost the strength he had acquired to come here, he had to see her eyes and smell her perfume, that same air of moist evenings and cool mornings that seemed to always be with her.

And there was no use in prolonging what he had to do….

So, he started once again in the road he used to take so long ago, down the same path most folks saw him walking….

For the dojo laid just a couple blocks ahead…

A.N.: Whoa… iyt's been a long time since I last updated, I'm sorry to those who wanted to read more of this story, and to those who didn't… Well why are you reading it then? What can I say? Real life is a bit*h all the time and between work and school I hadn't had time to write much (well nothing in fact), but don't worry I got a muse for Christmas and I assure you So much 07 is almost ready, and it starts the end of this story (yeah, it is a story, and it has a beginning and an end) I'll update it tomorrow or the day after, again, please forgive me for taking so long, sweet reading and remember, keep on walking… maybe one day you'll reach heaven.

Bans… off!