SANCTUARY- CHAPTER 2

Insert standard disclaimer: *Runs away from Rumiko-san who is dangerously close with a mallet*

Another sunny day. Akane woke and stretched from the pleasant dream where she met a cute guy on a motor bike and he kissed her. Rubbing her eyes she thought about a funny thought that it was real but immediately dismissed the idea. That was, until she caught sight of her open diary lying on her table. Her hand flew to her mouth.
"My god...he's real!" She stood frozen.

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"Mornin everyone..." Ryoga stumbled groggily downstairs.
"Good morning Ryo-chan!" Akane came and hugged him.
"What the-"
"She's been at it all morning. Maybe she got some..." Nabiki whispered. Ryoga turned red.
"Nabiki!" He scolded.
"Akane! Please sit still!"
"He's real! He's real!" Akane's eyes sparkled as she skipped around the table.
"Waaaaaaah...my baby girl's finally got a boyfriend!"
"Boyfriend, hmm?" Nabiki sidled over to her. Ryoga smiled to himself. Good...Saotome was playing right. He'd go talk to him today.
"No!" But Akane blushed.
"Time for you to leave for school or else you'll be late!" Kasumi smiled gently. They'd go to school, she'd clean house, then leave for Uni...and if she was punctual then she'd make it to the supermarket, Tofu's and home just on time.
"Okay! Bye!"
"Bye Kasumi!"
"Bye Oneechan!"

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"Okay. All the juicy details." Akane opened her mouth to speak when a sleek black car purred up.
"Hey...everyone wanna hop in?" Ranma grinned.
"Why thank you Mr Saotome. Ryoga and I will sit in the back." Ryoga opened his mouth, but Nabiki gave him a vicious smile.
"Hey Ranma."
"Hey Ryoga."
Nabiki mentally filed the fact that they were familiar away for later.
"Hi Akane...everybody buckle up let's go!" The last words were said in a rush as they pulled off.
"Whoa!" Nabiki whooped. Ryoga smirked and crossed his arms.
"Still into showing off Saotome?"
"Aaah, so you remember me now, Ryoga?"
"Yeah, it came to me last night...I thought you were familiar." Ranma turned back and winked.
Nabiki kept silent, nobody noticing the tape recorder in her hands.
"So where do you live now?"
"Me and oyaji just came back from training in China, we finally finished. I'm at my old house, the one I told you about?"
"Oh yeah...take a left here Saotome...not a right!"
"Well whatever you tell me is bound to get me lost so therefore I should probably do the opposite!" Ranma laughed, his white teeth showing bright and even.
"Actually Ryo-chan, he's right...you are supposed to go right here." Akane giggled.
"So are you and Ranma dating now?" Nabiki smirked.
"NABIKI!" Akane glared at her and blushed furiously. Ranma smirked.
"Aaaaah...this is the life Ryoga...girls falling for me everywhere..."
"Yeah..you remember Shampoo?"
"Yeah...psycho chick with purple hair?"
"Mmm...she still after you?"
"Nnnn...I dunno..." Ranma skidded to a halt out in the school carpark.
"Everyone out." His eyes glinted at the horde of boys standing in front of the school.
"It's showtime." He grinned, and Ryoga jumped out of the back to stand behind him, arms out to keep Nabiki and Akane away.

A trenchcoat flew through the air, landing on the sidewalk. Whispers and murmurs ran through the crowd.
"Wow...look at that bod!"
"Lucky Akane..."
"We're going to get bashed, aren't we?"
"First a motorbike and then a car? I'll never keep up at this rate!"
"I heard he even thrashed Kuno!"
He stepped up the front steps slowly, his feet tapping the slabs lightly. Then he drew back into a ready position.
"Alright Kuno...let's fight."
The kendoist leapt forward, bokken at the ready. Ranma dodged his strikes effortlessly, twisting and flipping.
Ryoga watched carefully. He had improved alot since they had last met, he noticed. Finally, Ranma stood still.
"Hah! I, Tatewaki Kuno, The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, have you now, cur!" And his blade slashed down...
Down...
Down...
Down...
The same bokken that could cut through trees effortlessly...
Fell towards Ranma...
Who caught it between his two fingers. And casually snapped it. The school gasped.
And Kuno looked stunned. Finally, his expression became outraged...and he leapt towards Ranma again, striking blindly...and there was a flash of white...
Later some would say he was distracted by Nabiki's camera, and that it was her fault somehow. Other's would have said he was careless. But Kuno landed a punch...a punch that got him into hospital.
After Kuno landed the punch, everyone waited...and waited. Ranma's head stayed down, as if in shock...before it snapped back and he went wild...striking Kuno with 3 thousand punches to the stomach. He went feral, and Kuno flew through the walls, crashing through the hall, blood spraying everywhere. Ranma stood, chest heaving, hands back, feet apart, hair in his eyes.
"No one ask any questions. Leave the fool." Ryoga threw his coat towards his back, and he caught it in one fist without even blinking. Sliding into it, he walked into the school.
How could I be so stupid? Losing control again...and not even over soemthing worthwhile...
Ranma...what's happened to you? Ryoga watched him fade into the distance.
"I'll tend to Kuno-baby." Nabiki tactfully slipped into the hole's where the wall was demolished, in search of Kuno.
"Ry...Ryoga-kun? What h-happened?" Ryoga cursed himself. Ranma and himself had seen some pretty wild sights when they were children...but that was in the wild...this was civilisation. Looking around, everyone else had the same shocked look. And Akane's wide, scared eyes gazing up at him.
"That is how Ranma fights. That is the Saotome Anything Goes school." He turned, and walked into the school after Ranma.
So that was Ryoga's secret training that he won't teach me. No wonder he's so much better...I knew he couldn't only know Tendo Anything Goes!
Scooping her bag off the ground, she hurried after he cousin and the 'Rogue'.

That day, everyone left them well alone. Word had got out Kuno was in hospital and on life support. He had 2 cracked ribs, 3 shattered ones, a broken spine and internal damage to his stomach and kidneys. He would live, but he would have to be very careful afterwards.
Ranma sat, at first glance, by himself, in a corner. Carefully, Akane approached him. Upon walking closer, she noticed Ryoga was sitting with him, talking to him casually.
"Ranma?" Ranma looked up and slipped into a half-grin.
"Hey Princess...what brings you here? Come to mess with the cold-blooded killer?" His eyes turned to rest on the room which watched them. Everyone shivered as his eyes met theirs, each individually.
"Oh don't worry. I've heard the rumours, the whispers. That's fine. Wasn't planning on staying long anyway." He turned back to Ryoga. Akane slipped closer, putting a hand on his arm. He stiffened up.
"Ranma...can I talk to you?"She asked softly.
"Best keep away from me Akane. I'm -dangerous-." His voice was mocking but she thought she heard a tremor of sadness underneath.
"Ranma-"
"Just leave me alone Akane." He stood up, his bento spilling off his lap onto the floor. He leapt upwards in a backwards somersault onto the roof and was gone.
"Now look what you've done Akane...now I have to go find him again!" Ryoga said, exasperated, although he caught her tear-filled eyes and his face softened enough for a slight grin.
"We'll be okay Akane...just trust me...and him." Bending down to gather enough power, his leg muscles bunched up and he bounded upwards after his friend, and was soon out of sight.
"Did you know Ryoga could do that?"
"No...but did you see the way -he- looked at us?"
"Yeah...he may be cute but he's freaky!"
"I'm scared Joni..."
The whispers washed over Akane as her friends came to comfort her. Never in her life had she ever felt so alone.