Obsessed

Author's Note: That was a long writer's block. As you can tell... Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

P.S. Yes, I know Saffron isn't dead... but it's MY story! ^^ lol.

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Akane wondered who her stalker was. His voice sounded so familiar, and yet... she couldn't quite place it. Memories began to play in her head. From the very first boy she encountered, to the very last, but no one matched the voice she heard.

It had been weeks since the last call, and there were no packages sent to her. Akane began to think that the photos were nothing more than a prank.

She stopped hiking, and placed her bag down. It was getting dark, and she still hadn't set camp. It took Akane a while to set up her tent, and darkness set in as soon as she was done. She had convinced her father to let her catch up to Ranma and his father during their training trip, but she purposely veered off course.

Not knowing why, Akane set off for China. She had planned on working at a nearby restaurant as a waitress until she had enough money for a ticket.

As she warmed up by the fire, she wondered if she would return to Japan alive. Akane wasn't a simpleton, she knew that she was no match for Amazon warriors, yet she was journeying to Japan. Jusekyo, to be precise.

'What was I thinking?' she thought bitterly. 'I can't even cook my own food... how am I supposed to survive?'

The wind blew softly against her cheek, drying her tears, while the forest sympathized with her. Not knowing what else to do, Akane climbed into her tent, hoping things would turn up better tomorrow.

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"Shing!"

At the sound of his mother's voice, a dark-haired man ran towards his home. As he came near, an elderly woman smiled at him. She was wrinkled, and was half his height, as was every elder in the village. The woman in his home was no ordinary elder though, she was the village healer.

Shing frowned as he saw the woman, not because he disliked her, but because he knew what her presence meant. His mother was terribly ill, and it seemed as if nothing would be able to cure her.

"What is it, Mama?" he asked in Chinese, kneeling by his mother's bedside. His heart felt heavy as he saw the dim light in his mother's eyes. "Is there something you need?"

"Shing...my son..." his mother whispered through cracked lips. Her usually glowing face was pale, and covered with cold sweat. The sheen in her long raven hair had been replaced with grays and whites. As if her very essence was being stolen, bit by bit.

She pulled her son towards her with all her strength. "Beware, Shing... he has awakened" Her grip loosened, and she fell back onto her bed. Her breathing became more soft, and she closed her eyes.

Shing's piercing blue eyes widened with horror and grief as he let the information sink in. 'No... it's not possible...' he thought. He looked back at his mother, she was finally at rest.

He ran out of the hut, and did not stop until he reached the cursed springs. He sat down on the cliff, and watched as the wind blew ripples upon the surface of the waters.

"Lord Shing..."

Shing refused to turn around, ignoring the Healer. His mother refused to die at the palace, insisting that she die in her village. Shing never understood why his mother loved it so much. They were nothing but commoners.

"What did my mother mean when she said that 'he has awakened?'" Shing asked, his back still turned towards the woman.

"There is a legend of a great evil in our village," the Healer replied, sitting down next to Shing. She placed her staff down beside her, and looked at Shing, who glared at the world. " But that evil was once a good man. An honorable man."

" He was blessed with skill in the martial art, and he many of our warriors to victory. He fell in love with a young woman. She was always described as a caring one, with a beauty that none to rival. But she was already promised to another man," she continued.

Shing soon calmed down, and faced the woman. " What happened to them?"

The woman shrugged. " No one really knows."

"You mean to tell me that your legend has no ending?!" Shing asked incredulously. " What kind of a lousy legend is that?"

"A true story," the Healer replied smoothly. "No one knows how the man became evil, they only assumed that he became so jealous, that with the aid of a sorceress, he gained evil powers and began to kill thousands of innocent lives."

" Mother said... 'awakened'" Shing started. " How was it defeated?"

Once again, the Healer shrugged.

" It wasn't."

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Akane awoke to the sound of fighting. Fearing that Ranma and Genma had caught up to her, she packed her things and jogged, hoping she would be able to reach the town soon. Ranma and his father had left Nerima two days before she set off. And knowing them, they wouldn't return until a full week was done. Having only a limited time to get away, Akane picked up her pace.

In the Tendo Dojo, Soun and Genma were still contemplating the locations where Akane would be. Genma and Ranma had arrived a week before, apologizing about the time they spent away, only to find that Akane was gone.

'That kawaiikune... where could she have gone?' Ranma thought, sitting on the Tendo rooftop.

He had offered to find her right away, but Soun refused. He loved Akane, and did not want to waste time by searching in places that Akane would never be.

It would be hell searching for the girl, and Ranma knew it. And now, it would be even harder to find her.

"That's it!" Ranma yelled, leaping down from the roof. He opened the door to the Dojo, revealing Soun and Genma in a game of "Go". " I'm tired of waiting for you to think of a place where she might be. I'm going to find her."

Soun sighed, and nodded. " Hai... I have to admit we wasted more time thinking than acting."

Ranma packed his bags, and was about to set foot outside of the Dojo, when a boy bumped into him. The boy looked up, and seemed to be confused.

"Ranma?" he asked. The boy looked around, and read the sign. " Ten-do-Do-jo.... i-it's the... Akane!"

" Ryoga! Stop wasting my time!" Ranma yelled, pushing the lost boy away. " Akane's missing, and I have to find her."

Ryoga stopped crying tears of joy, and placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "What do you mean, Akane's missing?"

In a small town by the sea, Akane sneezed, and looked around. 'Someone must be talking about me...'. Shrugging it off, she went inside an inn, and asked for a job.

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Author's Note: slow...yes I know. Changed a few things here and there... plot's the same. But I'm taking it at a new direction. Don't like Akane not being able to do things... so... ^^ ya.