The soft whistle of wind mingled with the deep breathing of exhaustion.

"Ranma! Ryouga! Would you two please stop this stupid fighting!? One of you is going to get seriously hurt."

"Can't do that Akane. This has been a long time coming and one of us is going to walk away from this the winner."

"That's right Akane. I'm sorry but we have to do this."

"You....you stupid IDIOTS!!! Both of you are so stupid! You don't have to fight! Stop it right now!"

The crackle of released energy.

"SHI SHI HOUKOUDAN!!!!"

And again.

"MOUKO TAKABISHA!!!!"

An explosion.

"RANMAAAAA!!!! RYOOOOOUGAAAAA!!!!"

Silence. Forever.

Pains of the Past
By Johnny O'Brien
Part Two

The storm raged on still over Nerima as a train from Kyoto pulled into the station. The clock quietly clicked onto 7:30 as the train came to a complete stop with a hiss of released air as it lowered. Several conductors rushed out under umbrella from the station and moved to the exits of the train to help the passengers off. Rain beat down steadily and heavy on Nerima as lightning arced through the sky followed by a crash of thunder.

Most people wanted to home right then, safe and dry and not traveling or working in the wretched weather. The conductors forced their smiles onto their faces as they worked removing luggage and helping passengers. They were the group of people who would really rather be somewhere else, but they had to take second place as the group who most wanted to be elsewhere were paused at the exit of the train.

Ranma and Ryouga swallowed and stood a few feet back from the exit watching the rain pouring. Genma, Nodoka and Ukyou stood a few feet behind them and waited patiently. Ranma looked to Ryouga, who looked back. The two stared at each other for a time and then nodded as they gathered their courage.

"Ucchan. Come up here and grab hold of Ryouga. Get ready to go Mom. Pop." Ranma said and moved in to Ryouga's right side as the lost boy pulled his umbrella and held it at the ready. Ukyou nodded and moved to Ryouga's left side getting a grip. Genma and Nodoka got similarly prepared and all five of them tensed. A few moments passed in relative silence, the only sound that of the rain falling.

"Now!!" Ryouga shouted and the group bolted for the exit. Ranma and Ukyou kept in perfect timing with Ryouga as he ran and leapt out of the exit, umbrella first. It opened in an instant and provided a shield from the falling water as they all landed on the platform and bolted for inside of the train station. Genma, holding onto Nodoka, followed in almost exactly the same way. The group burst in through the doors of the station and screeched to a halt. All five breathed a sigh of relief seeing they still had two women and three men instead of three women a panda and a piglet.

Then it hit them. Ranma and Ryouga stiffened and closed their eyes. They were there. In Nerima. The two kept there eyes closed tightly both afraid of what they'd see if they opened them. Afraid of their 'friends' being there to point accusing fingers and blame them for Akane's death. Afraid of Akane's ghost being there to do the same. A gentle hand was placed on their shoulder and Nodoka's soft voice whispered to them.

"Ranma. Ryouga. Are you two okay?" Nodoka said a slight tremor in her voice. She prayed they would be strong. They came this far and to turn back now would be such a defeat for the two. Ranma stirred first and turned back looking to his mother, slowly opening his eyes.

"Yeah Mom. We're fine. Just a little nervous. Right Ryouga?" Ranma said and looked to Ryouga who took a deep breath and nodded. After a few moments he opened his eyes hesitantly and looked around.

Nothing. There was no one there they knew. No one from their past to point and accuse. No ghosts. Another sigh of relief. Ukyou smiled lightly along with Nodoka. She and Genma gathered the rest of their luggage, which had been packed on the train before they left, while Ukyou stayed with Ranma and Ryouga and tried to get them to relax a bit. After ten minutes or so they were ready to leave.

"Come boys. The sooner we get to the hotel the sooner we can relax." Genma said and started for the door.

"Yes. Let's hurry and get out of this dreadful weather.", Nodoka agreed following Genma. The three children nodded and followed them outside donning their umbrellas once again, Ukyou and Ranma crowded close to Ryouga and Nodoka close to Genma. They paused outside to glance around to determine which way to go. Genma grunted and turned to walk left. The other went to follow but stopped as an old, yet familiar, occurrence in Nerima. A car sped by the group, and as normal, the water kicked up by it was automatically attracted to them. A small tidal wave crashed into the five from the side thoroughly drenching them.

"Damn.", Ranma-chan growled out. Ukyou and Nodoka blinked and glared after the disappearing car. A disgruntled 'bwee' from Ryouga's clothing and a 'growf' from Genma-panda reprised Ranma-chan statement. The group resituated with Ranma-chan holding Ryouga and carrying his things while Ukyou held the umbrella. Genma and Nodoka remained unchanged except Nodoka now had the umbrella and the group again set off for the hotel.

{People should watch where they are driving these days. Some people are so inconsiderate. Someone should teach that fellow a lesson.}, Genma-panda signed to his wife who nodded in agreement, but couldn't help smirking at the sight of her husband as a totally soaked panda.

"You said it Pop. I feel like doing just that." Ranma-chan snarled out glancing back behind her.

"Bwee! Bweee bwee bweeeeee!!" Ryouga added and growled himself.

"Boys. Calm down. I will not have you two causing trouble over something trivial. Let's just get to the hotel." Nodoka said without looking back, but her voice made it clear she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Yes Mom." Ranma-chan answered and sighed.

"Bwee.", Ryouga answered and sighed as well. Ukyou nearly giggled but kept it inside. She had to smile though. Her Ranchan and Ryochan just looked so cute like that. As much as she knew they both hated their cursed forms she couldn't help but be amazed at how cute the two looked in them. She shook her head a bit and banished the thoughts and concentrated on keeping the two 'boys' from getting too depressed on the way to the hotel. She started up some idle conversation to keep Ranma talking and reached over to scratch Ryouga on the head as he just lay in Ranma's arms. She smiled a bit feeling the piglet relax slightly under her touch and remembered the confession the two boys told her and Ranma's parents three years ago. That was certainly a shock to the system for everyone.

It was three years ago and the anniversary of Akane's death had come and gone only this year was worse than the first. Ryouga had once again tried to kill himself for the sixth time in the two years since Akane had died. He had been stopped however as Ranma had got to him before it was too late and stopped him from slitting his wrists. Nodoka and Ukyou had barged in on the two shortly after, Ukyou having found Nodoka and the two having rushed there to help. Ryouga was crying uncontrollably while Ranma held him, though he looked close to breaking down as well. Nodoka immediately went to them and coaxed Ranma into letting Ryouga go. She then took hold of the lost boy as he continued to cry and slowly began to stroke his hair back and whisper softly to him that it would be alright.

Ranma watched and lowered his head as he too slowly began to cry as well, but not for the same reason. He had nearly lost Ryouga again and it was wearing on his nerves. He let himself go and trembled. Nodoka nodded to Ukyou who moved to Ranma's side and held him much like Nodoka was holding Ryouga. The two women comforted the two boys as they let out their pain.

The two practically passed out after they had finished and were put to bed. It was about a week later that the confession had come. Everyone noticed that both of them had been more depressed than usual and were spending as much time in their cursed forms as possible. In their sparring they always both ended up in the pond and afterwards kept their cursed forms until they had to change back for work or something else equally important. It was a Saturday night when Nodoka and Genma, with Ukyou who was also worried, asked them about it.

The answer, from Ranma who was the only one able to talk, came as a shock to everyone, though Genma was the first to understand it.

"It's like this you guys. You know we hate our curses and would jump at the chance to get rid of them but you also know they are the one thing we have that was the same back when....Akane was still around. The thing is our curses have become....a release I guess. It's easy for us, when we are really feeling bad, to just change and....and act like everything that happened didn't happen to us. I mean it happened to Ranma and Ryouga not 'Ranko' and 'P-chan'. I know it's lying but sometimes lying is the only way we have to get through." Ranma-chan said to them and sighed a bit lowering her head for a moment. The silence lasted for a few more moments until she spoke again.

"That's not only it either. We don't exactly....hate our cursed forms....well we do but....I mean we hate the forms but not the memories we had in them. I can remember some really good times I had while a girl and Ryouga can remember the same when he was P-chan. We had good times in these forms and it's a lot easier to remember them when we are in these forms. That also helps us cheer up. You guys understand?" Ranma-chan finished and glanced up along with Ryouga.

"Ranma my boy. Ryouga. I believe I speak for all of us when I say yes. We do understand son." Genma said and paused to clear his throat and glance at the two women by his side.

"Of course we do boys. We love you and will understand anything you want to tell us." Nodoka said with a relieved smile.

"You bet Ranchan. You too Ryochan. If it helps you two get by its fine by us!" Ukyou agreed and smiled sitting down at Ranma's side.

"Thanks Mom, Pop. You too Ucchan." Ranma-chan said and smiled lightly.

"No prob Ranchan. Besides you two just look so cute like that it's hard not to smile when you're like that!" Ukyou said and began laughing. Ranma-chan blinked and smiled and soon began laughing as well. Ryouga also joined in, laughing as well as a piglet can, as did Nodoka and Genma. It was also that night all five felt a certain feeling descend over them. A feeling that no matter what happened from then on, they would get through it. Together.

After an hour of trudging around in the rain, asking directions five times and ending up in the wrong place several times they finally found their hotel and checked in. They quickly moved to their two adjoining rooms and unloaded their things onto the floor. Nodoka opened the door between the two rooms and entered to check on her boys after getting into some dry clothes.

"Ranma? Ryouga? Ukyou?" Nodoka called out seeing nobody immediately in sight.

"Yeah Mom?" Ranma-chan called from in the bathroom. Nodoka sighed a bit and smiled.

"Nothing dear, I was just checking to see if you three were getting settled all right." Nodoka answered as she moved over and began to unpack their suitcases for them.

"Oh. Yeah we're fine Mom. Just getting dried off. Be right out." Ranma-chan called out once again. Nodoka smiled and continued her unpacking. After a minute or so later Ranma-chan, Ukyou and Ryouga, still in pig form, entered from the bathroom reasonably dry. The two girls in question were wearing warm cotton pajamas and Ryouga was being carried by Ranma-chan. They moved to the bed and plunked down, Ranma-chan laying back while Ryouga just flopped down on her stomach and let out a sigh.

"Bwee bweee bwee bwee bweeeeeeee." Ryouga said glancing to Ranma-chan who snickered and began to laugh under her breath.

"Yeah you said it Ryouga." Ranma-chan said continuing to laugh.

"What did he say dear?" Nodoka asked curious. It still eluded her as to how her son could understand Ryouga when he was a pig.

"Yeah Ranchan. What did he say?" Ukyou asked thinking along the same lines as Nodoka.

"Oh. He just said that we should've let him lead. We'd have gotten here quicker. I think he's right. You know Ryouga I think you're rubbing off on Pop with all those shoji games you play with him." Ranma-chan said and cracked up laughing more. Ryouga snorted indignantly but began to chuckle as well. Well as well as pigs can anyways.

"Ranma. Ryouga. You shouldn't insult Genma like that." Nodoka chided softly even though she grinned a bit herself. Ukyou, who was also laughing with the two 'boys', snickered suddenly and managed to stop herself from laughing.

"Yeah....even if it is true." Ukyou managed to get out before she became lost in laughter once again. Ranma-chan and Ryouga couldn't help themselves at this point and began to laugh uncontrollably as well. Nodoka who couldn't help but grin widely, tried to fix them with a scolding glare but she couldn't muster one up. She really didn't want to either. She was glad they were laughing and feeling better.

She just shook her head at them and smiled warmly when some movement to her left caught her eye. She glanced over to see her husband standing in the doorway eyeing the two giggling women on the bed with a grinning piglet. Genma allowed a small smile on his face and looked to his wife and then back to the group on the bed.

"I see we are in a better mood now. Well then since we have finally gotten in out of the rain and have a chance to relax...." Genma said letting his sentence trail off. The rest of them raised their eyebrows at Genma waiting for him to finish.

"Yes dear? Go on." Nodoka prodded him a little.

"Well I was wondering if Ryouga would be up for a game or two of shoji." Genma said smiling a little more and producing a shoji board and a bag with the pieces in it from behind his back. All eyes turned to the piglet. Ryouga blinked a few times and then toddled over to the side of the bed and hopped off onto the floor. He turned to face Genma and sat down looking up at him.

"Bwee." Ryouga snorted challengingly at Genma with a gleam in his eye. Genma grinned and nodded sitting down opposite the piglet on the floor placing the board between them and beginning to set it up. Ranma-chan and Ukyou moved to the end of the bed to sit and watch while Nodoka just shook her head and continued her unpacking.

"So. Who do you think will win this time Ranchan?" Ukyou asked eyes on the board as the game got underway. Ranma-chan glanced at Ryouga for a moment and then to his father.

"Ryouga will. He's got that gleam in his eye again." Ranma-chan whispered to Ukyou but kept her voice just loud enough so Genma would hear. He did and grunted to himself as Ryouga moved a piece.

"Don't be too sure boy. I've been playing a lot longer than Ryouga has." Genma said with a confident smirk.

"You mean cheating don't you Pop?" Ranma-chan said with a grin.

"Humph! I do not cheat boy. I..." Genma started to say.

"...ignore the rules." Ranma-chan finished for him.

"That's right. Hey! I do not ignore the rules. Now be quiet boy!" Genma said glaring lightly at his son for a moment and then glancing back down to the board which looked a little different than a moment ago. Wasn't that piece over there? He looked to a very innocent looking piglet and narrowed his eyes.

"Hm Mmm. My turn?" Genma asked.

"Bwee!" Ryouga said nodding. Genma narrowed his eyes further and looked back to the board figuring out his next move. Ranma-chan looked to Ryouga who looked back and winked. Ranma-chan snickered and winked back. Ukyou just grinned having seen the winks and wondered what those two were up to now. Whatever it was she wanted in on it.

"Ranchan. Ryochan. You guys hungry? I can whip up some okonomiyaki if you guys would like?" Ukyou said pulling one of her mini spatulas and twirling it.

"Sure thing Ucchan. I'm starved! Ryouga?" Ranma-chan said with a smile.

"Bwee! Bwee bweeee!" Ryouga said keeping his eyes on Genma and the board.

"Alright then. Be right back." Ukyou said and headed off into the other room to find her portable grill. She knew Genma was carrying it on the way here and hoped he hadn't bent any of it. It took her a few minutes of searching through the pile of luggage but she finally found it and quickly brought it back into the other room. It took only a few minutes to set up and start cooking and soon the smell of okonomiyaki pervaded the room causing Genma to salivate and glance her way every now and then. Ryouga would always take advantage and move a piece every time this happened. In other words it was a regular shoji game between the two.

Soon the food was ready and everybody ate while the game played on. Nodoka joined them after a while, having went and taken a bath after unpacking. The game was on into its first hour, the cheating from both the players making this possible, and the three women, Nodoka, Ukyou and Ranma-chan, were sitting around watching the game and idly chatting with each other. Nodoka rose to stretch her legs and walked over to the window of the room and glanced outside. Not that she could see much as it was dark outside. She could, however, hear the rain as it continued to beat heavily down on the roof and against the windows.

"This storm certainly is a bad one. It doesn't sound as if it'll let up by tomorrow at all.", Nodoka said to herself.

"Mmmmm. Yes. It is a rather bad storm isn't it dear. Do not worry though. I'm sure it will let up in time dear." Genma said concentrating on the board. He could have sworn that three of Ryouga's pieces weren't there a moment ago.

"I'm sure you're right dear." Nodoka said softly not sounding sure at all. Not that she would tell anyone but she had a bad feeling. She could quite figure out why though or what about. It was just this....indescribable bad feeling. She sighed a bit and glanced out the window once more about ready to head back over to finish watching the game. A flash of lightning suddenly illuminated the outside and she found herself staring out the window at a shadowed form with large white circular eyes staring right back at her.

"AAAAHHHH!!!!" Nodoka screamed and jumped back away from the window as thunder rolled across the skies above them. Almost immediately Genma, Ukyou, Ranma-chan and Ryouga were in front of her looking all around.

"What is it Mom!? What's wrong?!" Ranma-chan asked tensed for a fight.

"Dear are you alright?" Genma asked holding Nodoka close to him.

"What is it Auntie?" Ukyou asked holding two of her spatulas ready to throw. Nodoka took several deep breaths and calmed down enough to speak.

"I'm...alright. I saw something...outside the window. It was watching us." Nodoka said and hugged her husband tightly.

"The window?" Ranma-chan asked and bounded across the room grabbing a flashlight from her bags and then bounding to the window.

"Be careful boy." Genma said and comforted his startled wife.

"I will Pop.", Ranma-chan said and clicked the flashlight on. Ryouga hopped onto the window sill and the two peered into the darkness as Ranma shone the flashlight around. A few moments of silence as the two searched around with the light. In a tree a few feet from the window the light fell on a form and two shining eyes looked back.

"GYAAAAAAH!!!!!" Ranma-chan shouted and in an instant was clinging onto Ukyou hiding behind her.

"Ranchan!!? What's wrong?!" Ukyou asked more than a little scared herself. If something could scare her Ranchan like that she wouldn't have a chance against it.

"Boy?!!" Genma said a little worried himself.

"Ranma?!!" Nodoka said moving with Genma to Ranma.

"Bwee.", Ryouga said disgustedly, turning around and sighing.

"What?" Ukyou asked looking to Ryouga.

"C-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c....CAT!" Ranma-chan stuttered out. Genma, Nodoka and Ukyou blinked and then all sighed in relief as one.

"It was a cat? Oh...oh my. I fell so silly now. I'm sorry I scared everyone like that.", Nodoka said and laughed a little at herself.

"It's alright dear. Storms like this will play tricks on you. I think we'd better get Ranma settled down though.", Genma said looking to Ranma-chan who was still glomped to Ukyou, who was turning a bit blue from lack of oxygen. Nodoka sighed and nodded and the two went to pry Ranma off Ukyou. Ryouga hopped down and toddled off into the bathroom to change back in case they needed the extra strength.

Outside sitting in the tree the cat looked around from the small shelter the tree's branches made from the water. It meowed pitifully at being left there suddenly in the downpour of rain.

At the opposite end of the small hotel was another set of double rooms similar to the ones Ranma and his group were in now. The door connecting these two rooms was closed and there was only one occupant between the two of them at the moment. It was a young girl sitting quietly on the bed as if waiting for someone. The dim lamp in the room cast little light over the room. The young girl, maybe eighteen, sat dressed in a dark blue kimono with her bare feet lightly touching the floor. Her hair, long and raven, ran freely down her back to just touch the bed. A dark blue ribbon was held in her hands which she held as if it were made of glass. She sighed again and glanced up to the door leading outside, the shadows falling from her face mostly. Her skin soft and smooth, yet holding a few hard lines under the eyes and over the cheeks indicating she may not be as young as she looks.

Her eyes were brown pools of misery, unforgiving, unrelenting and most of all, unhidden of the pain that lies inside. She stares at the door not blinking, her mouth tightening into a thin line her face loosing all the softness it held a moment ago. Her eyes turn cold and hard the pain turning to hate, her stare becoming a glare. The door is opened as lightning flashes lighting up outside. A tallish form in black strides inside soaked right through its long black trench coat and wide-brimmed black hat. It shuts the door and turns pulling off the hat and dropping it on the floor to the side of the door. It does the same with its trench coat and then turns to face the girl.

The man standing there wearing large aviator style glasses and has a head of slicked back brown hair. He wears a similar dark blue kimono, though larger in size as to fit his rather portly physique. He adjusts his glasses and levels his gaze at the girl.

"They're here, just as I knew they would be. The funeral is tomorrow and that will be my chance. Those two idiots cost me the first chance I had to take her as my student five years ago. They accidentally caused her death with a fight of theirs. Now I have a chance to get her back and I won't loose it. Not this time. I've waited far too long to find a student of her potential. I will have her!" the man said and clenched one of his thick stubby hands for emphasis.

The girl just glared back at him not speaking. The man glanced to her and smirked slowly walking over and crouching down. He reached up and gently stroked her cheek, a dark grin over his lips.

"You have such intensity in your gaze. Are you angry at me?" the man asked and got no response. He chuckled a bit and then backhanded her off the bed onto the floor. She cried out and lay on the floor for a moment before slowly pushing herself to her knees and looking up at him with more hatred than before. The man chuckled more rising to his feet and looking down with a satisfied smirk.

"My dear Mimoko, you have no right to be angry with me child. No not after what you did to me. I'll bet you thought yourself the savior of the family when you turned them all against me didn't you? Well I hope you enjoyed your time in the spotlight because it's over now. That was one lesson you, or any of those other ingrates, couldn't learn; patience. Simple patience and that is something I have. I waited. And I waited. For 150 years!!!! I waited and I searched. I found her. Here of all places and I watched. The day I was to approach her she was killed. That was another turn of bad luck, but I had done my research and I soon had a plan to bring her back. Now I will and she will be my student. A few theatrics, a puff of smoke here, a shimmer of light there. A few lies, a tender moment and then I whisk her away to be mine. But of course I need a....sacrifice....a guinea pig if you will. That is where you come in. Don't worry though. It won't hurt one bit and by the time tomorrow comes, my dear daughter, you won't be around anymore." the man said and turned walking towards the door to his room.

He opened the door and took one step into his room and paused a moment. He turned back around and smirked at the Mimoko, who was rising to her feet. She noted he had paused and glared daggers at him.

"Do rest up Mimoko. This will be your last night on this earth. Alive anyways." the man said and turned entering his room slamming the door shut behind him. Mimoko glared after him as long as she could before she broke down and threw herself on the bed. She buried her face into her pillow and cried as hard as the rain was pouring down outside. She cried and cried and cried because there was nothing else she could do. She was powerless against him, her father. She was a martial artist, and a very good one but her father was much, much better. Escape would be futile as he would catch her within minutes.

She was doomed. She rolled over and wiped her eyes and stared at the ceiling as an eerie calm descended upon her. She swallows and slowly smiled as she looked back over her life. She knew she faced death come tomorrow and as she reviewed her life she realized she had no regrets. She had done everything she wanted to and she had tried, and failed, to escape her father and now it was all over. She would die come tomorrow. Before she let sleep take her for her final night on the earth she sent a prayer out, not for herself, but for the one her father was seeking. She prayed for her and her alone that night and as she let sleep take her into it's gentle and soothing grasp her mind replayed her prayer once more.

"Akane Tendo. I pray for your soul and that you look past the surface and see what is underneath. I hope you make the right choice and do not go with my father, for your life will be miserable. I wish the Gods have mercy upon you."

End of Part Two