Disclaimer: The Nerima Wrecking Crew belongs entirely to Rumiko Takahashi. We just passed by and thought, now what if? This is a collaboration, with this chapter written by Huskyman again. Hope you like it!

Words in ( ) are thoughts

A DARK DREAMING

By: Skywatch and Huskyman

PART IV. SPECULATIONS

The boy opened his eyes. Strange voices whispered to him in his head. Sweat flowed down his face. Slowly, he rose up to a sitting position. He winced in pain, cradling his head in his hands. Around him, everything seemed to be spinning around, his vision blurry.

A rustling sound startled Ryouga. The door to his room began to open, little by little. As his vision started to return to normal, Ryouga spotted a pair of eyes peering up at him through the door's narrow opening.

"Well, look who's finally up and about."

(Ak- no, it's Ukyou.) "Ukyou-san?" he managed to say while looking around. "Where am I?"

Ukyou closed the door behind her. She went to a nearby table, turning a small lamp on. "Where else? You're at my place. It's a good thing that I had a spare room."

Ryouga had a confused look on his face. "Is this another dream? Am I already dead?"

"What kind of talk is that?" She moved closer to him, placing her hands on her waist. "Don't you remember what happened?"

He closed his eyes. And then, it all came back to him. The tremendous chi blast he had done. Losing consciousness. "Hai." Ryouga replied after a few seconds. "And you... helped me?"

"You got that right." She remained standing in the center of the room, her arms crossed. "Just what in the hell were you doing out there? Do you realize you could have hurt someone?" Ukyou grumbled at him. "Not to mention, that area wasn't safe. Lots of thugs hang out there."

"Well, I-"

She sighed heavily. "Don't worry about it, sugar. You probably would have done the same for me. Anyway, I've got to go down and open my restaurant. Why don't you rest some more then come down when you're feeling better."

"Hai, Ukyou-san," Ryouga said.

Ukyou turned to him with a weak smile. "Oh and Ryouga, you owe me one." She stepped out of the room, leaving Ryouga alone.

The pain in his head seemed to be dwindling as he looked around the room some more. Anyone could easily tell that the room was old. The walls were dirty white, and the ceiling wasn't much different. In the corner, a battered-looking desk and chair stood. The only light was from the small lamp that Ukyou had turned on. Despite the current condition of the room, Ryouga was more than content. (It beats sleeping out in the open.) He reached down to the side of the bed, and brushed up against a familiar object. It was his backpack, with the familiar red umbrella attached to it. (Nice of Ukyou to bring this along too.)

"You cannot control it, Ryouga. Soon, it will take over you completely." The voice came out of nowhere. It sent chills down Ryouga's spine.

The okonomiyaki chef found her way downstairs. She immediately opened the restaurant. It was regular business for Ukyou, who took her usual position behind the grill, eagerly awaiting the morning's first customers. Her thoughts wandered back to Ryouga. The lost boy had been having nightmares, which she hadn't mentioned to him. For two nights, Ukyou had heard him talking in his sleep. While she couldn't make out the exact words, she was certain that she heard the words Akane, Ranma, Otousan and something about a secret.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this. If Akane's involved, then so is Ranchan."

"Ohayou gozaimasu!" A young group of people entered, taking their seats in front of Ukyou.

"Welcome to Ucchan's!" she smiled at them. "So, what will you guys be having?"

"Akane-san, I love you," he said confidently. "I've loved you since the first time I saw you." Ryouga stood amongst the grassy fields, face-to-face with Akane. They were finally alone, in a place that felt like paradise. The moon shone brightly in the sky while the stars sparkled all around them. He held on to her hands tightly.

Akane bowed her head. "Oh Ryouga-kun, I know how you feel but..." she began to say, "...I can't love you."

"Why, Akane-san?" He could feel the tears building up. "Please, tell me what I can do to prove myself and I'll do it."

Akane looked at him squarely. "You don't understand, Ryouga. I already love someone else."

"You don't mean..."

"Ryouga-kun, it's Ranma that I love," she calmly admitted.

A wave of shock instantly hit Ryouga. He felt his heart shattering into pieces. "Kami-sama... it's all true." He crashed down on his knees.

Akane placed a hand on his shoulder. "Gomen nasai, Ryouga-kun but it's really how I feel."

Ryouga looked up at her face. His tears continued to flow down from his eyes. But then, a dark impulse took complete control of him. "If I can't have you, then no one will!" He grabbed Akane's right wrist, twisted it, and with one quick motion, he found the exact mark. Akane cried in anguish.

"Nooooo!" the boy screamed at the top of his lungs.

CRASH! "Ryouga, wake up! You're having a nightmare, Ryouga!" A girl shook him violently as she said his name loudly.

"Gah!" Ryouga bolted up, his eyes bulging open. "Akane-san! Kami-sama, I've hurt her!" he cried out.

"Snap out of it Ryouga!" She continued to shake him. "Akane's not here!"

"Akane-san! Wh-" SLAP! "Ow!" The sudden pain on his cheek brought him back to reality. Two strong arms held his shoulders. The face in front of him became clearer as he regained his composure. "U-Ukyou-san?" (I must have fallen asleep again.)

"You jackass, don't scare me like that!" Ukyou yelled at him. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack." She immediately let go of his shoulders.

"Gomen nasai, Ukyou-san. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just that... it was so... so... real."

The okonomiyaki chef sighed in relief. "It's alright. Just do me a favor... don't do that again."

"H-hai, I'll try my best not to." He struggled to get up from the bed. Ukyou noticed this.

"Hey, are you sure you should be doing that already?" she said, looking at Ryouga. "Maybe you should try to-"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He managed to get on his feet clumsily. "I just don't want to stay in bed." (There's no way I'm going to risk having one of those nightmares again.)

"Alright, if it makes you feel better." A thought occurred to Ukyou. "Why don't you come down with me right now and I'll fix you up something special."

A look of hesitation flashed on his face. "N-no, you shouldn't have too. I'm already a burden to you, and I don't want to impose on you any further. Besides, you've got customers to atte-"

"Ah Ryouga, it's already evening," Ukyou interrupted him. "I'm about to close the place in a few minutes."

"Nani?" Ryouga was stunned. His stomach made a suggestive sound. "Well if it's perfectly fine with you, then I guess I'll take up your offer."

"That's the spirit, sugar. Now get your butt over here and follow me downstairs."

Ryouga sat in front of Ukyou, admiring her skill quietly. A few more minutes, and the okonomiyaki special she was preparing for him would be ready. A pleasant aroma filled the place.

"Mmmm... smells good."

"Of course silly, who do you think I am? I'm the best okonomiyaki chef in the world," she said with a grin. "Here you go!" The okonomiyaki landed precisely on Ryouga's plate.

"Itadakimasu!" a boy in the corner exclaimed. He gleefully chomped on his okonomiyaki. "Delicious! Saturday nights just don't get any better than this."

"You said it, man," the young man across him answered.

Ukyou happily looked at them with a smile. The two boys were her classmates at Furinken High. "Glad you like it, guys." Then, she looked at Ryouga who was staring drearily at his plate. "Hey, stop staring at it and eat it already."

"Huh?" Ryouga looked momentarily confused. "Oh, right. A-arigato, Ukyou-san." He picked up a pair of chopsticks from the counter.

"So, you feeling any better?" she asked him hesitantly.

"I guess you could say that." He took a bite from the okonomiyaki. "The pain in my head isn't as bad as it was."

"I'm relieved to hear that," Ukyou said to him. A thought came to her. (I've got to find out what he's been through.) "Care to share with me on what's been happening with you?"

"Well, I uh..." he sighed. "It's a long story."

"I've got all night, Ryouga," she said to him. "Come on, we both know you travel all the time."

"There's not much to say. I get lost, I find my way back, I end up in another part of the world... it's all the same everyday."

"So that's the life of Ryouga Hibiki? Sounds really interesting."

"Whatever you want to say about it, I don't really care."

In another part of the restaurant, the two classmates of Ukyou in the corner continued their conversation, laughing out loud and sharing rumors. "And have you heard of the latest one?"

"What's it about this time? Some guy getting his ass kicked?"

"No man, something even more funny than that. You know that guy from the other class? The one who goes around hitting on girls all the time?"

"Oh, that guy? He's just full of himself."

"Yeah but guess what, he got a trip to the hospital today. The moron actually tried hitting on Akane Te-" A loud thud out of nowhere silenced him. He gulped as he spotted Ryouga tensing in his chair. The lost boy's left fist was on the table while his right gripped the chopsticks tightly.

"Hey, Ryouga take it easy," Ukyou said. She looked towards her classmates. "Guys, let's call it a night shall we?"

"Sure, Ukyou." The young man left some money on the table. "Come on man, we're outta here." He dragged his friend with him, making their way towards the entrance. "And I thought Ranma wa-"

SNAP! The chopsticks Ryouga was holding shattered into pieces. He slowly stood up from his chair and faced the boy who mentioned Ranma. "Don't you DARE say that name again or you're a dead man!"

For her part, Ukyou stood there in complete disbelief. Her classmates bolted out of the restaurant as quickly as they could. She jumped over the counter, standing right behind Ryouga. "What the hell is wrong with you? You just drove out two of my customers!"

Ryouga tilted his face towards her and spoke, "Do you have any idea what I just went through? The dreams that I have every night? You have no clue!"

"That doesn't give you the right to interfere with my customers!"

"Maybe not, but it's your classmate's fault. If he hadn't mentioned-"

"Who?" she retorted. "Akane? Ranma? It's always been about them, right?"

Ryouga stood there, dumbfounded. "H-how did you know that?"

"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Not only did you say their names in your sleep, but the way you were acting just now, it's really obvious." She crossed her arms. "You were never hard to read, Ryouga. Anyone could easily tell what's going on in that mind of yours."

He shifted uncomfortably, placing his hands in his pockets. "What do you care anyway?"

"I want to know what Ranma has to do with all of this."

Again, the mention of his rival sparked Ryouga's temper. "I'm warning you! Don't say that name to my face again or..."

"Or what?" Ukyou challenged. "You know what, you're unbelievable! You think the whole damn world revolves around you." She turned her back on him. "Go ahead and sulk all night if you want to. I'm going upstairs, and you better not follow me."

It was past midnight. The full moon outside illuminated the sky. Ukyou slept in relative peace, considering that the night had not ended on a good note, especially after her argument with Ryouga. After she got up to her room, she collapsed on her bed and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

An eerie sound jolted Ukyou awake. She immediately got up and rubbed her eyes, yawning. "What was that?" She looked around sleepily. The floor in front of her creaked. Ukyou focused her eyes, grabbing the spatula right beside her in the process. There was the sound of breathing. (Someone else is in here with me!) She was certain that she had locked her door and that her windows were closed.

As she scanned the room, she noticed that her door had been opened. Sweat began to prickle on Ukyou's skin as she clenched her teeth. The breathing became louder. She tightened her grasped on her spatula.

A strange growl emanated from behind her. Ukyou shifted her eyes, but she still couldn't tell whatever it was in the room. "Whoever you are, you broke into the wrong place."

Ukyou shoved the comforter off her legs and stood. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a silhouette that stood more darkly against the rest of the darkness. "Show yourself, you coward!" she challenged it as she gripped her spatula with both hands. She could now make out two dark eyes gazing at her, sending shudders down her spine. (Okay, maybe that wasn't a good idea.)

Moving quickly, she threw two of her throwing spatulas at it. Without effort, the shadow deflected the weapons with its arms, and it leapt at her. Ukyou dodged to the side, just in time as the figure landed on her right. With one quick move, she swung her spatula at it, only to realize that it was no longer there.

She looked around the room quickly. "Where the heck did it go?"

From behind, the intruder grabbed her with its strong arms, making her drop her weapon. Ukyou struggled to release herself from the creature's grip. Its hold on her only grew stronger. (If I don't get out of this, I'm done for.) Summoning all of her strength, she warded off the beast's right arm, freeing her right hand. Without delay, she grabbed one of her throwing spatulas. Immediately, her attacker jumped away from her.

(What the ? It's like it knew what I was planning to do.) It was now in the corner of the room, waiting silently in a crouched position. Ukyou wasted no time and threw the throwing spatula at it. With great agility, it dodged her weapon. "Kuso!" she cursed. Realizing that she was out of throwing spatulas, she quickly dove to the floor, grabbed the broad spatula, and got back to her stance.

The assailant got back to its feet and was staring straight at her.

(Got to think of something fast. If my assumptions are right, I should be able to hit it this time.) Again, it leaped at her. This time she stood her ground. (Wait for it... wait for it... NOW!) With all her might, Ukyou swung her spatula at it. WHAM! The creature crashed straight through the window.

Ukyou brushed the sweat off her forehead as she waited for the trespasser to return. Remaining in a battle stance, she expected the counterattack to come at her anytime now. But strangely, it felt as if the battle was already over.

Cautiously, she took small steps towards the window. Looking down below, the street was deserted. "That can't be right. I could have sworn I hit it hard enough to knock it out," she said to herself, confused. Ukyou flipped a light switch on the wall. Her door had been forced opened. She looked at her clock. It was 3:00 in the morning. Then she remembered, "Ryouga!"

The okonomiyaki chef quickly made her way downstairs. And to no surprise, Ryouga was gone. It puzzled her though that his backpack and umbrella were still around. Not to mention, a neatly-laid sleeping mat on the floor. "That idiot. Where could he be this time?" Still, Ukyou remained confident that Ryouga would find his way back. (He never leaves his stuff behind.)

Fearing the return of her unknown attacker, Ukyou dropped the idea of going back to sleep, and settled herself behind the counter. "I guess I have the perfect excuse to see Ranchan now." She grinned. Tomorrow was something to look forward to.

"You really think I can do it?"

"Of course you can," he said, looking at her. The young man dropped the grocery bags he was carrying on the ground. "Just think of this as part of training. Look, I'll show you again how it's done." With ease, he nimbly jumped on top of the fence, maintaining his balance. He took a few steps along it, going back and forth. "See, it's not that hard."

The young girl looked at him with envy and anxiety. "Show off!"

"Am not!" He jumped down beside her. "Listen, do you remember your gymnastics class? The one where Gosunkugi was taking pictures of you?

She nodded at him. "Hai."

"I don't know about you, but I thought you were doing great until Gosunkugi ruined everything." He smiled at her. "If you can easily do a balance beam routine, this one should be child's play for you."

"That was different!" she insisted. "I mean... that fence is thinner and more shaky." She looked at the fence uneasily. "Sounds like I could end up injuring my ankle again."

"Oh come on, a tomboy like you ought to be tougher than that."

(TWACK!) She hit him lightly on the head. "Jerk."

"Jeez, Akane I was only kidding. Seriously, do you think I'd ever let anything happen to you?"

She gave him a smile. "I know, Ranma." Akane looked at the fence again, this time with determination written all over her face. "Okay, I'll give it a shot. Here, hold on to this." She handed him the grocery bag.

Ranma stepped aside. "I knew you wouldn't back down. I'll even give you an incentive," he said to her boldly. "I'll eat anything you cook tonight if you're able to do this."

Akane almost broke into laughter. "Are you having a fever or something?"

"Look, I know this is probably hard for you to believe. But I-"

"Okay," she suddenly responded. "You promise? You'll eat anything I cook?"

Ranma gulped. He was probably going to regret this promise later on. A scary thought came to him all of a sudden. (Oh crap! What the hell have I been saying? Akane's cooking has improved, but it's still not normal.) Another part of him though, quickly restrained his first line of thought. (Then again, it'll be worth it.)

"Well?" Akane asked him in a serious tone.

(Here goes nothing.) "H-hai." He nodded slowly, smiling mischievously at her.

"Fine, I'll do it. But you better keep your end of the bargain."

Everything was suddenly quiet. Akane was staring at the fence with a fierce determination on her face. She closed her eyes, gathering up every ounce of her concentration. This was now between her and the fence. Without any further hesitation, Akane hopped on top of the fence. "Wooohh!" she blurted out, waving her arms wildly in the air. But then, a strong pair of hands quickly held on to her sides.

"Careful, Akane," he whispered lightly into her ear. "I'm gonna hold on to you until you get the hang of it, alright?"

"O-okay." She shuddered a bit, but knowing that Ranma was there, she felt completely safe. Akane stretched her arms out, just as she would on a balance beam. Carefully, she moved forward with her left foot first, then her right foot. She walked a few steps gingerly before she stopped and looked back, and was surprised to see that Ranma wasn't holding her anymore.

"Looks like you already got it, Akane." Ranma gave her a thumbs-up sign.

Akane couldn't help but smile to herself. Once again, she carefully started walking. And this time around, she did it a little more quickly and with less effort. Akane went on with the same movements for a couple of minutes. Ranma remained on the top of the fence with her, keeping his distance but watching her intently. Sometimes, she would wobble a bit to the left or right, but nowhere close to falling.

After awhile, Ranma spoke, "Hey, Akane I think that will do for now. It's getting late. People are bound to pass by."

"But I want to practice some more," she protested. Akane was now able to walk on the fence without maintaining both of her arms in the air.

"Kasumi is going to want these groceries back." He pointed down at them. "Or the whole family will starve."

"Oh, that's right. Gomen nasai, I forgot all about it." With grace and confidence, she dismounted from the fence. Ranma went down as well, landing right beside her. "You were really great, Akane."

"Arigato, Ranma," she thanked him shyly. "Someday, you'll be a great teacher."

Before a blushing Ranma could reply, Akane nudged him softly on his stomach. "Last one to the house gets to wash the dishes!" She stuck her tongue out at him, picked up her bag and ran, laughing.

"Hey, no fair, wait up!" Ranma grabbed his share of the groceries and chased after her. For some reason, he was grinning wildly.

The two teenagers raced each other towards the Tendo dojo. Their gleeful shouts and mock challenges echoed behind them.

In a hidden corner of the street, Ukyou gripped her spatula tightly as she watched Ranma and Akane slowly disappear in the distance. She didn't know why, but what had just taken place greatly disturbed her."It can't be."

A/N:

Hi guys, Huskyman here. First off, I'd like to say sorry for taking so long to update. I guess I got pretty occupied with other things.

Readers will be glad to know that this won't be an R/U fic in the traditional sense. They're not just going to look at each other and instantly fall in-love (or have babies). But Ukyou does have a role in the next couple of chapters.

ReDragon37: No, he's not a vampire.
Bomb-O-Maniac: Not a werewolf either.