" Akane" Ranma hissed touching her hand.

What are ya gona say when we see this guy, I mean I ain't his nephew..?" Akane looked over at him with a concentrating look. "I don't know, but I'll think of something... really."

Ranma had his doubts about this but shut up and fingered his now much longer red pigtail. After a few minutes the reached the large doors of an entrance yard. Seeing the kids hesitate Dr.Gensi showed them in. "Karou! Were here." Shouted the old man accompanied by the exited squeals of the little girls.

Meanwhile inside the Dojo Karou sat glaring at Sitou, who had dropped by to speak with Kenshin about some strange sightings lately. Sitou was ignoring the girl's looks with his (c) Purma Smirk plastered to his face. Hearing Dr.Gensi Shout Kenshin broke off. " Sorry Sitou-son, we have guests. We will continue this conversation later, that we will."

The Tall man shrugged "no problem Battousai, I'm not in a hurry" Sitou took a drag on his cigarette and exhaled "I'll wait" Kenshin gave him a disapproving look but followed Karou out to great there guest. When they reached the courtyard Karou was suppressed to see that not only the Dr. was there visiting. There was also a young girl with short black hair in a western dress, and a young man in Chinese clothing standing behind her bearing a startling resemblance to Kenshin with a ...bandage on his cheek.

Akane looked around at the people gathered in the courtyard looking at them. A young woman not to much older then her in a Kimono, a young boy in old samurai-type clothing, a tall man smoking a cigarette in an old police uniform. Akane had suspected that they might be in the past but this proved it...she guess that Ranma was not to surprised because he must have guessed that himself. Akane's eyes fell on the last man...and her breath caught. He looked almost exactly like Ranma. They had the same red hair, purple eyes...and if her eyes didn't deserve her.. the same strange scar on his check.

Dr.Gensi started to say something but Akane cut him off. It was better that she told them on her own terms. She stepped forward and bowed to the assembled people.

My name is Tendo Akane, and the boy over there is Soutome Ranma. Please forgive me but I told this gentleman over there that Ranma was Himura-san's nephew so he would lead us here. Please, we mean no harm but really need to talk to Himura Kenshin..so..." Akane trailed off looking up to see the group's reaction. The tall policeman looked amused. The young boy looked wary, the young woman looked concerted and the man she assumed to be Kenshin...well his expression was friendly but guarded.

Kenshin stepped forward taking the chore of the introductions. " I am Himura Kenshin, this is Yahiko, Sitou and Karou-dono. Karou-Dono owns this Dojo. If you need to talk to me that bad, I would be glad to listen indeed I would. If that's OK with Karou-Dono that is?" Karou jerked herself into realty. "Yes, yes sure...um.. Mrs.Tendo, Mr. Soutome come on in please."

Akane blushed "Um Mrs. Karou, please just call us Akane and Ranma?"

Karou smiled "Only if you call me Karou!" Akane grinned, "Deal".

After they had all settled sitting in the Dojo Kenshin turned to Akane. " All right Akane-Dono what is that you needed to talk to me so badly about?"

Akane took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy. "First Mr.Himura."
"Kenshin" he corrected her.
"Kenshin...I must ask that no matter how incredible this story sounds...please keep an open mind and listen to the end."

Kenshin nodded at her. All right here go's Akane thought. And Akane told Kenshin the WHOLE story. About Ranma's arrival at her home two years ago, his many battles and what happened at Jusankio. She told him about Collone and the amulet that she had used to make them come wherever they are now. And although she told him that something bad happened to Ranma she did not say anything about Kuno...that was for Ranma to do when he felt ready. When she was finished the room exploded in shock.

Yahiko sputtered out expressions of disbelief and anger. Karou was speechless. Sitou looked like he was about to laugh out loud. And Kenshin? Kenshin was still looking at her intently. After a moment he spoke up. " I believe you are telling the truth Akane-dono." Those nine words had an instant silencing effect on the room. "KENSHIN you can't be serious!" Yahiko and Karou burst out. " Time travel? Magical springs! This is so obviously full of.." Yahiko yelled at Kenshin in surprise.

" Yahiko, there is no deception around Akane-dono. She is telling the truth. And surly you remember that trip we took to china last year?" Yahiko snapped his mouth shut. Karou and almost fell over. Both of there eyes widened in shock.

"But Kenshin...that means that ...R..Ranma has a part of you... IN him?" Karou spoke softly trying to ignore the intent look Sitou was giving their guests. Kenshin's eyes darkened as he looked at Ranma who was sitting next to Akane. " Yes, Karou- Dono it would appear so..Although what part, or how much I can not say." Inside Kenshin was greatly disturbed by this thought. No part of him was easy to handle, from his dark past to his present struggles and the violent side of the Hitokiri Battousai that was so hard to control.

Even know with years of practice at control Kenshin could feel his darker side always swimming in his soul just under the surface. If some young man without the control that a life time as a Hiten Mitsuryugi ryu student had taught him was suddenly forced to deal with the Battousai...things could get VERY bad VERY fast. He could just hope that the part of him in Ranma took after the Ruroni in him and not the Hitokiri.

" So, you came here to Kenshin so Ranma could learn about the part of Kenshin that is in him?" Karou asked hesitantly.
"Yes" Sitou asked flicking his cigarette onto the floor . Sitou like Kenshin could read Ki and also found Akane's story to be true "Why come to Mr.Himura?"

Akane looked nervous and very uncomfortable "Well Ranma...he" she looked over at Ranma who had been silent this whole time with his hands resting on his knees, bangs shadowing his face.

" I lost control during a fight" Ranma spoke clearly. Each word carefully formed and sharp sounding in the silence. Akane looked at him startled at the sound of his voice. It had a bit of the ice in it again..,Like the time with Kuno...

" Lost control?" Karou echoed with wide eyes.

"Ranma is a very powerful martial artist. He's been practicing the art since he was five or six I think...so he has to hold back sometimes in a fight so he doesn't hurt weaker opponents. But..." Akane's voice wavered.

"He lost control" Kenshin Finished "and didn't hold back, right?"

Akane looked down at the floor "yeah"

Yahiko gasped. "What happened to the guy?"

"I killed him." Ranma said softly in a mater of fact tone.

Ranma had just admitted to murder, and he couldn't help feeling numb about it. He knew he shouldn't be so calm about it. But once Akane started talking about the battle he felt himself overwhelmed with grief.

Somewhere in his mind a presence had reached out promising to take the guilt away... to make him not feel it anymore Ranma let his mental barriers down a sliver allowing the 'Other' to wrap him in calm indifference Ranma looked up and gazed at his audience.

His eyes an Icy Dark Blue shade flicked faintly with amber that reflected the flickering candle light back at his viewers. Yahiko scooted back a little from Ranma as Karou spoke up eyes wide…those were the

'Battosai's eyes wernt they?

"Are you sure? He could have been just knocked out or...badly hurt or something."

Karou offered softly. Kenshin winced. Akane had said that the boy Ranma was a skilled martial artist,

meaning he would have made no mistake about his opponent's condition. Sitou knowing the same mumbled "Ahou" under his breath but non the less looked interested in hearing Ranma's reply.

" He was dead Karou-san. His back was broken, his neck the same in three peaces. Half a bokken shoved in juncture of his neck and shoulder down into the left lung and heart, breaking most of the ribs on that side."

Ranma looked at Karou as he listed off this mater of fact list of injuries tonelessly. Ranma laughed without amusement after a moment of silence. "Kuno was a stubborn guy...but not THAT stubborn!"

Akane winced at the dark humor, scared at the change in Ranma's attitude. She gently touched his leg, her hand shaking "Ranma.." she said hesitantly. Hearing the fear in Akane's voice Ranma took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Slowly, oh so slowly… he forced his walls back up closing out the 'other'. When he opened them again they where a softer shade of lavender-blue. A collective sigh was breathed by Kenshin, Yahiko and Karou and the realized the signs of the 'killer' being pushed back. Ranma and Akane sweat-dropped wondering what that sigh was all about.

Akane spoke up, "Can you help us Kenshin?" Kenshin closed his eyes. This was agonizing for him, he had seen just now that Ranma had some measure of the 'Battousai' in him, how much he could not yet be sure. And the fact that another man...no BOY would have to deal with the same struggle he himself put up with everyday...

"Yes Akane-Dono Ranma-san, I will do what ever I can to help. As it is part of my spirit that is affecting him I feel somewhat responsible for his pain. However before I can help I need to know a little more about how you have changed since the spring. Is it just your control and some physical changes? It is important for you to be specific, that it most certainly is."

Ranma forced a smile now feeling a bit more like himself thanks to Akane's smiling at him. "Well I'd have'ta say no that ain't all." As long as he was being honest he might as well tell it all…"There's also this feeling like I know how to use a katana.. .But I don't use a sword because weapons are for weaklings."

Kenshin ORO'ed

Karou choked on her tea.

Yahiko fell over twitching

Sitou's new cigarette fell from his lips as he face faulted

"An on top'a that I keep seeing... things. Like memories...but things I AIN'T EVER DONE!" Ranma put emphasis on the last couple of words trying not to remember the images of blood and death. Kenshin sat strait up and sucked in his breath painfully fast. A little to intently he asked "What kind of images?"

Ranma REALY did not want to remember any of those but Kenshin had a look on his face right know that let Ranma know that arguing would be a bad idea. "Bad things, like fights and...Noise. Mainly it's the blood that gets to me the most. Lots of blood. You can smell it in the air and everywhere, taste it.. Feel it on your skin.." Ranma broke of because it was as if talking about it had brought the images back full force.

Once again he could hear the screams of pain and terror...the horrible wet gurgles as men struggled to breath there last. And the Blood O'Kami the blood. Streets slick with it so much blood it had to be a place from Hell.. Streams literally running red with it, hands slick on the hilt of his katana as he shoved it though the back of a mans neck as the man reached for a fallen flower in the street, and then twisting it and horribly hearing the death rattle!

FIRE! The side of his face erupted in fiery pain wrenching him from the hellish images and he reached up to grab his head. Everyone watched in stunned silence at Ranma's dark narrative broke into a scream of denial as he once again held his hands to his head. Akane watched horrified at the bandage on h is face quickly turned red as blood soaked it spreading outwards. With a gasp Akane reached up to rip the bandage off his face.. and then watched as the cross shaped scar seamed to glow red in the candle light, dripping fresh thick blood steadily down the side of his face...