Ranma took a deep breath before starting again. "She was dressed all in white. Her long dark hair was down to like here" he indicated pointing to the center of his back, "Her eyes were jade green. I remember those eyes very well. But the weirdest part was as soon as she appeared I didn't remember Akane. I didn't know who I was. I couldn't remember anything. I must have been like that for several days."
"What are you talking about Ranma?" Ryoga asked, "You and Akane were with us the whole time."
"Huh? That's not possible Ryoga. How could Ihave been? I was there with that woman."
"Wait a minute" Ukyo interrupted, "What if Akane was there but not you?"
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked quizzically.
"Well just like the Akane that's living at your house right now, it might not have been the real you, that Ryoga is referring to."
"You mean like a duplicate or something?"
"Mhm."
"It could have been. I don't know."
"But what I don't understand is" Ryoga said, "If you couldn't remember anything? How did you get back? How did you escape?"
"I don't know" Ranma repeated, "I'm not sure. Someone saved me I think. But who it is I can't recall," he shook his head, "My memories from that time are very hazy."
"Try to remember Ranma" Ukyo urged, "It might be the key to finding Akane."
Ranma closed his eyes tightly and tried to concentrate, but then shook his head. "I can't" he said desperately, "I'm getting nothing."
"But you recognized that guy in the alley? How did you know who he was?" Ryoga said.
"I don't know" Ranma replied for the third time, "I just do."
"Poor Ranma. It must have been quite an ordeal" Ukyo replied.
"Yea must have been" Ranma nodded bitterly, "And I don't know how I got out of it."
"Don't worry Ranma. It'll come back to you. I'm sure it will."
"Mhm" Ranma nodded again uncertain, "In the meantime, Ryoga" he turned to the other boy, "You guard Ukyo tonight. I'm sure they will make another attempt to come after her."
"Sure no problem" Ryoga agreed with a nod.
"Thanks I got to get back to the house" Ranma said standing up, "Maybe my memory will come back or I'll remember something."
"Just give it time Ranma" Ukyo replied gently.
"I have a feeling that time is not on our side" Ranma said with a sigh, "I'll see you two later" he walked out the door.
Ryoga watched as he departed and shook his head. "None of this makes any sense to me."
"I don't think it's going to sugar" Ukyo replied, "Right now it seems that Ranma, is the key to finding out what happened to Akane. But until he remembers something we're kind of stuck."
(Next Scene)
Ranma walked slowly home but stopped abruptly when he saw someone he hadn't expected. Mousse and more importantly Shampoo were walking towards him.
"Huh?" his eyes did a double take, "Shampoo?" he said making them stop.
"Ranma" she replied.
"Where have you been?" he asked her.
"What you talking about?"
"Well you. I. Are you okay?" he spit out.
"Of course she is Saotome" Mousse answered angrily, "What do you think?"
"Shampoo and Mousse go out on date. That all" Shampoo grinned holding onto Mousse's arm lovingly.
"Wait a minute" Ranma said astonished, "You guys went out on a date?"
"Yes" Mousse replied rudely, "Now if you don't mind Ranma, we need to get back to the restaurant" they moved past the stunned boy.
"Bye Ranma!" Shampoo waved, "You hurry home to Akane now!"
"Akane?" Ranma stood still for a moment, "What is she talking about? She knows that" then he stopped himself frowned, "Hold on. Unless. Yes. No doubt about it. There's no way that was Shampoo. Which means another fake is on the loose," he thought as he took off running for the Tendo home.
(Next Scene)
Later that night Ryoga helped Ukyo clean up the restaurant while she took out the trash. As she closed the lid of the trashcan she heard some footsteps approaching and turned around suddenly finding herself face to face with a very familiar tall brunette. Before she could say anything his eyes began to glow red and she collapsed into his arms.
"Never send an amateur," he said to himself as he picked her up and carried her away into the shadows.
Ryoga looked up as Ukyo came through the restaurant's door a couple of minutes later.
"That took a long time" he replied, "Everything okay?"
"I'm fine Ryoga" she nodded sweetly and in a voice unlike her own, "Let's call it a night. It's time for bed," she said moving past him touching his shoulder in the process before disappearing from the room.
"Okay" he replied to himself his eyebrows furrowed pondering the strange look she had just given him, "That was different."
(Next Scene)
Ranma leaned against the wall quietly as Akane talked on the phone. He strained his ears and gazed around him, hoping that Nabiki was nowhere to be seen, catching him spying on Akane. He heard Akane laugh and then went back to eavesdropping.
"Well done" she said barely in a whisper, "And the replacement?"
"Replacement?" Ranma said to himself.
"Excellent work Keichi. So how many is that so far? Hmm" she frowned, "Just about right. But we're still missing one more. Don't worry I have the perfect candidate. She won't even have to buy a book. I'm almost finished here anyway and could use her skills for the completion of my plan. Until then lay low. I will contact you soon" she replied as Ranma moved away from the wall and headed immediately for the dojo.
She hung up the phone and headed to the dojo where she knew she would find him. Ranma was there practicing his martial arts skills. He looked up slightly as she walked over to him but then returned to his workout.
"Ranma" she replied.
"Akane" he said ignoring her.
"What's wrong? You look upset."
"I'm just tired."
"Well I would be too if I was going out every afternoon."
"So. What's it to you?"
"Ranma I would prefer it that you would be home once and a while."
"Would you? Well I'm sorry I got a life."
"Oh. But you know this really isn't any way to treat your future bride."
"Akane" he replied slowly, "I'm not interested in what you have to say right now. Besides we're not getting married," he added.
"What?" her eyebrows raised angrily.
"You heard me" he looked at her straight in the eye, "I'm not marrying you. I'm not marrying anyone."
"Ranma" she said seriously, "Take that back."
"I won't" he stood firm, "And you can't make me."
She chuckled and then raised her head with a menacing grin. "Want to bet?" she replied as she ran forward and pinned him against the wall.
"Ow! What are you doing?" he shouted.
"Ranma" she replied softly, "Look at me."
"Let go."
"I said look at me."
Ranma looked into her eyes and noticed that they had changed from her usual brown to a light jade green. His eyes became wide. "Who the hell are you anyway?"
She chuckled evilly as her figure began to glow white and the boy struggled to get out of her grasp.
"Where is Akane?" he demanded, "What did you do with her?"
"Unfortunately for you Ranma" she replied as her eyes glowed yellow, "You'll never know" she added as Ranma's face became placid and he collapsed to the ground completely motionless.
(Next Scene)
As Ryoga laid his head down he heard someone knocking on the door. "Uh. Come in!" he called.
Ukyo opened the door and Ryoga stared at her surprised.
"Ukyo?"
She was wearing her night kimono and her hair was completely out, falling behind her shoulders. "Hello Ryoga" she said quite seductively, "Mind if I join you?"
(Till Next Time)
Authors Note: Okay folks! That's it for this week. I will see you all again on May 31. Until then I hope you enjoyed the chapters and if you are reading my new fruits basket fanfiction it will be back next week! See ya!
Next Chapter: More Revelations
Ukyo finds herself trapped with Akane and Shampoo and finally Akane's half of the story is revealed. Meanwhile the fake Akane has set her sights on the last female victim, Nabiki!
