This is the third installment of my story. It occured to me that I should thank the people who made this story possible. My24 hour car drive to the mountains. The crap ass batteries that gave out after an hour of use, forcing me to write to keep sane, and of course, my good friend Jack Daniels, yes, you were there when one else would stand by me. (I wasn't driving, just so you know)

also, even after 24 straight, eye-ball bleeding hours of writing im still not done the ending, after reading this, someone should send me ideas, ill incorperate tham with the rest of the written story

and finally i'm kinda sorry that this chapter is kinda short, but it leaves with a part that strikes me more of an ending for this chapter than if i went further. So far this is my faviorite chapter, many, many more pages to go, and i'm getting carpal tunnel...

Ryoga returns

Ryoga had stumbled back to the river and traced it along. His clothes and backpack were caught on a fallen tree further down from where he first landed. After a quick change of and a removal of the hair dye and face altering putty he bought in town he began a three day journey to a hospital that was ten miles away.

Ryoga wanted to see how his 'little sister' was doing and how well she was coping with her new body. He smiled at what he thought the look on Akane's face would look like as he walked up to the Tendo Dojo with a 4-year-old Ranma on his shoulders, maybe playing with a doll. Sure she would be distressed at first, but afterwards she would come running into his arms. He hugged the air after getting caught up in it, luckily the man was next to a hospital, that best possible place to be when all of ones bones are crushed to a fine powder.

He turned to the pediatrics, child ward section and almost blew out his eyes as he saw the entire Tendo family and Genma sleeping outside the E.R.. Ryoga retreated behind the corner and beaded sweat. How could he explain being there? The characteristic light bulb shined over his head. He would purposely hurt himself and pretend to walk in looking for help. He immediately put his arm to the sharp brick corner, and quickly turned it into debris as his arm crushed it like balsa wood. He frowned and got another light bulb; Ryoga quickly shattered a wall to the outside so as not to waste time finding a door and quickly located a metal shed just to the left after 5 minutes of searching.

"Bankosai Tenketsu!" a strike quickly shattered a small section and turned the metal plate into a series of multi-facetted razor blades that sliced apart his hand and arm. After 5 separate blows his right arm bled like a hemophiliac and he ran back into his fresh made door towards the Tendo's. Akane and the others had woken up and waited intently outside the door for news on Ranma condition. Ryoga stumbled into the hallway clutching his arm and groaning.

"Ryoga!" cried out Akane, rushing to his aid, "Sweet kami, what happened to you? Do you know what happened to Ranma?"

"Training…" stumbled out Ryoga, part from acting, part from blood loss, "I'm so sorry Akane, Ranma, h-he ate a mushroom and stumbled off a cliff, he-he may not have lived…"

"Ranma's alright, I hope." Akane glanced to the E.R. door in apprehension, "He fell into a river and got carried downstream. Ryoga, did you know the mushroom de-aged him, or did that happen as he fell?"

"No, I didn't know about that, or I would have brought some." Ryouga's acting classes kicked in as he mocked surprise in his voice, "Is he alright?"

"We're still waiting from the doctors right now, but we should find you some help, you're bleeding pretty badly."

Ryoga and Akane held each others arms and turn to leave as the E.R. doors swung open. Akane abruptly dropped Ryouga's arms and ran with the rest of her family to get the news. The doctor's eyes were blood red and he rubbed them with his palm.

"Come in," he muttered tiredly, "the entire family should hear this."

He led the family (and Genma, Ryoga) to a bed on the opposite wall. Pictures of brain scans lined the wall on a backlit screen. Ranma breathed lightly on a tube fed through her nose, an IV dripped slowly next to her. The doctor walked to the brain scans and pointed to a top view.

"If you look here," he pointed to a ridge on the front, "The hippocampi in this section are degraded, so her memory and navigational skills may be hindered, but the real damage will be easier to tell when and if she wakes up." He glanced at the blank stares directed at him, "The hippocampus are parts or the brain that dictate directional abilities and memory."

"Direction?" a thought stirred in Ryoga's mind as he glanced at the wall scans then aloud he almost yelled while pulling the doctor close to his face, "Could these be passed on through family! If my parents had degraded hippo-things, could they have given them to me? Can it be cured!"

"One: Yes, I suppose it could be hereditary, if your parents were both born with it. Two: I was getting to the fact that we were planning a chemical therapy to help her. Three: For the love of Kami your breath smells like you haven't brushed in a week! Get a god damn mint!"

Ryoga hadn't had access to a toothbrush in two weeks and his breath had begun to chip the paint. He dropped the doctor to the floor; said doctor quickly went to an oxygen tank and began breathing deeply. 'A chance to not be lost anymore' thought Ryoga, 'and Ranma will be the one lost forever. This is the best day of my life.'

Ranma's eyes opened slightly and a light groan came from deep in her throat. Ryoga panicked, if she saw a similarity between him and him with all the changes to his face and hair than he would have nothing. He sweated fiercely as her eyes trained on him.

"Ryoga?" came a light cry, "Why are you here? What happened?" Ryoga's eye went to the roof as he mouthed the words 'thank you' to whatever god watched over him.

"We were training," started Ryoga, "you ate a de-aging mushroom and you were so startled that you fell backwards off a cliff and were carried downstream to here."

"I-why would I be training with you?" the small girl answered lightly as she rubbed her eyes and removed the tubes from her nose, "You must be thinking of Ranma. Why am I here?"

"You don't remember?" asked Akane, casting a worried glance to the brain scan on the wall, "You were looking for an aging mushroom and a poisonous one. Somebody found you stumbling around in the forest mumbling and groaning."

"Why would I be looking for a mushroom?"

"To get back to normal!"

"What are you talking about! I am normal! What is wrong with everyone?" Ranma lost all traces of being sick and shook with anger and frustration. Akane looked at the ground and ran out of the room.

"Akane, wait!" Ryoga chased after Akane into the hallway, "I know this is hard but we all have to be strong for Ranma."

"Ryoga!" Akane yelled and swung her arms around his chest, 'What am I going to do if he doesn't come back to me?"

"Shh, he hasn't left," He hugged her lightly and stroked her back, "even as he is now, he's still Ranma."

"I know, but I loved him as he was!" Ryoga's shirt was wet with tears as she squeezed tighter, "This sweet little girl is nothing like the man I loved."

The time to act was now! Ryoga's heart beat faster as his hands stroked her back.

"Akane," Ryoga shut his eyes and swallowed deeply as he spoke into her ear, "my love, my heart has screamed with love from the second I met you. Please be mine."

Akane's big brown eyes stared deep into Ryoga's bright green eyes and hugged him tighter. Ryoga couldn't make a Shi Shi Hokodan if his life depended on it.

The Next Morning

Akane and Ryoga held hands while walking to the car, after Ryoga's broad exclamation of love they had spent the night together, talking about all that was on their minds. They both smiled widely at the little Red-headed girl that stepped out of the hospital door, and was immediately picked up and taken away by an insane Charlie Brown look-alike. They waited for a minute and smiled softly again as Ranma gingerly stepped out of the hospital door, holding a one eyed teddy bear and followed by Soun and Genma. Akane picked Ranma up by the armpits and set her in the backseat between her and Ryoga.

As the drive started Ryoga shifted his arm towards Akane and put it around her neck. He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek but was interrupted.

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Ryoga glanced at what Akane was looking at, Ranma's eyes were struggling to stay open and she yawned deeply, "Ohh, here, you can put your head on my lap and take a nap if your tired."

"Nu-uh," mumbled Ranma as she wiped some sleep from her eyes, "I'm not tired I'm just-" she was cut off by a tired yawn. Akane grinned and pulled lightly on Ranma's shoulder, she hugged her bear tightly and fell asleep when she hit Akane's lap.

Ryoga fell into his seat defeated, he still had to grin at the fact that while even a little kid Ranma still tried to stop his love. Lucky this wouldn't happen again, soon Ranma would leave with Genma because there was no reason to stay. Ranma couldn't be Akane's fiancée and would have to relearn the art. He gave a satisfied smile and looked out the window.

Later on

Ranma and Akane had played 'I Spy' and other childhood travel games on the way back home. Soun and Genma had cried over the loss of anything goes martial arts. Nabiki tried to convince Kasumi that while sewing clothes for Ranma/Ranko she could mass produce some for sale on Nabiki's market price.

Ranma/Ranko had been acting weird when she came to the Tendo Dojo. Instead of the little girl who everyone thought would be excited to be home, she acted like she was in a new place and tried to hold onto anyone close by. Ryoga seemed like he was trying to remember something from long ago as he watched Ranma carefully.

"Akane," whispered Ranma up to the bigger girl, "can you take me to my room?"

"Why Ranma-chan?" whispered Akane back, she was now crouched down, "You haven't been away that long."

"I know, please?" A hopeful look was on the face of the small child. Akane couldn't help but lead the child upstairs into the lightly decorated room. Ranma dropped her bag and her jaw.

"What happened to all my stuff!"

"What stuff Ranma-chan?"

"My name is RANKO! And all my dolls and decorations are gone!"

"Ranma…"

"Ranko!"

"Ranma, you are not a little girl, you never had any dolls or toys."

"What? Why..." her eyes glinted with sadness and she sat on the hard floor and tucked her knees up to her chin. Akane sighed and feint a smile.

"Heh, uh, just a joke Ranko." Trying hard to maintain a smile, "we had to clean up in here, so we, uh, moved your things out. Sleep in here and we'll replace your toys tomorrow."

Ranma's face lifted and smiled big. She giggled and complemented Akane on her joke. Ranma put her hand on her overalls latch and tried removing it, the latched jiggled but wouldn't come undone. Ranma struggled up and down and finally sat on her ass and pulled on it.

"You'll just wreck it like that," groaned Akane, leaning over to undo the clasp, "you push down then pull out, here." after undoing both latches and dropping the overalls Akane notice an uncomfortable look on Ranma's face, "What's wrong Ranma?"

"It's weird, I feel like you should stop."

Akane's eyes lit up. Ranma might still exist in her, she had to test this.

"Alright Ranma, maybe I'll take a walk to the vet and pick up your kitty right now."

"A cat?" Ranma froze at the thought of it.

"Of course, don't you like cats?"

"Do I? No, Should I?" She held her head. "AUGH! NO! I HATE CATS!" She put her hand to her mouth and blushed at her outburst. She tried to apologize but was interrupted by a deep hug. Akane had a satisfied smile as she left the room.