Once again, I find myself lost in her eyes as I stare into them.

I've been told, many times in my life, how my eyes seem oddly out of place. Blue eyes, yet I am Asian. Sometimes, I would imagine that Genma isn't really my father, that mother fooled around with some Gaijin. Of course, that's just me dreaming…

"Are you ok?"

I snapped myself into attention and looked at the girl's blushed face, "It's nothing…"

The girl smiled deviously with her blush still on her face, "Are you sure? You were looking at me quite long and hard too."

I felt my face heat up, did I really stare for that long?

Her blue eyes sparkled, "Do you want to take a bath? The furo is still warm."

I nodded, "Yeah, a bath would be nice."

"Want me to wash your back?"

I hesitated and turned back at the girl with the blue eyes looking at me expectedly, as if she already know my answer…

Disappointment…

"I'll make some cool drinks and snacks so we can have something to eat and drink when we watch a movie." The girl said cheerfully.

"Why don't you join me?" I said, stopping her from walking into the kitchen, "I'd like you to wash my back."

The smile the girl made told me I made the right choice.

Yes… the right choice…

The Line between Dreams and Realities: Part 2

The second part of the fic I shoulda never written…

Cologne sighed in frustration as she knelt beside the comatose Ranma, "Son in law, when will you stop giving this old woman a headache…"

Akane chewed on her lower lip, "What is wrong with Ranma? Why won't he wake up?"

The Amazon elder nodded to herself, "I believe I've found out the reason why Ranma is sleeping at the moment, I should've seen this coming, months ago…"

Akane frowned and reached for Ranma's shoulder to shake him only to be stopped by Cologne's wooden cane, "But…"

"You might as well kill Ranma by doing that Miss Tendo."

Akane flinched back, "So what's wrong with him?"

"Come, I will explain this to everyone, I do not wish to repeat myself when I can spend that time trying to find a solution." Cologne said plainly as she gestured Akane to follow her, "Come, your family awaits the news."

The youngest Tendo only nodded and shuffled out of the room behind the Amazon Matriarch.

"So?" The whole room said in unison, even Kasumi, who usually don't involve herself in Ranma related incidents, spoke out.

Cologne sighed and took another sip from her tea cup, "Ranma is in no life threatening danger, unless someone comes into direct physical contact with him. That is not to say, he will die at the slightest touch, but rather, even the slightest touch can affect his energy flow to change its stable condition."

Everyone in the Tendo house blinked.

"Just don't touch him." Cologne said exasperated.

"But whats wrong with the boy?" Genma demanded and slammed his fist onto the table.

The Amazon elder closed her eyes, "I have never seen this done before, but it seems Ranma has been deceived or something similar…" A sigh escaped from the old lady's lips, "But that isn't the immediate problem."

"What is WRONG with the boy." Genma repeated, adopting a sterner voice this time.

"Ranma is in deep slumber." Cologne shrugged, "A deep slumber in which if he wakes from it involuntarily, he will die."

Silence covered the room as everyone digested the piece of information. Each person thinking different thoughts ranging from disbelieve to anger. Cologne sat silently and too another sip of tea, "This does not bode well for Ranma…"

"Is there a way to wake Ranma up, Cologne?" Kasumi asked timidly.

"You must understand Kasumi Tendo, Ranma's condition is purely voluntary. Or at least his subconscious mind wants this." Cologne explained, "Ranma's mind WANTS to be in this state, his mind believes that he is better off sleeping than to wake up. To that end, his subconscious mind has been making Ranma release a measured amount of his energy to ensure that he remains tired and sleeping. If you were to try and wake Ranma up now, his mind will take this as an indication that Ranma is not tired enough to sleep deeply an will release the remainder of Ranma's energy, effectively killing him."

Akane gasped and began to shake, "I… I almost killed him?"

Cologne shook her head, "You didn't know child, do not worry yourself."

"But…"

"All blames aside," Cologne interrupted, "There is something else about this that is curious. The energy that Ranma has release into the room has not dissipated even one bit after a period of time. Usually energy released will be slowly spread out from its original release point, similar to what happens to a drop of ink in a cup of water. But the energy that Ranma released hasn't done this yet…"

"Can we somehow push this energy back into Ranma's body to make him wake up?" Soun suggested.

"I'm afraid it is not that easy, if you do that, Ranma would simply expel the energy again." Cologne replied, "What we need is a way to keep the energy in."

"So all we need to do is find a way to keep Ranma's energy in right?" Akane said and stood herself out.

"Correct, I will be reviewing my scrolls to see if there is anything we can use." Cologne said and signaled at her great granddaughter, "Come Shampoo, we must return to our store."

"I'll help too." Akane said stepping beside Cologne, "An extra pair of eyes would help."

"That it would, except the scrolls are in Chinese." The Amazon Matriarch said, "But come along too, I believe there IS something that you may help us with."

"Soun, let us look through Master's belongings, maybe there is something there that can help my son." Genma said, shivering in fear at the idea of messing with Happosai's things.

"Yes, I think this situation is dire enough for us to do that." Soun replied, "Lead the way old friend."

Genma remained sitted, "This is your house Soun, I don't want to intrude…"

"Ah, but it is your idea, you should lead us."

"But you are more familiar with your own house."

Nabiki rolled her eyes, "Look, I'll lead if you two are too scared of him."

"You have such a brave daughter old friend."

"Yes I'm so proud." Soun said, weeping with fatherly pride.

We are in the dojo. Sparring with her reminds me of happier times with my father, times when I still looked up to him, ignorant of all the wrongs he has been doing to me. Unlike Akane, she does not become angry, even though she knows I am not sparring seriously. Unlike all my rivals, she is not out for my blood, but rather, enjoying the art like I am right now.

I barely blocked an incoming palm strike to my abdomen and quickly back pedaled.

"Not paying attention Ranma?" She wagged her finger and winked at me, "Don't you know that's a quick way to get tagged."

I looked at her grinning face and can't help but grin myself, "Well, I figured I should let you get close to hitting me once in a while, after all, can't let you feel TOO bad about yourself."

The girl huffed in mock anger and stalked up to me, "I'll show you mister 'Master Martial Artist'."

In a blink of an eye, she tackled me to the floor of the dojo and sat on my stomach, "Feeling vulnerable now?"

I stared up at her smiling face, her hair tickling my face every time she breathed, "Am I?"

"Well you're the one on the ground." The girl said, lowering her head slightly, her face decorated with a light red tinge.

My arms shot up instinctively and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her down right on me, "But I'm the on holding you."

The girl placed her hand on my cheek, caressing my face gently. We stared at each other's blue eyes and rolled to our sides.

"So who's got who now?" She asked breathlessly, her eyes half closed, drawing her lips closer to mine.

"I think; I think I lost this round." I replied right before I met her lips with mine.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Genma froze as the voice of his wife sounded from outside the Tendo Residence, "Need water! Water! Cold water!"

"Relax old friend, perhaps your wife will find a way to wake Ranma?" Soun said calmly as they searched through Happosai's belongings, "I'm more worried about the Master coming home early."

"Nodoka will KILL me if anything happens to Ranma!" Genma said in a panic, "Now that my wife has gotten Ranma back and he's proven himself to be manly, if I even harm a hair on Ranma permanently, she'll kill me!"

"Quite right, the fury of a mother is not to be underestimated." Soun said wisely, "Why don't you go to the washroom and hide for a-"

"So THERE you are husband, I've been meaning to talk to you." Nodoka said from outside the door.

The two men froze and slowly turned towards the newly arrived Nodoka, "No-Nodoka! What a surprise!"

Soun starts to sweat and slowly inches out of the room "Ahh, old friend, I'll leave you with your wife to catch up, yes…"

"Wa-… err.. perhaps this isn't the best time to come and visit No-chan." Genma said nervously.

"No matter, I was just wondering where Ranma is." Nodoka said with a sigh, "Last I heard, he was having trouble at school again, something about not being able to stay awake…"

"N-not to worry wife, Ranma is just out doing… err… manly things! Yes! No need to worry!" Genma gently guided his wife out of the room and towards the front door, "Why don't I get Ranma to go home once he's back!"

"Husband!" Nodoka brushes Genma's arms off her shoulder, "I'll wait in the living room for Ranma to come back, and I want to exchange recipies with Kasumi anyways."

"Ahh, Kasumi is-"

"Uncle Saotome? If you're done with Grampa Happosai's scrolls, do you mind stacking them back up again, I need to vacuum his room." Kasumi interrupted Genma's excuse cheerfully holding a vacuum cleaner, "Oh my, Auntie, good afternoon, do you want some tea?"

Nodoka smiled and nodded, "That would be delightful dear."

Genma watched the two walk towards the go into the living room before dashing back into Happosai's cache of scrolls and tomes, "Gotta find a cure… gotta find a cure… gotta find a cure…"

I found myself staring at her again as we lay together on the couch face to face, fingers intertwined. She opened her eyes, her blue pupils staring right into mine. She smiled at me as softly and drew closer to me.

A sigh escaped my lips.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, her head still resting on my chest.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing." I replied, I let go of her hand and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Are you hungry?"

I looked down to see her delicate face looking up at me expectedly, "Not really, I can wait til dinner."

She nodded and crawled upwards slightly so that our nose nearly touch, "You want anything special for dinner?"

I grinned impishly, "Well… I know what I want for dessert…"

She blushed and turned her face away, "Pervert…"

My grin grew, "Well, I want ice-cream for dessert, I don't know what so perverted about that. I wonder… who's the bigger pervert of us two?"

She pushed herself up, and glared at my playfully, "Why you…"

I shot up and kissed her lightly on her lips and ran off before she realizes what happen.

Never in my life have I felt like this, so carefree, so content. Never once in the ten year training trip with Pops have I ever felt this content, and I was never carefree. The training my Pops gave me are so rigorous, I don't even have time to enjoy what is around me, even when I mastered something, my father is never content and pushed me to learn something new.

Right now, nothing is forcing me to do anything; nothing is pushing me to go anywhere. What is this feeling? My heart feels so light, my mind, so clear.

For once in my life, I know what I want, and nothing is going to take it away from me…

Nodoka frowned, usually the Tendo household is filled with life and noise when ever she visited. But today, something is off. The two younger Tendo sisters are no where to be found and Kasumi seems to be pre-occupied with something.

"Auntie, here's your tea." Kasumi said, putting a tea cup in front of Nodoka, "What brings you here today auntie?"

Nodding her thanks, Nodoka took a sip of the tea, "Oh, Ranma was saying how he is feeling very tired the last time I spoke to him, so I thought I'd bring him something that might help."

Kasumi sweatdropped as Ranma's Mother pulled out a whole case of energy drinks, "I heard from my neighbors that their sons in University drinks lots of these to stay awake for those late nights."

"My… I'm sure Ranma would appreciate that." Kasumi replied, not knowing what else to say, "So have you been Auntie?"

"Ah same as usual I would say." Nodoka looked at the clock hanging on the wall, "Hmm, Ranma is usually back by now, I wonder where he is."

Kasumi was about to answer when Soun bursted out from the adjacent room, "Kasumi! Isn't it about time you started dinner?"

"Oh my, I'm sorry Father, I'll get right on it." Kasumi blushed, "Excuse me Auntie."

Nodoka smiled, "What a nice child."

Soun nodded frantically, "Yes, yes, Kasumi was always the responsible one…"

"Kasumi is so much like her mother, you must be very proud of her."

"Yes, yes, Very much like her mother." Soun nodded in agreement.

"And Akane, that girl is so active, like yourself when you were younger."

"Ahh, yes, Akane, she is very energetic…"

BAM!

Soun's eyes widened as the front door slammed open.

"DAD! We found a way to wake Ranma up!" Akane shouted excitedly from the front door.

The eldest Tendo's eyes twitched, "yes… very, very active…"

"What do you mean wake Ranma up?" Nodoka asked dryly as Akane walked into the living room with Cologne and Shampoo.

"Ehehe… Auntie! What a surprise!"

"Yes surprise indeed…"

Everyone is sitting around the sleeping Ranma in the guest room, "… and that is the situation at the moment."

Nodoka nodded, "I see…"

"Fortunately, we have found a way to awaken Ranma without causing him to force release all his Chi." Cologne said and took out a scroll, "In this scroll, there is a technique to create a Chi construct that would create a circular Chi flow from within his body to his surrounding and back into his body again. Since he is already subconsciously releasing his Chi, this construct will guide his Chi back into his body. So with enough energy in his body, Ranma will awake."

Everyone stared at Cologne blankly.

The Amazon elder rolled her eyes, "This will make it so that whatever Chi Ranma releases will go right back into his body so he will wake up."

Comprehension appeared in everyone's faces, "So how are we going to do this?" Genma asked and reached for the scroll.

Cologne slapped his hands away and placed the scroll back into her sleeve, "I will be creating the Chi construct myself, but I do need your assistance to focus all the Chi that Ranma has already released into this room into the construct I create."

Genma and Soun nodded, "Leave that to us."

"Well, if everyone understands, then would the rest of you please leave the room, this is a very delicate procedure, even the slightest mistake can have a fatal effect on everyone in the immediate facility."

Cologne watched everyone file out of the room except Genma and Soun, "Let us begin…"

"Wait!"

Nodoka opened the door to the guest room and stood at the doorway, "You… you said Ranma is doing this himself subconsciously…"

"Yes, something is tricking him to do this." Cologne said exasperated, "Now would you please-"

"No, I may have not seen my son in ten years, but I know my son is not so easily persuaded to run away, especially from family!" Nodoka argued, "He… he is staying like that for a reason, we shouldn't force him to wake up!"

"What are you saying? Are you saying that you WANT your son to stay like this?" Cologne narrowed her eyes and stared at Ranma's Mother.

"No… but… it's his choice isn't it?"

"He's been tricked into choosing that!"

"By what! What is tricking him! My son choose to be like this. We should… we should respect his decision… shouldn't we?"

"So are you saying we should leave Ranma to sleep eternally?" Cologne asked still staring at Ranma's Mother, "Are you saying you are willing to see your son wither slowly in this state?"

Silence answered Cologne as Nodoka realized what she just said. Tears trickled down her face as her indecision tore through her heart.

"No… no I don't want him to stay like that." Nodoka sobbed, "but… but if that's what Ranma wants… then I don't want to force him to wake up!"

A really quiet voice sounded in my ear. It sounded like it came from the front door of our house. She is cooking in the kitchen and didn't allow me to help with the cooking, saying she is preparing something special for me. I know now, this is what it should be like. No… This is my life, this is the life that I will live, my own choice, my own life, no one will…

The quiet voice from the front door once again sounded in my ear interrupting my thoughts. Who might it be? A neighbor perhaps?

I walk slowly towards the front door. Stopping in front of the front door, I pressed my ears against it and strained my hearing to see if I can hear the voice more clearly.

"…he is staying like that for a reason!"

Mother? Mother is outside! I smiled and reached for the doorknob to let my mother in.

"STOP!"

Her voice stopped me, "But… my Mom!"

I turned towards her, her face is so clear to me now. Black hear framed her delicate face shook slightly, her ruby lips quivered in fear and her eyes… her bright blue eyes glistened with tears, "I won't see you again if you opened that door…"

"What are you talking about? Of course I'll see you again, I just want mom to meet you." I replied, a bit confused. Once again, I reached for the door knob.

"No… no I don't want him to stay like that."

What is my mother talking about? Don't want me to stay like what?

"What is going on." I said out loud.

"Just stay here Ranma… you're happy here right?" She said with a shaky voice, "Don't open the door.

"but… but if that's what Ranma wants… then I don't want to force him to wake up!"

I breathed in sharply, "I'm… dreaming?"

Her head dropped, her shoulder slumped, "Don't leave me…"

I looked around me, this is all a dream? The house turned transparent. But… this is so real?

"You don't have to go Ranma, stay with me" She urged me, "You're happy here, you're content! No one is forcing you to do anything, to go anywhere! You can do whatever you want! I'll do whatever you want me to do! Just tell me, and I'll do it! Please! Just don't' leave!"

I don't know what to do anymore… she is hurt… but this dream… yet… this is so real…

Maybe…

Maybe I should…

Nodoka fell on her knees and laid her head over her son's chest, tears continue to fall from her eyes, "I asked too much of him already, I ask him to be a man amongst men, I ask him to give me grand children, I even dare ask him to love me even though I haven't raised him for ten years! I'm not going to ask for anything from him anymore… Let him do what he wants… JUST LEAVE MY SON ALONE!"

Wetness on my chest, I felt water on my chest… I looked down to find spots of wetness on my shirt. It is warm… like… tears…

"Mom?"

Why is mom crying? What is wrong? I don't want her to cry!

"…JUST LEAVE MY SON ALONE!"

I looked up again to see her looking at me with begging eyes, "Won't you stay?"

I looked at the spots of wetness on my shirt again. The spots are larger now… Mom is crying… and it's because of my selfishness… How can I be a good son if I can't even stop my mother from crying…

I reached for the door knob.

"I'm sorry, I have to go…" I said and grasped the door knob.

Two arms wrap around my waist, "Thank you… thank you anyways, for staying with me for this long, I've been… very lonely."

The house we lived in during our time together slowly crumbled around us leaving only a vast white plain of nothingness, "No, thank you… thank you for everything."

She lets me go slowly, "Goodbye Ranma… you should go now, I've clung onto you for too long."

As I turned the knob slowly, a name echoed in my mind, "Aoife."

Aoife smiled, "It has been a long time since someone has called me by my name."

"You're…"

"Your mother is waiting Ranma…"

The door opened.

"Mom?"

"SON!"

Ranma held his mother as she cried on his chest, "Don't cry, I'm back now…"

"I'm sorry Ranma… I'm so sorry!"

"Mom… If you keep crying like that, you'll turn in me into a girl."

Nodoka laughed softly as tears still flow from her eyes, "That wouldn't be nice now would it?"

Genma, Soun, and Cologne watched as Mother and Son hugged each other. One glad that nothing more was lost, the other, glad to have gain so much more…

Epilogue

"Son, it's you'll be late for school if you don't hurry!"

"I'm heading out Mom!"

"Be careful!"

Five days past already since Ranma woke from his self imposed deep sleep. Nodoka has revoked all agreements made by Genma that is related to Ranma, leaving him with no obligations of marriage or anything. Since Ranma isn't honor bound to marry a Tendo anymore, Nodoka insist on having Ranma live with her. Of course, Genma fought the notion, but just unwrapping the Saotome honor blade immediately stopped Genma from any complaints, and since Genma seems to like living with the Tendos so much, Nodoka left him there.

Of course, just abolishing the agreements doesn't mean Ranma's Ex-fiancees can't marry Ranma, after all, Nodoka is still waiting for Grand children. Plus, according to Cologne, Amazonian law isn't affected by Japanese law. So all in all, nothing really changed in terms of how the girls act with Ranma. Of course, Nodoka also forbade them from entering their house since the whole pill box accident…

To further separate Ranma from his old live, Ranma is also transferred into a different school.

"I hope the new school isn't as crazy as Furinken." Ranma shook his head, "Yeah right… as if there is anyone as crazy as Kuno and the horde of sports Jocks."

A stream of cold water suddenly splashed Ranma from the side.

"What the hell is THAT about!" Ranma growled, his face twitching in annoyance, "Geez, now I have to cha-"

Ranma looked down and patted his chest, "Huh?"

"Sorry 'bout that! I have NO idea how my bottle's lid burst open like that and splash you!"

Ranma looked up to see a girl wearing a school uniform, "Err, no problem I guess."

The girl blinked, "Erm… don't you have to change out of your uniform?"

"I guess." Ranma replied, still patting his chest in a dazed manner.

"Are you ok?"

The pig-tailed martial artist blinked, "Oh… yeah… just surprised I'm not… err… wetter… yeah…"

The girl gave Ranma an odd stare, "Okay…"

"I haven't seen you before, you a transfer student?" The girl asked pointing at Ranma's uniform.

"Yeah, I transferred from Furinken."

The girl gasped, "Seriously? Are the rumors about that place real?"

Ranma shrugged, "Depends on the rumor… maybe?"

A new start… Thanks Aoife… for giving me this chance.

The End

And heres another finished fic by me. Surprised I actually posted so soon? Well, My muse is back with me so I'm planning to make use of him/her as much as I can, that and I'm actually have quite a bit of free time with me the past few days so... yeah...

The name I gave the girl Aoife is from a Irish legend (It's pronounced EE-fa apparently). Aoife is a warrior Princess that is at war with her sister, but she makes good with her sister at the end, and also falls in love with the hero of the story. That little story have nothing to do with the fic, but it's just some interesting tibit of what the name is... Aoife also means Beauty or something like that... you'll have to look it up if you wanna know the whole story.

Well... for this half of the fic, I tried to show how important Ranma's Mother is to him, and how selfish Ranma actually is, or can be, however you wanna look at it. I also want to break Nodoka out of the usual stereotypes that I see in other fanfics. Hopefully I succeeded, and if not, well, at least it was a good try right?

Hrm, usual stuff, comments? ideas? complaints? Flames? Want me to stop writing and send me back to kindergarden? Or even want to send me a new sound card because this fic moved you just that much? Well click that nifty button down there (Or if you REALLY want to send me a new sound card, Use my e-mail) Til my next post bye and hope you enjoyed what I wrote.