Chains of the Past

A Ranma 1/2 Tenchi Muyo Crossover

Chapter Two

A/N: Hope everyone is enjoying the story thus far.

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Katsuhito watched Ranma teach Tenchi a basic kata from Anything Goes. Katsuhito didn't like the style in itself mostly because of it's creator Happosai and his vile ways, but watching Ranma and seeing how he's changed and improved it made him smile.

Ranma noticed Katsuhito watching him and told Tenchi to continue working on the kata. After he did that he quickly went up to Katsuhito. "Good Morning Masaki-san."

"Good Morning Ranma. I see you are quite the morning person."

Ranma shrugged. "I'm just so used to being up early, though Nabiki never liked that part of me. She doesn't like mornings at all."

Katsuhito smiled. "Neither does Tenchi mind you."

"I know," Ranma said with a small smirk. "I'll break him out of that soon enough."

Katsuhito nodded. "I have little doubt you will. I have been watching you teach Tenchi and I will say you are just as impressive as your mother said you were. You're knowledge in the art is astounding."

Ranma turned around to watch Tenchi go through the kata. "The price I paid to get to where I'm at was high. I wouldn't want anyone else to go through what I did."

Katsuhito raised an eyebrow. "Everyone knows anything worthwild isn't easy Ranma. Trials and hardships are part of the lessons teached."

"There's a diference between hardship and what I went through, and still am," Ranma said. "I plan on leaving that part behind me." Ranma saw Tenchi make a mistake on the kata and quickly went to help Tenchi out.

Katsuhito watched Ranma instruct Tenchi some more.

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Tenchi was dragging himself up the walkway to the shrine when he saw Nabiki coming down wearing a training gi. "H-help..."

Nabiki smiled and kneeled down next to Tenchi. "I see you're still not used to Ranma's workouts, are you?"

"H-how..."

"How do I get through them?" Nabiki asked for Tenchi. Tenchi slowly nodded. Nabiki shrugged. "I don't know. I just got used to them after a while. You'll get stronger because of them, that I will guarentee." Nabiki stood up. "Sorry for leaving you like this, but it's almosttime for my workout and Ranma doesn't like me being late. He keeps threating to make me a morning person if I'm late for workouts, and I like my late mornings. Just think of this as part of the workout."

Tenchi could do nothing but watch Nabiki go off towards he had just come from. "But... I like my late mornings too. Why can't I have them like you?"

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Ranma sat down watching the night sky from the back porch drinking some tea enjoying the quiet. Katsuhito sat down next to him. "I see you like watching the night sky. You watch it often."

Ranma nodded. "It eases me when I'm troubled."

Katsuhito looked towards the sky as well. "I see. That is one thing we share in common."

"What troubles do you have Masaki-san?" Ranma asked a bit curious. "I can't imagine you having many with this enviorment."

Katsuhito chuckled a bit. "I usually don't, but sometimes a thing or two comes up, even out here."

"I'm shocked nothing's come up yet with me around," Ranma casually stated. "It's been over a week since I got here and it's still quiet. Makes me worried."

"Why would that worry you?" Katsuhito asked a bit intrigued.

"When there's a long period of peace and quiet it usually means something big is coming" Ranma said. "The longer the pause the more trouble came at me."

"I see," Katsuhito said understandibly. Katsuhito smiled a bit. "Maybe some casual conversation will keep your mind off of troubles." Katsuhito placed a hand to his chin thinking. "Let's start with how you and Nabiki met. I bet that has to be quite a story."

Ranma closed his eyes and stood up. "I don't want to think about things like that. Good Night." Ranma went inside leaving a very curious Katsuhito behind.

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If you were to ask Katsuhito about Ranma and Nabiki his reply would be, "A very interesting pair those two are." Katsuhito has been observing Ranma and Nabiki for the last three weeks and he can't seem to make heads or tails of the two. When they are around each other it's obvious they are more at ease, but Katsuhito knows they worry about each other. They also keep others at bay emotionally, as if they were afraid of something.

It wasn't just their seemingly complex relationship that confused him. Katsuhito had spotted Ranma and Nabiki going over Ranma's schoolwork but the text books they were doing Ranma's studies from had surprised him. Ranma was learning things most people learned in middle school including Pre-Algebra and Geography. It kind of confused him. Were they going over review items before taking on Ranma's current lessons?

Katsuhito shook his head as he pondered about the current situation. He spotted Nabiki watching Ranma perform some moderatly complex katas Katsuhito had just recently taught him. He liked to pratice next to Ryoko's cave for some reason. Ranma always said he just liked it around there.

Katsuhito was about to continue walking but he noticed Nabiki was looking at Ranma with something he had not seen from her yet. Her look was filled with a kind of sadness of sort. Maybe it was longing.

His curiousity peaked he tried sneaking up to Nabiki but Nabiki noticed him approaching. She quickly hid her emotions and looked at Katsuhito. "Good evening Masaki-san. Come to watch Ranma?"

Katsuhito sat down on the ground next to Nabiki. "No, actually I wanted to talk to you Nabiki."

Nabiki raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh really? About what?"

Katsuhito began watching Ranma. "I was wondering how you were holding up. It has been about three weeks since your arrival and I just wanted to check up on you."

"I'm fine," Nabiki stated. Katsuhito gave her a disbelivingly stare hoping to prod some more information out of her. "I'm fine, really. It's just..." Nabiki looked at Ranma finishing up his set of katas. "I just wish he would get out of his rut, that's all."

It was Katsuhito's turn to give Nabiki a curious eyebrow. "Oh really? He's not normally like this?"

Nabiki smirked. "He's always did like the arts and he alway's trained hard, but he's usually..." Nabiki shook her head. "He's usually more full of life than this. He also usually doesn't give people the cold sholder either."

Katsuhito was a bit confused. "Cold shoulder?"

"I overheard you two talking last week outside on the porch," Nabiki stated. "You asked him how we met and he was a bit rude to you, and I apologise for that."

"It is not your fault," Katsuhito stated. "I just didn't think I would get such a reaction from him. I was trying to get his mind out of his troubles is all."

"Just about anything concerning us gets him thinking about our troubles Masaki-san."

Katsuhito shook his head. "That bad?"

Nabiki nodded. "Yeah. Ranma... Ranma has some major issues to work out of his system and I'm trying to give the space needed, but he's worrying me greatly."

"I'm sure Ranma will pull through," Katsuito said assuringly. "I've been told I'm an excellent judge of character and I say he doesn't seem the one who would let whatever bothers you two weigh him down for long. I see a strong soul in him."

Nabiki looked at Ranma with the same look Katsuhito noticed earlier. "Tell me Masaki-san, what do you think of me? What do you see?"

Katsuhito stood up. "I see a woman with a gentle heart." Katsuhito smiled. "Though I would advise against using masks Nabiki. It doesn't suit you." Katsuhito got up and left leaving Nabiki alone to think.

Nabiki was still thinking when Ranma walked up next to her. "What's up?"

Nabiki quickly returned back to the real world. "Just thinking. Done for today?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. I'm about to head on up to the house to get washed up for dinner."

"Do you mind staying here a bit?" Nabiki asked.

Ranma smirked. "Sure, but I do stink a bit just to warn ya."

Nabiki elbowed him in the ribs. "We have to work on your mouth Ranma."

Ranma rubbed the spot where Nabiki elbowed him. "Easy there Nabs. You're getting strong."

Nabiki glared at Ranma. "What have I been telling you about calling me Nabs, Femboy."

Ranma raised his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay, I won't call you that as long as you stay away from Femboy, deal? You know how much I hate to be called that."

Nabiki smiled a bit. "You know, I'm actually getting used to you calling me Nabs. It's not as bad as it used to be."

Ranma raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Nabiki nodded. "Yeah."

Ranma was a bit confused. "So... I can start using Nabs without you gettin' mad?"

"Well..." Nabiki thought about it. "Just don't make it a habit, okay."

Ranma smirked. "Okay."

Nabiki pushed him playfully. "Now go back to the house. You do stink badly."

Ranma stood up. "I told you that already." Ranma paused. "Nabiki, thanks."

Nabiki was slightly confused. "For what?"

"For being here. It helps alot." Ranma ran off to the house.

Nabiki smiled. "Your welcome."