Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter One: The Start of Summer Break

"What da'ja do that for?" drifted through Akane's open window. Sighing she looked out at the normal everyday occurrence of Ranma-onna trudging out of the Koi pond. Even after two years it was the same every morning. Ranma-kun and his father would spar on or/and around the Koi pond's large stones. Then one or both would eventually end up in the water. It was predictable for the most part, except on those 'rare occasions' when she 'Akane' or 'Ranma in both forms' was either kidnapped or cursed from rivals or crazed admirers.

Sighing again, she tried to feel annoyed at the two for waking her up. She had gotten very little sleep after having stayed up late helping Ranma with his math for summer school. They had been interrupted three times: the first from Shampoo trying to get Ranma to wear some type of jewelry, which turned out to be another of those magical items that her great grandmother had lying around.

Next came Ryoga who had finally made it back to Nerima. He had arrived by shouting his normal 'Where am I now?' followed by his other equally familiar words 'Ranma Prepare To Die!', the ensuing fight woke up half the neighborhood.

Ranma had eventually returned 'male' and damp with little puffs of steam coming from his clothes, obviously having been transformed in the middle or end of his fight with Ryoga.

Then, when they finally were able to get around to making some progress on the homework, P-Chan had showed up and for whatever reason they had their first big fight in a long time, which ended with Ranma unexpectedly visiting the koi in the Koi Pond, turning Ranma into his redheaded cute female self.

After that, they never did get back to the last remaining math problems. P-chan had also gone missing after a lengthy search of the little piglet, Akane decided to go to bed but she wasn't able to get to sleep until almost first light of day.

"Jeez getting jealous over a pig. How much of a baka can you be." Akane grumbled half heartily while stifling a yawn as she shook her head to get some of the left over sleepiness out.

Retreating away from the window, Akane slowly changed into a pair of yellow shorts and a brighter shade of yellow tank top. They may be back to normal but she still felt hollow like that of a finely crafted porcelain doll. Akane winced at that description as she made her way to breakfast. She hated it when people, Ranma in particular, thought of her that way: as if she was too fragile or stupid to take care of herself or her family. (Although you could tell most of the time from the smart remarks he made about her.) Granted, since Ranma and Mr. Saotome had arrived better and stronger Martial Artist had been showing up on a regular basis. Ranma of course had to prove that he was and always would be the best. Akane always felt that if she trained enough she could at least be on par with Ranma's other iinazuké's. Now, however she felt that if said iinazuké's wanted to, they could easily get rid of her, not that they hadn't tried that already at that aborted wedding... tossing around explosive food bombs would certainly end one's life quick enough. And especially right after returning from Mount Phoenix...she abruptly stopped those thoughts not wanting to remember that time; it always made her feel weak and useless. She had to get some sort of control over herself; she might not have her strength back but she wasn't going to show that to her family or Ran...

Well it was time to get the morning's ordeal over with.

With a forced spring to her step and a cheery smile glued to her face she went and sat down next to a now dry Ranma-kun. The smile became less forced. Even after the events of the night before she just couldn't seem to stay mad at him, and it was amusing to watch as he battled with his father over a pork bun. Usually such antics would have been annoying but she decided to have a little fun today. "Do you have to do that?" Akane inquired, keeping the amusement off of her face, and managing to sound sour while.

"I wouldn't have..ah..ta if Pop..ah..would stick ta eatin' his own...aahh...food." grumbled Ranma as he watched the pork bun disappear into his father's maw of a mouth.

"Well, if you're that hungry, I could always make you something extra for lunch," she teased, knowing the reaction that even a mention of her cooking would cause.

Ranma looked over at her with a look of intense fear. "Ww...Well um...Akane ya know that I'd love ta stay for lunch but I ahh... I have ta ahh... met Ryoga, yeah."

The others around the table watched in fascination at the interaction of the heirs of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Nabiki was barely able to suppress a laugh that was determine to come out. Kasumi just smiled happy to see the two getting along so well. The patriarch seemed about to spring his fearsome demon head attack on the unsuspecting pigtailed martial artist, though.

"Really and I thought we would have a quiet lunch together." She said with an all too saccharine voice, doing the lovey eyes to go with it, until Genma had been able to eat all Ranma's breakfast.

"Ahhh. Hey, Pop!" Ranma glared, just realizing that all his food had disappeared.

"HAHAHAHaHahaha." Akane couldn't contain her laughter anymore at the expression on her iinazuké's face. She was joined by the others at the breakfast table.

Ignoring those at the table he took his frustration out on the one who had distracted him from his breakfast. "What are ya laughin' about. You still have your breakfast. I'm hungry," Ranma pouted. There was more laughter from the others in the room.

Akane sobered quickly, regretting having teased Ranma, "Don't worry, you can have what's left of mine." Sadly, she got up and went out to the dojo.

"Good going, Saotome," Nabiki admonished as she too left the table. "I hope you appreciate Akane's breakfast."

Ranma worriedly gazed after Akane; he ignored those left being deep in thought. She looked to have gotten thinner over the past few months that they had returned from China. She also hadn't really hit him in about that long; well with the exception of last night and that really hadn't been that bad. Seeing as she only punched him out the open window and had not resorted to using her mallet. He looked at the food she had left and was surprised to see that Akane hadn't eaten any of it. 'What's up with that Tomboy anyway.'

"You don't know how good you've got it, Boy. Akane's being such a good iinazuké to give up her food for you." Genma clouted Ranma on the back of the head.

"Ahh, shut up old man..." pigtailed young man tossed his father back into the Koi pond with a loud splash, turning him instantly into Mr. Panda.

"My daughter is certainly being generous. I think that under the circumstances you should thank her," Soun expressed his opinion behind the morning newspaper.

Feeling guilty Ranma quickly downed Akane's breakfast. 'Was that what she wanted? For me ta get in trouble with Mr. Tendo? Or did she want me ta feel guilty about what happen last night? And just what do I have ta feel guilty about?'

Finishing he leaped up and, as casually as possible, made his way to the dojo.

"Oh, Ranma, could you tell Akane that her appointment with Dr. Tofu is later this morning?" Kasumi requested just before he was able to escape out the side door.

"Um... sure Kasumi." He paused briefly to give the oldest Tendo daughter a quick smile. 'Great now I have ta talk ta that kawaikune tomboy.' Though he did wonder what she needed to go see the good doctor about.

He halted just outside of the open dojo doors. He could see his iinazuké starting to do a simple kata. He watched, amazed at how good she had gotten. She still wasn't up to his standards but she had certainly had improved. Her kicks and punches were smooth and fluid with only a trace of the power she would normal put behind them. When she came to the parts that required aerials she went flying gracefully into the air with the right extension for hitting an imaginary opponent. She landed without her usual clumsiness, going directly into the next element of the pattern.

It was eerily quiet except for Akane's breathing, which sounded a little labored, the slight squeaks that came from the floor boards and the soles of her bare feet as she went into a roundhouse kick.

The pigtailed martial artist stood transfixed by the way Akane moved, the flow and rhythm of her muscles, and the light perspiration that made her pale skin glow. Her clothes outlined the curves of her body showing more than any skimpy dress that Shampoo owned. The sight made Ranma catch his breath and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. 'Kami when did that kawaikune Tomboy get a body like that, and when did she stop using that brute strength of hers'.'

Ranma was startled by the fact that Akane had finally grown out of the prepubescent stage and into a woman. She had lost what baby fat that was left and her muscles where trim and subtle. Were she had been a pretty teen she was now a very beautiful mature young woman. Even though she was a bit on the thin side.

Akane stopped with her left leg lifted in a forward kick position, trembling she lowered it unable to finish the kata she had started. Gasping for breath, she collapsed on the floor. She could feel her body getting sluggish at the slightest excerise. Breathing deeply she tried not to sob as the thought came to her, 'I can't even do the simplest of patterns without tiring. How am I going to be able to catch up to Ra... to protect my family in this state?'

Ranma took an involuntary step towards her. 'What's wrong with her? That was a basic kata. But she looks so tired that if she sits there much longer she'll probably end up taking a nap, which was not normal for the macho chic.' He watched intently as a shudder shook her thin form as she drew up her knees to her chest. He could tell that she was crying and the sight made him shifted uncomfortably. He hated to see his tomboy cry... well any girl for that matter... but it really wrenched at his heart too see her in any kind of turmoil.

He decide to cheer her up by thanking her for the help she was giving on the homework that he had been assigned to do over summer vacation because of that stupid trip to China. He took a step back knowing she wouldn't want him to see her like that; so making enough noise, he announced his arrival. "Hey, ya in here, 'Kane?"

She jumped, startled by Ranma's sudden appearance. She had gotten use to being able to tell where he was after returning from China. She furiously wiped away drying tears from her cheeks. It was just typical that he would show up when she was feeling at her lowest. "What do you need, Ranma?" her voice rasped with unshed tears. She kept her face bowed not wanting Ranma to see her face looking so dreadful.

"Umm...Well, Kasumi asked me ta remind ya that ya have an appointment with the Doc sometime this morning." With a brief flash of insight he chose not to say anything, that would give away the fact that he had been spying which meant ignoring the fact that she had been crying.

Stunned Akane looked up forgetting the fact that she didn't want Ranma to see the dried up tear stains on her face, "I have an appointment today?"

"I guess. That's what Kasumi said." Ranma gave a shrug. He was finding it difficult to not stare as he notice how drawn and tired she looked especially with eyes puffy from crying. She looked, even more vulnerable than he had every seen her.

Pushing herself off the floor, Akane stood a little unsteadly. The pigtailed martial artist moved forward with surprising speed, giving unexpected assistance that had them both flushing pink. Each made a production at not trying to look at each other.

Clearing a throat that had suddenly gone dry, Ranma's voice rasped as he started to talk. "I..ah wanted ta thank ya for all the help ya been in help'n me with my math. So...if ya w...w...want I could walk ya ta the doc's and maybe a...a...after w...w...we could like w...w...walk through the park o...o...or s...somethin'."

Akane was still flushed from Ranma helping her to stand and was concious that he hadn't yet let go. For some unknown reason she didn't have the normal urge to mallet him into next week. She finally comprehended that Ranma was asking her on a date. Disbelief and joy coursed through her mind. 'He's actually asking me out. Maybe he does like me even if only a little bit.' "Aa..alright. But I need to go wash up first and change."

As she made her way out of the dojo she was a little nervous wondering if Ranma would mind a little change to the plans. Looking back, she stood by the open door, "Mmm...Ranma could we stop by the cementary before going to the park. I haven't visited my mom in a while."

The slightly surprised pigtailed martial artist, gave a jerky shrug of his shoulders, "Sure Akane whatever ya want."

At hearing his answer she gave him a radiant smile and piped up as she quickly left the dojo for the house, "I'll go get ready. Don't worry I won't take all day."

Ranma stood in the middle of the dojo stunned with his face flushing a brighter shade of pink. Just as he realized that she probably thought that he had asked her out on a date. Not that didn't have a certain appeal to it.

A white van pulled on to the edge of the Nerima district. The driver wore a uniform not normally found outside of the JSDF sercet miltary. The all black atire with sunglasses made them appear to be a part of something even more unsavory than the government doing a possible drill.

As the van trudled on the quiet road to the heart of usually active district those, who were up and going about their normal routine took a moment to observe the vehicle before going back to their everyday lives, unaware that the strangeness in their neirghborhood was just about to go off the charts.