Nabiki grimaced as she saw Akane walk into her room and close her door. Boy, was she gonna get it… "Nabiki, I think we need to talk." Nabiki winced inwardly. Yeah, she was gonna get it good.

"Listen, Akane, I-"

Akane cut Nabiki off. "No, YOU listen. You had NO RIGHT to do what you did to me. You could have just ruined my life, Nabiki!" Akane's voice was low, but her words were saturated with anger and hurt. "The fact of the matter is that you just pushed some stranger onto me without even thinking about how I felt! You're my sister, Nabiki! How am I supposed to handle this kind of betrayal from my sister?"

Nabiki took a deep breath. "Akane, I did what I did because I thought…well, I didn't think all that much, which was kind of a problem, but I DID think, whether you believe me or not." Nabiki looked into her sister's eyes and continued. "Akane, I thought that he would be good for you." Before Akane could respond, the older girl pressed on. "You've had unhealthy relationships with boys, Akane. I thought that this might be a good chance for you to learn how to have a real relationship with a man, whether romantic or platonic. Besides, if anything went wrong, I would have - and still will - get you out of it. I have daddy wrapped around my finger, Akane, not to mention half of the population of Nerima." Nabiki smirked. "Do you think that I'd actually let my little sister get hurt?" Akane's eyes told Nabiki that she wasn't so sure, anymore. That hurt a lot more than Nabiki thought it would have. "Akane, if you really want, I'll go downstairs right now and get daddy to switch the engagement to me. I can handle Ranma."

Akane looked into her sister's eyes, searching for the sparkle of contempt that was always there when she lied. She couldn't find it, though, and she said, "No, Nabiki, you don't have to do that. It's just…well…you're my sister, and I was hurt when I thought that you would really just pass him off onto me like that."

Nabiki stood and embraced her sister. "Akane, I'd never just pass something onto you if I didn't have a damn good reason for doing it, and even then only if I could protect you from harm." Akane's arms wrapped around Nabiki's shoulders, causing the older girl to smile a little. "It's my job to look out for my little sister, right?"

Akane nodded and stepped back, her eyes moist. "Yeah." She smiled at Nabiki, then turned and moved to the door. As she reached it and turned the handle, she looked back to Nabiki, saying, "I'm sorry I doubted you, Nabiki."

Nabiki smiled in return. "I'm sorry I gave you reason to doubt me, Akane."

Akane looked genuinely touched by that apology, then left the room, closing the door behind her.

Nabiki sighed and slumped down onto her bed. Never before had she been so glad to have been born with the ability to think things out. If she had just passed Ranma off onto Akane like that for REAL…Nabiki shuddered at the thought. Yeah, more thinking in the future.

+++

Ranma trudged to school behind the two youngest Tendos. They were talking about him, though they tried to hide it. At least they tried to hide it. Ranma remembered the young faces, taunting him, laughing at him, he remembered the bite of the rocks as they impacted his body, he remembered running, crying…

"So, what do you think of Ranma?" asked Nabiki. She and Akane were walking about fifteen feet ahead of Ranma.

"He's right behind us, you know, Nabiki." Akane glanced back nervously. "We shouldn't be talking about him."

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Akane. It's not like he can hear us, or anything. I was just wondering if my little sister had found out anything about her new fiancée."

Akane bristled at that comment, but then she remembered the morning before. She remembered Ranma, naked, getting out of the tub…"Nabiki," whispered Akane.

"Yeah?" mimicked the shorthaired girl.

"The other day…well…I was going to take a bath, and I didn't know that Ranma was already in the tub, and…well…"

"You walked in on him?" exclaimed Nabiki incredulously.

"SSSSHHHH!!!" shushed Akane, blushing furiously. "He'll hear!"

Nabiki couldn't help but smirk. "How did he look? Was he…you know…big?"

"Nabiki!" Akane quickened her pace, blushing a deep shade of crimson.

"Akane, I'm just playing with you. Really, I am. So, what were you going to say?"

Akane slowed her pace to match her sister's, still blushing. "Well…his body…it's…" she shuddered. "It's…his neck…"

"What about his neck? What are you getting at, Akane?" Nabiki asked impatiently.

"His…scars," finished Akane awkwardly. "They're all over his body."

Nabiki said nothing. "…And?"

"What do you mean, 'And?' That's it!"

Nabiki frowned. "Oh. Is that all?"

Akane was taken aback. "Nabiki, I don't think you understand! His body is totally messed up! There are scars everywhere!"

"I figured as much, Akane. I mean, he said that he'd been mauled by cats, right? It's unlikely that they just attacked his neck." Nabiki shrugged. "Didn't it occur to you, too?"

Akane shook her head vehemently. "I don't think you understand, Nabiki. His…he…they're everywhere. It's as if he's been run through a grain thresher, but survived. It's…worse than anything I could have imagined, Nabiki." Akane shuddered again at the thought of Ranma's body.

Nabiki frowned thoughtfully. "Is it really that bad?"

"Yeah," said Akane, nodding. "It's worse."

Ranma walked along, trying to ignore the conversation going on in front of him. He could hear every word they spoke, though he would never let them know that, of course. His head hung low as he thought of his body, the scars so prominent on it. Then he was female, and confused. She looked to her left and saw an old woman with a bucket of water and a ladle washing off the sidewalk. Ranma sighed. She hated when stuff like this happened. Whistling loudly, she got the attention of Akane and Nabiki, who turned around. "What happened, Ranma?" asked Akane as she approached the wet girl. Ranma gestured to the woman with the water and shrugged. "Well, let's get you some hot water, okay? I know where we can get some." Akane took Ranma's hand and started walking away.

Akane hadn't noticed before, but Ranma's hands had scars on them, too. Ranma must really have had some bad wounds. Akane's hand shivered slightly, but she gripped Ranma's hand tightly to stop the shaking. She could feel Ranma's scar tissue pressed tightly against her hand. She tried not to think of it. "My doctor has his office around here," said Akane. "He'll be able to get you some hot water." Oh, how cold the scars on Ranma's hands were…

"I'll see you later, Akane. You and your fiancée don't be late now, you hear?" Nabiki winked at her sister as she continued toward school.

Akane blushed, but kept her face turned away from Ranma so that she would not see. "Come on, Ranma," she said a bit roughly. "We should hurry."

+++

Akane stopped in front of a doctor's office and said, "Wait here; I'll be right back." Ranma obeyed, hoping that they wouldn't be late for school; she hated it when she walked in late and instantly became the center of attention. All those people staring at her, thinking what a freak she was…Ranma felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head, expecting to see something other than a skeleton. The redhead jumped three meters into the air.

"Oh, excuse me," said the young man holding the skeleton. "Did Betty scare you?" Ranma slowly crawled back inside her skin. "I don't think I've seen you around here, before. What's your name?" The man was nice. Ranma didn't like that, because then she felt compelled to answer him. She started rummaging around in her schoolbag for something to write on, but stopped as Akane came back with a kettle of water.

"Here you go, Ran-" When Akane caught sight of the man she blushed and bowed deeply, spilling the hot water onto Ranma. "Hello, Dr. Tofu."

The man smiled and bowed back. "Why, hello, Akane. How have you been?" Ranma blinked once, then adjusted his clothing. Ranma wasn't too happy about Dr. Tofu knowing about his curse so soon. It would only be so long before he knew about his body…

Akane nervously fidgeted while looking at the ground. "I've been okay. No injuries to speak of."

Dr. Tofu looked at Ranma with an eyebrow raised, just then noticing his change from female to male. "Jusenkyo?" Ranma was surprised, but managed to nod nonetheless. That did something to help his discomfort with the Doctor's knowing of his curse.

"You know about Jusenkyo?" Akane was incredulous.

The doctor smirked and said, "Yes, Akane. I'm quite well versed in mythology and so-called magical places and things all around the world." Dr. Tofu turned to look at Ranma. "Say, I don't think I've seen you around here before. I'm Dr. Tofu, by the way." He smiled and gave a polite bow, holding Betty all the while. Ranma frowned. How was he gonna tell this guy that he couldn't talk?

"This is Ranma, the son of one of my dad's friends. Ranma and his father are staying at my house." Akane then hastily added, "…for a while."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ranma." He bowed again, and Ranma returned the gesture. It looked as if the Doctor were waiting for Ranma to say something, which made him nervous.

Akane came to his rescue, saying, "Dr. Tofu, Ranma doesn't have the ability to speak. He lost his voice box when he was little."

A look of concern passed over Tofu's handsome features. "Oh! I'm so sorry! How did it happen?" Ranma was prepared with a writing surface, this time, so he answered before Akane could do so for him. "'Neko-ken?' You were trained in the Neko-ken?" When Ranma nodded, the older man's features clouded over. "Whoever would do that to his pupil…" He shook his head, as if shaking off that train of thought. "I'm sorry, Ranma. Were you permanently damaged in any other way?" Ranma cast his eyes to the ground in shame. Here was another guy, another person who was gonna judge him because of how he looked. Maybe if he didn't tell him…?

Akane shuddered. "Scars…" Dr. Tofu looked at Akane quizzically, prompting Akane to expound on that comment. "He's got…scars…all over his body." Akane wrapped her arms around herself as if cold. "They're horrible…they're everywhere, from his feet to his neck. He…he looks like a…" Akane again shivered, disturbed by the thought of Ranma's body. Ranma's hands were thrust into his pockets, his shoulders were slumped and his eyes were firmly affixed to the ground as Akane turned to look at him. "I'm sorry, Ranma, it's just…" Ranma waved a hand in the air to forestall any further comment, then quickly put it back in his pocket. He turned around momentarily, then turned back and handed her a piece of paper. "'It's okay, I understand. You're not the first to be haunted by my appearance.' Ranma…" She shook her head. "I don't think you understand, Ranma. I'm not-" Ranma again cut off her speech with a wave of his hand. He turned around for another moment, faced Akane again and handed her another piece of paper. "'Yeah, I do. Don't worry, I don't mind.'" She looked to Ranma, who was smiling confidently for her, his hands still in his pockets. Akane completely missed the pain in his eyes. Convinced that Ranma was, in fact, all right, she smiled a little herself. "Ranma, we'd better get to school or we'll be late."

Dr. Tofu spoke up. "Actually, Akane, why don't you go on ahead? I'd like to speak with Ranma, here, if neither of you mind." Ranma shrugged and shook his head no as Akane indicated that she had no problem with it, either.

"Well, then I guess I'll see you later, Ranma! I'll tell the teacher you're sick, or something." As she waved and went on her way to school, the Doctor spoke.

"Ranma, come on inside." Ranma just shrugged and followed. Nerima sure was full of weird people.

+++

Several minutes found Ranma sitting in a small chair facing the good Dr. Tofu, who was also seated in a chair, one that was facing the young martial artist. Ranma didn't feel good about this little meeting. He didn't HATE doctors, per se, but he felt more uncomfortable around doctors than he did around anything else save cats. Doctors always want to "take a look at you." Ranma looked to the ground. His hands clasped each other tightly. He hated it when doctors asked to see his scars. They were all fascinated by his disfigurement, for some reason. He knew what circus freaks must feel like.

"Ranma," began the older man, "I'd like to see your scars, if you don't mind." Ranma's hands contracted, cracking all his knuckles simultaneously. He knew this had been coming. Lord, he didn't want more doctors poking and prodding at him. Especially because he seemed to know the Tendos, and Ranma didn't want anyone knowing about his scars. Ranma screwed his eyes shut against the tears that surged up within him. Akane knew, though, so it wasn't as if it would take long for the fact that he was a disfigured freak to spread through town. God, he had been so close to having a friend, but his damned body had driven her away. He ground his teeth together in an effort to staunch the flow of warm salt water threatening to overflow from his eyes. No, he wasn't going to cry, at least not in front of a doctor. If he cried, the doctor would assume that something was the matter with Ranma, and he'd want to talk about it. Ranma would have to avoid talking about it until he could escape the doctor's office. But it wouldn't end there. Dr. Tofu would come around, looking for Ranma, wanting to have a little talk. He would tell the counselors at his school about it. He would tell his father about it. No, Ranma wouldn't – couldn't – cry. Not in front of Dr. Tofu. Shit, Tofu was waiting for an answer. Ranma took a split second to compose himself and shook his head slowly. "Ranma, please? I know you probably hate doctors, and I know what scars can do to the self-image of someone, but I'd really like to see them." Ranma again had to force back tears, but this time, they were tears of bitterness. Did Dr. Tofu really know what scars did to a person? Did he have any idea of the pain that his body had put him through? Doubtful.

Dr. Tofu sighed and sat back heavily in his chair. "Okay, Ranma, I understand if you don't want to show me. Just so you know, I wasn't going to take pictures, or notes, or anything. I just wanted to see if I could help, that's all." Damn him. Damn him to hell. It was so hard to resist that nice, gentle man. Damn him to the very depths of hell. Ranma hesitantly reached up and started undoing the clasps of his shirt. Damn him, damn that Dr. Tofu. His shirt was off, now, and he looked at the floor, braced himself for the whistle that he felt coming, the inhalation of breath, the scratch of pen on paper or click of a camera shutter.

But none of those things came. After what seemed like hours under what he assumed was Tofu's scrutinizing gaze, Ranma hesitantly looked up. What he saw surprised him. Dr. Tofu was smiling. He was smiling at Ranma. "See?" said Dr. Tofu as he smiled. "It's not so bad, is it?" The kind doctor shook his head, the smile never leaving his face. "Ranma, as scarring goes, this is pretty bad, but I've seen far, far worse. You don't have to be ashamed of your body." Ranma grabbed the pen from around his neck and found a piece of paper in his bag. He wrote, silently, then handed the paper to Tofu. "'Thank you, but please do not lie to me.' Ranma, I'm not lying. You shouldn't be ashamed of your body. Actually, I'm rather jealous." Ranma grabbed the paper from Tofu's hands, scribbled something quickly, then handed it back. "'Dr. Tofu, your lies will only hurt me further.' Oh, Ranma…" Dr. Tofu started to say, but was interrupted as the door to his office opened and Kasumi walked in. Oh, gods, how it hurt to see Kasumi's face at that moment. Everything was crumbling around him, as it always had. He was powerless to stop it, just as he could not hope to piece together again the plate that dropped from Kasumi's hands to shatter on the floor.

+++

Nabiki sighed as Kuno approached her. It was lunchtime. Didn't he have anything better to do? "Nabiki Tendo, I would speak with you."

She smiled a calculated smile and replied, "What's up, Kuno-chan?"

He bristled slightly at that, and she smiled inwardly. "I require information about a certain boy who claims to be living at your house. A Ranma Saotome."

Nabiki nodded. "What kind of information?"

"Any and all information available on him."

Nabiki inwardly wept with joy. Oh, how she loved it when people were desperate for information. She could extort so much for so little when that happened. "Five thousand yen."

Kuno's eyes widened. "You ask a great deal…"

"Okay, if you don't want to know about him, then…" Nabiki left the sentence unfinished as Kuno sighed and took out his wallet. Score one for Team Nabiki.

"Very well, mercenary, I will pay." He handed the money to her, saying, "So, what of him?"

Nabiki took the money, casually counted it, then put it in her bag. "His name is Ranma Saotome. He is the son of one of my father's oldest friends. He underwent a strange sort of training when he was a small boy, and because of bodily harm done to him through that training, can not speak. He also has scars that cover his whole body, from his toes to his neck. On top of that," Nabiki prepared herself for Kuno's reaction, "he's engaged to Akane."

The time was 12:04

+++

Akane looked at the clock absently. 12:05.

"AKANE, YOU'RE ENGAGED?!?!?"

+++

Nabiki noticed the ears of every student in the room perk up at that piece of information, and knew that it would soon be all over the school. Oh, well. At least she'd made some money off of it, first. "I shall never allow this!" bellowed Kuno as he strode purposefully from the classroom.

Nabiki looked around at all the faces staring at her. They all hungered for more information about Ranma. "Ten thousand yen."

+++

Akane looked desperately at the clock, waiting for lunch to be over. 12:10. "I hear he proposed to you because he got you pregnant!" shouted a girl Akane did not know. Akane blushed furiously and shouted a negative.

"I heard that he saved you from a plane crash, and you instantly fell in love with him!" A boy a year younger than her shouted this. One of his friends bopped him on the head before Akane could speak.

"Idiot! Has Akane been gone from school long enough to take any plane trips lately?" The first boy rubbed his head and blushed furiously.

"I heard that…"

Akane ignored the shouts and exclamations, praying that the clock read 12:30. She looked over. 12:10:24.

"Is it true that he paid your father to marry you?" shouted an unfamiliar voice.

Akane shouted at the top of her lungs, "QUIET!!!" When the crowd gathered around her had quieted to a dull roar, she spoke, loud enough for each of them to hear. Oh, she was so embarrassed…how had they found out? "His father and my father arranged this marriage years ago! I barely even know him! There's no WAY I'm gonna marry a creep like him!" That seemed to placate the crowd. Eventually, though, one voice rose above the deafening silence that had fallen over the gathered people.

"Is it true that he has scars all over his body?"

Akane's blood ran cold. She could do nothing but nod assent, picturing the mass of scar tissue covering his back, his shoulders…

The crowd started up again, louder than ever before.

"Is it really ugly?"

"Does he look like that guy from the American horror movies, Freddie Kreuger?"

"What happened to him? Did he disfigure himself in a satanic ritual?"

"Was it scary the first time you saw it?"

"What are you going to do, Akane? You can't marry a freak like him!"

Akane recognized that last voice, but couldn't place it. Perhaps someone from her class. She couldn't tell. She didn't care. All she could see was red, crimson, filling her entire field of view. She drew a deep breath to shout at all those gathered, to berate them for their instantaneous judgement of a man they'd never even met, to tell them what horrible things had happened to Ranma, make them see that they should feel sorry for him, not ridicule him, but she never got that far. As she was about to shout, she saw, over the crowd, a single figure, head bowed, shoulders slumped, pigtail swaying gently left and right with his steps, walking out the gates of the school. Ranma had heard. Oh, whatever powers may be, he had heard.

Slowly, numbly, legs and arms like lead, Akane made her way to her school bag, the crowd parting like the sea before Moses, and she quietly packed up her things, turned, and walked out of the gates of the school in a silent, determined pursuit of Ranma.

+++

He liked that part of the city. It was nice. It was a sunny day, and Ranma walked along the street, noting different stores and restaurants as he went. A grocery store here, a clothing store there, this place had everything. He saw a comic that looked interesting in one of the many bookstores he visited, so he scrounged around in his pants for money and bought it. It was an old issue of Gundam; he'd read it before, but couldn't remember the ending.

Ranma turned a corner and absently tucked the comic in his back pocket; he'd finish it later. He had to find a place to stay, and quickly. There were many other things that needed his attention, as well: passports, visas, plane tickets, clothing…he squeezed his eyes shut against the tears. He couldn't remember, couldn't see, if he did he'd cry, in public, and he'd be questioned, and he wouldn't be able to respond, and that would bring more memories, and he'd cry more, and he'd flee, and he'd hurt someone, and he'd get arrested, and he'd be thrown in jail, and he didn't want to remember, there was so much pain, so much loss, so recent, he heard their cries, he saw their faces, he

"Ranma!"

saw Akane at the head of them, she had told them all, she had told them about his scars, she had

"Ranma!"

betrayed him, just like everyone else, just like his father, just like Ryoga, just like

"Ranma!"

Ranma snapped out of his reverie, looked back to see Akane running up behind him. Oh, God, it was Akane, oh, lord, he didn't want to see Akane, please, he didn't want to see her, God, whoever you may be, please, don't let her see him…just as she was about to reach him, she faded away into nothing, leaving only the crowd.

Ranma ran, tears streaming down his face, into an alley not far from where he had previously been. Hiding himself behind a dumpster, he pulled his knees to his chest and let all pretenses slip away. He cried, silently, rocking back and forth, cursing his damnable body.

+++

Akane searched all over. "Excuse me, but have you seen a boy with black hair in a ponytail around here? He's wearing a black, long-sleeved Chinese shirt and black pants." No, of course they hadn't. No one had. She shook her head sadly. It was already 4:00 in the afternoon. She had to get home. Ranma would have to return, too, eventually. Sighing, Akane turned and started for home, not realizing that Ranma was silently sobbing not ten feet from where she had been standing.

+++

A boy in a yellow and black bandanna moved slowly through a small town. He casually strolled up to an older man who was struggling to lift a bale of hay onto a wagon. "Here, let me help you with that." He easily lifted the hay off of the man's stooped shoulders and placed it on the wagon.

"Thanks, stranger," said the man with a smile.

The boy smiled back, showing a pair of fangs. "No problem, sir. Say, would you happen to know where Furinkan high school is?" He proffered a map to the man, who took it.

"…Say, isn't this Tokyo?" asked the man after a moment. "That's 500 miles North of here." He handed the map back to the boy, saying, "You're a bit off track there, sonny."

The boy's face fell. "Oh. Well, thanks anyway." He bowed politely and walked due East.

"Say! That's east! You want to go north!" shouted the man after the boy. What was he, on drugs?

The boy turned and looked at the sun, which was rising directly in front of him. "Oh. Heh heh. So I was. Thanks again, sir!" He promptly turned and walked southwest.

As the bandanna-wearing boy moved steadily away from his destination, he could think only one thing. 'Ranma Saotome…you can hide from our man-to-man battle no longer!'

+++

Kasumi looked up as Akane entered the house. "Akane! Where have you been?" She sounded worried, not angry at all.

"Hey, Kasumi. I went out to look for Ranma after he ran off from school." The youngest Tendo slipped her shoes off and put her book bag down.

"What?" Kasumi looked even more worried than she had before. "Ranma ran off from school? Why did he do that?"

Akane clenched her fists. "I'd rather not talk about that just yet, big sister." Her voice left no room for discussion.

Kasumi looked even more worried than before, if that was possible. She didn't know what had happened, but she knew that it had been something big. "Okay, Akane, if that's how you feel." Akane relaxed and Kasumi moved on. "Did you find him?" She was speaking of Ranma, of course.

The shorter Tendo shook her head in the negative. "I looked all over town, for three and a half hours, but I couldn't find him." She sighed and hung her head wearily. "He'll be back, eventually. He has nowhere else to go." Her voice was soft, hopeful almost.

Kasumi's heart went out to her little sister. She was obviously very, very worried about Ranma. "I'm sure he'll be back soon, Akane. Why don't you go upstairs and lie down until dinner? You look like you could use a rest." Kasumi's motherly tone was gentle yet commanding at the same time.

Akane absently nodded and moved upstairs, leaving Kasumi behind. When Akane had disappeared from the older girl's sight, she frowned. Where could Ranma have gone? It wasn't very nice to just run off like that. He was worrying everyone. Well, herself and Akane, at least. Kasumi moved back into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. What had happened at school? She'd have to ask Ranma about it.

Pulling out a cutting board, knife and some carrots, the pseudo-mother of the Tendo household started to cut the carrots into smaller pieces while contemplating the situation. Something had happened at school that had caused Ranma to leave, and Akane had been worried about him, so she tried to follow. She couldn't find him, and after three and a half hours of searching, gave up. Kasumi smiled a bit. Perhaps Akane was beginning to like Ranma? That thought caused her to chuckle, which in turn caused her to cut her finger. Kasumi silently swore to herself. Wonderful. She was preparing dinner, and she cut herself. Just great. She could just imagine asking, "How's the bloodied carrot stew?" Kasumi felt like throwing the knife out the window, but restrained herself and moved to get a Band-Aid from the cupboard.

As she fastened the bandage around her wounded finger, a surge of emotion swept over her. She felt sadness at her mother's death, bitterness at having to take on the role of the mother, anger at her father's weak-mindedness. She remembered her ambitions of being a doctor, deciding that her family was more important than her own dreams. She remembered her mother's large, warm hand engulfing her own. She remembered Nabiki's tear-stained face at their mother's funeral.

Kasumi closed her eyes to calm herself. There was nothing she could do. She was the mother. What she wanted didn't matter until Akane and Nabiki were on their own. Maybe then she could go after her own dreams. But would she be able to? Kasumi shook off that train of thought. No, she wasn't going to think about that. She had made a choice, and that choice was to suppress the person she had been and become the mother. Who she had been didn't matter anymore.

Kasumi scoffed at that thought. God, she hated being the mother. She hated being the calm, rational one. She hated being the one to comfort others. Why couldn't she be irrational? Why couldn't she be comforted? Again Kasumi forced down that train of thought. No. She was the mother. Kasumi the person no longer existed; there was only Kasumi the mother. After Akane and Nabiki were firmly established in the world, then she could start - slowly at first - to revert to herself. Only then could she begin to let the mask drop.

Kasumi looked back on her life and choked back a sob.

Nabiki walked in the kitchen and Kasumi was forced to push all those thoughts and emotions deep down inside her. Smiling, she turned to Nabiki and said, "Oh, hello, Nabiki."

"Hey, sis," the shorter girl replied. She noticed the bandage and asked, "What happened?"

"Oh, nothing much. I just cut myself a little, that's all. No big deal."

"Oh. Okay." Nabiki smirked a bit as she grabbed a can of tea out of the refrigerator and walked out of the kitchen. "Watch out for those potatoes, sis. They're tricky."

Kasumi smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Nabiki. I'll do that." When Nabiki was gone, Kasumi turned back to the carrots and again began chopping. Nabiki was always so sarcastic. She thought Kasumi couldn't pick up on it, but it would take a complete and total moron not to notice the way her eyes laughed at everything around her. If only Kasumi didn't have to be the mother, she could throw some acidic remark back to Nabiki. That would catch her off guard. Kasumi, verbally sparring with Nabiki. They'd never expect it. It would never happen, of course, but still, the thought made Kasumi chuckle.

"Shit!" whispered Kasumi as she cut herself again. Forcing down the surge of anger and helplessness, she reached again for the box of Band-Aids.

+++

Ranma looked up. She was female. Of course it would have started raining. It never failed. When had the rain started? Ranma thought back, but couldn't remember. It was no matter. She stood up and wiped off her face. What time was it? She looked around. Night, of course, but what time? She shook her head. She had spent all day sitting in the alley and crying. Would she always have so many tears to shed?

Ranma shivered from the cold bite of the rain and wind. She needed to get home. She scoffed at the word: home. She had never had a home. She never would. She was too different to have a home. She didn't deserve a home, all because of her body. Her horrible, ugly body.

"Hey, what are you doing out so late, sweetie?" Ranma looked up to find a group of three young men leering at her suggestively. She knew she should have felt repulsed, but for some reason, she did not. Did they think she was beautiful? Did they think that she was pretty? Attractive?

"Why don't you say something, honey?" asked the first man as he advanced a step on her. "You scared?"

Ranma shook her head and looked down. Why couldn't she do something? She should have been kicking their asses, or running, or anything but what she was doing. Why was she just standing there?

The second man chuckled lightly. "She's a shy one, she is. Why don't we introduce ourselves?"

The third man just leered at Ranma, and advanced slowly. Ranma was confused. Did this mean that she was not ugly? Did this mean that she was actually attractive? She didn't know, but she couldn't move, either. Something kept her from attacking the trio. What was going on?

Ranma saw it coming, but didn't move. Again, she didn't know why, but she let two of the men grab her arms and push her back against the wall. The second man, the only one who hadn't grabbed her, moved close to Ranma and caressed her face. "Aren't we a pretty one? Well, let's see just how pretty you really are, why don't we?" He suddenly gripped Ranma's shirt and tore it open, revealing her scarred chest and stomach. The man stepped back in shock and disgust. "What the hell?" The two men who were grabbing Ranma let go when they saw what was under Ranma's shirt, and both took a couple of steps back. The man who had ripped open her shirt again spoke. "Shit. Of all the women in this city, we have to get the freak."

Ranma wasn't pretty. She was a freak. The only reason these men had even looked twice at her was because she had had her shirt on, so the scars weren't visible. Suddenly self-conscious again, Ranma drew her shirt closed. She was just another freak, another weirdo with scars. Suddenly, the thing that had been preventing her from pummeling the men before vanished.

The men didn't even have time to react. The two that had held her found themselves on the receiving end of a flying scissor-kick and were swiftly swept into unconsciousness. The one who had ripped open her shirt wasn't treated so kindly. One, two, three punches to the gut, followed by an uppercut and a roundhouse that threw him into the wall were all that was needed to put the man out.

Ranma's battle-rage waned, and she realized what had just happened. She had almost been raped, and she had stood by and let it happen. She had actually craved the touch of another human being, if only for a second, and had almost let total strangers sleep with…HER. SHE had almost let three MEN rape HER.

Ranma's hands shakily redid the buttons on her shirt. She looked up. It had stopped raining.

She walked out into the street and numbly started walking home, the glazed look in her eyes accentuated by her pale face.

+++

"Furinkan high school!" the boy shouted. "This is it!" His fangs gleamed in the moonlight as he smiled. "I'll wait here for Saotome. He's bound to show up eventually. I'll wait however long it takes." The boy snorted as he sat down. "I'll certainly wait longer than Saotome did, if it comes down to it." The boy lay his head on his travelling pack and tried to get to sleep. Just before he passed on into unconsciousness, he mumbled, "Ranma, you will die."

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Okay, I have a little something to say, so please listen. Now, when I was writing this, I got the distinct feeling that it moved a bit quickly. I, personally, don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I get the feeling that it's more bad than good. I was worried about the quick development of the story in more places than one. I need…no, let me rephrase that. I WOULD LIKE IT IF anyone reading this would comment on that issue - being the speed of the development in this story.

Also, I have noticed a couple of places where characterization - while important to me and to the story - may have been…misplaced would be the best word I can come up with. (One of these examples would be the Kasumi scene in the kitchen.) I find that what I have written should be in the story, as I have certain plans for and about this story, but I am not sure if the placement of these scenes is proper. Please, if anyone has anything to comment on about this story, either email me or write a review. I like this story, and I like writing it, and from what I gather you all like it, too, so, in order to better the story and benefit all of us, please give me feedback. Again, I don't care if it's positive or negative, but please, PLEASE give me feedback. Please.

Thanks.

In addition, I'd just like to thank all the people who gave me feedback and wrote reviews on the first part of this story. It helped tremendously much, and I took everything said into account when I wrote this chapter and revised the first one. (If there's anything you have to comment on about the new version of the first chapter, please, do not hesitate to tell me.) All of the reviews I received - in my opinion, at least - were at least partly positive, and so I would again like to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter. The compliments, comments and suggestions really make writing this story a lot more fun, and I appreciate every sentiment. Thank you all.

~A Depraved Sociopath with Psychotic Tendencies