Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own any of the characters used within this story. All characters belong to their respected creators, which is obviously not I.


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A Life Lost

Chapter Two

Remembering

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Clink, clink…

Clink, clink…

Looking away from his reflection off the train window, Ranma tried to focus on something else. Anything really to take his mind away from his current predicament.

At least I don't have to worry about the curse anymore. That thought gave some comfort as a thin smile was brought to his lips before abruptly being dropped.

Ranma sighed.

Everything was different now. His clothes, his face, his body. And, not to mention, his name. This was going to take some getting used to. Sure he had pretended to be other people before, but never had he literally become someone else.

He may be Keitaro Urashima on the outside, but inside he was still truly Ranma Saotome. A martial artist who always overcame whatever odds thrown his way.

.

Damn. He had to relearn the arts. That meant he needed to go through all that training again. This body was weak – duly noted for a once top-notched martial artist – and definitely unbalanced, which Ranma greatly noticed when he almost fell on several women on his way to the metro train station. He wasn't exactly sure how this guy had lived as long as he had. All it would take was one good punch – most likely from a girl – and this guy would have definitely been a goner.

Oh wait, that did happen.

How else was he here inhabiting this body.

How did I get here anyways?

With all the rivals and opponents he faced daily, he never once thought that he'd be taken down by a table. And by a fiancé no less.

Actually, the idea never took hold. Nada. Zilch. Zero. He was Ranma Saotome, the best of the best! With all the craziness of Nerima he'd been subjected to, he always came out on top. That was a fact. Yet, here he was now; living another person's life all due to a tiny mistake.

Feh. Tiny. Who makes a mistake like that?!

The day he would cease to be Ranma was a day that went like all others. Crazy, hectic, chaotic. He should have suspected something to break up the norm really, just never to this extent.

-:-:-:-:-:-

As Kasumi had cooked for the night everyone was present at the table for dinner. Like many times beforehand, both the Tendo and Saotome patriarchs had wailed about how the schools would never be joined if Ranma didn't make a move on Akane.

That was usual.

So was his typical foot-in-mouth retort, which normally resulted with Akane bashing his head in with the table.

Once again, also usual. What wasn't usual, however, was the fact that he never got back up.

Apparently, at the time when Akane decided to teach Ranma manners – via the blunt force of a table – a special someone happened to be passing through. Now to those unfamiliar with the ongoings of Nerima, any normal being would assume the natural event that should occur if anyone had gotten their head smashed through the floor with a table.

Instant death.

That's what Kurumi, a passing angel-in-training, concluded when she decided to take out Ranma's soul at the moment of impact. No one would have survived that hit. Of course, she was dealing with one Ranma Saotome but she didn't know that. And she was new to the job. Anyone could forgive her for that one tiny mistake.

-:-:-:-:-:-

He couldn't believe he actually forgave her, but the moment she turned and looked at him with those tears in her eyes…. He was a chump. Period. He couldn't handle a crying girl, much less one that could be crying because of him.

Ranma Saotome taken down by a sobbing girl.

Running a hand through his hair, Ranma – no, Keitaro – let out a small frustrated groan; the only response at both his current circumstance and the fact he had forgotten who he was suppose to be once again, which a lack of a pigtail harshly reminded him of.

"Now arriving at Hirazawa hot spring, the last stop."

Shaken out of his state, Ranma quickly made sure he had all his belongings before stepping off the metro train.

Where am I suppose to go now?

Unfortunately, all Ranma could do was stare blankly at his surroundings. After a few minutes of lingering about in front of the station he finally began to walk, praying that he was at the very least heading towards the right direction.

As luck would have it, or a lack thereof, Ranma soon found himself lost after thirty minutes of aimlessly walking about. Though he should have expected it as he didn't really know what he was suppose to be doing in the first place. Spotting a nearby stone bench, Ranma walked over to it and plopped himself down. After doing so, he happened to notice three very familiar-looking, old men standing across the street from him.

Are they following me?

He was pretty sure that he had seen them earlier at various points of the day. Did they want something? Whatever, he thought before deciding to rummage through the green book bag he carried. All he could find were the same random books and a note with 'Hinagata Inn' scrawled on it as before. Staring at the note, Ranma shifted his eyes to the corner that held a childish drawing of Kurumi giving him a thumbs up.

Letting out another sigh, Ranma reluctantly concluded that he was stumped. There was nothing else he could do as he had neither the faintest idea of where he was suppose to go now. Moving to put back some of the stuff taken out in his attempt of finding more clues, Ranma finally noticed the other person sitting some distance away on a similar bench.

It was a girl.

And she was crying.

Ranma fidgeted.

At least she wasn't looking his way. Keeping that thought in mind, Ranma returned to his task at hand only to be dumbfounded by what he saw. Before him was an opened sketchbook and a rough sketch of the girl he just saw.

Did I… draw this?

The fact that the sketchbook was supposedly his and the undeniable point that in his hand held a small pencil, Ranma could only sum up that he indeed did as believed.

Unsure of what had happened and before he could figure things out one of the old men from across the street had appeared beside him and snatched the sketchbook from his lap.

"Oy!" Ranma shouted as he stood up.

Rapidly stomping towards the old man, Ranma shook a fist menacingly as he moved to grab the book back. "You better give that back oyaji!"

The old man's only response was to throw the book up into the air.

Moving to catch it, Ranma's left eye shortly began to twitch when another old man had appeared for the book to land right into his hands; only to promptly throw it to the third in their group. Pretty soon a game of monkey-in-the-middle ensued as Ranma could simply jump about trying to capture the constantly thrown object.

"Oyaji!!" Ranma finally shouted in anger before moving twice as fast. As a result, Ranma managed to grab onto the book before it was caught by the others. Smirking in triumph, Ranma's victory was short-lived when one of the men moved to bump him from behind causing him to drop the book.

And have it land with its pages opened in front of the sobbing girl from before.

Kuso, Ranma thought when he saw where the girl's eyes focused on. It was his drawing of her.

"Why… is it…"

Before she could finish, Ranma quickly interrupted with an apology before grabbing his bag and dashing off in some random direction.

"So vastly different yet so very alike," muttered the three old men sagely before disappearing off as well through a fog; its appearance sudden as it came and went.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Off in the distance, Ranma continued to run.

Baka, baka, baka!

And he was chiding himself as he did so.

I can't believe I ran... like some girl!

Ranma continued to berate himself until he remembered what Yuuta, the angel assigned to resolve Kurumi's mistake, had told him before he took Keitaro's place.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"I'm… I'm dead?" whispered the bespectacled boy in disbelief.

"Don't worry! Kurumi's here! And I'm gonna take ya to where you're suppose to go Keitaro-kun!" exclaimed the girl who caused Ranma so much trouble.

Bouncing over to Keitaro, Kurumi took a hold of his hand and began to drag the poor boy off.

"B-b-but Todai! I was supposed to go to Todai!" he managed to stutter.

Kurumi simply smiled before answering, "Don't worry! Ranma-kun here's gonna take over your place in life! So don't ya worry all about it!"

"W-w-what??" Keitaro screeched as the angel-in-training continued to manhandle him.

Standing by the sidelines, two figures watched as the happy Kurumi and the struggling Keitaro finally disappeared in an amazing show of lights and colors. Of course, the small fireworks at the end also caused the two to further sweat drop at the 'intriguing' display.

"Ahem."

Quickly turning to the girl beside him, Ranma watched as she seemed to glow for a moment just as the scenery around them shimmered and changed.

"Do not worry. They cannot see us," the girl answered when Ranma jumped at the sudden appearance of people around them.

Relaxing his posture, Ranma then took a closer look at their new surroundings. They appeared to be in some sort of hallway; inside a school perhaps? Before he could contemplate anymore, Yuuta moved to stand in front of him before gesturing towards a body by the wall.

"Although it may be your soul it is still his body that you reside in. Therefore you will retain a number of the previous owner's skills and personality traits. And, in due time, you shall inherit his memories so you could go on to continue his life. Of course, how you live his life is up to you."

Ranma opened his mouth to reply, but no words were said as at that instance he felt a sudden pull on his entire being.

"Goodbye Saotome-san."

And in a moment's flash he was gone.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Slowing down to a small jog and finally just plain walking, Ranma mulled over the idea of having thoughts not his own. It sounded invasive and, admittedly, frightening. The possibility of losing one's self and becoming someone else was not a concept Ranma liked. Also, achieving skills that someone else probably worked hard for felt a bit like… cheating.

Need to stop thinking too much. Not really like me.

Shaking his head as he cleared his mind, Ranma shortly stretched his arms before placing them behind his head. This was a fresh start now. No more fiancés. No more crazy rivals. Heck, no more chaos! He might be able to actually relax for once without worrying what's coming around the next corner.

Yeah, some peace and quiet would be nice.

Aimlessly walking about once more, he soon came upon a series of stairs.

It was a familiar sight.

"I… I know this place," he whispered to himself.

Then with one step he began his journey upwards and slowly approached the known and unknown inn he was searching for.

It was time to live the life of one Keitaro Urashima now.

To Be Continued….


Comments: First of all, I want to apologize for the exceedingly large amount of time it took for this chapter to come out. I've been behind in some of my classes and have been trying to catch up with the incomplete works I had. Since then this story – as well as others – had to be placed on the back burner. Should anyone be interested, I try to update my stories' status on my profile as often as I can so readers would know where I'm at for the story that's caught their interest.

Now secondly, I've tried to explain the events – or at least some of them – that led Ranma to where he is now. I don't think I did a good job as I'm sure a number of you will probably find some things… puzzling or unanswered. I'll get to it later, or perhaps have a gushingly amazing idea that just pops into my mind one day that shall explain everything and leave no room for errors. Until then my readers you'd just have to suffer under my attempts of explanations.

Third, and finally, by the next chapter I will start addressing Ranma as Keitaro. That is who he is now and how others would perceive him as. Of course, he's going to be a different Keitaro to those who have known him before. -- Scratch this. I'll let you guys & girls vote about this. The poll's on my profile. Or you can put it in your review. Or you can e-mail. Or you can message me? Or, whatever.

Fourth – okay, I lied – I will be moving this story to the Crossover section. Beforehand, I was in a rush to post this story and wasn't paying much attention to what I was clicking. I'm sorry if this inconveniences anyone in any way.


Nysk: Yes, I do hope I'll be able to pull this off as well. Like I said previously, I've never done a crossover before. As for the idea of other Ranma ½ characters appearing… well, we'll just see what happens. I haven't really planned that far ahead for any of my stories. I tend to just go with the flow.

Scourgeofthegalaxy: Oh, well I've never read any of the manga for Love Hina. I just saw the first episode for the anime. Does that make me a bad person? Back on topic, I'm sorry if I might have confused you but the crossover starts just after the moment Naru – in her nerdy disguise – punches Keitaro. At this time Keitaro has yet to approach the inn or find out the reason for his needed appearance.

Lao: Oh goodness, the pressure of disappointment. ^^;

The rest, I thank you very much for your reviews. And I'm glad that my story has garnered some interest for there to be readers. The counting number of hits – no matter how small; it warms the soul.