A/N: Edited! Please refer to the prologue for content rating information.

Disclaimer: The original work below is based on the characters and works of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. I do not own the rights to any of this content, and am not benefiting financially from its publishing.

Silver Linings Dojo

by Kevin Mohaj

Chapter 2: Night Terrors

Tendo Akane jogged back into the entrance of the Tendo household after a long run. The warm summer night felt great breezing against her skin as she entered the family dojo bowing to the shrine in the corner. She stretched the day's aches away and thought of the late time, hoping that Kasumi wasn't waiting up worried over her. She continued her workout; however, despite the familiarity of the routine the blue haired martial artist found her thoughts repeatedly interrupted by visions of a certain pig-tailed boy. She began to perform katas to occupy her mind.

As she struck out, feinted, and blocked gracefully Akane began to consider the changes that had come about since Jusendo... since the failed wedding. It wasn't so strange that these things were in her mind: the experience on Phoenix Mountain was traumatizing for her, and the mayhem and destruction brought about by the subsequent wedding should have infuriated her.

That's the difference… I'm not furious. In fact I haven't felt angry since Ranma started acting so strangely.

Akane finished her workout and walked over to the far wall collapsing against it. It seemed to happen overnight that Ranma became withdrawn and distant. No more insults and provocation, which she supposed was a good thing. Yet, he's just not acting at all like his usual, jerk self.

No, you're doing a great job filling his shoes though.

Akane sighed as her thoughts started circling dangerous ground. Why was he so upset? He didn't really want to marry me? I mean, he denied ever saying he loved me.

He denied saying it out loud.

Akane felt tears threatening so she hopped up and headed back to the house.

Entering the kitchen, eyes widening at the time displayed on the wall, Akane took out the leftovers from the fridge that Kasumi had set out for her. Akane finished up her dinner and decided on a long soak in the furo. It was well past midnight when she sighed and extricated herself from the relaxing waters. Toweling off and putting on her pajamas, Akane walked steadily to her room trying to avoid the creak of the floorboards when she heard her name from a distance.

Akane froze, looked around apologetically but didn't see anybody on either end of the hallways. She was right before her bedroom, but the sound puzzled her. It was coming from Ranma's room.

"Akane…" she could barely hear the noise, but something in his tone disturbed her. A few days after the wedding the Saotome's returned to their home, but Ranma stayed behind. The family had various assumptions about why he chose to stay: Genma and Soun are convinced that another marriage is upcoming, Nabiki assumes that he is still afraid of his mother (why wouldn't he be, Akane thought with some exasperation), Kasumi thought whatever Kasumi thought (Oneesan was always difficult to read).

For her part, Akane was just glad that he stayed. She left that thought at that, refusing to dive deeper into dangerous territory. She pulled the door open a fraction and peered within Ranma's room.

She wasn't certain what she was expecting, but certainly not Ranma huddled against the corner of the room, far from his futon, with his hands covering his face and his head shaking left to right. She was trying to be discreet but his moans caused her breath to catch and the pigtailed boy looked up quickly.

Her face flushed instantly, and she urgently prayed that he was somehow still lost in sleep as she had no real excuse for opening his bedroom door well after midnight alone in her pajamas. Before she could even squeak out a word the boy looked down and muttered as if to himself: "Oh Kami-sama… not again" he whispered terrified, his eyes remaining on the floor. He covered his face again and started rocking back and forth.

Akane could feel the blood draining from her face. What was going on?! Ranma calling her name in his sleep? Not again? Was he sleep-walking? She stepped into the room and whispered for him "..Ranma?"

Her heart pulled heavily as she saw him visibly tremble. "Ranma.. what's wrong?"

His eyes caught hers as he lifted his head, and she gasped. His eyes were hollow, empty depths and his cold voice sent shivers down her spine.

"It's always one of them, but never her.." his voice started to raise as his gaze started searching the room for threats. She gasped again as he seemed to blur and was immediately before her with his back facing her he slowly circled the room as if preparing to fight some unseen foe.

Akane was terrified, but her training kicked in. Whatever was happening, Ranma was acting as if a battle was coming. She kept searching the room, wondering about techniques like the Umisenken and if Ranma was really facing enemies she couldn't even see.

Ranma continued to speak in his unnaturally hollow voice: "First Nabiki, then Kasumi, last night my mother, and now… you think I'm going to lose her again?!" Moments stretched on for Akane, and she slowly reached out and touched Ranma's arm. To her surprise, he seemed to come together all at once, and stared at her arm with a face bordering on shock.

Akane found her voice again.. "Ranma… what is wrong. Who is after us?"

Ranma stared into her eyes for a long time. She noticed that his sapphire eyes seemed to have life back in them. After staring at her for some time Ranma groaned out "Akane?"

She checked his forehead but there was no sign of fever. Any initial embarrassment over being found in his room was overwhelmingly replaced with a sense of confusion and despair. "Ranma.. lay down here, okay? Just relax. I'm right here, ne?"

Ranma nodded as he allowed himself to be gently pushed back onto the futon. He refused to let go of her hand, and softly asked "Akane... are you real?"

Eyes widening at the question, Akane slowly nodded. "Yes, Ranma, it's me. I'm here and I'm... I'm real."

Ranma seemed to smile for a moment before he laid his head back. His eyes glazed over again and she gripped his hands. Ranma returned the squeeze slightly before closing his eyes.

Akane wasn't sure if she was more shocked or worried. This wasn't Ranma... What did he mean by all that talk of Nabiki, Kasumi, Mrs. Saotome... her heart clenched harder at his remark concerning her.. 'you think I'm going to lose her again?!'

Akane had several nightmares about the horrors of Jusendo, but it seemed that Ranma was living his worst fears play out every night with a different family member being in mortal peril. She resolved to talk with Kasumi in the morning.

As she turned around and dropped Ranma's hand she heard his voice behind her, once more sounding hollow and far away. "We won't lose her."

Akane's shiver had nothing to do with the Soul of Ice.

~~~k~m~~~

The following morning Akane woke early, especially for a Saturday, and hurried into the kitchen. Predictably, Kasumi was already preparing rice for breakfast and humming a tune to herself absentmindedly. Trying not to come off as overly worried, Akane slumped into a chair at the kitchen table and poured herself a cup of tea.

"Ohayou, Oneesan"

"Ohayou, Akane-chan, how was your evening?"

Akane paused to take a sip of her tea before replying "I stayed up late in the dojo… I had some thinking to do."

"Oh, well I hope everything is alright?" Kasumi's eyes held concern.

"Oneesan, I think something is wrong with Ranma. I wanted to talk to you early before anybody else woke up." Akane realized she was rambling and stopped to sip her tea.

"Ranma-kun? Oh my, well what is wrong with him? It's not like you to be so concerned over your fiancée."

"I'm NOT concerned over that egotistical baka!" Akane fumed.

Why can't I talk about something related to Ranma without having the engagement brought up?

"ANYWAY, I got in late last night and I heard him in his room. He was having... some kind of fit. He kept circling me like somebody else was in the room but I couldn't tell if he was asleep or awake. It was scary..." Akane let the words hang for a moment while she shook herself.

Surprisingly, Kasumi looked thoughtful for a moment. "You said he was having some kind of fit? Was he talking to you?"

Akane shivered as she remembered those last words.. 'we won't lose her' She considered her words carefully over her tea before replying. "At first he was talking to himself... it was like he thought I wasn't really there." Akane recovered and finished "then once I grabbed his arm he became more aware, and then he went to sleep… kind of... talking to… himself..." Akane finished. She wasn't sure why but she felt particularly sure that this information needed to stay away from certain… well all other prying ears.

Kasumi paled at Akane's description, and spent a good bit of time musing while she finished started on breakfast. Akane decided to forego her morning jog. Something was just wrong; Jusendo was still too close. Last night she relived the nightmare again in her troubled sleep. She would never admit it to the jerk, but for some reason Ranma was always there to rescue her.

Last night he was acting like that... He had that same dead look in his eyes from Phoenix Mountain.

Kasumi broke Akane out of her reverie, "Akane-chan I think it may be best to keep this between us. We should observe Ranma-kun and..." the elder sister hesitated, "I think it may be best if Ranma sees Tofu-sensei."

Akane looked worried, her eyes glistening, "do you think Ranma is sick?"

"Now no worrying until we have some idea of what's going on, ne? Help me finish breakfast." Kasumi smiled as Akane perked up and rushed to the stovetop. She didn't even get discouraged when Kasumi reminded her to use spray butter for the pancakes and not spray disinfectant.

Nabiki and their father joined in a few minutes later and sat down at the table. Soun immediately flipped out his newspaper and absentmindedly swished the toothbrush in his mouth from left to right. Nabiki patted his back when he started to cough after trying to drink his tea with toothpaste still in his mouth.

Kasumi looked around the first floor and then returned to the kitchen, "has anyone seen Ranma-kun?"

Soun half choked out a feeble "Akane why don't you check on him?" over a few more toothpaste/tea coughs.

Akane stood and headed straight for the stairs without a word.

Tendo Nabiki's danger senses were firing off rapidly. One, Kasumi and Akane were together in the kitchen… Two, breakfast has just recently been made. Three, see point one. "Well, father, I'm off to meet up with some friends, have a great morning." Soun simply nodded in agreement, now using the soapy toothbrush to stir his tea.

Wonder if he will put it together? After all, Kasumi always lets Akane 'help' out in the kitchen on Saturdays. I have better things to do than watch a Ranma-malleting while having my stomach pumped.

Akane trailed up the stairs, she was angry at herself for rushing to do as daddy asked like that, but she was concerned about Ranma.

Not like I would tell the jerk that. He'd just insult me or find some other fiancée to spend time with. Baka.

She knocked at his door and heard a muffled acknowledgement from the other side. "Ranma, it's breakfast time. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'll be down after a bath." Akane felt that strange quality to his voice as from before. A certain emptiness, or at least, like it lacked emotion.

I'm just worrying over nothing. Let's just see how he acts today. One step at a time Tendo. I'm sure he'll be back to the egotistical jerk he always is.

Akane nodded firmly to herself as she walked back downstairs.

Kasumi was already back in the kitchen finishing breakfast when Akane arrived. "Where did Nabiki-oneesan go?"

"Out with friends" her father said talking from past the toothbrush.

"Father, don't you think you should take the toothbrush out of your mouth now? Like every day?"

Akane rolled her eyes. Out with friends my foot, she knows I helped cook this morning. Hmph!

Ranma-chan emerged as the rest of the family was filling up plates; she noticed that Akane had a plate out especially for her.

Here it comes. The fastest way to get Ranma back to the baka he is: pour my heart into making a meal for him to insult, the jerk. Why did he change into a girl before breakfast? He said he was going to the furo…

The room took on a deathly quiet: quiet for Kasumi and Akane who watched Ranma with worry, and deadly for Tendo Soun, who just put together that this breakfast was not Akane-proof. He quickly shoved the toothbrush back in his mouth and hid behind his newspaper.

Ranma looked terrible. Her eyes were bloodshot, her skin waxy and pale, and she even seemed to fall into her chair next to Akane more than sit in it.

Then the unthinkable happened. Ranma took the plate from Akane and started eating away at a normal speed. She mumbled between bites "Akane help make breakfast? It's great." She chewed and swallowed with relish. Color even seemed to return to her face. "I'm lucky to be a guest for two such wonderful cooks."

Soun choked on his toothbrush, but without Nabiki, he had to use the chair to force it out of his windpipe. Kasumi whispered a startled "Oh my… thank you Ranma-chan" while Akane just stared shocked.

Akane bristled at Ranma's words at first, but then her mouth dropped as Ranma proceeded to clean off her plate. He's not being sarcastic? He really thinks I'm a a good… no a… wonderful? cook? She felt her face stretch into a manic grin as she refilled his plate.

Kasumi recovered first, "Ranma-chan, you don't look very well today. Are you feeling ill?"

Ranma paused and seemed to be about to say something. Akane watched her face carefully, looking for any signs of the behavior last night. It's almost looks like she is moving on some kind of auto-pilot.

Ranma shrugged and said "I haven't been able to sleep... for a while."

Kasumi nodded, looked over at her father who was now eating breakfast after Ranma.. well… didn't just die immediately. She noticed that her father, while able to finish most of the food, did not seem to share Ranma's level of enjoyment for the meal. Kasumi's own plate looked a little disturbing, but Ranma finished two plates and was just sitting there, detached. "How long has it been since you've gotten a night's rest, Ranma-chan?" Kasumi ventured.

Ranma's response seemed automatic, even robotic, and the room seemed to drop in temperature as she weakly uttered "since Jusendo."

~~~k~m~~~

Akane walked with Ranma-chan downtown towards Tofu-sensei's clinic. Ranma had feebly protested when Kasumi told her that an appointment had been scheduled already. Akane for her part was just glad that a professional would be involved. The past week was too much, and Akane found herself praising Kami-sama that the school term was finally over. Ranma returned to school after… the incident… the next day, still jogging by her side. When they had arrived she was met with contemptuous glares from most of her classmates, and quickly realized that this wasn't going to blow over anytime soon. Feeling desperate for anything to break the tension of the long walk from the gates to the school doors she looked at the red head.

"Wonder why Kuno-sempai hasn't been around this week" Akane muttered absently.

She glanced over as Ranma-chan seemed to half-smile for a moment, a brief glimpse of the old arrogance on her face, but then she just said cryptically "Dunno, maybe somethin got through his thick skull."

Akane started to laugh before worry took over. Ranma had killed somebody only two weeks prior, a deranged selfish kami, but still. She decided not to bring up the fate of Kuno for the fear of what might have happened. She shuddered as they walked past the tree encased in solid ice despite the heat of the past day and this morning.

Returning her thoughts to the present, Akane suppressed another shudder as she thought about how the tree remained frozen solid all week. She was definitely happy that Ranma was going to Tofu-sensei, but she was also worried about how Ranma would take speaking to somebody like this. He… well, she right now, has never been good with her emotions. Was that why she hadn't changed back yet?

The strangest part of this week wasn't even Ranma's behavior. There had been no sign of the other fiancées either all week. Surely, they are just too ashamed (the hussies) to show themselves… but after Ranma's statement about Kuno, Akane found herself more and more worried about what may be going on with Ranma.

She thought back to the day of the wedding. That was when the Ice Soul started manifesting around Ranma almost constantly. That was when she first really noticed a change in him/her.

Would he really have killed again… I can't believe I'm thinking this, but where is everybody?

She kept glancing over at Ranma-chan who was walking at her pace beside her. She noticed that her every now and then her lips would move, just slightly opening or moving as if a twitch. Feeling the need once more to break the tension, Akane hesitantly ventured "is everything ok, Ranma? I mean… are you feeling ok?" Akane realized for the first time that she didn't expect a sarcastic reply, if any, from the red-head, but also how dumb the question was in the first place. Obviously, things were not ok.

"I'm fine" came her quick reply, almost automatically. Akane didn't know whether she should push the red-head further, but found herself remembering the past week.

"What I said on Monday… that bothered you didn't it?" Akane fought to understand and defeat the surging guilt that fell over her whenever she thought about it.

Ranma-chan stiffened for a moment, and the air around Akane quickly turned frigid. After a pause, the red head regained composure and replied quickly "you just said what you felt. Look, we are already at the doc's."

Akane stopped and let Ranma go ahead for a moment. What I felt? You saved me and sacrificed the cure you always wanted… I just thought… She felt like she had been punched in the stomach, and at this moment knew that she had made a mistake.

A/N: Posting this one early as I'm heading to the beach this weekend and don't feel the story is ready to hit the site without the inclusion of this chapter. Reviews welcome!