A.N: Woah, I really appreciate the reviews…couldn't imagine you people would like this story that much! I'm so glad! Thanks to all of you: Anngel, Azuka, Flippy's (thanks for Ryouga' comment..hihihi, I like him like this too), f-zelda, xochitlakran, Michael85, flys without wings, takigirl, lady Ari, Apie, icyblossom and Mei

Be my beloved enemy

I just want to forget you

Ranma narrowed his eyes as he stood in front of the mirror and exhaled deeply. He looked at his reflection, focusing on the bluish mark that was now starting to form on his face. His intend blue eyes were miles away as he recalled her slap. The wound staining his cheek though, hadn't been any of her fault, au contraire, he'd just hit a sharp stone back when his father had knocked him. It was not a deep cut but some dry blood covered it blemishing his tanned face dirtily.

His fingers came up to his left cheek while he absorbedly pressed their rough tips to his tender skin. He yelped in agony and the pain brought him out of his reverie. The sound of fresh water coming from the faucet he had just turned on welcomed his ears; his hands cupped some water while he brought his head down. The cool liquid hit his face with a splash and he hissed darkly.

Ranma didn't bother himself drying up his face as he had planned having a bath. The hot water had steamed the window on the ceiling and had created a warm surrounding in which to relax. The buttons of his blue Chinese shirt were soon opened, exposing his muscular front and, soon after, his broad back as he discarded the shirt completely and it fell on the tiled-floor. He took his time in getting rid of his shoes, placing them on the very edge of the tube. Then, he let the string of his pants loose and they fell also on the floor soon after followed by his boxers.

The hot water calmed his spirit when he entered the tube; the bubbles from his mentholated gel soon covered him completely. Ranma dropped his head back to rest it against a cool tile.

'Tendo, you're going to be the death of me" he told himself inwardly.

Never had he been that much stressed in his life; never had someone gotten to him as much as she had.

'Am I scared of her? Of what she does to me?...perhaps' he was not shocked at that fact but merely disturbed.

Ranma's concentration was broken when all of a sudden the bathroom door flung open.

"And they say the bathroom's a private place" he sighed as he got up and wrapped a towel around his waist, droplets of water and some gel still lingered on his skin.

"Don't bother yourself, will you? It's not as if I haven't seen it; besides, you're nothing compared to me, man" he laughed heartedly

"Wanna bet?" he said obviously angry.

"No need to get so worked up over it, I'm not here to start a fight with you"

Ranma just shrugged his shoulders annoyed at his cousin.

"You sure are doing a great work not doing so. What are you here for then? Felt the sudden urge to bug me?"

"can't you take a joke? Jesus Christ!"

"Not when it refers to that!" he pointed out, voice scolding. "So, if you've anything else to add you might do it soon, before I even regret giving you the time of my day"

"I'm starting to think this bad mod of yours has nothing to do with my unfortunate joke. What's eating you, man?"

"Thm...d" he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Tendo!" he bellowed this time.

"No need to bite! So, you're interested?" he asked mockingly winking at him.

"get your mind out of the gutter!It's nothing coming close to that!"

"It's more fun with competence" Ryouga said dramatically.

"What's more fun?

"Buddy, you really need to listen! She's my next prey, I thought I had made that pretty obvious"

"You'd want to refrain that one. I've news for you… Ukyou's in town"

"And? I don't see a problem at all. More girls, more fun. What's happening to you, man?"

"I don't know. It seems as if I'm being guarded, observed and fucking controlled by the old man and just the thought of it makes me want to puke!"

"About your old man, there's something rather interesting you'd like to know. He's been locked in his room since Shampoo's arrival"

"Tell me something I don't know"

Ryouga just smirked at his cousin's impatience.

"But when Shampoo came...something has happened to her. She can't speak"

"Well, serves her right. She's always been too much of a bother"

"you don't get it…this has something to do with what she was carrying for your father. It's said that it's a curse"

"What do you mean a curse?"

"For all I know, she's now mute"

"What?" he screamed at the top of his lungs, the movement of his mouth so harsh that it brought out the pain of his cheek. He brought his hand to the bluish flesh and tenderly touched it.

"So, that's what was bothering you. Has it been Tendo's job?"

"yeah, the bitch even dared to leave me a mark"

"Well, that's after all fair. I'm sure you marked her too… back in school before break. Sure your finger tips are now imprinted in that smooth skin of her shoulder" he stated dreamily.

"But still…" Ranma tried to speak but Ryoga just continued daydreaming.

"What I'd give to mark her, not in the way you did, that's for sure" he said smirking and then in a girly voice he added "Ow, please Ryouga, mark me, make me yours"

Ranma growled but Ryouga was still in his fantasy world.

"And I, the perfect gentleman will have no other way but to comply her requests"

Ranma's growl was each time louder until he couldn't suppress himself any longer.

"Cut it out! You'll do nothing of the kind! She's mine. MINE!"

"So…. You were saying? Not interested my ass" he smirked triumphantly and started laughing while opening the bathroom door. His cousin was way too easy to figure out.

"She's gotten to you" he added before disappearing.

Ranma growled once more as he angrily grabbed a bottle of his scented shampoo and threw it at the closed door. He discarded the towel in frustration and entered the tube, sinking in the water; wanting to forget the last conversation with his oh-loved cousin and most of all wanting to forget her.

'I just want to forget you, Tendo'

8888

The stairs cracked on her way to the dusty attic. Akane rummaged through the piles of objects and furniture that with the years had been accumulated there. Her fingers were caked with ink and she had rings under her eyes. She had been all night up trying to do her homework but failing miserably. She didn't need to work on it seeing as today was Saturday and they had no class but she was just as stubborn and pigheaded as in everything else.

Saturday meant "housework- day" and she hated it. It was not very fair as she saw it, Shinosuke would as always cook while she arranged some stuff in the attic. Her cooking was not that bad, last time she had just vomited once before eating a spoonful of her curry rice. 'boys are babies' She sighed as she finished up.

A small dusty box caught her eye and she looked at its contents carefully. "Why is it that when we are little we'd all get to start a diary?" she asked herself out loud holding between her fingers a little notebook with a padlock.

Akane ran downstairs, sat on her bed and opened the first drawer on her bedside table looking for a tiny key. Quickly she placed it on the lock and turned it open. The smell of the scented pages still lingered and filled her room. That was the only thing left of her childhood, a few words, some old photos and a letter that had been folded carefully there. Now, going again through its pages she smiled at some of the words written there.

Her eyes darted to the folded letter. In the enveloped, a name was written: Ukyo. She opened her eyes as she took out the page and unfolded.

"I'll be back on 25February in three years time.

Love,

Ukyo"

A gust of cold wind entered her room and she noticed for the first time that she was not alone. There, in front of her, stood a girl around her age, dark long hair flowing wildly in the air and on her neck a silver necklace that held a ring Akane knew very well.

"I see you haven't forgotten" the girl smiled at her.

Akane's eyes watered and she ran up to her, her arms came around Ukyo's waist crashing in a powerful hug as she sobbed on her friend's shirt.

"I've missed you so much, I've missed you so much…" Akane kept repeating as a mantra. Ukyo happily smiled down at her and stroked her head.

"Me too. I'm so glad to be back again. Where's Shinosuke?"

Akane disentangled herself and looked up at her, she hadn't changed that much, perhaps her hair was a bit longer but she was the same Ukyo who had been introduced to her so many years ago.

"He'll be thrilled to know you are here. You don't know how much he's missed you. He always used to say his sun was gone and he lived in a constant darkness"

Ukyo blushed shyly while she twiddled with the ring that was on her neck with her long fingers.

"My fiancée" she breathed

The sun was settling down as Akane finished doing the plates. Shinosuke and Ukyo had been all lovely-dovey during the whole day; not that she minded, well, except for…

At lunch time when they had all been eating together

"so, who do I have to congratulate for this food?" Ukyo had asked.

"That would be me" Shinosuke had said.

She had leant over and kissed him. What had started as a light kiss soon developed into a harder one.

"Ow god! Not while I'm eating!" Akane had complained.

Akane could understand they were both in cloud nine but there were things involving his brother she would prefer not witnessing.

It was time for bed and both Ukyo and Akane went upstairs. Ukyo had decided to stay for the night and they were arranging a spare futon on the floor.

"'Kane, anything to confess to me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"Really? Then this must be someone else" she stated as she took out a small high-school newspaper from her bag. "…but it surely does look an awfully lot like you" she grinned mischievously "would you like to see it?" and without waiting for an answer she threw the page open and there they were, Ranma and Akane.

"Where did you get that from! Has someone seen it! Has Shinosuke seen it!" she screamed

"Calm down. He hasn't seen it as for someone else I don't know. So, you do have something to say…don't you? Spill it!"

"It's nothing of what you may be thinking! He's just someone I hate, we were just arguing…sure, the photo looks well…it does not show the truth"

"And what about this" she said pointing at a line 'She's mine'.

"He's just some stuck-up jerk who thinks he can claim me and get away with it… but I'm planning on revenge"

"Ok, ok…now tell me the story from the beginning"

"I've told you before Ukyo! I don't like him…he's nothing to me, that jerk. Do you honestly think I'm that crazy? I don't give a damn about him. The oh-so-mighty cocky idiot!"

"Well you must know that love and hate are sometimes very easy to mix"

"Ow…will you cut it out and help me here! I need a plan of revenge! I need him to fear me and then I'll be happy to forget all about him"

"why do you want to forget him so badly?"

"because I haven't been able to do a damn thing, because my mind won't stop wandering and scheming ways in which to make him suffer, because I can't stand the sight of him without wanting to vomit, because…"

"Ok, ok…I get it! You like the guy" Ukyo smiled at Akane.

"Have you been listening to me? At all? I DESPISE HIM! He even dared to mark me !" and she opened one of her collar buttons and showed her his fingerprints. "I just want to forget him. I just want my revenge"

"May I know his name?"

"Saotome. Ranma Saotome"

Ukyo's eyes shimmered for a moment and she took her time to answer.

"Cats"

"What?"

"That's his weak point"

"Cats? And how would you know?"

"that's another story for another day…just remember, the first step in forgetting is destroying all the evidence. And you'll have to destroy him"

A.N: woah…well, I hope you like the chapter