Lost in Time: The Little Stranger Chapter 2, a ranma fanfic

The soft rays of morning light crept through the sheer curtains of Akane's bedroom, casting gentle lines across the walls. The air was still and quiet, save for the distant clatter of a frying pan in the kitchen, and the sound of two martial artists sparring outside. In the center of her bed, Akane slowly stirred.

Still tangled in the last threads of sleep, she reflexively tightened her arms around the warm, plush shape nestled against her chest. Her fingers brushed soft against the cottony fabric. Then she felt a warm faint breath puffed against her collarbone.

"Mm…" she hummed sleepily. The shape seemed to snuggled closer, as if responding to her embrace.

Her foggy mind drifted somewhere familiar. The softness reminded her of her old favorite stuffed animal. It had been a floppy little black bunny with shiny button eyes. She'd clung to it and held onto it until she entered junior high.

Her brow furrowed as consciousness slowly caught up. She had ended that habit… hadn't she? Slowly, her eyes creaked open. She looked down, expecting a pervert, only to blink at the round, flushed cheek pressed against her pajama top. Her arms were wrapped not around a stuffed toy, but around a child. A little boy no older than six who's dressed in tiny blue pajamas with a pattern of white clouds, snuggled soundly against her chest.

She froze.

The boy's black hair was tied neatly in a small ponytail at the back of his head. His bangs were slightly messy from sleep, but even disheveled, he looked painfully familiar.

Akane's eyes widened as her breath hitched in her throat. A hundred thoughts raced through her mind about who this boy could be and how he had ended up in her room. The more she considered it, the more she concluded that this had to involve Ranma in some way.

Her thoughts ended abruptly as the boy began to stir from the sudden absence of warmth when the covers were flipped off him. The cool air must've unsettled the boy, prompting a small shiver through his little frame. He wriggled slightly, shifting under the faint morning light, and after a moment, his eyelids fluttered open. Blinking slowly, he let out a soft yawn, then raised one tiny fist to rub at his eyes, his movements clumsy with sleep.

"Not yet, maman…" he mumbled, voice still husky with sleep. "Riku still wants to sleep…"

Akane's mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out.

His voice was small and innocent, and still clinging to the haze of a dream. His face was cherubic and had most of her fiance's features. However, his was rounder, gentle even. Aside from that, his hair matched Ranma's exactly with the same shade of raven black, which was slightly tousled from sleep. But when he blinked his eyes open, they were an earthy brown color. It was unlike Ranma's vivid blue.

That contrast jarred her more than anything as she confirmed that this was not a child-Ranma who ate a magical mushroom, but a little stranger who has the same face as his...or possibly his kid.

The boy blinked up at her again, more alert now, clearly trying to focus on her face.

"…Maman?" he whispered. His expression faltering at the sight of her. In his perspective, she looked like his mother… but something was different. The woman he remembered always had long, flowing hair and a warm smile that reached her eyes. Why wasn't she smiling now?

His lip trembled slightly.

Still silently staring at the child, Akane slowly pulled herself into a sitting position, careful not to make any sudden movements. She didn't want to startle him any more than he already might be. Her heart thundered in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears. Her mind was spinning, crowded with too many questions to count, each one tumbling over the next in a rush of confusion and wonder.

Who was this child?

Why does he look like Ranma?

And why… did he call her maman?

Her actions, however, moved faster than her thoughts. Before she could make sense of everything racing through her mind, she extended her arms toward the boy.

"Come here." she said gently, doing her best to keep her voice calm and steady.

Even if the boy was having his own inner turmoil, he didn't hesitate. He scooted forward and nestled into her embrace, curling against her like a kitten seeking warmth.

She held him close for a moment, her hand gently stroking his back, then rose to her feet.

Without another word, she turned and hurried toward the door, cradling him carefully in her arms.

Downstairs, the usual morning chaos had already begun. Ranma and Genma were sparring in the yard, their movements quick and fluid despite the early hour. The crisp morning air carried the sound of fists and feet striking wood, punctuated now and then by a grunt or a thud as someone missed their mark.

In the living room, Soun and Nabiki were lounging on floor cushions. The TV played one of those relentlessly cheerful morning variety shows, full of over-the-top hosts and canned laughter. Nabiki looked half-asleep, idly flipping through the magazine, while Soun sipped his tea with a content sigh.

However, the peaceful normalcy shattered the moment Akane stormed into the room. Soun and Nabiki looked up, startled. Her hair was disheveled, her face pale, her eyes wide... but most noticeable was the child clinging in her arms.

She didn't shout, but her voice rang in the room. "Can somebody explain how this happened?!"

She marched to the low table and carefully set the boy on the surface, then took half a step back. The child looked around nervously, eyes darting between each adult.

"What in the world..." Soun started, blinking rapidly as he leaned forward. "Akane, where did—"

"Don't look at me!" Akane snapped. "I woke up and he was in my bed! He called me—" She clamped her mouth shut, her face flushing. "Never mind that. Just...look at him!"

Sitting up straight, Nabiki blinked once and studied the boy closely. "Huh... Well, there's definitely a resemblance."

"To who?" Soun asked, already looking pale. But even as he posed the question, a dreadful realization seemed to bloom behind his eyes. He rose shakily to his feet and marched straight toward the yard, ignoring the chaos still happening outside.

At that exact moment, Genma was mid-air, and about to bring a kick down onto Ranma. However, he never got the chance as Soun grabbed Ranma by the collar with unexpected strength and yanked him through the sliding doors and into the family room.

"Wha—hey, old man! What the heck—?!" Ranma cried, flailing.

Genma missed his mark completely and belly-flopped into the koi pond with a tremendous splash, transforming into a soggy panda. He, then, held up a sign. [Trouble already?]

Ranma barely had time to process anything before he found himself face to face with something far more terrifying than Akane's cooking. Soun's face was inches from his, and already it was changing. His forehead stretched, bulging with veins. His jaw widened. His eyes grew huge and white with rage, and from his mouth extended a long, grotesque tongue that writhed like a vengeful spirit. "Ranma…" Soun's voice deepened unnaturally as his transformation completed. "Tell me the truth, honestly, boy…"

Ranma backed up a step, shielding his face.

"W-What? What did I do this time?!"

"Have you…" Soun's massive head loomed forward. "…been fooling around with other women?!"

Across from him, Akane gave him a warning glare.

"I haven't done nothin'!" Ranma protested. "I don't even like other girls who chase me around! And they're the ones who won't leave me alone!"

"You do realize there's a child who looks suspiciously like you, sitting in this house right now?" Nabiki said dryly, gesturing toward the boy, who had gone back to tugging awkwardly at his pajama sleeves.

Ranma turned his head to the side and came to a full stop when he caught sight of the boy. "Wha—" Ranma's voice trailed off. His eyes locked onto the child, whose brown gaze met his just as intently.

The boy's mouth opened slightly in recognition. His expression shifted from confusion to quiet awe.

And then, without warning, the boy clambered off the table, nearly tripping as he tried to hurry toward him. He stumbled, landed on his hands with a soft thump, but picked himself up and toddled the rest of the way. When he reached Ranma, he threw his small arms around Ranma's leg and looked up with a smile that was wide and warm and heartbreakingly familiar.

"Pa... pop!"

Ranma staggered back half a step, eyes bugging out. He yanked his leg back instinctively but the boy still stuck to him. "Whoa—hey, kid! W-wait a sec! I ain't nobody's dad!" Ranma said, flailing slightly as he turned to Akane in hopes she'd make sense of it all.

Akane crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Then what...are you saying Mr. Saotome's the one who's been fooling around?"

The panda, who had been quietly eavesdropping from outside, let out a startled grunt. "Grawr?!" His eyes widened in panic as he rapidly waved his paws in denial. In a flash, he pulled out a wooden sign. [Don't drag me into this!]

Another sign popped up right after. [I'm a married man!]

Then another, shakily written... [It's Ranma! He's the troublemaker!]

Ranma scowled. "You traitor!"

But none of that seemed to register for the boy. The commotion, the strange looks, the arguing was all too much. The child's lower lip began to tremble, his wide brown eyes glistening. He didn't speak, just sniffled, clutching the fabric of his long pajama sleeve. His tiny shoulders shook once, then again, before the first tear rolled down his round cheek.

Then another.

And another.

Like a tiny dam had broken, the little boy quietly sobbed, trying to muffle the sounds in his sleeves. It wasn't loud or dramatic, just the heartbreaking, confused cries of a child who didn't understand why everything suddenly felt different.

Ranma blinked, stunned. "H-Hey—! Wait, don't cry!"

The boy released Ranma's leg and turned, stumbling back across the tatami toward Akane. His small arms raised up toward her in a silent plea.

Akane's expression softened instantly. "Oh—oh no, don't cry…"

She knelt without hesitation, gathering the little boy into her arms. His small hands clung to her shirt as he buried his face in her shoulder, his sobs now muffled against her.

"Shhh, it's okay now… I've got you," she murmured, cradling him gently and stroking his back. "You're alright."

The boy hiccupped between soft sobs, his fingers gripping tightly as though afraid she'd deny him next.

Ranma scratched the back of his neck, visibly flustered. "Geez… why'd he have to cry like that…"

"He's just a kid, Ranma," Akane said quietly. "He doesn't know what's happening. All he saw was you pushing him away."

"Yeah, well—! I panicked, okay?! Who wouldn't panic if a random kid called 'em pop outta nowhere?!"

The panda held up a sign. [I didn't panic.]

Ranma kicked it out of his hands. "You don't count!"

A/N: I hope you've enjoyed reading so far. And if you noticed that the kid doesn't recognize the others...there's a reason for that :)