An odd feeling stopped her from getting up. She couldn't remember a single morning in which she felt warmth before. There was also an unexpected feeling of... relief? Focusing her eyesight, difficult to do in the still dark room, she had so stifle a cry of surprise. She recognized Ranma's calm features just inches from her face. She tried to get up, but couldn't as Ranma's arms were keeping her in a close embrace. She frantically tried to find a reason for Ranma to be in her room in the morning, and most importantly in her bed. So distressed was the eldest Tendo daughter that she failed to noticed the fact that both of them were clothed. They hadn't even removed their shoes. Her mind froze as Ranma's eyes fluttered open.

Ranma felt something moving him. It wasn't much but that bit of movement managed to wake him from his deep dreamless sleep. He opened his eyes lazily and made out a face directly in front of his. *What the hell?* He thought. They both locked gazes and were clearly distressed at waking up so close to someone else. Ranma suddenly realized he had his arms draped over the girl and released her, his face red with embarrassment.

No sooner had Kasumi felt his hands off her she moved backwards. Ranma did the same, but unfortunately for him he was at the edge of the bed. He fell over his head and rolled backwards clumsily. He got up slowly, rubbing the sore spot he hit himself on. Kasumi, although she was still a little surprised, giggled at the scene. She recognized the young man as Ranma, and as soon as she did she felt secure for some reason.

Ranma heard the sound and saw Kasumi's smiling face. He couldn't help but chuckle himself. Both continued with their mirth for a couple of minutes more.

Kasumi was the first to recover and looked at Ranma, the smile still on her lips. "I'm sorry for startling you, Ranma-kun."

Ranma waved it off. "Don't worry about it."

At the sound of his voice Kasumi froze. Neither because it was a deep voice nor because to her it sounded very pleasant. "Ranma-kun?" She asked closing her eyes and feeling faint. Ranma instantly sobered and knelt before her. Worry clear on his expression. She opened her eyes again, and met with his. "Yesterday wasn't a dream, was it?" She wanted for him to tell her it was. She wanted it so badly. Yet she knew better. Before he could answer she silenced him with her hand over his mouth. "I should get ready to make breakfast." Her eyes told him not to argue.

Kasumi removed her hand from his face and Ranma nodded. "Yes." He said as he stood up and turned to leave the room. He stopped before opening the door and seemed like he wanted to say something else, but finally he continued and left.

Kasumi was left alone with her thoughts. She knew yesterday she had broken down. For years she knew it would happen eventually. She didn't read all those psychology books for nothing after all. But experiencing it was something no book had prepared her for. She was also surprised because she had let her emotions flow with Ranma. *Ranma-kun.* She thought as she looked at the hand with which she had silenced him. The fingers that had touched his lips.

She didn't know how or when it happened. She didn't know why. She just knew Ranma was someone she could trust. She turned to the side and noticed it was getting late. Getting out of bed she left those thoughts for later. She needed to clean up and prepare breakfast for her family. Just as she was picking the clothes she would wear she stopped and took her hand to her face. "Oh my!" She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed like she did minutes ago.

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Kasumi entered the kitchen in a hurry. She had taken her bath hurriedly to make up for starting late with her daily activities. She stopped as soon as she crossed the doorframe. The sight that greeted her was the one of Ranma already starting on breakfast. He was so preoccupied with what he was doing that he didn't notice her standing there. As she studied him move she couldn't see a difference from everyday. He went through the motions she had taught him as if he was still that zombie he'd been since he arrived. Kasumi silently walked over and started to work as well. She didn't voice it, nor did she let it show on her face, but she was glad Ranma had decided to help her in the kitchen even though he had recovered.

Ranma saw Kasumi start working on breakfast silently, and smiled inwardly. He didn't remember much of what had happened since he met Genma again. *Hell! I don't remember anything but faces.* But he did remember Kasumi's face to be the only constant. She was the reason he had returned in the first place.

Neither of them said a word as they continued their daily routine. They both had too many things to think about, anyway. Feelings that needed to be sorted out.

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The table was filled with people. Nabiki was going through the motions as every other morning. Since she wasn't an early raiser that meant she still had her toothbrush in her mouth and wore her pajamas. Her eyes were nearly closed and her brain was still on strike. Akane had just returned from her morning jog and was looking forward to working off steam on her favorite hobby. 'Bash the perverts.' Soun was reading the morning paper. Genma was nearly drooling over the food that Kasumi and Ranma had just brought in. Ranma was quiet as usual, and everyone had learned to ignore him. Kasumi served the others and finally started eating herself.

Everything was going as usual. That is until Genma tried to steal food from Ranma's bowl to fill his bottom-less stomach. He liked to think of it as a martial arts move. Perfect in every sense was his attack, except for the fact that his wrist was held just as his chopsticks were an inch from the target. The elder Saotome was so startled that he let a small cry of surprise to leave his lips.

Everyone turned to the source of the sound and the reactions varied. Kasumi wondered why Saotome-san's chopsticks were near Ranma-kun's bowl in the first place. Nabiki opened her eyes wide as the events from yesterday assaulted her mind. Akane and Soun wondered why Genma was even bothering to pay attention to his son.

"What are you doing?" Ranma calmly asked as he held his father's arm firmly. He ignored everyone else's reactions to his voice and waited for an answer.

Genma, Akane and Soun were in a state of shock. Ranma wasn't acting like a zombie anymore. The former ignored the question asked and his face broke into a wide smile. "My boy! I'm no longer cursed with an inept son!" He jumped to his feet and started a victory dance. Or at least he tried to. He found his wrist still firmly grasped by his son.

Ranma heard the exclamation and narrowed his eyes dangerously. He only let go when he was sure Genma would stop trying to celebrate like an idiot.

Kasumi looked reprovingly at Genma. She couldn't believe those would be the first words Ranma-kun would hear from his flesh and blood after recovering. Nabiki, who in turn stared at her older sister, noticed her expression. *Since when does Kasumi show negative emotions?* Maybe Kasumi had needed yesterday's relief more than she thought.

Genma was looking at his son with a frown. Soun stood up and stared at Ranma gravely. "Son, you should respect your elders." Akane backed her father. For her the fact that Ranma had recovered meant competition for her dojo. Not that she really cared, since she was the best martial artist ever.

Ranma made a point of ignoring Soun just as he himself had been ignored for months and never his eyes left his father. "I'm still waiting. What were you trying to do?"

Kasumi could feel the anger building in Genma and Soun and decided to intervene before things went out of hand. "Ranma-kun." Her voice had the effect of attracting everyone's attention. "What seems to be the problem?"

Ranma turned to the eldest Tendo sister. "I wanted to know why my 'father' tried to take my food from my bowl, Kasumi-san." He answered, placing a tone on 'father' that no one really understood. He sounded almost resentful.

Genma gulped audibly as he saw Kasumi turn to him with a disapproving expression. The last thing he wanted was to make her angry with him. "Is that true, Saotome-san?" Kasumi asked.

Genma reacted in the usually way when confronted with trouble, he blamed his son. "My son should have seen that attack coming a mile away. A martial artist should always be prepared." To make his point clear he reached for Akane's bowl. The youngest Tendo countered with her chopsticks Genma turned back to Kasumi with a satisfied smile.

Soun turned all solemn at that. "Saotome, always dedicating your efforts to the Art!" Tears threatened to come out of his eyes.

Nabiki rolled her eyes at the scene. She could tell her father believed every word he said. Turning her attention to Ranma, she could tell he wasn't buying any of it. In fact he seemed to be getting angry. She knew Genma, Soun and Akane would gang up on Ranma if a fight ensued. Not wanting to take sides, but still grateful to Ranma for helping Kasumi, she decided to intervene and stop everything. "Ranma." She got his attention. "Would you help me with something in the dojo?"

More than one person gave Nabiki weird looks, to which she simply stared back coldly, daring them to say anything. Akane, Soun and Genma shuddered and sat back, not willing to go against Nabiki and be broke for the next two months.

The middle Tendo sister turned back to Ranma, who by now was looking at her questioningly. He nodded slowly as he stood up and left for the dojo. Nabiki turned back to the table, surprise at seeing Kasumi was gone never showing on her face, and gave her family and guest another cold stare for good measure. She then turned around and left the room.

As she walked to the dojo her mind went over the events taking place yesterday and a few minutes ago. Ranma, in both occasions, had been quick to lose his temper. She was grateful to him for Kasumi, but planned on finding out what kind of person he really was. Having another Akane in the house certainly lacked appeal.

When she entered the dojo she found Ranma and Kasumi waiting for her. The later gave her a look as if challenging her right to be here. *And the surprises continue.* Nabiki thought as she closed the door behind her. She took two steps forward and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well?" She asked Ranma demanding for an explanation.

He returned her stare with one of his own. "Well what?" It was obvious he didn't like the way he was being addressed. It was also obvious he didn't know Tendo Nabiki, for he had no fear in confronting her.

Kasumi watched from the side as both Ranma and Nabiki continued their staring match, none giving ground. She wondered why Nabiki had suddenly turned cold with Ranma. "Ranma-kun?" She wasn't surprised to see Ranma's features soften at the sound of her voice. "I think what Nabiki is trying to say is if you could tell us about you, though she's not being very polite." She finished with a reprimanding tone of voice at her younger sister, to which Nabiki winced. It simply felt wrong to be scolded by Kasumi.

Ranma took a deep breath to relax himself and nodded. He motioned for them to sit down, since this would probably take a while. Once they were more comfortable the pigtailed young man started. "I don't really know how to explain my life, Kasumi-san. I don't remember most of it. Most of my memories are nothing but faces and emotions."

"But Saotome-san said you turned into that zombie just months ago." Nabiki said, though as soon as the words left her mouth she felt like an idiot. *How can I trust anything coming out of the mouth of that man?* Her mind screamed at her.

Ranma crossed his arms and looked thoughtful. "One of the few things I can tell you is that he's lying. I don't know for how long I've been with him, but he's been absent from my life for years." He shook his head and smiled faintly. "Heck, I'm not even sure he's my father."

"What do you mean, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked softly. She was a maelstrom of emotions in the inside. She felt nervous about discovering what Ranma really was like, but at the same time trusted him without doubt. Now to know that he might not be Saotome-san's son at all...

Ranma answered seriously. "I do have early memories of him, but nothing aside from his face looking at me. For all I know he could be the bastard that..." He stopped, trying desperately to reign over his anger. Both girls noticed the tension coursing through his body.

Kasumi, to Nabiki's shock, placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder and another on his cheek. The middle Tendo sister was starting to really fear Ranma. He seemed to be psychologically unstable, probably even dangerous.

The warm touch brought him back from the pit of dark memories. His eyes focused to see Kasumi, a caring smile on her face, looking at him calmly. The tension and anger drained from him instantly at the heavenly sight.

Kasumi smiled even more widely at Ranma when she felt him relax. *He must have gone through something very traumatic.* She understood that because that was what she had been expecting would happen to her. And it did, yesterday. Ranma had managed to get out of a trance that must have been induced to protect him from something, only to be attacked by the one who called himself his father and confronted by everybody else. She was grateful to him, for he had come out of that trance, and back to the suffering that sent him there in the first place, to protect her. Her mind no longer with any doubt about Ranma's character, she hugged him tenderly, giving him the support he needed. "It's in the past." She murmured in his ear for only him to her. "It's in the past."

Nabiki watched in awe as her older sister embraced Ranma tenderly and he returned the hug. It was almost as a repeat of last night, only that they had traded places this time. She sighed. "I believe you really are Saotome-san's son, Ranma-kun." Ranma and Kasumi broke the hug and turned to her. Nabiki continued once she had their attention, and grateful that Ranma was calm once again. It was unnerving having him glare at you with those unnatural eyes. "I checked the documents he had with him, and they are perfectly in order. You really are Ranma Saotome."

Ranma closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Did you find anything about my mother?"

Nabiki shook her head sadly. "All he had with him was her name, Nodoka."

The pigtailed man smiled at her. "That's more than nothing. Thank you, Nabiki-san."

"What do we do about Saotome-san? He won't like hearing you call him a liar." Nabiki said seriously. Not that she wanted to side with the fat bastard, but she was sure Soun and Akane would take Genma's side.

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Genma and Soun impatiently walked in circles outside the dojo. They wanted to know what was happening inside, but didn't want to get Nabiki angry with them.

Akane angrily waited next to the door. *This is my dojo! How dare Nabiki get that BOY in?!* She was about ready to rush in and kick them out of her dojo when the door opened.

Nabiki stepped out, followed by Kasumi and Ranma. The middle Tendo sister was frowning when she said. "It seems like Ranma-kun has lost his memory. He can't remember a thing before he woke up this morning." *This amnesia idea isn't half bad. It seems like Ranma has a brain inside his head.*

"Oh, the tragedy! My inept son is a weak martial artist!" Genma moaned, though inwardly he was glad. He wouldn't know what to do if Ranma suddenly started telling things he shouldn't to the Tendos. Things like the truth.

Soun frowned. "Amnesia? You mean he doesn't remember anything?" When Nabiki nodded his frown deepened. *How is he supposed to inherit the dojo if we have to train him from the basics?* With a sigh he decided to continue training Akane. She was a woman, but at least she was strong enough to take care of the challengers to the dojo. Besides, once she married that Hibiki boy she seemed to like the future of the dojo would be assured, the boy was quite strong.

Akane smiled triumphantly. If Ranma didn't remember a thing that meant he wouldn't be much of a challenge for her. *Not that he ever was.* Her mind reminded her.

Genma stopped moaning to the heavens about his worthless son and turned back to Nabiki. "You should probably go off to school, girl. It's getting late."

Nabiki made a mad dash to her room to get ready. She was so engrossed in the morning activities that she forgot all about school. She didn't like Genma telling her what to do, but he was right this time.

Akane left for school, thinking on paying Nabiki back for the dojo incident. She would arrive at Furinkan and finish off the perverts before her sister had a chance to start a betting pool. "That will teach her." She muttered as she started running, a satisfied smile on her face.

Genma and Soun completely ignored Ranma and Kasumi as they entered the dojo to practice.

Kasumi looked at the closed door with a sense of hurt. She didn't really notice before, but her father and youngest sister treated her as another piece of the furniture. They ignored her as much as they ignored Ranma.

Ranma didn't seem to care what those two morons thought of him. He was more interested on figuring something out. "What now?" He asked himself.

"Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked, taken out of her personal pain by his question.

Ranma turned to her. "What now, Kasumi-san? What should I do? I'm too old to be going to school, besides the point that I don't need school, and I can't live here without doing a thing. I don't want to be a freeloader anymore."

Kasumi tilted her head to the side and smiled. "You shouldn't worry about that, Ranma-kun. I'm glad you're here to give me company."

Ranma smiled back. "I'm glad to be here too, Kasumi-san." With that they headed to the living room to clear the table and entered the kitchen to wash the dishes. They went through the same motions they had gone for the past months. "Seriously, though. I think we should both find something to do. With me helping you out the chores won't take long. We'll have a lot of free time."

Kasumi's smile slipped at this. "I'm not sure I can get out of the house, Ranma-kun." She said eyeing the walls with insecurity. "For so long I've hated these walls, yet they protect me from the outside world. I feel I need them, especially after yesterday." She shuddered at the memory.

Ranma's features hardened. "I'm not letting anything happen to you. That's a promise."

Kasumi smiled again at his words. "Arigato, Ranma-kun. I'll think about your words." She said as she handed him another bowl, which he dried.

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Nabiki sighed as she entered the house. "Tadaima!" She called. *What a day.* She took her shoes off and walked in the living room. Noticing her father and Saotome-san were playing shogi again she went directly to her room. It had been a bad day for business. Akane had managed to defeat the boys of Furinkan before she arrived to set the usual betting pool. Kuno was unusually dense and threatened with beating up the teacher for insinuating that Japan lost the Second World War. At lunch several of her flunkies demanded an explanation for her being late in the morning.

She entered her room and dropped her books on her desk. She took out a change of clothes and started taking off her uniform as she made a mental list of the things to take care of today.

High on her priority list was spending some time with Ranma to know what he had planned. She thought about it and came to the conclusion that Ranma was too good to be true. She also noticed a hole in his narration. He said he was certain he spent years away from Genma. How was that possible if he didn't remember much, as he put it?

Once finished she left her room and walked down the stairs. Checking the living room and kitchen she found only Genma and Soun. Since no one was upstairs that only left the dojo. Making her way there she wondered what Kasumi could possibly be doing in there. As she entered she was greeted with the sight of Ranma wielding an enormous spear. "Hey, Ranma-kun. What are you doing?" She asked a little nervously.

Ranma turned to her with a calm expression just as Kasumi walked into her field of vision, a katana in her left hand. "Nabiki-chan, how was school?" She asked pleasantly. The middle Tendo sister nearly had a heart attack when she saw Kasumi wielding the katana. Were they training?

It was then that Nabiki noticed both Ranma and Kasumi were actually cleaning the weapons. She inwardly sighed in relief and berated herself for thinking the worst. Why was it that she was so uneasy around Ranma? "I didn't know we had those in the dojo." She said trying to change her train of thought.

Kasumi nodded as she sheathed the blade. "Our family Art is unarmed, yet father knew a dojo wouldn't be complete without weapons. He stored them in the attic when all of us were little."

"Then what are you doing with them?" Nabiki asked, not seeing what her sister was getting at.

Ranma shrugged as he placed the spear on the ground and started working on some shuriken. Kasumi took a couple of knives and explained. "We finished the chores early and didn't know what to do to pass the time." With that she resumed her work on the weapons.

Nabiki watched as her sister and guest worked. She found it boring even if she had been here for only a couple of minutes, yet Kasumi and Ranma seemed to enjoy it. Looking all around she noticed they had been working for a while and had a lot of work to do. Deciding on letting them continue and maybe balance her books she left them and went upstairs.

Once she was working with her numbers she started to think about Kasumi. It seemed like she had returned to being same old Kasumi, the one that was oblivious to nearly anything bad. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that her oldest sister was changed. As if she was being like she is out of choice instead of obligation.

"Not important right now." She said to herself as she frowned and opened one of her books. In it she started to sort through some information of the past weeks. Of the moves in certain part of Nerima. The Black Dragons had attacked her family, and nobody attacked Nabiki Tendo's family and got away with it.

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Akane arrived and eagerly went to her room to change into her gi. She rushed downstairs and went to her dojo to start warming up before Genma continued teaching her the Saotome branch of the Anything Goes. He said he would intensify her training and she was very excited.

Just as she entered her features changed from the big smile she had to a frown in less than a second. "What is HE doing here?" She demanded as she pointed at Ranma.

Kasumi smiled at her sister. "Would you like to help us, Akane? We're cleaning the dojo's weaponry." She heard Akane's question perfectly well, but decided to ignore it to try and calm her little sister down.

Ranma had noticed both the ways Nabiki and now Akane reacted to him. Nabiki he could understand, she was still nervous around him and the sight of a fully armed Ranma must have shaken her. But Akane he couldn't understand. All he remembered from the girl was anger, yet he knew he hadn't done anything to her. Her position as the heir of the schools was secured, so she shouldn't feel threatened by him.

Akane only half heard what Kasumi told her and stomped to Ranma. "Get out!" She all but screamed on his face. Her fists clenched and unclenched spasmodically at the need to physically lash out at him. Only her sister's presence stopped her.

"Akane?" Kasumi asked in a disappointed tone of voice. She knew the little Tendo wasn't listening to her. For her Ranma's presence was as if someone was taking away one of her toys. It hurt to accept it, but her behavior during the past years, together with Soun and Nabiki's, had spoiled Akane. The little princess didn't need to struggle to get anything. Even the dojo was being given to her in a silver platter.

Ranma remained in front of Akane, not at all bothered by the holes she tried to glare through him. This fact made her even angrier. "What are you waiting for?! GET OUT!" She bellowed as she cocked a fist back as if to strike.

"What did I ever do to you?" He asked quietly. He needed a reason to be hated like this. He had been feared and hated by many, yet never without a reason. Never like this. Even if Akane's opinion didn't hold much weight to him, the fact that another person rejected him hurt, a lot. The constant reminder of what he was, that he would never be able to live a normal life, pained him terribly.

Kasumi's gaze never left Ranma's eyes. In those blue-green orbs she could see the pain that his features hid from the world. A pain so deep she couldn't begin to imagine what could possibly be the cause. What she did know was that he needed help. Taking a step forward she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Akane..."

"SHUT UP!" Akane lashed out blindly, startling Kasumi and making her fall to the ground. For every minute this BOY remained in HER DOJO she was becoming angrier. She didn't know who the person bothering her was, and she didn't care.

Ranma saw as Akane lashed out at Kasumi. Even if the former didn't hit Kasumi she still hurt her. Kasumi's expression as she stared up at Akane's back was enough for him. His fists clenched tightly.

Kasumi couldn't help but stare helplessly at Akane's back. What had her sister turned into? The lovely little girl that always brought a smile to everyone's face with her cheerful behavior couldn't be this thing so full of... hatred.

As Akane and Ranma glared at each other the rest of the household rushed to the dojo because of Akane's screaming. They entered the room to be met with the sight of Ranma glaring down at Akane, Kasumi fearfully looking up towards them. Ranma's hands were full of shuriken. It seemed as if Akane was trying to protect Kasumi from a violent Ranma, or at least that was the first impression everybody got. "GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!" Soun bellowed as he charged the pigtailed man.

Ranma was so surprised by the intervention that he didn't react in time. He received a kick to the jaw that sent him flying back. He crashed loudly against the wall and went through it, landing on the yard.

As Soun attacked the pigtailed man Genma took a defensive stance in front of Kasumi and Akane, sparing a glance back to make sure they were both alright.

Nabiki watched everything happen in shock. She couldn't believe Ranma had actually attacked Kasumi of all people. She glared dangerously at the rising figure of Ranma, the fact that such a blow should have rendered him unconscious never passing through her mind.

Akane somehow came to the conclusion that she had defended Kasumi from that pervert. *That's right!* She thought. *That's why everyone is on my side.* She stood next to her downed sister, intent on not letting anything bad happening to her.

Kasumi could only watch incredulously what was happening. She tried to yell at them to stop, to explain what had really happened. She tried so hard. Yet she couldn't. The violence displayed today somehow bringing to the surface yesterday's attack. Yesterday's fear and pain. She froze, staring at the scene as if she wasn't there at all.

Ranma slowly got up and stared at the people he had lived with for he didn't know how long. All he could see in their faces was hatred. Hate. Fear. His earlier anger vanished instantly at the memories those expressions brought up. It was replaced by a hole in his chest. A place, he realized, where his heart was supposed to be.

Soun noticed Ranma standing up with a pained expression. Knowing the boy probably had a few broken bones after that attack he stood straight and demanded. "Leave this house. I don't ever want to see you again." He wanted to kill that boy were he stood for attacking his daughters, for placing them in danger. Yet he didn't want to spill anybody's blood in front of his daughters' eyes.

Genma, surprisingly, stood forward and sided with his friend. "You're not a man! No man would dare strike a defenseless woman. Get out of my sight, monster!" And with that he turned around and walked to attend Kasumi.

Ranma heard the words clearly. He didn't hold any respect for that man, not after knowing what he had done, but the words still stroke him harder than anything else. "Monster." He whispered only to himself. His eyes closed as he turned around and started running away. "Monster."

Kasumi watched as Ranma's expression turned even more pained and he ran away. Her eyes didn't leave the place he had been just seconds ago, even as her family asked her if she was fine. If that bastard hadn't done anything to her. All she could do was stare at the place Ranma-kun had been when he needed help, and she couldn't give it to him.

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Nabiki helped her older sister up the stairs and walked her to the door of her room. Since the attack not a word had left Kasumi's lips. The others were out looking for Ranma. Their anger at seeing Kasumi's unresponsive behavior making them search the streets to make the pigtailed man pay.

When they arrived Kasumi stopped and without looking up finally spoke. "Thank you, Nabiki-chan. I can go to my bed from here."

"Are you sure, Kasumi?" Nabiki asked incredulously. Her sister seemed pretty shaken by the event.

Kasumi looked at her sister with a pleasant smile. "I'm fine, Nabiki-chan." And with that she entered her room and closed the door behind her.

Nabiki could only stare at the door after that. She slowly walked to her own room and sat on a chair, bringing her hand to her head. The room was relatively dark with the closed curtains, but that sit well with her current mood. She took deep breaths in that same position for several minutes, calming herself and her thoughts.

Finally, after almost half an hour, she looked up. Her eyes flashed in anger. "You will pay for this, Saotome."

Kasumi's smile before entering her room had been the same one she wore for so many years. That same smile that hid all the pain inside, poisoning her soul.

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Once alone in her room, Kasumi sat on her bed and stared at her hands. Mostly at her right hand. The hand she had placed on Akane's shoulder to try and calm her down. *How could things spiral down from that?* She thought. It all had happened too fast for her.

Kasumi Tendo wanted to cry. To shed tears for her ineptitude in helping the one person who had seen her as another human being. But the tears didn't come. They refused to leave her eyes.

And so, even if a terrible pain was devouring her soul, Kasumi remained staring at her hands.

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Ranma ran without direction for a long time. He didn't know how long, and he didn't care. Maybe if he ran fast enough he would leave the monster behind. *Yeah, right. Like that's gonna happen.* His mind sarcastically countered the delusional idea.

He didn't notice as it started to rain, hard. The water never even making him blink, even if his vision was clouded by it. "Monster." Even now he kept repeating that same word again and again. It's meaning more than his mind could take.

So absorbed was he in running that he didn't react in time to a woman walking around a corner. He crashed into her and they both landed on the wet floor in a heap of limbs, her umbrella was sent flying with the violence of the collision.

It hit him hard, the knowledge that he probably hurt this person as well. All because he wasn't paying attention.

He didn't care anymore.

He wanted the darkness to take him again. To stop him from hurting more people.

Ranma Saotome backed himself against a wall and assumed a fetal position. The water hitting him hard as he let his pain take over.

Ranma Saotome sobbed softly, the word 'monster' repeated again and again.

END PART 2

Author's notes: For those of you who think Akane is out of character here, I might agree were it not for the fact that she's had her every delusion fueled for months by Genma, who is trying to be in good terms with her and Soun.

Will all the people out looking for Ranma find him? Will he be able to refrain from losing himself again?

Wait and see in the next chapter.