Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to the wonderful
Romiko Takahashi and her licensees (Viz Communications in North
America). This work is strictly for the non-profit enjoyment of fans.
No copyright infringement is intended.

==========================
Neko No
Part 1
a Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by TeW
Last Update: Sept 1, 2000
==========================

Akane swallowed against the lump that was forming in her throat. All
this, all these years they'd been getting to know each other, and soon
it would be over.

"You don't have to do this Ranma." It was useless, he'd decided, and
deep in her heart she couldn't disagree with it, but she had to try
once more.

"It I don't the damn cat wins." Ranma answered. His voice was strained
too. Hers was from a battle with tears, his from the battle with his
own mind.

"I'll take care of you." She tried.

"Akane." Ryoga said gently, "don't make this any harder for him."

Ranma stiffened, his eyes swinging around wildly. Tofu and Ryoga moved
back, Neko-Ranma was unpredictable- more so in the last few years as
the cat personality had gained in strength. This time Ranma managed to
get himself under control.

"Now, Tofu," he gasped. "I can't hold out much longer."

The doctor handed him a vial. He cuncapped it and drank the contents
off in one quick swallow.

"How long?" He asked in a calm voice.

"Two or three minutes." Tofu answered.

"Thank you sensei. You too Ryoga. Let me have the time with Akane,
okay?"

The two nodded andfiled out. goodbyes had been exchanged already, there
was nothing left to say.

Akane was dripping tears, though she wasn't sobbing, as she had been
most of that morning. Ranma opened his arms to her and she settled into
the only place in teh world where she felt truely whole.

"I love you Akane-chan."

"I love you Ranma."

"If I had known we'd have such a short time together I would have told
you years earlier."

"And I wouldn't have malleted you so often."

"Anything else you want to say?"

"No. Love you. I'm going to miss you." Akane said, burying her face in
his chest.

"I'll wait for you." He said. "For now I just want to hold you 'til
it's over."

"Okay."

When he stopped breathing she let out one, long, stuttering wail
andburried her face in his chest.

Ten minutes later she steped out of the room.

"Is it over?" Tofu asked in his usual gental tones.

Akane's face was filled with determination rather than grief. "He's
gone, but it is *not* over."

* * * *

Akane landed lightly, shifting the weight of her large pack so it
settled on her shoulders. Her eyes swept across the marketplace,
looking for a familiar figure in a white gi and wearing a white cloth
over his head. Satisfied that she hadn't arived to late, she slipped
off to a restroom to check her disquise. For this 'task' she'd chosen
to be a middle aged woman with just  a touch of gray in her hair. She
touched up the makeup a bit and went back to the marketplace. She found
a nice older man at a tea house to watch her backback for her for a few
days, putting everything she'd need for that time in the large shoulder
bag: a change of cloths, blanket, some travel rations, and of course the
money.

She chatted with the man - the shops owner - for a few minutes. She
managed to act surprised and a bit shy when the man made a pass at her.
She'd gotten used to it when practicing with this disquise. Eitehr she
made a very attractive middle-aged woman or older people had a much
more active sex life that she'd ever imagined. She finally had to plead
a pressing appointment to get away from him.

Finding Genma and teh six year old Ranma was easy, as she litterally
ran into them as she hurried from the shop.

* * * *

"So yo want to buy the yatti?" Genma asked the woman.

She nodded and tried to look gulible. She was distracted, again, when
ranma ran over from the yatti to his father's side and gave her a bit
grin. he was so damned *adorable* at this age. Much as she wanted him
around, she had to get rid of him before she gave something away or let
Genma pull something.

"Here Ranma." She said, holding out a few coins. "Why don't you run
over to the market and buy yourself something to eat."

Ranma smiled, tood the coins wiht a quick 'thank you' and ran off.

Genma watched the boy leave before turning back to Akane. "So how much
are you willing to offer?"

I'll give you the price of a new yatti, less twenty percent for wear
and tear." Akane said firmly.

They dickered for close to an hour before settling on a price. Akane
handed over the money and Genma leapt up, anxious to get away with his
spoils. He called Ranma, who appeared so quickly he much have been
hiding nearby.

Before they ran off Akane called Ranma over to her.

She tossled his hair. "You are a strong and intelligent looking young
man."

He nodded slowly, looking a bit unconfortable with the praise.

"I'm sure you will be a fine martial artist, but remember that a true
man does not neglect his education. learn what you can while you're
training." She handed him a small, slightly battered, reader for young
children. It was full of adventure stories that she was sure he would
like and worn enough to be worth nothing to Genma.

Ranma nodded and smiled, andthen to her great surprise gave her a quick
hug before running off to catch up with his father.

Gods he was a cute kid, and she *knew* he'd grow up to be a real
heartbreaker.

She stood. That cart wouldn't get back to Ukyou's family by itself, sh
might as well get started. After that she had three more stops to make
before attempting to return to her own time. She touched the pendant
she wore, hopping the fragment of the nanban mirror it contained had
enough power to carry her through this.

* * * *

This time Akane played thepart of an old woman. She'd worked especially
hard on this one because her apperance had to be convincing enough to
cover any slips in the way she moved, and because she'd have to wear it
for several days.

First she would need to locate Genma, then convince him the cat-fist
was a bad idea. That shouldn't be too hard, she would simply have him
turn the page in the Nekoken book. Of course, with Genma, that might
not be enough. So she'd also prepaired an 'old' scroll describing the
chestnut-rosting-on-an-open-fire technique. that should be suffient to
bribe him with.

As a last resort she was prepaired to tell Genma the truth. Anything,
she would do anything to keep Ranma from learning the Nekoken. She had
one possibility beyond telling Genma teh truth - she could kill him and
take Ranma back to his mother.

She'd been tempted to do just that when she bought the cart from him.

That wouldn't be necessary though, even Genma would give up the Nekoken
once she' explained the danger. Probably.

Of course it was possible Ukyou's father would kill him anyway. When
she'd returned the cart adn told them the story she'd concocted -
actually it was mostly the truth - the matter had sifted from a debt of
honor between families to a blood dept between Ukyou's father and Genma.
At least Ranma was safe, and teh way they moved around made it unlikly
the older Kujone would find him before he 'settled' at the Tendo's.

She sighed. Enough wool-gathering, she had to find Genma before he
started teaching Ranma the cat-fist.

* * * *

Genma eyes the old woman in front of him with a shifty-eyed,
suspisioius look.

"Tell me again why I shouldn't train the boy in the cat-fist."

Akane blue out her breath in exasperation. Genma wasn't just an idiot,
he was a stuborn idiot.

"Three reasons Saotome-san. The first you've read for yourself in the
training manual, the second is the scroll containing a secret technique
of the Chinese Amazons I will give you in return for your promise not to
use the Nekoken." Akane stopped there. That *should* be enough.

"Tht is two reasons, and I am not convinced by them. The boy is strong
enough not to scum to the weakness of the Nekoken, and I have no
evidence that this technique of yours is as powerful as the one I wish
to teach." Genma leaned back with a smug look on his face.

 Akane thought. She took several deep, calming
breaths. 

"The third reason is that the Nekoken training will lead to your own
death."

That got the old fools attention. Nothing like mentioning teh benifits
or dangers to himself to get Genma to listen.

"How can you know that?" Genma demanded.

"Because I come from teh future and have seen you die." She said in as
animous a voice as she coud, and she did a pretty good onimous voice if
she did say so herself.

"bull." Genma said, but she could tell he was weakening.

"How else would I know of your promise to marry Ranma to the Tendo
family...and the Kujone family among others. About your promise to
Nodoka to make him a man amoung men, about how you take your own life
rather than be killed by those who hate you for teaching Ranma the
Neko-ken."

Genma gulped loudly. "W-who are you?" He stuttered.

"You don't need to know that, but I will tell you that my real family
name is 'Tendo'.

"Very well, I will not teach the boy the Nekoken, on my families honor."

They traded the Nekoken manual for the scroll she had prepaired. Akane
went into Ranma's tent adn gently kissed him on the forehead. Then she
activated the pendent while still in the tent, let Genma wonder how
she'd left.

* * *

Akane stumbled on a rock slick with ice and snow. She'd forgotten that
it would be so cold. Quickly she stripped of the disquise, glad she
could be herself thsi time.

Pullinga blanket around herself she stepped forward into the
increasingly think snow. She should be very close to Genma and Ranma's
campsite, and Ranma had said he'd had a fire going.

It took ten minutes to find theflickeringof the tiny fire. Ranma was
huddled by the fire, wrapped in a few tattered blankets. His father was
in twon,trying to get enough money for food and to replace their lost
packs. If she remembered the story Ranma had told her he would come
within a hairs breath of dying by exposure tonight.

Ranma was shivering uncontrollably when she put her hand on his
shoulder. He spun around at the touch and looked at her with eyes wide
with fear.

"Hello, looks like you're a bit cold. If you don't mind my setting up
camp here I'll share my tent and food."

He nodded. "Th-Thank you."

She gave him an encoureging smile and quickly set up her tiny tent. It
wasn't much, but it would keep the snow off and some of their body heat
in.

Once it was set up she shooed him inside andgave him about half her
remaining rations. She could buy more later if necessary and he looked
half starved.. Not surprisingly he finished them in record time. He
immediately afterward he rolled himself in his blankets and lay on the
tent floor, still shivering.

Akane shook her head in exasperation. He was such an idiot sometimes.

"Hey, Ranma, coe in here" She said, lifting her blankets.

"I can't do that! You're a girl." Ranma protested.

"You don't think girls and boys ever sleep next to each other?" She
sais with a smile. She understood his reluctance, he was a ten year old
boy, old enough to know the difference between boys and girls, but to
young to be interested in exploring that difference.

"You can't do that unless you're married!"

Akane almost laughed. She was tempted to tell him about the engagement.

"Tell you what, if you want I'll let you marry me when you're old
enough. For now get in here before you freeze." She tried to sound
logical but it came out more exasperated.

Ranma thought about it for a few seconds, then shrtugged and climbed
under the blankets with her. He jerked a little but didn't pull away
when she put her arms around him. Soon the shivering stopped and he
fell asleep. Akae kissed the boy's forhead and smiled. Everything was
going more-or-less according to plan. In the morning she' shift again
to Jusenkyo to stop Ranma's curse and divert him from the Amazon
Village. Then....

Actually she didn't know what would happen when she went back. She
might or might not remember what she had done here to save Ranma.
Probably she'd be married to him - wihtout Ukyou, Shampoo, the Nekoken,
or the curse to keep them apart they'd probably marry before they got
out of high school. Mostl likely she'd return to a boring life where
Ranma was running the dojo while she raised a few kids.

It sounded wonderful.

She smiled at the picture of her future..or present in some odd way,
pulled Ranma closer and drifted off to sleep.

* * * *

Akane woke when the morning light began filtering through the thin
nylon tent. She still had her arms wrapped around Ranma, though he's
shifted down so his head as resting against her chest. Itw as nice to
hold him again, even if he ws only ten years old now. Someday she'd 
hold their children this way.

It was time to get going before Genma showed p. She slid out of the
blankets and started repacking. Ranma blinked at ehr from under the
covers.

"What 'cha doin?" He asked.

"Packing. I'll leave the tent, pack, adn some of the blankets. Oh, and
here's the food, make us something for breakfast, okay?"

Ranma grabbed the bag and slipped out of the tent. Akane moved all the
necessities intot he oversized shoulder bag. She only had one more
stop, after that she wouldn't need any of this. She changed into her
warmest cloths, then wrapped one blanket she was taking around herself
and stepped out to see how Ranma was doing on breakfast.

He'd pulled together a fairly decent meal from her remains. He smiled
shyly at her and handed her a plate. They dug in without a word, Akane
because she was thinking about seeing Ranma at Jusenkyo, and Ranma just
didn't know what to say.

Akane finsihed the meal, and handed to plate back. "Thanks, that was
great. I've got to go now, it was nice to meet you."

"Wait!' Ranma called after she took a few steps.

She looked over her shoulder at him. "What is it?"

"What's you're name?"

"Sorry, I can't tell you my real name. Why don't you give me one you
like?"

"But if I don't know you're name, how can I repay you for saving me?"

"I'll see you again Ranma. When you're sixteen we'll meet again."

"Is that when you're going to marry me?" He asked.

Akane turned fully toward him, swallowing the sudden lump in her
throat. It was ten year old Ramna standing in front of her, but in her
minds eye she saw the eighteen year old wh had proposed to her. If hte
Nekoken hadn't started getting stronger they would have been married
that year, shortly after they graduated from high school.

"I...as I said last night I'll let you marry me when you're old enough.
i guess that will be old enough if you still want to."

It wouldn't matter. In a few years he'd realize how important the
apparentage difference was, assuming he remembered this at all

"I still want to know your name." Ranmaa said with a pout.

"Call m Akchan. See you in a few years." She turned and walked away
quickly. even at ten Ranma was hard to resist. She stepped around a
tree adn activated the pendant. it would be a lot warmer in Jusenkyo.

* * * *

"Stop!" Akane shouted in Japanese. Genma looked over at her curiously
before jumping up to a pole. Akane grabbed Ranma's gi to keep him from
following his father.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ranma sounded pretty annoyed.

"Genma Saotome, don't you remember me? I stopped you from using the
Nekoken training." Akane called out.

She hoped she hadn't made any stupid mistakes in the rush to put on her
old woman disquise. She' arrived with barely enough time to put it on
and stop these two.

"You." Genma said in disgust. "Is this training ground going to lead to
my death too?" His voice was sarcastic.

"No, but it could cost you and your son your manhood." Aane said.

"Genma faultered at thos words, no doubt recalling the promise he'd
made to his wife. Unfortunately for him he faultered at just the wrong
time, lost his balance adn fell into a pool. She halled Ranma back when
he tried to go help his father.

he turned to her and opened his mouth, then let it closed, giving her a
curious look. "Your hair is crooked." he said.

"Damn." She straightened it with the had that wasn't holding onto his
gi.

"I know you, don't I?" Ranma said thughtfully.

The pendant on her chest suddenly throbbed and started flashing.

"Double damn." She muttered.

"Look, Ranma, just stay away from the Amazon village. And *don't* win a
fight against an Amazon!" She ran off, hping to get out of sight before
teh fragment of the Nanban mirror activated itself. It must be running
out of power, hopefullythere would be enough left to get her back.

She made it behind the guides hut before the pendant activated. It felt
different this time, slower, like she wasmoving through thick mud. then
it felt like she ran into a wall and everything went black.

=== End Part 1 ===

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