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 ===