Disclaimer:  All characters portrayed in this story are the property of
Rumiko Takehashi and co.

This story takes place after volume 38 of the manga and draws ideas from
the anime also.

Another Time, Same Place

by

Donny Cheng

Chapter 2:  New Friends and Enemies

	Ranma tried turning to his side.  Nope.  Still couldn't sleep.  He'd
gotten used to three months of sleeping on the ground and in the rain. 
It looked like the roof would have to do for tonight.  Grabbing a pillow
and blanket, he quietly opened the window, and climbed out to the roof.

	The night air was only slightly chilly, nothing he couldn't handle.  He
found a spot on the middle of the roof and settled down for the night. 
To his disgust he still couldn't sleep.  His mind was heavy with the
newness of everything.  Everybody was married and with kids, a new
sister, and new fianc�es that he didn't want.  Well they didn't want him
either so it was at least more bearable than twenty years before.  The
thing that weighed heavily on his mind the most was the fact that his
friends now had children.  More importantly, Akane had children.

	If asked just yesterday, whether or not he saw himself married to Akane
with children, he would have strongly denied it.  Now, he couldn't help
but feel that he would have been lying.  He berated himself for feeling
that way.  He couldn't have expected Akane to wait for him for twenty
years.  Time, did what no other enemy could.  Steal Akane away from
him.  It felt strangely easy to admit that he even had her, now that she
was gone.

	"Ranma!  What are you doing up here?"  Eiko called out as softly as she
could.  She hadn't been able to sleep tonight.  Mommy told her that it
had something to do with gas and often took her to the roof to watch at
stars while she fell asleep.  She had taken to doing it herself when she
couldn't sleep.  She had worn thick pajamas to ward against cold and
found that she might not have needed it.  A warm glow settled over as
she discovered Ranma on the rooftop beside the Tendo Dojo roof.

	"Eiko?  I should be asking you that.  Lit... I mean girls shouldn't be
out at night."  Ranma congratulated himself on remembering that the
little one didn't like being called little.  Very much like him, Akane's
daughter was.  Akane's daughter.  Eiko could very much have been his
daughter.

	Eiko was worried as she could see that Ranma seemed to be in pain.  She
quickly ran and jumped over to the other house.  "Ranma, are you okay?"

	Ranma smiled as he saw the girl leap over the gap between the two
houses.  Ryoga was a great teacher.  "Yeah, I'm fine.  Well, Eiko?  What
are you doing up so late?"

	"I couldn't sleep," Eiko replied.  She then told him of what her mommy
used to do to help her sleep.

	"Akane comes up here to, hey?"  Ranma liked to believe it was to think
about him, but guilt quashed that notion.  Akane was married and full
grown woman now.

	"Yeah.  Mommy and Daddy were weird today."  Eiko didn't know what to do
about Ranma.  He was her parents friends from long ago.  But he didn't
even look older than Ryoko or her friends.  Was she still supposed to
call him uncle?

	"They were?   The acted pretty normal to me."  Ranma found it
comforting to be around the familiar antics of his formal fianc�e and
rival.  Yet, at the same time, it hurt him to know that they were no
longer his fianc�e or rival.

	"Mommy doesn't usually cook.  I've never seen her hit anybody before. 
It was scary.  Mommy is very nice, just like Auntie Kasumi.  Daddy,
Uncle Kuno, and Uncle Mousse are nice too.  I didn't like their voices
when they talked to you.  It was scary too."  Eiko could only describe
the feeling as a sick feeling in her stomach.  She felt that her parents
and uncles would turn into monsters just then.

	"Oh."  Things had changed it seemed.  Even familiar habits from his
friends were unusual.

	"Eiko!  There you are.  You had your father and I very worried," Akane
called out from the other roof as she climbed out the window from which
Eiko came.  Ryoga followed right after her.

	"Sorry, Mommy.  I was just talking with Ranma.  He looked sad.  I'm
coming over right now.  Well, Ranma.  Aren't you going to kiss me
goodnight?"

	"Ah..."  Ranma looked towards Akane and Ryoga.  He was surprised that
they had not turned into demon headed monsters.  In fact, they were
smiling encouragingly at him.  He gave Eiko a peck on the forehead to
appease her childish pleasures.  Eiko smiled winningly up at him and
then scooted back to her side of the neighborhood and back into her room
through the window.

	Akane waited until Eiko was fully inside before she and Ryoga leapt to
the Saotome rooftop.  "We heard everything, Ranma.  Eiko was right.  We
don't normally act that way.  It's just that we all haven't seen you in
so long.  I don't know whether to treat you as a longtime friend or one
of my children's little friends.  I'm sorry for the way, I acted.  I
have no right to hit you anymore."

	Ryoga nodded in agreement.  "Kuno and Mousse are sorry too.  We know
that you got into this mess because of us, but I guess the petty
rivalries we had back then are all we have to fall upon in relating to
you.  It's strange looking at your young face and knowing that you
haven't face the same things that we have in the twenty years of your
absence."

	Ranma was more than a little stunned to see a near absolute change in
behavior in the two people in front of him.  "I guess there really is
nothing left for me here."

	Akane recognized the tone of voice Ranma used.  He used it a only a few
times in the time that she had known him.  Once was when he lost his
strength and another was when she was with Shinnosuke.  Both times meant
he was ready to run away.  "Ranma, that's not true.  You still have your
parents.  Would you leave your mother again after all these years? 
She's now missed you a total of thirty years."

	His mother.  Possibly the only person, other than the Akane of twenty
years before, he loved more than life itself.  He could still see the
light shining in her eyes as she comforted him in her embrace just the
day before.  Could he actually take that light away again?

	Ryoga could see Ranma was beginning to turn around.  "Don't tell me,
you're chicken?  You haven't even asked for a rematch yet and you're
runny away?  You really do think I'm better than you will ever be."

	"Don't make me laugh.  You didn't train constantly for twenty years.  I
doubt you trained with anyone of my caliber.  Probably with that tomboy
of a wife you have.  Give me a few months.  A year, tops and I'll knock
you down from that high horse."  To make his point known, he gave an
evil laugh, "Hehehe."

	"Tomboy?"  Akane asked, raising an eyebrow.  She mock punched him on
the shoulder.  Having two kids did wonders for her self identity.

	Ranma forced the lump in his throat down.  This was not the same Akane,
he reminded himself again.  "Heh, sorry, force of habit.  Don't worry
about me, guys.  I'm Ranma, remember?  Nothing can knock me down for the
count.  I guess, I can stay for a little while longer here and survive."

	Akane smiled as if she had just brought an unruly child around.

	Ryoga stayed behind motioned Akane to go back into the house without
him.  After she left, Ryoga spoke, "I know we haven't convinced you,
Ranma.  I just wanted you to know that life wasn't easy for any of us
after you left the first time.  It took a long time for some people to
get over you and be happy again.  I don't want any of them to go through
it again.  If you feel that you must leave, at least tell the people
that cared the most for you.  I think you know the people that I'm
talking about."  With that said, Ryoga left Ranma to think over it.

	Ranma sighed as went back to trying to get to sleep.  The last thing he
saw before sleep took him was an image of his mother in the skies and
the stars that were her eyes twinkling back at him.  Beside her were the
smiling aged faces of Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo.

			* * * * *

	Ranma followed Ranko to their dining room for breakfast.  It was hard
for him to think of her as his little sister.  She was older and seemed
very mature for her age.  "Mother and Pop are awake already, huh? 
That's good.  There's something I have to tell her."

	"Yes, Father usually doesn't wake up so early in the morning.  Mother
had a hard time holding him still and preventing him from waking you for
a sparring match.  She wasn't sure if you were fully rested from your
long journey here.  She's very protective of you."

	It was all Ranma could do to keep himself upright at those words.  She
will understand, won't she?

	"Ranma, you're awake!" Nodoka called out from the dining room.  "I hope
you're hungry.  I made a lot of food.  Genma!  Stop picking at the
food.  We can start eating when Ranma and Ranko join us."

	Ranma grinned at his pop.  He smiled even more as he and his father
began their traditional fight over the food surrounding their area of
the table.  Genma, too, had improved in twenty years, but Ranma read his
father like a book.  Ten years of training had taught him most if not
all of pop's fighting habits.  As always, it ended in a draw.

	Nodoka smiled at the antics of Father and Son.  "Now, now, children. 
You can play when Ranma gets back from school."

	Ranma's smile fell from his face.  "Um... Mother, there's something I
need to tell you.  I... you see, Nerima isn't the place..."

	Nodoka cut her son off with a smile.  "I know you aren't accustomed to
your new home yet, but I'll be here to help you.  I am your mother after
all and you can come to me anytime you need a little help.  Oh my.  I
can't believe that I am finally able to say these words to you after all
these years."  Without meaning to, tears flowed from her eyes.

	Genma sighed and pulled his wife in for a hug of comfort.  "Dear, we've
been through this a thousand times already.  Ranma's back and he won't
be leaving you again."

	Ranma's shoulder's slumped and all thoughts of leaving permanently left
his mind.  "Pop's right, Mother.  I'm back and here to stay."

	Ranko smiled and nodded approvingly at her brother.  She could tell
that he cared for mother very much.  She had been worried when he
displayed such lack of social graces the day before.  She had thought
that her mother had biased views of her brother and would be crushed by
the real him.  But, it seemed her fears were unfounded as Ranma would do
nothing to hurt Mother if he could help it.  "Ranma, you should be
going.  We've already registered you into Furinken.  We are lucky that
the principal knows you well enough that he will allow you into the
eleventh grade unconditionally."

	"Principal?"  Ranma couldn't think of anyone that he knew of that could
be principal of a high school

	"Yes, Uncle Kuno has taken over his father's job as Principal of
Furinken High."

	"Kuno is principal!?  That explains the School looking like a dojo." 
It was another reminder of all the things that have changed.

	"Uncle changed to outward appearance of the school and also added
special programs to the curriculum.  Nearly everyone at school is a top
rated martial artist."

	Ranma raised his eyebrow at this.  "Does that mean, you're pretty good
too."

	Ranko blushed embarrassingly.  Fighting was so unladylike.  "No, not
really.  I only know how to use the katana.  I only excel at one
particular technique.  Mother says that it is to be passed down from
generation to generation.  Uncle allowed me some leeway, so I was able
to graduate high school without taking many of the special courses."

	Ranma blanched at touched his throat self consciously.  That was not
what he wanted to here.  "Hehehe... I'd better get going, like you
said."

			* * * * *

	"What!  Which idiot washed the streets last night?"  Ryoko frantically
searched the ground for a painted strip of line."

	Eiko sighed and tugged at her sister's leg.  "The line is over there. 
Sis, I don't think this is helping.  We still get lost even after we put
markings on the ground to help us find our way.  You shouldn't have told
Perfume that she didn't have to pick us up anymore and you shouldn't
have sent Meiko on ahead of us."

	Ryoko grimaced.  "How was I to know that?  Maybe we can put some more
markings and make them closer together this time.  Anyway, where's that
line again."

	"Um... I forgot."  Eiko quickly scanned the area again.  Unfortunately,
both sister were looking in the wrong direction again.

	"What have we here.  You two lost?"  Ranma asked from the fence he was
standing on.

	"Ranma!"  Eiko launched herself into the arms of the pigtailed boy
knowing full well that he would catch her.  He was so nice that way.

	Ranma smiled and was ready for the girl's strength this time.  He
laughingly flipped her over his head and onto his shoulders, effectively
becoming her mount.

	Ryoko felt conflicting emotions in her as she looked at Ranma.  Her
best friend didn't like him, but she hasn't formed an opinion of him
yet.  He was a jerk at most times, but she at other times she caught the
haunted look in his eyes.  She couldn't imagine what it must feel like
to come back after everything has changed.  "I guess you could say
that," Ryoko finally admitted.

	"Hey, no prob.  I know the way to school.  How about you, Eiko?  Where
do you go to school?"

	"She doesn't yet.  She wanted to visit Auntie Kasumi, so I was going to
drop her off," Ryoko explained.

	"She's at Tofu's place, right?  Yeah, that's along the way to school, I
can take you there too.  Hey, quit pulling on that pigtail.  His
passenger only giggled in response.

			* * * * *

	Kasuga looked around nervously.  "Hehe, I don't see Ranko around
anywhere."

	Ranma gave the bespectacled boy a curious glance.  He hadn't left the
house yet when they dropped Eiko off, so they all decided to walk
together.  He was acting different from yesterday.  He seemed very
nervous, almost the same way Tofu once acted around... oh.  Ranma
grinned as he quickly figured it out.  "Ranko?  I told her that I knew
the way to school, so she wouldn't have to take me there.  She's
probably left for the university already."

	Kasuga managed to get a hold himself.  He was disappointed and relieved
at the same time.  Disappointed because he couldn't see the one that he
loved and relieved because Ranko couldn't see him make a fool out of
himself once again.  She must think him a child with his behavior.

	"Hey, what's that up ahead?" Ranma asked as he watched a huge crowd
gather into two separate groups.

	Ryoko glowered as she looked at what Ranma was referring to.  "Oh,
that.  That's Yuu's and Yukio's fan club.  We'd better step aside.  They
can get quite ugly."

	Ranma nodded and watched the proceedings with his two new friends off
to one side.  He caught the bickering words among the crowd as their
voices escalated.

	"Yuu-sama is so dreamy."  "Yeah, isn't he though."  "I hope he looks
this way this time.  Those eyes of his just give me the shivers."

	"Yukio-sama is a true goddess."  "I can't wait for her to show up." 
"Look over there.  It's those girls again.  Why don't you chase after
someone that likes girls at least?"

	"Look, who's talking."  "Yeah, Yukio doesn't give any boy the time of
day."  "All, Yuu-sama needs is the love of a good woman to turn around."

	"Yeah, right."  "Oh, please.  Yukio is the one that will turn around
when she finds the right guy."

	Ranma stared as a battle formed and ended in the space of a few
minutes.  "This happens everyday?" he asked as watched Kasuga walk among
the wounded and tended to those that he could.

	"Yeah," Ryoko replied, "every single day.  And the way those two act,
it's not helping.  See, look what I mean?"

	Yuu and Yukio having just arrived at school, also walked among the
crowd.  They cooed and patted the cheeks of their respective fan club
members.  The people touched sighed deliriously.

			* * * * *

	Kuno cupped his chin with one hand as he was wont to do when he thought
seriously.  He couldn't for the life of him sort out his feelings on the
matter of Saotome's return.  It had been childish on his part to use the
advantage time had given him to defeat his once most hated rival.  But
he felt justified all the same for his actions.  Was it not Saotome that
tricked him into falling for the pigtailed girl all those years ago?  It
pained him to even think of the beauty that was she.  No, not a girl, he
had to remind himself again, but a boy.  He smiled as he remembered his
wife's determination to knock that fact into his mind.  It took her a
year of patience, or stubbornness as he liked to call it, not to give up
on him.

	With his defeat of Saotome, he believed that all debt had been repaid,
but now was the matter of his own debt to consider.  It was for his and
the others' benefit that Saotome made that god forsaken wish.  Allowing
him back into school was the least Kuno could do.

	Kuno suddenly removed his hand from his chin and pounded it into his
other one.  He got it!  Allowing him into the eleventh grade wasn't
enough as Saotome was sure to fail nearly all the classes.  Given twenty
years of advances in the curriculum and his past performance, Kuno
wouldn't be surprised if he was put back five or six years all the way
to Elementary School.  Kuno looked over at his computer and quickly
typed in a few commands.  A list of the top students appeared shortly. 
He smiled as he saw his son was among the top in both the special
courses and academic courses category.  However, he was not the best in
either category.  That title belonged to Perfume and one Sazanin Mika
respectively.

			* * * * *

	Ranma sweated nervously as walked to his assigned seat.  Nearly
everyone had their eyes on him.  It seemed defeating Perfume yesterday
had been a very big deal.

	Hinako listened intently to the messenger from the principal.  "Oh,
Ranma?  It seems that with you being new to the school, Principal Kuno
has decided to assign two tutors to you.  Perfume, you will be Ranma's
physical trainer for the duration of the school year.  Mika, you will be
his academic teacher."

	Perfume frowned as she heard this.  Spending any amount of time with
her supposed husband was more time than she would have liked.  However,
she knew that in Furinken, her Uncle's word was law and would be too
stubborn to even consider changing it.

	Mika looked up from her book and gave the new student a once over.  She
frowned.  He was dressed in non-regulation clothes and was currently
sleeping at his desk.  He had rebel printed all over him.  This was not
good.  Just what the school needed, more martial artists.

	Tatewaki frowned.  It seemed his new friend was quite the lucky one. 
He was now paired up with both women of his heart.  He knew it was wrong
to yearn for two women but to stop himself would be same as cutting his
heart into two pieces.  One was the epitome of strength and virtue.  The
other symbolized intelligence and purity.  He sighed and mentally kicked
himself.  His mother would not be happy if she knew what he was
thinking.  It was unfortunate that he could not resemble his father more
in personality.

	Meiko frowned.  Why couldn't Kuno have picked her?  It would have given
her the chance to know Ranma better and see what he really was like.

	Ryoko frowned.  Mika and Perfume teaching the same person?  This was
not good.  She hoped that they would do it at separate times.  The last
time they got together, half of the school needed to be rebuilt. 
Despite Mika's dislike for martial artists, she herself was a very
accomplished one.

	Kasuga smiled as he copied down the notes on the projector.

	Ranma slept in his desk and dreamed of food.  The day hadn't gone past
in too bad a manner.  He was still alive for one thing.  Life just had
to get better.

			* * * * *

	Kumon Ken looked upon Japan with an expressionless face as the ship
neared the port.  The Kumon's have held true to their word and never
again used the Yamisen-Ken.  His father labored hard to develop his own
technique and now was to time to let all of Japan face it's power.  The
Kumon Dojo will be restored!

			* * * * *

	"Sweeto!"  Happosai couldn't believe his luck.  The girls at Furinken
were all health specimens of girls nearing their full bloom.  That Kuno
boy has done a great job as principal.

			* * * * *

	A slow smile crept upon the face of Spice as he released the power of
his chi.  The mountain shattered in a huge deafening roar.  His father
may be content to live his life in peace and quite with Mother, but he
was not about to let the Musk Dynasty end with a whimper.

			* * * * *

	Lotion felt her arms begin to tire as she continued swimming towards
Japan.  She let herself remember that girl that defeated her and felt
the adrenaline surge into her arms.  She had been minding her own
business and training in the woods when it happened.  A little man had
been running at her, followed by that wench of a woman.  Not less than
twenty amazons were behind them.  Lotion decided that they had infringed
on some amazon law and moved to stop them.  That was when the pigtailed
girl had used her head as a spring board to get away.  Had she been
better prepared she wouldn't have been knocked out.  Twenty people had
witnessed her 'defeat'.  Oh yes, that wench would pay.

			* * * * *

to be continued...