A Ranma Continuation Fanfiction. Takes place shortly after the end.
Ranma1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi. Go buy her comics.

The Yin, The Yang, And The Thin Line Between
 
original story by: GT Hamilton
re-write by: TJ Hamilton
ryougaecho@abraxis.com
a Colliding Symphonies production.


Part One

================
"Strength is born in the deep silence of long suffering hearts; not amid
joy"

Felicia hemans
================


Akane was hard at work attempting another culinary delight. Or disaster,
depending on whom in the house you asked. Kasumi was overseeing the
operation with good spirits; both girls' aprons were still white. Ranma,
however, was not in near as good spirits of the nature of the current
venture, as he always was cautious. Akane had improved over the course
of time. . .

( but you couldn'tve gotten much worse than what she was throwing
together. . )

He peered around the corner into the battlefield. 

No one else was in the house at the time, beyond those three. Nabiki was
on a college job fare trip, having been pre-tested at her high-school
tests and trying to get an idea how she wanted to continue.

Soun had left to get some carpentry supplies, as well as cleaning
materials for the Dojo, and Genma had gone back to the Saotome
household.

"No Akane-chan, you begin with the powder in the bowl," Kasumi said
softly.

It was just them. Ranma gulped.

". . .that way, you can tell by adding water a little at a time instead
of guessing. Try."

<DING>

"The rice!" Akane exclaimed excitedly as the steamer complained with its
bell-like chime.

"Daijyobu, Akane-chan. Focus on one thing at a time. I'll stop the rice
cooker." Kasumi dried her hands on her apron as she walked to the other
end of the kitchen.

Ranma watched Akane's resolve get weaker as Kasumi went further away
from her, which posed a double problem as she decided then to mix
whatever she was mixing. With an unsteady hand, Akane poured.

"Oh!" she gasped, pulling the mixture back suddenly, spilling its
contents out onto the counter top. "Dang it."

(Dolt,) Ranma groaned from his spying position. (Why does she even
bother. . .) he watched intently as Akane turned sideways to reach into
a cupboard, pulling out a rag. He tried to read her expression as she
wet the rag and wrung it out. (Prolly no water left when she gets done
with it,) he thought, watching her forearms flex slightly.  Her face was
somewhat vacant, her soft features a bit out of focus. (What is she
thinkin`? She's not gonna get it.) Akane went back to the spill, wiping
up the mess she had made.

"Okay, Akane. Go ahead and mix."

Akane seemed to calm down as her older sister came beside her. "o-okay."

Ranma, now only seeing the Tendo sisters backsides, turned out into the
hallway and sighed. He really didn't want to sample whatever Akane was
spawning, but going to u-chan's would mean just as much pain on the
return trip.

"Ranma-kun!"

"Dyah!" Ranma jumped to the side away from Kasumi, who had appeared
beside him. "Wh-what?"

"Akane is working very hard, isn't she?" she said with a smiling,
nodding in Akane's direction. Ranma looked into the kitchen again. Her
back was still to him, but he looked a bit more intently this time. Her
posture was rather rigid, causing the hem of her light pink skirt to
tremble slightly, along with her cropped short hair.

Kasumi nodded to herself, satisfied at the attention level Ranma was now
giving to her little sister. "Maybe she would like to know how much her
work has progressed, ne Ranma-kun?"

"Hm.  ." in that instance, Ranma found himself wonder what she was
thinking. 

"I need you to run an errand, Ranma-kun. We need some more things from
the market before they close, and I don't want Akane to not  be able to
ask me questions while she works. Would you mind, Ranma-kun?"

"Huh?" Ranma shook himself a bit. "Oh sure, Kasumi. Just gimmie a list,
cause I'm not too good at rememberin stuff."

She smiled, then turned to the kitchen table where a notepad rested.

---------------------------------

Ranma walked along the fence towards the small market square, trying to
keep the grocer stuff on his mind, even as he thumbed the list in his
pocket. (Geeze, its still warm.) Ranma was wiping his brow
unconsciously. The mid September weather had proved not too different
from the June weather, and according to the weather forecasts, it didn't
seem like it would break anytime during that month, let alone for the
evening hours. The effects it was having on the community were becoming
apparent as certain food prices began to rise.

Ranma hopped down, watching the corner mirror for other traffic, then
rounded the corner. The sun now at his back. Without warning, Ranma
threw himself back around the corner.

Shampoo screeched to a halt on her bike. "Hm?" she looked down the road
to her immediate left. "<wasn't that Ranma?>" she muttered to herself,
staring down the path. "<I could have sworn. . .>" she rubbed her damp
brow with her sleeve. "<too hot. Seeing things. . .I go see him later.
.>" she decided, eager to get back under air conditioning of the cafe.

Ranma, exhaled as he heard the bell on her bike ring become distant.
(Whew.) The instant Ranma dove around the corner, he realised all she
had to do was look at the mirror to spot him. (That was lucky,) he
thought, standing up and peeking around the corner. (Gotta get the
food.)

A few more turns and Ranma found himself in the market area, tall
shadows cast by the awnings of the carts and corner stands. After
glancing around a bit, he reached into his pocket, pulling out the list
to look at it. (Okay, I guess I'll get the veggies first. . .) He looked
up for a nearby cart with what he was looking for. (I wonder if I'll
have enough,) he thought, patting the small wad of bills Kasumi had
handed him. Staring down at the list in his hand he began walking again.
(Akane sure has been kinda laid back lately,) he thought, reading
Kasumi's neat handwriting. (I wonder why.) His mind conjured up the
image from before; Akane tying the apron on behind herself. 

He became rather pre-occupied with the mental picture, so much so that
he didn't notice the girl coming out of the store in front of him
carrying a couple of full bags.

But she did. 

"Hey, look out! Ack-"

"Augh!" Ranma exclaimed as he bumped into her, hard. 

"Kya!!" she shrieked as she began to fall backwards onto the stairs,
arms flailing. 

Ranma moved quickly, throwing his arms around the girl to catch her from
falling, and throwing a foot out to catch a bag.

(CRASH)

after a moment of confusion, Ranma realised they were tangled in each
other and on the sidewalk. "Ow! You moron!" the girl yelled in a loud
voice. 

"S-sorry," Ranma stuttered, trying to figure out why they had fallen. (I
SHOULD have caught her. . .what happened?) He pulled himself away from,
planting his hand on what felt like glass. "Ouch," he muttered feeling a
cut on his palm, and some sharp pain following. Looking down, he saw the
shattered remnants of what was probably in her grocery bag, yellowish
fluid spilling out on the walk.

"Yeah real sorry," she fumed, she herself pulling away from him too,
though seemingly difficult. Ranma stood up, straightening himself, and
looking down at the girl. She was probably a high-school student, her
long, light brown hair cut somewhat conservatively framing her cute face
of full cheeks. Her dress was light blue with very dark green trim, and
blouse, which Ranma noticed, the blouse was filled well. The rest of her
figure seemed small to him. She reached back to the step and sat up,
supporting herself on it.

"Are you okay?" he asked, worried that he had hurt a girl.

"I'm fine." she spat, straightening her own clothes, but her posture
suggested she was about to fall over from her sitting position. 

"Are you sure? You're not hurt. . "

"Not in the way you're thinking," she grumbled as she grabbed some bread
off the walk. "Got stuff on your mind?"

"Huh?"

"You sure weren't paying attention. ."

Ranma faltered for a moment, then looked around wildly and began to try
and gather all the groceries that had fallen. "Kinda. I really didn't
mean it, honest."

"Yeah, kid. I know you didn't," she sighed, flapping her bag open to put
stuff back in it. "I just got a sharp tongue." 

Ranma agreed with her on that, she was using just as rough speech as he
did himself. He continued to pick up what wasn't shattered and replaced
it in in the bag he had when he noticed a metal rod with a metal ring on
its side laying on the walk. He thought it was a weapon, but a nagging
thought told him it was something else. He picked it up too. It was very
light, probably hollow, but it felt solid enough.

Out of forced of habit, he began to twirl it as though it were a short
staff.

She noticed as she grabbed all that was it in her arms reach from where
she sat, watched him for a moment, then shook her head.

"Ha, ha. Give it here, goofball," she ordered, holding out her hand.

Ranma, as if coming out of a daze and realising what he was doing,
stopped, and laughed nervously. "Sorry. . .its yours?" he said as he
handed it to her. She gave him a look that usually he got from Nabiki.

"What do you think?"

"Uh. . ." he was at a loss for words, feeling like he missed something
altogether. "So. .what is it?"

"Oh, go play it in traffic," she barked, yanking the rod away from his
grasp. She slipped her left arm it in the ring of the rod, then cinched
herself on one of the steps, throwing her weight forward to stand up.

(She-s-she's a. . ,) Ranma realised belatedly. She slumped forward a
bit, and flailed her arms to try and catch some of her lost balance.
"Here!" he cried, reaching out. "Let me help!"

A look of fire hit her eyes, as her grip on her crutch tightened. "I. .
.don't need. . .your. . .HELP!" she yelled at the top of her lungs and
cleaned Ranma with the crutch. Ranma spun like a top on a string from
the blow, and caught himself against the wall of the store, but it in
her attack, she lost all her balance and fell back against the steps
violently. 

Ranma shook the cobwebs. (That was strong. . ) his martial arts knee
jerk complimented. He still had the bag, though. He pushed himself off
the wall and walked back over to her. "H-hey. . " he started, but
noticed her just sitting there, her head hung low so he bangs covered
her face, her shoulders shivering.

She cursed herself silently as hot tears rolled of her cheeks, unable to
stop the sobbing reflex. Her arm hurt, pretty sure that she pulled a
muscle because of the crutch, not to mention her butt and back she fell
on, and now her dinner was ruined.

Ranma realised how they fell it in the first place. She went down
because he grabbed her arms, which messed up her crutch. "I didn't mean.
. ." he stammered, trying to block the bright setting sun behind her. "I
mean. . . oh. . ," he groaned as he knelt down.

She looked up at his face, now inches from hers. (Gawd.  He's pretty
cute.) His smooth face was framed by the rich sunlight, his eyes
glittering slightly as he tried to shade his face. (I must look like
hell,) she thought, shifting herself a bit. That shifting sent a jolt of
pain through her body. "Ow," she whined, tilting her head and shutting
her eyes tightly.

"Here," Ranma said, bracing himself.

"I don't need your help,' she said again, not even bothering to open her
eyes. She let out a �whoop' as Ranma slipped his arm under her legs, and
her opposite arm and lifted her with ease. (Wow, he's strong, too. . .)

kneeling down to pick up the other bag, then taking her crust, and using it like a hobo pack.

With everything it in hand, he set off to Tofu's...

----

Shampoo pulled up to the back entrance of the Cat Cafe, her brakes
screeching slightly as she stopped. (Stupid locusts giving me headache,)
she thought wiping her brow. She grabbed the deliver box from its mount
and walked back towards the restaurant, happy to have cooled air on her
face. AS she slid the door open, Mousse greeted her.

"Welcome to Cat Cafe," he said.

Shampoo blinked. Mousse often mistook others for her, but never mis-took
her for someone else. "Stupid Mousse. Out of way."

Mousse stuttered a bit as he realised who it was that went by her.

"Welcome back great granddaughter."

"New delivery?" she asked, setting the box on the counter.

"Right here," she said, tapping the tray with her staff. Shampoo packed
it with her usual expertise and shut the case. "Here's the address."

"Is apartment town, yes?" she asked, sad that she'd have to go into the
heat again.

"Shampoo! Take this hat with you, it will keep you from this painful
heat!" Mousse offered a wide brimmed sun-hat . . .

. . .to the plant near the counter.

"Baka!" Shampoo shouted, smacking him as she headed towards the door.
Mousse shook a bit after being slugged, then turned to watch the blurry
purple figure in his vision grow smaller. He heard the sliding door
open, then shut, and the purple was gone.

Cologne watched the whole episode with a scrutinising gaze.

Shampoo tied the box down to the bike and took off again, address
clamped to the handlebars as she headed towards the apartment district.
(Stupid Mousse. Always doing stupid things,) she thought, hitting the
pedals hard. She was beginning to get tired. Not physically, mind you,
her training allowing her to run deliveries all day. Rather she was
growing tired of her life. It was getting repetitive. Mousse always
chasing her. Great grandma and her chasing Ranma. Someone threaten Ranma
or Akane. Cologne find new potion or teach Ranma new school. Get
splashed. Attackers and rivals from china. Everything. (It was like this
in the village before Ranma came,) she mused. (I left to kill Ranma, so
I could get honor back, so I could lead village. . .defend from
outsiders. Maybe have adventure. . ,) she admitted. Her life in the
village was getting dull at the time. Only a handful of other women took
the art seriously, rather to be lazy and simply build physical strength.
Most of them were clumsy as they were strong. Maybe she was happy to
have a change, if a bit bruised pride by being beaten. (Now I'm in japan
for almost a year.)

She stopped at a cross walk, waiting for the flow of traffic to change,
people slowly gathering around her. It's only been a couple weeks after
they all came back from Jyusendo. (And I'm bored again.) The lights
changed and she pedaled across the street, nearing her destination.
Around her, other teenagers and kids were wearing various summer wear.
Some roller-blading, others on bikes too. Ice cream stands on wheels
also floated by her.

She checked the address again, and decided to cut across, taking an
alley. She came across a wooded fence dividing the properties, halted
the bike, backpedaled so that she was on the rear wheel, then jumped the
bike over the fence, spinning a bit as she did. She began pedaling out
of the other side of the alley, when her bike seized on her.

She carefully kept the bike upright, trying to figure out what happened,
when she saw a metal pipe in the spokes of her bike. "What this do?"

"Alright girl, you know the drill," a rough voice growled from her
right. She turned to see a medium built man wearing torn sweats and
carrying a pipe similar to the one in her wheel. 

She saw another one behind him. "You right. Shampoo know drill," she
said, ditching the bike and cracking her knuckles.

After ducking the wild pipe swing, she delivered a powerful side kick,
sending the first one flying into the second one. They crashed against
the wall, but the one with the pipe showed that he had been in fights
before, and wouldn't go down as easily as she would've thought. He came
towards her again, swinging a little more precisely. She side stepped,
letting him go by. She grabbed his arm, pinned it against his throat,
and applied a type of cross-face hold, generating a great deal of
pressure on his neck.

He gasped for a decent breath as Shampoo turned them around to face the
other one, who was just now getting back to his feet. He noticed how
caught up his friend was and pulled of a switch-blade.

Shampoo squeezed tighter suddenly. "Tell him no go, or you not go from
here walking straight," she said dangerously. Using his free armed, he
waved him off frantically. (Stupid. Shouldn't resist me. . .or else.)
Just a little more pressure, and his neck would snap like a twig. "Now
do as say or I kill you." Shampoo's head throbbed suddenly.

--She was straddling Ranma in the huge bed, the 
--Akane doll in her left hand. Just a little more 
--pressure, and her neck would snap like a 
--twig. "Do as Shampoo say, or I kill Akane."

Shampoo's mouth went dry. Her head pounding out her heartbeat. Her grip
on her attacker slackened.

Several moments went by before Shampoo shoved the man forward towards
his buddy. "Go!" she shouted, her shrill voice bouncing off the
buildings. They made a hasty departure. Shampoo sank to her knees, her
heart feeling very heavy. (Why.. . .did I. . ?) She looked at her hands.
They were shaking. (When did. . .) She swallowed hard, a feeling coming
over her she never felt before, one she didn't understand.

A loud horn of a car brought her attention back to the present. Somewhat
vacantly, she took the pipe out of her bike's spokes and took off to
complete the delivery.

-----------------

"Why hello, Ranma! Its been some time since I've seen you. I was just
about to. . .," tofu trailed off noticing Ranma carrying a girl -very-
carefully. "Is there an emergency?" he asked, clearing the main door for
Ranma to come in.

"Not exactly," he said, his voice heavy with guilt. Warning lights went
off for Tofu.

"Bring her in to the room, Ranma."

Ranma knew exactly what room he meant too. The girl clung to Ranma a bit
as he navigated the office. "It's okay, he's a great doctor," he said
trying to re-assure her. She seemed to accept that, and Ranma sat her
down on the bed. Tofu came in behind, and shut the door.

"So what happened?"

"Well, we were walking in the market, and we crashed. . and-"

"You crashed into me, baka!" she shouted.

Ranma gulped. "Yeah, uh. . .I did. . .and when I tried to catch us we
both went down. She hit some steps."

"Oh my. Well," he turned to the girl. "My name's Tofu, this is my
clinic." he said with a smile. "What's your name?"

Ranma realised he never asked her name. 

"It's Heiko."

"Hello Heiko. Now does it hurt some where?"

"It always hurts somewhere," she snapped.

He just smiled as he sat on his rolling stool. "I figured when I saw the
brace Ranma was carrying with you. Did you hit something when you fell?"

Heiko was not used to such an openly polite doctor. All other doctors
talked to her with a piteous patronising tone. "Uh, my hips kinda ache.
. ." she said, putting her hands on her hips causing her to stick her
chest out unconsciously.

Ranma noted the volume once again, became red, then decided to wait
outside. "I'll uh, leave you alone. ..," he said, bolting.

Tofu watched Ranma depart with an amused smile. "Well, now. Why don't
you lay on your stomach and I'll check some of your muscles if they're
swollen."

========

Ranma sat in the waiting room, his mind flooding. (I made us fall,) he
concluded. (She was leanin on the crutch at an angle, and when I hugged
her, I moved the crutch and she lost her balance.) He hung his head,
covering his face with his hands. (I hurt a girl. A cripple girl.) He
groaned outloud. A door creaked open, and Ranma's head snapped up to see
Doctor Tofu walking out.

"Is she?"

"It's nothing serious Ranma. Just some bruises. You didn't make her that
way."

"Where. .?"

"She's sitting on an ice pack for a few minutes. She's more embarrassed
than anything else, Ranma. A lot of people would be if they fell."

"But, I mean, she. . .she's a. . .I mean, why wasn't someone helping
her? She had lotsa groceries. I mean, she was carrying too much for a
cripple. . ."

A silence so thick you could cut it filled the waiting room.

"Now Ranma, that's a very ugly word for handicapped people. Maybe
martial arts lets you think that way. . ."

"Think that way? I'd never strike someone to cripple them!!" Ranma
shouted.
His head hurt suddenly. "I'd never. . "

--Ranma hung in mid-air, pole-arm in left 
--hand over the form of Saphron. He 
--could see the spiral of the ice dragon 
--that the Akane-doll helped create, all
--he had to do was summon it and attack 
--Saphron with it. 
--Now.
--"HI-RYU-HYOU-TOTSU-PA!!!" 
--The powerful ice drill penetrated 
--Saphron's attack, froze him in ice. 
--Ranma watched in grim satisfaction as
--his body shattered.

Ranma looked at the floor. (I'd. . .never. . .)

"Now Ranma. I didn't mean to imply that you would. I know you wouldn't
intentionally damage someone. I'm just saying you probably shouldn't use
that word."

Ranma swallowed. "What word should I use?"

"Well, a lot of people don't even like the word �handicapped.' Many
people who are like this deal with it in different ways, and a lot of
them can get around just fine by themselves most of the time. Others
need help. She has nerve damage from surgery she had when she was young,
Ranma, so her right doesn't work correctly. Other than that, and a sharp
wit, she seems fine enough."

"I guess. . ."

"Ranma, if you couldn't kick, what would you do?"

"I'd, uh. . .punch?"

"Right."

Ranma began to understand what Tofu was getting at. His posture sagged.

"Ranma, everybody is different, and likes to be treated differently.
Handicapped people are no different in that respect. She might be a bit
sensitive about it, or she may not care at all. You don't treat everyone
the way you treat Akane, do you?"

 "So what should I do?"

"Well, she should be about ready, maybe you want to carry her stuff
home? I'm going to close shop for a bit. Heading up north for a little
while." Tofu turned and walked towards the back room. "Please lock the
door as you leave, Ranma."

With a loss for what to say, Ranma got up and headed for the room she
was in. He knocked softly.

"Come in," a tired voice said from the other side.

She was sitting up on the bed like when he left. Ranma slowly crept in,
not meeting her gaze. "Uh. . .feeling better?"

Once again, Heiko was a bit taken off guard. "Yeah, a bit. He said your
name was Ranma?"

"That's right."

"That's a weird name."

Ranma frowned a bit. "I guess. . ."

"I'm kidding," she sighed. "Hand me my braces."

Ranma walked over to the chair in the corner where he had set down the
stuff they were carrying. "Can I . . .walk you home?"

"So you can crash into me chest first again?" she asked, taking the
braces from Ranma. Ranma turned red.

"It's not like that!"

"I know, I know," she said, throwing her weight forward and standing up,
steadying herself. "Sure Ranma." she swept her hair over her shoulder.
"You can carrying this one, I think I can walk on one now." She handed
him back one of the braces.

He grabbed the rest of the bags in silence as she walked towards the
entrance.

==========

In the dark shadows, where little sound could be heard, a frail figure
stepped lightly around the room.

"Soon, Saotome. This strategy will remove you from the picture," a raspy
voice hissed. "Permanently!"

The figure shook a doll violently in one hand and a hammer in another.
"Then, beautiful Akane will look to me!"  For lack of a tree, Gosunkugi
nailed the doll to the wall, laughing darkly.

==========

Kasumi glanced up at the kitchen clock. (I wonder what's keeping
Ranma-kun?) Akane had been watching the stove with a starlight vigil.
(We'll need the groceries very soon. I hope he comes shortly. . .)

"Do you think its okay?" Akane asked in a small voice.

Kasumi came out of her thoughts. "We'll see, Akane-chan." (She's been so
low spirited since they all came back from China. There must be
something I'm missing here.)

==========

Ranma had been more or less following behind Heiko for most of the trip
watching her move. This was much to the annoyance of Heiko who felt like
Ranma was holding a leash or something. They went past the market on the
way back to the apartment where she lived.

"Would you stop waiting for me to fall, baka?" she finally said.


"Wha-?"

She stopped, balancing on her good leg and spun to face him. "I don't
need you to be my safety net, Ranma."

Ranma couldn't find his tongue, between her ridicule and her sudden
twist which he didn't think she could do. "I'm. . .so-"

"You're sorry? That's the story of my life. Why don't you. . ," she
trailed off unsure of what to say. Ranma looked quite pathetic with his
head down like that. (He's too cute. He needs to stop that,) she
thought, fanning her face a bit. "Oh never mind."

Ranma spared a glance up at her, and saw her looking around the area.
She pointed. "Hey Ranma, lets stop and get a drink over there."

"You want to rest?" he said. 

Mistake.

He chewed on his bottom lip as he heard her walk over to him, then elbow
him powerfully, forcing the wind out of him. (Uoof! She's stronger than
she shows!) He thought.

"I didn't mean to say that," he finally said after she had turned
around, his voice a bit airy still. "I've just never really been around
someone like you."

Mistake again. "Wait! I mean. . .oh, dammit. . ."

She turned around a bit more slowly this time. He was fumbling cutely
again. "Forget it, Ranma-san. Lets just get something to drink."

(After that elbow, maybe a bit of juice wouldn't hurt,) he thought.

"C`mon!" she called, moving along quickly.

"Hey! Wait up!"

========

A few minutes later, they were sitting under a table with a parasol at a
coffee shop. Heiko was enjoying a double shot, while Ranma knocked back
an orange drink can. Heiko looked up from her drink to Ranma, who was
looking out into the street. "Do you goto school around here?" she said,
sick of the silence.

"Yeah, up at Furinkan. Do you? I've never seen you there."

"No. I goto a private school at night."

"Why?"

"Cause when I tested and got put into a high-school, it was too far for
me to get to."

"Oh," Ranma said dumbly. "You live near here?"

"Yeah, an apartment a little up that way," she said, pointing up the
road.

"You live by yourself?" he asked, a little surprised.

"Why?" she shot back, leaning towards him and furrowing her brow.
"Interested in moving in with me?"

"Ack! No!" That was the last thing he needed.

"Why not? Don't want to take care of me?"

"What? No, that's not what I meant!"

"You've been trying to all day," she sighed, sitting back and drinking
her coffee.

(She's good with words, like Nabiki and Akane. . .) Ranma took a deep
breath. "That's not what I meant. I have three fiancees` already. I got
enough to deal with." He said a lot quieter.

Heiko almost gagged at that. "Th-Three?! You're kidding me!"

"It's true!"

"Is that why you're down here? Buying them presents?" she asked, a bit
disappointed at hearing the fiancee part. (He's not even wearing a ring.
. )

Ranma stood up suddenly. "Oh No! I forgot! I'm so late!" he knocked the
chair over trying to get across the walk when he slowed and stopped next
to Heiko.

"What is it?"

". . .I was gonna get groceries for Akane and Kasumi. .,' he said
dejectedly.

Heiko turned to face the where the sun had set. "Well, most of the
places are probably closed, by now."

"I know." (Akane's gonna kill me.) Ranma slouched.

"Okay, kid. I know where there's an all-nite Suupa." She stood up,
leaning into the brace. "Come on."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she said, heading towards the street. "Let's go. Its near where I
live."

Ranma's face worked for a second as he grabbed the bags and followed.
"If its closer, why didn't you go there?" he finally asked.

She frowned a bit. "They're not fresh like they are out here."

"Oh. . ." Ranma held the bags and his hands behind his head as they
walked. "How far is it?"

"Not far."

========

Akane sat at the table alone staring at the clock. Kasumi was in the
kitchen, cleaning some of what was left of the half made dinner, save
one dish. A dish of potatoes Akane had made all by herself with Kasumi
only directing. That dish sat in front of Akane, undisturbed.

(I wonder what happened to Ranma?) Akane wondered. (That jerk probably
stopped at Shampoo's to eat instead. . .) Akane slumped a bit at that
thought. (I worked so hard.)

Akane sat up suddenly. (What if something happened? Again?) Her mind
began to flood with a million and one possible �Ranma' situations, each
more bizarre than the last. She slumped again. (Why should I care what
happens. . ,) she tried to think with her usual hot temper.

It sure didn't seem very hot. She frowned at herself. She glanced at the
clock.

Over an hour and a half.

"Kasumi-oneechan. What's happened to Ranma?"

"I don't know, Akane-chan, but I'm sure he has a very good reason for
being late."

"What if he doesn't come home?"

Kasumi walked in the living room. "My goodness, Akane-chan. That's a
horrible thing to say."

"You're right," she sighed, slouching. "Ranma will come." Akane's head
throbbed.

--Akane rubbed her backside as the birdmen 
--yelled at her from the other side of the bars.
--"You'll stay alive, Kima says. You'll keep 
--Ranma in line if he tries to interfere."
--(Ranma,) she thought, (will come!)

Akane bent forward and held the sides of her head.

"Akane-chan, what made you say that?" Kasumi asked, kneeling next to
her.

"I don't know, Onee-chan. I was afraid."

Kasumi sighed. "Akane-chan, I think you should think very carefully
about what you just said. If your not ready to talk about it, that's
okay." She put her arm around her younger sister, hugging her gently.
"But if you can't talk to me, there are others here. . ."

Akane's throat was very tight. (Ranma, where are you?)

-----------to be continued

next, thin line part two.

Notes: this continuation was based on three things. One- to break the
newcharacter stereotypes. Two- the idea that Jyusendo had a more
dramatic and violent effect than the normal stories. More bad flashbacks
will follow. Three- to have fun. The question i'd like answered in C&C
is: do you want to read more?

C&C welcome
ryougaecho@abraxis.com
http://www.ryo-oh-ki.net