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Title: The Countdown to Matrimony (Ch. 2 of Part 5)
Anime: Ranma 1/2
Author: Denise Cameron aka Elena99
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Chapter Two: Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts

"You may touch me in dreams but they don't stay
(today, I'm gonna have to say)
How am I gonna face the light of day?
(What have I done now?)" -- "You and Me", Ranma 1/2

Dr. Tofu stared down at the link between the two blankly, watching as
their auras danced and flickered. There had been a change, in Akane's.
It could move higher now, and it hadn't backed down. Grimly, he
wondered if it could, and if it was hurting her to stay up like that.

_It can't be hurting her...as long as this doesn't last too much
longer, it shouldn't..._

"How long, please, Nabiki?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of them
for a second. If it went on too long, he'd get Ranma out of there.
He'd press the ki points on Akane, and stop her flow long enough to
unsnare Ranma. From there, he could get him back fairly easily, though
he'd be exhausted.

And their efforts would be in vain...

"He's been out for an hour and seventeen minutes," came the
emotionless voice of Akane's older sister. He frowned, wiping away
beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead.

_They should be fine for another few hours...something happened to
Akane, though...her ki is...different. This is not what Jinsu said it
would be like...maybe it's the difference in age and experience,
but..._

"Doctor?" called a male voice from the side of the room. It was full
of concern and anxiety, and belonged to Akane's father.

"Yes?" He knew what the question would be. He was tempted to ask him
to leave the room, but he knew it wouldn't really help. Plus he had a
right to be concerned, and certainly had a right to be in the room
with his daughter.

"Is there...any change?" Sighing, the doctor shook his head, but tried
not to look too displeased for the sake of the others.

"Slight, but...I don't know what it means yet. Just...hold on."

Silently, he watched as Akane and Ranma's auras flickered, playing
with each other. The only sound in the room was the light, comforting
white noise of the ceiling lights, humming in a low, unconcerned
drone.

* * *

The previously silent false Tendo dojo was now alive with noise, as
the child Ranma ran around the room, grunting, kicking, running off
the walls, and making ridiculously overly-done noises in the process.
The older, real Ranma watched him in confusion and slight irritation,
standing in the middle of the room. The boy was so unconcerned, now
that it was set free. He ran and trained with a passion that Ranma had
near forgotten he had for martial arts, in the past week. It made him
want to stop the boy, hold him down, tie him up if need be, but a
small part of him decided to let him have his fun. If he left him
alone long enough to think, it could be helpful.

_Now that the brat is running around...how do I get to Akane?_

Suddenly remembering something the kid had said earlier about Akane,
he jumped to the side of the dojo just in time to trip his younger
self, stopping his forward motion. The gi-clad boy tumbled to the
ground and looked up at Ranma with an expression of severe annoyance.
The older Ranma returned the look with interest, and shook his head.

"Hey. You said somethin' about Akane earlier? Where is she? How do I
get her here?"

_If he's really me...he's gotta be concerned about Akane too...right?_

The boy got up slowly, straightening his gi, then stared up at Ranma
with large, blue eyes. Ranma cringed, wondering if that was the
expression he had given people as a child when he was annoyed. It
was...pathetic almost. But he reasoned it was because it was coming
from a child. There was also determination in those eyes, which was
still around in the older Ranma.

"She's near. Ohhh...she...she found it! She discovered the link!" he
said, his face suddenly beaming. Eyes widening, Ranma watched as his
younger version cartwheeled happily around him, giggling as it did so.

"Where is she? Call 'er here!" ordered Ranma, suddenly feeling the
longing to find Akane intensify. It had been so long since he had seen
her...really seen her. And here was this brat that was supposed to be
him, cartwheeling happily and not giving him information. It really
irritated him, and made him want to throttle the kid, if he didn't
look so much like him.

"Hmm...I can't. I don't think I can...but I'll try! Right, I'll try,"
he said simply, sitting down on the floor cross-legged. Not wanting to
look down to talk, Ranma sat down across from him, not taking his eyes
off the kid. The latter closed his eyes, his expression looking firm;
he was still holding that stupid stick from China in his lap tightly,
like a treasure.

"Whaddya see? Huh?" asked Ranma, his eyes intent on the boy. Opening
one eye, the boy frowned, shaking his head.

"Not see. Feel. Can't you feel her? Our real body is holding her hand;
our aura is touching hers. You can't...feel it?" The boy tilted his
head, his voice sounding oddly sympathetic. Growling, Ranma looked
away. He wanted to be able to feel her, to sense her, desperately. But
he could not.

_And he can? How's THAT fair?_

"Feh. If I could, why would I be asking you?" But he did close his
eyes too, and concentrated all his feeling on the hand that, in the
real world, was holding Akane. He fought desperately, trying to feel
her, to sense her, but he couldn't. Angrily, he let out a low growl
and opened his eyes. No Akane had appeared before him; no way to her,
no solution, nothing. All he had was the useless Tendo dojo, and a
brat with his face that claimed to be him. Bitterness welled up within
him, and Ranma scowled at the floor, feeling dejected.

"You didn't just give up, did you?" The accusation made Ranma turn his
head back to him quickly.

_Give up? The brat thinks I'd just give up? Of all the...!_

"What? I'd never give up!" he yelled, hands firmly on his knees. But
this just made the boy smile, as though reassured.

"Good. Cause...I think I have her. I'm callin' her." Immediately Ranma
jumped to his feet, hope suddenly springing up inside of him.

"What, really? No joke?" The boy smiled uselessly and closed his eyes.
Ranma felt as though he would go mad from the waiting, from the not
knowing.

_If that little runt's playin' with me, I swear to god, me or not, I'll
tear him limb from limb and..._

"She's coming. She's coming! I think she is anyway...she...she knows.
I think! I think, I think...she'll be...here. Soon. She'll be...here."
The boy spoke without rhythm and structure. Excited, childish, and
unconcerned. Ranma stood straighter, looking to the door of the dojo,
willing with every ounce of his being for Akane to hurry up and walk
right through it.

"You're sure?" he asked, barely recognizing his own voice. It was
lighter now; less sullen and cynical.

"Yeah. But...ya might not see her right away." Ranma spun around, a
tightness in his chest making the light feeling go away. Then he
remembered the doctor's words.

_He said we'll each be in our own world...see different things...I
gotta coax her into mine..._

"Tell me the second she's in the room. I gotta draw 'er in."

"You'll know, you'll know," said the boy, an impish grin on his face.

* * *

Akane was walking slowly forward now, holding the hand of the small
child who she knew was her. Despite this fact, or maybe because of it,
she thought of the child as being someone else. It was hard to really
know how to behave with a child who was actually her. Because it
wasn't, was it? She had never run into a situation like this before,
certainly. And the child seemed as lost as she was. So she held her
hand, and led her around, pretending somewhere inside of her that it
was actually her daughter. A daughter that bore an amazingly
remarkable resemblance physically and mentally to Akane at that age,
but a daughter all the same.

"What are you feeling now? Anything else?"

The girl had said that she had sensed something; like a martial
artist's danger sense, she guessed. But she hadn't been sure exactly
where it was coming from. However she had been fairly certain it was
Ranma. The implication had made her heart flutter, but she didn't want
to give in to hope too much. Yet. So they walked outside in the yard,
the girl pointing in the direction they were to go. Which was the
Tendo dojo.

It looked larger then it should, and newer. She guessed it was because
she was in the dream world; in her mind, the flaws were all erased. If
she concentrated, the familiar returned, but for some reason not all
the flaws were immediately restored. It was curious, and she wondered
if Ranma was in the world too, and experiencing the same things.

_Ranma..._

"It's stronger...here. The dojo! I think...in the dojo? Behind it?
Beside? But...the dojo. Yeah...," said the little girl, both uncertain
and excited. Nodding encouragingly, Akane tugged her hand, pulling her
forward. They walked over the soft, spongy green grass, coloured so
brightly that it was unrealistic. The sky above was a beautifully pale
blue, and not a single cloud blotched it. The sun, at high noon it
seemed, shone brightly down upon her. But the sun didn't hurt her
eyes. It was a phenomenon that left her feeling rather uneasy, and she
quickly walked into the dojo, closing the door behind them.

It was empty. As she looked around, she slowly began to fix it, adding
the cracks, and the altar, and the window. The fixed hole in the wall
that Ranma had punched a few weeks ago, the bits of cement in the
corner of the room that were usually there after she had been brick
breaking. Slowly, meticulously, she filled in every bit until it was
completely the dojo. Her dojo.

But still she felt empty. Walking into the center of the room, she let
go of the hand of the little girl, watching as she ran around it a few
times experimentally. She took off her straw hat, letting it fall
behind her on the ground, and laughed. Feeling oddly irritated at it,
the older Akane sat down, trying not to look at her younger self
having fun.

"How can you laugh at a time like this?" Akane asked, feeling the
emptiness inside her ache. Her younger version stopped laughing at
least, and ran up behind Akane, climbing over her shoulders and then
standing in front of her. Irritated by her immature behaviour, Akane
scowled, pushing her away.

"Don't be such an old lady," the little girl scolded. Feeling anger
well up but not wanting to release it at someone who looked like a
child, Akane merely sniffed and crossed her arms.

"Can you feel him?" she asked evenly, referring to Ranma. The kid
immediately sat down on the floor, crossing her legs despite the
skirt, and closed her eyes. Akane watched her curiously, the anger
slowly melting away.

_Did I really look like that when I was a kid? Act like that?_

"I can...sorta. It's....weird. Hey! Hey, hey...he's...hmm...," said
the girl in her odd, high voice. Curiosity piqued, Akane leaned
forward, eyes wide and hopeful.

"He's...?"

"He's...calling...to you. To us. Strange, but it's not...oh. Ohhh...,"
the girl smiled and began to laugh, as though she had just heard a
funny joke. Leaning back again, Akane fumed, feeling her patience
start to run out.

"What's strange?" she asked harshly. The girl slowed her laugh, and
began humming.

"Can't you feel it? I can feel it. And you're me, so..."

"Feel what?"

"Close your eyes silly. Feel."

Obediently, though hesitantly, Akane closed her eyes. She
felt...dizzy. And cold, despite that it looked to be quite a hot day
where they were. Her head swam with thoughts, and concern, and worry
for herself and Ranma, so she couldn't really feel. Not herself, only
her thoughts. Forcing herself into discipline, she sorted her
thoughts, boxed them, tried to put them aside. But then an image of
Ranma came up. His hair was dark, and shone; his eyes were full of
mischief, and his face had so much ignorant pride in it, that she
could swear he was boasting about something then and there. The image
was blurry, though; it had been a few days since she had really seem
him. Or maybe it was a week? Or more? She couldn't remember anymore.
His voice, too, was hard to recall correctly, and she felt sadness
start to well up in her.

_Shh, calm down...try to just feel. He might be here soon..._

She coaxed her mind into obedience, keeping her back straight,
concentrating on feeling. On the tingling of her aura, not useable
here, and on the link she knew she had to Ranma. Slowly, surely, she
thought she could hear something. But she wasn't sure what it was, or
if it was just her imagination.

"Akane!" The sound of Ranma calling her name, at once renewing her
memory of his voice, made her eyes open wide and she stood up in a
flash.

"Ranma?" she called back, looking around. But he wasn't there. The
child version of herself still sat cross-legged, humming and with her
eyes closed. She was alone in the room, aside from herself.

_He's not here..._

Glumly, she was about to sit down again, then a prickling of her skin
made her stand up straight.

"Akane? Akane can ya hear me?"

Her heart leapt. It was Ranma! He was really there! Somewhere at
least...she wasn't quite sure, really. His voice sounded like it
should be right beside her, but there was no one there. It didn't
sound like he was outside, either. It was too close. Confused, she
spun around, looking everywhere but not seeing him.

"Ranma? I can hear you! But I can't see you, where are you?" Then
there was a pause. Silence.

"I'm here! Listen, ya gotta come over here. You're in the dojo,
right?"

_It's Ranma! He's really there! He's..._

She was so happy that she didn't hear what he had said properly, at
least not right away. What did he mean by her going there? And how did
he know where she was? Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, she turned
towards where the voice seemed to be coming from.

"I'm in the dojo. Well, it's not the real dojo...where are you? I can
hear you, but...," she said softly, raising her hand as though wanting
to reach out and touch him. It hurt, that she couldn't see him. But
she tried to take comfort in the fact that he was at least there; they
had found each other again, after a fashion.

"I'm in the dojo too. Err, but it's my dojo, not yours...look, Dr.
Tofu says I gotta get you into my image. But if we're both in the
dojo..., he said, his voice sounding uncertain. Akane let her arm fall
limply as she realized that he had no idea how to do that. Sighing,
she looked towards the younger version of herself, still humming,
still looking lost in thought. Briefly, she envied her for her
carefree spirit; even now, she seemed relatively calm and in control,
while Akane was leaping from one emotion to the next like a
grasshopper. It was a whirlwind she could do without, and she had a
feeling it wouldn't be over soon.

"But if we can hear each other...shouldn't we be able to feel each
other?" asked Akane, the thought just occurring to her.

_Of course! I just need to reach out...and find him...if he's here..._

"Uhh...maybe. I don't really know. Stay still, okay? I'll try." To her
relief, his voice sounded more sure of itself now; obviously, he
hadn't thought about that either until she mentioned it.

"Okay."

Ranma had sounded straight in front of her; she reasoned that all he
had to do was walk forward, reach out, and...

But when after a few moments passed and she felt nothing, Akane sighed
and felt her hopes lessen.

"Akane? Hey, don't give up on me now," said Ranma, his voice coming
from behind her.

_He...he passed right through me..._

Slowly, she turned around to face the voice, shaking her head.

"You walked right through me. I was right there!" she cried, upset. A
ball of stress threatened to consume her as she stood, and Akane took
a step forward, feeling heat rising up inside of her.

_We're stuck like this...I can't get out...I..._

"Hey...hey you're not crying, are ya? Don't cry," pleaded Ranma.
Indignantly, she held her head high, not wanting to be crying. She
wasn't a little girl, and she refused to cry at the situation.

"I'm not."

"Good. Cause I'm gonna be needing ya. Listen...this uhh...might sound
weird, but...there's this guy here. He says he's me, and he looks like
me when I was a kid. He ripped the memory from my mind. Anyway, he
seems to have some sorta connection to you. Do you, uhh...feel that?"
Immediately she looked over to the little girl, and watched as she
smirked, obviously hearing.

"That kid is you, Ranma. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I think
it's something like your id. Or maybe ego. I don't really know, I've
had one since I was knocked out, though at first I thought she
was...something else," Akane said, not wanting to reveal to Ranma her
embarrassing error, despite that it was probably a natural coping
technique.

"Really? There's a mini-Akane over there?"

"Yes there is. And she seems to have a connection with you too...hey,
maybe it's really a connection to the younger you? I wonder...," she
said, walking up to the little girl and kneeling. She opened one
small, grey eye, and took in the older Akane curiously.

"Hey. He's there. Any ideas?" But the girl just shook her head, making
Akane frown.

"I can feel him. But...oh. Oh, he just had an idea. It might work...it
might, might, might work," she said, her eyes glinting as her voice
did a singsong.

"Ranma? Ranma did you hear that?" asked the older Akane.

"Yeah, she sounds just as annoying as mine."

"Not that, idiot! She thinks they have an idea," she replied, feeling
odd at calling Ranma an idiot when he technically wasn't even there.
Putting her head down, she sighed, looking at the floor. Ranma didn't
seem to notice the insult, and if he did, he didn't say anything about
it.

"Sounds 'bout right, this guy's hummin' like a friggin' tool." Looking
back to the girl, Akane knelt down, watching as she furrowed her brow
in concentration.

"What are you trying?" she asked her quietly. Slowly, surely, she
watched as the younger Akane took her hand and held it tightly, her
small hand disappearing in Akane's slightly larger one.

"We're gonna fade. But...it'll only last a minute. Just close your
eyes, and trust me. Ranma'll do the same."

"But..."

"Shh. Just do it." Skeptically, Akane gulped, then obeyed. An odd
feeling of melting came over her, and she was suddenly glad she had
sat down first.

* * *

"You want me to what?" asked Ranma, sitting down in front of the brat
and looking it squarely in the eye. He looked back at him smugly,
holding out his hand palm up, his eyes glinting.

"You wanna see Akane, don'tcha?" Ranma snorted, as though to answer
the question. Of course he wanted to see Akane. That's why he was
there, wasn't it? Though the brat wasn't being very straight-forward.

_Trust him, he says. Well me or not, I don't wanna trust some
kid...besides, I wouldn't trust me when I was a kid anyway. I was a
bratty little pain in the ass!_

"Of course I wanna see Akane."

Her voice was still ringing in his ears, and he found himself clinging
to it. Even when she had called him an idiot; it had all sounded so
familiar, so real, so...Akane. And she was there, somewhere. He knew
she was. He just had to get to her now, and then he could start
teaching. But first...

"Well?" asked the boy, his voice almost a whine. Sullenly, Ranma stuck
out his hand, taking the hand of the younger boy. It felt oddly soft;
he thought his hand would be callused, even at that age, but maybe it
hadn't picked the memory out so well.

"Just get 'er here."

"Yes! Here we come, 'Kane," said the boy gleefully. Then Ranma closed
his eyes, and felt himself melting into a fuzzy, swirling blackness.

Unlike the traveling, the feeling only lasted for an instant. It was
soft, and spongy, unlike anything he had ever felt before. He
understood now what the littler Akane had meant when she said fading;
that was exactly what it was. An emptiness inside of him was briefly
filled, and he felt as though he were swimming.

Just as he was starting to get used to it, he felt the wood below him
again, firm and cool and comforting. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and
the first thing he saw was his younger self, grinning widely. Behind
him, with her back to him, was a little girl who he had never seen
before. She wore a large, straw hat and a small red dress, and seemed
to be about the same age as the boy.

_That's the mini-Akane...so that means that..._

Leaning around to look beyond the kids, his eyes immediately targeted
on the real Akane, and for a moment he was driven speechless. She was
sitting, cross-legged, her eyes still closed. She wore a blue shirt
and white shorts, and sat with a confident posture, though on her face
she wore a frown. Her hair, short and tousled, looked like it could
use a good brushing, and she held the hand of the little girl tightly,
as though clinging for her life.

"A-Akane?" he called, breaking the spell and standing up. His voice
sounded so hollow, so far away. As though thinking her still a dream,
he took a cautious step towards her, and watched as her silver eyes
flashed open.

"Ranma!" she cried, getting to her feet. But once there she just
stared at him, as though struck by the same spell he had been when he
first saw her. He ignored the sound of the two kids, getting up and
running away to a corner of the dojo to play; he only had eyes for the
real Akane now, though he wasn't sure why she looked so dumbfounded.

But something didn't seem right. Her image wavered, and blurred, and
before his eyes he saw her clothing change. To her schooldress, to the
blue dress she had worn during the curse, to her gi, to his own red
shirt that he had put on her that time he had thought she was dead.
Blinking, he took a step back, then watched as Akane tilted her head.

"Ranma? What's wrong?"

Trying to calm down his mind, he forced the image of Akane to lock
back to the original clothing he had seen her in.

_Blue shirt, and...white shorts? Grey?_

"This's gonna sound odd, but...what are you wearing?" he asked, and
watched as Akane frowned, immediately looking down on herself.

"Blue shirt, white shorts. Don't tell me you still can't see me
properly? Is that why you're looking at me like that?" she asked,
sounding upset. But Ranma shook his head, concentrating on keeping her
appearance locked.

_I can't let her change...she might fade away. I can't lose her now._

"N-no. It just...you were...changin'. Am I changin'?" he asked,
looking down at himself. His clothing was staying the same blue shirt
and black pants, but he wasn't sure about what she was seeing.

"No...no, you're not," she said slowly, her voice low. He noticed that
she had tears in her eyes now.

_Oh great, did I upset her already? With the changin' thing? 
Dammit..._

"Listen, Akane I..." he began, watching as she took a step towards
him. But she was smiling now, and suddenly the tears made sense.
Slowly, carefully, as though scared he'd disappear if she went too
fast, she closed the short distance behind them

"Shh...it's alright. You're here now, and that's all that matters,"
she said, still looking at him with that same spellbinding expression.
She was so close now; he could reach out and touch her, if he wanted.
And he did want to touch her, to confirm to himself that she was
alright, and before him. That she was really there.

"I...I know," he said softly, feeling his hand shake. As though in
slow motion, he saw her reach out a hand, raising it to touch his
face. Standing still, he waited for the touch, torn between reaching
out to hold her, and being his usual non-sentimental self.

_But it's Akane...and I just found her...and..._

Just as her finger tips brushed his cheek, the sound of two small
bodies tumbling behind them broke the spell, as well as the light
giggling of children. Turning around, he glared at his younger self,
who was tumbling around the ground with the younger Akane, clearly in
the middle of a fight. Anger rose to heat his cheeks, and he heard the
real Akane sigh as she stepped up beside him, watching them. The spell
between them was broken, and she grabbed his hand calmly, squeezing
it. Despite that the moment was ruined, he felt an incredible rush of
relief at the feel of her hand. He held it tightly, realizing that it
was the first time in a long while that he got to hold it while she
was conscious. Gently, he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb,
then stopped as she felt Akane shake nervously.

"I was kinda hopin' they'd go away," he said after a moment, gesturing
to their younger selves. They were so completely in their own world
now, fighting, and playing, looking as though nothing was going to
tear them away from each other again.

"I think it's sweet. In a way. It's us, Ranma...isn't it?" she asked,
her voice full of wonder.

"Maybe," was all he'd commit to, not wanting to think about them right
then. Putting them aside, he turned around to face Akane. "I'm just
glad I found you again. I was...well, worried." Akane nodded, her
smile turning into a frown.

"I know. I was worried too," she said, though not looking directly at
him.

Of all the times he had hoped for this moment, had urged it to happen,
begged and pleaded, Ranma realized he had not once thought about what
he should say. Or what he should do, or how he should act. All he
knew, ever since the doctor had told him about meeting her like this,
was that he had to find her, teach her, and bring her back. Now
though, he found himself not feeling as anxious to get on with it.
Akane was beside him. Really there, really conscious, really...with
him. Wasn't she? He didn't want to rush into something else, try to go
back and possibly lose her again. If that happened, he knew it would
be just like the last time, when he thought she was awake again in the
room. He'd feel happiness, and relief, and peace, and then the pain
would be back. And the frustration, and sadness, and anger. He didn't
want to feel those things again. Looking over Akane's somber, familiar
face, he knew he couldn't lose her again. He just couldn't.

"I..."

_No, I can't tell her that...I can't tell her that I'm worried, or that
I'm not sure if this'll work._

"What is it?" Feeling oddly nervous under her gaze, he shook his head.

"Nothin'. I uh...was just thinkin'," he said, with no intention of
telling her his real thoughts. As though sensing this, Akane allowed
her gaze to drift to the children again. They were sitting calmly now,
looking at each other and talking. There was an odd innocence in their
eyes, a bond. Grimly, Ranma wondered if their inner selves were being
more truthful with each other then they were.

"How...how long has it been? How long have I been gone? You seem...you
act as though it's been a while," said Akane softly, and Ranma noticed
that he had been stroking the back of her hand with his thumb again.
Unsure if she disapproved, he stopped, his eyes going to the children
as well. Akane's hand shook slightly, then stopped.

"Nine days," he said, without having to count back. She nodded slowly

"I...had an idea of what was going on. Her, the girl...she was a voice
in my head. She could tell me things. She told me when you were
carrying me, when you were near, when Doctor Tofu was having you test.
But, she could never quite get a hang on time. It was always vague
guesses, and estimates, and sometimes I'd...I'd zone out. It was
always so...dark. I couldn't feel, couldn't see, couldn't do anything.
I just...waited."

Ranma felt a pang of guilt, knowing the frustration she must have felt
in that. The powerlessness. He was sure he'd go crazy under the same
circumstances.

"I'm sorry." He wished he could take it all back, take everything
back, somehow make it okay again. But he knew he couldn't. All he
could do was keep her safe, and hope that things would be okay once
they got back.

_If we can both get back..._

"It's not your fault, you didn't know," said Akane, turning back to
look at him. He turned his face back as well, and met her gaze.

"I mean, I'm sorry for takin' so long to get you." He heard Akane
gulp, and she nodded, trying to put a smile on her face.

"Oh. I knew you would come. You always come." The smile hit her eyes,
and Ranma felt himself melting, feelings of uncertainty slowly fading.

_I gotta teach her...and bring her back, with me...I gotta..._

"Listen, you...we...there's somethin' I gotta teach ya. To get outta
here," he said firmly, watching as Akane put a determined look on her
face, standing straighter.

"Why didn't you say so? What is it?"

_Cause I didn't wanna risk losing you...cause I wanna stay here with
you...cause if I go back, you might not be there and the doc won't let
me come back...cause I...I just wanna hold your hand, and know you're
alright, and not have to deal with the pain again...._

"Had other things on my mind. But c'mon, it's easy, and we only used a
few minutes anyway." Akane frowned, but didn't counter it. He had been
worried she would, and then he'd have to put his fears to voice. Then
his fears would become her fears, and then...

"Okay. Sit down, ya need to be able to close your eyes, and sorta let
yourself go," he said, letting go of her hand and sitting cross legged
on the floor in demonstration. She sat down as well, a pace in front,
and suddenly her clothing flickered again, changing to her yellow gi.
Panicking, Ranma's eyes went wide, and she shot him a curious look.
Then her eyes went wide as well.

"Ranma, you...your clothes changed!" she said, and Ranma looked down
to see that he was now wearing his spare gi. At first he just looked
at it, wondering how it had changed. He hadn't called about the
change, had he? But...

"Crap. I see you in a gi. Is that...?" She nodded, looking down at
herself.

_Maybe it's cause of where we are, and what we're doing...seems to be
staying like this, though..._

"I uhh...I think it's okay. You didn't change again, you're still in
the gi." He watched her face slowly compose itself. Sighing with
relief, he adjusted his legs, then sat straight with his hands on his
knees.

"Right. Well...I'm ready now. Show me." There was still a hint of
nervousness in her eyes. Ranma tried not to notice it, for fear that
it would spread to him.

"Okay, close your eyes...and listen..." The room slowly spun into
blackness as he closed his own eyes, a split second after watching her
do the same.

* * *

_Something has changed again...their ki...it's...closer? I wonder..._

Doctor Tofu scratched his head, squinting at what he was seeing
through his glasses. Something had changed again. It looked like it
was for the better, as though they had found each other, but he
couldn't quite tell. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead; he didn't
know if he should feel relief, not quite yet. But they had been
standing there so long...wasn't the change good? Shouldn't they be
allowed to assume?

"...Nabiki?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of them.

"Two hours, twenty-three minutes."

_Akane...Ranma...what are you two doing? Did you find each other?_

But the only answer was the constant, irritating hum of the white
lights overhead.

* * *

"First, push away your thoughts. Don't think, don't feel, don't worry,
just...be," said Ranma, remembering the instructions he had received
from the doctor, and voicing them as close as he could remember. Once
he felt that he had found his center, he opened his eyes slowly and
looked at Akane. This was oddly more familiar now, seeing her with her
eyes closed. He didn't want to admit it, but it was almost easier to
talk with her this way. Without wondering what she was thinking, or
feeling, about him. Without having to worry about scrutiny, or
judgement, or..

_Akane doesn't judge you, stupid...she's just...Akane..._

"Lemme know when ya got it," he said, watching as her nose twitched
slightly. He allowed himself to look at her; really look at her.
Sitting there on her own in front of him. Careful not to lose his
center, his eyes brushed over her face, her hair, her body, watching
as she fought to get her control. Her short hair was back in the
bandanna that she wore while exercising, and her worn out gi hung off
of her in some places, and looked like it was getting too small for
her in others.

_Why is she so important to me? Isn't she just a girl? Shampoo's much
more beautiful, and feminine, and she's not important to me...Ukyo is
a great cook, and isn't so hard on me, and she's not important to me
in the same way Akane is...what IS it about her?_

He found that he couldn't answer the questions that were coming to
him, but oddly wasn't worried. In his mind now, was clarity; he knew
the questions didn't really matter. All that mattered was them, and
the technique, and getting back.

_And I...like...no...love Akane...I've never loved anyone before 
her..._

Again, her face twitched, but she schooled it back to the firm,
determined face that she had been wearing. He completely missed seeing
the boy version of himself staring at him, curiously, with a frown on
his face.

"I'm ready," she said, and Ranma nodded, shaking away his self-
directed questions.

"Concentrate on the base of your ki. Try 'n feel all your muscles
around it, tense and release. You'll feel a flow," he directed,
feeling it easily in himself. If they could do this properly, he would
go back too, at the same time as her. But he didn't know if they could
get it at the same time. He had to make sure she did the last part
before he did, or else he might leave before her. And he'd have to
start the process all over again.

Akane's face shifted in concentration, and her body wavered slightly,
then regained control of itself.

_Good...good...she's gettin' it._

"I have it, I feel it...it's not flowing very fast, though," she said,
sounding worried. But Ranma shook his head.

"Don't worry 'bout that. It'll speed up. Okay this's the harder
part...ya gotta realign your soul with your body and mind. It's easy
in the real world, for me, but the doc said it might be harder, here."


"Right. How do I do that?" Ranma frowned. He didn't know quite how to
describe it. The doctor had described it, of course, but when it had
actually happened with him, it had felt different then what he said.
He had done things differently, as though improvising to achieve the
goal. Could Akane do that? He wanted to believe that she could; he
liked to believe his fiancee could do a lot of things, but knew it
wasn't true. They both had their limitations, though he was the last
to admit that he had many. This could easily be one of hers.

"This one is...sorta touch and go. Ya gotta concentrate on yourself as
a body, then yourself as a mind, then yourself as a soul. When the doc
told me that, I didn't understand it, but I was able to do it still. I
don't know how. I drifted off, and improvised, and then what I
did...was right," he said, his face looking nervous as he said it.
Again, he was glad Akane had her eyes closed; she'd stay more
determined, he was sure, if he could not see his nervous expression.

"Well that's awfully vague..."

"Can ya do it?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to try." Then she shut her eyes further,
and out of the corner of Ranma's eye, he saw both children silently,
somberly, approach them.


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