I...I really...Oh My God! I really did...I really did it...

* * *

Akane burst through the door of the Nekohanten. She looked around and caught the attention of Mousse, who was looking into the back room.

"He's in here Akane." Mousse said.

There seemed to be an edgy tone about him that Akane couldn't quite recognize. Sounded like stress.

Akane went towards the back of the restaurant and looked through the doorway. Shampoo was there kneeling down to the shadowy figure huddled on the cot there in the dark. She was speaking softly to him in Mandarin, but it looked like the figure wasn't responding. Shampoo looked up at the sound of another. Her eyes grew dark and dangerous at Akane. Not the normal way she looked, which Akane was used to, no, this was something almost primal.

"It your fault he like this." Shampoo said in her halting tone.

"My fault? How could him running out in the middle of a storm be MY fault? He-"

"It your fault for no listen to him!" Shampoo yelled at her, cutting Akane off in mid sentence.

Akane took a step back, she had rarely seen Shampoo this angry. Really not since the time she was wearing the reversal jewel. But now the anger was aimed directly at Akane.

"Shampoo have mind to-"

"That's enough!" The figure on the cot shouted, "No more...no more fighting..."

Akane could hear Ranma as he began to cry once again.

Akane thought to herself, How odd...So feminine...

Being caught in the rainstorm, it looked as though Ranma didn't even dry off or change back. Something must have really gotten to him.

Nodoka had returned. Ranma's mother also knew his secret and the secret of his father,Genma. Akane knew that Nodoka didn't like or approve of the situation, but she realized that without going all the way back to Jusenkyo, there was little she could do about it. Maybe this had something to do with her.

"Akane..." The figure said weakly.

Akane knelt down to Ranma. She HAD been crying.

"She...Sh-She.." And Ranma broke down once again.

"Shampoo, could you leave us alone for a minute." Akane asked.

"Shampoo leave you alone, but leave door open in case Ranma need Shampoo." The amazon said.

"Arigato."

The best she could hope for really. Akane turned her attention back to Ranma.

"You can tell me Ranma. Was it about your mother?" Akane asked.

Ranma only nodded, as if any more response would push him over the edge again.

Akane put her arm around Ranma's shoulders. Akane could feel the tension and tightness there. What could drive Ranma to be like this?

"What did she do? Please tell me Ranma...Is there something I can do-"

"He's dead." Ranma said, almost blandly.

"Dead?" Akane said in confusion, "Who's dead?"

"Father."

Akane sat up. What did he just say? Uncle Saotome was dead? This was incredulous.

"What? Wh-How? What happened..." Akane was still in shock.

"It was mom. She asked me a couple of nights ago if I really loved you or not. I couldn't give her an answer, though I'm sure of it now. She stormed off in a rage. I didn't see her again until this afternoon." Ranma said quietly.

Afraid to ask, "Then what happened?"

"I came home and the house was all quiet. I didn't even hear Kasumi anywhere. I just assumed that she was out shopping for dinner tonight, so I went to my room to put my stuff away. I heard some sounds coming from the dojo and my first reaction was that either you were home and practicing, or there might be an intruder. Either way, I could have some fun."

Akane considered his emotional state and swallowed the insult. There was a long silence. Akane could hear that the rain was letting up outside. Ranma started to shiver. Akane held him closer and tried to convey warm to her.

Ranma seemed to stir at this.

"When I got there, all I saw was blood everywhere. It was covering the walls...the floors...everything. And in the middle of it all, I could see my father. Lying in a heap in the middle of the dojo. His head was about a meter away. Mother was there and turned to look at me...She...She..." And Ranma started to break down again.

Akane tried to comfort and bring Ranma to tell her the rest of it.

"Please Ranma...What happened then?"

"She-She looked at me. Her eyes were almost the white of the sun. There was this white battle aura around her like a halo. Oh, Akane, I thought I was already dead. Then I saw the sword. Her family katana that she's always carrying around. It was dripping father's blood into a little pool at her feet. When she saw me, it looked like I had walked in on something, because she looked shocked that I was there. She started to say something, but I was just too scared. I ran. I-I ran..."

"Shampoo find him in park one hour ago. All wet. Shampoo bring him back here and not know what do. Mousse say call Akane. Shampoo think that right, even though Shampoo comfort Ranma, Ranma no want comfort. He say he want Akane." Shampoo said from the doorway.

"Arigato Shampoo. I'll take him home now." Akane said.

Shampoo nodded and left.

"We have to go now Ranma." Akane said to him.

"No!" Ranma shouted, backing more into the corner.

"Ranma, I know how you must feel, but-"

"No Akane, you don't know anything about how I feel. You never have. I just saw my own mother help my father with seppuku! You don't know how I feel...Akane...I'm sorry, just-just let me be for a while." Ranma said.

"No Ranma, I'm going to help you see this through no matter what. And confronting your mother is the first step." Akane said.

Ranma started to shake as he looked at the floor. Akane thought for a moment and decided what would be best. She reached out and pulled Ranma to her. Just holding him close.

"Don't worry Ranma. I won't ever let her harm you." Akane whispered.

She didn't even realize what she had just said until it was out, but Akane realized it was her true feelings for Ranma. Not just for him to be there when she needed him, but for her to be there when he needed her as well. His shaking calmed and Akane could feel the coldness lifting from Ranma.

"I love you Akane."

Akane felt those words reach her like a rush of wind. She felt dizzy, but knew that Ranma was still suffering. She shifted her weight around to her right and started to rock him gently.

"I love you too Ranma. I love you too."

* * *

The sunlight of the waning dusk swarmed in to the open dojo. Nodoka sat there. Her beautiful white kimono was stained all down the front with the blood of her husband. She hadn't meant for Ranma to walk in on the ceremony, but she was almost glad that he did. She knew that Akane went to him. He would be just fine. She hated the fact that for so long Ranma lived in fear of his own mother because of his curse, now , at least, he had a reason to hate her. She could live with that, if it meant that her son had finally stopped being his father. She looked over to Genma's corpse.

"I'm truly sorry dear, but this was the only way. Ranma will survive. You taught him well my love." She said quietly.

Nodoka shifted the katana in her lap to the side. She would leave as soon as she explained herself to Soun. He deserved that much. Nodoka looked to the east, the sky darkening with the onset of night.

Perhaps my own training trip to China, She thought.

She reached to her left and stroked what had once been Genma's bald head.

"Your promise is now fulfilled my dear."

Nodoka smiled.