This is the sequel series to Vengeance, and carries on after its events. 
If you haven't read it yet, don't hesitate to email me for it.

Most of the characters within the story are from the Anime Series, Ranma 
1/2 and are property of Rumiko Takahashi, and whoever else may own the 
rights. I write this without permission and do so with no attempt to 
profit off of the marvelous works. Rather, I do so for everyone's 
benefit. Please enjoy and tell me what you think.

Notes:  <Japanese>
        "English"
        'Thoughts'
	*Radio/intercom messages*



A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction: A New Life
        Part One: Awakenings
                by Ryan Erik



	With a glazed donut held delicately in his mouth and a cup of coffee in 
his left hand, Officer Joseph Martinez shifted through his pocket for 
his keys. Upon finding them, he unlocked the door to his patrol car and 
he sat down in it setting his cup on the dash board. He took a large 
bite out of his donut and placed it next to his coffee.
	Martinez sighed in contentment, there was no place better in all of 
California to be a Highway Patrol Officer, than Big Sur. Between the 
beautiful scenery, the fresh air and the friendly people, he definitely 
did not take working here for granted. There was rarely ever much going 
on, especially where he patrolled. There was nothing but mountains, 
forests and animals in the area.
	He was still thanking God for his seniority, which allowed him to pick 
Big Sur as his place of work. This enabled him to work out of his house, 
with only one other officer under him. He, his wife and his two kids all 
loved it out here. It seemed like it was an escape from reality, 
compared to where he used to work. Los Angeles was not a forgiving place 
for rookie police officers, and he had seen enough of its violence.
	*27-14, Monterey.* His car radio sounded just as he was about to take a 
sip of his coffee.
	He lifted his car radio's microphone and responded, "Monterey, 27-14."
	*We have a RP Reporting a possible explosion in the area of Andrew 
Molera State Park.* 
	"10-4. I'm responding from the River Inn code 3." He rolled his eyes, 
and stuffed the entire donut into his mouth, trying to finish it as fast 
as possible. He took a large sip of his coffee, started the engine, and 
turned on his car's siren.
	He backed out of the River Inn's parking lot and started in the 
direction of the state park. It was camping season, but so few times did 
anyone actually call for the police, let alone for an explosion. He was 
quite startled. "Something to do, I guess," he muttered.

	Martinez arrived in the area of the reported explosion, and after 
questioning a few of the campers who were nearby, he walked towards the 
location where it had taken place. His jaw dropped open in surprise when 
he saw that a fairly decent sized area had been cleared of trees and was 
now smoking harmlessly. He came closer and examined the area, seeing 
that there was a large indentation in the ground, looking as if it had 
been made by a meteor.
	Martinez went back to his patrol car and picked up the microphone, 
"Monterey, 27-14. I'm 10-97."
	*27-14, Monterey,* dispatch returned.
	"I see smoke and a large area of trees have been leveled. There could 
be a possible fire hazard. Roll fire." The last thing he wanted was to 
see part of Big Sur go up in flames. Martinez hoped that the smoke was 
just the remains of the blast, and not smoke caused by fire.

	The State Park Rangers, Big Sur Volunteer Fire Department, and Monterey 
County Sheriff's Deputy all arrived at the scene within a few minutes 
time of each other. Martinez led them to the site of the explosion and 
the firemen started hosing down the area that had been affected. They 
all began to search the area and its surroundings for a possible cause 
of the explosion.
	"Hey, Joseph!" Officer Daniel Stevenson, his partner (and friend) who 
also worked as the only other Highway Patrolmen for all of Big Sur, 
called out in hello. Martinez turned and greeted his friend, and he 
explained the situation briefly. "Let's get closer to the cliff."
	The two went to the edge of the cliff and gaped at the huge area of the 
ledge that had been torn apart. "Wonder what kind of bomb did this..." 
Martinez cautiously made his way to the edge, looking down over towards 
the bottom. "This looks like where the bomb made its greatest impact."
	They searched the area below with their eyes, and Martinez spoke up, 
"It looks like some of the rocks fell down over there. We should 
probably go check it out." Stevenson nodded and the two went around the 
cliffs and split up, combing the ground in search.
	Martinez's heartbeat quickened when he saw a prone figure on the floor, 
face down. He picked up the receiver on his collar and spoke over the 
radio. "Monterey, 27-14. I've located a possible victim of the 
explosion. I'm northwest of the site. Can you respond fire and ambulance 
to my location?"
	*27-14, Monterey. 10-4,* the dispatcher replied.
	Stevenson rushed over to partner and looked at his finding. Martinez 
knelt to the floor, and put his fingers over the figure's neck, checking 
for a pulse finding a very slow one. Within a few moments some of the 
firemen came down and checked the victim turning her over very 
carefully. After a few moments of examination, they spoke to the 
officer. "She's alive but in critical condition. Can you call for a air 
lift?" Martinez nodded.
	"Monterey, 27-14. Can you respond Calstar, per fire, to our location?"
	The Highway Patrol dispatcher then replied, *27-14, Monterey. 10-4.*
	After about ten minutes, the Calstar helicopter arrived taking the 
victim to the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.

		*		*		*

	Beep. Beep.
	Claws and teeth met him as he was lowered into the pit. His screams of 
terror were met by reassurances that went unheard. The smell of fish 
sausage filled his lungs, pumping furiously. He violently tugged against 
his bonds, but his strength was that of a child. Nothing he could do 
would save him from his fate.
	Pain seethed through his body as he felt, not the bottom of the pit, 
but steel that cut him like fire. His whole existence was threatened by 
the agony of his skin being sliced. He dared not open his eyes to look 
at the miserable beasts that now attacked him, but he kept his lids shut 
tightly protecting them.
	Beep. Beep.
	The attacks stopped, but the pain lingered on. He drew in ragged 
breaths and thought he was finally being lifted out by his father. The 
cold surface that his wounds were pressed up against told him otherwise, 
and he dared to open his eyes.
	His vision was met with darkness, and he scanned trying to see if the 
c... c... to see where the terrible creatures went. He thought he saw 
his father and called out, <Papa?>
	Terrible laughter, followed by an approaching figure, were what he knew 
next. Who was this person? Walking close to the boy's tied up body, he 
spoke, <Not your father, Ranma. I am definitely not your father.>
	Beep. Beep.
	Who could this man be? He tried to look at the man's face, but it was 
too shadowed to see clearly. The laughter resumed, terrorizing the child 
even more. <You put me through hell, Ranma! Now you are here forever!> 
The person walked into the light, but Ranma failed to recognize him, 
though he did seem familiar. The yellow and black spotted bandanna tied 
around the man's head stuck out in Ranma's mind.
	<Now, face your worst fear!> To Ranma's pure horror, the figure's 
clothes fell off looking like they had been completely shredded, 
replaced by fur. Hair protruded from his face, and the man's teeth grew 
jagged and long. Ranma screamed again. Eyes wide open, the little boy 
watched as the man turned into a very large feline bearing the familiar 
yellow bandanna.
	Beep. Beep.
	Ranma was on the verge of unconsciousness when someone's yell took the 
cat-man's attention. A blur of a figure jump kicked the cat-man turning 
into a mist and fading out of existence. Ranma's stunned expression 
refused to change as a girl with long black hair walked over to him, 
kneeling down. She untied him and picked him up, leaping out of the pit 
that he had originally been tossed down. <It's going to be okay, love.> 
His pain slowly died down, and he tried to figure out what had just 
happened. <Don't worry. I won't let them hurt you ever again.> Young 
Ranma smiled at his savior's beautiful face as she reassured him. He 
believed her. <I'll make everything okay.>
	He felt himself being lowered down and placed on a very soft bed.
	Beep. Beep.
	He felt her warm lips kiss his forehead.
	<No one will ever hurt you again.> Never to be hurt again. Never to be 
thrown into a pit of c... No, never again. <I promise you. Together we 
will make things right.> He felt her warm hand press against his cheek 
softly. <My Ranma-chan.>

		*		*		*

	Beep. Beep.
	Ranma's eyes slowly opened and she still felt the warm hand against her 
cheek. <Never again,> she muttered, barely audible to even those with 
the best hearing. She drew in a breath slowly, taking in the odd, cold 
air.
	Beep. Beep.
	She looked over to the origin of the beeping noise. A machine. It 
looked like one of those things that they had in hospitals on TV. There 
wasn't much light in the room, but what little there was hurt her eyes. 
A dull ache formed in her head and she faced the ceiling before closing 
her eyes once again. <Never again.>
	<Never again.> The voice of her savior was deeper. Much deeper. A hand 
pressed up against her head, relieving some of the tension that she had 
there. <Never again will anyone hurt you. I will not allow it.> The 
silky smooth hands that her savior possessed were now a little rougher 
and stronger, but they still felt gentle. Lovingly gentle.
	She let herself drift off into unconsciousness once again, but this 
time she dreamt pleasantly. Her nightmares were far from finished with 
her, but for the moment they were replaced with restful sleep.
	Beep. Beep.

		*		*		*

	"Amazing." Doctor Michael Chang looked at the charts that he held in 
his hands. "Simply amazing." He walked into room 24 that had two 
occupants, not counting the patient who slumbered as she had the last 
time he had seen her.
	"Hello, Doctor." The nurse beamed a broad smile at him. Her eyes, 
sparkling at him, were a light green and she had her blonde hair back in 
a pony-tail.
	'What was her name? Oh yeah, Connie.' "Hello, Connie." She giggled at 
her recognition and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. 
He glanced over the charts on more time and then looked up at the young 
man that was seated on the edge of the bed on which his patient lay. The 
man didn't seem to notice the Doctor's presence as his eyes never left 
the girl's face.
	"Hello, Mr. Nishiyama?" Dr. Chang looked at the young man not wanting 
to bother him, but he approached him anyway. "Your Kiyoshi Nishiyama, 
correct?"
	Without moving in the slightest, the young man responded, "Yes, I am 
he." His voice had a very slight Japanese accent, but it was so slight 
that if one weren't listening for it wouldn't be noticed. "Your Doctor 
Chang, I presume?"
	"Yes, I am." Dr. Chang looked over the charts again, and addressed Mr. 
Nishiyama again. "So your Miss Kimiko's brother?" Dr. Chang received a 
nod for his question and he continued. "Well, as you know your sister 
has been in coma for quite a long time. When she finally comes to long 
enough to talk to anyone, her memory could be fragmented or she could be 
suffering from amnesia. It is often common with cases such as these." If 
Mr. Nishiyama heard, he did not respond. "We're very lucky that she has 
woken up at all. Six years is a long time."
	For the first time the man looked Dr. Chang's way, staring at him 
unblinking. His eyes were of a steel-gray, and his hair was long, down 
passed his shoulders a foot, and very black. His handsome features 
seemed godlike, with the sun's light shining in from the window's, 
seemingly glowing. His skin was perfect, not a flaw visible, and his 
gaze was unnerving. "It can be a very long time, especially when waiting 
for loved ones to regain consciousness."
	"Yes, that it can be." Dr. Chang set down the girl's charts on a table 
and was about to speak again when the girl shifted in her sleep. They 
both turned to her, the doctor walking over to the unoccupied side of 
her bed. "Miss Nishiyama?"
	Her eyes opened. They were of the bluest of blues, resembling two 
beautiful sapphires sparking in the sun's light. Her face was pale, but 
flawless, like her brother's. While she didn't quite look a lot like her 
brother, she definitely shared his good looks. Her red hair was very 
long, but tied off in a pony-tail at the top with a thick piece of 
string. The notes on her charts specifically said not to remove it, so 
he did not question its presence. She sat up slowly, putting her right 
hand to her head with her eyes closed. <Can you please close the 
window?> Dr. Chang, not knowing Japanese, looked at her quizzically.


	<Of course, Ranma-chan.> Mr. Nishiyama stood up and walked over to the 
window, drawing the shades, before returning to his seat at his sister's 
side. She looked at him, then at the doctor and back again. She seemed 
confused, and it was justified.
	He smiled at the girl and picked up one of her hands in his. "She 
probably will not understand much English. If you wish to ask her 
something, I'll translate." The doctor nodded. He looked at the confused 
girl once more, <What do you remember?>
	Tears started to well up in her eyes as she looked like she was 
fighting back a torrent of emotions. <The pit... fish sausage...> She 
started bawling into her hands causing the two men to look down at her 
sympathetically. She looked up at Mr. Nishiyama and asked, <Who are 
you?>
	<I'm a friend, Ranma-chan.> The child-like innocence expressed on her 
face as she looked at him, tears glistening in her eyes, made him wonder 
if she remembered anything at all. But her mention of a pit and fish 
sausage pointed out that she remembered the Neko-ken training that her 
father imposed on her when she was a child. Being one of the more 
traumatic experiences in her young life, it was too bad that she had 
remembered that before her fonder memories.
	"Can you ask her if she is feeling well?" The doctor addressed him 
after the girl stopped sobbing. He nodded and asked her how she was 
feeling in Japanese.
	<My head hurts,> she answered. <Where's my papa?> She sounded like a 
child. Her voice was soft and was no louder then a whisper. He could 
tell that she was still trying to keep hold of herself, but was slowly 
losing her control to tears again.
	<Your papa isn't anywhere near here. It's just me.> That seemed to make 
her a bit more comfortable. <You do not want to see your father, do 
you?> She shook her head. "She says she's okay, but her head hurts a 
little. She seems to recollect a little bit about her childhood, but 
very little."
	The doctor looked a little relieved and spoke, "That is a good sign. 
She does not have amnesia, so she'll probably be remembering everything 
in time." He was about to say something else, when his beeper went off. 
"If you'll excuse me, I'll be back to check on her later." He then left 
the room, closing the door behind himself.
	There was a brief silence, which was cut off by Mr. Nishiyama's 
question. <Do you remember anything besides the pit and the fish 
sausage?> She winced, and closed her eyes. Her face contorted in fear 
and her eyes fluttered open again.
	<Where am I?> She strained, pulling herself into a sitting position and 
yawned. After a few blinks, she looked over at him again, meeting his 
stare. As if reading his eyes, she looked into them thoughtfully.
	<You are in a hospital.>
	She looked thoughtful, and yet still confused. <Why?>
	<That is not important at the moment. Let's just say that you had a 
nasty accident.> He considered what he would tell her and what he would 
let her remember on her own. A few things, such as Jusenkyo and her 
marriage to Akane, she would have to remember on her own. Hopefully they 
would come slowly, after she remembered other more pleasant things. <Do 
you remember your name?>


	<My name is...> The redhead stopped and looked down at herself for a 
second. 'Who am I?' The harder she tried to remember, the further the 
answers were from her. Then it hit her. Memories of her early childhood 
flooded into her mind. She recalled her father's face and how he looked 
down at his son. He was so very proud. 'Proud of me.' With her right 
hand she felt her chest, finding the size of her breasts quite 
startling. <I'm... a girl.> It wasn't a question, rather she was trying 
to convince herself.
	<So you remember who you are now?> the man asked after a minute of 
silence. She looked at him. He was so unfamiliar, but his presence felt 
reassuring. The look on his face expressed genuine concern, yet she 
didn't recall meeting him.
	Memories of being a youth, traveling around with her father, running 
from the police and other things, came back to her in clear detail. She 
remembered clearly that she was a boy when she was a child, but obvious 
anatomy differences in her current physique clashed with her memories. 
She even remembered acting like a man, not hitting girls, and her 
father's promise to her mother about making their son a 'man amongst 
men.'
	Images of her mother appeared in her mind, of when she was a small 
child and from recent times. This sparked other memories. <Ranma 
Saotome, of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts.> The man 
beamed at her, and she grinned back. <Can I have a mirror?>
	Looking around, the young man found a mirror on a nearby table and 
handed it to her. She held it up with her left hand and looked at the 
face in the mirror. It was a stranger, with a beautiful face, long 
bright red hair, and a cute smile. The smile turned to a frown and she 
looked up at the man. He looked back at her with no visible emotion.
	<Oh, god! Akane! How long have I been here, and where's Akane?!> Images 
of the beautiful, raven-haired girl, hitting and kissing her, suddenly 
made her nervous. Ranma thought that if anyone would have waited for her 
to wake up, it would be Akane, not a strange man.
	With eyes cast upon the floor, the man lowered his head. <I assume you 
remember everything then?> She nodded and waited for him to answer, 
suddenly thinking that she wouldn't like what he had to say. <You've 
been in a coma for nearly seventeen years, and Akane is safe at Tendo 
training hall.>
	Denial saved her from going into complete shock. She looked at the 
mirror in her left hand, gazing at her youthful face. She put her hand 
through her hair, which was a little bit knotted but still seemed as if 
it had been brushed and cleaned recently. Seventeen years would have 
made her thirty five years old. How could she be thirty five and still 
look this young? <Your lying! You wouldn't have been more than two when 
I fell into the coma!> She tried to keep her voice down, to not attract 
unwanted attention. This was getting strange. What she needed was some 
how water, her clothes and a meal.
	<I'm afraid it's true. There's a lot more that you need to know about, 
which I will tell you later. For now, I want you to rest.> He put his 
left hand on her forehead, his right pressing a point between her 
breasts. For an instant, a wave of unnatural heat coursed through her 
body, relieving all of her tension. Moments later, she was fast asleep.

		*		*		*

	After hitting Ranma's sleeping pressure point, Mr. Nishiyama knew that 
she would be out for the rest of the day so he left the hospital. He 
would have to conclude his business very quickly to make it back before 
she woke up. Finding his car, he turned on the engine and listened to it 
hum for a few seconds.
	He was still a new driver; though, he quickly mastered it like 
everything else in his life. He drove for a quarter of an hour, and 
found himself near a gorgeous bay. His eyes never left the street, nor 
did his concentration ever leave the task of driving safely. It didn't 
matter much, as he had seen the beautiful bay many times in this chapter 
of his life. When he had first arrived here, he was amazed at how 
beautiful an area could be. The smell of the sea and of fish, drifted in 
the air making it pleasing just to breathe.
	Arriving at his destination, he found a parking space large enough for 
his car and parked. He walked down the street and entered the Monterey 
Bay Aquarium, finding the shark exhibit quickly due to his familiarity 
with the building. He arrived there on time perfectly, and walked up 
behind his associate.


	Theodore McArthur glanced at his wrist watch with mild impatience. 
Quarter passed ten. He was expecting his boss at any moment. Though he 
now stood in a place that could be called very peaceful, his anxiousness 
seemed to be getting the better of him.
	The Monterey Bay Aquarium was an excellent spot for business meetings 
of nearly any kind due to its accessibility and quiet atmosphere. Taking 
a deep breath, Tedd watched a rather large tiger shark swim along the 
glass in its tank. Its black spots were easily visible as they rubbed 
across the plexy-glass window.
	A little over a year ago, his old employer, Mr. Nobukazu Nishiyama, 
died of natural causes leaving his estate and little over a billion 
dollars in assets to his adopted son Kiyoshi. There was no dispute to 
the claim for Kiyoshi was a very able businessman and investor who had 
worked up the ranks of Nishiyama Inc. over the past five years. Tedd 
worked under the young man for nearly as long.
	There was only one problem; Kiyoshi Nishiyama almost never had private 
meetings with anyone, preferring nothing to be secret. Exactly why Tedd 
was called to this private meeting they were about to have, he had no 
idea. Mr. Nishiyama's lifestyle was a blank. No one knew much about him, 
where he came from, or anything else that would help one understand 
another. All of this made Tedd overly anxious to get this meeting over 
with.
	"Tedd?"
	His eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, Tedd turned around to 
stare face to face with his boss. "Good day, Mr. Nishiyama," he greeted 
and they shook hands.
	Standing nearly a foot under his boss, Tedd looked up at his friend and 
colleague. Something was the matter with him, and Tedd knew it. He had 
never seen him so tense.
	"I want you to take over the operations for a while." Mr. Nishiyama 
said, eyes looking over towards the tank. "I have some personal business 
to take care of that will consume most of my time."
	"Understood, sir. Take all the time you need." So that's what this was 
about. Mr. Nishiyama actually had a life. Though it surprised him, he 
figured Kiyoshi would need time off sooner or later with the hours that 
he had been pulling off.
	"Very good, Tedd. I'll be expecting your best as always." Mr. Nishiyama 
then turned and left.
	"Of course, sir." Tedd said as he watched his boss' departing figure. 
It was time to prove his loyalty and worth. He would not let his boss 
down.

		*		*		*

	Young Ranma looked at his savior as she carried him, cradled in her 
arms. Her long black hair swayed as she gracefully jumped out of the 
pit, landing on the edge. Daring not to open his eyes to risk catching a 
glimpse of his father or any of the other terrors that might jump out at 
them, he clutched at her tightly as she walked with him. Her fragrance 
smelled like flowers in full bloom, and her soft touch soothed his 
nerves. He started to feel drowsy, but would not fall asleep.
	<Who are you?> he whispered into his savior's ear. He opened his eyes, 
looking at her once more. A smile came to her lips and she looked down, 
shushing him.
	<Don't worry, little one. You are safe now.> Her steady pace lulled him 
into the gentle grasp of sleep.

	His eyes opened slowly, beholding his savior's magical features. The 
smile that touched her lips reassured him that he was safe, and wouldn't 
be troubled by anything wanting to cause him harm. <Good to see you 
awaken, little one.>
	<I'm not little. I'm ten!>
	<Of course, you're not, Ranma-chan. Of course, you're not.> She leaned 
over his prone form and kissed his forehead, the warmth from her lips 
spreading over his body. <No one can hurt you here as long as you let me 
help you. You do want my help, right Ranma-chan?>
	His eyes wide with innocence, he looked at her with full trust. He 
nodded silently to her, and she pulled him up into a hug, kissing his 
cheek. <Are you my mommy? Poppa said that she had was really pretty like 
you.>
	She let him lay back down looking at him, consideration in her eyes. 
<No, Ranma-chan. I'm not your mommy, but I'm closer to you than her. I 
will never let you get hurt. Your mommy let you go with your Poppa a 
long time ago. She loved you, but not as much as I do.> Ranma looked 
into her sparkling green eyes gazing down upon him.
	<I love you too!> He sat up and hugged her as tightly as he could. He 
felt her hands stroke his hair fondly before they let each other go. An 
ache in his head caused him to moan in pain. <My head hurts,> he 
complained.
	<Don't worry, hun. You're starting to remember. It will be over very 
soon.> She rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. Suddenly, it hit him. 
Nearly ten years of memories cascaded into his conscious memory causing 
him to scream in pain. She hugged him close again, but he did not notice 
through his agony.
	His life played out before him, but he was just a spectator this time. 
Memories, fond and horrible alike, resurfaced from his subconscious 
tearing his very existence. Though it seemed like an eternity, it was 
over in a few seconds, the pain dying down. Fresh tears covering his 
face, he looked at the girl who still held him tight.
	<Who are you?> His memories had returned to him; he was no longer a 
child. Feeling very conscious of how close he held a beautiful young 
girl, he gently pushed her back.
	<I am a lost soul who has found a home after a thousand years of 
waiting.> Her familiarity startling him, he intently stared at her in an 
attempt to realize who she was. As if reaching into his subconscious, he 
recalled seeing her before. It was no more than a flash at the time, but 
the instant he touched Nyanniichuan's cold waters, he saw her.
	<I saw you in Jusenkyo! You were near me when I...> Ranma looked at the 
girl again. <..when I fell in Nyanniichuan,> he finished slowly. <Are 
you cursed too?> Her mood changed from amused to solemn with his final 
words.
	She nodded her head slowly looking into his eyes. <I was, but not in 
the same manner as you were.> She sat down next to him on the bed and 
laid back, putting her arm around him. <Your going to wake up soon now, 
Ranma-chan. The man out there is going to help you. Trust him; I promise 
he won't hurt you.> She kissed his cheek again. <Close your eyes now.>

		*		*		*

	Ranma opened her eyes, remembering the dream clearly. Seeming so real, 
she actually remembered the smell of the girl's hair and her smooth, 
soft skin. She was beautiful and strange, yet very familiar. She 
appeared to be protective, as if she were her mother, yet there seemed 
to be a deeper love there than a motherly one.
	She tried to make out anything in the dark room where she had been 
sleeping, but not a single ray of light found its way into her room. She 
heard soft, slow breathing of someone who was sitting near her, and a 
heart beat slowly. She slid the blanket of her bed off of herself and 
swung her legs over onto the floor, sitting up. Testing her legs she 
tried to get up, but her muscles were very tight and refused to answer 
her.
	After stretching her muscles a bit, she stood up wavering a bit before 
she stabled herself. Walking over to the edge of the room, she felt the 
wall for a door or light switch, and after bumping into almost 
everything in the room she flicked the lights on.
	She stood in a hospital room, filled with a bed, a few machines and a 
sleeping young man sitting in a chair. Memories of her last awakening 
flashed before her. <Seventeen years? Hah!> She turned, found a door, 
and opened it, but was stopped by a hand which grabbed her left shoulder 
softly.
	Dropping her shoulder, she reached her right hand over her head, 
grabbing the hand quickly pulling the assailant into an arm bar. She 
looked at the person, revealing him to be the young man who slept 
moments ago. To her surprise, the man threw her off balance a bit 
pulling out of her grasp.
	<Please wait, Ranma-chan.> The man made no move to touch her again, but 
now blocked her exit. <Let me explain what is going on before you do 
anything, okay?>
	Ranma prepared to attack him when she heard the familiar voice of her 
savior tell her, <Let him help you. I promise he won't hurt you.> The 
shock of hearing the voice outside a dream caused her to feel very 
faint.


	Mr. Nishiyama stood poised for Ranma's attack, but it never came. 
Instead, her legs wobbled toppling her over. Reacting on pure instinct, 
he caught her in his arms, walking back over to her bed and placing her 
in it.
	He hated, more than anything else to ever happen in his life, to have 
to explain his and her situation to the girl. He shared so much in 
common with the girl before him that he was scared to tell her. This was 
one of the few times in his life that he had ever actually feared to do 
something. He had to break the news to her very softly.
	<What I told you about being in a coma was true.> Carefully forming his 
words in his head, he had to do his best to soften the blow. <There are 
a lot of things you need to know, and that I don't want you to find out 
on your own.>
______________________________________________________________________
(1 of 2)

Ryan Erik
ryanerik59@hotmail.com or
magusbloodstone@hotmail.com

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com