***CHAPTER TWO***
                           ***AWAKENINGS***


     "Ranma Saotome....."

     Ranma-kun leans in closer to get a better look at the headstone.

     "Ranma Saotome....."

     He just stares at the name on the headstone for countless minutes. 
Then unexpectly he begins to laugh uncontrollably.

     "Ranma Saotome!!!"

     Still laughing, he gets up and starts walking away from his
apparent grave.  As he leaves the cemetery laughing like a crazed
lunatic.  A light misty rain begins to fall, changing Ranma-kun into
Ranma-chan.  This doesn't bother him in the least bit in his current
state of mind.  He mindlessly wonders into town and makes his way
through the alley ways in his tattered burial clothes.  

     After traveling a few blocks, Ranma finally starts to calm down and
so does the rain.  Ranma looks around and notices that she is in front
of Ukyo's shop.  She looks up at Ukyo's bedroom window.  

     "UKYO!"  Screams out Ranma.

                              **********

     Ukyo suddenly sits up in bed and looks around her room.  

     (That's odd.  I thought I heard something.)  Ukyo shakes her head
in disbelief.  She gets up and walks over towards her dresser.  She
picks up the teapot resting there and tests it to see how warm it is. 
To her disappointment she discovers that the tea is cold.  As she is
putting the teapot down, a strange feeling comes over her.  She looks
around her room again and as was before, no one is there.  Even though
no one is around, she just can't seem to shake the uneasiness that she
feels.

     As she heads back to her bed, she happens to glance in the
direction of her window.  Through the window she spots someone in the
street.  She walks closer to the window to get a better look.  When she
reaches the window, the figure is gone.  All she sees now is a crow
perched on the street lamp in front of her.

     (That's odd.  I could have sorn that I saw someone.)  Ukyo glances
at her watch.  (It's almost time for my meeting.  I better change and
get going.)  She turns and heads towards her closet.  

                              **********

     (That was close.)  


     When Ranma-chan saw that Ukyo was moving towards the window, she
bolted into the alley next to the shop.  Ranma leans up against the
brick wall of Ukyo's shop.  

     (You idiot!  If she saw you.......)

     Ranma clenches his right hand into a fist.

     (Who knows what she might have done.)

     A black object flies by Ranma's head.  Ranma turns her head and
spots a crow perched on the trash can few feet away.  Ranma stands there
and stares at the strange bird.  A cold bitter wind pick up.  Ranma
wraps her arms around herself to keep warm.  The crow starts pecking at
the trash can's lid.  Ranma ignores it and decides that it's just a bird
looking for scraps of food.  The crow looks up at Ranma and starts
cawing at Her.  Ranma turns her attention back to the bird.  The crow
opens it's wings and starts hopping around on top of the lid.

     (If I didn't know any better.  I would swear that that crazy bird
is trying to tell me something.)

     Ranma moves over to the trash can as the bird continues to peck at
the lid.  As Ranma reaches for the lid, the crow flies off and lands on
a nearby street light.  Ranma takes off the lid and discovers a pair of
old black hiking boots.  Ranma garbs them out of the can.

     (These are Ukyo's.)  

     After looking the boots over, all Ranma can see wrong with them is
that the soles are a little worn but that's about it.  Ranma looks down
at the pair of cheap dress shoes that she is wearing and then back at
the boots in her hand.  After deciding that the boots look like they
would fit better than the dress shoes, she makes a quick exchange. 
After she throws the dress shoes into the trash can, the crow starts
cawing at Ranma again.

     Ranma watches as it flies out of the alley and glides down the
street.  It flies on for a bit before it lands on a street light.  The
bird turns to look at Ranma and starts cawing again.

     (I think that it wants me to follow it.)

     Ranma walks down the street a bit and stops under the street lamp
that the crow is perched on.  When she gets there, the crow takes flight
again.  After flying a short distance it lands again and starts cawing
at her again.  Ranma picks up the pace and starts running after the
bird.  The bird takes off again and then turns down one street.  Ranma
breaks out into a full run to keep up with the bird.  After a few miles
it lands on a street lamp to see if Ranma is still following and sure
enough, she is.  After flying for a few more miles the bird lands again. 
Ranma, slightly out of breath, catches up with the bird.

     "So where have you been leading me to?"

     The crow turns it's head to look at the structure before it.  Ranma
turns her head and instantly recognizes the place.

     "The Tendo dojo......."

                              **********

     Four men of rather questionable morals are walking down a dimly lit
street in another part of town.  The leader, a rather tall bald male, is
leading the group.  As the leader walks underneath a street lamp, one
can vaguely see the tattoo of a skull wrapped in barb wire on his
forehead.

     Another of the group, wearing an eye patch over his right eye,
walks up to the bald male.  "Hey boss, what are we going to do tonight? 
Are we going to bust up another store?  Or how about we go hunting in
the park like we did a few weeks ago?"

     "Yeah Skull, what are we going to do?"  Asks a man wearing glasses.

     Skull stops dead in his tracks and turns around.  He looks down at
the eye patch wearing male.  "We're going to meet an old employer of
ours.  Our employer didn't want to pay us because of Patch's trigger
happiness.!"  

     "Hey boss, I was told that I could do anything I wanted as long as
I didn't do anything to that boy.  Did you see any boy with that girl. 
No, all I saw was another girl with that girl.  How was I suppose to
know that our employer would get pissed if I took out that other bitch."

     Skull backhands Patch across his face and Patch goes crashing to
the ground.  Skull steps over Patch.  "Idiot!  Our employer said to kill
that one girl and to ruff up anyone else with her.  Our employer did not
say to kill the other."

     Patch lifts himself up on his elbows.  He takes the back of his
hand and wipes off his bloodied busted lip.

     "Because of your recklessness, the cops now have twice as much
reason to come looking for us."

     Patch gets back up on his feat, reaches into his jacket, pulls out
a revolver and points it at Skull.  "Listen Skull!  I'm really getting
tired of putting up with your crap!  So what if I off that little bitch,
big deal!"  

     Skull stares fearlessly at Patch.  "When our employer found out
about us killing the other girl, she was so upset that she didn't want
to pay us."  Skull gives Patch a sinister grin.  "It took a little sweet
talking on my part but I finally managed to convince our employer to pay
us after all."

     Patch lowers the revolver.  "How did you convince our employer?"

     Still grinning, "Don't worry about it."  Skull turns and continues
on his way.  "Let's continue on our way and meet our generous employer."

     Patch puts the revolver back in it holster under his jacket.  "Now
you're talking boss!"   The two other men pass by Patch.  Patch quickly
rushes up to the long green hair man wearing glasses and gives him a
hearty slap on the back.  "Guess what Specks?"

     Specks pushes his glasses back in place.  "What is it Patch?"

     "It's payday!"  Patch lets out a mighty howl of joy.

     Specks just shakes his head as Patch starts to hassle the man next
to him.  

     The four men continue on their way down the street.  Every now and
then they make a turn onto adjacent streets.  Soon Skull stops dead in
his tracks and turns to his followers.

     "I'm going to meet with our employer.  You three stay here."

     "Why can't we go with you?"  Asks the male with a giant scar down
the left side of his face.

     "Probably because you'll scare our employer away with that beauty
mark on your face."  Replies Patch.

     Scar reaches into his vest and pulls out a rather large knife. 
"What did you say to me Patch?"

     Patch reaches into his jacket and pulls out his revolver.  "Why,
didn't you hear me Scar."

     "Put your toys away fools!"  Bellows out Skull.

     Patch and Scar just stand there and eye each other.  

     "I said, put your damn toys away!"

     Patch and Scar eye each other for a few moments before they
grudgingly obey Skull.

     "Specks, try and keep these two morons from killing each other
while I'm gone!"  Orders Skull as he disappears down a dark alley.


                              **********

     "Stupid idiots are going to kill each other one of these days.  I
just know it."  Grumbles Skull as he walks down the dim alleyway.  He
stops when he gets halfway down the alley.

     "You're late."

     Skull turns his head and spots his employer keeping to the shadows. 
"Had a unexpected hang up."  Skull's eyes narrow.  "So where's my
money?"

     "I don't know why I should have to pay you.  After all, you botched
the job!"

     "Hey!  You said to kill that girl and not to harm that guy.  If
anyone else was around, you said we could ruff them up.  The girl was
there with some other girl.  The guy was nowhere to be scene."

     "Yes I said to kill that one girl but that's was the only person I
said to kill!  When I said to take care of anyone else with her.  I
didn't mean to have them kill to!"

     "Oh well.  What's done is done."  Skull holds out his hand.  "We
did the main part of the job, so why are you so damned pissed off.  Just
give me my money!"  Skull gives his employer a wicked smile.  "If you
don't.  Then I won't be responsible for what happens if certain
information leaks out about you....."

     A sack is thrown from the shadows and lands at Skull's feet.  Still
smiling Skull leans over and pick up the sack.  He opens the sack and
looks around in it.  A frown swiftly replaces his smile.  

     "This is only half of what you said you would pay!"

     "I'm keeping the other half since you did a half ass job."  Skull
continues to frown before as he storms out of the alley.  "Pleasure
doing business with you Skull."

                              **********

     As Skull emerges from the alley, the others can easily tell that
all did not go well.

     Specks steps forward, "What happen Skull?  Did our employer decide
not pay after all."

     "Our employer did pay."

     "Then what's the problem?"

     "We only got half because of what Patch did!"

     Scar turns and shoves Patch.  "Because of you're stupidity, we're
only getting half!"

     "Fuck off Scar!"

     "Make me Patch!"

     "Will you two shut the hell up!"  Bellows Skull.  Skull reaches
into the bag and pulls out the money.  "Because you screwed us out of
some money Patch.  I'm gonna screw you out of some of your money."

     "WHAT!"

     Skull divides up the money and passes it around.  "You heard me
Patch.  I'm cutting into your share to make up for our lost."

     "But Skull," whines Patch, "You always get more than the rest of
us."

     "You got a problem with that Patch."

     "No."

     "Thought so."  Skull finishes handing out the money.  "That's it
for tonight gentlemen.  You're free to wreck what ever havoc you want to
for the rest of the evening."

     "Alright it's time to party!"  Howls Patch.

     "Remember, meet back at the usual place tomorrow night."

     The three men nod their head in response.  Soon Skull walks off
with Scar right behind him.  Patch and Specks head off into another
direction.

     "So what are you gonna with your money Specks?"

     "That's none of your concern Patch."

     Patch sticks his hands in his jacket pockets.  "I would go off an
get loaded but I got screwed out of my money."

     "Didn't you make any money from the jewelry you took from those
girls?"  

     "That damn bloated fool wouldn't give me much.  Didn't even give me
a fair deal on that nice looking ring."

     "Takei can be a cheap son-of-a-bitch."

     "You can say that again." Patch puts his arm on Specks' shoulder. 
"Tell you what.  Since you got paid, I'll let you by the first round."

     "You're to kind Patch."

                              **********

     Ranma-chan carefully opens the window to Akane's room.  Without
making a single sound, she enters the room and closes the window
partway.  Ranma looks about the room and notices that it hasn't change
at all.  As Ranma walks around the room, she spots a picture sitting on
Akane's dresser.  She walks over to the picture and picks it up.  It's
the picture of the gang at the beach.  

     "Akane....."  A small tear forms in Ranma's eye.  Suddenly Ranma
doubles over in pain.  She grabs her head in agony as the memories of
that night come rushing back.  

     "No I don't want to remember......"

                              **********

     Akane and Ranma are walking down the dimly lit park path.  Akane's
white sequin dress seems to glow in the bright moonlight.  Ranma doesn't
notice, he's to busy staring at the stain he has on his rented tuxedo. 
Akane, who is leading the way, stops and turns around to face Ranma. 
Ranma doesn't notice this and he walks into her.  Ranma instantly takes
a step back and cringes as he waits for Akane to yell at him.  To his
amazment she doesn't, instead she starts to giggle.

     "Ranma....."

     Ranma relaxes just a bit.  He still half suspects that she going to
pull a sweet act before she smacks him.  "Yes Akane."

     "Ranma..... I really had I good time with you tonight."

     This shocks him, "You did!"

     "What's the matter?  Didn't you have fun too?"

     Ranma starts scratching his head.  "Well yeah, I did.  Even
though......"

     "Even though what?"

     With a smile, "Even though I expected Kuno or someone else to come
and ruin it."

     "But no one did."

     "The date isn't over yet."

     Akane widens her smile as the wind slowly begins to pick up.  Akane
wraps her arms around herself to keep warm.  Ranma notices this and
takes off his jacket and puts it on Akane.

     "Won't you be cold without your jacket?"

     "I'm wearing a full suit and you're just wearing that short dress. 
You're the one who needs to be wearing extra clothes."

     "Speaking of clothes," Akane points towards the stain on Ranma's
shirt, "Getting that cleaned is going to cost a fortune.  Your father is
going to be mad."


     "Hey, it was his idea for us to go to that place.  He should know
that I've never eaten pasta american style."

     Akane giggles as she remembers the moment Ranma dropped the
spaghetti on himself.

     "It wasn't that funny Akane."

     With a smile. "Here, let me see if I can't do something about it." 
Akane opens her purse and pulls out a white handkerchief.  The wind
suddenly picks up and snatches the handkerchief right out of her  hand. 
Just as fast as the wind picked up, it just as quickly dies down.  The
handkerchief lands in the grass a couple of meters away.

     "I'll get it Akane."  Ranma walks out into the grass and picks up
the lost handkerchief.  "Got it."  A metallic object abruptly pops out
of the ground.  "I hope that isn't what I think it is."  Water starts
showering out of the metallic object.

     "A water sprinkler."  Groans Akane.

     Later, Akane with a soaking wet and slightly peeved Ranma-chan
continue their way through the park.  Akane is doing her best to keep
from giggling.  

     "Here Ranma," Akane starts to take off the jacket, "I think you
need this more than I do now."  As Akane takes off the jacket, a small
package falls out of it's pocket.  Akane notices the package and picks
it up.  "What's this?"

     "It's a....."

     "It's a what?"

     Ranma puts on the jacket and puts her hands in her pockets.  "It's
a gift for you."  Responds Ranma with a sheepish look on her face.

     Akane slowly unwraps the package and open it.  Inside is a small
golden ring with two entwined hearts on it.  The diamonds set in both of
the hearts gleam brightly in the moonlight.  Akane's eyes start to water
up.  "It's beautiful Ranma."

     "Well try it on."

     Akane takes the ring out of the box and puts it on.  "It's a
perfect fit."  Forgetting about Ranma's current form, Akane grabs Ranma
in a fierce hug.  "I love it Ranma!"

     Ranma stands there not knowing what to do.  Usually when something
like this happens, someone instantaneously appears and breaks it up. 
Ranma looks around and sure enough, no one appear.  Ranma finally
decides to give in to the moment and wraps her arms around Akane and
returns the hug.  The two stand there embracing each other for what
seems to be for an eternity.

                              **********

     "No!  Please end it here!  I don't want to remember the rest!" 
Cries out Ranma as she rolls around on the floor.

     "Please.....," whimpers Ranma. "Don't make me remember the rest."

                              **********

     Akane looks up into Ranma's eyes.  (If only Ranma didn't change.) 

     (If I only didn't change.)  Thinks Ranma to herself.

     "Aw, ain't that cute," remarks a strange voice.

     Akane and Ranma break thier embrace and turn to face the stranger. 
It turns out to be four strangers instead.

     Patch pokes Specks in the ribs.  "Think they're lesbians Specks."

     "If they are," responds Specks, "Then this just got more
interesting."

     Ranma grabs Akane's hand.  "Come on Akane, let's go."  Akane and
Ranma turn and start to leave but Scar runs in front of them cutting off
their escape.

     "Now where do you think that your going?" Mocks Scar.

     "Far away from here!"  Ranma cocks back her arm and punches Scar in
the face.  Scar goes flying backwards until he hits a tree.

     "The red head has some spunk," remarks Skull.  Specks nods in
agreement.

     Patch pulls out his revolver.  "I hate spunk in a woman."

     Akane and Ranma freeze when they spot the gun in Patch's hand.

     "Ranma...."

     Ranma steps in front of Akane.  "Don't worry Akane.  I won't let
anything happen to you."

     Akane places a hand on Ranma's shoulder.  "But that man has a gun."

     "Only a weakling has a need for a gun."

     "The red head just called you a weakling Patch.  I guess she knows
you after all."  Mocks Specks.

     "A weakling you say!  I'll show you weakling bitch!"  Patch levels
and aims the gun at Ranma.

     Specks interrupts Patch.  "Now hold on a moment Patch.  You have a
gun and they don't.  I say we give these lovely ladies a fair chance to
get out of this."  Specks reaches into one of his pocket and pulls out
a deck of cards.  Specks masterfully shuffles the deck and hands it to
Ranma.  "Here you go sweetie.  Pick a card from the deck.  If your card
beats mine then you two get to go free."

     "What if you win?"  Inquires Ranma.

     "Then," Specks jesters towards Patch, "I let my friend continue on
with what he was about to do."  Specks holds out the deck to Ranma.  
     Ranma nervously reaches out and chooses a cards.  With a smile, she
lifts her cards and flashes a jack of hearts.

     "Nice card sweetie.  That'll be hard one to beat."  Specks quickly
reshuffles the deck and draws a card.  "A king of clubs, you lose." 
Specks steps out of the way.  

     Patch levels his gun and takes aim.  As he does, Ranma grabs Akane
and tries to make a quick get away.  The sound of Patch's gun going off
echoes throughout the whole park.  Ranma falls to the ground clutching
her left leg.  Akane kneels down to examine the bullet wound in Ranma's
leg.

     Ranma pushes Akane away.  "Get out of here stupid!"

     Akane's sudden concern for Ranma quickly turns into anger.  "Who
are you calling....."  A pair of strong arms wrap themselves around
Akane and picks her up.

     "Stupid girl," mocks Skull from behind, "You could have left her
behind and gotten away.  Good thing you didn't."

     Scar walks up to Ranma and looks down at her.  With the side of his
hand, he wipes the blood away from his bloodied lip.  He then spits on
Ranma.  "Stupid bitch!"  Scar cocks his leg back and kick Ranma in the
stomach.  "You made me lose a tooth!"  Scar continues to kick Ranma.

     Specks walks up to Scar and put a hand on his shoulder.  "Scar, try
not to damage her to much.  We might want to have fun with her later."

     Scar stops kicking.  "I get your point Specks.  She is kinda cute."

     "I'll show you cute!"  Ranma swiftly jumps back to her feet.  With
a great amount of pain, she attempts a round house kick.  Her attack
catches both of the men off guard and she strikes both of them.  Both
men are knocked over backwards.  Another shot goes off and Ranma crashes
to the ground again.  Akane cries out Ranma's name.

     "Let's see how nimble you are with a bullet wound in both legs." 
Cries out Patch.

     Scar gets back on his feet and undoes his belt.  "Bitch, you're
about to be had like you've never been had before."  Scar descends onto
the helpless Ranma-chan.  

     Akane valiantly tries to break Skull's grip on her but he is just
to strong.  She watches in disgust as Scar violates Ranma.  When Scar
finishes he gets up and looks towards Akane.  

     Ranma notices this.  "Don't you dare touch her!"

     Scar looks back down at Ranma and gives her a swift kick to the
face.  "Bitch you ain't in any condition to tell me what to do!"

     Ranma spits out a tooth and gets up on her knees.  "I swear....."

     Specks grabs Ranma by her hair and lifts her up.  "You swear what?"

     "If you touch her...... I'll kill you all."

     The four men stare at Ranma in pure silence. 

     "Oh Ranma....."  

     The four men suddenly start laughing out loud.  Specks lets go of
Ranma's hair and she lands on the ground with a thud.

     "Did you guys hear that?  She said she would kill us if we touch
her."  Scar walks up to Akane.  "Did you hear what your friend said? 
She said she would kill us if we touched you."  Scar backhands Akane
across her face.  Scar then turns to Ranma.  "I touched her, now what
are you going to do?"

     Ranma gets back to her knees and stands back up.

     "I don't think so little girl."  Patch aims his gun again and
fires.  The shoot strikes Ranma in the chest but Ranma still stands.

     "Amazing," goes Specks.  "Despite being shoot in both legs and
again in the chest, she still fights on." 

     "Let's see how well she can fight if I fire again."  Patch fires
his gun again.  The shot strikes Ranma in the chest again.  Ranma falls
down to her knees but struggles to get back up.  "Bitch!  Won't you
die!"  Patch fires again and again it strikes in Ranma the chest.

     The pain and torment afflicted upon Ranma finally takes it toll on
her spirit.  "AKANE!!!!!"  Cries out Ranma as she collapses to the
ground in a bloodied heap.

     Specks walks up to Ranma's still form and kneels down to examine
the body.  Ranma's had suddenly shoots forth and grabs Specks by his
throat.  Specks franticly grabs Ranma's hand and tries to pry it off his
throat.

     "I SWEAR THAT I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!!"

     Patch fires his last round into Ranma.  Ranma's grip weakens enough
for Specks to finally free himself.  

     "RANMA!!!"  Cries out Akane.

     "Akane....," whimpers Ranma.

     Patch opens his gun and empties out the spent rounds.  "Damn bitch
took six rounds and she's still alive."

     Scar kicks Ranma in the stomach again.  "Don't worry Patch, she
won't be for much longer."

     Skull finally lets go of Akane and she immediately rushes to
Ranma's side.  She carefully picks up Ranma's prone bloody form. 
"Ranma....."

     No response.

     "Ranma....."

     Still no response.

     Shaking Ranma, "Ranma!!!!"

     Ranma's eyes slowly open, "Akane......"

     Akane places a finger to Ranma's lips.  "Don't try and talk just
hold on until I can get you to a doctor."

     "You ain't going nowhere till we have a little fun!"  Remarks Skull
as he grabs Akane by her hair.  With a yank, he pulls Akane away from
Ranma.

     "RANMA!!"

     "Akane....."  Mustering up every bit of energy she has left.  Ranma
tries once again to stand back up.

     "I don't think so!"  Patch points his reloaded gun at Ranma and
fires off two rounds.

     Ranma crashes to the ground again.  As her vision begins to fade,
Patch stands over Ranma.  "And our employer said it would be hard to
take them out."  Patch fires his gun once more.

     The last thing Ranma remembers before everything goes white, is
Akane calling out her name.

     "Akane......."

                              **********


     Ranma is curled up in a little ball on the bedroom floor.

     "Akane......."

     Ranma slowly unravels herself and uses the dresser to help her
stand up.  She raises her head and looks into the mirror.  In a fit of
rage she rips off the clothes that she is wearing.  When she tears off
the last piece of clothing, she stares deeply into the mirror.  She
stares at large scars the bullet wounds left on her chest.  In another
fit of rage, Ranma punches the mirror.  The mirror shatters and large
fragments of the mirror imbed themselves in Ranma's hand.

     "Akane......."

     Ranma pulls her hand away from the mirror and examines her ruined
hand.  To her amazement, her hand slowly rejects the pieces of the
mirror and heals back to normal.  (What the.....)  Ranma reaches towards
the mirror and grabs a fragment of the mirror.  She raises the piece
high in the air and promptly brings it down to impale her hand.  Even
though the mirror shard is impaled through he hand, she feels no pain. 
With her good hand she yanks the shard out of her hand.  Again her hand
heals back to normal.

     Ranma hears a noise behind her and turns around.  Perched on the
window is the crow that brought her here.

     "You brought me back, didn't you?"

     The crow nods it head in response.

     "And I'm willing to bet that you're responsible for this to."  Asks
Ranma as he hold up his hand.

     The crow nods again.

     "But why?  Without Akane, my life isn't worth living."

     The crow stares at Ranma.  An old memory comes haunting back to
Ranma's head.  

                              **********

     Patch is standing over Ranma.  "And our employer said it would be
hard to take them out."  Patch fires his gun once more and everything
goes white.

                              **********

     "Somebody hired them to kill us.  Who could do such a thing."

     The crow just stands there silently.

     Ranma's anger begins to rise.  "Who would be cowardly enough to do
such a thing."  Ranma's anger starts to become uncontrollable. 
"WHO..... WHO......"  The sound of Akane calling out her name echoes
throughout her head.  Ranma storms up to the crow.  "TELL ME!  WHO SENT
THEM TO KILL US!"

     The crow just stares at Ranma.

     Ranma backs away from the bird.  "You don't know do you?"

     The bird caws back in response.

     "That's why you brought me back.  To find out and take my revenge."

     Again the bird caws back in response.

     Ranma looks herself over.  "I can't go taking my revenge dressed
just in these boots."  Ranma turns and walks over to Akane's closet.  "I
hope they haven't packed everything away yet."  Ranma opens the closet
and notices that it's still full of clothes.  With a smile she goes
browsing through the closet.  She selects a black shirt and the rushes
over to the dresser and opens it.  After doing a little digging she
pulls some black shorts.  As she puts on the shirt and shorts, Ranma
decides that she still needs something else.  

     Out of the corner of her eye she spots a smiling theater mask
mounted on the wall.  Ranma walks over to the mask and pulls it off the
wall.  (I bought this for Akane after Romeo and Juliet disaster.)  
Ranma remembers the smile on Akane's face when she gave it to her.  She
tosses the mask over her shoulder and rushes back to the dresser.  She
yanks out Akane's makeup bag and starts digging through it.  Finding
what she was looking for, she pulls out a small container and starts
applying white makeup all over her face.  After she completely covers
her face, she grabs a piece of the mirror.  She then pulls out a tub of
black lipstick and uses it to copy the black marks that were on the
mask.  Soon she finishes.  She places the lipstick back down and garbs
a large piece of unbroken mirror to look into.  

     "Perfect."  Ranma puts down the mirror piece and looks around the
room.  "But I still need something."  It suddenly dawns on her and she
rushes towards the closet again.  (I think that it's still in here.) 
Ranma yanks objects off of the closet's top shelf.  Not finding what
she's looking for, she begins to open the boxes on closet floor.  After
opening some of the boxes, she finds what she is looking for.  With
shaking hands she pulls out a black leather jacket.  "Ryoga got this for
Akane when he was in the States."  Ranma holds the to her face.  "She
loved this jacket."

     Ranma gets back to her feet and slowly puts the black leather
jacket on.  With a wicked grin, she turns towards the crow.  

     "Well my feather friend, let us be off.  The night is young and we
have to find four certain men."

     The crow caws in response and takes off.


     When Ranma gets halfway out of the window, she stops and turns
around to look back into the room.  "I swear that I will get revenge for
us Akane.  I swear......"  Without a further moment of hesitation, Ranma
turns and exits the room.


                         ***END CHAPTER TWO***