If you're still reading, than you either like what I have written or are a masochist. Or maybe you just don't have an opinion yet. Anywho, here's my e-mail for to use as an outlet for your frustrations: oddball22@hotmail.com DISCLAIMER: I own it all! The Effiel tower, the Staue of Liberty, and the Pyramids of Egypt! So get your stinking paws off of them! HAHAHAHAHA! Hey, let me go! Get that hugging jacket off me! What are you doing with that needle? Don't stick it into my arm! OUCH! I'm going to get... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... Ranma 1/2: New Challenges Winds of Change Chapter 4 Deep inside a cave, two cloaked figures were laying on the floor. Both appeared to be very weak and barely moving. In the center of this cavern, a multi-colored crystal pulsed brightly in a small pool of water, which was atop a rock column. Right above the crystal a thin opening stretched from the ceiling, all the way through the earth to the ground above, creating a wind tunnel that blew cold air onto the crystal. Off to one side, a rock wall slid open and two more figures appeared. One was talking to the other and his head was turned. "I still don't see what this is about! We have to find the others or you know what will happen! Even you can't deny it!" The speaker turned to face forward where he immediately caught sight of the two on the ground. "Kami-sama!" Quan exclaimed and rushed over to them. The one remaining in the door way laughed. "All too easy," was all he said. "We have to help them!" Quan proclaimed. "If they die the sects will erupt into civil war!" The doorman pointed a finger, directing Quan's attention to the crystal sitting atop the rocky spire. "Not if I command thier entire loyalty." "What have you done!?" he demanded, his face ashen. He suddenly found his strength waning. He attempted to walk toward the figure in the doorway, but felt himself become heavier by the second, as his own magical energies were drained. The one in the doorway stepped back and began to close it. "No! You can't leave me here!" The door finished closing and the man sunk to his knees. "No... how could he... an Elemchrys... not complete..." was all he managed before falling on the ground. As he lay there, the voice of the Garon, the Fire Lord, echoed. "Don't think you've saved the boy. I managed to find where you sent him, and will have him before the week is over." "No... How did you...?" "The wonders of technology my old friend. I owe icequeen some thanks..." Ranma awoke Kenji the next morning for school and left the dojo. Kenji shook his head to clear his mind of the images. It was the same dream again. He was surrounded by flames and had a very strong feeling of helplessness. he pondered. He then wiped the sweat off his brow and went for one of his new, light blue shirts. As he got ready, his thoughts drifted to yesterday. They had hit the mall and got him several sets of clothes. What made the day more interesting, was all the things Ukyo was telling him. About Ranma's fiancees: Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo. Kenji was taken aback by that last one, but Ukyo had told him that after Ranma and Akane's failed wedding attempt some time ago, she had given up on him. She explained how she had interrupted the wedding with bombs in an attempt to win Ranchan for herself, but then felt extremely bad afterward when neither Ranma nor Akane would talk to her. After a couple of weeks, they finally made up, and Ukyo came to the conclusion that Ranma and Akane really did care deeply about each other, even if they didn't seem to show it at times. So, she decided to back off on her attempts to "snag him" for herself and let the two sort things out on their own. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was the only one she could make. Kenji nodded and felt strangely compelled to squeeze her shoulder in support as he saw a tear fall from her cheek. He half- expected Ukyo to just smile and shrug him off, but was pleasantly surprised when she leaned into him and gave him a one-armed hug. That made him feel good and he smiled. He found himself liking her, but quickly supressed those feelings. It was obvious she was still hung up on Ranma, and he still had his own problems to deal with. Still, he couldn't stop the smile that stuck to his face as he joined Ranma and Akane on their walk to school. "So, what do you think of Ukyo-chan?" Kenji turned to find Akane smiling at him. The question caught Kenji off guard and he stammered. "Uh.... well... She's nice." "And?" He managed to recover his wits and turned away from her "And what? "Don't you like her?" Akane asked. "Well, she seems like a nice person," he replied. He seemed like he was going to say something else, but changed his mind. "Just forget it. It's none of your business and I've got more important things to worry about." His face hardened. "Once I get my memory back and/or locate my family, I'm gone." It was apparent to both Ranma and Akane by his tone that Kenji wasn't about to say anything else, so the the rest of the walk to school was in silence. Kenji was mentally berating himself. A new thought entered his head. Eventually, they came upon the school. As they passed through the gate, the new student took a look around. It was a pretty big structure and the yard was filled with students laughing and talking as they headed to class. "Halt!" Kenji instinctively stopped at the command, then looked around for the speaker. He found it in a guy who was dressed in a blue hakama. He was also pointing a bokken in their direction. "Hiya Kuno!" Ranma grinned. "What's shakin'?" Kuno responded. "Know this, Saotome, that thy days are numbered with the lovely Tendo Akane. Thou shalt not be allowed to enchant her with thy black magic and expect to get away with it." Ranma waved him off. "Yeah, whatever. Listen, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'd like to get to class on time today." Kuno then laid his eyes on the person standing next to Akane and spoke to him. "Who be thee, that thou accompanith my fierce tigress? Has the sorcerer Saotome aquired an apprentice to his dark arts? Or mayhap you be a fellow dark master?" Kenji raised an eyebrow. "I'm..." The figure held up a hand. "Wait! Think it should be so rude as to ask one's name before offering thine own. Behold! For the one who stands before you is the Kendo master, Blue Thunder of Furinken High, Kuno Tatewaki, age 18." Thunder seemed to echo in the distance. "And who might thou be and what is thy relationship to lovely Tendo Akane?" "Name's Kenji." Kenji bowed his head foreward slightly, giving the sempai the proper respect. "And, as if it's any of your business, I'm just a houseguest, temporarily." "Thou dost not have any dark designs on my Tigress, Akane-kun?" "Designs?" Kenji spared a glance at Akane. "Uh, I guess not." Kuno seemed somewhat relieved, then looked a bit upset. "Think not enough of me as to not offer thy full name? Would thou darest incur my wrath?" "Leave him alone, Kuno-sempai," Akane jumped in. "He's got amnesia and doesn't remember a whole lot. My family is looking after him, until he recovers." Kunou nodded. "Ah, then you have my utmost sympathies dear boy. As for you Tendo Akane, I shall win you from the cur known as Saotome and set you free. En guarde, sorcerer!" Kuno charged and, a short scuffle later, was rendered airborne. "That's just Kuno, the resident looney," Akane told him as they resumed their walk into the building. "Don't worry about him. But he is the kendo club champion here at school and a good fighter, so try not to make him mad, okay?" Akane waved to Ranma. "Ranma, you go ahead to class. I'll take Kenji-san to be registered." "Gotcha." Ranma nodded. "See ya later man." He turned and started to run off. "And try not to let the principal cut your hair!" came the receeding call. Kenji blinked. "Nani?" "Don't worry about. I think the principal is gone for the week anyway, so we have plenty of time to prepare you to face him." They arrived at the new student registration door. "Here you go. My dad's already called the school so they're expecting you. Good luck!" "Uh, arigato." Kenji waved and she waved back as she took off. He glanced at the door. Nervously, Kenji pushed open the door and entered. "So what do you think of Kenji-san?" Akane asked Ukyo as they sat under a tree at eating lunch. Ukyo blushed slightly. "He seems alright. Are you sure you don't know anything else about him?" The chef thought about it a bit more. Akane shook her head as she swallowed a bite of her sandwich. "Only what you know, though we are being careful since we don't really know him." "That's too bad." Ukyo turned thoughtful. "If I had amnesia, I could use someone to be close to. After all, I imagine he isn't feeling too comfortable being in an unknown place with an unknown past." She took another bite of her okonomiyaki. "Hey, look! There he is now. Want to invite him over? He seems to be looking for a place to have lunch..." Ukyo nodded. "Sure, why not?" "Hey Kenji-san!" Akane called to him. "Over here!" He scanned the area and saw Akane and Ukyo sitting under a tree and waving at him. He waved back and walked over to them. They made room and he managed a half-smile as he sat down while unpacking the bento box prepared by Kasumi. He immediately started into his sandwich. Then they inquired as to how his testing went and he told them. The tests and the forms he had to fill out weren't so bad. The forms worried him at first, since he didn't have a whole lot of info about himself to put down. But, following the advice of Soun, he put his last name as Tendo, and their address as his own. After filling out several forms, they lead him into a separate room for the test. It was several pages long and covered a variety of subjects in a multitude of formats. He was surprised at how much he knew and he thought he did quite well. "That's good!" Ukyo smiled at him. "With any luck, we might end up in the same class group." A new voice interrupted them, and Kenji looked up to see someone he didn't know. The figure handed Ukyo a note and then took off. She unfolded the note and looked it over, her brow furrowing. "What's it say?" Akane asked. "Just that someone wants to meet with me right now and talk about something," Ukyo said after a moment. "I guess I better go see what they want. Hey Kenji-san, Akane-chan, I'll see ya later." Both Kenji and Akane waved goodbye and Kenji watched her as she disappear around the corner of a building, then returned to his lunch. "Where's Saotome?" he asked Akane. A small sigh seemed to escape her before she answered. "Probably showing off in one of the noon sports games the guys play. I..." He tuned Akane out as the hairs on the back of his neck began to rise, telling him something was wrong. Then, a sudden movement from above caused him to cry a warning of, "Akane, look out!" before pushing her out of the way. A loud *crack* could be heard and Kenji grasped his left arm in pain. The assailant had struck him with some sort of club, though it was obvious they were probably aiming for Akane. The individual then flipped away and began to laugh. "OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO, that was a close call Akane dear. Does Ranma- sama know you're cheating on him?" She smirked. "It just proves he doesn't deserve a harridan like you!" Akane stood up and brushed the dirt from her school uniform. "Kodachi! What are you doing here!?" she demanded. "A true martial artist would have seen that coming," She let loose some more of her patented laugh (a patent shared with Naga). "If you couldn't see that, how will you protect Ranma? Just proof that my darling Ranma-sama belongs with me!" Kenji thought as he opened his eyes and looked at the figure standing a few yards away. She had black hair tied into a pony tail, and was dressed in only a green leotard. Realizing that he was laying on his stomach, he attempted to get up using both hands but immense pain short through his left arm, causing him to rely solely on his right. "Kenji-san is my friend!" Akane said out loud, then risked a glance back at him. "You okay?" Kenji blinked at the friend comment as he twisted his body into a sitting position against the tree. He nodded at her. "My left arm hurts like hell, but I'll be fine." Then he muttered under his breath. "But why does everyone assume I'm more than a friend to you?" Akane shook her head, turned back to Kodachi, and assumed a fighting stance. "Enough of this! Get lost since nobody wants you here!" Akane's shouts didn't seem to affect Kodachi at all. "You have some nerve, Tendo, after trying to bind my love in marriage. You also managed to turn my Ranma-sama against me. I don't know how you did it, but do not think you will succeed." She laughed some more and started her assault on Akane. "When you're out of the picture, Ranma-sama will be all mine!" The two girls began to fight and at first it seem they were evenly matched. Kodachi seemed to be more agile, but Akane was stronger and could take more punishment. As the fight wore on, it caught the attention of a few students who wandered over to see what the fuss was about. Kenji stopped looking at them and turned back to the fight. Akane had managed to disarm her opponent of her clubs, and land a few hits to her midsection, causing the crazy girl to back up, clutching her stomach. Just as Akane was about to follow up on her attack, Kodachi looked up and blew some sort of powder into Akane's face. She gasped and stumbled back, before falling to her knees. "Wh-what?" Akane's eyes bulged. Kodachi got up and walked over to her now helpless opponent. "And now to finish this once and for all!" She picked up one of her clubs and raised it above her head. Kenji watched incredously from the sidelines. He forced himself to his feet and yelled a forceful. "NO!" causing Kodachi to pause. "There's no need to do that. Or are you a coward who can only win a conflict by ambushes and dirty tricks?" Kodachi laughed yet again. "Just a simple paralysis powder. And I suggest you stay out of something that's not your business." A snarl passed the young amnesiac's face. "You hit me! I think that means it is my business." He went into an attack stance that favored his left arm. "Normally I try not to hit ladies, but one thing is clear: You ain't no lady!" With that, he attacked, and all Akane could do was watch the new battle unfold. Kenji feinted with his right, then worked through a series of kicks, trying to keep his left arm safe, but all of them were either blocked or dodged by the myraid tools produced by his opponent. Kodachi responded in kind with a few well-placed club strikes of her own. They danced around a bit, neither one able to land more than a few strikes each. Kenji managed to dodge most of her latest attacks, but one roundhouse crashed into his left arm before he could do anything. Pain lanced through him and sparks exploded in his vision, momentarily stunning him, but that moment was enough. Kodachi seized the opportunity to whack him a few times with her club, finishing with a strike to his stomach. As the air was forced from his lungs, Kenji collapsed onto his back. He landed next to Akane, glancing up into her face. She was looking down at him and seemed to have a tear in her eye as she tried to mouth, "I'm sorry." Then, a shadow was over them. They didn't have to guess who it was. "Well, now, that was a pathetic display," Kodachi smirked. "I'll deal with you, little boy, in a moment after I get my true prize!" Kenji watched in horror as she raised her club once more, and there was nothing he could do. Then, the wind gathered. Kenji forced himself to a sitting position and thrust out his right arm, palm outward towards Kodachi. A blast of wind rushed from behind him to gather at his palm, then shoot with tremendous force to slam into the leotard-clad girl. The Black Rose was tossed several yards away to be dumped on the ground. Kenji froze. he wondered. A quick glance at Akane told him she was thinking the same thing. "I don't know how you did that," came a familiar female voice. "But, now you've just sealed your fate as well." Kodachi was standing up the same time as Kenji. "Just leave already!" Kenji yelled. "There's no point in this continuing!" Kodachi shook her head. "Ah, but there is!" With that, she took her right hand out from behind her back where she was hiding it and flicked something at Kenji. He thought he managed to dodge it when he suddenly felt a constricting force around his neck. His hands went immediately up to try and free himself of the long ribbon that was protruding from a handle in Kodachi's grip, and wrapped around his neck. He was forced to his knees with a quick tug from Kodachi, and he could only stare hopelessly while Kodachi produced a hoola hoop. he thought in utter astonishment. Kodachi hit something on the hoop and small blades sprung from it, transforming it into a lethal buzzsaw. She grinned maliciously, then tossed it towards a helpless and suddenly very scared Kenji. His eyes began to close as he started to run out of air. He caught a flash of silver in his periphial vision, and suddenly the ribbon released. Kenji didn't so much as dodge the buzzaw, but more like fell out of its way just before impact. It spun away and landed somewhere, he wasn't quite sure where. He looked up to see a small spatula embedded in the ground and someone standing in front of him. "You okay, Kenji-san?" Ukyo's welcome voice came to him. "Am I... glad to... see you," Kenji managed to cough out as his airflow returned. "I coulda taken her if it wasn't for my arm." "Just let me handle this," she replied, then assumed a fighting stance, drawing her huge spatula off her back and holding it in both hands. "No!" came another female voice. Kenji looked up to see a redheaded, pig-tailed girl land in front of Ukyo. "This is my fight!" "But Ran-" Ukyo started. "She hurt Akane, she's mine!" Kenji got a better look at the speaker. She was slightly shorter than Ukyo and was wearing a red Chinese shirt and black pants... almost like... Ranma? "Get Akane and Kenji out of here!" Ukyo glanced back at Kenji. "Whatever you say, Ranko." She turned away and helped Kenji to his feet. "You okay, sugar?" The amnesiac tested his legs. "I think I can walk, but Akane- san was hit by some sort of paralysis powder." Ukyo swore, then went over and picked her up. "Sorry about this Akane-chan, but we gotta get you to a doctor." Kenji thought he saw Akane nod slightly as he began to follow Ukyo out of the ring of students that had gathered to watch the new redhead battle the maniacal laughing gymnast. Kenji risked a look back. "But what about that girl?" he asked indicating the red-head. "He-" Ukyo shook herself. "She'll be fine, she can take care of herself. Kodachi must've sent that note to get me away. There was no one to meet me when I arrived at the location the note detailed." Kenji could only nod as they left the school grounds. As they walked briskly away, Kenji thought he could hear a "Kenchu Tenshin Amaguriken" being yelled by the red head. He was now walking next to Ukyo (who was still carrying Akane), still lost in thought over all that had happened. "A yen for your thoughts?" Kenji started as Ukyo asked him the question. "Uh, I was just thinking that red-headed girl looked familiar, " said Kenji. "I think she may be someone from my past, since she seems so familiar, but I just can't place her." Ukyo giggled. "I was thinking... what's so funny?" "Nothin' sugar," Ukyo explained. "She's just someone at school who you'll meet sometime." Kenji nodded, then they found themselves at a clinic. "Why are we here?" "Oh, that's right," Ukyo realized. "You haven't been here before. This is Tofu-sensei's clinic. Good thing it's so close to the school." Kenji looked thoughtful. "Tofu, he's the guy who treated me when I first arrived at the Tendo dojo." "Tofu-sensei?" Ukyo called when they entered the reception area. "You in here?" A man's face, who Kenji recognized as belonging to the doc, appeared from behind a curtain. "Ah, Ukyo-chan! What are you doing here?" Then he took notice of everybody else. "Akane-chan and Kenji-san, too! What happened to you two?" Ukyo was still carrying Akane and Kenji was holding his left arm. Kenji caught a glance of himself in a mirror and flinched. Dirt scuffs and several rips covered his new school uniform. He had a nasty bruise forming on his right cheek, too. "We were attacked by Kodachi again," Ukyo explained as Tofu led them back into the examination room. She laid Akane down on the examination table. "Akane got hit by a paralysis powder and Kenji was hurt pretty bad." "Hmmm...." was all Tofu said as he examined Akane. He then went to one of his shelves and got a small container filled with some purple stuff. He unscrewed the top and sprinkled some of the contents under Akane's nose. Slowly, but surely, Akane started to move. She sat up and began to check all of her muscles. "Ah, thanks Tofu-sensei!" said Akane. "I feel much better!" The doctor smiled. "Just her standard stuff. I always keep some antidotes to all her potions and powders on hand. In fact, I don't think she's tried anything really new in quite awhile. We might be due for something any day now." Tofu turned to Kenji. "Now it's your turn, have a seat." He patted the examination table as Akane jumped down. Kenji took her place. "Now, what hurts?" "My left arm mainly. Everything is just bruises, I think." Kenji stiffened as Tofu prodded his arm. "I make the diagnosis here," said Tofu. "Though, in this case, you're right. Nothing too serious and your arm's not broken, but your shoulder is dislocated. Hold still." Tofu hit a few pressure points, then quickly popped his arm back into place. Kenji was expecting at least a little pain, but there was none, which surprised him. "There is no break, but you have a few bruised tendons and muscles. I suggest not using this arm as much as possible, and it should heal in a day or two." Kenji let out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Thanks, uh, I guess that's two I owe you now." Tofu waved him off. "You're covered under the Tendo health plan, which is quite comprehensive, I assure you." Ukyo and Akane laughed at that, to Kenji's confusion. "As for you memory loss, I have a few suspicions, but I have to consult with someone before I'll know for sure. It seems that part of your memory is just repressed because of some sort of..." Tofu hesitated. "Some sort of what?" Kenji asked. "Come on, tell me doc!" Tofu resumed. "Some sort of trauma." Kenji heard Akane gasp and wondered what he could have been through that was so bad, he'd block it out. "But that's not all, there was also some sort of magic applied to further bind your memory. Mainly just the parts dealing with your personal life. The rest of your brain that contains general knowledge was left intact." Kenji could only sit there in silence while he tried to digest all this. He looked up. "Magic? There ain't no such thing!" Tofu just shook his head. "Well, it's not important right now. I still have to talk with someone." Akane spoke up, having a sneaking suspicion. "Who? you don't mean..." Tofu nodded as he guessed what she was going to say. "Yes, Cologne-san is the only one I can think of off hand who might know for sure and what steps to take." "You can't let that old ghoul get her hands on Kenji-san!" Ukyo spoke up for the first time, shooting to her feet from the chair she was in. "Don't worry about it," Tofu assured them. "I won't let anything happen to him. Now I suggest you all get back to class." He ushered them out of the clinic and they started their walk back to school. Nobody said much, either during the walk, or at school. Each was lost in their own thoughts. Back at school, Kenji only had to take a few more tests, then a school advisor helped him get a class schedule. When his classes got hammered out, he was informed he'd start attending them Tuesday. Since classes had started a couple of weeks ago, he was going to have to try and catch up on the missed work if he was going to pass any of them. Passing through the schoolyard, he spied a couple of boys in kendo garb heading into the gym. So decided, he followed the two boys into the gym. Inside, there were about 15 other boys dressed similarly and going through various kendo exercises. Scanning the gym, he found his target. A bokken lanced across his path, preventing him from going more than a few steps. "Hold!" Kenji eyed the guy holding it. "What's your problem?" "What's your purpose here?" the guy said from underneath his kendo mask. "Why should I tell you?" Kenji demanded to know, his voice becoming threatening. "It's none of your business." He found another bokken pointed at him. "I think you'd do well to answer the man's question," the large man who owned it told him. From what Kenji could remember, kendo was mainly a sport and not a very dangerous martial art to a serious opponent. Threat Assessment: Low. "My `business' is not with you," Kenji replied. "Now be a good boy and back off." "You hear that guys?" The large man sneered. "He wants us to back off." A round of laughs echoed in the gym. Kenji yawned and glanced around. Kuno was now leaning silently against the wall and observing the unfolding situation. "Tell you what," the large man continued. "If you can beat me, we won't throw you out right now." He grinned. "You can call me Hiro. I'm second-in-command of the kendo club here." Someone tossed a bokken at Kenji and he snagged it out of the air by the handle. He twirled the blade around, impressing both his audience and himself. Outwardly, he remarked, "Not bad, but kendo's a child's sport." Hiro flipped his mask down as the others backed away. "Who said anything about kendo?" He attacked. Kenji brought the weapon up and parried the first three blows, before finding his feet swept out from under him. He hit the ground with a *thud*, then rolled away and flipped back to his feet. Hiro was grinning at him. "Not bad for a newbie." Kenji shrugged. "Just warming up. I'm guessing there are no rules?" Hiro didn't bother to nod as he attacked again. Kenji performed better this time, though several strikes came dangerously close to touching him. Kenji tried to let instinct guide his actions more than anything else, since it seemed he could use a blade, he just didn't actually remember how. In any case, it worked. On the next pass, Kenji managed several body blows by flipping over Hiro's head. When he turned to face his adversary, Kenji distracted him with the sword thrusts again. Once Hiro was in position, Kenji disarmed him with a hand chop to the wrist and pointed the blade at Hiro's neck when the larger boy went for his downed blade. "Want some more, big boy?" he sneered at his downed opponent. "Very well done," came a familiar voice from the sidelines. "It isn't many who can best my second in one of our special matches." The kendo group dissipated to let the two talk. "What be thy name?" Kenji blinked. "Uh, you met me this morning. Don't you remember? It's Kenji." "Ah yes. You must forgive me, as many a distraction begs time from my noble self. Dost though wish to join our noble kendo institution?" "Naw, that's okay. Listen, I just wanted to talk with you about some things." Kuno nodded. "If you wish for me to impart a potion of my vast wisdom upon thee, you need but ask. But make quick, for I am a busy man." "Uh, yeah. This morning you said something about Ranma using dark magic?" Kuno's visage darkened. "It be true. He ensorcelles those around him, most notably Tendo Akane and the pig-tailed girl so they remained trapped in his dark will. They are not free to show their affection for me." Kenji cocked his head. He remembered Akane hitting and arguing with Ranma a couple of times. "Really. You see, the last thing I remember is waking up in the Tendo dojo. I have no real memory before that." "So you must be a victim of his dark arts," Kuno concluded. "I caution you to be wary around him. And if you happen to discover the source of his power, I would pay well for that information." He looked up. "Now I have other things to attend to. I must begin my daily meditations on how to free both Tendo Akane and the pig-tailed girl so they may date with me!" "Both of them?" Kenji asked, incredously. "Of course! The Blue thunder cannot be satisfied by any one woman. That, and I cannot decide between them, so I must have both! Now I must go." With that he walked away and Kenji was left scratching his head. He was still scratching it as he left the gym. "Hey Kenji-san!" Akane found him. "Akane-san," Kenji said. "I was hoping I could find someone who could take me back." They started the walk when Kenji realized something else. "Hey, where are Ukyo-san and Ranma-san?" "Ukyo's already left and Ranma had to stay and work on some stuff," she explained. "He'll be back later." They walked a little farther and Akane wrestled with whether or not to ask something that had been on her mind since the fight. She finally decided in favor of it. "Kenji-san?" she started. "Can I ask you something?" He shrugged. "I suppose." "It's about the fight. I-" she paused, then continued in a lower voice. "I first want to thank you for stepping in. Not that I couldn't have beat her," she added hastily. "She just surprised me." He shrugged again. Truth be told, he was also quite unsure why he stepped in. "It's nothin'. I couldn't very well let someone get beat up that was unable to fight back. It just doesn't seem right, somehow." Akane nodded. "Also, about that thing you did to stop Kodachi from hitting me the second time..." She let her voice trail off. Kenji gulped. "I... I really don't know. Heck, I'm not even sure if I did that, or if it was someone else doing it. I just felt I needed to DO something and then my body reacted." Akane nodded. "I felt the wind suddenly change and then blow past me. After Kodachi was knocked away, I saw a look of fear in your face and I was worried." "Really?" Kenji saw Akane nod again. "Look, as far as I'm concerned, that was just a fluke of nature thing, not in my control. I tried a few times when I got back to school, but nothing happened, so I think it was either a freak accident, or someone else's doing." "Hmm... Well, we'll figure it out later," she tried to reassure him as they reached the Tendo Dojo. She seperated from him and entered the house, while he headed to the dojo to relax. Someone was standing in the doorway, apparently waiting for him. "What do you want, Tendo?" the amnesiac asked, tiredly. "Heard there was a fight today," Nabiki replied simply. "And you were involved. Helped Akane out, even." He shrugged. "Yeah, so?" "I just find it strangely convenient that you were in the right place at the right time." He shrugged again and pushed passed her. "Just lucky, I guess." "Let's cut to the chase," she said suddenly. "Akane may be starting to believe you, but don't think for a moment I do." "I couldn't care less," he drawled, his back to her. A quick flash of anger stole across her face, but it soon left and Kenji never saw it. "Very well, just letting you know where I stand," She turned and left. Dinner past quickly and Kenji soon found himself exhausted from the day's events. He was out cold by the time his head hit the pillow.