Insert standard disclaimer here.

Now this time, I have more to say. This story crosses one of my versions of Weiß Kreuz with a future Ranma 1/2. Therefore, let me explain some things.

Original Characters include Himitsu, Makizeen Lightbringer, Ilde, Jiita Akugumi, and Rin and Naoki Sagura. (Also Ruth, Yepa, Kimberly, Orla, Bryn, and Min, but they get explained in the story and the others do not.) Himitsu is Kerry Sullivan in disguise; her hair is irridescent black and even braided is too long for its own good, her eyes are amber, and she pretends that her right arm is a metal prosthetic. She acts as mother to Schuldich and Ilde and loves randomly appearing out of nowhere to frighten everybody witless. Makizeen seems to be two things. One is a female Farf. The other is Lucifer's daughter. She carries his mark (on her forehead at on her chest, about half way down her sternum) and, as with Cain's mark, one knows exactly what it is as soon as you see it. She usually keeps it hidden, however. She also learned to smile from her father, and thus it can be very upsetting if you're smart enough to tell what it's doing to you, which most people aren't. Maki likes Ran / Aya-kun because of his uncommon coloring. Ilde is Schuldich's twin sister and looks almost exactly like him. (Schuldich's real name is Christian, Chris for short, by the way) She was involved with Farf when he was still Jei, then got involved with Crawford, then Farf again, and now is together with both of them. You can tell I like her. ^_~

Jiita, Rin, and Naoki are all characters I pulled from another version of Weiß Kreuz, one where several characters are reincarnations of Rurouni Kenshin characters. Jiita is Tokio, Rin is Misao, and Naoki is Sozo. Chou's reincarnation, Yô, might show up or he might not. But that isn't really important. Jiita is fascinated with her own wounds and mortality. She also has extreme claustrophobia and is a master of many sword schools, including Hiten Mitsurigi and Tennen Rishu. She's a mercenary and was temporarily hired by Schwartz. However, when Ken accidentally opened her up with his bugnuts, she fixated on him and now won't leave him alone. The Saguras, on the other hand, were temporarily hired to aid Weiß in an attempt to even the scales.

On the Ranma 1/2 side of things, it's been a year since the Saffron business. Kuno and Nabiki have graduated and moved on to college; Ranma and Akane are seniors. They're also nineteen, but hey, I can't make everything work together. (See, supposedly, from Here's Ranma to Saffron was two years. If Kuno and Nabiki were 17 at the start, they should be out of high school by then (since they're 19 at the end), but that doesn't seem to be the case. Therefore, there's an extra year of school or something.) In the year since Saffron's defeat, the pools have come back, but they're not the same ones as before.

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Cold Black, White Water

NOTES:
= Japanese
blah = Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese, whichever you wish)
~blah~ = English
^blah^ = German
**blah** = sending

Part 1: Kitties need Practice to Balance Houses

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Kritiker wants us to practice our balance, Aya said sourly. They're sending us to some training grounds in China.

Do we have a choice? Yohji asked.

Not really, Manx said, appearing in the doorway. You can go or you can leave the group. And you all know the only way to quit is dying.

Yohji sighed, running a hand through his hair. Well, I guess we've got no choice. Will you be going with us?

Only to see you there and back, she replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aya's going to China? Can I go too? Maki asked.

I wouldn't if I were you. Firstly, Himitsu said, Kritiker doesn't know of you and wouldn't approve if they did. Secondly, your father wouldn't like it if Jusenkyou were to claim you as a victim.

Can I at least warn him?

Himitsu's eyes sparkled with mischief.

It was reflected in Maki's. Oh. I see. She smiled.

What's going on? Ilde asked from the kitchen.

Something interesting's going to happen!

Ilde raised an eyebrow. That's not how Brad saw it.

Brad is human, Himitsu said, and faded away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manx said, overriding the guide. Here's the idea: first, just move from pole to pole to ground and back, without getting wet. After a couple of days, try sparring over the springs. You'll be staying nearby, but avoid the Amazons at all costs. They have some pretty nasty laws. See you in three weeks!

Aiya! Honored customers no should go on poles! Very bad if you fall in spring.

Then we won't fall, Aya said.

Orders are orders. We don't have much choice about this, Ken added.

The guide was upset, then shrugged it off. If they were going to be stupid after his warnings, then it was their responsibility. He just wished he still knew which springs were which.

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It took them only a little while to find their balance, but since they'd been given a couple of days, they didn't start sparring just yet. Surprisingly, Ken was the most at home on top of the tall poles.

On the fourth day, they prepared to spar. The legend (which Omi had looked up and related to them) was just a legend, after all. The guide repeated his warnings, and was ignored. After all, magic wasn't real, was it? If they'd known Himitsu better, they wouldn't have been so certain. If they'd ever been to Nerima, they would have been more wary. But they didn't and they hadn't, and so it was only a matter of time until they fell.

Yohji caught Aya with his wire, but overbalanced and they fell into two springs. The guide reflected that he now knew two of the springs – or he would, as soon as they resurfaced. Yohji burst up, gasping for breath, then screamed when he saw breasts on his chest. Aha number one. Aya joined him a moment later. He didn't look different at first, but then three tails started lashing about and ears perked up from where they had been flattened. Aha number two.

Aiya! Honored customers fall in Spring of Drowned Girl and Spring of Drowned Fox Demon! Very tragic story of –

Shut up, Aya growled, pulling himself out of the spring and then helping Yohji out of hers.

Omi stared at his teammates, then lost his footing and fell into a third spring. Aiya! Spring of Drowned Wolf! the guide cried when he saw what emerged.

Why do you say Aiya all the time? Ken asked, curious.

The guide shrugged. It what I suppose to say.

Oh, I see. Ken hopped further away, towards the other side of the springs.

Aiya! What you do for?

What are you doing? Aya asked at the same time.

Well, it's not exactly fair that you all have curses and I don't. Now where's a spring that looks interesting?

He eventually stopped and jumped into a spring that used to be very special. The guide held his breath, then cried out in relief. Aiya! Mr. Customer jump in Spring of Drowned Very Big Cat!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hot water, huh? Ken said when he could speak again. You're lucky, Yohji. You stay human.

You chose to be cursed, Yohji muttered.

Guys? We weren't supposed to get wet ever, right? Omi asked, worried. So we failed to do that. And they can prove it, because of the curses. Would they want to keep us, knowing that we couldn't stay balanced on poles for even a sparring session? Especially now that we change with cold water?
Aya shook his head. So did Ken.

If there's a weakness, Kritiker gets rid of it, even if they have to kill their own agents, Aya said.

That's true, Yohji agreed. So I guess we won't last much longer than the rest of these three weeks.

That's saying that we stick around and just let them kill us. If we get out of here and hide out long enough, we'll be able to start over and be fine.

But where will we go? Omi asked.

Many people go to Nerima, the guide said, seemingly out of nowhere. That where greatest martial artist is. He defeat Saffron when phoenix god want take Jusenkyou away. Much Honored Customer no like that because it mean he no get cure.

Is there a cure? Omi asked again, a thought occurring to him.

The guide shrugged. Spring of Drowned Young Man. But no know which spring that spring. Business with Jusendo and Saffron first dry up springs, then mix them up super big time. Spring of Drowned Girl was Spring of Drowned Panda. Spring of Drowned Fox Demon was Spring of Drowned Girl. Spring of Drowned Very Big Cat was Spring of Drowned Yeti Riding Bull and Holding Eel and Crane. He shrugged again. Spring of Drowned Man very hard to find, because so many people want.

Aya said a little too loudly. We'll stop by Okinawa, then go to the USA for a while, then hide in India. Nerima is just too obvious. He dragged them off, then whispered harshly, We're going to Nerima. We need to talk to that martial artist, but the guide mustn't know. Got that? They nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, how goes it? Ilde asked.

Oh? How so?

They have curses and are moving to Nerima because they think Kritiker will kill them.

That's perfect! Himitsu, you are a genius.

I know.