And then it ends. I'm no longer the defeater of Saffron, the indomitable Ranma Saotome. I've got the memories, though, can recall every damn moment of that life. My other life. I fought for it, bled for it, and while fighting Saffron I nearly died for it... and now it's gone. If Halloween had ended the way it should have, maybe I'd wake up from this whole thing, mark it off as another time I've been "possessed" and move on. Maybe be a little better at the art, sure. Maybe even call what happened a gift.
But it seems this... gift... came at a price. I remember both lives. I was Xander Harris, I was Ranma Saotome. But someone took that away from me. They left me here, standing outside the high school that sits above the mouth of hell, with absolutely nothing left to me. My age, my whole body feels wrong. I remember being just ready to leave high school, and now I'm just starting. I remember being able to defeat a god, and now I fear I could barely take on a bully.
It's worse than just not feeling comfortable in my own skin, however. I'm no longer the Slayer's comic-relief sidekick. Whoever did this, they made it so the Scoobs don't know me anymore. All those things we fought, all the battles we won- they haven't happened yet. And Willow, Jesse... I've been written out of their lives like some bad comic-book retcon. I don't exist here. No home, no family, no background. I can't get a job. If it weren't for the local truancy officer, I wouldn't even be able to go to school.
The local government thinks I'm a runaway, but maybe this is a blessing in disguise. My home life... wasn't exactly the greatest. In fact, my dad, Tony Harris... well let's just say I prefer Genma over him, and that's saying something. For all his faults as a man, as a father, and as a teacher, I never once doubted his love for me. Even after the cat fist training, well... there's a reason I don't hate the old man for what he did, and that reason is I know he never meant me harm. Sure, he's selfish, and always on the lookout for shortcuts, but... for 16 years he was my rock, my mentor, my only real companion. You don't break bonds like that easily.
And now I'm here, and both those lives are gone. Still, there's one thing I can do, for him and for mom. So here goes.
I stand before the class, smile, bow, and introduce myself. "I'm Xander Saotome," I say. A wry smirk lifts the corner of my lips as I finish, "Sorry about this."