Disclaimer: not my circus, not my monkeys. I just get to play ringleader for a little while for our entertainment.

Chapter 1

"Sit Ranma", the old women said directing to one of the chairs in at the small round table, "I have been observing you for some time."

Ranma sat down and looked around the room. It was small room decorated with Chinese tapestries, Buddha statues, clay pots, stringed beads hung from the door ways, and the air was thick with the scent of incense. It reminded him of a bad fortune teller's act from American tv. There was even a crystal ball in the centre of the table.

The old women poured two cups of tea from a cart nearby and handed one to Ranma.

"It's for the tourists," she said as she sat down.

"What?"

"The décor," she said as she took a long sip from her cup, "you were looking around. Please, drink your tea and we can start."

Ranma took a sip, and made a face. Loose leaf tea that tasted very bitter. "Why did you invite me in?"

"As I said, I have been observing you. You have been running around this neighbourhood for years. Causing chaos as you run around being chased by hooligans, monsters, your father, and fiancé's. The fates have finally told me I may speak with you. Not a moment to soon. I don't think my poor garden can take much more abuse."

Ranma blinked at her blankly, "speak about what?"

"Not sure young man. My décor maybe fake, but my gifts are real. Now finish your tea," she repeated, "so we can start." The old women drained the last of her tea, swirled the leaves and placed it upside down on a napkin she placed beside her.

"So, you're going to tell me the future?"

"Finish your tea", she repeated again patiently. The old women turned to the cart and gathered a deck of playing cards and began to shuffle them, "you need to listen to your elder's young man. It's not as simple as that. There is no right or wrong future. It's not set in stone. All I can do is…give hints I guess you can say," she handed Ranma a napkin, "when you finish the tea swirl the leaves three times in your left hand and place the cup upside down on your right."

"Why?" he asked as he finished his beverage is three large gulps.

"Because I asked you too."

Ranma rolled his eyes but did as she had asked, "now what?"

She handed Ranma the deck of cards, "shuffle these."

The old women took Ranma's tea cup and looked into the remains as he awkwardly shuffled the cards, "are you ready?" she asked.

Ranma nervously nodded.

"You are cursed," she said peering into the cup.

"Look lady, you don't need to be psychic to know that."

She narrowed her eyes at Ranma, "I am just repeating what the leaves are telling me. I suppose it could be referring to your little gender-changing problem (you do run into my water pot on occasion). But it could be your horrible manners, lack of listening skills, and a narcissism you seemed to have been born with. Now, can you for once just do as you are told? Sit. Listen. And you may learn something. May I continue? Or are you going to interrupt me every time I say something?" she looked upward, sighed, closed her eyes and whispered "please give me strength. Young people, yeesh".

Ranma placed his hands at the back of his head and leaned back, "ok. Not sure what a bunch of soggy old leaves can tell me about my life I don't already know. But I have nothing better to do today, might as well kill an hour to humor you."

"You're to kind," the old women said sarcastically. She set her focus back to the cup, "as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted; you are cursed. I see four potential paths this may lead. Three lead to happiness, one to disaster." She grabbed the cards, and lay four out on the table, "pick one."

Ranma picked the one on the end on his right.

"The Queen of clubs. Dark haired confident women," the old women places the card in front of her and flips four more cards: the king of spades, the four of clubs, the ace of spades, and the queen of hearts.

"Are you ready for my interpretation?"

R-R-R-R

I have had this story stuck in my head for a long time. Updates are going to be far and few between because I am a university student and really should be working on my assignments. But it's complete in my head, so that's a thing….

If you are interested in what the cards mean, I am using www. /fortunetellingcards .html as my guide. As a fun game, you can read what each of these mean, and maybe guess what the first 'path' might be.

Sorry for any errors. I know it takes away from the story, but its 1 am here in Nova Scotia and I wasn't expecting to spew out a whole first chapter tonight.

EJ