Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VI or Ranma 1/2, nor do I pretend to. Even if I did, the army of lawyers that would come after me would make me change my mind.^_^
The Nerima Returners
A Final Fantasy VI and Ranma 1/2 Crossover
By Jade Dixon
Prologue- A Fight Delayed
Last Revised: April 25, 2003
It had been a year since the eternal twilight began. Friends lost had been found, self-discoveries had been made, and determination was solidified. The Returners had gathered together for a common purpose, to destroy Kefka. Knowing that the fate of their ruined world rested on their shoulders, they prepared themselves for one final fight. They scaled the demonic tower resting on the ruins of Vector, until they finally found Kefka on the summit, as suited his dramatic impulses. The battle was harsh, and Kefka summoned monsters from the depths of his lair to divide their numbers. Blood was drawn on both sides, wounds given and received, and players shifted positions. Their determination did not waver.
But, sometimes, determination is not enough.
When the thought finally began to permeate them that they might not succeed, it was Terra, Locke, Celes, and Relm who were engaged in battle with Kefka. The others were fighting the surrounding monsters, or too wounded to fight anymore. Strago watched helplessly as his granddaughter fought a battle far beyond any of their capabilities. Perhaps it was hopeless to fight a man who had absorbed the powers of three goddesses, but none of them regretted trying. There had been no choice.
Celes was too exhausted to cast magic anymore. She slumped to her knees, absorbing magic through her sword whenever she could, but otherwise too occupied trying to stay alive to be much help. A blast of magic knocked Relm down, and she did not get back up. Locke, with his speed and stealth, was still managing to weave through the majority of Kefka's attacks and defences to wound the man whenever he could, but it was obvious that he would not be able to keep it up forever. Terra had morphed to her Esper form earlier in the battle, but had long ago exhausted her ability to stay in it. Now she cast whatever magic she could, healing or offensive, determined to keep this battle going as long as possible, still hoping against hope that they could win, so that her children would be safe.
Terra's exhaustion became apparent when she failed to notice an attack heading towards her, and was knocked onto her back. She lay there, dazed, as Locke attracted the whole of Kefka's attention to himself, waiting for her to get back to her feet. She clutched the magicite she had decided to carry with her into battle. Mauduin, her father. It was 'just in case' she had told herself. In case she died, she wanted to be with her father at the end. *"Do we have any chance at all?"* she asked him.
*"Yes,"* was the surprising answer.
********************
Terra wasn't getting back up. Celes felt a moment of despair; surely the other magic user hadn't died, had she? No, her eyes were still open, but they didn't seem to be focused on anything. The Magitek soldier reached deep within herself, trying desperately to summon some ounce of the power she had been infused with, just enough to heal Terra so she would get back on her feet. Locke was going to be killed! She felt a spark, but it was too little to do anything with. Tears welled in her eyes, and she tried harder, refusing to give up.
A ringing sound began in her ears, and she knew that it wasn't a good thing, knew that she was just going to knock herself out if she kept this up, but still she didn't stop. Her vision began to black out, and still it wasn't enough, but she channelled it to Terra anyways. Perhaps it would be enough to jolt her back to her senses. 'And what about Relm?' a traitorous voice piped up in the back of her head. 'She's near enough for you to help, too...' But Celes knew the answer to that. Relm had gotten knocked out almost before she began; she wasn't as valuable as Terra. She was filled with self-loathing, but her soldier instincts ruled her in battle, and she knew that the child artist would just be a liability, while Terra had still been fighting, right up to her injury. Celes fell into blissful unconsciousness, just as Terra began to get to her feet again.
********************
Locke ducked and dodged, slashed and hacked, and hoped and prayed that Terra or Celes would get up soon. He was fast, but so was Kefka, and fatigue was beginning to creep in. His responses were slowing down; he couldn't keep Kefka's full attention for much longer. He sensed some magic behind him and sighed with relief. He'd have help soon. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Celes fall to the ground, unconscious. He squashed the worry he felt; he couldn't afford to let his feelings distract him. He thought the spark of magic he had felt was from her, and hoped that meant that Terra or Relm would be ready soon. What he sensed surprised him, though. It was a great surge of magic, one that was very familiar. It didn't make sense, there was no way that Terra could have gained that much energy from such a short rest, but she must have.
Terra was morphing.
********************
Relm couldn't move. She felt useless. Kefka had been too big, there had been too much to capture about him. Trying to paint his portrait had been a mistake, and one that she had paid for. Now she was out of the fight, and none of the others could spare a moment to check on her. Through slitted eyes she watched Celes collapse, and then Terra fall. She watched as Celes sent the last of her power to Terra, and Terra finally succeed with the struggle to get back to her feet, just as Celes fell unconscious.
She watched as Terra transformed into her Esper form.
It was something that she had always loved to witness. Light seemed to burst out from the green-haired girl, until it was all she was. A gentle lily aura surrounded her, giving her an encompassing halo, and highlighting her eyes, which remained sentient and gentle. She was a beautiful being, something out of legends. Relm had always thought that someday she'd like to paint her like this, to see if she could capture this faerie on canvas, to make it seem to /live/ in the canvas, as all the best of her portraits seemed to.
But now it seemed she wouldn't get the chance. They were out of time.
********************
Terra embraced her alien half, the part of herself that sometimes scared her, and sometimes delighted her. She always felt lighter when she was in her Esper form, her feet just barely touching the ground as the magic that coursed through her kept her levitated. She felt strained, it was too soon to be doing this, but her iron willpower kept her form steady just long enough.
She tilted her head back, her hair falling against the backs of her calves as she began to pool her magic, preparing the spell her father had just finished teaching her, his whispers still echoing in the back of her mind. She cast.
********************
The Returners watched in awe as Terra morphed into her Esper body. Even the monsters attacking them paused, feeling the strength of the magic being gathered. There was a bright flash of light, and when they could see again, their friends had disappeared.
So had Kefka.
********************
Awareness came slowly. Terra's thoughts were muddled and unfocused as she tried to remember where she was, and why. She felt very light, even more than when she was in her Esper form, and dissociated from her body. The second point panicked her. She still remembered vividly her experiences under the Empire's Slave Crown, and had no wish to repeat the experience. She would not be used again!
*"Calm yourself, daughter,"* Mauduin advised her. *"Remember the battle."*
And the memories flooded her. Losing, not willing to lose. Falling, not being able to get up. Her father's voice, teaching her a spell, one she needed to be in Esper form to use. Casting.
*"It worked then?"* she asked, still jittery.
*"Yes, it worked. All within range have been transported to another dimension."*
*"Why can't I see? Why do I feel so strange?"*
*"Because your bodies are not of this dimension, it is hard for them to exist here. They are stored in the 'space' between the two worlds, waiting for you to return. Your minds are hosted by citizens of this new dimension who are compatible with you. Your host appears to be sleeping,"* Mauduin explained.
*"Will I be able to communicate with her?"* Terra asked.
Terra got the feeling of amusement from her father. *"What makes you think that it is automatically a female host?"* Terra spluttered for a bit before he took pity on his daughter. *"No, you will not be able to communicate with them directly, and yes, it is a female for you. You will be able to 'possess' her from time to time, but I do not recommend doing it too much, as it will arouse suspicion, even though your host will not remember the experience."*
*"And the others?"*
*"They sleep, deep in the minds of their hosts. They will be awakened only when the Key is found, and it is time for you to return. As the caster, it is your responsibility to watch for the Key, or to appoint another if you, too, wish to sleep."*
*"And when we return, Kefka will be weak for a moment before he can access the Goddess' powers again?"*
*"Yes."*
Silence reigned as Terra pondered her situation.
Then, 16 year old Tendo Kasumi woke up.
Terra spent the next few weeks observing her host's life. She especially looked for someone she could trust with her existence. Kasumi's father was too emotional, and protective, he would likely try to evict Terra's consciousness, if there was a power in this world that was capable of doing so. Her youngest sister shared the father's protective instincts, and also had a drive for power. Even if she did not try to destroy Terra, the Esper was not sure if she could trust the girl with the magic she would need. The besotted doctor wouldn't listen to her before going off into that little world of his. That left Nabiki, the middle Tendo daughter. Nabiki was protective of her family, like the others, but not to the same degree. Also, she tended to look at things more intellectually than the others, which might give her a chance to explain her situation. While not ideal, she admitted that she would need help to find the Key, and she was the only option.
So she took control of Kasumi's body while the girl put something on to bake, and arranged a meeting with Nabiki.
********************
"Come in!" Nabiki called from her desk, where she was doing her homework. While slightly surprised to see Kasumi enter the room, she masked it well.
Her sister smiled at her gently. "May I talk to you, Nabiki?" she asked.
There was something off about her smile, Nabiki noted, but simply asked, "Business, or pleasure?" with a grin. Kasumi rarely wanted to talk business.
Which is why it surprised her, when she cocked her head to the side for a moment to ponder, and finally answered the former. "I'll only pay 500 yen, though," she said sternly. Nabiki didn't care, she was in too much shock. /This must be another ploy of Kasumi's to lecture me about my social habits,/ she thought. As for the price, well, she'd been finding it harder and harder to charge her sister for anything these days, and probably would have only been able to bring herself to charge something like 100 yen if the older girl hadn't set the price first.
"Alright," Nabiki agreed. Kasumi closed the door behind her as she entered the room fully. She crossed the room to sit on the bed, and sat down, straightening her skirt as she did so. Nabiki swivelled in her desk chair to face her sister properly.
********************
And so, Terra began to reveal her presence to the shorter haired girl.
She told her about the spell, and her true identity; about her world, and the fight she was immersed in. To her credit, after an initial jaw drop of surprise, Nabiki managed to keep her face schooled into a blank mask. When Terra was done, she waited for the girl's response.
The middle Tendo arched an eyebrow in amusement. Obviously Kasumi was playing a joke of some kind, but perhaps she should play along for a few minutes longer. "Alright, 'Terra'," she began, "Let's see some proof, shall we?"
"Very well," Terra replied solemnly, not realizing that Nabiki wasn't really serious. She held her hands together, and Nabiki was shocked to see her sister enveloped in a faint orange glow. When the glow faded, a small, oval rock sat in Kasumi's hands. It was an emerald green, and seemed to have a small red gem embedded in its centre.
"Wha..." Nabiki was shocked speechless; her mind couldn't process what her senses were telling her. After all, magic wasn't /real/, was it? "How did...? What /are/ you? What is that thing?"
Terra frowned. Hadn't the girl been listening during her explanation? "I'm Terra, a half-Human, half-Esper. I used my magic to summon a piece of magicite. This is Mauduin. He was my father before he died." The last was said wistfully, regret for a joy never known.
'This is a dream,' Nabiki thought to herself. This calmed her greatly; after all, if it was a dream, there was no harm in acting as though it were real. "Your father?" she asked. "How did he die?"
"The Empire, of course," Terra responded bitterly. "They destroyed everything they touched." Terra took a deep breath. "Please, Nabiki. I need your help. The 'Key' is the only way for my friends and myself to get home, and our only chance to defeat Kefka. I could try and find it on my own, but to do that I'd be forced to intrude upon your sister's life constantly. If I know that there's someone helping me, then I can take a more passive role." Terra rose from the bed and walked over to the chair Nabiki was sitting in before kneeling in front of her. She took the younger girl's hands in her own and looked straight into her eyes. "Please Nabiki, you're my only hope."
"How could I possibly help you?" Nabiki asked weakly, helpless in the face of the freedom fighter's earnestness. "You have powers beyond my comprehension, and... and I'd have no idea what this 'key' is that you're looking for..."
Terra smiled brilliantly at Nabiki's implicit offer for help, overjoyed that things were beginning to work out. Nabiki was stunned. Yes, she knew that this was some alien named 'Terra' but it was her sister's body, and her sister had never smiled like that. Kasumi always seemed to be smiling, but it was a smile meant to comfort. This was a smile of overwhelming joy, and Nabiki decided at that moment that she wanted to see her sister, mind-body-and-soul, make that smile.
"My father can teach you the rudiments of magic, although a lot of it will depend on your own innate ability. Unfortunately I can't summon any of the other magicite, as I don't have as strong of a connection with them, so there aren't many actual spells he will be able to teach you. As for the Key," Terra had the grace to blush in embarrassment. "I'm afraid that you know just about as much as I do. Father says that it can be a person, place, or thing, depending on the circumstances in the dimension. All we know is that it will have an intense magical signature."
"Wait, wait, hold on a second, time-out!" Nabiki butted in after a moment. "Your /father/? I thought you said that your father was dead, and that rock was all that was left of him!"
Terra sighed, in exasperation; this was such common knowledge to her that she had forgotten that people outside her circle of friends wouldn't understand what she was talking about. She stepped back and began to lecture. "For Espers, even death isn't really final. When they die, they turn into /magicite/," she emphasized the term, and indicated the 'rock' as Nabiki had put it. "They can still communicate, although it is easier and more fluid with those who have great magical potential. Otherwise the most they can normally do is impart their knowledge of spells. In the Esper world, most people learned only a few spells, and specialized in them, which is why Mauduin won't be able to teach you that much. But at least you'll be able to sense magic."
"So, if I decide to help you, and mind you that I'm still saying 'if', I'll get to learn magic?"
"That's correct."
"And what if I decide you're loony, and spill the beans?"
Terra stared blankly. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, unfamiliar with the expressions Nabiki had used. Nabiki dropped her head into her hands in despair.
"I said, what if I decided not to help you?" she simplified, and modified slightly.
Terra let her face smooth over as she embraced a neutral expression. "That is, of course, you're choice, I cannot force you to do anything. But I hope you will at least consider it."
Nabiki thought about it for a few moments. There were two options, she was dreaming or this was real. If it was a dream, none of this mattered, but if it was real, it would be a big risk. 'What the hell,' she finally thought. 'Time to make a gamble, I suppose.' What she said out loud was, "If I help you, you'll leave Kasumi alone?"
Again, Nabiki was faced with that brilliant smile. "As much as I am able." When it looked like Nabiki was going to protest, she held up a hand for silence. "What I mean is, I will need to take control occasionally to talk with you about anything you've found; and when the Key is found, I will need to take control until I can be returned to my own body. But I will try to keep my presence in her life to a minimum."
"Then you've got yourself a deal," Nabiki said with a grin, and held out her hand. They shook on it, and Terra grinned a returning smile. Nabiki caught a strange scent in the air, and took a sniff. "Do you smell something burning?" she asked quizzically, to her new partner. Terra also took a deep breath before her eyes widened, and her hands flew to her mouth.
"Oh, no!" she cried, already rushing for the door. "Kasumi's baking!" Nabiki's hysterical laughter followed her out into the hall after a pause. Nabiki saw that Terra had left Mauduin behind and picked the magicite up, with a bit of trepidation. 'Might as well get this over with,' she thought to herself, and began to learn about a whole new world she had never known existed before.
Kasumi never figured out how she had lost track of time so badly.
********************
Time passed, and Nabiki painstakingly learned the theory behind magic. She learned, from the occasional conversation with Terra, that most of her friends hadn't needed to do that, because they had been taught the spells directly by various pieces of magicite. The advantage to that was that they could learn the spells quickly and easily, while Nabiki, for the most part, had to try and figure things out on her own. While she had learned what spells Mauduin had to offer quickly, they were fairly useless to her as she couldn't exactly cast a second level fire spell without attracting some serious attention. The advantage to Nabiki's method of learning, however, was that she had the knowledge to figure out how to do some things on her own, although it was very trial-and-error based. She just had to be careful because if she made a mistake, the results might be something someone might notice.
Terra and Nabiki formed a friendship, although Terra kept her word about keeping her visits to a minimum. There were a few more accidents in the kitchen, however, that sent the creations to that big bakery in the sky, until Terra got the hand of keeping track of the time.
Time passed.
And eventually a cursed martial artist arrived at the dojo, and an engagement plan was revealed.
After that, things began to get interesting.
Until, one day, the heads of the Tendo and Saotome clans called their families together so they could make another announcement.
********************
Author's Notes:
This is the first time that I've posted any part of this story on FanFiction.Net, but I have posted the old version of it on my webpage and on the FFML before. This is the revised version, and revisions are still going on for the rest of the completed chapters. C&C would be greatly appreciated!
Also, (shameless plug^_^) I have a Chrono Cross fanfic posted here as well, so if you're interested, go to my author profile to check it out.
The Nerima Returners
A Final Fantasy VI and Ranma 1/2 Crossover
By Jade Dixon
Prologue- A Fight Delayed
Last Revised: April 25, 2003
It had been a year since the eternal twilight began. Friends lost had been found, self-discoveries had been made, and determination was solidified. The Returners had gathered together for a common purpose, to destroy Kefka. Knowing that the fate of their ruined world rested on their shoulders, they prepared themselves for one final fight. They scaled the demonic tower resting on the ruins of Vector, until they finally found Kefka on the summit, as suited his dramatic impulses. The battle was harsh, and Kefka summoned monsters from the depths of his lair to divide their numbers. Blood was drawn on both sides, wounds given and received, and players shifted positions. Their determination did not waver.
But, sometimes, determination is not enough.
When the thought finally began to permeate them that they might not succeed, it was Terra, Locke, Celes, and Relm who were engaged in battle with Kefka. The others were fighting the surrounding monsters, or too wounded to fight anymore. Strago watched helplessly as his granddaughter fought a battle far beyond any of their capabilities. Perhaps it was hopeless to fight a man who had absorbed the powers of three goddesses, but none of them regretted trying. There had been no choice.
Celes was too exhausted to cast magic anymore. She slumped to her knees, absorbing magic through her sword whenever she could, but otherwise too occupied trying to stay alive to be much help. A blast of magic knocked Relm down, and she did not get back up. Locke, with his speed and stealth, was still managing to weave through the majority of Kefka's attacks and defences to wound the man whenever he could, but it was obvious that he would not be able to keep it up forever. Terra had morphed to her Esper form earlier in the battle, but had long ago exhausted her ability to stay in it. Now she cast whatever magic she could, healing or offensive, determined to keep this battle going as long as possible, still hoping against hope that they could win, so that her children would be safe.
Terra's exhaustion became apparent when she failed to notice an attack heading towards her, and was knocked onto her back. She lay there, dazed, as Locke attracted the whole of Kefka's attention to himself, waiting for her to get back to her feet. She clutched the magicite she had decided to carry with her into battle. Mauduin, her father. It was 'just in case' she had told herself. In case she died, she wanted to be with her father at the end. *"Do we have any chance at all?"* she asked him.
*"Yes,"* was the surprising answer.
********************
Terra wasn't getting back up. Celes felt a moment of despair; surely the other magic user hadn't died, had she? No, her eyes were still open, but they didn't seem to be focused on anything. The Magitek soldier reached deep within herself, trying desperately to summon some ounce of the power she had been infused with, just enough to heal Terra so she would get back on her feet. Locke was going to be killed! She felt a spark, but it was too little to do anything with. Tears welled in her eyes, and she tried harder, refusing to give up.
A ringing sound began in her ears, and she knew that it wasn't a good thing, knew that she was just going to knock herself out if she kept this up, but still she didn't stop. Her vision began to black out, and still it wasn't enough, but she channelled it to Terra anyways. Perhaps it would be enough to jolt her back to her senses. 'And what about Relm?' a traitorous voice piped up in the back of her head. 'She's near enough for you to help, too...' But Celes knew the answer to that. Relm had gotten knocked out almost before she began; she wasn't as valuable as Terra. She was filled with self-loathing, but her soldier instincts ruled her in battle, and she knew that the child artist would just be a liability, while Terra had still been fighting, right up to her injury. Celes fell into blissful unconsciousness, just as Terra began to get to her feet again.
********************
Locke ducked and dodged, slashed and hacked, and hoped and prayed that Terra or Celes would get up soon. He was fast, but so was Kefka, and fatigue was beginning to creep in. His responses were slowing down; he couldn't keep Kefka's full attention for much longer. He sensed some magic behind him and sighed with relief. He'd have help soon. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Celes fall to the ground, unconscious. He squashed the worry he felt; he couldn't afford to let his feelings distract him. He thought the spark of magic he had felt was from her, and hoped that meant that Terra or Relm would be ready soon. What he sensed surprised him, though. It was a great surge of magic, one that was very familiar. It didn't make sense, there was no way that Terra could have gained that much energy from such a short rest, but she must have.
Terra was morphing.
********************
Relm couldn't move. She felt useless. Kefka had been too big, there had been too much to capture about him. Trying to paint his portrait had been a mistake, and one that she had paid for. Now she was out of the fight, and none of the others could spare a moment to check on her. Through slitted eyes she watched Celes collapse, and then Terra fall. She watched as Celes sent the last of her power to Terra, and Terra finally succeed with the struggle to get back to her feet, just as Celes fell unconscious.
She watched as Terra transformed into her Esper form.
It was something that she had always loved to witness. Light seemed to burst out from the green-haired girl, until it was all she was. A gentle lily aura surrounded her, giving her an encompassing halo, and highlighting her eyes, which remained sentient and gentle. She was a beautiful being, something out of legends. Relm had always thought that someday she'd like to paint her like this, to see if she could capture this faerie on canvas, to make it seem to /live/ in the canvas, as all the best of her portraits seemed to.
But now it seemed she wouldn't get the chance. They were out of time.
********************
Terra embraced her alien half, the part of herself that sometimes scared her, and sometimes delighted her. She always felt lighter when she was in her Esper form, her feet just barely touching the ground as the magic that coursed through her kept her levitated. She felt strained, it was too soon to be doing this, but her iron willpower kept her form steady just long enough.
She tilted her head back, her hair falling against the backs of her calves as she began to pool her magic, preparing the spell her father had just finished teaching her, his whispers still echoing in the back of her mind. She cast.
********************
The Returners watched in awe as Terra morphed into her Esper body. Even the monsters attacking them paused, feeling the strength of the magic being gathered. There was a bright flash of light, and when they could see again, their friends had disappeared.
So had Kefka.
********************
Awareness came slowly. Terra's thoughts were muddled and unfocused as she tried to remember where she was, and why. She felt very light, even more than when she was in her Esper form, and dissociated from her body. The second point panicked her. She still remembered vividly her experiences under the Empire's Slave Crown, and had no wish to repeat the experience. She would not be used again!
*"Calm yourself, daughter,"* Mauduin advised her. *"Remember the battle."*
And the memories flooded her. Losing, not willing to lose. Falling, not being able to get up. Her father's voice, teaching her a spell, one she needed to be in Esper form to use. Casting.
*"It worked then?"* she asked, still jittery.
*"Yes, it worked. All within range have been transported to another dimension."*
*"Why can't I see? Why do I feel so strange?"*
*"Because your bodies are not of this dimension, it is hard for them to exist here. They are stored in the 'space' between the two worlds, waiting for you to return. Your minds are hosted by citizens of this new dimension who are compatible with you. Your host appears to be sleeping,"* Mauduin explained.
*"Will I be able to communicate with her?"* Terra asked.
Terra got the feeling of amusement from her father. *"What makes you think that it is automatically a female host?"* Terra spluttered for a bit before he took pity on his daughter. *"No, you will not be able to communicate with them directly, and yes, it is a female for you. You will be able to 'possess' her from time to time, but I do not recommend doing it too much, as it will arouse suspicion, even though your host will not remember the experience."*
*"And the others?"*
*"They sleep, deep in the minds of their hosts. They will be awakened only when the Key is found, and it is time for you to return. As the caster, it is your responsibility to watch for the Key, or to appoint another if you, too, wish to sleep."*
*"And when we return, Kefka will be weak for a moment before he can access the Goddess' powers again?"*
*"Yes."*
Silence reigned as Terra pondered her situation.
Then, 16 year old Tendo Kasumi woke up.
Terra spent the next few weeks observing her host's life. She especially looked for someone she could trust with her existence. Kasumi's father was too emotional, and protective, he would likely try to evict Terra's consciousness, if there was a power in this world that was capable of doing so. Her youngest sister shared the father's protective instincts, and also had a drive for power. Even if she did not try to destroy Terra, the Esper was not sure if she could trust the girl with the magic she would need. The besotted doctor wouldn't listen to her before going off into that little world of his. That left Nabiki, the middle Tendo daughter. Nabiki was protective of her family, like the others, but not to the same degree. Also, she tended to look at things more intellectually than the others, which might give her a chance to explain her situation. While not ideal, she admitted that she would need help to find the Key, and she was the only option.
So she took control of Kasumi's body while the girl put something on to bake, and arranged a meeting with Nabiki.
********************
"Come in!" Nabiki called from her desk, where she was doing her homework. While slightly surprised to see Kasumi enter the room, she masked it well.
Her sister smiled at her gently. "May I talk to you, Nabiki?" she asked.
There was something off about her smile, Nabiki noted, but simply asked, "Business, or pleasure?" with a grin. Kasumi rarely wanted to talk business.
Which is why it surprised her, when she cocked her head to the side for a moment to ponder, and finally answered the former. "I'll only pay 500 yen, though," she said sternly. Nabiki didn't care, she was in too much shock. /This must be another ploy of Kasumi's to lecture me about my social habits,/ she thought. As for the price, well, she'd been finding it harder and harder to charge her sister for anything these days, and probably would have only been able to bring herself to charge something like 100 yen if the older girl hadn't set the price first.
"Alright," Nabiki agreed. Kasumi closed the door behind her as she entered the room fully. She crossed the room to sit on the bed, and sat down, straightening her skirt as she did so. Nabiki swivelled in her desk chair to face her sister properly.
********************
And so, Terra began to reveal her presence to the shorter haired girl.
She told her about the spell, and her true identity; about her world, and the fight she was immersed in. To her credit, after an initial jaw drop of surprise, Nabiki managed to keep her face schooled into a blank mask. When Terra was done, she waited for the girl's response.
The middle Tendo arched an eyebrow in amusement. Obviously Kasumi was playing a joke of some kind, but perhaps she should play along for a few minutes longer. "Alright, 'Terra'," she began, "Let's see some proof, shall we?"
"Very well," Terra replied solemnly, not realizing that Nabiki wasn't really serious. She held her hands together, and Nabiki was shocked to see her sister enveloped in a faint orange glow. When the glow faded, a small, oval rock sat in Kasumi's hands. It was an emerald green, and seemed to have a small red gem embedded in its centre.
"Wha..." Nabiki was shocked speechless; her mind couldn't process what her senses were telling her. After all, magic wasn't /real/, was it? "How did...? What /are/ you? What is that thing?"
Terra frowned. Hadn't the girl been listening during her explanation? "I'm Terra, a half-Human, half-Esper. I used my magic to summon a piece of magicite. This is Mauduin. He was my father before he died." The last was said wistfully, regret for a joy never known.
'This is a dream,' Nabiki thought to herself. This calmed her greatly; after all, if it was a dream, there was no harm in acting as though it were real. "Your father?" she asked. "How did he die?"
"The Empire, of course," Terra responded bitterly. "They destroyed everything they touched." Terra took a deep breath. "Please, Nabiki. I need your help. The 'Key' is the only way for my friends and myself to get home, and our only chance to defeat Kefka. I could try and find it on my own, but to do that I'd be forced to intrude upon your sister's life constantly. If I know that there's someone helping me, then I can take a more passive role." Terra rose from the bed and walked over to the chair Nabiki was sitting in before kneeling in front of her. She took the younger girl's hands in her own and looked straight into her eyes. "Please Nabiki, you're my only hope."
"How could I possibly help you?" Nabiki asked weakly, helpless in the face of the freedom fighter's earnestness. "You have powers beyond my comprehension, and... and I'd have no idea what this 'key' is that you're looking for..."
Terra smiled brilliantly at Nabiki's implicit offer for help, overjoyed that things were beginning to work out. Nabiki was stunned. Yes, she knew that this was some alien named 'Terra' but it was her sister's body, and her sister had never smiled like that. Kasumi always seemed to be smiling, but it was a smile meant to comfort. This was a smile of overwhelming joy, and Nabiki decided at that moment that she wanted to see her sister, mind-body-and-soul, make that smile.
"My father can teach you the rudiments of magic, although a lot of it will depend on your own innate ability. Unfortunately I can't summon any of the other magicite, as I don't have as strong of a connection with them, so there aren't many actual spells he will be able to teach you. As for the Key," Terra had the grace to blush in embarrassment. "I'm afraid that you know just about as much as I do. Father says that it can be a person, place, or thing, depending on the circumstances in the dimension. All we know is that it will have an intense magical signature."
"Wait, wait, hold on a second, time-out!" Nabiki butted in after a moment. "Your /father/? I thought you said that your father was dead, and that rock was all that was left of him!"
Terra sighed, in exasperation; this was such common knowledge to her that she had forgotten that people outside her circle of friends wouldn't understand what she was talking about. She stepped back and began to lecture. "For Espers, even death isn't really final. When they die, they turn into /magicite/," she emphasized the term, and indicated the 'rock' as Nabiki had put it. "They can still communicate, although it is easier and more fluid with those who have great magical potential. Otherwise the most they can normally do is impart their knowledge of spells. In the Esper world, most people learned only a few spells, and specialized in them, which is why Mauduin won't be able to teach you that much. But at least you'll be able to sense magic."
"So, if I decide to help you, and mind you that I'm still saying 'if', I'll get to learn magic?"
"That's correct."
"And what if I decide you're loony, and spill the beans?"
Terra stared blankly. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, unfamiliar with the expressions Nabiki had used. Nabiki dropped her head into her hands in despair.
"I said, what if I decided not to help you?" she simplified, and modified slightly.
Terra let her face smooth over as she embraced a neutral expression. "That is, of course, you're choice, I cannot force you to do anything. But I hope you will at least consider it."
Nabiki thought about it for a few moments. There were two options, she was dreaming or this was real. If it was a dream, none of this mattered, but if it was real, it would be a big risk. 'What the hell,' she finally thought. 'Time to make a gamble, I suppose.' What she said out loud was, "If I help you, you'll leave Kasumi alone?"
Again, Nabiki was faced with that brilliant smile. "As much as I am able." When it looked like Nabiki was going to protest, she held up a hand for silence. "What I mean is, I will need to take control occasionally to talk with you about anything you've found; and when the Key is found, I will need to take control until I can be returned to my own body. But I will try to keep my presence in her life to a minimum."
"Then you've got yourself a deal," Nabiki said with a grin, and held out her hand. They shook on it, and Terra grinned a returning smile. Nabiki caught a strange scent in the air, and took a sniff. "Do you smell something burning?" she asked quizzically, to her new partner. Terra also took a deep breath before her eyes widened, and her hands flew to her mouth.
"Oh, no!" she cried, already rushing for the door. "Kasumi's baking!" Nabiki's hysterical laughter followed her out into the hall after a pause. Nabiki saw that Terra had left Mauduin behind and picked the magicite up, with a bit of trepidation. 'Might as well get this over with,' she thought to herself, and began to learn about a whole new world she had never known existed before.
Kasumi never figured out how she had lost track of time so badly.
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Time passed, and Nabiki painstakingly learned the theory behind magic. She learned, from the occasional conversation with Terra, that most of her friends hadn't needed to do that, because they had been taught the spells directly by various pieces of magicite. The advantage to that was that they could learn the spells quickly and easily, while Nabiki, for the most part, had to try and figure things out on her own. While she had learned what spells Mauduin had to offer quickly, they were fairly useless to her as she couldn't exactly cast a second level fire spell without attracting some serious attention. The advantage to Nabiki's method of learning, however, was that she had the knowledge to figure out how to do some things on her own, although it was very trial-and-error based. She just had to be careful because if she made a mistake, the results might be something someone might notice.
Terra and Nabiki formed a friendship, although Terra kept her word about keeping her visits to a minimum. There were a few more accidents in the kitchen, however, that sent the creations to that big bakery in the sky, until Terra got the hand of keeping track of the time.
Time passed.
And eventually a cursed martial artist arrived at the dojo, and an engagement plan was revealed.
After that, things began to get interesting.
Until, one day, the heads of the Tendo and Saotome clans called their families together so they could make another announcement.
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Author's Notes:
This is the first time that I've posted any part of this story on FanFiction.Net, but I have posted the old version of it on my webpage and on the FFML before. This is the revised version, and revisions are still going on for the rest of the completed chapters. C&C would be greatly appreciated!
Also, (shameless plug^_^) I have a Chrono Cross fanfic posted here as well, so if you're interested, go to my author profile to check it out.