The Turner Of The Wheel TurnerOfTheWheel@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Most characters, introduced thus far, are property of Rumiko Takahashi and a bunch of business people, and are used here without permission. Original concept and Asuralle are property of Gregg Sharp ("Gregg Sharp" metroanime@mindspring.com), and is used here with permission. Part of this fanfiction, the first part, is written by Gregg Sharp. Any writing or ideas, except where otherwise noted, beyond this point, are property of me. Thanks.
WARNING:
First fic. Please please, please tell me why, where and how it sucks. I really want to write better for you guys, and I have a long way to go. So flame me, insult my style, grammar, originality and humor. An occasional compliment would be nice too d8^)
This will be a crossover, including Ah! Mega-sami, and probably Tenchi and Sailor Moon. However, the other series may not be introduced for a chapter or two (with the exception of Asuralle)
(Completed 11/11/00) Angel 1/2, Chapter 1: A Gift From The Gods
(Slight Alterations 3/16/01)
______
Hel was unhappy. Hel had a tendency to take this out on anyone in the vicinity. Unlike Toltiir, Hel was neither particularly inventive or possessed of a sense of humor.
A Demon First Class, seeing an ancient enemy, decided to get away from his mistress and go off into battle. He wasn't aware that the whole thing was a setup, or that Hel was manipulating events.
Not in imitation of the Bet, but to see what could be done to hurry off some of those alternate timelines into darkness, destruction, and death.
Hel _really_ hated happy endings.
She watched the battle taking place over the area she had chosen and waited. Sure enough, a divergence occurred. In each of the lines, the equally matched forces of Darkness and Light saw a victory.
In one timeline, it was the Darkness that rose triumphant over a certain small body of water. In the other, the Light was the victor.
In either case, the victory turned pyrrhic when the Doublet System activated with the loser drowning in the cursed spring and the victor suddenly died in midair. (Midgloat in the case of the demon, midsong in the case of the angel.)
To Hel it didn't really matter. Either supplied pain and suffering, which was her meat and drink. It WOULD matter to someone else, however.
______
"That must be Ranma," Nabiki ran for the door, her father a moment behind.
"Saotome, my old friend!"
Nabiki opened the door and came to a complete and abrupt stop, not even noticing that she was blocking the door. Higher functions had gone offline and she was quite conscious of her own heartbeat suddenly racing.
"Are...are...you...Ranma?" Nabiki looked up the tall figure in front of her, noting the lean muscles, the bronzed skin, the perfect proportions, the dazzling smile, the way those eyes looked into her...
Wondering why he had steam rising from his hair and was screwing the lid back onto a thermos. Well, Nabiki decided she was a little steamy herself.
There was no doubt in her mind now who would marry Ranma. It was her Destiny. Everything that had come so far, every sacrifice, every deal, had been so that she could attain THIS.
"Hi," Nabiki unconsciously straightened up as best she could under the circumstances. The Ice Queen had just moved to equatorial climes. Hot and steamy was the forecast.
Ranma moved slightly and Nabiki's next words died unspoken on her lips. She didn't notice the panda, her attention was fully focused on those eyes, those broad shoulders, the lithe but firm musculature, the strong defined pectorals, the sensuous mouth opening.
The mood was shattered by Nabiki fainting. She was entirely unused to having such a romantic moment or the tide of emotion that had erupted upon looking into those eyes.
"Oh....my! My, my. Dear me."
Kasumi filled the doorway, accidentally slamming her father into the doorframe. "Hello there. Are you...Ranma?"
"Kasumi, I can't see. I don't see what all the fuss is about anyway, it's just a boy." The last word was spat out as if it were a curse.
"That's okay, Akane." Kasumi licked suddenly dry lips. An angel. Just glancing into those eyes so full of compassion and strength was enough to convince her. All the sacrifices she'd made for her family, all the duties and responsibilities she'd had to shoulder. Now she knew, without the slightest doubt in her mind. THIS was why she had endured it all.
Kasumi looked at the man as he moved with such grace, and knew that the Heavens themselves had seen fit to reward her directly. She hoped that she could be worthy of this great honor. "I'll take him. He might seem to be a bit young, but I really doubt he's boring."
Soun stopped struggling. One of his daughters had already made the choice? And it was Kasumi?
Akane frowned as she stared at her sister's back and the sideways view of her father. Kasumi was interested in a boy? "Well, better you than me. I..."
Kasumi moved aside to let Ranma pass. Akane stared. It was a long moment before Akane remembered to breathe. "Ah? So!"
"Pardon me," Ranma carried the unconscious Nabiki into the house, stepping past a flustered Akane who was still trying to get her mouth to work.
Laying Nabiki down on the floor, Ranma turned to find the other two daughters had followed him and were giving him a close and thorough inspection.
"Pardon me," Kasumi straightened. "Tea. That's a good idea. I think I need to make some tea." She needed to get the formal set out.
"Uhm, so...you study kempo?" Akane said, blushing and examining the floor. She hated boys, but there was no WAY this could be considered a mere boy. She knew there had been some great destiny calling her, it had been a feeling she had all her life. Now she knew what it was. When Kasumi understood this, Akane was sure her elder sister would step out of the way.
"A little," Ranma confessed.
"Well, we have a dojo. Maybe we could be a little match...I mean _have_ a little match."
Unnoticed by anyone, a panda started looking for the bathroom.
______
Kasumi hurried to the dojo to find Nabiki was already there in the doorway. The two settled down to watch, unable to tear their eyes away from the person sparring with their sister.
She kicked. He moved like smoke around her. She punched; he leaned out of the way. She began a wind milling series of blows that he evaded with consummate grace.
Akane started to get angry then looked at the gentle smile, the caring in those eyes, and realized that here was a guy who would hesitate to do anything to hurt her. Completely unlike the usual crowd at school.
"Sugoi!" Nabiki watched the tight musculature, how the boy turned the simple act of dodging into almost a dance he was leading Akane into.
"Oh!" Kasumi blushed prettily, as Ranma flipped back over Akane with such a lazy grace that Kasumi could not help but wonder what else he could do in such a manner.
"Wow! You're pretty good." Akane managed as she felt the lightest of touches on the back of her head. At last, she had a worthy opponent. Someone she could spar with who would be enough of a challenge she could hone her skills against. He was nearly perfect.
______
"So, you fell in a Jusenkyo pool, as well?" Kasumi blinked. "What do you turn into?"
"Well, I..." Ranma looked quite unhappy. "That is, I..."
Genma, without a word, grabbed his son and flipped him out into the fishpond.
"Oh, the shame," Genma stood up and raised tear-filled eyes to the heavens. "My own son, how humiliating..."
The water erupted. Broad feathered wings that shimmered an iridescent blue-green snapped out, sending a spray of water across the yard.
The three Tendo girls gasped. The same aura of compassion and strength flowed from the girl who had stepped out of the pond and now looked with disdain upon her father. The very qualities that had made his male form so appealing brought an otherworldly sense of beauty to the female half.
"Father, that was uncalled for," Ranma said, glaring at the one responsible for the transformation.
"Were you not prepared to risk your life for..." Genma found himself interrupted. The interruption proved to be the table being slammed into the top of his head by Akane. She lifted it and brought it back down on him again. How DARE he do something like that to HER Ranma...
"You've gone too far, Mister Saotome!" Kasumi actually showed some anger towards the older man, guest or not.
"Would you like some hot water, Ranma?" Nabiki smiled. She wouldn't even charge him for it, he'd see that she was useful and intelligent, then he'd be sure to choose HER.
Akane glared at Genma some more. "How could you do that to poor Ranma? What kind of father are you?"
"Ah, the life of a martial artist is fraught with peril," Soun Tendo folded his arms and looked stoic. He glanced over at Ranma-chan and his jaw dropped. Such inhuman beauty and grace hit him like a meteor from an American disaster movie. His stoic dignity seemed to deflate and vanish. "Gah?"
"Oh, that I have such a worthless son..." came a mumbling voice from underneath the table. "Such a disappointment you are to your father... OUCH!"
Akane dusted her hands off from where she'd picked the table back up and slammed it back down again. "You did this to him, you...you..." Akane paused, at a loss for an applicable insult.
"Worthless excuse for a father," supplied Kasumi helpfully.
"Scumbag? Slimeball? Dirty rotten old @#*%#? Fiend? Pile of malodorous monkey muck? Soon to be living punching bag?" Nabiki scowled at the arms and legs sticking out from beneath the table.
"Thanks." Akane nodded. "What they said!"
Ranma suppressed a guilty smile at seeing her father on the receiving end of some bad luck for a change. But then, she'd never suffered from any delusions of being perfect...
______
Shampoo stopped on the street. She was sure her airen was around here someplace. Her thoughts swept back to when HE had walked into the village.
It would have been a perfect moment, their eyes meeting across the field. Destiny. That was what it was. All the training she'd underwent, never having any friends, no one for HER to lean on in her hour of need, but then HE came into her life.
But NOOOOO. Sugar and Spice. Honey and Brandy. Choco, Rink and Pink. THEY had to spoil the moment, the moment her entire life had been leading up to!
Shampoo grinned, but her eyes were sad. Who could blame her airen? I mean, he couldn't even get into the Challenge area before he had half a dozen amazons challenging him to a fight right there and then!
She'd insisted, though. As she was the Champion. She had the right of First Challenge. Ranma had proven just as good at fighting as he was at being cute. She moved past some odd residence called the Tendo Dojo, still looking for a sign of her airen.
He'd beaten her, she'd leapt up to give him the Kiss Of Marriage...and he was already getting challenged by some of the others! The nerve of them, couldn't they get in line?!
Okay, maybe the number of guys in the village had been steadily decreasing over the past few years. Okay, working in the Chinese Army was usually considered less strenuous than being a male among the amazons. Certainly there was less humiliation.
It wasn't HER fault!
Airen had left the village. Airen had beaten a half dozen other amazons getting out of the village.
That was why Shampoo felt she had to find her airen, FAST.
Otherwise, someone else might catch him first.
______
NOTICE: All writing up to this point has been that of Gregg Sharp. I respect his writing greatly, and I thank him for allowing me to continue this story. From here on in, all writing is mine. Any problems in transition between the writings are my fault.
______
The Tendo Dojo, late at night. A peaceful scene, as Ranma and the Tendo Sisters have retired. Soun and Genma (panda-form at the moment) sit at their favorite pastime. Genma sighs and glances at the night sky through the doorway. Soun, of course, takes this opportunity to replace one of Genma's pieces with his own.
# Tendo, old friend, what am I to do with my son? #
"hmm" mumbled the Tendo patriarch, glancing up from the board.
# My son, he is a disgrace # (flip) # The curse has corrupted him, taken him from the path of a true martial artist # (flip, the sign apparently has more than two sides) # he refused to even train in the art because he says I, his father, am immoral! The ways of my art are immoral! #
"A problem, a problem indeed my old friend." Soun sagely nodded, "I am sure you gave Ranma a good beating for his insubordination?"
# Ah, well, I would have you see, but his curse seems to have given him a streak of infernal good luck, which he has fiendishly used to overpower my *obviously* superior skill #
"Well, that is most unfortunate. Did you manage to get the boy training again?"
# Yes, my old friend, but not without difficulties and sacrifices. The boy said to me . . . #
______
"Father, if you wish me to continue in the training of the 'art', I demand that you restore it to its original purpose. It is to defend the weak, not to steal and lie" an angry Ranma-onna shouts at her father from aloft, her bluish-green wings flapping slowly behind her. She is obviously not staying aloft courtesy of the laws of aerodynamics.
A dripping Genma-panda holds up a sign # You understand nothing boy. How can a martial artist defend the weak if he cannot even feed himself? #
"Asuralle has told me the true meaning of the art. She has taught me more about purpose and honor in a few weeks then you have in ten years, you old fool!" she snorts. "Oh, sorry, right. You're right As, I shouldn't have yelled at him." Ranma says shamefully.
# Ranma, stop talking to that . . thing inside your head, and listen to your father #
"Pop, I'm not gonna fight with ya," she pauses, and peers inward for a moment. "Sorry, I'm not going to fight with you anymore Father. Unless you stop stealing, lying and making false promises, I'm not training in your 'art' anymore." she says with finality.
# But son . . . # his signs have now switched to a pleading tone # how will we eat? You wouldn't let your poor father starve would you? #
"Pop, all we have to do is work a little. It's good for you, we can do some physical labor, help with our training at the same time. What do you say?"
# sigh #, he appears to think it over (flip) # the things I give up for the art. Very well, my boy, if it keeps you training, I will make the sacrifice #, with fingers crossed behind his back.
"Great! Oh, and pop, Asuralle and I are gonna, ... going to keep an eye on you, we'll know if you keep your promise," she added suspiciously. A moment later, "Well As, you wouldn't trust him either if you had know him for as long as I have." she added outloud.
______
# But the worst part Tendo! The worst part, my friend, is he seems to truly be able to sense what I was doing. No sooner had I stolen a meal fair and square than the boy made me return it, and then made me work to pay for it. I can no longer steal, lie or even cheat without him knowing! #
At this the Tendo patriarch looked at the board and noticed that he was winning by a good margin. 'With Saotome unable to play the game properly, victory shall be mine!' He smiled inwardly.
Outwardly, "truly a terrible thing Saotome, let us have a drink, and think on the problem." he stood to get the sake, no longer fearful of protecting his pieces.
# Yes, Tendo, but just one, I'm not allowed to have any more. Something Ranma says about moderation . . . # (flip) # Sigh, the sacrifices I make for the art. #
-------
The guest room of the Tendo house, late at night.
'As, we gotta do something about this!'
'Something about what Ranma?'
'These girls, they're acting all funny around me. Kasumi kept on spilling things, Akane wouldn't stop staring at me, and Nabiki was talking about giving me stuff for free . . . Mr. Tendo was acting really weird too, after I got dunked in the pond. I think its gonna be a problem.'
'Oh, that. Yes, they did seem to be acting strangely. I confess to having little experience with mortals, and I know not of what they might suffer. Perhaps a side effect of the springs of Jusenkyo?'
'Maybe . . .' he thought doubtfully, (yawn) 'but is there anything we can do about it?'
'It is also possible that they were just happy at seeing guests. In any case, we will have to see if their behavior continues. If it does, we will have to see what they are suffering from. Mortals are very odd.'
"HEY!" . . . 'I'm a mortal too ya know,' Ranma continues mentally, a bit belatedly.
(WHAP!)
A panda puts down his sign, rolls over, and joins his son in slumber.
-------
*blink*
6:25
*blink*
6:26
Kasumi opened her eyes and smiled. Actually, she had been smiling in her sleep. It was better to say that she continued to smile. She then yawned, and her smile was back again. Stretching, she flowed out of bed, turning the alarm off in the process. It wouldn't go off for another four minutes. She rarely needed it anymore.
She quickly changed into her day attire. Neatly placing her nightgown in the clothes hamper, she stepped out of her room.
Into the hall. The clean hall. Now, an average person would not have noticed the difference, but Kasumi, as everyone else in the household, was no average person. The first thing she noticed was the duck. Akane's duck, on her door, just yesterday had been worn and barely readable. Now it gleamed with a fresh-coat of paint. The first character in her name had been crooked and worn away. Strangely enough, it remained crooked now, looking exactly as it had the first day it had been painted.
'Perhaps father painted it, but it is so unlike him to _do_ anything. . . I'll have to make sure poor father is feeling alright,' she frowned in confusion.
The second thing was the dust, or lack thereof. Kasumi is the only person in the known multi-verse that can notice the missing twelve-hour buildup of dust (she dusted twice a day), from three feet away. Frowning again, she heading downstairs.
As she stepped off the stairs, she heard a humming from the kitchen, and her curiosity grew as she entered the kitchen.
"Good morning Kasumi." Ranma smiled. Kasumi blinked.
"Ranma . . . good morning" she managed, nearly overcome by his smile
He glided about the kitchen with a fluid grace that mesmerized her. Here, turning on the gas with such a precise touch. There, putting the water on to boil. Bending over to get the pots form the lower cabinets and . . .
"Oh my."
Ranma turned around, concerned. "Are you alright Kasumi?" As he noticed the blush growing on her face a look of confusion grew on his. "You look kinda . . flustered. Why don't you sit down a bit?" he said with a look that let her know how concerned he was for her, how much he wanted to make sure she was okay. Kasumi quickly entered a state of blissful happiness.
Wanting to please him, Kasumi quickly sat down, "yes, . . .yes Ranma, thank you."
"Okay, just sit down for a while, I'll start breakfast." And he did. To be more accurate, Ranma _performed_ breakfast. Fish was flying and eggs were frying. And so sat Kasumi, blissful in the knowledge that he was putting on a show, just for her . . .
______
*Beep* *Beep* *Be...SMASH*
Groggily, Akane stretched, smiled and welcomed the morning. Then she hesitated. 'That's strange. Usually I frown, mentally curse the morning for being so bright, and then grumpily roll out of bed. . . something's different about today.' She sat for a moment, wondering what event had graced her with this glorious feeling. 'Ah! He's here!'
Quickly, Akane dressed herself for her morning workout. 'Ranma's here! Gotta look good!' She brushed her hair quickly but carefully, and did a quick spot check in the mirror. Satisfied everything was in place, she rushed out the door and down the hall to meet her one true love . . . and promptly fell down the stairs. "Ow."
Trying her best to maintain her dignity, she pulled herself off the floor. Looking around, Akane let out a sigh of relief that Ranma had not seen her awkwardness. The object of her affection presently exited the kitchen, hanging up his apron.
"You sure you want to take care of the rest Kasumi!," in a heavenly voice. Oh gods, what a voice, thought the youngest Tendo.
"Yes Ranma, I've got it." came the quick reply.
A gi-clad man came rumbling down the stairs, one step at a time, clutching the railing closely. Was that Ranma's father? Uncle? She couldn't remember. Yesterday was a bit of a blur.
"Ranma! Time for practice, you've been slacking off boy!"
"Hah! Slacking off, why you . . ." he paused and peered inward, obviously trying to keep his temper in check, then sighed. "Anyways pop, I'm not sparring with you today, 'cause of last night. You know what I'm talking about."
"But Ranma! Your poor father only had three, maybe four drinks! It was a night of celebration, a night of reunion, a night of happiness. Surely you cannot begrudge your father that?"
"Well if it was a night of celebration, I'm guessing it's a morning of hangovers, huh!" Ranma stated, drawing closer to his father, "Isn't that right POP?" the last work spoken directly in the man's ear, causing him to draw back in pain, clutching his head. "You're in no condition to spar," Ranma scolded.
Ranma, her angel, looked around, suddenly focusing on her, 'He's looking at me!' she enthused, giving, what she though, was her cutest smile.
"Hey Akane. Good morning," Ranma greeted.
'Ranma, why don't you invite her to practice with you, it would be polite. She is a martial artist, I believe.'
'Aaaas! Do I hafta? You know how I feel about fighting with girls...'
'How could I forget? I'm stuck in your head most the time, remember? Even though I've been working on it, there is enough testosterone and chauvinism up here to last a lifetime. Now, you are going to invite Akane to practice, and you are going to do it now.'
Ranma grimaced for a moment, and then, "Wanna practice with me?" he queried.
'He . . . wants to practice . . . with me?' "YES! I mean, yes Ranma, I'd love you, I...I mean love to." She sighed and stared at his face, his beautiful, perfect face, caught up in the moment.
"Um, ok. Why don't you go get your gi on, and meet me out there." he said, obviously confused at her inaction.
Blushing, she turned away, and ran upstairs. "BeRightBack!" 'He wants to practice with me . . . oh beautiful day!'
______
Chapter 2: A Very Tragic Story.
Ranma goes to school. How will he react to Kuno? And why are all those girls bumping into walls? Ryoga went to Jusenkyo, but he didn't fall into the spring of drowned pig . . .
Disclaimer: Most characters, introduced thus far, are property of Rumiko Takahashi and a bunch of business people, and are used here without permission. Original concept and Asuralle are property of Gregg Sharp ("Gregg Sharp" metroanime@mindspring.com), and is used here with permission. Part of this fanfiction, the first part, is written by Gregg Sharp. Any writing or ideas, except where otherwise noted, beyond this point, are property of me. Thanks.
WARNING:
First fic. Please please, please tell me why, where and how it sucks. I really want to write better for you guys, and I have a long way to go. So flame me, insult my style, grammar, originality and humor. An occasional compliment would be nice too d8^)
This will be a crossover, including Ah! Mega-sami, and probably Tenchi and Sailor Moon. However, the other series may not be introduced for a chapter or two (with the exception of Asuralle)
(Completed 11/11/00) Angel 1/2, Chapter 1: A Gift From The Gods
(Slight Alterations 3/16/01)
______
Hel was unhappy. Hel had a tendency to take this out on anyone in the vicinity. Unlike Toltiir, Hel was neither particularly inventive or possessed of a sense of humor.
A Demon First Class, seeing an ancient enemy, decided to get away from his mistress and go off into battle. He wasn't aware that the whole thing was a setup, or that Hel was manipulating events.
Not in imitation of the Bet, but to see what could be done to hurry off some of those alternate timelines into darkness, destruction, and death.
Hel _really_ hated happy endings.
She watched the battle taking place over the area she had chosen and waited. Sure enough, a divergence occurred. In each of the lines, the equally matched forces of Darkness and Light saw a victory.
In one timeline, it was the Darkness that rose triumphant over a certain small body of water. In the other, the Light was the victor.
In either case, the victory turned pyrrhic when the Doublet System activated with the loser drowning in the cursed spring and the victor suddenly died in midair. (Midgloat in the case of the demon, midsong in the case of the angel.)
To Hel it didn't really matter. Either supplied pain and suffering, which was her meat and drink. It WOULD matter to someone else, however.
______
"That must be Ranma," Nabiki ran for the door, her father a moment behind.
"Saotome, my old friend!"
Nabiki opened the door and came to a complete and abrupt stop, not even noticing that she was blocking the door. Higher functions had gone offline and she was quite conscious of her own heartbeat suddenly racing.
"Are...are...you...Ranma?" Nabiki looked up the tall figure in front of her, noting the lean muscles, the bronzed skin, the perfect proportions, the dazzling smile, the way those eyes looked into her...
Wondering why he had steam rising from his hair and was screwing the lid back onto a thermos. Well, Nabiki decided she was a little steamy herself.
There was no doubt in her mind now who would marry Ranma. It was her Destiny. Everything that had come so far, every sacrifice, every deal, had been so that she could attain THIS.
"Hi," Nabiki unconsciously straightened up as best she could under the circumstances. The Ice Queen had just moved to equatorial climes. Hot and steamy was the forecast.
Ranma moved slightly and Nabiki's next words died unspoken on her lips. She didn't notice the panda, her attention was fully focused on those eyes, those broad shoulders, the lithe but firm musculature, the strong defined pectorals, the sensuous mouth opening.
The mood was shattered by Nabiki fainting. She was entirely unused to having such a romantic moment or the tide of emotion that had erupted upon looking into those eyes.
"Oh....my! My, my. Dear me."
Kasumi filled the doorway, accidentally slamming her father into the doorframe. "Hello there. Are you...Ranma?"
"Kasumi, I can't see. I don't see what all the fuss is about anyway, it's just a boy." The last word was spat out as if it were a curse.
"That's okay, Akane." Kasumi licked suddenly dry lips. An angel. Just glancing into those eyes so full of compassion and strength was enough to convince her. All the sacrifices she'd made for her family, all the duties and responsibilities she'd had to shoulder. Now she knew, without the slightest doubt in her mind. THIS was why she had endured it all.
Kasumi looked at the man as he moved with such grace, and knew that the Heavens themselves had seen fit to reward her directly. She hoped that she could be worthy of this great honor. "I'll take him. He might seem to be a bit young, but I really doubt he's boring."
Soun stopped struggling. One of his daughters had already made the choice? And it was Kasumi?
Akane frowned as she stared at her sister's back and the sideways view of her father. Kasumi was interested in a boy? "Well, better you than me. I..."
Kasumi moved aside to let Ranma pass. Akane stared. It was a long moment before Akane remembered to breathe. "Ah? So!"
"Pardon me," Ranma carried the unconscious Nabiki into the house, stepping past a flustered Akane who was still trying to get her mouth to work.
Laying Nabiki down on the floor, Ranma turned to find the other two daughters had followed him and were giving him a close and thorough inspection.
"Pardon me," Kasumi straightened. "Tea. That's a good idea. I think I need to make some tea." She needed to get the formal set out.
"Uhm, so...you study kempo?" Akane said, blushing and examining the floor. She hated boys, but there was no WAY this could be considered a mere boy. She knew there had been some great destiny calling her, it had been a feeling she had all her life. Now she knew what it was. When Kasumi understood this, Akane was sure her elder sister would step out of the way.
"A little," Ranma confessed.
"Well, we have a dojo. Maybe we could be a little match...I mean _have_ a little match."
Unnoticed by anyone, a panda started looking for the bathroom.
______
Kasumi hurried to the dojo to find Nabiki was already there in the doorway. The two settled down to watch, unable to tear their eyes away from the person sparring with their sister.
She kicked. He moved like smoke around her. She punched; he leaned out of the way. She began a wind milling series of blows that he evaded with consummate grace.
Akane started to get angry then looked at the gentle smile, the caring in those eyes, and realized that here was a guy who would hesitate to do anything to hurt her. Completely unlike the usual crowd at school.
"Sugoi!" Nabiki watched the tight musculature, how the boy turned the simple act of dodging into almost a dance he was leading Akane into.
"Oh!" Kasumi blushed prettily, as Ranma flipped back over Akane with such a lazy grace that Kasumi could not help but wonder what else he could do in such a manner.
"Wow! You're pretty good." Akane managed as she felt the lightest of touches on the back of her head. At last, she had a worthy opponent. Someone she could spar with who would be enough of a challenge she could hone her skills against. He was nearly perfect.
______
"So, you fell in a Jusenkyo pool, as well?" Kasumi blinked. "What do you turn into?"
"Well, I..." Ranma looked quite unhappy. "That is, I..."
Genma, without a word, grabbed his son and flipped him out into the fishpond.
"Oh, the shame," Genma stood up and raised tear-filled eyes to the heavens. "My own son, how humiliating..."
The water erupted. Broad feathered wings that shimmered an iridescent blue-green snapped out, sending a spray of water across the yard.
The three Tendo girls gasped. The same aura of compassion and strength flowed from the girl who had stepped out of the pond and now looked with disdain upon her father. The very qualities that had made his male form so appealing brought an otherworldly sense of beauty to the female half.
"Father, that was uncalled for," Ranma said, glaring at the one responsible for the transformation.
"Were you not prepared to risk your life for..." Genma found himself interrupted. The interruption proved to be the table being slammed into the top of his head by Akane. She lifted it and brought it back down on him again. How DARE he do something like that to HER Ranma...
"You've gone too far, Mister Saotome!" Kasumi actually showed some anger towards the older man, guest or not.
"Would you like some hot water, Ranma?" Nabiki smiled. She wouldn't even charge him for it, he'd see that she was useful and intelligent, then he'd be sure to choose HER.
Akane glared at Genma some more. "How could you do that to poor Ranma? What kind of father are you?"
"Ah, the life of a martial artist is fraught with peril," Soun Tendo folded his arms and looked stoic. He glanced over at Ranma-chan and his jaw dropped. Such inhuman beauty and grace hit him like a meteor from an American disaster movie. His stoic dignity seemed to deflate and vanish. "Gah?"
"Oh, that I have such a worthless son..." came a mumbling voice from underneath the table. "Such a disappointment you are to your father... OUCH!"
Akane dusted her hands off from where she'd picked the table back up and slammed it back down again. "You did this to him, you...you..." Akane paused, at a loss for an applicable insult.
"Worthless excuse for a father," supplied Kasumi helpfully.
"Scumbag? Slimeball? Dirty rotten old @#*%#? Fiend? Pile of malodorous monkey muck? Soon to be living punching bag?" Nabiki scowled at the arms and legs sticking out from beneath the table.
"Thanks." Akane nodded. "What they said!"
Ranma suppressed a guilty smile at seeing her father on the receiving end of some bad luck for a change. But then, she'd never suffered from any delusions of being perfect...
______
Shampoo stopped on the street. She was sure her airen was around here someplace. Her thoughts swept back to when HE had walked into the village.
It would have been a perfect moment, their eyes meeting across the field. Destiny. That was what it was. All the training she'd underwent, never having any friends, no one for HER to lean on in her hour of need, but then HE came into her life.
But NOOOOO. Sugar and Spice. Honey and Brandy. Choco, Rink and Pink. THEY had to spoil the moment, the moment her entire life had been leading up to!
Shampoo grinned, but her eyes were sad. Who could blame her airen? I mean, he couldn't even get into the Challenge area before he had half a dozen amazons challenging him to a fight right there and then!
She'd insisted, though. As she was the Champion. She had the right of First Challenge. Ranma had proven just as good at fighting as he was at being cute. She moved past some odd residence called the Tendo Dojo, still looking for a sign of her airen.
He'd beaten her, she'd leapt up to give him the Kiss Of Marriage...and he was already getting challenged by some of the others! The nerve of them, couldn't they get in line?!
Okay, maybe the number of guys in the village had been steadily decreasing over the past few years. Okay, working in the Chinese Army was usually considered less strenuous than being a male among the amazons. Certainly there was less humiliation.
It wasn't HER fault!
Airen had left the village. Airen had beaten a half dozen other amazons getting out of the village.
That was why Shampoo felt she had to find her airen, FAST.
Otherwise, someone else might catch him first.
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NOTICE: All writing up to this point has been that of Gregg Sharp. I respect his writing greatly, and I thank him for allowing me to continue this story. From here on in, all writing is mine. Any problems in transition between the writings are my fault.
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The Tendo Dojo, late at night. A peaceful scene, as Ranma and the Tendo Sisters have retired. Soun and Genma (panda-form at the moment) sit at their favorite pastime. Genma sighs and glances at the night sky through the doorway. Soun, of course, takes this opportunity to replace one of Genma's pieces with his own.
# Tendo, old friend, what am I to do with my son? #
"hmm" mumbled the Tendo patriarch, glancing up from the board.
# My son, he is a disgrace # (flip) # The curse has corrupted him, taken him from the path of a true martial artist # (flip, the sign apparently has more than two sides) # he refused to even train in the art because he says I, his father, am immoral! The ways of my art are immoral! #
"A problem, a problem indeed my old friend." Soun sagely nodded, "I am sure you gave Ranma a good beating for his insubordination?"
# Ah, well, I would have you see, but his curse seems to have given him a streak of infernal good luck, which he has fiendishly used to overpower my *obviously* superior skill #
"Well, that is most unfortunate. Did you manage to get the boy training again?"
# Yes, my old friend, but not without difficulties and sacrifices. The boy said to me . . . #
______
"Father, if you wish me to continue in the training of the 'art', I demand that you restore it to its original purpose. It is to defend the weak, not to steal and lie" an angry Ranma-onna shouts at her father from aloft, her bluish-green wings flapping slowly behind her. She is obviously not staying aloft courtesy of the laws of aerodynamics.
A dripping Genma-panda holds up a sign # You understand nothing boy. How can a martial artist defend the weak if he cannot even feed himself? #
"Asuralle has told me the true meaning of the art. She has taught me more about purpose and honor in a few weeks then you have in ten years, you old fool!" she snorts. "Oh, sorry, right. You're right As, I shouldn't have yelled at him." Ranma says shamefully.
# Ranma, stop talking to that . . thing inside your head, and listen to your father #
"Pop, I'm not gonna fight with ya," she pauses, and peers inward for a moment. "Sorry, I'm not going to fight with you anymore Father. Unless you stop stealing, lying and making false promises, I'm not training in your 'art' anymore." she says with finality.
# But son . . . # his signs have now switched to a pleading tone # how will we eat? You wouldn't let your poor father starve would you? #
"Pop, all we have to do is work a little. It's good for you, we can do some physical labor, help with our training at the same time. What do you say?"
# sigh #, he appears to think it over (flip) # the things I give up for the art. Very well, my boy, if it keeps you training, I will make the sacrifice #, with fingers crossed behind his back.
"Great! Oh, and pop, Asuralle and I are gonna, ... going to keep an eye on you, we'll know if you keep your promise," she added suspiciously. A moment later, "Well As, you wouldn't trust him either if you had know him for as long as I have." she added outloud.
______
# But the worst part Tendo! The worst part, my friend, is he seems to truly be able to sense what I was doing. No sooner had I stolen a meal fair and square than the boy made me return it, and then made me work to pay for it. I can no longer steal, lie or even cheat without him knowing! #
At this the Tendo patriarch looked at the board and noticed that he was winning by a good margin. 'With Saotome unable to play the game properly, victory shall be mine!' He smiled inwardly.
Outwardly, "truly a terrible thing Saotome, let us have a drink, and think on the problem." he stood to get the sake, no longer fearful of protecting his pieces.
# Yes, Tendo, but just one, I'm not allowed to have any more. Something Ranma says about moderation . . . # (flip) # Sigh, the sacrifices I make for the art. #
-------
The guest room of the Tendo house, late at night.
'As, we gotta do something about this!'
'Something about what Ranma?'
'These girls, they're acting all funny around me. Kasumi kept on spilling things, Akane wouldn't stop staring at me, and Nabiki was talking about giving me stuff for free . . . Mr. Tendo was acting really weird too, after I got dunked in the pond. I think its gonna be a problem.'
'Oh, that. Yes, they did seem to be acting strangely. I confess to having little experience with mortals, and I know not of what they might suffer. Perhaps a side effect of the springs of Jusenkyo?'
'Maybe . . .' he thought doubtfully, (yawn) 'but is there anything we can do about it?'
'It is also possible that they were just happy at seeing guests. In any case, we will have to see if their behavior continues. If it does, we will have to see what they are suffering from. Mortals are very odd.'
"HEY!" . . . 'I'm a mortal too ya know,' Ranma continues mentally, a bit belatedly.
(WHAP!)
A panda puts down his sign, rolls over, and joins his son in slumber.
-------
*blink*
6:25
*blink*
6:26
Kasumi opened her eyes and smiled. Actually, she had been smiling in her sleep. It was better to say that she continued to smile. She then yawned, and her smile was back again. Stretching, she flowed out of bed, turning the alarm off in the process. It wouldn't go off for another four minutes. She rarely needed it anymore.
She quickly changed into her day attire. Neatly placing her nightgown in the clothes hamper, she stepped out of her room.
Into the hall. The clean hall. Now, an average person would not have noticed the difference, but Kasumi, as everyone else in the household, was no average person. The first thing she noticed was the duck. Akane's duck, on her door, just yesterday had been worn and barely readable. Now it gleamed with a fresh-coat of paint. The first character in her name had been crooked and worn away. Strangely enough, it remained crooked now, looking exactly as it had the first day it had been painted.
'Perhaps father painted it, but it is so unlike him to _do_ anything. . . I'll have to make sure poor father is feeling alright,' she frowned in confusion.
The second thing was the dust, or lack thereof. Kasumi is the only person in the known multi-verse that can notice the missing twelve-hour buildup of dust (she dusted twice a day), from three feet away. Frowning again, she heading downstairs.
As she stepped off the stairs, she heard a humming from the kitchen, and her curiosity grew as she entered the kitchen.
"Good morning Kasumi." Ranma smiled. Kasumi blinked.
"Ranma . . . good morning" she managed, nearly overcome by his smile
He glided about the kitchen with a fluid grace that mesmerized her. Here, turning on the gas with such a precise touch. There, putting the water on to boil. Bending over to get the pots form the lower cabinets and . . .
"Oh my."
Ranma turned around, concerned. "Are you alright Kasumi?" As he noticed the blush growing on her face a look of confusion grew on his. "You look kinda . . flustered. Why don't you sit down a bit?" he said with a look that let her know how concerned he was for her, how much he wanted to make sure she was okay. Kasumi quickly entered a state of blissful happiness.
Wanting to please him, Kasumi quickly sat down, "yes, . . .yes Ranma, thank you."
"Okay, just sit down for a while, I'll start breakfast." And he did. To be more accurate, Ranma _performed_ breakfast. Fish was flying and eggs were frying. And so sat Kasumi, blissful in the knowledge that he was putting on a show, just for her . . .
______
*Beep* *Beep* *Be...SMASH*
Groggily, Akane stretched, smiled and welcomed the morning. Then she hesitated. 'That's strange. Usually I frown, mentally curse the morning for being so bright, and then grumpily roll out of bed. . . something's different about today.' She sat for a moment, wondering what event had graced her with this glorious feeling. 'Ah! He's here!'
Quickly, Akane dressed herself for her morning workout. 'Ranma's here! Gotta look good!' She brushed her hair quickly but carefully, and did a quick spot check in the mirror. Satisfied everything was in place, she rushed out the door and down the hall to meet her one true love . . . and promptly fell down the stairs. "Ow."
Trying her best to maintain her dignity, she pulled herself off the floor. Looking around, Akane let out a sigh of relief that Ranma had not seen her awkwardness. The object of her affection presently exited the kitchen, hanging up his apron.
"You sure you want to take care of the rest Kasumi!," in a heavenly voice. Oh gods, what a voice, thought the youngest Tendo.
"Yes Ranma, I've got it." came the quick reply.
A gi-clad man came rumbling down the stairs, one step at a time, clutching the railing closely. Was that Ranma's father? Uncle? She couldn't remember. Yesterday was a bit of a blur.
"Ranma! Time for practice, you've been slacking off boy!"
"Hah! Slacking off, why you . . ." he paused and peered inward, obviously trying to keep his temper in check, then sighed. "Anyways pop, I'm not sparring with you today, 'cause of last night. You know what I'm talking about."
"But Ranma! Your poor father only had three, maybe four drinks! It was a night of celebration, a night of reunion, a night of happiness. Surely you cannot begrudge your father that?"
"Well if it was a night of celebration, I'm guessing it's a morning of hangovers, huh!" Ranma stated, drawing closer to his father, "Isn't that right POP?" the last work spoken directly in the man's ear, causing him to draw back in pain, clutching his head. "You're in no condition to spar," Ranma scolded.
Ranma, her angel, looked around, suddenly focusing on her, 'He's looking at me!' she enthused, giving, what she though, was her cutest smile.
"Hey Akane. Good morning," Ranma greeted.
'Ranma, why don't you invite her to practice with you, it would be polite. She is a martial artist, I believe.'
'Aaaas! Do I hafta? You know how I feel about fighting with girls...'
'How could I forget? I'm stuck in your head most the time, remember? Even though I've been working on it, there is enough testosterone and chauvinism up here to last a lifetime. Now, you are going to invite Akane to practice, and you are going to do it now.'
Ranma grimaced for a moment, and then, "Wanna practice with me?" he queried.
'He . . . wants to practice . . . with me?' "YES! I mean, yes Ranma, I'd love you, I...I mean love to." She sighed and stared at his face, his beautiful, perfect face, caught up in the moment.
"Um, ok. Why don't you go get your gi on, and meet me out there." he said, obviously confused at her inaction.
Blushing, she turned away, and ran upstairs. "BeRightBack!" 'He wants to practice with me . . . oh beautiful day!'
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Chapter 2: A Very Tragic Story.
Ranma goes to school. How will he react to Kuno? And why are all those girls bumping into walls? Ryoga went to Jusenkyo, but he didn't fall into the spring of drowned pig . . .