DISCLAIMER: I lay no claim to characters from Ranma 1/2, Tenchi, Sailor Moon, Ah! My Goddess! Or any other character of any other anime that may, inadvertently or not, be within this story. They are the property of their respective authors. Characters and situations from those series are used without their consent. This is a work of fanfiction for which I do not expect nor will accept compensation.

This fiction is based upon Ranma 1/2, with strong influence from Ah! My Goddess and lesser cameos from the Sailors and possibly Tenchi. Champions of the 'true' fiancé probably won't like my portrayal of Akane or Shampoo. Ukyo gets off a little better, but she doesn't get lucky either. As it is a work of fanfiction, I am not trying to duplicate the canon Manga or Anime characters. Expect some (or a lot) of OOC.

------ Wildfire Chapter 1 ------

Ranma screamed as she bolted upright. Cold water pooled about her as she sat upon her futon. Panicing, she looked around quickly and spotted her fiancée, alive and well, holding a bucket. Akane's face was twisted into what had become an all too familiar mask of anger and loathing.

"A - Akane?" Ranma gasped, shuddering. The water dripping from her crimson bangs hid the tears flowing from her eyes.

"Shut up already, you Jerk! Some of us are trying to sleep. And, keep me out of your sick fantasies, pervert!" With that, Akane spun on her heels and stomped out of the room, followed quickly by the slam of her door further down the hall.

After a moment, Ranma calmed down enough to actually focus on who still stood in the doorway. As Nabiki looked in on the scene, a strange expression was on her face. It vanished behind her customary look of indifference before the redhead was sure what she saw. It almost looked like concern. Had it been on anyone else's face, Ranma might have believed it.

"So, Ranma," Nabiki drawled. "Want tell me what's got you crying like...?"

"Like a little girl, Nabiki?" Ranma finished when the middle Tendo hesitated.

"Well, I wasn't going to say that, but that is close enough," the middle Tendo admitted.

"Go away," the wet girl huffed. "I don't wanna talk about it. I've got enoughof a headache as it is."

Nabiki shook her head as she replied. "I don't think so Ranma. That excuse got old weeks ago, so you had better just tell me what is going on."

"I said, I don't wanna talk about it!" Ranma snapped. "You would just sell whatever I said off for a quick handful of yen," Ranma growled at the middle Tendo daughter. "That includes taking whatever I might say and twisting it around to screw up my life further. No, thank you. I don't believe I have anything to talk to you about."

"Moi? What ever gave you ideas like that?" Nabiki countered with mock hurt.

Ranma simply glared at her from under her bangs.

"Okay, Ranma, let me put it another way. If I don't get the full story of why you are waking up the house at all hours of the night screaming, then I'll just have to release other copies of this tape to a certain group of people." Nabiki held up a micro cassette recorder and hit the play button.

From the small speaker came the unmistakable sound of Ranma screaming for Akane and proclaiming his love. Of course, that was interrupted by Akane and her tantrum and followed by the girl-cursed boy's quiet sobbing. Ranma winced a little at the thought of that their fathers would do with some of that, and what her mother would do with a different part. But then again, she was certain Mister Tendo had heard it all already. The dream didn't come every night, but it was happening more frequently. So, too, were these damn headaches. It was often enough for everyone in the house to have heard it. Still, there were others who might seek to take advantage of it.

"Come, come, Ranma! Out with it. It's been over three months since you returned from China. You must not have told m... us the whole story of what happened if it still has you this spooked. What was that about Akane and being too late? Too late for what?" Nabiki pressed.

"All right, already. Sheesh! You ain't gonna let this go, are ya?" When Nabiki shook her head, Ranma sighed, then said, "Okay. Fine. I gotta talk about this anyway, and it may as well be to you."

"Gee," Nabiki drawled, "you really know how to make a girl wanted, Ranma."

"Ha. Ha. It is to laugh," the redhead said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"So," Nabiki said as she stepped into the room and crossed her arms. "Talk."

"I said I needed to talk. Just - just not NOW, Nabiki," Ranma sighed and winced as she rubbed her temples. "After school tomorrow. Tell me where and when we can meet privately to talk, and after I eat, I'll be there."

"It's always food with you, isn't it Ranma," Nabiki teased.

"Just go! I've gotta clean up this mess before I can go back to sleep, no thanks to Akane," the younger girl complained. She stood and retrieved a mop and bucket from her closet.

Raising an eyebrow, Nabiki paused until Ranma made shooing gestures and then closed the door to the guest room.

------------------------------

After putting away the cleaning gear, Ranma gathered all her soaked clothes and walked them down to the laundry room. She didn't want to leave them for Kasumi to carry down. The elder Tendo was the only person in either of the two families to treat her like a person, instead of a thing. A thing to marry off to a friend's daughter. A thing to behold with disgust thanks to a curse. A thing to make money off of by exploitation. A thing to sell off for food, or shelter, or in exchange for freedom. A thing to place on a pedestal of 'manliness,' whtever that was supposed to mean. A thing to own. A prize. A possession. But never a person. Never a person with her own feelings, her own dreams.

And when, oh, WHEN had she started to think of herself - that way? As a girl. She was a gi - a Guy! She can't be a g-girl. She HAS to be a guy. But, without Akane, she has no reason to try to force it away. Wiping more tears from her face, she muttered, "Guys DON'T cry." Ranma quietly returned to her room. It was her room. The only room she could remember having. Since the failed wedding, it had been all hers. Genma, her 'father,' moved back in with her mother. Nodoka, whom she hardly knew and, thanks to the curse, would likely never know as more than a distant acquaintance.

Nodoka couldn't seem to forgive her for the curse. Sure, she did void the seppuku contract, and she was pleasant enough, whenever Ranma was a guy. But, if ever she saw Ranma as a girl anymore, she immediately tried to get her to change. Or, if that wasn't possible, she became very distant and cold. Nothing at all like the kind, if eccentric, woman that Ranma got to know as 'Ranko Tendo.' Nodoka remained unyielding in her position that Ranma be a 'man among men,' whatever that meant, and 'manly.' She wasn't manly anymore when in her girl form, and it was getting harder each day to keep up the act. She could hardly be a man among men if she was a young teenaged girl most of the time.

That had to be the worst part. Ever since she and Genma had first visited Jusenkyo, she hadn't grown. She was just as tall and looked almost exactly as she had nearly two years ago - in either form. As a 'man' she looked like a sixteen-year-old boy. That was hardly what one could call 'manly.' As a girl, well, that term said it all. She was a girl. Not a woman. Just a cute, short, girl who looked no older than fourteen or fifteen. A very well developed fifteen, but fifteen nonetheless. Technically, she was eighteen now. Physically, though, why wasn't she growing? Ryoga, Shampoo and Mousse all had curses, but all of them were obviously older. She had no explanation, and it was starting to become obvious.

On top of it all, lately, she had begun suffering intense migraines if she stayed male too long. The headaches mostly went away whenever she changed back... changed back? Oh, Kami-sama! Was she truly thinking her girl form to be her true self? She sat in the corner and drew her legs up to her chest and sat there, quietly sobbing.

------------------------------

"Ranma! Get up! We're gonna be late!" Akane shouted from the hall before heading to the bathroom. Several minutes later, as she hurried past the door again, she called, "You idiot! Get UP!"

Hearing no reply, she grinned and hefted the weapon she had prepared. Her battle cry cut through the cold morning air, "Ranma-no-BAKA!" Her weapon, a bucket of ice water. Her target... Her target wasn't playing by the rules of the morning 'game.' Her target was missing in action and absent without leave.

Water and chunks of ice spread across the empty wood floor as Akane stared into the guest room. 'Where? Where is he?' she thought. His futon, neatly rolled and tied, rested propped against the closet door. The window was closed, although the shutters were wide open, allowing the bright morning sun to stream in.

"Oh! Akane..."

"Waaaah!" she shrieked and spun around. "Kasumi! Don"t DO that!" she said, her face heating with her flush of ... embarrasment. Taking a few deep breaths she wondered how Kasumi had crept up on her like that.

"Do what, Akane?" Kasumi asked as she tilted her head and smiled pleasantly.

Akane sputtered for a moment before responding. "N-never mind, sis. Did you want me for something?"

"Your breakfast is ready and I have your bento in the kitchen. Ranma left for school early today. He said he had something he had to take care of before class started, and asked that I let you know."

"W-what do I care what that pervert does?" Akane sputtered, denying her anger that he had left without her.

"Really, Akane," Kasumi sounded disappointed, before she gasped, "OH, MY! What happened in there?" Kasumi gazed beyond her younger sister and then glanced to the fire bucket in Akane's hands. "Akane, you really should stop throwing water around the house. Those buckets are there for emergencies, not for washing the guest room floor."

"O-okay, Kasumi," Akane replied meekly, her head ducked to hide her growing anger. If Ranma had been there and taken his punishment like a man, then Kasumi wouldn't have scolded her like that. That insensitive jerk! Her knuckles popped as she clutched the handle on the bucket.

"Good," Kasumi nodded, accepting Akane's statement as an apology. "Your breakfast is ready for you. Hurry on now, you don't want to be late for school, especially this close to finals."

"Tkank you," came the nearly growled reply.

As Akane stomped off downstairs, Kasumi gathered up the cleaning supplies, conveniently left by Ranma, and mopped up the water in the guest room. "Such a considerate boy," She hummed.

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"That, that, JERK!" Akane raged as she stormed to school. "When I get my hands on that idiot...Ooooh! Just you wait, Ranma!"

"What violent girl want with Airen?" Shampoo's sing-song voice cut into Akane's tirade.

"NOTHING!" Akane shouted, face flushed with her anger. "That pervert can dry up and DIE for all I care. How DARE he leave me at home."

"Airen leave kitchen wrecker at home?" Shampoo giggled. "He finally come to senses, yes? Where Airen now?"

"As if you didn't know," the youngest Tendo growled. "He probably hid at your restaurant and let you hang all over him, the pervert."

"Shampoo not see Airen today." The Purple haired Amazon pouted cutely as Akane glared at her. Suddenly her face brightened, "Bai, Bai, violent girl. Shampoo go find Airen and show him who best!" with that, the Amazon leapt to her bike and sped away.

"FINE! You can Have him!" She bellowed after the receding Amazon. "Oh my GOD! I'm going be late!" Akane gasped, then borrowed a phrase, "RANMA! This is all YOUR FAULT!"

An elderly woman tried to ignore the antics of the temperamental teen and sighed as she blessed the walkway to her house, splashing water across the concrete. Something was missing... she looked around for a moment, then shrugged and went back to her morning ritual.

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For Ranma, this day of school was atypical. He was actually early to class. The fact that he was there, and not sleeping already was drawing curious looks from the class. This alone caused several of the girls to talk. Whispers of "Where is Akane?" and "...wonder if he's free now" continued until Ukyo arrived.

Ukyo stopped short in the door when she saw 'her Ranchan' sitting at his desk reading a book. A little shocked, and very curious, she walked over to his desk. Ranma glanced up as she approached, blinked and turned back to his book.

"Ranchan," the okonomiyaki chef asked, "you feeling okay, sugar?"

"Yeah, Ukyo-san, why wouldn't I be?" Ranma replied calmly.

Ukyo glanced to Akane's empty seat. "Did Akane..."

"No, Ukyo-san. Akane-san didn't." Ranma interrupted. "I had some business to take care of before school, so I got here early. That is all." His eyes continued to roam steadily down the pages of his book.

Ukyo nodded and bit her lip. She stood over Ranma for a few minutes, watching him read. After shuffling her feet a few times, she ventured another question. "What are you reading?"

Ranma lifted the book, allowing her to see the title, without looking at her.

"Ranma, why are you trying to read a book written in Chinese?" Ukyo asked after studying the book for a moment.

Snorting, Ranma replied dryly. "Because I want to, because I can, because it's better than sitting here staring out the window. Is there something wrong with that?"

"N-no," she stammered, "of course not. I'm sorry."

"Feh! Don't worry about it." He responded with an airy wave of his hand as he lowered the book and resumed reading.

Another minute passed as the other students watched in silence. "So, "she finally asked, "what is it about?"

Ranma set the book down with a sigh and looked up at her. He looked terrible. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. "Sun Tzu: The Art of War. Now, do you mind? I've only got a few more minutes until either class starts, or Akane-san comes in. I'd like to get some more reading done."

Ukyo shook her head numbly and settled into her seat. She brooded for a time. Thoughts flew around her head as she tried to think of how to get Ranma to forgive her for her involvement in destroying his wedding. She sighed as she sat at her desk. "Anything would be better than this... formal indifference," she muttered.

Her eyes widened as she sat bolt upright in her chair. Turning, she stared at the pig-tailed martial artist. Ranma was reading a book. RANMA was reading a book - in Chinese?! She settled back into her chair as she watched her sometimes fiancé, sometimes friend with a worried expression. She decided to keep an eye on him; he was acting stranger than ever today.

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Akane, once again accosted outside the school gates by one Tatewaki Kuno, was late as usual. Even the nearing midterm exams hadn't stopped the idiot from trying to woo her. If anything, it made him even more persistent. He was no longer an upperclassman. As a result of repeated stays in the nurses office, the elder Kuno was forced to repeat his senior term. At least, that was the excuse given for his continued presence at Furinken this year. Had Ranma not clobbered him as often as he had, Kuno might have graduated with Nabiki. Her glare at Ranma promised pain when she could get away with it. Her thoughts were following a convoluted thread that had become all too common in the recent months. 'Look at him sitting there near Ukyo! He must have run off to her this morning, the Jerk! It's not like I asked to have him as my iinazuke. Does he have to hang all over those other girls? Pervert! He's MY fiancé. He was promised to MY family - to ME.' She glared again at him as she grabbed her bucket and stepped into the hall.

------------------------------

The class was shocked repeatedly throughout the day. Ranma was attentive, and asked intelligent questions. He ignored Akane completely, which naturally made her loose her temper, and get sent to the hall repeatedly. Miss Hinako didn't have any excuse to drain Ranma, so the Ki Vampire stayed in her child form throughout most of her class, except for the brief time following another outburst from Akane.

When the lunch period was announced, Ranma quickly leapt out the window to avoid dealing with the girls. This no longer was such an impressive feat as it once was, nor as successfully used. The class rooms for those in the senior term were on the first floor.

All morning, he had been feeling the anger that Akane kept under poor control. At least Ukyo wasn't coming onto him, a welcome change. Perhaps a month of the cold shoulder had finally clued her in. But, the rest of the girls in class were eyeing him strangely. Besides, his head had started to scream at him over an hour ago. 'Blasted migraine,' he thought. 'Hopefully, some time spent away from the confines of the classroom will help. I really didn't want to change back... change TO... my girl form right now.'

After a brief conversation with one of Nabiki's factors, who gave him directions to the meeting place, Ranma found a tree to rest under for the lunch break. Not long afterwards, the ringing of a bike bell jerked him awake. It was either that or the tire planted firmly in his stomach.

"Nihao, Ranma!" the purple haired warrior bubbled, "Shampoo bring Airen too, too, good Ramen. Ranma hungry, yes?"

"Shampoo," the boy growled out slowly, "Get. Off. Me!"

"Ai Ya! What Airen do under Shampoo bike?" she giggled as she hopped off.

"As if you didn't know!" he muttered, then switched to slightly accented Mandarin, "Xian Pu, this is the very last time I am going to tell you this..." Shampoo's squeal of delight interrupted him, "Are you listening to me?"

"Husband! When did you learn Mandarin?" she asked in the same language. "Oh! Now you can tell Xian Pu that you love her, properly!" She darted up and glomped onto the black haired boy, snuggling affectionately.

"Nope, you aren't listening." Ranma sighed, switching back to Japanese. "Why me? Why can't I have one lousy day without this crap?"

"Saotome, you fiend! Release my Shampoo!" Mu Tsu's shout carried over the entire school yard as he leapt at them from the trees. Sunlight glinted from the blind boy's glasses perched loosely atop his head, precisely where they did the myoptic young man the least amount of good.

"Well," Ranma replied as he and Xian Pu leapt apart, "one outta three ain't bad bird-brain! I ain't a fiend, and I wasn't the one doing the holding. At least ya got my name right."

------------------------------

Mu Tsu whirled upon landing. "DIE, Ranma," he shouted as several weapons attched to chains hurled from the hidden weapons master in a patern that bracketed his target. The outer blurs dodged rapidly away from his strikes as the blades and mace slammed into the middle blur with metallic clanks.

He quivered in joy as his beloved graced him with the dulcet tones of her loving affection. "STUPID MOUSE! You kill Shampoo's bike!"

The other blur snorted, "Good riddance, too!"

His face twisted with anger as he spun to face the voice of his target. "Saotome," he growled, "you won't get away with that! How dare you hide behind Xian Pu's bike!"

"So, who's hiding?"

Before he could respond, pain exploded at the back of his head as Xian Pu once again vented her misplaced anger upon him.

------------------------------

Across the school yard, the doors to the main building flew open as Akane stormed out, seeking a certain black haired boy. She was not letting go of her anger at Ranma for ignoring her all morning, nor for not being there to interrupt her fight with Kuno, thus making her late. Looking around, she saw several of the students looking off to a corner of the school yard. 'Gotta be Ranma,' she thought, 'he is always at the center of attention, the Jerk!'

'How dare he come into my life and take that away from me?' Akane caught sight of her quarry. 'Sure enough, there he is,' she thought, 'hanging all over that purple haired floozy.'

"How dare he!" she seethed as her vision took on a red tint that had become increasingly more familiar over that last few months. "That idiot is my fiancé. He can't get rid of me THAT easy." A few of the girls around her murmured their support. But, that number had fallen over the last year. 'I am supposed to be the popular one,' she thought, 'not HIM.'

"Just you wait, Ranma!" she growled while stomping in their direction. She would make him pay, once again, for embarrassing her... err insulting her honor by hanging out with another girl.

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Atop the school tower, a figure watched the events unfolding below. Although the sun was shining, the hooded cloak obscured its features almost completely, leaving only the mouth visible from the face. That mouth was twisted into a sly smirk.

"Soon dear brother," the figure whispered, "soon you shall be free once more. Every day, I feel the bonds of your prison weaken. Once you are free, we will take back what is ours. The world will fall to their knees and bow to Zetsubo and Gekido Hagesii."

The figure fell silent and leaned forward in anticipation as it watched Akane approach the battle going on between Ranma, Mouse and Shampoo. "Ahh, Akane! The ever faithful temper tantrum to the rescue. I knew I could count upon your assistance in this. Truly, I don't know if it is more fun spurring you on from the inside," it mused, "or watching you perform from the outside."

"You GO, girl!" the figure chortles before its head whips about, "I sense a presence..." A sudden breeze whipped around the figure, flattening the cloak around the now obviously very female body. A heavy strand of auburn hair slipped from the hood as the figure look out beyond the school gates. There, on the street below, a small girl dressed in white trimmed with red approached. A small hammer was strapped across her back. She seemed to be studying some device in her hands as she swept it back and forth in front of her.

"Damn," she cursed as she dropped deeper into the shadow of the tower. "Nosy little brat."

She briefly hesitated, torn between watching the chaos unfolding below and keeping an eye on the approaching girl. A yell drew her attention back to the drama in the school yard. "Well," she said with a smirk as the pigtailed youth tumbled across the school yard into the path of the delusional samurai, "there is no sense in revealing my involvement here just yet. Where there is one Norn, the others are soon to follow. Besides, it looks like Akane-chan is doing fine without me." With a giggle, the woman vanished into the shadows.

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Below, Ranma was becoming more frustrated with each passing moment as he dodged the various attackers. The blind boy, who wanted him dead, was not listening to him. The Amazon fiancée wanna-be, who wanted to cuddle, was not listening to him. Akane, who wanted to smack him because the Amazon wanted to cuddle, was not listening to him. Kuno, who also wanted to kill him or date him, was running towards them, and he NEVER listened to him. The only one missing now was Ryoga. He probably got lost on his way to being late for this fight.

He suddenly gasped in agony and clutched his head as he dodged another of Mousse's chains. The surge of pain in his head brought tears to the stalwart boys eyes. "Noooo! Not NOW," he gasped, as he stumbled to the side. The watering of his eyes and the pain in his head reduced his field of vision drastically. Sensing, rather than seeing the attack, he turned just in time for Akane's mallet to connect. The blow knocked him tumbling, directly into the path of the self proclaimed 'Blue Thunder' of Furinken High.

"HA, Foul Sorcerer," the insane Kendoist shouted, "the beauticious Akane has struck a blow for her freedom and that of my goddess of pigtails. It falls to me to finish the deed. Have at you, Spawn of Darkness!"

Dozens of blows began to rain down upon the writhing form of the young martial artist. Kuno's skill with the bokken turned the practice weapon into something a bit more lethal. Cuts began to appear all over Ranma as the crazed kendoist slashed at his dazed foe. The girl-cursed boy staggered to his feet as he attempted to dodge the flurry of blows aimed at him. A final strike sliced off the boy's pigtail. The bundle of hair dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, as a small piece of silvery metal bounced out. Ranma fell to the ground once more clutching his head as a scream of agony erupted from him. He focused all his attention upon containing the agony that roared through his head. A red haze seemed to settle over his gaze as the blood pounded in his ears. In what seemed an eternity to the youth, he fought the waves of pain to a manageable level, and focused once more upon his soul of ice technique.

Kuno, posing over Ranma's twitching body swung his bokken about in wild arcs as he proclaimed his victory. "Ah-Ha! At LAST! The vengeance of Heaven is slow but... erk!"

Kuno's speech was interrupted by a case of foot-in-mouth disease, Ranma's foot to be exact. As Kuno stood there with frost rimmed footprints plastered across his face and lining the rest of his body, Ranma flipped to his feet. He snatched up the metal amulet without really knowing why, and started walking toward where Shampoo and Akane were arguing, an ice blue aura flickered about him. He glanced down briefly as he passed another unconscious figure. Mousse, having met the business end of Shampoo's bonbori once too often, lay sprawled on the ground.

Ignoring the incapacitated young man, Ranma glided toward the two arguing teenagers. Their argument cut off abruptly as they both shivered from the sudden chill his presence. His powerful and icy aura surged around him as he stalked up to to face them

"That is enough!" Ranma said coldly. Both girls flinched at the tone, but chose to ignore the warning.

"Airen!" Shampoo squealed and bounced around to face Ranma. Whatever she was going to say was interrupted as she caught sight of her 'Airen.' Her eyes widened as she pointed to his face.

"Husband? Wh - what happened to your face?" She stared at the strange, flickering marks or tattooes that bracketed his face. The marks were glowed a dim crimson hue, discernable even through the strong blue aura he was radiating.

Akane switched from yelling verbal abuse at Shampoo, to hurling insults at Ranma. Whatever she may have expected as a reaction, what she received was a literal cold shoulder as Ranma turned and focused on his Amazon 'wife'.

"Xian Pu. Leave. Now." He snarled, once again speaking in Mandarin. "You have caused trouble for me for the last time."

"What do you mean, beloved?" the Neichezu warrior asked, perplexed.

"Hey!" Akane shouted. "Stop ignoring me, you jerk!" her voice finally cut into the Ranma's consciousness.

Without looking at her, Ranma growled out, "I will deal with you next, Tendo. Wait your turn." Switching back to Mandarin, he continued, "Xian Pu. This is your last chance to leave by your own free will." He cracked his knuckles, and gave a dark smile. "I am not, nor ever will be your husband. I do not love you. You have pushed me to the point of turning any feelings of friendship I may have had into hatred. We aren't in China so your laws have no sway here. Unless you truly wish your own laws applied to you, Gaijin, you will listen to what I say. For the last time. Go. Away."

Shocked beyond measure, Shampoo could only gape at the young man as he returned her gaze with eyes as cold as chips of blue ice. Tears blurred her vision as she fought to hold in the sobs growing from deep within. The Saotome youth stood his ground, for once not caving in to the mournful, tear filled eyes and the quivering lips. With a muffled cry of anguish, Shampoo grabbed the remains of her bike, and ran away.

Somehow, the soul of ice dulled the pain roaring though his head. Fortunately, it also dulled his emotions, or he never would have been able to do that to Shampoo. Unfortunately, it also dulled his danger sense. Ranma's expression remained cold as he toward Akane, only to hear one final angry outburst from the Tendo Heir.

"Ranma-no-Baka!" Akane screamed. Her foot blurred around in a horizontal arc as she put every ounce of effort into the spinning kick. Her blow slammed into the boy, knocking him through the walls bordering the school yard, across the street and through the wall beyond. "Ha! That'll show that idiot he can't ignore me like that." Finally mollified that she had been able to deliver the deserved punishment to her fiance, she turned and stalked back to class as the school bell sonded.

In the yard, Kuno stood like a statue, bokken raised, unconscious. Had he been conscious, he would have seen a young girl with long black hair look through the hole in the school wall, and stare at him through odd glasses. Had he been conscious, his twitching eye might have been mistaken for a wink. Had he been conscious.

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Across the city, in another ward of Tokyo, a girl frowned at her computer as a marker dot faded almost as quickly as it had appeared. Playing back the data confirmed it was near where other minor disturbances had happened in the past. But, none of the others had ever been as powerful as this one. Unfortunately, the readings were too jumbled to make much sense of who or what caused them, so she saveed them for later analysis. Perhaps, if it showed up again, she could compare the two readings and learn more.

The girl made a mental note to inform her friends at their next meeting. Nerima was a bit further than most of their problems occurred, but better be safe than sorry. If more incidents of this magnatude occurred, they may have to check it out.

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Skuld, Norn Goddess of the Future (Second Class, Limited), hurried down the sidewalk, intent upon the readout of her SkuldSkan Mark II (patent pending) super-bug tracer. The Mark I SkuldSkan had led her on a not so merry chase throughout Japan and China, before finally shorting out. It may have had something to do with the mountaintop she was near exploding, or perhaps the death and rebirth of that demi-god Saffron (Fourth Class, Limited), who had been defeated by some mortal in the area. Anyhow, the Mark II had several improvements over the old model, including a better resolution in its scans. Now, instead of kilometers, she could narrow down a super-bug trace to a few dozen meters.

How two strong concentrations of system bugs had managed to last for so long undetected was a mystery that she intended to discover. As with all bugs, they tended to perpetuate if left to their own devices. Usually, this occurred at incredible rates and with drastic and obvious results. These two were different. They seemed to be growing very slowly for bugs. This made them considerably harder to track as the effect upon the system was not as drastic. The degradation of system performance and stability was far more gradual than a normal bug. This had allowed them to go mostly unnoticed for far too long.

One of the two concentrations she was tracking, the Beta, had been around for what she estimated to be eighteen Midgard years. That alone was amazing. But, that was a pittance - only a blink in the passage of time for her current prey, that which she called the Alpha Bug. The Alpha was not as... elusive... as the concentration that had led her on her merry chase with the Mark I, but seemed to be much more firmly entrenched in the system. Not surprising for a bug that could be thousands of years old. It could even be older than her prior incarnation. Although it appeared to have been dormant for most of that time, it had become very active over the last few years, with its activities peaking within the last 3 months. It was past time to deal with it.

She looked up again, and found her way obstructed by the closed gates of a high school. A glance at the SkuldSkan indicated her quarry was either moving extremely fast, or...

"Hmm. Well, it must be very close. It should not be difficult to locate now," she murmured, looking around. "Furinken High School. Where have I seen that name before?"

She thought on that for a few moments, but nothing came ot mind. She shrugged and resumed following the erratically moving blip on the screen. It was moving in spirals and loops and making extremely sharp direction changes. As she closed the distance, she began picking up a few other minor bugs scattered about the larger concentration. They seemed to be... dancing.

She became aware of a strange feeling. 'That's funny,' she thought, 'something else is there. Something almost familiar...' For a moment, she thought she saw something atop the school building. However, as the odd feeling faded, the sounds of combat beyond the wall surrounding the school drew her attention.

Skuld heard several yells and shouts and even a curse about a spawn of darkness. That reclaimed the young Norn's attention. "A hellspawn? Surely not," she said. "one of those things would have set off alarms throughout the system and alerted the Battle Angels." She glanced about to ensure no one was in the area and floated up briefly to the top of the wall. The trees inside the school yard obscured her view. It was obvious that a fight was going on, however, if that scream of agony was any indication. Further down the fence line, she spotted a place where there were not any trees. She would be able to see into the school yard there.

As she settled back down, her scanner suddenly lit up. It had a solid lock on the Alpha! It was over there, where the mortals were fighting. A strange tingle washed over her as the sounds of combat ceased with another pained cry. She hurried forward, hopping up here and there, trying to get a look. Then, the wall in front of her exploded after a girl screamed something about an idiotic wild horse. A red blur flew through the rubble and crashed through the wall bordering the apartment homes on the other side of the street.

Skuld hurried up to the shattered wall, slipped on her special lenses, and looked into the school yard. Her eyes widened at the dark red aura, plainly visible even without the special glasses, being radiated by the short haired high school girl stalking back towards the school building. Looking closer, Skuld was still unable to locate any bugs near her, but that massive unfocused aura could be interfering. She'd have to get back to her later. Most mortals couldn't produce that much life energy without outside influence. She decided it would be a good idea to run a scan of the entire school later, just to be safe. That aura looked almost demonic.

Looking toward the motionless young man in the Kendo gear, Skuld frowned at the complex patterns and moved closer for a better look. 'Nope, no bugs,' she thought before blinking the focus a little tighter. 'Aahh, wait. There it is. Strange, this one is almost two years old! No, he's not the Alpha, nor is he the Beta, but he has certainly been in contact with one or the other. He - he's not normal either.' She frowned as she readied her tool, he seemed to be WINKING at her. A moment later, the Mark II started to beep rapidly, remininding her that it had a lock on her true quarry. She slung her discharged hammer and focused once more upon tracking down the Alpha.

"Where is it?" she snapped as she looked back to her scanner. "That way!" Skuld turning to look at the hole in the stone fence, ten meters away. She hurried across the back street to the other shattered wall. Beyond, lying face down upon the steps in the shallow end of a swimming pool was a girl, about her size, wearing loose black pants and a shredded red silk shirt. The bug had assumed human form! The obviously female Alpha, who was bleeding from several nasty slashes, groaned and started to pull itself the remainder of the way out of the pool.

"OH, NO YOU DON'T!" Skuld cried out as she whipped out her debugging hammer again. She charged the Alpha and brought her tool crashing down upon the bug so cleverly disguised as a red headed girl.

The hammer connected with the target with a thunderous crack and a blinding flash of light. Skuld found herself flying through the air from the shockwave alone. Recovering her balance, she halted her unexpected flight and settled quickly to the ground to clear her eyes.

"HA! I'm the best!" she exclaimed smugly, even as she was blinking her eyes to clear them. Once her vision came back enough to see where she was going, Skuld hopped into the air and drifted back into the yard.

"Finally! I finally got you - you... wha-? B-b-but, that's impossible!" There, lying in a crater of pulverized tile, was the redhead with the waist length hair. No bug had ever resisted being blasted into nothingness by her debugging hammer. Well, ok, avoided yes, but RESISTED?

Skuld cautiously moved over to the bug, crouched down and rolled it onto its back. This revealed its face for the first time to the young goddess. All color drained away from her face as she stared at the unconscious red head in shock. A faint groan escaped from the battered girl as a familiar shaped silver amulet fell from her slack grasp.

"Oh, Father! What have I done?" the young goddess moaned. Reaching down with both hands, Skuld placed her index fingers upon the girl's forehead, and her thumbs below each of the closed eyes. She chanted her best healing spell. A faint tingle spread up her fingers, which was answered by a stronger tingle on her own face, but not much else happened. 'At least she is still alive,' Skuld thought, 'for now.' Tears started to course down the young Norn's face.

"I-I didn't know," she cried. "Belldandy! She'll know what to do. She's much better at healing and stuff. Just you wait right here. She'll be able to help, I just know it!" She turned, jumped into the pool, and vanished into it.

------------------------------

Shortly after the goddess disappeared into the pool, Ranma's eyes cracked open. She looked around with bloodshot eyes, looking for whoever had malleted her. For the first time in years, her thoughts were clear. She couldn't stay in this situation. Enough was enough. Now the tomboy was following and pounding her when she was down already. Her honor was more than satisfied. She would no longer put up with the abusive, spoiled, child, who was supposed to be her iinazuke.

The situation was out of control. She had at one time planned on a training trip to Okiyama. There, she had read, a shrine existed that was was rumored to have a demon held captive. Perhaps the monks who could hold a demon would know about curses as well. Now, perhaps the monks could help with other things, such as a new start.

Ranma pulled herself to her feet and limped stiffly back toward the school. By the time she crossed the street, most of the pain and stiffness had been worked out. She stopped and stared through the ruined fence at the immobile Tatewaki Kuno. He still stood, bokken raised high, facing the street. She shook her head and absently brushed a long strand of crimson hair from her face by hooking it behind an ear. Finally, she turned and began walking down the street toward the shopping district. Her flowing knee length hair billowed behind her in the gentle breeze of her passage.

Behind her, in the shallow water of the damaged pool, a silvery amulet lay forgotten as it glinted with the reflected light of the midday sun.

------------------------------

Ukyo looked up as Akane walked back into the classroom. The girl had the smug look on her face she always got after pounding on Ranchan. She waited a few minutes for Ranma to come strolling in like he always does. It quickly became obvious to her, after the bell signaling the start of the study hall rang, that he would not be doing so today. She leaned over and whispered to Akane, "Where is Ranma?"

Akane turned to her, her face flushing, and bit out each word through gritted teeth, "I don't know and could not care less where that womanizing pervert is. Why don't you ask Shampoo? I caught him flirting with her."

"So, you pounded him, is that it sugar?"

"The Jerk deserved it for ignoring me."

"You ever stop to think that if you were a little nicer to him," Ukyo asked, "he might be nicer to you?"

"Don't you even try to make it my fault." Akane growled. "If Ranma wasn't such a jerk, I would be nicer to him!"

"Sure, princess, whatever you say." Ukyo sneered.

"Hmph." Akane snorted, "Look at you. You're nice to him all the time, and how has he been treating you? Like crap, that's how!"

Ukyo stared at the fuming Tendo girl, then began shaking her head. "No, Akane. You are wrong. We are the ones who have treated him badly, sugar, and unless you wise up, you are going to lose him."

Ukyo then stood and walked out of the class. As the door closed behing her, she heard Akane shout, "I never WANTED him in the first place!"

Shaking from her own anger, Ukyo had to think hard about not going back and giving that girl a beating she'd never forget. But, Ranma would probably appreciate that as much as he appreciated her actions at the wedding. She decided the best thing to do was to go find him and make sure, as a friend should, that he was okay.

It wasn't too hard to locate where the fight had taken place. Even now, Kuno stood in place, a few pigeons perched atop his bokken. As she neared the statuesque older boy, the pigeons took to wing. He sighed and lowered his bokken.

Ukyo opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she heard him say softly, "Verily, Heaven smiles upon the Blue Thunder this day." After a deep sigh, he continued, "for I have at last seen my goddess freed. Such a fiery beauty is she. It pains me so, to see her unhappy. I pray she will forgive me my transgressions," He sighed as he dropped his head, "for I can not forgive myself."

Ukyo gaped at him for a moment. He turned around to head back to school, and stopped. An expression of shock washed away the tired sadness on his face, and was itself quickly replaced with his usual haughty demeanor.

"Ha, but it is the chef Kuonji. What, pray tell, might the Blue Thunder do for thee?"

"K-Kuno?"

"You will address me as Sempai, or as the Blue Thunder."

"Whatever, sugar, what was that about Ra... erm... your pigtailed goddess?"

"Where?" Kuno queried, looking around, "Hast thou seen her? Direct me at once to where she may be!"

"Oh, no you don't, Kuno! I heard you just now," Ukyo stated. "You know something, and I want to hear it is, especially if it deals with my Ranchan!"

"I know not of what you speak," he replied, eyes narrowing. "If thou dost not know of the whereabouts of my pigtailed goddess, then bother me not with questions of that foul sorcerer Saotome! He was dealt a just blow by the beauticious Akane and sent hither through the wall. Perhaps he may be found beyond. But I warn thee..."

"Thanks, Kuno-sempai!" Ukyo interrupted as she ran from the school yard.

Kuno looked after her, a small smile crossed his features, before he steeled his gaze once more into its customary smirk, and returned to the school.

------------------------------

Nabiki was not very happy with her younger sister. Her fight with Ranma at lunch had driven the boy off. According to her 'sources', he had not returned after lunch. Also, he had not been seen at any of his usual hangouts, nor at home. This was not usual for him at all. Of course, he had been acting strange all day. Ukyo had disappeared after lunch as well, so it seemed possible that they had run off together somewhere. Reports on the battle, and what she herself had seen of the aftermath made it likely that Ranma had been injured. Checking the nearby clinics and hospitals had turned up nothing. It was as if he had disappeared. She finally ran into Ukyo and joined her in the search, but no trace of the young man was found. Ukyo seemed sincerely worried about him. As far as Nabiki was concerned, Ukyo deserved Ranma more than Akane did, not that she would tell either girl that.

"He better not keep me waiting long," she muttered to herself. Securing this private room at the library was easy, but there was another group scheduled after them.

A few minutes later, Ranma strode into the room. Nabiki's eyes widened slightly in shock. The girl-cursed boy had apparently been splashed sometime and had not bothered to reverse the curse. Considering her dry clothes, it must have been several hours prior. She set down a large pack just inside the doorway and turned to face Nabiki.

"Surprised? Thought it was time for a new look." The redhead twirled about before she walked over and sat down opposite Nabiki. Instead of her usual short pigtail, her hair was now in a very long ponytail falling far below her waist. "Looks different, ne?"

Nabiki nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on her face. She glanced at the pack and then back to the girl. "Leaving us again, Ranma?"

"Only for a while. Don't worry Nabiki, your favorite source of money won't be gone long." Ranma answered with sarcasm.

"Ranma! How could you..." the middle Tendo began before Ranma interrupted her.

"Don't deny it, Nabiki," the girl said sourly. "That is pretty much all you see me as; a source of quick money. Now, do you want me to tell you what's bothering me about Akane, or not."

'So that's how its is, eh, Saotome?' Nabiki though. 'Believe it or not, Ranma, I do care about what happens to you.' She clicked the record button on the micro-cassette recorder in her pocket before responding. "So, tell me, why now? Why couldn't you talk last night?"

"I was hoping to get a little more privacy, without uninvited guests listening, but I guess that is not going to happen." Ranma glared at the window for a moment before shrugging.

"What are you talking about?" Nabiki asked as she glanced out the window. All she could see was the deepening shadows that signaled the approaching sunset.

"Not important," the smaller girl said, as she waved the matter off. "You may as well put your recorder up here so you get this clear the first time. I don't intend to tell you more than once, and I'm not going to answer any questions I don't choose to. You want to hear this, so just shut up and listen. Got it?"

Annoyed, but not wanting to miss this chance, Nabiki set the little device on the table. "Okay, Ranma. Talk."

For the next twenty minutes, Ranma talked about the events leading up to Jusendo. The Amazon's request for help. The trip back to China. Akane's abduction and the creation of a new spring of drowned girl patterned after her. At last she came to the part directly related to the dream. Akane had been turned into a dried doll, and the only cure was being guarded by Saffron, a self-proclaimed god.

"That all led to the battle with Saffron," Ranma sighed. "During the fight, all I could think about was Akane. It was my fault that Saffron had sent Kima after her. If not for the love I had for her... yes, I can actually say that I loved her... he would not have tried to use her to get to me.

"I fought him, Nabiki. I fought him as I have never fought anyone before, nor since. I could not afford to fight him the way I fought Herb, Taro, Happosai, or any of the others. I could not afford to hold back, or Akane would die.

"For the first time since Jusenkyo, I stopped holding back. It still wasn't enough, Nabiki. Everything I threw at him, he shrugged off or healed almost instantly." Ranma paused, before continuing, "I was afraid I might loose. Me, the 'great' Ranma Saotome, afraid that I would loose... and, if I lost, Akane would die. I couldn't run away to find a new technique or magic potion that would make it all better. I had to win, and I had a limited amount of time in which to do it."

Ranma ducked her head, hiding her face from Nabiki as she stared at her clenched fists. "I was running out of that time. I had to get Akane to the magic water under Jusendo mountain. But, Saffron intended to use that water for something. If I saved Akane, there wouldn't be enough left for him. I wasn't gonna let him stop me. I searched deep inside me for the strength to save Akane. I found that strength... that... power, Nabiki."

When Ranma raised her head, Nabiki was shocked to see the anguish in her face. "I allowed the power that I now hold bottled up inside me to come forth, and I embraced what awoke that fateful day in the Spring of Jusenkyo. Nabiki, you cannot begin to understand what I felt... what I still feel. Now that it is awake, I cannot put it to sleep again. I have tried, but that only made those migraines worse... and, besides, it just isn't right anymore. I accepted the power, so now I have to live with the consequences."

Nabiki nearly had to bite her tongue to avoid asking him to elaborate. Looking at the young boy... no... the young girl in front of her, she could guess what the consequence probably was. Before she could voice her guess, Ranma continued.

"But, back to Saffron. I was out of time. I pulled all the strength, all the power I could hold into that last attack. First, I drew all his fire away, freezing him," Ranma ducked her head again and stared at her hands as she fiddled with them. "Then, I - I KILLED him Nabiki. I... I killed a god. It was all for her. The one I loved with all my heart. I did it for Akane. It does not matter that, since he was a god, the Phoenix King no less, he was reborn almost immediately. What matters is that even if he hadn't been a god, I still would have killed him to save Akane. I see his face in my dreams. I know what he felt at that last instant. Shock and fear."

Ranma looked up into the pale, shocked face of the girl sitting across from him. Her own eyes shimmering. "I was in time, obviously, or Akane would be dead now. But it was a close thing, Nabiki. So, very close. Another minute, perhaps less, and it would have been too late. I held her body in the waters that restored her. I told her I loved her. I begged her not to die and leave me." Ranma hung her head again. Tears flowed freely and dripped onto the table top while the shocked middle Tendo looked on.

"She recovered, but never acknowledged my love. Never told me she cared. Never - never told me she loved me. Not until that stupid wedding. Of course, I guess since I never asked her how she felt, I bear as much blame for what happened next." The young girl sniffed and whispered, "guys don't cry. It ain't manly. But, I'm not exactly a man right now, am I? So screw it."

She drew in a deep, shuddering breath, and continued. "At first, right after we returned from China, things got better between us, as I'm sure you remember. We didn't fight as much. Our parents backed off a bit about the engagement. The other girls pretty much left us alone. I thought it might actually work out."

Ranma laughed bitterly, "but then those bungling idiots sprang that blasted wedding. Ya know something, Nabiki? I was actually ready to go ahead and get married. I was going to do it. I think Akane may have been ready as well, if nothing else, just to get relief from the constant pressure your father and Genma put on us. But then, as I have come to expect from my life here, everything fell to pieces."

Nabiki's eyes narrowed a bit as she heard Ranma refer to her father by his given name.

"What started off as a small quiet wedding, turned into a war zone thanks to unwanted fiancées, loons, idiots, ancient perverts and lost little piggies... please, tell me you know about the pig..." She looked Nabiki in the eyes for a moment before focusing on the table again.

"I can't tell you if you don't know," Ranma said softly. "I swore on my honor not to reveal the truth. Now that honorless pig uses that against me. I refuse to stoop to his level and break my word."

After another long pause, she continued. "You don't know how close I came to loosing control, especially when Kasumi and my mother were nearly hurt. Had that happened... well, I don't like to think about what would have happened. What did happen is that I am not married to Akane. I don't know if I should curse those involved for the lost opportunity, or bless them for preventing what would now be a horrible disaster.

She stared steadily into Nabiki's eyes as she said this. Nabiki couldn't help but flinch under the intense gaze. 'At least Ranma is being reasonable,' Nabiki though, 'unlike how my own sister would be.'

Ranma turned her gaze out the window and continued her narrative. "Since then, everything has gone from bad to worse. I tried very hard to make things work out. But, one sided love is doomed to fail." Ranma looked back at Nabiki. "The girl I came to love has rejected and insulted me at every turn since then. I have not been someone who can sit back and let insults directed at me, deserved or not, go unanswered. Any attempt I made at being nice was returned with suspicion and insults, and I'd throw them right back. If I tried to talk about my feelings, I'd get a mallet, or more insults, or both in return. So, the cycle continued. It is tearing me up, Nabiki. I cannot allow it to continue anymore. I will not allow it to continue any more. My honor is satisfied. I have made every effort I could to salvage the relationship. But, as I said, a relationship of one is not a relationship. Now, it is Akane's job."

Ranma paused for a few moments, swallowing several times as if to clear her throat, while staring out the window at the night sky. The full moon hung low in the sky. She started speaking once more, in a softer tone. "You wanted to know about the dream though, right? It is about Jusendo. But it isn't Jusendo. It is what has happened since then that is the nightmare. In the dream, I am too late and Akane dies in my arms. This is tearing me up because I know I have lost Akane. Not just in the dream, but in reality. All I fought for, all the fights and curses, all the kidnapping and rescues. It all comes down to that. I lost. The 'great' Ranma Saotome," She said with bitter sarcasm, "has lost the girl he came to love, and at one time would have shared his life with. Even now, with all the animosity there is between us, I would still try to save her from harm, if I could."

"I fell in love with her that very first day, Nabiki. She alone greeted me in friendship, instead of distrust and disappointment. It lasted such a short time. I make very few friends, and far, far too many enemies. This has been even more apparent since that day in Jusenkyo. All too soon, Fate realized I had a chance at happiness, and the fights and insults started flying. That hurt Nabiki. I still ache from the feeling of betrayal that day when Akane's friendship died so soon after birth."

Ranma stood, and walked over to the window, and gazed out. Nabiki followed the redhead with her eyes. "This can't be Ranma." She muttered into her recorder, "Ranma couldn't explain his feelings if his life depended upon it..." She caught a slight, short lived smirk on the redhead's face in the reflection of the window. The shadowed pools of her eyes seemed to bore into Nabiki.

"Everything I am, and everything I do, is a threat to her self image. I am a better cook, I can sew, I can dance, I can swim, I have guys staring at me as a girl, and girls as a guy. I am better at martial arts... the list goes on. Unfortunately, my ego won't let her forget it either.

"I, too, am much at fault. Sadly, even in admitting that to you, I am doing something she can't seem to do: Admit where at least some of the blame for our problems lies. The final straw is being her iinazuke. She thinks that being my fiance will stop her from realizing her dreams. Even my curse is a threat to her identity."

"Who are you?" Nabiki finally interrupted. "You aren't Ranma."

Ranma's familiar smirk reappeared on her face. "Yes and no. As I said, Nabiki, something awoke within me when I was in that spring. I finally accepted that at Jusendo. I am no longer the Ranma Saotome you loved to torment and con. I haven't been for several months. Each day that goes by, I feel further away from that person."

"So, who are you then? Ranma, the girl from the spring, or both?" Nabiki asked. "Is that why you are still a girl?"

"Sorry, Nabiki, " Ranma sighed, and flashed the Tendo girl a wry smile, "didn't I say I wasn't going to answer questions? I gave you the last one, for free. Besides, I am sure you will figure it out on your own." Her smile turned into a grin as she said, "Now shush and let me finish."

Nabiki scowled, but held her tongue. For now.

Ranma's smile faded as she resumed, "So, to answer your first question again, yes, I am going away for a while. I must work out who I am before I can decide on what I need to do. I am not going to be with anyone you know, or anyplace I have ever been before, even with Genma."

She reached under her shirt and produced a folded parchment. "This last thing, I will leave with you. Know that your threat of revealing last night's tapes had little to nothing to do with my agreeing to meet you today. As far as the others go, Akane doesn't care, Ukyo has learned her lesson, Xian Pu is being dealt with," She glanced at the window before continuing. "and the Kunos, well, they never have been a true problem. Speaking of Kuno, you know that Akane and he could be brother and sister as bad as they are when it comes to denying the truth. I hope someday, the truth behind the pig is revealed. She will otherwise never see what is directly in front of her face."

"I leave you this last thing, and ask you not to reveal what was said tonight to anyone with the intent of making a profit. That goes against your nature, and your desire to provide for your family, but I believe that this little gem, of which you will be the only person from Nerima to know the details of, will alleviate some of the lost profits when the time is right. Please wait until I have departed to open it."

Ranma then turned to the window again. Standing, she bowed formally, left fist clasped in the palm of her right, before speaking in flawless Mandarin. "Know this Elder. It would be in your tribe's best interest to cease the useless pursuit of Saotome Ranma. He will nevermore be available as Xian Pu's Airen, or that of any of the Neichizu. His control over the power that destroyed Saffron, and half a mountain is not perfect. Should events continue as they have, unfortunate consequences could occur. He helped your village in time of need. Grant him the status as an honorary member of your nation, and he will always be available should the need arise again. Continue the attempts to hound him into submission, and that will no longer be true. He will seek your decision in one lunar cycle at the Tendo Training Hall. Consider this a promise Elder. You know the value of my word."

Nabiki stared as a ripple of light seemed to flare around Ranma before she turned and strode to her pack, and gracefully slipped it on her back. When the redhead finally turned to face her, she was greeted by an impish grin and raised eyebrow. This was quite a contrast to the puffy eyes, and tear streaked face.

"Uhh," Nabiki hesitated, then said, "Ranma?"

"Uhh, Nabiki?" The other girl echoed.

"When did you learn...?"

"Mandarin?" Ranma asked, interrupting. At the Tendo girl's nod, she said coyly, "Awww, Nabiki. You should already know the answer to that."

"Since, Jusendo?"

Ranma's grin grew into a true smile. "See, that wasn't so hard. With your intelligence, I don't expect it to take you too long to figure out what I just said."

Nabiki stared at her stonily.

"To save you some time," Ranma continued, "I will summarize it for you since it applies to you as well. I consider you and Kasumi to be the older sisters I never had. Even if you have made my like a little worse at times, I know you did much of it to help your family. I can respect that. In fact, the Tendo's have been the only family I have known. I make you the same promise and warning I just offered to our uninvited listener. I have helped your family in the past. I am willing to continue to help you and your family, as best as I am able, if ever there is need. However, if my trust in you or Kasumi is abused, much as Akane has lost that trust, so shall my willingness to help be lost. Consider this a promise. You, too, know the value of my word."

Nabiki blinked. For an instant, it had looked like Ranma's eyes had glowed.

The redhead smiled pleasantly at her, and bowed. "Thank you very much for listening to my story. I needed to get that into the open. Perhaps now, you at least will finally understand me. Good day to you... oneesan." Quietly, she slipped out and was gone before Nabiki could respond.

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At the Cherry Hill Shrine, Rei Hino stared deep into the sacred flame. She was attempting to see what was there to be seen. At the meeting earlier that evening, Ami had mentioned a disturbance far outside the normal areas. She could not give more information than that, other than it seemed to be from Nerima. If it was, there probably wasn't anything that the senshi need worry over. That Ward of Tokyo was as notorious for odd occurrences as Juuban and it had its own protectors. Still, if Ami was worried.

She took another deep calming breath. "Focus, Rei! Focus!" she chided herself, before relaxing into the meditative state. The dancing flames called to her spirit, inviting her in. She welcomed the call, and walked the paths of flame. Show me... The flames built up, growing stronger and there... just there... a figure? Her spirit danced among the flames, coaxing and enticing them to reveal their secret. Show me...

There! A female figure with flaming hair to her knees, wearing a strange set of clothes danced among the flames. She seemed as much at home among the fire as Rei... Was she an ally? The figure spun into a dance full of beauty, grace, bountiful joy and confidence... or foe? The dance halted. Flames roared higher around the figure, obscuring most of her as she turned to face Rei. Only her eyes were visible... molten, red eyes with a crimson starburst between. That starburst then flared golden brilliance as the eyes cleared to a vibrant blue. Eyes that held heart-wrenching sorrow... and a simmering anger.

Rei gasped and fell back on the cushions, shocked out of her reading... She had to tell the others... had to tell them... something... but what? Tell them about what? That girl? ...What could cause her so much emotional pain?

She felt the tracks of tears on her face. That poor girl... to know such happiness, only to have that terrible sorrow at the end. Could she be the source of the wild energy? Could she be the sixth Senshi?

------ End Wildfire Chapter 1 ------