New in Town: Another Crisis on the Horizon

Chapter 2: Revelations (NOT Assassin's Creed)

(AN): If it wasn't obvious by now, I own nothing

Normal font is Japanese, bold print is said in English, and Italics are thoughts. {#}=Chinese when applicable.

Enjoy the evil torture. MWAHAHAHAHA! *cough**cough* sorry…

I woke up, feeling like hell. My pillow was soft, so that at least took the pain of my headache away somewhat.

Wait, pillow?

I don't own a pillow, as sad as that may be.

I sat up, ignoring the pain. I looked around the room I was in, trying to get my bearings.

Then I remembered what I thought was a dream, before looking down confirmed it was indeed reality. I slowly got up out of the bed I was in to look outside the room, not used to my new body. I opened the door carefully, not knowing what to expect.

"Ah, you're awake," said an old woman. I backed up instinctively, still in shock. "Don't be afraid, young man. I won't bite."

"What the hell happened to me?" I asked half scared, half furious.

"Unfortunately, you were dowsed with water from the spring of drowned girl in Jusenkyo, China. With cold water, you will turn into the form you hold now, and hot water shall change you back. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Koh Lon, but most people call me Cologne. What is your name?" Cologne asked.

I was hesitant to respond, but answered anyway. "My name is Tristan Cavalan."

"Well, Tristan, do you have any family here in Japan?" I shook my head no. "What about a legal guardian?" Again no. "It would appear that someone has at least spared you of that humiliation, for now."

"Are there others? Like me, I mean." I asked hesitantly.

Cologne looked at me for a second before nodding. "Yes, there are others. My great-granddaughter is cursed to be a cat, and there are others in this town. One of them actually shares the same curse you do. His name is Ranma Saotome, and he lives just a few blocks from here at the Tendo dojo."

Ranma? Where have I heard that name before? "Say, does he go to Furinkan High?"

"As a matter of fact he does. Class 1-F. He's the one who wears Chinese clothes instead of the school uniform." Cologne laughed at this last part.

So that was Ranma, huh? Wait, Tendo? "Did you say that he lives at the Tendo dojo?" Cologne nodded. "This just rose to new levels of awkward. Do you think you could come with so that there would be less of a chance of me getting killed by Akane?"

Cologne gave me a questioning look. "Today was my first day at Furinkan High, and I got seated next to Akane Tendo. I can't really speak any Japanese, and I have a fear of women. That's why."

"Ah, that explains it. People don't normally faint when they first change, so I was a little concerned." Cologne got a wistful look in her eye "Fear of women, huh? Tell me. Is this an acquired fear or an inborn one?"

"It's acquired, but I don't like to talk about it." I looked away from her, not wanting to meet her eye.

It was getting pretty late, and I just wanted to go "home", so I said, "Can I come back here tomorrow morning, and then we both go? I need some time to…to come to terms with what's happened. There's no school tomorrow, and it's pretty late."

Cologne nodded and said, "Be here at the Cat Café sometime tomorrow morning and we'll go."

I nodded my thanks and took the cup of hot water she gave me graciously, saying "Gods above, demons below. Fates be sure to bless your soul."

Walking back to my "dumpster home", as I like to call it, I was once again male. For how long was anyone's guess. I crawled into bed, hoping against hope that this was a just some demented nightmare.

I woke up with a start the next morning, drenched in sweat. Oh, come on! Can't I get one night's sleep without a nightmare!?

I took a moment to calm down before I decided that it couldn't be a dream. Especially considering there was still a bandage on my head.

I changed into one of my few street clothes and made my way back to the Cat Café. Thankfully, nobody splashed me with cold water. I walked in and called out "Cologne, you here?"

"Yes, I'm here. Just come on through to the back. And grab a thermos of hot water. That will help things along," Cologne called back.

I did as I was told, pretty sure where this was going. We left in short order, with the purple haired woman in tow.

"Is there a specific reason why your granddaughter is tagging along?" I asked politely.

"Yes, she will most likely try and seduce Ranma again. Now tell me. Are you a martial artist?" Cologne asked.

"Not willingly, I'll tell you that much. And to be honest, I hate violence. I only use what I've been taught in self-defense. Never to attack." I explained with my eyes downcast.

"I see," Cologne seemed to ponder this for a while as we walked.

"Is Ranma a martial artist?" I asked.

Cologne nodded. "He is also very stubborn. Not to mention he talks without thinking, spewing insults left and right. But he's a good kid."

We arrived at the Tendo dojo a few minutes later. Cologne went up to the front door of the large complex and knocked.

A young women I didn't recognize answered the door. My face paled. I knew I could stand the purple haired woman because she honestly regretted that I had gotten splashed, and I knew it wasn't her fault. She actually seemed genially worried that I might attack her, as unlikely as that may be.

"Oh, Cologne. How are you doing? Please, come inside. And who is this?" the woman asked.

"We are here because of this young man, Tristan, and he needs someone to consult about a problem," Cologne explained. "Oh, and try not to get to close to him. He's still a little shell shocked." Cologne looked at me and said, "This is Kasumi. She won't hurt you, so please come inside." I nodded to Cologne and bowed politely to Kasumi before I entered. I still shook a little as I passed her, though.

"Kasumi, could you please gather everyone in the living room?" Kasumi nodded and left.

A few minutes later, the six residents of the household plus Cologne, her granddaughter, and myself.

"Tristan? What are you doing here?" Akane asked. Then she remembered something before saying, "Sorry about that. Anyways, what are you doing here?" I shrank a little from her gaze, looking to Cologne for help.

"Please, let me explain, Tristan." I nodded. "Tristan was cursed last night, as he was walking home. He was accidentally splashed with water from the spring of drowned girl. His is a rare and terrible curse."

"What!? That's the same one as me!" Ranma yelled.

"Yes, Ranma, but the circumstances are different. You become the opposite of what you were raised to be. Tristan, on the other hand, now becomes the thing he fears most." Cologne threw a cup of water at me. A collective gasp could be heard while Cologne let that sink in as everyone looked at me with a mixture of shock and pity. I hung my head, knowing what she had said, even if I didn't completely understand it. "He came here because he needs someone to consult. Also…" Cologne looked at me. "Do you want to tell them? I won't tell them if you don't want me to."

As I poured the hot water from the thermos on myself, I looked her in the eye and said, "I'll tell them in English, you translate." Cologne nodded. I turned my attention to Ranma and Akane, who were sitting across from me. "I'm here in Japan alone. No family, no friends, no real way to communicate. My parents dropped me here and told me they would be sending small change by mail. Now, my parents are travelling Europe, and they told me the next time I saw them would be at graduation. I have no home, no legal guardian, no food, and as far as I'm concerned, no way to survive." I saw a question forming on Akane's lips. "Yes, I'm a martial artist, but it was forced upon me and I hate violence. I refuse to use it unless I am attacked. What I'm trying to say is, I need help, and I don't know where else to turn." Cologne repeated what I said in Japanese for those who couldn't understand what I said.

"Well, I'm on the city council, so I'll see what I can do for you," Mister Tendo told me. I nodded my thanks and let out a long breath. "In the meantime, you are welcome to stay here. I will warn you beforehand that in this house, there is never a dull moment."

"Well, never dull sure sounds better than the hell I've gone through," I said with a dry laugh.

"What do you mean?" Akane asked.

"My eyes, they're not normal. Just look for yourself." I looked each and every person in the room in turn. "Now, what color did you see?" Cologne translated the question.

"Brown"

"Blue"

"Green"

"Ice"

"Amber"

"Purple"

"Red"

"White"

"Black"

All of these answers were given at the same time, and everyone looked extremely confused by what that meant. "I couldn't tell you what color my eyes are. They have always been this way."

Cologne looked me in the eye on more time, before she gasped. "It can't be… The eyes of Thanatos. But how?"

(AN): Cliffhangers. Ha, I love 'em. R&R if you want to find out what happens next!

Until next time!