Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns Ranma ½ and Palladium Books Rifts: Psyscape by Kevin Siembieda.
Nabiki looked at the Shrine in front of her with more than a bit of trepidation. The Shrine was the Saotome Shrine, the place she was confident that she would find information on Ranma. The reason why she was nervous was because of the information she was able to find on the Saotome Clan. The Clan was a Devil Hunter Clan and one of the most powerful. Two weeks ago she would have just scoffed at the idea of the supernatural. But after witnessing a man change into a Panda and back depending on the water temperature he was a exposed to and a teenager with a glowing energy shield, Nabiki became much more open minded.
When Nabiki originally planned on coming to the Shrine she had no idea of the Saotome Clan's history. Nabiki had planned on coming to the Shrine on Saturday after classes and speak with Saotome Nanami about the arranged marriage. From the information she got on the Clan the Saotomeos did actively practice the tradition. Even if Genma was not the Head of the Clan all he had to do was get permission and the contract would be legitimate. Nabiki planned on her being the one Ranma would be engaged to, he had too much to offer to pass onto her Sisters, also there was the fact that Akane hated boys and Kasumi was already interested the local Chiropractor, Dr. Tofu.
That plan changed that Saturday when one of her flunkies came up to her and gave her more information on the Saotome Clan. This information was from 'alternative' sources and detailed just how the Saotome Clan survived over the centuries. When she read the file she paled a bit at the revelation that the Saotomes were Devil Hunters. That meant they dealt with creatures that actively killed, enslaved, and maybe tortured innocent people on a regular basis. The lackey gave her the information made a joke about how anyone could believe in those kinds of things in the Modern World. Nabiki did not respond only thinking that unless she witnessed what she had a few days ago she would have agreed.
For the next three days she had to think about how to proceed. On one hand the Saotomes did have several connections to the more 'public' societies of Japan, that made marrying into the Clan an almost sure fire way to become a successful Business Woman; one of her life long goals. On the other hand there was the continued threat of death or even worse at being associated with such a Clan. Finally Nabiki decided that she needed more information, and there was only one real place to get it, the Saotome Shrine. Bringing her to her present location.
With a deep breath to settle her nerves Nabiki stepped onto the Shrine Grounds. As she entered she saw an old woman sweeping the stone pathway up to the main Shrine building. Nabiki recognized this woman as Saotome Nanami from a picture in the information she had.
"Hello Tendo Nabiki," Nanami greeted. "Some friends of mine have informed me that some of your friends have been looking into my Clan. Care to explain why?"
Nabiki felt a shiver run up her spine, 'This will be a lot harder then I first thought,' Nabiki thought. "Yes it involves you're Great Grandson and my Family."
"I thought at much," Nanami replied. "Come we'll talk inside and see if you have anything worth saying."
Nabiki winced slightly, 'Haven't even begun the meeting and I'm already behind in the negotiation. Maybe I bit off more than I could chew this time.' Nabiki's face settled into a focused face as she followed Nanami into the main Shrine building to discuss what if any kind of a future she might have with the Saotome Clan.
At the same time Nabiki was entering the Saotome Shrine a certain Saotome and his new friend, Misago entered a location of Nabiki's territory, namely Furinkan High. "I really don't want to be here," Ranma said. "I might run into the Tendo Family again."
"You aren't the only one that doesn't want to be here Ranma," Misago said. "As much as you don't want to be here I can guarantee that I don't want to be here even more. But your Great Grandmother said that one of her friends recognized someone performing Japanese Voodoo and not very well at that."
"Then what's the problem and why don't you want to be here?" Ranma asked.
"The problem is that in practicing magic you really need to know what you're doing before hand," Misago started to explain. "If you don't then one of three things can happen. One, nothing and you've essentially wasted you're time. Two, you get lucky and the spell works. Three, you're not lucky and the spell backfires or does not do what it's suppose to. The last two are the problem; if a spell works depending on the spell it can be anything from curing someone's cold to blowing up a good section of the area, if the spell backfires or gets miscast that's when things get really bad. Anything and everything can happen then from a demon being summoned to turning people into jello."
"Jello?" Ranma asked.
"Don't ask, just one of my Mother's old stories," Misago answered.
"Ok so what about you not wanting to be here?" Ranma asked again.
"Well there's this guy that goes to school here," Misago started to explain. "He's this total moron that thinks he some kind of Samurai. He also thinks he's a Devil Hunter, and has come by the Shrine a few times demanding training. No one demands training from Mistress. When she told him no he went into the rant about 'Devine Right' or some crap like that. What's really bothering me is that he keeps come by and when I first started staying at the Shrine he said 'If you can defeat me I'll allow you to date me' and attack me. I defended myself and knocked him out. Now he thinks we're going out."
"Oh," Ranma said. "So who is this guy?"
"His name is…" Misago tried to say by was interrupted.
"You do not need to introduce me Fair Keeper of the Shrine," a tall teenage boy with brown hair and dark brown eyes, dressed in traditional samurai clothing. "For I shall introduce myself." Striking a dramatic pose the boy began, "I am the Undefeated Champion of the High School Kendo World and Noble Devil Hunter of the Kuno Clan, Kuno Tatawaki age seventeen. But to friend and foe alike I am the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!" A crash of thunder accompanied the end of the speech. It would have been impressive if not for the fact a small man dressed as a ninja was playing a recording into the schools sound system. "Now what brings the Fair Keeper of the Shrine to my Noble Personage, and who is this peasant that accompanies you?"
Misago had been looking for a way to get Kuno off her back for weeks, because refusals and knocking him out did not work Misago asked Nanami for help. The retired Devil Hunter said that the best way to deal with people as delusional as Kuno was to use their delusions to their advantage. Kuno's insult of Ranma just gave Misago the opportunity she needed to get Kuno to leaver her alone, at least for a while. Whispering to Ranma Misago said, "Just play along and I can get us out of this and we can go to work." Ranma nodded although what he really wanted to do was flatten this idiot. All of Ranma's See Aura and Empathy were telling him this guy was weak, compared to him and almost completely crazy. "Kuno hare dare you insult the Saotome Clan and their Shrine?" Misago accused.
Taken back by the accusation Kuno blinked several times. "The Blue Thunder would never insult the great and noble Clan Saotome."
"But you just did," Ranma said. He agreed play along and had an idea where Misago was going with this. By using the founding principle of Aikido, use the enemy's force against him to defeat him, Ranma figured out what Misago was planning. Misago was using Kuno's force, his delusions, to defeat him.
"I have done no such thing!" Kuno yelled. "Who are you to judge me?"
'Got him,' Misago thought. "Why he is Saotome Ranma," Kuno visibly flinched at the name, "And he happens to be Mistress Saotome's Great Grandson and the only Heir to the Saotome Line." Kuno was now very pale, to insult a Clan of higher standing was among the worse things a Samurai could do and he just did. "You will have to make amends to the Saotome Clan but how will be up to Mistress Saotome. For now I suggest you leave us be unless you insult Ranma again."
"The Blue Thunder give you my sincerest apologies Saotome," Kuno bowed low. Ranma taking a queue from an old Martial Arts film he once saw simply turned his head away from the bow indicating he did not accept and completely dismissed Kuno. Kuno for his part seethed at the insult, but even in his twisted view of a Samurai he had no cause to act on the insult. Kuno had erred and made the first insult and Ranma was well within his rights to refuse the apology, at least until his Great Grandmother spoke otherwise. "I shall take my leave." Kuno backed away after that.
After Kuno was gone Ranma broke out in a fit of laughter, "The idiot actually bought it!"
"I knew he would," Misago said laughing as well. "This won't stop him in the long run, nothing does. But it will get him to leave us alone. We'll tell Mistress what happened and she'll send him on some near impossible quest to make up for slight. It'll keep him busy for weeks at least."
"Now that he's taken care of, let's get to work," Ranma said activating his Sense Magic Psionic Power.
"Yeah," Misago agreed. Ranma scanned the area for a few minutes until he stopped looking in the direction of a small shack near the south side of the School. "Find something?"
"Yeah, it seems to be coming from shack over there," Ranma pointed at the shack. "Its faint though."
"Well lets check it out," Misago said taking the lead. Ranma quickly followed ready to activate one of his offensive Psionic Powers. Ranma sensed someone was definitely in the shack using Magic, though at an extremely low level. "There's someone in there but he's barely using any amount of Lay Line Energy its like he really doesn't know how to channel it at all."
"That's good," Misago replied. "All spells require a minimum of energy to even begin. If he's using such a small amount then the spell will probably just fizzle out." She then took a contemplative look, "Still we should probably discourage him from trying again."
"How do we do that?" Ranma asked.
"You up for a little scare tactics?" Misago replied.
"No," Ranma answered honestly. "I can sense the guy in there is really weak, I would feel to much like a bully doing that."
"I guess you have a point," Misago sighed. "Still we do need to stop him."
Inside the shack a pale, weak, almost sickly looking boy was crouched over a small cooking pot with boiling water in it. In the boy's hands were several weeds that he thought were magical herbs. "With this Akane will finally be see me," the boy muttered. "Then I can go out with her." His thoughts drifted to a supposed date in the near future. It was too bad for him that his daydreaming caused him to drop the weeds into the fire that was boiling the water.
Because these weeds had been dried for a week they were highly flammable. The result was they caught fire and some of the embers drifted to some oil stained rags catching them or fire. "AH FIRE!" the boy yelled as one of the walls caught fire as well.
On the outside Ranma heard the voice at the same time he felt the boy panic. With an application of his Telekinesis, Ranma ripped the door of the shack of its hinges and then pulled the boy to safely, also with Telekinesis. "What the hell did you do?" Ranma demanded of the boy still being suspended in may by Ranma's Psionic Power.
"We…well I…I was t…trying," the boy stuttered in fright, both from the fire and the fact he was floating in mid air.
"Forget him we have to put the fire out!" Misago exclaimed. Ranma nodded dropping the pale boy to the ground and followed after Misago as she ran off to find some water. Ten minutes latter the fire was finally out, though the shack was nothing more than pile of smoldering debris.
"Alright the fire's out," Ranma said. "Now where did that wanna be magic user go?"
Misago looked around finding no one but themselves in the School Yard, "I think he might have ran off when we were distracted by the fire."
"Do we go after him?" Ranma asked.
"No," Misago answered with a sigh. "I don't think the guy knew what he was doing. With the minute amount of magic you sensed and the smell of burnt weeds from the fire I would say the guy doesn't have a clue on how to use magic. Without the right ingredients and reserves there's nothing he can really do. Well except burn down a shack that is. Come on lets just go home."
"Sure," Ranma nodded feeling this trip had been nothing but a waste of time.
In a small hotel room the Cyber-Knight and the Cyber-Ronin were talking about their current situation. "From what I can tell this Earth has a greater computer network then Home does," the Cyber-Ronin said. "It's no where near as advanced as the ones were used to but it does have a lot of information. I learned from the 'World Wide Web' as they call it the closest thing they have to Cybernetics is clumsy prosthetic limbs. So if we get damaged we'll have to fix ourselves." The Cyber-Knight nodded, both were proficient enough with technology to made minor repairs to their artificial body parts but they would need help if those parts were severely damaged. "The question now is what do now, Susan?"
"I think the first thing we should do is find a more permanent and private residence, Aki" Susan answered. "You've already converted out Credits to the local currency so money won't be a problem for a while but we can't stay here."
"I agree," Aki replied. "I don't want some Cleaning Lady to come in here and look through our gear when we're out. I'll start to search for a place to stay." The Cyber-Ronin flipped a panel on her left arm and a small screen appeared. The screen started to flash with several images of buildings searching for what Aki was looking for. "We don't want an apartment for the same reason we can't stay here, the chances of someone coming in are too high. Looks like there are three places that would work best for us. All three are small houses that for one reason or another went up for sale recently."
"Can you cover the of any of the houses from here?" The Cyber-Knight asked. "The smaller the exposure to the populace the better."
"Afraid not," Aki answered. "All of them require a signature."
"No choice then," Susan conceded. "Set up a meeting for tomorrow and we'll get this done as soon as possible. Also make sure we have proper I.D. Lying goes against both our Codes but this time we'll have to make an exception."
"Yeah I'll have to change our ages on our Identifications so we can purchase the property." Aki said. "Now the question is, which one do we go for?"
"I'd say we go for one that's near a store that's willing to deliver food and the like," Susan answered. "Again less exposure."
"I hate this sneaking around, makes me feel like a Ninja," Aki complained as she looked through the data on the screen.
"I know," Susan said. "A Knight should not hide from the people, but it can't be helped. These people have no idea what we are and that will definitely cause a lot of problems."
"Yeah I know," Aki sighed. "Ok I found a store that will deliver groceries and take orders over the phone near one of the houses."
"Where is it?" Susan asked.
"In the Meguro Ward on the other side of the city," Aki informed her friend. "I've already set up an appointment with the realtor for three days from now. It'll take that long to get our ID's ready."
"That's fine," Susan asked. "Next question, once we have a more private residence, what then?
"I think we should concentrate on trying to find a way back to our Earth," Aki responded. "Magic doesn't seem to be all that prevalent on this world so finding someone that can open a Rift is highly unlikely."
"Technology is also highly improbable as well," Susan added. "You said it yourself the tech of this world is not as advanced as ours. The likelihood that they have the ability open a Rift through technology is probably nil."
"In other words we're going to be stuck here for quite a while," Aki summarized with some dejection. "So what do we do in the meantime? We can't hide forever."
"We'll do what we've always done," Susan answered. "Just not as public as we did before."
Author's Note: There may have been some confusion in terms of Jake. Jake came to Ranma's world seven hundred years ago through a Rift. A Rift is a tare in time space and dimension so passing through one can literally send a person to any point and just about any time in the Megaverse. I hope this clears up any confusion about Jake's origins.
