Circle Sky
By: Gie ()

A Ranma 1/2 and Gargoyles Crossover

Saotome Ranma, Tendo Akane and their familiars are not mine. They
are Takahashi Rumiko-sama's. They've just come over to my place
for a bit...for a sleepover, yeah, that's the ticket.

Goliath and his familiars are the Big Mouse's (not Mousse)
grotesques. Although, they have decided to perch on my roof for
awhile.

Aiden Ferguson is Christine Morgan's little gargess, and has asked for
permission to attend the sleepover. She said yes, but to make sure she
actually got some sleep.

Any unfamiliar characters, such as Shiun, are mine. Sit down and get
to know them, you just might find a new friend.

Timeline: Well, I guess you could say it is after the manga is over with
(i.e.. Saffron and the wedding) in Ranma, but time has passed and they
just graduated from school. It's several years after Hunter's Moon in
the Gargoyles line. (Although there were no Chronicles) I will end
up diverging from the timeline some, but since this is my story, I have
the right to, ne? Alright, on with the show.

Circle Sky

Chapter One: The Unexpected is Always Expected

The day started out like any other in the Nerima ward: the sun
was shining, the birds were singing, and peace radiated from every
fluffy cloud in the sky. This scene greeted Saotome Ranma as he stood
in the backyard, performing a simple kata to limber up his muscles. A
koi flipped through the air and Ranma stopped mid-form to address the
other person occupying the yard with him.

"Hey, Akane? Um, do you want to go for a walk and get some
ice cream?" He spoke softly. "I'll even buy."

Tendo Akane looked up from the book she was reading on one
of the boulders that lined the rim of the koi pond. She glanced at
Ranma, raised an eyebrow and inquired with a small smile on her face,
"What's the occasion? Are they giving away free ice cream to people
who bring in uncute tomboys?"

Ranma blushed, closed his eyes and shook his head. "Nope.
I'm just glad that school is finally over with. It's a beautiful day out
here and Pops an' Mr. Tendo have been layin' off our backs about
getting married. That's reason enough to celebrate."

Akane closed her book and nodded in agreement. "I am really
glad about that last part. After that last wedding attempt, it's nice to
have a break from their nagging." She frowned a bit. "Although, they
have been too quiet lately. Maybe they are up to something?"

Ranma shrugged. "I hope not. I like the peace and quiet." He
blushed a bit and rubbed his toe into the grass. "So you want to go?"

Akane jumped off the rock and moved to go inside the house.
"Sure, Ranma. That's sounds like a great idea. I'll be right back."
She smiled at him and went into the house.

Ranma watched her go, a silly little smile dancing across his
face. He shook his head and started back into his kata. 'Man, she sure
is cute. I really like this Akane much better than the angry one. I'm
sure glad we've been getting along better lately. She even listens to
me more than she used to. Although, she could always listen more, but
hey, I'm not taking the good luck for granted.' He sighed inwardly.
'Even so, I sort of wish that the wedding attempt were successful. I
wouldn't mind bein' married to this Akane.' He shook his head again
and went around to the front of the house to wait for Akane.

As she went to her room to put her book away and grab a
sweater, Akane thought back through the past year. 'I really like this
Ranma. We're getting along so well now. I really hope it stays this
way. Ever since that botched wedding attempt, the name-calling and
quarrels have gone down to a bare minimum. I wonder if Ranma
noticed, too.' She sighed. 'Oh well, I don't want to ruin our string of
good luck. Even the other fiancées have been staying away. That
really calls for a celebration.' By this time, Akane had reached the
front gate, where Ranma was waiting patiently. She smiled at him and
indicated she was ready to go.

Ranma smiled back at her. They started off down the sidewalk
toward the ice cream parlor, side by side, content in each other's
presence. As they walked along, Ranma kept sneaking glances at his
walking companion out of the corner of his eye. "Man, she sure is cute
today. That sweater looks really good on her. I wonder if...' Ranma
hesitated in his thought, reached his hand out a bit and gently took hold
of Akane's empty hand. He closed his eyes, expecting a malleting for
his forwardness.

Akane was daydreaming about the future as she walked along.
Ranma's gesture startled her out of her thoughts. She looked up at
Ranma, with his eyes closed. She smiled softly at him, gave a
reassuring squeeze, and intertwined her fingers with his. He shot open
his eyes and looked down at the smiling Akane. He released the breath
he wasn't aware he was holding and gave her a shy smile back. He
squeezed her hand back and sighed contentedly. Akane moved a little
closer to him and sighed back. Both had the same thought run through
their heads. 'I can feel this is going to be a good day today.' They
arrived at the parlor and ordered their ice cream. They sat down, ate
their snack, and made small talk, happy to be in each other's company.

An hour later, they left the shop, stomach's full and laughing
over some joke Ranma had made. As they headed for home, Ranma
took up Akane's hand again as if it was perfectly natural. She leaned
a bit on Ranma's shoulder and after a bit, asked him, "Ranma, are
you happy?"

He looked at her with a goofy grin on his face. "Yeah, I guess I
am. Why do you ask? Are you happy?"

"I guess I was just wondering. Yes, I am happy." Akane
sighed, contentedly. After a little ways walking, Akane started again,
hesitating. "Um...Ranma? I know we have been getting along a lot
better lately," Ranma nodded in reply, "and I was just wondering
something. I'd like you to answer it as truthfully as possible, if you
can." Ranma's grin slowly left his face, to be replaced with a
concerned look. "Well, you see, I have been thinking about this lately,
and I was just wondering." Akane hesitated. She didn't want to ruin
the good mood that existed between the two of them. She swallowed
and blurted out the question on her mind. "Which...which fiancée do
you like the most?"

Ranma looked startled at the question. He closed his eyes and
thought how he was going to answer Akane's inquiry. He knew this
subject was going to come up sometime, and he decided to answer it
truthfully; Akane deserved that. He just didn't expect it so soon.
"Well, to tell you the truth, Akane, I have been thinking about this for
awhile. I've been trying to put everyone that thinks they have a 'claim'
on me in some order." He took a breath and continued.

"Kodachi is a loon. She has no claim over me, whatsoever.
She only likes me because I said or did somethin' nice to her, once."
Akane nodded in agreement.

"Shampoo thinks she has a claim over me, through her Amazon
laws. I could give a rat's ass about her laws; I'm not an Amazon, and
we're not in China. She's a nice person, and I'd really like to see her
be my friend, but I'm not marrying her." Akane nodded again. She
knew he felt this way towards the purple-haired Amazon.

"Ukyou does have a real claim over me. Even though I didn't
know she was a girl at the time, and I was unaware of the engagement,
she was engaged to me properly." Akane started to get a frown on her
face. She knew it would come down to it being between Ukyou and
her. "She's my oldest friend. I can tell her anything. She listens to
what I say and she's a damn fine cook."

He stopped and turned to Akane; she was looking down at her
feet, dejected at what he was saying. He put a hand under her chin and
lifted her face so he could look into her eyes. He noticed that tears
were starting to build up in the corners. One leaked out and Ranma
brushed it away with his thumb. "But that's all she is to me, Akane.
She's my friend. She may have a claim on paper, but that's not where
it counts. You are the one that is the most important to me. I…I like
you, Akane. Only you." He smiled at her in reassurance. "Does that
answer your question?"

Akane sniffled a bit and smiled back at him. "Yes, Ranma, it
does. Thank you. I like you, too." She reached up and tentatively
gave him a hug. He brought his arms around her to return it. She
whispered in his ear. "I like you a lot." They released each other and
stepped back. She offered her hand to him. "I suppose we had better
get back. Everyone is probably wondering where we are."

Ranma accepted the offered hand with a smile. "Yeah, I guess
so. Let's go." And so they walked back to the house, hand in hand,
happy they got something settled in their relationship.

As they walked back, they were unaware of the third person
that listened to their conversation. Ukyou watched them walk away,
rivers of tears spilling down her cheeks. She had seen them come out
of the ice cream parlor and had followed behind them a good pace.
She had heard their entire conversation, and Ranma's description of
their relationship got up her hopes up; but they were smothered when
he professed his choice. 'Ranchan didn't really say he chose Akane,
did he? He just said that he liked her, and I was his...friend. That
means…that means I still maybe have a chance!' She ran after the
pair, drying her eyes, grasping and clinging onto the last invisible
strands of hope her heart and mind had fabricated, trying to come up
with a plan to snag Ranma from Akane once and for all.

*****

Ranma and Akane reached the front gate and looked at each
other. "We really don't want our families to know we have talked,
Ranma. Let's keep it cool for awhile, okay? Otherwise, we'll be
married off faster than we can blink an eye." Ranma nodded in
agreement. He gave her hand one final squeeze and dropped it. He
opened the gate for her and they went inside to the awaiting families.

Everyone was gathered around in the living room; Kasumi was
doing some darning, humming a happy tune; Nabiki was crunching
numbers and pouring over her books; Soun and Genma were arguing
over the shoji board, and Nodoka was reading a book. Kasumi looked
up when she heard Ranma and Akane announce their arrival home.
She got up and went over to the pair. She handed Ranma a letter.
"Ranma, you got a letter in the mail, today. The return address is from
Jusenkyo, China."

Confusion flashed across Ranma's features. "Jusenkyo? Who
would be writing me from there? What would they want?"

Nodoka looked up from her book with a smile on her face.
"You won't know unless you read it, son."

Ranma looked to Akane and she shrugged. He tore open the
letter and started to read it. "It's from Plum, the Jusenkyo Guide's
daughter." His eyes got bigger and bigger as he read down the page.
Ranma threw the letter up in the air and shouted, "Yes! All right!
Woo hoo!"

As Ranma literally rebounded of the walls and ceiling in
excitement, Akane grabbed the letter out of the air. "What does it
say?" She started to read it out loud to everyone else in the room.
"'Dear Ranma: I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. Some time
ago I received a letter from Saotome Nodoka requesting us to let you
know when the Springs of Drowned Boy and Girl return to us.'"
Akane glanced up at Nodoka with a questioning look. She nodded
back at Akane and motioned for her to continue reading. "'This letter
is to inform you that my father, the Guide, and I have discovered that
the Springs of Nannichuan and Nyannichuan has been relocated and
refilled. Please feel free to come back to our area and pick up the cure
for yourself and the others in your area. I do not know how long they
will remain, so you might want to hurry. Hope to see you soon.
Sincerely, Plum.'" She beamed at Ranma, happy for him. "Ranma,
that's great news! Now you finally be cured."

Ranma stopped dancing and looked at Akane, a huge grin on
his face. "Yep! That's great news, all right. I can finally get rid of the
red-haired menace! Woo hoo!"

Nabiki spoke up. "Yes, congratulations, Ranma. Now, all you
have to do is get to China. How are you going to do that?"

Ranma looked at Nabiki and frowned. "Oh yeah, I forgot about
that part. I don't have enough money for a train ticket, let alone a
plane ticket. Where am I going to get the cash?"

Nodoka spoke up. "Well, Ranma, I think I can help you out on
this one. I have some money stashed away for a rainy day, plus, your
father and I have not given you a graduation present yet. How does two
tickets to China sound?"

Ranma ran over to his mother, hope shining in his eyes, and
gave her a hug. "Do you mean it, Mom? Really? Thanks a lot! I
can't wait to go!"

"That's very generous of you, Auntie Saotome," Kasumi
smiled. "You said two tickets. Who's the other ticket for?"

She shrugged. "Whomever Ranma wants to take with him."

Genma appeared next to Ranma and placed his arm around his
shoulders. "There's no question that you'll be taking me, right, son?
You won't forget about your father in his time of need, will you?"

Soun added his two cents, "He should take Akane, his fiancée,
along. They should be together to witness this momentous event."
Akane blushed silently. Nabiki raised an eyebrow in question toward
her younger sister.

Genma opened his mouth to protest, but not before the front
door burst open and Ukyou barged in. Ukyou smiled, clinging to
Ranma's arm. "Ranchan! I just heard the great news! Surely, you
want to take your cute fiancée along, right?"

Ryouga barged in from the backyard and grabbed Ranma's
shirtfront, knocking Ukyou off Ranma's arm. "Ranma! How dare you
think of looking for a cure without thinking of me first!" Ryouga
yelled out. Ranma looked around at all of the expectant faces. He
knew who he *wanted* to bring along, but it was a warring factor on
who thought they *should* go along.

"My son will be taking me."

"He'll be taking his fiancée."

"Uh huh, and he'll choose an uncute one over a cute one?
Yeah, right. He'll choose me."

"Ranma...you better choose me or else!"

The arguments continued until Akane spoke up with a
concerned gaze directed at Ryouga. "Ryouga, why are you interested
in the Nannichuan?"

Ryouga looked up at Akane's confused face, blushed and
stuttered, "Um, hi there, Akane...Um well, you see, how are you doing
today? I um...want to be sure Ranma doesn't screw this up for the
other cursed people out there, for Mousse and Mr. Saotome, yeah,
that's the ticket!"

Kasumi smiled at Ryouga and said to him, "That's so
thoughtful of you, Ryouga. What a considerate friend!"

Ryouga blushed and scratched his head. "Um, yeah, that's it,
yeah friend."

Ukyou snorted off on the side and turned to Ranma. "Who are
you going to take Ranchan? Have you decided?"

Before Ranma could answer, Nodoka solved everyone's
questions. She stepped in front of Genma and pointed her sheathed
katana to his chest. "I think Ranma will make the correct decision by
taking Akane. Don't you think that's right, husband?"

Genma bigsweated and stepped back from the katana. Even
sheathed, it still scared the hell out of him. "You're right, Nodoka. Of
course, he'll take Akane. I don't know why I didn't see that choice
right away. He can bring back water enough for the rest of us." He
looked at Ranma. "Right, boy? Enough for *everyone*." He nodded
his head in Ryouga's direction.

Ranma sighed and nodded. "Right, Pops. Of course I'll bring
back enough for everybody. Even some Nyannichuan for Shampoo."
He turned to Akane. "I guess you need to go pack 'cause you're
coming with me. I wouldn't want to upset Mom and her katana."
Akane smiled, nodded and left for other parts of the home.

Ryouga thought to himself, 'I've got to get that Nannichuan
water. I can't handle being a little piglet when I get wet anymore. But,
I really don't want Akane to figure out the connection between P-chan
and me. She'll murder me where I stand for deceiving her like that for
so long. If I go along, maybe I'll be able to sneak into the water
without Akane seeing me.' Ryouga looked up at the ceiling, tears
flowing down his cheeks. 'I just have to get that water! I don't want
to worry anymore about being boiled for someone's dinner.' Ryouga
cleared his throat and wiped his face. "I better come along, too,
Ranma. You'll probably screw up and bring back the wrong water."

Akane turned around and smiled at Ryouga; Ranma grimaced
behind her back. "We would love to have you along, Ryouga." She
shook a finger in his direction. "As long as you promise not to fight
with Ranma." He glared at Ranma and nodded to Akane, sighing in
relief. She looked back at Ranma. He stopped making faces at
Ryouga and reluctantly nodded as well.

Ukyou looked around in a panic. 'How am I going to separate
those two, now? Maybe I can use Ryouga again and try to drive them
apart. I'm getting a really bad feeling that this might be my last chance
to get Ranchan away from Akane. I gotta go along too. Now, how to
get there...' Ukyou got an idea and spoke up. "Hey, Ranchan, do you
mind if I come along? I've been thinking of taking a vacation from my
restaurant for some time, and this sounds like a perfect opportunity!
Besides, I'd like to be there when you get cured. Sort of a 'Do you
know where you were when this happened?' type thing. And I am
your friend, right? Friends should always be there for one another."

"But we only have two tickets."

"That's fine, Ranchan. I can pay my own way. I'll even help
Ryouga out if he needs it."

Ranma looked at Akane for a reply. She shrugged and looked
indifferent. He smiled at Ukyou and replied, "Sure, Ucchan, I don't
see why not. You can help us bring the water back, too." Ukyou
clapped her hands in excitement and ran out the door to go home and
pack. He looked at everyone in the room and sighed. "I guess we need
to make some reservations for a plane ride. Jusenkyo, here we come!"

*****

After a few phone calls and credit card numbers exchanged,
nine people stood in the airport lobby waiting for Flight 453, Tokyo to
Jusenkyo to be boarded. Flight 453 is ready to be boarded. All
passengers be ready at Gate 9.>

Ranma turned to the non-passengers, "All right, this is it.
We're ready to go. We'll see you guys when we get back from China."

"Oh, my baby is standing so proudly with her fiancée! Waah,
I'm so proud!"

"Here, Akane, I packed a snack for all four of you for on the
plane. I hope you all have a nice trip."

"Daddy, be quiet. Thank you, Kasumi. We appreciate it."

"Okay, boy, don't forget to bring enough water back for the rest
of us cursed folk. Don't screw this one up!"

"I think he'll do just fine, husband."

"Mr. Saotome, that's what Ukyou and I are here for. We will
make sure Ranma remembers everything."

"Bring me back a souvenir!"

After goodbye hugs and waves were handed out, the
Jusenkyo-bound crew made it into the plane and was on their way to
China.

In a black private jet, another set of passengers was taking off
for the same port-of-call as the Nerimians.

"Owen, how long will it be until we arrive in China?"

"Not for several hours, sir."

"Did you remember to pack all of the necessary equipment for
when we arrive at Jusenkyo?"

"Of course, sir. Did you want to make a phone call to Ishimura
and let the gargoyles know when and where they can reach you in case
of an emergency?"

"Why don't you do that, Owen, and I'll call home and let
Goliath, Fox and the others know of our detour. We will only be
delayed for an extra day. I think Brooklyn and the others in Ishimura
can handle another day visiting the clan there, don't you think so,
Owen?"

"I do not think that is a problem, Mr. Xanatos. I will call them
immediately."

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