Rudy Henkel
The Turner Of The Wheel
TurnerOfTheWheel@hotmail.com
11/23/2000
This is a Ranma 1/2 and Ah! My Goddess crossover, possibly including other series at a later date. If you are not familiar with Ranma 1/2, then don't read this, there is not point. If you are not familiar with Ah! My Goddess then you will only miss out on a inside joke or two. I will explain the ideas from Ah! My Goddess as I go along, so it is not strictly necessary to be familiar with it.
Note that I use no Japanese language other than Kami-sama (roughly used to refer to an ultimate god or being) I only use that because there is no convenient and appropriate translation. This fic is written in english, I write in english. When Takahashi had Ranma 1/2 translated to english, she didn't leave in a bunch of chan's and kun's and sensei's and family prefixes etc. Neither will I. Thank You.
Disclaimer
Ranma belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and some companies, Ah! My Goddess belongs to some person and some companies. None of them belong to be, but everything else in here is mine. And if you want to give me money for a reason unrelated to this fanfiction, that would be both legal and appreciated d8^) Okay, here ya go:
" " Spoken Japanese
Spoken Chinese
# # Panda signs
' ' Thoughts
I would like to acknowledge Warren Phillips, whose corrections and suggestions elevated this fic above a third grade writing level. I would also like to recognize Daniel Kim, who pointed out a few problems. d8^) Many Thanks.
Angel 1/2 - Chapter 2: A Very Tragic Story
A few months ago...
The morning mist crawls over Jusendo, spreading its tendrils among its many hills and vales, and into the valley of Jusenkyö. The mist plays along the pools gathered there, swirling around the water and obscuring its edges. Nearby two men, one middle aged and one adolescent, prepare for their morning training session, each confident in his abilities.
"This place doesn't look so great pop" complained a young man we all know so well. He snorted cockily as he assessed the valley. "A bunch of stupid sticks poking out of the water, sheesh. Pathetic."
"Let's see if you are so confident after I finish wiping the floor with you, boy" said an elder man that most of us dislike so deeply.
"Yeah right pop."
And so the two of them headed into the valley, unaware that this would change their lives forever.
A fat, middle aged Chinese man waddled up to them as them came upon the pools, his communist uniform rustling in the slight morning breeze. He said something in a dialect that the two travelers could not understand, smiling and waving at the pools.
"Huh"
"What?"
The fat man paused, and evaluated the father and son for a moment. "Oh, you sirs is Japanese, no?" He waited for their nods. "This cursed training ground Jusenkyo, very tragic stories here."
"Cursed huh, ridiculous" snorted the older man. "Come on boy," he shouted leaping to the top of a pole, "I won't go easy on you."
"That's how I want it, old man," replied the boy, jumping in kind.
"NO, sirs! Do not be doing those things. Very tragic curses in each pool."
By then though, the two were much too occupied to be paying any attention...
----------------------
Meanwhile, in a rather secluded forest somewhere in China...
"RANMA! You coward! How dare you run out on our man to man fight!" an angry young man shouted in his rage. He stopped, noticing for the first time his surroundings. A mask of confusion, frustration and anger slid into place over his face. The mask had an eerie sense of belonging and frequent use by this being.
"Where the hell am I now!" He looked around again, turning full circle a few times, and sighed. "Might as well keep on going straight." With that he turned, and walked back the way he had come.
"RANMA! This is all your fault!"
----------------------
...the panda leapt at him, leaving Ranma paralyzed in shock, defenseless to the strike which landed next. If one was watching closely, there seemed to be a shifting in the air, some indistinguishable change at that moment. It seemed the panda would lash out with one paw, but for some reason, switched to the other, sending the boy to his fate.
----------------------
Ryoga looked up from his map. He was on a cliff. He was supposed to be in the forest, and now he was on a cliff. Some of us lesser beings may wonder how a Hibiki was somehow able to shift from one local to another, without having to pass through the intervening space. This is one of those things best not pondered by the minds of mortals, and the author suggests you think on it no further.
The fact remained that he was on a cliff. A cliff overlooking a valley. Ryoga did not find this strange, he was used to winding up in places, with no idea of how he got there. He did, however, find it rather irritating.
"Damn you Ranma!"
Growling, he replaced his map in his pack, shouldered it, and set off down the cliffside, studying the strange valley below.
----------------------
"Oh no! Young sir fall in pool of drowned... drowned... hot-mama!"
A creature of beauty and power intertwined arose from the waters, flapping her luminous, blue-green wings and spraying water in all directions. She peered cautiously at the gawking panda, and man in turn. The panda was holding up a small sign #wow#, while the guide wordlessly mouthed the same.
"Where am I?" she commanded of the guide. Asuralle was confused, a feeling decidedly unpleasant to her. The last the thing she remembered was her battle with Ishtanbrae, a battle whose outcome lay foggy in her mind. Seeing the guide still unresponsive, she tried to to discern the answer from her surroundings.
'Hey! What's going on! Who's messing with my body?'
Extremely shocked, Asuralle nearly dropped from the sky at this sound from within her mind. Suddenly, she felt some one grappling with her for control. Who it was, she did not know, but they had a lot of willpower. The battle raged for a few seconds, but she was able to remain on top.
FLASH!
CRASH!
The lightning struck fast and hard, engraving a message into the ground. Knowing what it meant, she floated over to read the message.
'IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, ASURALLE. YOU HAVE TAKEN FORM WITHIN THE BODY OF ANOTHER. UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE YOU WILL ALLOW HIM TO HAVE CONTROL OVER THE BODY, UNLESS IT IS BY HIS REQUEST OR IS NECESSARY. -KAMI-SAMA'
Asuralle blanched, she did not know what was going on, but she had received orders from Kami-sama, and one did not question those. Quickly, she allowed the being struggling within her to rise to the top.
A scream soon followed her action, and Ranma plummeted to the ground, having no idea as to the operation of wings. Luckily, Asuralle had been forced to descend to read the message, and the fall was short. The scream was not.
"Oh, sirs, not scream, curse can be removed for time with hot water." This shut Ranma up and drew his father's attention. "Come with me, I get hot water for sirs."
----------------------
Cursing, Ryoga stumbled down the trail, tripping over rocks as he went. Rushing around a curve, he found him self unable to keep him balance, and thusly plummeting off the cliff to the valley below. Ryoga wasn't sure how Ranma had caused this, who knew how the worthless man caused anything, but he was deathly sure that this was all Ranma's fault.
Directly below him, Ranma stood. He would have been chasing his stupid old man, but he was too busy trying to get the thoughts in his head straight
'So... you're an angel?'
'Yes, though how I wound up like this I fail to see. The guide spoke of taking the form of drowned victims, so this shouldn't of happened unless...'
Now she could see. It all fell into place. She remembered the fight had taken place over some pools and... and she must of been cut down and drowned in one of them. But that meant... that meant that that Ishtanbrae was still out there. That meant that she had failed. She hung the mental image of her head in shame.
'Hey, what's that?' thought the boy looking up at what seemed to be a flailing young man converging on his position.
Judging this to be a necessary time, Asuralle quickly seized control of the body. She shushed Ranma's protests, and he calmed for a moment. Launching her self in the air, beautiful wings slowly flapping in the breeze. So slowly in fact, that it was clear that no laws of aerodynamics were keeping her afloat. Shooting up, she met the young man half way, saving him from what seemed to be an untimely death. (Had she known the interesting genetic qualities of the Hibikis, perhaps she would have realized it would only be a bruising experience for him.) She floated down and placed the young man gently on the ground.
"Are you okay young man?" she asked with a slight trace of concern.
"Uh... Uh... That is... uh" responded Ryoga intelligently, idly wondering why he hadn't gotten a nose bleed yet. He forcibly snapped himself out of it and bowed before the angel standing before him. "Thank you, I am in your debt... my lady." He was unsure why he had said 'my lady,' it just seemed right when applied to her.
Her smile filled his world, "That is good to know, young sir. Why don't you head down to that hut there, the guide will let you rest yourself for a while."
'Who is this guy, why does he seem so familiar,' pondered Ranma's disjoint consciousness.
"Uh... Uh... Okay." said Ryoga, and he promptly ran off.
'Okay... Ranma isn't it? I will allow you to resume control now.'
A moment later Ranma stretched and smiled. 'Okay, we need to figure out what's goin' on... What should I call you?'
'I am Asuralle, Angel, Second Class. Sixth Circle Battle, Fourth Circle Healing, Third Circle Divination/Illusion'
'Uh, can I just call you Asuralle?'
'Very well, for convenience sake.'
'Cool title though, what's with that circle stuff?'
'How to explain... I suppose I had better, I might be here for a while. (sigh) When an angel is first... created, I suppose is the term, they are considered third class, and are given a calling by father. It can be Battle, Healing, Natural Magics, Divination, Animal Conjuring, among many other things. They begin their calling in the first circle of skill, training and performing their duties in order to progress to higher levels of skill. My calling was combat, chosen so that I could protect my father and all my brothers and sisters.'
'Father?'
'Kami-sama'
'oh' said Ranma, feeling very meek all of a sudden, a feeling he was not used to.
'Once an angel has risen to a certain level, and performed a duty to prove their worth, they become of the second class, and may choose two secondary callings with which to accomplish deeds for the glory of father. Finally, when a second class angel has been judged worthy, they are given a truly challenging quest to prove their worth. Mine... mine was to subdue a very evil, evil demon who was causing havoc on the earth. And I failed.'
'Subdue? Why couldn't you just kill him?'
'No, no, you see there is this system that father set up where... that is, well I will explain later, we best get back to the cabin and see how that Ryoga boy is doing.'
----------------------
Meanwhile, back in the present...
Nabiki stretched and greeted the world with a happy smile. Hmmm... strange, said the world. Strange indeed, for every morning for quite a while the world had grow used to seeing either a grimace, or a frown, or a feral smile at best. No, no, this was most definitely a happy smile. Not that the world minded the change, it would just have to get used to it. It shouldn't take very long: the world was quite used to the smiles of her elder sister.
Nabiki, being the observant person that she is, also noticed the change in her demeanor. Nabiki, being the deducting person that she is, reasoned that something very good must have happened to her. Nabiki, being the present-minded person that she is, remembered Ranma.
Nabiki, being the female person that she is, blushed.
'Ranma's here, Ranma's here!' she mentally shouted, jumping from her bed, springing to her closet, leaping out of and into her outfit.
'Ranma's here, Ranma's here!' her mind rejoiced, throwing open her door, hurtling the stairs, hunting for her prince.
"Morning Nabiki, nice to see you, but... shouldn't you get changed out of your pajamas?
He had spoken to her, blessed her with those wonderful words, he had... wait a sec. Changed? Looking down. Pausing. Looking. Blushing. Freaking. Running. Slamming.
With a shrug, Ranma sat back down where he had gotten up to greet Nabiki.
'Girls are strange.' 'Mortals are strange.'
'Hey!' 'Excuse me!'
Before the mental skirmish could escalate any farther, Akane arrived in her gi for her match with Ranma. A smile lit up her face.
"Ready!" she said with exuberance. She was positively glowing (In the golden, happy way, not the slightly bluish, very angry way.) Finally she had a sparring partner who would help her improve. Even though he was a *little* bit better, he would take her seriously. She was in heaven.
He smiled at her, it was as if the sun had dawned, lighting the world. "Okay Akane, lets go," were the words from her angel, as she followed him out to the dojo.
----------------------
Kasumi absentmindedly finished breakfast preparations. It was a very good thing that she was able to cook without really paying attention, for her mind was on much more important things.
'Oh, I do hope Ranma enjoys his breakfast. He needs someone who can take care of him and knows how to manage a household. Akane and Nabiki need a few more years to practice, and I'm sure they will realize it soon.'
She sighed happily, imagining Ranma thanking her for the delicious meal, imagining Ranma moving in to kiss her in thanks, imagining Ranma...
"Oh my"
She shook such thoughts from her head, and turned back to the meal, trying in vain to focus her attention on the preparation in front of her.
----------------------
She kicked, he dodged. She punched, he blocked. She had long since stopped trying to hold back, she knew she couldn't hurt him and was glad for it. She was a bit disappointed that he wasn't fighting back. She had hoped he would be able to help her train, but if he couldn't even attack her...
"Ranma, how come you're not attacking me?"
"Oh well... I... just didn't want to hurt you."
'Why aren't you attacking, Ranma?'
'Well, she's just a girl, I don't want to hurt her As.'
'I'm *just* a girl Ranma! Don't give me that! Besides, can't you see she wants to be seen as a fighter, not a little doll. I may not be a mortal, but I can see that much.'
'Well, I guess. But only if she asks.'
"That's... nice of you Ranma," she said repressing a surge of anger at his inability to see her as a fighter. 'He just doesn't want to hurt me,' she calmly told herself. "... but I, that is, I can't get better if you don't attack."
"I guess you're right," he sighed, moving into a more offensive position. He began to attack, and when he did hit her, it was pulled, with enough force to be slightly painful. Akane smiled, she could accept that. She didn't want to be unable to fight again tommorrow anyway. Besides, it was sweet how reluctant he was to see her in pain.
A few moments later and it was over. She was on the floor, and he was reaching to help her up. "Akane?" She shook herself out of her daze of happiness to reach out to his hand, grasping it. How warm it was, smooth yet firm. Akane felt her temperature rise, thinking about how that wasn't the only part of him that was smooth and firm. In fact...
"Ranma! Akane! Breakfast is almost ready. Time to wash up." called Kasumi from the doorway, looking on with a slightly concerned expression.
----------------------
The substitute Tendo matriarch hummed to herself as she began putting the final touches on breakfast. 'Oh, I just know our guest will love breakfast!' she thought happily. 'And his father,' she hastily added. Gliding across the floor, she went out to call in her Ranma. Her sister and Ranma, that is. Hearing sounds of combat from the dojo, she grabbed two towels and went to the doorway. With a sudden cry, she saw Akane land lightly on her posterior. A brief surge of motherly worry was quickly suppressed, replaced by a worry of quite a different nature as Ranma reached out to help her up, a smile on both their faces.
"Ranma! Akane! Breakfast is almost ready. Time to wash up." she quickly interjected, telling herself she just wanted to have them to hurry to breakfast, and that there was really no ulterior motive in her interruption.
"Oh... right." came the reply from her sister, sounding a bit dissapointed.
"Thanks Kasumi! I'm starved," he said. In an instant Kasumi's uncertain feelings vanished, and her day brightened as he thanked her.
"No trouble at all, Ranma." She handed Akane her towel, gently prodding her toward the dojo entrance with it. "Why don't you go get changed Akane, I'll just help my guest, our guest, here by cleaning him up, I mean... by helping him clean up." Briefly she saw Akane tinge a light blue, but it was quickly suppressed.
"That's okay Kasumi, I can do it myself," Ranma offered. "You guys head in, I'll be in in just a sec."
Kasumi's smile dropped a bit while her sister's grew a bit and Ranma failed to notice both. The two of them headed in, Akane's not so gentle nudging overcoming Kasumi's reluctance to leave.
'Ranma, there's something strange going on between the two of them, and I'm not sure what it is.' Asuralle mentioned as Ranma straightened up the dojo.
'Huh? What do you mean As?'
'Well, there was an unusual amount of unspoken hostility between the two of them, I can sense it. It's so supressed though, I doubt either of them even knows it.'
'Any idea what's causing it?'
'I am afraid not Ranma, we will simply have to keep an eye on it.'
'Okay,' finished the young martial artist, as he straightened the last of the fallen equipment. 'Let's go clean up.'
----------------------
Nabiki could not believe it. She was still blushing, how could she embarrass herself like that? She was always so collected. Come to think of it, why was she acting like this, was she not the ice queen? The heartless mercenary of Furinkan High? Did she not have a reputation to maintain?
'But it's Ranma. He's my future husband, my angel. Nothing else is important.'
'Look at yourself, you took off your pajamas, and put them on again. If he makes you act like that, like a helpless fool, do you really want him around.'
'Yes.'
'But why?'
'He's... He's... perfect.'
'What about your sisters?'
'Well, Akane hates boys anyway, and Kasumi has Dr. Tofu, so certainly they won't keep me from my happiness.
Her logical half (actually, Nabiki's logical 'half' comprised 87% of her brain) sighed, backed off, and decided to take a vacation. It really deserved one anyway, Nabiki overworked it.
Sighing, she gathered her clothes, and headed to the furo. She was certain she could avoid embarrassing herself again.
Chance, growing a bit tired of tormenting a pig-tailed martial artist in most of the other universes she had visited, laughed and looked down at one of her many new toys.
----------------------
Akane smiled, as she stood up from the furo, and went to dry herself. It had been wonderful, one of the best matches in her life. She had confirmed her suspicions, she had a new sparring partner. And hopefully so much more... A bit of worry rose up with regards to her other two sisters. Kasumi... well Kasumi already had Dr. Tofu. Akane could admit that now, without the slightest trace of jealousy. Nabiki, well Nabiki didn't have anyone at the moment. But Nabiki wasn't interested in martial arts, while she and Ranma obviously were. Her worries eased, she let doubt be replaced by daydreams of her angel.
Finishing her dressing, she exited the bathroom, to encounter Ranma waiting patiently in the hallway. Still wrapped up in her daydream, Akane was just about to tell him that she loved him too, when a question brought her back to reality.
"Are you done Akane?" he peered inwardly again, in that strange fashion of his. "Finished, I mean. Are you finished?"
Blushing from her thoughts of a moment ago, Akane could only nod in response. 'I can't believe I almost said that! I would have died! Next time I won't put out the occupied sign, I'll... WHAT! Oh no, I'm such a pervert!' she mentally cried, running to her room.
'Huh? Wonder what was wrong with her, I hope she's okay.'
'I am sure she is fine Ranma, now go clean up, I'm going to meditate for a while until you finish... bathing, okay?'
'Ok As, I'll wake you up when I'm done. How come you always do that when I'm bathing anyhow?'
'What do you mean? It's just... I need the quiet, okay. That is why, yes. I need the quiet.'
'Okay, I'll wake you when I'm done.'
With that he entered the bathroom, of course remembering to put the occupied sign up. Quickly disrobing, he filled the rinsing bucket and backed away from the wall. Ranma had learned a while back to make sure he had enough room to put his wings when he got wet. To do otherwise would be painful. He rinsed himself and then she put the bucket down. Scrubbing himself, she washed away the mild perspiration of nighttime and the heavier layer from her workout. Then came the difficult part. The wings.
Ranma had also learned during the last few months that dirt and such carried over between forms, even onto her wings, despite the fact that there was no place for the dirt to go in his male form. Asuralle herself had been shocked by the development, saying that her wings had never gotten even slightly dirty before. She had finally chalked it up to the fact that she was no longer strictly immortal. And so, with Asuralle's help, Ranma had learned to preen. It was necessary every week or so, and that week was long up.
Wrapping her wings about the body, Ranma quickly yet methodically removed pebbles and twigs, lightly washed away dirt, and cleansed the sweat out of the feathers. It was rather interesting to her, even now, to see the feathers up close, to feel the touch on her wing. It was a chore she really didn't mind, other than the fact that it reminded her of the curse. Then again, she had discovered she truly didn't mind the curse, because of the companion she had found in Asuralle.
Finishing with a smile, Ranma stretched, and stepped into the furo for a little relaxation. He wished, just for a moment, that he could feel how his wings relaxed in the hot water. It was such a pleasing sensation to his muscles, he felt that he was missing out on something. Head back, eyes closed, mind drifting, Ranma failed to notice the door open.
----------------------
Nabiki is a creature whose cunning is difficult to measure. She is an enigma wrapped in a mystery who was often very successful in fooling even herself. Therefore, it is pointless to discuss whether or not the middle Tendo girl did or did not notice the occupied sign on the door and, if so, whether or not her brain chose to register it.
We will, instead, look at the consequences of the fact that she, at the least, acted as if she had not.
Opening the door, Nabiki stepped lightly into the bathroom. She quickly disrobed, placing her clothing into the small bathroom hamper. She placed her change of clothing onto the counter and, grabbing a towel, stepped towards the rinsing area.
And then she saw him. In all his glory.
'Ranma... naked... wow.'
That was the approximate line of her thoughts before Nabiki Tendo, mercenary girl and former Ice Queen of Furinkan High had a nosebleed and passed out.
The THUNK aroused Ranma from his very pleasant daydreams (He was dreaming of winning a worldwide martial arts competition, so get your minds out of the gutters!) Jumping up into a ready stance in the way that only he could, he quickly spotted Nabiki, and concern washed over him.
'Woah, She must not have noticed the sign and slipped on the floor. Better take her downstairs.' Thought Ranma in the generous and unassuming way that only he could.
He quickly averted his eyes and wrapped a towel around himself. 'Hey As, As, wake up!'
'What? What is it Ranma?'
'Nabiki's hurt, she must have not seen the sign on the door, and then slipped on the floor. I need to bring her downstairs but . . she's uh . . naked.'
'Ah, ok, let me take over.'
And she did. Ranma, as Asuralle had shown him, went into a light meditative trance where he was unable to notice what happened outside the body. Quickly, Asuralle covered Nabiki in her towel, making her decent.
'Ok Ranma, here you go.'
'Huh? Oh, right, okay.'
And he stepped back in, gently lifting Nabiki into his arms and hurriedly rushing downstairs.
----------------------
A few minutes later Nabiki lay downstairs still unconscious. The Tendo patriarch was using upset wail #1,476 (my middle daughter slipped in bathroom and we don't know if she'll wake up) at the same time he and Genma were engaged in joyous dance #341 (my son/future son-in-law carried my daughter/possible daughter-in-law downstairs when she was unconscious and therefore he wants to marry her). Meanwhile, Akane and Kasumi altered between giving concerned looks at Nabiki, drooling over Ranma in a towel, and glaring at their sister (they had not been as generous as Ranma in assigning the reasons for Nabiki being in the bathroom.)
"Is she going to be okay?" Ranma asked concernedly. At this Genma and Soun broke into another joyous dance the details of which we will not digress into here.
"I'm sure she'll be fine" said the eldest. 'Not after I'm done with her, she won't. Oh my. Where did that come from?'
'The nerve! Trying to peep at my Ranma! Serves her right.' Akane fumed mentally. 'But I hope she wakes up soon,' was added guiltily a moment later.
"Huh? Who? Where am I?" Nabiki groggily sat up, holding a hand to her head. "What happened?"
"Oh, you slipped in the bathroom Nabiki. You must NOT HAVE SEEN the occupied sign, and went in by accident. You slipped on something and apparently hit your nose on something. Even though it doesn't appear damaged in the least, that's the only way it could be bleeding, ISN'T IT Nabiki?" challenged Kasumi in a very forceful, and very non-Kasumiesque manner.
"Uh, yeah, that's it. I slipped." In truth Nabiki wasn't entirely sure what had happened. Her mind, in an effort to prevent further blood loss, had erased the images of the furo scene from her memory.
"I'm glad you're all right Nabiki, I gotta go get dressed now." said the divine mortal as he ran upstairs.
(sigh)
(sigh)
(sigh)
(glare)
(glare)
(glare)
"So, NABIKI, what were you doing in the bathroom, huh?" gritted the youngest Tendo through clenched teeth.
"I..." Nabiki considered making a smart remark, she didn't think Akane would hit her after all, but seeing the look in her eye she re-evaluated the situation. "I didn't see the sign, Akane. Chill." The words came out a little less confident than was standard for her.
"Be certain it does not happen again little sister." With that Kasumi returned to serve breakfast, where the two clueless fathers already sat at the table. With a final glare of doom, Akane got up to go to the table. Nabiki, unsteadily getting up, went to the kitchen to wipe the blood off her nose.
A moment later everyone was seated at the table, eagerly anticipating the delicious meal ahead. Kasumi quickly set the food on the table, and everyone prepared to dig in. Mr. Saotome made a grab for the food, but was stopped short by Ranma's elbow in his gut. "Manners father."
Aside from a bit of grumbling by Genma, everyone served themselves in peace. The meal, of course, was delicious, and very little discussion occurred. The Tendo girls, however, had a great deal of trouble getting their food to their mouths, as their attention was occupied elsewhere.
----------------------
Here we go back to the past again...
Ryoga headed to the hut just as the angel had told him. A small and curious smile was written into his features, a smile rarely seen and even more rarely held by his face, prematurely hardened by a prematurely hard life. 'Wow, she was pretty. I wonder why I didn't get a nosebleed? No one's ever been that nice to me. I have to find her again! Ranma, this is all... wait. There's no way that was Ranma's fault, that honorless scum. He would never cause something this wonderful to happen to me.' Thoughts of his rival erased the smile, leaving no trace of the brief moment of happy contemplation as the mask slid back into place.
Looking up, Ryoga noted the hut off in the distance. He also noticed that he was standing in the middle of a field of pools, each with a stick of bamboo standing proudly from its depths. Shrugging, he headed towards the hut, but found himself somehow getting farther from it. Ryoga grew a bit more concerned at this.
'That's strange, I can usually get to a place if I keep it in my sight.'
Now is the time that an important concept must be introduced to the reader, in order to explain the following event which may otherwise be dismissed as unlikely coincidence. Many of you may know that the entire world is governed by a giant computer, specifically Yggradasil. Not that Kami-sama wasn't fully capable of doing it himself (1), for he was, he just got bored of all the busy work, and so he made this big old computer to do it for him, while he took care of the big decisions. Now it so happens that a big part of this computer was a section called the doublet system, used to maintain the necessary balance of good and evil in the universe. Most who knew of its existence though it to be no more than a single rule based on the conflict of the gods. In actuality, it employed many methods of maintaining the balance, and one of these methods was about to be put to use.
It is so then, that Ryoga, one of the most skilled martial artists of his generation, a master of his body and its actions, managed to trip over a small rock and land in the pool in front of him. What emerged was something out of nightmare. Bat-like wings extended far to the sides of its hideously perfect body. Glowing red eyes were sunken into the hollow face, and they gleamed with an evil cunning. The fangs, the same little fangs which had been called 'cute' by many in many realms and many universes, grew to be grotesque daggers of bone, promising pain and death. The body of the poor boy grew wider, bulkier, filled with a raw, powerful musculature. His traveling boots were ripped as claws forced their way through the leather. And his bandana, The beautiful Hibiki bandana, yellow with black marks randomly spattered throughout, the bandana was ripped as two black horns forced their way through.
The being, the demon, laughed. It was a merciless laugh, one that promised death. He scanned the area, in much the same way as a certain angel had a few hours past.
"Where is she? How long was I out? Where is Asuralle!" his voice matched his body with a hellish perfection. It resonated in much the same way as fingernails on a blackboard, though with much more pain and fear and with a deeper, more sinister sound.
'What's going on! What's happening! Ranma, this is all your fault!' Ishtanbrae grinned at the hatred he felt in that last statement, overcoming his confusion as to what was happening. Noticing the guide paralyzed with fear, he swept down to "talk" with the man.
"What has happened to me fool?" commanded the demon, in the immortal and ancient language that all can somehow understand.
"Ah... Ah... young sir fall into spring of drowned demon. Tragic story of angel who drown demon in pool many thousands years ago, but then drown in other pool self. Very tragic. Now whoever fall into pool take body of demon.
"What! You mean..." It all made sense. That was why he couldn't remember what had happened. He had died, but so had Asuralle. That he was back meant that some fool must have fallen into the pool. That must be the voice in his head. Remembering what else the guide had said, he furthered his questioning. "The spring of drowned angel, has anyone used it! Has anyone fallen in old man?!"
"Y.. yes sirs, just two maybe three hours past young sir fall into pool and take body of beautiful angel." The guide, having an astute sense of self-preservation, quickly sensed the next question, and answered it in turn. "They go to Nerima, Japan."
At this, Ishtanbrae sensed a flood of emotion flowing through him, the boy wanted to find Asuralle and thank her. A sneer came onto his face but was quickly removed when the boy tried to regain control and almost succeeded. He decided that since the young boy wanted to find the bitch anyway, and he didn't know of any Nerima, that he would just let the boy take him there. 'Very strong-willed for a mortal. I'm sure he'll lead me right to Nerima.' Quickly letting the boy take control, Ishtanbrae moved to direct the situation.
"What? Who?"
The guide returned from his hut where he had gone briefly. "Here young sir," he said standing on the tips of his toes to pour the water over Ryoga. "is hot water. Hot water change you back to human, cold water now makes you demon. Am so sorry. No cure for Jusenkyo."
'Boy,' thought the demon trying to be as friendly as it is possible for a minion of hell to be, 'lets go find that angel.'
'Who are you?' Ryoga was very confused, much more than usual.
'Your new best friend. I was . . er . . sent here to help you find Asu . . I mean the angel'
Now Ryoga who, contrary to popular belief, is not stupid, knew something was up. He could, after all sense the demon's thoughts to a certain extent. And the demon, in turn, sensed this suspicious feeling. 'And... and I can help you beat... er, whatshisname... Ranma. Yeah, I can help you get back at him.'
Though he wasn't stupid, Ryoga did have a limited capacity for a logical train of thought, and his train was promptly derailed at the mention of his hated enemy. 'RANMA... you're going to help me get Ranma?'
'Yeah, I saw him headed to Nerima after the angel, he's probably going to kill her.'
'Ranma? No... I don't think he'd... kill someone anyway.' responded the lost boy in an uncharacteristically generous thought.
'Ravish?'
"RANMA! YOU FIEND! I will not allow you to ravish that beautiful creature! Now! Japan is to the north, I think."
And with that Ryoga was off, heading towards the setting sun on his way to Nerima.
----------------------
"School? Okay sounds good."
"Not so fast boy, we are going to be here for a while, and you . . . what? Okay?"
"Yeah, As has been helping me a lot in ancient history, grammar and stuff... and in other subjects, but she's a little short on some of the more recent developments in history, like the whole AD part, as well as math and the sciences. So, I figure... I believe it will be a good opportunity to catch up a bit."
Whap! "Boy! You're turning into a wimpy scholar-boy! What's all this about you going to school anyhow?"
"You suggested it father, and for once you have a good idea."
Genma paused, he could either admit that he had made a mistake, allow Ranma to become a wimpy scholar-boy, or defy logic and deny he had said anything. Which one do you think he picked? "I suggested nothing of the kind boy? Now, you will stay here and practice the art."
"Forget it pop, I'll see you later." Ranma thought he heard Kasumi sigh in dissapointment at this proclamation, but that couldn't be right. He grabbed the lunch from the counter, "Thanks Kasumi!" He took the proffered pack, "Thanks Nabiki," and donned it on his shoulder.
"Sure Ranma! I'll walk you to school."
"WE'LL walk you to school," amended Akane, glaring at Nabiki.
"Okay, sounds good." A smile was all that the two Tendo's needed to melt their insecurities away, and return the smile to their lips.
And they headed out, walking along the sidewalk. "So, what's Furinkan like?" said Ranma, trying to make conversation.
"It's a little... unusual, I suppose." Nabiki responded quickly, not giving her sister a chance.
"Really? Great! I was afraid it would be a boring-type school."
"Oh, no chance of boring at Furinkan, Ranma." added Akane.
Splash! The little old lady dropped her ladle in wonder. Ranma's hair grew red and longer. Her face grew softer, but with underlying angles, giving it greater form and beauty. She shrunk barely an inch in height, widening and thinning in different places. But most importantly was the wings, they grew out in an instant, but it seemed longer. Expanding through the carefully made slits in Ranma's outfit, they stretched, filling out, completing her with their blue-green majesty.
"Just great." Ranma stopped, concentrated for a few seconds starting to sweat, and the wings disappeared. The few people who had witnessed the transformation decided it was a figment of their imaginations, and went on their way.
"Ranma! How did you... do that?" exclaimed a confused Nabiki. Akane just stared.
"Oh, useful trick really. They are still there, just invisible. Go ahead, feel." They did just that, mouths opening in wonder. "Heh. I'm surprised this is a shock to you, after seeing me change bodies, I thought simple invisibility would be no big deal. Anyway, is there a place we can get hot water on the way to school? I'll tell you the story on the as we walk."
"Yeah, Dr. Tofu's," Akane quickly replied, "come on."
As the three headed there, Ranma related his story.
"Well, as you might think, the wings kinda draw a lot of attention, even more than the curse really, mainly cause they're bigger. Anyway sometimes, I found out, this is attention you most definitely do not want. People did a lot of weird things, anywhere from worshiping me, to hunting me, to bringing me their children to cure some disease from. There was even an entire Kendo club in one town who sought to free the 'pig-tailed angel' from my 'vile magic.' They actually believed we were different people, can you believe that?"
"No, weird."
"Yeah, pretty stupid. You would have to be REALLY thick to think that."
"Yeah, well, Asuralle has been teaching me some magic. Some of it, illusion it's called, lets me make things invisible. Only problem is, I'm not very powerful right now, so I can't maintain this field for very long, and I can't do it more than once or twice a day. I'll get more powerful though. As says that eventually I'll be able to hold the field up constantly."
"That's really neat Ranma, but who's Asuralle?" asked Nabiki sweetly, a tinge of jealousy seeping into her innocent question.
Ranma, being Ranma, did not notice this. "Oh, she's the angel that drowned in the spring. She teaches me stuff now, and she's a great friend."
'I appreciate the compliment Ranma, but refrain from using the word: stuff, okay?'
"Okay As. Anyway Nabiki, I..."
"We're here," announced Akane, signaling their arrival at the office and home of Dr. Tofu Ono, resident chiropractor and physician.
"I'll tell you more about it later." he finished as they went into the clinic.
"Dr. Tofu!" queried Akane.
"Just a minute. Be right there." came the calm reply. A moment later Ranma's magical senses felt a presence behind her. Training in the magics of divination had made it increasingly difficult for anyone to sneak up on her. Spinning around into a defensive stance, Ranma saw a young man in his early twenties, slightly taller than herself. He had glasses, and a small ponytail neatly tied.
"K... K... Kasumi?" muttered the man as his glasses began to fog.
"No," was the reply.
The man shook his head and peered at Ranma, "You're not Kasumi. I wonder why I thought that? Hmmm."
Ranma looked questioningly at Akane. Getting the hint, she walked up to the pair. "Dr. Tofu, this is my friend, Ranma. Ranma, Dr. Tofu." The two bowed slightly, and exchanged greetings.
"I have a question young lady, if you don't mind. Actually, three. One, how did you know I was behind you? Two, How are you performing invisibility? And three, where do your wings come from?"
"Wha?" Ranma stared at the doctor in amazement. "Well... to answer all three questions succinctly, magic. How did you know?" Ranma allowed the invisibility to disperse.
"Ki fields, very hard to hide those." the young doctor said, cloaking his amazement at the appearing wings very well. "Suppress, yes. Hide, no. Mind telling me more, I must say this is one of the more interesting things I've seen."
"ONE of the more interesting cases?!"
"Yes, I have some patients who tend to keep some unique . . features a secret. So they come to me."
"What kind of features?"
"Sorry, confidential you know. I can guarantee the same for you, and maybe help you if you have any problems with these," he said gesturing to the wings, "or anything else."
"Uh, ok. Akane, what time does school begin?" Ranma asked of her.
"Not for another half an hour Ranma, since we ate so early and left early as well." interjected Nabiki before her sister had the opportunity to answer.
"Ok, I have to warn you doctor, it is a very convoluted story." said the young angel uncertainly.
"Ah, but those are the best kind," responded the physician with a knowing smile.
Unbeknownst to Ranma, a championship glaring match was occurring not ten feet behind his back. It was of such epic proportions, that Nabiki regretted not having set up betting for it.
"Ok, this is how it happened..." and quickly Ranma told about Jusenkyo, about Asuralle and how great she was. He told of the journey from there to Nerima, leaving out many details due to time constraints. Finally, he finished with his arrival at the Tendo home the night before. During the telling, the doctor had heated some water and changed Ranma back to his birth-form. 'Ah, so THIS is what the glaring match was for,' he thought.
"Absolutely fascinating young man. Definitely in the top three stories I've heard. Thank you for giving me your confidence, I will keep it with honor." he said seriously. "And I expect you to do the same, ladies," he finished, looking at Nabiki meaningfully.
"Yes sir," she replied.
"Thank you very much doctor, but we have to go now, so we can get to school," said the newly male Ranma.
"Yes, yes. If you have an opportunity, Mr. Saotome, I would like to speak with you about this in more depth. Maybe even talk with Asuralle, if you don't mind."
"Okay, sure thing, doctor. I'll stop by when I get a chance."
-----------------
The trio had once again headed out the door and turned towards Furinkan. As they drew closer, Akane remembered about her morning fight. For a moment, she was depressed. Then an idea struck, it would be the perfect opportunity to prove her skills as a fighter to Ranma.
"Hey Ranma" she opened.
"Yes, Akane."
"When we get to school, a whole lot of guys are going to attack me, but I can handle them so don't help me, ok?"
"Huh? Why are they going to attack you?"
"Oh, this moron named Kuno thinks that I want to date him, even though I don't. So he told the school, 'If you wish to date Akane Tendo, you must defeat her.'"
"Yes, Kuno's a little unstable, his family has a history of mental problems, so be careful with him," added Nabiki. She didn't want her new fiancee getting hurt.
"Unstable, huh?" 'Maybe we can help him a little, right As?'
'Ranma, you have to learn you can't help everyone you come across. Just because you did it once, doesn't mean you can do it again (2)'
'Oh, come on As, it's two birds with one stone. If I help this Kuno guy, maybe he'll leave Akane alone.'
'Very well, Ranma. As usual, you have failed to heed my advice. Ah well.' she thought in a tone that didn't sound very disappointed, despite the words she said.
"Anyway, Akane, I can't just let you fight those guys, you could get hurt."
"Ranma, I've been doing it for a long time now, let me handle it." she responded in a surprisingly forceful tone.
"... ok... but if you look like you're in trouble, I'm not going to stand by and watch."
As he finished, they arrived at the gates, and the cries began.
"AKANE! I will defeat you!"
"No, I will!"
"Get away from Akane! I will be the one the defeat her!"
SLAM!
BAM!
CRUNCH!
SMASH!
A collective groan rose up around Akane's heavily breathing form, and silence filled the air.
"Truly! Such a boorish lot!"
Heads turned. A tall young man had appeared in front of Akane. He was dressed in traditional clothing, spurning the school uniform. His features were classically handsome, though nothing spectacular. The young man's features were complimented by the rose in his hand. He leveled his bokken at Akane.
"Evidently each of them intends to date you, on the dawn that he finally defeats you."
"Upperclassman Kuno," Akane acknowledged with a set jaw and little enthusiasm. "Good morning."
The tall student removed a rose from his teeth, and threw it to Akane, "and might you fight with me Akane Tendo?"
Akane sighed and placed her bag on the ground. "Ok, Kuno, lets get this over with."
"Oh, beautiful day. The gods surely smile on I, Tatewaki Kuno, that the lovely Akane wishes to fight with me to prove herself worthy of my love."
"Hey! Who said anything about my wanting to?! And what love!?"
"Do not fear, Akane. Once I have defeated you as gently as I dare, you shall be free to admit your love for me." With that, Tatewaki (3) rushed forward. He slashed, she dodged. He feinted to the left, but somehow made his true intentions clear before slashing towards Akane, allowing her to avoid the blow easily.
'What's this,' thought Ranma, 'I swear he's telegraphing his moves on purpose, letting her know exactly how to avoid them. How can she not see this? Hmm, that means he either doesn't want to hurt her, or doesn't really want to date her.'
'Most likely the former, Ranma. If he did not wish to date her, he wouldn't have made the proclamation in the first place. At least, I think not. Then again, mortals are strange creatures.'
'Hey!' thought Ranma in mock anger. 'We're not so bad. Anyway, they said he's unstable, so anything's possible.
By then the fight was over. Akane stormed into the school, momentarily forgetting about her sister and fiancee. Kuno lay in an unconscious heap along with a few of the remaining boys. Most had gone to class, after recovering from minor injuries. It was these that Ranma checked on; four or five boys still incapacitated from the morning's fight. He checked them over. One, with a broken arm, he sent to the nurse. Another two he helped to their feet, and recruited them in carrying a fourth, unconscious, to the nurse. They all gave their thanks for his efforts. He asked Nabiki to go inside so she wouldn't be late. She complied.
Finally, he reached Kuno. He was bruised up, unconscious, but otherwise ok. Ranma, after ensuring no one was around, allowed a slight glow to appear over Tatewaki's prone form. It glowed a light yellow for half a second, and then winked out. He stood up 'Hmm, now . . how can I get close to this guy?'
A groan escaped from beneath him, as Kuno sat up shakily from the ground. Ranma extended his hand and Tatewaki took in a moment later. "I appreciate your help sir, but I cannot place your name."
"Saotome. Ranma Saotome, and you are?"
Tatewaki's mouth opened very wide, as if to shout, but he quickly grasped his head in pain. He opted for a simpler approach. "Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman of Furinkan. Captain of the Kendo club."
Ranma shuddered a moment in remembrance of the last Kendo club he had dealt with, but he reminded himself that this was not the same one. "Well, upperclassman Kuno, I am a new student here. I must say I am impressed by your skills and your endurance, you took quite a beating."
"Of course! I am the undefeated star of the high school fencing world! Nothing can hurt me for long."
Ranma suppressed an urge to gag at the unrelenting surge of ego. After all, before Asuralle he had been almost that bad. "Truly, that explains your skill, Kuno. I, too, am skilled in the martial arts, being heir to the Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling. I have been looking for partners with whom to hone my skills, but I am afraid that none so far in Nerima have been up to the task. I feel that perhaps we may be able offer each other a challenge, so we may improve our skills mutually."
"Your offer is intriguing Ranma Saotome, but first I must witness your skills so that I may know if you will be a partner worthy of my person! Today, after school, we will meet in combat, so that I may witness you and your school in battle. So says Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!"
And the lightning flashed in the sky.
----------------------
Author's Notes:
(1) I refer to Kami-sama as a he in this fic. Please do not take offense to this. I simply do not want to have to keep typing he/she all the time. Thank you.
(2) Did it once huh? Did what once? Helped someone? Help someone with mental problems? What is it? I'm not going to tell you yet d8^p
(3) Yes. Tatewaki. Not plain Kuno. Tatewaki. I plan to develop him a bit beyond the block-headed upperclassman Kuno who mindlessly attacks Ranma and tries to win his two loves. For those of you who only know of Ranma through fanfiction, you may be unaware what I am talking about. To clarify, Kuno is his *last* name. I'm sure most of you know this, but there are a few that don't. His full name is Tatewaki Kuno, just as his sister's full name is Kodachi Kuno. See. Same last name.
No, I haven't forgotten the Amazon's. The village experience will probably be in next chapter.
----------------------
Ja ne,
Rudy
The Turner Of The Wheel
TurnerOfTheWheel@hotmail.com
11/23/2000
This is a Ranma 1/2 and Ah! My Goddess crossover, possibly including other series at a later date. If you are not familiar with Ranma 1/2, then don't read this, there is not point. If you are not familiar with Ah! My Goddess then you will only miss out on a inside joke or two. I will explain the ideas from Ah! My Goddess as I go along, so it is not strictly necessary to be familiar with it.
Note that I use no Japanese language other than Kami-sama (roughly used to refer to an ultimate god or being) I only use that because there is no convenient and appropriate translation. This fic is written in english, I write in english. When Takahashi had Ranma 1/2 translated to english, she didn't leave in a bunch of chan's and kun's and sensei's and family prefixes etc. Neither will I. Thank You.
Disclaimer
Ranma belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and some companies, Ah! My Goddess belongs to some person and some companies. None of them belong to be, but everything else in here is mine. And if you want to give me money for a reason unrelated to this fanfiction, that would be both legal and appreciated d8^) Okay, here ya go:
" " Spoken Japanese
Spoken Chinese
# # Panda signs
' ' Thoughts
I would like to acknowledge Warren Phillips, whose corrections and suggestions elevated this fic above a third grade writing level. I would also like to recognize Daniel Kim, who pointed out a few problems. d8^) Many Thanks.
Angel 1/2 - Chapter 2: A Very Tragic Story
A few months ago...
The morning mist crawls over Jusendo, spreading its tendrils among its many hills and vales, and into the valley of Jusenkyö. The mist plays along the pools gathered there, swirling around the water and obscuring its edges. Nearby two men, one middle aged and one adolescent, prepare for their morning training session, each confident in his abilities.
"This place doesn't look so great pop" complained a young man we all know so well. He snorted cockily as he assessed the valley. "A bunch of stupid sticks poking out of the water, sheesh. Pathetic."
"Let's see if you are so confident after I finish wiping the floor with you, boy" said an elder man that most of us dislike so deeply.
"Yeah right pop."
And so the two of them headed into the valley, unaware that this would change their lives forever.
A fat, middle aged Chinese man waddled up to them as them came upon the pools, his communist uniform rustling in the slight morning breeze. He said something in a dialect that the two travelers could not understand, smiling and waving at the pools.
"Huh"
"What?"
The fat man paused, and evaluated the father and son for a moment. "Oh, you sirs is Japanese, no?" He waited for their nods. "This cursed training ground Jusenkyo, very tragic stories here."
"Cursed huh, ridiculous" snorted the older man. "Come on boy," he shouted leaping to the top of a pole, "I won't go easy on you."
"That's how I want it, old man," replied the boy, jumping in kind.
"NO, sirs! Do not be doing those things. Very tragic curses in each pool."
By then though, the two were much too occupied to be paying any attention...
----------------------
Meanwhile, in a rather secluded forest somewhere in China...
"RANMA! You coward! How dare you run out on our man to man fight!" an angry young man shouted in his rage. He stopped, noticing for the first time his surroundings. A mask of confusion, frustration and anger slid into place over his face. The mask had an eerie sense of belonging and frequent use by this being.
"Where the hell am I now!" He looked around again, turning full circle a few times, and sighed. "Might as well keep on going straight." With that he turned, and walked back the way he had come.
"RANMA! This is all your fault!"
----------------------
...the panda leapt at him, leaving Ranma paralyzed in shock, defenseless to the strike which landed next. If one was watching closely, there seemed to be a shifting in the air, some indistinguishable change at that moment. It seemed the panda would lash out with one paw, but for some reason, switched to the other, sending the boy to his fate.
----------------------
Ryoga looked up from his map. He was on a cliff. He was supposed to be in the forest, and now he was on a cliff. Some of us lesser beings may wonder how a Hibiki was somehow able to shift from one local to another, without having to pass through the intervening space. This is one of those things best not pondered by the minds of mortals, and the author suggests you think on it no further.
The fact remained that he was on a cliff. A cliff overlooking a valley. Ryoga did not find this strange, he was used to winding up in places, with no idea of how he got there. He did, however, find it rather irritating.
"Damn you Ranma!"
Growling, he replaced his map in his pack, shouldered it, and set off down the cliffside, studying the strange valley below.
----------------------
"Oh no! Young sir fall in pool of drowned... drowned... hot-mama!"
A creature of beauty and power intertwined arose from the waters, flapping her luminous, blue-green wings and spraying water in all directions. She peered cautiously at the gawking panda, and man in turn. The panda was holding up a small sign #wow#, while the guide wordlessly mouthed the same.
"Where am I?" she commanded of the guide. Asuralle was confused, a feeling decidedly unpleasant to her. The last the thing she remembered was her battle with Ishtanbrae, a battle whose outcome lay foggy in her mind. Seeing the guide still unresponsive, she tried to to discern the answer from her surroundings.
'Hey! What's going on! Who's messing with my body?'
Extremely shocked, Asuralle nearly dropped from the sky at this sound from within her mind. Suddenly, she felt some one grappling with her for control. Who it was, she did not know, but they had a lot of willpower. The battle raged for a few seconds, but she was able to remain on top.
FLASH!
CRASH!
The lightning struck fast and hard, engraving a message into the ground. Knowing what it meant, she floated over to read the message.
'IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, ASURALLE. YOU HAVE TAKEN FORM WITHIN THE BODY OF ANOTHER. UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE YOU WILL ALLOW HIM TO HAVE CONTROL OVER THE BODY, UNLESS IT IS BY HIS REQUEST OR IS NECESSARY. -KAMI-SAMA'
Asuralle blanched, she did not know what was going on, but she had received orders from Kami-sama, and one did not question those. Quickly, she allowed the being struggling within her to rise to the top.
A scream soon followed her action, and Ranma plummeted to the ground, having no idea as to the operation of wings. Luckily, Asuralle had been forced to descend to read the message, and the fall was short. The scream was not.
"Oh, sirs, not scream, curse can be removed for time with hot water." This shut Ranma up and drew his father's attention. "Come with me, I get hot water for sirs."
----------------------
Cursing, Ryoga stumbled down the trail, tripping over rocks as he went. Rushing around a curve, he found him self unable to keep him balance, and thusly plummeting off the cliff to the valley below. Ryoga wasn't sure how Ranma had caused this, who knew how the worthless man caused anything, but he was deathly sure that this was all Ranma's fault.
Directly below him, Ranma stood. He would have been chasing his stupid old man, but he was too busy trying to get the thoughts in his head straight
'So... you're an angel?'
'Yes, though how I wound up like this I fail to see. The guide spoke of taking the form of drowned victims, so this shouldn't of happened unless...'
Now she could see. It all fell into place. She remembered the fight had taken place over some pools and... and she must of been cut down and drowned in one of them. But that meant... that meant that that Ishtanbrae was still out there. That meant that she had failed. She hung the mental image of her head in shame.
'Hey, what's that?' thought the boy looking up at what seemed to be a flailing young man converging on his position.
Judging this to be a necessary time, Asuralle quickly seized control of the body. She shushed Ranma's protests, and he calmed for a moment. Launching her self in the air, beautiful wings slowly flapping in the breeze. So slowly in fact, that it was clear that no laws of aerodynamics were keeping her afloat. Shooting up, she met the young man half way, saving him from what seemed to be an untimely death. (Had she known the interesting genetic qualities of the Hibikis, perhaps she would have realized it would only be a bruising experience for him.) She floated down and placed the young man gently on the ground.
"Are you okay young man?" she asked with a slight trace of concern.
"Uh... Uh... That is... uh" responded Ryoga intelligently, idly wondering why he hadn't gotten a nose bleed yet. He forcibly snapped himself out of it and bowed before the angel standing before him. "Thank you, I am in your debt... my lady." He was unsure why he had said 'my lady,' it just seemed right when applied to her.
Her smile filled his world, "That is good to know, young sir. Why don't you head down to that hut there, the guide will let you rest yourself for a while."
'Who is this guy, why does he seem so familiar,' pondered Ranma's disjoint consciousness.
"Uh... Uh... Okay." said Ryoga, and he promptly ran off.
'Okay... Ranma isn't it? I will allow you to resume control now.'
A moment later Ranma stretched and smiled. 'Okay, we need to figure out what's goin' on... What should I call you?'
'I am Asuralle, Angel, Second Class. Sixth Circle Battle, Fourth Circle Healing, Third Circle Divination/Illusion'
'Uh, can I just call you Asuralle?'
'Very well, for convenience sake.'
'Cool title though, what's with that circle stuff?'
'How to explain... I suppose I had better, I might be here for a while. (sigh) When an angel is first... created, I suppose is the term, they are considered third class, and are given a calling by father. It can be Battle, Healing, Natural Magics, Divination, Animal Conjuring, among many other things. They begin their calling in the first circle of skill, training and performing their duties in order to progress to higher levels of skill. My calling was combat, chosen so that I could protect my father and all my brothers and sisters.'
'Father?'
'Kami-sama'
'oh' said Ranma, feeling very meek all of a sudden, a feeling he was not used to.
'Once an angel has risen to a certain level, and performed a duty to prove their worth, they become of the second class, and may choose two secondary callings with which to accomplish deeds for the glory of father. Finally, when a second class angel has been judged worthy, they are given a truly challenging quest to prove their worth. Mine... mine was to subdue a very evil, evil demon who was causing havoc on the earth. And I failed.'
'Subdue? Why couldn't you just kill him?'
'No, no, you see there is this system that father set up where... that is, well I will explain later, we best get back to the cabin and see how that Ryoga boy is doing.'
----------------------
Meanwhile, back in the present...
Nabiki stretched and greeted the world with a happy smile. Hmmm... strange, said the world. Strange indeed, for every morning for quite a while the world had grow used to seeing either a grimace, or a frown, or a feral smile at best. No, no, this was most definitely a happy smile. Not that the world minded the change, it would just have to get used to it. It shouldn't take very long: the world was quite used to the smiles of her elder sister.
Nabiki, being the observant person that she is, also noticed the change in her demeanor. Nabiki, being the deducting person that she is, reasoned that something very good must have happened to her. Nabiki, being the present-minded person that she is, remembered Ranma.
Nabiki, being the female person that she is, blushed.
'Ranma's here, Ranma's here!' she mentally shouted, jumping from her bed, springing to her closet, leaping out of and into her outfit.
'Ranma's here, Ranma's here!' her mind rejoiced, throwing open her door, hurtling the stairs, hunting for her prince.
"Morning Nabiki, nice to see you, but... shouldn't you get changed out of your pajamas?
He had spoken to her, blessed her with those wonderful words, he had... wait a sec. Changed? Looking down. Pausing. Looking. Blushing. Freaking. Running. Slamming.
With a shrug, Ranma sat back down where he had gotten up to greet Nabiki.
'Girls are strange.' 'Mortals are strange.'
'Hey!' 'Excuse me!'
Before the mental skirmish could escalate any farther, Akane arrived in her gi for her match with Ranma. A smile lit up her face.
"Ready!" she said with exuberance. She was positively glowing (In the golden, happy way, not the slightly bluish, very angry way.) Finally she had a sparring partner who would help her improve. Even though he was a *little* bit better, he would take her seriously. She was in heaven.
He smiled at her, it was as if the sun had dawned, lighting the world. "Okay Akane, lets go," were the words from her angel, as she followed him out to the dojo.
----------------------
Kasumi absentmindedly finished breakfast preparations. It was a very good thing that she was able to cook without really paying attention, for her mind was on much more important things.
'Oh, I do hope Ranma enjoys his breakfast. He needs someone who can take care of him and knows how to manage a household. Akane and Nabiki need a few more years to practice, and I'm sure they will realize it soon.'
She sighed happily, imagining Ranma thanking her for the delicious meal, imagining Ranma moving in to kiss her in thanks, imagining Ranma...
"Oh my"
She shook such thoughts from her head, and turned back to the meal, trying in vain to focus her attention on the preparation in front of her.
----------------------
She kicked, he dodged. She punched, he blocked. She had long since stopped trying to hold back, she knew she couldn't hurt him and was glad for it. She was a bit disappointed that he wasn't fighting back. She had hoped he would be able to help her train, but if he couldn't even attack her...
"Ranma, how come you're not attacking me?"
"Oh well... I... just didn't want to hurt you."
'Why aren't you attacking, Ranma?'
'Well, she's just a girl, I don't want to hurt her As.'
'I'm *just* a girl Ranma! Don't give me that! Besides, can't you see she wants to be seen as a fighter, not a little doll. I may not be a mortal, but I can see that much.'
'Well, I guess. But only if she asks.'
"That's... nice of you Ranma," she said repressing a surge of anger at his inability to see her as a fighter. 'He just doesn't want to hurt me,' she calmly told herself. "... but I, that is, I can't get better if you don't attack."
"I guess you're right," he sighed, moving into a more offensive position. He began to attack, and when he did hit her, it was pulled, with enough force to be slightly painful. Akane smiled, she could accept that. She didn't want to be unable to fight again tommorrow anyway. Besides, it was sweet how reluctant he was to see her in pain.
A few moments later and it was over. She was on the floor, and he was reaching to help her up. "Akane?" She shook herself out of her daze of happiness to reach out to his hand, grasping it. How warm it was, smooth yet firm. Akane felt her temperature rise, thinking about how that wasn't the only part of him that was smooth and firm. In fact...
"Ranma! Akane! Breakfast is almost ready. Time to wash up." called Kasumi from the doorway, looking on with a slightly concerned expression.
----------------------
The substitute Tendo matriarch hummed to herself as she began putting the final touches on breakfast. 'Oh, I just know our guest will love breakfast!' she thought happily. 'And his father,' she hastily added. Gliding across the floor, she went out to call in her Ranma. Her sister and Ranma, that is. Hearing sounds of combat from the dojo, she grabbed two towels and went to the doorway. With a sudden cry, she saw Akane land lightly on her posterior. A brief surge of motherly worry was quickly suppressed, replaced by a worry of quite a different nature as Ranma reached out to help her up, a smile on both their faces.
"Ranma! Akane! Breakfast is almost ready. Time to wash up." she quickly interjected, telling herself she just wanted to have them to hurry to breakfast, and that there was really no ulterior motive in her interruption.
"Oh... right." came the reply from her sister, sounding a bit dissapointed.
"Thanks Kasumi! I'm starved," he said. In an instant Kasumi's uncertain feelings vanished, and her day brightened as he thanked her.
"No trouble at all, Ranma." She handed Akane her towel, gently prodding her toward the dojo entrance with it. "Why don't you go get changed Akane, I'll just help my guest, our guest, here by cleaning him up, I mean... by helping him clean up." Briefly she saw Akane tinge a light blue, but it was quickly suppressed.
"That's okay Kasumi, I can do it myself," Ranma offered. "You guys head in, I'll be in in just a sec."
Kasumi's smile dropped a bit while her sister's grew a bit and Ranma failed to notice both. The two of them headed in, Akane's not so gentle nudging overcoming Kasumi's reluctance to leave.
'Ranma, there's something strange going on between the two of them, and I'm not sure what it is.' Asuralle mentioned as Ranma straightened up the dojo.
'Huh? What do you mean As?'
'Well, there was an unusual amount of unspoken hostility between the two of them, I can sense it. It's so supressed though, I doubt either of them even knows it.'
'Any idea what's causing it?'
'I am afraid not Ranma, we will simply have to keep an eye on it.'
'Okay,' finished the young martial artist, as he straightened the last of the fallen equipment. 'Let's go clean up.'
----------------------
Nabiki could not believe it. She was still blushing, how could she embarrass herself like that? She was always so collected. Come to think of it, why was she acting like this, was she not the ice queen? The heartless mercenary of Furinkan High? Did she not have a reputation to maintain?
'But it's Ranma. He's my future husband, my angel. Nothing else is important.'
'Look at yourself, you took off your pajamas, and put them on again. If he makes you act like that, like a helpless fool, do you really want him around.'
'Yes.'
'But why?'
'He's... He's... perfect.'
'What about your sisters?'
'Well, Akane hates boys anyway, and Kasumi has Dr. Tofu, so certainly they won't keep me from my happiness.
Her logical half (actually, Nabiki's logical 'half' comprised 87% of her brain) sighed, backed off, and decided to take a vacation. It really deserved one anyway, Nabiki overworked it.
Sighing, she gathered her clothes, and headed to the furo. She was certain she could avoid embarrassing herself again.
Chance, growing a bit tired of tormenting a pig-tailed martial artist in most of the other universes she had visited, laughed and looked down at one of her many new toys.
----------------------
Akane smiled, as she stood up from the furo, and went to dry herself. It had been wonderful, one of the best matches in her life. She had confirmed her suspicions, she had a new sparring partner. And hopefully so much more... A bit of worry rose up with regards to her other two sisters. Kasumi... well Kasumi already had Dr. Tofu. Akane could admit that now, without the slightest trace of jealousy. Nabiki, well Nabiki didn't have anyone at the moment. But Nabiki wasn't interested in martial arts, while she and Ranma obviously were. Her worries eased, she let doubt be replaced by daydreams of her angel.
Finishing her dressing, she exited the bathroom, to encounter Ranma waiting patiently in the hallway. Still wrapped up in her daydream, Akane was just about to tell him that she loved him too, when a question brought her back to reality.
"Are you done Akane?" he peered inwardly again, in that strange fashion of his. "Finished, I mean. Are you finished?"
Blushing from her thoughts of a moment ago, Akane could only nod in response. 'I can't believe I almost said that! I would have died! Next time I won't put out the occupied sign, I'll... WHAT! Oh no, I'm such a pervert!' she mentally cried, running to her room.
'Huh? Wonder what was wrong with her, I hope she's okay.'
'I am sure she is fine Ranma, now go clean up, I'm going to meditate for a while until you finish... bathing, okay?'
'Ok As, I'll wake you up when I'm done. How come you always do that when I'm bathing anyhow?'
'What do you mean? It's just... I need the quiet, okay. That is why, yes. I need the quiet.'
'Okay, I'll wake you when I'm done.'
With that he entered the bathroom, of course remembering to put the occupied sign up. Quickly disrobing, he filled the rinsing bucket and backed away from the wall. Ranma had learned a while back to make sure he had enough room to put his wings when he got wet. To do otherwise would be painful. He rinsed himself and then she put the bucket down. Scrubbing himself, she washed away the mild perspiration of nighttime and the heavier layer from her workout. Then came the difficult part. The wings.
Ranma had also learned during the last few months that dirt and such carried over between forms, even onto her wings, despite the fact that there was no place for the dirt to go in his male form. Asuralle herself had been shocked by the development, saying that her wings had never gotten even slightly dirty before. She had finally chalked it up to the fact that she was no longer strictly immortal. And so, with Asuralle's help, Ranma had learned to preen. It was necessary every week or so, and that week was long up.
Wrapping her wings about the body, Ranma quickly yet methodically removed pebbles and twigs, lightly washed away dirt, and cleansed the sweat out of the feathers. It was rather interesting to her, even now, to see the feathers up close, to feel the touch on her wing. It was a chore she really didn't mind, other than the fact that it reminded her of the curse. Then again, she had discovered she truly didn't mind the curse, because of the companion she had found in Asuralle.
Finishing with a smile, Ranma stretched, and stepped into the furo for a little relaxation. He wished, just for a moment, that he could feel how his wings relaxed in the hot water. It was such a pleasing sensation to his muscles, he felt that he was missing out on something. Head back, eyes closed, mind drifting, Ranma failed to notice the door open.
----------------------
Nabiki is a creature whose cunning is difficult to measure. She is an enigma wrapped in a mystery who was often very successful in fooling even herself. Therefore, it is pointless to discuss whether or not the middle Tendo girl did or did not notice the occupied sign on the door and, if so, whether or not her brain chose to register it.
We will, instead, look at the consequences of the fact that she, at the least, acted as if she had not.
Opening the door, Nabiki stepped lightly into the bathroom. She quickly disrobed, placing her clothing into the small bathroom hamper. She placed her change of clothing onto the counter and, grabbing a towel, stepped towards the rinsing area.
And then she saw him. In all his glory.
'Ranma... naked... wow.'
That was the approximate line of her thoughts before Nabiki Tendo, mercenary girl and former Ice Queen of Furinkan High had a nosebleed and passed out.
The THUNK aroused Ranma from his very pleasant daydreams (He was dreaming of winning a worldwide martial arts competition, so get your minds out of the gutters!) Jumping up into a ready stance in the way that only he could, he quickly spotted Nabiki, and concern washed over him.
'Woah, She must not have noticed the sign and slipped on the floor. Better take her downstairs.' Thought Ranma in the generous and unassuming way that only he could.
He quickly averted his eyes and wrapped a towel around himself. 'Hey As, As, wake up!'
'What? What is it Ranma?'
'Nabiki's hurt, she must have not seen the sign on the door, and then slipped on the floor. I need to bring her downstairs but . . she's uh . . naked.'
'Ah, ok, let me take over.'
And she did. Ranma, as Asuralle had shown him, went into a light meditative trance where he was unable to notice what happened outside the body. Quickly, Asuralle covered Nabiki in her towel, making her decent.
'Ok Ranma, here you go.'
'Huh? Oh, right, okay.'
And he stepped back in, gently lifting Nabiki into his arms and hurriedly rushing downstairs.
----------------------
A few minutes later Nabiki lay downstairs still unconscious. The Tendo patriarch was using upset wail #1,476 (my middle daughter slipped in bathroom and we don't know if she'll wake up) at the same time he and Genma were engaged in joyous dance #341 (my son/future son-in-law carried my daughter/possible daughter-in-law downstairs when she was unconscious and therefore he wants to marry her). Meanwhile, Akane and Kasumi altered between giving concerned looks at Nabiki, drooling over Ranma in a towel, and glaring at their sister (they had not been as generous as Ranma in assigning the reasons for Nabiki being in the bathroom.)
"Is she going to be okay?" Ranma asked concernedly. At this Genma and Soun broke into another joyous dance the details of which we will not digress into here.
"I'm sure she'll be fine" said the eldest. 'Not after I'm done with her, she won't. Oh my. Where did that come from?'
'The nerve! Trying to peep at my Ranma! Serves her right.' Akane fumed mentally. 'But I hope she wakes up soon,' was added guiltily a moment later.
"Huh? Who? Where am I?" Nabiki groggily sat up, holding a hand to her head. "What happened?"
"Oh, you slipped in the bathroom Nabiki. You must NOT HAVE SEEN the occupied sign, and went in by accident. You slipped on something and apparently hit your nose on something. Even though it doesn't appear damaged in the least, that's the only way it could be bleeding, ISN'T IT Nabiki?" challenged Kasumi in a very forceful, and very non-Kasumiesque manner.
"Uh, yeah, that's it. I slipped." In truth Nabiki wasn't entirely sure what had happened. Her mind, in an effort to prevent further blood loss, had erased the images of the furo scene from her memory.
"I'm glad you're all right Nabiki, I gotta go get dressed now." said the divine mortal as he ran upstairs.
(sigh)
(sigh)
(sigh)
(glare)
(glare)
(glare)
"So, NABIKI, what were you doing in the bathroom, huh?" gritted the youngest Tendo through clenched teeth.
"I..." Nabiki considered making a smart remark, she didn't think Akane would hit her after all, but seeing the look in her eye she re-evaluated the situation. "I didn't see the sign, Akane. Chill." The words came out a little less confident than was standard for her.
"Be certain it does not happen again little sister." With that Kasumi returned to serve breakfast, where the two clueless fathers already sat at the table. With a final glare of doom, Akane got up to go to the table. Nabiki, unsteadily getting up, went to the kitchen to wipe the blood off her nose.
A moment later everyone was seated at the table, eagerly anticipating the delicious meal ahead. Kasumi quickly set the food on the table, and everyone prepared to dig in. Mr. Saotome made a grab for the food, but was stopped short by Ranma's elbow in his gut. "Manners father."
Aside from a bit of grumbling by Genma, everyone served themselves in peace. The meal, of course, was delicious, and very little discussion occurred. The Tendo girls, however, had a great deal of trouble getting their food to their mouths, as their attention was occupied elsewhere.
----------------------
Here we go back to the past again...
Ryoga headed to the hut just as the angel had told him. A small and curious smile was written into his features, a smile rarely seen and even more rarely held by his face, prematurely hardened by a prematurely hard life. 'Wow, she was pretty. I wonder why I didn't get a nosebleed? No one's ever been that nice to me. I have to find her again! Ranma, this is all... wait. There's no way that was Ranma's fault, that honorless scum. He would never cause something this wonderful to happen to me.' Thoughts of his rival erased the smile, leaving no trace of the brief moment of happy contemplation as the mask slid back into place.
Looking up, Ryoga noted the hut off in the distance. He also noticed that he was standing in the middle of a field of pools, each with a stick of bamboo standing proudly from its depths. Shrugging, he headed towards the hut, but found himself somehow getting farther from it. Ryoga grew a bit more concerned at this.
'That's strange, I can usually get to a place if I keep it in my sight.'
Now is the time that an important concept must be introduced to the reader, in order to explain the following event which may otherwise be dismissed as unlikely coincidence. Many of you may know that the entire world is governed by a giant computer, specifically Yggradasil. Not that Kami-sama wasn't fully capable of doing it himself (1), for he was, he just got bored of all the busy work, and so he made this big old computer to do it for him, while he took care of the big decisions. Now it so happens that a big part of this computer was a section called the doublet system, used to maintain the necessary balance of good and evil in the universe. Most who knew of its existence though it to be no more than a single rule based on the conflict of the gods. In actuality, it employed many methods of maintaining the balance, and one of these methods was about to be put to use.
It is so then, that Ryoga, one of the most skilled martial artists of his generation, a master of his body and its actions, managed to trip over a small rock and land in the pool in front of him. What emerged was something out of nightmare. Bat-like wings extended far to the sides of its hideously perfect body. Glowing red eyes were sunken into the hollow face, and they gleamed with an evil cunning. The fangs, the same little fangs which had been called 'cute' by many in many realms and many universes, grew to be grotesque daggers of bone, promising pain and death. The body of the poor boy grew wider, bulkier, filled with a raw, powerful musculature. His traveling boots were ripped as claws forced their way through the leather. And his bandana, The beautiful Hibiki bandana, yellow with black marks randomly spattered throughout, the bandana was ripped as two black horns forced their way through.
The being, the demon, laughed. It was a merciless laugh, one that promised death. He scanned the area, in much the same way as a certain angel had a few hours past.
"Where is she? How long was I out? Where is Asuralle!" his voice matched his body with a hellish perfection. It resonated in much the same way as fingernails on a blackboard, though with much more pain and fear and with a deeper, more sinister sound.
'What's going on! What's happening! Ranma, this is all your fault!' Ishtanbrae grinned at the hatred he felt in that last statement, overcoming his confusion as to what was happening. Noticing the guide paralyzed with fear, he swept down to "talk" with the man.
"What has happened to me fool?" commanded the demon, in the immortal and ancient language that all can somehow understand.
"Ah... Ah... young sir fall into spring of drowned demon. Tragic story of angel who drown demon in pool many thousands years ago, but then drown in other pool self. Very tragic. Now whoever fall into pool take body of demon.
"What! You mean..." It all made sense. That was why he couldn't remember what had happened. He had died, but so had Asuralle. That he was back meant that some fool must have fallen into the pool. That must be the voice in his head. Remembering what else the guide had said, he furthered his questioning. "The spring of drowned angel, has anyone used it! Has anyone fallen in old man?!"
"Y.. yes sirs, just two maybe three hours past young sir fall into pool and take body of beautiful angel." The guide, having an astute sense of self-preservation, quickly sensed the next question, and answered it in turn. "They go to Nerima, Japan."
At this, Ishtanbrae sensed a flood of emotion flowing through him, the boy wanted to find Asuralle and thank her. A sneer came onto his face but was quickly removed when the boy tried to regain control and almost succeeded. He decided that since the young boy wanted to find the bitch anyway, and he didn't know of any Nerima, that he would just let the boy take him there. 'Very strong-willed for a mortal. I'm sure he'll lead me right to Nerima.' Quickly letting the boy take control, Ishtanbrae moved to direct the situation.
"What? Who?"
The guide returned from his hut where he had gone briefly. "Here young sir," he said standing on the tips of his toes to pour the water over Ryoga. "is hot water. Hot water change you back to human, cold water now makes you demon. Am so sorry. No cure for Jusenkyo."
'Boy,' thought the demon trying to be as friendly as it is possible for a minion of hell to be, 'lets go find that angel.'
'Who are you?' Ryoga was very confused, much more than usual.
'Your new best friend. I was . . er . . sent here to help you find Asu . . I mean the angel'
Now Ryoga who, contrary to popular belief, is not stupid, knew something was up. He could, after all sense the demon's thoughts to a certain extent. And the demon, in turn, sensed this suspicious feeling. 'And... and I can help you beat... er, whatshisname... Ranma. Yeah, I can help you get back at him.'
Though he wasn't stupid, Ryoga did have a limited capacity for a logical train of thought, and his train was promptly derailed at the mention of his hated enemy. 'RANMA... you're going to help me get Ranma?'
'Yeah, I saw him headed to Nerima after the angel, he's probably going to kill her.'
'Ranma? No... I don't think he'd... kill someone anyway.' responded the lost boy in an uncharacteristically generous thought.
'Ravish?'
"RANMA! YOU FIEND! I will not allow you to ravish that beautiful creature! Now! Japan is to the north, I think."
And with that Ryoga was off, heading towards the setting sun on his way to Nerima.
----------------------
"School? Okay sounds good."
"Not so fast boy, we are going to be here for a while, and you . . . what? Okay?"
"Yeah, As has been helping me a lot in ancient history, grammar and stuff... and in other subjects, but she's a little short on some of the more recent developments in history, like the whole AD part, as well as math and the sciences. So, I figure... I believe it will be a good opportunity to catch up a bit."
Whap! "Boy! You're turning into a wimpy scholar-boy! What's all this about you going to school anyhow?"
"You suggested it father, and for once you have a good idea."
Genma paused, he could either admit that he had made a mistake, allow Ranma to become a wimpy scholar-boy, or defy logic and deny he had said anything. Which one do you think he picked? "I suggested nothing of the kind boy? Now, you will stay here and practice the art."
"Forget it pop, I'll see you later." Ranma thought he heard Kasumi sigh in dissapointment at this proclamation, but that couldn't be right. He grabbed the lunch from the counter, "Thanks Kasumi!" He took the proffered pack, "Thanks Nabiki," and donned it on his shoulder.
"Sure Ranma! I'll walk you to school."
"WE'LL walk you to school," amended Akane, glaring at Nabiki.
"Okay, sounds good." A smile was all that the two Tendo's needed to melt their insecurities away, and return the smile to their lips.
And they headed out, walking along the sidewalk. "So, what's Furinkan like?" said Ranma, trying to make conversation.
"It's a little... unusual, I suppose." Nabiki responded quickly, not giving her sister a chance.
"Really? Great! I was afraid it would be a boring-type school."
"Oh, no chance of boring at Furinkan, Ranma." added Akane.
Splash! The little old lady dropped her ladle in wonder. Ranma's hair grew red and longer. Her face grew softer, but with underlying angles, giving it greater form and beauty. She shrunk barely an inch in height, widening and thinning in different places. But most importantly was the wings, they grew out in an instant, but it seemed longer. Expanding through the carefully made slits in Ranma's outfit, they stretched, filling out, completing her with their blue-green majesty.
"Just great." Ranma stopped, concentrated for a few seconds starting to sweat, and the wings disappeared. The few people who had witnessed the transformation decided it was a figment of their imaginations, and went on their way.
"Ranma! How did you... do that?" exclaimed a confused Nabiki. Akane just stared.
"Oh, useful trick really. They are still there, just invisible. Go ahead, feel." They did just that, mouths opening in wonder. "Heh. I'm surprised this is a shock to you, after seeing me change bodies, I thought simple invisibility would be no big deal. Anyway, is there a place we can get hot water on the way to school? I'll tell you the story on the as we walk."
"Yeah, Dr. Tofu's," Akane quickly replied, "come on."
As the three headed there, Ranma related his story.
"Well, as you might think, the wings kinda draw a lot of attention, even more than the curse really, mainly cause they're bigger. Anyway sometimes, I found out, this is attention you most definitely do not want. People did a lot of weird things, anywhere from worshiping me, to hunting me, to bringing me their children to cure some disease from. There was even an entire Kendo club in one town who sought to free the 'pig-tailed angel' from my 'vile magic.' They actually believed we were different people, can you believe that?"
"No, weird."
"Yeah, pretty stupid. You would have to be REALLY thick to think that."
"Yeah, well, Asuralle has been teaching me some magic. Some of it, illusion it's called, lets me make things invisible. Only problem is, I'm not very powerful right now, so I can't maintain this field for very long, and I can't do it more than once or twice a day. I'll get more powerful though. As says that eventually I'll be able to hold the field up constantly."
"That's really neat Ranma, but who's Asuralle?" asked Nabiki sweetly, a tinge of jealousy seeping into her innocent question.
Ranma, being Ranma, did not notice this. "Oh, she's the angel that drowned in the spring. She teaches me stuff now, and she's a great friend."
'I appreciate the compliment Ranma, but refrain from using the word: stuff, okay?'
"Okay As. Anyway Nabiki, I..."
"We're here," announced Akane, signaling their arrival at the office and home of Dr. Tofu Ono, resident chiropractor and physician.
"I'll tell you more about it later." he finished as they went into the clinic.
"Dr. Tofu!" queried Akane.
"Just a minute. Be right there." came the calm reply. A moment later Ranma's magical senses felt a presence behind her. Training in the magics of divination had made it increasingly difficult for anyone to sneak up on her. Spinning around into a defensive stance, Ranma saw a young man in his early twenties, slightly taller than herself. He had glasses, and a small ponytail neatly tied.
"K... K... Kasumi?" muttered the man as his glasses began to fog.
"No," was the reply.
The man shook his head and peered at Ranma, "You're not Kasumi. I wonder why I thought that? Hmmm."
Ranma looked questioningly at Akane. Getting the hint, she walked up to the pair. "Dr. Tofu, this is my friend, Ranma. Ranma, Dr. Tofu." The two bowed slightly, and exchanged greetings.
"I have a question young lady, if you don't mind. Actually, three. One, how did you know I was behind you? Two, How are you performing invisibility? And three, where do your wings come from?"
"Wha?" Ranma stared at the doctor in amazement. "Well... to answer all three questions succinctly, magic. How did you know?" Ranma allowed the invisibility to disperse.
"Ki fields, very hard to hide those." the young doctor said, cloaking his amazement at the appearing wings very well. "Suppress, yes. Hide, no. Mind telling me more, I must say this is one of the more interesting things I've seen."
"ONE of the more interesting cases?!"
"Yes, I have some patients who tend to keep some unique . . features a secret. So they come to me."
"What kind of features?"
"Sorry, confidential you know. I can guarantee the same for you, and maybe help you if you have any problems with these," he said gesturing to the wings, "or anything else."
"Uh, ok. Akane, what time does school begin?" Ranma asked of her.
"Not for another half an hour Ranma, since we ate so early and left early as well." interjected Nabiki before her sister had the opportunity to answer.
"Ok, I have to warn you doctor, it is a very convoluted story." said the young angel uncertainly.
"Ah, but those are the best kind," responded the physician with a knowing smile.
Unbeknownst to Ranma, a championship glaring match was occurring not ten feet behind his back. It was of such epic proportions, that Nabiki regretted not having set up betting for it.
"Ok, this is how it happened..." and quickly Ranma told about Jusenkyo, about Asuralle and how great she was. He told of the journey from there to Nerima, leaving out many details due to time constraints. Finally, he finished with his arrival at the Tendo home the night before. During the telling, the doctor had heated some water and changed Ranma back to his birth-form. 'Ah, so THIS is what the glaring match was for,' he thought.
"Absolutely fascinating young man. Definitely in the top three stories I've heard. Thank you for giving me your confidence, I will keep it with honor." he said seriously. "And I expect you to do the same, ladies," he finished, looking at Nabiki meaningfully.
"Yes sir," she replied.
"Thank you very much doctor, but we have to go now, so we can get to school," said the newly male Ranma.
"Yes, yes. If you have an opportunity, Mr. Saotome, I would like to speak with you about this in more depth. Maybe even talk with Asuralle, if you don't mind."
"Okay, sure thing, doctor. I'll stop by when I get a chance."
-----------------
The trio had once again headed out the door and turned towards Furinkan. As they drew closer, Akane remembered about her morning fight. For a moment, she was depressed. Then an idea struck, it would be the perfect opportunity to prove her skills as a fighter to Ranma.
"Hey Ranma" she opened.
"Yes, Akane."
"When we get to school, a whole lot of guys are going to attack me, but I can handle them so don't help me, ok?"
"Huh? Why are they going to attack you?"
"Oh, this moron named Kuno thinks that I want to date him, even though I don't. So he told the school, 'If you wish to date Akane Tendo, you must defeat her.'"
"Yes, Kuno's a little unstable, his family has a history of mental problems, so be careful with him," added Nabiki. She didn't want her new fiancee getting hurt.
"Unstable, huh?" 'Maybe we can help him a little, right As?'
'Ranma, you have to learn you can't help everyone you come across. Just because you did it once, doesn't mean you can do it again (2)'
'Oh, come on As, it's two birds with one stone. If I help this Kuno guy, maybe he'll leave Akane alone.'
'Very well, Ranma. As usual, you have failed to heed my advice. Ah well.' she thought in a tone that didn't sound very disappointed, despite the words she said.
"Anyway, Akane, I can't just let you fight those guys, you could get hurt."
"Ranma, I've been doing it for a long time now, let me handle it." she responded in a surprisingly forceful tone.
"... ok... but if you look like you're in trouble, I'm not going to stand by and watch."
As he finished, they arrived at the gates, and the cries began.
"AKANE! I will defeat you!"
"No, I will!"
"Get away from Akane! I will be the one the defeat her!"
SLAM!
BAM!
CRUNCH!
SMASH!
A collective groan rose up around Akane's heavily breathing form, and silence filled the air.
"Truly! Such a boorish lot!"
Heads turned. A tall young man had appeared in front of Akane. He was dressed in traditional clothing, spurning the school uniform. His features were classically handsome, though nothing spectacular. The young man's features were complimented by the rose in his hand. He leveled his bokken at Akane.
"Evidently each of them intends to date you, on the dawn that he finally defeats you."
"Upperclassman Kuno," Akane acknowledged with a set jaw and little enthusiasm. "Good morning."
The tall student removed a rose from his teeth, and threw it to Akane, "and might you fight with me Akane Tendo?"
Akane sighed and placed her bag on the ground. "Ok, Kuno, lets get this over with."
"Oh, beautiful day. The gods surely smile on I, Tatewaki Kuno, that the lovely Akane wishes to fight with me to prove herself worthy of my love."
"Hey! Who said anything about my wanting to?! And what love!?"
"Do not fear, Akane. Once I have defeated you as gently as I dare, you shall be free to admit your love for me." With that, Tatewaki (3) rushed forward. He slashed, she dodged. He feinted to the left, but somehow made his true intentions clear before slashing towards Akane, allowing her to avoid the blow easily.
'What's this,' thought Ranma, 'I swear he's telegraphing his moves on purpose, letting her know exactly how to avoid them. How can she not see this? Hmm, that means he either doesn't want to hurt her, or doesn't really want to date her.'
'Most likely the former, Ranma. If he did not wish to date her, he wouldn't have made the proclamation in the first place. At least, I think not. Then again, mortals are strange creatures.'
'Hey!' thought Ranma in mock anger. 'We're not so bad. Anyway, they said he's unstable, so anything's possible.
By then the fight was over. Akane stormed into the school, momentarily forgetting about her sister and fiancee. Kuno lay in an unconscious heap along with a few of the remaining boys. Most had gone to class, after recovering from minor injuries. It was these that Ranma checked on; four or five boys still incapacitated from the morning's fight. He checked them over. One, with a broken arm, he sent to the nurse. Another two he helped to their feet, and recruited them in carrying a fourth, unconscious, to the nurse. They all gave their thanks for his efforts. He asked Nabiki to go inside so she wouldn't be late. She complied.
Finally, he reached Kuno. He was bruised up, unconscious, but otherwise ok. Ranma, after ensuring no one was around, allowed a slight glow to appear over Tatewaki's prone form. It glowed a light yellow for half a second, and then winked out. He stood up 'Hmm, now . . how can I get close to this guy?'
A groan escaped from beneath him, as Kuno sat up shakily from the ground. Ranma extended his hand and Tatewaki took in a moment later. "I appreciate your help sir, but I cannot place your name."
"Saotome. Ranma Saotome, and you are?"
Tatewaki's mouth opened very wide, as if to shout, but he quickly grasped his head in pain. He opted for a simpler approach. "Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman of Furinkan. Captain of the Kendo club."
Ranma shuddered a moment in remembrance of the last Kendo club he had dealt with, but he reminded himself that this was not the same one. "Well, upperclassman Kuno, I am a new student here. I must say I am impressed by your skills and your endurance, you took quite a beating."
"Of course! I am the undefeated star of the high school fencing world! Nothing can hurt me for long."
Ranma suppressed an urge to gag at the unrelenting surge of ego. After all, before Asuralle he had been almost that bad. "Truly, that explains your skill, Kuno. I, too, am skilled in the martial arts, being heir to the Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling. I have been looking for partners with whom to hone my skills, but I am afraid that none so far in Nerima have been up to the task. I feel that perhaps we may be able offer each other a challenge, so we may improve our skills mutually."
"Your offer is intriguing Ranma Saotome, but first I must witness your skills so that I may know if you will be a partner worthy of my person! Today, after school, we will meet in combat, so that I may witness you and your school in battle. So says Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!"
And the lightning flashed in the sky.
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Author's Notes:
(1) I refer to Kami-sama as a he in this fic. Please do not take offense to this. I simply do not want to have to keep typing he/she all the time. Thank you.
(2) Did it once huh? Did what once? Helped someone? Help someone with mental problems? What is it? I'm not going to tell you yet d8^p
(3) Yes. Tatewaki. Not plain Kuno. Tatewaki. I plan to develop him a bit beyond the block-headed upperclassman Kuno who mindlessly attacks Ranma and tries to win his two loves. For those of you who only know of Ranma through fanfiction, you may be unaware what I am talking about. To clarify, Kuno is his *last* name. I'm sure most of you know this, but there are a few that don't. His full name is Tatewaki Kuno, just as his sister's full name is Kodachi Kuno. See. Same last name.
No, I haven't forgotten the Amazon's. The village experience will probably be in next chapter.
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Ja ne,
Rudy