This idea came to me originally from a thread that
bounced around for a few
days on the FFML.
"There is a fatality, a feeling so irresistable and
inevitable that it has the force of doom which almost invariably compels human
beings to linger around and haunt, ghostlike, the spot where some great and
marked event which has given the color to their lifetime; and still the more
irresistibly, the darker the tinge that saddens it.
Chapter 1
The Girl in the Shadows
The light of the afternoon sun shone though the branches
of a pine tree casting shadows into the sitting room of the Tendo Dojo. If one
looked carefully they could almost make out the shape of a young girl.
Akane watched Nabiki, Kasumi and their two houseguests,
the girl, Ranma, and a large panda bear, waited for their father, Soun Tendo,
to recover from his fainting spell. Their younger brother, Kiri, sat in the
corner staring intently at Ranma.
"Oh dear, Father looks so upset," Kasumi fussed
as she replaced the wet towel on her father's forehead.
"He's upset?" Nabiki demanded, "This is
all your fault, Daddy.
I don't understand. Saotome said he had a son!" Soun
wailed.
"Son? Does this look like a son to you?" Nabiki
reached over and squeezing Ranma's breast for emphasis. "It looks like
it's going to be Kiri's job to unite our families."
"Would you please stop doing that?" Ranma
asked.
"Nabiki, stop that! He . . . she is a guest in this
house, in my house!" Akane shouted.
As usual Nabiki ignored her. So did everyone else, though
Kasumi rubbed her arms as if from a sudden chill. Akane was just starting to
plan the nightmares Nabiki would suffer that night when she saw Ranma looking
at her. Akane looked behind her to see what the red haired girl was looking at.
When she saw she was the only thing Ranma could possibly be looking at she
smiled sweetly. "I'm Akane, do you want to be friends?" she asked.
She was amazed when Ranma smiled and nodded.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Kasumi?" Kiri walked into the kitchen where
his older sister was finishing her preparations for supper.
"Yes, Kiri-chan, what is it?" Kasumi asked
turning up from her work.
"Where's Ranma?"
"Oh she went into the Dojo by herself. She's been
practicing martial arts all her life. Maybe she wanted to work out."
"That's great! Maybe she needs a sparring
partner!"
"Forget it, kid, she'd only throw you back,"
Nabiki interrupted walking into the kitchen. "Kasumi? Who's that old guy
with Daddy?"
"Kasumi? Nabiki's only joking when she said I had to
marry Ranma, right?" Kiri asked nervously.
Kasumi gave Nabiki a sharp look, which Nabiki returned
with a knowing smile. "Yes, Kiri-chan, Nabiki was just joking. "
"Oh good, Ranma's really pretty and all but I'm only
thirteen."
* * * * * * * * * *
Akane smiled to herself as she walked down the
hallway.
Ranma was different. Akane hadn't been able to even lay a
finger on her. In anyone else Akane would have felt patronized. Ranma didn't
even consider her enough of a threat to fight back. Akane dreaded how she might
have responded if Ranma had done more then just tap her on the shoulder.
Akane stopped at the bathroom. A familiar red shirt was
in the laundry hamper.
A young man was climbing out of the bathtub. He glanced
at the open door and stared at her.
Outside Akane leaned against the wall and let the top of
her Gi grow around her. Out of long old habit she took a deep breath.
* * * * * * * * * *
Soun and his friend were toasting each other when a gust
of wind burst through the sitting room. If one listened carefully one could
almost imagine a girl screaming and hear the noise of someone running down the
stairs. Suddenly all of the doors in the room flung open and the table went
flying.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Soun-chan! There a pervert in the bathroom!"
Akane shouted. For emphasis the flower vase, which hadn't been knocked over by
the wind, shattered.
"What's that Racket?"
"It sounded as if it was coming from the bath
room," Kasumi said "I hope Ranma's all right"
"I'll go check!" Kiri volunteered.
"Hello," everyone turned to see a young man
dressed in Ranma's clothes. "I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about this."
* * * * * * * * * *
Akane paced angrily behind the collected Tendos glaring
at the two men sitting in front of them, heavyset man dressed in a white gi,
bandana and glasses and boy who said he was Ranma. The boy looked as if he was
trying desperately not to look at her though she could see him follow her with
her eyes.
"This better be good, Soun-chan, she muttered,
"this had better be real good."
"I'll explain this one more time, Soun continued,
"this is my dear friend."
Akane studied the man carefully.
"And this is my son," Genma continued.
"Ranma," the boy finished.
"I don't get it, what's going on here?" Nabiki
asked.
"Yeah, what did you do to the real Ranma?" Kiri
demanded.
"Kiri-chan, that's very rude of you," Kasumi
chastised her little brother.
"Well I want to know," Akane shouted standing
in the middle of the informal circle. "What did you do to Ranma you little
pervert?" she demanded.
"Let me see how can I understand this," Genma
commented before Ranma could respond. "Of course," he grabbed Ranma
by the shirt and threw him into the Koi pond.
Everyone's eyes turned at the furious girl who rose from
the pond. "What the hell did you do that for?" she demanded.
"Its her!" Kiri shouted looking at Ranma's
chest and the way the wet silk stuck to it. "She's not wearing a, wearing
a . . . . ." He fainted as his nose began to bleed.
"Kiri-chan!" Kasumi gasped looking to see if he
was all right.
"Deep breathes, Kid," Nabiki chuckled.
"What is going on here?" Akane asked confused.
She was sure that she had seen something happen when Ranma fell into the pond,
other then the transformation of course. She was so distracted she barely
avoided being knocked in as well when Ranma kicked his father in the back
sending him flying into the pond.
"Stop now," she demanded. Genma froze just
before he hit the water. Akane walked slowly around the pond. She was sure that
the koi pond was beginning to glow and it was not the way it reflected the
streetlights. She walked back to the house studying the expression of Ranma
floating in mid kick. A faint blue glow surrounded her.
"Okay start up, but take it slow." Genma slowly
began to descend into the pond. The water slowly raised a thunderous splash as
he hit the water's surface. Akane watched as a faint mist filled the pond and
Genma Saotome's form was consumed by blue flame. The pond started to glow so
brightly that she could no longer see him underneath the water. As the light
faded she could see the silhouette of Genma Saotome slowly expand. Akane turned
for a moment to watch Ranma slowly land on a rock next to the koi pond. The
blue glow had faded from her entirely.
"Okay, speed up again," Akane muttered her
curiosity satisfied.
"...Are you to talk?" Ranma asked the angry
Panda.
"Why are you friends with these losers,
Soun-chan?" Akane asked walking back to the house.
"Daddy? Why are you friends from them?"
"They were not always this way," Soun answered,
"this is something new."
* * * * * * * * * *
"It was a fateful two weeks ago." Genma
explained fifteen minutes later after the two Saotomes had taken a quick hot
bath. "We had been traveling through western china for several months,
training and honing our abilities in many of the great training sights until
finally we reached our destination, the training ground of cursed springs.
"The grounds are a large plain covered by an endless
honey comb of springs. The object is to balance on the bamboo poles sticking
out of each spring while trying to knock your opponent into the ponds.
"What we did not know was that each of the pools
holds a terrible tragic tale. In each of the pools something or someone has
drowned. If someone were to fall into one of these springs they will take on
the form of the pools first victim. Ranma knocked me into the Spring of Drowned
Panda, afterwards he fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl."
"Hmmm the Legendary Springs of Jusenkyo, for years
but now we know their true horror," Soun said slowly.
"What do you know about it? Trust me you don't know
the meaning of true horror." Ranma growled. "Why the hell did you
have to take me to that god forsaken place, Old Man?" he demanded grabbing
Genma by the front of his Gi.
"Oh please is it really necessary to watch all of
this macho posturing all over again?" Akane groaned turning her back from
what was essentially a repeat of the previous fight. "I mean, knowing this
idiot he was probably too stupid to even learn Chinese for his trip."
"Stop this now!" Soun shouted pouring a kettle
of hot water over the Panda. Akane watched the Panda disappear in a flash of
blue flame to be replaced instantly by Genma Saotome. She wondered if any one
else could see it.
"Hot water returns you to your true form I
see," Soun commented repeating the process on Ranma.
"Hot not boiling!" Ranma shouted jumping out of
its way.
"Well looks as if your problems not that bad after
all," Soun grinned slapping Ranma on the shoulder, ignoring Ranma's
confusion. "My two daughters Kasumi, nineteen, and Nabiki, seventeen,
choose one and she will be your fiancée."
"Oh he wants Nabiki," Kasumi smiled holding her
younger sister by the shoulders.
"What?" Nabiki asked in shock.
"Oh, you'd be perfect, Sis," Kiri grinned.
"You are going down, squirt," Nabiki growled at
her brother. "But why me?" she turned to Kasumi.
"Because you're perfect, you're nearly the same age,
you both like martial arts and besides, you know how you've been complaining
about some of the boys in school? Well you're in luck! Ranma's a boy only half
of the time!"
"Can't argue with logic like that Akane grinned.
"You stay out of this!" Ranma shouted.
"What did you say?" Nabiki asked turning
towards Ranma already angry.
"Nothing! I didn't say nothing! Not that it's none
of your business. I'm out of here."
"Ranma! Where are you going?" Genma demanded.
"Back to China to find a cure! I don't have time for
fiancées or girls period. Especially annoying, kaiwaiikune ones like
you." he turned pointing at Akane.
It probably would have been a good idea if he had checked
just who Akane was standing in front of.
"Now that," Genma commented after Ranma had
gone sprawling from a direct hit from Nabiki, "he had coming."
* * * * * * * * * *
Ranma woke up about an hour later with Kasumi and Kiri
sitting next to her.
"You're probably right," Ranma muttered rubbing
her head.
Well anyway, I'm glad you're all right. You get some
rest. I have some work to do. Kiri-chan? "
"I can look after Ranma, Kasumi," Kiri sounded
hopeful.
"I'm sure Ranma would appreciate that, Kiri-chan,
but I think it would be better if you came with me."
Kiri reluctantly got up and followed his sister out of
the room/
Ranma shrugged and tried to relax.
"So, what is true horror?"
Ranma looked up to see Akane standing in front of
him." I don't see you, your not here I'm ignoring you," Ranma looked
away angrily.
"You told Soun-chan he didn't know true horror. That
suggests that you do. What is true horror?"
"Soun-chan? What is this place to you any way?"
Ranma asked.
"I'm their older sister," Akane replied.
"What? Did Mr. Tendo have a fourth child or
something?"
"No, I'm Soun-chan's older sister to. You're
changing the subject. What is true horror?"
"You don't want to know."
"You should see what some of my friends have been
through, try me."
"Why should I? It's not as of you're even a real
person."
"You wouldn't."
Akane grinned.
"All right, all right. When I arrived at the
training ground it was like Pop said it was. Except it was vast and empty and
the only ting you could hear was the wind and our guide going on and on about
all of the tragic tales involving each of the pools. It was like that until I
got knocked into the pool and I didn't fall the old man pushed me."
"I didn't say anything," Akane smiled.
"Got that right. Anyway when I came out it was dark
like there was going to be a storm and thousands of people and animals and
things were all standing next to a pool. All of them muttering to themselves it
was deafening. The only pool that didn't have one was the one I was sitting in.
It was only then that I noticed I had changed. Pop still thinks I was screaming
cause I had tits."
"Well that can't be that bad. The last real medium I
met was a Shinto Priestess. Poor girl was stuck living with her moocher of an
uncle. She seemed nice enough otherwise."
"Medium? What the heck makes you think I'm a
medium?"
"You and I are maintaining a polite conversation.
What else do you call that?"
"Crazy."
"Oh come on, so you could see all of the victims of
Jusenkyo I don't see how terrible that could be.
"Oh you don't know the half of it," Ranma
muttered, "is there a mirror in this house?" Akane nodded. "Then
let's get some hot water and I'll show you.
* * * * * * * * * *
"What am I looking at?" Akane asked when they
got to the mirror in the hallway.
"Just keep looking at my reflection," Ranma
poured the water over herself. The Akane watched the transformation in the
mirror like his father Ranma was consumed by a blue flame that lasted only a
moment fading into a faint glow. Akane's eyes widened as she saw what was left
in the mirror. Ranma had not changed.
"It's always her." Akane turned to see a very
much male Ranma looking at her. "Even when I'm a guy it's her reflection.
And if you think that's weird look at this. He waved his hand in front of the
mirror. The girl in the mirror moved her hand as well but it seemed to be about
two seconds behind reality.
"Its as if I was moving a puppet," Ranma
sniffed. "Its like her soul is attached to me. I see through her eyes, I
hear through her ears. I have the sneaking suspicion my soul is trapped in that
pool and the next poor schmuck who falls in that pool will turn into me."
"Well it can't be that bad.
"That bad? Do you know what it's like having to
watch out if whoever you see is real so people don't think your crazy. At least
most of the time its easy most of them are a bunch of head cases. But
occasionally you run into ones that act like normal. Just my luck their un-cute
dead girls to."
"Un cute?" Akane growled. The room darkened as
wind blew through the hallway.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Un cute dead girl thinks she's so tough blowing me
into the pond." Ranma muttered as she walked to the bathroom. "Thinks
she can boss people around as if she owns the place. She pulled off her shirt
and tossed it into the wash basket. She opened the door to the bathroom walking
right into a naked Nabiki.
"Why you . . ." Nabiki growled.
* * * * * * * * * *
"So she has spunk," Genma looked critically at
his son's swollen jaw. "It's what makes a fiancée cute."
"Cute has nothing to do with it." Ranma
muttered.
* * * * * * * * *
I don't get it, Sis," Kiri said keeping safely out
of Nabiki's punching range, "if you were both girls its okay. Right?"
Nabiki turned saying nothing, and glared at Kiri as a cat
would a mouse. Kiri backed away quickly.
* * * * * * * * * *
Akane stood next to the Koi pond watching the trees in
the Tendo garden sway in the wind. "Un cute dead girl, hmph, who does that
jerk think he is?