I do not own Ranma 1/2. Although I do own the new character I'm about to
introduce.
Now, on with the advanced fiction! And just for those who care, this is in first person with some inserts from other areas wherever I find it relevant to the story. Okay? ^.^
Type: 1st person Character opening name: David ***** Dilas
(Edited first chapter for the complainers.) I'm not quite as self-defeating as this guy, I made his attitude first, then his history. If you want to know the history, leave a review and I'll post it as a part of the next available chapter.
~~~~~~*** WHO ARE YOU? ***~~~~~~
"Are you done honey?"
"Yeah, mom."
"Well then, put your plate in the sink, okay?" That's my mom.
"Uh, huh." Plate in sink, make annoying klacky noise.
Seems like a lot of things are annoying anymore. Especially those things that are the same from day to day.
I walk through the house, barely aware that I'm even there. What's there to be aware of? I've already seen it all. It's sad when your entire life is just one big rerun you can't get out of.
Practically falling into my bed, I turned to the side, where a conveniently placed remote was within my grasp. Hitting the power button, I changed it to the appropriate channel. InuYasha was on, and I enjoyed it.
What else was there to do? My homework was done, being so simple that I could get it done in school. I never really needed to do chores, they were always done, I never really thought about it.
So, for the next two hours, I watched Anime. Which happened to be my favorite activity.
~~ Skipping ahead a while ~~
Lying in bed, I just couldn't seem to get to sleep. I felt... I don't know. It just seemed stuffy, and I needed to get out and get a breath of fresh air.
Tip-toeing upstairs I slipped my sandals on, telling myself I was just going to go look at the stars for a while. Maybe they would help me feel like sleeping.
Quickly opening the door, so as to make the squeak as short as possible, I stepped outside.
Being in jean shorts, short sleeves, and sandals, the 45 degrees outside gave me goose bumps pretty quickly.
With a frown, I did the usual, and decided it wasn't worth the trip back to my room to get my jacket, and decided to just be cold.
'Well, I guess there is a heater in the tree house.' Making another quick decision, I went to my old tree house. And guess where that was?
Yup, it was in the air, on stilts because we didn't have any trees, and only about four feet off the ground because it was first put up when I was three. Fortunately, it was fairly well built so I could still get in and sit around. And whatever.
Fumbling around with numb fingers, I finally found the lighter for the heat lamp. I switched it on, and decided to look out the window while I waited.
Man, I just love clear nights. Looking up at the stars, it always makes me feel like... maybe there's something else? Like if I looked hard enough, I could find something.
And looking at it all, the multitudes of stars reminds me, that even this world... is incredibly small. And that just about anything could be out there.
I'm not sure why, but even knowing what they were, just stars, seeing them there, always seemed to make me forget it all.
It was still warming, so to pass the time while I waited, I thought I might revive an old habit.
"Star light, star bright, one of the stars I see tonight. Wish I may, wish I might, have the wish, I wish tonight." Wow, that's corny isn't it?
I thought about it for a moment, another habit rearing its ugly head. I always want to be specific, and I have to sound like I know what I'm talking about. "I wish... I wish..."
Careful in selecting the right words, I went on. (I take forever, don't I? I guess I don't think well cold...?) "Alright, I got it. I wish that my life was more exciting. More spontaneous. I wish for things, and people, to change every once in a while! I wish for my life to be..." Those darn words again! "... different from THIS!"
"Are you sure?"
Surprised, I almost jumped out of my place. I turned around and in the dim light (and I mean DIM!) I saw what looked like a kid. 'Well, where did he come from?'
"Who are you?"
"You should know, you WERE just speaking to me, weren't you?" His voice was not that of a kid, and it held a calm. One I couldn't seem to muster because of the cold.
I'm sure the look I gave him was a perfect Kodak moment. "Um, no. I was wishing on a star."
"So you WERE speaking to me!"
"... Huh?"
"Yes, I get that reaction a lot."
I was still confused speechless. "Okay, let me explain."
With a short bow, he introduced himself. "I am the spirit of the wandering star. I grant wishes."
"Wishes?"
"Yes, but only one per customer."
"So... you're here to grant my wish?"
"Well, yes. But only if you're truly sincere about it. If you think that you'll back out, then I'll leave now and you won't remember ever having this meeting."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, yours is... well, it's well worded, but very vague. I mean, different from this?" I chuckled.
"Okay, so my brain doesn't work all that well cold."
"I suppose. Though that also means that it came from the heart, because it isn't cold." His smile said something to me, and I wasn't (and still aren't) sure what it was. "Well, if you give me your word, then that's good enough for me. But, I can't assure what kind of life you'll receive."
"Why?"
"Well, because... I can't change your life, because that would involve changing everyone else's lives. So instead, you'll be given a new one, and with such a vague premise as this, I can't be sure where you will end up."
I thought about it for a while. And I do mean a while! By the time I had made my decision, it had finally warmed up a bit in the little wooden building and my brain had warmed up as well. (Like a car, it just needs to run for a while... hehe.) "Well, here are some things I've considered. One, with this wish, I could end up just about anywhere. And with you not even knowing, I don't know what I'm getting into." The man nodded. "Number two, however, is that if I say no, then memory of this will be taken from me. I don't think I would like that. And number three is this. I can't stand living this life anymore. I've been like the walking dead, there's a head on my shoulders, but nothing's in it. I can't relate to people for some reason or another, and those I can talk to feel the same way." I sighed, I hated to even think about the next part, but I felt I needed to say it. "I can't even talk to my mother and my dad's long gone. I can't stay here, and that's why I accept."
The man looked at me for a moment. "You're right, your brain did need to warm up. So I take it you give me your word then?" I nodded. "Okay then. Now close your eyes, you might feel nauseous for a moment, but that's perfectly normal. Relax."
Slowly at first, but coming more quickly with time, I got several feelings. First, like he said, I did feel nauseous. But that was just the first one, after that I felt dizzy, then it felt like the blood suddenly rushed to my head. And just as quickly as that came, the blood suddenly seemed to rush out of my head. Not only could I not see straight, it seemed like I couldn't see at all.
My vision was tunneled and my sense of balance was quickly lost. As I tried to put my hand on a wall for balance, I found that I also felt numb. I couldn't tell if there even WAS a wall there.
I couldn't feel texture, hot or cold, and my knees buckled underneath me.
And then, it stopped. My head cleared, though it took a while more for my vision to do the same.
It seemed like there was a ringing in my ears, and I just then noticed it, because it left and I found myself listening to the sounds of a city street!
BREATHE!!! A burning in my lungs alerted me to the fact that I had been holding my breath.
Blinking the dizziness away, I let my heart rate go back to normal. As it did, my vision cleared. And the first thing I noticed was that it was awfully BRIGHT!! I had to cover my eyes!
Rubbing life into them, it seemed that something was definitely different.
Taking a moment to let my eyes adjust, I slowly opened them. As I did, there was something else I noticed.
As strange as it seemed, it looked like I was smack in the middle of an Anime! All the people had those big eyes Anime's are so famous for, and the busy city setting and spiky hairdo's also helped to tip me off. After all, where I had just come from, no one could really get their hair THAT bright a shade of blue! Let alone have it stick up perfectly in five directions!
'Ookay. Time to try standing...' Thinking to myself, rather than sounding like an oddball, I coaxed myself back to life.
'Well, it certainly IS different!' As I stood, I still couldn't really tell where I was. I did recognize the style; it looked an awful lot like InuYasha. But that was set in FEUDAL Japan. And besides that, was I really in Japan? If I asked, would anybody understand?
'Okay, one thing at a time.' By virtue of a nagging feeling tugging at the back of my mind, I turned around and looked at the wall that I had apparently getting support from. The lower half was brick of some kind, and above that was glass. Tempered was my guess, seeing as how I could see two images when I looked at it.
I could see what was inside, but I wasn't hungry (that means it was a food store, a bakery in fact). Instead, I focused on the image I could see reflected in it. I wanted to see what I looked like.
'Hmmm... I don't really look like myself. I guess that's okay...' My eyes were also the same type as those of the people I saw on the street; at least I was pretty sure they were. Even though I could see most things, I felt like a camera with fog on the lens. Everything just seemed slightly out of focus. That and the double image didn't afford a good catch on what I really looked like.
With a quick sigh, that also seemed Animeish, I started walking down the street, hoping maybe some movement would kick my eyes awake.
Although I didn't exactly feel at home, I wasn't about to show that I didn't know where I was.
As I walked, I also listened. From most people, I caught only glimpses of conversations, mostly teenagers swooning over each other, or giggling girls laughing about something or another. 'Well, I guess there must be a school nearby. What am I talking about? There's ALWAYS a school nearby!' I also came to the conclusion that school must have just gotten out, because the morning would see more adults mixed in. At least, that's how I saw it.
I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going, so I guess it's no real surprise that I had an encounter.
As I stared more to the ground than watching where I was going, I noticed some movement right in front of me.
Two pairs of gray shoes stopped right in front of me, and I was still trying to get my thoughts straight! 'Geeze, can't these guys bother me later?'
It was the taller one on the left that spoke first. "Hey girly, where you goin'?"
That woke me up right away. With a surprised feeling and a strange gut sense type thing (I don't really know how to say it...), I grabbed the guy's shirt and looked him in the eye, not angry, more confused. "What did you say?!?!?!?" I'm pretty sure it came out sounding panicked.
The guy was totally dumbstruck... as was I. Not from my reaction, rather, it was from the sound of my voice! Letting go of his shirt, I put up one finger. "Hold that thought for ONE second!"
With adrenaline in my system, I ran back to the last window I had passed, a few steps and I came to the recessed door I had just passed.
My Anime eyes (one thing to get used to) were wide open, I could tell I didn't look anything like myself, but then I came to what the REST of me looked like!
As I took it all in, I suddenly became more aware of the signals my skin was sending me. And it was then, as I stared dumbstruck at the reflection in the windowed door, that that annoying twitch under my left eye decided to come back.
"Hehe... he he he.. heheha. Hehe! Eh, hehe, heh." I can't really explain why, but for some strange reason, I started laughing. Probably in disbelief. Somehow, it just seemed funny!
Almost like a strange, laughing robot, I somehow ended up back in front of those guys that stopped me. Except this time, I had a goofy grin on my face and was laughing my head off. "Hehe, he heh, hey... hehe, he, uh, he... check it out. I'm a girl! Hehe heh.... Eh, hehe Hahaha! Uh... hehe heh... hehe he, he, hehe." Still laughing like I was about to explode, I decided to walk away, still lost somewhere in the corners of my own mind.
~~
"Hey! Wait a--!?" The second guy was stopped by the first.
"No man, it ain't right to mess with people like that. Let's just... walk away quietly."
Begrudgingly, the second guy followed the first as he walked off in the opposite direction.
~~
As I walked back to the bakery, I suppose I calmed down. But that image was still in my head. If it wasn't me, that picture was of a girl that I might have...! Honestly, in my old life, I would have ignored her completely. In my old life, I ignored EVERYONE completely.
"Well, old man. I guess this works. But now what?"
He had said that I wouldn't have to look far, so I did the only thing I could really think of. I went back to that bakery, where I had first landed. I figured that was as good a place as any to get started. But started what?
~~
"Oh well... let's see...." Standing just outside the bakery, I decided to take stock of what was around me.
From somewhere close by, I could smell something interesting. I was pretty sure I recognized that smell!
Looking around, my eyes laid on a small little place. It was called the 'Cat Cafe'. 'Well, I like cats!' Without really thinking too hard (it was starting to hurt, and besides, I found that I was now hungry) I started walking towards it. Being careful (the follower of rules I am) to use the crosswalks (there were no cars).
"Um, hello?" I poked my head in, wondering if there was anyone there.
A strange looking old hag came forward. "Groom? That you?"
Looking at her, I was sure I was in the right place. "Um, I'm sorry. But who is Groom?"
"Eh? Oh! You not groom! You customer? We make wonderful Ramen!"
'So THAT'S what that smell was!' "Um, sorry, but do you have a restroom?"
"Oh, yes. Of course, in the back, here, Shampoo will show you."
"Shampoo?" A girl wearing a funny looking dress-type thing came out of what seemed like hiding.
"Yes? Great-Grandmother?"
"Take this girl to the restrooms, go now, I will tend to the desk."
"Yes, Great-Grandmother. You come with?"
"Um, sure." I followed the girl named after a kind of hair soap to the back.
"Here is!" She opened the door for me, and I thanked her as I went in.
'Finally, maybe now I can check a few things.'
In the next five minutes, I had done three things. I had found that, one; I had exactly eleven dollars and sixty-five cents on me. What with forgetting to put it away before going to bed (one of the few times something good came from being forgetful). Problem was that it was in American money. 'Oh well, I might be able to do something with it.' Two, I was, indeed, a girl. 'Yeesh. Oh well, at least it's different...' And three, I was very glad I was in a restroom! 'That's what I get for drinking a half gallon of water before bed!'
Upon finishing, I heard voices out front. I couldn't pick out a whole lot, but one of the first words I did hear was; "GROOM!!" and after that came "Ghoul!" Upon hearing what I assumed to be nicknames, I wondered what the heck was wrong with these people.
Then I smiled. 'Yep, I'm in the right place all right!'
Gathering my courage (and my slightly too large clothes, I was SO glad I still had my belt) I went back out front.
"So, you DO have some customers, eh Ghoul?" Some girl was yelling at the old lady. I still didn't know her name, so I instead tapped her on the shoulder.
"Eh? Yes, can I help you?"
"Um, yes. Do you take American Money?"
"Oh yes, can't get along for long without it around here. Is that all you have?" I nodded.
"Um, yeah, sorry..."
"Oh, it's no problem! Shampoo! Can you tend to our guest here?" The old lady turned back around, to find Shampoo seeming to hug the life out of the girl that was just speaking a minute ago.
"Ack! Shampoo! L-let go please!"
"Shampoo!! Did you hear me!?"
"Huh? Oh, yes Great-Grandmother!" The strange girl immediately bounded behind the counter (and I do mean BOUNDED) and looked at me expectedly. "Can I help?" She seemed to have a semi-ignorant smile on her face.
And I was surprised as heck. "Uh... huh. Um, this place has Ramen?" I almost couldn't form the words, but the girl nodded anyway. "Okay... what flavors do you have?"
She smiled a bit more. 'Is that possible?' "Yes! We have many flavors! You want menu?"
I was still slightly dumbstruck. I could tell I had found the right place. If the names hadn't tipped me off, their strange character quirks told me these people were trouble. And just what I was looking for. "Uh, yeah. I guess that works. Sure."
"Okay!" She smiled again, and handed me a menu. Again, my only thought was 'How the heck can she smile even MORE!?!?"
I took the menu and looked over the selections. It took me only a few seconds to find what I wanted. My favorite flavor had always been beef. So I looked at the prices, almost surprised to find it in both Yen AND American dollars!
It was right then that I noticed something else. The writing. 'Hey, wait a second... This isn't English... It's JAPANESE!!!' "I'M READING JAPANESE!!!"
The girl from before, the one called groom, turned her attention on me. "And this is surprising... why?"
"Geeze! I said that out loud!?!?"
She smiled and spoke in an almost teasing way. "Yeah! And you said it in Japanese too!"
I was dumbstruck! Less than an hour ago I didn't even know enough Japanese to ask where the bathroom was! "Shoot! Less than an hour ago, I didn't even know enough Japanese to ask where the bathroom was!!!"
I had never really been one to think out loud... but apparently I was. And that girl was quick to pick up on it. "What do you mean? You seem to be doing pretty well to me."
I was royally confused now. And I dealt with it by being speechless for a minute or so. After which, I turned back to the girl behind the counter. "Um, beef please... hard cooked. I don't like that soft stuff." I pulled some money from my pocket and practically slammed a little more than the exact change on the counter. Thirty-five cents was the price, but I just put about fifty or so. In case there was tax or something stupid like that.
After a moment, she counted it out. "Great-Grandmother! How much is this?"
"Oh... do you want your change?"
Smiling a strained smile, I shook my head no. "Eh, keep the change?" Half stiff-kneed, I walked to a table and sat, my American habit of having a seat fooling me into falling on my butt.
The odd girl called groom (is there something wrong with that?) seemed to not know what to think about me for a second or so, and then decided to wave it off and turned to... Ghoul. "Well, actually, I came here to tell you that some of us at the dojo were thinking about taking a vacation. The principal at our school gave each student passes to get a bunch of people to Hawaii. There's too many in the dojo already, and we've got a few extras." She pulled some airplane tickets out of a pocket on her clothes, which to me looked like a pair of pajamas.
"..."
"I was wondering if Shampoo'd like to come?"
"OH RANMA! YOU WILL TAKE SHAMPOO ON DATE WITH YOU!?" In less than a second, the strange girl from behind the counter was already in a begging stance in front of the other strange girl, hopping in the air over and over. "Will be just you and me?"
'What's wrong with these people? Is she a lesbo?'
At that moment, the other girl, who was apparently named Ranma, walked over to a stove. "Well, actually, I've been asking everyone. Ukyo says she has to watch the shop so she can't come, and Akane has to come anyway. I'm not even gonna ask the others cause they really creep me out, and since everyone at the dojo's going, that leaves you." She picked up a pot of hot water and... Poured it on herself!?!?
'GAAAHH!! SHE'S A BOY!!!' I was struck speechless when that Ranma girl turned into a boy before my very eyes!!!
I was so shocked that I interrupted their conversation to go and poke his chest to make sure it was real. "Wow! It's real! How did you do that!?" I looked her... um, him in the eye, and found that he was now at eye level with me!
"Huh? Um, I'm cursed..."
"Cursed?"
"You really aren't from around here, are you?" I shook my head no.
"No, in fact just a little bit ago... I was in a tree house and speaking English. Oh, AND I was a boy too..." Without really even moving, I thought about that statement for a moment. "Wow! That sounds really stupid!"
"Eh! When you live around here, weird stuff seems to happen a lot." He grunted. "And somehow, I ALWAYS get mixed up in it!"
I looked at him for a moment... not really thinking anything. Then, surprising even myself, I said something. "PERFECT!!! YOU'RE JUST THE PERSON I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!! YEAH!!" Honestly, I didn't even think about how uncharacteristic that was for me...
Shampoo didn't sound too happy though. "Um, excuse me. Your Ramen is ready..."
"Nevermind that, I'm not really all that hungry! Hey! Can you take me home!? I haven't really got any place to go, and if things are as interesting as you say, then you're JUST the person I'm supposed to find!!!"
"Uh... huh?"
I was so excited that I didn't even notice that Shampoo was right beside me. "Ranma MINE!!!"
"Huh?" I turned to face her just before she hit me in the side and sent me into the wall. "Ow..." I pushed several boxes off of me that I had fallen into.
"Wow! That was easy! Ranma! I go with you! Okay?"
"Um, okay! Hey, are you okay? You didn't even block!"
I was a bit hurt and frustrated. "That's because... I'm not a FIGHTER!! And what's your problem anyway!"
"Ranma is mine! He is to be MY HUSBAND!!"
"WHAT!? I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!" Then I thought about the current circumstances. When I realized what was going on, I laughed, and I think I blushed too. (Something else I never normally do.) "Oh yeah... I forgot... I'm a girl. Hehe, look, I'm don't know what your relationship to this guy is, but I can tell you're the jealous type. Also, I don't want him, so as far as I'm concerned, you can have him."
"Hey, don't I get a say?"
"Groom, you shall marry Shampoo!"
"Shut up ghoul!" The ghoul (who's name I STILL didn't know) stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. "Heh, for someone over a hundred years old, you sure are immature!" The old lady simply looked away, that is until I shoved my face into hers.
"Hey, what's your name anyway?"
"Hey! Why do you care!?"
"Because if I'm gonna be sticking around, I may as well know the names of these people!" I was holding my ground, well, standing anyway.
"My name is Cologne. Are you happy?"
"Yep!" Then I thought about that. (I seem to be thinking about a lot lately...) 'Wow, there's even more wrong with these people than I thought!' I didn't know it, but I was standing with fists and teary eyes.
"Um, are you okay?" Ranma was looking me over as I was thinking about how life would NEVER be boring again!
"YES! Now take me to see these other people you spoke of! Are any of them cursed?"
"Huh? Um, okay?"
"YAY!!!"
~~~ Somewhere else ~~~
"Hey Hanumiki, doesn't it seem kind of... odd how much these people's personality's change?"
"Well, that's for adaptation. And most of what we see there is based on the original. Except for the language thing and a little bit of other things. That's the real person, simply better suited to the environment."
"Well do you want me to keep an eye on her?" Bishibon was a bit downtrodden that his friend had used _that_ spell again.
"If you would please?" Bishibon only sighed.
"I'll keep an eye on them." Even though he didn't say _her_, Hanumiki knew that it was a yes.
~~~~~~*** End of Chapter 1 ***~~~~~~
I recently purchased some Ranma Manga and am now thoroughly obsessed with it. I bought it telling my brother that "I've heard this is the stuff obsessions are made of!"
Hehe, I had no idea how right I was...
Being kind of new, I can honestly say that my collection is FAR from complete. So if something doesn't seem complete, blame it on my funding, which is non-existent, which also happens to be the problem.
Well, that's it for now. Do tell me what you think!
Well, till later.
Alex Ultra: Creator of Eternal Realm
LATER
Now, on with the advanced fiction! And just for those who care, this is in first person with some inserts from other areas wherever I find it relevant to the story. Okay? ^.^
Type: 1st person Character opening name: David ***** Dilas
(Edited first chapter for the complainers.) I'm not quite as self-defeating as this guy, I made his attitude first, then his history. If you want to know the history, leave a review and I'll post it as a part of the next available chapter.
~~~~~~*** WHO ARE YOU? ***~~~~~~
"Are you done honey?"
"Yeah, mom."
"Well then, put your plate in the sink, okay?" That's my mom.
"Uh, huh." Plate in sink, make annoying klacky noise.
Seems like a lot of things are annoying anymore. Especially those things that are the same from day to day.
I walk through the house, barely aware that I'm even there. What's there to be aware of? I've already seen it all. It's sad when your entire life is just one big rerun you can't get out of.
Practically falling into my bed, I turned to the side, where a conveniently placed remote was within my grasp. Hitting the power button, I changed it to the appropriate channel. InuYasha was on, and I enjoyed it.
What else was there to do? My homework was done, being so simple that I could get it done in school. I never really needed to do chores, they were always done, I never really thought about it.
So, for the next two hours, I watched Anime. Which happened to be my favorite activity.
~~ Skipping ahead a while ~~
Lying in bed, I just couldn't seem to get to sleep. I felt... I don't know. It just seemed stuffy, and I needed to get out and get a breath of fresh air.
Tip-toeing upstairs I slipped my sandals on, telling myself I was just going to go look at the stars for a while. Maybe they would help me feel like sleeping.
Quickly opening the door, so as to make the squeak as short as possible, I stepped outside.
Being in jean shorts, short sleeves, and sandals, the 45 degrees outside gave me goose bumps pretty quickly.
With a frown, I did the usual, and decided it wasn't worth the trip back to my room to get my jacket, and decided to just be cold.
'Well, I guess there is a heater in the tree house.' Making another quick decision, I went to my old tree house. And guess where that was?
Yup, it was in the air, on stilts because we didn't have any trees, and only about four feet off the ground because it was first put up when I was three. Fortunately, it was fairly well built so I could still get in and sit around. And whatever.
Fumbling around with numb fingers, I finally found the lighter for the heat lamp. I switched it on, and decided to look out the window while I waited.
Man, I just love clear nights. Looking up at the stars, it always makes me feel like... maybe there's something else? Like if I looked hard enough, I could find something.
And looking at it all, the multitudes of stars reminds me, that even this world... is incredibly small. And that just about anything could be out there.
I'm not sure why, but even knowing what they were, just stars, seeing them there, always seemed to make me forget it all.
It was still warming, so to pass the time while I waited, I thought I might revive an old habit.
"Star light, star bright, one of the stars I see tonight. Wish I may, wish I might, have the wish, I wish tonight." Wow, that's corny isn't it?
I thought about it for a moment, another habit rearing its ugly head. I always want to be specific, and I have to sound like I know what I'm talking about. "I wish... I wish..."
Careful in selecting the right words, I went on. (I take forever, don't I? I guess I don't think well cold...?) "Alright, I got it. I wish that my life was more exciting. More spontaneous. I wish for things, and people, to change every once in a while! I wish for my life to be..." Those darn words again! "... different from THIS!"
"Are you sure?"
Surprised, I almost jumped out of my place. I turned around and in the dim light (and I mean DIM!) I saw what looked like a kid. 'Well, where did he come from?'
"Who are you?"
"You should know, you WERE just speaking to me, weren't you?" His voice was not that of a kid, and it held a calm. One I couldn't seem to muster because of the cold.
I'm sure the look I gave him was a perfect Kodak moment. "Um, no. I was wishing on a star."
"So you WERE speaking to me!"
"... Huh?"
"Yes, I get that reaction a lot."
I was still confused speechless. "Okay, let me explain."
With a short bow, he introduced himself. "I am the spirit of the wandering star. I grant wishes."
"Wishes?"
"Yes, but only one per customer."
"So... you're here to grant my wish?"
"Well, yes. But only if you're truly sincere about it. If you think that you'll back out, then I'll leave now and you won't remember ever having this meeting."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, yours is... well, it's well worded, but very vague. I mean, different from this?" I chuckled.
"Okay, so my brain doesn't work all that well cold."
"I suppose. Though that also means that it came from the heart, because it isn't cold." His smile said something to me, and I wasn't (and still aren't) sure what it was. "Well, if you give me your word, then that's good enough for me. But, I can't assure what kind of life you'll receive."
"Why?"
"Well, because... I can't change your life, because that would involve changing everyone else's lives. So instead, you'll be given a new one, and with such a vague premise as this, I can't be sure where you will end up."
I thought about it for a while. And I do mean a while! By the time I had made my decision, it had finally warmed up a bit in the little wooden building and my brain had warmed up as well. (Like a car, it just needs to run for a while... hehe.) "Well, here are some things I've considered. One, with this wish, I could end up just about anywhere. And with you not even knowing, I don't know what I'm getting into." The man nodded. "Number two, however, is that if I say no, then memory of this will be taken from me. I don't think I would like that. And number three is this. I can't stand living this life anymore. I've been like the walking dead, there's a head on my shoulders, but nothing's in it. I can't relate to people for some reason or another, and those I can talk to feel the same way." I sighed, I hated to even think about the next part, but I felt I needed to say it. "I can't even talk to my mother and my dad's long gone. I can't stay here, and that's why I accept."
The man looked at me for a moment. "You're right, your brain did need to warm up. So I take it you give me your word then?" I nodded. "Okay then. Now close your eyes, you might feel nauseous for a moment, but that's perfectly normal. Relax."
Slowly at first, but coming more quickly with time, I got several feelings. First, like he said, I did feel nauseous. But that was just the first one, after that I felt dizzy, then it felt like the blood suddenly rushed to my head. And just as quickly as that came, the blood suddenly seemed to rush out of my head. Not only could I not see straight, it seemed like I couldn't see at all.
My vision was tunneled and my sense of balance was quickly lost. As I tried to put my hand on a wall for balance, I found that I also felt numb. I couldn't tell if there even WAS a wall there.
I couldn't feel texture, hot or cold, and my knees buckled underneath me.
And then, it stopped. My head cleared, though it took a while more for my vision to do the same.
It seemed like there was a ringing in my ears, and I just then noticed it, because it left and I found myself listening to the sounds of a city street!
BREATHE!!! A burning in my lungs alerted me to the fact that I had been holding my breath.
Blinking the dizziness away, I let my heart rate go back to normal. As it did, my vision cleared. And the first thing I noticed was that it was awfully BRIGHT!! I had to cover my eyes!
Rubbing life into them, it seemed that something was definitely different.
Taking a moment to let my eyes adjust, I slowly opened them. As I did, there was something else I noticed.
As strange as it seemed, it looked like I was smack in the middle of an Anime! All the people had those big eyes Anime's are so famous for, and the busy city setting and spiky hairdo's also helped to tip me off. After all, where I had just come from, no one could really get their hair THAT bright a shade of blue! Let alone have it stick up perfectly in five directions!
'Ookay. Time to try standing...' Thinking to myself, rather than sounding like an oddball, I coaxed myself back to life.
'Well, it certainly IS different!' As I stood, I still couldn't really tell where I was. I did recognize the style; it looked an awful lot like InuYasha. But that was set in FEUDAL Japan. And besides that, was I really in Japan? If I asked, would anybody understand?
'Okay, one thing at a time.' By virtue of a nagging feeling tugging at the back of my mind, I turned around and looked at the wall that I had apparently getting support from. The lower half was brick of some kind, and above that was glass. Tempered was my guess, seeing as how I could see two images when I looked at it.
I could see what was inside, but I wasn't hungry (that means it was a food store, a bakery in fact). Instead, I focused on the image I could see reflected in it. I wanted to see what I looked like.
'Hmmm... I don't really look like myself. I guess that's okay...' My eyes were also the same type as those of the people I saw on the street; at least I was pretty sure they were. Even though I could see most things, I felt like a camera with fog on the lens. Everything just seemed slightly out of focus. That and the double image didn't afford a good catch on what I really looked like.
With a quick sigh, that also seemed Animeish, I started walking down the street, hoping maybe some movement would kick my eyes awake.
Although I didn't exactly feel at home, I wasn't about to show that I didn't know where I was.
As I walked, I also listened. From most people, I caught only glimpses of conversations, mostly teenagers swooning over each other, or giggling girls laughing about something or another. 'Well, I guess there must be a school nearby. What am I talking about? There's ALWAYS a school nearby!' I also came to the conclusion that school must have just gotten out, because the morning would see more adults mixed in. At least, that's how I saw it.
I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going, so I guess it's no real surprise that I had an encounter.
As I stared more to the ground than watching where I was going, I noticed some movement right in front of me.
Two pairs of gray shoes stopped right in front of me, and I was still trying to get my thoughts straight! 'Geeze, can't these guys bother me later?'
It was the taller one on the left that spoke first. "Hey girly, where you goin'?"
That woke me up right away. With a surprised feeling and a strange gut sense type thing (I don't really know how to say it...), I grabbed the guy's shirt and looked him in the eye, not angry, more confused. "What did you say?!?!?!?" I'm pretty sure it came out sounding panicked.
The guy was totally dumbstruck... as was I. Not from my reaction, rather, it was from the sound of my voice! Letting go of his shirt, I put up one finger. "Hold that thought for ONE second!"
With adrenaline in my system, I ran back to the last window I had passed, a few steps and I came to the recessed door I had just passed.
My Anime eyes (one thing to get used to) were wide open, I could tell I didn't look anything like myself, but then I came to what the REST of me looked like!
As I took it all in, I suddenly became more aware of the signals my skin was sending me. And it was then, as I stared dumbstruck at the reflection in the windowed door, that that annoying twitch under my left eye decided to come back.
"Hehe... he he he.. heheha. Hehe! Eh, hehe, heh." I can't really explain why, but for some strange reason, I started laughing. Probably in disbelief. Somehow, it just seemed funny!
Almost like a strange, laughing robot, I somehow ended up back in front of those guys that stopped me. Except this time, I had a goofy grin on my face and was laughing my head off. "Hehe, he heh, hey... hehe, he, uh, he... check it out. I'm a girl! Hehe heh.... Eh, hehe Hahaha! Uh... hehe heh... hehe he, he, hehe." Still laughing like I was about to explode, I decided to walk away, still lost somewhere in the corners of my own mind.
~~
"Hey! Wait a--!?" The second guy was stopped by the first.
"No man, it ain't right to mess with people like that. Let's just... walk away quietly."
Begrudgingly, the second guy followed the first as he walked off in the opposite direction.
~~
As I walked back to the bakery, I suppose I calmed down. But that image was still in my head. If it wasn't me, that picture was of a girl that I might have...! Honestly, in my old life, I would have ignored her completely. In my old life, I ignored EVERYONE completely.
"Well, old man. I guess this works. But now what?"
He had said that I wouldn't have to look far, so I did the only thing I could really think of. I went back to that bakery, where I had first landed. I figured that was as good a place as any to get started. But started what?
~~
"Oh well... let's see...." Standing just outside the bakery, I decided to take stock of what was around me.
From somewhere close by, I could smell something interesting. I was pretty sure I recognized that smell!
Looking around, my eyes laid on a small little place. It was called the 'Cat Cafe'. 'Well, I like cats!' Without really thinking too hard (it was starting to hurt, and besides, I found that I was now hungry) I started walking towards it. Being careful (the follower of rules I am) to use the crosswalks (there were no cars).
"Um, hello?" I poked my head in, wondering if there was anyone there.
A strange looking old hag came forward. "Groom? That you?"
Looking at her, I was sure I was in the right place. "Um, I'm sorry. But who is Groom?"
"Eh? Oh! You not groom! You customer? We make wonderful Ramen!"
'So THAT'S what that smell was!' "Um, sorry, but do you have a restroom?"
"Oh, yes. Of course, in the back, here, Shampoo will show you."
"Shampoo?" A girl wearing a funny looking dress-type thing came out of what seemed like hiding.
"Yes? Great-Grandmother?"
"Take this girl to the restrooms, go now, I will tend to the desk."
"Yes, Great-Grandmother. You come with?"
"Um, sure." I followed the girl named after a kind of hair soap to the back.
"Here is!" She opened the door for me, and I thanked her as I went in.
'Finally, maybe now I can check a few things.'
In the next five minutes, I had done three things. I had found that, one; I had exactly eleven dollars and sixty-five cents on me. What with forgetting to put it away before going to bed (one of the few times something good came from being forgetful). Problem was that it was in American money. 'Oh well, I might be able to do something with it.' Two, I was, indeed, a girl. 'Yeesh. Oh well, at least it's different...' And three, I was very glad I was in a restroom! 'That's what I get for drinking a half gallon of water before bed!'
Upon finishing, I heard voices out front. I couldn't pick out a whole lot, but one of the first words I did hear was; "GROOM!!" and after that came "Ghoul!" Upon hearing what I assumed to be nicknames, I wondered what the heck was wrong with these people.
Then I smiled. 'Yep, I'm in the right place all right!'
Gathering my courage (and my slightly too large clothes, I was SO glad I still had my belt) I went back out front.
"So, you DO have some customers, eh Ghoul?" Some girl was yelling at the old lady. I still didn't know her name, so I instead tapped her on the shoulder.
"Eh? Yes, can I help you?"
"Um, yes. Do you take American Money?"
"Oh yes, can't get along for long without it around here. Is that all you have?" I nodded.
"Um, yeah, sorry..."
"Oh, it's no problem! Shampoo! Can you tend to our guest here?" The old lady turned back around, to find Shampoo seeming to hug the life out of the girl that was just speaking a minute ago.
"Ack! Shampoo! L-let go please!"
"Shampoo!! Did you hear me!?"
"Huh? Oh, yes Great-Grandmother!" The strange girl immediately bounded behind the counter (and I do mean BOUNDED) and looked at me expectedly. "Can I help?" She seemed to have a semi-ignorant smile on her face.
And I was surprised as heck. "Uh... huh. Um, this place has Ramen?" I almost couldn't form the words, but the girl nodded anyway. "Okay... what flavors do you have?"
She smiled a bit more. 'Is that possible?' "Yes! We have many flavors! You want menu?"
I was still slightly dumbstruck. I could tell I had found the right place. If the names hadn't tipped me off, their strange character quirks told me these people were trouble. And just what I was looking for. "Uh, yeah. I guess that works. Sure."
"Okay!" She smiled again, and handed me a menu. Again, my only thought was 'How the heck can she smile even MORE!?!?"
I took the menu and looked over the selections. It took me only a few seconds to find what I wanted. My favorite flavor had always been beef. So I looked at the prices, almost surprised to find it in both Yen AND American dollars!
It was right then that I noticed something else. The writing. 'Hey, wait a second... This isn't English... It's JAPANESE!!!' "I'M READING JAPANESE!!!"
The girl from before, the one called groom, turned her attention on me. "And this is surprising... why?"
"Geeze! I said that out loud!?!?"
She smiled and spoke in an almost teasing way. "Yeah! And you said it in Japanese too!"
I was dumbstruck! Less than an hour ago I didn't even know enough Japanese to ask where the bathroom was! "Shoot! Less than an hour ago, I didn't even know enough Japanese to ask where the bathroom was!!!"
I had never really been one to think out loud... but apparently I was. And that girl was quick to pick up on it. "What do you mean? You seem to be doing pretty well to me."
I was royally confused now. And I dealt with it by being speechless for a minute or so. After which, I turned back to the girl behind the counter. "Um, beef please... hard cooked. I don't like that soft stuff." I pulled some money from my pocket and practically slammed a little more than the exact change on the counter. Thirty-five cents was the price, but I just put about fifty or so. In case there was tax or something stupid like that.
After a moment, she counted it out. "Great-Grandmother! How much is this?"
"Oh... do you want your change?"
Smiling a strained smile, I shook my head no. "Eh, keep the change?" Half stiff-kneed, I walked to a table and sat, my American habit of having a seat fooling me into falling on my butt.
The odd girl called groom (is there something wrong with that?) seemed to not know what to think about me for a second or so, and then decided to wave it off and turned to... Ghoul. "Well, actually, I came here to tell you that some of us at the dojo were thinking about taking a vacation. The principal at our school gave each student passes to get a bunch of people to Hawaii. There's too many in the dojo already, and we've got a few extras." She pulled some airplane tickets out of a pocket on her clothes, which to me looked like a pair of pajamas.
"..."
"I was wondering if Shampoo'd like to come?"
"OH RANMA! YOU WILL TAKE SHAMPOO ON DATE WITH YOU!?" In less than a second, the strange girl from behind the counter was already in a begging stance in front of the other strange girl, hopping in the air over and over. "Will be just you and me?"
'What's wrong with these people? Is she a lesbo?'
At that moment, the other girl, who was apparently named Ranma, walked over to a stove. "Well, actually, I've been asking everyone. Ukyo says she has to watch the shop so she can't come, and Akane has to come anyway. I'm not even gonna ask the others cause they really creep me out, and since everyone at the dojo's going, that leaves you." She picked up a pot of hot water and... Poured it on herself!?!?
'GAAAHH!! SHE'S A BOY!!!' I was struck speechless when that Ranma girl turned into a boy before my very eyes!!!
I was so shocked that I interrupted their conversation to go and poke his chest to make sure it was real. "Wow! It's real! How did you do that!?" I looked her... um, him in the eye, and found that he was now at eye level with me!
"Huh? Um, I'm cursed..."
"Cursed?"
"You really aren't from around here, are you?" I shook my head no.
"No, in fact just a little bit ago... I was in a tree house and speaking English. Oh, AND I was a boy too..." Without really even moving, I thought about that statement for a moment. "Wow! That sounds really stupid!"
"Eh! When you live around here, weird stuff seems to happen a lot." He grunted. "And somehow, I ALWAYS get mixed up in it!"
I looked at him for a moment... not really thinking anything. Then, surprising even myself, I said something. "PERFECT!!! YOU'RE JUST THE PERSON I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!! YEAH!!" Honestly, I didn't even think about how uncharacteristic that was for me...
Shampoo didn't sound too happy though. "Um, excuse me. Your Ramen is ready..."
"Nevermind that, I'm not really all that hungry! Hey! Can you take me home!? I haven't really got any place to go, and if things are as interesting as you say, then you're JUST the person I'm supposed to find!!!"
"Uh... huh?"
I was so excited that I didn't even notice that Shampoo was right beside me. "Ranma MINE!!!"
"Huh?" I turned to face her just before she hit me in the side and sent me into the wall. "Ow..." I pushed several boxes off of me that I had fallen into.
"Wow! That was easy! Ranma! I go with you! Okay?"
"Um, okay! Hey, are you okay? You didn't even block!"
I was a bit hurt and frustrated. "That's because... I'm not a FIGHTER!! And what's your problem anyway!"
"Ranma is mine! He is to be MY HUSBAND!!"
"WHAT!? I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!" Then I thought about the current circumstances. When I realized what was going on, I laughed, and I think I blushed too. (Something else I never normally do.) "Oh yeah... I forgot... I'm a girl. Hehe, look, I'm don't know what your relationship to this guy is, but I can tell you're the jealous type. Also, I don't want him, so as far as I'm concerned, you can have him."
"Hey, don't I get a say?"
"Groom, you shall marry Shampoo!"
"Shut up ghoul!" The ghoul (who's name I STILL didn't know) stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. "Heh, for someone over a hundred years old, you sure are immature!" The old lady simply looked away, that is until I shoved my face into hers.
"Hey, what's your name anyway?"
"Hey! Why do you care!?"
"Because if I'm gonna be sticking around, I may as well know the names of these people!" I was holding my ground, well, standing anyway.
"My name is Cologne. Are you happy?"
"Yep!" Then I thought about that. (I seem to be thinking about a lot lately...) 'Wow, there's even more wrong with these people than I thought!' I didn't know it, but I was standing with fists and teary eyes.
"Um, are you okay?" Ranma was looking me over as I was thinking about how life would NEVER be boring again!
"YES! Now take me to see these other people you spoke of! Are any of them cursed?"
"Huh? Um, okay?"
"YAY!!!"
~~~ Somewhere else ~~~
"Hey Hanumiki, doesn't it seem kind of... odd how much these people's personality's change?"
"Well, that's for adaptation. And most of what we see there is based on the original. Except for the language thing and a little bit of other things. That's the real person, simply better suited to the environment."
"Well do you want me to keep an eye on her?" Bishibon was a bit downtrodden that his friend had used _that_ spell again.
"If you would please?" Bishibon only sighed.
"I'll keep an eye on them." Even though he didn't say _her_, Hanumiki knew that it was a yes.
~~~~~~*** End of Chapter 1 ***~~~~~~
I recently purchased some Ranma Manga and am now thoroughly obsessed with it. I bought it telling my brother that "I've heard this is the stuff obsessions are made of!"
Hehe, I had no idea how right I was...
Being kind of new, I can honestly say that my collection is FAR from complete. So if something doesn't seem complete, blame it on my funding, which is non-existent, which also happens to be the problem.
Well, that's it for now. Do tell me what you think!
Well, till later.
Alex Ultra: Creator of Eternal Realm
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