Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. I don't own Ranma. I don't
own Exalted. Do NOT beg your Exalted GM to let you get away with any of
this. In the interests of telling a good story, rules will be broken,
canon material will be ka-powied, and ideas will be mangled in the rotating
teeth of a handy dandy plot device. C&C accepted. Flames will be used as
a scratching post by my cat.
Cestus Sol A Ranma/Exalted RPG crossover from the MadPanda
Chapter One: The Qiling Rings Once
The last bell at Furinkan High sounded, and with a heartfelt yawn and a stretch, Saotome Ranma chalked up another typical, boring, wasted day in the unhallowed school halls of his so-called life. It had actually been a pretty good day so far. Oh, Miss Hiniko tried to drain him for one reason or another, and Akane growled at him with her usual ferocity, but the fanatical fiancée scramble had lightened up of late. Okay, maybe not, but at the least Ukyo and Shampoo were avoiding him right now. He still hadn't forgiven them for interrupting the wedding with bomb and bonbori ...he didn't often hold grudges, and certainly not for months on end, but this had been a special occasion. Ukyo and Shampoo understood this, or seemed to, and cut him slack and space accordingly. Not that he wanted to be married to the tomboy, but he had caught the brunt of the blame-storm that followed their little interruption. Akane was still acting like it was entirely his fault her precious wedding was ruined, the two old men were endlessly plotting new schemes meant to further their goal over his dead body, the various rivals still pursued his body or blood, and he was running on empty: no reserves of patience left. If he had half of Ryoga's memory for slights and insults, or a tenth of Akane's temper, heads would have flown ages ago!
He had killed a god, for crying out loud! He didn't want to, he hadn't liked it, he hoped never to be pushed that far again if he lived longer than the Old Ghoul...so why did they keep pushing him? Did they want him to lose control or something?
Today Akane was letting him have some peace and quiet. She had been miffed at him for no clear and understandable reason and instead of coming home with him, she had declared that she was going off to study with her little friends. After a token protest, he let her go. He didn't want to argue with her right now, and besides that meant he could almost relax and enjoy a leisurely stroll home along the top of the walls and fences between school and dojo.
Yeah, almost relaxed: he hadn't told Akane, but he had the creepy feeling that he was being followed around. It wasn't that Gosunkugi kid, nor any of Nabiki's former little helpers, nor Konatsu or Satsuke. He could spot any of them a mile away. This was something different. Something new. Strangely enough, the new presence didn't feel like a threat...and even as he had felt this to be true, he wondered how he knew it. Wishful thinking, maybe?
The other slipper dropped about four blocks away from the Tendo compound. He heard a bright, musical giggle and looked up to find a little girl, maybe ten or eleven, looking down at him from the top of a streetlight. She kicked her feet playfully and then pushed off, landing before him with grace and ease.
Ranma slid into a deceptively relaxed ready stance nonetheless.
"Peace, warrior," she chirped brightly. "I mean you neither harm nor hindrance." She held her arms out to her sides, palms toward him. "I give my word of honor that I have business with you, but no quarrel."
Ranma considered this. She carried no weapon that he could see. That didn't mean much—neither did he. Her current stance was quite non- combative...but so was his. She had business with him? That was a bad sign!
"You ain't another fiancée, are ya?"
She threw her head back and laughed.
"Certainly not! Why? Have you need of one?"
"No way!"
"Well, then. I have an item of yours, warrior, and my lady bids me return it to you. May I approach and thus dispose my charge?"
"Uhm...you mean you wanna give me something?"
The girl grinned. "Indeed."
"What's the catch?"
"A wise question. So far as I know, there is none such in and of the thing itself."
"But it might cause trouble? I mean, it ain't cursed or nothin', is it?"
The girl shrugged. "There is trouble lurking in all things, warrior."
Ranma thought about that for a moment before he grinned back at her. "Ya gotta point, there, little girl."
"You may call me Urvasi, if it comforts you to do so."
"That's your name?"
"It is." She bowed slightly and held something out to him, clenched in her tiny fist. "And this, it is yours."
Almost without thinking, he reached out and allowed her to place it in the palm of his hand: a silver ring on a chain with a peculiar inscription running around the band. Ranma blinked in confusion. He was certain he'd never seen it before, but it was strangely familiar
"This, uh, I dunno how to tell ya, uh, Urvasi, but this ain't mine..."
"Oh, but it is! I was most careful to make certain of this. But if you are not comfortable with the thought, do not feel you must wear it to please me."
"Hunh?"
Urvasi tilted her head and smiled up at him.
"My lady bade me return it unto you, not to force it onto your hand." She bowed again. "There is one other thing, but it may wait until the morrow's dawning. May I seek you out at the proper time?"
Ranma blinked, stumbled over an answer, and finally nodded, feeling very much as if he had missed most of this conversation.
"Very well. On the morrow, then."
She bowed again, turned, and nimbly hopped away, almost dancing across the rooftops. Behind her, Ranma just shook his head and headed home, putting Urvasi (and the ring) as far out of his mind as possible until he could devote a little quiet time to working out the puzzle they presented. With his luck, it could be weeks before that would happen! Heaving a heartfelt sigh, the young champion resumed his journey back to the Tendo home.
End Chapter One. To Be Continued.
Tune in next time when Genma gets a smackdown, Urvasi gets confused, and Ranma has a bad feeling about that ring.
Author's Note: Is Ranma more thoughtful and less kinetic than usual? You betcha. Is he OOC? Probably. Is there too much talking? Almost certainly. Bear with me, action fans. The high-octane stuff is coming. No, Urvasi is not another fiancée. Not that Ranma will believe this until it is proven otherwise, but would you blame him? Genma's done it before.
Cestus Sol A Ranma/Exalted RPG crossover from the MadPanda
Chapter One: The Qiling Rings Once
The last bell at Furinkan High sounded, and with a heartfelt yawn and a stretch, Saotome Ranma chalked up another typical, boring, wasted day in the unhallowed school halls of his so-called life. It had actually been a pretty good day so far. Oh, Miss Hiniko tried to drain him for one reason or another, and Akane growled at him with her usual ferocity, but the fanatical fiancée scramble had lightened up of late. Okay, maybe not, but at the least Ukyo and Shampoo were avoiding him right now. He still hadn't forgiven them for interrupting the wedding with bomb and bonbori ...he didn't often hold grudges, and certainly not for months on end, but this had been a special occasion. Ukyo and Shampoo understood this, or seemed to, and cut him slack and space accordingly. Not that he wanted to be married to the tomboy, but he had caught the brunt of the blame-storm that followed their little interruption. Akane was still acting like it was entirely his fault her precious wedding was ruined, the two old men were endlessly plotting new schemes meant to further their goal over his dead body, the various rivals still pursued his body or blood, and he was running on empty: no reserves of patience left. If he had half of Ryoga's memory for slights and insults, or a tenth of Akane's temper, heads would have flown ages ago!
He had killed a god, for crying out loud! He didn't want to, he hadn't liked it, he hoped never to be pushed that far again if he lived longer than the Old Ghoul...so why did they keep pushing him? Did they want him to lose control or something?
Today Akane was letting him have some peace and quiet. She had been miffed at him for no clear and understandable reason and instead of coming home with him, she had declared that she was going off to study with her little friends. After a token protest, he let her go. He didn't want to argue with her right now, and besides that meant he could almost relax and enjoy a leisurely stroll home along the top of the walls and fences between school and dojo.
Yeah, almost relaxed: he hadn't told Akane, but he had the creepy feeling that he was being followed around. It wasn't that Gosunkugi kid, nor any of Nabiki's former little helpers, nor Konatsu or Satsuke. He could spot any of them a mile away. This was something different. Something new. Strangely enough, the new presence didn't feel like a threat...and even as he had felt this to be true, he wondered how he knew it. Wishful thinking, maybe?
The other slipper dropped about four blocks away from the Tendo compound. He heard a bright, musical giggle and looked up to find a little girl, maybe ten or eleven, looking down at him from the top of a streetlight. She kicked her feet playfully and then pushed off, landing before him with grace and ease.
Ranma slid into a deceptively relaxed ready stance nonetheless.
"Peace, warrior," she chirped brightly. "I mean you neither harm nor hindrance." She held her arms out to her sides, palms toward him. "I give my word of honor that I have business with you, but no quarrel."
Ranma considered this. She carried no weapon that he could see. That didn't mean much—neither did he. Her current stance was quite non- combative...but so was his. She had business with him? That was a bad sign!
"You ain't another fiancée, are ya?"
She threw her head back and laughed.
"Certainly not! Why? Have you need of one?"
"No way!"
"Well, then. I have an item of yours, warrior, and my lady bids me return it to you. May I approach and thus dispose my charge?"
"Uhm...you mean you wanna give me something?"
The girl grinned. "Indeed."
"What's the catch?"
"A wise question. So far as I know, there is none such in and of the thing itself."
"But it might cause trouble? I mean, it ain't cursed or nothin', is it?"
The girl shrugged. "There is trouble lurking in all things, warrior."
Ranma thought about that for a moment before he grinned back at her. "Ya gotta point, there, little girl."
"You may call me Urvasi, if it comforts you to do so."
"That's your name?"
"It is." She bowed slightly and held something out to him, clenched in her tiny fist. "And this, it is yours."
Almost without thinking, he reached out and allowed her to place it in the palm of his hand: a silver ring on a chain with a peculiar inscription running around the band. Ranma blinked in confusion. He was certain he'd never seen it before, but it was strangely familiar
"This, uh, I dunno how to tell ya, uh, Urvasi, but this ain't mine..."
"Oh, but it is! I was most careful to make certain of this. But if you are not comfortable with the thought, do not feel you must wear it to please me."
"Hunh?"
Urvasi tilted her head and smiled up at him.
"My lady bade me return it unto you, not to force it onto your hand." She bowed again. "There is one other thing, but it may wait until the morrow's dawning. May I seek you out at the proper time?"
Ranma blinked, stumbled over an answer, and finally nodded, feeling very much as if he had missed most of this conversation.
"Very well. On the morrow, then."
She bowed again, turned, and nimbly hopped away, almost dancing across the rooftops. Behind her, Ranma just shook his head and headed home, putting Urvasi (and the ring) as far out of his mind as possible until he could devote a little quiet time to working out the puzzle they presented. With his luck, it could be weeks before that would happen! Heaving a heartfelt sigh, the young champion resumed his journey back to the Tendo home.
End Chapter One. To Be Continued.
Tune in next time when Genma gets a smackdown, Urvasi gets confused, and Ranma has a bad feeling about that ring.
Author's Note: Is Ranma more thoughtful and less kinetic than usual? You betcha. Is he OOC? Probably. Is there too much talking? Almost certainly. Bear with me, action fans. The high-octane stuff is coming. No, Urvasi is not another fiancée. Not that Ranma will believe this until it is proven otherwise, but would you blame him? Genma's done it before.