I don't own any of Rumiko Takahashi's or Jack Chalker's works. They are just borrowed.

Boseiai means maternal love, irori means hearth.

Ranma of the Dancing Gods

Chapter 2.1: Moving forward by walking backwards (pointless title)

Ranma was in hell. The pain was wracking her body, causing painful muscle spasms that were only momentarily relieved when she heard the screams. She knew that they were hers, but she began to feel slightly detached from the pain. The blackness was all around her in a veil that hid her surroundings from her. She felt herself change to a male form and the pain renewed at a new intensity that threatened his very identity. His screaming crescendoed, he coughed up blood from a raw throat. The change back to female came as a relief. The screams became whimpering, then her body finally lapsed into an unstable unconsciousness. Later, a feeling of warmth began to hold the blackness at bay, though it was like a living thing that wished to consume her soul and seemed to seek ways to approach her. Her eyes opened and flames were licking the night sky around her. She realized that she was lying on a bed of coals and, looking around, saw Nabiki and Kasumi, dressed in heavy clothing to protect themselves from the heat, tossing wood and charcoal around her. She spoke, throat raw from screaming rather than the heat, "Kasumi, what's going on?"
Kasumi saw the light hitting the little kauri and gasped out an "oh my! Ranma's stuck in this form."

"No duh!" responded Nabiki. "Take a look at Happosai. He's almost transparent after Ranma sucked all the evil and perversity out of him." She picked up the short pervert and tossed him at the other corner of the room, where he settled like a balloon that had lost most of its helium. "It'll serve the little bastard right, if he dies, though it appears that what Ranma did was a blessing for the freak."

"So, what are we going to do?" interjected Akane.

"We are going to do our very best to help Ranma, dear Akane." Said Kasumi with a worried smile.

"Yes, Sister." Added Nabiki with a slightly cold look, "And that means no more mallets. I would hate for you to spend your days in prison for murder. She doesn't look like she could survive even a light punch now. We can put her into Kasumi's room. Right sis?"

"Oh my, that would be a good place. No one but you two go in there, normally, and I fear for what would happen if father or uncle Saotome were to find out about this." Kasumi cradled Ranma into her arms and carried the small fairy up to her bedroom, followed by Nabiki and Akane. "Nabiki, I think that it is time to bring Auntie into this and explain what happened." The middle Tendo nodded and went to the phone.

"Auntie Nodoka, Ranma is in trouble again." "…" "No, its not another of Uncle Genma's fiancée deals, its more magical problems." "…" "No, he, or maybe she is more appropriate, is unconscious and in Kasumi's room. She needs her mother. Please don't bring your katana." "…" "Thank you. Just come on in, and Father and Uncle are out drinking, probably scheming another wedding. Just please come…we all need you." The last was an uncharacteristic sob from the normally calm Nabiki.

Meanwhile, Kasumi was cleaning Ranma up from the events in the yard. Ranma lay on her side, wings tucked behind her and covered by one of Kasumi's sheets. Her face bore a look of horror, frozen at the point of unconsciousness. Akane brought a bowl of warm water and towels and when Kasumi placed the warm wet towel on Ranma's cheek, the transformation occurred. Ranma began screaming in pain and thrashing about while still unconscious until Kasumi splashed him with cold water from a drinking glass. Ranma returned to the quiet state before changing to male form as Kasumi applied some calming shiatsu therapy. She began to cry, "Oh Ranma, I'm so sorry I hurt you." She hugged the kauri form and tried to place her into a more comfortable position in the bed. Nabiki came into the bedroom and hugged Kasumi as she continued to lay, sobbing over Ranma. Akane knelt beside Nabiki and kept her gaze down at her hands, clasped in her lap.

Nodoka put down the phone and staggered over to the kitchen counter and rested her arms on it, holding her face in her hands. Hot tears splashed to the surface beneath her face and she wailed, "Ohhhh! My poor Ranma, what did you do to deserve such treatment at the hands of your parents and the kami. I never meant harm to come to you from that stupid contract. We'll burn it together, if you'll just give me the chance. Kami-sama please give me another chance with my baby." At that moment, a gentle hand placed itself upon her shoulder. Nodoka whirled at the presence of someone in her home to see a woman whose appearance was slightly older than herself. Her face shone with an otherworldly radiance and the kanji for 'love' and 'hearth' seemed to float above the skin of her cheeks. She was dressed in a white kimono decorated with brightly colored designs representing volcanoes and plains filled with verdant life. Nodoka suddenly had the feeling that if she looked too long or close that she would see movement and be drawn into the scenery.

"Child, there are those among us who have heard your plea, who have seen your son's, your daughter's life, asking for help was the first step. Your son was an avatar of Chaos, who was one of my first children and twin to Order. What has happened, has brought Ranma to my demesne as he now has chaos and order in equal measure in his essence. You may call me Boseiai or Irori, either works." She held out her hand to Nodoka.

Nodoka knelt and took the lady's hand, "Boseiai-sama, please help this unworthy one's son, my life, my soul is yours…"

"Very well, when your life is at end, you can come to me to keep me company for a time before your next reincarnation. I do get lonely at times. Nodoka make yourself presentable. We have to see to the birth of a new minor kami. And by the way, you can get rid of that worthless husband of yours, Ranma will have a brother and a sister. Its such a shame that Happosai ruined him for everything but seed. Find another man."

Hearing this, Nodoka fainted to the kitchen floor. Boseiai looked at her and wondered, gently, "What brought that on?" Smiling, "Let's get you refreshed and see to Ranma, daughter." She touched the woman's forehead and they vanished in a golden burst of light.

Nodoka awoke to a feeling of being clean and refreshed and realized that she was resting on a wicker couch. It was night time and she looked around at her surroundings. She was in a garden patio setting, high up a mountainside with late summer blossoms framing a rail at the precipice on one side. Boseiai was standing there, looking at an active volcano glowing brightly in the night.

Boseiai, glowing a slight golden hue that blended into the lambent redness of the lava flowing down the mountain, turned to face Nodoka. "Daughter, I won't be able to be with you, physically, when you go see your child so listen and observe well. Come here." Nodoka rose and walked to the rail beside the goddess, catching just the hint of sulfur drifting on the wind. "Look there." Lightning flashed in the ash cloud and illuminated the face of the mountain. Simultaneously a bright light flashed at a spot on the mountainside. "That is Mount Asama and Ranma must be there in four days time if he and she is to survive. Only complete immersion in the lava can purify the tainted power that has been absorbed by Ranma's body. Once that is done, you must help him accept what he will become, the Parent of a new Tribe of my Children. He will be Changed and, if you wish, you can partake of that change after your children are born and raised. I think that you would make a good fairy assistant in my realm." Nodoka grasped the rail and tried to etch everything into her mind. "Ranma can be brought to consciousness and health long enough to be an active participant. Build a pyre around Ranma, light it and keep it fed for twelve hours. No fire can harm your child, the phoenix pill has done its part in shaping Ranma's future as well as the natural fireproofing of the kauri form."

Boseiai touched Nodoka's forehead and her surroundings shifted in a golden flash. She was standing in the Tendo living room. "Remember." Echoed from everywhere and nowhere. She fled up the stairs and opened the door to the eldest Tendo daughter's room.

Thanks for the reviews that I've gotten. This may be a pretty short fic. I despair of hitting forty thousand words in any story, but I'll try. This is more of a chapter 2a and I'll try to respond to reviews next chapter. Till then, ciao.