Once Upon A Dream With Me

Li Cruz

I'm surprised (pleasantly though) at some of the reviews for this fanfiction. Granted some of you praise is deserving of far better writers. My plots in my eyes are lacking even if the story ends up being unique. But that is just my opinion.

Now remaining to canon...really it's up to each writer to decide for himself or herself. I will stick to Rumiko Takashi's universe, but the main characters are Ranma and Kasumi. So expect appearances from Inuyasha, Haunted Junction( character design if not original artist), and possibly other works of hers.

I thank you anyway for being my readers. I must apologize for my lack of updates. I'm a writer who must jump from story to story and sometimes leave writing off. I should probably announce when but I haven't. Gomennasia. I hope you enjoy this story and hope you looking into some of my other ones.

Appending note: I apologize for such a long wait...I haven't had computer access since winter break.

P.S. Fixing it later…

CHAPTER 4: The Land West of the Sun

When was the first time he woke up to watch the sunrise? Ranma sighed as he shifted irritably in his chair. Today's sunrise was beautiful but currently it was farthest from his mind. He wondered if the Ranma everyone else claimed to know even existed. It was like waking from a dream and finding out that people were calling you by someone's name. Someone who had exist but was dead.

Granted the name felt right, but the way some people said made him feel odd. How does someone describe the feeling? That he's been mistaken for an incarnation. Was he a reincarnation of this past personality?

Akane and even his fellow students seemed to connate him with something rather negative. What did his 'old' self do to deserve it? Most people who claim to know him gave him odd looks when he was being polite or when he spoke.

Soft footsteps announced Kasumi's approach. The slight creak of the wood indicated she was sitting on the porch. Automatically Ranma tilted his head back to smile at Kasumi. She as always smiled back. He went back to his thoughts.

A sense of unease washed over as it often had over the last three months. Kasumi stood up. Ranma moved several feet away from the porch as Kasumi went to the side gate.

Ryoga came crashing into the porch near where Ranma had sat. The boards splintered. Kasumi immediately yanked Ryoga by the ear and began telling him off. Judging from his paling face, she was laying it on. A sense of unease remained though.

Ranma turned slightly to view on of the trees on the premises. A dark shadow stood in the shadows on the branches. The wind shifted and the figure was gone. Ranma glared, debating the intent of the person.

"I really wish he hadn't picked a fight with some unknown person so close to the house. I'll have to rebudget again." Kasumi sighed as she came over. "And here I was hoping we all could go on a small vacation next month with the extra money."

Ranma smiled reassuringly. "It's alright, Kasumi. I don't really think it's wise to leave Tokyo anytime soon. Something isn't right. I can feel it."

Kasumi frowned as Ranma continued. "Did you feel the strange person in the tree? I don't think they're exactly human."

"No, I didn't, Ranma." Kasumi looked around. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I think." He sighed. "Maybe I was just imagining it."

Kasumi sighed as she repeated the katas again. Ranma's comment earlier that morning had bothered her greatly. Ranma was different, true, and that was something she knew since he came to live with them. Ranma seemed to be sensing something else, but what?

Kasumi's hand stopped just shy of Kuno's head. Kuno was blinking.

"Kuno! I didn't see you there. Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"Ranma's disappeared." Kuno said softly. "Not many people are willing to look for him."

Kasumi pulled her gi tighter. "What happened?"

"There was a firework display outside in the schoolyard. Everyone went to look out the windows except Ranma, according to his classmates. When they turned around, his wheelchair was empty." Kuno said. "Ryoga came for me when they couldn't find him. Nabiki, Ryoga, and oddly enough a trio of visitors with their principal are looking for him as we speak. I'm going to see if I can get Tofu and the Amazons to help."

Kasumi smiled sadly. "Thank you, Kuno."

"I owe Ranma big time." Kuno said with a shrug.

Kasumi as she trotted along the edge of Nerima, felt a great discharge of energy strange but familiar. She ran towards it. In an abandoned lot, she saw the most impossible sight.

Several demonic corpses laid on the ground, smoking. Ranma's body laid as if he had been fling across the lot. Kasumi, fearing the worst, rushed to Ranma's side. He was alive, but out cold much to her relief. Cradling Ranma's body to her, she hightailed it to see Tofu.

Tofu came out a bit paled. Kasumi leaned forward.

"What is it?"

"Ranma will be fine, but I think you should go back to the hospital." Tofu said, plopping onto the sofa.

"Why?" Kasumi asked.

"I can't tell you exactly but just know it's quite a miracle. Either that or Ranma isn't quite human to begin with."

Ranma was standing in a place with thousands of springs. Frowning he looked about. A single word came to mind.

Junsykeno.

"Ever wonder why it existed in the first place?" Someone said, their voice strong and familiar.

Ranma turned to see the self he's seen only in dream. The one everyone else knew.

"Most people thought I was pretty dumb. Yet it wasn't worth while to think too much. Pop used to beat me for being too clever so I stopped showing that I was intelligent. Sometimes it would slip out." The ghost of the old Ranma sat down picking on the grass. "I'm tired of being the village idiot. I'm tired of being Ranma just the martial artist. And I want to forget some things so I can live in the here and now. I want to be able to make Kasumi happy."

Ranma listened to the words almost echoing in his head. "Why can you?"

"Because everybody's going to need Ranma the martial artist soon."

"No, they don't. They only see Ranma the martial artist as an inconvenience beside they have Ryoga the strong, the intelligent Kuno, Colonge the wise witch-woman, and others. Kasumi need just Ranma and just Ranma needs to be Ranma whose true to himself."

The old Ranma thought for a while on his reply and chuckled. "You're right. Ranma needs to be just Ranma."

The springs faded away, the ghost disappeared into mist and the mist seemed to be absorbed in Ranma's body. Ranma for once since he awoke in that hospital several months ago felt whole. He didn't remember everything and most was still hidden but time will allow it to come back

Waking up to the hospital room ceiling was the last thing he expected. He sighed in relief as he looked around. It was just an examination room. Frowning, the last thing he remembered was being in the classroom. Had he blacked out?

Ranma sat up on the edge of the table. He thoughtlessly kicked his legs back and forth. He blinked. It didn't hurt like it normally did. He tried to stand and found it a big mistake. He immediately collapsed on the floor and he had to pull himself back up on the table.

Kasumi walked in and promptly pounced on Ranma, crying. He could only hear thought dead, miracle, and body through her sobbing.

The wind changed as a tall spider-thin man entered the courtyard. He chuckled as he strolled into the manor. The boy hadn't learned to control his power yet. So it should be relatively easy to destroy the boy. The young man would die from simple exhaustion since his body seemed unable to handle the backlash.

Akujin leaned against the temple altar.

"Soon. My dear. Soon, we'll be together again." He murmured to the statue.

The statue was of a beautiful woman wearing the Miko robes and praying to the gods. Akujin sighed softly.

"Too long have you stood here, made a mockery of." He rocked on his heels. "You deserved better. When the boy is dead, no one will be able to stop me from getting the Sutras. Sanzo Xia's reincarnation will not live long enough to interfere and then, my love. Then Japan will be ours again."