Ranma 1/2: The King of Storms
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranma or Sailor Moon. I wrote this for fun and do not intend to make profits from it.
"----" speech
'----' thoughts
Rants
Alrighty, here it is, Chapter 5 of my story. It is doing far better than I had ever imagined, I thought this up while on an anime (Ranma) high and wrote it out on paper. I knew I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't post it, so I did. And now look at it. I have one person (kokatsu na tenshi) who has actually used Ranma as the king of storms in her story, Soul's destiny Blood's inheritance. It is going well, I have been watching with interest, and suggest you at least take a look at their story if you liked this one. Also, I have recieved a couple of requests to be a prereader and was surprised and honored at the same time. Word normally messes up the story in some way or another so a thank you to Lorn and Silver Dragon, wherever you are. And finally, to all those who supported me through my period of self-pity and worrying about all the burns, thank you. Also, I am sorry bout the Mamoru thing... haven't watched Sailor Moon all that much (That is why I need a pre-reader who watches that show... I know you are out there) and for the sake of getting this fic back on track, Mamoru was only visiting the school for lunch with Usagi. The locker room thing never happened. I'll edit it out soon, if no one wishes otherwise, and start trying to get the characters a bit more... right from now on. And as for me writing about Ranma killing a god alot... Oh come on. You can't believe I will not put that in an action story. I may have overdone it a bit, but I thought since Nabiki was his fiancee's sister, the news might have "leaked" a bit, whether he wanted it to or not. Besides, he could just want to fend off any people wanting to challenge him. So there. =P. Another quick note... The authors rants nearly doubled my reviews, even though it wasn't a chapter. Amazing... Thanks for the support guys. Now then, *pops knuckles and grins* Let's get this show on the road, ne?
*Random shout from riot in front of podium* [GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!]
Ok ok sheesh...
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A knock was heard at the door.
"Ranma? Are you alright in there?"
Ranma was jerked back to reality at the sound of his mother's voice. "Uh, yeah mom... I just needed to... go. Bad."
"Oh... Alright." His mother said as she walked back downstairs. A knock at the door met her ears as she began to enter the kitchen.
"Who could that be?" She asked herself as she walked to the door, setting her apron down before she went. When she answered the door, she was surprised to see four girls standing there, each with odd hairstyles that seemed dyed. 'I wonder if they are Japanese...' Nodoka thought as she saw the two blondes.
"Um... excuse me miss, but did Ranma just run in here?" She was panting and sweating heavily and seemed to have ran all the way here.
"Yes he is. Might I ask why you are here?"
"Oh... Um, you see we met this morning and we were wondering if..."
"Who is it mom?" Ranma emerged from the staircase and the senshi gasped as they saw he had his pupil's back.
"Hmm? Oh Ranma, some of your friends are here! I will just leave you alone..." Nodoka said as she walked back into the kitchen, thinking about her manly son the entire time.
"Oh, hey guys... how did you know where I lived...?"
"Well... we kinda followed you..." Usagi muttered as she blushed and looked away.
Ranma raised an eyebrow, "Well, that's odd, considering how quiet you guys were after PE... I really don't know what happened, and I am sorry if I scared you..." Ranma purposely left out the whole pupil thing, maybe they would just forget it.
Minako and Makoto looked absolutely thrilled that Ranma had his eyes back, but still weren't too pleased about the whole black crescent moon... While evidence did show that he might be from the Negaverse... He just seemed too... innocent for that. And he was WAY too cute to be evil.
Usagi laughed nervously, "Heheh... yeah. Well we were wondering if we could apologize by... taking you out on a tour of Juuban! Right guys?"
The others quickly nodded in agreement, puting on their best smiles.
Ranma furrowed his brow. Was he missing something here? It seemed like they wanted to be with him for another reason then just be with him... But the offer was too good than to just refuse. That would be impolite anyway. 'Wait a second, impolite? When did I start thinking about how polite I was?' Ranma thought as he caught that last statement. Little did he know that in his mind, drastic changes were taking place...
"Well.. ok I guess, just let me check with my..."
"Go ahead dear! And be sure to bring back lots of grandchildren!"
"WHAT!?" The senshi all yelled as Ranma quickly ushered them out of the house.
"What was that all about!?" Usagi demanded as they began walking.
Ranma sighed and put his face in his hands. "My mom wants me to be a man amongst men, but she has interesting ideas on what is manly..."
The senshi all raised their eyebrows in unison. Was there more to being a teenage prodigy then the stories? It sure seemed that way after they saw that odd boy with the bandana attack him...
They walked down the streets of Juuban, heading to Usagi's favorite ice cream parlor since she was leading the group anyway. As they entered, they immediately spotted Rei, Mamoru, Hotaru, Haruka, Michiru, and much to everyone's surprise (Though they were already surprised to see the rest of the group together, espiecially since school had just gotten out), Setsuna sitting at a table, enjoying ice cream. Mamoru glared slightly at Ranma, who returned the glare before sitting down.
Ranma had no idea who these people were, other than Mamoru, but saw the other's sitting with them so he sat down as well. He didn't know why, but the older woman with the green hair and the younger girl with black hair were both staring at him. The older one had a look very much like Nabiki's, except it seemed to be more intense. The younger one had her head cocked to the side and was staring at Ranma curiously. Ranma tried his best to ignore their stares as Usagi went up to Mamoru and began to beg for money for ice cream. She didn't have to beg long, as Mamoru almost instantly brought out his wallet and handed her a large bill, which she bought a five-scoop bowl, with every topping they had. Ranma almost felt sorry for the guy, but instead just snickered and made a whip-cracking sound, to which Mamoru glared at him.
"So Ranma, how are you enjoying Juuban High?"
Ranma turned to the speaker, the middle aged green haired woman. "Um... How do you know me?"
The woman laughed, "Oh forgive me, I will be your new counselor at Juuban."
Ranma forced a smile out, "Oh, that's um... great."
"Don't get too excited now..."
By this time, all of the senshi were staring at Setsuna. She had... laughed. And made a joke... What the hell was going on?!
Ranma smirked a little, at least she has a sense of humor...
After Usagi had thoroughly inhaled her ice cream she cleared her throat, allowing her to get everyone's attention. "Well, as Setsuna pointed out this is Ranma Saotome."
Haruka and Rei immediately recognized the name, for Hotaru and Michiru, it took some time.
Rei blinked. "That one martial artist from Nerima?"
Ranma stood up, "YES! Alright?! YES I AM RANMA!!" The questions of if it was really him were getting old. And Ranma decided to just make that fact clear...
Rei pouted, one of the martial artists she looked up to was yelling at her!
Ranma immediately saw the change in expression and rubbed the back of his head and blushed. "Erm, sorry. It's just... people have been asking me all day about it and I just wanted to make it clear that I AM Ranma."
Rei nodded, still slightly hurt.
"What are you doing in Juuban?" Haruka spoke up, looking eagerly at Ranma.
"Well, I just got transferred here... That's why... um, what's your name?" Ranma asked, looking at Setsuna.
Setsuna smiled, "Oh, where are my manners today?" The entire group (apart from Ranma) face-faulted "I am Setsuna Meiou."
"And I am Haruka."
"I'm Michiru."
"And I am Hotaru..." Hotaru said shyly, looking away from Ranma.
Ranma carefully memorized each name, seeing as he might be spending more time with these people, and smiled, "Good to meetcha all!"
This lightened the mood somewhat, and everyone relaxed as the tension that had hung in the air after Ranma's outbreak slowly dissapatted and went away.
"Well anyway, I was just saying that was why Setsuna said she was my new school counselor..." Ranma finished, once again taking his seat.
Haruka mentally kicked herself for not paying attention.
"So... you guys come here often?"
Everyone turned and stared at Ranma. Ranma looked around, wondering if he had grown a second head. "What?"
Rei shook her head and sighed, "Forget it..."
Nature took it's toll then, since he had not gone earlier when he was home, it called him now, like a very subtle application of high explosives to his bowels. Ranma winced as an extremely bad cramp hit, and knew that he had to go. And had to go now. (AN: Oh come on. Even world class martial artists gotta go sometimes.)
"Err... I need to go to the bathroom, excuse me a moment..." And he was gone. A slight breeze was all that indicated his departure, and left the rest of the table's occupants blinking, wondering what had just happened.
Soon after all had recovered from the sudden dissappearance, Usagi spoke.
"What are you doing here Setsuna? And why is everyone gathered together?" The questions were logical, and many of the inners nodded in agreement as they wondered the same thing.
Setsuna smiled, more of a smirk actually... but she smiled and said, "Well, I came to tell you a few things about Ranma here... That and the time gate isn't working."
The inners all nodded at the first part, then backtracked slightly. "What do you mean it isn't working!?" Was the next question voiced by the five, or at least something that went along those lines.
"Exactly what I said," Setsuna shrugged, nearly indifferent to the situation. "It isn't working. Don't worry though, I believe it may have something to do with Ranma's awakening..."
"H-How so?" Ami aksked quietly, wondering what the awakening of Ranma could have to do with the time gate not working. The time gate was a powerful structure, and for something to stop it from working was worrying her.
"I am not exactly sure... the magic he gives off might have something to do with it... Or it may be that the field of neutral between Chaos and Life magic in his body are beginning to take affect... It doesn't matter anyway, Crystal Tokyo was in every time line when it stopped working."
"But... you didn't know that Ranma was sent to the future didn't you? So that means the time lines have changed, doesn't it?"
Everyone turned and stared at Usagi, who had spoken. "What?!"
Setsuna snapped out of her trance, wondering how Usagi came up with that on her own, "Well... now that you mention it, it might change things a bit, though... since he is a senshi, that would just help us, and make Crystal Tokyo even more likely to come true."
The inners were about to agree, when Minako remembered something that had happened earlier that day. Something that made her insides crawl, complaining at the mere thought of it. "But... he isn't on our side..." She muttered, staring at the wall with eyes that shone with tears as they slowly built up in her eyes.
Setsuna frowned, which was a good sign for the inners. The thought of Setsuna smiling just scared them.
"What do you mean?"
Minako wiped her eyes slightly, trying not to think of what would have to happen to Ranma if he was from the Negaverse. "I saw... H-He... he fell.. and then moved really fast, then stopped and screamed like he was in pain... and he had no eyes! And... and there was a black moon on his forehead..."
The table fell deathly silent at the last part. If Ranma was to be their enemy, so be it. Though each knew that it would not be easy. Not easy at all.
Though, Several members of the table still did not want to believe it.
"So... what was it that you wanted to tell us about Ranma Setsuna?" Ami asked, breaking the silence.
Setsuna shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked to Ami. "It has to do with Ranma's... relationships with us in the Silver Millenium..."
Minako and Makoto immediately perked up. If they couldn't have him now, they wanted to know if they had him then.
"What about our relationships...?" Rei asked, not liking
Setsuna sighed and glanced to the bathrooms, slightly hoping that Ranma would appear. "Well... he was... engaged to one of the senshi..."
"What...?!" The five inners shouted, some happy with the news, some not so happy.
"Only one of us! And... it's one one outer... somehow, some idiot claiming to be Ranma's creator got one of us engaged to him, the fact that he was a male senshi made the propostion more... appealing. Plus... several of the senshi did indeed like Ranma..."
Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru exchanged glances, then looked at Setsuna.
"So... who is it?" Makoto asked, feeling glum knowing that she wasn't the one.
"So, what happened while I was gone?"
Everyone snapped their mouths shut as Ranma took his seat again, and stared at him with mixed feelings.
"What...? Do I have something on my face...?" Ranma asked, his head whipping about and looking at each of the people sitting around the table.
"Err..." The girls (and boy) glanced around at eachother, exchanging looks spanning from skepticism to distrust.
"What!?" Ranma asked, picking up a spoon and looking at his reflection, though it was hard to tell if he did have something on his face, as his reflection was distorted and upside-down.
"It's... nothing. Forget it. Let's get out of here, I need some fresh air." Setsuna stated. Although everyone seemed to take it as a command and stood and immediately exited the building, though it took Ranma a little longer as he was still looking for unsightly objects on his face.
The crowd walked outside and into the sunlight. It looked quite odd, only two men and nine women walking together (Though one of the women did look quite masculine).
"So... where we headed?" Ranma asked, resting his arms behind his head and unconsciously giving the women a splendid view of his pectoral muscles as his shirt flattened against his chest.
Minako and Makoto found themselves unable to draw their eyes away from the sight. Ranma remained looking up at the sky, enjoying the deep blue with patches of fluffy white, not noticing the lustful gazes all the while.
Setsuna herself found herself looking at his chest. 'Just like I remember him... all muscle. Not an ounce of fat on him..." She thought as she thought back to the Crystal Millenium.
"Well, I guess we could always go back to my place..." Rei stated, averting her eyes from Ranma.
Usagi took no notice of Ranma, she was latched onto Mamoru and looking at his face fondly.
"That sounds good." Ami said, and so they all turned and began to head in the direction of the shrine, chatting amongst themselves and (for the most part) enjoying themselves.
Arriving fairly quickly at the shrine despite the distance, The large group trudged up the stairs.
"So... Ranma... What's your favorite subject in school?"
Ranma turned to Setsuna, who was smiling pleasantly at him. He didn't know why, but this woman frightnened him. She seemed almost obsessed with him and his well being, and was watching him constantly, stealing glances out of the corner of her eye. He had to admit, she had a feminine beauty among her that rivaled Ms. Hinako's, but she was his councelor for kami's sake!
"Well... I really like PE... I haven't really liked all my other classes all that much."
Setsuna giggled, "Oh, that's understandable. Someone with your background is sure to have trouble liking the dull pace at which math and science go."
Ranma looked at Setsuna, wondering what she meant. Hoe much she knew. But she was looking forward, as they rapidly approached the top of the stairs.
"Grandpa! I'm home! I have some friends over, I also want you to meet someone!"
Some banging and chrashing noises were heard and a voice that sounded somewhat old and raspy rang out from indoors, muttering some incoherent curses as a door slid open, revealing an old man indeed who smiled when he saw Rei and her friends.
"Ah Rei! It seems you brought your friends again. What is it that you wanted to show me?"
"Well grandpa, I wanted to show you my new friend," Rei turned around and pushed her way to Ranma, grabbed his hand and began tugging him forward.
"Ow! Hey whattaya doin?"
"Be quiet and come with me! We need to make sure you make a good impression so grandpa doesn't think you are a delinquint or something!" Rei hissed back as they emerged and stood before the withered old man.
"Grandpa, I'd like you to meet Ranma Saotome!" Rei gave him a sharp jab in the ribs, which didn't really hurt but he still bowed deeply nonetheless.
"Nice to meet you sir."
The old man looked questionably at Ranma, then smiled broadly. "Nice to meet you too, sonny boy. But... why does that name sound so familiar...?"
Ranma raised back up and tugged at the back of his pigtail nervously. "Well, I used to live in Nerima."
Rei's grandpa laughed, "Ah, from Nerima eh? Say isn't that... where. the. wierd martial artists... live?"
Ranma laughed nervously and tugged harder on his pigtail.
"So... you... are one of those martial artists...?"
"Well... kinda... maybe... yes."
For the next several seconds, Ranma avoided the man's gaze as he stared at him, blinking several times.
"PLEASE DON'T DESTROY MY HOUSE! OR THE SHRINE! PLEASE!"
Ranma turned back to the man... to find that he was ducking against a wall, cowering before him. "Uh..."
Ranma didn't see the sweatdrops proceed to go down each of the senshi's heads behind him, as he was too busy trying to tell the man he wasn't going to destroy his house.
"I'm not gonna destroy your house! I moved here to try and live a normal life! I truly am not..."
Behind them, Setsuna turned to Rei. "Why don't you calm your grandfather down... we'll take Ranma inside."
Setsuna grabbed the still struggling Ranma and pulled him inside along with her, and into the living room, where everyone took a seat. Michiru and Haruka sat next to eachother, as always, and Hotaru sat on the floor between their legs (she was too old to sit on their lap now). Usagi took up her standard position beside the table, instantly snatching up one of the mangas Rei had left on the table and becoming engrossed in it. Though she did snuggle up to Mamoru first. Everyone else took up a place around the table, Ranma was across from Usagi and Setsuna had sat down beside him.
'Is she snuggling up to me!?' Ranma thought as Setsuna shifted in place, rubbing herself against Ranma. 'No no... she's my counselor! She wouldn't do that!'
"So Ranma, what was life in Nerima like?"
Ranma blanched and turned to Setsuna. "Er..."
"Yeah Ranma, what was it like living with all the chaos?"
Agreements were murmured around the table, and Ranma knew that he couldn't find a way out of this. All the windows and doors were closed, meaning he would have to make a hole in the house if he wanted to escape, but he knew that Rei's grandpa would definetly not allow him then, so sighed and resigned to his fate. As he was about to begin his tale, Rei walked into the room, her grandpa following nervously behind.
"I-I am sorry for my outburst, Ranma."
Ranma laughed and waved his hand, "Please don't be! I mean, a lot of people in Nerima were like this."
He smiled, and nodded in thanks, then walked back into the house and out of sight.
"Are they really like that Ranma?"
Ranma dropped the fake smile. "No, they are used to it. Contractors there are the wealthiest people around..."
"So Ranma, you never answered my question..."
Ranma sighed, as he had hoped that they would forget they had asked, even if it was highly unlikely. "Well... I guess I should start 12 years ago when my pops took me on this training trip..."
And so, he recounted his life from that point. He did leave the curse out, thinking that it would only make his magnetism to water rekindle as he had not been splashed all day. He told them about his travels, the training with his father, the nekoken, even about his fiancee's (He swore he heard some moans of despair when he told them about that...) His rivalry with Ryoga, About Kirin, and how he saved Akane, about Toma and how he saved Akane again, about Herb, Lime and Mint, and how they were the anscestors of animals, about Saffron... and Akane. Everything. He didn't know why, but talking about his life felt good. Really good. It was as if the damn had broken and his life had flowed right out of him, and it felt, really, truly, good.
By the time he had finished, everyone was staring at him, mouths hanging wide open. Their eyes were slightly focused, only enough so to tell that he was still there, as they imagined what he said in their minds. Even Usagi had put down her manga half-way through (though it was because she couldn't concentrate with Ranma's voice) and had become enraptured in his tale. Everyone remained silent, leaving Ranma watching himself twiddle with his thumbs.
Setsuna wasn't surprised Ranma had not mentioned the curse. Though she couldn't see the future anymore, she still knew about Ranma's curse. She had taken an interest in him at that point, and watched him from time to time. But, she also knew that the other senshi had to find out sooner or later...
"Rei. I am sorry to bother you, but where might I get a glass of water?"
"Oh... Come with me into the kitchen Setsuna, I'll get you one."
"Thanks."
Both rose and meandered over and into the kitchen, where a glass was retrieved and filled with water. Setsuna thanked Rei, took a sip and walked back into the living room, where the atmosphere had not changed. Smirking mischieviously, she wandered over to Ranma's position, before acidentally tripping over her own feet, and sending the liquid through the air, and all over Ranma.
Ranma knew he had changed, as two objects now obstructed his sight to his hands in his lap.
"What did you do that for!?" Ranma shouted, turning to Setsuna, who was giggling like mad on the ground.
"Where'd Ranma go!" Usagi shouted, as she stood and looked at the buxom redhead.
"Uhh... Usagi... I think that IS Ranma..." Ami stated, eyes gone wide at the transformation.
"Eh... Hehehe..." Ranma laughed, blushing a deep red.
Huraka and Michiru both eyed this 'Ranma' with new interest, wondering if she was a natural redhead...
"I guess I have ta' tell you 'bout the curse now..." Ranma muttered, glaring at the green haired woman that was still chuckling on the ground. What was so god-damn funny?
"Curse...?" Ami's interest peaked. This was very interesting...
"Yeah..." Ranma grumbled, thinking to the past. "On that 10 year training trip pops took me on. The last place we visited was Jusenkyo... the valley of cursed springs. The guide tried to warn us, but we didn't listen. Cold water makes me a girl, and hot water makes me a guy. Pops turns into a panda."
Everyone blinked in turn, and stared at Ranma once more.
Rei stood quickly, ran into the kitchen and took the kettle off the stove, returned to the room and dumped the contents over Ranma's head.
A now male and very agitated Ranma leapt into the air "YOW! It didn't have to be that hot!"
Ranma heard a snicker and turned to the to look across the table, where he could see Mamoru chuckling.
"What's so funny...?" Ranma asked, popping his knuckles.
Mamoru stopped laughing and shrugged. "You tell me."
Ranma sneered, remembering his promise to the old man. 'You'll get yours...' Ranma though, glaring at Mamoru. He glanced at the clock, then made to sit down, before making a double take at the clock. "Is that the time!? Oh man I gotta go, I was supposed to be home a while ago. Thanks for having me, see you tomorrow in school!" And he bolted out the door, proceeding down the shrine steps and ran to his mother's house.
Back at the shrine, Ami shook her head. "I have never heard of any type of curse like that."
Mamoru snickered and several of the senshi shot him a cold look. He stopped laughing.
~Nodoka's Home~
Ranma ran home in record time and burst through the door, "I'm home!"
Nodoka poked her head out from the dining room, obviously unhappy. "Do you realize what time it is? I have had dinner out for a half-hour!"
Ranma quickly shuffled into the room and sat down across from his mother. "Sorry mom, I was with some friends and lost track of time..."
Nodoka's anger vanished. "You made some friends?"
Ranma nodded and smiled imbetween inhalations of food. "Uh huh. Lots of nice girls. Oh and a guy too, but he was out of highschool or something (AN: YA HAPPY NOW?!)"
Nodoka instantly beamed at her son. He was so... manly. Made friends with some girls on his first day.
The rest of the meal was eaten with minimal talk, and after Ranma had finished Nodoka made him do his homework and get to bed.
In bed, Ranma smiled to himself. The day had gone better than any of the days he had spent in Nerima. He had only changed into a girl once, which wasn't so bad, he made a lot of friends, talked to them a lot. 'I guess it can only get better...' Ranma thought as his mind drifted away into the realm of dreams.
Above his room, on the roof top, a figure sat. Dressed in a tan trenchcoat, buttoned only at the middle, a slightly lighter tan scarf which was wrapped around his neck and up onto his face concealing his mouth. The ends of the scarf were ripped and shredded, and various holes could be seen along the body of the fabric. Underneath the coat were some dirty jeans and an undershirt. He wore combat boots, all laced up tightly and snugly around his feet. His hair was a dusty brown, lighter than the standard brown but darker than a blonde. His eyes were a brilliant emerald green, and his face was smeared with dirt and grit. A smile was on his face, beneath the tattered scarf. Gundraw, who we will refer to as Shiku henceforth, chuckled as he flipped his notebook over.
He spoke quietly, and the scarf only made it quiter."Ranma, poor boy how wrong you are..." Then, pressed the pencil against the paper and began scribbling down words.
~Hikawa Shrine~
"Well... he sure doesn't seem evil." Minako pointed out as they sat there in silence.
No one else could really argue with that, though they had been fooled before. So, they would still keep a close eye on him, even if they didn't think that he was a bad guy.
"Oh! Setsuna, you never told us who Ranma-kun was engaged to!"
Setsuna bit her lip. She knew some of the senshi would not like this... "Well, the person he's engaged to is..."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wow, I am mean... what a cliff hanger! (For those of you who want to know who he's engaged to at least =P) At least it's been narrowed down to the outers... Sorry bout the self insertion, I am somewhat of a fan of Omega X, and the oppurtunity was too good to pass up. I know chapter is gonna bug the hell outta you guys, with my random lengthy updates and a cliffhanger, but bear with me. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Thoughts? E-Mail me at gundraw@msn.com. Next chapter: The first real fight Ranma has breaks loose in Juuban, and leaves someone unconcious and worse for wear. The fiancee's are restless, and after seeing Ranma fighting with some hussies, they wait no more and head for Juuban personally. Welp, hope ya liked it! Review please! Ja! -Gundraw
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranma or Sailor Moon. I wrote this for fun and do not intend to make profits from it.
"----" speech
'----' thoughts
Rants
Alrighty, here it is, Chapter 5 of my story. It is doing far better than I had ever imagined, I thought this up while on an anime (Ranma) high and wrote it out on paper. I knew I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't post it, so I did. And now look at it. I have one person (kokatsu na tenshi) who has actually used Ranma as the king of storms in her story, Soul's destiny Blood's inheritance. It is going well, I have been watching with interest, and suggest you at least take a look at their story if you liked this one. Also, I have recieved a couple of requests to be a prereader and was surprised and honored at the same time. Word normally messes up the story in some way or another so a thank you to Lorn and Silver Dragon, wherever you are. And finally, to all those who supported me through my period of self-pity and worrying about all the burns, thank you. Also, I am sorry bout the Mamoru thing... haven't watched Sailor Moon all that much (That is why I need a pre-reader who watches that show... I know you are out there) and for the sake of getting this fic back on track, Mamoru was only visiting the school for lunch with Usagi. The locker room thing never happened. I'll edit it out soon, if no one wishes otherwise, and start trying to get the characters a bit more... right from now on. And as for me writing about Ranma killing a god alot... Oh come on. You can't believe I will not put that in an action story. I may have overdone it a bit, but I thought since Nabiki was his fiancee's sister, the news might have "leaked" a bit, whether he wanted it to or not. Besides, he could just want to fend off any people wanting to challenge him. So there. =P. Another quick note... The authors rants nearly doubled my reviews, even though it wasn't a chapter. Amazing... Thanks for the support guys. Now then, *pops knuckles and grins* Let's get this show on the road, ne?
*Random shout from riot in front of podium* [GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!]
Ok ok sheesh...
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A knock was heard at the door.
"Ranma? Are you alright in there?"
Ranma was jerked back to reality at the sound of his mother's voice. "Uh, yeah mom... I just needed to... go. Bad."
"Oh... Alright." His mother said as she walked back downstairs. A knock at the door met her ears as she began to enter the kitchen.
"Who could that be?" She asked herself as she walked to the door, setting her apron down before she went. When she answered the door, she was surprised to see four girls standing there, each with odd hairstyles that seemed dyed. 'I wonder if they are Japanese...' Nodoka thought as she saw the two blondes.
"Um... excuse me miss, but did Ranma just run in here?" She was panting and sweating heavily and seemed to have ran all the way here.
"Yes he is. Might I ask why you are here?"
"Oh... Um, you see we met this morning and we were wondering if..."
"Who is it mom?" Ranma emerged from the staircase and the senshi gasped as they saw he had his pupil's back.
"Hmm? Oh Ranma, some of your friends are here! I will just leave you alone..." Nodoka said as she walked back into the kitchen, thinking about her manly son the entire time.
"Oh, hey guys... how did you know where I lived...?"
"Well... we kinda followed you..." Usagi muttered as she blushed and looked away.
Ranma raised an eyebrow, "Well, that's odd, considering how quiet you guys were after PE... I really don't know what happened, and I am sorry if I scared you..." Ranma purposely left out the whole pupil thing, maybe they would just forget it.
Minako and Makoto looked absolutely thrilled that Ranma had his eyes back, but still weren't too pleased about the whole black crescent moon... While evidence did show that he might be from the Negaverse... He just seemed too... innocent for that. And he was WAY too cute to be evil.
Usagi laughed nervously, "Heheh... yeah. Well we were wondering if we could apologize by... taking you out on a tour of Juuban! Right guys?"
The others quickly nodded in agreement, puting on their best smiles.
Ranma furrowed his brow. Was he missing something here? It seemed like they wanted to be with him for another reason then just be with him... But the offer was too good than to just refuse. That would be impolite anyway. 'Wait a second, impolite? When did I start thinking about how polite I was?' Ranma thought as he caught that last statement. Little did he know that in his mind, drastic changes were taking place...
"Well.. ok I guess, just let me check with my..."
"Go ahead dear! And be sure to bring back lots of grandchildren!"
"WHAT!?" The senshi all yelled as Ranma quickly ushered them out of the house.
"What was that all about!?" Usagi demanded as they began walking.
Ranma sighed and put his face in his hands. "My mom wants me to be a man amongst men, but she has interesting ideas on what is manly..."
The senshi all raised their eyebrows in unison. Was there more to being a teenage prodigy then the stories? It sure seemed that way after they saw that odd boy with the bandana attack him...
They walked down the streets of Juuban, heading to Usagi's favorite ice cream parlor since she was leading the group anyway. As they entered, they immediately spotted Rei, Mamoru, Hotaru, Haruka, Michiru, and much to everyone's surprise (Though they were already surprised to see the rest of the group together, espiecially since school had just gotten out), Setsuna sitting at a table, enjoying ice cream. Mamoru glared slightly at Ranma, who returned the glare before sitting down.
Ranma had no idea who these people were, other than Mamoru, but saw the other's sitting with them so he sat down as well. He didn't know why, but the older woman with the green hair and the younger girl with black hair were both staring at him. The older one had a look very much like Nabiki's, except it seemed to be more intense. The younger one had her head cocked to the side and was staring at Ranma curiously. Ranma tried his best to ignore their stares as Usagi went up to Mamoru and began to beg for money for ice cream. She didn't have to beg long, as Mamoru almost instantly brought out his wallet and handed her a large bill, which she bought a five-scoop bowl, with every topping they had. Ranma almost felt sorry for the guy, but instead just snickered and made a whip-cracking sound, to which Mamoru glared at him.
"So Ranma, how are you enjoying Juuban High?"
Ranma turned to the speaker, the middle aged green haired woman. "Um... How do you know me?"
The woman laughed, "Oh forgive me, I will be your new counselor at Juuban."
Ranma forced a smile out, "Oh, that's um... great."
"Don't get too excited now..."
By this time, all of the senshi were staring at Setsuna. She had... laughed. And made a joke... What the hell was going on?!
Ranma smirked a little, at least she has a sense of humor...
After Usagi had thoroughly inhaled her ice cream she cleared her throat, allowing her to get everyone's attention. "Well, as Setsuna pointed out this is Ranma Saotome."
Haruka and Rei immediately recognized the name, for Hotaru and Michiru, it took some time.
Rei blinked. "That one martial artist from Nerima?"
Ranma stood up, "YES! Alright?! YES I AM RANMA!!" The questions of if it was really him were getting old. And Ranma decided to just make that fact clear...
Rei pouted, one of the martial artists she looked up to was yelling at her!
Ranma immediately saw the change in expression and rubbed the back of his head and blushed. "Erm, sorry. It's just... people have been asking me all day about it and I just wanted to make it clear that I AM Ranma."
Rei nodded, still slightly hurt.
"What are you doing in Juuban?" Haruka spoke up, looking eagerly at Ranma.
"Well, I just got transferred here... That's why... um, what's your name?" Ranma asked, looking at Setsuna.
Setsuna smiled, "Oh, where are my manners today?" The entire group (apart from Ranma) face-faulted "I am Setsuna Meiou."
"And I am Haruka."
"I'm Michiru."
"And I am Hotaru..." Hotaru said shyly, looking away from Ranma.
Ranma carefully memorized each name, seeing as he might be spending more time with these people, and smiled, "Good to meetcha all!"
This lightened the mood somewhat, and everyone relaxed as the tension that had hung in the air after Ranma's outbreak slowly dissapatted and went away.
"Well anyway, I was just saying that was why Setsuna said she was my new school counselor..." Ranma finished, once again taking his seat.
Haruka mentally kicked herself for not paying attention.
"So... you guys come here often?"
Everyone turned and stared at Ranma. Ranma looked around, wondering if he had grown a second head. "What?"
Rei shook her head and sighed, "Forget it..."
Nature took it's toll then, since he had not gone earlier when he was home, it called him now, like a very subtle application of high explosives to his bowels. Ranma winced as an extremely bad cramp hit, and knew that he had to go. And had to go now. (AN: Oh come on. Even world class martial artists gotta go sometimes.)
"Err... I need to go to the bathroom, excuse me a moment..." And he was gone. A slight breeze was all that indicated his departure, and left the rest of the table's occupants blinking, wondering what had just happened.
Soon after all had recovered from the sudden dissappearance, Usagi spoke.
"What are you doing here Setsuna? And why is everyone gathered together?" The questions were logical, and many of the inners nodded in agreement as they wondered the same thing.
Setsuna smiled, more of a smirk actually... but she smiled and said, "Well, I came to tell you a few things about Ranma here... That and the time gate isn't working."
The inners all nodded at the first part, then backtracked slightly. "What do you mean it isn't working!?" Was the next question voiced by the five, or at least something that went along those lines.
"Exactly what I said," Setsuna shrugged, nearly indifferent to the situation. "It isn't working. Don't worry though, I believe it may have something to do with Ranma's awakening..."
"H-How so?" Ami aksked quietly, wondering what the awakening of Ranma could have to do with the time gate not working. The time gate was a powerful structure, and for something to stop it from working was worrying her.
"I am not exactly sure... the magic he gives off might have something to do with it... Or it may be that the field of neutral between Chaos and Life magic in his body are beginning to take affect... It doesn't matter anyway, Crystal Tokyo was in every time line when it stopped working."
"But... you didn't know that Ranma was sent to the future didn't you? So that means the time lines have changed, doesn't it?"
Everyone turned and stared at Usagi, who had spoken. "What?!"
Setsuna snapped out of her trance, wondering how Usagi came up with that on her own, "Well... now that you mention it, it might change things a bit, though... since he is a senshi, that would just help us, and make Crystal Tokyo even more likely to come true."
The inners were about to agree, when Minako remembered something that had happened earlier that day. Something that made her insides crawl, complaining at the mere thought of it. "But... he isn't on our side..." She muttered, staring at the wall with eyes that shone with tears as they slowly built up in her eyes.
Setsuna frowned, which was a good sign for the inners. The thought of Setsuna smiling just scared them.
"What do you mean?"
Minako wiped her eyes slightly, trying not to think of what would have to happen to Ranma if he was from the Negaverse. "I saw... H-He... he fell.. and then moved really fast, then stopped and screamed like he was in pain... and he had no eyes! And... and there was a black moon on his forehead..."
The table fell deathly silent at the last part. If Ranma was to be their enemy, so be it. Though each knew that it would not be easy. Not easy at all.
Though, Several members of the table still did not want to believe it.
"So... what was it that you wanted to tell us about Ranma Setsuna?" Ami asked, breaking the silence.
Setsuna shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked to Ami. "It has to do with Ranma's... relationships with us in the Silver Millenium..."
Minako and Makoto immediately perked up. If they couldn't have him now, they wanted to know if they had him then.
"What about our relationships...?" Rei asked, not liking
Setsuna sighed and glanced to the bathrooms, slightly hoping that Ranma would appear. "Well... he was... engaged to one of the senshi..."
"What...?!" The five inners shouted, some happy with the news, some not so happy.
"Only one of us! And... it's one one outer... somehow, some idiot claiming to be Ranma's creator got one of us engaged to him, the fact that he was a male senshi made the propostion more... appealing. Plus... several of the senshi did indeed like Ranma..."
Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru exchanged glances, then looked at Setsuna.
"So... who is it?" Makoto asked, feeling glum knowing that she wasn't the one.
"So, what happened while I was gone?"
Everyone snapped their mouths shut as Ranma took his seat again, and stared at him with mixed feelings.
"What...? Do I have something on my face...?" Ranma asked, his head whipping about and looking at each of the people sitting around the table.
"Err..." The girls (and boy) glanced around at eachother, exchanging looks spanning from skepticism to distrust.
"What!?" Ranma asked, picking up a spoon and looking at his reflection, though it was hard to tell if he did have something on his face, as his reflection was distorted and upside-down.
"It's... nothing. Forget it. Let's get out of here, I need some fresh air." Setsuna stated. Although everyone seemed to take it as a command and stood and immediately exited the building, though it took Ranma a little longer as he was still looking for unsightly objects on his face.
The crowd walked outside and into the sunlight. It looked quite odd, only two men and nine women walking together (Though one of the women did look quite masculine).
"So... where we headed?" Ranma asked, resting his arms behind his head and unconsciously giving the women a splendid view of his pectoral muscles as his shirt flattened against his chest.
Minako and Makoto found themselves unable to draw their eyes away from the sight. Ranma remained looking up at the sky, enjoying the deep blue with patches of fluffy white, not noticing the lustful gazes all the while.
Setsuna herself found herself looking at his chest. 'Just like I remember him... all muscle. Not an ounce of fat on him..." She thought as she thought back to the Crystal Millenium.
"Well, I guess we could always go back to my place..." Rei stated, averting her eyes from Ranma.
Usagi took no notice of Ranma, she was latched onto Mamoru and looking at his face fondly.
"That sounds good." Ami said, and so they all turned and began to head in the direction of the shrine, chatting amongst themselves and (for the most part) enjoying themselves.
Arriving fairly quickly at the shrine despite the distance, The large group trudged up the stairs.
"So... Ranma... What's your favorite subject in school?"
Ranma turned to Setsuna, who was smiling pleasantly at him. He didn't know why, but this woman frightnened him. She seemed almost obsessed with him and his well being, and was watching him constantly, stealing glances out of the corner of her eye. He had to admit, she had a feminine beauty among her that rivaled Ms. Hinako's, but she was his councelor for kami's sake!
"Well... I really like PE... I haven't really liked all my other classes all that much."
Setsuna giggled, "Oh, that's understandable. Someone with your background is sure to have trouble liking the dull pace at which math and science go."
Ranma looked at Setsuna, wondering what she meant. Hoe much she knew. But she was looking forward, as they rapidly approached the top of the stairs.
"Grandpa! I'm home! I have some friends over, I also want you to meet someone!"
Some banging and chrashing noises were heard and a voice that sounded somewhat old and raspy rang out from indoors, muttering some incoherent curses as a door slid open, revealing an old man indeed who smiled when he saw Rei and her friends.
"Ah Rei! It seems you brought your friends again. What is it that you wanted to show me?"
"Well grandpa, I wanted to show you my new friend," Rei turned around and pushed her way to Ranma, grabbed his hand and began tugging him forward.
"Ow! Hey whattaya doin?"
"Be quiet and come with me! We need to make sure you make a good impression so grandpa doesn't think you are a delinquint or something!" Rei hissed back as they emerged and stood before the withered old man.
"Grandpa, I'd like you to meet Ranma Saotome!" Rei gave him a sharp jab in the ribs, which didn't really hurt but he still bowed deeply nonetheless.
"Nice to meet you sir."
The old man looked questionably at Ranma, then smiled broadly. "Nice to meet you too, sonny boy. But... why does that name sound so familiar...?"
Ranma raised back up and tugged at the back of his pigtail nervously. "Well, I used to live in Nerima."
Rei's grandpa laughed, "Ah, from Nerima eh? Say isn't that... where. the. wierd martial artists... live?"
Ranma laughed nervously and tugged harder on his pigtail.
"So... you... are one of those martial artists...?"
"Well... kinda... maybe... yes."
For the next several seconds, Ranma avoided the man's gaze as he stared at him, blinking several times.
"PLEASE DON'T DESTROY MY HOUSE! OR THE SHRINE! PLEASE!"
Ranma turned back to the man... to find that he was ducking against a wall, cowering before him. "Uh..."
Ranma didn't see the sweatdrops proceed to go down each of the senshi's heads behind him, as he was too busy trying to tell the man he wasn't going to destroy his house.
"I'm not gonna destroy your house! I moved here to try and live a normal life! I truly am not..."
Behind them, Setsuna turned to Rei. "Why don't you calm your grandfather down... we'll take Ranma inside."
Setsuna grabbed the still struggling Ranma and pulled him inside along with her, and into the living room, where everyone took a seat. Michiru and Haruka sat next to eachother, as always, and Hotaru sat on the floor between their legs (she was too old to sit on their lap now). Usagi took up her standard position beside the table, instantly snatching up one of the mangas Rei had left on the table and becoming engrossed in it. Though she did snuggle up to Mamoru first. Everyone else took up a place around the table, Ranma was across from Usagi and Setsuna had sat down beside him.
'Is she snuggling up to me!?' Ranma thought as Setsuna shifted in place, rubbing herself against Ranma. 'No no... she's my counselor! She wouldn't do that!'
"So Ranma, what was life in Nerima like?"
Ranma blanched and turned to Setsuna. "Er..."
"Yeah Ranma, what was it like living with all the chaos?"
Agreements were murmured around the table, and Ranma knew that he couldn't find a way out of this. All the windows and doors were closed, meaning he would have to make a hole in the house if he wanted to escape, but he knew that Rei's grandpa would definetly not allow him then, so sighed and resigned to his fate. As he was about to begin his tale, Rei walked into the room, her grandpa following nervously behind.
"I-I am sorry for my outburst, Ranma."
Ranma laughed and waved his hand, "Please don't be! I mean, a lot of people in Nerima were like this."
He smiled, and nodded in thanks, then walked back into the house and out of sight.
"Are they really like that Ranma?"
Ranma dropped the fake smile. "No, they are used to it. Contractors there are the wealthiest people around..."
"So Ranma, you never answered my question..."
Ranma sighed, as he had hoped that they would forget they had asked, even if it was highly unlikely. "Well... I guess I should start 12 years ago when my pops took me on this training trip..."
And so, he recounted his life from that point. He did leave the curse out, thinking that it would only make his magnetism to water rekindle as he had not been splashed all day. He told them about his travels, the training with his father, the nekoken, even about his fiancee's (He swore he heard some moans of despair when he told them about that...) His rivalry with Ryoga, About Kirin, and how he saved Akane, about Toma and how he saved Akane again, about Herb, Lime and Mint, and how they were the anscestors of animals, about Saffron... and Akane. Everything. He didn't know why, but talking about his life felt good. Really good. It was as if the damn had broken and his life had flowed right out of him, and it felt, really, truly, good.
By the time he had finished, everyone was staring at him, mouths hanging wide open. Their eyes were slightly focused, only enough so to tell that he was still there, as they imagined what he said in their minds. Even Usagi had put down her manga half-way through (though it was because she couldn't concentrate with Ranma's voice) and had become enraptured in his tale. Everyone remained silent, leaving Ranma watching himself twiddle with his thumbs.
Setsuna wasn't surprised Ranma had not mentioned the curse. Though she couldn't see the future anymore, she still knew about Ranma's curse. She had taken an interest in him at that point, and watched him from time to time. But, she also knew that the other senshi had to find out sooner or later...
"Rei. I am sorry to bother you, but where might I get a glass of water?"
"Oh... Come with me into the kitchen Setsuna, I'll get you one."
"Thanks."
Both rose and meandered over and into the kitchen, where a glass was retrieved and filled with water. Setsuna thanked Rei, took a sip and walked back into the living room, where the atmosphere had not changed. Smirking mischieviously, she wandered over to Ranma's position, before acidentally tripping over her own feet, and sending the liquid through the air, and all over Ranma.
Ranma knew he had changed, as two objects now obstructed his sight to his hands in his lap.
"What did you do that for!?" Ranma shouted, turning to Setsuna, who was giggling like mad on the ground.
"Where'd Ranma go!" Usagi shouted, as she stood and looked at the buxom redhead.
"Uhh... Usagi... I think that IS Ranma..." Ami stated, eyes gone wide at the transformation.
"Eh... Hehehe..." Ranma laughed, blushing a deep red.
Huraka and Michiru both eyed this 'Ranma' with new interest, wondering if she was a natural redhead...
"I guess I have ta' tell you 'bout the curse now..." Ranma muttered, glaring at the green haired woman that was still chuckling on the ground. What was so god-damn funny?
"Curse...?" Ami's interest peaked. This was very interesting...
"Yeah..." Ranma grumbled, thinking to the past. "On that 10 year training trip pops took me on. The last place we visited was Jusenkyo... the valley of cursed springs. The guide tried to warn us, but we didn't listen. Cold water makes me a girl, and hot water makes me a guy. Pops turns into a panda."
Everyone blinked in turn, and stared at Ranma once more.
Rei stood quickly, ran into the kitchen and took the kettle off the stove, returned to the room and dumped the contents over Ranma's head.
A now male and very agitated Ranma leapt into the air "YOW! It didn't have to be that hot!"
Ranma heard a snicker and turned to the to look across the table, where he could see Mamoru chuckling.
"What's so funny...?" Ranma asked, popping his knuckles.
Mamoru stopped laughing and shrugged. "You tell me."
Ranma sneered, remembering his promise to the old man. 'You'll get yours...' Ranma though, glaring at Mamoru. He glanced at the clock, then made to sit down, before making a double take at the clock. "Is that the time!? Oh man I gotta go, I was supposed to be home a while ago. Thanks for having me, see you tomorrow in school!" And he bolted out the door, proceeding down the shrine steps and ran to his mother's house.
Back at the shrine, Ami shook her head. "I have never heard of any type of curse like that."
Mamoru snickered and several of the senshi shot him a cold look. He stopped laughing.
~Nodoka's Home~
Ranma ran home in record time and burst through the door, "I'm home!"
Nodoka poked her head out from the dining room, obviously unhappy. "Do you realize what time it is? I have had dinner out for a half-hour!"
Ranma quickly shuffled into the room and sat down across from his mother. "Sorry mom, I was with some friends and lost track of time..."
Nodoka's anger vanished. "You made some friends?"
Ranma nodded and smiled imbetween inhalations of food. "Uh huh. Lots of nice girls. Oh and a guy too, but he was out of highschool or something (AN: YA HAPPY NOW?!)"
Nodoka instantly beamed at her son. He was so... manly. Made friends with some girls on his first day.
The rest of the meal was eaten with minimal talk, and after Ranma had finished Nodoka made him do his homework and get to bed.
In bed, Ranma smiled to himself. The day had gone better than any of the days he had spent in Nerima. He had only changed into a girl once, which wasn't so bad, he made a lot of friends, talked to them a lot. 'I guess it can only get better...' Ranma thought as his mind drifted away into the realm of dreams.
Above his room, on the roof top, a figure sat. Dressed in a tan trenchcoat, buttoned only at the middle, a slightly lighter tan scarf which was wrapped around his neck and up onto his face concealing his mouth. The ends of the scarf were ripped and shredded, and various holes could be seen along the body of the fabric. Underneath the coat were some dirty jeans and an undershirt. He wore combat boots, all laced up tightly and snugly around his feet. His hair was a dusty brown, lighter than the standard brown but darker than a blonde. His eyes were a brilliant emerald green, and his face was smeared with dirt and grit. A smile was on his face, beneath the tattered scarf. Gundraw, who we will refer to as Shiku henceforth, chuckled as he flipped his notebook over.
He spoke quietly, and the scarf only made it quiter."Ranma, poor boy how wrong you are..." Then, pressed the pencil against the paper and began scribbling down words.
~Hikawa Shrine~
"Well... he sure doesn't seem evil." Minako pointed out as they sat there in silence.
No one else could really argue with that, though they had been fooled before. So, they would still keep a close eye on him, even if they didn't think that he was a bad guy.
"Oh! Setsuna, you never told us who Ranma-kun was engaged to!"
Setsuna bit her lip. She knew some of the senshi would not like this... "Well, the person he's engaged to is..."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wow, I am mean... what a cliff hanger! (For those of you who want to know who he's engaged to at least =P) At least it's been narrowed down to the outers... Sorry bout the self insertion, I am somewhat of a fan of Omega X, and the oppurtunity was too good to pass up. I know chapter is gonna bug the hell outta you guys, with my random lengthy updates and a cliffhanger, but bear with me. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Thoughts? E-Mail me at gundraw@msn.com. Next chapter: The first real fight Ranma has breaks loose in Juuban, and leaves someone unconcious and worse for wear. The fiancee's are restless, and after seeing Ranma fighting with some hussies, they wait no more and head for Juuban personally. Welp, hope ya liked it! Review please! Ja! -Gundraw