Disclaimer: Do you really think I came up with either of them? If so, there are still plenty of bridges to buy.

Chapter 14

When Ranma woke up, she knew immediately that something was wrong. For one thing, she didn't recognize her surroundings at all, and for another she heard soft talking from another room nearby. Staggering to her feet, she looked around and realized that she was in a girl's room. It wasn't hard to guess what happened.

"Someone found me and brought me here. I obviously wasn't injured in any way, so they must have decided to let me wake up here." She carefully walked toward the door that led towards the voices she had already heard.

In another room, eight girls and two cats were circled around the low table, discussing their newest guest.

Rei shook her head in confusion. "There's something strange about that girl. The cat ears and tail are definitely part of her, but it's like she wasn't born with them. And before you ask, I don't think they were put in surgically, like on that weird TV show."

Ami looked up from her computer. "You're right, Rei. Her DNA is something I've never seen before. It's like it can be either male or female, but she can also be cat-like, a cat, or human."

A strange voice answered her. "Wow, you can tell all of that? I didn't know that was possible."

They all looked up and saw the girl they had found in front of Rei's home. Ami was the first to find her voice. "Er, well, this is a very advanced computer."

Ranma came in a little farther and crouched beside her. "Neat." Then she sniffed slightly and seemed to study each in turn. "Hm. Elemental. All elemental." She studied the wide-eyed girls around her and stopped at one. "Except you. Unless light could be considered an element, but I don't think it quite fits, either."

Usagi smiled nervously. "Erm, what do you mean?"

Ranma smiled calmly at her. "You are innocent, but not. Good, but you do what you must. Not everyone would consider death to be something to go to automatically, but you have handled it admirably. You know the rules, but you don't always follow them."

Ranma chuckled softly. "You remind me quite a bit of a girl from school. While I don't think she'd mind me using her name for someone else, I think Moon sounds better."

Haruka was the first to speak. "Who are you? And why do you want to call Usagi 'Moon'?"

Ranma tilted her head at the girl, looking very much like a curious kitten. Luna had to bury her urge to go lick her ears like any kitten she had known. "Well, Luna never seemed to play by most rules. Moon doesn't either. It just kinda fits, Wind."

Haruka blinked. That hadn't been what she expected in the least. "You didn't answer my other question."

Ranma smiled. "Sorry about that. Even with Auntie Min helping, I sometimes forget my manners. My name is Ranma. Before you ask, no I don't have a family name."

Usagi blinked. "Does that mean you're homeless?"

There were several cries of " USAGI!" for that, but Ranma didn't seem to mind. "No, I have a home, Moon. It just isn't here. I even have parts of a family. My Auntie Min, and I suppose Raven could be a kind of uncle." She snickered. "I might call him that sometime just to see his face. Note to self, bring camera."

Ranma shook herself slightly. "Anyway, the trio could be considered younger siblings." She frowned angrily. "I have no father. I renounced his name over a year ago."

A voice spoke from behind her. "Why can't I find you anywhere?"

Ranma smiled and turned to face a tall woman with dark green hair. "Easy, you probably aren't looking in the right places, Tempus temporis."

Setsuna frowned. "And where should I be looking?" She didn't bother to ask about what Ranma had called her, though she was curious.

Ranma smiled and stood to face her. "One, if I exist in this reality, I doubt it is in this form. Two, even if I did exist in this reality, I am not from it. Either way, you would not be looking in the right place."

Setsuna frowned and studied her for a long moment. This girl didn't seem the least fazed by her. "You're from a different reality?"

Ranma shrugged. "Near as I can tell, yes." She turned away slightly, and spoke to Ami. "Ice, didn't you say that that computer was very advanced?" Ami simply nodded, not questioning her nickname either. "Can you look for any mentions of the family name Saotome?"

Frowning, Ami typed away for a moment. "I can't find anything. It's like they don't exist. Wait, here's something." She read it for a moment and paled. "It's a death certificate for Ranma, Nodoka, and Genma Saotome."

Ranma sighed softly. "How did they die?"

Ami was pale as she spoke. "Ranma was killed first, in what has been listed as a training accident when he was seven. He was allegedly covered in cat scratches."

Ranma shivered slightly and scooped up Luna, who was closest. Luna was a little surprised, but didn't object. "What else?"

Ami continued. "Genma was caught by the authorities, and given the death sentence. He died soon after. Nodoka committed ritual suicide, leaving a note that said that she had no reason to live without her family."

Ranma had her nose buried in Luna's fur, and Luna instinctively purred to try and comfort her. When Ranma looked up, her whiskers were twitching slightly, but she seemed calmer.

Finally, Ami broke the silence that had descended. "Why did you ask?"

Ranma sighed. "I wanted to know what had happened. I'm not surprised, though. Genma was always slimy, but this takes the cake." She began to pace, absently petting Luna, who didn't seem to know what to do except try and comfort the girl with her purring. "He was either drunk, someone better than him at Martial Arts helped, or both. I'd bet on both."

Usagi cautiously stood and walked over to the girl. Gently she pulled her into a hug. "Would it help to tell us about it?"

Ranma smirked slightly as she hugged the blond girl back. "I don't know about that, but it might." She paused for a moment. "My whiskers are out, aren't they?"

Usagi stepped back and looked at her. "Yes, and your fur seems thicker, too."

Ranma laughed softly and sat down, still holding Luna. Usagi settled beside her. "It happens when I get emotional about something. Usually sadness or rage."

Setsuna calmly knelt on the other side of Ranma from Usagi. "Why do you feel sad?"

Ranma snorted. "The only one I don't have to grieve for in that tragic tale is Genma. He got everything he deserved, and I hope they used something painful to finally put him down."

She sighed and calmed slightly. "This may not be my reality, but in a way that just makes it worse. This Ranma probably didn't have anyone to help him, not even the simple happiness of a friend."

Ranma shook herself slightly, as if to shake away memories. When she spoke again, she was marginally more cheerful. "Well, anyway. There's nothing I can do here." She may have seemed calmer, but everyone could see the way her whiskers twitched and the fur nearly obscured her skin color. Not to mention the way she held a quietly purring Luna.

Finally, Luna herself spoke. "If you are not from this reality, then how did you get here?"

Ranma looked down at Luna, who was watching her calmly and still purring softly. "I didn't think you were an ordinary cat. Anyway, I'm here because I was trying to help a friend." She smirked, extremely amused. "I knew there would be a backlash, but I didn't think it would happen quite like this."

Ranma set Luna down and concentrated for a moment. Soon, her facial features became less feline, and her whiskers were gone. The fur lightened to the point where at a distance it could be mistaken for normal body hair.

Finally she looked up at her captive audience and began to explain. "Tornado has a curse passed down through his family. Basically, he had no sense of direction and was often randomly teleported to different places. I managed to weave the curse back into his aura, but it created a backlash that stuck me with part of his curse. I have no problems telling direction, but I was evidently thrown out of my reality and into another."

Ranma's eyes flashed, and she looked down to study her own aura. It wasn't hard to find what she was looking for. "Hm. Ryouga can find me, but this thing is about to swing. I guess I'll have varying amounts of time in each world, though I think I can control it to some extent. Either hold it off or bring it on sooner."

Looking up, Ranma looked at each of them deeply. "I don't think I will be returning to this reality, but I am not sorry I came. It is good to know that there are still people willing to fight for their world."

With a bright flash of light that momentarily blinded them all, Ranma was gone as mysteriously as she had come.

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AN: I don't know about any other cats, but the ones in my experience tend to be rather possessive. I think Ranma finally got tired of me paying so much attention to a different muse and decided to pop back in. No idea when another chapter will come, but then I never can tell. Ranma may be possessive, but he's also fickle. I know the chapter is somewhat shorter than some of them, but it seemed like a good place to stop.

Any objections to the world I chose will be laughed at. Like Ranma said, I sincerely doubt we'll do Sailor Moon again, and anyway it wasn't that big a deal. No Ranma being stuffed in one of those outfits, anyway. I don't know if we'll see Ranma again next chapter or go see what Ryouga's doing. Just have to wait.