Chapter 1: Goodbye Ranma
Disclaimer: I don't own anything here at all. If I did, I probably wouldn't be living paycheck to paycheck right now.
Author's Note Forward/personal disclaimer: This fic is set after the failed wedding in Ranma ½ and a while before Season 1 of Strike Witches. I write for my own enjoyment. I hope you enjoy what I write, and follow/review, but I'm still going to be working on this, and eventually my other fics if my muse allows me, over the coming months.
'Thoughts'
"Talking"
STORY STARTS
Hikaru Gosukugi smirked, yes outright smirked, as he stood before three other boys that had come at his message to them. The four of them stood in one of the unused classrooms of Furinkan High School.
"Well, what is it that you have summoned the great Blue Thunder for peasant?!" Kuno asked gruffly as he glared at the introverted freshman.
Mousse looked bored, while Ryuoga, the last of the three, glared at the smaller boy.
"I have something that might interest all three of you, about a certain…...mutual problem…..that you all have. I have already verified that it DOES in fact work, and I see no reason as to why NOT to share it with the three of you." He says calmly, far more calmly than any of them had previously known the boy to act.
"And what might that be?" Mousse asked skeptically as the other two nodded in agreement, remembering the last time that Hikaru had brought something to their attention and how badly it had backfired on them all.
Hikaru smirked as he pulled out the old, tarnished, Arabian looking oil lamp. "This is what I have." He said proudly.
"A lamp?" Ryoga said incredulously as all three stared at the boy as if he were stupid.
"Ah but not just ANY lamp, a MAGIC lamp. Within this lamp is the Djinn of ancient legends, one who will grant anyone who possesses the lamp with three wishes." Hikaru told them with a grin.
"Yes and watch it backfire as that wishing sword did peasant." Kuno snarled in anger, still upset at how that failed to do what it was meant to.
The other two nodded in agreement, while Hikaru sighed at their reactions. "Yes, well that sword was not exactly what could be called 'good'. It was designed to twist people's wishes. The Djinn however, is bound by cosmic law to give you your wish as best as it can. There are some rules of course, but this is actually the real deal!"
"Rules? What rules?" Mousse asked cautiously.
"Prove it works." Ryoga challenged him, trying to make himself look intimidating to pressure and crack the young man, expecting it to work like it had all the previous times he had done this.
Hikaru looked up at Ryoga and raised an eyebrow, obviously not intimidated at all by his posturing. "If my confidence in myself isn't enough proof for you, then maybe this will be," he said as he raised a hand up and it started to glow, before a small flame was created in the palm of his hand, and the three of them watched as it danced as if it had a mind of its own around the young man's hand. "I wished for more confidence, to be able to use magic for real, and for one other thing that does not matter to this conversation. Is that proof enough?" He challenged them.
The three young men's eyes widened at the sight, but again Mousse narrowed his behind his glasses and repeated his question.
"What rules?"
Hikaru looked at him before answering. "Simple really. No wishing to kill someone. No wishing for more wishes. No wishing for someone to fall in love with you. And no wishing to bring back the dead." He answered.
"That sounds reasonable," Mousse said thoughtfully, missing the looks of the other two as they grimaced because of at least one of those rules.
"The only question then is, who is first? Oh and you have to ask for your wishes alone, without any other person around you." Hikaru told them.
The three looked at each other, each one eager for their chance at getting what they want. They seemed to communicate without actually speaking a word, before Ryoga stepped forward.
"Given my…...issues," he growled angrily, "I'll go first, then the others can go."
"Of course, that makes the most sense," Hikaru replied as he passed the lamp to Ryoga and looked at the other two. "And with that, gentlemen, may you have a pleasant evening." He then left the classroom, leaving them to do what they felt they needed to do.
Ryoga stared down at the innocent looking lamp as Mousse put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "We'll be outside Ryoga, good luck." He said softly, having no hard feelings with the man, as both he and Kuno turned left the classroom.
Mousse looked over at Kuno and raised an eyebrow. "You honestly think this will work?" He asked.
"It had better work, otherwise that sorcerer will feel the wrath of the Blue Thunder in full," Kuno threatened darkly. Mousse nodded in agreement as they watched the frosted window of the classroom.
Inside Ryoga hesitantly started to rub the lamp, not expecting anything to happen. To his surprise, purple and blue smoke started to billow out of the lamp, swirling around him and almost filling the classroom. Then there was a flash of light as the smoke coalesced into a man, floating on a small cloud. He wore an Arabian outfit, similar to those in movies that romanticize the middle eastern history and stories. The man looked down at Ryoga, then audibly cracked his neck and groaned.
"Oi, kid, can you believe how cramped those blasted lamps are?" He asked as he seemed to stretch and move his limbs.
"Ummm I can imagine," Ryoga said hesitantly, blinking in surprise. "So, your a Djinn?"
The Djinn looked back at him and smirked. "Yup, that is me! You can call me Robyn, and yes I grant wishes, as long as they don't violate my rules. No wishing me to kill people, won't do it. No wishing someone to fall in love with you, that's just wrong and won't do it. No wishing to bring someone back from the dead, that's just bad luck, really bad luck, plus they smell weird. And of course, no wishing for more wishes, that's just cheating and I won't have that," Robyn informed him.
"Ummm okay…..that makes sense. Ummm I actually know what I want to wish for, for all three wishes actually," Ryoga told him.
"Ahhh perfect! Now then, the only caveat to any wishes made is that they won't go into affect until midnight the day you make them. I can't make things happen instantly, they take a little time for reality to accept the new normal. But other than that, wish away!" Robyn said as he threw his arms open wide.
Ryoga nodded seriously, his expression grave. "Robyn, I wish for my first wish to have my directional curse removed from my family bloodline. For my second wish, I wish to have my Jusenkyo curse cured so that I never turn into a pig again. For my third wish, I wish that Ranma Saotome to never find happiness on this Earth!" Ryoga said, almost yelling out the last wish.
Robyn's expression was suitably grave, especially with the last wish. "I see, those are very serious wishes and will definitely have to wait till midnight to fully kick in. But, they don't violate the rules as laid out earlier, so, that being said, consider your wishes granted young man. I hope that they bring you happiness."
Ryoga's expression was stunned at what he was told and he gently put the lamp down on the ground, before he bowed deeply to Robyn. "Thank you Robyn, I will leave you here now, but there are two others outside who wish to receive wishes from you." Ryoga told him.
"Well then, I guess I will stay out until all three of you are done then. Thank you for telling me Ryoga, and good luck out there. Remember, your wishes don't go into effect until after midnight!" Robyn said as Ryoga opened the door and stepped out.
As Ryoga left the classroom, Mousse looked over at Kuno and nodded. "I'll go next, that way you can have the best for last." he said to Kuno.
"Thank you, that is much appreciated for you to think of things like this." Kuno said almost imperiously to Mousse.
Mousse rolled his eyes as he slipped into the classroom, and blinked as he met the Djinn floating there.
"Ahhh you must be the next person for wishes that young Ryoga mentioned. Please, do come in, I am sure you know the rules, so let me have it. Lay it on the Djinn named Robyn, so that your deepest desires can be met. Just know that nothing will happen till midnight tonight, that is just the reality of my powers unfortunately." He said to Mousse as the door was shut.
"Ummm, yes well then.." Mousse stumbles before he nods. "My wishes are for this. My first wish is a cure for my Jusenkyo curse, as handy as it was to fly, it causes more problems than benefits. For my second wish, I wish for me and my descendents to be cured of the genetic disease that makes us go blind. My third and final wish is for Ranma Saotome to be locked in his Jusenkyo girl form until he finds, and earns the love, of his True Love." Mousse tells Robyn.
Robyn raised an eyebrow at the wishes but nods. "At midnight your wishes shall come to fruition. Though I must say, you and Ryoga have it out for this Ranma fellow, though at least you are giving them a way out of it." He comments wryly.
"For all that Ranma and I don't agree, and that he has gotten in my way of pursuing a relationship with the one I love, he has helped me out several times, and an Amazon doesn't forget debts, even when they are seeking to remove an obstacle from their way." Mousse explained.
"Ahhh, well good for you young man. I hope that you obtain what you seek." He said as a flash of light engulfed Mousse. "As I said, at midnight your wishes will be completed. Now I guess its time for the last one, eh?"
"Thank you oh powerful Djinn," Mousse says with a polite and respectful bow. "I will let the last one know he can come in." Mousse then left, with a small, yet victorious, smile. 'Soon you will see Xian, I will be the love you deserve and need, not this Outsider.' he thought as he looked over at Kuno.
"Your turn Lord Kuno. The Djinn is waiting to hear your desires." He told Kuno formally, having learned that this was the easiest way to get through to bokken for brains.
"Thank you peasant." Kuno said politely as he slipped into the room.
Robyn blinked as the final one came in, easily able to tell that this one was a pompous fool. He sighed internally, used to seeing this kind but always having a rough time with their wishes as its always the same, self centered things. Money, women, power, control or revenge.
"Greetings oh powerful Djinn. I am the Great Lord Tatewaki Kuno. Hear my pleas and wishes, that they be worthy of being granted by one such as you!" Kuno said theatrically as he bowed politely before Robyn.
Robyn blinked in surprise at what Kuno said, pegging him for the demanding type, and yet here he was being respectful to him. "Greetings Lord Kuno, I am the Djinn, Robyn. What are your wishes?" He asked just as formally back.
Kuno straightened and looked respectfully up at him. "My first wish is to be the most skilled swordsman in the world. The second wish is to have the knowledge and ability to court any woman that I choose to grace with my love. And my final wish is for the Foul Sorcerer Ranma Saotome to be banished from Earth for all eternity." Kuno told him, the last wish said with malice afterthought, as he smirked evilly.
"I see, well, they don't violate the laws of Djinn wishes, so they shall be granted at midnight tonight, due to the needs of reality taking time to accept your wishes and changing accordingly." Robyn told him.
"I thank you, oh power Djinn. I bid you farewell." Kuno said as he bowed to the creature before he started to leave.
Robyn nodded and then in a puff of smoke, returned to the lamp, which then shimmered and faded away, its purpose having been fulfilled, disappearing to only the gods knew where.
Kuno left, a spring in his step, as he walked back to his mansion, content with the knowledge that by tomorrow, the foul demon would be gone, and he would be free to properly court his Fierce Tigress and Flame-haired Goddess without interruptions.
Ranma sighed as he laid back on the roof of the Dojo, instead of on the roof the the Tendo home, as he stared up at the stars. He had finally finished repairing the Dojo after the aborted wedding fiasco that happened last week, forced to do all the work himself by Nabiki, to cut down on the costs to the Tendo Family, whenever he wasn't at school, eating, or sleeping, and even his eating had been cut back heavily by his 'father' as punishment for allowing this to happen.
'When is this gonna stop? I can't keep this up for too much longer! If this keeps going I might…..I might do to someone else what I did to Saffron…..I can't let that happen. But what can I do?!' He thought as he lay there, getting more and more worried about how things weren't changing or progressing. 'Maybe it's time to execute the Saotome Final Technique. It would hurt Mom, but what choice do I have anymore?'
With these thoughts on his mind, Ranma Saotome, the scion of his House, and a Master Martial Artist in all but name, fell asleep on the roof, drifting into an uneasy slumber.
A couple of hours later, the spectral form of Robyn the Djinn appeared over Ranma's sleeping form.
"So you're Ranma Saotome. Damn kid, you've had it rough! Failed wedding, nobody really loves you aside from your mother and maybe that Kasumi girl. Hounded on all sides by enemies, it's almost as if you're at war. To think that those three thought their wishes would hurt you." He sighs and shakes his head sadly. "Well kiddo, I have to fulfill the wishes, but the exact nature of how in your case is entirely up to me. You can't find happiness here on THIS Earth, and you'll be locked in your female form until you find and earn true love. BUT you'll be a hell of a lot better off where I'm sending you than you are here."
Robyn then cracked his neck, then his knuckles, and got to work weaving his magic. A cold mist settled around Ranma, causing him to change into his female form, and for her to shiver in the chill. She then started to slowly fade away from view.
"Farewell to you Ranma Saotome, your family, your real family, will mourn your 'passing'. But you and your experience will be needed where you're going. I wish you luck kid, you're gonna need it." Robyn said, then faded from view himself.
The next morning Genma got up early, despite grumbling about it, when Nodoka did, and headed for the rebuilt dojo to wake his son up for morning training. When he arrived, he looked about, including hopping up onto the roof, but he couldn't find his son anywhere. The fat, bald man shrugged and hopped back off the roof, thinking that his son must be out training somewhere, as he lazily made his way back to the house, not worried at all.
As breakfast came about, and the rest of the Tendo House gathered at the table to eat, Nodoka and Kasumi brought out the food for everyone. As Nodoka looked around and frowned as her son wasn't there.
"Has anyone seen Ranma this morning?" She asked politely as she looked at everyone.
"Oh my. No Auntie, I haven't since last night when he went out to the dojo to finish working on it." Kasumi answered politely, a look of worry starting to etch her beautiful face.
"Who cares where that pervert is? He's probably off with one of his hussies." Akane snarls as she glares at Genma, trying to find a suitable target for her anger with Ranma gone. "It's all your fault for turning him into a pervert!"
Genma qualed at the anger being directed, unfairly in his opinion, at him. "I haven't seen him either, he was gone before I got up, probably went out somewhere to train." Genma said defensively.
Nabiki looked up at that last, her tired, barely awake, eyes narrowing at Genma, knowing exactly how tired Ranma had been the last week since the failed wedding, and knowing there was absolutely NO way that Ranma would have gotten up any earlier than he absolutely HAD to. Her mind resolved to reach out to contacts to see where her favorite cash cow had disappeared to on her.
Nodoka and Kasumi looked at each other in concern. It wasn't like Ranma to be like this, and they both had seen a downward spiral in the normally resilient young man. Nodoka nodded subtly to Kasumi, signalling that they would talk later about this. Kasumi noded back, obviously worried about Ranma.
Through all of this, Soun remained blissfully buried in his newspaper, trying to ignore how things continued to seem to fall apart around him.
In a different Earth, where the land, society, and people had evolved VERY differently, Ranma slowly phased into being. Instead of being out in the open air, on top of a roof, the gods, whose low sense of humor knew no bounds, had placed the young aquatranssexual in a nice, warm, soft bed. Unfortunately the bed they placed the displaced martial artist happened to also be occupied at this time. Ranma, on instinct, long buried due to the abuses inflicted upon her by her father, cuddled up to the warm, soft body next to her, pressing her face in between the, only slightly smaller than her own, shirt covered chest with a small whimper. The person she cuddled up to, a young lady almost as tall as Ranma's male form, hugged her tightly on instinct, not even waking up. The two of them slept peacefully and soundly as the night wore on. For the pigtailed red-head, it would be the first actual sound night's sleep ever! For the twin tailed, dark haired young lady, it would be her first no nightmare night of sleep since the fall of her homeland to the Neuroi.
No one, not even the aforementioned gods themselves, could predict the changes that were about to occur on this Earth, all because of this one, single young lady being added, where before there was no one like her here.
