Disclaimer: I do not, and unfortunately will never own Ranma ½. The story, and characters all belong to a wonderful woman named Rumiko Takahashi. The only thing that I own would have to be myself, and hopefully some part of the plot used for this fan fiction.

...With the amount of fan fiction floating around the Internet these days, I highly doubt it.

((SPECIAL NOTE: IF THIS CHAPTER'S RELIGIOUS VIEWS/ACTIONS/FIGURES COMPLICATE YOUR OWN AND/OR DISTURB YOU, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION!))

((...IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY!))

((THANK YOU.))

...Are you sure that there's no possibility of me owning Ranma ½?

...No?

Well, damn.

The blonde raised an eyebrow before asking in a partially monotone voice, "What, were you expecting me to die?"

Damos fumed, his tail lashing furiously as he glared at her from atop his perch on the Seer's massive shoulder.

"Yeah… Thanks for the vote of confidence, Damos my friend."

The Seer sighed. "Damos, what has gotten into you?" She plucked the irate demon from her shoulder, dangling him in front of her at eye level.

He stared into the beautiful golden eyes in front of him, before turning his head away in embarrassment. "But… Why her, Seer? Why HER?"

The Seer tilted her bald head to the side, a slow smile spreading across her features. "Ah, I see…" She turned her gaze towards the blonde woman sitting comfortably in her other palm.

Damos just continued to fume, looking away from both of the females.

Ashley silently watched as the Seer took her time examining the two of them. After what seemed to be an eternity, the Seer carefully stood and walked out of the crystal-filled chamber.

"Seer? What is this all about? Why am I here? Why did Damos send me away in the first place?"

The blue giantess neither spoke, nor changed her expression from the soft smile that she was wearing.

…However, she did eventually stop walking.

The blonde glanced around the vast darkness surrounding them, she couldn't see anything. Ashley couldn't help but quickly glance over at Damos, only to find him staring at her, his fiery eyes gleaming.

She shivered slightly, 'Holy crap, that's creepy… What, did I accidentally kick his puppy in a past life?'

The one-sided staring match continued until the Seer opened her mouth and let out a series of sounds, ranging from high lofty notes, and a deep guttural growling that definitely lasted longer than should be necessary.

Damos must've noticed the confused look on Ashley's face, because he sighed and slightly turned his head towards her, only speaking loud enough so that she could understand him.

"That was a combination of several different dialects of the astral plane, to be honest I only really understood the demonic and gutter speech.."

His voice trailed off into a sudden gasp as a shining line suddenly appeared before them. It quickly expanded into what looked like an ancient crystal door, covered in spider-like runes and deep crevices.

The Seer cleared her throat, "Hmm.. It seems that my demonic has become a little rusty over the years… Oh well, this should get us on our way."

She gently moved Damos to her other hand with Ashley, and then used her now free hand to caress the crystal framing the doorway.

The blonde winced. "Is it another portal?"

Damos nodded, "Yes, almost like the one that I brought you here with."

Ashley turned towards him, her hands clasped in front of her pleadingly. "Please, Damos? Do me this little favour? I hate them, oh God please…"

The white haired demon grumbled to himself, before wrapping his arms around her waist. She paled, "Wait, why are you--"

His expression morphed into an impish grin before he used his tail to tap a special point at the back of her neck, watching in amusement as she slumped against him.

Greedily nuzzling his face in the space between her breasts, he chuckled. "Well, at least she's not too bright."

The Seer looked down at the 'couple', still smiling her secretive smile. With a slight nod to herself, she stepped through the portal.

Ashley groaned. Going through the portal knocked out was certainly much better than going through it fully conscious, but… Damn, it still sucked.

She shook her head violently for a moment before blinking her eyes open.

White.

Pure, unspoiled white.

She paused. "Holy crap. White light, white light!" Then burst into giggles, 'Gotta love Orlando Bloom.'

Quickly wiping away a tear from her little giggle fest, she stared at the extremely bright light surrounding her.

After a few minutes, she could faintly see various outlines of… Well, it had to be something, right? Shaking her head and rubbing her eyes vigorously, she began to understand where she was.

"I'm in… an office?"

"That is correct, Ashley."

Ashley squeaked, and spun around… and around… and around…

… "When the hell did I get in an office chair..?"

The voice chuckled.

After stopping the wildly spinning office chair, the large woman finally looked towards the source of the voice…

And regretted it, not a split second later.

"Oww! Yeesh, turn down the lights over there!" The blonde shrieked, "What the hell is that, a ten thousand watt light bulb?! What is wrong with you?!" She winced, her hands flying up to cover her eyes.

"Hmm? Oh!" The devastating bright light dimmed considerably. "Forgive me, young lady… I should have turned it down sooner."

She peeked through her fingers, only to see a glossy white surface in front of her. Cautiously lowering her fingers to grip at the fabric of her nightgown pooling in her lap, she glanced around.

'Well… It's still pretty damn white. But it definitely looks like an office now… Nice desk.' The beautifully carved desk shone a brilliant white, the surface perfectly polished.

'Damn, what did they use on this thing? Turtle wax? I can practically see my own reflection!'

"Why thank you. I am glad that you are pleased with the furnishings, Ashley." The voice lightly teased, and the blonde could swear that she heard a faint laughter echoing inside of her head.

She had been avoiding it, in the hopes that she wouldn't be stuck staring into an insanely bright light once again. Heaving a small sigh, she squinted her eyes and looked up towards the figure calmly sitting at the desk in front of her spinny office chair.

"I…"

Her eyes opened a little wider as she took in the freshly pressed white suit, tie and slacks on the… person. She couldn't make out the features of the face clearly, even though they were only a meter or so apart.

'Must be the bright halo, I guess…' Her shocked brain struggled to inform her.

"Are you alright, my dear?" Through the light of the halo, the blonde could faintly see a smile forming on his lips. "Would you like some water, maybe an aspirin?"

The larger woman simply nodded stupidly. Her brain felt like it was currently doing various complicated gymnastic feats inside the confines of her head, in attempts to wrap her mind around her current situation.

The strangely peaceful man did nothing but smile wider, and press the button on a small intercom. "…Yes, could we please get a glass of water and a few aspirin tablets in here for our guest? …Thank you."

Ashley sat almost frighteningly still in the office chair, her eyes slowly moving around the room. The man in white simply continued to smile serenely, his head propped up comfortably on one of his hands.

It felt like an eternity passed… But in reality, it was probably only five or maybe ten minutes.

The click of a door knob from somewhere behind her made the blonde jump, and snap her head towards the noise. She was certainly acting skittish, her hands trembling as she sat in the office chair in nothing more than a nightgown.

A gorgeous woman with a stylish mop of bright red hair happily strolled into the white office. Warm sapphire eyes regarded the blonde woman with a pleasant mixture of love and sympathy as she handed over a glass of water and two aspirin tablets.

The blonde downed them without a thought, and seemed to calm down somewhat.

"Poor thing, I guess she's a little shocked." She looked up to the smiling man in white. "Never easy for you to meet new people, is it?" She teased, flipping a few strands of red hair over her shoulder.

With that, the redhead cheerfully ruffled the blondes already mussed up locks and practically skipped out of the room.

Still in a light state of shock, the larger woman turned and slowly waved goodbye to the happy redhead. Before the cheerful woman reached the door, Ashley couldn't help but notice the tiny pair of white… wings… growing out of the woman's back.

She turned back towards the desk, a nervous smile forming on her lips. She took a few slow, calming breathes… After a moment or so, she lifted her face high enough to look into the man's face.

"I… You…" She tried talking, but the rest of what she wanted to say just couldn't make it past the tip of her tongue.

"Yes."

She twitched slightly. '…I think that I just swore… In front of…'

"God, yes. …My, you are certainly catching on quick." The serene grin never left his face, his eyes closed in what appeared to be happiness.

She gaped, her mouth hanging slightly open.

"You're… God?

The man nodded once more for confirmation, and Ashley smiled at him.

Less than three seconds later, her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed out of her chair in a dead faint.

He blinked down at the unconscious woman currently face down on the plush carpeting of his office. "That went rather well." Smiling to himself, he pressed the button on the intercom.

"She seems to have decided to take a rather unexpected nap. Could you prepare something for her until she wakes up? …And no, it wasn't my fault. She's just tired." Releasing the button, he glanced down once more.

"…I think."

"Rise and shine, little one."

"Mmmm…"

"Is she awake?"

"…Five more minutes, Mom... I swear…"

Laughter.

At the sound, the large woman sprung up wide awake. Her eyes darting around the room, and her arms held in what may have been meant as an attack stance.

"…Are you feeling any better now?"

"Uh… Yeah." She cleared her throat, her face flushing in embarrassment. "I mean… Yes, I'm feeling much better now, thank you."

The beautiful red haired woman calmly held up yet another glass of water. "Here, have a drink."

Carefully accepting the glass, she smiled nervously at the woman. "Oh, thank you miss…?" She took a few small sips from the cup.

The woman merely giggled and looked toward the man in white, the small wings on her back lightly fluttering from her laughter.

"I think that you may know her better as Ranko."

It took all of her willpower to not choke on her drink and spray water everywhere.

Coughing lightly, the blond managed to stutter out, "R-Ranko?" She finally cleared her throat. "H-how…? How is that.."

"Ranko was to be reincarnated." The man in white sighed. "Ranma, as you now know him, was in fact originally intended to be a girl…. Ranko's new body."

"I-is this true..?" Ashley suddenly turned bright red, "No-not to be disrespectful to you, Your Holiness."

He smiled lightly, "Yes, it is true. But…"

Ranko fidgeted slightly where she was standing. "It's my fault." She looked towards the ground, obviously ashamed of her actions.

"It's just… I had seen how much Ranma's current parents had wanted a boy. Someone to carry on the family name and art. Genma also needed a son to fulfil his promise to Soun Tendo, after all."

"Nodoka wouldn't have cared what gender the baby was. …She just wanted to be a mother."

Ranko lifted her gaze slightly, a soft smile coming to her face as she thought of the older woman. "She wanted her husband to be happy. She prayed, hoped, and wished every single night of her pregnancy."

"So, I... I let a new soul step in." She closed her eyes, her face quickly morphing into a look of disappointment at her own actions. "But… I did it without the Lord's permission and blessings."

He placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder, the glowing light surrounding him brightening for a few moments. "You have been forgiven many times over child. What you did was done with nothing but good in mind."

"…The road to Hell is often paved by good intentions."

The light dimmed slightly and Ashley quickly slapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes widening in shock. "I-I'm sorry! It just slipped out…"

"In this case… You may be right."

"W-what?"

"Without the blessing…" Ranko looked to Him, a small frown on her face.

"Tell me child, have you ever noticed how bad Ranma's luck is?"

Ashley fidgeted a little, playing with the bottom of her nightgown. "Well, I wouldn't say BAD…"

"Unfortunate, then?"

"Yeah, I guess. Trouble does… Well, it seems to follow him. I mean really, the odds of some of the things that happen to him… It should be impossible." She raised an eyebrow as she thought of everything that she had seen in the Ranma ½ series.

The man sighed, shaking his head sadly. "Ranma is a chaos magnet. The biggest that the universe has ever seen. We, even here in heaven, are unable to predict his present day actions. There is a brief idea of what his future will be… And even that is undecided."

Ranko smiled weakly, looking over towards the large blonde. "Now that you have arrived in his universe, we have been able to get a slightly clearer …picture… of him."

"It was the chaos magnet that decided that he would crash into that particular tree, wasn't it?"

He smiled, "Yes. It appears that as long as you are with him, we will be able to monitor him."

"You can help make sure that his life doesn't stray too far from the original storyline… Maybe you will be able to help the other residents of Nerima as well."

Ashley frowned lightly, tilting her head slightly to the side in a confused manner. "But... How? How am I helping him?"

"Being a chaos magnet, anything having to do with Ranma brings all sorts of insanity. Nerima was actually a relatively normal place before Soun Tendo decided to move into it."

"Now that Ranma is actually there in the flesh, his 'condition' has been slowly contaminating everyone." Ranko quietly ran her hand through her hair as she spoke, obviously feeling much better.

"Though it seems that even now…" He walked forward a step and patted the large woman on the head, almost as if she were a small child needing praise.

"He, as well as everyone else that you have made an impact on… Have not forgotten you."

"Forgotten me? Why would they forget me?" Her eyes suddenly widened in panic, "Wait! What… How long…"

Ranko watched sympathetically as the larger woman tried to compose herself. "…Exactly how long have I been gone?"

"I can't believe that I'm just thinking about them now! What's going on with my family? My little brother and sister, my parents!"

"It may be for the best not--"

"I don't care if it's for the best!" She turned to Ranko, her face lined with panic.

The petite redhead looked around nervously, her eyes darting from the man to the practically hyperventilating woman in front of her. "I-I…" She looked down, "It's been almost a full year. …I'm sorry, Ashley."

"A-a year?! I was only in the Ranmaverse for a few months at most… How could…"

"The times between different dimensions never pass by in the same way. A month in one dimension could be years, or even decades in another."

Her eyes watered, and she shook her head. "And no one thought about contacting me to tell me of this?"

She stared into the bright halo, obviously restraining herself. "Am I not able to go see my family?"

"It's best not to talk about this now, Ashley. You have places to go, and more people to meet. Your journey is far from over."

He waved his hand, and the large woman's nightgown instantly morphed into a simple pair of white jeans and a t-shirt. A pair of white sandals and a black shoulder bag appeared in her hands.

Clearly getting the message that she had overstayed her welcome, she threw the strap over her shoulder and slipped on the sandals.

Swiftly wiping the tears from her eyes, she tried her best not to glare at the deity before her.

A soft tap on her shoulder caused the blonde to turn and glare at the small red haired woman. "What?"

Ignoring the glare, Ranko pushed a beautiful white feather into her hands. It lingered there for a moment before disappearing into the almost forgotten ring on her finger.

"Take this. …You'll know what to do with it when the time is right."

Ashley turned away without even a whisper of thanks, eyeing the man in white with a displeased expression. "…Why are you hiding this from me? Can't you tell me about them?"

The man waved his hand once more and a luminous doorway appeared. Ranko stepped forward and opened it, revealing the swirling vortex behind it.

"All will be revealed in time, my dear." He smiled gently, reaching out to lightly pat her shoulder.

Ashley stood still for a moment or two, slowly gazing back and forth between Ranko and the face of the man in white. With a great sigh, she nodded and passed through the vortex.

Ranko looked sadly towards the open doorway, lightly worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. She carefully closed the door and turned away as it vanished in a flash of light.

The man in white walked back to his desk and sat down in the large cushioned office chair. He rested his chin on his hand and heaved a sigh.

"…You may send him in now."

The petite woman gave a slight shiver, but nodded and swiftly fled the office.

"Now, now… I do not think that was entirely fair." A dark voice whispered, as a large shadow slipped underneath of the office door. It lingered at the doorway for a moment before darting towards the desk.

"It is what must be done. …It is for the best."

The shadow expanded, slowly forming into a tall figure wearing a finely pressed suit and a wide brimmed hat.

"So you say." Bat like wings wrapped around his shoulders like a magnificent cape, and a large fanged smile peered out at the man in white from the darkness of his face.

"What is it that you want, Mephistopheles?"

The demonic man almost seemed to flinch for a moment, before his grin widened to inhuman proportions. "Are you still unable to even speak my name, O Holy Father? You created me, after all…"

"You created yourself creature. You are not as you were, and you never shall be again."

"What brings you here? Why do you come to where you are forbidden?" The man in white glowed brightly, his face a perfect mask of calm.

"Oh, how you wound me. You knew the beginning could never last… Nothing can live without both darkness and light." The figure chuckled, a frighteningly wicked sound.

"You know why I am here. Yet… You whisked her off before I was even able to say hello." His voice dropped to a deep murmur. "Why is that, I wonder?"

The man in white was silent.

"Are you worried, perhaps? Worried that I may be able to… Convince her?" The voice turned seductively dark, and for a moment golden eyes flashed into a glare.

"She is balanced. She will never be completely one of ours. …That makes you uncomfortable, doesn't it?" He leaned forward onto the desk, pale face sly and playful.

"You are greedy, O Lord. You want every single soul alllllllllllll to yourself. All bask in the glory of God! Hallelujah!"

The glowing man sighed. "You have not changed from your childish ways." A small smile slowly formed on his face. "I highly doubt that you ever will."

"Two sides of the same coin, my friend." Ever-smirking, the figure stood up from the office chair, and turned to walk away from the desk.

"That was very, very unsportsmanlike of you. Ushering her out without letting me meet her."

He preened, the wide smile returning. "She would have liked me, you know. I would have behaved…"

The man in white leaned back in his chair, "You would have behaved like yourself. …We wouldn't have gotten anywhere with you around."

The dark figure gave a graceful sweeping bow, "O Lord, you know me far too well." With that, he slowly sunk back into his own shadow and began to disappear.

"If I wish to see her for myself, I have my own… Ways…"

The words echoed about the office for a few seconds after his departure. The man in white shook his head, and pressed a button on his intercom.

"Yes, Ranko? Could you come in here? …No, it's not that." He sighed.

"I think he may have singed the carpet again…"

A NOTE TO ALL READERS:

Hehe, well.. I've been pretty busy. I screwed up pretty badly in school, and I am now stuck waiting another year to graduate.

...It's a long story. But, I will be updating soon. Hopefully everyone will be able to forgive me. --Ashley

Review count is at… Holy crap, 79! Seventy-NINE?

…Wow. Almost at 80, everyone!

Aaaaannnd… Drum roll please!!

The hits are at… 5297!

Thank you all so much for enjoying the story, hopefully everyone will enjoy this chapter and review. Because I like reviews.

They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

...

What did you think of it, anyway?

Good?

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Review and tell me!

Luv,

Shifta Shi-Chan(aka Ashley)

xoxoxo