Title: New World New Rules

Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, Shokuga, Viz video; any other characters mentioned in this fan-fiction belong to their respected owners real or otherwise.

Author Notes

I would like to thank George for checking spelling and grammar.

Sorry for not having the update at my regular time. I was bogged down with Thanksgiving and family. I hope you under stand.

I will be late on updating for the next chapter because of Christmas also.

"Talking"

"Shields talking / Panda signs"

Now we go on with the story.

As the black limousine pulls up to the front gate of the Tendoh resident Ranma finishes the condensed version of her life. Karin climbs out of it after every one else. The limo driver has already started unloading the luggage, two large sacs and one large trunk. Karin leans back against the black limousine, crossing her arms just under her breasts. Scrunching up her face Karin is in deep thought.

Sheba calls out to Ranma and asks if she would help carry the luggage to the Dojo. They proceed to gather up the luggage and carry it to the Dojo.

Karin, realizing that she will have to deal with Shampoo on her own for now, drags the unconscious girl out of the limousine and places her over her right shoulder, and heads over to the Dojo letting Sheba and Ranma handle every thing else. Sliding the door open with her foot Karin admires the modest looking Dojo's wood plank walls with polished wood floor. Sheba unfolds their sleeping gear, while Ranma places the large trunk in the far corner of the Dojo. Carrying Shampoo over to the right front corner, Karin gently places her down.

Now with Shampoo taken care of Karin helps the others finish setup. Kasumi glides in silently wearing a modest cotton nightgown, a loose fitting sweater and carrying a teakettle. "Ranma I thought you would like to change before you turn in for the night." Surprised by the sudden voice Karin and Ranma leap up and cling to the ceiling and Sheba drops to the floor in a defensive stance. They all are scanning for threats until their eyes focus on Kasumi. Raising a hand to cover her mouth Kasumi tries to stifle a giggle. "Oh my, I did not mean to interrupt your practice."

Ranma dropped to the floor and let out a sigh of relief. "Oh Kasumi, it's you. You startled us." Turning towards Karin and Sheba she watched Karin's graceful decent to the floor.

Karin eased herself down to the floor landing with out a sound while Sheba slowly stood up keeping a wary eye on Shampoo.

Ranma turned back to Kasumi and said, "Thank you for the hot water Kasumi." Taking the teakettle from Kasumi, Ranma poured the water on his head and the transformation to a male began.

Hearing Ranma's words, Karin and Sheba become intrigued and turn to watch the change in Ranma. Karin watches intently, comparing what she sees with what her mind was telling her she should be seeing. Sheba also focused her attention on the transformation, fascinated but confused about what she was seeing.

Karin, thoughtfully processing what she had just witnessed, walks over to the male Ranma, circling him and comparing him to the perfect mental image of his female form. She is amazed at the mass conversion. Intuitively she felt like some thing was not right with it, breaking down the whole process of the change that she saw. Some thing screams to be fixed or finished but she had no idea what it is.

Noticing the look Karin is giving Ranma and how he is starting to fidget, Sheba takes pity on him. She steps up to her friend Karin and places her hand on her shoulder gaining her attention. Karin eyes start to water up, as she fiercely hugs Sheba mumbling "Not again" between sobs.

Ranma and Kasumi are shocked by Karin's breakdown. Kasumi is torn between comforting Karin and proper behavior towards guests, so she just stands there nervously rubbing her hand together. Blaming himself and his curse for Karin's breakdown Ranma starts to stammer out apologies one after another.

Sheba shakes her head at Ranma's action. "Ranma, first of all, it was nothing you did to cause Karin to behave this way." Coaxing Karin to the nearest bed roll, Sheba slowly sits down positioning Karin so she is curled up in her lap. Sheba waits for Ranma and Kasumi to sit down before she continues. "Karin, is it ok for me to tell them?" Karin nods her head while a small hiccup escapes her. Sheba comfortingly rubs Karin's back. "Karin has a problem. It might not seem like it's a big deal but to her it is. When Karin found her way to our lands she was in on deaths bed from dehydration. As soon as she received medical treatment, she recovered unexpectedly quickly. But the damage had been done. All her long term memory was destroyed." Taking a breath she allowed them to absorb the information. Seeing that they are ready for her to continue, she proceeds telling them. "Later we found out that she guards forgotten knowledge from a race called Radom. The problem now is that some times that knowledge overrides her and she loses her self control. It was about three month after she arrived that we noticed it's not a phase she was going through. In a dazed state she wandered into the kitchen, pulled out the pots and filled them with a variety of substances. You could smell the toxic fumes all through out the temple. I just happen to be staying over for the night when the fumes woke me. As I was helping to evacuate the temple I came across Karin in the kitchen. She was standing in front of the stone oven; one of the pots had clearly melted. The other pots on the stove were glowing bright blue and were clearly on their way to joining in the same fate. I screamed at her to move away but she did not hear me. Thin I saw the stone stove start to crack so I rushed in and tackled her to the ground just before the stove exploded. We were found under debris from part of the ceiling a little while later."

Wincing slightly as Karin tightens her hug, a muffled "I'm sorry" reaches Sheba's ears.

"I was hurt pretty badly by shrapnel and the impact from the ceiling forcing some of the shrapnel deeper in to me. I awoke later in a strange bed with Karin sitting in a chair right beside the bed. I was told later that it was Karin that saved my life and if she had not been for her I would have died. She apparently stormed in to the surgery room when they told her that they did all they could and that I would have a slight chance of waking up at all. Apparently several stone shards had pierced my spinal chord. The nurse that did not have to leave described the ordeal as unbelievable. The whole thing lasted about thirty minutes of surgery by Karin and she removed all the shrapnel from my spine. The longest and scariest part the nurse said was when it was all done Karin looked at him with solid white eyes and wisps of light were lifting off her. He also said that Karin had a feral look about her and that even her braid seemed to sway back and forth. Karin informed the lone nurse that he must keep every one out of the room and not to leave the room for an hour before Karin collapsed to the floor. The nurse did as he was told even going as far as barricading the door. He monitored both of our vitals making sure that we both will wake up. After the hour had passed he removed the barricade blocking the door letting in every one. The Doctors examined me and found that only a long thin scar that follows my spinal chord, also the areas that they worked on, and stitched up had sealed up." Stealing a glace at Karin, Sheba found that Karen had fallen asleep in her lap while she was talking. Sheba let out a sigh, carefully easing Karin onto the bed role, and tucks her in.

Sheba turns back towards the others, noticing that Ranma is in deep thought and that Kasumi finished wiping her tears away. She motions for them to follow her out side. Shutting off the lights and closing the door, they head off to the house to answer some of the questions that they have for each other.

Later that night after every one has retired; Shampoo wakes up with a migraine. Cursing the Musk tribe for her headache she looks around to get her bearing. Some movement in one of the far corners catches her attention straining her eyes to make out what ever it is. She is only able to make out the silhouette of it: Tall, skinny frame, thick legs, tail, long ears, and skinny arm.

It must have heard her because is stopped what it was doing and looked at her with illuminating white eyes. Lowering on to its front arms it stalks out of the shadows and heads right for her.

Now in the full Moon's light Shampoo is able to see it better. Its black fur seems to absorb the light while its white underbelly and paws seem to shine along with its white tail. However, she notes that the tail has a weird pattern to it.

Now with its face just inches away Shampoo silently prays to Athena for protection from this huge cat demon. The creature sniffs her than turns around sniffs the air and proceeds to search the room.

Shampoo stealthily starts making her way to the door stopping every time the creature looks in her direction. Now at the door, Shampoo slowly slides it open. Before she is able to open it far the creature is right be side her. It nudges her back in to her corner and heads back to the slightly opened door. Sticking its head through the opening it manages to slide the door open to escape into the night. Seizing her chance Shampoo escapes in to the night.

Next morning Karin groggily wakes up lying on top of her bed. Wiping the sleep from her eyes Karin stretches and then looks around. Noticing that her clothes are torn to shreds, Karin recalls the event of the previous night before she fell asleep. Remembering the reason she sleeps nude, Karin sighs to herself, "Another one of those bizarre dreams and another pile of shredded clothes." Taking a quick look around to see if Sheba or Shampoo are still here, Karin looks at her companion's bed to see that it is still tidy and made up. That means Sheba did not sleep in her bed last night. Wondering about her companion Karin quickly dresses and put away both Sheba's and her beddings before she heads over to the main house.

Karin proceeds to the main house to see if Sheba is there. Karin opens the outside door just in time for a large panda to miss crashing through it on an express route to the small pond and followed by a highly agitated Ranma. Karin watches as the panda and Ranma trade blows back and forth. She wonders if it is Ranma's animal companion. Karin turns around after she hears Sheba calling her name. Sitting around the table are Soun, Kasumi, Sheba, and two others she can only assume are Akane and Nabiki. Karin bows to every one and apologizes for being late to breakfast. Karin takes a seat between Sheba and Akane.

Breakfast ends shortly after Ranma finishes beating down the panda. Nabiki intrigued by the new guest tries to get more information out of Karin. "Karin is it true that you are an Ambassador representing Ranma's Mother."

Karin nods her head and replies, "Yes I am, but only in title though. The reason Sheba and I were sent here was to find Ranma, assess his condition, help him if needed, request that he visit his mother Lady Bastet at the most convenient time, and finally guard him from threats to his life."

Akane hearing this is about to ask a question but Nabiki interrupts her with her own question. "Does this offer include his fiancé?"

Thinking on the question Karin comes up with an answer. "If Ranma has chosen a fiancé, than they would fall under our protection until they are no longer together."

Ranma walks in as Karin gives her answer. Not knowing what is going on he sits down beside Sheba. Akane's anger starts to build up. Nabiki seeing that her little sister is almost at the boiling point she decides to help her go over the top. "Karin, Ranma's father has arranged a marriage between the Saotome and Tendoh clans."

Akane is the first to deny ever wanting to be engaged to Ranma. "I'm NEVER going to marry a sex changing pervert!" Akane slams her fist down on the table to emphasize her stance on the subject.

Ranma is shocked and hurt by Akane's statement. He replies the only way he knows how to respond to some thing like that. "Yea, who would ever want to be engaged to you any way? Your legs are too thick, you're built like a brick, and ……" Ranma never got to finish as Akane smashes Ranma into the floor.

Before Akane knows what happened, Karin has her pinned up on the wall by her neck. Karin's eyes turn a solid white and begin to glow brighter by the second. Karin starts to role her R's as she speaks to Akane. "You better pray to whatever god you worship that Ranma survives your attack or you will not live to see the sun set!" Karin sniffs the air and then looks down at this girl who has soiled herself. Letting go of Akane and watching her crumble to the floor to lie in her own urine, Karin pulls back to see how Sheba is doing with Ranma.