DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Ranma ½, Sailor Moon, Oh! My Goddess, or any other property which might show up. What I do own is the idea for this story, the concept of the Flower Knights (but not the individual characters who become one), and story elements unique to this tale.

That Old Time Punishment

Lake of Lost Dreams

Mornings in Nermia had a distinctive sound usually. Namely that of raw no holds bar combat. It normally started just before the sun rose. It also tended to end with the echoing scream of "Ranma no baka". People living near the Tendo dojo had grown use to such events. In fact, they paid them no mind. Part of that was the sound proofing neighbors had done.

Today however the normal routine had been broken. An overweight martial artist had thrown his son out of the window into a koi pond like normal. That wasn't what changed the situation. No, what had the residents of the dojo alarmed was the fact one Saotome Ranma had not emerged from the pond to spar. Instead he had rolled over while still under water, and gone back to sleep.

To those living in the building, witnessing one pig tailed martial artist submerged in cold water but not changing genders was still a shock. The fact that shifts in position indicated Ranma was clearly not drowning was shocking. The youngest Tendo sister saw this, and no one could figure out her thought process. Akane charged into the koi pond, only to sink like a stone.

It should be considered that the young Akane sinking in water was nothing special. She generally displayed all the grace and ability in water of a lead bar thrown in the lake. That is to say she had absolutely no buoyancy at all. It normally took an excessive amount of flotation devices to keep her from sinking. So while this event was alarming, it was nothing new.

It also should be considered that the koi pond was not very deep. It only went up to Akane's waist, although even that was a drowning risk if she wasn't standing. So no, her sinking in the koi pond should not have happened. And yet it was that one Tendo Soun had to grab her by the wrist before sinking to the point where her head was beneath the surface.

Naturally, one Saotome Genma never noticed this. He was too busy stuffing his face while everyone else was distracted. That breakfast hadn't even finished cooking was of no real import to him. To those who had traveled with the man, this was not a surprising action. To those who hadn't, such gluttony would have been shocking. If anyone was watching.

The reason no one was watching was simple. The Tendo family were staring at the koi pond. The youngest stared with something akin to fear. The middle sister, a teenage girl with brown hair in a pageboy style, was eying the pond with more then a little greed. The eldest sister had an expression of concern as she gazed at a certain pig tailed martial artist. Their father meanwhile was preforming a most excellent impression of a water fountain.

This too was no surprise to those who knew Soun. The man was well known in the area for being overly emotional. For years he'd been known to erupt into tears at the slightest provocation. While the natives didn't pay much attention to such behavior, he was often the subject of medical debates. Doctors all over the world puzzled over where the fluid came from. As well as why the man didn't dehydrate.

For ten minutes they stared. No one was willing to risk retrieving the boy. Not after Akane had nearly drowned in the pond. It's unnatural depth warded them off for various reasons. Finally Nabiki went back inside. When she returned it was carrying a length of rope and a brick. She tied the brick to the rope, and dropped it into the pond.

Deeper and deeper the brick sank. Nabiki ran out of rope, and still it hadn't hit the bottom. That rope was twenty feet long. Just how deep is this? Wait, what's she doing? To Nabiki's horror her elder sister had just dived into the water. Kasumi swam further and further into the depths. And everyone watching could only wait for the girl to drown.

While the others couldn't figure out why Kasumi had dove into the pond, she herself was also puzzling over it. It had seemed the most natural thing in the world to do. But now she didn't know which way was up. Now her lungs were on fire. Oh my, this is not how I thought it would happen, Kasumi thought. Finally her lungs gave out.

She expelled the air in her lungs, and took in a deep breath. As water filled her lungs Kasumi fully expected her end. She'd read enough medical books to know what would happen. She was dead the second a breath was taken, and was well aware of that fact. Her body however seemed to have forgotten that fact. Against all odds, Kasumi found she was not drowning.

She still couldn't determine which direction was the surface though. Dimly she could perceive something up ahead. With no better options available, the eldest Tendo sister started to swim towards that object. With each stroke she marveled that the water was breathable. She had felt it flood her lungs, yet seemed to do no harm. An... interesting sensation to say the least.

"What do you desire?"

The voice came from no where, and everywhere. It's question was deceptively simple. And in her mind Kasumi answered with the first thing she thought of. I want to make sure Ranma is all right. The answer it's self didn't seem to satisfy the voice. The next time it spoke there was a hint of disappointment. That shocked the homemaker to the core.

"What do you truly desire?"

What did she desire? Anymore Kasumi wasn't sure. There was a time when she'd wanted to go to collage. Studying medicine had been a dream of hers. Sadly her dreams had never really mattered. There was no one else who could take care of the house. No one else in her family could cook. In truth, the others were more likely to poison themselves with any attempt. Wistfully Kasumi began to daydream about an ideal life.

"What then is stopping you?"

XxXxX

I'm not lazy. Not really. While it's true that I frequently sleep through classes, that's about the only time I get to sleep. At night there are frequently attacks by my rivals. Or I wake up in the middle of the night to Shampoo trying to sneak into my bed. Best I can figure it, she thinks I'll happily go to China with her and be a dutiful slave if she does that to me in my sleep.

It wouldn't work, but she thinks it will. I'm not sure why. I've put up with her this long cause her honor and life are at stake. But if push comes to shove, I'm not as stupid as everyone assumes. I got cameras that record each night while I sleep. I know that Shampoo and her great grandmother are in Japan illegally. I know they set up that cafe without the proper permits.

All this time I've been collecting evidence. Sure a court might have trouble believing some of the crazy stuff that happens to me. Fortunately most of it can be proven quite easily. Everyone thinks I'm an idiot. They think I don't have a clue. But if they push me too far, everyone will learn otherwise. I'll show them myself. Maybe then they'll finally realize their mistakes.

Oh sure that princess, Jane I believe, wants to help me sort things out. But her help so far has caused just as many problems. Anyway, people think I'm lazy. I'm not. My sleep at night frequently gets interrupted. Then there's the baka panda. Before the sun's even thinking of coming up he tends to throw me out the window. Least she's stopped beating me for every imagined wrong. Not that she doesn't try. It's just hard for a (snicker) parrot to swing heavy objects at me. Even Ryoga has figured that out. Why can't she?

Or that uncute tomboy dumps a bucket of cold water on me. Either way I get pulled from my already not restful sleep. Then there's Kuno. That idiot still hasn't figured out about my curse. I showed him a dozen times. Heck, I even explained all the details of it. And still he thinks I'm a 'foul sorcerer' and that I've cast some enchantment on my girl side. Who knows where he got that stupid shield.

Then there's the frequent dodging of the other fiances. Shampoo might be busy dodging Kuno and Toro a lot of the time, but she still manages to cause me trouble. Between her constant attempts to enslave me with magic and Mousse's blind attacks I can barely get a couple minutes of rest most days once school gets out. Sometimes even school isn't a safe haven.

So is it any wonder that this one time, I decided not to surface in the koi pond? I just wanted, no, I needed to sleep. As for why the pond is so deep, I've no clue. Ever since I got back from training the princess and her guardians it's been like this. For anyone else the koi pond is normal. But for me, it seems bottomless. Then there is the oddity of me not drowning.

Water and me have had an... attraction for some time now. Specifically, I'd try to avoid it as often as possible, and it would seek me out. Sometimes defying nature to do so. But now it's more like an old friend. One that would never hurt me, and always welcomes me in it's embrace. So today when I hit the pond, I decided to finally catch up on my sleep.

And boy did it feel great. I haven't felt this refreshed in years. Actually, I can't remember the last time I felt this good. It almost made me consider sleeping in the koi pond every night. Hmm, there's an idea. Why not sleep here? After all, the guardian of lost dreams should spend time in his lake. Wait, guardian of what? Where did that come from? And why would I think of this pond as a lake?

There's someone else here. Not sure how, but I can feel her. Yeah, it's a girl. About to drown too, can't have that. So I reach out and somehow change her a little. Nothing major, just the ability to breath in my lake. Dang it, there I go again. She seems lost for some reason. And something tells me it's cause she's lost direction. Not physical direction, but spiritual.

"What do you desire?" I ask her.

How she can hear me is a very good question. One I'm not bothering with just now. I can almost feel her answer. She's worried about me. But that's not what I asked her. The fact she didn't answer my question brings me a sense of disappointment. I'm trying to help this girl out. Can't she see that? So I ask again. This time I guess I sound annoyed cause the girl starts to cry.

"What do you truly desire?"

This time I get a proper answer. She wants to be a doctor. To study medicine and help others. I like this girl. Don't really know who she is, but I like her. But I feel a sense of loss from her. She wants to be a doctor, but feels like it's impossible. I wonder why? Surely anyone with such a noble goal can easily find a way towards it.

"What then is stopping you?"

Oh no, it's Kasumi! It's horrible! All her hopes, all her dreams... Her own family has smothered them beneath selfish desires. Everyone but me treats her as little more then a slave. I'd never realized how unhappy she was! There has to be something I can do, there just has to be! I swim towards Kasumi and take her hand. I want to help, but it has to be her choice.

"Do you want to go back? You're dreams aren't lost. Not here. You can stay, and live the dream denied, or go back. If you stay your old life will be but a fading memory as the dream becomes stronger."

I'm not sure where it came from. Or what it means exactly. I'm also not sure if Kasumi even knows it's me talking to her. Waiting for her answer is the hardest thing I've ever done. Harder then fighting demons. Harder then killing Saffron. Harder even then accepting my dual nature. I'm scared she'll reject my offer. I'm worried what will happen if she accepts it. All I know is that if she wants, Tendo Kasumi will be my first guest. Although the world above might consider her my first victim.

"Oh my. Is it all right to just visit now and then? My family still needs me."

It breaks my heart to let her go. But my gut tells me I must. So I answer her. It is small comfort that she'll eventually chose to stay. Not sure how, but I know that once she starts to submerge in her dream that she'll find it impossible to leave after a while. As I bring Kasumi to the surface I can feel her change. She is mine, or will be in time. Even if I'm not here at the time, I know she'll now be able to find a way back.

"To visit then leave, if that's your wish. I shall not bar your path. My lake is always welcoming to you, lost one. For now, it is time for you to go."

XxXxX

To live her dreams, dreams which had been long denied her. Made impossible by the needs of her family. It was tempting as hell. And yet her family did need her. Could she abandon them that casually? No, Kasumi decided. She couldn't do that. But oh, to live out her dreams. That was something she'd hate to give up again. Maybe a compromise could be reached?

"Oh my. Is it all right to just visit now and then? My family still needs me."

The voice seemed to hesitate for a minute. Then finally it replied. And with it her heart filled with genuine joy for the first time in years. "To visit then leave, if that's your wish. I shall not bar your path. My lake is always welcoming to you, lost one. For now, it is time for you to go."

XxXxX

Nabiki continued to stare at the koi pond long after the others had left. Her elder sister was still down there. But her form was now semi-translucent. What that meant was anybody's guess. But it didn't seem like a good thing. Nabiki watched as the cursed boy swam towards her sister. She watched him take Kasumi's hand. And with that gesture her sister vanished completely for almost ten minutes.

It was with great relief when her sister reappeared more solid then before. That relief grew when her sister finally emerged from the koi pond. There was something different about the young woman though. A wistful smile was on her lips, and a longing in her eyes. We're going to lose her, Nabiki thought. Maybe not today, but soon. I just hope there's time to say goodbye to her. Just what did Ranma do to her?

Nabiki's thoughts were interrupted by another figure emerging from the pond. Ranma didn't even look wet, a fact which was mildly annoying. Nor had he changed genders. That bit of control was costing her money. Money which the dojo needed to stay out of debt. This would require thought, and investigation though. Something was wrong. Her sister was in danger, and Nabiki had no idea how or why. Let alone what she could do about it.

"It's nothin ta do with you Nabs," Ranma said. "And she ain't in trouble. What's happenin is her choice."

"What did you do, Saotome?" Nabiki demanded.

"I offered a choice, somethin no one else bothered with."

"And what was that 'choice'?"

"Ta return, or stay in her stolen dreams."

XxXxX

As evening came Ranma was once more laying on the dojo's roof. While he'd thought nothing of it at the time, as the day wore on he'd been disturbed by something. He'd tried to entrap Kasumi, and felt happy about her decision. He had felt an eager anticipation for when she eventually is fully trapped in a false reality. And that scared him.

What really chilled the youth to he marrow however was something that happened at school. He'd been swimming in gym class when it had happened again. A new transfer student had dived into the pool, and then vanished. No one else knew what had happened. He did however. The boy had dreamed of being an engineer. His family however had squashed that dream ruthlessly. Instead they had been forcing the youth into medicine. A field the boy had hated with a passion.

It had broken Ranma's heart, so he'd offered the boy the same choice he'd given Kasumi. Unlike her, the boy hadn't hesitated at all. When it had happened the fae touched martial artist had felt deep satisfaction. He'd also felt slightly stronger. Even now that sense of satisfaction had merely faded. Which horrified Ranma. What am I becoming? This is wrong, isn't it?

With no answers forthcoming, he decided to turn in. Without really thinking Ranma started towards the koi pond instead of the guest room. As he slipped into the water the bottom seemed to fall out of the pond. Unlike previous times, this time he was actually aware of this happening. Once submerged he felt stronger still. He also found he could feel the presence of that boy from school.

The kid seemed happy, which in turn made Ranma happy. It was getting hard to think this was a bad thing. A fact which in it's self concerned him. It stank of mind altering magic, something the youth had far too much experience with. The concern was enough that Ranma decided to visit the young queen soon. He needed to know what was going on. Sleep claimed the youth soon afterwords.

XxXxX

Two Weeks Later

Nabiki awoke not to the sounds of combat like had become usual, but to an eerie silence. For a change she was wide awake, rather then practically a zombie. A glance at the alarm clock told Nabiki it was almost eleven in the morning. The youth started at this, it was a school day after all. Why hadn't anyone woken her up? As she explored the house Nabiki muttered.

"Daddy's gone, probably for a council meeting. Saotome would be at Doctor Tofu's clinic Ranma and sis are probably at school... So where's Kasumi?"

Her investigation finally lead to the kitchen, and a minor shock. The dishes from supper were still in the sink in need of washing. Kasumi would never leave those like that, would she? Nabiki also noticed that breakfast appeared to have not been made. Akane and Ranma's bento boxes were also still in the Cabinet. In truth, everyone's bento was there.

The mystery deepened with that discovery. Her elder sister might have gone out shopping, but would never neglect the family's lunches. Dazed by her discoveries, Nabiki went into the yard to watch the koi. She wasn't paying any attention however. The first hint something was wrong was her foot hitting water. By then it was too late and Nabiki had fallen into the pond.

The first thing she noticed was that direction was almost impossible to tell. Then Nabiki realized the pond was too deep. Unable to determine where the surface was, all the tendo sister could do was head towards a shape in the distance. Better to have a destination then to swim aimlessly, she decided. As she traveled Nabiki found herself reflecting on events two months before.

XxXxX

She's not leaving, kami help me, she's not leaving, I thought in panic. Kasumi had once more entered my domain last night, but this time she didn't look like she'd be able to pull away. A part of me was happy with this situation. Okay, a large part was happy about it. At the same time the thought of her being trapped here was horrifying.

I'd not gotten a chance to sleep yet. I'd been trying to convince Kasumi to leave ever since I realized she might not do so willingly. Yes, I was tired. So excuse me for not noticing at first someone else entering my lake. By the time I did realize someone else was here, it was too late. There'd been no hesitation at all. Akane had given herself over almost instantly.

I checked in on her dream, hoping that there was still a chance. Even then I knew it was unlikely. I could feel the surge of new energy flowing through me. The same surge that had initially alerted me to Kasumi's giving in to temptation. I can't blame Akane, after seeing what her dream had been it's completely understandable. All she'd really wanted was to be the best.

Not that she ever had a chance at that. Maybe if her father hadn't abandoned her training. Maybe if that idiot Kuno hadn't issued his proclamation. Maybe if Kuno hadn't held back as much as he did, thus causing the skills she did have to degrade until all she had was strength. Maybe then she'd have at least been able to hold her own against the other girls. Maybe not me, but she'd still have been damn good.

When I check her dream world, I find an Akane who is nearly my equal. An Akane who can cook without it being toxic. I guess her family had never bothered teaching her the hard way. Namely by making her eat what she cooks too. Without that, she never has figured out that she's making mistakes. Still doesn't explain where she gets all those weird and dangerous things she cooks with.

I try everything I can think of, but Akane doesn't even notice. She's just like the others, lost to the mortal world. There has to be a way to free her and Kasumi, but I can't think of one. A third person enters my lake while I struggle to free Akane. It's Nabiki this time, not her too. Please not her. Let at least one of them get away. I start to 'read' her destroyed dream.

She wants to be rich, to own a major company. To marry someone in high society. Why can't she? I investigate a little. Hmm, a notice to appear in court, a hearing on charges of child pornography and blackmail. She lost the trial it seems, too much evidence. Even had sold pictures of me in the furo to an undercover officer. Now how did she have those?

With that on her permanent record, even with the fine paid and minor jail time (so that's where she was that month) she'll never get a legal job as anything other then a waitress. Nor will anyone with money outside of the yakuza marry her. Not that she'd want to be a trophy wife with no real access to finances. There's nothing I can do though. This is all Nabiki's doing. Her greed is the cause, and only her greed.

I swim towards the middle sister while shaking my head. As I grab her waist I speak. "You don't belong, you're own actions have caused you're ruin. I'll guide you out, destroyer of lives."

Author Notes:

Yeah, not as humorous as the others. I realize that. I'd initially planned on this being a situation comedy story, yet again. But it seems this one is a more serious tale. One of temptation and the darker side of faerie. In faerie lore even the 'good' fae are not exactly noble or good. And while Ranma's honorable to a fault, the type of fae he's become it seems is of a darker nature.

What is that nature? Well, it seems Ranma is a guardian of lost dreams. A new type of faerie created by the interaction of all the various magics Ranma has been affected by, as well as contact with pure magic water. But what does it mean to be a 'guardian of lost dreams'? Well, that's where the darker side of faerie comes in.

When a mortal enters Ranma's 'lake', really any body of water Ranma is completely submerged in, they are offered the chance to live their greatest desire, provided that desire was denied them for some outside reason. If they accept, that person is lost forever. Trapped in the lake of lost dreams, now a part of Ranma's domain.

But this is only true if a person's dreams and goals were denied by things other then personal choice and action. Having one's dreams shattered because you engaged in illegal activity and got caught would mean you can't be claimed by Ranma. A version of the anomaly in Star Trek Generations, but more limited in a sense.

A seductive offer to say the least. But Ranma is too honorable to make it without giving full disclosure. Granted, he doesn't completely know the full price of someone choosing to stay. Not yet anyway, but already he knows others would consider his 'guests' to be victims instead. For each person who forsakes the world in favor of their lost dream Ranma's base magic level grows. And since (s)he's now a type of faerie, Ranma uses magic instead of chi. A fact he isn't aware of yet.

Yes, it is very out of character. Which will be causing some problems for Ranma as he struggles to adjust. I may do one last one in this series to cover the fallout.