Chapter One: Zelda Wakes~
Most of the time that she has been with him, Zelda has thought she was dreaming.
She has grown to love and to hate the warrior-boy. Saotome Ranma, she has heard them say his name enough times to know it ...But to her, he is the Young Man, the man that reminds her very much of her brother, Link, in his exploits. But he doesn't talk like Link, not a bit. In fact she only "hates" him for his mouth. He torments his fiancée, the girl called Akane.
"Built like a brick, thighs too thick! Hair is slick, food makes me sick! Yadda yadda!" he chants, dodging her blows...
"Ranma, you, you!" she can't even swear at him, she is so angry.
"So, what, are you actually mad, uncute fiancée? Listen, I've told you loads of times, GHOSTS AREN'T REAL!"
Zelda was really very tired today, of Ranma's teasing. But before it hadn't mattered so much...she was only dreaming. As far as she knew, the boy that gave her back her dreams, and this "Tough Girl", weren't even real.
But she was also tired, having been one of the Peace Children, hearing that Ghosts weren't real. Her whole existence, her whole purpose in life (or the lack thereof!) was to be a spiritual ambassador between the" gods" and men. Ever since the war of Hyrule, that history the Sheikah had concealed in the Shadow Temple and in the Eye of Truth,this had been her purpose, her art, the virtue that made her what she is. Her creed and honor!
It was Link's purpose too. His sworn duty, as the prophesied Hero of the Hylilans..And had Farore not been a deceiving witch, he would have long ago fulfilled that destiny.
And so to prove her existence, and her purpose...Zelda woke to reality. She was the Princess of Destiny,the Peace Ghost, born only to die for the honor of her people.
As she woke to her calling, she realized what she had to do.
The only way to ensure the peace, was to slay the trouble maker.
For that she would need a god-slayer.
For that reason she had been fused to Saotome Ranma, the boy that had killed the Phoenix god, who had threatened his Akane, and had turned her to a doll.
Now, she would have to do something impossible.
She was going to possess Ranma, be in control, be alive again for a moment...
For that she would need Akane, and her wrath.
"You're sexless and savage, but you still fight like a girl!" Ranma laughed.
"Let's see you fight like a girl!" Akane cried, and reached into the stream they had been fighting alongside, and splashed a huge handful of cold water on Ranma.
He changed to his girl form, and froze.
Akane struck a fighting pose. But Ranma was done fighting.
Mostly because he couldn't move.
"C'mon you...you..." (still too angry to curse him...) "Come on and fight!"
The girl form blinked, and reached up and touched her hair.
"My hair is red now, because Din marked me with her fire..." she says..."But I was a servant in the house of Nayru, and learned her wisdom."
(WHAT IS GOING ON?...Ranma shouted inside of his own head. WHY CAN'T I MOVE MY ARMS AND LEGS?!)
"WHAT? Put up your fists, I'm taking you down!"
"Why? I have no fight with you? I only fight for honor; not to settle lover's quarrels."
Suddenly, looking into the girl form's eyes, Akane saw Zelda looking back, and understood.
"Who? Who's speaking...Ranma...or someone else?" asked Akane, dropping her pose.
The girl form smiled, " I am the Drowning Girl."she explained.
Akane's jaw-dropped. Wondering, how this had happened,...how it was that they never thought this day would come?
Because it wasn't supposed to. Whoever this girl was ,she had drowned. Died. 1400 years ago.
"But...how?"
"Do you believe that ghost's aren't real?"
"No! Ranma doesn't think so, denies he's seen stuff too...but I've seen scary things!"
"But...you're talking to a spirit now, and you aren't afraid."
Akane smiled, never having thought it would be like this...encountering a ghost...
"No, I'm not..."
The girl form smiled.
"I can't have mastery over him for very long. He is too fierce, and foolish, arrogant, and he has a terrible tongue. We will need to learn to work together, if I am to have justice."
"Justice on who? Who are you; I don't even know your name?..."
She smiled, and suddenly her red hair bleached white-golden blonde, and her eyes turned blue like star-light, and she seemed to grow taller, and she was slender, and had elven ears.
" I am Princess Zelda of the Hylilians. The second of the Peace Children. And I am going to slay the witch Farore who has my brother ,Prince Link, under her spell. But for that...I will need the help of young warrior Tendo Akane."
Akane laughed, delighted.
"What can I do to help you?"
"Send me on my way to the accursed Spring that caused me to reappear. When I at last lose control over Ranma ,he will be in the place of my revival, and then...I will speak with him. Now he cannot hear my voice. He is young...and wild...Like a horse before it takes the bridle...Slayer of Phoenix gods or no, there is still much about the world that he has yet to learn."