[Ranma/Xover][FanFic] The Bet: Reluctant Bet segment 23
Gregg Sharp
Reluctant Bet segment 23 "Reluctant Rewrite"
Disclaimer: Here there be fanfiction
----------
Grey struggled to his feet wondering what the heck
happened. A sign engraved in the ground gave him his first
clue.
"To: Grey, petitioner for guardian daemon status, Rival
Relief Office
From: Amaterasu, Test Committee, Goddess Relief Office
Due to technical difficulties, your Second Labor has
been moved to this other timeline. Backtracking of records
has already been accomplished. Due to more technical
difficulties, the 'automatic transformation to Ranma' spell
is active on someone else. Due to damage to your previous
cyborg body, it has been replaced with something different.
As there appears to be problems with your Binding, try
not to die.
Amaterasu Omikami, goddess first class, unlimited
license."
"That many screw-ups? Kitchiri *must* be involved." Grey
pondered then carefully walked to a pool. A human looking
head, hair, face, even tongue and teeth. The eyes were
silver. An odd symbol marked the forehead. An errant memory
brought it into place. The rune symbol for "renewal" - he'd
seen it outside a spa near Olympus.
He looked like Ranma, except for being way too muscular
and 6'11" in Chinese slippers. And those eyes. And... did
Urd do something that this was in specs on ALL his
transformations?
~Request Internal Diagnostic~ Grey frowned. No response.
He quickly tried "Inventory" and "Statistical Status" among
other things but continued to draw a blank.
Not a cyborg body, but definitely not his original body.
Finding a mental switch, Grey tried it and found that
*someone* had gotten an idea from the Pheonix Mage.
Jared had merged with another self, the Pheonix Mage, by
outsmarting an apprentice at a Spells R Us store and had
become a character that he'd portrayed in a role-playing
game. He'd heard Urd talking about how if you *really*
identified with a character in such manner, if there seemed
some primal connection, then that Other WAS actually a
soul-analogue: a different self with the same soul. Souls
not being bound by time or space, after all.
Grey had played pious clerics and swashbuckling
fighters, canny rogues and skilled mages. Mainly he'd played
nonhuman characters and his favorites had been an elven
archaeologist (mage/thief), a dwarven locksmith (thief), a
slow but not stupid half-ogre (fighter), a dwarven engineer
(cleric), and another cleric.
Silver wings clove the air, and Grey prayed that the
Queen Serenity of his FIRST Labor didn't see him now. (Some
considered it odd that a fellow who worked with pagan gods
and was frequently the butt of jokes by an Elder was a
Christian. He usually just pointed out that most of the
deities he worked with had feet of clay that ran up past the
neck.)
The silver dragon made a lazy loop in the area around
Jusenkyo, scaring the HECK out of a panda and a bandana
wearing boy. He rescued the lost boy from a fall, setting
the terrified teen safely away from the cliff. He then gave
his most benevolent grin and patted Ryouga on the head
before taking off again.
Again the silver dragon lifted off, noting that a
midnight-black horse was now running from a spring that a
panda had fallen in. ~Well, that's different at least.~ He
didn't notice the horse fall in yet another spring.
Frostbite had been one of his favorite characters for a
number of years. Usually sticking in human form, someone
whose faith forbade weapons, and a priest who was quite
handy with an accident prone group of adventurers. A dragon
who eventually married an Amazon that the DM had roughly
patterned on Shampoo.
With another grin, he spotted the Amazon Village. He
had to play Ranma, after all. That meant visiting the Amazon
Village, didn't it?
---------
Shampoo noticed the male clapping as she stood
triumphantly posed and accepting the title of Champion. She
didn't recognize him, hence some Outsider.
"We are not doing this for your entertainment,
Outsider."
"I realize that. It was just you flitted about like
some deadly hummingbird, striking swiftly and precisely.
Such skill *should* be applauded."
"Ah," said Shampoo, mollified somewhat. "You have a
strange accent but you speak..." Shampoo caught sight of her
great grandmother making some odd gestures. "Try to keep out
of our way, Outsider."
Shampoo quickly made her way to her great grandmother
who was staring in a mirror. Shampoo looked back, saw the
Outsider, looked into the mirror and saw... "AIYAH!"
Neither Shampoo nor Cologne could know that Toltiir had
been having some fun and had added a third form that Grey
himself didn't know of yet. Or that this image would appear
in mirrors, reflections, or in his shadow. They only knew
that the image in the mirror was of the same silver haired
man, but glowing as if surrounded by flame that matched his
hair and the broad feathered wings extending from his back.
"Great grandmother, what?" Shampoo found the little
mental file marked "contempt for this Outsider male" and
chucked that puppy.
"Shampoo, tell me what did that being say to you?
Remember exactly, this is VERY important." Cologne's
intensity was almost visible.
Grey, checking out a few stalls now open for the
Festival, wondered when the Feast would commence. Wasn't
that supposed to be the next stage or was that another
fanfiction "given"?
"Uhm, he complimented me. Sort of. He called me a
hummingbird, said I was swift and precise, and err that I
was to be rewarded?" Shampoo was a little panicked. "I
wasn't paying that close attention!"
"So..." Cologne considered. "Go, Shampoo, see what kind
of reward he will give you. If nothing else, challenge him
to a fight."
"A fight?" Shampoo was puzzled for a moment, then
realization clicked. "A marriage duel? But I... Well, he
*is* cute, I suppose."
Cologne's eyes glittered. "Don't think about what kind
of children an angel could father for this village. Just
consider one thing, great granddaughter."
"What?" Shampoo HADN'T considered the children angle,
trust her great grandmother to focus in on the issue of
issue.
Cologne played her trump card. "He's not Mousse."
*ZOOM!*
"Shooting fish in a barrel," remarked Cologne, to the
dust cloud. The dust, unsurprisingly, did not answer.
-----------
"Oh, Outsider, errr. I'm sorry, I didn't get your
name." Shampoo put on her nicest smile.
Grey shrugged. "Ranma Saotome is the name I use
hereabouts."
"Oh. Ranma Saotome." ~And you use a different name when
you are working at the Celestial Bureaucracy, no doubt.~
Shampoo nodded. "You said that I did quite well?"
"Yes, indeed. Your form was as close to perfection as I
can tell."
Shampoo blushed, catching a double meaning that wasn't
there. "So... ancient Amazon tradition states that a male
Outsider who appreciates Champion's 'form' should give a
gift to her. Do you have such?"
Grey sighed. So *that* was it. Yet another point not
addressed in the original manga or anime series. Now Shampoo
was waiting for a gift of some kind. Unfortunately he didn't
have anything, or did he? Grey checked his pockets, finding
a hard lump and drawing it out.
Shampoo's breath caught as she saw WHAT the Outsider
had drawn from his pocket. "Ring... beautiful." ~Also
incredible, expensive looking, and JUST the excuse I need.~
"What the heck?" Grey looked over the ring. A silver
serpent wrapped three times around, a turquoize inlay
suggesting scales. Common design for the sort of ring that
helped protect against poisons. Why did *he* have it? Oh
well, it would be a good gift for a warrior champion at
least. "Here. It's magical and helps protect against
poisons. Every time a scale turns black, the protection is a
little more used up. When all the scales are black, it will
function no more. i hope it fits."
There were oohs and aahs from the nearby Amazons at
this. A great and useful treasure, given freely with only a
little prompting?
Shampoo slipped it on so fast that she might have
friction burned her finger. Then spent some time admiring
the way it looked against her skin.
"Shampoo! You know I'm the only one for you, Shampoo!"
Someone began rushing forward, hearing that Shampoo was
flirting with some Outsider.
"Well, i ought to be going. i suppose i've got to go to
the Tendo dojo in Nerima Japan and straighten up a problem
there." Grey walked off quickly, NOT wanting to get involved
in one of Mousse's fights. For one thing, anyone who
confused a pig with his true love and used distance
weapons... a fight in a crowded area could be messy.
Shampoo continued to admire the ring until her great
grandmother's staff soundly thwacked into her skull.
"Shampoo. Where is the Outsider?"
"He's..." Shampoo spun around a few times. "Uh oh."
"Heading for the 'Tendo Dojo' in Nerima Japan," said
Sash helpfully. "Why would *you* want him, Shampoo? Everyone
knows you'll eventually marry Mousse."
Shampoo's response was not repeatable in a family
fanfic. It isn't repeated here either.
"Where is the blind one, anyway?" Sugar asked, hands
resting on her sword.
"Hunting down the Outsider who dared flirt with
Shampoo, if I read him right." Tigar said with a snicker.
"Great Grandmother. If I'm going to catch the Celestial
One, I will need to pack." Shampoo thought this might take
awhile.
"Cele..." Tigar's eyes popped. "HIS SHADOW! I knew
there was something odd!"
Cologne groaned as Tigar began explaining what she had
noticed about the Outsider.
"Daughters," said Toga to Sugar and Tigar, "for the
honor of our family, and the good of the tribe, I expect you
to catch and marry this outsider."
"BOTH of us?" Fourteen year old Tigar wasn't thrilled
with the idea.
"Either, both, I don't care just do it!"
"Where's Sash?" Dowel asked, noticing that the otaku
Amazon was gone.
"She realized that Nerima was in Tokyo, and Tokyo is
where all those anime and manga that she's into come from.
She's going to try grabbing herself a husband, of course."
Cabinet snickered.
Cologne winced as she heard animated conversations
involving the phrase 'Tendo dojo' repeated frequently.
"Shampoo, I would suggest you hurry."
-------
Mousse attacked, only to have his opponent change before
his brilliant plan (attacking from behind) could work.
Literally change, becoming much bigger, much more massive,
and considerably harder. That his target apparently hadn't
even noticed when a wing had swept back and knocked Mousse
flying was insult added to injury.
The master of Hidden Weapons got one good look as the
target flew away. A dragon. A dragon had been after HIS
Shampoo. And everyone KNEW what dragons did to the young
maidens they carried off to their lairs...
Mousse had a sudden daydream of Shampoo trussed up on a
dinner plate, a fearsome (if stupid-looking) dragon ready to
eat her as she called out repeatedly for her true love,
Mousse.
How could some overgrown reptile eat HIS bride! He would
stop him... somehow. Actually the dragon looked like it was
going away and at a pretty good clip. How was he supposed to
catch something like that anyway?
Mousse was still pondering when two dozen young
unmarried Amazons trampled him into the dirt.
--------
There were things Grey had long known in his heart, one
of which was being validated.
Flying was a rush.
The wings pushing down against the air, the wind
sluicing against one's body, the lifting of body through
one's mind and will.
It was like skiing without the trees and rocks, surfing
with a wave that continued on and on, a bicycle race where
the machine and rider were one. It was all that and more.
It was glorious. A moment of joy in the sun, diving
through clouds on an impulse, and dancing through the air a
heartbeat later. It was the joy of skimming trees and rivers
with the barest of clearances, it was of nearly stalling as
you sought a thermal to gain some altitude with, it was the
high speed as you came out of the thermal to dive nearly to
the ground only to pull up in a high speed glide.
It was freedom, it was living, it was like coming home.
The pity was that he couldn't test the altitude flying
too much because he suspected that the Chinese government
would not take kindly to large flying omnivores entering
their air space. Just a hunch.
Eventually he made his way to a coast, figured out
which way was North, and headed East. NOW he could gain
altitude, and he did so gratefully, tired of knocking over
TV aerials and spooking farm animals (though as he had hit
the cow anyway, he was hoping that nobody noticed that
Bessie was missing - he'd gotten a little hungry).
Once at a respectable height, he made his way across
the Sea Of Japan.
----------
Soun noticed the TV playing once again the newsclip
some Chinese farmer claimed was the famous Chingdai Serpent
making off with a scrawny steer that had straggled once too
many times.
"Oh, come on, Akane. Dragons? Get real."
"But what if it IS real, Nabiki?" Akane pointed to the
blurry picture of something slamming into a VERY startled
cow and then carrying it off into the sky.
"The film experts have already gone over the footage
and declared it a fake." Nabiki shook her head at her
unbelievably naive sister. "You believe its real? Fine. Make
me a bet. The whole thing blows over by the end of the
week."
"Errrr." Akane thought. "If it's not real, then
errr..."
"I get your white sweater," declared Nabiki.
"Hey! I just got that sweater."
"Chicken?" Nabiki slyly asked, knowing what would
happen.
"Hmmmph OK, deal." Akane thought for a moment. What
could she ask for that wouldn't be completely lame? "You
have to... uhm."
"Come on, Akane, tell you what. I'll give you a couple
of days to think about it. Then set your stakes." Nabiki
smirked. Her sister wouldn't come up with anything suitable
and would settle for something trivial. Then when Nabiki
won, she'd get that really nice sweater.
"Deal." Akane nodded. She'd get Nabiki good this time.
--------
The dragon landed on a piece of beach, transformed, and had
hidden by the time guys in suits started crawling all over
the place looking for whatever had set off their radar
alerts.
Everything went as planned at first. Into the crowds
then, without fare for the train system, a long walk through
Japan until he got to Nerima.
In Wakayama, there was the first major interruption.
He couldn't help but stare at the bishonen who stepped in
front of him on a boulevard, and that stare caused people to
regard him even more than his height and bulk and coloration
did.
It didn't take much to imagine the boy with the hair
unbound, the boy's military style school uniform changed to
a blue okonomiyaki seller's uniform. Chestnut brown eyes
staring into his as the girl talked to him of love and
loyalty and of taking a chance. Chestnut brown eyes that now
looked at another with that same caring, and reflected him
not at all.
"What ya starin' at, bud?" Ukyo glared at the overtall
man.
"Sorry, you reminded me of someone i lost..." Grey
shook his head, then leaned back against a wall and let out
a deep and shuddering breath.
"Geez. Guy looked like me, huh?" Ukyo chuckled. "Poor
guy."
"No. When I first saw him, i thought he was a pretty
boy. Then i learned he was actually a girl."
Ukyo jumped a little at that. "I remind you of a
chick? I ought to be insulted."
"Nah. It wasn't her fault really," Grey was astonished
to find real tears. Sakyo's betrayal had hit him pretty bad
after all. "She was so cute when she wasn't
crossdressing..."
Ukyo stared at the tears. "She died?"
"No. She abandoned me. Like everyone else does. Story
of my life. Get to know someone only to say goodbye."
"She dumped you, and you just took it?"
Grey smiled sadly. "It is because i care for her that
i let go. i even tried to be cheerful when we last said
goodbye, despite my heart breaking." ~Didn't succeed at all
well.~
Ukyo grit her teeth as the large boy stood up from the
wall. Such betrayal should not be forgiven, it should be
punished! "Well, what's the name of this girl? So I can
avoid her."
"Ucchan," answered Grey before turning the corner and
disappearing. After all, that HAD been the guise Sakyo had
worn.
"Ucchan? Hmmm, there's a... coincidence?! You. COME
BACK HERE!" Ukyo yelled and turned the corner, but no one
was there. Things began to fit into place in a manner that
wasn't correct but understandable. "He thinks *I* betrayed
*him*?! Oh, Ranchan..."
----------
Grey found that this body wasn't too weak or frail no
matter WHAT it looked like.
His fingers were strong enough that climbing the side of
a building to get away from Ukyo was easy. He did *not* want
to fight her, though that was probably inevitable. Maybe
she'd go a little more cautiously in at least.
The transformed dragon wasn't sure about the why or how
but wasn't going to complain. Especially after accidently
discovering a third form was present. Humanoid and winged.
He assumed this was someone's idea of a joke, of course.
Working in a Heaven, therefore he was an angel. Ha ha.
However, other than a short glide, he didn't see any reason
to utilize it.
The *strange* thing were the reactions that followed
him after he'd transformed back. Women kept staring at him,
which only served to make him very self-conscious.
Finding some coins that had been dropped was wonderful,
and he actually got to ride a bus (amusing himself by
comparing it to buses in the Metro Phoenix area) briefly as
opposed to walking the whole way.
Which eventually brought him to Tokyo Tower in Azabu
Juuban. It was a landmark he could orient on, after all- how
many countries would make a scale replica of the Eiffel
Tower? Though the Tokyo one was in better condition. (Of
course, he'd seen timelines where it was some *other* icon
of another country that had been painstakingly reproduced.
The Tokyo Liberty, the Tokyo Pyramid, and the Tokyo Big Ben,
for example.)
Unfortunately, he realized that didn't mean he knew
where Nerima was. He'd seen Nerima versions which were out
past Chiba, over near Yokohama, or even twenty-five feet
underwater after a Second Impact. So Grey came to a halt as
he watched all the school kids when he heard a crash and
looked up.
A girl with long black hair was in the process of
falling. He reacted by accessing the other new form and
flying up, going to freefall to catch her, then gradually
decreasing speed until they could settle down. He wasn't
sure if this was a universe with elastic laws of physics, ie
slapstick rules, or more conventional ones.
Once on the ground he dismissed the wings, but judging
from the muttering going on around him, he HAD been noticed.
Darn. Well, it was better than letting her go splat.
"Damn. Usagi, you nearly got me..." Violet eyes blinked
as the brain behind them caught up with the events that had
just transpired. "Errr. Hi."
"Well, Rei Hino, i presume." Grey smiled and touched
her forehead with a finger. "Take care, i've got to go. i
don't suppose you can point me towards Nerima?"
Rei continued to stare.
A little worried, Grey checked her over, then exclaimed
on finding that the glass had cut her shirt. He didn't see
any blood though. "Are you OK?"
Rei did something that was completely unexpected, at
least by Grey. She started crying.
"ahhhhh! Look, i'm sorry. Are you hurt? Can i get you
anything?" Grey had seen a number of versions of Rei Hino or
Rae Hino or Rei of House Southern Cross. Crying was not
something that fit into the tough little priestess image.
"HEY YOU! What did you do to her? YAHH!"
Grey felt the kick connect, grabbed the leg of the
offending party, and flung the attacker away. Only to
realize he'd just thrown Makoto Kino hard enough that she'd
probably impact a building across the street. On the third
floor.
Again the wings, drawing even more of a reaction, and
he was able to catch the flailing girl before she hit. Then
he lowered her to the ground and fled. He'd made more than
enough of a spectacle here.
Usagi and Ami caught up with Rei in time to see the
winged boy lower Makoto to the ground, then dismiss his
wings and flee into the streets.
"Rei-chan? Are you OK?" Usagi saw the tears and was
about to cry herself.
"I don't see any injuries," pronounced Ami as she
finished examining her friend.
"Rei," said Makoto as she rejoined them. "What
happened. How did he hurt you?"
"Guys, give me a minute, OK. Let's go to the shrine."
Rei pulled herself up but still seemed shaky. "I'll explain
there."
---------
Grey didn't like to flee. It just wasn't right. It
*was* sometimes necessary.
Photographers. Television cameras. Witnesses. He had
not only blown it, he had blown it BIG time. The only way he
could have blown it bigger is if he had gone dragon.
Spotting a cop, he bowed and tried to project
respectfulness. "Excuse me, honored sir, i need to go to
Nerima. Can you tell me where it is?"
----------
Shampoo looked up at the display in the waiting lounge
to see what had gotten Sash's attention. An anime special no
doubt.
Shaky footage from Japan of a girl falling. A winged
figure, indistinct within a glow, catching the girl and
setting her down. Then the glowing figure resolved into...
"AIREN!" Shampoo and the other Amazons who had spoken
glared at each other briefly before turning their attention
back to the television.
The figure caught an attack, threw some girl, then
launched and transformed again to save the girl.
"He made a mistake. He's not perfect," noted Sash.
Shampoo gave an unladylike snort. "Of course he's not
perfect. He left me behind didn't he?"
"Shampoo, pride is a sin. Consider what he looks like."
Cologne glared at her great granddaughter.
"Oops." Shampoo stuck her tongue out.
"So, he's got there ahead of us. Not exactly a
surprise." Sugar wasn't thrilled about this in the
slightest. Neither was her sister Tigar.
"Ooooh. Tokyo Tower. Didja see the episode of 'Magic
Knight Rayearth' where the..."
Everyone else tuned Sash out as the otaku continued to
ramble on about various series that she'd seen the landmark
in.
-----------
The group of girls watched the video footage being shown
then left hurriedly on their way to the shrine.
"Rei?" Usagi asked again.
"I'll be sorting this out for awhile, Usagi. You know
the fire readings I do?"
"You use it to find lost objects and make predictions,
don't you?" Makoto wasn't sure what to make of Rei's
wide-eyed look. She wasn't sure if Rei had blinked since the
event.
Rei was silent for a moment. "I SAW him."
"We all saw him," Usagi said, wondering if now was a
good time to apologize for dropping her drink can, which had
started a long series of events that had ended with Rei's
brief flight.
"NO, Usagi. I *saw* him." Rei looked into Usagi's eyes
and gestured them to the side, out of the foot traffic. "It
was like a fire reading. I *know* him now though we've never
met."
"So... what is he?" Ami wasn't sure what to believe.
They were just ordinary high school students, but those
wings... and how did he fly with a surface to weight ratio
like that?!
"Not an angel. Not a demon. A bit of both." Rei shook
her head. "Like I said, I need time to sort it all out. I
saw a lot of things, and us, and Earths like pearls on a
necklace, and... a lot of stuff."
"So why were you crying?" Makoto still wasn't quite
certain that guy hadn't tried to hurt Rei. Who knew what
some guy like that could have done? She was still sore in
several places from being slung like that.
"He's in pain," Rei's voice was so low that the others
had to strain to hear it. "Great pain. He's endured the pain
and lived with it, and it's an old and familiar companion.
He's been hurt physically over and over again, but it's the
emotional pain that's he's mainly overwhelmed by. He's got
it shoved underneath now, concentrating on Duty, but it's
like he's been wounded and never healed. No, that's not it.
He's never healed and the wounds are festering. If he could
he'd just crawl off and die but he can't do that."
"Emotional pain?" Makoto wondered at that. Sort of like
when her sempai had left her?
"I'll give you the story as soon as I've straightened it
all out."
----------
Grey finally stood on the street reading the familiar sign:
"Tendo dojo of Anything Goes martial arts, challengers knock
on back door." Grey gently rapped the door. Then again. Then
harder.
Finally someone answered. "Yeah yeah. What's the...
Hel-lo!"
Grey smiled down at Nabiki. "Hi. i'm here to see Soun
Tendo."
"Not here. You're not here to challenge the dojo are
you?" Nabiki put on a bright smile for the man. Tall,
muscular, big. So far, so good.
"Uhm, no. Look, it would be better if he was here when
we got through this." Grey sighed, why should he have
expected THIS to go smoothly? "Look, when he shows will you
tell him that Ranma Saotome was here and will be back in say
two days?"
"Saturday afternoon? Y'got it." Nabiki stopped as
something about the boy was beginning to register as if
she'd seen him somewhere. "I don't know you, do I?"
"Not that i can recall (this version anyway), but i
somehow feel i know you on some level." Grey shrugged.
"Hmmm. And if Daddy wants to contact you?"
"No place set up yet," Grey admitted. "And this might be
for the best anyway. It *does* concern the dojo, but i'm
hoping to avoid changes in that regard." ~Why am i to play
Ranma in this timeline anyway? Is it unstable? What happened
to the original Ranma? And why can't i reach anyone at the
office when i call?~
"Like to play mysterious huh? Well, I..." Nabiki came to
a complete stop. The odd familiar look of the boy's clothes,
height, bulk. That silvery hair tied back in a ponytail.
"Well take it easy, Miss Tendo, i'll see you in two
days."
Nabiki stared at the person shown in that shaky video.
The Juuban Angel. Who had business with her father regarding
the dojo and would be back in two days.
Nabiki hurried back into her house. She had a lot to
do.
----------
Grey waited until he was outside the city before shifting
into angel-form and escaping the area. He'd had a thought
and was waiting to try it out.
Frostbite was a *cleric* and therefore one who wove
magic. He'd gotten by on the abilities of the dragon form
and that odd angel form, but here was the possibility of a
whole host of abilities he hadn't tapped into.
One reason is that he didn't want to depend on them if
they didn't work. Another was that it would draw attention
to him if he got a flashy side effect. So, out of Tokyo and
into the mountains. There to try one of the simpler spells.
He landed on a rocky ridge and shifted back to human
form. Best to check and even see if this form could do it.
Simplest spell first, something almost all clerics could do.
"Breath of the sun,
of energy drawn and spun,
Conjure now- sphere of light,
In my hand burning bright."
Grey looked over the sphere of light in his hand. It
seemed perfectly normal. Something so trivial the Pheonix
Mage couldn't imagine using but would have dumbfounded the
average Tokyoite. 'Light' was a first level general purpose
spell, putting out roughly the same illumination as a torch.
A flick of the wrist and the light-globe hung over the
campsite providing proof that at least some of the spells
could work here.
As the priests of Etragar were travelling Healers, there
were a number of spells they had specifically for that role.
And as 'Quest's Path' was only second level, maybe it
wouldn't be too much to ask for it to be do-able.
"Guidance is what i ask,
That i may complete my task,
The many paths of fate unwound,
Show the path that i must walk,
That what is lost now be found."
Grey considered the dart carefully, then sighted along
the point. Back to Tokyo, to no surprise. He quickly scuffed
a line in the dirt to match the pointer, so that when the
spell ran out he'd still be able to track it.
Now he'd need to rest, eat, and wait. They had two days
to prepare for his return. Maybe there would be less
hostility with it not being sprung on them all at once.
-------
"Oh, father," Nabiki said over dinner. "A boy came by
while you were gone and Kasumi was at the market. Does the
name 'Ranma Saotome' ring any bells?"
*SPLURRSSHH!* Ramen sprayed everywhere, followed by
Soun going into a coughing fit.
"That would seem to be a 'yes'," drily remarked Akane
as she wiped noodles and broth off her face.
"Where did you hear that name?" Soun finally managed
when the coughing had subsided somewhat.
Nabiki was speculative but she was sufficiently curious
to not ask for payment. "He came by earlier today looking
for you. He said he'll be back in two days, on Saturday
afternoon, to discuss something to do with the dojo."
"Then..." Soun had turned pale but now it seemed as if
hope was beginning to surface. "He survived somehow. He's
alive!"
Nabiki swallowed at the thought that maybe she had
actually conversed with a dead man today. "What do you mean
survived?"
Soun began explaining that his oldest and dearest
friend, Genma Saotome, had embarked on an ambitious plan to
teach his son to become one with the Art. Unfortunately, a
"training accident" had killed the boy a few years ago.
"What kind of training accident?" Nabiki wanted to
know, the awful concept beginning to take hold. It was
rattling her sufficiently that Kasumi and Akane both seemed
to pick up on it and were looking at her in concern.
Even Soun was picking up on this. "According to Genma,
the boy caught ill and died while they were in the
mountains. Nabiki, what's wrong you're as pale as if you'd
seen a ghost."
"Maybe I did. Let me tell you about what I saw." Nabiki
shivered. An angel. Some unfinished business which kept the
ghost from moving on to the next plane. Did she *really*
want that money? A vision of *herself* walking around dead
as punishment briefly flashed across her vision.
Nabiki started explaining. Turning on the all-news
station in order to demonstrate the Juuban Angel footage.
Soun had turned as pale as paper. "But... the agreement
was for the two schools of Anything Goes martial arts to be
merged through marriage."
Kasumi looked at Nabiki, Nabiki looked at Akane, Akane
looked at Kasumi. They nodded and quietly left.
---------
Rei finished explaining what she'd seen. Silence hung
for a few minutes.
Minako was speculative. "So he's sixteen physically but
he's been working for forty years for these people. With a
heart that's been not only stomped flat but run through the
shredder a few times."
Ami stared at the table. "There's only one way to
verify if what you saw was accurate."
"Tie him up and throw him in a pond?" Usagi was reading
a book on witches, as it was the closest thing she could
find. Then she noticed how overdue the library book was and
hid it under a pillow.
"He's that way." Rei pointed automatically. "I can
tell."
"It could be dangerous to confront him again." Makoto
shivered, remembering the strength that he'd displayed.
"He's not dangerous," said Rei with a tone of
finality. "Not intentionally, not to us, anyway. To himself,
yes."
"It's getting late, we need to get home. After school,
tomorrow, we'll decide whether or not to track this fellow
down." Ami was curious about the whole thing to say the
least.
"Who do you think we are, 'Scooby-doo & friends'?
We're just normal schoolkids! Shouldn't we leave this to the
authorities?" Makoto imagined that sort of strength turned
against them and shuddered. This guy had easily beaten her
before.
Usagi started thinking. "Ami would be Thelma... I
guess Daphne would be Mina-chan..."
There was a near-universal groan before they decided
to just call it a day.
------------
Ukyo stared at the video, coming to the same conclusion
as Nabiki, though a different purpose. Then her knees gave
out and she slid to the ground.
Ghosts needed closure. So he'd hunted her down to close
things with her, then moved on to the next thing, ending all
his earthly affairs. Ranma, her Ranchan, the boy who'd
dominated her life for so many years either through love or
vengeance, was dead.
There had been no final accounting. No finally
defeating him and avenging herself. No reconciliation or
double murder followed by a suicide. Instead there was just
a surreal encounter on a street corner with a dead man.
Dead but not gone. Innocent? Had Ranma known what was
going on? She'd kept a little hope alive in her heart that
maybe he hadn't known, she'd known he was a bit clueless way
back when they were kids.
"This just in," the TV talking head announced, "the
girl rescued from the fall has been identified as Rei Hino
of the Cherry Hill shrine in Azabu Juuban, where she works
as a shrine maiden. We've scheduled an interview with her
through her Grandfather and will have details later."
Ukyo worried her lip briefly. Then decided to have her
OWN interview with one Miss Rei Hino of Azabu Juuban. It
somehow was appropriate to talk to a priestess about angels,
even if it was a different faith.
-----------
So far so good. A 'Hero's Feast' spell had produced enough
food that he hadn't had to go killing anything. Now it was
time to test the spell limits. Last time he'd seen Frostbite
in play, the dragon-priest had been an NPC and able to cast
'Resurrection' - a 7th level spell.
Cleric spells in Aramar had been a bit different. The
same "zip-gun" approach as in typical AD&D games, but prayer
hadn't been required - meditation and walking a
philosophical path had replaced actually worshipping the
being involved. Mage spells had been *very* different, using
a manna point system, but priests had used different
methods.
Which meant that he didn't use weapons, only kept as
much treasure as he could carry on his person, and did what
he could to benefit the greater good.
The 'Light' spell and 'Quest's Path' had finally run
out, the 'Heroes' Feast' had gone well, and now it was time
to try something a bit more complicated. If he'd been a gold
dragon, the campfire would have been easy. Instead he had to
use a small spell to light the stacked wood.
"Spark of forge,
On wood engorge,
Come forth o flame,
give rise to same."
The jet of flame caught the kindling, which started
the twigs, which spread to the logs. Grey nodded once as the
campfire fitfully began to illumine the barren clearing. He
began feeding it waiting until many of the lights in Tokyo
had gone out before going to the next stage.
"i come before this open flame,
to know of those i cannot name,
show me those who touch my quest,
that i know who Fate has blessed,
comrades true,
i call to you,
we are needed for Heaven's tasks,
and so i ask you doff your masks,
within the flame, now appear,
and remember me when we grow near."
An image appeared in the air over the fire, then
blinked and seemed to look directly at him. Grey frowned,
this was not how the spell was supposed to go.
The image was bestirring herself to look at him
directly. "You again? Do you normally peep on girl's
bedrooms from afar?"
"No," answered Grey truthfully. "Actually the spell is
supposed to show me images of those i'm fated to have with
me on this mission or quest, and when we meet face-to-face
you'd feel a degree of familiarity with me. Communication is
*not* a normal function, though different worlds have
different ways the magic can manifest. Which is why i've
isolated myself here in the mountains."
Rei blinked a couple of times, then gathered her bed
clothes up a little higher. "I see the mountains and forest
around you. Couldn't you do this in the day?"
"Uhm, well the idea was to do this as quietly as
possible. It looks like my normal methods and resources are
denied me this time, so i'm exploring my options."
Rei sleepily raised an eyebrow. "And *I* am one of your
options?"
Grey spread his hands at shoulder level. "Not like
that. The spell is supposed to show me who my 'comrades
true' are. Though it's not the first time i've worked
alongside the Senshi or some variant thereof."
"We're not Senshi," Rei's violet eyes met Grey's silver
ones. "No transformation pens, Usagi doesn't have a cat, and
no youma."
Grey blinked. "You know about all that?"
Rei spread her hands at shoulder level, copying Grey's
earlier gesture. Then dove to cover herself again. "I'm
psychic, remember?"
"Hmmm. One of those worlds where Beryl was completely
defeated and Queen Serenity sent the dying members of the
Silver Millenium forward to be born again, or where she
essentially channelled all her life energies into a wish and
messed up the wording. In either case, this world's in
trouble if Nephelenia or the like show up." Grey knew from
seeing a few of those timelines that the Dead Moon and a few
other foes would only appear if the Silver Millenium and
their energies were present. Without Senshi, most didn't
appear. There *were* exceptions - Nephelenia or a version of
her being one, as well as the Doom Tree. "Rei, there may
still be dangers."
"I know. I know. I saw." Rei sighed and suddenly
couldn't look at Grey directly. "I saw a lot of things."
Grey wasn't quite sure what to make of that when Rei's
image faded to be replaced with another girl, this one
thankfully asleep. Grey wasn't surprised when the rest of
the 'Senshi' group, followed by the expected two oldest
Tendo daughters, followed by four others he couldn't
immediately place, followed by one who DID surprise him. A
somewhat older version of Usagi, with arms that showed hard
muscle under her smooth skin. Son Usagi? Or was that Usagi
Son?
This was concerning. He wasn't sure he was sturdy enough
to withstand her affections. Even in dragonform.
Whatever the case, it looked like he should try to find
the Cherry Hill shrine tomorrow.
Then, with a smile, he quenched the fire. If he flew
over it tonight, he'd have a much better chance of locating
it tomorrow, or maybe he could just hide there until Rei
made it back from school.
------------
Asgard, GRO, File Maintenence Section:
Celeste clicked the intercom. "Amaterasu-sama, this is
Celeste in Records again. Have you been paying attention to
RN-SM-DV 291401?"
"Isn't that the one Grey is currently in? No, I've been
busy monitoring a couple of fraying timelines in the KS hub,
plus there's the one that Pheonix Mage is conquering China
in. Is there a problem?"
"We did the merger with his RPG player-character
persona, but a third form was introduced and it's showing
signs of contaminating the other two. Particularly now that
he's using magic." Celeste clicked on a small monitor.
"Sending you the waveform analysis of this..."
There was a brief pause as Amaterasu scanned the data
quickly. "He's been turned back into an incubus? No, the
patterns don't match. Look, Celeste, you're going to have to
do this. I'm busy just trying to keep the Mage from setting
off any more spin-off timelines from his actions and keeping
everything contained. ESPECIALLY with those two KS timelines
destabilizing."
"KS-EV 201241? That's the fusion line where the Knight
Sabers are actually the code names for the only pilots who
can synchronize with those Evangelion units, right? That was
unstable from the get-go. Which is the other one?" Celeste
was familiar with a fair number of the least stable
timelines, a function of her job of doing backups.
"KS-EX 201240. That one looks like those Knights may
have gone in and altered things from Grey's mission a few
years back. Where he was to convince Priss to get a heart?
Looks like they undid the effects of the love potion and
she's back to hating the world, starting with the murder of
her lover Leon."
Celeste winced. That *had* been a nasty little Darkline.
"Okay. But check this out, the overall pattern 'looks' like
his incubus except that it's one hundred eighty degrees on
these parameters, he's also got wings."
"If he'd acted properly demonic as an incubus, he'd have
had wings in that form too." Amaterasu seemed thoughtful.
"No, I've got to get back to this. You're on your own,
Celeste."
Belle looked at the now silent intercom then back to
Celeste. "Is he or isn't he an incubus?"
Celeste called up a pattern analysis superimposed over a
physical appearance display. "See, he's already stronger
than as an incubus, though that's mainly the dragon
influence. Using magic is getting replenished from this
other source, which increases the strength and influence of
this 'angel' form. But there's..."
Belle blinked. "He's not a sex *demon* but a sex *angel*
now? I didn't know we had those."
"We don't." Celeste was ready to discard the notion when
she pulled up an extrapolation on current growth rates.
"Errr. We didn't. Toltiir. HAS to be Toltiir."
Belle privately agreed. "So what do you see this outcubus
as doing?"
Celeste winced again. "That wouldn't be the proper term
but I'm not sure what would be. Right now he's safe, I
wouldn't want to be anywhere near him when he's at full
power though. An incubus drains life with his kiss, puts out
sexually attracting pheromones, their touch contains
chemicals which have soporific effects, and sexual contact
corrupts and destroys their sex partners through the act of
sex. Looks like the pheromones are the same but the rest is
completely reversed. As he's not a 'casual sex' person and
the rules he's operating under also prohibit him from
entering into contracts of that nature..."
"Oh dear," Belle said, blushing.
"It's a pity that he's completely 'hands off' in that
timeline. Poor boy's gonna be REALLY confused." Celeste
frowned at the obvious change that had been implanted prior
to Grey's arrival but allowed that there wasn't much that
could be done at this point.
Belldandy looked at the villain about to make her
appearance and had to admit that this was so.
--------
RN-SM-DV 291401:
Rei got up, prepared for school, and tried to shake off
the weird dream. Not her night visitation with "Ranma" but
the one where she saw clay statues of herself and her
friends getting torn apart in some demon wind.
Then eyes snapped up and wide and she turned towards the
room where she and her friends met. Ranma was there. Out of
sight, and the grille to the attic had been replaced but he
was there and asleep. Waiting for her.
Rei spent a moment in thought before turning once again
to school preparations. She definitely had the impression
that he would wait. She'd track him down if he didn't. There
were many things unclear she had to know.
And she knew that the others had questions as well.
They'd want to be in on it. Now she had to dodge a few
reporters as they still seemed to think she knew more about
the Juuban Angel than she was letting on.
--------
Nabiki found that she couldn't stop thinking about the
dead-boy and her morning routine had been thrown off as a
result. Somehow the usual stuff didn't seem to hold her
usual interest.
Akane waited a few moments, people avoiding her as
usual, then proceeded into the school.
Akane had been quite popular the year before, but after
the accident earlier this year had been dropped for the most
part. Kuno had attacked her early on, and Akane's limp and
stiffness had given the kendoist a clear victory. Everyone
now recognized, by the terms that Kuno had set and Akane had
clearly accepted, that Tatewaki Kuno and Akane Tendo were
"fated lovers" and all her protesting and violence against
him was just Akane's way of showing her feelings.
Nabiki had gotten used to talking to Akane. Kasumi was
just too otaku and her father was at work all the time.
Akane might be sullen and moody, especially since the
accident, but she knew how to listen and would occasionally
show great flashes of insight. Of late, though, that had
gotten more difficult. Akane wasn't handling the rejection
of her peers well, though her hair was growing back and the
scars mainly didn't show.
"Hey, Nabiki, I passed your house today. What was with
all the spirit wards?" Yuka asked while buying a small "Good
Luck On Exams" charm.
"THAT would be more Yen than you've got, though I'm
thinking of a career possibility. Looks like 'Ghost
Sweepers' can make fair bucks in some parts of Japan."
Nabiki wasn't completely dishonest, she HAD heard of a few
cases.
"Cool, just like that Ayaka Kisaragi?" Sayuri had seen
an ad in "Apartment Guide Monthly" about the Tanushiro
Apartment Complex now being poltergeist free.
"Yup," responded Nabiki. "Equipment maintenance looks
to be a real drawback though."
Nabiki quickly lost herself in the flow of things
again. Her businesses as a bookie and the slight money
should could make in her evening/weekend job at the Cherry
Hill shrine were enough to cover the basic expenses that her
father's job at the Tokyo Zoo failed to meet.
If only he'd been able to continue his job as a dojo
instructor, but no one would take a sensei seriously who
didn't have more self control.
----------
The command was given and a Seed found its way to a
tree, there merging with the akashic segment of the
over-dimension pattern. It slumbered briefly, gathering its
strength for later. Should it succeed and bring the right
one to its mistress, it might gain further power and be
allowed to live. Fail, and destruction was its only fate.
The tree knew the prey would come to it. Perhaps all of
them. Then she could gather them up for the mistress.
--------
Grey dreamed. Of giant violent tomboys running around
splutting people with mallets. Of betrayal and loneliness.
Of Sentinel Mask and Samurai Mask and of Queen Serenity. He
dreamed of a monster he'd seen destroy the Scouts on another
timeline, as the Glop fed on magic and had absolutely no
interest in life force.
Rei tried tuning all that out but ended up getting
slapped by a ruler for daydreaming in class.
--------
Kasumi tried to focus on the normal household chores
but kept coming back to the matter of the fiance.
Even the newest Skysaber novel to be translated into
Japanese, "The World Is Not Enough", was insufficient to
pull her attention away from this matter.
An ancient pact between families. The dead rising to
mete out justice and claim the living. Tokyo Tower. Why,
this had all the makings of a major anime series!
She wondered briefly if her new iinazuke would be rough
and crude, or maybe he was into cosplay! If only she knew
more about him!
-------
Rei leaned over the stairwell, having snuck over before
even changing from her school uniform.
There, exercising below her with a bo staff, was the odd
fellow she'd spoken with in her dreams last night. His body
moved clumsily through the katas, as if it had been a long
time since he had last performed them.
No wings, nothing special about him, except a faint
spicy-musky odor that reached her. Oddly attractive, as guys
wearing cologne were rarely her type.
Rei leaned forward over the railing, savoring the scent
and deciding that, angel or not, the guy was pretty
attractive if in a sort of down-home manner.
The shrine priestess moved forward just a bit more,
trying to get a better look at his face.
Her hair shifted, and her balance went. Rei screeched
involuntarily as she fell. She saw concrete rushing towards
her and realized you didn't need a fire reading to see pain
in her future.
The boy was under her before she heard the clatter of a
discarded bo staff.
He reached out to stop her fall, Rei tried to twist so
that he could do so.
They went down together, and Rei got a glimpse of a VERY
startled face before the impact drove her lips down on his.
-------
Elsewhere:
Toltiir smirked as he watched. If an incubus drained
life levels and corrupted young ladies from a kiss, then the
opposite effect should prove interesting.
This world had no Senshi or Scouts or other sentai
grouping, but it *could* use a few heroes.
And what better way to wake a sleeping princess than
from a kiss?
--------
Rei's eyes widened as she felt light spreading through
her. All her little dark smudges, the unproud things she
wouldn't even tell a friend. They seemed to flow away from
her, leaving her feeling...
Cleansed. Renewed. Healed.
She felt her mind expanding outward as the flow of
invigorating energy continued. Galaxies whirled around her
on a stately dance, stars winked at her as they too moved
along.
The Silver Millenium, a flawed utopia. Herself, the
Princess of Mars. The fall of the kingdom, and the Queen's
wish that they all be reborn in future times without the
problems of the past. The problems somehow also involving
their Senshi identities so those had remained behind.
Instead the power filled her without any direction save
by her own nature. Rei shivered and returned.
--------
Grey held his hands under the faucet, bringing the water
to the fallen priestess. It was cold and clear, and was
apparently quite sufficient when dribbled on her lips to
bring her around. "Are you okay? Did you faint?"
Rei stared up into concerned silver eyes and tried to
find her tongue. "Guh?!" There was that scent, stronger now,
tantalizing and fascinating her. Effervescent in a way.
Grey saw the glazed expression and came to an
understandable conclusion. "Let me get you inside, you're
probably ill. Let me get you a compress..."
When Grey got back, Rei had already left. She HAD to get
the others to meet this guy and tell them about their
previous lives. Princesses, eh? Well, Usagi sure acted the
part sometimes!
--------
Shampoo hit the beach running, only slightly behind Sash.
She knew she'd pass Sash as soon as they came anywhere
*near* an anime store, so that was fine. Heh.
Ranma wouldn't know what hit him. She had her attack all
planned out, one quick grab to keep him in place, a very
intense Kiss Of Marriage, and he'd be dragged off to
consummate it! Up until the marriage was official, after
all, other Amazons might get it in their heads to contest it
and give their own Kiss of Marriage and steal a husband.
No, such was not to be permitted. Her great-grandmother
had been quite clear on this, Shampoo was to do her best on
recruiting the boy into THEIR family. Or, as Cologne had
delicately put it, Shampoo was to "get that boy or *else*."
Shampoo had absolutely NO desire to learn what "or else"
would mean from her Great-Grandmother. Not in the slightest.
Just the way it had been said indicated that even being the
most beloved of the Matriarch's line would not save Shampoo
from a very unpleasant time.
When she'd been younger, she'd heard the tales, of how
the evil Starch would come and take away bad little girls
who had offended the Amazon Elders.
If Starch were REAL and half of what had been whispered
about her was true, Shampoo wanted to meet her about as much
as she wanted to repeat that experiment with trying to eat
four ice peppers at once. (She'd been five at the time. The
blisters were finally all gone when she was almost seven.
All these years later and she still mainly ate ramen and
other easy-to-digest foods.)
See Shampoo run. Run, Shampoo, run.
--------
Her name wasn't Kaolinite, though she looked quite
similar. A scantily dressed redhead who set people off as if
she smelled of death. It suited her, at least for the
moment. The Silver Millenium would finally be destroyed,
though the lack of those energies had kept her searching for
a time.
Now, at long last, her search was ended. She had picked
off that miserable "Prince Of Earth" without his ever having
awoken from the dream of this modern life. Now, to her joy,
the others were gathered nearby. Powerless, helpless,
ignorant of their danger.
These girls, the pampered royal princesses, they had no
clue. But that manga had given her an idea, oh yes it had.
So what if this wasn't the right timeline? They were still
the miserable royalty that had caused her suffering a
Millenium ago.
Now, it was time for THEM to do the suffering.
-------
The scream brought Grey running from a brief trip
around town. (Cloak Of Belonging- 3rd level Travelling
Cleric spell making things easier as long as he didn't try
to draw attention to himself.) That and a sense of ...evil?
This was some timeline that didn't have any of the hold
overs from the Silver Millenium, wasn't it?
As that had been a fearful scream, he didn't feel any
particular need to keep hidden, other than to hope that
newscrew had gone home instead of sticking around the shrine
keeping an eye on Rei.
There was Rei, pinned to a wall while facing...
whatshername?!
"Mikuji!" The daimon announced, having her shirt open
to reveal a black star. The beam from the star linking
directly to the area of Rei's heart.
Wasn't she supposed to be around when Rei was in 9th
grade? Rei had to at least sixteen! (He certainly didn't
remember girls with that much of a figure in Junior High.)
But the daimons mean Kryptonite and Doctor Tomoe or
something like that. MAJOR problem. So was THAT why he was
here? Wouldn't Skysaber be a better choice?
"REI! "REI-CHAN!" "REI!" "REIIII!"
Something like a crystal starburst came floating out of
Rei's chest, though Grey could actually see that it was
actually a fragment of Rei's akashic pattern seperated from
her and given a physical form.
Oh well, enough time trying to make sense out of this.
He wasn't really suited for frontline hero stuff, but it was
better than feeling sitting around feeling bitter. Priests
of Etragar weren't allowed to use weapons other than the
staff, and most relied on hands and feet though few bothered
the Healers anyway. Undead being an exception, supernatural
evil being something that needed to be removed like a
splinter from a wound, so maybe an anti-undead spell?
"Purifying light now shine,
To protect me and mine,
Holy light now from my hands,
Smite the evil that before me stands!"
Mikuji winced as a sudden bright light enveloped her,
and she looked a little crispy around the edges, but was
clearly a good deal tougher than your average ghoul.
Grey kept it up, one of the advantages of 'Holy Light'
being that the beam's duration was 1 turn/level and it did
damage to the enemy every turn until the spell ran out or
the priest's concentration was broken.
"My prediction for you is... BAD LUCK!" The
backpack-like dispenser on Mikuji's back fired off a few
fortune-telling sticks. Grey dodged, losing the 'Holy Light'
spell.
He also saw the other four girls, pinned to the
trees... Weren't they supposed to be wrapped in wooden
shackles, and not physically pinned with wooden dowels
running through their bodies? Grey spent a moment staring at
bloody *wounds.*
"Mikuji!" The daimon fired off four more of her arrows.
Which struck something a good deal harder than the expected
soft flesh.
The dragon looked down at her mercilessly. He wasn't a
big dragon, as such things went. He'd seen a dragon of his
current breed on one timeline that was over 120 feet long!
He was less than half that size, just over fifty feet in
length.
The "Senshi" screamed. Mikuji snarled.
Grey snapped jaws shut on Mikuji's upper half and
lashed his neck up and down a few times. Then spat one half
out, far away from where the other half dropped. "Bleah!
Tastes like old sweatsocks." He breathed frost over the top
half, making sure it was good and solid, then turned his
attention to the girls.
Who were not so quietly freaking as he got closer.
"Oh, come off it." The dragon's voice was a basso
rumble that they could feel. "Do I need to throw a calming
spell on you or do you think you can remain quiet and still
while I heal you?"
Makoto and Minako looked defiant, Ami was going into
shock, and Usagi's eyes were rolling. Grey sighed and went
with the inevitable.
"Tranquility, i call your name,
Wild hearts and minds now tame!
Calm!"
There were times that a 'Calm' spell really proved
itself useful. Magically induced fear was one, near death
experiences another. Grey nodded as he noted the way that
Makoto and Minako lost their angry look and Usagi settled
down to panicked.
Six inch claws delicately plucked the arrow from Ami's
midsection and set her gently down on the grass. This one
looked bad, but healing spells were the specialty of the
kind of priest Frostbite had been.
"i call upon the flesh to mend,
this dire wound by spell i tend,
knit and seal this wound unfair,
cleanse the hurt and seal the tear."
Ami's eyes shot open. She felt warmth. Cared for. Loved.
All flowing from... a dragon?! A hand checked what she KNEW
had been a rather serious wound. She knew the internal
organs fairly well, and that arrow had gone through her
small intestine, the odor had been quite enough to tell her
that the ragged wound had perforated her. Now there was just
soft flesh and this feeling of warmth. She would have
fainted, but continued to stare at this creature.
Grey moved past Ami, heading for where Rei was hanging
from her bonds.
"Hey! What about us!" Usagi wailed, thinking they were
about to be abandoned.
Grey transformed back, using "angel" form as it seemed
to have a greater magical control than his "normal Ranma"
form. "Hang on, i'm trying to treat in order of severity
here."
Ami struggled to her feet and moved closer, feeling a
bit light-headed and drained as her fingers continued to
probe unbroken flesh beneath the tear in her blouse. "What's
wrong with her?"
"This isn't going at all like i expected," mumbled Grey.
A bit louder to Ami, he continued. "i've replaced her 'pure
heart' but the life force pattern is a bit jumbled and isn't
reknitting as well as it should." ~Heck, in the anime it was
just a matter of pushing the thing against the victim's
chest. Reknitting a life force is different.~
"Life force?" Ami stumbled as she reached the two. She
reached out to run fingers across the spot where *something*
had emerged from Rei's chest and had been replaced. Whatever
it had been, it hadn't looked organic.
"Remind me later and i'll explain." Grey took a deep
breath. "i've got to hurry or i'd do this different. This
particular spell, 'Life Line', is meant to be used as part
of an oath of fealty but it's the only one i can think of at
the moment."
"My servant return to the fray,
And from my side now never stray,
Life force firm with some of mine,
Thread of fate now intertwine,
Heal the heart and soothe the mind,
whilst caring is returned in kind,
Body, soul, mind, and heart,
weave together - come not apart,
Thy Master calls you whole and hale,
To serve me now on Destiny's trail."
Rei's eyes fluttered. Ami jerked back as if she had
received an electric shock.
Grey blinked, something had felt *wrong* about the way
the magic had gathered, not nearly as smooth as his previous
spells. "You okay?"
Mumbled agreement from both girls. Grey raised an
eyebrow at this, but was distracted by a moan from Minako
reminding him of three girls with arrow wounds.
Minako had taken the arrow in her thigh. Though she'd
lost a fair amount of blood, she still managed to blush and
stammer as this stranger put his hands around the wound.
"Tender flesh be made whole,
Warrior maid now heal in sleep,
Replenish what evil stole,
and heal ye this wound so deep."
"A 'Healing Sleep' spell," explained Grey to Ami who
seemed to be hovering nearby with eyes as wide as they could
get without popping out of their sockets. Minako slumped
into waiting arms and was quickly laid out on the grass.
Makoto grimaced as her own arrow was pulled from her
hip. "It went through the bone. I think my hip's broken and
I can't feel my leg."
"Yeah," Grey frowned. "Sorry about this. But this is
going to hurt. The only other spell i know that would work
at all well is the 'Life Line' spell i just used on Rei."
"Use that," suggested Ami quickly, earning another
puzzled look from Grey. "I mean, you don't want to cause any
more pain than you have to, right?"
Grey repeated the spell, gratified by the flush of
color now spreading across Makoto's formerly pale face.
"For that matter, Minako doesn't look so good," Ami put
in hesitantly.
"She'll recover eventually... Oh for crying out loud."
"Oh no! I'm dying!" Usagi started to cry again.
Ami giggled. "Usagi, you're pinned by your shirt."
Grey flashed her an annoyed look and pulled the arrow
out. "If you'd simply pulled it out yourself, this wouldn't
have been so difficult."
"What about Minako-chan?" Makoto stared at her foot,
seemingly entranced by how it was capable of moving.
Once again, Grey used 'Life Line' but was significantly
weakened at this point. "Can you two help me get everyone
inside?"
"What's wrong?" Usagi was a little concerned. This
monster showed up, was killing Rei, shot them all with these
really gross arrows, then another monster showed up, stopped
the first monster, followed by him turning into a really
cute guy, followed by him healing the wounds, and now the
monster/cute guy looked like he was ready to fall over. And
on top of that, her mother was going to KILL her for ruining
this shirt!
If the 'Calm' spell hadn't still been running, she'd
have run screaming from the area as soon as that arrow had
been pulled out.
"Look, the 'Life Line' spell gives the recipient some of
the caster's strength. Evil sorcerers and good priests have
both been known to use it, but one of the drawbacks is that
it leaves the caster weak as a kitten. Even a dragon can
only spare so much." Grey started dragging Rei towards the
door. "As it is, i think i could sleep for a week."
Ami nodded to Usagi, the two lifting Minako between
them. Time for more of this later.
----------
The awkward silence in the shrine room continued, broken
only by Minako's soft snoring, Rei fidgeting, and Usagi
greedily devouring a box of Pocky sticks that she'd found
under a cushion.
"So... uhm... you're a dragon?" Ami tried after a few
moments. "Or an angel?"
"WHAT?! WHERE?!" Minako came awake, startled. "Hey, I'm
alive!"
"Hmmm. You should have slept longer." Grey considered
them all for a moment. "i take it that this was the first
yoma assault you've weathered?"
"That was a yoma?!" Usagi screeched.
"That was what you came here to fight, isn't it?" Ami
considered him briefly. "I'm Ami Mizuno, and your name is?"
"i'm... Grey but my registered name is 'Ranma Saotome'
and yes, i think that's why i'm here." Grey smiled but was
clearly as nervous as the girls were. "i don't really know
the details myself."
================
weird ideas:
what would the opposite number of an incubus/succubus be
like? Want an amusing plot: have Keiichi Morisato turned
into one by one of Urd's potions. Even temporarily. This
could get quite lemon... and how many anime females couldn't
use some sort of spiritual healing?
Nabiki a shrine priestess? Soun Tendo - cage cleaner at
the Tokyo Zoo? Kasumi an otaku housekeeper? Oh my! i've done
Kasumi as otaku in "Force Of Impact" but i can't recall
seeing the other two.
Cloak of Belonging, 3rd level priest spell. Similar to the
wizard spell Invisibility, except that the priest doesn't
become so much invisible as part of the everyday background.
People and animals see the cleric, but don't particularly
take note of the cleric unless the priest does something
sufficiently jarring as to disrupt this guise of "nothing to
be concerned with."
Calm, 2nd level specialty priest spell. Similar to Remove
Fear, though it doesn't actually remove anything merely
mutes it to a more manageable level. Also effective against
any intense emotion.
Life Line, 4th level priest spell. Combines effects of a
Geas and Healing. Oath of fealty towards the caster. So long
as neither the Master or Servant betray the interests of the
other, their lives are linked and strengths shared. Grey is
obviously counting on the inevitable betrayal to sever the
link.
Healing Sleep, 2nd level specialty priest spell. Cures as
much damage as a Critical Wounds spell but requires 1/2 hour
of sleep for each hit point healed.
--
-----------------------------
http://metroanime.home.mindspring.com/
metro...@mindspring.com
""Tsk. You Americans, your women are encouraged
to live up to a standard, while your men are encouraged
to live down to another."
- Kasumi Tendo, "Supersoldier"
"The loudest voice is often the most
incorrect."
- Grey, "reluctant bet"