[AMG/Ranma][FanFic] Instruments of Change, Part Eighteen
Mike Koos
"Ranma?"
"I'm a *boy*, aren't I?" he shrieked, grabbing Akane by her
arms. "What have you and those Goddesses done to me!?"
Akane blinked, her thoughts abruptly fleeing her mind. Why
would Ranma be behaving like this? She knew it was foolish of her to
expect Ranma to immediately come forth and thank her for returning
everything to normal... if indeed he did think of thanking her.
Oh, well; it was notably presumptuous of her to believe Ranma
needed to thank her for fixing their reality - particularly when
she'd had very little to do with that resolution. Skuld and Ranmira
had said that they were only double-checking everything by
extrapolating the details of Akane's original reality from her
genetic structure, *not* that the only way to fix the mess was to
have her link with Yggdrasil.
Besides, trying to guess how a 'normal' day would come and go in
this reality was somewhat difficult at best. How could she have
foreseen Kunou Tatewaki declaring to their entire school that anyone
who wanted to 'date' her had to defeat her in a fight? That she
would wind up being engaged to a boy who was cursed to transform into
a girl and back through the use of water, or any of the chaos that
would come as a result of Ranma's arrival?
"C'mon, change me back!"
<Uh-oh.> It suddenly occurred to Akane that while linking to
Yggdrasil, what might have been considered to be a wish from certain
viewpoints had crossed her mind. Akane had hoped that Ranma would not
lose the memories of the time she'd spent as a girl, in body and
mind, for a handful of reasons. Had the Ranma of that alternate
reality again replaced the 'real' Ranma, Akane wondered? How would
they fix matters this time, if she had?
The bedroom door was thrown open as she yanked herself free from
Ranma's grasp. "Akane, Ranma - what is going on here?" she heard a
voice sternly ask, and pivoted to look at the source.
Kasumi strode through the open doorway, her eyes carefully
attempting to note everything she could see without making a formal,
true investigation. Ranmira and Skuld quietly followed behind her,
likewise studying the scene.
Ranma stared almost indifferently at the two Goddesses, a note
of horror still evident in that stare, then let his gaze fall on
Kasumi. Kasumi, whom she had come to know as something of a
pseudo-mother before being reunited with her true mother. What would
Kasumi think of her, now that she was a boy? Or her mother, for that
matter. Her friends, Hiromi-chan and everyone else...
<What... have they done...?> he despaired.
The girl-turned-boy fainted, Akane lunging to catch him.
An Aa! Megamisama / Ranma 1/2 Crossover
Instruments of Change
Part Eighteen
written by Mike Koos
----------------------
Ranmira stepped around Kasumi and approached them. Cradling
Ranma's cheek in the palm of her hand, she closed her eyes. Akane
watched as Ranmira's facial markings took on a soft, barely visible
glow for a brief moment.
"I thought this might happen," the Goddess said at last.
"But what has happened?" The question hadn't come from Akane,
but Kasumi.
"Well..." Skuld hemmed.
Ranmira took the initiative. "Kasumi, do you recall what
happened last week, on Wednesday... in the evening?"
The eldest of the three Tendo sisters placed a finger to her
lips in thought. "...Isn't that when the three of you went on
that... 'debugging' trip?"
"Essentially, yes," the elder Goddess confirmed as Akane
arranged Ranma back on the bedroll. "Has either Skuld or Akane
explained to you what the bugs are and what dangers they pose?"
"...Yes."
"That evening, we managed to remove all of the bugs - but not
before damage was caused to Ranma's files, rewriting his reality."
Kasumi inhaled sharply. "Dear me."
"According to that reality, Ranma had originally been born as a
girl, and never received a curse at Jhusenkyou. When her father
brought her here, you, Nabiki and Akane welcomed her as a sister."
Ranmira proceeded to give Kasumi an abbreviated version of Ranma's
life in the alternate reality.
"When this reality was changed, certain factors, such as the
lingering magic from my presence as a part of Ranma, delayed the
effects of the change on Ranma. It seems that the same thing has
occurred tonight," Ranmira said, trying her best not to sound
clinical.
"So that means... right now, Ranma is..." Akane's shoulders
slumped.
"Ranma is the girl from that alternate reality," concluded
Kasumi. She shook her head. "Poor thing - waking up to suddenly
find herself a boy. She has to be terrified."
"She was," Akane admitted. Ranma's screams had brought Kasumi
and the Goddesses running, after all. But now that they were aware
Ranma was still the 'innocent' girl they had known from the alternate
reality, would Ranma become who he was supposed to be within the next
few days... or had her thoughts while linked to Yggdrasil insured
that Ranma would remain the 'other' Ranma, forever?
"Skuld," Ranmira instructed her sister, "can you get us a glass
of cold water? We need to change Ranma into a girl."
Skuld nodded once, leaving the room. Akane idly wondered why
Ranmira didn't simply elect to use a Water spell on Ranma in some
manner, though she figured the Goddess was saving her power for more
crucial tasks... not to mention the fact that a Water spell would
likely get water everywhere...
The Goddesses had already taught her that it was best to *not*
spend her powers on tasks she could easily perform by hand, or use
those powers and Yggdrasil as a substitute for taking the time to
truly learn things. Skuld had repeated the latter for Ranma's
benefit to answer a question - why were Skuld and Akane bothering to
attend school if they were connected to Yggdrasil?
She knew that resorting to shortcuts in her training as a
martial artist was far from being a good idea, even though she *had*
taken one or two such shortcuts in the past... none of which had
given her any useful, lasting results. So what would doing the same
in her quest to become a Goddess achieve... or ruin?
Skuld returned to the room a moment later with the glass of
water. "Here, oneesama."
Ranmira thought to cast a Sleep spell on the unconscious boy
before pouring a fourth of the full glass over Ranma's head. After
the familiar change had transformed Ranma, Ranmira walked to the spot
where Kasumi stood, and offered her the glass. "Ranma should remain
asleep until tomorrow morning," she stated for Kasumi and Akane's
benefit. "Hopefully, we will all - including Ranma - be better
prepared to deal with this by then."
She cast a somber glance in her sister's direction. "Come on,
Skuld... let's go home." Electricity issued forth from a nearby wall
outlet, swirling in a slightly awkward manner into a vortex large
enough for Ranmira to step through. The vortex enveloped her,
appearing as though the energy were swallowing her while it receded
into the outlet from which it had come.
Skuld, on the other hand, opted to take a route more direct than
using her medium - teleporting straight to the temple that currently
served as a home for four Goddesses, a Mortal whose name was Morisato
Keiichi, and the occasional guest.
"How odd," Kasumi murmured, idly examining the glass she now
held. "I thought she might use this water, instead. Oh, well." She
returned her gaze to Akane, who had remained by Ranma's side.
"Akane, come downstairs with me, please. I want to ask you a few
questions about that... alternate reality."
** ** **
Urd felt her eyes begin to slowly droop shut once more and
deliberately snapped her head upward, somehow managing to keep her
eyes fixed on the television during the process. <I've been waiting
to see the conclusion to this all week, and nothing's gonna keep me
from watching all of it!> Besides which, if she did miss some of the
show, rerun season wasn't for another month and a half... if indeed
this late-evening drama did allow reruns.
"...You went to the heavens to argue my case?" asked a voice
from behind her.
Urd breathed a quiet sigh of resignation. Picking the universal
remote up from where it lay on the arm of her favorite plush chair -
well, the plush chair in her room, anyway - she carefully pressed the
Record button, turning to face her sister.
How had Ranmira gotten into the room without triggering
something, somewhere within her senses? True, she'd had her full
attention elsewhere, and was a few steps short of falling asleep...
Ranmira had admittedly been a natural when it came to stealth;
as a child, she had always enjoyed a good game of hide-and-seek or
trying to see just how long she could manage to sneak around near a
person before they noticed her. She had grown into a quiet young
woman - one who tended to fade into the background, so to speak.
Could Ranma's martial-arts training and instincts have
multiplied Ranmira's abilities in the field of stealth?
"Yeah," was the only thing Urd could think to say.
"Why?"
Her mind was already telling her how she would normally behave
in a conversation like this. She shrugged. "Had nothing better to
do, I guess."
"B-but even after I lost my temper like that, and refused to
speak to you, forever?"
Urd shook her head. "You were very emotionally stressed at that
time," she said, vaguely recalling similar dialogue she'd heard at
one time or another while watching her television shows. <TV's a bad
influence, huh? I'll believe it when I see it.> "All your anger and
whatever had to go somewhere, I guess."
The younger Goddess exhaled. "But it wasn't right of me to
treat you like that."
"Don't worry about it," Urd dismissed the other's concern. She
forced an uneasy laugh. "You know, they were so impressed when I
came in to argue for you. They said that if the great Urd was
willing to come in and--"
"Oneesama!"
Urd cleared her throat, then smirked. "You know full well I
wasn't going to say anything bad. Sheesh! Everyone here is such a
prude. And that includes Keiichi, too."
Ranmira stared at her in disbelief, but decided to keep her
silence. Her oldest sister had a notable talent for being able to
change the subject in any conversation at an instant's notice - even
unintentionally, as was most often the case.
She had no intention of letting Urd sidetrack her, for the time
being.
"Anyway," Urd said, drawing out the word, "I should probably
apologize, too. I guess that every time I try to act the sage around
here and give anyone advice, everything starts going wrong."
That wasn't entirely true, either; Urd had a view of the whole
of reality that could be somewhat different from that of everyone
else. Ranmira knew not to dwell on the issue. "...Thank you,
oneesama," she spoke in a softer voice, turning to leave the room.
Cocking her head slightly, Urd gave her a wink and one of her
standard complement of roguish smirks. "Whatever."
** ** **
Ranma jolted awake, sitting up with a start.
She clasped a hand over her heart, carefully easing her breath
and pulse back to what she considered tolerable levels. "I'm......
*me*," she said aloud, hoping that the voice she heard was her own -
or at least, a girl's voice. <Did I have a dream about being a boy?>
Ranma cringed slightly at the thought.
A minor weight at the back of her head warned her of the
presence of something she'd thought she had lost. <My tail...? It
can't be...> She reached over her left shoulder, pulling the length
of hair forward to where she could see it.
It was indeed the same length of scarlet hair she remembered, in
a similar braid. Her pig-tail... which Kunou had effectively taken
from her. Come to think of it, what had happened to the remainder of
her tail after that incident? She'd had her hair cut short since
then... so even if they recovered her pig-tail, attaching it to what
was left of her hair wouldn't be easy.
To be sure, Ranma gave the pig-tail a tug. The braid was
definitely attached... in fact, she seemed to have all the hair that
she had lost in either haircut.
How could that happen? she wondered. Had the Goddesses decided
to restore her hair without telling her about it, even going so far
as to re-braid it?
She slowly became aware of a somewhat familiar sensation - the
dull feel of a hard floor underneath her bedroll. Years of sleeping
in little more than her bedroll while on the road with her father -
and later, the occasional sleepover - had taught Ranma the
differences in feel between sleeping on the ground and sleeping on
someone else's floors.
Why had she been sleeping in a bedroll? As far as she could
recall, she had gone to sleep in her bedroom, on her bed, while
wearing her pajamas.
Ranma noted that she wasn't wearing her pajamas, either, as she
slowly drew herself out of the sleeping bag. Rather, she wore what
looked like Chinese clothing - a short-sleeved shirt or blouse with
ornate golden ties in place of buttons, and a somewhat worn pair of
black cloth trousers that were obviously quite a bit oversized for
her; those remained in place by virtue of the sash tied tightly at
her waist. Having the pant legs tied shut around her ankles as well
didn't hurt.
<Okay, so why am I sleeping on the floor, wearing these clothes,
and... I'm probably not even in my room...>
She stretched, shaking away what was left of the urges to lie
down once more and go back to sleep, then made a careful scan of the
room. <I think this is my room, but... where IS everything?> The
nearly empty room resembled the barely-furnished bedroom she'd been
given after moving into the Tendo home. None of her furniture or
things were anywhere in the room, that she could see - and she
doubted someone could hide all of it in her small closet. What was
going on, here? Her bed, dresser, posters, books... well, whatever
she'd had in her bedroom, none of it was *here*.
Ranma padded across the wooden floor - blast, where had that
carpet she liked gone? - to the only window and stared through it.
Thankfully, the view from her window was as she recalled it.
This was definitely her room.
A close examination of the walls revealed none of the holes from
nails and thumbtacks Ranma hoped would be there. The holes weren't
patched or filled - they had never been there, from the look of the
walls.
She'd entertained the thought that everyone had moved all her
furniture to her mother's house as some sort of surprise, but that
seemed likely to be wishful thinking, the more she examined her room.
Aside from her clothes - which looked more like an outfit a
*boy* would wear, in her opinion - everything was reminding her of
the first week she'd spent in this room. <I haven't gone back in
time, have I?> Ranma thought, biting her lower lip.
<What if... what if I *didn't* dream being a boy?> Her mind
flashed back to what she could remember of her visit to Jhusenkyou.
Ranma stood atop a bamboo pole, above a valley filled with
several small ponds or pools, stunned by the fact that a panda had
erupted from the pool in which her father had fallen.
As the giant panda assumed an offensive stance on a pole
opposite hers, she heard the Guide somewhere on the ground off to her
right, telling her that the panda's pool was cursed. Whatever
entered that pool would be cursed to become a panda.
That meant... her father had been changed into a panda?
By the time she recovered from her shock, the panda had sent her
flying back-first toward another pool with a wide swipe from one of
its paws.
Ranma frantically tried to twist her body so that she could see
where she would land. The pools were cursed, their guide had said.
If she fell into any of those pools...
An instant later, she landed on an uncomfortably narrow strip of
land, the left shoulder of her already overly threadbare gi wearing
away as she slid to a halt just short of another pool at the far end
of the strip.
The Guide helped her to her feet. "Good, good! You almost fall
in Nan-nii-chuan. Legend say young man drown there one thousand,
seven hundred year ago. You fall in, you cursed to turn to boy."
Ranma applied pressure to her shoulder to temporarily stop the
pain she felt from the abrasions there. Her eyes went wide at the
thought of possibly being transformed into a boy. "I could have...?"
she spoke almost in a whisper.
Absently, Ranma knelt and began to roll up her bedroll. <What
if... someone changed the past so that I *did* fall in? And last
night...> Could Akane and the Goddesses have somehow rewritten
reality so that she would have a curse like her father's, that
transformed her into a boy whenever anyone threw water on her?
<Maybe that's got something to do with why they were acting
strange around me...>
A thought occurred to her. <Kasumi-oneechan.> Assuming nothing
else was different from what she remembered of her world, aside from
her bedroom and a possible curse, Kasumi would probably be downstairs
running through her normal morning routines. The eldest Tendo sister
was actually the best candidate to help her figure out if her world
had somehow been changed...
...But first, to change out of these boyish clothes into
something better. It even felt as though she were wearing boxer
shorts, and *that* was one thing Ranma didn't want to think about.
She was a *girl*, blast it! Not a boy, or whatever her father, some
Goddess or anyone else wanted her to be...
"K-Kasumi...?"
Kasumi glanced up from the pot of miso soup she had been
stirring. At the other end of the kitchen, Ranma peered around the
edge of the door's frame, as if reluctant to enter.
<She's still scared,> understood Kasumi. In the reality from
which she'd come, this Ranma had looked up to her as an
honest-to-goodness older sister; Kasumi continued to wonder what the
Ranma of *this* reality thought of her.
Ranma's mind and thoughts had to be in a sort of turmoil.
Waking up to suddenly find herself in a different body... her
counterpart certainly refused to take it well, though he occasionally
put the fact that he could be a girl to use.
She had taken the time to dress herself in one of the few
articles of girls' clothing hidden within Ranma's wardrobe - the
off-white sundress Akane had bought for Ranma when a blow to the head
caused the cursed martial-artist to 'become' a girl in mind as well
as body.
Ranma also seemed to be wearing the proper underclothes...
Kasumi noticed the edge of the shoulder strap of a bra shifting out
from underneath the sundress' own shoulder strap. She guessed the
younger girl would also prefer to wear the proper underwear as
opposed to the boxer shorts Ranma insisted on wearing, even as a girl.
"It's okay, Ranma-chan," she assured Ranma. "Come in. I assume
you want to talk about what has happened to you?"
Ranma blinked. "Kasumi-oneechan," she spoke hesitantly,
cautiously approaching the older girl while making sure to maintain
some distance between them. She wanted to hug her 'older sister,' to
hear Kasumi's reassurances that maybe this was a dream or an
amazingly elaborate joke and everything would soon be okay - but what
if reality *had* been changed, and this wasn't the same Kasumi? "I
don't know what's going on. I... thought I had a weird dream where I
woke up and I was a guy, but then I woke up this morning and
everything in my room is gone, and I'm wearing guys' clothes... in
fact, that's almost all that's in there! I had to dig to find what
I'm wearing now..."
A look of sadness briefly manifested on Kasumi's face. "I'm not
sure how I should tell you, but... you need to know this.
Ranma-chan, you have been moved into a different reality."
"*What*!?"
Ranma retreated a step in response to Kasumi's reprimanding
stare. "Sorry," she apologized, sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it," Kasumi soothed, motioning for Ranma to
join her in taking care of the morning chores. "Though, I can't say
I know what it would be like to awaken in a different reality."
"Really lousy," was all Ranma could think to offer. This Tendo
home wasn't exactly the same as the home she held within her
memories; neither was Kasumi.
The next step, obviously, was to learn all she could about this
reality *before* she confronted Akane and the Goddesses, asking them
if they could return her to her true reality.
** ** **
The sight of a young Goddess stepping forth from the momentarily
churning waters of the small koi pond had become a commonplace sight
in the Tendo household. Skuld's arrivals and departures were now a
normal part of the expected odd happenings that took place within the
high property walls.
"Skuld-chan," Kasumi acknowledged her presence with a nod,
before returning to her task of setting the family room table for
breakfast. She paused for a few seconds as though she were expecting
something else to happen. "Is Ranmira dropping by this morning?"
The older Goddess had used her power or magic to help Ranma sleep
until this morning, with the hope that Ranma - as well as everyone
else - would be in a better frame of mind to approach the problem.
There was perhaps another benefit to letting Ranma sleep for a
while. Based on what Ranmira had said the night before and her
conversation with Akane after the Goddesses had taken their leave,
Ranma would likely become the person he or she was supposed to be in
this reality, within a day or two.
Kasumi had noticed the look of guilt that briefly crossed her
younger sister's face when Akane mentioned the eventual change, and
instinctively maneuvered her into explaining *why* she felt guilty -
a skill she had had to develop in assuming her mother's duties.
Akane seemed to believe a spur-of-the-moment thought during the
time she'd spent linked to Yggdrasil might mean that Ranma would
forever be the girl from that altered reality, that the cursed
martial artist might not revert to the person she had previously been.
Whether or not Ranma would or would not become a different
person was a possibility Kasumi had purposefully kept from the girl.
She had listened while Ranma described her own reality in further
detail, and answered the confused girl's questions about their
present reality. Though the need to lie to Ranma pained Kasumi, she
knew Ranma would take that particular piece of information terribly;
the girl was liable to run away and try something desperate to keep
herself from being changed.
Even if *this* Ranma was simply the product of a computer error
or temporarily altered reality, did she deserve being forced to fade
from existence?
Skuld made her way across the yard and stepped up onto the outer
deck. "No," she said, shaking her head. "Oneesama was summoned by
Kami-sama this morning. She may not be able to visit until the
afternoon." <I hope she's not in trouble...>
She took a seat before the television and, with a glance toward
Kasumi to ask for permission, turned the television on. Everyone
tended to stick to a schedule for TV-watching at the temple, mostly
because Urd spent a lot of her free time occupying either set.
"Where is Ranma? How is she?"
"She is in the kitchen," Kasumi answered. "Ranma... doesn't
really feel like speaking to anyone for the time being." In truth,
Ranma had said that she didn't want to speak to Akane or the
Goddesses for a while; Kasumi had thought it best that Ranma also
avoid everyone else during that time. At least Ranma's parents were
both staying at Mrs. Saotome's home, now... she wasn't sure how Mr.
or Mrs. Saotome would react to this Ranma.
"Ah. Well, Ranmira-oneesama said that it was probably best if
Ranma didn't go anywhere today, like school."
Kasumi brought a hand up to her mouth in surprise. "Dear me. I
forgot she had to go to school today. You're right - she should
probably stay home." Going to school, much less anywhere else, might
be the last thing Ranma wanted to do. Ranma's teachers and
classmates would expect her to be the Ranma they had come to know,
and if someone stepped forward to fight her... well, Ranma remained a
fighter, but she shouldn't have to answer for fights or a life that
weren't hers.
The 'original' Ranma reportedly had been forced to live somewhat
over a day of the life of his counterpart - including a visit to
school - however, at the time the Goddesses were attempting to
convince everyone that nothing was at all different.
Thank goodness Akane and the Goddesses weren't hiding the
changes in reality, now. <How would *I* react if I awoke in a
different reality with a curse like the one Ranma-kun has, and
everything was not what I expected?> How had the 'original' Ranma
reacted, for that matter? What had the Goddesses done to convince
Ranma to pretend she was the Ranma of that other reality?
But no matter what they had done, Kasumi doubted they could
convince Ranma to assume the role of her counterpart. The girl was
frightened enough without having to worry about changing gender with
the help of water.
Nabiki stepped into the room, stifling a yawn, and took her seat
at the family-room table. "Morning," she tossed the greeting into
the air, not caring if anyone acknowledged her words.
<She probably won't want to see Nabiki-chan, either,> thought
Kasumi. Certainly not if Ranma's account of what Nabiki's
counterpart had done to her was truthful.
Ranma reflexively flinched at the sound of Nabiki's voice, from
where she remained hidden in the kitchen. She kept her attention
focused on the food Kasumi had left simmering in a small pot atop the
stove, forcing herself to remember that this Nabiki wasn't the same
'sister' who'd sent Kunou to disrupt Ranma's first date because she
believed her judgment to be better than her "little sister's."
Though, Ranma mused, this Nabiki might just do the same thing,
if anyone gave her the chance.
<I don't belong in this reality.> Akane, Skuld and her sisters
- *they* remained the same between realities, if only because the
Goddesses were exempt somehow from changing when... well, reality
changed. Everyone here knew Saotome Ranma as a boy with a Jhusenkyou
curse that made him become a girl... against his will.
Oh, sure, finding yourself stuck with a gender-changing curse
had to be difficult for anyone to adapt to. She definitely did not
like the idea. But Ranma had discovered how easy it was to tell
herself she didn't belong here... that nobody wanted her to be here.
She'd been greatly tempted to run away - but distancing herself
from this problem would only make it more difficult to solve. Never
mind the thought of making her problems approach her on her own
ground; that was nonsense. If she couldn't resolve her problems by
directly confronting them as soon as possible, what good would
running and waiting for everything to catch up to her do?
Temporarily retreating while involved in a fight with an
opponent to gather oneself or reconsider her fighting strategy, was
one thing. Running away from a change in realities would *not*
improve her standing in this predicament.
Ranma continued to preoccupy herself with Kasumi's breakfast
preparations while the remainder of the Tendo family filtered into
the family room, one by one, fighting the urge to react as she heard
each voice speak. Nabiki. Mr. Tendo. *Akane*...
Kasumi returned to the kitchen on occasion, checking on both her
and the cooking. Ranma made a valiant effort at hiding her emotions
from Kasumi, although she was well aware the eldest Tendo sister knew
exactly how she felt, miserable or otherwise. She didn't think that
letting Kasumi console and comfort her all day would accomplish much,
either. "You have nothing to worry about, Ranma-chan," indeed. <I
want to go back to MY reality...>
A tear began to form in Ranma's eye; she wiped it away with a
forceful motion. Did any of her friends exist here - and if so, what
did they think of Ranma the boy?
Ah, well... not much sense in worrying about the difference
between her reality and this one, if she was going to somehow talk
the Goddesses into sending her back to her reality of origin. This
reality's Ranma could keep it...
A deafening thunderclap shook her from her motley collection of
thoughts, just as it shook the entire kitchen around her.
<What...?>
Skuld peered down at the writing that had been etched into one
of the flat stones bordering the koi pond, left behind by a giant
bolt of lightning from the heavens.
Everyone save herself and Akane were still recovering from the
brightness and sound that accompanied the message. Nabiki was fully
awake by this time, blinking and forcing a yawn in an attempt to
clear her ears. Kasumi was helping her father back to his seat; the
man had been thrown backward in his chair by the force of the
delivery.
Akane warily edged closer to Skuld, who knelt on one knee to
take a closer look at the message. Small wisps of smoke wafted from
each etching. "Is that... is that from Kami-sama?"
Skuld glanced up, studying Akane's face in surprise. She
nodded. "Yes. But how did you know?" Only Kami-sama used this form
of messaging in recent times, and only when He wanted to convey a
highly important message. Akane had only seen an example of
Kami-sama contacting the Goddesses by way of the telephone.
"I guessed," shrugged Akane. She had, at that.
"*Anyway*," Skuld made an effort to keep her composure, "this is
important. Kami-sama wants us to report to His office immediately."
The Goddess-in-training withdrew her breath. "But... am I in
trouble? Are we both in trouble?"
"I don't know! The message doesn't say! But when you're called
to appear before Kami-sama, it's always for an important reason, and
it's something you do not ignore."
Akane's voice had become quiet. "I wasn't going to ignore it."
Why would Kami-sama want to see her? Hadn't she essentially done
what the Goddesses asked of her? She and Peorth were finally
speaking to one another, she'd admitted that she *did* care for Ranma
and then proceeded to help the Goddesses restore reality to its
proper state. As far as she was aware, she hadn't done anything that
would require a summons from Kami-sama...
Skuld had paled almost as much as Akane imagined she herself
had. "Let's go, Akane," the Goddess of the Future solemnly
announced. She took one of Akane's hands in hers while pulling
herself to her feet, before teleporting them both away in a familiar
flash of golden light.
"*Wait*!"
Everyone started as Ranma launched full-tilt into the family
room from the inner hall, dashing past them and leaping through the
open outer door. She landed in a crouch just as the last of the
golden light faded.
Kami-sama's message dissolved from sight before she could notice
it.
"It figures," she snorted. Skuld and Akane were avoiding her
yet again.
Nabiki carefully sized her up in one casual glance, as was her
habit. The skill of evaluating another person in such a manner was
one of the few leftovers from her father's attempt at putting her
through martial-arts training, that Nabiki had kept and continued to
maintain.
That the cursed martial artist was at present a girl and upset,
wasn't a new occurrence in any way for the morning hours. But Ranma
wearing a sundress an hour or two before school *was*.
Especially when Ranma had stated that she never wanted to wear
*that* particular dress again, for reasons she'd refused to tell
anyone - even Akane, who had bought her the dress.
Maybe, Nabiki mused, the dress reminded Ranma of the time she
believed she was a 'complete' girl... behaving and thinking in a
'feminine' manner, in addition to physically being a girl. Unless
Ranma had changed her mind about the dress - which Nabiki doubted -
maybe Ranma was in a different frame of mind...
"Hey, Ranma - you don't think you're a 'girl' again, do you?"
she called to the other girl.
Ranma angrily rounded on her, her cobalt eyes flashing. "So
what if I do?" she snapped, and for a second Nabiki wondered if
Ranma's anger was a sign that the girl was about to charge her. "I
know everyone wants me to be that guy, but there's nothing I can do
about it!"
She stormed past Nabiki on her way to the kitchen, leaving
behind a puzzled Nabiki, Kasumi and their father.
Kasumi blinked, then took a moment to explain Ranma's seeming
change. "She sounds as if she may be upset that everyone expects her
to be the Ranma of this reality. Goodness," she rested a finger upon
her lips in thought. "I hope she doesn't decide to run away or do
anything she might regret."
<Running away isn't really Ranma's style.> Nabiki paled
slightly. <But this isn't the same Ranma. I don't know what she
might decide to do.> "I'll find her, Kasumi, and make sure she's not
doing anything bad." It had been her question that triggered the
scarlet-haired girl's outburst, after all.
Once his daughters had left the room, Soun let both of his hands
rest against the edge of the table and exhaled softly. When he had
agreed - years ago - to marry one of his children to one of his best
friend's children, if it were possible, all in an attempt to
strengthen their legacy and schools of musabetsu kakutou, neither he
nor Genma had envisioned the chaos that would make it difficult for
them to realize that agreement.
Admittedly, a fair portion of that chaos could be blamed on
either himself or Genma; agreements and other ghosts from their pasts
being left to Ranma, Akane and their friends to handle. Their
Master, alone, was easily the most dangerous of those problems.
But most of the confusion could be traced - somehow - to either
Ranma or Akane, or both. Ranma had been the primary element of chaos
from the day he stepped onto the Tendo property... as a girl.
Everything proceeded to spiral violently out of control from that
event forward. Of late, he'd learned that a Goddess had taken the
place of his wife, his youngest daughter was attempting to become a
Goddess herself, and Ranma had gone from discovering another Goddess
portraying a part of him to coping with shifts in realities.
Worrying that Ranma and Akane might not marry was easily
becoming lost amidst the latest rush of concerns.
She found Ranma in the kitchen, the martial artist busying
herself with whatever was left of Kasumi's early-morning chores.
"...Ranma...?"
No response. Ranma did not turn to face Nabiki, or even pause
to acknowledge she'd heard the call.
"Stop trying to ignore me, Ranma. I'm here to apologize."
That caused the pause Nabiki had expected. Ranma slowed.
"...Apologize?"
Nabiki risked a step toward her. When Ranma didn't react, she
resumed walking until she stood beside the other girl. "Yeah. I
didn't know what happened last night - I was out at the movies with
my friends - and I didn't know you weren't the same Ranma until
Kasumi told us everything, just now." She stopped to consider her
words for a handful of seconds. "But I don't know why the Nabiki you
knew would do... that to you. If your Ryouga's anything like the
Ryouga here, he's decent enough, except for things like trying to
hide his curse from Akane."
She saw the blood begin to rise in the younger girl's cheeks.
"You're making it sound like he's my boyfriend," Ranma said,
recalling how, less than a week ago, she'd been telling Nabiki quite
adamantly that she did *not* want a boyfriend.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "He isn't?"
"Well... I'm still trying to figure out if I want to date or
have a boyfriend. Or I *was*, anyway." Nabiki's words came back to
Ranma. "Did you say Ryouga's got a curse?"
When Nabiki nodded in response, she snorted. "So he's cursed
here, too, like I am. Now."
<Ryouga wasn't cursed in her reality? I wonder...> "Yeah. It
came as a surprise to me, too. I hate to think what Akane might do
to poor little P-chan if she finds out."
"P-chan?" Ranma looked at her, fully confused. "Little black
pig?"
"Yeah."
"What does my - er, P-chan, have to do with Ryouga being cursed?"
<So,> thought Nabiki. <In her reality, Ryouga's probably in
love with her, AND pretending to be her pet. Did her copy of me know
about this? It'd explain why she ruined Ranma's date.> Now, to see
if she could explain away her question. "You know how emotional
Akane can be. Once, when she was upset and crying over something,
she squeezed P-chan so tightly that she accidentally broke one of his
ribs.
Ranma gasped. "What? Is he still hurt?"
"No." Nabiki waved the thought away. "P-chan heals quickly,
just like Ranma. Um, our you." When Ranma didn't object to her
slip, she continued. "When I last saw him, he didn't look like there
was anything wrong with him." There was nothing wrong with him
*physically*, at any rate.
Ranma's shoulders slumped. "I'll probably have to take care of
him for Akane, since she's going to be a Goddess, and I don't know
how long I'm gonna be here..." In a smaller voice, she added, "Like
this."
<Uh-oh.> Nabiki was aware that cheering another person up
wasn't a skill of hers. How *did* one cheer up a girl from another
reality trapped within the body of her male counterpart in this
reality? "I'll tell you what... I won't ask you to trust me like you
did your version of me, but maybe... would you like to be friends?"
This 'alternate' Ranma's world did intrigue her; how different would
everything have been if she'd known Ranma as a little sister all this
time?
"Friends?"
She leaned forward, placing herself further into the other
girl's line of sight. "Friends."
There was another moment of silence, after which Ranma spoke up.
"Okay," she agreed.
** ** **
Akane stepped gingerly upon the vaguely transparent walkway that
led to Kami-sama's office. When she had last passed through these
halls, something - in addition to the apprehension she'd felt at the
time - had kept her from either paying much attention to the
environment around her, or being able to remember most of it. She
had only her apprehension now, that concern effectively distracting
her from whatever scenery she might see.
The entire walk had seen Akane reviewing every detail of her
actions in the past week and a half. <Whatever we're here to discuss
with Kami-sama,> she realized, <it must have something to do with me.
Otherwise, Skuld wouldn't have to bring me along, I guess.>
<I'm going to lose my chance to be a Goddess,> the thought
accompanied a surge of paranoia. <They're going to change me, my
body and my memories so that none of this happens again... oh, what
did I do?>
The last door in their path slid open and disappeared as they
approached. "Please enter," they heard His voice instruct them. "I
know that you are nervous, but there is no reason to worry."
Once the door had reappeared long enough to slide shut behind
them, Akane found herself standing within what appeared to be a
spacious office, one given strong earth tones by way of actual
elements of Nature. In one corner of the main room lay a rock
garden, framing the quietly-flowing miniature waterfall that emerged
from the corner itself. Foliage in almost every imaginable shade of
green concealed the walls - which were seemingly thin enough to
barely exist at all. Akane couldn't detect the presence of any
animals lurking in the growths, or insects. The entire office had no
doubt been constructed to set everyone at ease; she decided to let
herself be calmed by the atmosphere. <What choice do I have? If
Kami-sama wants to punish me for any reason, I have to accept it.>
Skuld chose to ignore the simple illusion Kami-sama's office had
created for her.
"Now," He said, issuing a silent call for two chairs to appear.
"Have a seat."
For all her slowly-increasing calmness, Akane still continued to
fidget. His gaze settled upon her. "I have not summoned you both
here for the purpose of punishing you, Akane," He assured her.
She blinked. "You... you haven't?"
"No. In fact, I wished to inform you that you are now eligible
to become a full Goddess."
Both Akane and Skuld's eyes went wide. "A f-full Goddess?
M-me?" stammered Akane. "But I haven't... taken that many tests!
Or finished my training!"
"You were evaluated while you trained, became acquainted with
who you are and the importance of the power to which you currently
have access. Akane... you are now aware that being a Goddess does
not mean that you are perfect or automatically choose the correct
course of action."
"You have also demonstrated that you are able and willing to
accept the consequences of whatever mistakes you make."
A smile formed on Kami-sama's face. "It is my opinion that
these factors, along with others, prove that you are ready to become
a full Goddess. Do not misunderstand, however - your training will
continue, and from this point, you will be evaluated in a markedly
more critical manner."
Akane added these considerations to the new spiral of thoughts
forming in her mind. <I'm going to be a Goddess. I don't believe
it!> She hadn't had the status of Goddess-candidate for long... but
to her knowledge - without checking Yggdrasil, anyway - few Gods or
Goddesses had ascended from being Mortal, so she could well be
progressing at exactly the right pace... or lagging behind. <I'll
have to check later,> Akane mused.
"As you say, there will be time for that later," Kami-sama spoke
into her thoughts. She blushed; how foolish of her to not assume
that He could easily read her thoughts. "Now, stand up, child, and
walk around my desk so that you stand before me."
She followed His instructions, feeling a thrill play through her
body in the process. What being wouldn't, she thought, in the
presence of the Creator?
"Close your eyes, and open your mind and spirit."
Akane felt Kami-sama touch a finger to the marking on her
forehead, then the markings on her right and left cheeks in
succession, returning at last to her forehead. A sense of warmth and
power swelled at each point. For a second, she wondered if her
limiters would have any influence on whatever power was circulating
about and through her... but the jewelry she had been instructed to
wear to help keep her powers under control felt inert to her.
The feeling flowed through her entire body, seemingly gathering
within her feet and flowing upward from there, as though she were a
drinking glass being filled with the aid of a tidal wave.
"Repeat after me..."
** ** **
Kasumi quickly folded the dishtowel she had been using to dry
the evening's dishes, taking care to smooth each edge, and returned
the towel to where it normally hung on the oven's handle - aligning
it parallel to the right side of the oven door.
Her kitchen was always properly arranged and clean, an
environment in which nothing remained dirty or out-of-place for long.
It was one of the few rooms in the house that could well be immune to
the chaos that thrived in the rest of the house, or the world.
Not counting Ranma's reality, of course. Kasumi had to admit to
being curious about her own counterpart; how different was that
Kasumi's life from hers?
Was there anything she might possibly choose to change about her
own life? <Well... maybe I'm just being silly, I suppose.> She
paused. <I don't know...>
"Kasumi?" a voice asked from behind her. "What are you
thinking about?"
She looked over her shoulder to see Ranmira standing within the
kitchen door... reminding Kasumi very much of the confused girl who
had been reluctant to pass through the doorway that morning. "Ah,
Ranmira-san... I'm sorry, I didn't hear you arrive."
"I apologize if I startled you," the Goddess said. "I didn't
know whether or not Ranma would want to see me yet, so I kept my
arrival quiet."
Kasumi nodded.
"Where is she?"
"She's spent most of the day in her bedroom, going through
everything. She said that she wants to get to know 'our' Ranma
better." Kasumi studied Ranmira's face, hoping to find a clue to the
Goddess' intent. "Nabiki has been keeping an eye on her. Should I
call Ranma?"
Ranmira shook her head, reclining against the rounded edge of
the countertop. "No, that's okay." She changed the subject. "I
can't be sure, but you seem a bit preoccupied, Kasumi. Is anything
troubling you?"
The other sighed. "I hated not telling her that she may be
'replaced' by our Ranma, even though I know she might not take the
news well. It's such a shame; I can see how much being taken from her
reality has hurt her." A mixture of hope and pleading appeared
within her eyes. "Isn't there a way to return her to her reality
before she is... lost?"
"She... is in her proper reality, I'm afraid."
Blink. "But..." Kasumi began, then closed her mouth. Better to
let Ranmira explain than attempt to puzzle through all of the details
on her own.
"Our reality was altered around us, a result of Ranma's own past
being considerably rewritten, and Ranma became a different person.
Other realities do exist, their Universes separate from ours, where
any and every possibility may be played out." Ranmira paused for a
breath. "I do not doubt that there is a reality that matches what
ours had temporarily been in its altered state. One in which Ranma
was born a girl, and proceeded to live her life precisely as this
Ranma recalls hers."
Other realities, where all possibilities could be experienced,
thought Kasumi. Did that mean that somewhere, she had a male
counterpart? Perhaps a Jhusenkyou-cursed Kasumi existed...
She bit back a quiet gasp. Could there be a cursed Ranma for
each pool in Jhusenkyou? Or Akane? Tofu-sensei? Father? Any one
of Ranma or Akane's friends?
Herself?
"But to overlay this Ranma over that other Ranma, in all
likelihood," Ranmira was saying, "would only hurt her... and neither
Kami-sama nor His counterpart in that reality, or our counterparts,
would allow it."
"Could things have been left alone?" Kasumi asked, once she had
found her voice.
The question seemed to give Ranmira pause. "One of our duties
as Goddesses is to ensure that this reality remains on its proper
path. If the bugs corrupt Yggdrasil and cause any part of reality to
be altered, it is our job to reverse that damage."
She pushed herself away from the counter, idly walking to the
closest window in order to stare at whatever she could see through
it. "However, since the effects of the change were largely centered
upon Ranma, and had no true indication of harm in the long run... we
did give Akane the choice as to whether or not we should restore
everything to what it had been."
Wait. Akane had been given a choice? Had Akane given thought
as to what resetting everything would do to Ranma? "Hmm... I see I
should have another talk with Akane about this." The corners of
Kasumi's lips descended into a frown. Recalling Ranma's innocence in
the whole matter only troubled her more.
Come to think of it, where *was* Akane? Her youngest sister had
been summoned by Kami-sama before breakfast; now, the dinner hour had
passed, and Akane hadn't yet returned. Did meetings with Kami-sama
customarily last for hours?
"Akane became a full Goddess this morning," Ranmira answered
Kasumi's question. "Did you sense anything... unusual today?"
Kasumi thought about it. "...I think I did. There was an odd
burst of... *something*, late this morning." Her eyebrows furrowed
intently as she searched for the relevant words to say. The
sensation had been considerable, very nearly overwhelming.
"Euphoria, and... a sense of loss." She tried to keep her concern
from showing in her voice, yet failed. "Nabiki told me that she had
sensed it as well. Wh-what does it mean?"
"You felt Akane's transition from Mortal to Goddess, through
your link to her as sisters. Your father may also have experienced
it." Kasumi detected a slight unease in the Goddess' words - was
this a new experience for her, just as it was for them?
"But where is Akane, now?"
Ranmira sighed. "Skuld decided to take her off to celebrate.
They found and dragged me away to join them, too. It took me a while
to finally break away and come here, because I thought I should check
on Ranma and let you know what was going on."
"Oh, dear. I hope they aren't drinking alcohol, or..."
"Goodness, no," Ranmira said quickly. "The three of us are
really still too young to do anything like that. The celebration was
more of a small-scale tour for Akane's benefit, and introducing her
to others."
"Oh," Kasumi deflated, her gaze falling briefly to the floor.
Ranmira caught the gesture. "Are you concerned that she might
possibly leave home?"
"A little. I think about my future every once in a while. Many
of the futures I imagine have me watching my sisters grow older and
leave home for their own lives. Akane simply may leave home sooner
than I expected."
Ranmira momentarily considered bringing up the engagement
between Ranma and Akane, reminding Kasumi that both might choose to
continue living in this house, even now that Akane was a Goddess.
Given a choice, Kasumi would probably choose to help everyone
else she could before herself. "And the other futures? Do you dream
of getting married, leaving home, or traveling?"
Kasumi's cheeks colored slightly. "Yes, of course. But I'll
have time for things like that later. My family needs me to be here."
"Kasumi, there is something I believe you should know. But you
must promise not to mention this to anyone else just yet - except
Akane, who already knows about this."
The sudden firmness in the Goddess' voice caused Kasumi to stare
at her. "I... I promise," she managed. "What is it?"
A longer pause. "Your mother... is coming home."
** ** **
The window above the desk in Akane's bedroom began to glaze over
with a thin sheet of golden light that seemed to have an almost
liquid quality, obscuring the night sky outside.
Akane pushed her head through the portal, cautiously peering
into her room. She'd made it a point after learning of her medium to
keep her window shut - though Akane presently had no way of
determining whether or not anyone would be present at any of her
destinations to see her step out of a closed window.
Satisfied that no one was present, she levitated forward, slowly
clearing the airspace above her desk. One of these days, she'd have
to move that desk...
The portal dissolved behind her once she had completely pulled
herself free of it, plunging the room back into darkness.
<Huh!?> She started, immediately losing her concentration. An
instant later Akane dropped, crashing painfully into her desk chair.
"Owww......!"
As she untangled herself from her chair - desperately hoping
that her crash wouldn't bring anyone running - she caught sight of
the time on her alarm clock. Two thirty-two in the morning. "I've
been out *that* long?" Akane muttered in amazement.
Her mind was still swimming from what Skuld had shown her, and
the people to whom she'd been introduced. Oh, but that was only a
miniscule fraction of what she could see now that she was a Goddess,
according to Skuld! She finally had true access to the wonders of
the Planes...
Akane forced herself to sober as much as she could. There was
plenty of time to see everything and be awed. <Sleep,> she thought,
stumbling across the room to collapse immediately beside her bed,
letting her head fall face-first onto the mattress. <Maybe that's a
good idea. Tomorrow... I've got a lot to do.>
A lot had changed in her life, hadn't it? She was a Goddess,
her mothers were both coming to live in this home, and...
Akane sat bolt upright. *Change*. "Ranma!" she exclaimed.
One lone question ran through Akane's mind while she approached
Ranma's door - who would Ranma be? The 'original' Ranma? A day had
already passed; Ranma had become the Ranma of that other reality in
as much time. Would he be the 'other' Ranma? Or... someone else?
Trust Fate and Destiny to pitch curveballs at her, at any hour
during the day. Or medicine balls, perhaps. Whatever changes came
to her life were often far more than the simple turn of events one
would expect.
She rested her hand on the edge of the door, preparing to slide
it open. What would she do if Ranma hadn't changed? Ranma
definitely had not appreciated being taken away from her world. How
would she react to Akane, now? Akane knew she couldn't return Ranma
to that reality, whether she wanted to return her or not - and that
wouldn't help Ranma feel any better.
Of course, she couldn't stand outside Ranma's room all night,
either. Peeking into the room through the window as she had done
with her room was out... Akane knew she hadn't yet mastered entering
and exiting her medium, and another crash would only make an awkward
moment more so.
She had to know who Ranma was. Besides, the longer she avoided
Ranma, the more Ranma would resent her. Particularly if Ranma *was*
that formerly uncursed girl.
Akane slid the door open just enough for her to edge into the
room, then carefully closed it once more. Another step had the
lights on.
Ranma normally kept his bedroll in the center of his room. His
counterpart hadn't moved the roll; Akane quietly knelt beside the top
end of the roll, intending to take a look at the person asleep inside.
She noted that Ranma had gone to bed as a girl. Ranma's
infamous scarlet hair spread in a few odd directions, making Akane
wonder if the girl had had a restless sleep.
<Ranma...> Quite a few things had changed in Ranma's life as
well. How many of those changes could somehow be traced back to her?
<What am I gonna do?>
After another few seconds of thought, Akane reached out to grasp
one of the sleeping girl's shoulders and gently shook her. "Ranma,
wake up."
"Mmm..." Ranma slowly bleared awake. She stared at Akane a
full moment without saying a word.
"What?" demanded Akane.
"You're back," was all the cursed martial artist would say.
It was Akane's turn to stare. <Next time, someone ELSE wakes
him... her up.> Ranma's reaction suggested that she wasn't happy
with Akane.
Akane had expected her to be less than thrilled, however. She
had to know - one way or another - exactly who Ranma happened to be.
"Wh-who are you?" she blurted. "I mean, are you the Ranma of this
reality, or--"
"What do you care?"
The newly-promoted Goddess drew back as though Ranma had struck
her. Her first instinct was to counter with a volley of her own, or
consider actually hitting Ranma, but Akane wanted to avoid those
options until she could guarantee she wouldn't accidentally use her
powers on the martial artist in anger. "Your life had been changed
by the damage the bugs created in Yggdrasil, Ranma. We're supposed
to fix things like that if it happens."
"Oh, and I suppose you asked me if I wanted everything 'fixed?'"
Irritation flashed through Ranma's eyes. She drew herself out of the
bedroll, kicking it away. "I actually had a normal life, for once,
Akane. Would it've made *that* much of a difference to let me live a
normal life, even if I *was* a girl?"
Akane wasn't sure how to respond to that question.
Seeing her hesitation, Ranma continued. "Yeah, I'm the
'original' Ranma you wanted me to be, I guess. As far as I can tell.
But I also remember everything from the time I was that other Ranma.
Clearly." She folded her arms. "I remember that you didn't like who
I was, was scared of her, or something. So tell me, Akane - why
*did* you put everything back the way it was?"
"Because we were supposed to!"
Ranma frowned. "Maybe. But Kasumi told me the Goddesses said
they gave you a choice."
Silence.
"Admit it... you didn't 'fix' everything for my sake. You did
all this for *you*."
"Me!?" Akane fought to keep her voice down. "Baka! I thought
you'd WANT to be changed back!"
"Since when did you start caring about what *I* want?"
"All the time!"
"Yeah, right," snorted Ranma. "*Sure* you did." She walked to
the door. "Out."
"What? Why?"
"Because I don't know if I can trust you. And now that you're
gonna be a Goddess, you can make me do whatever you want even more,
right? No, thanks," Ranma raised her voice.
"I wouldn't do--"
"Out," the other girl insisted.
Akane reluctantly agreed, stepping out of the room and letting
Ranma shut the door behind her. She wearily leaned against the wall
on the other side of the hall, sighing. <Ranma...>
Perhaps Ranma would be more willing to talk things through if
she gave the cursed martial artist more time alone...
<Later. I'm sorry, Ranma...>
<end>
------------
Akane has realized her goal of becoming a full Goddess, but her
training is far from being completed. How will Akane deal with her
new role as a Goddess, and will she be able to regain Ranma's trust?
What will the return of Hiroko and Peorth mean for the Tendo
family?
Will Kaede finally figure out what in the Planes she wants to
do?
What has Marller been up to all this time, anyway?
Will Ranma's demon decide to make an appearance?
Is Happosai actually more than he appears to be?
These and many other questions will hopefully be answered in
"A Goddess' Dilemma," the sequel to "Instruments of Change."
------------
(soap opera mode: OFF)
I'd like to apologize for the delay in releasing this part...
between a schedule that's been miserable since the beginning of the
year, a queue full of writing and art projects, and a story part that
was longer and more complex than I thought it would turn out to be,
part eighteen took a while. :I
But it's here, now, though, and I'd like to thank everyone who's
read this series and enjoyed it, as well as everyone who's taken the
time to email me about it. Thanks, everyone!
It may be a while before I start A Goddess' Dilemma, however... I
want to try to clear some of the projects out of my writing queue
before I begin another series.
------------
Credits:
Written by: Mike Koos
Prereaders: Richard Beaubien, Kevin D. Hammel, Jonathan Ng,
Andrew Norris, Shadowmane, Tom Williams
With apologies to Takahashi Rumiko and Fujishima Kosuke...
All parts of this series are available at the RAAC archives at
ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ah-My-Goddess/
Instruments-of-Change/
or from my WWW pages at http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~makoto/
Comments and questions welcome.
*****************************
* Mike ('Kino Makoto') Koos * "I can do nothing to stop you.
*---------------------------* Your background music is too
* email: mak...@mother.com * strong for me."
***************************** - Whose Line is it Anyway?
http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~makoto/