[Fanfic][Ranma] The Four Birds of Fire, Steps 2 & 3

[Jorge A. Pratt]

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al70...@campus.ccm.itesm.mx

The Four Birds of Fire

Second Step: RedBird

Encounter with the flames

She opened her eyes. Everything was blurry, but she could tell the
shapes of two women sitting beside her. She tried getting up, but a dull
pain in her head kept her from moving.
"How... how do you feel, Ranma?" Akane asked, seeing her waking
up.
"Are you all right?" Kasumi asked as well. Ranma-chan groggily sat
up. Her body was numb, she felt as if she had awakened from a long,
dreamless sleep. Again her head throbbed. She slowly brought a hand
upwards,holding her forehead with it. A light grunt escaped from her lips
as she did so.
"Take it easy, Ranma," Akane said, putting her hands on
Ranma-chan's arm. "You've been out for a long time."
"What happened?" Ranma-chan asked, quietly.
"We thought you'd know. Auntie Saotome brought you yesterday, and
you've been unconscious since."
Ranma suddenly snapped completely awake. She looked around wildly,
trying to see her mother. She was nowhere to be found. "Where...where's
Mom?"
"She left, Ranma. A few hours ago."
"What? Why did..."
Akane turned more serious, "Tell me what happened, Ranma.
Yesterday, your mom brought you on her back, and you were out cold. All
the time she was here, looking over you. A while ago, she said she didn't
want to hurt you anymore, and she left. She even cried, Ranma. So tell me,
what happened?"
Ranma was shocked. She couldn't remember anything, but when Akane
told her how her mother had felt, she could practically feel a cold
pressure inside her chest. "I... I don't know." Her eyes were starting to
become watery again. "I don't know! I don't remember anything!" she
slammed her fists on the futon, a few droplets running from the corners of
her closed eyes.
Nabiki walked in, holding a small tape recorder in her hand.
"Ranma-kun, I--" Akane quickly stood up and led Nabiki outside. "What's
going on?" Nabiki asked.
"Shh. I don't think Ranma is feeling very well. Maybe we should
leave him alone for a while."
"Then I don't think I would be a good idea to show him this,"
Nabiki raised the recorder. Akane shook her head. "Now I'll have to keep
this away from him," Nabiki said, "I should charge you for this, you know.
But maybe it's not a very good time." Akane breathed easily, and returned
to the room.

It was already dark outside. Everybody had finished dinner by now,
but Kasumi had saved a little for Ranma. Still in her female form, she was
eating like a, uh, like her namesake, as if she hadn't in months. Nobody
spoke as her father and the Tendos watched the food vanish inside her
mouth. When Ranma-chan finished, she silently rose from the table. She
only thanked Kasumi for the excellent meal. It was obvious to Akane she
was still feeling pretty bad about what happened.
"Ranma, will you be okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I guess. Maybe I'll just go jump off a cliff or something
right now. If you see Ryouga, tell him he can kill me. Okay?"
Akane and the others watched as Ranma-chan skulked her way
upstairs, looking as cheerful as a visitor to the memorial in Hiroshima.
"Ranma..." Akane said, softly.
"I'll go talk to him," Genma said.

Ranma flopped down on the floor of her room, feeling utterly
miserable. She had been very unmanly before her mother. She had even made
her cry.
It was all because of the curse.
Standing up, she headed for the mirror. The lights were turned
off, but she could still see herself, a pigtailed GIRL wearing Chinese
clothes. She hated that image. Everything about it, she despised. The red
hair, the small size, the blue eyes... everything. She began to fill with
rage, a rage she directed fully toward the girl she saw in the mirror.
Ranma hated her. It was all her fault. She was the reason for every single
trouble. She clenched her fists. She was so furious, she closed her eyes
so she could no longer see her reflection. Then, with a cry, she crashed
the mirror with her right fist.
Slowly, she reared her arm backwards. Small trickles of blood ran
from her knuckles, caused by the tiny fragments of glass embedded in the
flesh. But she didn't notice the pain. She spun around, when something
caught her eye: the top drawer of the dresser was slightly open, and she
could clearly see a stack of pictures inside. Pictures of herself. She
threw a savage punch towards it with her left hand, closing her eyes. The
fist suddenly stopped, as if it had connected with a soft pillow. The
feeling was warm and soothing, but she didn't notice it. She next tried
punching the wall, using both fists this time. Again, she was stopped by
the warm barrier. But this time, her right hand also began to heal up
rapidly. Unaware of her punches being stopped, she continued pounding
away, releasing all her frustration. A small whimper followed every punch.
She had never felt so helpless.
Genma came into the room, "Ranma, I want to have a word with--"
He saw an enraged Ranma-chan pounding away at something on the wall. Then
she stopped and turned around, looking for a new target. Genma hurriedly
scrambled out of the room, pushing Akane into it instead. "He, ah, he's
your fiance. Maybe _you_ should talk to him."
Ranma saw Akane enter the room, but ignored her. Not even in such
state would she dare hurt Akane. Then she looked towards the open closet.
Something white caught her attention. Opening her hand, she delivered a
straight-handed spear thrust towards the white gown her mother had bought
for her. The air whistled as it was sliced by her hand.
"Ranma!" she heard Akane shout.
And she stopped.
Her hand was less than an inch away from the gown. The fabric
swung back gently to the breeze she had caused. She stared forward, her
eyes blank. Her breathing came in ragged gasps.
"My... my God," she said, coming to her senses. "What am I doing?"
she looked at her hands, still shaky from the previous tension. Akane
quickly rushed up to her, both girls falling to their knees. Ranma looked
downwards, trying to keep herself in one piece.
"It's okay, Ranma. It's okay." Akane said in a soothing tone,
holding Ranma's hands with her own. After a while, the redhead began to
calm down, her breathing much easier now. Akane could see her face was
still red and soaked. She had been through so much pressure, Akane felt
relieved to see her fiance begin to relax... until Happosai smashed
through the window, carrying a sack nearly five times his size.
"He, he he! What a haul!" he laughed. He looked around the room,
"What? Where's the lovely lady I heard about?" Akane and Ranma-chan
looked at the old man. "Not now," Akane thought, "don't say that _now_..."
"Somebody told me there was a pretty lady here, carrying a katana.
Wonder where she is..." he noticed Ranma's tear-streaked face. "Oh, don't
cry, my Ranma-chan. I haven't forgotten you. Maybe when I find that lady,
I'll let both of you serve me." He grinned evilly.
Akane immediately backed up towards the door, frightened. She
covered her eyes, not wanting to see the bloody mess the old man was about
to turn into. After witnessing that small fraction of Ranma's anger, she
knew what would happen when her fiance became fully enraged.
Ranma shivered visibly, mostly out of anger than of sadness. She
lifted her head slowly, until she could see the lecher completely.
"How... dare... you..." she said. Happosai took a step backwards.
"How DARE you say that... about MY MOTHER!!"
"What?!"
"Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!"
Despite his great skill, not even the old master could avoid the
638 furious punches Ranma sent his way. He managed to block a good 40% of
them, but the sheer power of Ranma's anger sent him flying toward the far
wall. Instantly he bounced back and lunged at her, using his pipe to throw
her beside the window. To her surprise, she landed softly, completely
unharmed. But then Happosai threw a Happodaikarin at her. She threw her
arms upwards, defending from the blast. When the smoke cleared, she was
still unhurt. The old goat took out another bomb, but then a
lightning-fast fireball came in through the window, next to Ranma, and lit
the fuse. The bomb blew up in his hands. Dazed, Happosai saw the world
swirl around him, then saw an equally confused Ranma-chan in front of him.
Not thinking, he launched himself at her through the cloud of smoke, ready
to grope onto anything in reach.
Everything had fallen silent. Akane opened her eyes and saw a
large cloud of smoke inside the room, but nothing had been damaged, except
for Happosai. But something seemed wrong. Then she realized it.
Happosai was suspended in midair.
He appeared to be encased in a small, orange glowing sphere,
nearly two feet in diameter. From the outside, it looked like soft cotton,
but the inside was stronger than steel: the old man struggled harmlessly
to get out.
Genma and Soun came into the room, startled by the sounds of the
fight. They, too, saw the orb. By the look on their faces, Akane could
tell they were amazed. Then Ranma, who had fallen silent, stretched her
hand towards the orb, entranced. "Don't--" Akane began to say, but Ranma
didn't seem to be hurt by the bright sphere. In fact, its light became
much more intense when she fingered it, as in response.
Without warning, Ranma returned to normal --as normal as she could
be, anyway. She reared back, angrily looking at the midget inside the orb.
"Just what kind of demon did you release this time, you old freak!?" the
globe glowed angrily when she said the word "demon".
"Hmmm," Soun hmmmed, rubbing his chin with his fingers. "Are you
thinking what I'm thinking, Saotome-kun?"
"Yes, Tendo-kun. It's an aura shield."
"Aura shield?" Akane and Ranma-chan blinked.
"Indeed," Soun said, pointing at the sphere, "A solid shield
created completely by ki. It is the work of a true master." Puzzled, Ranma
touched it again, this time with her entire hand. The surface was warm and
soft, like what she felt when she tried punching the wall a few minutes
ago. Soon everybody was touching it, forgetting Happosai completely. It
did resemble the aura Ranma felt whenever she summoned her ki, only it was
more powerful. Nearly as powerful as that of the ki master, Herb.
"Ranma, what were you doing when this happened?" Genma asked.
"I was just fighting the old creep again. He attacked me with a
bomb, but something contained the blast. When he took out another one, a
fireball blew it up in his hands. And now this."
Genma crossed his arms in a thoughtful manner. "There can be no
other explanation..."
"What?"
"Somebody else sent these aura shields either to attack the
master, or to protect you from him."
"But who would want to do that?" Akane asked.
"That's what I'm wondering." Ranma replied.
Meanwhile, Happosai was listening to the conversation, and was
beginning to summon his own ki.
"That's it! Nobody's keeping me from my beautiful Ranma-chan!"
Everybody was taken aback as his battle aura started to expand,
filling the entire sphere, which receded slightly because of the massive
assault. Then it pressed back again, trying to contain the old man's
power. A few cracks appeared inside it. Happosai smiled, and pushed
harder.
"It's not going to hold any longer!" Soun shouted. Immediately, a
small handle materialized on top of the orb. Holding it, Ranma-chan punted
the sphere, Happosai and all, through the window. They heard a distant
explosion, and the area was bathed in orange light.
"My my, what beautiful fireworks," Kasumi said, seeing the light
from inside the kitchen. Resuming her happy tune, she just went back to
washing the dishes.

Let's talk

Akane walked up the stairs, carrying a thick, small envelope in
her hand. It was midday, and Ranma still hadn't woken up. Whatever
happened when his mother had brought him, must have really shaken his
mind. She would have liked to be there, or at least to know what had
happened between him and his mother. She could still remember that look on
Nodoka's face as she looked over the unconscious Ranma-chan. The image was
seared on her mind, and she would try to do anything in her power to make
sure that image wouldn't be repeated.
She opened the door to his room. There he was, practically
hibernating. She raised the envelope in her hands, and released it above
his gut. He awoke instantly.
"Wha... what?" he said, half asleep. "Akane? What are you...?"
She pointed at the envelope. He took it in his hands, "What is this?"
Akane turned away, "Everybody chipped in for it. I think it's
enough for a round trip by plane."
"What... do you mean?"
She ignored the question. "Even Nabiki cooperated. I still can't
believe it," she smiled.
He looked nervously at the envelope. When he opened it, he saw it
was packed with money. A lot of money. And reservations for a flight for
China.
"You mean this is for..."
Akane nodded. "I couldn't... _we_ couldn't endure it any longer,
after seeing what happened with your mother. Just... just use that money
and go to China. Maybe you can return to the springs and..."
Ranma turned to Akane. She still had her back to him, but he could
sense she was making an effort just by saying this. He stood up and walked
towards her. Slowly, he put his hand on her shoulder. "When?" he said.
"That reservation is for today. I mean, you've been delaying this
for a long time. Kasumi already prepared everything, and we called a taxi.
I-I know it's a little rash, but I..." she lowered her eyes. Immediately
she clenched her fists and turned around, smiling. "What are you waiting
for? It's what you wanted, right?" She pushed him towards the closet,
"Hurry up! You can still catch that plane!"
He stopped next to the closet, and gave Akane a serious glance.
They remained silent for a long time, just looking at each other as if
some sort of barrier had been torn down. Slowly, he glanced at the
envelope and its contents. It really was a great deal of money, and that
reservation must have costed a bundle. They were really helping him out
here. Even after all the problems he had caused for the Tendo household,
they were more than willing to lend a hand. But Akane... She seemed to be
happy and sad at this. Isn't it always like this? He always appeared to be
her reason for sadness.
"Thanks," he said.
Akane stepped back, blushing. "Never mind. Just hurry." She left
the room. Ranma looked at the door, then at the envelope. He didn't know
why, but deep inside he felt weary.

"Ranchan!" Ukyou exclaimed as she saw Ranma come down the stairs,
already carrying his backpack.
"Nihao, Ranma!" Shampoo glomped onto him, knocking him down the
stairs.
"Hey, calm down, will ya!" he said, prying Shampoo off him. He
noticed she had the same look Akane had, as well as Ukyou.
Everybody else was at the dining room: the Tendos, Genma, Mousse,
and Cologne. When Ranma came in, with Ukyou and Shampoo clinging to him,
they all stood up. Soun began to say something, but as soon as he opened
his mouth he bawled over and decided to flood the room with tears. Mousse
came forward.
"Good luck, Saotome," he shook Ukyou's hand, "remember to bring
some water from the spring of drowned man for the rest of us."
Ranma turned to Akane, puzzled. "I told you everyone had chipped
in," she said. "I'm sorry, Ranma, but I had to tell them what happened
with your mother. That's why they all helped."
"So you're finally going back to China, eh son-in-law?" Cologne
smiled wickedly, "This would be a perfect opportunity for you to meet our
family."Ranma shuddered visibly.
Genma also spoke, "I only wish I could go with you, son..."
"...But you're too cheap to buy your own tickets," Ranma finished.
Genma turned red in fury, "How can you say that about your own father!"
they began fighting.
"Ranma-kun, I prepared some cookies for your trip," Kasumi smiled
and handed Ranma a wrapped package. Genma jumped for them, but Ranma
kicked him into the pond. "Thanks, Kasumi."
"You're lucky, Saotome," Nabiki said. "For a loan like this I
would usually charge you 20% interest, but being the philantropic soul I
am, I'll drop it to 15%"
Soun kept weeping.
Akane came over to Ranma. She glared at Shampoo and Ukyou, who
returned the glare. A triangle of rage surrounded Ranma. Slowly, he
removed the girls. First he turned to Shampoo. WIth a tremendoulsy large
amount of hesitation, he took her hand. "Thank you, Shampoo." She kissed
him on the cheek, much to Ukyou and Akane's displeasure.
"Why is Nabiki kissing Ryouga?" Mousse said.
Ranma then looked at Ukyou. "Ucchan, I..." She promptly hugged
him. "Just don't fall in the wrong spring, okay?" she said, not much for
goodbyes.
Soun had increased the water level in the room by 10 inches.
Akane was already by the door. "The cab's here." Ranma walked
towards her. Akane quickly walked away, coming out of the house. Everyone
followed them outside. Then Ranma caught up with Akane, and held her
hands. They looked at each other, trying to keep control of themselves.
"Akane..." Ranma started to say.
"Hurry up and come home, alright?" Akane said. Ranma walked out
through the gates and opened the door of the taxi. He looked back at the
crowd in the porch. Ukyou and Shampoo were on the verge of tears, still
recalling what Akane had told them about Mrs. Saotome. Mousse was looking
towards the garden. Genma looked sternly at Ranma. Kasumi tried to comfort
Soun, who had decided to create a new pond by weeping on the walkway.
Cologne and Nabiki were just standing there, looking at him. Akane was in
front of the crowd, expressionless. Ranma waved at them, and with a sigh
got into the cab.
As the cab dissapeared into the distance, a single phrase escaped
from Akane's lips.
"Come back soon, Ranma."

* * *

Ranma arrived at the Narita International Airport. The weariness
he had felt before was increasing with every step forward. Finally he
reached the information booth.
"Escuse me, you know which airlines fly to China today? I have
this reservation, but I don't know where to--"
"There's a counter for UJA flights just down the hall," the woman
said.
He walked towards the direction she pointed. There it was: United
Jusenkyo Airlines. He nearly fell down when he saw the half-mile long line
for it.

About two hours later, he had nearly made it to the middle of the
line. Hopelessly bored, he stared towards one of the several monitors that
displayed the time of arrival for the flights. Suddenly a splitting
headache overcame him, nearly forcing him to his knees. He put his hands
to the sides of his head, trying to endure the pain. Meanwhile,
completely unnoticed, the monitor began to glow eerily. Then the green
letters on the screen began swirling around in a circle, before finally
vanishing, leaving the image of a girl in their place. A voice, heard only
by Ranma, said, "Look at the screen."
The headache was instantaneously relieved. Surprised, Ranma looked
upwards to the monitor and nearly cried out in shock. The screen was
showing a picture of Ranma-chan, dressed in a pure white Amazon garb, like
Shampoo's. Immediately the image's pixels disintegrated.
Regaining his composture, Ranma shook his head. "What was that?
My mind must be playing tricks on me."
"NO."
The voice came again, but it was louder this time. Ranma couldn't
tell if it was male or female, but none of the other people in line seemed
to notice. Intrigued, he looked at the screen again. A message appeared,
"WE HAVE TO TALK."
"Who is this?" Ranma asked aloud. The other people looked at him
oddly. A second message appeared, "DON'T SPEAK. THINK THE WORDS."
He thought, "Heh, if my mind's playing tricks, might as well
follow 'em. Okay, who is this?"
"IT'S ME."
"Who?"
"SOMEONE YOU KNOW."
"Who?" Ranma was becoming irritated.
Ranma's name was printed on the screen in hiragana characters.
"Very funny, but I'M Ranma."
"NO. YOU'RE RANMA." It was written in kanji this time.
"That's what I said. C'mon, who are you?"
"IT'S ME." the screen printed out again. Ranma frowned.
"Tell me who you are, or else I'll simply ignore you."
The messages' attitude and tone changed, "YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW
WHO I AM, DO YA?"
"No, I don't." Ranma crossed his arms.
"OKAY, I'LL SHOW YOU."
The color of the words changed, turning red. Again, an image of
Ranma-chan appeared. Ranma scampered backwards, trapped among the people
waiting in line. One of them looked at Ranma, then at the screen, and
noticed one of the flights was just being delayed.
"Don't worry, kid. Flights always get delayed. First time at the
airport, right?"
"This... this has gotta be some kind of sick joke!" Ranma thought.
"NO, IT'S ME." the words appeared in front of the girl's image.
"No, no. I'm probably just anxious because I'm finally going to
Jusenkyo. I'll ignore it, that's all."
"DON'T GO."
Ranma ignored the message. Smoke came out of the monitor.
"DON'T GO, I SAID!" An ear-piercing sound came from the monitor,
forcing Ranma to stare back. "Oww! What was that for?"
"PLEASE." The girl's image glanced at him, looking sad.
"Who are you to tell me what to do, anyway?"
"YOU KNOW YOU MUSTN'T DO THIS."
"And why is that?"
"BECAUSE... DON'T YOU REMEMBER ALL THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH?"
"All YOU did was cause me trouble." Ranma was becoming very upset.
"THAT'S NOT TRUE, AND YOU KNOW IT. I'VE HELPED YOU MORE THAN
YOU'LL EVER ADMIT."
"Shut up! You're just some dumb Chinese bimbo who fell in a spring
and drowned. You have any idea what it's like to carry this curse!? If it
weren't because I'm carrying you, my life would be a lot easier!"
The image changed to a VERY pissed Ranma-chan. The monitor glowed
bright blue and seemed ready to explode. All the other monitors reacted in
the same way. Ranma shrank visibly.
"W-Wait..." he said, "if I'm carrying you, then I must be carrying
your spirit..." The image blinked, and calmed a little. "But if you're
inside me, what'll happen to you if I fall in Nannichuan?"
"TAKE A GUESS, PAL."
He looked at her image, not wanting to answer. "You won't go back
to your spring?" The image shook her head. "Then what will..."
Every single pixel faded to black. "You'll disappear?"
"NOT EXACTLY."
"Then you'll... die?"
"KIND OF."
"But then what do I..."
"WE'LL FIND A WAY."
"But they already gave me..."
"AND YOU'LL USE IT JUST LIKE THAT? YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS FOR
THEM TO FIND THAT MUCH MONEY?"
He looked at the envelope. She was right: it was the money Shampoo
and Ukyou were saving for their businesses. And he knew how difficult it
must have been for Nabiki to lend him that amount. Then again, there were
people who expected him to return with water from Nannichuan and
Nyannichuan so they could return to normal. What to do?
The image faded back to an ordinary flight schedule. But his
female side's words were seared on his mind. He couldn't just jump into
Nannichuan after all this. If he did, he would probably destroy that
spirit. And if what he was thinking was correct, getting the water would
probably curse the others with the spirit of the drowned man, despite the
apparent cure.
When he finally reached the counter, four hours after arriving at
the airport, he had made his decision. Taking a deep breath, he handed the
reservation. "Would... you... cash... this... in... please?" Every single
word required all of his willpower to be pushed out of his throat. He even
kept holding tightly onto the reservation, the clerk had to pull it out of
his grasp. But when he received the refund, he could only let a deep sigh
escape his mouth.
Just as he was nearing the doors, he turned around to one of the
monitors. He saw the girl again, smiling happily at him.
"You owe me a VERY big one, kid." The image pulled down an eyelid
and stuck out her tongue. Ranma replied in the same manner. Turning away,
he smiled, "Sheesh, what a tomboy."
Every single monitor dropped on his head.

The Aura

Ranma came in through the front gates, rubbing his head. Man, that
"girl" had really gotten angry at him: she had knocked him out completely;
he had to remain in the infirmary for almost an hour. It was even getting
dark now.
He had to find a way to explain to the others. Maybe Cologne would
understand, but Mousse and Ryouga would kill him before he got a chance to
tell her. And then there was Akane, and--
"Oh, Ranma-kun, what are you doing here?"
Ranma froze and looked up at Kasumi, who was just coming out of
the house to water some plants.
"I, uh, decided to wait a while longer before I go back," he said
nervously. "Where... where's Akane?"
"Kasumi-oneechan, who are you talking to?" On cue, Akane stepped
out the door and saw Ranma. Both of them stared at each other. "What are
you doing here? I thought..."
"Somebody knocked some sense back into me," Ranma said, rubbing
his head. "I realized I shouldn't let all of you solve my problems for
me."
"Ranma, are you sure? There might not be another chance..."
"I know, I know. But I guess I'll have to find some other way."
"I hope you're right." Akane began to head inside. "It's a good
think you're back, even if you aren't cured. But I don't think your Dad or
Mousse will see it the same way." She smiled at him.
Ranma looked at her thoughtfully, but after only a second he shook
his head. "Nah. There's no way she could feel that way," he thought.
"How about I cook you dinner tonight?" Akane said. A look of sheer
terror crossed Ranma's face.

Fortunately, that was a joke. Ranma was greatly relieved to see
Kasumi had prepared dinner for him. After finishing, he sat back at the
dinner table, waiting for the others to leave.
"Let's see if that girl's here... Hey, I wanna talk to you," he
thought. There was no answer. "Anyone in here?" he rubbed his head.
"Hmm... maybe if I turn into a girl..." He headed outside towards the
pond. He had to find out what had happened. Who was that girl? And why did
she choose to "wake up" until now? Unfortunately, he was brought out of
his thoughts as a yellow and black bandanna missed his nose by an inch.
"Ryouga! What do you think you're doing?" Ranma yelled when he saw
Ryouga jump down from the rooftop onto the garden, facing him.
"If what I've heard is true, you went back to China to find a cure
for yourself. Isn't that right?" He lunged with his umbrella. Ranma
clapped his hands on the tip. "And you didn't bring water from Nannichuan
for the rest of us, I assume."
"If you'd calm down I'll--"
"How dare you go to China without bringing that precious water!?"
He launched a flurry of blows at Ranma, who evaded most while parried the
rest. "Cut it out! I told you to--"
"Shut up!" Ryouga shouted as he attacked with his umbrella again.
This time, Ranma couldn't block it, and was hit hard in the gut. The
force sent him flying into the pond just as Akane returned to the dining
room. She watched in surprise as an upset Ranma-chan staggered out of the
water.
"Why you..." Ranma said. Immediately she jumpkicked Ryouga. He
sidestepped and swung his umbrella around, directly towards her head.
Without warning, the umbrella was halted by a convex shield. An aura
shield.
"What the..." Ranma-chan and Ryouga stared at the barrier. It
vanished. Ryouga attacked again, and once more he was stopped. Slowly, a
dome-like aura shield was beginning to form around Ranma-chan.
"You coward! Fight like a man!" Ryouga shouted. In reply, a
searing fireball shot out of the aura shield, missing him by a millimeter.
Pressing on the attack, Ryouga punched and kicked the shield, trying to
get through. He used the Bakusai Tenketsu, but the rock shrapnel was
evaporated as it touched the shield. "That does it!" Ryouga crossed his
arms and called his ki. "Shishi hokodan!"
A blast of green energy engulfed Ranma-chan and the shield
completely. When it disappeared, the dome was still intact. In fact, it
had absorbed the Roaring Lion Bullet completely. Ryouga looked at it
aghast. "I don't care how you managed to do that, Ranma. Prepare to die!"
He grabbed the shield with both hands and lifted it right off the ground.
Instantly it disappeared, but then a complete sphere encased Ranma-chan,
rising a foot over the ground. Ryouga used the sphere as a punching bag,
but it wasn't damaged in the least. Ranma just watched amusedly at his
useless attempts to break in. Meanwhile, Akane was coming out with a
kettle of hot water. "Ranma, catch!"
The sphere opened slightly, allowing the kettle to enter. But when
Ranma-chan doused herself with it, the sphere disappeared without trace.
"What?" Ranma said, confused. Taking the advantage, Ryouga kicked
Ranma in the chest, sending him flying into a tree. The aura shield didn't
even form. Confident, Ryouga kept attacking Ranma. Most of his punches and
kicks were getting through, thanks to Ranma's confusion. Stepping
backwards, Ryouga leapt into the air, brandishing his umbrella in both
hands.
Something came over Ranma. Before he realized it, he was already
jumping to meet Ryouga. But he wasn't guiding his own actions, though.
Just as both fighters met in midair, Ranma stretched his hand forward
slowly, putting his palm on Ryouga's left shoulder.
"White Touch Technique!" he shouted. Ryouga was blasted over the
outer wall, leaving a trail of white energy in his flight, then crashing
into the garbage cans outside.
"How did I do that!?" Ranma looked at his right hand, incredulous.
A ghostly white glow surrounded it. But then the glow vanished. Ranma
touched a rock with his hand, and nothing happened. "Did I imagine it?"
The sound of someone swimming in the garbage cans told him otherwise.
Akane stared at him in disbelief. Surely he had never used that
technique before, and he hadn't been learning any new ones lately. "How
did you...?"
"That's what I wanna know."
Outside, Ryouga scampered out of the cans.
"I'll get you for this, Saotome!" he shouted, as he headed for
Australia.

* * *

The morning sun came through the windows of the Kuno residence,
giving it a cheerfulness its inhabitants couldn't perceive, even if they
weren't insane. The ample light fell on dozens upon dozens of pictures in
Kuno's room, all of which were either of Akane or the pigtailed girl.
Awakening, the "Blue Thunder" gazed upon his beloved treasures.
"Ah, but to awake at the sight of such magnificent beauties, in
the blossom of their youth," he said. As he stood up, lightning crackled
around him and smoldered his futon. "Yes, my loves! Today is the day when
I shall deliver you from the evil hold of that fiend Saotome! Bwa ha ha ha
ha! Akane Tendo! No longer shall you be bound to the lowly miscreant!
Pigtailed girl, be brave! I shall rescue you from the evil one's hold!"
A small blur bounced off the walls in his room, before settling on
the ground before him. "Good morning, Master Kuno. It is I, Sasuke, your
humble manservant! And may I say, I have news of the utmost importance."
Kuno straightened himself, as though he didn't rant maniacally,
"Speak."
"I have discovered, Master, that your enemy has recently fled the
country!"
Kuno looked at him in disbelief, "What? And how have you come
to know of this?"
"Yesterday, I spotted him on his way to the airport, Master. He
seemed to have departed to China!"
"Is... is that TRUE?!" Sasuke nodded. "I had never expected
Saotome to commit the dishonor of fleeing from an opponent. But then, that
would mean he relinquishes to me, Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder of Furinkan
High!" he began to laugh idiotically. "Surely he has been struck by my
prowess, and now he will stand no more between me and my loves!" he ran
around the room, with a bouquet in the right hand and a fan with a rising
sun in the other. He continued to laugh like a madman.
"Master Kuno and Mistress Kodachi have more in common than they
would dare admit," Sasuke thought.

* * *

Ranma and Akane were on their way back from the Nekohanten.
Unbelievably, Cologne had no explanation for the image he had seen at the
airport, or for the aura shields. She did, however, know of the "White
Touch" techinque. She said it had been a master move of one of the
founders of the Joketsuzoku village, over 1500 years ago, designed only
for self-defense and had no real offensive qualities. In fact, some
members of the Musk Dynasty had been using it quite recently. But she
couldn't tell why Ranma had been able to use it, especially since he had
never even heard of it.
"So, why DID you come back yesterday, Ranma?" Akane asked. He had
only talked about the image to Cologne, in private. Akane still didn't
know about it. He thought it was better this way, otherwise she would
consider him a lunatic.
"It's nothing important," he said. "But I gotta find out who is
sending those shields, and why they come and go all the time."
He remembered the only other time when he had felt so much power.
It had been during the fight with Herb. But he never used aura shields. In
fact, his ki was completely different. And besides, the guy wanted to kill
him, there's no way he could be sending the shields.
Somehow, it was all linked. The shields, the White Touch, the
image at the airport, when he fainted in girl-form in his mother's arms...
but he didn't know HOW it was linked. And that bothered him.
A raindrop fell on Akane's cheek. Then another. And another.
Before she or Ranma could react, it was raining heavily upon them, the
sheets of water so dense they couldn't see very far away. Ranma-chan and
Akane ran under the awning of a nearby flower shop, staying out of the
rain.
"Swell, that's all I need. Now I'll catch a cold," Ranma-chan
said, sneezing. Suddenly she was covered by a feeling of warmth. Again,
she was enveloped by an orange aura, but it wasn't in shield-form this
time. The aura then extended to Akane, drying her as well. Both girls felt
uneasy at being covered by the strange aura, but the warmth was so
soothing and comforting they eventually enjoyed it, as if they were in a
steam bath. "Maybe it's not so bad after all," Akane said. Ranma-chan
agreed.
The flower shop's doors opened slowly. A figure dressed in samurai
garb, accompanied by a midget ninja, stepped out. Sasuke was carrying over
a dozen bouquets of red roses, obviously too much for him. "Be careful
with those, Sasuke. For they will be my present to my beauties. To resist
such gift would be difficult for any woman, aside from the impossibility
of bearing my presence." Kuno then noticed Ranma-chan and Akane, standing
under the awning."Ah! The gods have granted me my sole whish, to meet you
far from the presence of that fool Saotome!" He clung to both of them like
Crazy-Glue. The aura was squished between the three of them. Annoyed, it
blasted Kuno a couple of feet backwards.
"This cannot be! Saotome may have the powers of an evil wizard,
but he shouldn't be able to interfere with me so!" Again, he tried to
glomp onto Ranma-chan. The aura then solidified around her, and Kuno
smashed into the shield.
"The cad! I'll have none of this!" He took out his bokuto and
slashed at the aura shield. Nothing happened. He pressed harder, but it
was still undamaged. "Never fear, my love! I shall rescue you!"
He slashed... and slashed... and slashed... and slashed... and
slashed... until he dropped to his knees, worn out. It had nearly stopped
raining.
"Sa... Saotome will not best me!" Ranma-chan and Akane just waited
until the rain was over, watching in amusement as Kuno helplessly tried to
break the shield.
"Finally!" Ranma-chan said as the rain faded out. "Time to get
some hot water. See ya, Kuno!" The shield vanished as Ranma-chan and Akane
walked away from him.
"At last! Saotome's power has no longer influence upon them!
This is my opportunity!" He chased the two girls all the way to
Ucchan's, with the bouquet-carrying Sasuke in tow. Then the girls
broke into a right and entered the restaurant.
"Ran... Ranchan? What are you doing here? Why are you still a
girl?" Ukyou asked, flabbergasted.
"No time. Need hot water." Ukyou handed her a kettle. Kuno arrived
just as a more masculine Ranma was handing the kettle back to Ukyou.
"Saotome! You have returned! Now I shall avenge my beloved pigtailed
girl!" He thrusted his bokuto at Ranma among the terrified customers.
"She ain't yours, you jerk!" Ranma yelled as he avoided the sword.
"Sorry, Ranchan, but the insurance company will kill me if you
fight in here again." She swung her giant spatula towards them, sending
them flying out to the street.
"I shall smite you for enslaving the precious pigtailed one with
your evil sorcery!"
"I didn't do anything! And even if I did, you can't beat me!"
"You admit your crimes, then. For my loved one, I will bring
punishment upon you!"
Both of them started fighting. Blow, parry. Blow, parry. Ranma
would have taken him down by now if he hadn't been thinking about the
shields. Why didn't they appear now, anyway? They surrounded him back at
the flower shop, but not now. What was it with them?
Akane was thinking the same thing. She headed to Ukyou's kitchen
and filled a bucket of cold water. Taking Ukyou by the arm, she headed
outside. Both girls watched the fight go on while Akane told Ukyou about
the aura shields and the White Touch. Then, while Kuno wasn't looking at
Ranma, she threw the cold water at him. Instant Ranma-chan.
"What'd you do that for?!" she yelled. When Kuno turned around, he
saw her again.
"Pigtailed girl! You have come back to me!" He ran to her with his
arms open. He crashed into an aura shield again, knocking himself
unconscious.
"Just what is it with these stupid things anyway?" Ranma-chan
asked annoyed, punching the inside of the shield. Saddened, it's glow
diminished a little.
"I think I know," Akane said. "I'll tell you back home."

* * *

"So what is it that you wanted to tell me?" Ranma asked, standing
by the pond. Soun and the panda were playing shogi in the dining room.
Akane came out of the kitchen with a bucket and a kettle. She handed him
both of them. "What do I do with this?"
"Just wait. Meanwhile. I'll go cook us dinner."
Ranma was horrified. "Wait, maybe you shouldn't..."
"Oh, are you saying my cooking is bad?"
"I never said..."
"It's not bad, Akane. It's just that Ranchan doesn't like to eat
things that are alive," Ukyou said, grinning.
"Ranma no baka!" she pulled out her Interdimensional Mallet and
took a swing at him. She stopped voluntarily, less than an inch away from
his nose.
"What're you doing, you..." Ranma said, annoyed. Akane splashed
him with the bucket. "Now what?!"
Akane attacked Ranma-chan with her mallet again. Instantly it
stopped on an aura shield, about ten inches away from Ranma-chan.
Taking the kettle, she doused her with hot water. Again she swung
at him. No aura shield.
"Why are the shields protecting Ranchan only in girl-form?" Ukyou
asked.
"No way." Ranma said. He ran to where Soun and the panda were and
shook the shogi board, sending pieces flying everywhere.
"Ranma-kun..." Soun began to do his demon impression while the
panda loomed over Ranma. They attacked him savagely. Desperate, he leapt
into the pond. When the men tried to attack Ranma-chan, she was protected
by the shield. Unable to do anything, Soun started to weep. Kasumi walked
over to him. "Don't worry, father. It was only a game." She lead Soun and
the panda back inside.
"Ukyou's right, Ranma," Akane said. "The shields come up only when
you're a girl."
Ranma-chan blinked, confused. She ran headfirst towards the wall.
She hit a shield instead, as soft as a pillow. She took the kettle and
changed back. Akane and Ukyou had to stop him from knocking himself out.
"But why do they do this, anyway?" he asked.
"Maybe we should return to Shampoo's restaurant," Akane said.
"Who knows? Maybe her great-grandmother remembered something while we were
gone."
The others agreed. But as the trio headed for the Nekohanten, they
didn't notice the tall, draconian figure that followed them.

"You say the shields come up only when you're a girl?" Cologne
said. "We'll have to test that, son-in-law."
Ranma sat down at one of the tables. The restaurant had been
closed for the day, and they could speak freely without other people
eavesdropping. "You'll find out, alright," he said, leaning back on his
chair.
"Ranma! Shampoo so happy you here!" Shampoo clung to him, glaring
at Akane and Ukyou. Cologne nudged her into the kitchen, "Now, now,
Shampoo, get some cold water." She smirked at Ranma. "Very well," she
said, "we'll see if those shields are for real."
Shampoo splashed Ranma with cold water. In the blink of an eye,
Cologne shot out several knives at Ranma-chan. When the shield appeared,
the knives weren't simply stopped. They melted.
"Impressive," Cologne grinned. "Your female side is being
protected by somebody very powerful." She hopped on her staff towards the
shield, putting her wrinkled hand on it. "Yes, this ki is very strong. As
strong as prince Herb's, I might add."
"But who could be interested in protecting Ranma when he's a
girl?" Akane asked. Cologne shook her head.
The doors burst open. "Perhaps I can assist you. I heard somebody
speak my name?" The Musk prince said as he stepped inside. Ranma-chan
scowled at him.
Herb of the Musk Dynasty smirked, flashing his fangs slightly. He
stood tall, his cape draped over his shoulders, and with his fists
clenched by his sides. His presence alone seemed to darken all of
Nekohanten.
"Don't stand in the door, you're blocking the light," Cologne
said.
"Oh, sorry," he stepped in.
"What are YOU doing here?" she said.
Herb smiled. "Saotome Ranma... Even though we were enemies, you
saved my life. But I didn't expect you to greet me in such manner."
"What did you expect? You almost killed me!"
"Yes, quite true. But I regret that now. As compensation, I shall
help you discover who is protecting you."
Ranma-chan blinked. "What? You mean you know?"
"Indeed. And soon you shall know as well."
His right hand darted towards her head. She avoided it narrowly.
"What in the world are you doing?!"
He didn't answer. Once more, he lunged with his hand, always
aiming for her head. Angry, Ranma-chan attacked him as well. He didn't
even bother trying to block her blows. Her speed wasn't as great as his.
"Leave Ranchan alone, you blue-blooded bozo!" Ukyou took a swing
with her spatula. Suddenly, they all remembered that Herb never traveled
alone. Ukyou found out who Herb's bodyguards were when her spatula was
ensnared by the steel chain of the young wolf-boy, Mint. As for Shampoo,
she was quickly halted by Lime, the human wall. Akane jumped in for the
attack.
"You idiot!" yelled Ranma-chan. "You're no match for this guy!"
She softly shoved Akane towards Cologne.
"I don't want to fight you, Saotome!" Herb said. Lime and Mint
sent a quick glance at the combatants, still struggling to contain Ukyou
and Shampoo.
"Well you could have fooled me!" Ranma replied, kicking him in the
gut. Staggering back, Herb said, "Forgive me for this, Yuannyan..."
Ranma-chan released a high kick. Herb ducked, and before her foot
came down he was holding her forehead with both hands.
"Mind Blast revised, step 2!"
The room was filled with a bright purple light. All of them had to
close their eyes, but Akane clearly heard Ranma-chan scream.

* * *

When the light disappeared, Herb was holding the unconscious
Ranma-chan. A bright white aura surrounded her head.
"Ranma! Ranma!" Akane shouted desperately.
"What have you done with Ranchan!?" Ukyou cried.
Shampoo took her bonbori, leapt over Lime and attacked Herb from
behind, "DIE!"
Herb leapt upwards, still holding Ranma-chan. Ukyou recovered her
spatula and sliced the air towards him. He twisted his body and landed
exactly next to Akane. She glowed bright blue. With a loud cry, she
embedded her fist in Herb's face.
"Master Herb!" Lime and Mint called, but he held up his hand to
stop them.
"I... I am aware of what you believe this is," Herb said, as the
girls began circling him, "but you have to understand, this is the only
way!"
"I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!" Ukyou sent a hail of
mini-spatulas at him. Meanwhile, Shampoo and Akane tried to hit him, their
hands glowing with rage.
"RASP!" a male voice came out of nowhere. Suddenly the girls' ki
became weaker, and they had to lean against the chairs and the tables.
"I am sorry to have disturbed you so," Herb said, "but as you can
see, I haven't brought harm to Ranma. The Mind Blast only brings
unconsiousness. She should recover in less than three hours."
"'Mind Blast'?" Cologne asked. "What is that technique? I haven't
heard of it before."
Herb took off his cape and gently placed Ranma-chan on a table, on
top of the cape. "May I have a word with you, old woman?" They headed into
the kitchen. "Lime! Mint!" The tiger-boy and the wolf-boy perked up their
ears. "Take care of the ladies. Make sure no harm comes to them." They
bowed, "Yes, master." They said to each other, grinning, "We'll get to
speak with girls!"
About an hour later, the troop was walking back to the Tendo dojo.
Herb carried Ranma-chan on his back, while Lime and Mint marched by his
flanks. Akane, Ukyou and Shampoo looked worriedly at Ranma-chan, but
Cologne had advised them that it would be better if they took care of the
redhead instead of fighting Herb.
"Loosen up, men!" Herb said to his bodyguards, smiling. "This
should be a special occasion to us!"
"What do you mean, 'special occasion'? You hurt Ranma!" Akane
said.
"On the contrary, miss Tendo. Once she awakens, she will agree
with what I have said!"
"Why do you keep saying 'she'? Ranchan's a man!"
"Hmm. Japanese language must have changed since we came here,
Master," Lime said.
"Be silent, Lime. The mistress shall explain this in due time,
once we are in China."
"You no take Ranma with you!" Shampoo said. "Shampoo no let you!"
"Do not worry, Amazon. We shall not take her home yet. There is
one more thing she has to do here before we leave." The girls stopped
walking at the same time.
"I think you should explain," Akane said, "NOW."
Herb and his entourage stopped as well. He lowered his head.
"Yes, I believe an explanation is in order."

The Third Phoenix

They were at the park, among the trees. A soft warm breeze rustled
the green leaves that summer showed. A few birds fluttered overhead.
Everything was peaceful, just as it should be.
Herb faced the trio of girls and Cologne. Meanwhile, Lime and Mint
guarded Ranma-chan, who slept soundly on the soft grass.
"A girl..." Lime said, entranced.
"The resemblance is incredible," Mint said, staring at her.
"The mistress was correct. They must be twins," Lime replied.
Mint bonked him on the head, "Of course they're twins, you dolt!
Why do you think they named it Shuanshontsuniichuan?"

Herb watched amusedly as the warriors continued arguing. Then he
turned back to the girls.
"Spill it pal," Ukyou said.
"Why you call Ranma girl?"
"And who is sending those aura shields? Are you two working
together?" Akane said. "Why didn't the shields protect him now?"
"Your doubts shall be cleared by me. But first, what do you know
about the Fire Phoenix?"
The girls moaned. Cologne seemed to understand, though.
"Not another one..." Akane said.
"Kuno's bird was bad enough..." Ukyou groaned.
"Do you mean the Third Phoenix?" Cologne asked.
"Ladies, please. I am aware of your previous encounters with his
namesakes, but this Phoenix is neither a pill nor a bird. He is a man."
"It's the Third Phoenix, alright."
"What you mean, great-grandmother?"
"The Third Phoenix is an old legend, derived from Jusenkyo. It's
said that 1500 years ago, a warrior drowned in one of the springs. But the
magic didn't work properly and he was turned into a magical creature
called the Fire Phoenix. Since there had already been two birds with that
name, he was called the 'Third'."
"You are correct, old woman," Herb smiled, seeing that much of his
duty had been relieved, "but are you familiar with the legend that says
how the warrior drowned? And what do you say about Nyannichuan? Do you
know how it formed?"
"I have to admit I don't. Your tribe stole all our records
concerning those legends."
"Then I cannot reveal the full story as of yet. I will, however,
tell you how the Phoenix is related to what you call 'aura shields'. Yes,
it is him who sends them. And yes, he uses them only when she is a woman,"
he pointed at Ranma-chan, "but my honor prevents me from disclosing any
more information."
"I guess we can live with that," Ukyou said. "But why do you keep
calling Ranchan as 'she'?"
Herb blinked in surprise, "Well, I, because she is not a man.
Look at her."
"You know that just Jusenkyo curse, stupid boy."
"Shampoo's right. You were cursed yourself once, from the same
spring," Cologne said.
"'Curse'? 'Curse'? Why, I would never say that is a 'curse'."
"Then how would you call it, you pervert?" Akane fumed.
"Don't misunderstand me. I would call that... a release. Escape.
Freedom. Liberty..." He was beginning to drift off.
"We get the picture, pervert."
"Again, you misunderstood me. Not liberation for the host... but
for the spring's spirit."
"Now I understand what the son-in-law said about the image..."
Cologne said to herself.
"Well, anyway. Ranma is not a girl. He's a man," Akane said.
Herb glanced at her with a serious expression. She nearly backed
away. "Akane Tendo... you will have to be brave from this day onwards.
For you shall have to endure a grave task Fate has brough upon you."
"What do you mean?" she looked nervously at Ranma-chan.
Herb continued, with a solemn voice, "Your fiance is perfectly
safe. I have made sure he wasn't damaged during the Awakening. But for the
next four days, perhaps more, your feelings for him shall be put to test.
Now, let us take her to your home."
On cue, Lime and Mint stopped squabbling and carefully lifted
Ranma-chan. Herb put on his cape. As they placed Ranma-chan on his back,
Lime said, "Mistress Yuannyan will be pleased."
Herb smiled. "I should hope so, for their sake."

* * *

A while later, they arrived at the dojo. Kasumi was in the
kitchen, Nabiki was doing homework (or was she filling race track forms?),
and Soun and the panda played shogi.
"Ranma-kun!" Nabiki said, alarmed, when she saw Herb carry
Ranma-chan on his back. Then the whole family met the prince.
"My son!" the panda wrote. Soun wept.
"What happened to him?" Kasumi asked, calmly.
"Fear not, for she is only asleep," Herb said. "As for me, I am
Herb, Prince of the Musk Dynasty of China."
The panda stepped back in shock. "You! It's you who has that
cursed bucket and nearly killed my son! What have you done to him?"
"I see you have been to Jusenkyo as well. But do not worry, she
will awake unharmed in less than an hour. She suffered a small accident,
that is all."
"HE! HE!" Ukyou slammed her spatula on Herb's head, "And that was
NO accident!"
"Please, be careful. I am carrying a passenger here." Ukyou
stopped hitting him. With the help of Akane and Shampoo, she placed
Ranma-chan on the floor. Then the girls calmly proceded to pound Herb into
jelly.
"Master Herb!" Lime and Mint called. Herb lifted one hand and
stopped them from attacking the girls. "T-Take her upstairs," he said,
weakly, amid the cloud of dust. They took Ranma-chan and looked around,
trying to find the stairs.
"Follow me," Kasumi said. She led them to the Saotomes' room.
They put Ranma-chan on a futon, then mounted guard until Kasumi returned
with damp cloths. "You people shouldn't do this to Ranma-kun. He will be
very upset when he awakes. And Akane and the others care for him." She
heard the sound of someone being brutally beaten up downstairs. "Maybe you
should go back down."
Lime and Mint looked at each other, completely oblivious to her
words. With wide grins, they both thought, "A girl! A girl as talking to
us!" Then their eyes widened and they remembered something, "Master!" they
said, and bolted out of the room.
When the cloud of dust settled, a beaten and bruised Herb
staggered to his feet. There were dents all over his armor. He even had a
black eye. Once Lime and Mint saw him, they tried not to laugh, but not
with much effort.
Herb looked at them. They stopped laughing. But then he smiled.
"Go on, men. Laugh. Me, the prince of the Musk Dynasty beaten by three
girls. Even Yuannyan would laugh." Then the three of them laughed.
"He seems to have enjoyed it," Ukyou said.
"Shall we beat him again?" Akane asked.
"Yes. Shampoo want to beat him." Shampoo smirked.
The girls grabbed a warrior each, and turned them into
Unidentified Flying Idiots. Then they raced upstairs, to Ranma's room.
"My, my. What violent girls," Nabiki said, walking upstairs.
Meanwhile, the panda had to build a dam around Soun to keep him from
flooding the house.

Herb, Lime and Mint landed on the rooftop of a nearby building.
When they came down, they saw a pretty young woman sweeping the porch,
with a white shaggy dog sleeping next to her.
"Oh! Good afternoon!" she said. "Welcome to Ikkoku-kan. are you
the new residents?"
"Good afternoon, madam. May we use your phone?" Herb said.
"Well, yes. But you have to pay if it's not local..."
"I hope these suffice." Herb gave the lady a handful of gold
coins. Her eyes opened widely. "Y-yes. It's more than enough. Why, you can
phone to Europe with these!"
"That will not be necessary."
They walked into the apartment house. Herb headed for the phone,
while Lime and Mint mounted guard. They saw a neglige-clad woman walk
pastthem. They drooled in fascination.
"Breasts!" Lime said childishly. Mint stared wide-eyed.
"Hello? Am I talking to the Saotome residence? Good afternoon,
Mrs. Saotome... Indeed, it's Herb. Kind of you to remember your humble
servant. Listen well: I have come across important information concerning
your son's whereabouts... What? No, there is no need to rush. He has not
returned yet. However, we can make an appointment to meet at the Tendo
Training Hall in four days... Yes, that is correct, on Friday... I think
It would be better at noon... It's arranged then... Excuse me, I couldn't
hear you... Yes, Ranko is fine. A a matter of fact, she is eager to see
you, for she has something important to tell you. However, I don't think
she will be ready before Friday... Very well, Mrs. Saotome, I shall tell
her. And be sure to bring your sword, as well... No, I don't think you
will need it. In fact, this may be the last time you carry it... I am
happy to hear you say that... Well, then, I shall meet you on Friday at
the Tendo dojo. Take care, Mrs. Saotome..."
He hung up the phone.

Personality switch

"So, how'd she take it?"
"Better than expected," Herb answered. "But the Tendo girl could
be a problem."
"Don't worry 'bout it. She won't be able to interfere. We might
have to hasten the Awakening, though..."
"Ran-- I mean, Zhaodi presented a great deal of resistance, as
well," Herb rubbed the place where Ranma-chan had kicked him.
"I'm sorry she did that. But his mind wouldn't just let you awake
her."
"There's no need for apologies. I'm doing this for Yuannyan as
well."
"Yes, Yuannyan... How's she taking this?"
"She was very excited. It is a shame she had to stay at the
hotel."
"It wouldn't be a good idea to introduce her to Yuannyan before
she Awakes. The shock could kill her, especially if it's been over 1500
years..."
"But as soon as she awakes, she'll know what to do. Or at least
that is what you told us."
"She'll know... that Mind Blast has never failed me, and you know
that. But it may take her a while until she fixes things up with her
mother."
"Yes. Mrs. Saotome needs to know. Her suffering is as great as
theirs."
"She'll be overjoyed when she learns of this."
"We should hope so, for their sake... But I still cannot
understand... Why do you not present yourself? I have already told them
about you."
"I've told you my reasons. And I'm still not sure how'd they take
it. And... you know that she doesn't remember about me..."
"Don't say such things. Yuannyan has told me about how close you
two were before Jusenkyo. I'm certain she will recognize you."
There was a sigh of nostalgia. "That's not what I meant..."

* * *

"Bwaahh!"
"Calm down, father!" Kasumi said. The whole horde was hovering
around Ranma-chan, who still lay unconscious on the futon. Only Cologne,
who was examining the bright white aura that surrounded Ranma's head,
seemed calm. She had seen that aura before, but she couldn't quite
remember when nor where.
"Such a tragedy! Now he will never marry my little daughter!"
"He isn't dead, Dad," Nabiki said, "he's just sleeping." She
pointed at Ranma-chan: she was snoring loudly.
"Bwaahh! Now my daughter will marry a lazy snorer!"
"Not if I can do anything about it!" Ukyou said. "Ranchan will
marry me!"
"Ranma abide by Amazon law and marry Shampoo!"
"That's what you think!" Akane said. Suddenly everybody glanced at
her. "Well, what?"
"You won't steal Ranchan, Akane!"
"Ukyou right. You no keep him!"
"Ranma-kun will marry my daughter!"
Kasumi said, "Um, father...?"
"See! Kasumi thinks I am right!" Soun said.
"I am Ranchan's fiancee!"
"His engagement to Akane predates yours!"
"Law say he Shampoo's husband!"
Cologne looked at Ranma-chan, "Son-in-law..."
"Father?" Kasumi called again.
"I don't care if he's engaged to Akane! He already knew he was
engaged to me before he even met her!"
"Will all of you just SHUT UP! You're giving me a headache!"
Everyone turned to Ranma-chan. She was already sitting up on the
futon, holding her head with her left hand. They all fell silent.
"Thank you," she said politely, "Now don't do that again!"
"Ranma... are you alright?" Akane, Ukyou and Shampoo said
simultaneously. They glared at each other.
"I... I think so..." she replied, rubbing her head, "I feel
strange..."
Cologne smirked. "You're very lucky, son-in-law. That Mind Blast
was a powerful technique." Her voice turned more serious, "Herb has grown
even stronger since the last time you encountered him, son-in-law. I
advise you to be wary of him the next time you two fight."
Ranma-chan blinked in surprise. "Fight him? Why would I wanna
fight him? He just gave me a wake-up call."
A though suddenly crossed Akane's brain. Herb had attacked Ranma's
mind... He refered to Ranma as a 'she'... Ranma wasn't acting as
agressively as before...
No, it couldn't be. He hadn't... He _couldn't_ have...
"Ranma, are you a boy or a girl?"
Ranma-chan stared confused at Akane, then at herself. "Well, I
don't think men have breasts."
"I'm serious, Ranma."
"Akane, what are you driving at?" Ukyou asked.
"Yes, Akane. Why you ask that?" Shampoo said.
Ranma smiled. "Are you feeling okay, Akane? Of course I'm a girl."
She cocked her head, letting her braid fall on her shoulder, and added,
"I've always been."
Everyone stared at her wide-eyed.
Akane's scream of "NOT AGAIN!!" echoed throughout Tokyo.

* * *

Once again, they were gathered at the dinner table, watching the
food virtually vanish in Ranma-chan's mouth.
"Calm down, Ranma-kun," Nabiki said. "You eat like there's no
tomorrow."
"Mhsadfhhg?" Ranma-chan said with her mouth full.
Cologne kept staring at the aura around Ranma-chan's head, caused
by the Mind Blast. Yes, this was it. She just _knew_ she recognized the
aura... No, the halo... All the pieces fit. She knew exactly what was
happening. And she was amazed.
Finally, she hopped on her staff. "I have to say, I am very
impressed," she said, smirking. "And it certainly explains a lot.
Shampoo, let's go back to the restaurant."
"Shampoo stay with Ranma!" she said, turning away from Cologne.
"In her state, you shouldn't stay with her. Now come along. Or do
you want to take over Mousse's chores for the rest of the week?" She
didn't really mean those words, since Shampoo knew nothing of what was
happening. But right now she only wanted to go back to Nekohanten, and
check her diaries. She had a pretty good idea about what that halo was,
but she had to make sure. And having Shampoo at the Tendos' would only
hamper her research.
Obedient to her ancestor, Shampoo sighed and walked out of the
room. "Shampoo see you when you better, Ranma!"
"Sfhuen bhgsadmpoo!" Ranma-chan smiled and waved at her.
"Now even Cologne thinks he's a girl..." Akane thought, with
sadness in her eyes.
"Whaf's fe mwaffer..." Ranma-chan swallowed the food, "What's the
matter, Akane?"
"Ranchan..." Ukyou interrupted, "Do you really think you're a
girl?"
"Look at me, Ucchan. I'm a girl, a hundred percent," Ranma beamed.
Akane stood up and went to the kitchen. When she returned, it was with a
hot water kettle. Ranma looked at it horrified. "What... what're you
gonna do with that?"
Akane walked over to Ranma and poured the water on her. Ranma
leapt away before it even touched her. "A-Akane... just... don't."
Ukyou mimicked Akane and tried to douse Ranma with the water, but
she failed too.
"I'm sorry, Ranma, but you have to see you're not a girl," Akane
said. Ukyou then turned to her. "Akane? How did you kow Ranchan would act
like this?"
"Well, a while ago, I hit him too hard and messed up his brain.
When he woke up he thought he was a girl and turned ultra-feminine."
Ukyou scowled at her. "You mean he has been like this before? And
it was you who did it?"
"Look, I'm sorry about that, but it was Herb this time!"
"OK, but what happened when you doused him with hot water? Did he
return to normal?"
"No. Then he was a girl in a male body. He couldn't stand it for
very long, and I had to douse him with cold water again so he wouldn't go
insane."
"But at least he still does martial arts, right?"
Akane shook her head, "He's still very skilled, but all he wants
to do is pick flowers and cook and go shopping."
"Hey!" Ranma said, annoyed.
Ukyou dropped her kettle. "Then what do we do about this?"
"Maybe we should take him to Dr. Tofu."
"What... what're you gonna do?" Ranma said, backing away.
"Try to go along with this," Akane said out of the side of her
mouth. "Act casual." Then she turned to Ranma, smiling. "Don't you want to
go visit Dr. Tofu, Ranma-chan?"
"Huh? Uh, sure," she said. "Maybe I better go along with this.
Who knows what are those two up to," she thought.

* * *

"Hmm, there's no sign of physical injury..." Dr. Tofu said,
examining Ranma-chan's head, "but I don't know what to make of this aura."
He faced her, rubbing his chin with his fingers. "So this isn't the first
time he's acted like this?"
"I'm a girl!" Ranma childishly hit her lap with her fists, "Don't
call me 'he'!"
"Alright. 'She' has acted like this before, right Akane?"
"Yes, but only when I hit him too hard on the head."
"And this time it wasn't a physical blow, you tell me..."
"That's right. It was something called 'Mental Blast' or something
like that."
"Mind Blast," Ukyou corrected.
"Hmm... alright, Ranma, I want you to tell me what you feel when I
do this..." he passed his hand through the aura.
She giggled a bit, "Hey! That tickles!."
"And this?" he touched a series of pressure points on her head.
With each pressure point, Ranma thought she was a monkey, then a bird,
then Amelia Earhart, then Elvis. Then she returned to think she was Ranma,
but still a girl.
"What did you do, Dr. Tofu?" Akane asked.
"I tried to use some neural pressure points that are linked to
personality, especially those about gender, but none seemed to work. If
that Mind Blast was a ki technique, then there's no sure way to cure
hi-'her' with physical treatment." He stood up and faced Akane and Ukyou.
"I'm afraid you'll have to leave the room, because I'm going to use some
ki techinques."
"Okay," Ranma said, getting off the bed and starting to walk out.
"You stay here," Akane said, grabbing Ranma by the collar. She unwillingly
returned to the clinic. "Stupid tomboy," she muttered, "I'm a girl!"
Akane knocked her out with a couch from the waiting room. "Akane,
I told you that won't work this time," Dr. Tofu said, dragging the KO'ed
Ranma up onto one of the clinic beds. He closed the door to the waiting
room.
"I hope he can do something," Ukyou said, "I don't like Ranchan to
think he's a girl."
"Don't worry. I'm sure Dr. Tofu can d--"
The doors to the oustide slid open.
Everyone in the waiting room gasped in utter terror. The greatest
danger to ever step into the Tofu Clinic manifested itself, projecting its
deceiving aura of innocence all around. But they wouldn't be fooled. They
knew their lives would be in danger if this figure stepped in. And yet,
there was nothing they could do about it but flee in desperation.
Gulping, Akane faced this terror.
"Kasumi? What are you doing here?"
"Well, since you came with Ranma-kun I thought I could give Dr.
Tofu some brownies I made." She began to open the door to the clinic.
"Kasumi, wait!" Akane and Ukyou reached for her, but it was too
late. The terror had begun.
"Ka-Ka-Ka-Kasumi!" Dr. Tofu saw her enter the clinic. His glasses
fogged up immediately. "What a coincidence to see you here to see you
here!" He laughed foolishly.
"Dr. Tofu, can you cure Ranma-kun?"
"Sure!" He grabbed Ranma's arm. "I'll be I'll be done in a jiffy!"
He lifted Ranma, waking her up, and began to make modern art sculptures
out of her.
"Hey! OWW!"
"That's right! I was supposed to use ki techniques!"
"Uh-oh..."
"I'll go wait outside, Doctor," Kasumi said.
"Thank you Kasumi!" Ranma said "You saved my life!" Kasumi just
smiled, then headed oustide.
"Ka-Kasumi!" Dr. Tofu went over the edge when Kasumi smiled.
"Oops. spoke too soon..."
Even through the closed doors, Akane and Ukyou saw many bright
lights coming from the clinic, along with a woman's screams of pain.
About half an hour later, when Dr. Tofu regained his senses, he
saw a charred and twisted Ranma-chan pretzel groaning on the floor.
"How did you get burned like that, Ranma?" He carefully lifted her
and put her on a bed, putting her joints back together. "I'll have to
apply a balm on you before I work on your head." He took a ceramic
container from the cabinet.
"Doctor, are you done?" Kasumi asked through the door.
"Ka-Kasumi?" his glasses fogged up. The container was crushed in
his hands.
"Not again..." Ranma moaned, then felt herself being pulled up...

* * *

It was already Tuesday morning. Ranma kept thinking she was a girl
(although a remodelled girl, since that visit to Dr. Tofu's.) But as they
ate breakfast, Akane noticed that was the only change in Ranma's mind: she
still ate like a horse, and martial arts were still her life. She hadn't
even mentioned cooking or going shopping. For anyone who didn't know
Ranma, she would be considered a tomboy.
Akane thought, "I'm sure Cologne knows something, but what?"
Later in the day, Akane took Ranma into the dojo. "You wanna
practice?" Ranma asked.
"Well, it's been a while since we last sparred, so I thought..."
"OK. I haven't practiced enough lately, anyway."
Akane punched forward. Ranma leapt straight up. Then Akane kicked.
Ranma bent backwards. Akane followed with a series of punches, but Ranma
only moved to the sides to avoid them. "Hey, we already did this!" Akane
complained, annoyed by Ranma's light-hearted attitude towards their
training. "Right at the beginning of the series!"
Ranma giggled. "I remembered that time when you said you didn't
want to be beaten by a boy, so this is your chance to be beaten by a
girl."
Akane stopped attacking. "R-Ranma... then you DO remember you are
a boy?"
"Yeah, sure. I mean, I used to be one, but now I'm a girl. Which
is more than I can say about a certain tomboy..."
Akane glowed bright blue. "Ranma no BAKA!"
Her bokken conveniently appeared out of nowhere. She took a few
swipes at Ranma, but then an aura shield formed around her.
"You again! You sure got a lot of nerve!" Akane attacked the
shield. Taken by surprise, it was pushed back a little. It fell in Ranma's
range.
There was something that Akane failed to notice, though. If she
had payed attention, she would have noticed the odd look on Ranma's face.
She seemed... happy? Yes, there was a look of contained happiness on her
face, just like someone who had been reunited with her closest friend. Her
eyes sparkled just a bit, but when she noticed her own expression she
shook her head and gulped. With a smirk, Ranma said to the shield, "What's
the matter? Letting a girl beat you?"
Akane grew angrier, she didn't realize what Ranma just said. She
just kept on pushing the shield towards her.
"Akane, step back," Ranma said. Akane was surprised, and stepped
back involuntarily.
Ranma reared her right hand backwards. Releasing the blow, she
touched the inside of the shield with her palm. "Gray Touch Technique!"
she shouted. The shield was thrown upwards and disappeared. Then a small
fireball appeared in front of her, floating in midair. In less than a
second, it had vanished too. The thump of a body hitting the ground was
heard, but Akane saw no one else in the room.
"How did you do that?" she asked, flabbergasted.
"What? The Gray Touch? That's just a move I came up with a while
ago."
"But I thought you couldn't..."
"That one was the White Touch, this was Gray. Besides, I remember
you once said I learn tricks quicker than Lassie. So, I learned this." She
moved into a defensive stance, "You want to continue?"
Akane looked at her nervously, "I think I've practiced enough for
today..."

* * *

Thursday, noon. Ranma-chan and Akane were walking to the
Nekohanten. Actually, Ranma-chan was being dragged. Akane thought Cologne
had realized something, but the old hag always kept this sort of things to
herself.
A maniac laughter came from behind the girls. When they turned
around, they saw Kuno, standing in the middle of the street. "Bwa ha ha!
Sasuke has not failed me this time! Saotome has indeed disappeared!"
Akane looked nervously at Kuno. Whenever Ranma acted like a girl,
she actually became attracted to him.
"And now, the fool has surrendered to me! My loves! I've come for
you!" He ran towards them, arms open.
"Oh! Kuno-sempai!" Ranma-chan sighed. She easily broke Akane's
grip and ran towards him... then punted him right off the Asian Continent.
"Don't you ever chase after me again, you jerk!" She wiped her hands, and
walked towards Akane. A look of pure satisfaction was on her face. Akane
had to smile. "At least I don't have to worry about that," she thought.
"Maybe Ranma is beginning to recover."

"Nihao, Ranma!" came Shampoo's voice as they came into the Cat
Cafe. She promplty adhered to her.
"Um, uh, Shampoo, will you, uh, get off m--"
Akane slapped Ranma silly until Shampoo released her. The redhead
fell to the ground as Akane and Shampoo glared at each other.
"Hello, there, Ranma," Cologne said, hopping on her staff.
"She didn't call him 'son-in-law'?" Akane thought.
"Hey, old ghoul, still think I'm a hundred years too early to
defeat you?" staggering to her feet, Ranma-chan used the White Touch
Technique on a nearby chair.
"That was impressive, but you're still too young, even if you are
who I think you are..."
"What they talking about?" Shampoo asked Akane.
"You got me."
"Hello, Akane, are you here to train too?" Cologne said.
"Train? No, I'm here to talk to you about Ranma."
"So you still don't know, eh?" she grinned wickedly. "Come now,
Ranma, don't tell me you haven't told them." She poked Ranma-chan with her
elbow. Ranma began to sweat, and the slightest of blushes lit up her face.
"Did Shampoo miss something? Did they play episode Shampoo didn't
watch?"
"I think this is going too fast for me..." Akane said.
"It ALWAYS goes too fast for you, Akane," Ranma said.
"What... do you mean by THAT?"
"The Awakening didn't make you smarter, Ranma," Cologne said.
Ranma didn't pay attention, as Akane was already chasing her out of the
restaurant with her bokken.
"Shampoo need to lie down..."
"Don't worry, great-granddaughter. I will explain when the time is
right." Cologne turned to you, the reader. "It's all pretty confusing by
now, isn't it?"

* * *

A 747 approached the JFK International Airport of New York. Both
the pilot and the copilot were almost asleep, having departed from
Nairobi, Kenya, the day before. The flight had been non-stop, making it
worse. They were so exhausted the control panels were blurry before their
eyes.
"Uh, control?" the pilot called, "I think I'm gonna take a nap
now..."
Suddenly they saw a man-sized figure, wearing samurai garb and
wielding a bokuto, sailing through the air with the greatest of ease.
Then the figure crashed into the nose of the plane. The pilot snapped
awake.
"On second thought..." the pilot said, examining the Japanese
teenager staring right back at him through the window, "Maybe I better
stop watching those old Leslie Nielsen movies..."

* * *

"I said no, old lech!" Ranma yelled.
"But my beautiful Ranma-chan! You said you're a girl!" Happosai
chased her through the Tendo dojo with a bra and panties in his hands.
"That doesn't mean I gotta do it!" She stopped and suddenly
charged the old man. Covered by an aura shield, she rammed into him.
"When I find out who's doing that..." Happosai said, staggering.
"But first, I'll see you wear these!!" He leapt at her with the garments.
She grabbed the back of his head and slammed him into the floor. He still
came after her. After a while, he started attacking her with bombs, but
every one of them blew up in his hands. "Bwaahh! I hate those shields!"
Grabbing him by the belt, Ranma-chan used him as a soccer ball and sent
him through the window. "Someday you will wear these, my Ranma-chaaaan..."
he said as he disappeared in the distance. "Dream on, old man," Ranma
said. It was already late in the night, and that old pervert had been
chasing her around ever since he found out she thought she was a girl.
Okay, so what if she was one? She still hated wearing those things.
Besides... she didn't think her male side would appreciate it...
Before she went into her room, Ranma saw Akane come out of her
bedroom, half asleep. "What was all that racket?" she asked.
"The old goat wanted me to wear that stupid bra again."
Akane snapped awake, "Ranma? Did you...?"
"You think I'm gonna let that lecher get away with that?" she gave
a "thumbs-up", smiling. Akane sighed in relief, but then became worried.
Ranma noticed the change in her expression. "What's wrong this time?"
"Ranma I... why won't you admit you're a man?"
"This again... look, Akane, I am a girl, and I'll show you." She
sprinted to the kitchen and began to boil water. Akane watched her
motions, high hopes in her heart. Would she be willing to change back now?
Ranma doused herself with hot water. She was still a girl.
"No... that's impossible..."
"There, you see?" Ranma said, wringing the water out of her braid.
"Herb must have done something... like that other time..." Ranma
didn't answer. She didn't want to upset Akane further.
"This... this is all Phoenix' fault, whoever he is!" Akane
attacked Ranma, trying to hit her over the head, but the aura shields kept
appearing. Soon she stopped trying and fell to her knees, on the verge of
tears.
Ranma kneeled down and held Akane. "It's all right. I know how you
feel. It'll be only a few days 'till you see him..."
"See who?"
"Ranma, of course."
"B-but you are..."
"I meant the male Ranma. Now c'mon, go back to bed. I don't wanna
stay up all night trying to explain." Akane meekly followed Ranma-chan,
who led her to her bedroom. Then Ranma headed back to her own room. Before
she came in, though, she looked towards Akane's door. She felt guilty for
doing this to her, but she knew she wouldn't understand if she explained
it. It... it was just too complicated... it was something that had begun
fifteen hundred years ago...
Her head jerked slightly as she was suddenly surprised by a voice.
The voice of her male side, in her mind.
"She's gonna hate us for this. Actually, she'll only hate you, and
you deserve it."
"I know, I know. But I can't tell her anything right now."
She sighed, and went into the room.

* * *

Midnight. Everyone was sleeping soundly at the Tendo dojo.
Everyone, that is, except for Akane. Disguised like a ninja, she stepped
lightly towards Ranma's room, wielding a mallet.
"Just wait, Ranma. I'll change you back if it's the last thing I
do."
Slowly, she opened the door. She saw the large furry mass of the
panda, nearly filling the room. She went around it, and saw Ranma-chan
spread all over the futon, wearing the tank top and boxers. At least she
wasn't completely a girl, Akane thought. She heard Ranma mumble something
in her sleep, but she couldn't make out the words. Just something like
"lael-chan" or something like that. Looming over her, Akane pulled her
mallet upwards, ready to bring it down on Ranma's head. Even Phoenix had
to sleep sometime, and he shouldn't be able to shield her from the impact.
Closing her eyes, Akane smashed Ranma with her mallet. Her face was flat,
but she was still asleep. Akane hit her again. Nothing. The third time,
however, an aura shield hurriedly formed around Ranma. Akane pounded on it
furiously. In a last effort, she took the shield, and threw it out the
window, with Ranma inside it. As she looked down to the garden, she
facefaulted: the shield was flat on the ground, but Ranma was cuddling up
in its heat.

Confessions

Friday morning. Akane came down the stairs in her pajamas, holding
P-chan in her arms. She groggily walked into the kitchen. "Oh, good
morning Akane!" Kasumi said. "What are you doing up this early?"
Akane glanced at the clock on the wall: it was 5:30 in the
morning. And during summer vacation, at that!
"Uh, I, I guess P-chan woke me up when he came back." The little
pig nuzzled her. "Where's Ranma?"
Kasumi looked at her oddly, "Why, I don't think Ranma-kun would
get up this early, especially if he..."
A sudden realization came to Akane's mind. "Ranma! He's out in the
garden!" They ran to the dining room and opened the door to the garden.
Ranma-chan was still sleeping in the shield. P-chan looked at her with
wide eyes.
"Maybe we should take him inside," Kasumi said. Defensive, the
shield closed further around Ranma. Akane clenched her fists so hard her
knuckles paled. "'Phoenix,' eh? I'm going to kill him." P-chan turned up
to her face. She looked depressed.
"Now, now, Akane. We'll talk to Ranma-kun when he awakes," Kasumi
led Akane back inside. "Do you want to help me cook breakfast?" Akane
nodded.
Akane and Kasumi talked as they prepared breakfast. Akane was
obviously disturbed by all that had happened. P-chan was now aware of
Ranma's "feminine behavior", and was still rolling on the kitchen table as
he laughed.
"The next time I see that Herb, I'll bust his head open..."
Akane said, chopping a cabbage with a meat cleaver, which struck about
two inches away from P-chan. He stopped laughing.
Suddenly, they heard a loud scream from the garden. "That
sounded like Ranma-kun..." Kasumi said.
"Ranma!" The girls and the pig ran to the garden, and found
Ranma-chan sitting up on the grass, holding her head with her left hand.
The shield was gone.
"Ranma, are you alright?" Akane asked, sitting beside her.
"Just a bad dream, I guess..." Ranma said, "...about Jusenkyo. I
dreamed I drowned in a pool..."
"Recalling is painful, Saotome," came the voice of Herb as he and
his bodyguards leapt over the wall and fell on the garden.
"YOU!!" Akane scowled at him viciously. She wasn't just glowing
blue, she was practically exploding with rage. She launched herself at
Herb, her fists gleaming with a red aura. The warrior prince easily held
the attack. "Please, miss Tendo, I had no intention of hurting you
feelings..."
"No intention! Look what you did to my fiance, you son of a b..."
"Akane!" Kasumi said, startled. Ranma was waking up completely.
"Herb!" she said, running over to where he and Akane
hand-wrestled. "Stop it, Akane. It's alright now. I'll take care of this"
Akane looked worriedly at Ranma-chan. But then she smirked. Ranma
would beat the tar of the stupid Musk prince. He would regret ever hurting
her fiance.
But instead, Herb let go of her and shook hands with Ranma, as if
they were friends. Akane facefaulted.
"Sorry 'bout that," Ranma said, poking Herb with her fist on the
gut.
"Not to worry. It didn't really injure me."
"What do you mean? You're saying I'm weaker? I can still take you
down, you know."
Herb grinned amusedly, "I believe you could. But let us discuss
why I'm here, shall we?"
About half an hour later, everyone was at the table, eating
breakfast. Of course, Akane was careful enough to make Herb and his
accomplices eat her cooking. If she couldn't fight them, she would poison
them.
"Hmm, interesting flavors..." Herb said, eating his portion. Lime
and Mint were already twitching on the floor. "Now we shall talk to you
about my mission."
"Why did you do this to my son?" Genma asked. Ranma-chan bonked
him on the head for using the word "son."
"That I didn't come to explain, for you all shall be informed in
due time. Remember that patience is one of the greatest virtues."
"Yeah, for example, right now I'm waiting for you to stop eating
so I can kill you," Akane said.
"Let him talk Akane," Soun said. "Now, what is it that you want to
discuss?"
Herb put down his bowl and chopsticks, "Very well. Saotome, I have
come to inform you the barge of the Musk Dynasty is fully prepared to
depart to mainland China. At last you shall return to Jusenkyo."
Ranma's eyes widened, "You... you mean it?"
Herb smiled. "Yes, and I have made proper arrangements for all
your acquaintances to accompany us as well," he sent a covert glance at
P-chan, "so their curses may be removed."
"_Don't_ call us 'curses,'" Ranma scowled at Herb for his choice
of words. But after smiling, she quickly rose from the table, "Well,
what're we waiting for? Let's go!"
"Hold, Saotome. Do you not think there is something you need to do
first?"
Ranma fell silent and looked downwards. "Mom..." she said.
"Exactly," Herb said. "But do not worry, for I have arranged a
meeting with her today, here at the Tendo Training Hall."
Genma and Ranma looked at him, both paralyzed in terror. "She's
coming HERE? TODAY!?" Before Herb could reply, Genma was already running
for the hills, carrying Ranma-chan on his shoulder. He crashed into an
aura shield.
"I believe I should have used a different approach..." Herb said.
Akane looked at him furiously. "Are you happy now?" she said.
Herb turned to her, confused, "Why do you say that?"
"You just ruined everyone's life here! Everything was fine before
you and that Phoenix clown showed up!"
"Did I not warn you to be brave, Akane Tendo? If you truly have
feelings for your fiance, then you shall wait until this has ended. A
little over than a month ago, you wished Saotome would find a way to
remove what you call 'curse', did you not?"
Akane was taken aback, flabbergasted, "How... how did you
know...?"
"I remember clearly... You made that wish just as a red shooting
star passed overhead, am I correct?"
Akane nodded, hesitating, "Y-yes, but..."
"Your wish has been granted, then. Now allow me to explain
further."
Akane couldn't find a suitable comeback. She just sat back,
defeated. "As I was saying," Herb continued, "Mrs. Saotome shall arrive
here by noon. She is welcome to come on our expedition as well." He turned
to Ranma, "As a matter of fact, we can depart today, as soon as you talk
to her."
"Did you..." Ranma began to ask, a little doubt in her voice,
"tell her about..."
Herb nodded, "She is now familiar with the legends of Jusenkyo. I
have taken care of that. I even put special emphasis on the tales of
Nyannichuan and Shuanshontsuniichuan." Somewhat relieved, Ranma sat back
down. But she couldn't help shuddering a little at that name.
Nyannichuan. Brr...
Akane worriedly said, "Did you tell her about Ranma's curse?"
"No. I simply prepared the backdrop for Saotome's explanation of
it. As of yet, she only considers it to be a tragic legend. She knows
nothing of the connection between it and your fiance." He paused for a
second, then thought to himself, "Or at least I don't think she doesn't.
She seemed somehow familiar with them..."
"Thanks for helping out," Ranma said, "but now I'll be forced to
tell her."
Herb shook his head. "She needs to know. She believes it is her
fault that you fainted."
Ranma dropped her eyes. "Guess you're right," she said. "And I
have less than six hours to get ready."
Herb looked beyond Ranma, "Why is your father running away?"
Ranma frowned and somersaulted backwards, landing in front of Genma. He
tried to escape, but she simply grabbed his gi and leapt into the pond.
"You're staying here, 'Mr Panda', unless you want to commit
seppuku. Got it? If you're not here when Mom arrives, I'll make sure she
doesn't understand my version."
The panda loomed over her. Both of them began fighting, until
Ranma used the White Touch and sent him flying into the dining room.
"The White Touch, eh?" Herb smiled, "We thought you stopped using
that technique long ago."
"It's hard to break a habit," Ranma said, grinning.

* * *

It was noon. Everyone was practically jumping around the dojo,
either in excitement or scared spitless. Herb had sent his guards off to
his ship, so they prepared the last details. Ranma still didn't know how
she was going to explain to her mother. Akane just avoided Herb, still
holding a deep grudge against him.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Everyone but Herb
paralyzed. Kasumi opened the door.
"Hi! Is Ranchan here?" Ukyou asked as she entered the house.
Everyone sighed in relief.
"Jeez, Ucchan, you nearly gave me a heart-attack," Ranma said.
"What's up? Why're you all so jumpy?"
"We're waiting for Ranma-kun's mom," Nabiki said.
"She's going to explain everything to her," Herb said. When Ukyou
saw him, she immediately pounded him into a pulp.
"You had that coming you, you..." Ukyou said. Akane came over and
put her hand on her shoulder.
"Wait, Ukyou. Only he knows how to cure Ranma."
Ukyou looked at Akane, then at the pulp, then at Ranma-chan.
"Akane, you sure?" She nodded. The pulp on the ground also made a good
impression of a nod.
Again, there was a knock on the door. "That's probably Shampoo,"
Ranma said, "I'll go get it."
When she opened the door, she felt her heart jump out of her
mouth. Mrs. Saotome felt the same.

Both of them stood at the door, looking down to the ground.
Neither spoke. But after what had happened that day at the park, they
didn't have the faintest idea of what to do. Ranma was just too nervous,
she had no idea what to say; Nodoka, on the other hand, simply... didn't
_want_ to say anything. The last time she had spoken to "Ranko" it was to
tell her how she considered her to be her own daughter.
Trying to break the ice, Akane walked over to them, "H-Hello,
Auntie Saotome." Nodoka and Ranma-chan slowly turned to her.
"Oh, hello, Akane-chan!" Nodoka said, returning to her usual
smile.
"Welcome, Mrs. Saotome," Herb said.
"It's you! Hello there!" Nodoka said. "You're the kind young man
who helped me bring Ranko-chan the other day, aren't you?"
"Indeed, it is me. And, as promised, you shall learn of your
husband and son." The panda tried to escape from the aura cage around him.
"Are you really Ranchan's mother?" Ukyou said.
"Auntie, I'd like you to meet Ukyou Kuonji," Akane said. "Ukyou,
this is Ranma's mom."
"How do you do? I'm Nodoka Saotome."
"Pleased to meet you, Auntie." Nodoka blinked at this.
"Ukyou is a friend of Ranma's," Akane explained.
"I am not a friend! I'm his fiancee!" Ranma-chan snapped out of it
at Ukyou's statement.
"Fiancee?" Nodoka asked, "I thought _you_ were my Ranma's fiancee,
Akane-chan."
"Saotome-kun hasn't fully explained this double engagement," Soun
said, "and he better do it soon." He glared at the sweaty panda.
"I'm sure I will have a word with Dear once I see him."
"That will be sooner than you imagine..." Ranma-chan said.
"Ranko-chan..." Nodoka gulped slightly.
"No. I don't want you to call me like that anymore..."
Akane and Ukyou held Ranma-chan's arms. "You sure you want to go
on with this?" Akane asked. Ranma-chan nodded.
"Why do you say that, Ranko-chan?"
"Mom?" Ranma-chan said aloud. Nodoka stared at her, surprised.
The panda seemed to melt into a black and white puddle. "My name's not
Ranko Tendo..." she swallowed hard and clenched her fists. "I'm... I'm
Ranma." There, she had finally said it.
"Wh-what?" Nodoka stepped away. She couldn't really believe what
she had just heard.
"It's true... and that's Pop right there," she pointed at the
panda. It simply fainted.
Nodoka was silent. Her hands were shaking. No, this couldn't be
right... Ranko was a girl, and her Ranma was a man. A manly man. Then a
sudden realization came to her: She had always been told that Ranma and
Genma were away training. She had been a close friend of Mrs. Tendo, and
she knew that neither she nor Soun had any siblings, so Akane couldn't
have a cousin... "Ranko" always looked unhappy when she was around... She
and the panda always looked nervous whenever she took the katana in her
hands...
Which is exactly what she did now. Herb quickly put his hand on
the blade. "Please, Mrs. Saotome, allow Ranma to explain."
"B-but why? What happened...?"
"It's nobody's fault, mother. Herb told you about Jusenkyo,
right?" Nodoka nodded slowly, a look of incredulity locked in her face.
"Let me show you." Ranma-chan poured hot water on the unconsious panda.
He changed back to human form.
"D-DEAR?!" Nodoka yelled. Genma sprung to his feet.
"Uh, um, h-how nice to, to see you again..." he said nervously.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON?!"
"He didn't do anything, mother. I--"
"And you!" Nodoka spun around, unsheathing the katana. "How could
you do this to me?! I trusted you and you lied to me!" Herb quickly moved
in between them.
"Please, Mrs. Saotome. I have already told you about the legendary
accursed springs."
"I thought you only said that because..."
"Your son is by no means unmanly, dear lady. He has endured this
condition far better than anyone on this Earth could." She still wasn't
convinced, even though something inside her kept nagging her to accept
what Ranma was saying. "Look at me," Herb went on. "Because of Jusenkyo, I
once turned into a woman as well, just as your son. Would you consider me
unmanly?" Nodoka stepped back, unable to reply.
Herb smiled. "Very well, then. Remember how I told you that
whenever somebody fell inside a spring, they released the spirit within?"
She nodded. "I also recall telling you about the Springs of Drowned Girl
and Drowned Twins..." She nodded again, and flinched involuntarily.
"Within the spring Nyannichuan dwells--" Ranma-chan glared at him, "I
mean, resides the soul of a young girl who drowned 1500 years ago. Only
two beings have been able to liberate that spirit. And one of them was
your son."
Ranma-chan and Nodoka looked at each other. She couldn't tell what
it was, but that strange "something" in Nodoka's heart was suddenly
relieved. Meanwhile, even Ranma was being impressed by the explanation.
"But I thought everyone who fell in the spring became cursed," Akane said.
"True, but the outcome is different from creature to creature. In
the past, when my tribe doused animals with Nyannichuan water to make
brides, those animals were endowed with the physical aspects of the curse.
It was alike for me. Many special circumstances must be met in order for
the spirit to be released. In this case, Ranma met those circumstances.
Afterwards, another being met them. In both cases, they were endowed with
the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of the young girl. But after
the second being fell, the spring's spirit wasn't trapped anymore, thus I
didn't acquire the girl's soul."
Nodoka stared at Ranma-chan, who quickly turned to avoid her gaze.
"But then that would mean..." she said.
"Your son's psyche is indeed strong, Mrs. Saotome. Even within the
girl's body, his mind hardly ever allowed her to express herself visibly.
It took a great impact caused by someone else..." he glanced at Akane, "to
revive her temporarily. That, Akane Tendo, is why I used the Mind Blast.
Only by Awakening her mind would she understand... and remember."
Akane looked nervously at Ranma-chan. She didn't feel comfortable
around her anymore, for Ranma, or whoever she was, was a completely
different person. The person... that had drowned in that spring, fifteen
hundred years ago...
Ranma seemed to read her thoughts, "No, Akane. I'm still the same
Ranma. But now I remember a lot of things that were buried in the back of
my head."
"Yes," Herb said, "That was one of the requisites for her spirit
to escape. Since she was nearly identical to Saotome, she was able to come
out through him. That explains why her change in behavior was considerably
smaller than last time."
"But then what happened to my son?" Nodoka asked, worried.
"He is fine, Mrs. Saotome. His mind is simply asleep, that is all.
And as soon as we arrive to Jusenkyo, you shall see him anew."
A great silence filled the room. Only the chirping of birds
outside could be heard. Even P-chan was astounded: he wondered if he held
the spirit of a pig inside him.
Finally, Ranma-chan spoke, crystalline liquid beginning to gather
in her eyes. "I... I know we shouldn't have lied to you," she said to her
mother, "and I know you think I don't even belong here, but still... I...
I'd like to still be part of the family... Even..." her voice turned
shaky, "even if I had to commit seppuku..."
Nodoka looked down at the shorter girl. She too felt her eyes
become teary. "N-no... I... this is all happening too fast, I don't
know..." But her heart knew. It knew what was the right thing to do, the
only thing she could do. Slowly, a smile took shape in her face, but it
vanished quickly again. Ranma was about to speak when Nodoka suddenly
dropped to her knees, holding her tightly. "Rank- Ranma! I've waited so
long! I don't care if you're under a curse, I'm just glad you're alright!"
Ranma broke down as well. She returned the hug, putting her arms around
her mother's neck. Her head rested against Nodoka's shoulder. "Mom...
Mother...!"
Akane felt incredibly relieved. At last the Saotome family had
been reunited, and she could feel nothing but happiness for them. Ukyou,
although not being familiar with Nodoka, tried not to cry despite how glad
she felt. The Tendos were cheering, even Nabiki. Genma flopped down on the
floor, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Herb simply stood there, with
his arms crossed, and showing a smile of pure satisfaction. Outside,
Phoenix was creating fireworks. But for him, the Second Step had only been
finished. There was still much work to do.
Pulling away, Ranma wiped the tears from her eyes, trying not to
show weakness. Both she and her mother found themselves unable to remove
the smile from their faces. It was just too good to be true. Not only had
Nodoka come to terms with Ranma's condition, but she had also accepted
this female Ranma. They were simply too happy to even stop smiling.
"It is time," Herb said, not breaking his posture. Ranma turned to
him."O-Okay," she said, "but first I wanna tell Mom something..." She
showed a feline smile, allowing her cheeks to blush deeply as she said,
"It's something about the guy Herb calls Phoenix." She helped her mother
to her feet and began to lead her upstairs, excited. Akane tried to
follow, but then Ranma turned to her and smiled. Somehow, Akane knew it
would be better to wait.

* * *

They were waiting at the seaport, by a large and magnificent boat.
Shampoo, Mousse, Cologne were starting to get irritated.
"Why we wait here?" Shampoo asked. "Shampoo want to meet Ranma's
mother."
"Patience, great-granddaughter. I'm sure they will come soon."
"I think I see them!" Mousse said, looking at the seagulls
standing on poles nearby. Cologne bonked him on the head.
Lime and Mint were becoming impatient, as well. Still, they
wouldn't break their guarding positions, considering the mistress was
there. Hesitating for a second, they glanced up at the ship. Yes, there
she was.
She was a young girl, slightly shorter than Akane, and dressed
entirely in white. The many layers of clothing effectively hid most of her
curves, while the long cape and hood managed to obscure her face
perfectly. The only color that showed on her form was the shimmering,
scarlet red of her hair, as a few strands came out from under the hood.
From her position, aboard the ship, she saw the shapes approaching from
the distance. Although she felt a great excitement at seeing them
approach, she had to contain herself. She didn't want to compromise her
sister. Not yet.
Finally, the troop arrived: the Tendos, the Saotomes, and Ukyou
and Herb. Ryouga had changed back to human form, and looked uneasily at
Herb.
The groups greeted each other. "So, you're the son-in-law's
mother?"
Nodoka blinked, then looked at Ranma-chan. "It's a long story,"
she said. Shampoo nearly clung to her, then remembered that Ranma was
still a girl. "Ranma, you no cured yet?"
"I shall explain to them as well, Saotome," Herb said, "but I
assume the old woman is aware of this by now." Cologne grinned and nodded.
Mousse recognized the voice. "You again! Have you come to fight?" he said
as he addressed Kasumi.
"Master!" Lime and Mint said firmly. "The mistress is here!"
Ranma-chan, Nodoka and Herb looked up towards the ship. The two
women smiled, hopeful, as they saw the white-clothed female, who greeted
them with a nod. When she agily leapt down, she landed exactly in front of
Ranma-chan. She was exactly the same height as the redhead.
Both of them looked at each other, as if trying to remember. Then
Nodoka spoke, "It's you, isn't it?" The cloaked girl nodded. Ranma-chan
smiled widely.
"Yes, time has passed very slowly for her too, Saotome," Herb said
as he put his arm around the girl. Ranma-chan stared at them
incredulously, "You mean, you're his..." the girl nodded and cuddled up in
Herb's arm. "It figures..." Ranma said, smirking. Nodoka just giggled a
little while everyone else stared, confused.
"Very well, then," Herb said, "let's depart, to mainland China!"
The crowd ascended the plank upwards, boarding the ship. But nobody
noticed the small ninja that clung to the ship's side.

The land of accursed springs

The voyage took over a week by boat, as the ship had departed from
Yokohama. From there it went around the Japanese islands in order to reach
China. And despite how happy she felt for Ranma and Nodoka, Akane couldn't
help being depressed for every minute of the trip. She would never admit
it, but she actually missed Ranma. The male Ranma. And even though
Ranma-chan acted just like him, it obviously wasn't the same. Akane would
have liked to hear him say how awful her cooking was, how "uncute" he
thought her to be. And the truth is, neither Ukyou, Shampoo nor herself
was feeling very cheerful at the time.
She couln't hold a grudge against Herb and Phoenix anymore, for
she knew they helped Ranma tell the truth to her mother. But she still
felt they had kept him from her, without even a chance to say goodbye.
"What's up, Akane?" Ranma-chan came up to her. It was night, and
Akane was leaning against the ship's railing, looking at the waves below.
She shook her head. "It's nothing. I just... forget it."
Ranma gave her a cockeyed glance. "You never were any good at
lying, Akane. C'mon, what's wrong?"
Akane looked thoughtfully at Ranma, then quickly turned away.
"You wouldn't understand."
Ranma was annoyed by that comment, but she controlled her temper.
Softly, she said to Akane, "You're thinking about Ranma, aren't you?"
Akane fell silent, starting to blush. For a few instants, she stood by the
railing, her back to Ranma-chan. The soft, salty sea breeze caressed her
face, waving her hair as it blew. Everything was submerged in silence, not
even the waves could be heard. Ranma-chan looked downwards, and put her
hands on the railing, standing next to Akane. "I know how you feel...
believe me." She sighed, "I really know how it feels to be away from
someone... But I promise, everything will turn out fine. We'll get him
back to normal, then I'll get the heck out of your life."
Akane quickly turned to Ranma. "No!" she said hurriedly. "I
mean... you don't have to go."
"You mean that?" Ranma asked, turning to Akane. Her eyes were
uncertain, something that Akane found odd. This girl... she really
resembled Ranma. Akane wondered who she really was. So far, she only knew
she was the girl that drowned at Jusenkyo, and that her character was
almost a carbon-copy of Ranma's. But... what else? She liked martial arts,
that was certain, but in other aspects she was very... unique. She seemed
to be a bit shy, maybe even childish. And there were those times, when
Akane caught her sighing. What was the deal with this girl? What was her
past?
Then there was the way she had entered their lives. She would have
probably spent the rest of eternity trapped in Nyannichuan if Ranma hadn't
fallen in the spring. In a way, she had always been with them --Akane met
Ranma only after he had become "cursed." This girl knew everything that
Ranma knew, but her judgements were of course based on a female
standpoint. But since she had never been able to express herself, it still
seemed she had just barged into everyone's life, suddenly and wthout
warning. Maybe those were the reasons why this Ranma-chan felt like an
intruder, even though no one thought of her that way.
"It's just... these days have been very hard on us..." Akane said.
"I didn't mean to cause you all that trouble."
"Don't worry... Heh, it's ironic. Herb even told me this was going
to happen, and I didn't want to listen." A small tear ran down Akane's
cheek. She really missed her fiance.
Ranma put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Akane. I'll be
around if you need a shoulder to cry on. I'll always be around." She
started to head back to her quarters. Akane turned to her, still not
believing what she had just heard. "R-Ranma... Was that you?"
Ranma-chan fell down on the bed at her quarters. She heard a
female voice in her head. "Okay, you can come out again," Ranma-chan said.
She felt a light throb in her head, then she relaxed as the girl's spirit
took over once more.
"You owe me that one, Ranma," she said.
The one who had said that last phrase to Akane, the one inside
Ranma-chan's body, had been the male Ranma.

* * *

A few hours had passed since Akane and Ranma-chan talked. Most
were already asleep, except for the Musk servants that served as crew of
the barge. The ship itself swung lazily up and down with the waves, the
wood from its hull creaking slightly as it did. The soft roars of the
ocean were the perfect song for the sleepers, and the constant rocking
only served to imitate a baby's cradle. Thus, it is no wonder nobody woke
up at the sound of those voices.
"It's... it's really you..."
"I can't believe it... I still feel like I'm dreaming... But you
really _are_ here!"
"It's all right... I'm here for you... I missed you a lot."
"I missed you too, oneechan...!"
"Oh, God... I can't believe we're out of that spring...!"
"I know, oneechan... I know..."
"What's that? Oh, come on... You're strong. Don't start crying
like a little girl."
"B-but you're crying too..."
"That's... that's because I thought I'd never see my sister
again...! It's so great to be with you again!"
"I... feel... that... too... but... you're... holding... too..
tight... ribs... breaking..."
"Oh, sorry. Better?" Silence. A soft sigh was heard, joined by a
brief laugh of release. Both had the same tone of voice. Both were heard
at the same time.
"So... it was a boy?"
"Yeah... and you?"
"A monkey."
"A monkey?"
"Remember what Herb-chan told you?"
There was a gasp, "You mean _you_ were..."
"Uh-huh... Bit of luck, I guess."
Again, silence. But then the other replied, "It wasn't luck... I
just know it."
They looked at each other. Both nodded in agreement. Slowly, they
kneeled on the deck and clasped their hands. Smiling at each other, they
looked up. Feeling deeply thankful, they... prayed.

* * *

"Ah! So you're back, Mr. Customer!" the guide said, seeing
Ranma-chan and the panda.
"The Master has alredy explained you the situation," Lime said to
him, "you shouldn't address the woman in such manner."
"Be easy on him, Lime," Herb said, "he can't keep track of
everything that happens here."
It was beginning to darken, but at last they had arrived at
Jusenkyo, dreaded land of accursed springs. The entire horde was there,
even the Tendos. Akane and Soun were thoroughly impressed, given that this
was the first time they actually saw the famous pools. Shrouded in its
eternal veil of mist, the valley continued to be a beautiful sight --and a
place that terrified many, especially Ranma-chan. She could still remember
being trapped inside the spring. But that was all over now. Everything
was going to end soon. Trying to control herself, Ranma-chan looked
starry-eyed at the springs.
"Before we begin," Herb said, stopping Shampoo and the panda, "we
need to fully release the spirits in Nyannichuan and Shuanshontsuniichuan,
so you don't capture them once you plunge into them."
"Why Shampoo need water from Drowned Twins? She only want be
normal again."
"And I don't see why we can't just jump into Nannichuan," Mousse
said.
"You no see anything, stupid duck boy. Period."
Herb chuckled. "If you truly intend to be relieved of your curses,
then you must wait until we find a way to keep the spirit of the drowned
man from entering your body. It is the same for Nyannichuan. Once the
spirit is released, the spring won't be able to give you her soul,
although it can still return you to normal." Shampoo crossed her arms,
annoyed. Herb motioned for Ranma-chan to come closer to the springs. At
the same time, the cloaked girl also stepped forward. Both of them stood
next to each other, facing the springs. Their hearts were beating
excitedly.
Then, in perfect coordination, Ranma-chan and the girl leapt
towards the spring, spinning in midair, and fell in the spring at exactly
the same time. Before they came up, Herb approached the spring.
"Mind Blast revised, step 3!" The water glowed bright pink, then
blue. Two streams of bubbles came to the surface, then they became four,
and finally three.
"Ah! Miss! What you doing!?" the guide cried out. "That cursed
spring of Shuanshontsuniichuan! It doubles what it touches!" Everyone but
Nodoka, Herb, Lime and Mint was shocked, especially Ryouga.
"Aargh! Not TWO Ranmas!"
"Ranma!" Akane cried. "You fell in the wrong spring, stup--"
She saw Ranma-chan come up, together with the cloaked girl. Then
ANOTHER Ranma-chan floated upwards, unconscious. The first Ranma quickly
held her and handed her to Herb. To the guide's amazement, the cloaked
girl hadn't doubled.
Akane rushed up to the spring, and helped Herb hoist the
unconscious Ranma upwards. Then she noticed something: the aura around the
other Ranma's head had completely vanished.
"Perfect," Ranma said, looking at her double. The other girl
nodded in agreement. Then, without a word, they jumped into the spring
next to Shuanshontsuniichuan.
"Aiyaaa! Now you jump in Nyannichuan!"
When both girls came up, they were practically gleaming with
energy, at last being completely free of Jusenkyo. They jumped around
happily, hopping off every single bamboo pole. Ranma-chan had a face-wide
smile. It was over. It was _all_ over. Even the small fragment of her soul
inside the spring had been released. She was completely free of Jusenkyo's
enslaving magic. But then she looked down at Akane and her double.
Simultaneously, she and the other girl came down next to them.
"Now's your turn," Ranma-chan said, glad to help. "Go on, splash
him with Nannichuan water."
Herb nodded. As he headed for the spring of drowned man, he reared
up a massive Mind Blast sphere in his hand, then flung it straight into
the water. While the spring glowed, the cloaked girl handed him four
buckets, which he filled carefully. Meanwhile, Shampoo was leaping into
the spirit-free Nyannichuan.
Herb handed a bucket to Genma. Herb gave Mousse another bucket.
Ryouga ran behind the guide's house, then Lime took a third bucket to him.
Finally, Herb gave the fourth bucket to Nodoka. Ranma-chan carried her
twin over to her. Akane followed her closely, as well as Ukyou and
Shampoo.
"Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for..." Ranma-chan
said with a deep voice, as if to parody a stage announcer. She gently put
her twin on the ground, beside Nodoka. Akane and the others kneeled down
next to her.
"I've waited so long..." Nodoka said, her voice barely above a
whisper. With painstaking care, she spilled the water over the unconscious
Ranma-chan. At last, the male Ranma returned, completely cured.
"Wha... how did I get here...?" he asked, awakened by the water.
He yelped at the sight of Ranma-chan.
"Ranchan!"
"Ranma!"
Ukyou and Shampoo glomped onto him before he could ask any more
questions. Akane tried to glare at them, but she couldn't avoid releasing
the tears of joy that had gathered in her eyes. Nodoka was feeling the
same. All of them held Ranma-kun. Ranma-chan smiled at them, and so did
Herb. The guide just looked around, utterly confused.
"Help! I can't breathe!" Ranma-kun pleaded.
Despite his efforts, Ranma couldn't get them off. It was only
when his mother gently pulled them apart that they budged. "M-M-M-Mom?"
Ranma said, nervously looking at her. "How did... Do you..."
Nodoka nodded softly. "Yes, son. She and your friend prince Herb
explained everything." Then she turned kinder, "It was very noble to
sacrifice yourself so you could save her."
"Save who...?" he began to ask. Then he saw Ranma-chan again.
"Aargh! It's the demon!"
Ranma-chan and the cloaked girl were annoyed, "Hey, who're you
calling 'demon'?!"
No Way, Impossible, Yaargh, were the words that revolved around
Ranma-kun's head at 480 RPM. His eyes were completely fixed on his female
double, who returned the gaze. She was considerably calmer than him,
though, but she was still staring at him as if she were examining him.
Ranma then turned to Herb. "You! You attacked me!"
"I believe he needs to have his doubts cleared, wouldn't you say,
Yuannyan?"
The cloaked girl nodded. She gestured for Mint to come. He happily
obeyed.
"It's your turn, Dear," Nodoka said to Genma, who was still
holding the bucket. Taking a deep breath, he brought the water above his
head and splashed himself with it. He and Nodoka held each other in
happiness. Soun began to weep in joy, creating yet another spring.
"Mousse want this?" Shampoo balanced the bucket on her fingers,
balancing on a pole away from Mousse's reach. The torture went on for a
while until Cologne finally splashed him with the water.
"Where did Ryouga go?" Akane asked, just as a damp Ryouga was
being led back to the group by Lime, who stopped him from heading to
Brazil.
Soon everybody started to dance and celebrate, Kasumi and Nabiki
included. They seemed to forget Ranma-chan, Herb, Lime, Mint and the
cloaked girl, Yuannyan. It didn't matter, anyway, They too were sharing on
the other's joy, although in a different manner.
Ranma-chan then turned away, becoming saddened for a moment. Yes,
everything was over... including her life with them. She knew this would
happen, especially since everyone had always thought of her as an
obstacle, the "curse" that Ranma had to get rid of. But at least they
would be happy. That was enough for her.
Ever since Ranma fell in Nyannichuan, she had always been with
him. Her soul, her mind, they were always hidden behind Ranma's, always
watching the events unfold before her. She shared his life, she learned
along with him, she suffered because of his own sorrows. She had come to
become a part of him as much as he was part of her. All of her friends
were actually Ranma's, but she appreciated them nonetheless... even if
they would just forget about her now that he was "cured."
Herb noticed her expression, and instantly stopped smiling as he
understood. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he said, "You should be with
them."
"Are you kidding? He always wanted to get rid of me. I don't think
it would be a good idea to go there."
Yuannyan finally spoke, "You know your place is with them," Her
voice sounded exactly like Ranma-chan's, although somewhat more feminine.
"You belong with your family."
Ranma-chan turned to her. "I... Family...? But you are... it's
been over 1500 years..."
Yuannyan shook her head. "I know you love them. Stop being so hard
on yourself and join them!"
Ranma-chan looked at the celebrating crowd. Her eyes showed how
much she wanted to be with them. Amid the festivities, Nodoka suddenly saw
her. Without saying a word, she came over to them. "Why aren't you with
us, Ranma-chan?"
She looked towards Ranma, "I don't think he'd like to see me right
now."
Nodoka turned to him as well, "Don't worry. Your brother will get
over this in time."
Ranma-chan blinked, "Brother?"
Nodoka smiled at her. She was even more naive now that she was an
individual again. "Well, he's my son, and you are my daughter, aren't you?
Then you two must be brother and sister." Ranma-chan blushed. She looked
at Yuannyan. "This could get complicated," she said.
Akane noticed Nodoka's absence, and saw she was with Ranma-chan.
Embarassed to have forgotten her, she walked towards them.
"Ranma, I'm sorry," she said, blushing in abashment.
"It's okay. Guess I deserve it anyway, after making you feel
worried..."
Akane quickly grimaced, forgetting her previous thoughts to give
way for pride. "I was not worried!"
Ranma-chan rolled her eyes, "Sure you weren't..."
Herb clapped his hands loudly. Everyone at Jusenkyo turned to him.
Again, Ranma nearly collapsed when he saw his female twin. "Very well,now
that you have all been restored, allow me to invite you to my humble
abode, in the Musk village." He signaled to Lime and Mint. Both warriors
quickly moved to the flanks of the larger group. "Escort them to our
palace. I believe we still have business to conduct here."
Immediately, the men and Yuannyan led the unwilling group to the
village. Only Herb, Ranma-chan and Nodoka remained. "Y-you can go with
them... Mom," Ranma-chan said, looking up at her. She knew how much Nodoka
wanted to be with her son.
"I want to be here for you. My son is restored, but my daughter
still has to deal with this curse." The smile she sent lit up Ranma-chan's
heart. The redhead soon found herself smiling, feeling unmeasurable
confidence at hearing how Nodoka had called her "daughter" with such
ease. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. She hadn't
told anyone yet, but she... was an orphan. Her parents had died a long
time before she even arrived at Jusenkyo. To see Nodoka standing beside
her, giving her the motherly support she needed so much, was all it took
to send her spirit soaring in happiness.
Finally, after waiting for a few minutes, Herb said, "Will you do
the honors?"
Ranma-chan nodded eagerly. The trio backed away from the springs.
Gathering all her ki, Ranma formed an energy ball in her hands. This
would be the real end of everything.
"Moko Takabishya!" she launched the ki blast towards Nyannichuan,
then Shuanshontsuniichuan. Both springs dried up completely. Without the
water, one could see both springs were connected to each other through a
tunnel at the bottom. A faint golden glimmer, vaguely resembing a
bracelet, shone in the mud, but no one noticed it.
"Finally," she said, slumping down slightly as her lips traced a
soft smile of satisfaction.
"Will you be alright?" Nodoka asked.
"Uh-huh. That's why we needed to jump into the spring before I
blew it up."
"So now you and Yuannyan have been freed completely?" Herb asked.
"Yep." She looked at two other springs, also next to the previous,
and noticed they were dry as well. "He already came here, didn't he?"
Herb nodded. "Yes. He destroyed his spring as well as Coldfire's,
so that the demon may never return."
Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's one less worry.
But are you sure Coldfire didn't follow him?"
"I cannot be completely sure of that, for only Phoenix can sense
his presence. But I would not worry. You and Yuannyan aren't as vulnerable
as you were then."
Ranma grimaced, "Vulnerable? I'll show you vulnerable! We had many
moves back then, you know!" Nodoka put a tranquilizing hand on her
shoulder.
Herb smiled. "I am sure you did. But so did Coldfire." He swung
his cape back, "You have always been an exceptional fighter, but you have
yet to tap into the full power of your inner ki. Phoenix and Coldfire have
already succeeded at that."
"Maybe, but without their energy blasts they wouldn't fight their
way out of a paper bag."
"Skills aren't everything, Ranma-chan," Nodoka said, "I'm afraid
your father only focused on your physical abilities, but I would gladly
help you learn how to solve this kind of situation through thinking rather
than through conflict."
Ranma-chan settled down and looked at her mother. "Thanks, Mom."
Nodoka smiled, "Why don't you call him, now?" Ranma nodded, and began to
gather her ki anew. But this time, she aimed upwards. She paused, "You
sure he isn't around?" she asked Herb.
"Yes. When your aura disappeared, he lost all track of you. Maybe
he is still in Japan."
Ranma stretched her arms upwards, holding the ki ball. In a flash,
she moved her arms apart, causing the sphere to envelop her. A bright
light flooded the valley, reaching as far as the Joketsuzoku village. For
an instant, the darkness of the night receded at the new source of light.
When the light was gone, Ranma-chan flopped to the ground. She was
completely exhausted. Her mother caught her before she fell.
"If... if Phoenix doesn't see THAT," she said, weakly, "then it
means he's more blind than Mousse..." She fell asleep.
"Hmm, that was unexpected," Herb said. "I did not think creating
the signal would drain her so."
"It has been a rough day for her..." Nodoka smiled softly at the
redhead, then slowly placed her arms beneath the unconscious girl. With a
slight effort, she stood up, carrying her adoptive daughter in her arms.
Herb immediately offered his help.
He and Nodoka began to carry Ranma towards the village. The night
was peaceful, with the breeze of summer being refreshed by the cool mist
that came from Jusenkyo. Of course, they didn't expect what happened next.
Apparently attracted by the light, four yellow beams appeared from the
sky. The beams moved upwards, revealing a magnificent flying barge
attached to a large orange-yellow balloon.
"Who is that?" Nodoka asked.
"Not him..." Herb replied, almost clenching his teeth. "You are
very brave to come at this time!" he shouted.
"Have you not forgotten the conflict Kirin had with you, warrior?"
the Nekonron prince asked, undisturbed. Once the barge landed, beside the
springs, he agily leapt to the ground. He still held the rice bowl and
steel chopsticks in his hands.
"I see you still have not learned to use your hands," Herb said.
"Fighting with one's hands is a barbarian method that Kirin shall
not employ, prince of the Musk."
"Do you mock me?"
Kirin smirked, "Did you not have this argument with Kirin long
ago?"
Herb smiled, "Indeed, and I believe you lost to me."
Kirin stood back, surprised, "Dare you say that to the proud and
mighty Kirin?"
Nodoka looked up at them, "Excuse me, but..."
They looked at her and the unconscious Ranma-chan. "Kirin recalls
seeing her before," he said, staring at Ranma, "Yes, Kirin now
remembers... she was in the company of the great warrior Ranma Saotome,
and the lovely Akane Tendo."
"Actually there is more to them than that," Herb said. "But as I
explain, shall your six accomplices assist us?"
"Do not call Kirin's loyal followers 'accomplices', lowly dragon
man."
"Shall I remind you, every insult you aim at me shall return to
you?"
Kirin smiled, "Kirin is aware, for he is also a dragon man...
brother."
"Indeed, brother Kirin." Both warriors smiled and hugged each
other. "I still cannot forgive you for eating my delicious Fokujin
pickles," Herb said.
"Put it to rest, brother. The sacred scroll was still missing by
that time."
Kirin kneeled down and held Ranma-chan. He easily leapt back onto
the ship's deck. Holding Nodoka, Herb mimicked his movements.
"Master Herb, we are pleased to meet you again," Ebiten said,
bowing. The rest of the Seven Lucky God's Martial Artists bowed as well.
"It is a great honor for us to see Master Kirin's brother. But may I ask,
who are the women in your company?"
"I believe Kirin's brother shall explain this to all," Kirin said,
as the barge sailed the skies of night towards the Musk village.

The Spring of Drowned Twin Sisters

"So you're saying she's the spirit that was trapped in
Nyannichuan, then?" Ranma asked as he and Akane waited at the courtyard of
Herb's palace.
"Uh-huh. But she's a lot like you, though. I could hardly tell the
difference." Ranma shivered. A girl that acted just like him? Then she was
probably even more of a tomboy than Akane!
Suddenly many of the palace guards rushed to the gates, making
loud noises outside. Ranma and Akane heard a deep, hollow sound, as if an
aircraft were landing.
"Hey, look!" Akane pointed at a red-haired figure running across
the courtyard to the gates. She looked exactly like Ranma-chan, except she
wore a long gray gown and her hair flowed freely. She also had more
delicate movements as she ran. "Isn't that her?" Akane said. Ranma
shivered again. Curious, they followed her through the gates. They were
surprised to see Kirin's barge just outside the palace gates. But then
they facefaulted when they saw Kirin drop down with Ranma-chan, just as
the other girl came up to them. She hugged Herb emotively, then the seven
warriors, together with Nodoka and Ranma-chan, followed the couple back to
the castle.
"Oh, hi!" the girl waved at Ranma and Akane when she walked past
them. They moved away slightly. But then Akane worriedly followed Kirin,
who was carrying Ranma-chan upstairs to the living quarters.
Soon the entire troop was once again gathered, but this time it
was in Herb's enormous chambers. Ranma-chan was still snoring soundly on
the bed. Akane, Kasumi and Nodoka sat at one side, while Herb, Kirin and
the red-haired girl sat opposite to them. Ranma was standing as far away
as possible from Ranma-chan and the girl, while the rest were scattered
throughout the room. Only Kirin's warriors were absent.
Kasumi and the girl both tried to put a damp cloth on Ranma-chan's
head at the same time. They smiled. Then they tried to adjust her pillow,
then the sheets, feel her forehead, etc. The girl giggled.
"It appears you met your match, dear Yuannyan," Herb said.
"Yuannyan?" Akane asked.
The girl nodded, "Uh-huh. And this is my sister, Zh--" Herb looked
at her. She realized she had said too much and fell silent.
"I believe you are wondering what is the meaning of this," Herb
said. He turned to you, the reader, "and now all the plot twists, or at
least the majority, shall be straightened."
"First allow Kirin to inform you, he is brother to Herb, prince of
the Musk Dynasty."
"Huh?" Ranma huhed.
"Yes," Herb said, "we are both sons of the king that ruled over
this kingdom. When our father passed away, he divided the land between us.
I remained here at the Musk village, while my brother Kirin took the
throne of the Nekonron territory. Unfortunately, we have not been able to
reunite the kingdom since." He glared at Kirin.
"But Kirin is as guilty as Herb for that matter," Kirin added,
unaffected by Herb's comment, and ate a pickle afterwards.
"And what about..." Nabiki pointed at Ranma-chan and Yuannyan.
"Tell them, Herb-chan," Yuannyan said, cuddling up to him. Herb
blushed slightly.
"Yes, please," Kasumi said. "The resemblance between you is
amazing."
Herb cleared his throat, "There should be a resemblance, taking
into account they are twins." Nearly everyone was frozen in surprise. "No
need to be alarmed. You should be very familiar with this by now. As you
must recall, there are two springs in Jusenkyo that formed 1500 years ago.
Those are... WERE the Nyannichuan and Shuanshontsuniichuan. But in truth,
they were the same spring, in which two girls..." His voice showed slight
hesitation, as if the topic were too difficult for him.
Yuannyan held his hand, "It's okay, Herb-chan. It wasn't your
fault."
"Wait a minute..." Ranma came closer, "you're not saying you
were..."
Yuannyan looked straight at him. Her innocent gaze nearly summoned
Ranma to come even closer. "Yes. We were those twins."
For over a minute, an eerie silence filled the room. Among the
Japanese people, only Nodoka wasn't shocked. Mousse and Shampoo looked at
Cologne, who was grinning in satisfaction.
"But I don't understand," Ryouga said. "If you two fell in a
single spring, how come there are two different wells now?"
"Just plain erosion and land change," Yuannyan said, shrugging.
"Besides, the spring where we fell didn't split in two, it split in four."
"Then what are those other springs?" Ranma asked.
"You ask a difficult question," Herb said. "We cannot reveal the
origin of those other springs, but I assume Phoenix shall tell you in
time."
Akane suddenly looked at Herb, "You mean... he's coming here?"
Herb nodded. "It will not be for quite a while, though. After what
he has done, he is to rest before meeting you all."
Ranma looked at them confused. "What're you talking about? Who's
Phoenix?"
Yuannyan looked towards Ranma-chan, "It's... nobody important."
Disappointed, Ranma turned to Herb, "By the way, the old ghoul
told me some of you people use something called White Touch, or something
like that. You know about it?"
Herb and Yuannyan quickly looked at each other, "You... how do you
know about the White Touch?"
Cologne hopped next to them, "The son-in-law recently used it.
Unwillingly, I might add. He doesn't know yet of his female twin's
secret."
"What secret?" Ranma asked.
"Well," Yuannyan said, "a very long time ago, me and my sister
arrived here from Japan..." she noticed Ranma's expression, "no, we're not
Chinese. Anyway, we arrived at the Amazon village and trained there, and
that's how we learned the White and Gray Touch techniques. After a while,
we traveled to this village, and met Phoenix."
"Wait, wait. First, what's that Gray Touch? And who is Phoenix
again?"
Cologne said, "The Gray Touch is similar to the White, except it
is not based on blasting your opponent away with your ki. Maybe you will
get a chance to see it soon."
"As for the Phoenix," Herb said, "when Yuannyan and her sister
arrived at this village, they met a warrior from the Bizantine Empire, I
assume. He befriended them, and trained together. He was a great master of
ki, which only led him to have equally powerful enemies. That situation is
what eventually led to the accident at Jusenkyo."
"Hmph," Nabiki crossed her arms. "Then that explains it..."
"What are you talking about?" Akane asked. Nabiki took out a small
tape recorder from her pocket.
"I recorded this when Auntie brought Ranma-kun the other day.
He... she... whatever, was mumbling some strange names in his... her...
sleep." She pushed the play button. They heard Ranma-chan's voice,
mentioning several names: Yuannyan's, Herb's, and Phoenix. They couldn't
identify a few others, but they sounded vaguely like "Lael,"
"Cordis-oneechan," and then the one that she repeated the most:
"Coldfire." Yuannyan shuddered visibly when she heard her sister's voice
pronounce that name, but the first two made her smile widely. Especially
the "Cordis" one.
"I have to say," Herb admitted, "I don't know who those others
are, with the exception of 'Coldfire'. But I am not allowed to disclose
his identity for now."
Akane looked at Nodoka, who still seemed unaffected. "Auntie, what
do you think? You haven't said anything."
She shrugged, "Before departing, Ranma-chan told me all of this,
and even more. But she asked me not to tell anything to you and the others
before we arrived here."
Genma folded his arms, "Then I suppose the rest of us will find
out at the proper time. But I still have a question," Herb raised his
head.
"Before we left," Genma said, "you said there were special
requirements for the spirit of a spring to be released. What are those
requirements? Why did my son release her?"
Yuannyan answered before Herb even opened his mouth, "It's more a
game of luck than anything else. But it has a lot to do with the host's
mental alignments. Since my sister was also very high-spirited and devoted
to her skills, only somebody who resembled her could do it."
Herb continued saying, "On the other hand, dear Yuannyan enjoyed
leading a more peaceful life, which explains her lack of a training as
advanced as her sister's. But her love for animals, especially monkeys, is
what helped her be released by one of such beings."
Ranma and Ryouga suddenly realized something. "Hold it!" Ranma
said, "If you were released by a monkey, then that means you are..."
Yuannyan nodded excitedly, then glomped onto Herb's arm. "Uh-huh.
I'm going to be Herb-chan's bride." Herb blushed strongly.
"Yes, that is true," he said, smiling, "But liberation, or
'Awakening' as we call it, is never complete. Sometimes, I can see dear
Yuannyan climbing trees or leaping among them, reminescent of her
origins." As if to show what Herb meant, Yuannyan acted like a monkey,
scratching her head and belly while making howling noises. She and Herb
smiled at each other.
"Who let the monkey in?" Ranma-chan said groggily as she sat up,
rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Immediately Ranma-kun jumped
away before she noticed him.
"Ah... ah... ah..." he pointed nervously at Ranma-chan.
"Yuan-chan!" she said as she looked at Yuannyan, who hugged her in
reply.
"Heh, it seems the twins have been reunited," Cologne said.
Akane said, "I'm sorry, Ranma. I had no idea you..." The twins
looked at her, suddenly freezing her in midsentence. She blinked several
times as the two identical faces stared back.
"Don't call her Ranma!" Ranma-kun said. "That's my name!"
"But it's mine too," Ranma-chan said, smirking.
"No, it's not!"
"Is so!"
Nodoka smiled amused at their bickering, "Calm down, you two.
We'll think of different ways to call you later."
"Why don't you use your old name?" Yuannyan said.
Ranma-chan grimaced, "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Your old name?" Akane said.
"What is it?" Ukyou asked.
Yuannyan opened her mouth to talk, but Ranma-chan cupped her hand
over her mouth. They just heard Yuannyan mumbling.
"Maybe Ranma-chan would like to tell you later," Nodoka said.
Ranma-kun just fumed.
One of the palace guards came into the chambers, bowing, "The
quarters have been readied, Master."
Herb rose from his sitting position, "Very well. I believe you are
all tired, and hungry. I beg your pardon for not being able to hold the
proper feast this occasion demands, but I wasn't able to prepare for so
many visitors. However, I have arranged for dinner to be brought to you at
your chambers. Mint, Lime!" the guards appeared next to the door, "Please
escort our guests to their rooms. I shall be at the East wing room."
Lime and Mint blinked, "Are you sure, Master? That room is falling
apart."
Herb smiled, "I have decided to leave my chambers for the Saotome
family, along with dear Yuannyan. A good ruler must learn to be humble and
generous, don't you agree?" Yuannyan looked at him with starry eyes.
Impressed, Lime and Mint bowed. They led the others to their respective
rooms. Only the Saotomes, Yuannyan, Herb and Kirin remained.
"Kirin believes there shall be further surprises within the next
few days."
Ranma just looked at Ranma-chan and Yuannyan uneasily.

Zhaodi-chan?

Ranma-chan couldn't sleep a wink. Understandably, considering she
had slept all afternoon. But that wasn't the real reason why she walked
the palace halls at midnight, in her fishcake-decorated pajamas.
The palace was huge. Probably half the village was contained
within its walls. Lightly tip-toeing across the cold tile floors, Ranma
reached a balcony that looked out the palace.
Leaning towards the railing, she took a deep breath and closed her
eyes. Somehow she just couldn't remove the smile from her face. The peace
outside was equal to what she felt in her heart. At last everything was
over. All the suffering, the troubles, the unending fights... they were
over. The curse had been removed. The springs were no more. And when
Phoenix came back, she would... she would tell him. She still felt her
cheeks reddening, but she could only smile. For the first time in her
second life, Ranma felt everything was right.
Opening her eyes, she looked out towards the landscape. From that
position, she could see all the way back to Jusenkyo. The moonlight,
reflected by the springs, gave the impression of hundreds of small silver
plates. The sky was clear, and the air was fresh. A soft breeze waved her
hair backwards. The delicate "cric-cric" of the crickets below added to
the intense peace.
Yes, _everything_ was right.

* * *

The men finished loading Kirin's barge. The travelers had already
moved their luggage to their quarters aboard. Settled outside the palace
walls, the flying ship was ready to depart, taking them back to Japan.
Herb and Yuannyan were standing outside the gates, facing outside.
They had been avoiding the rest, they didn't want to say goodbye to them.
"It's been over 1500 years, and now..." Yuannyan said, quietly.
Herb put his arm around her, trying to comfort his fiancee.
A few other people approached them, coming from within the palace.
Turning around, they saw Cologne, Shampoo and Mousse, walking up to them.
"You no Ranma, right?" Shampoo asked Yuannyan.
"Not everybody fully understood your explanation," Cologne said.
"This is Yuannyan, Shampoo. Ranma is already aboard."
Herb and Yuannyan looked back at the ship, dumfounded. Ranma-chan
was indeed aboard, fastening the ropes that held the large containers on
the stern of the ship. She looked at them briefly, but her face turned
worried and she turned away, concentrating on her work.
"She is taking this just like you," Herb said. "Why don't you go
with them? You are aware I would not want to see you upset such as this."
Yuannyan looked at him, blushing, "My... my place is here. With
the Musk. Just like her place is with her family... her new family. I also
want to stay with my family, Herb-chan."
He looked at her, thoughtful. Smiling, he messed up her hair. "I
received the message, dear Yuannyan." Their faces came closer, and
closer...
For once Mousse was wearing his glasses. He looked at the couple,
then at Shampoo. Now that she and Ranma-kun were normal again, she would
probably double her efforts. He had to act before Ranma appeared. Getting
a fix on Shampoo's position, he slid up his glasses and moved towards her.
"Sh-Shampoo..." he said, "Now that we're normal again, would you
go out with me?"
"Wrong girl, duckboy," Ukyou said to him, as she passed by. He was
staring right towards a tiger sculpture. "By the way, has anyone seen
Ryouga?" she asked, "I found his pack in one of the towers."
"I'd bet the idiot tried to find the door and ended up back in a
spring somewhere," Ranma-kun said, coming into view. Immediately Ukyou and
Shampoo clung to him. Then an elbow connected with his face, as Akane
drove him into the ground.
"You've got no excuse this time, Ranma! Why do you let them do
this?!" Akane shouted in his ear.
"Shampoo no turn into cat now, so Ranma no afraid of her anymore,"
Shampoo said.
"But Shampoo!" Mousse said, "I don't turn into a duck anymore
either!"
"No, but Mousse have bird brain anyway."
"I don't think this is helping you," Herb said quietly to
Yuannyan. He slowly led her away, but then both Ranmas approached them.
Ranma-kun scowled at Ranma-chan for an instant, then shook Herb's hand.
"Hey, thanks for helping us," he said, "Sorry 'bout the fight. No
hard feelings?"
Herb smiled, "Yes, 'no hard feelings'. But you shouldn't be
thanking me, it was Phoenix who devised the plan in its entirety. As a
matter of fact, he taught me the Mind Blast which was so necessary for it
to work."
"When do you think he'll come?" Ranma-chan asked, hopeful.
"It should be pretty soon," Yuannyan said, "I mean, you know how
weird he is sometimes." The twins smirked. "Yeah, I got that," Ranma-chan
said. She hugged her sister, "I'm gonna miss you, squirt." She was used
to calling her that way, since she was the older twin by one minute.
"Yes, me too," Yuannyan said, "but we're from different worlds
now. You belong with them, I belong here."
"Thanks," Ranma-chan pulled away. "So, any chance for you to come
visit?"
"Maybe," Yuannyan said, "Herb-chan and I are already looking for a
date and all..." the couple turned bright red.
Lime and Mint appeared from behind the palace, with an embarrassed
Ryouga in tow. "Master, we found him. He was unable to leave his bedroom."
"Master, we're ready to leave," Ebiten said, aboard the ship.
Kirin came up next to Herb and motioned his men to wait.
"Kirin will return as soon as he delivers the passengers,
brother." Herb nodded. Kirin and the others began to head for the ship,
but Akane quickly came back to Herb.
"Look, I'm... sorry for what I said before. I should have listened
to you."
He smiled, "No need for apologies. You knew nothing of our plans."
She returned the smile, "Well, thanks for everything." She glanced
at Yuannyan, "You... you're her twin sister, then? Could you... tell me
more about her?"
Yuannyan smirked, "Nothing more than what you already know. Well,
there are some other things, but she'd kill me if I told you. But just a
suggestion," she motioned for Akane to come closer, and then whispered in
her ear,"When 'Phoenix' shows up, don't get angry at him or anything. My
sister will like that."
"Huh?" Akane blinked, "Why? What do you mean?"
"You'll find out," Yuannyan snickered, then stepped back and let
Herb put his arm around her. Puzzled, Akane shrugged and bowed, then she
ran back to the boarding crowd.
With a blast of air, the barge slowly rose from the ground.
"See ya, Yuan-chan!" Ranma-chan waved from the ship, as Ranma-kun
edged away from her nervously.
"Bye, Zhaodi-chan!" Yuannyan waved back happily in a girlish
voice. A large drop of sweat appeared on Ranma-chan's head.
"'Zhaodi'?" Akane asked. Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne were choking,
trying not to laugh. Nodoka looked at the trio annoyed.
"Zh-Zhaodi!" Mousse clutched his gut, laughing.
"And Shampoo thought she had strange name!"
Cologne managed to control herself, but couldn't supress a giggle,
"It... ha ha... It's certainly f-fitting!" All three of them just gave out
laughing. Ranma-chan fumed like a volcano.
"Actually, it doesn't sound that bad..." Akane said.
"That's because you don't know what it means in Chinese!" Mousse
spurted.
"'B-Bring b-b...'!" Shampoo tried to say.
Even Nodoka was starting to fume like Ranma-chan. "There is no
reason to make fun of such beautiful name. At least she isn't named like a
bathroom product like you."
Akane looked at her, "Auntie? Do you know what it means?" Nodoka
nodded, "Ranma-chan told me before we left."
"Then what does it--"
Ranma-chan ran over to her, "Don't ask."
"Wh-why, 'Zhaodi', surely you don't want them to be left in the
dark," Cologne said, grinning. "It... it means 'bring a brother'."
Shampoo giggled, "At least she honor name!"
Ranma-kun scowled, "I am NOT her brother!"
Defeated, Ranma-chan tried to explain, "Well, back to when we were
in China, our other parents wanted to have a boy, but got us instead. I'm
a little older, so they called me 'bring a brother' because they thought
they'd have a boy after me. But then they called Yuan-chan 'Pandi' or
'expecting a boy' because we we were both girls and they still wanted a
boy."
Nodoka held her. "Don't let them make fun of you. Just ignore
them." She couldn't help smirking, "Besides, you did bring a brother."
"I AM NOT HER BROTHER!"

The rendezvous

A young man walked the streets of Nerima, towards the Tendo dojo.
He was completely covered in black and gray robes, concealed by a
navy-blue trenchcoat. He carried a large backpack, almost as heavy as
Ryouga's. His face was completely hidden by a light-blue mask.
Arriving at the closed gates, he put his hands on the dojo's sign.
He looked at it thoughtfully, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Easily he leapt over the walls, landing on the garden. He went around the
house, realizing it was deserted. Clenching a fist, he created a gray aura
shield beneath his feet, using it to rise upwards to the roof. From that
position, he could see very far, almost as far as Furinkan High school.
He smiled beneath the mask. At last he had arrived. Sure, the
place was deserted, but soon he would meet the person he had been looking
for.
"Ah, yes," he thought, "This is where she has been living, under
the disguise of the curse. Ranma, I believe, is her current name." With
ease, the figure created a large gray ki ball in each hand. "But the
expectation has come to an end. For the one formerly known as Zhaodi will
now meet the Phoenix of Gray, who will bring forth her destruction and the
death of her family!"
He shot out a massive ki blast, and an evil laughter echoed
throughout the city.
Calming down, he took out a small booklet from his coat, entitled
_1001 Classic Megalomaniacal Villain Quotes and the Fine Art of Cackling_.
"This thing really does work," he said to himself.

* * *

The group was at the beach, enjoying the summer vacation which
would soon end. In the shore, Ranma-kun, Genma, Ryouga, Mousse and Shampoo
were overcome with joy, splashing and swimming about. Everybody else
looked at them as if they were insane. And on the beach, the rest were
sunbathing, greatly relieved to know Happosai wasn't there.
Akane looked at Ranma-kun, giggling. "I don't think I've ever seen
him this excited."
Nodoka handed her a glass of iced tea, "They must be really happy
to be cured." She looked at Genma, and smiled.
"Actually, I don't see what's so hot about swimming like that,"
Ranma-chan said, taking off her sunglasses. She sat up and turned on her
stomach, continuing to bathe in the sun.
"Oh, yeah?" Akane said, "When was the last time you took a hot
bath?" Ranma-chan turned away, annoyed. Akane smiled at her victory.
Soun came back down to them from the hotel, accompanied by Nabiki,
"I still don't understand," he said.
Nabiki sat next to Akane, "The guy at the desk told us they
wouldn't charge us a yen. Looks like somebody else already paid for ALL
our rooms."
"But who could have spent all that money for us?" Akane asked.
Soun and Nabiki just shrugged. Ranma-chan got up on her elbows, putting
her chin in her hands, "Guess I know who that was..." she said to herself,
smirking. She got up, brushing the sand off her green bathing suit. "I
think I'll check around the hotel, to see if I can find out. Don't wait
up!" She waved at the others and ran back up to the hotel. She was gone
in a flash.
"I wonder what's gotten into her," Akane said, and turned to
Nodoka. Although Mrs. Saotome knew exactly what her daughter was excited
about, she decided to remain quiet, replying only with a shrug.

* * *

It was already dark. The hotel staff had pulled out a wooden
platform down to the beach, together with lamps and potted palm trees.
The soft music invited people to dance on the platform. But there were two
dancing couples that just couldn't avoid scowling at Ranma-kun and Akane.
"I have to find a way to get Ranchan away from her," Ukyou thought
as she and Ryouga pretended to dance. "Hey, Ryouga, why don't you take out
Akane?" She noticed his expression, "Yo! Earth to Ryouga! Hey!" Ryouga
was drifting off in another fantasy, as he dreamed he danced with Akane.
Ukyou bonked him on the head, but received no answer. Letting go of him
for an instant, she took a large pot and lovingly crashed it on his head.
He was still out of it. She sighed in defeat.
At the other end of the dance floor, Mousse was in paradise,
despite the fact that Shampoo kept looking in Ranma's direction. "How
Shampoo get rid of Mousse now?" Shampoo thought, noticing the powerful
grip he had on her hands and the ear-to-ear grin on his face.
Akane and Ranma were at the center of the platform, looking
nervously around to check that nobody was trying to attack them.
Eventually, they settled down, and enjoyed the dance.
"Heh," Ranma smiled to himself.
"What?" Akane asked.
"It's just that I never thought a tomboy could dance li--"
Akane purposely stomped his foot, "And to think I didn't believe
macho jerks could be able to move on the dance floor."
"What're you talking about?" Ranma asked, irritated.
"Just that an elephant would do better than you."
"So you're saying you're a better dancer, eh?"
"I'm surprised you understood the message," Akane grinned. "Girls
are always better dancers."
"Okay, I'll show you." He grabbed a bucket of ice water from a
waiter and poured it on himself. "Oops."
Akane giggled. "Sometimes I think you liked being a girl," she
taunted.
"What?! Are you crazy?! I'm glad I got rid of that curse!"
"Are you sure YOU got rid of it?"
Ranma was taken aback, "Well, in some way..."
"You still haven't thanked her, have you?"
He grimaced. "No, and I won't thank her. Everybody's acting like
she's my sister or something, but she's just a girl who was in the spring.
She's caused more troubles than I can even remember, and--"
"And you wish she was here," Akane said.
"Hmph. Who'd want a crazy tomboy like her around?"
"You're talking about yourself, dummy," she poked him on the
chest. He couldn't find a suitable comeback and continued dancing in a
sulky mood.
Out the corner of her eye, Akane saw Mr. and Mrs Saotome leave the
dance floor and head for the hotel.
Nodoka noticed her, "Good night, Akane-chan!" She flung a set of
keys to Ranma, "I think your sister is already upstairs."
"She is not MY sister!"
Nodoka ignored that comment, and Ranma's parents went into the
hotel.
"Why don't you just admit and save yourself the trouble?" Akane
asked.
"No WAY."
The music changed to a more romantic tune. Akane and Ranma stood
there, embarrassed, not knowing what to do. Suddenly Ukyou and Shampoo saw
their opportunity.
"Guess I'll have to do this without you, Ryouga," Ukyou said as
she let go of him. Ryouga was already lost in a reverie, and his erratic
dancing led him to become lost in the beach also. Shampoo steered Mousse
towards a palm tree and switched her hands with its leaves. He didn't even
notice. Both girls ran over to Ranma.
"You want to dance, Ranchan?"
"No! Ranma dance with Shampoo!"
Akane glared at them, but then the girls used Ranma to play
tug-of-war. The couples nearby could hear the sound of joints dislocating.
"Help!" Ranma cried out weakly. In reply, Akane smashed his face
on the floorboard.
"Ranchan!" Ukyou exclaimed.
"Ranma, you alright?" Shampoo asked.

* * *

Ranma-kun came out of the elevator, rubbing his head.
Absent-minded, he rummaged through his pockets looking for the keys to his
room. Stupid tomboy... Always hitting him when it wasn't his fault...
As he walked to the door, he felt a strong ki emanating from
within. No, not HER again... He took a hand to his forehead and opened the
door. Why did he have to stay with that weird girl, anyway?
When he came in, he saw that the lights were turned off. Standing
between the beds, Ranma-chan was concentrating on various techniques, most
of which he had never seen before. It looked as if she had been like that
since noon, for she still wore her bathing suit and sunglasses. All she
had done was cover herself with a white "Street Fighter 2" T-shirt, which
was nearly soaked through in sweat. Still unsure as of what to do, Ranma
kept watching her techniques. Some of them were normal attacks, like kicks
and punches,but from time to time she would glow faint blue and do the
motions for a ki blast.
Without breaking her rhythm, with her eyes closed, she said,
"What? You gonna stare all night?" Ranma ignored her and went to the
bathroom to wash his face. She ceased practicing and looked at him. "You
can't do this forever, you know."
"Oh, yeah? Just watch me." Ranma walked towards a lamp on the
nightstand and took off its screen, placing it on a lopsided position so
the light was aimed towards the wall in a broad circle. Moving to the
wall, he began to shadowbox.
Mimicking his actions, Ranma-chan aimed another lamp at the wall,
lighting a circle next to Ranma-kun. Standing next to him, she imitated
his every move. Annoyed, he moved on to several more advanced techniques,
which she followed to perfection. After a while of this, Ranma got fed up
and used the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken, sending 738 punches in under 2
seconds. The shadows moved as quickly as his fists. Satisfied and
confident, he stood back, waiting for her to try to beat his own personal
record. Smirking, she took a step back and threw 945 punches. Her fists
didn't even cast shadows anymore. Dumfounded and upset, Ranma bolted out
of the room. She followed him. "Hey, what's gotten into you?"
Just as he was about to reach the elevator, its doors burst open,
revealing a figure dressed in samurai garb and brandishing a bokuto."Bwa
ha ha!" Kuno gloated, "Sasuke has informed me well! You are indeed here,
Saotome, now you shall pay for enslaving the precious pigtailed girl and
Akane Ten--"
Without a word, Ranma turned around, held Ranma-chan's waist with
his hands, lifted her off the ground, and placed her in front of Kuno.
"She's all yours, Kuno." He walked back to his room. "Finally, I got rid
of two nuisances," he thought.
"WHAT?!?!" Ranma-chan shouted at him.
Kuno stood behind her, incredule, "Ah! So you relinquish her to
me! Surely you have been so terrified by my prowess you give up without a
fight! Now, O pigtailed goddess, no one stands in our way! Bwa ha ha ha!"
He glomped onto her from behind like a leech.
"Get off of me you idiotic jerk!" Seeing that his grip wouldn't
budge, Ranma-chan walked towards Ranma, dragging Kuno, and flung him over
her shoulder. The "Blue Thunder" smashed headfirst into Ranma, knocking
both of them towards the end of the hallway. Ranma-chan rushed worriedly
up to them. "Jeez, I'm sorry but you brought this upon yourself..." she
said to Ranma as she lifted the unconscious Kuno off him.
Weakly, Ranma said, "G-get away... groan... from me... you
kawaikunee tomboy..."
Pissed, Ranma-chan let Kuno fall on him again and stomped her way
to the room. Taking only a yellow cap, she stormed out and headed for the
elevator, scowling at Ranma before the doors closed.
"Crazy chick..." Ranma managed to say before losing consciousness.

* * *

Ranma-kun and Akane walked the streets nearby to the hotel, as if
looking for somebody. Ranma was obviously griping about having to tag
along.
"Raaanmaaa! Where are you?" Akane yelled.
"I told you already I'm right here!" Ranma said.
"Not you, you jerk! Your sister!"
"For the last time: that weird, crazy, uncute, violent tomboy is
NOT my sister!"
"How... how can you say that? After all she's done for you!"
"Troubles and more troubles!"
"Then why are you out here?"
"You know Mom and Pop will kill me if she doesn't come back."
"So how did Auntie find out she was missing?"
"Oh, she came to check up on us this morning and saw she wasn't in
the room. I thought I was lucky. But then Mom scolded me for saying some
things that maybe I shouldn't have..."
Akane looked at him with hope, "So you're sorry about--"
He quickly got back at her, "No, I'm not! All I did was tell the
truth! I'm sorry I said it because now I have to go all over town looking
for a girl I didn't even want to meet!"
"Remember that you were once the same person, Ranma. You can't
treat her like that."
"Sounds funny coming from someone who used to crush her head with
a mallet."
"Ranma no baka!" Akane crushed HIS head with a mallet.

* * *

Boy, it was hot. It's a good thing she could easily mooch off free
ice cream from the beachside vendors, or she would have to go back for
money. But Ranma-chan always found it easy to use her "kawaii mode" to
get free food.
As she ate her double ice cream, she walked through the streets
along the hotel section of town. After storming out of the hotel last
night she had tried to cool off her temper by training in a secluded
beach, but a large triangular fin accompanied by John William's music
advised her to go someplace else. So she had spent the night at a small
inn, which was also payed for by the time she left it.
Coming out of the sun, into an area shaded by the large buildings
to the sides, she took off her cap and put it on backwards, ready to mooch
off another sundae. She regretted leaving the hotel in such a hurry,
without shoes or sandals, for the hard sidewalk was hot as a grill for her
bare feet. Suddenly, it appeared to cool down, almost in response to her
thoughts. Turning around, she caught a glimpse of a dark figure leaping
across the rooftops in the distance.
Now she was sure.
The others had to know. She ran excitedly back to the hotel. She
didn't notice every step of the road becoming lighter and cooler. From the
distance, she heard her mother and Akane calling for her. She pressed on,
only to run into a familiar sword-wielding figure.
"P-Pigtailed goddess! You have come... to me?"
Before her fist made contact with his face, Ranma-chan heard a
slight rumor in the wind, like supressed laughter. "Who's there?" she
asked.
"'O, pigtailed goddess', I can see you have many admirers," a male
voice said, laughing out loud this time. "But that nickname doesn't win
any awards for originality, though."
"Who dares disturb our reunion?" Kuno asked. "I demand to kn--"
Ranma booted him into orbit, causing him to crash into a CIA satellite.
"You, on the other hand," the voice continued, "really have a good
taste in names." A figure dropped from the sky, covered by a gray
trenchcoat, and wearing leather boots and gloves. A red pilot's jacket and
brown pants could be seen beneath, but the face was covered by an odd gold
helmet, with only two slits for the eyes.
"Sheesh, aren't you hot in that outfit? You think you're Rocketeer
or something?" Ranma-chan said, mockingly. Without warning, the figure
attacked.She jumped away instinctively, but the punch was feeble and slow.
Almost laughing at the pathetic assault, Ranma avoided a series of kicks
and punches. The attacks were always very simple, almost as if this
fighter were just a beginner, but they were still aimed away from her. But
even if the kicks and punches were useless against her skill, she wouldn't
counterattack. She was sick and tired of these weird characters who wanted
to do nothing but fight. This time, she preferred to think her way out of
it.
Stepping back, the figure took out a smooth staff, nearly 1.50
meters long. He lunged at her with it, missing her head by only a few
milimeters. The attacks renewed, but again they all missed on purpose.
"Either this guy stinks or he doesn't really wanna hit me," Ranma
thought. Stalling, she said aloud, "You're not that bad, you know."
Surprised, the figure stepped back, blinking. "C'mon, I stink and
you know it." Yet again, he continued to attack. He lunged at her with the
staff, almost hitting her in the gut. Ranma handsprung off it and landed
behing him.
"That does it!" she said. When the figure turned around, his face
met Ranma's foot. Staggering back, he put the staff back in the
trenchcoat.Holding his mask, which now had an impression of Ranma's foot,
he leapt nearly thirty feet backwards. That was impressive. Although he
completely lacked martial arts skill, he did seem to possess some other
abilities.
"This will show who I am," he said, as he took the ends of the
coat and lifted them.
"Oohh," Ranma nearly laughed, "Dracula!"
The figure grinned, "Not exactly." He crossed his arms, and bolted
forward. "Blazing Bullet!"
Suddenly enveloped by a fiery aura, the figure charged at
Ranma-chan with blinding speed, his arms crossed in front of his face.
The entire street was covered in fire before Ranma could even react.

* * *

Cologne bounced off the rooftops, back from her search for
Ranma-chan. She would have continued, but when she felt a powerful ki near
the hotel she knew she had to go back. And it paid off: just as she was
about to come into the building, she saw a large explosion of fire coming
from down the street.
"So, he has returned," she thought, and came into the hotel,
satisfied.

* * *

The man stood ten feet behind Ranma-chan, with his fists
outstretched as if he had thrown a punch. His mask was gone. At first
glance, he appeared to be about 17 years old. His face was slightly feline
in structure, with sharp eyes and thick eyebrows that were slightly tilted
towards the center of his brow. He had back --and slightly messed-up--
hair, which was tied into a ponytail as long as Shinnosuke's. His eyes
were bright red, almost like coals. His face had a smile of satisfaction.
Ranma-chan was in shock, still unable to move after the attack.
She couldn't yet make out what happened. First the boy lunged at her with
a running tackle, but he was covered in fire. Then an aura shield was
formed around her, protecting her from the flames, while the boy leapt
over it and landed behind her. And now, her eyes were blankly looking
forward, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. It took her a second to
recover.
And a realization came to her.
Both of them turned around towards the other. Ranma-chan blinked
confused, while the boy smiled at her.
"Zhaodi-chan?" he said.
"Ph-Phoenix?" Ranma asked, still dazed.
He nodded slowly.

End of the Second Step

------------------------------------------------------------------------
al70...@campus.ccm.itesm.mx

The Four Birds of Fire

Third Step: White Bird

The seeds of the fire

Both of them snapped out of it and ran for each other, arms fully
extended. Upon meeting, they fell into a tight hug that was quickly
accompanied by wide smiles. "You really took your time, you idiot!" Ranma
exclaimed, closing her eyes to widen her smile.
"I can't believe it _is_ you!" he pulled up slightly so her feet
didn't touch the ground. Given his height, she barely reached his chin!
"Of course it's me, you baka!" Ranma-chan detached from him while
playfully bonking his head. She immediately released a high kick to his
head, as if to test him. "But you could've come sooner!"
He dodged, "Who could've known it'd take you 1500 years to find
somebody like you, you tomboy?" He darted his fist towards her.
"Hey, it wasn't my fault, you jerk!" she blocked the fist and
tried a sweep-kick.
"Nor mine!" Phoenix took the fall and launched a small ki ball at
her.
"So how did a moron like you find us?" she leapt over the blast
and jumpkicked.
He sidestepped, "You gotta thank your brother's fiancee for that."
He swung around with a backhanded fist.
She grabbed his arm and threw him over her shoulder, "You mean
Akane?"
He rolled in midair and landed on his feet, "Yep." He tried an
uppercut.
She back-flipped and grabbed his arm with her feet, "And you
planned all this?" She completed the back flip and drove him into the
street.
He stopped his fall with one arm and bounced away, "You got it."
He lunged at her with a spear-hand, "What'd you think?"
She dropped to the ground and pushed his legs out from under him,
"Could've been better."
He grabbed Ranma's shoulders and handstood on them, "How so?"
She stood up, making him lose his balance, "You could have told us
first, you idiot!"
He landed next to her, "Hey, it worked, right?" They stood there,
panting from the heat and the workout. "So, 'Ranma Saotome', eh?"
She nodded, "And...?" She waited for him to catch his breath. She
was excited about this reunion, that was for sure, but she was a bit
embarassed that she couldn't remember his name.
That was one of the worst parts of being trapped in Jusenkyo.
Since she had been inside the spring for so long, the magic had somehow
erased her most traumatic memories - those asociated with drowning, and
even what her parents looked like. And since she had met him shortly
before falling in the spring, she had seemingly forgotten about many of
the details of Phoenix' relationship with her and her sister, his own name
included. She could remember bits and pieces, but nothing precise. And
then, there were things she thought were just products of her imagination,
which her mind believed to be true after being deprived of her real
memories.
It was even worse when Ranma's psyche kept her down. His mind
slowly kept erasing her; she was lucky she could still revert to her old
self after the separation. Unfortunately, _his_ memories didn't spare her
own. It was akward. She could remember meeting Ukyou with more clarity
than even arriving at Jusenkyo!
"Well, I didn't exactly get a name..." he said. He knew it. He
could sense her embarassment at forgetting his name. He knew she wouldn't
remember. But he was still her... friend... and would help her as such.
"...but some of the guys back at the Esper World call me... Phaeron."
Ranma-chan blinked, "'Esper World'?"
He put his hands on his knees, "It's a very long story. First, has
anyone in this world heard of Magitek, or the War of the Magi?"

* * *

"So you were trapped in a rock for a thousand years?!" Ranma
asked, not believing Phoenix' story. She knew her own history was hard to
believe, but she never expected him to have shared a similar fate.
"Hey, it's nothing compared to being contained in a spring for
1500 years, right? Besides, time flows differently in Esper World."
"And what did you do for the other 500?"
"I got around, helped beat a couple demons, brought a few people
back to life, defeated a crazed master of magic named Kefka..." He noticed
Ranma-chan was speechless. "But everything's had its highs and lows. When
I was turned into an Esper by those goddesses, many people used me as a
tool for their battles. Since they owned the Magicite rock that contained
me, I couldn't disobey them. But when that guy Locke rescued me,
everything turned out for the better. We defeated Kefka, we Espers were
released, and I got to train and study with them in their world." He
opened his double-bag, "They even gave me a few Magicites, too." He looked
thoughtfully at Ranma-chan, "You know, there is a guy back there, called
Sabin, that's a lot like you and your brother!" But then he noticed she
looked rather glum. "I'm sorry 'bout that. I guess I forgot you were... I
mean, you couldn't..."
She looked up at him, suddenly brightening up, "Hey, don't worry.
This life's been pretty interesting, too."
He smiled back, "I can tell. Seraphim could somehow show me
everything that happened here. I don't know how she managed to do it, but
she did." Ranma looked nervous for a moment. He continued, with a grin on
his face "You don't know how much I would have liked to help you against
Pantyhose Taro and Herb."
She turned to him, annoyed "You think I needed help?! I could take
you, or any of those guys anytime!"
He smiled, "I knew you'd say that. Even after 1500 years, you
haven't changed a bit."

"My girl!" Nodoka exclaimed as she saw Ranma-chan enter the hotel
lobby with Phoenix --or Phaeron-- in tow. She ran up to her and held her
tightly.
"Agh... uh... gasp... Mom... wheeze... I can't... pant...
breathe..."
"And you are?" Akane asked as she saw Phaeron. He didn't look
Japanese, or even Asian. His features were closer to somebody from the
Mediterranean.
He bowed, "I am Phaeron of Fenix, also known as Esper Phoenix,
Third Phoenix, Phoenix of Fire, Ignis..." he was beginning to drift off.
"They get the picture," Ranma-chan said, rolling her eyes. Akane
looked at him with wide eyes. Nodoka released Ranma and walked to him, as
if to examine him.
So this was Phoenix... Finally, in person. She had heard much
about him, from the few memories her daughter could recall. He seemed to
be like her son, but with a more fiery personality. She was quick to
notice the way he looked at her daughter. Slowly, a smirk appeared on
Nodoka's face. But she would have to learn more from him...
"You... you really are..." Akane said. He nodded, smiling.
Without a word, Akane's knee was suddenly part of Phaeron's face. "That's
for not telling us, you insensitive jerk!"
"Now, now, Akane-chan, it isn't ladylike to push other people's
noses into their heads," Nodoka said.
"What's all the racket?" Ranma said as he came out of the
elevator, with Ukyou and Shampoo clinging to him like yesterday's lint.
Akane gave him the same treatment she gave Phaeron.
"Oww! What was that for?!"
"I thought I told you to stop doing that, you jerk!"
Phaeron looked thoughtfully at the newly arrived. As he had known
of the events that took place around Ranma-chan, he could recognize the
faces. His mind took a little longer to assign them names, though. "Let's
see now... Chinese girl, purple hair, clings to male Ranma... she's
Shampoo, right?"
"Huh?" Shampoo was confused. Who was this weird gaijin with the
stupid outfit?
"And you are..." he said turning to Ukyou, "hmm, brown hair, white
ribbon, spatula, also clings to male Ranma... then you're Kuonji Ukyou."
"And who are you?" Ranma asked.
Phaeron tried to answer, but found Ranma-chan's hand over his
mouth. "He's Phoenix, oniisan."
"I-AM-NOT-YOUR--" Nodoka sent him a worried glance that cooled him
off.
"Let me guess, he's your 'loving' brother, right?" Phaeron said.
Ranma-chan sighed.
"YOU're Phoenix?" Ukyou and Shampoo looked at him wide-eyed. He
nodded hesitantly. As expected, the girls began to pound him into
marmalade.
"At least you could've warned us, you big jerk!" Ukyou said.
"You make Shampoo worry!" the Amazon yelled.
"Calm down, you guys!" Ranma-chan said.
"Stop it, great-granddaughter," Cologne said, appearing out of
nowhere.
"Great-grandmother..." Shampoo immediately calmed down. If Cologne
wanted her to stop, she wouldn't even try to argue.
"So this is the legendary Third Phoenix," Cologne loked at him up
and down. He didn't look like the great warrior she had expected, but she
knew better than to judge from appearance. She turned to Ranma-chan, "Are
you sure this is him, son-in-law's sister?"
"What did you mean by that?" Phaeron said, annoyed. "You want me
to prove I'm Phoenix?" Cologne smirked, "You are him alright. Only one who
bears that name could be so proud." He looked at her dumfounded.
"I believe we haven't been introduced properly," Nodoka said, "I
am Nodoka Saotome."
Phaeron whipped his head towards her, an obvious look of
nervousness filling his face. Fumbling at first, he quickly put his palms
on his sides and bowed respectfully, "I... I'm pleased to meet you, Mrs.
Saotome." Realizing how he had been rude by not presenting himself
properly, he spun in place and bowed before the rest of the people, eyes
closed and keeping a straight face.
"I want to thank you for what you have done to help me and my
children," Mrs. Saotome said, putting a hand on his shoulder to let him
stand up straight.. Ranma scowled at Ranma-chan again.
The smile that Phaeron saw on Nodoka's face soon found a reply on
his own, "I assure you, Mrs Saotome, it was nothing at all. None of it
would have happened without your understanding and faith."
"My, what a polite young man," Nodoka said, stepping back slightly
and with a pleased smile. Ranma-chan smirked a little at her mother's
reaction towards him, as if they had both received some sort of approval.
On the other hand, Ranma-kun felt jealous of the attention Phaeron
received.
One of the clerks came up to him, "Sir? Your luggage has been
prepared. Will you make your payment in the usual manner?"
"Sure, here." Phaeron gave the clerk a small bag. "That should
cover all eight rooms." As the clerk opened the bag, his eyes bulged out
at the sight of the gold coins inside.
"You mean you were the one who paid for this?" Ukyou said.
"Yes, I was. You wouldn't believe how easy it's to earn GP... I
mean, money, where I come from. The inns sometimes cost up to 2000 gold
pieces there, so this I consider cheap." He paused a moment to smirk, "And
I like to help out Zhaodi's friends."
Ranma-chan turned to him, "I'd like you to call me Ranma. That
other name reminds me of Coldfire. Besides, that's how they all call me
here."
"But that's MY name!" Ranma yelled.
"It's Ranma-chan's name too, Ranma," Nodoka said. "We really need
to think of different ways to call them," she thought.
"'Ranma-chan'? That's how they call you? 'Little wild horse'?"
Phaeron asked, finding it strange.
"No, without the 'chan'--"
"Okay then, Ranma-chan," Phaeron said, pretending to have missed
hearing her comment. "I'll have to get used to it, though. I still haven't
learned everything about those strange Japanese suffixes..." Ranma-chan
just covered her face with her hands in embarrassment.

After a few hours, Phaeron had helped everyone board the train
back to Tokyo. For him, it was all over. The 1500 years he had waited to
come back had finally ended.
Just before he boarded, he saw the shadow of a large bird-like
figure above him. "See? I told you it would turn out alright." Phaeron
said.
"I still hope it remains that way," the bird said with double
meaning.
"Calm down Crystallus. I haven't sensed him since I returned.
Maybe he's dead for good."

Oniisan, imootosan (Older brother, younger sister)

Kyoko Otonashi swept the sidewalk just outside her apartment
house, Ikkoku-kan, as she did every day. Beside her, Mr. Soichiro slept
like a log in his doghouse. It was a peaceful Monday morning, and for
once, there wasn't a single misunderstanding disrupting the lives of the
building's inhabitants.
But there was a change, though. A new resident had arrived
recently at Ikkoku-kan. And he was strange: no older than 17 years, at
most. He carried very little luggage when he arrived the day before, but
when she checked up on his room, No. 3, he seemed to have brought a
furniture store with him. Now that she thought about it, not even Mr.
Yotsuya was that strange.
Mr. Yotsuya!
Kyoko hurriedly came back in the building. She knocked on the door
to room 3, worried. After a few moments and some muttered words, a groggy
Phaeron opened it.
"Sorry to bother you," she said, "but have you been hearing
strange noises coming from that wall? Like somebody scratching?" Half
asleep, he shook his head. Stratching? What the heck was she talking
about...? But just then suddenly a battering ram crashed through the wall,
waking him up completely. Surprised all the way back from slumberland, he
stuttered, "What the heck are you?"
A strange-looking man peered in through the hole, examining the
room. He snapped his fingers. "Drat. Everything's in order. I can't be
interested in spying this room." He looked at Phaeron and an embarrassed
Kyoko, "Good morning. I am Yotsuya, from room 4. Pleased to meet you."
Phaeron hesitated as he shook his hand, "Don't you have a first
name?"
"Even if he did, he wouldn't tell you," a short and stubby woman
came in through the door, holding a bottle of sake.
"Mrs. Ichinose!" Kyoko said, upset, "You shouldn't drink at this
time of day!"
"I'm not drinking, I'm just holding on to it." She sat down on the
floor and began pouring drinks. "Besides, what's wrong with throwing a
little welcome party for the new resident?"
"Well, he's underage," Kyoko looked at Phaeron, "You are, aren't
you?" He nodded, looking nervously at Mrs. Ichinose and Yotsuya. Hearing
footsteps coming from the corridor, he turned to the door.
"Gyaahh..." he pointed at the neglige-clad redhead coming into the
room.
"Hi, I'm... hic... Roppongi Akemi. What're y'all... hic... doing
in here this early?"
"Oh, Akemi, you're not drunk again, are you?" Kyoko said, annoyed.
All of a sudden they heard a small celebration coming from beyond
Yotsuya's room. It sounded like "Free! Free of the Loon Squad at last!
Freeeeeee! Bwa ha ha ha!"
"That sounded like Godai-kun," Yotsuya said. "Maybe we should go
bother HIM now so he doesn't miss our presence."
"Good idea," Akemi said. She leaned towards Phaeron, who turned
bright red, "Nice to meet you, sweetums." She staggered her way out of the
room.
"Too bad, kid. Looks like your party's gonna wait," Mrs Ichinose
said as she went out the door.
Phaeron stood in his room, which had once again become silent in a
matter of seconds. "Wh-What was that?"
Kyoko smirked a little, "You'll have to get used to them. They do
this to Yusaku every day, and now I think they'll do it to you." She was
about to come out of the room when she caught a glimpse of the clock. It
read 6:30.
"Hmm. They're starting to get up earlier. They must be up to
something."
Phaeron turned to the clock and cried out in shock. He hurriedly
put on a jacket and jeans, and took his backpack. Running out the front
door, he waved at Kyoko and shot out like a bullet --literally-- towards
the Tendo dojo.

"Oh, man, what time is it?" Ranma-kun said as he came down the
stairs, still half asleep, while putting on his red sleeveless shirt.
"Crazy chick. Who's she think she is, taking my clothes?"
"Good morning, Ranma!" Nodoka waved from the kitchen. He almost
fell off his feet at the sound of his mother's voice, but his conscious
finally awoke and he remembered he didn't have to be afraid of her
anymore. "Is your sister up yet?" He started to make up a comeback, but he
was too tired and too sleepy to have an argument right now. He just
mumbled a surly yes. Genma came down as well, but unlike his son he was
completely awake. "Let's go, Ranma. We haven't trained in over a week."
Ranma-chan, wearing the red satin shirt, just came into view,
coming from the dojo with Akane. "No thanks, Pop."
Ranma snapped awake, "He was talking to me, you twit!"
She scowled at him, "Who's a twit, you brainless moron?"
"Calm down, you two," Kasumi said, coming out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, you're finally up early on the first day of school and
you're going to waste it fighting?" Nabiki said, sitting down at the
table. There was a knock on the door. "I'll get it," Akane said. "Oh, good
morning Phaeron. She told us you were coming, so we were waiting for you."
Ranma jealously tried to ignore the phoenix boy. If Akane wanted to act
nice with him then fine!
"So... sorry... sorry I'm late..." Phaeron said, panting.
"Late? It's 7:43 in the morning," Akane said. "What happened? You
look like you ran all over town."
"And knowing him, that's probably what he did," Ranma-chan said.
"You forgot the address we gave you, right?" he nodded, too tired to be
embarrassed. He didn't tell them he even tried consulting Ryouga for
directions.
"So, you're ready?" Ranma-chan asked, jumping out to the garden.
Phaeron followed, zombie-like.
"Watch, Ranma. We will train after your sister is done," Genma
said.
"She's not my--!" he suddenly heard a loud shout in the garden.
Phaeron was dashing towards a grinning Ranma-chan, who idly stood
even as he launched his first attack. Her grin enlarged slightly as the
sparring continued, a grin that was matched by the one on Phaeron's face.
Although it was clearly obvious Phaeron was barely a beginner-level
martial artist, neither did he complain about Ranma-chan's patronizing
"sparring" nor did she make any attempt to retaliate. In fact, they seemed
to be enjoying this, as if they were just recalling their routine from
fifteen hundred years ago.
Finally, after Phaeron flung an axe kick that missed tremendously,
Ranma-chan leapt onto a flat stone by the pond and taunted, "C'mon! Don't
go easy! Gimme your best shot!"
Phaeron fumed and glew bright red. He dashed at Ranma-chan
completely covered in fire. Ranma-kun nearly choked on his glass of water.
"I told you! Don't go easy!" Ranma-chan complained as she leapt
up.
"THAT's going easy?" Ranma-kun thought.
"Easy?!" Phaeron began to reply, but all of a sudden he realized
he had dashed right towards the pond. "Eep."
"Idiot," Ranma muttered as he heard a loud splash.
"Alright..." Phaeron stood up and wrung the water out of his
clothes, "you asked for it." He pulled out his long staff from hyperspace.
This time, he began to get the upper hand, being more skilled with his
weapon than bare-handed. Ranma-chan finally began to defend from the
strikes. But to him and Genma it was obvious Ranma-chan was holding out on
him, as before.
"Stop that!" Phaeron said, "Don't pull your punches on me!"
"I don't want to pick on a weakling, bird boy!"
Annoyed, he channeled energy to the staff and drove it straight
into the ground. "Quake!"
A small area shook because of the attack. Ranma-chan lost her
balance and fell on her back. Phaeron was next to her in a flash, holding
the tip of his staff an inch above her neck. "So who's the weakling?"
"That's more like it!" Ranma-chan grabbed the staff and vaulted
Phaeron over the pond. He simply sat there, confused.
"If that's how you want it..." he glowed red again. "Birds of
Fire...Strike!" Four large energy balls, shaped roughly like birds, shot
out towards Ranma-chan. Each would have been the size of a large hawk.
She managed to dodge the first two, but the others caught her in the
stomach and the back. She fell to the ground, completely unhurt, but
dazed.
Phaeron grinned, "You're getting slow, girl. Gold Bird and White
Bird can still get you." Meanwhile, the other two blasts, "BlueBird" and
"RedBird", smashed into the wall, leaving large burn marks.
"Hey, no fair!" she cried out, "We never use ki attacks when
sparring!"
"Funny. You never said anything when you managed to dodge the
blasts," he smirked as he saw her frowning face, but soon she dropped that
angry look and snickered as well. Offering his hand, Phaeron helped her to
her feet.
"That is what I wanted you to see, Ranma," Genma said.
"What, see a crazy girl get beat up?" Ranma soon had Ranma-chan
smash his face into the table.
"I didn't 'beat her up'!" Phaeron yelled.
"And I'm still better than him!" Ranma-chan added. Phaeron smirked
at her.
"So what was it then?" Ranma asked, removing his head from the
table.
"You two..." Genma said to both Ranmas, "...need to learn how to
control your inner strength. Physical prowess is no longer sufficient for
either of you," he turned to the new guest, "Phaeron, from what I've
heard, and what I've just seen, you appear to be a ki master, even if you
lack martial training. Would you help me train them in how to use ki?"
"There's no way he could train ME." Ranma said.
"I don't think that's a problem, Mr. Saotome," Phaeron said, "I
trained Ranma-chan for a long time when we were in China."
"You mean Yuan-chan and I trained YOU," Ranma-chan smirked.
"And what do you remember from that training, 'pigtails'?"
Phaeron taunted.
"Don't call me that! Besides, I can still do White and Gray just
fine, thank you!"
"Let's see you try it, then."
Annoyed, Ranma-chan put her hand on Phaeron's shoulder. "White
Touch!" Phaeron shuddered back sightly.
"Heh. Your ki is strong, but there's room to improve," he
unconsciously rubbed his shoulder. Damn, that was a strong one! He could
barely resist being blasted away by her!
"Gray Touch Technique!" Ranma-chan quickly followed up with the
second technique. Phaeron flopped to the ground, paralyzed, as this time
he was completely unable to defend from it. "So who's got the weak ki now,
bird boy?" Ranma-chan smiled at him.
"Very funny."
Ranma was shocked in surprise. "How... how did she...?"
"The Gray Touch is like Hinako-sensei's moves. You drain a little
ki from the target, then you--"
"I didn't ask YOU, you crazy b..." he noticed his mother was
coming out of the kitchen and shut up.
"...Then you use that ki to paralyze him," Ranma-chan finished,
unaffected by his comment.
Phaeron staggered to his feet. "It's quite useful against those of
us who use a lot of ki, since you can drain as much of it as you want and
then turn it against us."
Ranma-chan looked saddened for a moment, "Yeah... that's how we
used to beat Coldfire..."
Phaeron noticed this. His arrogant tone changed to a softer,
worried voice when he put a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry. That's
1500 years in the past now."
"Who is Coldfire, anyway?" Akane asked. Phaeron, Ranma-chan and
Nodoka shuddered visibly.
"N-Nobody important..." Ranma-chan said, shaking her shoulders.
"Ranma-chan..." Nodoka looked worriedly at her.
Genma and Ranma went out to the garden and started to train.
Meanwhile, Nodoka served Phaeron breakfast while Ranma-chan went upstairs.
"So, where do you come from?" Akane asked.
"It's a very long story, I'm afraid, and I've told Ranma-chan part
of it already. Besides, this fanfic is advancing pretty nicely, I don't
want to break the continuity with a flashback. Maybe when you and your
fiance are in the same room I'll tell you."
"Well, okay. Ranma-chan told me she had to thank me for you
coming. How's that?"
Phaeron smiled. It was true, without Akane he wouldn't have been
able to come back. "Do you remember a certain time when you met a strange
doll?" Akane shivered at the memory of the cursed doll that had possessed
her a few weeks ago. "Well, when you were cursed by it, you were half in
the spirit world. Since that world is very closely linked to where I come
from, I managed to create a rift between our worlds with the help of a few
of my Esper brothers. That's how I came to this world. But I couldn't get
a fix on your location until you started to have those nightmares."
"You mean where Ranma..."
"Those exactly. You remember the bright red shooting star that you
saw back then?"
Akane leaned backwards, "Don't tell me that you..."
Phaeron smirked, "That was one of my favorite techniques, the
Blazing Bullet. It's great for transportation, if you know how to use it."
"But how did you arrive here?"
"Actually, I arrived at Jusenkyo. Then I visited Herb and Yuannyan
and told them who I was. They insist on saying that I planned everything,
but they are too modest to admit they played a great part in it. And when
Mrs. Saotome brought Ranma-chan back home, I followed them, and since I
had used my 'Vanish' spell, none of you could sense me as I made myself
present with the aura shields."
"So that's it..."
"It's not that complicated, once you get the hang of making that
kind of plans. You get used to it after going through the World of Ruin."
"World of Ruin?"
"That's one of the places I visited, but I'll tell you more later.
For now let's say, if there's a place in the Universe that's even stranger
than Nerima, it's the World of Ruin."

A while later, they were on their way to Furinkan High school. As
usual, Ranma and Ranma-chan were balancing on the fence, while the others
walked on the street.
"Why'd you do that,anyway?" Phaeron asked.
Both Ranmas shrugged, "Just balancing practice," both of them
said. Ranma-kun scowled at Ranma-chan "Stop that!" She looked away,
annoyed. Phaeron leapt onto the opposite fence. "It's not that difficult."
They heard the sound of bells approaching rapidly, and suddenly Phaeron's
face was part of Shampoo's bicycle.
"You no Ranma," Shampoo said, blinking at him confused. But then
she spotted Ranma and clung to him, much to Ranma-chan's amusement.
"Let go of me, Shampoo!"
"Ranma, Shampoo have very happy news. Now that Shampoo no turn
into cat, Great-grandmother say we can go home in China, yes?" Akane
glowed blue and punted Ranma into the river.
"Shucks. I forgot," she said, smirking, as she saw Ranma-kun come
out of the water.
Shampoo scowled at her, "Why Akane so jealous?"
"I'm not jealous!"
Ranma-chan rolled her eyes, "Are you sur--" Akane buried her into
the street before anyone could stop her.
"See? Even Ranma sister know you want take Ranma away for
yourself." Shampoo stuck out her tongue at Akane.
"I wonder who's stranger," Phaeron said, "the guys here in Nerima,
or the ones at Ikkoku-kan."
Meanwhile, unnoticed, Ranma-kun was swimming his way to school.
Ranma-chan staggered out of the asphalt, "T-Tomboy..." she was driven into
the street again by Akane. Phaeron just watched the show, amused. The
girls continued arguing.
"Ranma now go China with Shampoo!"
"Are you out of your mind?!" Akane reflexively ground Ranma-chan's
face into the asphalt.
"Help..." Ranma-chan said weakly. Trying not to laugh, Phaeron
encased the two girls in an aura shield and lifted them off the ground,
dragging them along as he and Ranma-chan ran to school.
"So how often does this happen?"
"Evey other minute..." Ranma-chan said, rubbing the back of her
head.
Phaeron shook his head, smirking amusedly, "And I thought I had it
bad with all those stupid engagements..."
"Huh?"
"Never mind," he saw the school gates, where a figure stood
waiting. Ranma-kun leapt into combat with the figure. "Who's that?"
"No, not Kuno..." Ranma-chan brought a hand to her head.
"Your evil hold on the pigtailed one is weakening, sorceror. Now
you shall not vanish her as you so often did in the past!" Kuno thrust
with his bokuto. Ranma twisted his body to the right and swept Kuno's legs
from under him.
"I told you already you can have her!" Ranma yelled.
"Will you cut that out?!" Ranma-chan smashed her schoolback over
his head. Upon hearing her voice, Kuno immediately recovered. "Ah! It's
the pigtailed girl!" Before he could glomp onto her, Phaeron stretched his
hand and put an aura barrier between them. Kuno looked at him angrily.
"And who might you be, peasant, to treat the great Tatewaki Kuno, Blue
Thunder of Furinkan High, in such manner?"
Phaeron grinned, "I am Phaeron of Fenix, also known as Esper
Phoenix, Third Phoenix, Phoenix of Fire, Ignis Avis, FireBird..." He went
on for ten more minutes, revealing each and every one of his nicknames.
Akane rolled her eyes, "Does he always do that when someone asks
his name?" Ranma-chan nodded in embarrasment
"Enough with your nonsense!" Kuno shouted. "None shall mock Kuno
Tatewaki! Prepare to be smitten by my hand!" He sliced the air towards
Phaeron, who was too slow to avoid it. Staggering back, he put his hands
on his side, enduring the pain. Kuno smiled in satisfaction, "Heh. You are
certainly of inferior skills in spite of your boasting."
Akane and Ranma looked at Phaeron surprised, "I thought he was
supposed to be a warrior," Ranma said.
"He thinks he is," Ranma-chan said, "But without his ki blasts,
even Gosunkugi would beat him up." large drops of sweat formed on Ranma
and Akane's heads. Silently watching the contest, she thought to herself,
"Man, don't tell me he forgot all our training! He's usually better than
this!"
Beaten and bruised, Phaeron leaned back against the wall, "I think
this has gone far enough." He smirked. As Kuno thrust with his sword,
Phaeron grabbed it and pulled, delivering a front kick to his gut. A small
blast of intense light was shed from the impact. Kuno bent forward and
fell to the ground, unconscious. "That was the Folding Kick, and you'd be
wise not to mess with it."
Walking towards the others, Phaeron rasied his hands and a few
glimmering lights enveloped him. "Cure 2!" he chanted, and suddenly his
bruises disappeared. They looked at him amazed.
"What was that?" Akane asked. "How'd you take him out with just a
kick?" Ranma stared at him confused.
"I told you, you learn a lot when you live in a world overrun by
magic."
Ranma-chan cocked one eye, "Folding Kick? You're STILL using that
worthless technique after ALL we taught you?" Phaeron sweated visibly.

* * *

"Good morning, students!" Hinako-sensei said happily as she came
into the classroom. "Enjoy summer vacation?"
"Hey, Ranma, I heard you went back to China," Daisuke said.
"Is it true you have a sister here, Saotome?" Hiroshi asked.
"That crazy girl is not my sister!" Ranma fumed.
"We have two new students here," Hinako-sensei said, "They should
be at the principal's office."
Ranma groaned. "Not them not them NOT them not THEM NOT THEM!" he
said repeatedly.
"Come on, Ranma. You knew they would come here," Akane said,
suppressing a giggle.
"I don't wanna be near that girl more than I already have to,
okay?"
Hinako-sensei looked up from her student roll, "How strange. He
doesn't have a last name. And now two students have the same name.
Hmmm... Mr. Saotome, do you know who the girl named 'Saotome Ranma' is?"
He fell of his desk.
"A girl named like you?" Hiroshi said confused.
"I knew she was your sister," Daisuke said.
"She is NOT my sister!" Ranma yelled.
"Did you say she is your sister, Mr. Saotome?" Hinako-sensei
asked. She moved her arms excitedly, "Whee! How nice to have a family
here!"
"No! I said she ISN'T my sister!" Nobody listened to him. He heard
various gossip around him.
"See? I told you he had a sister... Wonder if she's that girl...
Great, another martial arts chick... Nah, she can't be the same girl...
Who could be that other student?... I wonder if she's cute... Is he
handsome?... I heard that guy beat Kuno with one kick... Maybe he's better
than Ranma... Didn't you see the fight? Kuno nearly killed him..."
The class settled down as they heard the sounds of a fight
outside. "Cut that out you jerk! No! I didn't mean that!... Hey, leggo of
my ponytail!... Who says I gotta wear a dress!?... No, I don't have a last
name, okay?!... Drop those scissors!"
"Guess they already met the principal..." Ukyou said.
Hinako-sensei opened the door. Phaeron and Ranma-chan were busy evading
the principal's attempts to cut off their hair. "Welcome, students! My
name is Ninomiya Hinako, and I will be your new teacher!" she waved her
arms rapidly. The trio stopped fighting. After punching the principal's
jaw, Ranma-chan and Phaeron came into the classroom. Nearly every one of
the guys moaned in disappointment while the girls looked starry-eyed at
Phaeron.
"Great, now nobody can go out with her... Yeah, Kuno would kill
us... He is cute... Man, what is it with ponytails these days?... I don't
mind he doesn't have a last name... Hmph! Another macho jerk...! This
place will become a battlefield... I thought it already was... Forget
Kuno, SHE would kill us... Isn't that the same girl Saotome used to be?...
Could be, they have the same name... Too bad, she is cute... Just what we
needed, another tough guy to hog all the girls... What do you wanna do
tonight, Brain?... The same thing we do every night, Pinky... Darling?
Where are you?... This isn't Tomobiki... Maybe we can still get her to go
out with one of us... Try to take over the world!"
Hinako-sensei brought the two to the front of the classs, "Class,
I'd like you to meet Saotome Ranma and Phaeron... Do you really don't have
a last name?"
Phaeron fumed slightly, "Actually, I don't have a last name. But I
have different nicknames..."
"NO!" both Ranmas, Akane and Ukyou yelled. He shrank visibly.
"What are you to Mr. Saotome, Miss Saotome?" Hinako-sensei asked.
"She's not, NOT my sister! I don't know who she is, I never met
her, all she did was cause trouble..." Ranma said.
"Despite what Ranma may say, she is his younger sister," Phaeron
said. Ranma nearly jumped for his throat.
"And here I thought you would be twins... Oh well... Okay. Miss
Saotome, take that empty seat next to Miss Kuonji. Mr. Phaeron, sit next
to Mr. Gosunkugi."
"What's up?" Ukyou greeted Ranma-chan. She smiled in reply.
"Okay class, settle down. Just one thing, Miss Saotome, we have a
dress code. I hope you wear your uniform from this day on." Ranma-chan
nearly jumped out of her seat while Phaeron and Akane tried not to laugh.
The rest of the day was a complete bore. Both Ranmas snored loudly
through most of the classes, while Phaeron just juggled with a couple of
small ki balls. The girls sighed. Only P.E. class brought them back to
life, but Phaeron looked rather clumsy until he summoned his ki. "Great
warrior, eh?" Ranma said, mockingly.
The last class was Math. For once the two Ranmas were actually
paying attention, as if to prove they were better than the other. Phaeron
just continued to look bored as he read a "Fire Tripper" manga.
"Mr. Phaeron, pay attention!" Hinako-sensei said, irritated.
"Excuse me, but I already know all this, sensei. I studied Math
for 3 hundred years."
Confused, but still upset, Hinako-sensei was beginning to rummage
through her pockets for spare change. Fortunately for the school's
insurance company, the bell rang. "Well, I guess we'll have to go through
this next class. See you tomorrow!" she fluttered her way out of the room.
Immediately most of the guys surrounded Ranma-chan, while Phaeron became
buried in girls.
"Hey, wanna go out?... I don't care you don't have a last name...
Know-it-all... Wise-guy... You're another of those stupid avatars, aren't
you? Don't say that about him!... Lucky broad... I'll pay you to do my
homework... I can do YOUR homework, cutie... Hey!... Help! You're choking
me!... It all has to do with Chaos theory, John... Get off me!.. A-ko!
Where are you?... This island is an accident waiting to happen... Sorry,
gotta fly."
Phaeron leapt out of the cluster and landed near the door. Ukyou
heaved in her spatula and pulled Ranma-chan through the mass. Both girls
jumped out the window. Phaeron just followed Ranma and Akane through the
halls.
Ranma was choking in laughter, "It... it took you 3 hundred years
to... to learn MATH!"
"Hey! I didn't say that! I said I studied it for 3 hundred years,
but that's because World of Ruin Math is more advanced than it is her--"
A wooden sword cut him off before he finished. "How dare you
insult the great Kuno Tatewaki like that?" Kuno said, wielding his bokuto.
"Not again, Kuno..." Akane moaned.
"Hey, Kuno-chan, how'd you like these?" Nabiki came out of a
classroom and showed him a series of photos of Ranma-chan.
"Hey!" Phaeron protested, blushing deeply when he saw the
pictures.
"Ah! Such beauty!" Kuno gazed upon them. While nobody saw him,
Ranma fumed.
"Stop that, oneechan!" Akane said. "You can't go selling pictures
of her! Especially to Kuno!"
"Why, I'd never! I simply feel it's my duty to keep Kuno-chan's
interest in our sister-in-law. Besides, I did not take any..._revealing_
photographs..."
"Well, you once did!" Ranma said, "So don't sell any more pictures
of that girl, you hear?" Everyone looked at him incredulously. "I...I
mean... It's not that I like her or nothing, but I don't want Nabiki to
sell pictures of someone I know."
Phaeron smirked, "Sure."
"Hey, I said I don't like her!" Ranma yelled. Before anyone could
notice, he emptied his wallet on Nabiki's hands and took the pictures.
"You cad! I shall stop you from defiling the pigtailed girl's
image!" Kuno started to chase him with his bokuto, but Ranma kicked him
out the window. He then stormed out of school, Akane and Phaeron following
him.
Ranma-chan was waiting for them, leaning against a tree near the
gates. Ranma nearly froze when he saw her. "What happened?" she asked.
"None of your business," Ranma said.
"Whatever happens to you is my business too, remember?"
"Oh, stuff it already, will ya?"
Akane came up to them, "How can you say that to her? She's
your..."
Ranma fumed greatly, "For the last time: that CRAZY..."
Ranma-chan fumed a little, "...UNCUTE..." she clenched her fists,
"...VIOLENT..." she glowed bright blue, "... MORONIC..." she was very
pissed by now, "...TOMBOY is not, by any means, my sister!" Ranma-chan
looked like the Vesuvius about to erupt. Phaeron and Akane backed away
from the two.
He continued, "You hear me? You are not my sister, even if
everyone acts like you are! Ever since I met you you've been nothing but
trouble for everyone! I don't know why people like you! You're just a pain
in the neck! You always act like a baby! I think that idiot Kuno must be
the stupidest person in the Universe to love you! Besides, I don't know
why Mom treats you like my sister, since you were never even BORN!!"
And Ranma-chan snapped. Phaeron was about to crush Ranma's head
with a ki blast when she pounded him into the ground instead, releasing
all her anger. Ranma couldn't avoid a single attack. She wasn't just
giving him the usual comical pounding Akane always gave him, she was
practically (and very literally) burying him into the ground. As
Ranma-chan attacked, Phaeron himself calmed down, seeing that this was no
answer. Gently, he stopped Ranma-chan's fists with his hands, trying to
endure the subsequent pain. He could see she was crying.
"Please," he said calmly, "this is no way to--"
Before he could finish, Ranma-chan turned away and leapt over the
school walls, bouncing off the rooftops into the distance. "Ranma..."
Akane thought. In the middle of the crater, Ranma twitched in pain.
"Ka-Kawaikunee t-tomb--" Suddenly a purple column of light erupted next to
his head, nearly burning his hair. When it was gone, Phaeron's arm was
embedded deep into the earth. Recovering, Ranma bounced away. "What the
hell do you think you're..." Akane shut him up by bonking him on the head.
"Look," she said, pointing at Phaeron.
He was still kneeling beside the crater, with his arm stuck in the
ground. He glowed white, but his arm was covered in violet light.Slowly,
he got up. The place where he was standing exploded in a blast of golden
light, a small hurricane kicking up the dust around him. This was the
Phaeron that they had first expected. A ki master, with enhanced abilities
due to his stay on another world, instead of the low-skill fighter wannabe
they had seen up to now.
"How dare you..." he said, covered by the wide aura. "She is your
sister... and you treat her like dirt..." Ranma was about to reply, but
the prospect of fighting a ki master in his weakened state discarded that
idea.
"Who're you to talk?" he finally said. "I was just a normal guy
before I met her! She used me to get out of the spring!"
Phaeron lifted his face. His red eyes burned like hot coals.
"You... you have any idea what it's like to be truly cursed? What it feels
like to be used by others as if you were an object?" He enlarged his aura,
pressing Ranma backwards. "Do you know what it's like to be trapped for
the centuries in a place where no one can help you? You have a lot to
learn, you so-called warrior."
"Phaeron, calm down," Akane said softly, "What are you talking
about?"
Phaeron's aura diminished, from gold to white to red and finally
to blue. Still scowling, he said, "It's time you met my brothers."

* * *

Ranma-chan was leaning against the railing of the bridge, throwing
stones into the river. Her face was still red, and her heart still beat
rapidly. She couldn't believe what that jerk had told her. She WAS his
sister, for crying out loud.
She sighed. Only a few days ago she believed everything to be
right. Nobody was cursed now, and she had a family that loved her. Most of
it, anyway. How wrong she had been.
What was wrong with him? He had never acted with such hostility
towards anyone before. And she had been part of him, for crying out loud!
She knew exactly what he was like! But... now he hated her. He blamed her
for all the troubles he had had. She knew there was some truth to that,
but she just couldn't help it! She didn't pull Ranma to fall into her
spring! She... but if he hadn't fallen... He had saved her from
Nyannichuan, and now he hated her.
She put her forearms on the railing, resting her head on them.
Sunset was approaching. A few birds fluttered overhead. Only when her
mother wasn't aware of their secret she had felt so miserable.
In the distance, she heard the shrill sound of a young woman
shouting. She turned around, and saw a brown-haired young man being chased
by a flying girl with green hair and horns.
"Darling, come back!"
The boy saw Ranma-chan, "Oohh! Come to me cutie!" He lunged for
her but Ranma-chan just jumped out of the way.
"Don't that, darling!" the horned girl fried him with an electric
zap.
At the same time, two people, a fifteen-year-old girl and a man
who seemed to be twenty, saw the charred boy leap back onto the road after
recovering instantaneously.
"Yuta, do you think he's one of us?"
The young man, Yuta, shook his head, "No, Mana. I heard that
people from this place are simply very strange."
Suddenly they all heard a loud clatter. Turning to a nearby house,
they saw a strange young man scampering out of the garbage cans he had
just teleported into. Muttering to himself, he went off to look for his
partner. Then the other couple walked down the road, leaving the scene.
The other two disappeared as well, while a strange man kept throwing blind
punches as he jogged, mumbling something about a sister Angela. Ranma-chan
just stood there, blinking.
"Man, I wonder who thought those guys up," she said to herself.
She was beginning to walk back home, when she heard a familiar voice
behind her.
"Oh, Ranma-chan! What are you doing here?"
"Eh? Oh, hi Mom." Ranma waved, not too cheerful.
"What's wrong?" her mother asked. "You look like you cried about
something."
Ranma-chan wiped her face with the back of her hand. "It's
nothing." Damn, she hated having anyone see her like that, even if it was
her own mother.
"Come, dear, tell me what's wrong. Was it your brother again?"
Nodoka asked, but being careful with her words. She knew that Ranma-chan
loved her brother very much, especially since he saved her, and thus she
knew that any pain that he caused her would leave a lasting impression.
Ranma-chan nodded silently. "I just don't get it. Why doesn't he
admit it?"
Nodoka put her arm around her, "You know how he is sometimes. He
doesn't really mean it. Of all people you should know him."
"I know, but it's so different now. Back when Herb first used the
Mind Blast to wake me up, me and Ranma used to get along."
"People are always like that. When you were still the same, how
did you show Akane-chan that you cared for her?"
Ranma-chan grimaced, "We never did that. We always argued with
her."
Nodoka smiled, "You see? You and Ranma just have a strange way to
show you care. I don't know why, but it's difficult for you to show how
you really feel." Yes, it was odd, she repeated to herself, given that
they were both very strong-willed. It shouldn't be that hard for them to
show their emotions.
"But why does he say that?"Ranma-chan sighed, "I mean, he even
said that I wasn't born..."
Nodoka was surprised by that, "He did? I'll have to have a talk
with him later. But he's not right. Even if I didn't bear you myself,
you're still my daughter."
Ranma-chan looked up to her, "Mom?"
"I was away from Dear and Ranma for ten years. I could hardly
remember what he was like. When I finally found you, it was the same as if
Dear had taken a son and a daughter from me ten years ago. I had to meet
you both all over again. And I found that you and your brother had grown
to be very strong and kind. I don't regret what your father did anymore."
Ranma-chan turned to her, "Thanks, Mom."
Nodoka hugged her, "It's all right, dear. Remember, a person is
not defined by a name, nor by the past. It's your present actions that
tell who you are. And right now, you are Ranma Saotome, despite what your
brother tells you." Ranma-chan finally smiled at her. Then her stomach
reminded her of the time. "Actually, what I really am is hungry. C'mon,
maybe we can go to Ucchan's place." They walked back up the road, towards
Ukyou's restaurant.

* * *

Phaeron, Akane and Ranma were on their way back to the dojo,
riding a large, multicolored bird that resembled a stork.
"So you see now?" Phaeron said. "Is everything clear?"
"I guess you should explain everything again," Akane asked.
Phaeron blinked, "Again? Why?"
Akane crossed her arms, "Because the guy who's writing this fanfic
switched to another scene while you told us, that's why."
"Oh, all right."
Hey, gimme a break here. I have to say what happened to the other
characters, remember?

After leaving Furinkan High, the trio went to Ikkoku-kan. Neither
Akane nor Ranma were too willing to see what Phaeron was going to show
them, but after the incident they still felt slightly curious about it.
While they waited outside, Phaeron went inside and returned with a small
backback. Opening it, he took out a strange hexagonal stone. It seemed to
be an emerald, but it had a bright red ruby in its center.
"So who's your brother?" Ranma asked.
"This is," Phaeron replied, showing the rock.
"Your brother's a stone?" Akane asked.
"No, this is just a Magicite. It's what I use to call him." He led
the others away from Ikkoku-kan. "Alright, on my signal, jump onto his
back."
"Jump onto his back? Who're you going to..."
Phaeron raised the Magicite rock, "Palidor! Sonic Dive!"
The Magicite glowed brightly. All of a sudden, a large bird
dropped from the sky. It looked like a stork, but its feathers were blue
and purple. It shrieked as it neared Phaeron. "Now!" he shouted, and leapt
onto the bird's back. Out of pure reflex, the other two followed. Rising
into the air, the bird spread out its wings.
"Ranma, Akane," Phaeron said, "I want you to meet my brother,
Palidor."
"THIS is YOUR brother?!"
"Exactly. I believe Herb told you about me having strong enemies
when I arrived at China, right?"
They nodded. "Well, one of those enemies was the warrior called
Coldfire. You've heard of him."
"But what's so special about him?" Akane asked.
"For that, let me tell you my story..."

"As Herb said, I arrived at China from the Bizantine Empire, from
a region once known as the Phoenician Culture. There, at the Musk village,
I met Pandi and Zhaodi, or Yuannyan and Ranma-chan as you call them now.
We trained for a long time, until Coldfire came, hunting all three of us
down. He was kind of like Ryouga: he fought us every other day, but we
always defeated him. But one day, when we trained at Jusenkyo, he beat
Pandi and Zhaodi while I was away. When I returned, it turned out that he
had thrown them into a spring. They were unconscious. I fought Coldfire
and defeated him, then threw him into the spring. I tried to save them,but
the magic was confused at having so many people inside and a portal opened
at the bottom, which sucked me in. I ended up in a place called the World
of Balance, which was at war at the time. A battle called the War of the
Magi.
"It turns out that there were three goddesses of magic who were
waging that war. All of us that got caught in the crossfire were turned
into magic creatures, called Espers. Thus I was turned into a Phoenix
bird. But some hotshot magic user turned us Espers into the stones called
Magicite. For one thousand years I was trapped in that stone, buried
beneath the ground. And if someone were to find me, they would just
enslave me and use me for their battles.
"It was very lonely being an Esper. Most of the other people who
were also Espers suffered as much as I did. Our only hope came when, 1000
years later, a small band of fighters called Returners saved us. We were
still Magicite, but at least we fought for good, against an evil lord
called Kefka.
"I, in particular, was rescued by a fellow named Locke. He was a
magnificent treasure hunter, and easily found me. Together we fought many
battles, and I even had to use my skill of Rebirth so his friends didn't
die in the battle against Kefka. But in the end, we succeeded. Just as
Kefka died, magic disappeared from that world. We Espers were free at
last. Taking five other Espers with me, I escaped the World of Ruin, as
the World of Balance had been destroyed.
"We arrived at the Esper world, where magic ruled supreme. The
others were surprised to find out I was a human, but then I found another
Esper that had arrived from Earth.. It was a young, gaijin girl, who had
been turned into an angel-like Esper called Seraphim. She was the one who
kept me up to date with whatever happened here. So, for the next 500
years, I waited. I trained,I studied, and most importantly, I prepared for
my return. When I finally left, the five espers that I saved thanked me by
giving me their Magicites."
Phaeron opened his backpack. Beside the Palidor Magicite, there
were four other similar stones. "That's Seraphim's, that's from a sacred
sword named Ragnarok, that's from a trio of warriors called the Crusader,
and that's the Magicite of my best friend, Crystallus."
"But what's all of this got to do with me?" Ranma asked.
"Didn't you hear what I said? Nobody knows best what it's like to
be magically trapped for ages like Yuannyan, Ranma-chan and I. And they
were trapped for 1500 years, much longer than me. You said you were
cursed, but do you know about being truly cursed?"
He paused, then turned to Akane, "You do remember what it was like
to be trapped in that doll, don't you?"
Akane shivered. She remembered that doll very well, and how
helpless she felt inside it. But then she thought about it: she was still
a person as a doll. She could move about and keep her own will. If what
she thought was right, Phaeron had been trapped inside a stone, completely
unable to do anything.
"He... he's right, Ranma. You don't know what it's like."
"And you also said she had used you, "Phaeron frowned. Man, if
only someone had used me like that! I had to kill other people against my
will! Nobody even cared for what I felt except for one person, named
Rachel, and she died saving me! Even when I fought with the Returners, I
was being used for my abilities, not for what I WAS! I was always forced
to relinquish my magic powers! And you think you were being used? Don't
make me laugh."
"B-but..." Ranma tried to say. He couldn't say more, for he knew
Phaeron was right.
"And let me tell you something else," he continued, "Just how many
times did you try to get rid of Ranma-chan?" Ranma didn't answer. Phaeron
kept going, "And you don't see her being angry at you for nearly killing
her, do you? If I had waited 1500 years until someone saved me, then that
same person wanted to kill me, I'd be pretty pissed off. Wouldn't you?"
Ranma nodded. "Alright, then. Just try to make an effort. You owe
Ranma-chan a lot, even if you don't admit it. In fact, you don't ever have
to admit it. Just say that she IS your sister. You two can work it from
there. And don't go saying she wasn't even born, because in a way, she
was, just in a different manner."
"B-but she can't be my sister," Ranma insisted, "we aren't even
the same age..."
"That's why I said she was your younger sister," Phaeron sat back,
thoughtful, "You're seventeen, right? How old would you say she is,
forgetting that she's really over 1500 years old?"
"I dunno... sixteen, seventeen?"
"She was fourteen years old when I met her. Right now she appears
to be nearly sixteen. She's the perfect age to be your younger sister."
"No wonder she called you 'oniisan'," Akane said.
The trio remained silent for a moment. Only the soft movement of
Palidor's wings could be heard. It was already in the night. Any moment
now, they would reach the dojo.
"So, will you admit she's your sister?" Phaeron said.
Defeated, but convinced, Ranma slowly nodded.
"And you can't call your sister 'kawaikunee tomboy'..."
Ranma looked up, "Come on, she IS a tomboy."
Phaeron thought for a moment, "Hmm, guess you're right about that.
And I have to agree sometimes she's quite weird, but that's no reason to
insult someone who you owe your life to."
"I owe her my life?"
"Think about it. Akane, what would have happened if Ranma had
first arrived to your house as a man?"
"I'd have probably rejected him on sight, I guess."
"Hey, you did reject me on sight!"
"But that was after I found out, you jerk! Besides, Nabiki would
have probably taken you otherwise." Ranma shuddered slightly.
"And you're supposed to be a martial artist. Then tell me how many
techniques you learned because of her," Phaeron asked again.
"That's a low blow," Ranma protested, "But I guess you're right.
My life would have been completely different."
Phaeron smiled, "Then you're just in time to admit it, because
we're right over the dojo. Palidor, thanks for the ride." The bird swept
lower to the ground. "Alright, now jump!" The trio jumped from the back of
Palidor just as the bird vanished. Phaeron created an aura shield below
Ranma and Akane as they fell. They landed on the yard, just outside the
dojo. They could hear sounds of fighting coming from it.
Coming into the dojo, they could see Ranma-chan in her white gi,
sparring with Ukyou. Ranma-chan looked away from Ranma as soon as she saw
him. Nodoka, who watched by the door, looked at him upset.
"Are you ready to apologize now?" she asked. He nodded sheepishly.
"I don't care if he's gonna apologize. I don't wanna talk to him,"
Ranma-chan said, crossing her arms.
"Ranchan, I'm sure Ranchan didn't mean it," Ukyou said, putting
down her spatula, blinking confused at her own statement.
"Even if he didn't mean it," she replied.
Ranma hesitantly walked over to her. "Look, um, I'm sorry about
what I said. I guess I didn't know..."
"Tell him he's darn right he didn't know," Ranma-chan said,
without turning around. If he had been such a jerk back then, she had all
the right to be bitchy now.
"Hey, this is hard enough for me to say, okay?"
"And it wasn't hard for him to say those things back there, huh?"
she said, not yielding.
"Listen, you..." Ranma was upset. He turned around and saw his
mother. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry, alright?"
"That doesn't solve much," Ranma-chan looked briefly at him out
the corner of her eye.
He remembered what Phaeron had told him, "Alright, already. My
life wouldn't have been better if I hadn't met you, okay?"
"And?" she still refused to look at him.
"Hey, I come down here and apologize, and you still don't believe
me?"
Ranma-chan remained firm. "And to think I didn't say anything when
you used me to lure that 8 headed dragon..." Akane shuddered at the
memory. Yamata no Orochi had nearly killed Ranma-chan back then.
"Or all those times when you used my body to lure Happosai..."
Ranma-chan continued, shuddering.
"Hey..." Ranma put a hand on her shoulder.
"Or when you almost let Shampoo kill me..."
"Wait..."
"And how about--"
"Enough already!" Ranma spun her around. "I am sorry for all of
that, okay? But you know why I did all those things. Now, if you can't
ever forgive _your own brother_, it proves you're a complete moron!" He
turned away from her and realized what he just said. Had he really said he
was her brother? Was he thinking straight?
Ranma-chan suddenly looked at him thoughtfully. Her scowl quickly
disappeared as she walked around Ranma, staring at him incredulously. She
looked back at her mother. Nodoka was smiling.
"Now, that didn't hurt much, right?" Phaeron said.
"He... he said it?" Akane and Ukyou looked at Ranma, who now felt
like a strange bug under the microscope.
"You... you really think I'm your..." Ranma-chan started to say.
Ranma suddenly exploded, "Sister! Sister! Alright? You happy now?!
Sheesh...!" Before he knew it, Ranma-chan was hugging him happily, her
eyes closed yet drenched. Through the fabric of his clothes, he still felt
her face moving into the shape of a great smile. He didn't even try to
move, as an odd feeling of release spread inside him.
Hesitant at first, he slowly returned the hug. "I'm sorry, kid,"
he said softly.
"Don't worry, oniisan."
She tightened the hug. He looked down at her, but couldn't meet
her eyes. She was happy. His little sister. And he would never destroy
that happiness.
Akane sighed in relief, looking at them finally getting along.
Nodoka simply left the room, smiling. Ukyou supressed a sniff of
happiness. Phaeron was again creating fireworks outside the dojo. The
Third Step was finished. Now all that was left was for Ranma-chan's lost
memories to be somehow restored. The thought made his face drop the smile.
It hurt not being able to... to say it to her. But if she couldn't
remember...
Akane finally spoke, "Okay, now to celebrate, how about I cook you
both dinner tonight! And you too Phaeron, for helping them."
The two Ranmas shivered in terror. Phaeron looked at them
confused, "C'mon, you guys. It can't be that bad..."
"Our last supper..." Ranma said, slumping down.
"At least we will die at peace..." Ranma-chan added, sighing.
"Ranma no baka!" Akane malleted Ranma into the wall. "Ranma no
baka!" she punched Ranma-chan into the floor. Storming away, she said,
"You may be family, but you don't have to both be idiots!"
"Hmm," Phaeron turned to her, "Akane, I brought over a few potions
from Esper World. Maybe that would help--" Akane punted him through the
wall and into the yard. She stomped her way back to the house, leaving a
dazed Phaeron wondering, "What'd I say?!"
"If you're a phoenix, hope you can be reborn after you die from
Akane's cooking," Ukyou said to him, peeling Ranma off the wall with her
spatula.

The Phoenix of Gray

The dining room was silent, despite the crowd gathered in it.
Both Ranmas were seemingly in pain as Akane watched them with a scowl on
her face.
"I'm dying..." Ranma said weakly.
Ranma-chan put a hand on her stomach, "I think I got an Alien in
here..." She shivered as she felt something move inside her.
Akane looked away from them, furious, "Hmph. Now I'll get twice
the insults."
Ranma groaned. "Don't worry, Akane. One of us will die soon..."
"Will you cut it out?!?!" she punted him out to the sky.
"I wonder how Phaeron-kun is doing," Nabiki said, "This was his
first taste of Akane's cooking."

* * *

Ikkoku-kan, six thirty in the morning.
"Geez, kid. You look like hell," Mrs Ichinose said, bending over
Phaeron.
"I didn't need YOU to tell me!" he pulled a pillow over his head.
"Hmm, did you tried to commit suicide?" Yotsuya said, analyzing
the shifting colors on Phaeron's face.
"Please... just let me die in peace..."
"We wouldn't want that," Akemi said, "you're our newest source of
strange gossip."
They heard the sound of bells outside, "Excuse me, this girl is
here to see you," Kyoko said. Surprising even Yotsuya, Shampoo leapt into
the room carrying a tray of ramen.
"Boy-type Ranma and girl-type Ranma send to Phaeron. It good ramen
with anti-Akane spice. Just leave bowl outside and Shampoo pick up later.
Enjoy!" She disappeared as quickly as she entered.
Mrs. Ichinose elbowed Phaeron, "You sly fox, getting girls to
bring you food!"
Phaeron turned red, "She's just a friend who happens to work at
the restaurant!" he started to gulp down the ramen.
"Oh, yeah?" Akemi said, "And what's that about a girl-type sending
you that food?" He choked on the noodles.
"Y'know, when a girl sends you food..." Mrs Ichinose sipped her
beer.
Phaeron quickly recovered, "Ranma-chan AND her brother were just
thanking me for helping them out, okay?"
"And what's that we heard about 'anti-Akane' spice?" Akemi
insisted, "She's an old girlfriend?" For someone sitting up on a futon,
Phaeron did a great impression of a facefault. He got up and got dressed.
Taking his backpack, he nearly stormed out, "You guys are impossible."
"Yusaku could learn something from that kid," Akemi said, once
Phaeron was out of earshot.
"Yes," Yotsuya said, "Godai-kun has always seemed to have
difficulties with women, something our young resident seems to lack."
"I heard that!" came a voice from room five.
Kyoko sighed. She noticed Phaeron had left the bowl in his room.
"I'll have to go leave this outside," she said. A note dropped from the
bowl's bottom. Before Mrs. Ichinose could snatch it, Kyoko quickly lunged
for it.
"Seems to me like a love letter," Mrs Ichinose said.
"Seems to me like a bill," Kyoko contested. She read it aloud,
"Dear Phaeron, please come to the Nekohanten this afternoon, or sooner, if
you can. We have urgent matters to discuss. Signed, Cologne, Shampoo's
great-grandmother."
"So, what'd I tell you?" Mrs Ichinose said in victory. Abashed,
Kyoko answered. "I'm sure it is nothing of that sort."
"Why, he's even stringing along older women," Akemi said, "If that
Cologne is somebody's great-grandmother..."
Kyoko walked out of the room, "He's right. You're impossible."
"It's our job to be impossible!" Mrs Ichinose, Akemi and Yotsuya
said in unison.

* * *

"Feeble warrior, I challenge you!" Kuno bolted at Phaeron with his
sword. "None shall ever humilliate the great Blue Thunder in such manner!"
"Oh, so you want me to humilliate you some other way?" Phaeron
jumped out of his way, much faster than in his previous encounter.
"Silence, boor!" Kuno slashed at him. Phaeron easily grabbed the
sword.
"Y'know, this could get boring..." Phaeron grinned.
"How'd he get so good so quickly?" Akane asked.
"Oh, I don't know..." Ranma-chan said, snickering. "Finally..."
she thought, "looks like that whole year of training in China payed off."
"Release my blade, fiend!" Kuno commanded. Phaeron obeyed, letting
Kuno fall off balance. As he got up, he began his lightning sword attack.
"Heh. Cyan would like you.." Phaeron smirked. Using a technique
similar to the Amaguriken, only slower, he parried the strikes instead of
dodging them. "That's it. Random Fist!" Breaking through Kuno's defense,
Phaeron landed a flurry of blows to his chest, leaving burning marks on
impact. Kuno fell back, staggering.
"Sorry 'bout that. Cure 3!" Suddenly Kuno was completely healed by
the glimmering lights around him.
"Fool!" Kuno thrust his sword. Disappointed, Phaeron grabbed the
sword, turned around and whipped him to the ground, leaving Kuno
unconscious.
"Don't mess with an Esper," Phaeron said victorious.
Everyone around him stared at him surprised. "How did you...?"
Ranma asked.
Phaeron wiped his hands, "Oh, I just remembered a few techniques I
picked up somewhere..." he winked at Ranma-chan. She smirked; he meant
that those were the techniques _she_ had taught him while in China...
before the accident at Jusenkyo, of course.

The schoolday was as boring as the previous. Maybe even more,
since they didn't have P.E. class that day, and now they were simply bored
to death. Even Hinako-sensei was doodling on the blackboard. The only
difference was that Ranma-chan seemed ready to explode in the school
uniform, or at least tear it off.
At last, the bell rang. Again, the guys encased Ranma-chan.
Meanwhile, Phaeron and Ranma looked at the pathetic group, amused.
"Wanna do the honors?" Phaeron asked. Ranma nodded. Phaeron moved
his arms apart and created an aura barrier arround Ranma-chan. Her brother
leapt inside, grabbed her, and leapt back out, landing by the door,
hearing only several moans, angry shouts and a even couple of threats.
Ranma-chan looked at him incredulously.
"Hey, gotta take care of my sister, right?" he winked at her. She
just blinked, confused.
"I knew it," Phaeron thought, "They're so alike, it's only natural
they'd hate each other's guts, or love each other dearly." He smiled and
followed them outside.
But yet again, a samurai figure stopped them short. The entire
hall was darkened, as he made his presence, burning with fury. "Remove
your lowly hands from the immaculate pigtailed girl, Saotome," Kuno said,
looming over him as the lamps in the corridor overloaded thanks to his
lightning.

Downstairs, in the teacher's lounge, Hinako-sensei was chatting
with a new substitute teacher. His suit was decorated with onsen signs.
"So the high school you came from is very strange?" Hinako-sensei
asked, eating her ice dream. Onsen Mark nodded.
"Yes, you could see the weirdest things there. We even have aliens
there... But finally I escaped from it. Now that I'm at Furinkan, nothing
can go wrong! I'm free at last! Bwa ha ha!" Fire crackled around him, as
he continued to laugh maniacally. Suddenly they saw Kuno falling down
outside the window. Hinako-sensei wasn't disturbed.
"That happens every day here..." she said, not turning away from
her ice cream.
"Maybe I WAS better at Tomobiki..."

* * *

Yes, this was Furinkan High school. He knew that by the strange
people coming out. But he knew it even better by the two presences he
felt, even as he stood on the roof, right over the clock.
Ignorance. That's why they were so careless. They should have
known he would come. But then again, good is stupid. Only Evil is smart.
Maybe if they had stayed in China they would have stood a chance,
considering Herb and Yuannyan were there, along with their bodyguards.
But here, none of their friends was powerful, or skilled, enough to
counter him.
Little did they know what had happened to him after their battle
1500 years ago. Little did they care. No matter. They should be alive no
longer.
Then he saw them. The prey. A small female and a larger male, both
irradiating their distinctive ki. A faint, nearly invisible blue aura
surrounded the girl, while a powerful red aura encased the man. He
shuddered for an instant. He didn't remember him to have such a strong ki.
Could it be he was also transported to the World of Ruin?
It didn't matter. The figure lifted his hands up in the air,
easily creating a massive ki blast within them. Smirking evilly, he
concentrated on his enemies. Sure, they were only two, but once they were
taken care of, the sister would be easy pickings. Soon the blast was
larger than his own body. He would have to act fast, lest they notice his
presence. That was his only flaw: he never did learn how to hide his
presence. No, his OVERWHELMING presence, as he put it. At any moment, he
would deliver his revenge upon his greatest opponents. Any moment now,
Phaeron and Ranma-chan would die... again. They wouldn't know what hit
them.
Suddenly he stopped. Something kept him from attacking, something
that told him that it wasn't right. It was a voice, a voice that kept
telling him to oppose the evil that consumed him. But he turned deaf ears
on that voice. His master would destroy him if he let them live.
But he still let them go. It was no good this way. He wanted them
to suffer, to pass through the pain they so deserved. Besides, he was
fairly outnumbered here. Her brother was a fearsome fighter, and nearly
everyone and his dog at this school knew martial arts. Thus he decided to
wait. Very well. He shall pluck them out, one by one. He will destroy
their friendship first. Once set apart, all of them would easily fall prey
to him and his forces. Yes, his forces... he had so much power now, unlike
when he was in China. Thanks to his master, entire armies were now under
his command.
Yes, he would wait.
They would die, one at a time.

End of the Third Step

al70...@campus.ccm.itesm.mx