CHAPTER 1: The Necklace
Ranma toiled away endlessly at his homework, one hand stuck to his
forehead, the other twirled a pencil in repeated cycles through his
fingers. For several minutes, he kept staring at the same math problem.
Oh, I'm never going to be able to do this. I'm a martial artist, what do
I need with all this silly math stuff? But his latest exams proved that
he needed to study or he wasn't going to pass. Again, the pencil repeated
its cycle over and over again, without ever touching the paper.
All at once, Ranma's battle sense came alive, his seemingly sixth sense
that told him of impending danger. He couldn't quite locate it yet, but
his eyes darted quickly around the room, then out the window for any
possible attack. The hair standing up on the back of his head told him
that it was something close by, but where?
The closet. There's something in the closet. In two leaps he pounced
up to closet door, flung it open, and jumped back into a defensive stance.
Nothing happened.
Strange, I know something's here. Slowly, he walked up to the closet,
and looked. Still nothing. He began searching to find the source of what
had alerted him. Examining several objects, he came upon one of Genma's
old backpacks, something inside tinkled as he picked it up. Carefully
looking inside, he saw an old piece of jewelry in one of the pockets,
possibly a necklace of some type. An uninteresting green stone dangled
precariously from an old metal chain. It appeared that the craftsman had
mounted it in haste, and had used little, if any, artistic skill. The
stone was loose in its mount, and it seemed that little effort would have
been involved in pulling it free.
Jusenkyou, Ranma remembered as he examined what was to him a piece of
junk. He thought back to that fateful training ground in China, and
remembered Genma haggling vehemently with the seller trying to purchase
this worthless bauble. Genma insisted on keeping this with him, even
though one of the rules of the road is to travel lightly.
Ranma held up a finger. "Any extra and unnecessary weight should not
be tolerated," he said mockingly. It had been Genma, himself, that had
taught him that. Still, he insisted on keeping it, and he had never
explained why. While Ranma was examining the chain, he thought he saw a
flash from the stone, but quickly dismissed it as a trick of the failing
sunset.
"Ranma, it's dinner time!" Akane called from down the steps. That one
word 'dinner` made him forget his earlier sense of danger, and what he
held in his hand.
Ranma ran toward the door, and stopped. Oh, I hope Akane didn't cook
tonight, he thought. He sometimes wondered whether Akane and Kodachi had
the same cooking instructor, but then remembered that Kodachi attended a
different high-school. The images of Akane laughing maniacally over a
boiling cauldron, dumping in highly questionable and random ingredients
with wild abandon, crossed his mind. He quickly shook the image away.
The smell of cooking wafting up from the kitchen was enough to inform
Ranma that this was one of Kasumi's meals, and not one of Akane's toxic
mixtures. He raced out the door and down the hallway with renewed
enthusiasm. Absently, he tucked the necklace into his pocket as he ran.
A sound from Akane's room caught his attention, bringing him to an
abrupt halt. Out of habit, he knocked first before entering, knowing full
well that Akane was downstairs. The room had darkened with the fading
light of evening. A gentle breeze blew in through an open window, softly
flipping up the edge of homework pages strewn across Akane's desk. Upon
the futon, P-chan was rummaging around on one of Akane's undergarments.
Ranma grew enraged at the sight.
"Hey pig-boy! What are you doing?"
P-chan's eyes grew large when he saw Ranma, and what he had just woke
up on. The long-lost P-chan had just arrived, and being tired, he had
absently fallen asleep on the bed, not noticing what was there.
Apparently, Kasumi had put Akane's clothes away in the drawer, but had
left some of the clothes out on the bed (does not happen very often). The
smell of the morning freshness still hung on the garment. Ranma marched
over to the futon and grabbed the black pig in one hand and Exhibit A in
the other.
"Well, well Porky, I never would have suspected. I guess your bacon's
in the fire now," Ranma smiled evilly. P-chan bweed in protest.
"Ranma, it's dinner time," Akane said rounding the bedroom door from
the hallway. "What are you doing in my ro...?" Akane's face lost all
expression when she saw Ranma, and what he was holding.
"Wait, Akane, I can explain...," said Ranma, immediately dropping both
pig and panty to the floor. Akane's bright blue battle aura was enough to
inform Ranma of his impending doom. He raised a hand up in primal fear,
fingers splayed in a warding gesture.
"Ranma no BAKAAA!" Akane screamed as her hyper-dimensional mallet came
out of nowhere. In a driving stroke that would have made Jack Nicklaus
sick with envy, the mallet connected with Ranma's jaw sending him flying
out the window, bound for what Akane hoped was geo-synchronous orbit.
"Foouurrrr!" Akane yelled out, but then wondered where that had come
from, having never played golf. Tucking the mallet back into hammerspace,
she reached down and picked up P-chan, holding him a little too tightly to
her chest.
"And you, you naughty piggy, where have you been? I've missed you."
P-chan struggled to break Akane's hold on him, since he had this nasty
habit of wanting to breathe. Finally, Akane released him and set him on
the bed. P-chan's legs wobbled for a bit, and then gave out as he drifted
away into unconsciousness, unnoticed by Akane. She reached down, picked
up the undergarment, and put it away in the drawer.
"It's seems that that PERVERT Ranma not only attacks you, my P-chan,
but he's picked up some bad habits from that old hentai Happousai."
Closing the drawer, Akane turned back and spied P-chan seemingly asleep on
the bed.
"Poor, poor P-chan. Are you tired after being gone so long, or do you
have some lady piggy that keeps you up and awake at night?" She laughed
at the thought, then turned back toward the hallway and down the steps.
Pity about Ranma, she thought as she left, Kasumi made one of Ranma's
favorites, and now I'll have to tell her Ranma will not be attending
dinner. Happily, she skipped along back to the dinner table, at least she
had her P-chan back.
*****
"...mumble mumble mumble stupid kawaiikunee tomboy mumble mumble...,"
said Ranma under his breath as he walked along back from Dr. Tofu's office
toward Ucchan's. The bandage on his chin made it difficult to speak or
move his jaw effectively. As usual, Ranma's trajectory brought him to a
nice three-point landing near Dr. Tofu's office. The doctor's manner had
been almost routine as he patched him up, and little was said in the way
of conversation.
Ranma was tired of all this. Tired of being bashed over the head
whenever Akane misunderstood his acts of protecting her honor for
something vile. Tired of not being able to tell Akane P-chan's true
identity because of his own honor. Tired of his parents forcing an
engagement against Akane's, or his, will in the name of their honor.
Tired of the whole fiancee affair, period.
Ranma never had to look for trouble, trouble always managed to find him.
Just as Ranma was a magnet for fiancees, so was he also a magnet for
trouble, and sometimes, trouble and fiancees came in the same package.
"Nihao, Ranma!" said Shampoo as without warning her bicycle plowed over
his freshly-bandaged head. She had been making her rounds delivering
ramen for the Nekohanten.
With a noticeable pop, Ranma peeled himself from the pavement. Bicycle
tracks ran down the back of his red Chinese shirt, and the contents of his
pockets were spread out on the ground. Before he could reach down to pick
them up, Shampoo glomped on him. "You take Shampoo on date, yes?"
"Shampoo! You know I can't date you. You know I'm..." Ranma trailed
off. Shampoo's expression lost its ear-to-ear smile when she looked down
and saw the necklace. She let go of Ranma as if he we red hot. Ranma
followed her gazed down, and then looked back.
"What is it? Does this mean something to you?" Ranma inquired as he
picked up the necklace and waved it in front of her.
"Sh...Shampoo no remember. Something familiar..." Shampoo's unusually
serious countenance had a searching look to it, she seemed lost in
thought. She quickly looked up and saw the clock on a nearby bank
building. "Oh, Shampoo must go, husband," she said bubbly. It was as if
the previous moment had not occurred. Ranma watched curiously as she sped
off into the distance with great haste.
Ranma reached down and retrieved the rest of his fallen possessions,
stuffing them back into pockets. Looking up again at the retreating
Shampoo, he shook his head and continued his trek toward Ucchan's.
*****
Ukyou flipped over the okonomiyaki with well-practiced ease. Looking
up from her grill, she appeared concerned as she watched Ranma sitting on
a stool. He had a lost and vacant expression on his bruised face, and was
stooped down with a cheek laying against the counter. He slowly rolled
some type of necklace back and forth across its surface. The rest of the
restaurant was deserted since it was close to closing time. The 'Closed`
sign had long since been flipped on the door, just so she could attend to
her special customer. Funny! He could hardly be considered a 'customer`
since he always received food for free, she corrected herself. She
didn't mind, after all this was her 'Ran-chan`.
Ukyou started to smile as another thought came to her. She quickly
drew a goofy face with its tongue hanging out on the okonomiyaki in hopes
of raising her fiancee's spirits. Dropping the Japanese pancake onto a
plate, she slid it to Ranma, and waited. Still, the bauble rolled back
and forth without fail like some miniature tennis match, the plates
contents went unnoticed.
Ukyou sighed and shook her head. How can he still consider Akane his
fiancee when she treats him like this? She examined the bruises and Dr.
Tofu's handiwork on her 'Ran-chan's` face. It was always her that he ran
to when he was in trouble with Akane. Her shoulder was always there for
him to cry on (at least when he's in his female form anyway). What could
he possibly see in that violent girl that made her a potential marriage
prospect? Her head continued to shake. Her eyes travelled back down to
piece of jewelry that had captured so much of Ranma's interest, and then
to the clock.
"Ranma...Ranma?...RANMA!" The jewel stopped its motion, Ranma looked
up. "I have to close the restaurant. Will you help me?"
"Sure, Uc-chan, sure." Ranma got up from the stool and stretched as if
getting up from a prolonged sleep, then he proceeded to clean tables and
gather dishes in silence. In the interim, Ukyou began the chore of
breaking down the grill and preparing its utensils for washing. Even
though Ranma still seemed distant, the restaurant was made immaculate in
short order and ready for the next day. When all was done, Ranma started
to walk toward the door.
"Ranma?" called out Ukyou. Ranma stopped, and he turned around with a
lost but none the less grateful look on his face.
"Yes, Uc-chan?"
Ukyou's gaze was wistful. "You can always...stay here. Remember I
have a spare room." Ukyou shifting nervously from foot to foot. Her eyes
returned to his face.
Ranma looked down for a moment in thought. "Nah! I suspect I'd better
get home and face the music."
Ukyou's eyes fell to the floor along with her hopes. "Yeah, I guess
you should. After all, we have school tomorrow. And Ranma?...Good luck!"
she said as she looked back up.
Ranma turned toward the door, and in opening it, spoke without turning
around, "Thanks, Uc-chan. I'm glad I have you as a friend when I need it.
I'm glad we had this talk." And then he left.
"Sure thing, Sugar, and I wish I could be more than just a friend,"
Ukyou said under her breath to no one in particular as she locked the
door. She turned away from the door momentarily and suddenly looked back,
"And what talk? He never said a thing all evening!" But then again, he
never had to. This scene had been played out so many times before that
talking about what happened had become unnecessary, almost routine. No
doubt something he said, or did, caused a violent overreaction from Akane.
Akane and Shampoo, both women of extreme violence. Ukyou hadn't missed
some of Shampoo's markings across Ranma's back when he had left.
Admittedly, she never considered her own skills to be of any small degree,
but still, she used her spatulas in self-defense...mostly. She found
herself perplexed that Ranma's decision as to which fiancee shouldn't
choose her as the most obvious and likely of all choices. Akane seems
like she doesn't want him most the time. Shampoo connives, tricks and
poisons him in order to take him away, and all according to some
non-applicable Amazonian law that has no bearing or recognition in either
Japanese or modern Chinese society. Kodachi, Ukyou knew, was never part
of the equation.
Ukyou gave a soft sigh as she turn out the lights, she proceeded up the
steps to her room listlessly, it was all so frustrating. In her
reflections, she failed to notice the untouched okonomiyaki still sitting
out where Ranma had left it. Also, she failed to notice the necklace left
on the counter, nor saw its faint glow.
*****
Shampoo stole stealthilly into Cologne's quarters. Though she seldom
disobeyed her great grandmother, her curiosity had been peaked. On the
ride home, she suddenly remembered where she had seen that necklace Ranma
had before, or at least one like it. Cologne had always kept one in her
bag of tricks. Cologne was away on business for the Nekohanten, but still
Shampoo wanted to keep quiet in case Mousse, who was downstairs, overheard
her rummaging into Cologne's things. Mousse. Poor, blind Mousse,
Shampoo thought as she opened Cologne's closet. Mousse may have been all
but blind, but she knew he still had ears honed by years of martial arts
practice, and he was not to be taken lightly.
Shampoo opened up the box that contained Cologne's amulets of magic,
and she peered inside. Good, it's still there, she thought, feeling
relieved that Ranma had not somehow acquired it from Cologne, nor through
some other questionable means. She lifted the amulet up and examined it
closely, it stood out brilliantly against all the others. The green stone
was mounted solidly in a little crown and suspended from a chain made of a
gold alloy known only to the Amazons. It looked nothing like the earlier
amulet Ranma possessed save for the green stone. This amulet looked
priceless; Ranma's amulet was shabby at best.
So there are two stones. I wonder what it's for, she thought as she
pocketed the amulet. Well I have a few days to find out. Cologne was
not scheduled to be back until Monday. Slowly, Shampoo lifted up
Cologne's book of magic spells and potions. The book was quite heavy. I
will need this to find out the amulet's true purpose. She had carefully
noted the position of things before she touched them, returned everything
back to the way they were, and made a quick exit for her room. She had
been lucky, the unsuspecting Mousse was too absorbed with the affairs of
closing the restaurant to have heard a thing.
Having concealed the amulet away in a safe place, she laid down upon
her bed and opened up Cologne's book. Cologne's spellbook was really a
scrapbook of sorts, meticulously organized by sections and sub-headings.
The sections included all sorts of magnificent spells, potions, weapons
that could be used on a enemy, wards against demons, etc. Some of the
pages were recent, recent meaning of this century; whereas, others were
very ancient. Some of the oldest pages were covered in a vinyl plastic
covering in an effort to preserve their pages. Many appeared that they
would crumble away to dust if not for this protective covering, their
pages old and faded, barely readable. Some of the newer pages had
Cologne's own personal annotations on the side on improved methods of
administering the spells or potions, in order to increase their potency.
Some she recognized as having been tried on Ranma. She stifled a giggle.
Despite all of Cologne's best magic, wisdom and effort, Cologne still had
not turned the heart of this mighty warrior to Shampoo. Ranma was a very
formidable opponent, indeed. He'll make a great husband.
Her great grandmother's desire was for Ranma to marry Shampoo and ring
in a newer, stronger and more powerful race of Amazons. The ancient
matriarch's vision was to re-awaken the former glory of her Amazon tribe.
Cologne had been grooming Shampoo as a potential leader of her tribe, if
not the Amazon race. Though she would gladly take this position if asked,
as any true warrior would, Shampoo's heart really cared for none of this.
She wanted Ranma. The feel of his strong chest against her's whenever she
*glomped* on him, made her heart sing.
Shampoo found the section on amulets following the section on shiatsu
points. She carefully noted diagrams of secret pressure points that when
conducted in a certain order on a victim yielded different results. Hmm!
I'll have to revisit this, it can be useful. Flipping ahead she noted
each amulets' picture until she found the one she wanted. Aha! The
'Star Power` amulet. Though the picture page was new, the instruction
page had to have been among the oldest in the book. Shampoo struggled to
read the ancient manuscript on a page faded and chocked full of holes.
She could only make out certain facts: Apparently, there were four
such amulets known in existence. Their origin was a mystery, a secret
long lost to antiquity, though there had been many legends that had placed
them around Jusenkyou. Only the matriarches had welded them, and they
were thought to harbor such tremendous power that it was advised that they
seldom be used. It was a huge status symbol among the matriarches to
possessed one, a lot of prestige. It could destroy an enemy with a mere
thought. There was something about teleportation. It was used to ward
off evil spirits and... Shampoo's eyes grew large. It was used to
prevent or remove *curses*.
What's going on? she thought. Why had Cologne possessed the means of
removing her curse and that of Ranma, yet failed to use it? Was she
toying with them? Was she just simply waiting until their marriage, and
then provide it as a much-valued wedding present? Had Cologne simply
forgotten she had the amulet? Or, had she forgotten its use? Shampoo
seldom questioned her great grandmothers' wisdom, but this was more than
she had ever imagined Cologne capable of. She shook her head slowly in
disbelief.
Shampoo tried to read on to glean away more facts, but the rest was
spotty: A least two amulets were needed to release their power. Perhaps
that's why Cologne had not used it. She only had the one amulet. Shampoo
frowned, when she began wondering where Ranma had acquired one. If they
were of such great tremendous power that only a matriarch possessed them,
then the one Ranma had must have been stolen. The world of the
matriarches was such a secret society, an amulet could have turned up
missing and no one in the rest of the tribe would have been remotely aware
of it, even if they knew what one was. She remembered its appearance, how
shabby and worthless looking it was, and she raised her eyebrows. Perhaps
its shabbiness was a ploy to hide its true value. An ordinary looking and
worthless piece of jewelry would be easy to transport, gather little in
the way of attention. After all, the power of the amulet would be in the
curious green stone, not in its chain or mount. That was just mere
decoration.
She tried to read further but could make out very little. She couldn't
quite figure out whether the amulet's power was activated by the two
owners exchanging the amulets with one another, or whether it was
activated by combining them in some special way.
She read further and nearly jumped off the bed. "Aiya!" she said
excitedly, then covered her mouth and looked at the door. Moments passed
and still no Mousse. She shook her head, because in her excitement she
had almost blown it. She looked back at the page and could barely contain
her joy. There had been some reference about activating 'true love`
between two people.
*****
Ranma returned home to the Tendou Dojo without incident. It was night
and all had long since gone to bed. Quietly, Ranma walked up the stairs
and stopped at Akane's door. He stared at the duck-shaped nameplate and
debated whether he should check in on her. He shook his head no. It was
late and he was too tired to risk another incident. She would probably
not be very understanding at this hour, he sometimes wondered if she ever
was.
Ranma went to the room that he shared with Genma. Genma was fast
asleep in his panda form making snoring noises. Ranma never knew why
Genma liked to sleep in his panda form, except that it was probably warm
on cold nights. Of all those who were the cursed of Jusenkyou, Genma
seemed the one most comfortable with his cursed form, and maybe even
enjoyed it.
Ranma laid back on his futon and stared up at the ceiling. He suddenly
remembered Akane and her smile. She is so cute when she smiles. The
smiles didn't come as often as they used to. Was all the battering at her
hands worth all the trouble he received? Ranma fell asleep before he
could offer up an answer.
*****
"Where are you going Ranma? School is this way," said Akane. Ranma,
who had been walking along the fence, had suddenly dropped down and headed
off in a new direction.
"I left something at Ucchan's," replied Ranma throwing a hand up as he
kept walking away.
"So!" Akane said stiffly with hands on hips, "You were with Ukyou last
night. Weren't you?" When he didn't stop, she turned and stomped her way
to school. "Hmmpf! Stupid Jerk! Go to her for all I care." She
continued on her way. A single tear dropped to the ground.
Ranma ran toward Ucchan's. He would have to hurry so as not to be late
for school. Standing outside the classroom door holding buckets of water
was not his idea of a good time. Hopefully, he could intercept Ukyou
before she left the restaurant and get the jewel back. Ranma didn't know
why he should even care whether he got that piece of junk back or not, but
still, upon his honor, it wasn't his, so he should try to retrieve and
return it.
"Ranma! Ranma!" It was Shampoo cycling up behind him out of nowhere.
Ranma stopped and looked back reluctantly, he really didn't have time for
this. As Shampoo rode up to him, he noticed she had something in one of
her hands, it caught the glint of the sunlight.
"What is it, Shampoo? I have to get to school." Shampoo held up a
necklace not unlike the one Ranma had earlier, except that this one
appeared to be much more expensive. Still, there it was, the same green
stone hanging from the mount.
"Husband might find this interesting. Is amulet with power to remove
curse." Ranma's eyes grew large, that had his interest. Shampoo slowly
handed him the amulet with a smile on her face. Ranma was examining it
carefully, hope in his eyes. Shampoo remembered that the amulets power
could be released by exchanging the amulet with another. Her smile became
mischievous. Shampoo spoke softly, "Airen, let Shampoo see amulet from
last night."
"Oh? Oh that. I left it at Ucchan's," said Ranma, still examining the
amulet.
"Ranma!" said Shampoo as she stomped a foot disappointedly with hands
on hips. Before he could respond the skies opened up, and raindrops fell.
Neither had bothered to checked the weather report, both wished they had.
The change was instantaneous.
"C-c-catt!" Ranma-chan shouted in shock. In front of her a white and
pink cat with a purple mane slinked away, running toward the Nekohanten.
Ranma-chan was fortunate, either her momentary exposure to Neko-Shampoo
was not enough to trigger the Neko-ken, or her transformation had freed
her in time. It took a few moments to calm down, but she finally started
running back to Ucchan's. She still had Shampoo's amulet; she was doubly
interested in retrieving the other.
*****
Ukyou had just found her umbrella when she heard frantic knocking at
the front door. She had her boy's uniform on and was about to take off
for school. Oh, who could that be? I'm going to be late. She grabbed
her schoolbag on her way toward the door. She opened it, and was
surprised to find a soaking-wet Ranma-chan standing there. The schoolbag
hit the floor.
"Uc-chan, the necklace, the one I left here last night. Where is it?"
Ranma- chan asked hurriedly.
"Ran-chan! Wha...?" She turned and looked at the counter, the amulet
was still there. It glowed brightly, as did the amulet Ranma-chan now
held up in his hand. Ukyou moved out of the way to let Ranma-chan in, but
her eyes never left the counter. When Ranma-chan walk past her, both
amulets started to glow brighter, and Ukyou then saw the amulet Ranma-chan
held for the first time.
Ranma-chan stopped next to the counter, visibly shaken. When Ukyou
strode up next to her, Ranma-chan said, "Shampoo called it an amulet that
could remove my curse."
Ukyou's excitement grew. "This looks like some of Cologne's magic.
Did Shampoo say how to use it?"
Ranma-chan's hopes fell, and it showed in her voice. "No. We both got
caught in the rain before she could say."
"Oh," said Ukyou disappointed, then she brightened and said with
determination, "Well, we'll just have to go out and find her."
Ukyou reached down and picked up the amulet off the counter. The
brightness of the stones doubled in strength, bringing them both to a
halt. Ranma-chan was now having second thoughts as to whether this was a
good idea or not, the excitement of a possible cure being replaced with
intense fear. Dabbling into magic, especially *unknown* magic, could be
dangerous. It could be lethal in hands of someone as inexperienced as
herself.
Ukyou had noticed something else. A pattern in the two stones, almost
like the pieces of a three-dimensional puzzle. I wonder what would
happen if...? "Ranma, could you hold up your amulet for a second."
Ranma-chan complied. Ukyou brought the amulet she was holding up and
slowly brought the two amulets together into the pattern she saw. Both
amulets flared, then all went dark.
*****
Neko-Shampoo ran to the Nekohanten as fast as her little legs could
carry her. She ran through the pet entrance that had been placed in the
back door of the Nekohanten. Immediately, she ran to the hot bath still
there from the early morning and jumped in. When Shampoo rose out of the
water, she cried. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I should have checked if
Ranma had the other amulet first. If I don't get Cologne's amulet back, I
am in big, big trouble.
"Mousse!!!" she yelled out before remembering her current
predicament. Mousse ran into the bath area and upon seeing Shampoo, he
turned around. Oops! He successfully contained a nosebleed. Shampoo
quickly covered herself and dried her tears. She steeled herself and once
again thought as a proper Amazon warrior should.
"Mousse, Ranma has one of Cologne's amulets. It's imperative that we
get it back, immediately." Shampoo spoke in mandarin.
Mousse, realizing that Shampoo had covered herself, turned suddenly and
asked, "Wha..? How did he get it? I knew that Saotome was without
honor. Why I ought to..."
"Mousse?"
"Yes, Shampoo?"
"Shut up!" Mousse winced at that. "The amulet has great power and
I have been...told...that none but a matriarch may weld it. We have to
get it back. I think he may be heading to Uk...OH NO!!!" Shampoo
suddenly became agitated and screamed, "We must hurry!". Mousse quickly
left the bath area so Shampoo could resume dressing.
*****
The next thing Ranma knew was that he was falling. The second thing he
knew was that he was now a *he*, and not a *she*, but that seemed of very
little importance in comparison to the first thing he knew. Ranma opened
eyes he didn't realize until now were closed. He was amazed. I must be
in hell! All around him was fire, liquid fire, like the surface of the
sun. It seemed to be in all directions no matter where he looked, almost
as if he were staring at the sun from the inside. The distances to the
flames must have been immense. Though he had the sense of falling, he
could spot no references, nothing to tell him in which direction he was
falling. Also absent, was any sensation of heat from the flames, or cold.
He also noticed he wasn't breathing. I must be dead. He looked at
himself, and was surprised. He was naked with skin that was translucent.
He easily saw all his internal organs and bones, like some
three-dimensional x-ray. He reached down to touch his stomach, and
noticed that his hand passed right through, like reaching into a liquid.
He could feel himself but nothing was solid. He pulled out his hand and
brought it in front of his face. Again, it was like looking at an x-ray.
He could easily make out healed fissures in the bones of his arm from
injuries sustained through his years of martial arts. On the surface of
the skin of his hand was a red aura, almost like his battle aura. He
couldn't help but notice a thin layer of black aura that seem to ride on
the surface of the red aura.
Though the sensation of falling and the images all around him should
have been frightening, he was not afraid. In fact, he noticed he had very
little emotions at all. It was almost like he was a casual observer and
as calm as a Sunday in the park. He had all his memories and the new
sensations that greeted him now, but it seemed all else had been taken
away and removed.
A tiny speck caught his eye, a mere dot set against a violent
background. Though there were no details, something within himself
registered what the object was. Ukyou! She must be falling just like I
am, but how do I get to her? From what he could tell, he had nothing to
propel himself against. He couldn't tell whether it was just a thought,
or some feeling he had, but something inside him told him to reach out to
her. He did. At first, it seemed nothing was happening, and then he saw
that she was somehow getting closer. He continued to reach out.
For what seemed like several minutes, Ukyou got closer. He also saw
that just as he was reaching out to her, she was reaching out to him.
When they came within a small distance of each other, Ranma dropped his
hand and Ukyou did likewise. Immediately, all relative movement stopped,
and they regarded each other. Though both were naked and translucent,
there were no feelings of embarrassment. Ukyou, likewise, had an aura
around her much like his, except it was blue and, Ranma noted, did not
contain the black outline his aura did, nor was it as large as his. To
Ranma it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The look on
Ukyou's face was not one of fear, but amazement. Together they smiled.
A voice within him said, "{Ran-chan.}" He couldn't make out the source
of the voice, but somehow knew it was from Ukyou. The voice had come at
him very quickly, mere fractions of a second in this timeless place.
He responded, "{Uc-chan?}" He didn't know how it was he was
responding, but it seemed natural. The voice he spoke in was just as
rapid as her's had been. He didn't speak it with his mouth, because it
didn't move. He wasn't just thinking it. It was through some other means
he wasn't aware of.
Almost imperceptibly, Ranma noted a tinge of white aura extending from
his aura toward Ukyou, and Ranma looked up. Ukyou's aura also had the
same white projection pointing towards him, but it was much stronger and
much more pronounced than his. The white projection added greatly to her
beauty, Ranma felt strangely attracted towards her. Ukyou reached out
again, Ranma was slowly moving closer. As he was drawn closer, he felt a
feeling of euphoria in his stomach, and the white projections grew more
prominent. Ranma felt compelled to reach out to her also, but was too
awestruck to move his arms.
"{NO!!!}" A voice within him almost boomed between his ears, shaking
him awake out of his reverie. This voice had not been from Ukyou. Before
he knew it, the two white projections touched each other and the world
flashed around him.
Memories, and memories of feelings, flooded into his consciousness and
were brought to crystal clarity. He and Ukyou were one. Ranma started
remembering the frantic tears and feelings of abandonment at being left by
the side of the road by Genma, as if it were his own memories. The pain
of being a rejected dowry-less daughter, forced to live out the rest of
life as a boy. The rage and feelings of revenge carried through ten years
of searching for a shameless man and his son. The pain of binding
yourself around the chest tightly, and uncomfortably, just to pass
yourself off as male. The joy of successfully making an okonomiyaki with
your father. The unquenched love you have for a martial artist that does
not return that love. The sheer panic of trying to stop a wedding that
could end your life.
Ukyou remembered all the embarrassing moments and pain associated with
Ranma's Jusenkyou curse. The constant pounding received by Akane and
Genma. The frightening moments of being locked up in a cellar with
fish-sausage strapped to you, surrounded by cats. The events surrounding
Herb and Saffron. The frustration of all of Genma's forced engagements
and fiancees. The fear of hiding from a mother that may ask for your
suicide because of your curse, and wanting nothing but love from that
mother. She remembered the letdown Ranma experienced at the botched
wedding ceremony, and his secret desire to have had it succeed. Memory
after memory brought Ukyou to a newer and more complete understanding of
her 'Ran-chan`. The love she had felt for Ranma in her heart all those
years seemed fledgling to the love she felt for him now.
Each now completely understood the other. Their hopes, fears, dreams
and ambitions. What brought them to greater joy and happiness; what
brought them to despair. They gained a feeling of serendipity, becoming a
greater part of the whole, in tune with the universe, and creation.
Before Ranma knew it, he and Ukyou were once again at their original
distance. The white projections were still there, but were no longer
touching. Ukyou's aura had changed somehow, it now had a reddish tint and
displayed a thin black layer like his own. His own aura, he noticed, now
seemed bluer in appearance. He was still quite attracted to Ukyou, but a
distant object stopped him from moving closer again.
The object gained in size rapidly and was like a huge diamond, two
pyramids joined at the base. The size of the object was immense. It
moved underneath them and slowed. At the apex of the diamond, the top of
one of the pyramids, was a platform. As the platform came within
distance, Ranma felt a tug develop. Suddenly, he was pulled down to the
platform with a sucking sound. Ukyou also was pulled down with the same
sound.
Ranma looked over at Ukyou, then over to a ring that was floating in
the center of the platform. A being was in the ring, it almost looked
like a stick figure made of multi-colored lights. The being shone very
brightly, almost with the brightness of several suns. Ranma was amazed
that he could gaze up at the figure and not be blinded. The being spoke.
"{Oh good, a couple. It's about time I got a couple.}" Ranma and
Ukyou regarded each other, and looked back. "{I was growing tired of all
those silly matriarches they keep sending me. A motley sort, them.
Always making power grabbing wishes like I was some freshly-popped genie
or something making their evil ambitions come true.} Ukyou and Ranma both
shared lost expressions.
"{Let me introduce myself. I am Tori. I'm a lightroid.}"
Ukyou was the first to partially recover. "{I'm-I'm Uk...}"
"{Yes, yes, I know. You are Ukyou Kuonji, and this is Ranma Saotome.
I know all that. I'm here to answer your questions, there is no need for
me to ask any.}" Tori stopped in order to allow time for them to digest
this.
Ranma finally blinked. "{W-what's a lightroid?}" asked Ranma
hesitantly.
"{A lightroid is a being of pure energy and intelligence. I once
served the great Starmasters when they were in power. The last
one...died?...so long ago that I just barely remember him. He died on
your Earth to be precise.}"
"{Earth?}" inquired Ranma, "{What is this place? Is it hell? Are we
dead?}"
"{I can see the parallels you are drawing to one of the stories you
were told as a child. No, this place is a nexus, a portal between two
universes, yours and mine. This 'plane of existence` is interspersed with
your physical universe, but exists at a higher dimension.}"
"{And no, you are not dead, or we wouldn't be having this conversation.
What you are experiencing is a higher level of existence. Here, your
'essence`, everything you are, is visible and is no longer hidden.}"
"{You have an expression on your planet that will do nicely in an
analogy, 'every man is an island`. Imagine that you, and Ukyou here, are
two nearby islands in the sea. If you look in your physical world, all
you see is the top part of the island, the rest of the island remains
hidden under the water. The top part of the island is your physical
selves, and what you allow others to see. The rest that remains hidden is
your mind, soul and spirit. In this nexus area, the seas have been
removed. Now, instead of islands you see two tall mountain peaks. What
was hidden, is now visible. And if you look deep enough, you'll see that
you both are joined at the same common base. That is the rest of the
universe.}" Ranma shrugged.
"{By the way, you two really shouldn't have done that.}" Tori scolded
waving an appendage.
"{Done what?}" asked Ukyou taken aback.
"{Another aspect of this place is there isn't any real individuality.
When you two...*contacted* each other, you melded together and almost
became the same person. Now, he is a part of you, and you are now part of
him. What he had is yours, what you had is his. While I'm on that
subject, let me take care of something.}" Tori raised an appendage and
Ranma felt a twinge. Then he saw that the black outline that was around
both him and Ukyou disappeared. His aura glowed with the same bluish tint
that Ukyou's had. His aura now seemed smaller than before.
"{What happened?}" Ranma asked recovering.
"{That inky appearance you had in your auras was your curse. When you
joined with Ukyou, she gained that curse too. (We're kinda responsible
for it, but I'll save that for a later time.) Now you are both free of
it.}" Ranma felt sincere happiness.
"{So you mean I would have been just as cursed as he was?}" Ukyou said
surprised.
"{Yes, with cold water you would have changed from having dark brown
hair to red hair, but I have removed all that.}"
"{S-so what was the white aura?}" asked Ukyou.
"{Oh that, that's not a curse, don't worry. That's simply your love
for each other.}" The jaws of both Ranma and Ukyou flopped open, then
Ukyou smiled and looked knowingly over at her 'Ran-chan`.
Ranma was incredulous. "{B-but I thought I was in love with Akane.}"
He was also surprised that he had just admitted that so readily.
"{Oh, you are, but human love never has to be toward one specific
person. It doesn't mean you are being unfaithful, it simply means that
love presents itself through many facets and aspects. You apparently had
some love for Ukyou, also. This experience just re-awakened those
feelings. Perhaps this is why you had such a hard time deciding which
fiancee to choose. If Shampoo, and yes even Kodachi, were here, you would
have some love for them as well, only with differing degrees of
complexity. I sense there are others, too.}" Ranma was dumbfounded.
Ukyou wondered why she wasn't feeling intensely jealous.
Tori continued, "{Now, fortunately or unfortunately, because of your
joining with Ukyou, I'm afraid all those other loves will be secondary.}"
Tori paused. "{You'll find there is no going back.}"
Ukyou, in confusion, spoke up, "{You mean we can't go home?}"
"{No, I mean you will never again be who you were before. You will be
much more. Once I release you, once you're back in your own physical
world, you will find that you will not be able to leave one another. This
is why I tried to stop you before you connected. To make sure this is
what you both really wanted before you joined in this manner.}"
"{I already knew that answer before, though, but you didn't. Ukyou was
already so in love with you, Ranma Saotome, that she wouldn't have
hesitated a moment. To her you were her entire world, her reasons for
existing even over her okonomiyaki. You, however, would have preferred
Akane. Now I am afraid you are too late. Once you go back, you will
forever be in love with Ukyou. Not even I can change that now. If I may
take a moment to be sarcastic, 'you may now kiss your bride`, because now
you two are closer than any bride and groom have ever been on your planet.
You both are husband and wife, sister and brother, mother and son, father
and daughter. Your language really has no words to describe what you
really are now, except maybe to say that you are one and the same persons.
Your bodies will be different in the physical world, but your minds and
spirits are twins.}" Ranma and Ukyou looked at each other, they wanted
desperately to touch each other again, hold hands, but thought better of
it.
Tori looked at them both and changed subjects. "{And now, I have a
question for you.}"
"{B-but, I thought you didn't need to ask us any questions.}"
interjected Ranma.
"{Oh, I don't. For me its rhetorical. Since I already know your
answers before you do, but I need you to play the game anyway.}" He
paused for a moment. "{Basically, I need your help, just as you will need
mine once you return. I need to re-awaken...the Starmaster. I cannot do
that from here, and those greedy matriarches who came before you didn't
want to bargain with me. Oh, I granted their...'wishes` anyway, but they
didn't want to cooperate with me in any of my...ventures.}"
"{How can we help?}" asked Ukyou.
"{Yeah!}" responded Ranma. A change in intensity came over Tori that
Ranma somehow interpreted as a smile.
"{You can help me retrieve the two remaining amulets away from these
old crones, the matriarches.}"
Ranma facefaulted. "{You've got to be kidding.}"
"{No, I am not. Don't worry, you will not be facing them alone. You
will have my power behind you and at your disposal.}"
"{Still, what you ask will be no easy task, especially if Cologne is
any example,}" responded Ranma.
"{You will discover that, given the right persuasion, they will gladly
give them to you.}"
A grateful Ukyou thought, and then steeled herself. "{So, what do we
have to do?}"
The interpreted smile became greater in intensity. "{That's my girl,
and what about you, Ranma?}"
"{Y-yeah, I'll play along,}" Ranma said after a little thought.
"{Good. All I want to do for now is join with you two, as you joined
with each other. I cannot go to your world without a host and it would
only be temporary. Your lives, your choices and your actions will still
be yours. In fact, most of the time, you'll hardly know I am there at
all. I will leave you to yourselves after we have retrieved the other two
amulets. Is this acceptable?}"
"{I guess.}" responded Ranma reluctantly.
"{Yeah, Sugar.}" responded Ukyou.
"{Very well. Here we go.}" The ring on the platform enlarged and
encompassed both Ranma and Ukyou.
*****
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End chapter 1.