A goddess and a half #2 Written by Quek Kwang-Ee under the direction of Gerald E. Jordan. Disclaimer To whom it may concern, this fiction is not and was never meant to be distributed for profit and as such is not subject to the laws governing infringement of property and copyrights. However, I thank the creators of the stories where the characters of Ah My Goddess and Ranma 1/2 came from and salute their actions in creating such characters and any others that we may enjoy. From Q to you. ******** The boy scrambled back, away from the approaching bug, his eyes as wide as saucers. the bug followed, matching him step by step to herd him to the base of the control panel. "Ahhhh... get away! AHHHHH!!!!" he screamed as it hopped onto his legs and proceeded to nuzzle his knees. Suddenly a giant glove shot out from the side and slammed the bug into the ground before retracting back from whence it came. The dissipating puff of smoke was all there was left of the bug it's essence scattering into the winds. the boy turned his disbelieving eyes to the side and screamed before promptly fainting. A small tank like robot stood to one side, with hands on either side instead of a cannon in the center. Its left hand was a giant red boxing glove and the right, a hand of smooth metal. It slowly lumbered close to the boy and then stopped as the top hatch popped open. A small girl stuck her head out to peer at the boy. ******* (Tendo Dojo) Nadoka stared at the goddess, amazed by the ethereal person floating above Kasumi's form. "Kasumi... what's that?" "It's just a goddess Ka-san. She asked me to ... explain the situation to you and help you understand." said Kasumi, her eyes still closed in contemplation. "It's true Ms Soutome, My sisters are with your son right now. Please understand. that Ranma loves you very much and needs you more than you will ever know." "I... But Ranma is still a girl." Nadoka said, sadness in her eyes. "It's all right Ms Soutome. Ranma has the form of a goddess but I assure you, his soul and nature is that of the noblest of men. Even from where I am, I can tell the strength he has amassed. . . and the weakness he has gained." Nadoka looked up at the goddess in wonder. "My son is weak?" ". . .It's Hard to explain it in words for they do not tell the whole story." the image sighed and put out her left hand. "Come, give me your hand and learn." Like a child seeing something for the first time, Nadoka reached out in wonder to touch the ethereal hand. . . ** (Flash) A sense of falling into darkness and a sudden jerk. the dark. . A slitted eye looking back with hunger in it's eyes. It yowled as the cats awoke and they converged as one. (Flash) Dad as he placed the rabbit's foot in my hand. Letting me pet its soft fur. "Well boy, I never though you'd do that. Perhaps we'll make a martial artist out of you yet." (Flash) The bitter brew stinging my throat as it burned it's way into my stomach. I coughed at the taste and fell into a stance only to fall reeling from the strike and the alcohol. (Flash) Watching the multitude of stars in the velvet sky as the full moon rose overhead to bathe the land with its silent glow. (Flash) The panda leaping out of the water and onto the pole. I turned to the guide and screamed a question. he answered and I turned back as the panda leapt at me, and knocked me off the pole. (Flash) The water cascading off a body that was foreign to me and looking down into a chest that was not mine. (Flash) The purple hair girl chasing me with knives and other implements of destruction. I don't want to kill her but she's *GONNA KILL ME!!!* (Flash) Honor binds me to this arrangement but it doesn't mean I need to like it. . . I just wish she'd stop calling me a pervert. (Flash) Akane, looks like she is crying. . . I don't want her to cry. . . (Flash) .... (flash) ... ****** (Nekohaten) In the Nekohaten kitchen, an aged warrior moved with deft speed, serving culinary delights with a wave of her hand while preparing it with another. The deft skill of the warrior maiden Shampoo as she caught the flying dishes in her hands, serving it to the customers as they watched. Each movement graceful and deft in it's precision. . . Well maybe not that . A shadow fell across the doorway of the establishment as yet another person crossed the threshold of the shop. Shampoo looked up with a beaming face to greet the new customer and blinked. ** "Hello. . *blink, blink*" "Hello San-hu, it's been a while." "Mou wan!" shampoo shouted, hugging her relative, and inciting a few fantasies from half of the males present. Mouthwash (Mou Wan) laughed. Shampoo said, pouting cutely. mouthwash said, looking at the lad as he stumbled out of the kitchen with Cologne perched on his back "Why Hello grandniece. It's been a while." "Hello Grandaunt Koh Lon." She replied, bowing deeply to the matriarch of the tribe. "It has been a long time since I see you too." "I see your Japanese has improved since your last lesson." Mouthwash blushed. "During my travels I have much time to practice, thank you." "Come, bring your things upstairs. I'm sure that you and the two young-ones have allot to talk about." "Thank you Grandaunt but I'm here on business." ". . What business grandniece, I have come here on the behest of the council to bring someone to justice." "... Mou wan. It have something to do with Ranma no?" Shampoo asked worriedly. ".. actually yes. He's flouted the laws and the council has decided... For a trial." ****** (Random street) A strange group walked down the street, of course it, being Nerima Japan, it's often that strange processions walk or more likely run down the streets. However, two and a half goddesses walking along with mortal men and women is the exception to the rule. "I just wish you'd let me Do the tests Urd." "Skuld, No." "Please?" "No." "Pretty please with a cup of sake on top?" ".... Umm.. No." "PREETTY Please With a jug of wine on top?" "... Do want some cheese with that whine? I told you already, We wait for Belldandy." "Grrrr... I still think Bappo-chan can do it." "Err right."Urd said as they reached the doorway of the Tendo Dojo. To their right was Ranma having changed back to a male while in school. to their left was Shou and Hinnako, enjoying the warmth of the day and each other's company as Akane and Genma looked on. In any case, the party entered the house and a few seconds later, two splashes were heard as they saw Nadoka Soutome. ******* Notes from Q. Hi, this is the end of the second chapter. I seem to keep hanging the end but I've a life and I have things that I have to do. (Like pack for my trip home.) I'll continue writing but we'll see where it goes. As always, send homage to Gerald E Jordan for helping me for this at starfire@brainerd.net. If you want to send me mail 100% leave me a message on my guestbook at my page at. http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/temple/3583/ ******* Nadoka stood before the pond, the helm of her kimono fluttering in the unnatural breeze. Her katana stood as it had always stood sheathed in wood and again in cloth. But Genma trembled for her eyes were ice personified. Genma in his panda form wanted to run to flee or pretend ignorance. Dispite his his teachings he was not a verry brave man or a smart one at that but his blood went cold when he heard her voice. "Genma, we have things to discuss." She breathed. Glaciers could not have sounded so cold. He meekly followed her as Kasumi appeared besides him and poured hot water down his back. Nodding back at her he nearly stumbled when he turned around again to see his wife's wintery gaze. . . Were those snowflakes dancing around her? He walked into the room with his wife against her heels and the door closed behind them. Kasumi smiled from the side holding up a kettle. "Shouldn't you change too Ranma?" *** "Genma, What was the meaning of teaching our child the Neko-ten." "It's the most powerful techneque he's..." he trailed off as he saw a flicker of blue flames in her eyes. "It cost him his sanity and a part of himself Genma. If he was not able to snap out of it, he would have been stuck in that state. I'll soon learn about what other atrocities you have commited but that's not the least of my worries." She replied. "For there's the question of the promise." he paled. She snorted. "Not just that idiot contract you made Ranma sign Husband but the other one. The one you promised me." He blinked. Confusion on his face. "You swore on your honour you would send back word telling me about my child. Settling my worries about him but you did not." fire replaced the ice in her eyes and he cringed back as she stalked forwards. "You returned every month for the first year, then you went off for a year before you came back and now I've had to track you down for ten years TO SEE MY OWN CHILD!?!" *** (outside) Something sounding like a large explosion along with various grunts, thuds and crashes sounded in the dojo and then silence. The dojo door silently slid open and Nadoka calmly stepped out, calmly smoothening her skirt. "Ranma I would like to talk to you." she said and entered the house proper. Ranma nervously glanced at the dojo and followed after, noting that the cloth sheath for the sword was gone. Akane looked into the Dojo, her eyes widening at what she saw. Genma was in the center of the room. Thrussed up in his own gi... or what was left of it. It looked like he had been hit by something large and flat and then used for a base for the plants that were gently bobbing around him. So arranged as to bring out artistic perfection. Red poppies decorated his face roses shuch a deep red as to seem black covered his eyes. tuilps with red centers stained with yellow to the petals and delicate green fronds covered most of the rest of his body while tiny yellow and brown tiger orchids guarded his hands and feet. "She's a practitioner of the Miyu Honshin School of Flower aranging no doubt." said her father behind her. "Perhaps also the subbranch of rock sculpting too." he said as he inspected Nadoka's work. Hinnako smiled and cupped the silky petals of a tulip in her hand. "Hmm. Olympic torch." "What?" Akane asked. incredilious. "That's the name of this tulip." "What do you think she's trying to say Miss Hinnako?" Shou smiled. "Well. she seems to be making a play on the names and across a few cultures. 'Fire consumes the grass while tigers stalk away. Heroes red and black thus they make me stay.'" She said, smiling demurely at Shou. "What?" Akane asked looking between the two of them. From Q. I'll explain later. *** They entered the room that Ranma shaired with his father and sat down crossed legged on the floor. Nadoka silently set the sword on the floor besides her noting the wairy look Ranma kept casting at the weapon. "Ranma." "Hai." "Do you dispute that you change into a girl when hit with cold water?" "I. . No." "Do you dispute that you have carried on the charade of being the neice of Shou Tendo and fooled me into believing you are Ranko?" "It's dad's fa.." he stopped himself when her face darkened. "No." "Then what else have you to tell me." "I... I guess I'll start at the beginning." and he did so, telling her about what happened since he got the curse. Nadoka shook her head at the actions of her husband at some instances and sighed in others but slowly the story came out. ". . . and so we entered the house today and saw you there." "And my husband jumped into the pond pulling you with him." She sighed. "He was never a brave man. Always talking about honour and reputation but in the end it was always just words in the wind." she stood up and paced, slowly gliding from corner to corner in the small room. "It's not that he was not an honourable man at times but he.. he always took the easy way out." she settled down behind him and hugged him from the back. "But you have proven yourself, you have shown honour even when you hadn't truely known what it meant. You have done me proud." she said as tears flowed down her face. Ranma sat there dumbfounded for a moment before turning around and hugging her back. "mother." *** Somewhere A young woman opened her large blue eyes and smiled into the wind. A young man looked down at her and blinked before turning his eyes back towards the two lane road. "Bell?" "Hmm?" "why're..." "Shhh." she said bringing a finger to her lips. "They'll be fine." she said, leaning her head against him as they zoomed through the relatively empty streets of Tokyo. He smiled back at her and turned his attention back towards the road. *** *** Explanation. tigers follow their own agenda something like normal cats. Heroes faces are painted red and black is in chinese opera while villians have white faces. Then again red faces are also used to denote shame or pride across cultures and it's left to the interpretation as to how to deal with that.