�Life is Real, Life is Earnest,
If you�re Cold, Turn up the Furnace.�

- Herman Munster

PROLOGUE

MAY 1
SOMEWHERE IN CHINA
10:00 P.M.

(The crescent moon shone clearly in the evening sky as a lone figure
stokes his campfire and stared into the black center of the dancing
orange flames.  It was a young man, well built and healthy, his eyes
dark and intense but with a haunted look to them.  He sat, shoulders
slightly hunched, as if deeply absorbed in thought, all his attention
concentrated on the fire as if attempting to figure out some hidden
meaning to a complex puzzle.  Finally he relaxed enough to release a
long sigh and look resigned as if he had solved the unseen jigsaw puzzle
but didn�t like the picture that it had formed.)

Young Man:  [There�s no getting around it.  I have to face the truth.]   
 
(The young man continued to study the fire for a long moment.  Finally
he stood up, moving slowly over to a large backpack.  He briefly ruffled
through it until he found a sleeping bag which he rolled out nearby the
fire.  A thin, cold breeze whispered past him as he did so, causing him
to involuntary shiver as he climbed into the sleeping bag and stared up
into the sea of stars.)

Young Man:  [I was so close.  Maybe.........No I�ve been gone too long
as it is.  I have to go home and be with her.]

(The young man smiled for a moment as thoughts of his beloved drifted
through his clouded mind.  He pictured her smiling face as she awoke by
his side in the morning, greeting him with a warm 
hug, holding him close to her as she told him how much she loved him and
how cute he was.  He closed his eyes and gently drifted off to sleep and
continued to dream of being with the one he loves....)

(Several hours later, the moon has reached the highest point of the sky
and is now beginning its slow descent downwards.  The young
man slept with a peaceful look on his face, his chest rising and falling
with each even breath he took, even as a shadow gradually fell over
him.  The shadow was attached to another whose body shape, clearly
revealed it to be a short young female, although only modestly built. 
The girl smiled down at the form of the young man, her eyes brimming
with both amusement and affection.  She knelt down next to the boy�s
head and softly strokes his hair with one of her soft hands.  The boy
stirred lightly at the sensation and the smile reappeared on his face. 
and then, in a soft voice, the boy murmurs...)

Young Man: Akane.......

(The girl pauses for a moment, as if mulling something over, and then
she leans down and whispers in the boy�s ear.)

Akane: Yes, Ryouga.......It�s me.  (Speaks a little louder) Wake up.

(Ryouga Hibiki slowly opens his eyes and stares up at the face of Akane
Tendo.  He blinks several times, apparently trying to decide if he is
dreaming or not.)

Ryouga: (Thinking) 

[I must be dreaming.  What would Akane be doing here in China.] 

(Speaks) Uh... Hello Akane.

Akane: Hello yourself.

(Akane continues to lightly stroke Ryouga�s hair.  Ryouga starts to sit
up but then remembers something and lies back down.)

Akane: What�s wrong?

Ryouga: (sighs to himself) This is a dream isn�t it?  Everytime I have a
dream like this, you disappear before I can say or do anything.

Akane: (Softly) This isn�t a dream, Ryouga-Kun.

Ryouga: Oh yeah?  Then what are you doing in China?

Akane: I felt your pain earlier and came to comfort you.  I missed you
and P-Chan for weeks now.

[Ryouga�s eyes grow wide with shock.  The dark secret he had tried so
hard not to reveal to her is finally out in the open!]

Ryouga: Y..Y...YOU KNOW.....?

(Akane laughs softly while placing her other hand on his cheek,
caressing it lightly.)

Akane: (Laughs) About you turning into P-Chan?  Of course silly!  I
known for a long time.

[Ryouga cannot help but wonder why Akane is being so nice to him after
he�s slept in her bed so many times as a pig.  Then Ryouga figures it
must be the calm before the storm and decides he should at least
apologize before she kills him.  Ryouga quickly sits suddenly, startling
Akane as he closes his eyes and bows before her in apology, his head
touching the ground.]

Ryouga: (speaking very fast)  I�m so sorry I wanted to tell you but I
though you would hate me and never want to talk to me again so I kept my
mouth shut but then I was afraid you would be mad at me for not telling
you before and then Ranma.........

Akane: R...Ryouga, it�s okay!  Calm down!  I�m not mad at you! 
Honest!    

(Ryouga stops babbling and looks up at Akane.  Akane presses forward.) 

Akane: I understand why you did it and why you couldn�t tell me.  I�m
not mad at you.

Ryouga: (calming down) Are....Are you sure?

Akane: Positive.

Ryouga: But how....I mean....If this REALLY isn�t a dream.....How did
you get here?

Akane: Well, how did you get here?

Ryouga: Me?  I just....well.....I was walking in a certain direction, I
zoned out for a while I guess, next thing I know I�m in China.  

(Ryouga sighs and rises to a kneeling position in front of Akane.)

Ryouga: I�ve spent the last two weeks looking for Jyusenkuo so I could
finally find a cure to my curse and be normal.

(Tears begin to form in his eyes as he finally reveals the cause for his
current depression.  A familiar green aura begins to form around him and
he stands while Akane slowly backs away.) 

Ryouga: but.....even though I�m in China......even though I�ve spent the
last 3 weeks walking across China...........I STILL CAN�T FIND THE
STUPID NANNICHUAN!!!!!  

(And with that, Ryouga sends a Ki-Blast into the sky, briefly
illuminating the surrounding mountains and sending several wild animals
running in fear.  After several moments, Ryouga collapses from the
energy discharge and Akane rushes forward to catch him before he
falls.)   

Akane: RYOUGA!  (looks at him with intense concern)  You...You don�t
have to get rid of P-Chan!

Ryouga: (Still in tears) Yes I do!  I�ll never be a whole man again
until I do!  I can never tell you how much I......how much I want to
hold you.....to protect you.....to tell you I..I....I...lo......!

(Tears form in Akane�s eyes as she realizes what Ryouga is trying to say
to her.  Ryouga closes his own eyes in shame and embarrassment.)

Ryouga: (thinking) [I can�t even tell her how I feel in my
dreams......]  

Akane: Ryouga, I love you both as......

Ryouga: (eyes open) W..What?

(Ryouga stares into Akane�s eyes.  He sees concern there as well as
something he doesn�t recognize, but something that makes his heart of
glass melt away.)

Akane: I....I love you, Ryouga Hibiki.  Both as a pig and as a man.    
          
(Ryouga could only stare at Akane in shock.  It happened.  The moment he
has waited for so long has finally happened. What does one say when
confronted with such a happy revelation?)

Ryouga: N...No way!  This HAS to be a dream!  A good, no, a GREAT one,
but a dream.....This.....This can�t be happening!

Akane: Maybe this will convince you.

(Akane gently cups Ryouga�s face with her hands and then leans down to
deliver a kiss on his lips.  Ryouga�s eyes glazed over completely and
his brain went into instant shutdown as he felt the warmth of her soft
lips against his, her breath tickling his throat and her tongue gently
moving against his own.  They kissed for quite a while, Ryouga being too
shocked to move a muscle and Akane not wanting to release her embrace.)

Ryouga: (thinking)

[Maybe it�s not a dream...........IT�S NOT A DREAM!?!?]

(Finally it hit him.)

[If this wasn�t a dream then I�m kissing Akane for REAL!  WHICH
MEANS.......]

(Ryouga instantly passes out.  Surprisingly even though he is out cold
he can still see Akane embracing him, only this time from a distance.  
She finally released the kiss and stared at his unconscious self
confusingly for a moment and then realizing he was out cold, she sighed
to herself.)

Akane: P-Chan.......Why�d have to pass out now?

(Knowing Ryouga was out for the night, Akane gently lowered Ryouga onto
his sleeping bag.  Then, without another word, she snuggled up next to
him and drifted off to sleep.  Ryouga wanted to hold her, to tell her he
was right here and they could still continue, but from some reason,
Ryouga could move his legs........)


(Fade to Opening Credits)


�WISHING UPON THE SAME STAR�

(A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic)

>From the Desk of Megane 6.7

This is a work of Fiction.  All Characters and Landmarks, with the
exception of Taimak, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan
Video, Kitty Films, Viz Video, Shonen Sunday, and anyone else who
legally owns the rights.  


PART 1:  AN ACT OF KINDNESS IS RYOUGA�S REWARD

MAY 2
RYOUGA�S CAMPSITE
5:15 A.M.

A thin ray of sunlight shone down from the brightening sky to illuminate
the prone form of Ryouga.  He is still sleeping with a peaceful look on
his face and then he begins to stir as he hears the sound of the birds
and the single sunbeam falls over his eyes.  He slowly opens his eyes
and blinks several times, adjusting them to the morning light.  He then
wipes the crud out of his eyes and rolls out of the futon.  He stretches
out and yawns, getting out any kinks from his 
muscular frame and then glances beside him to see......an empty space.

Ryouga: (sighs) I guess it was a dream after all.  I should have known
better.  Still it seemed so real........

(Ryouga could still picture Akane leaning over him, running her slender
finger through his hair and the kiss.....the first kiss he had ever
received from Akane as a man and not as a pig.)  

Ryouga: [Too bad it was only a dream]

(He sighs to himself and then stands up, preparing to clean up his
campsite and move on.)

Ryouga: I guess I�m just going to have to live with this damn curse a
little while longer.  I�ve left Akane alone for far too long.  There�s
no telling what Ranma�s gotten her into since I left.  At least I have a
new technique to try out on him.  I hope it�s enough this time.  Maybe
I�d better practice it again.......

(Ryouga walks a safe distance away from his campsite and searches for a
clearing to practice his technique, not wishing to harm any innocent
animals.  Ryouga wouldn�t have cared less if he were
in the city, but spending so much time lost in the mountains and
forests, he had developed an appreciation and respect for nature and
knew enough not to disturb it too much.  Then he finally found the place
he was looking for, a wide spacious clearing nearby a cave.)

Ryouga: Okay.  Now, how did it go again?

(Ryouga forces himself to relax, to release his doubts and concentrate
on the task at hand.  Then he opens his senses to everything around him,
the smells, the sounds, the sights, the sensations, he became one with
the forest.  Then he glanced down at himself and was delighted to see he
had turned invisible!  The technique worked perfectly!  Ranma wouldn�t
be able to see what hit him......literally! Except.......

(Ryouga became visible again as the drawback of this technique weighed
down on him, breaking his concentration.   Although the technique would
make him invisible to almost any form of direct and/or inner sight, it
required a great deal of concentration and Ryouga had found he had to
remain perfectly still in order to do it properly, which made attacking
with it impossible.  

(Besides that, it was dishonorable to attack someone from the blind side
anyway and Ryouga would not smear his honor, just as he hadn�t when
Genma, Ranma�s cowardly father, tried to tell Ryouga about Ranma�s weak
spot in order to get revenge on him for something or another.  Ryouga
had learned this invisibility technique by telling himself that Ranma
used his weakness of turning into a pig all the time and thus attacking
invisible was justified, but now that he had learned it, he wouldn�t
allow himself to be dragged down to Ranma�s level.  Not that he could
use the technique as a weapon anyway but still, he would beat Ranma
honorably.)

(Ryouga was still lost in his train of thought when a loud crash caused
him to look behind him.  In the tree behind him, a small animal had
stepped into a handmade snare and was now hanging upside down by one leg
and looking quite terrified.  It looked like a cross between a owl and a
baby fox and it�s soft fur was a snow white color, Ryouga had never seen
an animal like it, not in China or Japan.  However the animal was so
small Ryouga doubted it was being trapped for food, which meant they
most likely wanted the fur.  Ryouga wondered if he should free him when
he received the shock of his life.)

Animal: Help me!

(Ryouga was startled to say the least)

Ryouga: [He must have fallen into a Jyusenkuo spring!  Wait a minute!  I
can�t talk when I�m P-Chan!  This must be something else....]

(Ryouga�s train of thought is interrupted as the strange animal pleads
to him again.)

Animal: Please kind sir!  Whoever set this trap will come for me soon.  
I do not wish to die today.

(Ryouga hesitates briefly, then walks over to the animal and gently
unloops the vine tying his legs together.  Once free, the animal quickly
takes flight into the sky and is soon out of sight.)

Ryouga: (Sarcastically)  You�re welcome. 

(Ryouga shrugs and decides to head back to his campsite, pack up his
stuff and begin what would surely be a long dangerous journey to find
his way back to the Tendo Doujou in Japan and his beloved Akane.  When
he arrives he is surprised to see the animal he saved perched on top of
his backpack.)

Ryouga: Oh, so you came back?

Animal: Yes.  Please pardon my rudeness for not immediately thanking you
for saving my life.  I was too caught up in my freedom to notice. 
Freedom is a wonderful thing you know that?

Ryouga: Uh....I guess so.   Umm.....could you get off my backpack?  I
have to be going.

(The animal raises an eyebrow at that and seems truly stunned that
Ryouga would suggest such a thing.)

Animal: Leaving?  I thought you would want to stay here forever!

Ryouga: What?  No, I mean, I have somewhere I have to get
to.....Someone I want to be with.

Animal: Ah.....Would this someone be a girl?

Ryouga: (blushes) Um.....yeah.

Animal: I see.  Only for true love would someone leave this paradise and
go elsewhere.  Does this girl love you?

(Ryouga�s shoulders slump and his eyes grow misty, as he has asked
himself this question many times and still has no clue to how Akane
really feels about him.)

Ryouga: (bows his head) I.....I don�t know.  I wish I did.

Animal: Really?  Tell me......What is your name?

Ryouga: Hibiki Ryouga.

Animal: Hmm.  Well, Ryouga, my name is Taimak......I�m afraid my last
name is a bit unpronounceable in Japanese.  So let�s stick with Taimak,
shall we?  I never was one for formalities.   

Ryouga: Okay, Taimak.

Taimak: Good.  Now that we�ve cleared that up, allow me to properly
thank you for saving me.  I have the power to grant you one wish and one
wish only.  Once it is used, it can be neither changed or recalled. 
However since my intentions are to reward you, I will not grant the wish
until you have specifically and precisely told me what it is you want,
so there will be no misunderstandings or accidents.

Ryouga: A wish?

Taimak: A bit slow are we?  That�s quite all right.  Having the power to
wish for anything you want is a bit overwhelming after all. 

Ryouga: I can wish for anything I want?

Taimak: Anything you want.  For example you could be the ruler of the
world....(looks at Ryouga) However I think the world might be better off
on it�s own...no offense intended.

Ryouga: None taken....I guess.

Taimak: Or if you want you could wish for a harem of women to satisfy
your every.......oh!  I forgot, you already have a true love don�t you? 
Never mind then.  Or you could wish for riches beyond your
wildest.......

Ryouga: I.......I think I know what I want to wish for.

Taimak: Already?  My!  That was quick!  Are you certain young man? 
Remember once you�ve made the wish you can�t take it back!

Ryouga: I know.

Taimak: Very well.  What is your wish?  Be specific and precise now!  

Ryouga: And you�re sure I can wish for ANYTHING I want?

Taimak: Ask me again and I�ll tell you the same. 

Ryouga: Okay then.  

(Ryouga mulls over the wish in his mind.  While he is tempted to make at
least two other wishes that would guarantee his happiness, he remembers
what Taimak said about misunderstandings and having only one chance at
this.  And if this creature could truly grant him this.........)

Ryouga: (takes a deep breath)  I wish............


(Fade to Black)

TO BE CONTINUED..........

Author�s comments:

Well, this isn�t my first Fanfic but it�s one I�ve had for a while and
this is only the beginning.  The dream sequence at the beginning and
Ryouga�s unspoken wish will become clear in later chapters.  I welcome
any comments, both positive and negative.

My favorite character out of the whole series is Ryouga and you can
expect a lot more stories about him.  I am planning/drafting/working on
two future stories in addition to this one.  

The first is �Ryouga: The Eternally Lost Boy� which takes place after
the conclusion of the Ranma 1/2 Manga Series and has Ryouga traveling
all over the world, trying to find himself, not to mention the Tendou
Doujou.

The second is �Letting Your Guard Down� which has a fed up Ranma running
away from the Tendou Doujou and discovering a new safer, peaceful life
in another town.  One that may tempt him to stay forever, fiancees be
damned.  

I�m also considering �Kunou�s World� which has the Ranma cast in a
Shakespearean type setting and Tatewaki Kunou as the central character.

Don�t expect any of these stories for a while though, since I tend to
leave a story for months and then write 50-60 pages in one night.  Let
me know which one you�d rather see and I�ll concentrate on it.

E-mail me at fcasper@yesic.com