Subject: [R1/2] Guardian Angel
From: Chris Jones
Date: 8/23/1997, 6:28 PM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

--------------------------------------------------------------
                   Ranma 1/2: Guardian Angel

                     by Christopher Jones
--------------------------------------------------------------

	I hate Genma Saotome. It's wrong to hate, but the other
Guardians say that I shouldn't worry. I do though, for my self
and Ranma.
	I'm Kannis, Ranma Saotome's Guardian Angel. I've been
watching over him since before he was born. In seventeen years,
I've grown quite fond of him. Now, he's just about to meet his
wife for the first time. She looks quite a bit like me, so I
feel rather proud. I can feel that the emotional bond between my
self and Ranma is shared, even if he'll never realize it.
	Poor Ranma. He's the sweetest, kindest soul I've ever
known. His father's corrupted him, though, filling his head with
hateful, bigoted, sexist, stupid ideas.
	I didn't really recognize the problem until he was ten.
The multiple engagements worried me, but I was fairly new to the
job, and didn't have much experience with what was expected.
When Genma started to collect cats, however, I knew something
was wrong. I didn't know what to do. We don't have much control
over what the parents do anyway. If I had known what Genma was
planning, I suppose I could have found some way to prevent it.
	Unfortunately, I didn't have much idea at all, and had to
set stupidly by as Ranma was mauled by starving cats. Crying all
the way, I ran back to Heaven to apply for divine intervention,
but by the time it actually happened, it was too late. Genma had
stolen a large piece of Ranma's sanity and all I could do was
masquerade as an elderly woman, holding him, soothing his new,
utterly terrified feline instincts until he became lucid.
	Genma paid that day with a footlong scar down his belly.
Ranma gave it to him with his bare hands.
	Day after day it was the same thing. Genma came up with
some stupid, or horribly dangerous training exercise. In the
name of 'Art' Ranma nearly perished a total of ninety two times
at his father's hands.
	The speed drills on the train tracks...
	The strength drills against local boxers...
	The horrible balance exercises on chain link fences...
	Ranma still does those when he has the chance. It's really
my fault he's become so arrogant. With my help, he's learned to
cheat death at every corner and will until he dies of old age
with Akane.
	I applied for an injunction against Genma. "Anything," I
pleaded with the Almighty. Anything that would stop Genma's
torture. I mapped out a plan to have him get drunk and wander in
front of a commuter bus. Ranma would go back to his mother and
train by himself until he was ready to marry.
	But, He told me, We do not kill. We protect life and all
its treasures. I must keep Ranma safe and minimize Genma's
damage to his psyche.
	It's horrible to know you can do your absolute best, a
perfect job, and still wind up with a flawed result.
	They sent me to the help sessions for Guardian Angels of
abused and molested children. Most there had children who were
beaten or taken advantage of. At first I pitied them, but soon,
they began to pity me. I was one of a small group whose
children's lives were actually endangered by their parents.
	I tried talking to the Angel who guarded Genma when he was
young. She only cried, smoked a cigarette, and ignored me. All
my friends try to help, but how can you help someone who is
damned by their own father?
	So every day, I make my decisions. What will keep Ranma
alive today? What is the lesser of two or more evils? How will
he survive *this* idiot training mission?
	Today, Ranma will die. They will come across a village of
Amazon warriors who devalue men. Genma will convince Ranma to
steal food, and the Amazons will hunt them down and butcher them
in their sleep like cattle.
	That is... Unless they cross Jusenkyou first.
	Genma certainly deserves to be cursed. But Ranma... He
will receive Nyannichuan, spring of drowned young girl. For the
first time in his life he will challenge his own perceptions and
prejudices. He will be female when he faces Shampoo, and
therefore worthy to challenged combat. That will keep him alive,
if deprive him of sleep for the next few weeks. Most
importantly, he will quit trusting his bastard father.
	To curse Ranma to save his life... Or let it end now so
that his spirit will be spared the torment that the curse will
bring him. It will not just be Shampoo trying to kill him, but
Ryouga as well, and Mousse, and later Herb and Saffron.
	The lesser of two evils...
	I open the way to Jusenkyou and weep. Make me proud,
Ranma.

***

Comments to: hamster@arn.net  Characters of Ranma 1/2, and the 
likeness thereof are used without permission.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Jones                      hamster@arn.net
The Hamster House of Animation   http://users.arn.net/~hamster
The Ranma 1/2 Gallery            http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/6413
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm the fat and ugly Sailor Panda. I fight for beer and pretzels, and 
because I'm afraid of my wife, I'll annoy you!