Here's a little ditty I conjured up while supervising
a Unix exam... It's a freestanding episode that takes
place very early in the Original Series timeframe.

As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.

All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

Please Enjoy.
Coutuva.



Kagome's Gift
==================================================================


	Ranma sat grumbling at his table in the Nekohanten, rubbing
his forehead near the purpling parting gift from Akane's mallet.
An off-hand remark about her cooking had once again bought him a
free ride downtown, and Shampoo, as usual, was delighted that
he dropped in.  If there was any good side to the situation, landing
in the Nekohanten had to be it.
	It still amazed him that he had been living with the Tendous
for almost a year, and Akane still preferred to mallet first and
ask questions later.  He wasn't entirely sure if preserving the
School was worth the headaches.
	As he sat lost in his musings, he heard but didn't pay any
attention to the sound of someone entering the Cafe the normal way,
even as Shampoo bounced over for her usual enthusiastic greeting.
Sighing, he sampled some of the Ramen that sat before him, noticing
that as always, it was wonderful.
	Shampoo meantime greeted and seated her customer, then took
the order and cruised back to the kitchen.  As she crossed in front
of his table, Ranma watched her distantly, still well aware of
how kawaii she was, despite her annoying personality.
	As she disappeared into the kitchen, he could hear her call
the order, and then start 'discussing' something, a normal
occurrance around any food order.  He smirked as he heard the old
hag argue back in Mandarin, and considered himself fortunate that
he didn't understand it.
	Curious, he cast his gaze toward the new customer, and
noted with interest that it was a girl about Akane's age, sporting
short brown hair tied back and away from her soft, pretty face.
He also noted that she seemed to be checking out the city,
spending all of her time gazing out the window.  He recognized
the gaze from his own years of journeying from city to city, and
figured she was mapping points of interest to be checked out later.
	As he continued to look at her, she turned back toward
her menu and sighed audibly, then briefly closed her eyes.  He
felt for her, knowing exactly how coming into a new city
unprepared could feel.  Abruptly, from somewhere in the back of
his mind, he began to suspect that he recognized the object of
his bemused gaze, and as he checked again, he became convinced.
        He knew this girl, but he couldn't remember how.  That
fact in iteself didn't come as a big surprise, given how many
people he had met over his young life, but the fact that she
didn't make him nervous intregued him.
	Just as he was contemplating his next move, she
happened to turn her head and look right at him, catching him
doing the same to her.  Simultaneously, both of them gasped
quietly, eyebrows raising in surprise.  Their gazes locked
for several long seconds, until the girl blinked and shook
her head slightly.
	That did it.  Ranma suddenly remembered exactly who she
was, and her name even sprang to his lips.
	"Kagome..." he whispered, a smile crossing his face
before he realized it.
	The girl, meantime, mirrored his reaction, mouthing his
name softly to herself.  Gathering her parcels, she rose from her
chair and walked up to Ranma's table, her delicate face
flushing slightly.
	"Ranma... I can't believe it's you... " she breathed, her
face bearing an expression somewhere between smiling and crying.
	"Kagome;  I can't believe it either... how long has it
been?  Five... six years?"  he responded, rising and inviting her
to join him.
	"Six and a half.  How have you been?  You look... well."
she replied, taking the proffered seat and arranging her hands
in her lap.
	"You look great, too... How did you end up here?"  he
asked, still reeling slightly from the surprise.
	"I have relatives just outside of town... my father has
passed away now, and I am going to live with them.  It was his
wish."  she indicated, still smiling.
        "He did...?  Sorry to hear that.  Huh... I still
remember him chasing me off the property every chance he got.
He never did like me much..." he responded, skritching his head
in the usual manner.
        "Ya... he was doing that to make sure you weren't..."
Kagome began, then abruptly bit her lip.
        "Huh?  Make sure I what?" he asked, regarding her
questioningly.
	"It doesn't matter.  How was China?  I assume you did
finally go?" she deflected, lowering her eyes for a moment, then
raising them again.
	"Hai... we did." he grumbled in response, his face
darkening momentarily.  "I couldn't talk him out of it."  he
added, recalling the heated arguments that preceded his eventful
trip.
	"I thought so... " she nodded, the corner of her mouth
turning down slightly.  "So how was it... did you enjoy the trip?"
        "Actually, once we got there, it was okay... but after
about the halfway point, I hated it." he stated, evenly.
        "Gomen... I didn't mean to pry."  Kagome quickly retracted,
noting how the question seemed to upset Ranma.
        "Daijobu... I wish that I'd never gone, though.  Things
would be a lot different now."  he indicated, looking across the
table at Kagome's deep hazel eyes.
        Kagome looked back at him for a long moment, and Ranma could
see that there was something on her mind.
        "Okay... out with it.  What are you thinking about?" he
prodded gently, remembering well how emotional the girl could be.
        "Ano... I never got the chance... to tell you..." she began,
her face paling slightly as she spoke.
        "Tell me... what?"  he encouraged, feeling a knot starting
in his stomach.
        "T - tell you how much... you helped me." she finally
stammered, her face reddening slightly.  "When we met, it was
right after my mother had passed away... I was hurting, and you
came along and helped me move beyond my pain.  I... never forgot
that." she continued, her gaze lowered.
        Ranma's face softened instantly.  Suddenly, Kagome's
quiet, withdrawn behavior back then made sense.  He had been
somehow drawn to the sad, vulnerable girl, and spent days
talking to her and teaching her a few rudimentary Martial Arts
tricks to bring her out of her self.  He had been close to
getting her to loosen up completely when his father dragged
him off to China.
        "Kagome-chan... you just looked like you needed a friend."
he deflected with a polite smile, a bit embarrassed himself.
        "It was more than that, Ranma... had I not met you, I
would likely have joined my mother by my own hand.  She was
my greatest friend, my truest confidant, and one of the most
caring, selfless people on this planet."  she responded, all
seriousness in her quiet voice.  "Until I met you.  You cared
about my wellbeing, Ranma;  In many ways, I owe you my life."
she continued, not immediately noticing Ranma's gaping jaw.
        "Ano... I think we'd better take this out of here..."
he abruptly suggested, rising from his chair and stepping over
to help Kagome from hers.
        "Is... something wrong, Ranma?"  Kagome blinked, taken
aback by his actions.
        "Hai... the walls have ears."  he quipped, flatly.
         True to Ranma's suspicions, Shampoo had been glaring
at him discreetly through the kitchen pass-through for several
minutes.  The Amazon's eyes narrowed as she noted the
obvious familiarity between Ranma and the girl, and she also
noticed how the girl had been wringing her napkin in her hands
under the table.  To her thoughts, it was unmistakable that Ranma
and this new girl had a history... and it was a significant one.
        The gears began to turn as she regarded the scene,
wondering how she could turn it to her advantage.  Before she
could decide on which approach to use, she was stunned
to see Ranma rise and help the girl to her feet.  He even tossed
two 500 yen coins on the table as he escorted her to the doors.
        As the two of them left the Cafe, Shampoo lifted her jaw
back into place and shook her head.  She had just witnessed a
chivalrous act from Ranma... not once, but three times in short
succession.  As the fact sank in, her surprise was instantly
replaced by an evil grin.  Turning on her heel, she marched
straight to the kitchen phone.
        Ranma walked alongside Kagome quietly, her last words
still running through his head.  Up until then, he had been
delighted to see her again, having thought about her often prior
to his fateful visit to Jusenkyo.  Now, he wondered what he was
going to do with yet another fiancee.
        "Ranma...?"  Kagome abruptly ventured, looking up at his
pensive face meekly.
        "Hai...?  Oh... Gomen, Kagome-chan... I was just thinking
about stuff." he flustered, feeling bad about ignoring her.
        "I understand.  I have been thinking as well.  Seeing you
after all these years has made me happy again, Ranma...  It
has brought back to me the times we shared." she continued, her
pretty face brightening slightly.
        "Yeah... I remember." he responded, a small smile crossing
his own face.
        "Because of this, I would like to..." Kagome began, but
was startled by a strident yell from above them.
        "RRRRAANNNMMMMAAAA!  How *DARE* you be seen in public like
that?!?" Ryouga suddenly shouted, leaping into a kick from the
wall he stood on.
        "NO!  You will *not* harm him!!"  Kagome screamed, firing a
beam of energy from her fist and blasting the hapless Ryouga into
LEO.  After a moment, Kagome lowered her arm and looked back
at Ranma sheepishly.  "I... have much to tell you, Ranma."  she
admitted, clasping her hands in front of her and lowering her head.
        "Ano... Hai."  he responded, swallowing hard.


        Ranma couldn't get the image of demure little Kagome firing
a beam from her fist out of his head.  As he walked back to the Dojo
alone replaying the incident in his mind, he decided he would take
her up on her invitation to come to her grandparent's house that
evening.  His curiosity was driving him crazy, not only about the
technique, but about Kagome herself.
        Walking through the gate and up to the doors of the Tendou
house, Ranma was snapped out of his reverie by a feeling of
imminent danger.  Stopping outside the door, he set himself and
cautiously slid it aside.  Nothing happened.  Stepping in, he
quickly kicked off his shoes and made for the family room,  but
didn't get very far.  At the end of the hallway stood Akane,
face contorted with rage.
        "Hiya, Akane.  What did I do this time?"  he asked tiredly,
bracing for the inevitable.
        "Hentai!" she shreiked, launching a mallet at his head.
"I heard about your little 'date', Ranma...!  Who is she... another
fiancee?" she continued, following her first mallet with a running
strike from a second.
        "Hey...!  It ain't nothin like that...!" he defended,
ducking the first attempt and turning tail to run from the second.
        "Sure, Ranma!  You go walking off with her, then dare to
show your face here?  You must have a death wish!!"  she shot back,
narrowly missing him with a huge swing.
        "I was just walking her to her... *"  he began, but wasn't
able to finish.  Akane's second swing caught him looking, and
summarily buried him in an adjacent wall.
        "Serves you right, Hentai!" Akane spat, as she viewed the
carnage with satisfaction.  Turning with a disgusted huff, she
stormed off into the family room.
        Kasumi was next on the scene, carrying a load of linens
to the main floor closet.  As she approached the aftermath, she
looked over at Ranma's remains and tsked quietly, her brow
furrowing ever so slightly.
        "Oh, Dear... I hope we have a hanging big enough to cover
that..." she fretted, then stepped carefully over the shrapnel.
        After extricating himself from the wallboards, Ranma sat
glumly through supper, not even looking at Akane, who continued to
stare at him with unconcealed rage.
        "Son, it seems as if you have some explaining to do..." Soun
abruptly piped up, squaring his shoulders in his best fatherly
fashion.
        "Feh... what's the point?  She ain't gonna listen anyway."
the embattled Ranma grumbled, setting his bowl down.
        Kasumi gasped quietly, Nabiki smirked behind her teacup,
and Akane's face became a shade brighter.  Soun sputtered for a
moment, then Genma took a shot at it.
        "Listen, Boy... you show your elders respect!  Do I have to
take you outside and *remind* you how to behave?"
        "Masaka... I'm outta here."  Ranma abruptly announced, and
leapt from his spot, rolling an aerial somersault over the table
and out the side door.
        Touching down just beyond the walking deck, he looked back
at Kasumi and smiled sweetly.  "That was a great meal as always,
Kasumi.  Arigato."  he bowed, then leapt out of sight.
        "Why, Thank you Ranma..."  Kasumi beamed, happily.
        The others simply stared at each other, everyone but Nabiki
at a loss for words.  "Oooohhh, *this* is gonna be good..." she
chimed, shaking her head in disbelief.
        After killing some time at his favorite hideaway by the
river, Ranma headed toward the address that Kagome had given him,
anxious to get certain questions answered.  The wait had been
excrutiating, but as he headed toward the house, he couldn't
help but feel nervous.
        Approaching the door, he stopped outside it, checked himself
to see if the swelling had gone down any, then pulled the bellrope
dangling from the overhang.
        He could hear somemone approaching the door, a smile coming
to his face as he realized it was Kagome herself.  From the rustle of
fabric he detected, it sounded like she was wearing a kimono, which
is how he best remembered her.
        A second later, the door slid aside quickly, confirming his
two previous conclusions.  She stood before him in the doorway
for a moment, the picture of a traditional Japanese girl.  Her
brightly colored kimono contrasted her shimmering straight brown
hair, and her eyes seemed alive with light.
        "Good Evening, Ranma." she smiled, bowing and gesturing him
in.
        "Hiya, Kagome... you look great."  he responded, his smile
widening slightly.  He had honestly forgotten how attractive Kagome
really was, having been so long lost in his own problems.
        Kagome instantly flushed, bringing her hands to her face
to try to cover it.  "Thank you, Ranma."  she finally responded,
her eyes revealing her hidden smile.
        As he stepped through the door and removed his shoes, Kagome
stood patiently waiting beside him.
        Wordlessly, she took his hand and led him down a short
hallway to another door.  Sliding it aside, she stepped through it,
still leading him by the hand.  Once they passed through, she led
him to a low table, then stopped and turned to face him.
        As he looked back into her face questioningly, he noticed
that her demeanor had changed markedly; she looked back at him
softly, a small, confident smile decorating her face.  Before he
could put the words together to ask her what was going on, she
stepped up to him and took his face in her warm, soft hands, then
pulled him down into a deep, passionate kiss.
        Had it been anyone other of his list of fiancees, he
would have likely shoved her back and cursed her out for such
a thing, but for some reason he couldn't explain, he found himself
enjoying it.
        After several long, stimulating moments, Kagome broke the
kiss and hugged Ranma lovingly, then released him and stepped back.
Her face was again decorated with the small smile, only now it
was accompanied by a pronounced flush.
        "Kagome... What was that for?"  he asked, his head rush
finally subsiding.
        Kagome's smile widened for a moment, then her face settled
into a decidedly more serious set.  Gesturing for him to sit on the
on the mat before him, she then settled to her knees.
        "Ranma, I have something to tell you." she began quietly,
lowering her gaze to the floor once again.  When she raised her
eyes to meet his, they were shimmering slightly, but he could
still see the seriousness in them.
        "Kagome...?"  he ventured, a sinking feeling pervading his
stomach.
        "I am not of your world, Ranma... I am part of a race that
lives on an entirely different planet.  I came here with my parents
as an infant, to live and mature amoung you and take my experiences
back to our world." she sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.
        Ranma was too stunned to even react.  Noting that, Kagome
simply smiled knowingly and continued.  "My mother passed away from
a disease native to our home, which could not be treated on this
planet.  My father eventually died from what could be considered
a broken heart, as he missed my Mother even more than I did." she
noted, sniffing despite herself.  "My time here is now very
limited, as the Transport to take me home has arrived, and awaits
my boarding.  This is possible because you, by simply caring about
me, saved my life."  she sniffed again, wiping her eyes.
        Ranma, moved by her tears, gave himself a mental shake and
tried to make some sense of what Kagome had just told him.  Hard
as he did, however, he still couldn't get himself to simply
accept what the girl was relating to him.  He had encountered a
wide variety of strangeness in his life, but this was too much
of a stretch.
        Noticing Ranma's consternation, Kagome sighed resignedly
and touched his knee gently.  "I see that you feel the same as
most of your race... I thought you might." she smiled again,
closing her eyes briefly.
        Ranma was just about to voice an objection when Kagome held
her hand open before her, and as Ranma watched, a greenish glow
began to build in the center of her outstretched palm, rapidly
forming a small, solid ball of light, near to the size of a golf
ball.
        "This is 'Chi', Ranma... the raw energy of Life.  There
are those who can control this powerful force, bending
it to their will as if it were clay." she explained quietly,
starting to roll the ball around in her hand, eventually
weaving it through her fingers.  "This energy is within all
living things, and thereby limitless." she noted, levitating
the glowing orb from her hand and into the air.
        "Kuso..." Ranma breathed, suddenly believing what the
girl was telling him.  This, he had never seen before, and it
so captivated him that he didn't care where Kagome was from.
        As Ranma continued to watch her display wide-eyed, she
floated the ball about the room with simple motions of her
fingers, the entire process looking effortless.
        "I brought you here tonight to teach you the mastery
of this force, in order to... compensate you for saving my life, 
Ranma." she abruptly stated, landing the ball back on her hand 
and allowing it to dissipate.
        Ranma remained silent for a few seconds, at first
incredibly excited by the prospect of learning such a wild
technique.  However, as all of Kagome's words sank in, his face 
rapidly darkened. "Kagome-chan... you owe me nothing."  he 
stated firmly, almost annoyed at the girl's single-mindedness.  
"You're here, you're still alive, and you're my friend... that's 
all the 'compensation' I'll ever need." he added, emphatically 
but gently.
        As he spoke, he leaned forward and took her shoulders in
his hands, noting that she jumped slightly at his touch.
        Kagome fixed her eyes to his once more, and Ranma was
surprised to see the same expression on her face that he had seen
in the Nekohanten, only this time there were tears gathering in
her eyes.
        "I know." she responded at length, her voice just above
a whisper.  "That is exactly what makes this so right..." she
added, trying to smile.  "Ranma... I have been in love with you
since we last knew each other.  But, because I am not of your
world, and now must return to mine, I am left with simply
cherishing what times we did have." she sniffed, taking his hand
and squeezing it.  "I give you this gift out of that love, Saotome
Ranma, and I can sense within you the wisdom to use it for the
greater good." she added, as Ranma felt his hand become hot.
        Glancing down at their enmeshed fingers, he was shocked
to see the union glowing green, and could suddenly feel a surge
of energy rush into his chest.
        Looking back at Kagome nervously, he noted that she only
closed her eyes and nodded gently.  "It is now within you, Ranma.
You need only understand it." she whispered, looking back at him
and smiling assuringly.  "And that begins now."  she added,
rising to her feet.


        Akane sat glaring at Kasumi, arms crossed in front of her
and face fixed in anger.  "I don't care, neechan... he walked out,
remember?  I couldn't care less if he stays out all night!"  she
asserted, keeping her gaze fixed on the wall.
        Kasumi frowned resignedly.  "Hai, imotou-chan... I was only
thinking that he'll be looking for someplace 'hospitable' to sleep,
but it wouldn't be hard for him to find that, I suppose..." she
indicated, thoughtfully.  "Well, It's getting late, and you have
school in the morning.  I won't keep you.  Oyasumi, Akane-chan."
she added, rising and heading out of Akane's bedroom.
        Walking back to her own room, she stepped in, closed the
door, and began to count quietly.  "Ten, nine, eight, seven,
six, five..."
        Her count abruptly stopped as she heard Akane's door open,
followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.  Smiling to herself,
she turned to her wardrobe to select a nightgown and housecoat.

                   
         Several long, tiring hours later, Ranma and Kagome stood
outside her grandparents house, facing a decrepit old shed in the
back yard.
        "Ranma... this will be the final test." she indicated,
already impressed with his progress.  He had quickly mastered
the techniques involving controlled forms, and she was anxious
to see what he could do when unrestrained.  "This time,
unformed, and give it everything you've got."  Kagome urged,
watching him with great anticipation.
        Ranma didn't reply, having been waiting for this chance.
Setting his feet, he extended his arms toward the building,
bringing the heels of his palms together.
        Staring a rapid pattern of deep breathing, he focussed
his entire being on the point of contact between his hands, just
as Kagome had instructed.  He could feel the strain on his
strength as the glow built up, finally filling the entire
area between his palms and his extended fingertips.
        Taking another very deep breath, he screamed a battle
cry and unleashed the blast, which utterly destroyed the small
building, and left a blast crater the size of the Tendou house.
        Gasping for breath, Ranma collapsed to his knees, all
of his strength gone.
        "Yappa!  Ranma, that was incredible... you're even
better than I could have hoped!"  Kagome cheered, dropping to
her knees beside him.
        "A... Arigato, Kagome-chan..." he gasped between breaths.
"I never knew it was possible... to do this..." he added, looking
to Kagome's excited face and trying to smile.
        Kagome only smiled and nodded, then her face sobered
slowly.  "It is a talent bestowed on few.  In fact, Ranma... it
is not bestowed on humans as a rule.  Most are simply unable to
handle either the power or the responsibility."  she stated,
closing her eyes and lowering her gaze.
        Ranma considered her words for a moment, then abruptly
stopped gasping and stared hard at the girl.
        "Ano... You mean..." he began, but was interrupted by her
nodding.
        "Hai.  It takes some of *your* life energy to channel the
power.  You will need a brief rest after all we have done, but
you will soon be as you were.  Your individual life force is
strong." she noted, touching his shoulder gently.
        Ranma looked back at her, only to note that her eyes were
shimmering once more.  "What...?" he asked, unable to make sense
of the expression on her face.
        "I was just wishing... wishing I could stay here.  I'm
going to miss you; Very, very much." she responded, running her
fingers through his hair.
        "Kagome-chan..." Ranma attempted, noticing some odd
feelings of his own.
        "Your training is complete... and with it my last task
here." she interrupted, sadly.  "My ship has been waiting
for the last half-hour; I must leave you now, Ranma.  Just
remember... I love you, and I... always will." she sniffed, and
rose to her feet.  Sniffing back more tears, she bravely forced
a smile and looked back at him longingly.  "Sayonara, Anata..."
she breathed, and instantly transformed into a ball of greenish
light.
        Ranma raised his arm to sheild his eyes, and watched as
the ball hesitated for a few moments, then arced through the air
toward the old house.  Once it entered, the entire house
tranformed into a large green mass and slowly lifted into the
air.
        As he watched gape-mouthed, the mass swung around and
moved soundlessly out over the treetops, gathering speed as
it angled higher.  Within a few more moments, it was gone.



        "Yo, Akane..."  Ranma called to the figure approaching
him in the darkness.
        "Ranma...!  What are you doing out on this old road?
coming back from your date?"  she needled, setting her hands on
her hips and glaring at him.
        Ranma simply stared back at her, about to issue a suitable
epithet, but instead simply sighed.  He was in no mood for a fight,
but he knew he wasn't going to get away that easy.  "Go ahead and
pull out the mallet, Akane... let's get it over with." he sighed,
preparing himself.
        Akane's jaw dropped.  "Nani?!?" she gasped, wondering what
had come over him.
        Ranma rolled his eyes at her and pointed to his head.  "Go
for it!  Whatcha waitin' for?"  he snapped, angrily.
        "R... Ranma?  What happened to you...?" Akane gasped again,
knowing that his reaction was definitely not normal.
        "You really want to know?  Okay... I was with Kagome
tonight, and I don't figure it matters what I did... you're
just gonna bash me anyway." he began, moving his head into
position.  When the expected impact never came, he looked back
at the stunned Akane and figured he might as well go for broke.
"I first met her before Pop and I went to China.  Anyway, her
parents died and she's going to live with her grandparents, and
as she was comin' through town, she found me and wanted to say
goodbye.  I just took her to where she was going to meet her
ride." he explained, shrugging.
        "And that's it..." Akane followed, regarding him
suspiciously.  "Nothing... 'else' happened?" 
        "Baka.  We talked for about four hours, but that was it."
he stated, again bracing for the mallet.
        Akane studied him intently for a few moments, then let her
shoulders drop.  "Well, I guess I can't mallet you for that... so
why didn't you bring her to the house?"
        "Do I really have to answer that?"  he replied, looking
back at her sideways.  Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief.
        "No... I guess not." she puffed, upon thinking about it.
"I'm sorry, Ranma.  I'm just glad you're not..." she began, but
slapped a hand over her mouth.
        "Glad I'm not what?" he echoed, leaning toward her.
        "Ano... Nevermind." she mumbled through her hand.


        Discussions completed, the two walked quietly back toward
the Dojo through the darkened streets, Akane still undecided about
Ranma's story, and Ranma thinking about what he had found when
he had finally recovered enough energy to get up.
        A few feet ahead of him in the light coloured dirt he
had seen a few dark spots, and moved to get a closer look.
He noticed that the spots were grouped in two neat clusters,
and upon touching them, discovered that they were warm, wet
and smelled of salt.
        He could still feel the lump in his throat.



===================================================================
END - Kagome's Gift                    A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva


Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com

_____________________________________________________________
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http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/9295/
coutuva@vecdev.com, coutuva@hotmail.com
coutuva@geocities.com, coutuva@tsbnorth.com


"No, we don't broadcast animation live any more... it
puts too much of a strain on the Artist's wrists."