The Doll  (teaser)
a Ranma 1/2 Alterniverse set within "The Bet" storyarc
     to write or not to write, that's what i'm asking.
i don't own any Ranma 1/2 char,setting,etc. so don't
tell Takahashi-san!
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	Marller's interest wasn't really in this, but
she could see possibilities for mayhem and despair,
so she was game for it. A step not taken, a small
alteration in a timeline's thread, and how much of a
divergence could be brought forth.
	The result: Toltiir, a being from outside the
Yggdrasil system would give the winner of this little
contest enough power to make permanent the timeline.
	This had enormous appeal to Marller, demon
first class. The first temptation had been to go after
Belldandy and that insipid mortal she was hanging around
with. No, too obvious. The others were messing about
with this Jusenkyo-cursed martial artist, and after 
viewing the timestream decided to tweak one mind. An
idea could be the most dangerous weapon.
----------------------
	Nabiki arranged the passports for China, then
hesitated. Jusenkyo. The opportunities for mischief 
and profit represented by that place were incredible.
	Nabiki added her own name to the list of 
people going to China.
----------------------
	Weeks passed before a tired figure carrying
two large suitcases stopped in front of the Tendo-ke.

	"Might as well go in and face the music."

	Kasumi gasped upon seeing her sister. Nabiki
looked terrible, as if she'd aged years since they'd
left to deal with this Phoenix Mountain problem.

	"Where's Ranma and Akane?"

	Nabiki just waved her sister off. "Get everyone.
I'll tell you all at once. I...don't think I can do it
more than once."

	As Soun was the only other one present, it 
didn't take long at all.

	"So," Nabiki sat and stared at her tea. "Ranma
and the rest of them haven't gotten back yet."

	"Nabiki, you left them?"

	"Yeah," Nabiki sighed. "Yeah, sis. Let me tell
this though, without interrupting me. It's...not good."

	"Go ahead, daughter." Soun was ready to climb
the walls.

	"Ah." She hesitated. "We went to Jusenkyo, the
springs were dried up. We went to Phoenix Mountain where
the source of the springs were, where Saffron was. 
During the fight, Akane got involved."

	"Aaaaaaa! My baby's dead!"

	"Daddy, quiet. No interruptions, remember. 
Anyway there was some weird magic that supposedly
dehydrated her into a doll. Stuff and nonsense actually,
since if she'd dehydrated she'd more have resembled an
overlarge prune and had most of her weight intact. No,
this was some magical form of dehydration. Cologne said
that Akane would die unless she was rehydrated by these
magical waters. When I questioned her, she thought it
likely that any magical waters would do.

	"Saffron was STRONG. I mean, really strong, 
Daddy. The legendary Phoenix of Phoenix Mountain. Able
to blow away mountains with his chi. THAT good. I just
couldn't see Ranma winning this one.

	"So I took Akane. I remembered her stories of
this legendary 'Spring Of Life' in Ryugenzawa. I stole
Akane away from Ranma and grabbed transport out of 
there. Did you know there is mining out there? They
have pilots, and the pilots can be bribed. I must have
broken some speed records going from the Tibet border
to Ryugenzawa. Did I mention that there was a time
limit before Akane's dehydrated form died?

	"I...immersed her in the waters of the Spring
Of Life. I figured if magical waters would do the 
trick, then these should especially fit the bill."

	"And?" Soun Tendo was shaking, ready to unleash
a flood of tears in typical fashion.

	"It worked...kinda." Nabiki reached into a
pocket.

	Akane stood on her sister's palm. "Hi Dad.
Uhm. Do you think we could get a bath now? It's been
a really long week."
===========================
	again, this is just a pre-treatment from
me. this is fourth in the queue, if i go with it.
figure that Akane's about a foot tall. This is gonna
throw all sorts of plans off. Also, Ranma isn't fighting
for Akane anymore, so he was mainly in revenge mode,
figuring that there's no way Nabiki could have gotten
her sister to medical attention or whatever that could
do any good.
  should i follow this up? if nothing else, Ukyou looks
like a definite winner in the fiancee race unless a cure
for Akane is found...