This is the sequel series to Vengeance and carries on after its events. If you haven't read it yet, don't hesitate to email me for it. As its prequel, "A New Life" is pretty much a dark fanfiction, so if you don't mind the downside of things, keep reading. Most of the characters within the story are from the Anime Series, Ranma 1/2 and are property of Rumiko Takahashi, and whoever else may own the rights. I write this without permission and do so with no attempt to profit off of the marvelous works. Rather, I do so for everyone's benefit. Please enjoy and tell me what you think. A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction: A New Life by Ryan Erik ------------Key------------ ------------------ --------"Japanese"--------- --------'Thoughts'--------- -*Radio/Intercom messages*- --------------------------- _____________________________________________________________________ Begin Part One: Awakenings With a glazed donut held delicately in his mouth and a cup of coffee in his left hand, Officer Joseph Martinez shifted through his pocket for his keys. Upon finding them, he unlocked the door to his patrol car and he sat down in it setting his cup on the dash board. He took a large bite out of his donut and placed it next to his coffee. Martinez sighed in contentment, there was no place better in all of California to be a Highway Patrol Officer, than Big Sur. Between the beautiful scenery, the fresh air and the friendly people, he definitely did not take working here for granted. There was rarely ever much going on, especially where he patrolled. There was nothing but mountains, forests and animals in the area. He was still thanking God for his seniority, which allowed him to pick Big Sur as his place of work. This enabled him to work out of his house, with only one other officer under him. He, his wife and his two kids all loved it out here. It seemed like it was an escape from reality, compared to where he used to work. Los Angeles was not a forgiving place for rookie police officers, and he had seen enough of its violence. *27-14, Monterey.* His car radio sounded just as he was about to take a sip of his coffee. He lifted his car radio's microphone and responded, "Monterey, 27-14." *We have a RP Reporting a possible explosion in the area of Andrew Molera State Park.* <10-4. I'm responding from the River Inn code 3.> He rolled his eyes, and stuffed the entire donut into his mouth, trying to finish it as fast as possible. He took a large sip of his coffee, started the engine, and turned on his car's siren. He backed out of the River Inn's parking lot and started in the direction of the state park. It was camping season, but so few times did anyone actually call for the police, let alone for an explosion. He was quite startled. he muttered. Martinez arrived in the area of the reported explosion, and after questioning a few of the campers who were nearby, he walked towards the location where it had taken place. His jaw dropped open in surprise when he saw that a fairly decent sized area had been cleared of trees and was now smoking harmlessly. He came closer and examined the area, seeing that there was a large indentation in the ground, looking as if it had been made by a meteor. Martinez went back to his patrol car and picked up the microphone, *27-14, Monterey,* dispatch returned. The last thing he wanted was to see part of Big Sur go up in flames. Martinez hoped that the smoke was just the remains of the blast, and not smoke caused by fire. The State Park Rangers, Big Sur Volunteer Fire Department, and Monterey County Sheriff's Deputy all arrived at the scene within a few minutes time of each other. Martinez led them to the site of the explosion and the firemen started hosing down the area that had been affected. They all began to search the area and its surroundings for a possible cause of the explosion. Officer Daniel Stevenson, his partner (and friend) who also worked as the only other Highway Patrolmen for all of Big Sur, called out in hello. Martinez turned and greeted his friend, and he explained the situation briefly. "Let's get closer to the cliff." The two went to the edge of the cliff and gaped at the huge area of the ledge that had been torn apart. Martinez cautiously made his way to the edge, looking down over towards the bottom. They searched the area below with their eyes, and Martinez spoke up, Stevenson nodded and the two went around the cliffs and split up, combing the ground in search. Martinez's heartbeat quickened when he saw a prone figure on the floor, face down. He picked up the receiver on his collar and spoke over the radio. *27-14, Monterey. 10-4,* the dispatcher replied. Stevenson rushed over to partner and looked at his finding. Martinez knelt to the floor, and put his fingers over the figure's neck, checking for a pulse finding a very slow one. Within a few moments some of the firemen came down and checked the victim, turning her over very carefully. After a few moments of examination, they spoke to the officer. Martinez nodded. The Highway Patrol dispatcher then replied, *27-14, Monterey. 10-4.* After about ten minutes, the Calstar helicopter arrived, taking the victim to the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. * * * Beep. Beep. Claws and teeth met him as he was lowered into the pit. His screams of terror were met by reassurances that went unheard. The smell of fish sausage filled his lungs, which were pumping furiously. He violently tugged against his bonds, but his strength was that of a child. Nothing he could do would save him from his fate. Pain seethed through his body as he felt, not the bottom of the pit, but steel that cut him like fire. His whole existence was threatened by the agony of his skin being sliced. He dared not open his eyes to look at the miserable beasts that now attacked him, but he kept his lids shut tightly, protecting them. Beep. Beep. The attacks stopped, but the pain lingered on. He drew in ragged breaths and thought he was finally being lifted out by his father. The cold surface that his wounds were pressed up against told him otherwise, and he dared to open his eyes. His vision was met with darkness, and he looked around, trying to see if the c... c... to see where the terrible creatures went. He thought he saw his father and called out, "Papa?" Terrible laughter, followed by an approaching figure, were what he knew next. Who was this person? Walking close to the boy's tied up body, he spoke, "Not your father, Ranma. I am definitely not your father." Beep. Beep. Who could this man be? He tried to look at the man's face, but it was too shadowed to see clearly. The laughter resumed, terrorizing the child even more. "You put me through hell, Ranma! Now you are here forever!" The person walked into the light, but Ranma failed to recognize him, though he did seem familiar. The yellow and black spotted bandanna tied around the man's head stuck out in Ranma's mind. "Now, face your worst fear!" To Ranma's pure horror, the figure's clothes fell off looking like they had been completely shredded, replaced by fur. Hair protruded from his face, and the man's teeth grew jagged and long. Ranma screamed again. Eyes wide open, the little boy watched as the man turned into a very large feline bearing the familiar yellow bandanna. Beep. Beep. Ranma was on the verge of unconsciousness when someone's yell took the cat-man's attention. A blur of a figure jump kicked the cat-man turning into a mist and fading out of existence. Ranma's stunned expression refused to change as a girl with long black hair walked over to him, kneeling down. She untied him and picked him up, leaping out of the pit that he had originally been tossed down. "It's going to be okay, love." His pain slowly died down, and he tried to figure out what had just happened. "Don't worry. I won't let them hurt you ever again." Young Ranma smiled at his savior's beautiful face as she reassured him. He believed her. "I'll make everything okay." He felt himself being lowered down and placed on a very soft bed. Beep. Beep. He felt her warm lips kiss his forehead. "No one will ever hurt you again." Never to be hurt again. Never to be thrown into a pit of c... No, never again. "I promise you. Together we will make things right." He felt her warm hand press against his cheek softly. "My Ranma-chan." * * * Beep. Beep. Ranma's eyes slowly opened and she still felt the warm hand against her cheek. "Never again," she muttered, barely audible to even those with the best hearing. She drew in a breath slowly, taking in the odd, cold air. Beep. Beep. She looked over to the source of the beeping noise. A machine. It looked like one of those things that they had in hospitals on TV. There wasn't much light in the room, but what little there was hurt her eyes. A dull ache formed in her head and she faced the ceiling before closing her eyes once again. "Never again." "Never again." The voice of her savior was deeper. Much deeper. A hand pressed up against her head, relieving some of the tension that she had there. "Never again will anyone hurt you. I will not allow it." The silky smooth hands that her savior possessed were now a little rougher and stronger, but they still felt gentle. Lovingly gentle. She let herself drift off into unconsciousness once again, but this time she dreamt pleasantly. Her nightmares were far from finished with her, but for the moment they were replaced with restful sleep. Beep. Beep. * * * Doctor Michael Chang looked at the charts that he held in his hands. He walked into room 24 that had two occupants, not counting the patient who slumbered as she had the last time he had seen her. The nurse beamed a broad smile at him. Her eyes, sparkling at him, were a light green and she had her blonde hair back in a pony-tail. 'What was her name? Oh yeah, Connie.' She giggled at her recognition and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. He glanced over the charts on more time and then looked up at the young man that was seated on the edge of the bed on which his patient lay. The man didn't seem to notice the Doctor's presence as his eyes never left the girl's face. Dr. Chang looked at the young man not wanting to bother him, but he approached him anyway. Without moving in the slightest, the young man responded, His voice had a very slight Japanese accent, but it was so slight that if one weren't listening for it wouldn't be noticed. Dr. Chang looked over the charts again, and addressed Mr. Nishiyama again. Dr. Chang received a nod for his question and he continued. If Mr. Nishiyama heard, he did not respond. For the first time the man looked Dr. Chang's way, staring at him, unblinking. His eyes were of a steel-gray, and his hair was long, down passed his shoulders a foot, and very black. His handsome features seemed godlike, with the sun's light shining in from the window's, seemingly glowing. His skin was perfect, not a flaw visible, and his gaze was unnerving. Dr. Chang set down the girl's charts on a table and was about to speak again when the girl shifted in her sleep. They both turned to her, the doctor walking over to the unoccupied side of her bed. Her eyes opened. They were of the bluest of blues, resembling two beautiful sapphires sparking in the sun's light. Her face was pale, but flawless, like her brother's. She was much shorter than him and greatly resembled her age of fourteen. While she didn't quite look a lot like her brother, she definitely shared his good looks. Her red hair was very long, and it would probably stretched to her knees if she were to stand up. She sat up slowly, putting her right hand to her head with her eyes closed. "Can you please close the window?" Dr. Chang, not knowing Japanese, looked at her quizzically. "Of course, Ranma-chan." Mr. Nishiyama stood up and walked over to the window, drawing the shades, before returning to his seat at his sister's side. She looked at him, then at the doctor and back again. She looked confused, and it was justified. He smiled at the girl and picked up one of her hands in his. The doctor nodded. He spoke to the confused girl once more, "What do you remember?" Tears started to well up in her eyes as she looked like she was fighting back a torrent of emotions. "The pit... fish sausage..." She started bawling into her hands causing the two men to look down at her sympathetically. She looked up at Mr. Nishiyama and asked, "I'm a friend, Ranma-chan." The child-like innocence expressed on her face as she looked at him, tears glistening in her eyes, made him wonder if she remembered anything at all. But her mention of a pit and fish sausage pointed out that she remembered the Neko-ken training that her father imposed on her when she was a child. Being one of the more traumatic experiences in her young life, it was too bad that she had remembered that before her fonder memories. the doctor asked him after the girl stopped sobbing. He nodded and asked her how she was feeling in Japanese. "My head hurts," she answered. "Where's my papa?" She sounded like a child. Her voice was soft and was no louder than a whisper. He could tell that she was still trying to keep hold of herself, but was slowly losing her control to tears again. "Your papa isn't anywhere near here. It's just me." That seemed to make her a bit more comfortable. "You do not want to see your father, do you?" She shook her head. The doctor looked a little relieved and spoke, He was about to say something else, when his beeper went off. He then left the room, closing the door behind himself. There was a brief silence, which was cut off by Mr. Nishiyama's question. "Do you remember anything besides the pit and the fish sausage?" She winced, and closed her eyes. Her face contorted in fear and her eyes fluttered open again. "Where am I?" She strained, pulling herself into a sitting position and yawned. After a few blinks, she looked over at him again, meeting his stare. As if reading his eyes, she looked into them thoughtfully. "You are in a hospital." She looked thoughtful, and yet still confused. "Why?" "That is not important at the moment. Let's just say that you had a nasty accident." He considered what he would tell her and what he would let her remember on her own. A few things, such as Jusenkyo and her near-marriage to Akane, she would have to remember on her own. Hopefully they would come slowly, after she remembered other more pleasant things. "Do you remember your name?" "My name is..." The redhead stopped and looked down at herself for a second. 'Who am I?' The harder she tried to remember, the further the answers hid from her. Then it hit her. Memories of her early childhood flooded into her mind. She recalled her father's face and how he looked down at his son. He was so very proud. 'Proud of me.' With her right hand she felt her chest, finding the size of her breasts quite startling. "I'm... a girl." It wasn't a question, rather she was trying to convince herself. "So you remember who you are now?" the man asked after a minute of silence. She looked at him. He was so unfamiliar, but his presence felt reassuring. The look on his face expressed genuine concern, yet she didn't recall meeting him. Memories of being a youth, traveling around with her father, running from the police and other things, came back to her in clear detail. She remembered clearly that she was a boy when she was a child, but obvious anatomy differences in her current physique clashed with her memories. She even remembered acting like a man, not hitting girls, and her father's promise to her mother about making their son a 'man amongst men.' Images of her mother appeared in her mind, of when she was a small child and from recent times. This sparked other memories. "Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts." The man beamed at her, and she grinned back. "Can I have a mirror?" Looking around, the young man found a mirror on a nearby table and handed it to her. She held it up with her left hand and looked at the face in the mirror. It was a stranger, with a beautiful face, long bright red hair, and a cute smile. Something about her face seemed very strange, but she disregarded it since she had more important things to deal with at the moment. The smile turned to a frown and she looked up at the man. He looked back at her with no visible emotion. "Oh, God! Akane! How long have I been here, and where's Akane?!" Images of the beautiful, raven-haired girl, hitting and kissing her, suddenly made her nervous. Ranma thought that if anyone would have waited for her to wake up, it would be Akane, not a strange man. With eyes cast upon the floor, the man lowered his head. "I assume you remember everything then?" She nodded and waited for him to answer, suddenly thinking that she wouldn't like what he had to say. "You've been in a coma for nearly seventeen years, and Akane is safe at Tendo Training Hall." Denial saved her from going into complete shock. She looked at the mirror in her left hand, gazing at her youthful face. She put her hand through her hair, which was a little bit knotted but still seemed as if it had been brushed and cleaned recently. Seventeen years would have made her thirty five years old. How could she be thirty five and still not look any older? "Your lying! You wouldn't have been more than two when I fell into the coma!" She tried to keep her voice down, to not attract unwanted attention. This was getting strange. What she needed was some how water, her clothes and a hot meal. "I'm afraid it's true. There's a lot more that you need to know about, which I will tell you later. For now, I want you to rest." He put his left hand on her forehead, his right pressing a point between her breasts. For an instant, a wave of unnatural heat coursed through her body, relieving all of her tension. Moments later, she was fast asleep. * * * After hitting Ranma's sleeping pressure point, Mr. Nishiyama knew that she would be out for the rest of the day, so he left the hospital. He would have to conclude his business very quickly to make it back before she woke up. Finding his car, he turned on the engine and listened to it hum for a few seconds. He was still a new driver; though, he quickly mastered it like everything else in his life. He drove for a quarter of an hour, and found himself near a gorgeous bay. His eyes never left the street, nor did his concentration ever leave the task of driving safely. It didn't matter much, as he had seen the beautiful bay many times in this chapter of his life. When he had first arrived here, he was amazed at how beautiful an area could be. The smell of the sea and of fish, drifted in the air making it pleasing just to breathe. Arriving at his destination, he found a parking space large enough for his car and parked. He walked down the street and entered the Monterey Bay Aquarium, finding the shark exhibit quickly due to his familiarity with the building. He arrived there on time perfectly, and walked up behind his associate. Theodore McArthur glanced at his wrist watch with mild impatience. Quarter passed ten. He was expecting his boss at any moment. Though he now stood in a place that could be called very peaceful, his anxiousness seemed to be getting the better of him. The Monterey Bay Aquarium was an excellent spot for business meetings of nearly any kind due to its accessibility and quiet atmosphere. Taking a deep breath, Tedd watched a rather large tiger shark swim along the glass in its tank. Its black spots were easily visible as they rubbed across the Plexiglas window. A little over a year ago, his old employer, Mr. Nobukazu Nishiyama, died of natural causes leaving his estate and little over a billion dollars in assets to his adopted son Kiyoshi. There was no dispute to the claim for Kiyoshi was a very able businessman and investor who had worked up the ranks of Nishiyama Inc. over the past five years. Tedd worked under the young man for nearly as long. There was only one problem; Kiyoshi Nishiyama almost never had private meetings with anyone, preferring nothing to be secret. Exactly why Tedd was called to this private meeting they were about to have, he had no idea. Mr. Nishiyama's lifestyle was a blank. No one knew much about him, where he came from, or anything else that would help one understand another. All of this made Tedd overly anxious to get this meeting over with. His eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, Tedd turned around to stare face to face with his boss. he greeted and they shook hands. Standing nearly a foot under his boss, Tedd looked up at his friend and colleague. Something was the matter with him, and Tedd knew it. He had never seen him so tense. Mr. Nishiyama said, eyes looking over towards the tank. So that's what this was about. Mr. Nishiyama actually had a life. Though it surprised him, he figured Kiyoshi would need time off sooner or later with the hours that he had been pulling off. Mr. Nishiyama then turned and left. Tedd said as he watched his boss' departing figure. It was time to prove his loyalty and worth. He would not let his boss down. * * * Young Ranma looked at his savior as she carried him, cradled in her arms. Her long black hair swayed as she gracefully jumped out of the pit, landing on the edge. Daring not to open his eyes to risk catching a glimpse of his father or any of the other terrors that might jump out at them, he clutched at her tightly as she walked with him. Her fragrance smelled like flowers in full bloom, and her soft touch soothed his nerves. He started to feel drowsy, but would not fall asleep. "Who are you?" he whispered into his savior's ear. He opened his eyes, looking at her once more. A smile came to her lips and she looked down, shushing him. "Don't worry, little one. You are safe now." Her steady pace lulled him into the gentle grasp of sleep. His eyes opened slowly, beholding his savior's magical features. The smile that touched her lips reassured him that he was safe, and wouldn't be troubled by anything wanting to cause him harm. "Good to see you awaken, little one." "I'm not little. I'm ten!" "Of course, you're not, Ranma-chan. Of course, you're not." She leaned over his prone form and kissed his forehead, the warmth from her lips spreading over his body. "No one can hurt you here as long as you let me help you. You do want my help, right Ranma-chan?" His eyes wide with innocence, he looked at her with full trust. He nodded silently to her, and she pulled him up into a hug, kissing his cheek. "Are you my mommy? Poppa said that she had was really pretty like you." She let him lay back down looking at him, consideration in her eyes. "No, Ranma-chan. I'm not your mommy, but I'm closer to you than her. I will never let you get hurt. Your mommy let you go with your Poppa a long time ago. She loved you, but not as much as I do." Ranma looked into her sparkling green eyes gazing down upon him. "I love you too!" He sat up and hugged her as tightly as he could. He felt her hands stroke his hair fondly before they let each other go. An ache in his head caused him to moan in pain. "My head hurts," he complained. "Don't worry, hon. You're starting to remember. It will be over very soon." She rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. Suddenly, it hit him. Nearly ten years of memories cascaded into his conscious memory causing him to scream in pain. She hugged him close again, but he did not notice through his agony. His life played out before him, but he was just a spectator this time. Memories, fond and horrible alike, resurfaced from his subconscious tearing his very existence. Though it seemed like an eternity, it was over in a few seconds, the pain dying down. Fresh tears covering his face, he looked at the girl who still held him tight. "Who are you?" His memories had returned to him; he was no longer a child. Feeling very conscious of how close he held a beautiful young girl, he gently pushed her back. "I am a lost soul who has found a home after nearly fifteen hundred years of waiting." Her familiarity startling him, he intently stared at her in an attempt to realize who she was. As if reaching into his subconscious, he recalled seeing her before. It was no more than a flash at the time, but the instant he touched Nyanniichuan's cold waters, he saw her. "I saw you in Jusenkyo! You were near me when I..." Ranma looked at the girl again. "...when I fell in Nyanniichuan," he finished slowly. "Are you cursed too?" Her mood changed from amused to solemn with his final words. She nodded her head slowly looking into his eyes. "I was, but not in the same manner as you were." She sat down next to him on the bed and laid back, putting her arm around him. "Your going to wake up soon now, Ranma-chan. The man out there is going to help you. Trust him; I promise he won't hurt you." She kissed his cheek again. "Close your eyes now." * * * Ranma opened her eyes, remembering the dream clearly. It seemed so real. She actually remembered the smell of the girl's hair and her smooth, soft skin. She was beautiful and strange, yet very familiar. She appeared to be protective, as if she were her mother, yet there seemed to be a deeper love there than a motherly one. She tried to make out anything in the dark room where she had been sleeping, but not a single ray of light found its way into her room. She heard soft, slow breathing of someone who was sitting near her, and a heart beat slowly. She slid the blanket of her bed off of herself and swung her legs over onto the floor, sitting up. Testing her legs she tried to get up, but her muscles were very tight and refused to answer her. After stretching her muscles a bit, she stood up wavering a bit before she stabilized herself. Walking over to the edge of the room, she felt the wall for a door or light switch, and after bumping into almost everything in the room she flicked the lights on. She stood in a hospital room, filled with a bed, a few machines and a sleeping young man sitting in a chair. Memories of her last awakening flashed before her. "Seventeen years? Hah!" She turned, found a door, and opened it, but was stopped by a hand which softly grabbed her left shoulder. Dropping her shoulder, she reached her right hand over her head, grabbing the hand and quickly pulling the assailant into an arm bar. She looked at the person, revealing him to be the young man who slept moments ago. To her surprise, the man threw her off balance a bit pulling out of her grasp. "Please wait, Ranma-chan." The man made no move to touch her again, but now blocked her exit. "Let me explain what is going on before you do anything, okay?" Ranma prepared to attack him when she heard the familiar voice of her savior tell her, "Let him help you. I promise he won't hurt you." The shock of hearing the voice outside a dream caused her to feel very faint. Mr. Nishiyama stood poised for Ranma's attack, but it never came. Instead, her legs wobbled, toppling her over. Reacting on pure instinct, he caught her in his arms, walking back over to her bed and placing her in it. He hated, more than anything else to ever happen in his life, to have to explain his and her situation to the girl. He shared so much in common with the girl before him that he was scared to tell her. This was one of the few times in his life that he had ever actually feared to do something. He had to break the news to her very softly. "What I told you about being in a coma was true." Carefully forming his words in his head, he had to do his best to soften the blow. "There are a lot of things you need to know, and that I don't want you to find out on your own." Ranma propped herself up in a sitting position taking in her current situation. Besides hearing a voice from a person who existed only in her dreams, she was now in a hospital talking to a complete stranger who apparently had horrible news for her. If things could get any worse, she wondered how it could possibly be so. As if to prove that it could be done, she heard what was possibly the worst from him. "Please do your best to stay calm, ne? Listen to all I have to say before you jump to conclusions." Considering he probably wouldn't tell her otherwise, she nodded her approval. "You are stuck in your cursed form permanently." The complete shock that prepared to consume her had yet to sink in. She just sat there, staring dumbly at the young man. His words floated in her mind, slowly being pieced together. She was stuck in her cursed form permanently. Taking a deep breath she looked down at herself then closed her eyes. Permanently. She could now no longer turn back into a male with a douse of hot water. In one of her rare moments, Ranma fainted into unconsciousness. Waking to piercing steel-gray eyes, she pulled herself into a sitting position again. Remembering every word that had been spoken before her faint, she calmly started breathing deeply. Removing all conscious thought, she went into deep meditation. 'I am a warrior. I can find a way to change back, no matter what he says.' This repeated in her mind, nothing else. Opening her eyes, she saw him sitting on the bed, arms around her. Though she felt slightly comforted by his warm treatment of her, she pushed out of his grasp. "Tell me who you are. Now." This was not a question; it was a command. "You probably don't recognize me, do you?" She shook her head at his question. "You may remember me by the name I discarded over ten years ago." An unearthly silence loomed over them as Mr. Nishiyama prepared to finish his statement. "I was called Happosai." End Part One: Awakenings _____________________________________________________________________ Part Two: Changes Life Brings Us An eerie silence permeated the room as a shocked Ranma stared at the young man with disbelief written in her eyes. No matter how much she wanted to disregard his words as a lie, she could not. He had told her his name with a great deal of shame in his voice, but it his honest tone erased some of her doubt of his truthfulness. She wanted to say something, but nothing intelligent came to her mind. "You did this to me!" Preparing to attack, she tried to jump out of the bed, but her legs disagreed. "I'm gonna kill you!" Her words, though rash, raked as true. "Please! You promised that you would listen first! I did nothing of the sort!" He backed up to the edge of the room. "Please, listen to my whole story before you jump to conclusions." Her eyes narrowed at him full of hatred. "Please?" She turned her head in disgust and snorted. "Okay," she finally conceded. Happosai turned back around facing her, his expression sad. "Explain now, old man." She didn't know what was going on, but he had better give her a good explanation. As he was about to answer, her stomach grumbled angrily expressing its hunger. Warding off the feeling of unease within herself, she stared at him icily. He took a moment to compose himself before answering, "There is one word that completely explains my situation. Jusenkyo." A mixture of anger and confusion seeped through Ranma at the realization. Before she had a chance to say anything, Happosai continued. "I drank the water at your wedding thinking that it was sake." More anger coursed through Ranma. "The change was slow, but after a while it was quite obvious. Shortly after, I was thrown out of the Tendo Training Hall with good reason." "Pops and Tendo-san finally worked up enough courage to toss you out?" She never thought that of her father and Tendo-san as nothing more than cowards, but she could have been wrong about them. "It was not Genma or Soun who did so, but someone else." Steel-gray eyes regarded her curiously before continuing. "I had caused them a great wrong, and between Ryouga and my two students, they managed to kick me out and have me jailed." Ranma almost burst out into laughter but motioned for him to continue. "In a fit of anger, I decided that I'd go and teach them a lesson, but I never got a chance." "What do you mean?" Slightly intrigued by the story, Ranma swung her feet over the bed, and rested her head on her hand in an attempt to get more comfortable. "Did they stop you?" "No, they did not." Happosai returned to his seat and scratched his head. "I stopped myself." She looked at him incredulously. "It was a side effect of the curse that forced me to see the error of my ways. Whether you believe it or not, I am a changed man. When I first realized the curse was affecting me in more then one way, I immediately went to Jusenkyo." Absorbed in what he was saying, she moved in a little closer. He continued, "I talked with the guide, but he had little to tell me about the psychological side effects of the water that he sent to you. He could only tell me that all of the water in Jusenkyo caused its victim to change in more ways than one. The spring of the drowned young man, apparently, can make its victim thoughtful, kind and very honorable." Starting to giggle, she could hold back no longer. "You - hehe - honorable?" After her giggles subsided he continued where he left off. "I felt guilt over my actions for the first time in many years. The curse made me realize so many things, which I will not get into at this time. I decided that my best punishment would be being cursed permanently as to experience the guilt in full, so I jumped in a second time." The mood in the room suddenly became somber. "For three years I lived in China making atonement for my sins. I have forgiven myself since then, and have tried to become a better person, which leads to my finding you." He took a while before returning to the story causing an uncomfortable silence. "It has been seventeen years since your disappearance from Nerima. I only found you six years ago. I created an identity for you and placed you here soon after, with a fresh medical history. That is why the doctors only believe you to have been in a coma for six years, rather than seventeen." Not knowing what to say, Ranma got off of her bed and stood up. "If expect me to swallow that, don't hold your breath." She glared at him again. "Now, *my* curse is permanent? Do you know for a fact?" His head hung low, he nodded slowly. "I tried to change you back shortly after I found you. That, pieced together with your altered aura, shows that the curse is now permanent." Quizzically, she asked, "Change in my aura? What do ya mean?" "Ever since I have known you, you have had a brilliant blue aura. As you know, the color and shade of each person's aura tells us a little bit about their nature. Your aura's color probably came from your remarkable confidence and pride, and it was definitely unmistakable from any other. While it has not lost its color completely, it is now shaded pink in some of its areas." Blinking in confusion, the meaning obviously escaping her, she said, "Huh?" "Think of it this way, Ranma-chan. Our aura is like a signature. While it may be slightly different every time we see it, it is never completely different. The shade of pink was *never* there before." "What does this have to do with you knowing the curse is permanent now?" This was just too much to swallow. She knew that she had a blue aura, and she has seen Ryouga's dark green one, but never had she thought of it in that way. Taking a deep breath, he finished, "It happened to mine also, Ranma. My aura has changed. While it was once a dark grayish-blue lined with white, look at it now." After speaking, he closed his eyes drawing his chi energy around him. Ranma's jaw dropped in astonishment. He was right. His aura was now unmistakably purple. "H-h-how?" "I'll do my best to explain this. In every pool in Jusenkyo, a victim drowned. While it passes on its physical form, it also passes on a piece of its soul. The alien soul inside of us sometimes is strong enough to influence changes within us. I allowed the spirit of the drowned young man in, and I merged with him. While I am still myself, his influence is obvious." Eyes full of pity, he looked at Ranma and sighed. "Yeah, you haven't tried to glomp me once!" The grin on her face was slightly forced, but they both laughed anyway. "So you're sayin' this drowned girl is inside me or something?" He nodded. Deciding that she had better change the subject, she asked, "Can you get my clothes?" She saw a look of curiosity erase his outward shame so she explained, "I don't know where they are, and this blue thingy," she motioned to her hospital apron by tugging her sleeve a bit, "isn't appropriate to wear outside." He nodded and lifted a bag that was hidden by a chair. From it, he pulled out a pair of black jeans and a red long-sleeved shirt. Ranma eyed him curiously before asking, "Those aren't mine. Where's my Chinese clothes? And what about my boxers?" Fishing through the bag, Happosai procured a square piece of clothing wrapped in clear plastic and tossed it to her. Holding it up before her, she looked at the package of blue panties. "Gimme a break," she said dryly. "You don't really expect me to wear these?" "Ranma..." he started, but didn't finish. "I have no idea where the clothes you came in here with are, but these are now yours. As to the underwear, if you don't like them, you are welcome to try wearing tight jeans without them." Looking at the tight black jeans laying in her arms, she rolled her eyes in disgust. "Guess old Happi ain't completely gone," she muttered, her eyes flashing. "Think whatever you will of me," he said, guilt still sounding deeply in his voice. "I purchased those because they were the least feminine ones that I could find." "Oh, thank you for being so considerate!" she said, her tones acidic. "Please wear this also. I know you'll disagree, but unless you wear them, it will be very obvious that you are not. It might bring unwanted attention. Let me stress the unwanted part again." Pulling from the bag another package, Ranma carefully took it. "Argh!" The package contained a few bras in it. "I may have to wear the panties, but there is no way that I'm going to fulfill your little hentai fantasies." The idea of wearing, not only panties, but a bra made her quite distraught. "Suit yourself." "Turn your back." Ranma wasn't about to make the mistake of disrobing before Happosai, or anyone else for that matter. After he did so, she ripped off the blue apron and put her legs through a pair of blue cloth panties. Though they probably looked horrible, she had to admit they fit very well. "If I even catch you lookin', I'm going to hit you with so many Chestnut fists that there'll be nothin' left!" She pushed her arms through the red shirt's sleeves and worked it over her head. "This won't fit me *when* I turn into a guy, ya know." Her jeans were a little more difficult to put on, this being the first pair she had ever owned, and she noted that they fit her tightly. "These definitely won't fit me when I change back. You can turn around." Turning around, he coughed, "Ahem," and promptly turned back around. "What?" "You really, really should wear the bra. Look in the hand mirror." "Huh?" Grabbing up the small mirror from the table beside her bed, she looked at her chest. Though the shirt may have been on her thin frame, it might as well not have been. Her breasts were very visible through it. Her face flushed bright red and she quickly removed the red shirt and applied the bra, much to her disgust. "You probably did that on purpose." She then put the red shirt one once more. "I should deck you for that." She finished dressing and adjusted her clothing. "Okay, I'm done." Sighing in relief that he didn't need to press his point any further, Happosai turned back around and faced her. "I'm very sorry about that. I forgot how... busty you are." Indignantly, she walked to the door and opened it. "Are ya comin' or what?" She heard him obediently get up and follow. * * * Blue eyes widened in surprise when they took in the surroundings. Lush green trees dominated the scenery as she looked out the window of Happosai's car. "Where the hell are we?" She rolled down her window and partially stuck her head out breathing in the sweet air. There were very few people out, due to the time of day. The houses here had a strange design, looking like something he'd seen in a architecture magazine that she idly read while at Dr. Tofu's. "Welcome to Monterey." Happosai turned to look over at her for a second. Ranma thought for a moment, but didn't remember ever hearing of a city named Monterey in Japan. It didn't sound Japanese at all. "Where the hell is Monterey?" "In California." "California?! How in God's name did I get here?!" "I don't know." "That doesn't help, ya know." She stuck her right hand out the window directing some of the cold air inside to rush by her. A smile blessed her face and she turned to him. "Is this some suburb or somethin'?" "Actually, all of Monterey is like this. Some places are nicer." "That's why you live here?" "Hai." Pressing her head against the right side of the car, the air refreshed her. It reminded her of the breezes that would pick up in the mountains. Traveling through China showed her the beauty that nature itself offered, but now she had the chance to see what beauty man offered. Her mind shifted back to what Happosai had told her earlier. She couldn't change back to a guy. Biting her lip, she knew she had to take this calm and rationally, but it was too damn hard! All of her life, her father drilled into her head ideas that women were weak and emotional, something that Ranma should never be like. Now, physically, she was a woman, and *if* this curse was permanent, would she began to think like one? 'No!' her mind screamed. 'I will always be me!' The thought of losing herself to the curse was more frightening than losing her manhood. She had to admit though, not being a man was going to be challenge, one she didn't know if she could handle. "You're taking this very well, Ranma." Happosai said without turning to her. "That's because I still don't believe you." She glared at him. "I'm still getting over you being Happosai." She looked him over again. He had a nice profile, looked quite strong, very healthy and was very handsome. Definitely not Happosai. "Where did that come from?" Ranma couldn't believe she thought THAT about HIM! "Nani?" Happosai asked in obvious confusion. "Nothing," Ranma replied, having not intended to say that out loud. "What am I supposed to call you? You got an alias or somethin'?" She smiled to herself. One thing about this whole thing that seemed promising was that it reminded her of something from a spy flick she saw once. Though the guy in it wasn't much of a martial artist, he was really cool. He had all kinds of disguises that would allow him to do all sorts of spy things. "My name here is Kiyoshi Nishiyama." He then turned his head to look at her after he stopped for a red light. "You're Kimiko Nishiyama, my sister." Ranma considered this. "Wait a minute here! Don't I getta choose my own name?" The thought of being someone's sister, while 'undercover' didn't bother her as much as the fact that she didn't get to choose her own alias. "This is not a game, Ranma-chan." His face expressed no emotion while he talked. "This is your new identity. Ranma Saotome is officially dead in Japan." "D-d-dead?" she managed to squeak. "Hai." Shock finally set in as it washed away nearly all of her remaining denial. All of the cold hard realities that Happosai had laid out before her seemed to finally be taking effect. Ranma Saotome of the Anything Goes School of martial arts was dead. Seventeen years had passed and she was far away from her home in Japan. After two years of living with the Tendos, she had matured greatly and she knew it too. She fell in love with a girl who, after a few years, accepted her cursed form as her. Her life was beginning to make sense after so many years of fleeing from all of the troubles that she, and her father had brought about. She had overcome her paranoia of her curse, now no longer thinking that others saw her differently because of it. She had friends, family, and Akane. Now everything was gone, everything she had worked so hard to achieve. Ranma Saotome was dead. He was dead. "It wasn't an accident, was it?" The beautiful light that made Happosai love Ranma for who she was, extinguished. She had always been so carefree and full of life, much like he was in his early years. "No." He wasn't happy about telling her the whole truth, but it was better this way. He had to tell her everything; keeping things from her would only made things worse in the end. He lost far to many friends and loved ones to secrets and lies to repeat the past. "Whoever did this to me is going to pay." He looked at her again. Her face caught the sun, eyes shining bright but lacking life. "I know." * * * Amanda Childs worked tirelessly cooking one of the finest meals she had ever attempted, in her opinion. Though many people complimented that her meals were fabulous, she was always to modest to consider herself a good cook, but today she cooked her best. Everything had to be just right for Kiyoshi's little sister, Kimiko who was coming home for the first time after six years of hospitalization. She always liked to give the best first impressions possible, and today would be no different. The happiness written on her face was undeniable. Today she would have someone new to care of. If she wasn't mistaken, Kimiko was seven or eight when she went into a coma and would need more than just tutoring. Her first joy was children, and this was a job she looked forward to. Stretching her arms above her head, she hummed happily while waiting for the food to finish. A few minutes later, the timer went off and she pulled her creation from the oven, carefully avoiding burning herself. Having visited Kimiko a month ago, Amanda was startled at how beautiful the young girl was, looking to be a few years older than fourteen. With proper make-up and clothing, little Kimiko would be radiantly beautiful. A smile blossomed on Amanda's face realizing that the two of them would have to go shopping tomorrow. Right after watching and taking care of children, came shopping. Kiyoshi was very generous and basically allowed her to buy herself whatever she desired. Though she did enjoy shopping for herself a great deal, shopping for others delighted her even more. Since little Miss Kimiko would need a full wardrobe, it might take several days for them to complete their shopping. Having prepared dinner for the Nishiyamas, she made her way to the large living room and flicked on the television. Surfing through over two hundred channels gave her a wide variety of options. After concluding that nothing was on television, Amanda decided to take a nap, but was quickly awoken by the sound of car doors slamming shut. They had finally arrived! * * * The remainder of the car ride was spent in silence. Ranma kept herself busy looking at the scenery while Happosai concentrated on driving. The silence ended when they neared their destination. "Remember, I am Kiyoshi and you are Kimiko. I cannot have anyone asking questions about why we would call each other anything else." Breaking the car until it reached gated housing section, Happosai lowered the driver's side window and leaned out far enough to reach a metal panel. He pressed a combination of buttons opening the gate. "Hai," Ranma replied unenthusiastically. "Would you mind if I called you Kimchan?" Ranma only replied to his question shrugging. "Kimchan it is." Slowly driving his car through the gates, Happosai cast a concerned glance at his companion. Life seemed to have been drained out of her, but she had good reason. She lost her whole existence and had to settle for an old man in a young man's body, whom she had hated with a passion before current events. He was surprised that she held up this well. Driving into his housing complexes, which was composed mainly of rich families, he returned the waves of his female neighbors. The women around him were very friendly, and he enjoyed every second of their attention. After nearly a hundred years of being shunned by every woman in the world, he grew accustomed to being without female companionship. Now it seemed he could get nearly any woman he wanted, and he did not want to take it for granted, nor would he take advantage of his gift. "As I told you earlier, we are meeting a young lady, named Amanda Childs." Glancing over at her again, he went over what they had earlier again. "She will help you with whatever you need while I am unable. She also likes to cook for me when I eat in. Her cooking is the American equivalent of Kasumi's." Ranma turned her head to face forward, still seeming not to pay attention. Her pale skin glowed in the light of day, making her seem fragile. Long, fiery red bangs blew to and fro as the cool air circulated through the car. "Are you doing okay, Kimchan?" Happosai said, emphasizing her new name. "Hai." He nodded and turned, driving up to a house and stopping. He parked removing the keys from the ignition. Opening the door, he looked at Ranma again before exiting the vehicle and closing the door behind him. He walked around to the other side of the car and opened the passenger side door, allowing Ranma to exit. She did so without second thought and she followed him up a narrow pathway which led to the door of a very large, three-story house. "You live here?" Ranma asked curiously. "Hai," he answered. "The man, who adopted both of us and left me this house, liked the neighborhood, and decided that he wouldn't move no matter how much money he earned." He watched as she looked at the house in awe. "Someone adopted me?" She raised an eyebrow in disbelief and confusion. "Someone adopted *you*?" "Hai. Nobukazu Nishiyama adopted me then you, after I discovered you still lived. I will tell you the story another time." Before he could even get close enough to the door to reach the knob, it swung open revealing a beautiful, blonde-haired woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties. Ranma jumped back a little, but Kiyoshi, used to such behavior from the blonde, only smiled. "Kiyo-kun!" her melodic voice rang out in hello. "And you must be young Kimiko-san. It is so good to finally meet you. I am Amanda Childs." She bowed to the both of them. "Hello, Amanda-san." Kiyoshi could tell that the blonde was desperately restraining herself from grabbing Ranma up in a bear hug. "It's good to meet you, Amanda-san." Ranma greeted with a bow. "Oh, both of you, come in before you catch a chill!" Ushering the two into the house, Amanda closed the door behind them. * * * Ranma's eyes opened wide when she witnessed the interior of Happosai's house. The hall itself was a square room which lead up to the next floor by a broad stairway and to both her left and right. Exotic paintings covered the walls creating a museum-like atmosphere. Laying across the floor, a red carpet led straight up the stairs from the doorway. A blue ceramic vase with odd, coiled designs, accompanied by a lamp, sat atop a small wooden table to the left of the stairway. Following Happosai and the blonde woman upstairs, Ranma walked slowly looking at each painting that they passed closely. The first couple didn't really catch her attention, but the third most certainly did. A large dragon lay motionless in mid-flight, breathing orange-red flames. Below it, helpless victims of the dragon's wrath ran from their burning homes. The detail of the painting itself was very elaborate. Arriving at a door, Amanda turned the knob and allowed her two companions to enter before she walked in. After entering the room, Ranma figured out the meaning of their visitation of this particular one. The light green pastel paint covering the walls created a serene environment. It was only complimented by the dark green covers of the bed that lay centered in the room, the head of the bed up against the far wall. "This will be your room, Kimchan," 'Kiyoshi' told her. "Though the closet and dresser are empty, Amanda will take you to fill them tomorrow after breakfast." He patted her shoulder and left the two girls, saying before he left, "I will see you at dinner." When the door shut behind Kiyoshi, Amanda motioned for Kimiko to sit on her bed and did likewise after the younger girl. She looked at the redhead. Her beautiful fiery hair sat tangled on her shoulders. Her skin was very pale and her features were gaunt, but that did not detract much from her beauty. Amanda figured that Kimiko could easily be a model with the proper diet and grooming, not to mention clothing. "I hope you like your room," Amanda said trying to spark a conversation. She wanted to learn all she could about her; they would be spending quite a lot of time together. Since Kimiko missed the last six years, she would probably have only been eight years of age when she went into her coma; therefore, she would most likely have missed the mother to daughter talks of puberty, boys and everything in those areas of conversation. This excited Amanda quite a bit, because she always wanted to have a daughter, and Kimiko would almost constitute as one considering her brother was her only living relative. "It's more than I'm used to," Kimiko said weakly not really paying attention to anything in particular. She looked up and met Amanda's eyes. "Is dinner almost ready? I'm starving." Seeing Kimiko's startling blue eyes, Amanda smiled at the girl. "It should be ready in less than a half an hour. You're welcome to explore the house until then." After receiving the girl's nod, she stood up and began to walk out. "If you need someone to talk to about anything, I'm here for you. I hope we can be friends." She smiled broadly at the girl and left the room. After the blonde left, Ranma fell back on the bed given to her. So many things had happened in the last few hours and she was having difficulty sorting through it all. If she thought her life before was strange, this certainly made an ironic ending. Fighting every martial artist from Japan to China, she never thought that she would be defeated like this. She had figured that someone would eventually defeat her in the heat of combat, not without her even knowing what happened. How could this be real? It felt like only yesterday she was holding Akane in her arms and smelling the fragrance of soap in her hair while watching the stars. They made a promise together that night, that they would love each other forever no matter what happened. Pressing her hand to her chest, her heart ached with loneliness. If what Kiyoshi told her was true, Akane could be lost to her forever with an ocean between them. Trying to hold back sobs, she closed her eyes envisioning Akane's beautiful face at their last night together. Ranma would love Akane forever. Hearing Amanda call from downstairs, she realized that she failed in not crying, tears streaking down her face. Wiping her face with the sleeve of her shirt, she sat up and took a close look at her room. It was very empty, but it still contained more furniture than the one she had shared with her father. Her reflection, from the mirror hung to her right of her bed, stared back at her. She looked at herself noticing the puffy rings around her eyes caused from crying. "Are you well, Kimchan?" Kiyoshi said, startling her. "Hai," she turned to face him, his eyes regarding her sadly. "I wasn't crying. S-something was in my eye." Closing her eyes and inwardly shouting at herself for such a stupid excuse, knowing he saw through that one. "Of course not. Dinner's ready. I'll show you to the dining room." * * * After they had dinner, Kiyoshi showed Ranma to the backyard. As large as the house was, the backyard nearly doubled its size. Neatly trimmed grass covered most of the ground besides a fenced off area near the door to the house. What caught her eye the most, though, was the pond in the center. Ranma approached the pool cautiously looking over into its waters. Just as she suspected, koi swam in its depths. Tracing her finger in the water, she smiled. This reminded her of the Tendo's koi pond, down to the rocks surrounding it and to the type of fish inside it. "I had that put in two years ago," Kiyoshi told her. "Gives you fond memories of home, ne?" She nodded and went back to staring at the koi. "I'm going to hang out here for a while and think," she said to him and he returned to the house. Sitting herself on a rock, she wrapped her arms around herself staring intently at the pond. There were so many memories linked with the Tendo's one since he had been thrown in it almost every day for a year. A smile worked its way to her face after a few of them surfaced. She held out a hand before her, looking closely at her palm. Tracing a finger down the largest line on her hand, she remembered what an old fortune teller had told her about it. The length of that particular line was supposed to be her lifeline. The old woman had told her that she had one of the longest that she had ever seen, and considering the age of the woman, that must have covered many people. Closing her eyes and breathing in the fresh air one more time, she decided it was time to go indoors. Crossing the way to the door, the cool grass tickled her toes. Before she could open the door, it slid open. "Hello, Kimiko," Amanda greeted, her smile never leaving her lips. "I thought you'd like to take a bath, so I prepared one for you." "Hai, I'd like that very much." * * * Ranma followed Amanda upstairs and into the bathroom where she was handed a towel. "If you need anything, just yell." She turned to leave and added before closing the door, "My room is down the hall." After the door clicked shut, Ranma looked around the large, spacious bathroom. Unlike the Tendo's bathroom, this one was made up of only one large room. The floral patterns on the tile screamed in neon pinks and yellows. Equally pink towels hung from the rack on the painted yellow wall. Filled to the top with hot water, the tub beckoned her. Shrugging, she tugged her clothes off and tossed them onto the floor. Not wanting to see herself in the mirror, she averted her eyes from its direction. Finding soap, she entered the shower and quickly scrubbed herself down. After rinsing with the cold water, she entered the tub. Sighing in contentment, she lowered herself into the tub enjoying the warmth the water offered. A strange feeling crept up her spine causing her to look at her shape. Kiyoshi told the truth. Her body shook with sobs as she realized that the rest of what he had told her was probably true. Her last shred of denial was forcefully taken from her. Shutting her eyes tight, her crying stopped as abruptly as they begin as a calm aura crept over her. "Everything will be okay, Ranma-chan," the familiar voice said to her softly as if whispering into her ear. Eyes opening wide, she sat up straight looking for the source of the voice. "Who's there?" she whispered, fearing the answer. The unoccupied bath water in front of her threatened to spill over the edge of tub. "I am, my love." Knowing that no one was around, Ranma closed her eyes, a single tear spilling down her cheek. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt a warm hand wipe it off. "Who are you?" Ranma asked, already guessing the answer. A picture of a girl of about twenty years of age formed in her head. Her raven-black hair spilled into her face and down onto her shoulders. Her face was very pale as if death had already taken her, but beautiful. Her finely chiseled features would have made any woman jealous and any man envious. Her clothing seemed to have seen better days and she recognized that at one time it must have been quite expensive. What took all of Ranma's attention, though, were her eyes. Like emeralds sparkling in the sunlight of a new day, her eyes shined with life and vitality that her body did not seem to possess. Her outstretched hand retreated from Ranma's face. "I was once called Lillith a very long time ago," the girl answered with her sweet musical voice. "You can call me Lilly if you wish." Unable to say anything more, Ranma opened her eyes and was shocked once more seeing the girl sitting in the tub in front of her. Her clothes were already completely wet and torn. Her hand raised again, wiping Ranma's cheek clean of fresh tears. "Don't cry, Ranma-chan. I can't stand seeing you cry." Letting out a breath she had held for a good amount of time, Ranma's sobs started anew. Her vision blurred and she put her hands to her face. The warm embrace that followed caused her to relax some, and she rested her chin on her Lilly's shoulder. "Hush, hush, love. Everything will be okay." From the door to the bathroom, she heard a knock. "Are you okay in there, Kimiko-san?" Amanda's voice asked from outside. "I thought I heard talking." "I'm fine!" Ranma called back gently pushing Lilly out of their embrace. "You drowned in Jusenkyo," she stated. "Hai, fifteen hundred years ago." Sapphire met emerald as they stared at each other. Ranma felt the warmth in Lilly's eyes and the true, deep sorrow in her words. This was the one whose body she took even now wore... whose body she stole upon falling in the dark waters of Jusenkyo. "Oh no, love!" Lilly said with a tone that almost implied humor. "Your body was merely changed in my waters, but it is still your own." Her smile sent waves of warmth up Ranma's spine. "But... how come you're here?" Pulling together her wits, Ranma sniffed a few times before wiping her wet face with her wrist, only spreading the water. "I don't understand." "You released me from my ethereal bonds when you fell into Nyanniichuan. I felt a kindred soul and drew myself towards it, towards you. I was trapped there, and now I am free." "That doesn't make any sense. If you're free, shouldn't you be in heaven or something?" "Heaven lies within us all, and to find it one must be ready. I am far from being ready enough to make that journey, love. To be prepared, I must first repay my debt to you, my liberator. It is a debt that I wish to repay with all of my soul." Taking Ranma's head in her hands, Lillith kissed the redhead on her cheek and released her. "I am always here for you, love. If you need someone to comfort you, just call my name." "When you are ready, I will come again." Her physical form fading from existence, Lilly waved her hand slowly, smiling. After her soak, Ranma pulled herself from the tub and grabbed the disgustingly pink towel from its place on the rack. After she dried each foot before placing them on the floor, she quickly dried herself off and walked up to the sink. Staring at the slightly fogged mirror, something bothered her about her reflection. Using her towel to make a circular hole in the layer of steamed on the mirror, Ranma looked at her own startled face, eyes wide with shock. Her features were somehow different. Where as before they seemed roughly the same age as her male form, now she could swear that the person she looked at was no more than a few years passed puberty. This was the face that she saw back in the hospital without realizing the startling difference from her old female self's appearance. Not wanting to explore this new development, she quickly dressed and exited the bathroom into the cool air of the rest of the house. * * * Morning light shed into her room through the dark green blinds on the window in Ranma's room. Shifting restlessly, her eyes slowly opened and she yawned deeply, putting a hand over her mouth. Her sleep had been strangely pleasant and she felt completely refreshed, physically at least. She weakly stood up and limped over to the blinds, opening them wide to look out the window. The streets were empty but for a few children playing on the lawn of the house in front of Kiyoshi's. Sliding the window open, the cool sweet air gently blew into her room. She knelt down and rested her elbow on the window seal watching the children play with mild interest. They were all dressed in loose-fitting, bright clothing and played with a ball roughly the size of a soccer ball, kicking it in between each other. The ball had a surprising amount of energy behind it as it soared from child to child. Hearing a knock on the door, Ranma slowly walked over and opened it revealing Amanda's cheery figure. "Good morning, Kimiko-san. Breakfast is ready." Needing no more reason to get read, Ranma threw on her clothes and rushed down the stairs as quickly as she could, though her legs seemed strangely tired. After the strange but surprisingly good breakfast of pancakes and fruit, Ranma excused herself and left to the backyard. The brightness of the sun hurt her eyes, but she quickly adjusted and began stretching. Though her body protested, Ranma began a simple kata that only included some fairly basic blocks, punches and kicks. A cool breeze kept her from breaking out into a sweat, but she tired quickly after flowing into a few other basic katas. Gritting her teeth and keeping her breathing controlled, she continued into a more difficult one that she normally could have done a hundred times without breaking a sweat, but could not finish it. Between her frustration and perseverance, she refused to give up until she fell over in exhaustion. After a few minutes of laying in the grass panting, she got up and entered the house. Teeth chattering, Ranma endured the freezing cold water of the shower as she rinsed off. Fortunately, Amanda lent her an outfit that she could wear when the went out shopping. She had been told that the grass stains on her jeans and red shirt made that one not suitable enough. Wondering why anyone, or she for that matter, cared, caused her to roll her eyes more than once, but she did not press the point since she was a guest in the house. She slipped on a clean pair of panties then grimaced at the uncomfortable bra that had been provided for her. She would not wear it with her baggy apparel. The white T-shirt wasn't tight enough to show off her rather obvious, overly large anatomy. Amanda waited patiently at the front door for Kimiko to get dressed. She had offered the redhead quite a few pieces of clothing, but she refused a lot of them and only accepted one of her old white T-shirts and a pair of baggy blue jeans. It mattered little though, because they would soon remedy the problem with many more outfits that would make the redhead look so cute! "Amanda-san?" Waking from her thoughts, Amanda looked at the glum-looking little redhead. "Okay, let's go!" she said, obviously much happier than her companion. They entered one of Kiyoshi's cars, a silver convertible Corvette. The look on the redhead's face showed that she had not seen one of its like before. "Nice, ne?" Amanda asked with a grin on her face. "Wow," she said as she sat in the passenger seat, the leather squeaking. "I've never been in, much less seen such an expensive-looking car before. Is it yours?" "Oh Lord, no! This is Kiyo-kun's. He let's me drive whichever of his cars that I want to." "Oh." Amanda flashed a smile at the girl and started the engine. The purr the car made always sounded so sweet to her ears. Backing the car out carefully, she left the driveway and then the neighborhood. "So," Amanda began. "What type of music do you like?" "I dunno," Kimiko said, a look of deep thought on her face. "Rock I guess?" The redhead smiled when they drove onto the highway and the winds blew her hair and Amanda was amazed at how long it was. "We'll get you a haircut and a make-over while we're there." The expression on the girl's face looked as if she was offended or hated the idea. Disregarding the second reason as pure silliness, she quickly spoke again, "Not that you need it, but it would make a major improvement. It'll make you look so much cuter!" 'How could this get any worse?' Ranma wondered as they continued on the highway. She did concede that she needed a haircut pretty bad, but she doubted that she would have little choice as to how it would be styled. What bothered her was the make-over. She didn't know exactly what one was, but it sounded extremely girlish! "I don't know if we'll have enough time for all of that!" she exclaimed, desperately trying to think of something to get her out of doing at least the second activity. It was simply bad enough that she was going to end up having to wear a 'cute' hair style and 'cute' clothing, but make-up to go along with it? "Oh, of course we will, silly! Kiyo-kun won't get back until late tonight and he said to have fun." Sighing in defeat, Ranma closed her eyes. Was it her fate to be treated like a little girl by a near-complete stranger and Happosai in a young body? Should she even care now that Akane was forever out of her reach? Not allowing tears to stain her face once more, she decided to look at the brighter side of things. It was nice to be pampered and treated as a human for once, even though it was in a slightly different manner than she preferred. Next to no one ever really considered 'her' feelings or treated her like someone special. Most of the time she had been a trophy or an object of jealousy with almost no friends to show for her efforts, and boy did she try! Until her most recent memories, she really didn't enjoy living too much. Travels with her father were little more than a trial to be endured. Life at the Tendo Training Hall was hectic, to say the least. Near the end of her life as Ranma, she was finally getting a life to live her own way. 'Hah! The brighter side...' she mentally cursed. It was obvious that Amanda did care for her, even though they only met the day before. Kiyoshi seemed to care for her, but she did wonder how much of it was an act considering he still was Happosai. Maybe Happosai would teach her some of his techniques and she could learn how to at least act like a girl from Amanda. She knew she could never really be a girl, though her anatomy showed otherwise. "Kimchan?" Ranma came out of her reverie and looked at Amanda who opened the passenger side door. "Are you okay?" Ranma nodded and cautiously pulled herself out of the convertible. "You don't mind if I call you that, do you?" Ranma shook her head and the duo walked towards an outdoor mall. "Welcome to the Del Monty Shopping Center," Amanda said, smiling sweetly. If Ranma could appreciate one thing from her, it would be her Kasumi-like nature. Amanda's mood almost rubbed off on the redhead. Almost. "Oh, let's go in here too!" the blonde cried out for nearly the dozenth time, dragging an unwilling Ranma behind her. They had entered more types stores than Ranma knew existed. First they entered a beauty salon where Ranma was forced to sit still for nearly three quarters of an hour while the hair 'stylist' butchered her hair. Her hair was now styled so cute that Ranma's stomach wanted to lose its contents. Her bangs were trimmed a little above eyes and the length of her hair was now half way down her back styled into a ponytail - roughly like Akane's when they first met, only she had to admit that the style did look ten times better on herself, much to her disgust. After that, they had entered clothing store after clothing store where they had purchased many outfits, including the one Ranma wore at the moment, a red mini-skirt, a white blouse and a matching red vest - the color of her hair. It was no worse than the shoes she now wore though, which matched her outfit and were extremely comfortable but unconditionally feminine. Ranma's mouth dropped in horror as she realized which store they were walking into this time. A lingerie shop. She tried to backpedal but was once again dragged against her will. She could have easily broke out of her grasp, but it probably would have hurt the blonde and that was the last thing that she wanted to do. Ranma could only accepted her impending doom with what little dignity she had left and take it like a man. A blast of cool air and a woman dressed in a blue mini-skirt and a sky blue blouse greeted them as they walked in. The two women talked to each other in English for a little under a minute before the store attendant turned to Ranma. "She's going to help us find things that'll look *so* cute on you, Kimchan!" Amanda informed the sulking redhead. She then ushered her into a changing booth. "Wait right here while we pick you out some underwear." Emerging from the dreaded lingerie shop, the duo carried an extra bag in their possession that they had purchased there, putting their tally of bags at six. The broad smile on Amanda's face showed her enjoyment of this event and Ranma could only help but feel a little bit of her enthusiasm. "Wasn't that just so much fun?" Amanda asked as they finally made their way back to the Corvette. Feigning enjoyment, Ranma nodded with a fake smile. "What's wrong?" she asked, concern prominent in her voice. How she saw through this facade and not during their shopping trip completely baffled the redhead. "Nothing," Ranma mumbled. "Ah, come on," the blonde said, pulling Ranma into a hug. "You can't tell me you didn't enjoy countless people slaving over your appearance!" The sad part was that Ranma did enjoy the attention, somewhat. Giggling, Ranma wondered what everyone back in Nerima would think of her now. While the two girls had their 'fun', Kiyoshi spent the day in his office putting up with kiss asses. His bountiful patience running short, he decided it was time to call it a day. No matter how much he enjoyed living the life of a normal person, there were so many downs that he pondered becoming a traveling martial artist again, even if just for a few days. His life changed so dramatically after his exposure to the Jusenkyo water. Before, life was a gigantic game and he was an observer who only took part when it suited him. Now, he made decisions on a daily basis that effected nearly six thousand others. The increased responsibility made him feel needed, but after years of doing it, it grew old. He still enjoyed it for the most part, but his life was now centered around a lively teenage girl. He definitely had his work cut out for him. Ranma wasn't taking the whole situation well as he expected, but Kiyoshi had little or no idea of how to handle the situation. He figured that he would at least continue her training and show her that, besides a few strength and speed differences, she was still herself. Unfortunately, with her loss of identity and family, that would be very tough to do. She would probably be severely depressed for a while. Making his way to his car, Kiyoshi wondered how Ranma was doing now. The thought of taking care of her made him smile inwardly, getting to have the little sister he never had in natural life. Ranma was in the same position he was, even though she had yet to realize the gravity of it. "Don't expect her to accept her situation overnight, my friend," sounded the familiar voice that only he could hear. "I know, Seiichi," he replied. "You haven't talked to me in a while. What made you speak up now?" "You seem to need my guidance," the voice returned. "Now more than ever." Retrieving his keys from his pocket, he unlocked his car and sat down in the driver's seat. "That I do, friend." He put the keys in the ignition and started the car. "I just don't know what to do about her." "Just be there when she needs a friend," Seiichi said, materializing next to Kiyoshi. "She must face reality herself, but you can help comfort her. That is all I can offer in the way of advice." Kiyoshi spared Seiichi a glance, wondering if he ever appeared anything but serious. His youthful appearance was just that, an appearance, for the wisdom this spirit possessed was nearly as infinite as the possibilities life held, a contradiction to the brashness of youth. Though simple, his advice always proved to work more effectively than anything he could have thought of himself. "How much easier life was when my day consisted of snatching underwear from unsuspecting women," Kiyoshi mumbled to himself. "And how much emptier?" quipped Seiichi. "Touch�." Arriving at after a few stops in town, Kiyoshi parked his car and walked up to the front door, once again having it opened before he had the chance to do it himself. Instead of Amanda's ever-cheerful greeting, though, he received a very disapproving stare from Ranma. The clothes Ranma wore, made him take a step back. Between her hair, clothes and make-up, he hardly recognized her. She was absolutely stunning for a girl who looked almost fifteen and appeared nothing like the tomboy he had seen but the day before. "We *have* to talk." He simply nodded and followed her up to her room after slipping out of his shoes. She shut the door after he followed her in. He sat after she motioned for him to do so. "What is it?" he asked, almost knowing the answer. "What is it?" Ranma mimicked, nearly yelling. "What is it?!" she asked again, but with less volume. "I spent the whole entire day..." she shrugged her shoulders unable to finish. "You knew what she would do. I've never been so humiliated in my life!" "Why should you be humiliated?" he asked simply. "Don't play dumb with me!" she said, folding her arms. "Look at me!" He stared at her, one eyebrow rising. "What's wrong with you? You look beautiful." Nearly growling, Ranma tried to keep under control. "I look like a girl! I'm dressed like a girl! I even *smell* like a girl!!" Confused by her answer, he regarded her curiously. "You are a girl." "NO, I'M NOT!!!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "I'M A GUY!!" She lashed out at him violently. Rolling out of the way of her kick, he fell off the bed and quickly sprung himself upright having to dodge her next assault. In between blocking punches he tried to calm her, "Please stop, Kimchan! I didn't mean any offense. Please tell me what's wrong!" "What's wrong?!" Ranma screamed, falling to her knees. "What the fuck do you think is wrong?!" Her upper torso fell over and she began to cry into her lap. "I'm dead," she managed to say between sobs. Walking towards her cautiously, he slowly put his hand on her shoulder. He realized too late what she meant. He knew that being a man meant so much to her, but considering herself dead because of losing it? Could that be it? She didn't shrug off his hand, instead she looked up at him, her sobs slowing, with puffy-red eyes. "Why are you trying to be so nice to me? We were enemies back in Nerima." She looked at his hand, considering. Ranma held back her sobs as best as she could, but a few escaped past her defenses as she awaited Kiyoshi's answer. The amount of changes she had suffered through in such a short period of time was taking its toll on her. She wasn't used to anything she was being put through. "I never thought of you as an enemy, Ranma-chan," he said. When she stared back at him, unbelieving, he continued. "I knew you hated me, but I've always been so proud of you. My foolish student, Genma, may have screwed up royally with his life, but his greatest achievement was you. He never knew quite what he had until he lost it." "You mean it?" Ranma asked him, her voice full of self pity. "Definitely," she heard him say as he crouched down to bring himself at eye-level with her. "What would you say if I trained you personally, every day until you find something better to do?" Her eyes opened wide in consideration. Though she remembered him foremost as the most notorious pervert who ever walked the earth, she also considered him one of its greatest martial artists too. Being trained every day by him would enhance her skill tenfold, if not more. Cologne had done the same by teaching her the Chestnut Fist. She nodded, dumbfounded by his proposition. If she still had one thing, it was the art. When life was there to try to kill her, she always had it to strengthen her heart. "Great, we will begin in ten minutes," Kiyoshi announced. "I have something in my car that you might like." "If it's a bra, I'm going to rip your head off," she said with a half smile. Followed by Ranma to his car, Kiyoshi unlocked the trunk and removed a large canvas bag from it. He then closed the trunk and carried the bag into the back. "Everything that's in there is yours," he said putting it down on the grass. He backed up and motioned for her to examine it. Kneeling down, she unzipped the bag and began to remove its contents. The look on her face expressed genuine joy. A nunchaku was the first item she procured from it, followed by a baton and a small gi top. "Hey, that's my size," she mused. Not caring about who was present, she removed her vest and blouse, revealing her bountiful chest in a white bra. Kiyoshi tried to turn his head, but she quickly put on the gi top, tying it shut. "Fits perfect!" Removing the gi bottom from the bag caused him to turn around quickly. After he figured she was done changing, he turned to see her standing holding the baton in one hand, twirling it in her right hand like a master. The smile on her face made all the difference in the world. "I'll go change into mine and we can get started. I have more weapons in my study that we can use later on, if your interested." He turned to leave but was stopped by her hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Kiyoshi," she said, putting emphasis on the name. "You didn't have to do this for me." She looked at him with her crystalline blue eyes. "Yes I did, Kimchan," he returned. "There was no one else, but I would have done so none-the-less." Patting her on the shoulder, he turned and left to get ready for their work out. End Part Two: Changes Life Brings Us _____________________________________________________________________ Begin Part Three: Art of the Blast fist Particles of the shattered brick scattered themselves all over the grass in the yard. A wry grin appeared on the face of the crimson-haired girl as she surveyed her handiwork. Enjoying the cool breeze, she put her hands through her sweaty hair. She adjusted her white gi to her small frame before going over to the next set of bricks, this one much thicker then the other set, and called upon her inner energy, focusing it upon the bricks. A prickle on the back of her neck caused her to draw out of her concentration and examine her surroundings for any threats. Her quick instincts saved her, two darts caught between the fingers of her left hand. "Huh?" she said right before the second attack. Dodging a barrage of throwing stars, she rolled to her right and tossed the two darts in the direction of her assailant. Hearing a soft grunt from there, she quickly turned and launched herself the same way. Catching throwing stars along the way, she landed softly in front of her opponent, a raven-haired man of about twenty years of age who wore a similar gi to hers. A sinister grin worn on his face, he initiated their combat by starting with a series of quick punches. "Ya gotta do better than that to beat me!" the girl exclaimed as she defended herself. Smirking, she returned the assault yelling, "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Her hands blurred as she threw herself at her opponent, nearly two hundred punches sent his way. Knowing he had to back off, the raven-haired man managed to block every single attack but was forced back towards the large rocks surrounding the koi pond in the center of their battleground. Taking the initiative, she launched herself into a flying jump-kick, catching the man's shoulder and sending both of them into the water. Bobbing her head up first, the girl pushed her hair out of her face, searching for her fallen enemy. Feeling someone grab onto her legs, she tried to spring out of the pond but was tripped and forced under the water again. Struggling under the man's grip, she did her best to maneuver herself free. "Gotcha," the man leered. Her head emerging from the pool yet again, she spit out one of the fish that made its home in the pond. "You just got lucky." Quickly adjusting her clothes so that they wouldn't show anything, she finished, "I'll get you next time!" "You say that every time!" "Well, I have beaten you before," she said as she procured herself from the pool; the man had already done so. "I got you on the shoulder good, though." "That you did," he admitted, smiling. "After lunch, I have something important to tell you." He offered his hand to her and helped her out of the pool. Shrugging, the girl wrung her hair out as she walked towards the door of the house. Reaching it before her, the man slid the glass door open and motioned for her to enter first. Drying her feet off on the mat in front of the door, she then proceeded to walk through receiving a friendly slap on the rear end. This was followed with the man falling to the floor, clenching his ribs from her elbow jab. Not paying attention to his groaning, she walked in heading through the kitchen, up the stairs and into the bathroom. Without looking around, she tugged off her gi and dropped it to the floor. Walking up to the mirror, she examined her reflection. Rubbing her hands through her hair that had been plastered to her head, she sighed and then made her way to the shower, quickly rinsing herself off in its cold water. She sneezed violently and giggled to herself. "Someone must be thinkin' of me," she mused. "Probably one of the neighborhood boys," a voice from behind her sounded, causing her to spin in surprise. Locating the familiar blonde girl in the bathtub, the redhead sighed again, this time in relief. "Sorry, Amanda-san," she apologized, averting her eyes from the figure in the bath. "I didn't know you were in here." The taller blonde stood, causing the redhead to blush vigorously, which in turn caused the blonde to giggle. "Join me, Kimchan," Amanda offered, sitting herself to face the redhead. Knowing the girl's obvious discomfort, she patted her hand down on surface of the water with a cheery smile. When Kimiko tried to mutter an excuse and leave, she used her motherly tones, "Kimiko Nishiyama, you sit yourself down here and join me this instant!" Lowering her head in defeat, Kimiko slowly trudged towards the bath and sank in on the opposite end. She smiled but it was obviously forced. The girls eyes opened wide when Amanda slid over from her side towards her. "How did your training go?" the blonde asked, trying to spark a conversation. Though they had excess time on their hands, Amanda rarely had the chance to sit down and talk to the younger girl. When Kimiko wasn't training or fighting with her brother, she would hide herself in her room or go to the gym her brother owned to work out. "Pretty good," Kimiko replied, her head turned. "I'm glad to hear that," she returned, slightly dismayed that she couldn't get the redhead to share some of her feelings. Changing the subject, she teased, "You know that the boys around here are all in love with you, ne?" "They can bite themselves," Kimiko grumbled in response. Scooting towards the girl, Amanda put her arm around Kimiko's shoulders. "Honey, just remember that if anything is troubling you, you can always come to me for advice." Not noticing that her friend's face was turning bright red, she sighed and sank deeper into the tub's inviting waters. "H-hai," Kimiko stuttered. Amanda looked at her friend, currently an interesting shade of red. Something was bothering the younger girl. Could it be she was having problems with some of the neighborhood boys? Amanda picked up her friend's hands in hers and looked her in the eyes. Her eyebrows curving downward in curiosity, she asked, "Why are you so ashamed? What are you afraid of?" "N-nothing, I'm not afraid!" Kimiko lied. "Look at me, Kimchan," she commanded. When the redhead refused to turn her head, Amanda let go of the girl's left hand and using her right, she gently pushed the her head so that they faced each other again. "There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about. We're both girls in here, and whatever you may be feeling is okay. You can tell me anything, sugar. I won't judge you and I won't tell anyone else." "It's just... it's just that I-" the redhead began but couldn't finish. Her head sunk again, tears streaming down her beautiful face. Amanda sympathized with her. It had only been a year since she awoke from her coma, and besides Kiyoshi and herself, the girl was virtually alone. The boys in the neighborhood saw a beautiful, young and unclaimed trophy to take by force if need be, while the girls all saw a girl, much prettier than themselves, causing them all to react jealously. Since Kimiko didn't know enough English to join a school in the area, she had little or no chance to make any friends what-so-ever. Pulling the redhead into a tight hug, Amanda held on until the girl's protests stopped and she relaxed. She really didn't have too much of an idea about what the girl was scared about, but she would stick with her until she got over it. Letting go of her, Amanda left her hands on her friend's shoulders and looked into her blue eyes. "I'll be here when you're ready to tell me what's wrong. There's no rush, hon." * * * Collapsing on her bed, Kimiko drowned herself in her own self-pity. She had become a mere shadow of her former existence. She had been at the pinnacle of her strength, a testament to her hard work and training. No one could defeat her in fair combat, besides a few of the extremely old masters who she managed to defeat from time to time. She survived opponent after opponent, and countless evil with endless mind-controlling spells sent her way. It seemed like she was nearly invincible. That was until she awoke, tired and physically weak, in a hospital far away from her homeland and family. So much time had passed since she had fallen into a coma, and yet she still had several years left before she could return. Her near invulnerable confidence had been shattered and she couldn't perform a Moko Takabisha if her life - or anyone else's for that matter - depended on it. She despised what she had become. Her memories of her final moments of life as Ranma Saotome were so clouded that she couldn't piece together to make any sense out of them. She wanted to know who did this to her. She wanted to find her killer and put the bastard through a fate worse than hell. The only problem was that she absolutely no idea who it could have been. A knock on the door awoke her from her thoughts. Standing, she composed herself before opening it a crack and sticking her head out, revealing Kiyoshi, still dressed in his gi. "You going to eat, or what?" he asked in a concerned tone. "Hai," she replied. "I'll be down as soon as I get dressed." "Okay," he said with a smile, right before he disappeared from her view. Searching her dresser, she found a pair of panties, a plain white T-shirt and a pair of pretty blue pants, near the color of her eyes - or so Kiyoshi said when he gave them to her. After putting them on she left her room and walked into the unoccupied bathroom. Fixing her hair into a quick braid, she noticed her eyes were still a little red from crying, so she dried her face with a towel. * * * "If you took any longer, I'd of eaten your lunch for you," Kiyoshi said, between stuffing his face and grinning, as she joined them in the kitchen. "If you did," Kimiko began. "I would've pounded your face till you spit it back out." She stuck out her tongue at him and started to devour the sandwich Amanda had prepared for her. "Really?" he said smugly, returning the gesture. "Stop that, you two!" Amanda scolded. "I expect such behavior from six year olds! You should be ashamed of yourselves." "Sorry, Amanda-san," Kimiko replied weakly, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry, Amanda-san," Kiyoshi copied, his grin never leaving his face. Their lunch continued relatively peacefully until Amanda's glare fell upon Kimiko again, but this time the girl didn't know what she did wrong. She looked at Amanda, wondering what it could have been this time. "Kimchan?" the blonde asked. "Nani?" "What did I tell you about wearing a bra?" Kimiko nearly swallowed her tongue. She had been trying to get away with not wearing one every chance available, and receiving more than one reprimand for it. "I-I don't wanna wear it. I hate those damn things!" "Kimchan, I know that you don't like boy's attention, but not wearing a bra only makes them gawk more." She pointed towards the redhead's chest, which was now resting on the table. Choking on his food, Kiyoshi said something unintelligible. After Kimiko slapped his back a few times, he recovered. "You know," he said, picking up his glass of water. "I wouldn't be able to see anything if you did wear one." He then proceeded to splash Kimiko's shirt, causing her shirt to become nearly transparent as it clung to her skin. "Why you!" she growled, beginning to chase him as he fled out of the kitchen. Amanda shook her head disapprovingly at the two of them as the quickly made their way out of the kitchen. Kiyoshi had become surprisingly vibrant after Kimiko awakened from her coma a year ago. When she first started working for the Nishiyama's, he had been quiet and withdrawn. Kimiko was just the thing he needed to be drawn out of his depression. She had noticed, more than a few times, that his teasing of his sister was something that he missed in his past, which was probably very lonely with no one but a comatose sister. His teasing had another benefit also, drawing Kimiko out of her almost constant depression. To everyone else, the girl appeared to be a happy, young teenage girl who was full of life, but Amanda saw through the act. She was actually scared, lonely and very depressed, most likely about losing nearly half of her childhood and both of her parents. Amanda knew little of their past, but she didn't dare ask them. When anyone would ask Kiyoshi or Kimiko anything that related to it, they became very withdrawn and quiet. She figured that they need to put their past behind them so that they can live for now. Kiyoshi seemed to be doing just that, but Kimiko's puffy red face proved that she had yet to even begin. Some things were obvious, though. Kimiko was obviously raised as a boy and was taught little about anything involving girls. While most young women are happy about things like make-up, shopping, boys, clothes, and their appearance, Kimiko seemed annoyed by all of the above. So far the worst thing had been when the girl found out about her period. Amanda still cringed at that incident. * * * The piercing scream woke Amanda instantly, the high pitch cry sounding like Kimiko's. She quickly put on her night robe and followed the faint sound of crying. She burst into the bathroom, her eyes widening at what they beheld. Kimiko sat, spread eagle and naked on her bottom with tears falling in a stream from her face, looking down at the tiled floor unmoving. "Are you okay, hon?" the blonde asked, extremely concerned. Without turning her head, Kimiko nearly yelled, "No!" Her sobs continued, making Amanda more concerned for the poor child's health. "What's the matter? Are you hurt?" "I-I..." the redhead stuttered. "B-blee... ding..." Amanda's eyes opened wide in panic and she closed in Kimiko, checking her for any wounds. "No, no!" Kimiko said, her voice still extremely shaky. "From down there!" Pointing at her pelvis, her sobs shaking her small frame. 'Oh boy!' Amanda thought. Of course, she would have missed this mother to daughter talk, considering she should have received it when she was in a coma. The door burst open a second time revealing a half dressed and extremely groggy Kiyoshi. He looked ready to fight off an army of invaders as he looked around. "What?" he asked in obvious confusion. "Out, out!" Amanda insisted, getting up and ushering him out. "This is a woman thing, so go back to bed!" "Huh?" "It's her time of the month," Amanda explained before closing the door in his face. If she saw the horror and embarrassment on his face, she might think *he* was the one with the problem. They spent the rest of the night and morning talking about things that the redhead should expect now that she had hit puberty. The horror on the girl's face matched that of Kiyoshi's, but hers was of self-loathing rather than sympathy. * * * Shaking her head again, Amanda watched the two chase each other all over the house before she managed to usher them into the backyard to finish their battle. * * * Kimiko had realized how Akane felt when they had spared together. Kiyoshi managed to dodge or deflect every single attack she could deal him without much of an effort. A cynical smile formed on her face as they were redirected by Amanda into the backyard. Having yet to become winded, she continued her attack until they she fell to the floor in exhaustion. "You have improved much in this last year," Kiyoshi commented, sitting down a few feet in front of her. He pushed his long black hair back, something that would have made nearly every girl on this earth swoon, besides Kimiko. "You've almost reached your old ability." This caught Kimiko's attention and she looked at him, deciding if he was lying or not. Something about the way he said it made her believe him, even if she was trying not to. She smiled meekly at his comment and replayed their battle in her head, observing how he was always just slightly, no more than a millimeter, out of her reach when her attacks should have connected. Other times his block would be so subtly fast that she didn't have time to adjust her attacks. "As I said earlier, I have something important to tell you now that lunch..." he paused, finding the correct wording. "Ended rather abruptly," he finished with a grin. "So, spit it out, hentai," she taunted, trying to provoke him. "Wait, but our lunch comes to us!" he said and she turned to see Amanda bringing them their unfinished meals. "I thought you might like these," the blonde remarked, having given them their lunches. "One of these days we'll actually finish a meal together." "Not as long as *he* keeps provoking me!" Kimiko exclaimed, throwing a piece of her bread crust at Kiyoshi. "But it's *so* tempting," quipped. "You leave yourself wide open." He then proceeded to hit her with a handful of grass. "I'll show you wide open!" the redhead shot back as she threw the apple on her plate at his head, bouncing off with a clunk. "Hey, I will not subjugate myself to something as childish as a food fight!" The sandwich that pelted Kimiko's face said otherwise. "Hey!" she yelled. "You just said you wouldn't!" She then pulled a piece of bologna off of her face. "Yuck." "I lied," he said with a grin. "I'm not making you two anymore food for the afternoon," Amanda giggled, trying hard not to burst out into laughter. "I'll leave so you can have your fight in peace." She then turned and left before she was hit with any stray pieces of food. After he were tired of wasting good food, Kiyoshi decided that he had better tell her what she needed to now. He sat down in a cross-legged fashion and she did likewise. "Time to be serious," he said, mostly to himself. "Since you have shown that you have equal, if not more ability in your female body, I believe that it is time to teach you some new, more difficult techniques." He had her full undivided attention now. "Ever wonder how I knocked you around with my pipe, oh so long ago?" "No, it's normal for people to use tobacco pipes like baseball bats," Kimiko said dryly, sarcasm dripping from each word. He grinned at her, producing a pipe from his gi where nothing had existed before. Twirling it in his right hand, he laughed and said, "Batter up!" Her reaction was well worth it when she tumbled back in preparation of his attack. "Scared?" "Yeah right," she said, regaining her poise. "I'm not taking any chances with you and that thing." Her respect for his smoking pipe came with good reason, since she had been knocked into more than one wall by it before her coma. "What the hell am I going to do with a pipe technique?" "Well, for one, it isn't a pipe technique," he began. "Rather, it's a simple chi concentration that is centered around a weapon, object or limb to *blast* an opponent off their feet." He stood up quickly and twirled the pipe, making it disappear into his gi. "Want a demonstration?" "Amanda will be pissed if my flying corpse breaks anything out here," she grinned, getting up. "Not too hard!" "Don't worry," he said seriously, pushing a hand through his hair. "I'll catch you before you land." He walked over to her noticing the obvious tension in her stance. "Loosen up, girl." "Don't call me that," she spit. "Oh, and I think I'll take my chances with the wall rather than your roaming hands." Bracing herself for his attack, she paid close attention to his movements. "Well, gonna attack me or what?" "I'm sad you think so little of me, Kimchan." Close enough to dance, Kiyoshi summoned his inner calm and grinned, right before he struck. "Ahh!" Kimiko yelled, blasted violently by his strike. She felt herself soar through the air and land in his arms. "What in God's name did you just do?" Nauseous from being knocked around, she tried to gain a hold of her senses. "I showed you a simple, yet very effective technique," he answered, nearly whispering. "Want me to show you again?" His warm breath on her was more than enough to make her feel uncomfortable. He set her down and she blinked a couple times, trying to regain her composure. "Nuh uh, just show me how to do it." She brushed herself off, making sure that her blue pants hadn't ripped and turned her attention back to him. "Seems simple enough." Though she had been paying very close attention, she completely missed the demonstration. "I said it was a simple technique, not simple to learn." The smug grin on his face was all that she needed for motivation. She'd show him how easy it would be for her. * * * A young married couple walked down the shadowed streets casting nervous glances around after they realized they were lost. The young man, of about twenty years of age, smiled reassuringly at his partner. He pushed a hand through his black hair, wondering why they had to not pay attention to where they had headed. the girl, of equal age and dark brown hair, asked. The apprehension easily heard in her voice, he felt a nervous chill run down her body. He asked the same question himself as they continued their track, slowly down the way. he responded truthfully. He felt her grip his arm more tentatively. He knew he could find their way home if only he saw a familiar, but he had never been down this part of town before. Dan's wife, Jill, pointed out. Being a guy, asking directions was one of the few hardest and most humbling things he could do. At least he wasn't on a date trying to impress a girlfriend; that would have looked really bad. He looked around nervously, hoping he could avoid the inevitable. he conceded after realizing they really should get back home soon. He looked up at sign of the gym, reading "The 24-Hour Club." The building itself was large and had wide glass doors that over looked the lobby, furnished in blue carpeting and a wooden receptionists desk that was currently unoccupied. Walking up to the glass door, he pulled at the handle, but it was securely locked. <24-Hour Club my ass,> he muttered to himself. his wife said to him. Having said that, she knocked on the glass as hard as her hand would allow. As they waited for someone to answer, Dan felt a few gentle rain drops land on the back of his neck. Sweat beading on her brow, Kimiko glared at the heavy punching bag in front of her. Her eyes red from exhaustion, she once more, for nearly the thousandth time today, stabbed her index finger into it. "Yeow!" she yelped, pulling her hand back. Mumbling, "Kiyoshi-baka and his stupid training," she walked over to the side of the gym to the drinking fountain, taking a hearty sip, when a loud knocking from the main doors caught her attention. "Who could that be?" she said, thinking aloud to herself. Dodging the work out equipment, she made her way to the lobby, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Upon arriving in the lobby, she looked through the glass. Seeing a young couple huddled up underneath the eaves of the gym, she quickly pushed the doors open allowing their entry. Wondering how this date could have ended up any worse, Dan stood patiently at the door of the gym, his wife clinging to him for warmth. Neither of them had brought jackets, not expecting to be out so late. He put his arm around her shoulder and made a silent prayer for the rain to stop. Bringing his attention to the lobby, he watched as a young girl, of no more than fifteen years of age and standing a few inches above five feet, walked to the door and opened it for them. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. He ushered his wife in first and followed soon afterward. He smiled at the girl, whose messy red hair was braided in a ponytail resting over her right shoulder, strands falling every direction possible, amplifying her attractiveness. She wore a wrinkled, white karate gi that didn't quite conceal her gray sports-bra, which in turn didn't hide the shape of her rather large, shapely breasts what-so-ever. Her eyes were red with strain, but they still sparkled with vitality. All in all, she was amazingly beautiful for a girl of any age. Had he not been come with his wife, he might have considered flirting with her. he greeted, the smile never leaving his face. He wondered what a girl this young was doing up so late. Her brows furrowed in concentration, looking as if she was thinking it over. She put a hand to her head and spoke in heavily accented English, Before he could answer, his wife began speaking to her in Japanese. While he knew no languages other than English, his wife was fluent in a half dozen. He had trouble with his high school Spanish course and never even was able to speak much of anything in it, while his wife learned new languages in under a year. The redhead motioned for them to follow her and led them through a pathway cluttered with every type of work out machine possible and into a cafeteria. The room had a few chairs placed near a small table, which he and his wife took. The girl walked behind the counter and offered, his wife said, smiling. he said, looking around the room. White tiles made up the floor, sparkling with a recently cleaned luster. Pictures of various sports athletes lined the walls, all signed by the person pictured addressed Nobukazu Nishiyama. The redhead, standing behind the glass counter, poured coffee into three red mugs. Jill took the red mug offered to her with a thank you and looked at it, letters in white, reading in English, "Nishiyama Inc." She smiled at the girl taking a seat across from her and her husband. "I'm Jill McArthur, and this is my husband, Daniel McArthur," she said, introducing herself. "I'm Kimiko Nishiyama," the redhead said, pushing her long red bangs out of her face and behind her ears. "What brings you two out here so late?" "We were on a date, but after dinner this bonehead decided we should walk back instead of calling a taxi," she explained, elbowing her husband softly. They both giggled when he looked between the two, a paranoid look crossing his face. "How about you, dear?" "Hmm?" the girl responded, her mouth full of coffee. "How come you're up so late?" "Oh." The girl rested her head in her hands, her eyes shutting slowly. "I've just been training." Sitting upright, she rubbed her eyes, and apparent tactic to stay awake. Jill smiled at the beautiful girl and asked, "You wouldn't happen to know where Lighthouse Road is, would you?" Hoping they weren't too far from home, she waited for the girls answer. A thoughtful look crossed the redhead's face before she yawned. "Hai, you are a long way from home." Looking between the two, she continued, "It's nearly ten miles from here." Dan tried not to pay attention to the girls speaking in Japanese. Two girls, speaking in another language and giggling at you was not a good combination. Wanting to be somewhere else, he sipped his coffee meaningfully. his wife informed him. She rested her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. he asked, not very unenthusiastic to how far away from home he led them. As his wife translated his message, he tried remembering where he heard the name Nishiyama before. Realization came to him and he remembered, An indescribable look crossed Kimiko's face from hearing his question and she nodded, forming her words carefully, she paused and spoke something to his wife in Japanese. Jill translated for him. he asked, his mood becoming more solemn. He bit his lip and tried not to swear. Bringing up something like that must have brought up sad memories. he apologized. the girl said, standing up and walking around the counter, placing her mug in the sink. She walked back around and took their empty mugs. The cab arrived a few minutes after the call, and the couple departed, waving to Kimiko. Exhausted, she watched the cab until it turned a corner out of sight. "Back to training," she said to herself. * * * The night sky was lit by soft starlight, but she couldn't see it, her eyelids feeling as if they were plastered shut. She breathed in the cold air slow and ragged, her lungs burning furiously. The slow momentum of being carried like a rag doll over someone's shoulder, threatened her barely conscious state. Her whole body ached, but mostly her hands. She wanted to grab a hold of something and stop, but her body didn't respond. Words were being used around her, but she was too out of it to make any sense of them. She wanted to cry out, but she was denied. She tried to think of something, anything, but she could think of nothing but the pain. Her awareness slowly faded into unconsciousness once more. Awake, but unable to move, her senses came alive again. The tight burning sensation in her chest faded, but words still failed to reach her mouth. Breathing in the sweat air heavily, a name formed in her head, Ryouga. Her eyes opened, but the world was a blur. Dark colors merged together forming a senseless void. When a streak of starlight passed through her sight, it burned forcing her eyes closed. She wanted to know why there must be constant motion, causing her stomach turn. The movement stopped and her bottom felt the hard ground beneath her. There was a noise of someone shifting through something and then a long pause. The next thing she felt was cold, colder than the chill of a winter night and colder than the icy depths of an icy river. It burned like acid, searing her flesh through her thin clothes and tearing at her existence, threatening to end her life. Then it was gone. The pain, the ache in her chest, everything. Her eyes opened again, gazing over the starlit countryside, but her mouth still failed to form words. Being hoisted onto someone's shoulder once more, a groan escaped her lips and she desperately tried to talk. Her stomach rocked over a broad shoulder as the person continued his grueling pace. The voice spoke again, and she recognized it. "Ry-Ryo..." she managed to blurt out, but she received no response but for more pain in her hands and the aching of her body to return. "Is that you, Ryouga?" Her energy began to fade once more, and her vision blurred. Tired of the constant motion, she fell into unconsciousness again. A searing heat awoke her. Her eyes widened in awe as she witnessed the dark green aura grow until it threatened to consume everything. She tried to tell warn him, but words failed her again, until the moment the energy became unbearable. "RYOUGA, NO!" Her scream was useless when she felt the blast knock her off his shoulders. She reached out in her sudden weightlessness and grabbed onto a hand, gripping her back. "You awake, Ranma?!" Ryouga's frantic voice yelled. "Ye-yeah..." she stuttered. "P-pull us up, okay Ry-ry-ryouga?" She held on as tight as her wrist allowed, but the pain in her hands made it nearly impossible. "I can't!" he yelled back. "My grip isn't strong enough! Can you climb up me?" She tried her best to pull herself up and use the lost boy as a ladder, but her arms gave way and she slumped back. "Nuh uh, I'm too weak..." "I'm not strong enough to pull you, me and the pack all up." What would her fate be now? She turned her head and gazed down the steep cliff that they hung from, unable to see the bottom. She doubted even Ryouga could survive the fall. "God, please forgive me," she heard him mutter. She felt them slide down slightly, rocks from the edge of the cliff landing in her face. "Please forgive me, Akane!" Then the grip released and she plummeted downward, downward into death. A horrid cry left her lips, scaring even herself, but she didn't hit the bottom. Her falling continued for what could have been hours, minutes or even seconds. She dared to open her eyes, but all they met were blackness. An aura of evil loomed around her, radiating power unmatched of anyone she had ever met before. Then a light, bright as the sun, banished the darkness. Then she heard words spoken so softly that she could barely hear, "Though death hath tried to consumed thee, death I have frightened away. Walk once more amongst the living, but first sleep, child. Sleep and recover, then destroy the evil that threatened thy life so others may tread free on the realm of Earth without fear." Beauty like none other met her eyes, a beauty so lovely it hurt her them, but she could not take them away none-the-less. A figure amongst the brightness held her, comforting her. She felt the warmth throughout her body and the calmness of sleep consume her. * * * Waking with a start, Kimiko eyes fluttered open in panic. "Oh, thank God you're awake." Focusing on the figure that held her, she looked up recognizing the locks of blonde hair dangling in front of her. "How are you feeling, Kimchan?" Amanda asked, deep concern filling her voice. "O-okay, I guess," she replied, sitting up and looking at her surroundings. Green pastels and the bright light coming through the window caused her to recognize it as her room. "How'd I get here?" "Kiyoshi found you early in the morning, passed out on the floor. I'll go make you some food if you're hungry." Kimiko nodded and slid to the edge of her bed. Remembering the last moments of her life as Ranma Saotome, a grimace appeared on her face. She had a new focus now and he would not get away with stealing her life. * * * "You mustn't try and overdo it like that again, okay?" "Hai," Kimiko said dryly to Kiyoshi after hearing his reprimand. Nothing could stop her from learning this technique now, not pain nor fatigue. "Remember, focus your energy on your outstretched finger and imagine the energies blasting your opponent." Her eyes focused on the bag swaying in front of her. She felt anger burning through her, but she held it in and imagined it as fire surrounding her hands. Pulling more and more of that energy, she yelled, "Bakufuuken!" The punching bag blasted backwards smashing against the roof, but that wasn't what surprised the redhead. The extreme backlash knocked her back violently into the wall behind her. Stunned from the blast, she slumped over onto her knees and stared at her hand, or hands since she was seeing multiple. Unable to keep herself up, she collapsed, her face colliding with the floor. "Kimiko!" Kiyoshi yelled, running up to her. She felt him scoop her up in his arms. He told her about the technique as he walked to one of the cots in the back room of the gym. "You must never channel any negative emotions into the blast fist technique. Although the results of the blast hit the opponent much harder, the backlash almost always is stronger against you. The blast relies on calm energy, whether negative or positive, but next time try using a different emotion." "Why didn't you tell me that earlier, baka," she muttered to him as he placed her on the plastic cot. "That was cool," she said, starting to giggle. "Oh man, what a kicker!" "Yeah yeah, laugh it up," Kiyoshi said, not amused in the slightest. "You're supposed to learn the fine tuning points on your own, and boy did you learn them the hard way. When you feel better, try again." "Hai, sensei," she said under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear. Standing in front of the punching bag once more, Kimiko began breathing exercises trying to regain her calm composure. The aura forming around her was invisible to all, but those trained to see it and Kiyoshi grinned as she began culminating hers. "Think of someone who makes you feel good," he offered. "Lilly," she said to herself, inaudible to anyone around her. An aura of peace began to radiate from her and she focused it upon her hands. Her eyes opened slowly, looking at the bag dangling in front of her. "Bakufuuken!" A smile graced her lips as the bag flew into the ceiling again, ripping off its chain and soaring into the wall behind it. Her feet still firmly on the floor where she had held her stance, she rubbed her hands together. "Excellent!" Kiyoshi congratulated. "We're going to have to find something more suitable to practice on," he pointed out, looking at the fallen bag. "You should try it using your fist, elbow and whatever you plan to use in combat." "You used this technique with your pipe?" "Hai, Kimchan," he replied, scratching his chin. "You can basically focus the technique on anything, but the methods of channeling your chi into the limb or object differ. Trial and error." He patted her back and walked into the changing room. Looking at her hands, Kimiko wondered at all the different uses her new technique held. She grinned wryly and walked towards the showers. Turning towards the fallen bag one more time, she promised, "You're as good as mine, Ryouga." * * * Her shades drawn shut, Kimiko laid on her bed in absolute darkness. Her life had taken so many twists and turns this past year, and she didn't really know what to think about it all. On one side, her skill had greatly improved training with the master of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. The Blast Fist far exceeded her expectation of how powerful it could be, but being able to use it restricted her to fight completely calm and in a somewhat peaceful state, otherwise she'd either find her attack severely lacking any power what-so-ever, or she'd find herself plastered against a wall somewhere ten blocks away. Of course, she was exaggerating, but not by much. On the other hand, she felt extremely depressed. Never in her life did her future look so utterly hopeless. Anytime she thought of her old life that she had left behind, she felt sick, almost to the point of throwing up. Trying to avoid anything that reminded her of Akane, her parents or anything else she lost, was nearly impossible. Her life felt so empty. Amanda and Kiyoshi did help her over all outlook of things with their excessively cheerful and over-protective attitudes, but nothing could fill the void her existence had become. Even performing a kata, or completing a new technique left her somehow lacking. Something was missing and she couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly, besides the obvious. Was it companionship? Kiyoshi provided plenty of that in his own weird sort of way. His constant teasing almost made her feel at home here, in remembrance of how Akane and she used to bicker. He definitely provided for her martial arts skill development, and if she stayed with him much longer she'd probably increase it even more dramatically. He almost did feel like a brother that she never did have. Was it a need for a parent figure in her life? Amanda did more than an adequate job in that area. Her motherly attitude and deep caring for Kimiko definitely made her feel better at times. When she looked back at how her father had raised her and compared him to Amanda, there was simply no comparison. Even from an early age, he was supposed to act a certain like an adult and be manly at the same time, even though those areas were in constant conflict. Amanda did no such thing, rather she treated her like a younger sister, a very overly protective and loving one but a sister none-the-less. She had just enough "Kasumi" in her to make her feel good when she was down and to raise her spirits just being in her presence. Could it be a need for romantic love? Before Akane, Kimiko had never experienced anything remotely close to love and she didn't think she could ever feel that way about another person again. Even if she did, how could it be reciprocal? She was definitely not going to fall in love with a man, and now that she herself was no longer a man, she doubted that any female could love her. This was partially the answer, but not necessarily the center of her void. In her deep consideration, she wondered whether she just needed a friend. Looking back, she wondered if she really ever had a real friend. Ukyou had been her first, but it was obviously a one-way friendship since Ukyou viewed her as a 'boyfriend', rather than a true to life buddy. She had met various children in her life that she spent time with, but not one did she spend enough time with to be considered more than a close acquaintance. Ryouga was simply a mistake as a choice in friends. Ryouga. The name itself made her mouth run dry and her foul mood worsen. She might have considered him a friend in junior high school, but he before they could settle a minor difference, she had to leave to China with her father. He followed. She had no idea how far the depths of obsession could run before she met Ryouga. By a cruel hand of fate, Ryouga received his curse and blamed it all on her. She did feel guilty about it, but she thought that had been put in the past. Obviously Ryouga did not feel the same. Kimiko trusted him when he offered her friendship, and what a fool she was to accept it. Never in all of her life had she been betrayed so deeply by someone she considered a friend and trusted to a certain degree. The lost boy seemed so happy the last time they were together, he with Akari and she with Akane. How could she have been so wrong about him? The dagger removed from her back, Kimiko was now feeling the effects that the poisons the betrayal left behind. Somehow, Ryouga cursed her permanently. She remembered her dream vividly and knew it to be more than just a nightmare. She remembered the piercing cold that burnt like a horrible acid searing through her skin. What did he do to her? What magic did he employ and could it be reversed? Those two questions would be answered as soon as she finished her training. Procuring the answers from his quivering hide sounded extremely good right now. Now there were only questions about her curse that were still left unanswered. Since the bath incident nearly a year ago, and just a few days ago after she finally correctly employed the Blast Fist, she had not felt Lillith's presence. What side-effect of the curse was this? She needed answers but Kiyoshi's only left her with more questions. Resolving to talk to Kiyoshi heartily about this ghost, she hopped to her feet and exited her room in search of him. A knife blade balanced on his right hand, Kiyoshi was trying desperately not to fall asleep in an attempt finish this book on teenager psychology, the epitome of boring material. If this book offered him anything to help him see his new sister's point of view, it would be worth it. Somehow, he seriously doubted it. Using his left hand to rub his dry eyes, he failed to notice someone sneaking up behind him. "Boo!" The knife flipped in his hand to a throwing position and he dived out of his chair, rolling across his large study far away from the intruder. His throw was cut short and he dropped the knife to the floor, a cynical look on his face. "Haha!" Kimiko laughed out loud, managing to put a hand over her mouth before she lost herself completely in giggles. "The look on your face! Oh, that was worth a million yen!" "You're getting too silent for your own good," he said dryly, standing up. "Bet your glad I didn't throw this knife at you?" "I woulda just caught it, you slow poke!" He straightened his hair, walking back over to his desk to face the girl, still stifling giggles. Sliding the book across the desk he sat in its place, he pushed the chair he had been sitting in over to her. After she sat, he asked, "What's up?" "Tell me about the Jusenkyo curses again," she commanded. "I already told you as much as I can," he reminded her, wondering what brought about this soon to be line of questioning. Usually she avoided talking about anything to do with Jusenkyo, or anything in her past for that matter. "Come on," she begged. "I know you know more than your telling me." Resting her head on her hands she looked at him, initiating her cutest pout combined with her puppy-dog eyes, begging for all they were worth. "Jeez, okay, what do you want to know?" he sighed, giving in before her stare got any worse. "Hee hee," she giggled. She cleared her throat, in an apparent attempt to quit laughing and to put on a serious face. "Do you have a spirit too?" "Have a spirit?" he asked, knowing what she meant. He wanted her to work for her answers for many reasons that could be related to training. Mainly he just liked making things as difficult as possible so she'd use her wit. "Of course I have a spirit, silly. What kind of question is that?" "No no! That's not what I meant!" "What did you mean then?" he said, a smile forming on his face. This could be fun. "Is there a drowned young man haunting you or something?" Was that the best she could do? "I'm not being 'haunted' by anything, Kimiko." he replied smartly. "You might want to rephrase that." The little growl he heard nearly caused him to laugh, but the evil stare that followed did cause him to chuckle quietly. His smirk was erased when she stood up and walked over to him, lifting him up by the collar of his shirt. "I'm talkin' about Jusenkyo and all the weird shit that's going on!" Her angry tones, combined by the fact that she was in a good position to smash his manhood with one punch, caused him to change his attitude about divulging the information. "Lord, Kimchan!" he exclaimed, trying to keep her grip from cutting off his circulation. "You're seriously spooked, aren't you?" "What do you think, asshole?!" To scare her this badly, something terrible must have happened. He was tempted to ask her, but he instead decided to tell her more than he had planned to. "Okay, love. Just sit back and I'll tell you what I know." "Be careful, Kiyoshi," a quiet voice whispered inside his head. "Try not to tell her anything that would make her emotional state even more unstable." He made a mental note of it, focusing on what he should tell her. She released her grip and gracefully sat back in the chair he had provided earlier, resting her head back against the leather headrest. "After I tell you what I know, will you tell me what has been happening to you?" After she nodded in agreement he began. "First of all, let me tell you that you are in no danger, physically nor mentally, from anything that resulted from your second exposure to Nyanniichuan's waters. Second of all, the only harm that you will experience from the curse is purely your own emotional reactions to the magic-like quality that it holds, so please try and relax yourself." "That's good to know," she hissed. "You also need to know the spirit manifestation that you have encountered has nothing but good intentions and is very interested in your physical and emotional well-being. It has the ability to appear before you as a reflection of what it looked like prior to the time of death, and trust me when I say that it can only be seen by your eyes. "It does have the ability to partially influence your behavior, but I'm positive that it will only do so when you allow it. On the other hand, it has the ability to do things to your physical body, allowing you to feel sensations, certain emotions, or even heal quicker." "Can it change my appearance at all?" Kimiko decided to ask, already knowing the answer. "Only if your body becomes damaged can it do anything in that department. I assume you are referring to your younger appearance?" She nodded to his assumption; he hit it right on the dot. "I believe that after you were released from your aquatransexual curse and left in your female body, you suffered from some severe injuries that required the spiritual manifestation to heal you so that you would survive. In doing so, it effectively made you appear exceptionally younger. That is just a hypothesis, of course, but it doesn't conflict with any of the evidence that we have... that is unless you remember something?" Only catching half the meaning of what he told her, she shook her head solemnly. "Why do I still look like a teenager? I was in that coma for seventeen years, ne?" "That is another thing I forgot to mention," he said, pushing his hands through his raven hair once before continuing. "The spirit can also slow or stop your aging according to its wills. In essence, it has near complete control of your physical appearance since it is the gift you received from Jusenkyo." "You call this a gift?!" she shouted, her anger rising again. "Stuck as a girl - a gift? I seriously hope you're joking." She glared at him, daring him to answer in opposition. He took in a deep breath and sighed, his head drooping causing his long black bangs to fall in his face. He looked up again, catching her intense glare. "You should be thankful that you're alive." "Thankful that I'm alive?" Her breaths became short as adrenaline pumped through her body. "I wish I died!" Normally, she reacted by crying or lashing out violently but her tears had run dry and there just didn't seem to be much point in attacking him, at the moment. "I'm sorry you feel that way," was his only response. They stared at each other for a long time in utter silence, neither daring to break it. Everything she had gone through in the past year seemed to have been dropped on her, and it felt heavier than anything she had experience before. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore and this whole situation she was in definitely didn't help things. Kiyoshi finally broke silence. "Please tell me what is wrong with being a woman." Baffled at his request, she only turned her head indignantly, crossing her arms under above her breasts. What wasn't wrong about being a woman, she figured would be a better question. She hated her reflection. It simply was not her. "You wanna know what's wrong with'em? Well, for starters, I'm supposed to be a man! I was born and raised one! Whenever I was bad or acted like a weakling, my pop would say I was behaving like a spoiled little girl or something. Men are supposed to be tough! They're not supposed to cry or do anything stupid like that. That's what I want to be like, damn it! I don't want to wear frilly dresses and 'cute' things. I wanna wear somethin' that'd last through a fight." Catching her breath she continued, "Another thing; I hate these damn breasts! They're too sensitive! If I take a punch there as a man, it doesn't do anything to me. Right now if you landed a solid blow, I'd probably fall in pain! I'm weaker, shorter, and just an all worse fighter." Her deliberation finished, Kiyoshi put his hand underneath his chin in consideration. "Firstly, you wear what you want to wear. If you don't want to wear a frilly dress, don't. If you don't want to cry, don't cry. If you want to act like a 'man,' act like one. Though I have to stress the fact that half of the ideals you were given about men are completely and utterly wrong. A woman can mirror the exact same ideals that you were raised to possess. Think about the Amazons and how 'manly' they act. They're more 'men' than woman by Japanese standards, yet they call themselves women proudly. "Regarding your anatomy, that is the one thing you cannot help. Your breasts are now weaker and larger, but a female, when struck in the groin, will definitely not pass out in pain as a man would, nor would she do so if a breast was struck. In regards to your strength and height, if you think that is an issue, it is certainly overbalanced by your massive increase in speed and flexibility. In my humble opinion, your reflexes and skill are much improved from when you were in Nerima." She didn't know what to say in response. "If not a gift, Kimchan, it is most certainly a second chance at life. Please do not give up on life yet." She wanted to tell him he was wrong. She wanted to tell him that he was stupid and knew nothing. She wanted to do many things, but she knew she was wrong. That did not mean she had to enjoy being a girl though. "Please, give it time," he said, standing up. He walked over to her and rested his hand on her shoulder. "You will always be you, no matter what name you have or what body you occupy. You will always be the little redhead that I first met in the streets of Nerima, and the same pigtailed boy that I tried to teach a lesson to nearly a hundred times. And now, you will always be the little sister I wished for when I was a child. Please, just give it time." * * * End Part Three: Art of the Blast fist _____________________________________________________________________ Commentary, babble, acknowledgments: A year has past and Ranma, now using the name Kimiko, heads to China for training after a quick stop in Japan. Though her travels are far from over, this story has come to its conclusion. I thank you for reading and hope to hear from you some time in the near future. There will be a continuation fanfiction, which is currently being worked upon, and as of this moment has a prelude and the first part nearly completed. It will be called "Misery Loves Company," so if someone else has used that name for a fanfic of theirs or know of one that uses it, please tell me now. I guess after this large series is finished (at least 3 more fanfictions after this), that I *have* to write a revengefic for what I'm doing to poor Ranma. The worst has yet to come. Guess they call it dark for a reason, huh? I'd like to thank my pre-readers for all their help and support in producing my fanfictions: Lord Talon, Louis Phillipe Giroux, Miza, Ronny Hedin and Sam Vilsmeier. I'd also like to thank two others: David Lerman for helping me early on with suggestions and some of the finer points, and Jed Hagen for his help with some of my grammar. There are quite a few others who commented on the first part and the prequel "Vengeance," who I cannot thank enough. Their encouragement helped a good deal, even if it was just a short reply saying, "Liked the fic, can't wait to see more." I only received good responses, so I guess I at least did something right. Send all C&C to the address below my name. Thanks! Ryan Erik ryanerik59@hotmail.com or magusbloodstone@hotmail.com