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<font size=2>Author notes:<br>
_____________<br>
<br>
This was originally my response to the 'One Hour Challenge' and the
Revengefic which had been posted to the FFML a long time ago. However,
some readers had recommended that it would do wonderfully well as a stand
alone fic and therefore, here it is ^_^ I couldn't believe how little I
wrote in a space of one hour though. Looking at all the other authors'
work made me wince ;) Oh well, anyway, any C&C's or flames welcome.
It would be nice to hear from any of you what you think on this venture.
However, could you please send them to my private email, though you could
also post them to FFML. It's easier for the comments to reach me that
way, though of course, the FFML would be used to allow any debates that
might arise. Thanks, guys.<br>
<br>
Disclaimers :- All other characters, including the Ranma World belongs to
Takahashi Rumiko except for any new characters, which in this case, would
belong to me.<br>
<br>
---------------------<br>
Some Background relevant to fic<br>
--------------------------------<br>
<br>
Some of you might ask that since Su Ling had reached Jyusenkyo, why don't
don't she ask the guide to show her to the pool of Nannichuan and splash
herself twice or even just get a male curse? Weeelll... splashing herself
twice seems too easy a solution that way, and Su Ling would unconciously
wanted to keep the curse she had as long as possible to allow her to go
through a journey to find an answer to her soul. Getting a male curse
would be rather problematic in the real world; since cursed people are
cold water magnets. Su Ling's society, culture and tradition demands that
she is one sex or the other, and a mix would be deemed as very suspicious
and probably abhored. Therefore, I use the idea that some author had
done, ie, that to splash herself twice or once would have unpredictable
results, as the curse would mix or fight with the curse she had already
had. Having a half-man/woman's body is not very wanted ^_^ The Jyusenkyo
guide knows of this and that is why he said that he doesn't know what he
could do.<br>
_______________________________________________________<br>
<br>
Keys Terms<br>
____ _____<br>
<br>
<?> = Speech in Mandarin Zao Aann = Good Morning<br>
*?* = Thoughts Siao Jie = Miss<br>
<br>
_______________________________________________________<br>
<br>
Heart's Desire - Part 1<br>
_______________________<br>
<br>
China. A country that was vast in terms of geographical size and
population and a source of all her deepest desires, problems, and
troubles moulded into one. Su Ling looked around from where she was
standing. To the left of her, stretch an impossible length of greenery,
as far as the eyes can see. To the front, the place where the source of
her curse and desire came true; the pools of Jyusenkyo. Of course, she
hadn't decided to get herself cursed in the first place. It was forced
upon her, or used to be him, by the one person that she had always liked;
Saotome Ranma. Ranma, who everybody she knew said that he was nothing but
trouble. Ranma, a supposed to be fictional character that came one day to
her dwellings and splashed her TWICE with the Nyannichuan. <br>
<br>
She knew then that life for her had just been tossed out of the window.
Granted, deep within her heart, she had wished that she was born female
but there still was a majority of her psyche that was shocked at what had
happened to her. After all, she had been a he for twenty years of her
life. Such deep upbringing(?) could not be shook off easily. Fortunately,
to her point of view, she was beginning to adjust and accept what it is
like to be a woman. Su Ling lifts her slender hand slightly, her eyes
still slightly wide in awe at the smoothness and delicate sight of her
slim fingers, all tapering off to a slender point at the end. <br>
<br>
Sighing, she looked up and carefully walked down the cliff's path; her
destination, the hut where the guide lived. Her family had not took the
news well. She was very nearly disowned by her own father but her mother
had, thank Kuan Yin, dissuaded him. Despite that, her father had from
that day refused to acknowledge her presence as if she doesn't exist. Su
Ling, needless to say, was heartbroken. She could stand anything;
humiliation, pain, death but her family's rejection. They were one of the
most important people in her life. Without them... she doesn't want to go
there just yet. That was why she was here. In a desperate hope that there
was a cure. <br>
<br>
Su Ling suddenly found herself at the door. Hesitating, but finally
gathering enough courage, she knocked once, twice, thrice in quick
succession. A sound of scuttling can be heard from the inside. Going back
a step, she waited for the door to open. A face soon poked out from the
sudden rectangular space where the door used to be.<br>
<br>
<Excuse me, good host. My name is Su Ling and I humbly request
knowledge which could be important to me>, Su Ling said, in Mandarin
as she bowed.<br>
<br>
The guide, blinked, once, twice and stopped himself.<br>
<br>
<Ohhh....I am sorry for my apparent rudeness. You remind me of
someone. Please come in>, he replied, stepping out of the way for her
to enter.<br>
<br>
Su Ling complied and stepped into his threshold. A sparse but homely
surrounding greeted her eyes.<br>
<br>
<Please seat down> the guide pulled out a seat for her <Would
you like some tea?><br>
<br>
<Oh yes!!! Ooops....I am sorry for my outburst. It is just that I
haven't drank one for a long time. I missed it.><br>
<br>
The guide chuckled, knowing full well the feeling. He went to a room to
the left of where she was and came out a while later with two hot cups of
tea.<br>
<br>
<The tea is 'Tieh Kuan Yin'. I hope you like it>, the guide said
handing Su Ling the cup.<br>
<br>
Su Ling on her part, nodded her head vigorously. Blowing the tea gently
to cool the hot liquid, she tentatively brought it up to her lips and
sipped it slowly.<br>
<br>
<Mmmmmm.....><br>
<br>
The guide chuckled again at her vocal expression and proceed to drink his
tea in the same manner. They sat in silence for a few moments, tradition
requiring this to be so. Finally, Su Ling set down the cup on the table
and looked hopefully at the guide. Seeing this, the guide also set his
cup down and looked at her curiously.<br>
<br>
<Miss, what possess you to come out to this far remote to ask a humble
human like me when it could possibly be answered by one more
educated?><br>
<br>
<I would agree with you, sir, but this is a special case. You see, I
am cursed.><br>
<br>
<Cursed?> he arched his eyebrow <Please, pray tell.><br>
<br>
Su Ling took a few moments to gather herself. Feeling less nervous, she
proceed to tell that she was originally a boy. She had been cursed nearly
a year ago by another boy named Ranma, permanently. The guide arched his
other eyebrow at this. She continued to explain that she was not from
this reality. Where she was, anything in this reality was actually the
work of a famous author. How she came here was actually by luck. When
Ranma finally left, he forgot to pick up a shard of the Nanban mirror
that had been part of a whole. It had resulted from the struggle between
Ranma and her. She finally finished by telling the guide her journey in
the Ranma world until now. The guide sat in silence for a few moments
more, digesting the news. Finally he looked up at her.<br>
<br>
<I am really sorry to hear such misfortune. More so, as I am also a
bringer of bad tidings. You must be searching for a cure to this curse.
Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do><br>
<br>
<B-b-but you must know who can help me. You must! You are my last
hope...my last hope...I am too tired to search anymore....too
tired...><br>
<br>
Unable to bear anymore, Su Ling finally broke and cried, hugging herself
tightly. Through her jumbled mind, she felt a pair of arms holding her.
Looking for the source through her tear-filled eyes, she found the guide
looking down at her with sympathy. Suddenly angry at the guide, she
thought of slugging him in the face. She doesn't need his sympathy!!
But...she needed comfort. She hadn't had comfort for so long.... With
another cry Su Ling flung herself at his chest and clung tightly. The
guide responded, wrapping his arms around her back. Holding her to him,
he rocked from side to side and softly sang a lullaby in Mandarin. The
sobbing slowly subsided and finally stopped. Stopping his singing, the
guide looked at the fragile girl in his arms and shook his head sadly.
Her breathing had finally evened out and her eyes was closed. She had
fallen asleep. Gently cradling the girl to his chest, the guide carried
her to his bedroom. There MUST be something he can do..... <br>
<br>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
The next morning brings mists to the Jyusenkyo valleys, covering
everything in opaqueness as if daring adventurers into folly. Su Ling
woke up suddenly, shivering with cold from the damp air and blinked
wearily, wondering for the moment where she was. Turning her head, a
barely furnished but tidy room talked to her senses. Su Ling slowly
looks around sleepily, searching for a familiar sight. As the rising sun
outside gradually pierce the mists and drove them away, her mind cleared
and yesterday's event came flooding back. Disheartened, Su Ling slumped
back onto the bed, the silence reflecting her mood.<br>
<br>
Soon, she began to review her motive of coming here, as she had many
times before on her journey and no doubt will continue into the future.
Hadn't her wish come true, even though it was not the way she expected?
True, but she hadn't counted on the reactions of her family. Yes... but
isn't her happiness with herself more important? Yes again... but is it
worth all the rejection and hurt it had caused? Unable to answer that,
she sighed softly and attempted to dispel them from her mind.<br>
<br>
Su Ling started concentrating on her breathing, feeling the rise and fall
of her chest and blushed slightly at the now familiar small tingle around
her breasts. She still marvelled at how sensitive her body had become.
She is acutely aware of her cloth fabric caressing her skin, tantalising
her senses. Su Ling slip her fingers under the thin blanket covering her
and found her stomach, stopping as she caress its flat smooth surface
with her fingertips in a wide circle, gradually moving closer and closer
to the centre of her belly. She shivered and squirmed slightly before
sighing in pleasure, content to let the warm feeling spreading from her
touch bring her away from reality for a while.<br>
<br>
A sudden rustle followed by the parting of the curtain revealed the
pleasant face of the Jyusenkyo guide. Su Ling was shocked out of her
pleasant revive and gave a small 'Eeeeek!!', reaching for the hard pillow
block behind her as her mind went into instinctive mode. She stopped when
her fingers touched it and blushed madly when she realised the guide
wouldn't had been aware of what she was doing recently. Su Ling demurely
looked at him, wondering what he was thinking right now.<br>
<br>
The guide on his part, had a warding Takahashi pose in motion and stopped
as he noticed that no object is going to travel at high velocity straight
for his face. Laughing nervously, he bowed.<br>
<br>
<Zao Aann, Siao Jie. Did you sleep well?><br>
<br>
Su Ling blushes again in embarrassment at the near incident and smiles
meekly back at him, <Yes, Sir. I slept well. Thank you so much for
your hospitality><br>
<br>
The guide smile warmly back and stepped fully inside. <br>
<br>
<You are welcome. It is so nice to meet a polite countrywoman like
yourself. I have prepared some breakfast. Would you like some?><br>
<br>
Su Ling can feel her stomach quietly growling 'yes, yes, yes!!' to her
and blushes again as she nodded. <br>
<br>
<I am really sorry to impose on you so, honoured Sir. Please let me
repay you for your kindness with what money I have left.><br>
<br>
The guide blink in surprise and smile softly at the girl on the bed.
<Please, Miss. It is quite all right.> He indicate politely to a
adjacent room <The bathroom and washroom is over there if you need to
clean up, Miss.><br>
<br>
Su Ling nodded happily back and watched the guide brushed the curtain
back as he stepped out. She then turn to look for her backpack and
finally saw it underneath the table at the centre of the room. Resting
her hands on the bed, she swing her hips and let her feet touch the foot
stand before standing up and slipped her shoes on. She looks around
curiously at the spartan room as she walked towards her backpack and
finally reached it, leaning forward and snagging it on her fingers before
lifting it up and resting it on the table in front of her. <br>
<br>
**Sigh* What am I going to do?* Su Ling pouts unconsciously as she unties
the cloth pack and brought out various sanitary items *I dearly hope the
Jyusenkyo guide has an idea.* Saying that, she turns again and walked
towards the bathroom with the items in hand to prepare herself for the
new day.<br>
<br>
To be continued....<br>
<br>
___________________<br>
<br>
@->VT-----<br>
martin.tie@virgin.net <br>
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