One of the things I've liked to do with the Soul of Ice stuff,
after Point and Counterpoint at least, was a slightly different style
of narration. I like to experiment a bit with what I can do with text
and such-- slipping into stream-of-consciousness, for instance, or
other things, like those two chapters in Thesis. Some gimmick then, if
you will. Well, I think I got something this time. It's a bit different
from the previous ones, in how it's being told, but still....
    Ah well, what I do know is that my thoughts and the way I speak are
somewhat different. We pick and choose our words, right? Hard to pick
and choose each and every thought, yes?
    For those looking to see any training methods, I must once again
disappoint, as they do not easily fit into the narrative style, nor is
showing them really necessary to the story, I think-- they have never
been to me about the actual training, but more of what lays behind the
training: philosophies, ideals, and world views. Any moments of
training shown should therefore help demonstrate that... but I could be
wrong.
    Hrm... not sure if I actually count this as a success or a failure,
myself. Strictly preliminary draft-- mostly top-of-the-head type stuff,
but then again a lot of my stuff's like that (although this is moreso,
I think)-- so if you could see your way to sparing a comment or two....
^_^

Ah well, 'what the hell, hello cruel world,' right? ^_^


Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and not myself, lowly
worm that I am who is using and abusing said creation without her
permission. C&C would be nice, of course, and if you're going to
ACen, maybe I'll see you there! (please notify me who you are, and
specify why exactly, before you punch me in the face because of
something in this, okay? ^_^ )

(Friday I'll be the git with short brown hair and a black hawaiian
shirt, because when you're on a vacation, no matter how small, you
gotta dress the part, right? ^_^ )

                    Soul of Ice: Synthesis-- Success


I

    He's looking, right now. The boy. Thinking, weighing options. I
can tell, I can smell it on him. Good. Good. Already starting down
the path, doing that --losing his impulsiveness. Best thing Happi
could have done, present his side. That's right, Ranma, think it
through, poke and prod and look at it logically. Less work for me
this way, if you start to do this on your own. Very good, get you
used to it.

    Oho!

    He sees me. Marvellous, truly marvellous! This place has made
him think more, to take notice of more threats, or subtler threats.
I could not ask for a more fertile training ground, not for the
start. Still, much longer here will be intolerable. He must make a
decision soon, and he simply needs a different environment for what
I have to tech him. Anything else will simply not do.

    I hop down from the tree on the other side of the wall and into
the Tendo environs. "Have you made a decision yet, Ranma?" I say.

    He shakes his head. "Not yet, Cologne."

    "Do not take too long," I admonish. He called me by name, this
time. An improvement. "We do not have forever, after all." I
chuckle drily and hop away with my usual speed.

    He will make the right decision soon, it is the only real one
he can make, after all, anything else would be ludicrous, and when
he does, then I will be there to show him a true Soul of Ice.


IX


    It was warm out, and I could feel someone watching me. It had
to be Cologne. No one else quite had that... coldness. Not right,
but that's the best way I can put it. If you can do it, then ya
know what I mean, otherwise it ain't gonna help.
    What was she doing, just waiting there like that? Finally she
hopped down from her perch.

    "Have you made a decision yet, Ranma?" she croaked out.

    "Not yet, Cologne," I replied. It ain't somthing I had to do
right away. I could dog it for a while, right?

    She left. I shivered; I don't know why. Suddenly I felt cold,
on that bright, warm day. I started a kata to warm myself up, and
begin to lose myself in the simple motions until broken out of it
by the call for dinner.


II

    
    Gotta go gotta go gotta go gottago. Laughter. Funny funny haha
hoho heehee. The pig's in a poke now! The boy and his chummy, not
that they'd ever want to admit that they were buddies, chasing me,
chasing me, chasing me. Hahah! Hahah! So much fun. My liberated
panties, my silken darlings, my precious ones, in my sack on my
back (a rhyme! a rhyme! I a poet, though you wouldn't know it!
Kee-hee! Kee-hee!) and people chasing. The boy and his chummy, the
pig. Whatta rush! So much fun, and even better when the chummy one
missteps into Ranma, and they start to fight.
    I sit and watch, of course, laughing and laughing and laughing
and laughing. Such fun. Tears from all the laughter and fun, in
fact. My pretties, my precious ones, but not as precious as Ranma,
not as pretty as he could be, when he is a she. My Shining One, my
Bright One, my Pretty. 
    The boy knows. I can see him smiling. He likes it, likes the
chasing, likes the fighting. He enjoys it. Much too much to ever
give it up. He's safe, proof against Cologne. Good. You need to enjoy
life, y'see. That's all I want him to do, enjoy life. I do.
    It's pure joy!


IX


    To hell with this. I ain't gonna choose. Why should I? Gettin' the
best of both worlds right now, aren't I? 'sides, don't trust 'em. Trus
Happousai? Hah! That'll be the day. I trust him to grab breats and
fondle women's underwear. I trust him to do anything in he can to do
those things. That's what I trust the lech to do. Way I figure it, I'm
doin' just fine the way things are right now. Three square meals a day,
a roof over my head, a bath-- hell, I even got a pillow and closet
space! T'me, that's luxury. Now, if I can just get away with it....


III


    I don't know what the boy's up to lately, he's becoming
incomprehensible to me. Yes, he's better than me, I knew it already-- a
long time ago in fact. I admitted it before, even. Even using the
Yamasenken and Umisenken, he'd still beat me. He's seen them, had them
used against him, anyway. He can do them, I've seen him use some of the
techinques before, even. I'm proud. Proud of him, for getting this far,
for being this good.
    Proud of myself, too. Proud of raising such a capable son, proud
that my training techniques work. My vindication, you see. Say what you
will, but they worked magnificently-- look at Ranma and see the
results.
    But I'm worried. All that's left to do now is to get him married to
a Tendo, and I can't do that. Won't let me. Happousai won't let me,
actually. Says not to interfere with the training of his heir. He means
it this time, I can tell.
    I was his heir apparent for a while, did you know that? True, you
know. I had other things though, more important things, I thought. He
called them distractions. Wife, child, morals. Yes, I have morals,
thankyouverymuch. Why do you think I sealed up my most powerful
techniques? Why do you think I taught them to one man, to my eternal
regret, when I could just as easily let him and his boy starve? I have
a code, I have a conscience, I have regret. Lots of regret. 
    But you keep it inside of you, you see. Can't let anyone know they
can get you that way, can't show weakness unless it's a feint, because
then they'll take advantage of it. It's a cold hard world, and you have
to look out for yourself. It's a lesson I had to teach Ranma, early on.
Make him rely on himself-- if I bailed him out of all him troubles,
then he would come to rely on me too much. That would make him weak. My
son will stand on his own two feet!
    I'm worried though, about Happousai. About Ranma. About Happousai
and Ranma. The Master-- may he rot in hell soon --says he's training
Ranma. I asked my son yesterday, "What's he teaching you, boy?" I
asked, and Ranma just shrugged.
    He wouldn't tell me. My boy doesn't trust me. Should I be proud
that he's taken my teachings so well, that you can't and shouldn't
trust anyone, not even your father, because that gives them leverage on
you and they can be used against you? It's about time he learned that
lesson-- he never quite fully got it. That Ryouga kid, the pig--
perfect example. Ranma trusts him, thinks they're both friends, and
when he comes back to see Ranma years later, poof! he attacks without
warning.
    Make sure your friends are weaker than you are Ranma, because if or
when they turn on you... that's a big reason why I'm friends with Soun,
you know. I could defeat him, quite easily. Always could. He knows it,
too, I think. We get along smashingly because of that.
    But my son doesn't trust me, and even though I taught him that, it
still hurts. How can I help him get away from Happousai if he won't let
me help him? And then, and then (my stomach grows cold and heavy and
quivering at the thought), maybe he doesn't want to. Maybe he really is
learning from the Master --we should have buried him in a not-quite
dormant volcanoe --and maybe he wants to. That disturbs me the most, I
think.


IX


    Dad knows somethings up. He suspects, at least I think he does. Not
sure what to do about pops. Maybe I shouldn't do anything-- Happi's
keeping 'im off my back, after all. But if he finds out, he'll tell
others and _they_ might not stay away. Most certainly, now that I think
about it.
    But why should I bother? Might be fun. No it won't. Good practice?
people to spar against and test out what I learn? No, distractions,
keeping me from learning. 
    I'm close, very close. On to something big. I can touch it,
sometimes, when I dream-- understand it an' make it mine. Something
like... they're wrong: the ghoul and the perv. It ain't about control,
an' it ain't about cuttin' loose, it's about _timing_. Ya gotta _know_
when to cut loose and _when_ to stay in control. That's the important
thing. Still, gotta know control and you gotta know how to cut loose
before you can pick and choose when you wanna do which, so they're
still useful.
    There's that faint rumbling behind my eyes again. Kind of
uncomfortable. I wonder what's causing it to happen? Like something's
changing back there. Maybe I should go see a doctor? Probably just some
effect of growing up-- you know, body changing and all that.


IV


    I don't like this, not one bit. He's learned, you see, and that's
bad. Bad for me, that is. How am I supposed to have my fun if he wwon't
let me? How am I supposed to make a quick buck off him if he won't
comply? It just isn't fair. Well, okay, maybe it is fair-- I'm not his
fiancee (although it was fun renting him out when I was, I must admit),
but it isn't right. That's not the way things are supposed to go.
Ranma's finally learned to keep a secret. I don't mean like not telling
people about the curses-- that's simple, easy to do. Just not talking,
that is. I mean something else.
    You can see it in his eyes, and in his smile-- especially in the
smile. Cocky and arrogant and mysterious-- Ranma always had the first
two in that insufferable smirk of his (how I loved... love, wiping that
off his face!) but this third one os a new development.
    The smile tells me he knows how to keep a secret-- keep it from
anyone-- keep it from me --but the eyes, they tell me he's got a secret
he's keeping, and they tell me it's a big one. They're eager, you see.
Barely restrained with glee. There's a storm hidden behind those eyes.
I can tell.
    I know about secrets-- how to keep them and how to ferret them out.
He's learned my trick, about keeping them at least. I don't like that,
not one bit. Makes Ranma a tougher nut to crack. So easy, before. Thing
is, maybe sweeter meat inside once cracked. I don't know. Do I want to
find out?


IX


    I'm on to something, I know it. Making them nervous. I think even
Happi's a bit anxious now. I like that. Nabiki definitely is. I like
that a lot. Deserves it, at the very least. She's been annoying for far
too long. They're starting to bore me, the lot of them.
    Storm's coming. I can smell it. 
    Too predictable, maybe that's it. Too petty, maybe. Always
concerned about mememe. Can't see the big picture. Don't look ahead.
Not like me. Okay, so maybe I was like that once, but not now. I'm
coming up with something new here-- something powerful and useful.
Ain't doin' it out of a misguided attempt for revenge, or to prove I'm
the best (henh, self-evident anyway, that is). Not doing it because I
want something-- my training weren't ever a means to an end. That's it,
that's it exactly. Most of 'em, it's just a way to get something. You
know, recognition, fame, power, the girl, the guy, whatever. Not me-- I
do it because I want to-- for itself.
    Not the only one, though. I think Ryouga might, sometimes, be like
me. Was when I first met 'im, way back when. He got twisted though,
focused on me. Not good. Not healthy. Starting to get back to the way
he was now. I can trust him, sometimes. More than I can say for most of
'em here. He doesn't always take advantage of me. 
    When I'm finished with Cologne and Happi, I think I'll ask Ryouga
if he wants to learn from me. He could do it, if he really wanted to, I
think. Give him the chance, at least-- see if he wants to, when I'm
done. He's about the only one around who's not an utter bastard and
won't necessarily turn on me. Strange, but true. The pig's tried to
take advantage of me the least, at any rate. Strange but true.
    Time to see what Cologne has for me today, I s'pose. Now if only
that faint rumbling behind my eyes would stop, this'd be a perfect day. 


V


    So I think in Mandarin. Great-grandmother says I shouldn't, says
that to speak Japanese properly I should think in Japanese, but I
don't. My little secret. I don't want to learn the language enough.
Don't have the time or the patience.
    He comes here, to the restaurant, Ranma does, but not to see me. He
wants to see great-grandmother, always. "Training," he tells me, madcap
grin or serious and somber face. That's why he sees her.
    I told him once; I told him, "that if Ranma marry me, he get much
more training from great gran'mama."
    He just smiled, flashing his teeth _just so_ and his eyes alight
_just so_ and tapped his nose with a finger. "Ah," he said. "Ah, but I
like how much training I'm getting now just fine," he said before
winking. 
    He is rapidly becoming a very strange boy. Must be all that time
spent with Akane-- the Pervert Girl. Doesn't like boys? I can't
understand that-- well, maybe a little. Once you realise that you don't
need to understand why they do certain things or why they act a certain
way, they're quite easy to get along with. Besides, they certainly do
make the world more interesting-- especially Ranma.
    Definitely been around her too much. I think I'll have to pay my
Ranma a little visit very soon-- maybe it'll smarten him up and he'll
come to his senses. Even if it doesn't, I'm due for a little fun,
right? All work and no play, as they say.
    Well, no time like the present, right? Off comes the apron, and
"Great gran'mama?" I call out in Japanese. "I go see husband now,
okay?"


IX


    Shampoo came by-- I was busy with Happousai. He was helping me
develop my own style of Indiscriminate Grappling, or Anything Goes--
doesn't matter what you call it. Damned hard. Most of it is trying to
find out what I enjoy. I like martial arts-- hasn't let me down yet
--but... damn! How the hell do I know what I like if I haven't done
most of that stuff? So that's what me an' the perv do, we try things to
see if I like 'em. Not just any old things though-- they gotta be... aw
hell, what was the word he used again? "Sensual," he said. "Pleasures
of the flesh," he said. 
    The best thing about it so far is that pops an' old man Tendo've
really let up on me. Haven't tried to get me to do jack in a while
now-- not even when Happi ain't around. They used to do that, you
know-- when I first started training seriously with Cologne and Happi.
When the lech was gone on a raid or out of town for a bit or something,
they'd go at me hard and quick, to make up for lost time. Don't do that
no more, 'cause they realise I'm serious now. Happi let 'em both know
he was real serious about me bein' his disciple, his heir which he
would train personal-- and could bloody well stay out of his way if
they knew what was good for them. I like that, y'know? I like doing
what I want, and I like doing it when I want. I could get used to that.
    So, when Shampoo came by, I just nodded at Happi. He nodded back
and waved me off. We weren't getting nowhere then, anyway. Y'know, for
someone as strong as Shampoo is, she sure is soft-- delectably so. Very
strange, that. How can she be so much stronger than Akane, for
instance, yet so much curvier and softer? Same goes for me, well, when
I'm a girl at least. I just wonder why that is. I could as someone, but
they'd take it the wrong way, I bet.
    Speaking of taking it the wrong way, Akane just happened to catch
Shampoo's entrance. She didn't say anything though. Just looked kinda
distracted. Blinked twice. Left the room afterwards-- a little wobbly
on her feet. Maybe she tried that trick with the spin, the flip and the
punch I showed her the other day while sparring. That's probably it;
silly girl-- the secret is to start with the _left_ foot, otherwise
you're totally off-balance. Honestly, if she doesn't pay attention--
sometimes I wonder why she bothers.
    Shampoo said she had tickets to a musical. Big one. Very long
running, she said. English chappie, she said. Her favourite, she said.
"Very good seats," she said. "Want to go?"
    I shrugged. Never been to one before. Might enjoy it. Maybe I'll
find my focus there. Anything Goes Martial Arts Theater? ya never know.
Oh man, was I wrong.


VI


    I saw him and her, holding each other closely, their bodies next to
each other, and I ran. How could he--? How could she--? How could I do
anything else? And that's why I came here, to my room, and buried my
head in my pillow, letting the tears out. What else could I do?
    He's been so... odd, lately, not himself. I guess I know why. Oh
Ranma oh Ranma of Ranma-- how could you--? And so my head in the
pillow, no one to hear the tears.

    I was wrong though. Here he is, nestled on my lap, purring
peacefully. He still likes me. It was the play they went to see: Cats.
The fool. Likes it when I scratch just lightly under his ear. Falling
asleep now. Such a peaceful smile. I wonder why he can't be like that
more-- not a cat, you understand, but this way. 
    I could fall for a man like this. He's got nice hair. Drives me so
crazy-- why can't he be nice and quiet sometimes, like he is now, only
not when he thinks he's a cat?
    What's wrong with him lately? Is it Happousai? Maybe that's it. All
that training with master Happousai getting to him. But what can I do?
Happousai's just too powerful for me to take on, and I refuse to lure
him in by flashing my chest then bashing him, like Ranma does. Did-- I
haven't seen Ranma do that to Happi in a while-- they've been too
chummy lately to fight, anyway. At any rate I have much to much respect
for myself and feminine modesty to do that.
    Fool. Doesn't he know how worried we are about him? He's starting
to sleep now, I think. The low umbling from the back of his throat (I
swear that can't be humanly possible) is getting quieter. I slow down
stroking his back: softer, softer, gentle and slow. Fool-- why can't he
be nice and agreeable like this more often?
    Come back to muh-- us. Come back to us, Ranma-- I--we! can help you
if you only let me. So cute and adorable with your nose scrunched up
and your eyes closed like that, did you know that? Fool.



IX


    I think I got it-- I will, at least. I'm onto something, something
realy big. Very close-- I can tell. Something bigger an' better than
what Cologne wants, or what Happi wants. I'm going to be bigger and
better'n them, just as long as I can keep a lid on it.
    I can feel it sometimes, inside me. It wells up at times, bubbling
forth, but I hang on. I'm good at that-- hanging on, surviving. Too
bloody-minded to do anything else, I guess. 
    Feel strange-- disjointed to use a word I heard Nabiki use once--
that's it. It's like, it's like-- what's that word again? One of them
scientific ones. Teacher talked about it. You know, the caterpillar
turning into a butterfly? Makes the cocoon an' everything, right?
That's what I feel like, like I'm in the middle of becoming. I'll be
that butterfly makin' storms in faraway places, that's what I'll be. 
    Sometimes, when I'm by myself and I look in the mirror, I can see
myself actually changing. Insides rearranging themselves. Bulges and
stuff rippling under my skin before settling again. I wonder if I'll
look any different? It's going to be glorious, whatever it is. 
    I can feel it too, you know that? Like sometimes my guts and
muscles an' stuff are movin' around. Keep expectin' them to make a
sound when they do, but it never happens. Doesn't feel bad though--
ain't any pain. Just kinda weird, and actually a little good, to boot.
Feels pretty good, in a weird way.
    Does my reflection know? Mirror mirror on the wall, Will you tell
me what will befall?
    Chrysalis-- that's the word I was looking for.


VII


    I don't know, I really don't know anymore. He's a bastard, you
know-- always has been, ever since I met him in Junior High. Sure, once
in a while he does something nice, but he just rubs me the wrong way.
Knows what buttons to push, I guess.
    I don't know where he's at, anymore-- in the head, I mean. One
second he's all nice and fun and everything, and then he's all giddy
and stuff, then he's calm and controlled. Depends on the situation,
really: calm when he needs to be. 
    Very strange.
    I don't know what he's up to. I caught him looking at a cat the
other day-- such a strange expression in his eyes! I heard about the
Neko-ken stuff from Akane once, or maybe it was Kasumi-- someone
anyway, when I was in my cursed form, so I knew what cats did to him. 
    Yeah, I could have popped a cat in or something during a fight, but
that just wouldn't be right-- 'side, what if it made him go all cat?
Where'd I be then? Right.
    But his eyes, when he looked at me, they were... strange, for
Ranma. Questioning, clinical. Nothing like the usual him.

    "I'm supposed to be afraid of cats, right?" he asked me, like he
wasn't sure about the answer or not.

    I nodded.

    He looked at me thoughtfully, and nodded his head. "Oh," he said,
from far away. "Well, I don't wanna be, anymore, so I don't think I
will."

    Then he picked up that cat, started petting it, and walked away.

    To be honest? I'm not sure that this is Ranma anymore. I splashed
him with cold water once, and sure enough there was the change, so
there's that. He also remembers stuff that only Ranma would know, but
Ranma's got a memory like a sieve-- hell, he'd forgot about me when I
first came to Furinkan, right?
    Some very strange stuff going on with him right now. He isn't as
much of a bastard anymore, but he's still plenty strange. Almost like
he wants to be my friend or something. I'm not falling for it again--
he won't get me with that trick this time. Not like back then, not that
day, the day I arrived in that empty lot-- the lot that wasn't supposed
to be empty because you were supposed to be there, Ranma, and you
weren't.
    Aka-ne/ri! Where are you? Where are you in my dreams? Who are you,
the one that comes to me then, the one I can pour my heart and soul out
to? I don't understand him, I really don't. Been acting strange-- must
be a trick. Got to be, right? Why would he want to be my friend? Why
would I want to be his? 
    I'm almost sure it's a trick-- getting this odd feel off of him.
Nah, it's got to be a trick, the bastard-- why would he care about me
after all, right? We're enemies, rivals.


IX

    I don't get the headaches or nothin' anymore. None of that rippling
feeling underneath my skin anymore-- not unless I want to, anyway.
    I think I've got it now. I think I figured it out, how to put 'em
both together. Do I share it with people though? Why should I? Why not.
Gives me an edge, a definite one, if I don't. They won't know, and they
won't learn, if I don't share it. Of course, if I share, then maybe
they can help improve it and me more.
    Okay, so maybe that's good. But who then? Who? Who? Not too many
people who would learn it-- who could. Happi? Cologne? Never. Too set
in their ways. Okay, and then you've got a bunch that aren't ready for
it, or who probably wouldn't be interested in learning. But worse'n
that's trust. Who I want to share it with? Need someone who's got a bit
of honour in 'em, right? Someone who won't stab me in the back with it
or anything like that.
    I said Ryouga before, right? He's done right by me, once in a
while, at least. More'n I can say for most of 'em, at least. Tried not
to take advantage of me when Happi used that weakness attack on me.
'bout the only one who did, really. So maybe I can trust him-- as far
as I can throw him, anyway.
    Would he want to, though? Could he do it? Maybe. About the only one
I'm willing to share it with that could and would, anyway. Akane never
would, tell you that, tell you that.
    But I think I got it all figured out: the basis for my new style.
Got the philosophy, you see. That's the important part. Moves come out
of that, y'know. Still haven't finished with those, but I figured out
the other stuff-- the important stuff-- the inside stuff. That's the
main thing-- how ya look at things. I get that now. It ain't what the
moves are, but why-- never understood that before.
    I should tell them, eh? Announce to everyone that I'm finished
training under them. Tell 'em all, tell 'em all.
    It's all about knowing when to cut loose, really. Keep that tiger
inside caged, until you need it. Lettin' go is just as important as not
lettin' go. Be wild, but you gotta know _when_. That's the tricky part,
and the part I think I got all figured out.
    I'll tell 'em. 


VIII (I-VII)


    He called us together, all of us and Ukyo and Mousse and his mother
and the rest of the Tendos and everyone else. Said he wanted to tell us
something. In the Tendo dojo, he said to come, so we did. Not raining,
not right now, but it will. You can smell it, taste it, feel it and see
it. Dark clouds. Heavy air. Big storm coming, very big.
    So we're all there, in the dojo, talking. Somewhat apprehensive--
lot's of tension here, but nobody's attacking anyone else, so that's
okay. Too intent on what Ranma's got to say.
    Ryouga comes in with Nodoka-- she found him wandering or something.
That's the last one Ranma asked for. Should be coming in soon then, but
who knows these days. Been acting strange, everyone of us agrees on
that-- even Kasumi says so, and you know what _that_ means.
    There he is now, coming through the main doorway. Unusually calm
expression on his face-- not quite Chesire Cat, although that smile is.
Peaceful, content, almost. Fire in his eyes though, strange glint at
odds with everything else. Powerful. Cologne doesn't know what to make
of it. She's approving and disapproving at the same time. Happousai's
nodding and frowning too. They see each other doing that and stop. The
rest of us don't like that one bit, but we don't know what to make of
it.
    Ranma's smile widens, into a big grin which reminds us a bit of the
way things used to be.


IX


    I gathered them all-- might as well only say it once, right?

    "Prolly wondering why you're all here, right?"


VIII


    We all nod, of course.

    "Probably wonder what the hell's been going on with me lately,
right?" he says. 

    Again, we all nod. Obvious we're worried about the jerk, right?
He's walking differently, as well. Just noticed that now. Can't exactly
say how, some nameless or miniscule change, but it's there, and
whatever the change, it's obvious it's different.

    "I'm leaving for a bit," he announces without preamble. All of us
are shocked, although reactions are different.


IX


    Some of them go to attack me. Dad, Soun. Shampoo and Ukyo wonder
what it means, at least to them (is it good? is it bad?) and Akane is
somewhere in between. Not happy about it anyway.
    Cologne ain't happy either, neither's Happi, actually. Surprised 
her with that-- she don't like surprises. So surprised, in fact, that
she shouts.

    "What!" Her shout rings through the air and breaks glass with its
power, including Mousse's glasses.

    "I got enough off you and the lech, and now I gotta leave for a bit
to hone it into my own style-- to finish it, you know what I mean.
Can't do it here though, so I need to leave... temporarily, at least."

    They still don't like it, Happi and Cologne. In fact, they like it
even less now. The others... well, they can deal with it, anyway.
Cologne from the right, and Happi from the left. I sidestep them, and
then let the Beast out. As good a thing to call it as any. The ultimate
expression of letting it go, of no control, and the world starts to go
white as--


III-VII


    So they attacked him, the two martial art masters, from either side
of him. Wordless cries of rage from Happousai and cold anger in
Cologne's eyes. 
    Ranma rolls his eyes lazily, and with a similar movement, he moves
out of their way, letting them crash into each other. Sparks fly where
Happi and Cologne touch-- literally. They snarl at each other and then
look back to Ranma. We all do.
    Only it isn't Ranma, you see. Well, it is, but then again it isn't.
Same body-- well, maybe, but that sure as hell isn't Ranma in there.
The thin sheen of manic sweat covering him, the snarl of a smile baring
too many teeth and the way his hands curl and uncurl, flexing
unconsciously, say that this isn't Ranma. Such savagery in his eyes,
elegant, in a way-- efficient, most definitely-- ruthless, of course.
    Don't know what happened, not exactly. None of us do, really.
Ranma's standing there, feral and wild, then Happousai and Cologne
attack him again, and then everything happens too fast. Can't see
what's going on, can't make out shapes, can barely make out blurs. None
of us, not even Ryouga, can make out what's happening.
    After a moment, they disengage-- Ranma flying into a wall, but at
the last moment he flips and catches himself. He's got some cuts on
him, some areas already starting to swell and bruise, but he looks so
alive!
    Cologne and Happousai cannot say the same. Superficially, they look
better than Ranma, without bruises or cuts or anything, but they're
paler, and breathing heavily. Not nearly as lively as Ranma, who looks
more like a force of nature now than anything else.
    Some unknown signal sends them off again, launching themselves at
each other with unparalleled speed. It takes longer for them to
disengage, and when they do, it is Ranma who is standing, limbs bent
and loose and panting and grinning madly, while the other two lay there
on the ground.
    There's blood along Ranma's arms, but it isn't his. He sweeps his
gaze across the room and we all flinch under it, except for those
too dumb to know better (Kuno), or too blind to see it (Mousse).
    The two fallen martial artists twich and begin to move slowly,
painfully, and all I can think, all any of us can think under that
awful, wonderful, fearsome and exhilerating gaze is that--

  
I


This isn't Ranma.


II


Not my student Ranma at all.


III


I don't know--


IV


--who he is--


V


--but-- 


VII


--that--


VI


--isn't my--


VII


--Ranma.


VIII


Not at all.


IX


    Oh, it's me all right.

    Takes me a moment to get it under control again, but I do it.

    "They attacked me. You saw that-- they attacked me." No more of
this blame-Ranma-for-everything bullshit. Let's get it straight right
now, since I don't know when I'll be seeing them again.

    I look at them, having regained control, and I am astonished.
They're afraid, all of them. Afraid of me, l'il old harmless me. Very
funny. All of them smart enough or sane enough to know fear, at least.
Not one of them wants to look me in the eyes.
    Actually, that ain't true. There is one, after a moment, that is.
Ryouga does, and there isn't fear there. Determination-- determined not
to be afraid, maybe-- and a bit of pride. I look straight at him.

    "I'm not done yet," I say. He doesn't flinch. "I have the basics,
the foundation, but it isn't complete, yet. Mostly just potential, and
ability. I'd like to share it with someone else though." He's starting
to understand, I think. "I need someone to practise with and help
develop it. I can't do it here though, and most of you are unsuited for
that, anyway."

    I pause, taking in a deep breath. I don't think I've ever felt this
exposed and unprotected. "Do you want to learn, Ryouga? Learn and help
teach?"


VII


    I can't believe he asked me that. Okay, maybe I could-- he was
leading up to it, but still. Maybe that's why he's been acting friendly
to me lately. To be able to move like that! But why do I need to?
    He asked for me though-- me and no one else. Me, his rival. No one
else could do. We could be the best. I feel strange, something I
haven't felt in a very long time and I don't know what it is.
    I'm always wandering anyway, it might be nice to have someone to
talk to, even Ranma.
    What about Akane? I look at her, and I don't know anymore. She
doesn't seem as... necessary, anymore, now that I have Akari. Doesn't
have that same hold over my heart. Is Ranma responsible for that, too?

    I can always leave, later, if I want to.

    He's waiting for an answer. I close my eyes. To be able to move
that fast, and to have that freedom and that control! It used to not
matter if I was the best or not-- just as long as I was better than
Ranma. That's not important anymore though. He admitted he needs me,
that he wants me to help him, and that's much better than just being
able to beat him. Time I got another focus. This could be just what I
need-- a training journey at least.

    "Yes."

    He nods furiously, grinning madly, and we're off.


                            An End



Prelude (after the fact)

    You know what's somewhat strange? Thesis, and Antithesis, which
were both successes, made Ranma inhuman. In Synthesis-- Broken, he did
not become so, and maybe perhaps became more human (read the epilogue
for it in Errata, folks!). Occurred to me not too long ago, that.
Funny, that it seems it is the failure, if you want to call it that,
which had Ranma remaining or becoming more human, while it is the
successes which make him other. Not sure where this one fits in,
either-- perhaps if there had been another, later look at things.... I
suppose some of you are going to say that reflects on me, but I wish to
assure you, I am most definitely not an alien being from the Greater
Magellenic Cloud come to observe you puny lifeforms. Hehehehe...
that'll hold 'em. They'll never suspect that I'm an alien being from
the Andromeda galaxy come to observe them puny lifeforms.... (oh darn,
did I type that?) ^_^;;
    
    What the hell, I suppose I should do this one, shouldn't I? A
moral obligation or something (and of course I'm just an extremely
moral person... hehe hehehe hehehehe Wahahahahahahahaha!)? So let's
see, how can I make myself seem even more haughty and snotty and
elitist and pretentious this time? I mean, it's becoming rather
hard to outdo myself, you know.... ^_^
    The problem of oneoneone is not necessarily that it is too
limiting, but it can be. Extremism is an example of oneness, but
all twisted and wrong. Still, I am fascinated by it, utterly
captivated an incomprehending on some basic level on how someone
can believe they are right so totally that they are not willing to
even concede there might be another side, nevermind the other side
being right. 
    The ability to rationalise any action, to know with absolute
conviction that whatever you do is good, or correct, to actually
_believe_ this, both bewilders me and amuses the hell out of me.
    What's the other side of oneness then? Inclusiveness. Extremism
shuns things, creates an outside in the process of creating an
inside. If all things are together, are in some way connected, then
there is no real outside or inside-- there are no groups because
there is merely _one_ group of everything and everyone. 
    And what does this have to do with the fic? Not a lot, although at
one point it was at least tangentially related to it.... Then again,
when did these preludes really have anything to do with the story? ^_^
    So (hehehehenh), to steal from another anime series, "do you
want to become one with me?" :-P

Matthew Lewis is:
	Matt on IRC
	Sojiro_Seta on Kawaiimuck
	maybeso@ican.net
	a casualty of causality
__________________________________________________

Reality and I have this arrangement, see?
I ignore it, and it ignores me. we're quite happy
with the way it works, really.
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