This being my first full fan fiction, a few notes maybe in order..
First this is an alternate fiction, meaning there are changes from
the original Ranma timeline/dimension. I have set two changes in
motion, the first happened in the first year of the training mission.
The second a couple of months before the famous failed wedding.
The first change is a secret! (I could tell you but that would
takeaway half the fun! Grin..) While it is a major change in the story
line it is also a secret from the rest of the characters, so there is no
real discernible difference between cannon Ranma and this one. He is
just as lovable, honorable and clue less as we remember him.. or is he?
The second change is minor in the long range effect on the story
but it is very critical to the continuity of the story.. In the manga
Ranma story, Nodaka discovers the curses by accident First Genma�s then
Ranma�s. In this story Genma was splashed before Nodaka learned the
truth, thereby delaying the inevitable.
This story takes place after Jusendo and the failed wedding, so
anything in the manga or the anime is applicable.
Now the obligatory credits:
RANMA � IS THE PROPERTY OF TAKAHASHI-SAMA, WHO's WRITINGS, THO WE LOVE
THEM, ARE COPYRIGHTED. THIS LOWLY ONE CLAIMS NO OWNERSHIP AND MAKES NO
PROFIT FROM THESE POOR SCRIBBLING.
I hope that somewhere out there a reader will someday enjoy my poor
works and try their own hand at carrying on the legend. I may not be a
trail breaker, opening new ground for others to enjoy, but I will try to
do my part to keep the trail open.
THE BOX OF DREAMS
Miriel Ellen Church
09/11/99 v.1.3
\\ // MANDARIN
{ } THOUGHTS
** ** emotions
++ ++ any other language
Prologue
It is the way of things that the world keeps
moving, never stopping, every action--every person effecting the world
around them but even the wisest can only be aware of that small slice
of the
world that directly effects their existence. So if a butterfly in
Hokido flaps its wings and causes a typhoon in the Philippines, what can
any one person do about it. All around us the world changes by the
actions of nature or man and there is
often nothing we can do about it until to late.
In Nerima strange things do not just happen they are accepted as
the norm; here in this little area the normal rules of life seem to
bend and warp.
All the strangeness in Nerima seems to center around, or been
drawn
to a small plot of land on which sits the Tendo Dojo. A family owned
training hall that once taught students from far and wide the marital
arts until a great sadness
settled there. Now it
has only one student to carry on the school and traditions, Tendo Akane
who was
acknowledged as being among the best in the area. But then one day in
her sixteenth year a pair of wandering
martial artists arrived at the dojo. This father/son pair came to
fulfill a promise made many years before, to join the two families and
Cary on the Anything Goes School. Now after a year and some months at
the dojo a breeze started 10 years ago is once more blowing unstoppably
towards them, powered by love, fanned by the wings of honor and
tradition, Soatome Nodaka is once more coming to the Tendo Dojo
looking for her husband and son.
CHAPTER 1
"Mother is coming"
Nerima, being a suburb of Tokyo, never truly sleeps, but
occasionally
a lull seems to settle over it.
To the east a full moon is cresting the far horizon; to
the west the sinking sun is setting the distant hills
aflame. A quiet time as birds settle to roost for the night, children
are called in from play, families sit for dinner and the world seems to
hold
it's breath for just a moment. Soon the night will awaken bringing
it's own life and action; people going to jobs, parties or strolls in
the darkened landscape where anything beyond the next
circle of light might just as well be on another world. For now a brief
span of seemingly timeless calm holds sway over the district
of Nerima. On the roof of the
Tendo Dojo a young man sits in the last rays of sunlight and as the
shadows of night grow a new light shines on his face. Cupped in his
hands a blue flame that flickers, not in the breeze but with the
pulse of his own life energy, and in that flame a spinning essence of
golden light seems to hold his total attention.
{Man, I gotta finish this tonight.. Mother is
coming for my birthday party this weekend, and I still haven't been
able to get this thing done. If it's not pop wanting to train, its
Ryoga wanting a fight or Nabiki wanting pictures or one of the other
fianc�e's wanting-- me!! Ok.. it's warm enough, lets see if I can get
this right .. this time.}
The golden light increases as the blue flames seem to whip in
towards it.
{Now relax.. build up the speed and .. there we go.. its working..
concentrate...}
Behind him, peeking over the edge
of the roof, two others watch as he focuses on his work.
Tendo Nabiki and Tendo Akane watch as Soatome Ranma draws his chi,
his life energy, and begins his work, whatever that work may be. They
had
watched him as he climbed out his window, a small pouch of worn leather
held in his hands, and jumped to the roof of the family dojo. This was
not an unusual occurrence. What had captured their attention was that
he
did this as the rest of the family was called to dinner! Ranma miss
dinner!? Pass on Kasumi's cooking?! Let his father eat his share of the
culinary delights that awaited !!?? NEVER!!
" What is he doing?" Akane, the youngest of the Tendo daughters
and
the fianc�e of Ranma, whispered to her sister.
"I've seen him do this a couple of times, but I still can't figure
out what he's doing -- or where he hides that pouch" Nabiki the middle
daughter whispered back" and believe me I've looked. When I asked him,
he
told me that it was private. I even offered to cut his bill down for
the
information but he wouldn't tell."
"Well, I'm going to find out...."Akane said as she climbed on the
roof and approached Ranma "Ranma.... your missing dinner.. " She said
quietly, no answer, "Ranma.. are you alright?.." no answer .."What are
you doing Ranma?" again no answer. "Ranma. I'm talking to you!" still
no
answer "RANMA!" once more silence "FINE!! Don't talk to me, see if I
care....
The flame in Ranma's hands fades, and as he stands, he picks up a
small box and the pouch {but I do care Akane, I just wish I could tell
you how much...} "Whatcha want Akane?'
"I asked what you're doing.. You missed dinner.."
{she's upset.. oh boy..}"Just working on something"
"Can I see?"
"Uh.. no its a gift.. .."
"For Me?.. "
"Uh. No I promised...."
"It's for Ukyou, Isn't it!!" A reddish glow starts forming around
Akane as her anger grows.
"No... It..."
"Shampoo!!! it has to be for Shampoo, even I know you would never
make something for Kodachi!!"
"...but..."
"Your actually making a gift for Shampoo!! Why won't you make
anything for me!!!"
"..but...."
'You ....." as her anger flares so does her aura "BAKA...."
{here it comes} he scrambles to get away but to no avail.
"RANMA!!!!!!"
WHAMMMM!!! SPLASHHHH!!!
As Ranma-chan hauls herself out of the koi pond again, Akane
stands
on the roof with tears forming in her eyes. at her feet is a small disk
of golden material that Ranma had dropped when the hammer fell. Akane
picking up the disk sees a slight glow on the surface , turning it to
the light from the house the picture of woman's face has been echoed in
perfect detail on the oval disk, a face that Akane knows well.
"Auntie..." {Oh no what have I done, he was making this for his
mother..}" Nabiki..
this was for his mother and I hammered him.." Now tears of sorrow are
flowing but Ranma is gone.
"Akane, you have got to learn to control your temper. You never
gave him a chance to explain. " Nabiki taking the disk from Akane's'
limp
hand is amazed at the workmanship that shows in the carving {this is
incredible, every hair, every shadow, but what is it carved on?
it's to heavy for plastic and there is no wood grain. Metal this thin
would crumple, definitely not glass or crystal they would have shattered
when it was dropped... what is this stuff?}As she hands it back to Akane
"Take it to him.. apologize"
"Ranma, can I come in?" knocking on his door Akane waits "Please..
I.. want to apologize.."
**sigh** "Come in.."
"I wanted to give this back.." holding out the disk "I'm so
sorry... can you forgive me?
I just...."
"It's ok Akane I'm used to it.. thanks for returning this"
{What does he mean by that? I don't hit him that much� Do I?}
"Will you be able to finish it ?"
"No these are one use only, no corrections"
"I didn't know...."
"No one knows about these not pop, not even Nabiki, she's caught
glimpses but that's it..."
"Can you tell me?"
"Not yet.. I promised... but when I can you will understand, I'm
sorry"
"All right."
As she leaves the room " Akane please don't mention this to pops,
OK?"
"OK Ranma, Good night.."
No one saw Ranma leave his room late that night, or return to the
Tendo Dojo hours later, but in the morning Genma found his bed unslept
in.
{Where is that boy! How will he ever learn the school if I can't
find him to train.. An early morning surprise training attack wasted!}
An angry Genma searches through the house looking for hid wayward son.
{ AH ha!! The Dojo!! He had better be there or I will double-- no--
triple his training today!!}
Before he could enter the Dojo, a blur smashed him into the pond.
"Hi pop, bye pop! gotta go!" And into the house Ranma bound.
"Morning, Kasumi!"
"My, aren't you up early today Ranma." Kasumi
was startled as he swept past. "Breakfast won't be ready for a couple of
hours yet.."
"Already ate, Thanks. I left some goodies for you in the fridge.
Don't let pop get them!" heading upstairs, he stopped and asked, "Are
you done in the bathroom? I feel like a hot soak.."
"Of course Ranma-kun, enjoy yourself" {how thoughtful} She turned for
the kitchen. {What could he have cooked, the Kitchen is clean,
everything is where I left it. What kind of goodie
could he have left?} As she opened the refrigerator she gasped
{Strawberries and fresh cream?!!} "Oh my." {this is a treat! Where
could he have found fresh strawberries this time of day and this cream..
Should I share? He did say it was for me.. Oh well there is enough
here for everyone to have a small bowl.}
"Wrahr grufss."
As Kasumi turned around to see a wet panda looking into the kitchen
she closed the door to the refrigerator before he could spot the
strawberries. "Would you like some hot water
Mr. Soatome? It will take a minute."
"Raffs korr mrass." ~ Thank you ~
"No problem at all. I'll just start breakfast while it heats up"
Soaking in the furro Ranma relaxes and starts to drift off. {I
finished mom's gift, arranged for delivery, slept, ate, practiced, ate,
finished my home work and still got back too early! It seams like the
only way I can get any peace and quiet is there. If not for that down
time I would probably snap with all the chaos that goes on around
here.. Ah well a little more rest won't hurt........}
Later as Akane enters the bathroom she hears her name mumbled and
seeing Ranma-chan asleep in the furro realizes that he must have been in
there for hours. The hot water had cooled off enough to trigger his
change.
{That inconsiderate.. Now I'll have to wait for it to reheat before
I can take my bath.. Wait, what is he saying..}
"...kane.. please.. I.... don't... I...."
{He's dreaming about me!? Oh, he's probably just trying to make an
excuse for himself..}
"Please.. Akane.. I.....you"
{Hmmm.. He does seam to be getting agitated about something, and
louder too. I better leave before he wakes up..} Closing the bathroom
door behind her she hears the sleep talking getting even louder until.
"NOOOOO!!! AKANE!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!!"
As Ranma-chan sits bolt upright and screams
Akane realizes what he had been dreaming about. She ran back into the
bathroom in time to see Ranma-chan go limp and sink back into the
water. Reaching into the cold furro Akane pulled Ranma out.
{He's still out cold! And cold is right, there is ice in the
furro!! How!?} "Kasumi!!" Carrying her out of the bathroom she almost
trips over Genma and Kasumi as they come in. "He's as cold as ice, we
need blankets. There was ice in the furro.. How long has he been in
there?"
"Only an hour or so Akane. The water should still be hot."
"It's not sis. He changed while asleep
and look there is ice in his hair!"
"Dear! How could it have gotten so cold, so fast?"
"Maybe he can tell us.. When he wakes up.."
"He was having a nightmare about Jusendo, his battle with Saffron
last month.. Could he have been using his "soul of ice " technique
while asleep?"
"That could very well be the case Akane" As
Genma puffed himself up with pride "I have trained him to respond to
attacks even while asleep! If the dream was vivid enough he just might
have responded.."
Chapter 2 is being worked on as you read this..
Any C&C is of course greatly appreciated.,
Flames are extinguished! LOL!!
Please respond to
Mchurch@scronline.com
0r
ICQ # 2048951