---
-"Dot"
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"Gendou's greatest desire was to be bitten in half by Unit 01?!?" (A friend, after watching EoE)


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-- Name   : Sasuga_wa_Onii.txt

Sasuga wa Onii-sama
a story by Dot
---
I'm sure this has been done already, and in a much better way, but I
couldn't help myself.  Poor Ryouga deserves better, and if I have to 
concoct a convenient plot contrivance to do so, then I will! ^_^

The title translates roughly as "That's My Big Brother All Right".  (The
term 'sasuga' implies someone living up to a reputation or an expectation.)
---
        Ryouga wanted to let go of Akane and go on with his life.  But
he couldn't.  Nerima, a place that was once only filled with painful
memories, was now a place he looked forward to passing through.
To see her smile was the highlight of his miserable existence--well,
that, and beating the crap out of Ranma.  But he knew that he would
never be able to have Akane.  From the moment that Ryouga met
Akane, he knew that he had already lost to his bitter rival.  Still, he
dared to hope, but that only led into his digging himself into a hole of
deception and shame from which he could never extract himself.  And
he could never seem to find Akari's farm...

        "DAMN YOU, RANMA! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" He
screamed, the valley around him echoing his cry.  Tears streamed
down his face as he collapsed to his knees, his burden of loneliness
too great even for him to bear.


        Somewhere within the vast, complex computer known as
Yggsadril, the self-running program known as the Ultimate Force
discovered an incongruity in the World Computer's code.  It wasn't a
very big one, and only affected one individual directly and a mere
handful of others indirectly.  Hardly a problem that would jeopardize
the existence of the universe, but a problem nonetheless.  Following
the dictates of its programming, the Ultimate Force began looking for
ways to correct this problem.

        It soon found one.


        Deep down, Falora was, as Belldandy always said, "a really
nice girl".  She just had a tendency to rush into things and involve
herself too deeply in matters that were none of her business.

        Normally, this wouldn't be too much of a problem, but Falora
was a fledgling Goddess.

        Which means that, if she tried hard enough, she could alter the
very fabric of reality.

        On this day, Falora was heading back home from a particularly
tiring training session when she heard Ryouga feeling sorry for himself
for the umpteenth time.  If it had been anyone else, Falora would have
just passed by without a second thought, but Ryouga always weighed
heavily on her heart.  After all, it was sort of her fault that he had
gotten tangled up in the whole Nerima mess.

        'I should have known better than to suggest him to Urd as a
way to put Ranma and Akane together...'  Falora sighed.  'The poor
guy.  If he keeps this up he'll be the most miserable man on earth.'
She sighed again.  'If only there was something I could do for him...'

        Falora eyes lit up as a memory came into her head.  "Of course!"
she exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight.  She giggled as
the whole plan tumbled forth and assembled itself.  "It would be
perfect!" With some concentration, Falora changed a very small bit of data
concerning Ryouga.

        'Is he ever in for a surprise!' Falora giggled again before starting
off again for Asgard.


        The incongruity corrected, the Ulitmate Force saved a log file of
the fix and continued running its constant diagnostic of the World
Computer.


        Kasumi hummed a little tune to herself as she cleaned around the
house.  Now that Ranma and Akane were getting along, the eldest
Tendo daughter had fewer broken furniture, bits of plaster, or
splinters to worry about.  Kasumi never did find out where Akane
kept getting those mallets from, but she didn't mind.  It was so sweet
watching Ranma and Akane being nice to one another for a change.

        Ranma stuck out his tongue playfully.  "Uncute tomboy."

        Akane did as well.  "Pervert."

        All right, so they still hadn't gotten past the 'insult each other 
and initiate a tongue war' part.  But at least they have finally admitted 
their feelings for one another, if not directly, then in the way they stare 
at each other and blush when they think that no one else is looking.
Now, if only she could convince Daddy and Uncle Saotome not to
rush them into marriage again...

        A loud knock sounded at the door.  Akane and Ranma
exchanged worried glanced, and touched hands for a few moments to
lend each other support.

        "I'll get it," Kasumi announced, heading towards the door,
wondering who could it be.  Kodachi, Shampoo and Ryouga usually
never bothered to use the door, Ukyou seldom left her store, and
Happosai still hadn't decended from his last launch into Lower Earth
Orbit via Akane's impressive punt.

        The door opened to reveal a small girl whose dark brown hair
was tied in twin ponytails, her enormous backpack nearly dwarfing
her tiny frame.

        "Excuse me," the girl smiled, revealing pointy fangs that
resembled those of a certain Eternally Lost Boy.  "But do you know
where the Hibiki residence is?"

        Kasumi smiled back.  "No, but Ranma does." She turned around
to ask Ranma to escort this nice young lady home, only to discover
that he had fallen over in shock, the third and fourth fingers in his
hands folded down.  "Oh, dear.  It looks like Ranma won't be able to
help you right now." She faced the young lady again.  "Why don't you
come in and have some tea?"

        "Really?" The girl's face lit up.  "Thank you so much!" She
bowed.  "I'm Hibiki Yoiko.  Pleased to meet you!"

        "Tendou Kasumi," Kasumi stated, bowing back.  "And this is my
youngest sister Akane, and her fianc�e Saotome Ranma."


        Skuld's eyebrow twitched as a new nexus of improbability
manifested itself in Nerima.

        "Great," Urd sighed.  "What did Falora do _this_ time?"


        In actuality, Ryouga was not as directionally challenged as
everyone thought; he simply did not pay too much attention as to
where he was going.  By the time he realized that he was lost, he
usually panicked, with the result that he ended up even more lost.
When Ryouga _really_ needed to go somewhere, though, he almost
always ended up in the general area of his destination within a few
moments.

        Currently, Ryouga was unknowingly headed towards Nerima.
Something in his subconscious mind told him that he should go there,
and Ryouga was never one to argue with his gut feelings.  Before long,
he was standing in front of the Tendou Dojo.

        As he was contemplating whether or not to go in, the front door
almost flew off its hinges, and he was bowled over by a brownish
blur.

        "ONII-SAMA!" A small girl's voice cried with delight, hugging
him tightly.

        Ryouga began to get angry.  How dare Ranma try that stupid
trick on him again?!? With a roar, he threw the girl off of him and
dropped into a battle stance.

        "You'd better have hit your head and forgotten who you are,
Ranma," Ryouga growled.  "Or I swear I'll smear your body parts all
over the yard."

        The girl blinked in confusion.  "What are you talking about,
Onii-sama? I'm Yoiko, your little sister!"

        "Very funny, Ranma." Ryouga cracked his knuckles.  "Prepare to
die!"


        Akane was snapped out of her shock when she heard Ryouga's
battle yell.

        'Oh, no!' she thought.  'Ryouga must think that Ranma's trying to
trick him again.'  She jumped up and ran outside as fast as she could.

        Ryouga was already attacking Yoiko when Akane reached the
door.  Had Akane not been in such a hurry, she might have noticed
how well Yoiko was dodging Ryouga's infuriated punches and kicks.

        "STOP!" Akane cried, causing both of them to freeze.

        "Akane-oneechan!" Yoiko hid behind Akane.  "Onii-sama is
being mean to me!"

        "Akane-san!" Ryouga pointed to Yoiko.  "Please tell Ranma to
stop fooling around!"

        "I didn't do nothin' this time," Ranma answered, walking out as
well.

        Ryouga stared alternatively between Ranma and Yoiko for
several seconds before passing out.


        Ryouga opened his eyes to find himself lying on the floor of the
Tendo's living room.

        "Onii-sama!" Yoiko grabbed him in a almost too-tight hug.  "I
was so worried."

        "C-can't...breathe..." Ryouga gasped.

        "Ah! I'm sorry!" Yoiko let up on the pressure a bit, but kept her
arms wrapped around his waist.  She looked up at him with glittering
eyes.  "I've missed you so much, Onii-sama!"

        Ryouga opened his mouth and said the only thing he could under
the circumstance he was in: "Since when did I have a little sister?!?"


        Belldandy placed a hand on Falora's shoulder.  "Falora, the next
time that you come up with an idea, tell us first, please?"

        "Oops," Falora mumbled sheepishly, looking only at her toes.

        "'Oops'?" Skuld repeated incredulously, on the verge of
exploding with anger.  "You've somehow managed to even change the
source code of the entire Nerima area and all you can say is
'oops'?!?"

        "Now is not the time for anger, Skuld," Belldandy chided gently.
She turned to her other sister.  "What does the Lord have to say about
this?"

        "He says that it's up to us to make any decisions," Urd replied.
She couldn't believe how calmly He had taken everything; in fact, she
was pretty sure that He was even _amused_ at the entire situation.  "I
say we just 'erase' this incident altogether."

        Belldandy shook her head.  "It's not as simple as that, or the
Lord would have made more direct orders."

        "So now what?" Skuld wondered.

        "First, I think we'll need to explain what happened to everyone
involved." Belldandy sighed again.  "Then, all of us will need to go see
for ourselves exactly how much of the source code has been affected,
and to what extent."

        "Me too?" Falora asked timidly.

        Urd crossed her arms.  "_Especially_ you."


        Ranma tensed and dropped into a defensive stance slightly in
front of Akane when the koi pond, and then the TV in the living room,
followed by the mirror next to the door, and finally the shadow cast
by the tree in the yard began to glow.  He was sure he felt his jaw
dislocate when a young lady appeared from each one of them.

        "Fear not," one of them, who had an air of gentleness about her
much like Kasumi's, said.  "We mean no harm."

        "Who are you?" Ranma demanded.  'Please, don't let this be
another fianc�e thing that Pop set up,' he frantically prayed to
whomever that might have been listening.  'I'm getting enough grief
from Akane as it is.'

        The same woman bowed deeply, letting her light brown hair fall
forward.  "Belldandy, Goddess First Class, Second Category,
Unlimited."

        The woman standing next to her--a considerably more shapely
woman with long silver hair, wearing a revealing outfit that showed
quite a bit of cleavage--bowed as well, causing Ryouga to spout a
fountain of blood from his nose and nearly pass out.  "Urd, Goddess
Second Class, Unlimited."

        The third woman--a short young lady, actually, with
mauve-colored hair--curtsied.  "Skuld, Goddess Second Class,
Limited."

        The last--definitely a girl, with cheek-length blonde
hair--lowered her head and blushed.  "Falora, Goddess Trainee
Class."

        "Welcome to our home!" Kasumi greeted without skipping a
beat, holding up a tray of tea.  "Would you like some tea?"

        "No, thank you," Belldandy declined gracefully.

        'This isn't much weirder than the stuff that normally happens
around here,' Ranma thought.  Aloud, he asked: "So what brings four
Goddesses to Nerima?"

        Skuld coughed.  "Well, Falora here--" she glared at the guilty
Goddess, "--messed with the Yggdrasil's source code, and Yoiko
was the result."

        Yoiko had a look of sheer terror on her face.  "What do you
mean?" she asked weakly.

        Belldandy smiled and placed a comforting hand on Yoiko's
shoulder.  "Don't worry, we're not here to take you away." She turned
to Ranma, Akane, Kasumi, and Ryouga.  "We're here to ask you to
take good care of Yoiko."

        Ranma just stared.  "Um...huh?"

        "Due to Falora's oversight, Yoiko has no background or
memory save that of what pertains to Ryouga," Belldandy explained.
"Yoiko will need your help to integrate her into this world."

        "Can't you guys do it?" Ranma asked.  "I mean, you _are_
Goddesses and all."

        "Very busy Goddesses," corrected Urd.  "Especially now, after
this delightful little mess, we'll have our hands full for a while."

        Kasumi nodded sympathetically.  "In that case, we'll be glad to
take care of Yoiko."

        Belldandy bowed again.  "Thank you so very much.  We'll be
going now."

        Everyone--except Belldandy and Kasumi, of course--jumped
when a lightning bolt struck the ground outside and carved some
letters into the ground.

        Urd walked over to the words and read them aloud.  "Falora is
to stay on Earth until the matter has been investigated.  Bell will
accompany her.  Thus it is writ." To herself, she muttered: "Well, the
Lord has always been the type to make impressive announcements."

        "So mote it be," Bellandy said, completing the ritual.  She
clapped her hands together.  "Holy Bell, come forth."

        One of the charms around Belldandy's neck glowed, and a
winged figure materialized from it.

        "The Lord has mandated that Falora remain here, and that you
are to protect her."

        The figure nodded, and clasped its hands before its chest.  The
glowing faded, revealing a woman who looked about twenty, with
bright eyes and lucious golden hair that tumbled down her small
frame.

        "Be good now, Falora," Belldandy reminded Falora before
taking the other Goddess' hands and stepping into the pond again.

        The Tendou dojo enjoyed a rare moment of silence.

        "Um.  Well." Falora smiled.  "So, Ryouga, looks like we'll be
staying at your place for a while."

        "Let's go home!" Yoiko suggested, hugging Ryouga close again.

        "S-sure," Ryouga, still a bit woozy from his recent blood loss,
agreed.

        Falora, Bell, Ryouga, and Yoiko walked out the door, saying
their goodbyes to Ranma and the Tendous.

        A few moments later, they returned.

        "Eh..." Falora grinned sheepishly.  "Could anybody guide us to
the Hibiki residence?"

        Ranma and Akane fell over.


--The next day--
        Falora found a large rock and collapsed against it.

        "I know that Ryouga has a tendancy to wander, but this is
ridiculous," she panted.  Earlier, Ryouga had left the house in an
attempt to get to Furinkan High to avenge some real or imagined
wrong on Ranma's part.  Of course, Yoiko had followed, as well as
Falora, but the siblings had proved to be much too difficult for the
young Goddess to track.

        Bell appeared over Falora, smiling enigmatically.

        "Sure, rub it in, don't you?" Falora mumbled glumly.

        Bell dropped two large cloth bags into Falora's lap and pointed
in the direction of Furinkan.

        Falora looked quizzically at the bags.  "What for?"

        Bell's eyes twinkled.


        "RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!" Ryouga yelled from outside
the cafeteria.

        Ranma stood and slammed his chopsticks down.  "Man! Can't
even get a decent lunch around here." He made a face at Ryouga and
jumped up to a nearby window.  "Come and get me, P-chan!" With
that, he leapt at Ryouga and used the Lost Boy's head as a
springboard, landing gracefully outside.  Ryouga let out a roar of rage
and charged towards Ranma.  The two probably would have had
quite a battle had Yoiko not barreled through one of the walls at the
edge of the school.

        "There goes the school budget..." Nabiki remarked, observing
the large hole that Yoiko made.

        "ONII-SAMA!" The girl squealed, flinging her arms wide.
"THERE YOU ARE!"

        --GLOMP--

        "Y-yoiko," Ryouga gasped, "not so tight..."

        The shadow cast by one of the trees glowed brightly, and Falora
stepped out of it, bearing two large cloth bags.  "Thanks a bunch,
Bell," she whispered to the sky before turning her attention to the
siblings.  "Hey, guys! Bell made these for you two."

        She didn't need to say anything more.  Ryouga and Yoiko almost
immeadiately dug into their respective lunches, eating away furiously
until the food was gone.  By then, Ryouga's anger was completely
satiated by the food, and he left peacefully with Yoiko.  In the general
direction of Kyushu.


        "What a mess," Skuld sighed, sorting through the huge reams of
paper that comprised the Yggdrasil's diagnostics.

        Urd shook her head.  "This is nothing.  You should have seen
what happened when we first tested the preliminary systems." She set
down the stack that she had been reading.  "We must have murdered
several planets' worth of forests during that." She turned to Belldandy.
"Hey, sis, could you pass over the next set?" No reply.  "Sis?"

        Belldandy blinked and gave a little start.  "Hm? Oh, sorry, of
course."

        "Thinking about that Keiichi guy again?" Urd teased, taking the
pile of papers from Belldandy.

        Belldandy blushed slightly.  "I can't help it.  He's such a sweet
fellow..."

        "I don't get what you see in that guy," Skuld muttered testily.
She quickly hid the list of qualified candidates for a wish under a big
pile of printouts.  Maybe she could get it lost in the shuffle and her
sister wouldn't find out who was soon to make a call to the Goddess
Helper Office.


        The pouring rain, combined with the cold weather, cast that
Sunday in a dreary gray.  Akane, bundled up in a sweater, nursed a
mug of hot cocoa in her hands to keep warm.  Through the walls, she
could hear Ranma and Uncle Genma going at each other in the dojo.
Kasumi was in the kitchen--cooking, as usual--and Nabiki was
upstairs in her room, probably either studying or reading her manga.
And Falora and Yoiko were currently manifesting out of the shadow
created by the lamp overhead shining onto the chabudai in the living
room.

        Wait a minute.  Falora and Yoiko coming out of a shadow?

        Akane blinked.

        "Sorry to startle you," Falora apologized.  "But Yoiko and I
haven't seen Ryouga for the last few days and were wondering if you
have."

        Akane shook her head.

        A small sneeze was heard from a corner of the room, and all
heads turned towards it.

        "P-chan!" Akane exclaimed with delight, recognizing the tiny,
black pig.  She ran over to pick it up.  "Oh, you're soaking wet!"

        "Hey, that looks like Onii-sama's bandanna!" Yoiko noticed.

        "Of course, because--" Falora suddenly broke out hiccuping
uncontrollably.

        Bell walked into the room carrying a towel that Akane
recognized as the one she always hung in the bathroom.  The angel frowned
and shook a finger at Falora.

        "I know," Falora replied sullenly after Bell was finished 'lecturing'
her, her hiccups mysteriously cured.  Bell then handed the towel to
Akane, who immediately began drying P-chan.

        "Can I see him?" Yoiko asked eagerly.

        "Sure, just be careful."

        Yoiko gingerly took the pig in her hands.  "Oh, he's so cute!" She
giggled, giving him a small peck on the snout.  The pig seemed to
blush, and she giggled again.  "And shy, too!"

        Kasumi walked in from the kitchen.  "Oh, hello! I didn't hear you
knock."

        "Well, we didn't come in through the door," Falora explained.

        Kasumi nodded sagely.  "I see.  Would you like to stay for
dinner?"

        "Could we?" Yoiko asked eagerly.  "Please?"

        Falora shot a questioning look to Bell, who nodded.

        "Yay!" Yoiko cheered.


        Yoiko ate at a breakneck pace, sometimes crossing chopsticks
with Ranma and Genma as they competed for food, while Falora ate
more daintily, and Bell didn't eat at all.

        "Don't worry, there's plenty to go around," Kasumi reassured
them, bringing another dish to the chabudai.  She offered a pair of
chopsticks to Bell.  "Aren't you hungry?"

        "Bell doesn't need to eat," Falora explained for Bell.

        Yoiko yelped and shrunk back when a loud crack of thunder
sounded nearby.

        "It's just thunder, Yoiko-chan," Kasumi told the frightened girl
soothingly.  "It won't hurt you."

        "But it sounds so scary!" Yoiko squeaked.  She whimpered as
another deafening peal was heard.  "I wish Onii-sama was here..."

        Upon hearing this, P-chan squirmed out of Akane's lap and
made a beeline toward the kitchen.

        "P-chan!" Akane exclaimed, and was about to chase after him
when Kasumi stopped her.

        "No leaving the table before you finish eating," Kasumi reminded
Akane.

        Worry crossed Akane's features.  "But..."

        Bell pointed to the kitchen and made a seeking gesture.

        "You would like to help me?" Akane guessed.  Bell nodded.
"Thank you very much!"

        Bell only smiled, then rose into the air after P-chan.


        Ryouga looked up at the kitchen counter and fought a growing
wave of despair.  He had found his destination quickly, partly due to
his familiarity with the Tendou home and partly due to his
determination to make Yoiko's wish come true.  However, he forgot
how much smaller he was in his cursed form, and even with his
formidable jumping skills, he could not reach the kettle that Kasumi
always kept on the range unless he wanted to risk severely burning
himself.

        A slender hand reached above Ryouga, took the kettle, and
tested its temperature before pouring some of its contents on him.  In
the blink of an eye, Ryouga regained his normal height.  He was about
to cover himself when he realized that his clothes had also
mysteriously appeared on his body.

        "What the--?" he turned to face his mysterious benefactor, and
nearly jumped when he saw that it was Bell.  "Oh, it's you." he
gestured toward his clothes.  "Did you just--?"

        Bell nodded, then made the motion of a magician pulling a rabbit
out of a hat.

        Ryouga blinked.  "I see.  Thanks." he turned again to join the
others.  Bell very gently guided him toward the correct direction.


        Ryouga braced himself for the inevitable tackle-hug as he
re-entered the common room.

        "ONII-SAMA!"

        --WHAM--

        This time, since Ryouga was prepared, he didn't get all the air
knocked out of him, but he did nearly get it squeezed out by Yoiko's
powerful arms.

        "I'm so glad you're here!" Yoiko cried, snuggling deeply into
Ryouga's chest.  "I was so scared!"

        "Why don't you join us for dinner?" Akane invited.

        At this, Ranma slapped his chopsticks onto the chabudai.  "I'm
done," he announced a bit too loudly, standing up.  "I'll be in the dojo."

        Akane watched Ranma's retreating back.  "Ranma..."

        "Why don't you go see what's wrong?" Kasumi suggested.

        Akane crossed her arms.  "Hmph! All that jerk would do is call
me uncute and say he's fine."

        "That's--" Falora broke into hiccups again.

        Bell sighed soundlessly, summoned a glass of water, and handed
it to Falora.


        The rain had gone down to a light drizzle by the time Ryouga
finished eating.

        "Could we walk home, please?" Yoiko asked Falora.  "I hardly
ever get to spend any time with Onii-sama."

        "Well," Falora began a bit sheepishly.  "We would have to walk
even if we didn't want to, since I forgot to keep a light on back at
your house."

        "But I thought you travel through shadow, not light?" Akane
asked.

        "Yes," Falora nodded, "but unless the shadow is cast by a good
light source, I can't pinpoint where we're going."

        Yoiko stuffed her feet into her shoes, jumped up, and grabbed
Ryouga by the elbow.  "Anyway, let's go!"

        "Wait a minute!" Ryouga protested.  "My umbrella is only big
enough for two people, tops."

        Akane got a bright red umbrella out of the closet next to the
door.  "Here, you can borrow this."

        Ryouga felt himself grow hot.  "R-really?"

        "Sure!" Akane replied, smiling.  "Just give it back to me
tomorrow."

        "Or anytime this century," Ranma muttered from behind her.

        Akane must have jumped about three feet in the air.  "Don't
sneak up on me like that!" she shouted, although she didn't sound as
angry as she did relieved.  Ranma only stuck his tongue out at her
playfully.

        Ryouga felt a lump rise in his throat.  'Akane-san...'

        Yoiko began pulling on Ryouga more insistently.  "Come on,
Onii-sama!"


        Yoiko latched onto Ryouga's arm tightly as they made their way
home.

        'If only Akane would hold me like that...'  Ryouga thought
wistfully.

        "Onii-sama?"

        Ryouga shook himself out of his fantasy.  "Hm?"

        "Why are you angry at Ranma-oniichan all the time?" Without
waiting for a response, Yoiko continued.  "Whenever you see him,
you always fight! And you always yell--" at this Yoiko clenched her
fist and imitated Ryouga, "DIE, RANMA!" she unexpectedly stopped
and pulled Ryouga towards her.  "You don't really mean that, do
you?"

        Ryouga was suddenly at a loss for words.  "I..."

        "Hey, guys?" Falora pointed in the opposite direction that Yoiko
and Ryouga were currently heading.  "Your house is _that_ way."

        Ryouga and Yoiko simultaneously put an arm behind their heads
and laughed sheepishly.  "Oh, right."


        Mara hated paperwork.  Not only was it tedious, it was also
boring, deadly dull, and totally uninteresting, to boot.

        "AUGH!" Mara screamed, throwing her pen to the desk.  "I
can't take it anymore! Forget this! I'm leaving!"

        Reaching into her pocket for the "Hanson Brothers" CD that she
always kept there secretly in case of emergencies like this, Mara set it
onto her desk and began pondering where she should go.

        "I know!" she exclaimed, snapping her fingers.  Pressing her
fingers onto the CD case, she concentrated and said to herself: "Take
me where I can cause the maximum amount of chaos!"

        Even though the room she appeared in had very little light, Mara
almost immeadiately recognized it as belonging to the Hibikis.  Their
tendency to become horrendously lost, combined with their genetic
disposition towards suicidal depression, made them a frequent target
for Demonic torment.  Mara had a special liking towards the one
named Ryouga, because he was so easily aroused to bouts of raging
anger.

        But this time, something was different.  Mara felt a slight tingling
of the hairs on the back of her neck, something that felt like a
Goddess' "footprint".  Mara followed the "trail" upstairs to one of the
bedrooms that had never been occupied before, and was about to
open the door, when something else caught her attention.

        Coming out of the bathroom was a little girl that looked
suspiciously like Ranma when he had disguised himself as Ryouga's
younger sister.  Mara quickly recited a spell to make her unnoticeable,
and the little girl passed by without incident.

        Whew, that was a close one, Mara thought, wiping her
forehead.  Then something else occurred to her.  'Wait a minute, that
can't be right.  Unless Ranma suddenly got amnesia and thinks
he's _really_ Ryouga's little sister, there's no way he'd be staying at
the Hibiki's, and dressed like that, no less...'

        Reciting another spell, Mara "asked" the house about the girl.
Her lips unconsciously curved upwards as the house "spoke" of the
events that happened there.

        "Ohoh, so the agents of Asgard have their hands full," she
murmured to herself, now smirking quite openly.  "It would be _such_ a
shame if I didn't take advantage of their absence..."


        "Yoiko's missing!"

        Ryouga's agonized cry shocked Falora out of her half-asleep
haze.  Bolting out of bed and into Yoiko's room, Falora found Ryouga
clutching the blankets tightly.

        "Yoiko's missing," Ryouga repeated, his voice fraught with
confusion, panic, and worry.

        "That's not possible! I had Bell--" Falora let out a gasp as she
realized that the angel in question was also nowhere to be found.  "Oh,
no!"

        "Yoiko's missing," Ryouga said a third time, in a daze, a greenish
glow beginning to eminate from him.  "I couldn't protect her..."

        Falora's Frying Pan of Heaven made a low, brassy *CLANG*
sound against Ryouga's head.

        "Snap out of it," Falora ordered Ryouga, her hands gripping the
handle of the Frying Pan so tightly that they were shaking.  "We've got
to find Yoiko before anything happens to her."

        "But how?" Ryouga wanted to know, rubbing the spot where
Falora hit him.

        Falora thought hard for a while.  "May I borrow your phone?"


        Falora twirled the cord impatiently.  "Come on, come on..."

        Finally, someone picked up.  "Hello, you have reached the desk
of Kami-sama.  Please state your message."

        "Hi, this is Falora.  Could you please put me through?"

        "Kami-sama's a little busy right now.  Just tell me what you want
and I'll leave a note on His desk."

        "No, I need to talk to Him personally," Falora insisted.  "This is
an emergency."

        "Are you deaf? I said--" there was the sound of a hand covering
the mouthpiece and muffled talking.  "Oh, wait, He'll take your call.
Hold on."

        Falora bit her lip and drummed her fingers on the table as
Mendelson's "Halleluja Chorus" began to play.  'Please, don't let this
be too late...'

        The music stopped.

        "It is I."

        Falora unconsciously drew in a breath.  "My Lord, Yoiko's
disappeared, and I can't seem to find Bell, either."

        "I will help Ryouga find Yoiko; as for Bell, she is needed
elsewhere."

        "But--" Falora began, but the Almighty had already hung up.
She stared at the receiver.

        That was when Ryouga's eyes went blank.  "I know where
Yoiko is," he said slowly, his voice taking on an eerily
Kami-sama-esque tone.  He began heading down the stairs.  "Follow
me."

        Falora gaped at Ryouga for a few seconds before hurrying after
him.  "The Lord can be _really_ weird sometimes," she muttered to
herself.


        Yoiko was aware that something was wrong the minute she was
out in the street, but she wasn't sure what.  Now, as she entered a
completely unfamiliar part of town, she knew this for sure and
stopped.

        "Onii-Sama," she began uncertainly.  "Where are we going? And
why did you wake me up in the middle of the night to take me there?"

        "Why, Yoiko-chan," 'Ryouga' said, changing into something that,
to Yoiko, screamed 'Evil' with a capital E, "don't you trust me?"

        Yoiko screeched at the top of her lungs and fled.


        "Ryouga, wait!" Falora shouted between gasps.  "I can't run that
fast!"

        "Yoiko's in danger," Ryouga replied, still moving at nearly
superhuman speeds.

        "Please!" Falora begged.  Her lungs were already burning with
each ragged breath hand her legs were starting to ache.

        Ryouga slowed down just enough so that Falora got within
reach, then grabbed her wrist and took off again.


        Yoiko ran blindly, knocking over everything that got in her way.
Her eyes darted frantically to and fro, hoping to find
something--anything--that would give a clue as to where she was, but
nothing looked familiar.  Worse yet, that Thing was still hot on her
heels.

        And It could fly.

        "Come back, Yoiko-chan!" It cooed, effortlessly clearing the
obstacles that had slowed Yoiko down.  "I won't hurt you...much."

        Yoiko threw a mailbox at the Thing, but It easily dodged.  It's
gonna get me! she thought, panicking even more.  Onii-sama...

        And then she saw her brother's yellow checkered bandanna.
"ONII-SAMA!"

        "YOIKO!"


        As Ryouga and Yoiko met each other halfway and hugged
fiercely, Falora summoned her Heavenly Frying Pan again and
interposed herself between them and Mara.

        "Stay back, Demoness!" Falora warned, her voice wavering
slightly.  "These people are under my protection!"

        Mara laughed.  "Ooh, I'm _so_ scared." A pitch-black shard of
energy formed in her hand.  "_Trainee_."

        As Mara tossed the shard at Falora, the Goddess In Training
only had one thought in her mind.

        Protect Ryouga and Yoiko, no matter what it takes.


        "Found it," Belldandy said as she began typing in a rapid string
of commands.  "The statistics for Ryouga's file will come up in a
second."

        "Figures it'd take so long to find a file on a Hibiki," Urd
muttered.

        "Last modified date...Woah!" Skuld snatched the paper from the
printer and rushed back to her sisters.  "Hey, look at this!"

        Urd looked.  "Yeah, so?"

        "Ara!" Belldandy exclaimed.  "This date is at least thirteen years
before Falora supposedly 'created' Yoiko!"

        "This means..." Skuld's eyes went wide.

        Then Holy Bell rushed into the room, and Belldandy immediately
stood up.

        "...Falora needs our help," Belldandy finished, retrieving Holy
Bell.  "And _fast_."


        Mara smirked as Falora strained to keep up the barrier that
kept the Goddess from experiencing intense hurting.  "Having some
trouble, _Trainee_?"

        "I won't let you hurt Ryouga," Falora answered through
clenched teeth.

        "Why not?" Mara wanted to know.  "What do you see in this
boy that's worth saving?"

        "Onii-sama is brave and kind!" Yoiko answered for Falora, her
hands balled into fists.

        Mara laughed.  "Oh, that's a good one, kid! I don't suppose
you've seen him when he's on his little vendetta against Ranma, have
you?"

        Yoiko deflated a bit.  "W-well, I--"

        One edge of Mara's lip curled upwards.  "And I don't suppose
you've ever tried pouring hot water on 'P-chan', have you?"

        Yoiko looked confused.  "Hot water?"

        "Spring of Drowned Baby Black Pig.  Very Tragic Story." Mara
recited, as if she had said this many times before.  "Cold water
activates the curse, hot water changes him back." Mara smirked
again, this time much more wickedly.  "And did I mention that 'P-chan'
has been spending nights in Akane's bed?"

        "N-no way!" Yoiko stammered weakly.  "Onii-sama would
never do such a thing!" she looked at Ryouga.  "Would you?"

        Ryouga looked away.  "I..."

        "I'd hate to burst your bubble, kid," Mara continued gleefully,
"but the wonderful human being that you think your big brother is
doesn't exist! You've been worshipping a figment of your
imagination!"

        Falora looked up, her eyes burning.  "You're wrong."

        The barrier glowed brightly and the dark shard Mara had
created earlier shattered into pieces.

        Mara gaped.  How is this possible? No Trainee is supposed to
have access to this kind of power!

        "You're wrong," Falora repeated.  "Yes, Ryouga may hold a
ridiculously long grudge against Ranma, but he also helped protect
Ranma when Ranma was weak and vulnerable.  Yes, Ryouga may not
have told Akane about his curse yet, but he never once really used it
to his advantage." She stood tall and faced Mara, determination
flashing in her eyes.  "Everyone has the capacity for good, including
Ryouga, and I believe in him."

        And then the barrier fizzled and died completely.

        "You shouldn't have done that," Mara said, wagging your finger.
"You probably just burnt out all of your power, and for what?"

        Falora was shaking visibly now, but she still didn't back down.
"Leave us.  This is your last chance."

        Mara hmphed.  "You still have a lot to learn about your job,
_Trainee_."

        Falora raised her hands in a furtive attempt to block as Mara
formed another shard.

        And then an all-too-familiar voice rang out.

        "Divine Retribution!"


        Falora's fear turned into joy as she saw the three approaching
Goddesses.  "Go get her!" she cheered.

        Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld approached rapidly, each the very
embodiment of Righteous Fury.

        Mara dodged another bolt from Urd, but couldn't avoid the
bomb Skuld tossed her way, and promptly got a "Baka!" stamped on
her face.  When she saw the expression on Belldandy's face, though,
all of her anger was immediately replaced with a healthy sense of
self-preservation.

        "I'd love to play with you guys (yeah, right), but I gotta run!
Bye!" With that, Mara made a very hasty retreat.

        "Are you all right?" Belldandy asked, floating to the ground next
to Falora.

        "Yeah, I think so," Falora answered, putting a hand behind her
head.

        "Good," Belldandy smiled.  "Let's take Ryouga-san and
Yoiko-san back to their house, and then head home, okay?"


--Epilogue--
        Falora touched the green triangular ring on her cheek again to
make sure that she wasn't dreaming, and her reflection mimicked her
action.

        "I passed," she whispered to herself again.  She still hadn't
believed that Kami-sama had judged her worthy of becoming a
licensed Goddess, especially after the disaster that she was
responsible for.  When she asked Kami-sama, though, all He said was
something about the Ultimate Force that made absolutely no sense to
her.  But what He said next definitely did.

        "I trust you, Falora.  And I know that you would never
intentionally do harm."

        'I won't let the Lord down,' Falora promised herself.  'I'll make
myself learn everything and become the best Goddess there is!'

        Looking in the mirror again, Falora took in a deep breath and
bowed to her image.

        "Falora, Goddess Second Class," she greeted herself.  She
giggled and let out a contented sigh.  "I've always wanted to say that."


        Ryouga and Yoiko looked out over the landscape that rolled
and bank beneath their feet.

        "Any idea where we are?" Ryouga asked.

        Yoiko shook her head.  "Uh-uh.  We're lost, aren't we?"

        "Very," Ryouga agreed.

        But somehow, that didn't seem like such a bad thing any more.  
---
Authoress's notes:
If you haven't figured out already, Falora is a rather pitiful attempt to
disguise myself as a character based on the Ah! My Goddess
universe.  According to The BabyNet's baby name archive, her name
means "the helpful one" (heh, heh, heh...  >;P).

I've only seen the OAV version of Ah! My Goddess and bits and
pieces of the manga, so please forgive (and point out) any
characterization or continuity errors.