Finishing his katas, Ranma stared at his hands, as cold sweat poured
down his face. His heart felt like a piece of ice as he clenched them
into fists and growled.
*When I get my hands on the person who did this to me...,* Ranma
thought. He shook his head and sighed. *I wonder what would have
happened if the ring went to one of the others.*
Sinking to his knees, he recalled the dream he had while inside the
ring. The images of a girl with strings attached to her wrists and
ankles leading up to a wooden cross and a boy with gleaming yellow eyes
and clawed hands came to him.
*A marionette and a beast man. What do they mean? I know it's
important,* Ranma thought, while gently punching the floor. *Maybe I
could ask Akane. Uh. No. I don't want to bother her with my dreams.*
Ranma glanced at a clock, and thought. *It's almost time for supper."
The martial-artist cocked his head and thought, *If I was a genie, I'd
be down in the kitchen preparing food for Akane.*
Biting his lip, Ranma headed to get some water. *If I don't change,
I'll have to stomach Akane's cooking.*
The memories of a smelling of what he first thought was a burning
outhouse leaped to mind. Suppressing a shudder, he quickly splashed
himself with water and changed into his female form. During the
transformation, Ranma concentrated on how his thought patterns changed
and the compulsive feelings that appeared in his mind. He felt the
urges to obey, protect, and serve Akane form and strengthen to the point
where they were stronger than the need to breathe was for a human. A
glowing warmth filled the genie as magic filled her very being. Ranma
felt as if someone shoved a staff right through the middle of her back,
without the pain, as the link to the ring resumed. The genie could feel
its presence downstairs and the warmth of the finger that was wearing
it. After changing, the genie teleported to the kitchen and prepared
supper.
*At least I won't be forced to try her cooking, because of this,* she
thought while slicing vegetables.
-----------------
Out near the river, a man in a Technicolor suit muttered some strange
words over a puddle of water. He slammed his foot into the puddle,
causing the water to splash in a crown formation, in frustration.
"Why can't I see my handiwork anymore? I, who have the blood Sulaiman,
can't fail like this," the man said, and then grabbed his head.
Tilting his head back as if to scream, the man whimpered with tears
coming out his eyes. His fingers re-opened the gashes on his head, as
he raked his fingernails down the side of his face, and a fresh smell of
rusty iron filled the air. The man muttered a spell and dropped to his
knees.
Staring up at the sky, he whispered, "Please, keep the pain away, o
savior of all. I, Hazid, have been your faithful servant after your
apparent death in 1977. Please, Holy Elvis, hold the pain off until I
can spread worship to you throughout the world."
Hazid moved his foot and checked to see how much water was remaining.
Seeing there was still enough to reflect the sky, he thought. *I'll scry
on that brat's family. One of them might know, and if the scry should
fail....*
He looked at the puddle and muttered the strange words again. The
remaining water swirled and darkened. After a second, the image of the
Tendo dojo appeared in the puddle. Hazid smiled as he let the spell
fade. Looking around, he saw that he was alone on the beach. Reaching
into a pocket of his jacket, he pulled out a small scroll and a vial of
water.
*This will ensure that I get the ring back,* Hazid thought. *Whoever
you are, you'll soon be mine as well.*
-----------------------------------
Akane heard movement in the kitchen and decided to investigate. In the
room, she saw her genie preparing supper. A burning surge of anger
came over Akane as she realized why Ranma had switched back.
*Oooh. That jerk. How am I supposed to get better, if I can't
practice,* Akane thought. "Ranma, stop."
Upon hearing her master's command, Ranma-chan stopped what she was
doing and waited. Fighting back her anger, Akane massaged her forehead
with her fingers.
"Ranma, I know my cooking is bad. But, how can I improve if I don't
try?"
Feeling a bit of release since Akane asked a question, Ranma replied,
"Err. I'm not sure."
Sitting down at the kitchen table, Akane sighed, "Alright Ranma, you
can go back to what you were doing. But, I'm going to ask some
questions that I want answered truthfully."
Ranma resumed her cooking and inwardly winced as she wondered what
questions her master was going to ask.
Akane took a deep breath and said, "I want to see what it's like inside
your ring, but I don't want to be turned into a genie. Is there a way?"
Still cooking, Ranma turned the question over in her mind. She was
about to shake her head no when an idea came to her.
"There might be a way," Ranma responded.
"Well, what is it?"
"It's like this. I might be able to give you the ability to visit the
interior of the gem while you're asleep," the genie explained as she
finished up and sat the food down in front of her master.
"What's the catch?" Akane asked, while shoving have the food over to
Ranma. "You can eat with me, Ranma."
Ranma-chan took a bite out of her food and mulled over the inquiry. "I
don't know. By the way, I can't turn anyone into genies."
"Yet," Akane corrected. "The more you practice, the stronger your
magic will become."
Ranma looked away, *Actually I can, but I didn't want to turn you into
one. I want you as my master, not as a companion in the ring. At least
your wish had the out 'just for a little while.' I don't even want to
know what would have happened if I had pulled you in here with me.*
Watching Ranma turn away and her eyes go distant, Akane muttered, "I
wish I knew what you were thinking."
Hearing the wish, the genie turned to her master and recited the exact
thoughts that had passed through her mind. Akane felt her stomach fall
and cold chills running down her arms, as she shuddered at the close
call that she had.
"Why did you lie to me?" Akane whispered in horror.
Ranma replied, "I didn't want to scare you."
Taking a ragged breath, Akane said, "Ranma, I wish that you would tell
me the catch of having the ability to visit your ring while asleep."
A surge of energy welled deep within Ranma as she pulled the necessary
power to fuel her master's wish and her eyes blazed red.
"There are a couple of catches. In that world, I am the master.
Anything or anyone has to follow my will. So, if I ordered you to
dance, you would. While you are there, you will be dressed in a genie
costume. Remember your dream, Akane? You can change the costume, but
you can't remove it. If the ring is removed from your finger while you
are asleep, your consciousness will be trapped inside the ring until one
of two things happens. One, the ring is returned and you wake up. Two,
your body dies and you become a genie trapped in the ring with me."
*That last is dangerous, but I'll take that chance,* Akane thought.
"Okay, Ranma. I wish for that ability to visit you while asleep."
Akane felt a tingle of energy as Ranma granted her wish.
"There you go, Akane. I hope you know what you're doing."