Okay,here's part one of chapter two, with revised wish scene in place,and 
after much commentary on it's need, the UY scene back in place.  Hopefully, 
this makes things flow better, and helps to fix the questions I've had in 
regards to Lum's cameos.

*********************************************************************

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 characters property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, 
Kitty, and Viz Video.  Sailor Moon characters property of Takeuchi Naoko, 
Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC.  Ah! My Goddess property of 
Fujishima Kosuke, Kodansha, TBS and KSS films; AnimEigo, Studio Proteus, and 
Dark Horse Comics.  Other characters who may cameo are property of 
respective owners.  All are used without permission.  I did not write this 
for profit, but for practice.  Will be removed at request of original 
creators or authorized rep.

Zhu Shu (who shoo), Tao-Ching, Xi'an Chi (zy-an chee), and Clans' Dragon and 
Skorpion are mine, and may be used so long as I am asked beforehand.


*********************************************************************
Book One: The Mandarin

Chapter Two:  Unexpected Meetings

Ranma was running down the street being chased by Genma.  Under normal 
circumstances this might have drawn some attention; a raised eyebrow, or 
perhaps a second look.

But, since it was raining....

Needless to say, a cute redhead being chased by a giant panda drew more than 
a little notice.  People dove out of their way as Ranma skidded to a halt in 
the middle of the street.

He'd been following Genma to a friend's house just a few minutes earlier, 
and had actually been glad to get back to Japan and away from the backwaters 
of China.  He'd gotten so tired of having to build fires just to warm water 
that he'd given up several weeks ago and spent the rest of his time in China 
as a female-- it had just become too much effort to try and avoid the 
constant drenchings that seemed to come with the curse.  He'd no sooner turn 
male than something would happen to get him wet again.  Even dealing with 
periods was better than being wet all the time.

Besides, it had seemed like every time they stopped to rest, Shan Pu had 
almost caught them.  The Amazon had been nearly impossible to dodge.  Sheer 
luck, and a convoluted trail had kept him from having to face any of the 
slow agonizing deaths the Guide had painted for him at Shan Pu's hands.  The 
Guide had seemed oblivious to the effects his stories had on the pair of 
them as he droned on and on to pass the time while traveling.   Ranma had no 
idea how much of his confusing ramblings were true or due to embellishment, 
but he had more than one nightmare about the bloodthirsty girl during the 
two months she had chased them around China.  Genma had refused to head back 
to Japan until they were sure they had lost the girl for good.  Then he'd 
taken a few days in a seaside village on the west coast of Honshu just to 
make sure she hadn't found them again.

After all of that, Japan had seemed like a haven.  He'd looked forward to 
spending most of his time as male again.  Zhu Shu may have taught him enough 
about being female that it hadn't been that bad being one full time in 
China, but he was male and wanted to stay that way.

He'd even looked forward to meeting the Tendos- friends of Genma's that they 
were going to stay with for awhile....

Then Genma had told him he was going to have to marry one of them.

It had been the last straw!  A curse, a homicidal Amazon, and now ... a 
betrothal!  Enough was enough!

He faced the panda across the rapidly emptying street, then Genma lunged and 
he launched herself over the massive paw.  "Yo! Cut that out!!'

Ranma's return kick sent Genma flying.  Ranma set himself as the panda rose 
in front of the muttering crowd.  "Your move!" he called.  Genma responded 
with a flurry of blows which forced Ranma to duck furiously.

"Well, I still say," he dodged a fast moving paw, "this whole thing sucks!"  
Ranma snagged the paw before Genma could pull it back.  "Picking my fianc�e 
for me," Genma flipped and hit the ground with a loud TWHOOOOM as Ranma 
finished, "without even asking!!!"

The panda lay there like he was unconscious as Ranma pushed the braid he had 
taken to wearing back over his shoulder.  Homicidal Amazons were better than 
this!   And maybe if he could find Zhu Shu, she could help him search for a 
cure.  "I'm going back to China!  So suck on that, old man!!!"

He picked up his pack and shoes, then started trudging back down the street. 
  Behind him, Genma sat up, casually grabbed a street sign, and whacked him 
across the head with it.  Ranma's triumphant thoughts fled before a tidal 
wave of darkness.

* * * * *

Rain is supposed to be a cleansing, a refreshing of the Earth as it washed 
down the dust and fed thirsty crops.  All of her life, Shan Pu had liked 
rain.

Until she came to Tokyo.

Now, it was just another sign of the depression she had sunk into.  She had 
never thought any place could ever be as huge as Tokyo.  Nine days of 
searching high and low had revealed not a single clue to Ranma's 
whereabouts, and she had only explored a small part of the city.  It was far 
worse than she had anticipated, and she had not counted on the problems she 
had encountered as a girl alone in Tokyo.  While she had been safe enough 
from the one mugger she had met, she spoke poor Japanese, and what little 
money she possessed had soon been gone.  Nothing in her life as an Amazon 
warrior had prepared her for a place like this insane city.

At present she was setting in the rain on a low railing, overlooking one of 
the city's drainage canals and feeling like she would never redeem her 
honor.

After losing Ranma  in China, it had been logical to suspect he had finally 
returned home, so they had come to Tokyo by boat. It had seemed like such a 
smart suggestion for her and Zhu Shu to split up and search the city for 
him.  In retrospect, it had been anything but.  She had come no closer to 
finding her groom, and had not seen her blood-sister in days.  Now, to top 
it all off, she'd been caught in the sudden rain and was stuck as a cat till 
she found hot water.

She growled in aggravation, once more cursing the arrogant prince who'd....

"Ya know, you're feeling schorry for yourself loud 'nough to wake the dead." 
  A slurred voice said from behind her.

Shan Pu turned, the voice coming from so close behind nearly making her jump 
out of her skin.   The woman it belonged to was a sight that made her blink 
several times in hopes of banishing the vision.  It didn't.

The white haired woman seemed to be having trouble standing steady, and 
stank of rice wine.  She was pretty enough, and dressed in a very revealing 
outfit, but the tattoos on her face were a trifle odd.  She stumbled to the 
rail and leaned over, nearly falling into the canal and out of her dress 
before righting herself.  Shan Pu blinked at her again as she gave a 
questioning mew.

The white haired women brushed her bangs back from her face and looked down 
at her.  "Oh, yeah.  I'm...  I'm... Oh yeah,  Urd.   Goddesh schecond 
class."  She slumped to the ground beside the rail.  "An' on pro... pro... 
probation."  She held out a bottle of sake.  "Want schome?"

Sham Pu sniffed the bottle, her whiskers curling at the smell.   Urd 
laughed.  "No... prolly not.  Got a cat's tounge... Cat's got your tounge."  
She giggled.  "Scho anyway... you got nothing to feel schorry for.  Now 
me... thas 'nother schory.   Try  bein' the host for tha' Lord a' Terror.  
At least _you_ didn't nearly destroy tha' world!"

Shan Pu sighed.  A drunk.  Just what she needed on top of every thing else.  
She started to turn when she felt fingers grasp her by the neck and lift her 
in front of the drunk womans face.  She tried to turn to bite her,or get her 
claws into her, but try as she might she couldn't reach .

"Schimmer down, Schampoo."  The woman said, the shock of hearing her name 
used causing Shan Pu to stare at the self proclaimed goddess.    "I heard 
you in the bar, and I schaid to... to myschelf... I schaid, Urd... now 
there's schomeone who could use a little of the old Urd magic..."  She 
looked Shan Pu in the eye.  "Scho I came over...  Just for you!  Don't you 
feel special?"

Shan Pu gave her a rasied eyebrow.  Special?  She was being dangled by the 
scruff of her neck by a throughly drunk woman who was delusional, and she 
was supposed to feel special?

"I am not de... de... delusional!"  Urd protested drunkenly.  "I'm a Goddess 
of  Love!"

If Shan Pu could have crossed her arms, she would have.  If she wasn't stuck 
as a cat, she could show this crazy lady this was not how you treated an 
Amazon!

"I... I can prove I'm a goddessh."  Urd slurred, taking another slug on her 
bottle.  "You betcha!"

Shan Pu rolled her eyes.  She was stuck for the moment, but when she got 
free, oh the scratching Urd was going to get!

"I can!" Urd drained the bottle of sake and tossed it behind her.  She 
stood, staggering and stumbled to the center of the alley.  "Jus' watch!"  
She started reaching into various concealed pockets and pulling out odds and 
ends: sunglasses, a walkman, a few CDs, but not what she was obviously 
looking for.  Finally, failing to find the object of her search, Urd 
grumbled "Dammit!  I left my ID schomewhere!"  She blearly looked at Shan 
Pu, obviously almost drunk enough to fall unconscious.

"Well, I guess I got one way left."  She looked around conspiritorily.  "I'm 
not- not schposed to do this, but hey, whathahell, right?  Not like I can 
get in more trou- trou- trouble.  Scho tell me cat, wha's your wish?"

For Urd to put her down for one thing, so she could get on with looking for 
Ranma, and get away from the crazy woman.  She struggled again against the 
woman's grip, but it was useless.  Urd was hanging on desperately.

"No, come on, really!  A real wish"  Urd was almost pleading.  "I can schow 
you I'm a real goddessh. I can!  Wha's your mos' heartfelt wish?  I can do 
it, I know I can!"

Fine.  She wished that her relationship with Ranma would work out happily 
for everyone concerned!  But most of all, she wanted to be let go!!!

Urd blinked at her twice, seemingly stunned, then her eyes lost focus as the 
tattoo on her forehead blazed into light.  Shan Pu found herself  floating 
in mid-air as Urd's head tilted back and she stared at the sky, the blaze on 
her forehead growing brighter and brighter.  A wind kicked up around the 
alley as small objects started floating and Urd lifted off the ground.

Urd's hand released, and Shan Pu drifted to in front of the floating woman 
as wisps of light swirled around the alley.  A feeling like static filled 
the alley as the very air seemed to humm with power.  The faint sound at the 
very edge of her hearing began to build, like a bass rumble so low she could 
only feel it.  It built until it seemed the ground must surely crumble 
beneath the weight of the sound.

Then a shaft of argent light shot towards the heavens, the glow so intense 
Shan Pu had to put her paws across her eyes.  Then, as the light, and 
pressure faded, she found herself drifting to the ground again, looking as 
Urd collapsed to her knees and stared at her.

"Well, whadda ya know.  Your wish has been approved."  Urd whispered in 
shock before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell forward...

* * * * *

Zhu Shu had to admit she was lost.

She hated having to admit it; it was too close to admitting defeat, that she 
had failed in her quest to find Ranma as badly as she had failed in her 
quest for a husband.  In the two months since she and Shan Pu had left the 
Amazon village on the husband hunt they had repeatedly almost caught up to 
the pair only to have them slip away in the chaos that seemed to follow 
them.  They had succeeding in tracking the pair all over China to a small 
seaport, only to find they had escaped by swimming to Japan.

She'd agreed when her blood-sister had suggested they split up to search, 
and since had learned how insane the idea had been.  She should have known 
better.  Sighing heavily, she let her mind wander back to the day she had 
realized she was in over her head...

A week previous, Zhu Shu had been up a tree, looking out over yet another 
school.

She'd learned quickly that Japanese teenagers went to school longer than she 
had in her village, and that Ranma, being a year younger than she, wasn't 
even in the highest class grade.  That being the case, she had figured the 
schools would be a likely place to search for her quarry.  She'd just never 
thought there could be so many.  This was probably the hundredth school 
she'd checked in the last four days and they were all beginning to blur 
together.

She rubbed her eyes, glad her year of wondering had aquainted her with at 
least a semblance of how to survive in a city, though Tokyo itself had 
stunned her with it's sheer  immensity.  In four days, she'd covered a bare 
fraction of the sprawl and was realizing it might take months to search the 
rest.  She wasn't even sure where she currently was.  The city had proven 
too much a maze for her, and she'd been reduced to wandering from school to 
school almost at random.

A crash of thunder shook the air nearby and flung Zhu Shu out of her tree.  
She flipped to catch herself on the wall of the school and dropped down to 
the sidewalk near the gate, facing a young man who had just bolted through 
it, running from something Zhu Shu couldn't yet see...

"Save me!  She's gone crazy!"  the boy cried as he leaped into Zhu Shu's 
arms. They both went down in a tangle...  She tried to roll to get free, and 
finally got her feet under her for a leap away from the wildly flailing boy, 
but just as she jumped, his hand caught in her underware and she ended up in 
a heap on top of him when they caught around her ankles.

She kicked free and scuttled back against the wall as the boy set up, 
holding her panties.  As he leered, a young girl wearing a tiger stripped 
bikini flew out of the gate.

"Darling!  Will you never learn!?  Must I always find you with another 
girl!?"

"But... but... but... Lum..."  he got no further before the flying girl let 
loose with a lightning bolt.

Zhu Shu tried diving out of the way as the boy jumped towards her, but with 
uncanny luck, she tripped and fell, landing on her rear in a puddle on the 
sidewalk.  Cold water soaked the hem of her dress as she changed, the boy 
landing head first between her spread legs.  He lifted his head out of the 
water and looked up under her dress, a huge grin spreading...

"Nice view-" was all he had time for before the hilt of Zhu Shu's sword 
connected with the top of his head.

"Pervert!!!" she yelled in Chinese at the unconscious boy.

"Darling?!?"  the flying girl looked down in horror, dropping to land beside 
Zhu Shu and grabbing the unconscious boy.  "Ataru??"

Up close, Zhu Shu could see that what she had taken to be hair decorations 
were actually small horns.  "Wahhhhhh!!!!  You killed Darling!!!!" she 
wailed, revealing long upper and lower canines.

"Zhu Shu not kill!  Just bump on head!" the Chinese girl said indignantly.

"He's not moving!"

"He knocked out! Of course no move!"

"Why'd you hit him?!?"

"He look up dress!" Zhu Shu grabbed her wadded up panties out of the boy's 
clenched fist, "and steal panties!  Why you attack?"

"Darling was chasing the cheerleading squad again!!!"

"So why angry at Zhu Shu??"

The other girl looked puzzled for a second then smiled.  "Well...  I suppose 
you couldn't avoid him..."  She sighed  "I suppose I shouldn't be mad at 
you...  of course he's going to make a bee line right at you..."  she sighed 
again...  "Darling can be so... so... aggravating!"  She turned back to Zhu 
Shu.  "I'm Lum, of the Oni.  This is my fiancee Ataru Moroboshi of Earth."  
She held up his limp hand. "We're going to get married!"

Zhu Shu bowed politely.  "Song Zhu Shu, of China."

The girl looked at her in confusion.  "China?  You're a native of Earth?"

Zhu Shu nodded, puzzled.  Where else could she be from?

"But you look like a Beast Girl!  From a planet near home!"

"Lum is not Earth?" Zhu Shu asked in wonder.

"Oh, no.  I'm an Oni.  We were going to conquer earth a few years ago, but 
Ataru beat me in a game of tag, then asked me to marry him, so daddy called 
it off.  I moved here to be with Ataru."  She waved a hand in a vague 
direction overhead.  "Homes out that way a couple of hundred light-years, I 
think."

"Ah.  Zhu Shu is of Earth.  Has curse."  She smiled, brushing her blonde 
hair back over her long ears.  She understood now why the girl had not 
reacted to her cursed form the way she had come to expect.  Water had proven 
difficult to avoid since Jusenkyo.

"A curse?  Really?"  the girl seemed excited.  "I know!  Let's take Ataru to 
Nurse Sakura.  She's a witch!  Maybe she can help!"

Zhu Shu raised an eyebrow, then shrugged mentally.  She supposed it couldn't 
hurt.  She helped Lum pick up the unconscious boy.  Between the two of them, 
they dragged Ataru back to the main building, Zhu Shu stepping carefully to 
keep her too short skirt from riding up any more.  At the Nurses office, a 
few small bolts from Lums fingertips cleared off the small crowd of boys 
from before the door, and they entered the small office.  A tall gorgeous 
woman looked up at their entry and sighed.

"Again?  Lum, that's the fifth time today!  What did you shock him for this 
time?"

"I didn't!"  She pointed at Zhu Shu with her chin.  "Darling stole her 
panties and she hit him with a sword!"

Sakura sighed again.  "Great!  Just what we need.  Another Mendo!"  She 
waved them away towards an examination table.

Lum dragged Ataru over to the table, not noticing that Zhu Shu stood riveted 
to the floor, her eyes locked on Sakura and a strange expression on her 
face.  Sakura turned from her small hotplate with a cup of tea and caught 
the Chinese girls intense expression.

"Something wrong?"

Zhu Shu shuddered as she suddenly drew in a breath, then blushed and looked 
down.  "I...  I sorry to stare.  Please forgive."

Sakura tilted her head.  "What were you looking at?"

Zhu Shu looked up.  "Sakura have very strange aura.  Like nothing Zhu Shu 
ever see."

Sakura's breath caught.  "You can see Auras?"

Zhu Shu nodded.

"Are you a witch?"

"No."

"So what do you see?" Sakura asked curiously.

Zhu Shu's eyes narrowed.  "Many images.  Like spirits that surround Sakura.  
Much chaos."

"Interesting."  Sakura smiled.  "I wish I could see them."  She turned to 
check on Ataru.  "As a witch, it would make things much easier."

Zhu Shu nodded, still studying Sakura's aura  as the nurse looked over 
Ataru, then her attention was distracted by the kettle on the hotplate.  She 
took advantage of the warm water while Sakura finished her examination.  "As 
for why my jumbled aura, I'm a priestess as well.  I seem to be a walking 
magnet for wandering spirits..."  Sakura continued.  "As for him, He's fine. 
  Doesn't even have a concuss..."  She trailed off as she turned and caught 
sight of Zhu Shu.  "Wha-  weren't you a blonde a second ago?"

Lum bounced up.  "Oh!  Yeah!  She's got a curse!  that's why I brought her 
to see you!"

"A curse?"  Sakura shook her head.  "I thought she was one of your weird 
alien friends...  A curse....  I haven't worked on a curse for awhile... 
let's see..."

In a blink, Sakura had changed out of her nurses uniform into a priestess's 
robes.  A small wand with long paper streamers folded into squares dangling 
from the end appeared in her hand, while a cloth had been tied around her 
head and held two lit candles on either side of her head.  She moved around 
Zhu Shu making passes with the wand and humming to herself.  "Hummm... yes 
indeed.  A powerful curse of a type I'm completely unfamiliar with...  
Wherever did you pick this up at dear?"

Zhu Shu stopped staring at the strange garb and shrugged.  "Zhu Shu fall in 
pool. Jusenkyo spring have curse.  Zhu Shu get wet, Zhu Shu change."

"I see.  I'm not familiar with Jusenkyo.  Where in Japan is that?"

"Not Japan.  China.  Quinghai province."

"Ah!"  Sakura went over to a bookcase against the side of her desk and 
search for a moment, finally picking up a book labeled _Great Curses of 
China and how to Cure Them._  She flipped through it's pages for a few 
moments.

"Oh! Here we are... Jusenkyo, the ground of accused springs...  Oh dear, 
that is completely unhelpful...  It says the only cure for a Jusenkyo curse 
is to not fall in a spring in the first place.  Failing that...  humm...  It 
says one curse can affect another...  also it mentions a few items that 
affect the curse... something called a Chiisuiton that locks a curse... the 
Kaisuifuu that unlocks them...  Ah!  Here's a item that would be useful:  a 
bracelet that would allow you to control the curse and change at will...  
Lets see... last location... Joketsuzoku village...  lotta help there... who 
the hell are the Joketsuzoku???"  She sighed and looked up.  "I'm sorry, 
dear.  It looks like I'm not going to be much help on a Chinese curse.  My 
Japanese magic would likely cause unpredictable results."

Zhu Shu nodded.  "Zhu Shu not mind.  Curse livable."  she really hadn't held 
much hope Sakura could have broken the curse, no-one at the Amazon village 
had known how either... but it didn't matter.  She hopped up to sit on the 
counter.  "Maybe can help in other way.  Zhu Shu look for boy."

Sakura smiled.  "I don't know about setting up a date for you,dear.  I 
wouldn't trust most of the boys at this school to behave themselves on one 
anyway."

Zhu Shu shook her head.  "Zhu Shu not look for lover.  Look for friend.  
Ranma Saotome."

"Hummm... we don't have anyone by that name in Tomobiki."

"Ah..." disappointment colored her voice.  "Zhu Shu look elsewhere."

"Wait!" an eager Lum called "I got an idea!  I can help you look!"

"Zhu Shu not know. Not realize Tokyo such big place.  How find one boy in 
city?!?"

Lum thought hard for a moment... then brightened.. "Mendo!  He always seems 
to have ways of finding things out!  I'm sure he could help!"  She grabbed 
Zhu Shu by the hand and led her out of the office.  "And in the meantime, 
you can stay in the Saucer!..."

As Zhu Shu was lead out of the office, she noticed  a hand start to climb 
towards Sakura's breast.  Without even looking down, the nurse slammed a 
frying pan against Ataru's head.  Zhu Shu sighed.  Hopefully this "saucer" 
Lum was talking about would be free from the letches this school seemed 
filled with...

As it turned out, the saucer was indeed safe from Ataru, if for no other 
reason than his reluctance to allow Lum to drag him into it, fearing she'd 
try to kidnap him to her home planet.  Zhu Shu mostly stayed out of sight in 
Lum's saucer for the next week,  staying out of Ataru's hands as the private 
investigators hired by Lum's friend Mendo sought out news of Ranma.  She had 
found out on her first day it was safer avoiding the students of Tomobiki, 
since she didn't have Lum's ability to shock the lecherous "Hentai Squad."   
  All her means of defense would have resulted in visits to the nurse for 
broken bones or blood loss.

Still, the saucer offered security from the roving hands of Ataru and his 
friends, as well as Lum's jealousy; dodging lightning bolts had lost its 
appeal the first day.  She liked the strange alien girl well enough, but she 
was just too temperamental for Zhu Shu to feel comfortable around her.  In 
the saucer, only Lum, or her friends Oyuki or Benten came to visit, and she 
didn't have to threaten to cut Ataru's hands off every five minutes.  
Besides, Zhu Shu had found out she loved to watch Anime, and Lum had a vast 
collection.  She found herself engrossed in the adventures of various young 
girls having adventures far more exciting than anything she had ever dreamed 
of, and found herself wishing she could be wisked off to be the saviour of a 
magical world, or prove to be the long lost princess of a fabulous kingdom.

Of course, the Hentai Squad knew she was hiding in the saucer, and when Lum 
had let slip she loved all the little cute animals from the different shows, 
Zhu Shu had found herself quickly gifted with a small mountain of stuffed 
versions in an attempt to get her to date one or another of the boys.

That of course had led to problems with the other girls at Tomobiki, to the 
point that Zhu Shu had finally just refused to come out of the saucer for 
the rest of the week till Mendo's investigators had found something.

She had started to be a little worried about no news for so long, had 
wondered if Ranma maybe had gone somewhere else, or back to China, but the 
phone call from Mendo earlier today had reassured her.  He'd even graciously 
offered her the use of his car, Lum's saucer being far to high profile for 
taking her to Nerima, where the pair had been spotted in a ginza.  Zhu Shu 
appreciated Mendo's generosity, though it had earned her a few muttered 
words and nasty looks from Shinobu, but it was wortth it if she could indeed 
finally find Ranma.

Mendo carried on a polite and friendly conversation with her in the car, 
until they had gotten to the ginza where workmen were repairing a broken 
street sign. He made her promise to call him for a pick up if her search was 
unsuccessful, then departed.  A quick question to the workers, two men who 
were charmed by her broken Japanese and short Mandarin dress, revealed she 
was only about an hour behind the fugitive pair.  She had tried searching an 
ever widening spiral, but had quickly gotten turned about.  Now, after 
wandering through the mazes the locals called streets for hours, she had 
climbed to the top of a shrine in hopes of seeing a landmark, anything that 
looked vaguely familiar....

She surveyed the Tokyo skyline over the cherry trees that surround the 
hilltop shrine in resignation and sighed.  Nothing.  She raised an eye to 
the lowering clouds overhead, noting the signs of rain scattered across the 
city.  She needed to find shelter soon or she was likely to spend the night 
soaked.

Without warning, a beam of light pierced the heavens, so bright it had made 
the night seem like a stark black and white drawing.  As it faded, clouds 
swirled around the hole the beam had made in the sky.

Zhu Shu blinked, trying to clear her eyes from the blaze of light.  She had 
never felt a surge that strong.  It had ripped through the night like a 
hurricane, leaving her senses reeling and raw and her consciousness 
teetering on the brink of the abyss.  She closed her eyes as she sought her 
center, slowly regaining her equilibrium as the aftershocks faded.

A footstep behind her caused her to turn quickly, swords in hand.  Green 
fire flickered fitfully along the edges, a sign of how shaky her chi control 
was following the wild surge, but she forced herself to focus.  She'd heard 
no sounds of approach, and she'd found that in cities, stealth usually meant 
trouble.

But the fires died as her concentration was shattered at what greeted her 
eyes.

The girl who stood behind her was wearing a variation of the typical school 
uniform that Zhu Shu had seen all over Tokyo, yet it looked far different in 
major ways.  White gloves covered her arms to her elbows, form fitting and 
trimmed in red.  Her top was fitted so closely to her torso that Zhu Shu 
figured it couldn't just be cloth.  Her red pleated skirt was so short that 
it barely passed her hips, and a large red bow adorned the back.  A ruby 
heart held the center of a large blue bow on her breast and a tiara of gold 
made a V above her blue eyes.  Her long shapely legs ended in a pair of red 
high-heeled shoes.  Her waist length black hair framed a pretty face that 
was currently occupied with a puzzled look.

"Well, you don't look like a Cardian, but what are you?  I felt you the 
moment you entered the temple's grounds, and those swords fairly screamed 
with energy a second ago, but now you feel like a normal girl."

Zhu Shu returned the puzzled look.  "Zhu Shu is Zhu Shu.  Is only girl.  Not 
know what other things is."

"She doesn't seem to be radiating any negative energy right now, but her 
signature is really weird this close up.  Similar to Ail and Ann's," another 
voice chimed in.  Zhu Shu spun to see another girl in a sailor outfit, 
similar to the first, but in blue and white, who was looking at her through 
a set of lenses.

"So is she a left over Cardian?  I thought Ail and Ann took all of them with 
them," asked a third, this one with two long blonde ponytails and round 
odangos.

"I don't know," Blue replied.

Zhu Shu counted five girls surrounding her and cutting off any direction of 
escape.  Her senses were still too raw from the aftereffects of the wild 
surge for anything remotely resembling clear sight, but she sensed too much 
energy for them not to be prepared to attack.  Chi began to flicker along 
her blades again.

"She's spiking again!" Blue cried.  "That weird biosignature is getting 
stronger!"

The red suited girl stepped in front of the orange and green suited girls as 
they took defensive stances.  "Hold it!  Hold it!  I really don't want to 
start a fight on top of THIS shrine!"

The other girls stepped back as Zhu Shu said, "Zhu Shu want know who girls 
and why threaten?!"

All five of the girls looked shocked.

The blonde with the red bow in her hair recovered first.  "Who- who are 
we?!" she asked unbelievingly.

"Yes!  Zhu Shu just stands here!  No look for fight!  Who girls want fight 
Zhu Shu?!"

The twin pony tailed girl stammered "W-w-w-we're the Sail- Sailor Senshi!  
Don't you know who we are?!"

Zhu Shu shook her head.

"But, we're famous!  We're in every paper in Japan!"  The red-bowed blonde 
protested, "I've even got a manga!"

"Zhu Shu not from Japan.  Zhu Shu Chinese."

The red sailor laughed, "Serves you right, Sailor Venus.  It seems your fame 
isn't quite as universal as you thought."  The orange clad girl looked 
crestfallen as the odangoed blonde stuck her tongue out at her.  The red 
suited girl kicked her in the shin, "Sailor Moon!"

"Wha-" the blonde started, straightening up.

"Don't you think we should introduce ourselves?"

"Oh ... yeah ...  Right!"  The blonde stepped back and struck a pose.  "For 
Love and Justice, I am the pretty sailor suited soldier, Sailor Moon!  In 
the name of the Moon I ... um ... greet you?"

Sailor Venus broke out in a mad fit of giggles.  Sailor Moon glared at her, 
"What?!  I'm used to introducing myself to bad guys right before I blast 
'em.  Give me a break!"  At Venus' continued giggles, she crossed her arms 
and pouted.

The blue suited girl went next, "I am the pretty sailor suited soldier 
Sailor Mercury!  For the element of water, I greet you!"  She ended with a 
sweet and friendly smile and added, "And maybe we can figure out why you 
keep spiking on my sensors...."

The orange suited blonde continued, "For the planet of love, I am the pretty 
sailor suited soldier, Sailor Venus!  I shall deliver love's heavenly 
vengeance!"  She gave Zhu Shu a wink, "Or at least I shall to those who 
deserve it." she finished as an aside, then looked at the red suited Sailor.

"For the element of flame, I am the pretty sailor suited soldier, Sailor 
Mars!  In the name of Mars, I will destroy evil!"  Mars finished her speech 
and turned to look at the tall girl in green.

"By the element of lightning, I am the pretty sailor suited soldier, Sailor 
Jupiter!"  She looked around at the other girls, "And we are the Sailor 
Senshi."

Zhu Shu stifled her laugh at all the posturing, then bowed, "Song Zhu Shu, 
of China."  She looked around at the Senshi, "Still not tell why want to 
attack."

Just then, the still swirling clouds overhead let loose with a light gust of 
rain.

"Energy spike off the scale!"  Mercury shouted as the other Senshi looked on 
in amazement at the suddenly blonde, animalistic girl.

"Possession!"  Mars cried, "She is a Cardian!"  She began to chant as she 
pulled out an ofuda. "Rin, pyou, tou, sha-"

Zhu Shu recognized the scroll as part of a spell even though it was in 
Japanese and her swords flared as she moved to stop the girl's casting.  As 
she stepped forward, ribbons ready to tangle Mars' hands, Mercury cried out 
"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

Zhu Shu launched herself straight up over the spray of bubbles that sprang 
from Mercury's hand and coated where she had been standing in ice.  In mid 
air, she crossed her swords and focused, "Dragon Tail Whip!"

The ribbons of Zhu Shu's swords streaked down towards Mercury and at full 
extension launched a small ball of green fire at the blue clad Sailor.  It 
struck the girl in the chest in a small explosion that knocked her backwards 
several feet.

Zhu Shu grimaced.  The girl should have been knocked out at least.  She 
angled for a spot on the roof away from the girls.

"Crescent Beam Shower!" the blonde called as she launched a shaft of golden 
light at Zhu Shu.  Zhu Shu's ribbons flashed into a spiral dance around her 
as the beam split into dozens of shafts of light and arced towards her. Her 
ribbons disintegrated, deflecting the barrage, but the impacts threw off her 
landing and she came down badly on her ankle, twisting it as she hit the 
roof.  Through the pain, she sensed the ionization of the air and Lum born 
reflexes tried to move her away as Jupiter called, "Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

Her ankle betrayed her as the lightning dragon's jaws closed around her 
back.  Her world went black and white, then only black....

* * * * *

Ranma sat in the Tendo's bath, listening to the crash of distant thunder and 
wondering what his dad had gotten him into now.

Three Tendo girls, and he was supposed to select one.  How was he supposed 
to chose?

Kasumi was nice and all, but she exuded such a sisterly aura it would be 
unnerving to actually marry her.  He'd feel ... incestual.

Nabiki was cute enough, but she seemed far too ... mercenary.  He'd 
constantly fear she'd trade him in for a new car or something.

Then there was Akane:  "Let's be friends!"  Could she still be friends when 
she found out he was a boy?  She had been so ... vehement about them after 
their sparring match.

But, she'd been so nice to him ... Like Zhu Shu had.  In the months since he 
had left the Chinese girl, he'd learned what loneliness really was.  Akane 
had, for just that little while, made the loneliness go away....

Would she still treat him that way when she found out?  Finally deciding 
that there was only one way to find out, he stood up, muttering, "I may as 
well go out as I am."

In mid-step, the door opened and a fully nude Akane stared at him, too 
shocked to even cover herself with her towel.

Just as shocked, Ranma stood frozen as Akane's eyes traveled down his body, 
then she took a step backwards and slid the door closed.

He heard the sound of her putting on a robe ... then her sandals ... 
Finally, he heard the outer door click closed and her leaning on it to draw 
a breath ....

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

In the dining room, Soun and Genma looked up at the scream and the sounds of 
Akane's approach.  Kasumi and Nabiki, just starting to bring out dinner, 
stared as a still yelling Akane ran past them to grab a large stone ornament 
from the garden.

"I'll weigh him down! I'll drown him in the tub!!!"

Curious as always, Nabiki was the first to ask, "Akane, what is it?  What's 
that for?"

"There's a pervert in the bathroom!!!" Akane yelled.

"Why don't you just kill him with your bare hands?" Nabiki asked, ever 
logical.

Never logical, Akane could only say, "Because I'm afraid!!"

With a worried look, Kasumi added, "That's odd.  Ranma was in the bath just 
now."

Just then, Ranma appeared at the end of the hall.

Akane glared as Kasumi started, "Who ... who....  "

"Who are you?" Nabiki finished

Even more embarrassed than the first time, Ranma could only stare at the 
floor.

"I'm ... Ranma Saotome."  He scratched the back of his head.  "Sorry about 
this...."

All three girls just stared in shock....

* * * * *

Shan Pu stared at the unconscious woman and wondered what the hell had just 
happened.  Obviously, the woman really was something more than human, but 
exactly what she had no idea.  She had barely dodged out of Urd's way as the 
woman had fallen over, and had pushed her face out of a puddle, but now had 
no idea what she should do.  If the woman really was a goddess, it might not 
be a good idea to just leave, and it probably wouldn't do to give her the 
scratching she deserved for manhandling her like that, but...

The sound of a motorcycle pulling upto the end of the alley interrupted her 
thoughts, and Shan Pu hastely pulled back her extended paw and sheathed her 
claws.  She backed into a space between two trash cans where she could see 
Urd and evaluate the situation as the sound for approaching feet could be 
heard.

A absolutely radiant woman stepped into her line of sight, dressed in a 
flattering outfit similar to what she had seen on young adults all around 
Tokyo, with a loose skirt and long grey hair tied back in a tail.  Next to 
her, carrying an umbrella was another young girl, a little older than 
Shampoo, with long black hair wearing an oversized jacket and jeans.

The first woman bent down to touch Urd's forehead, and Shan Pu realized she 
had facial tattoos similar to Urd's.  Was this another goddess.

"Is she okay, Belldandy?" asked the younger girl.

"She'll be fine, Skuld.  But she's probably going to have a terrible 
hangover."

"At least we finally found her.  When she dissappeared like that, I was 
afraid Big Sis had flipped or something."

"I was too.  I know she felt guilty over..." Belldandy  broke off and turned 
to where Shan Pu was hiding.  "I'm sorry.  I don't know what ever happened 
to my manners.  Please forgive me, but I was so worried about my sister I 
didn't sense you.  You must be Shan Pu?  I'm Belldandy, and this is my other 
sister Skuld.  Won't you please come out?  I assure you we mean no harm."

Shan Pu raised an eyebrow as she gave a questioning mew.  How could this 
girl know her name too?

Belldandy nodded.  "I'm sure this must be confusing for you.  I am so sorry. 
  Usually, we meet clients far more formally.  I'm sorry my sister was 
drunk. She's had a very hard time recently."

Clients?  What ever in the world was she talking about?

"Oh." Belldandy said as Skuld busied herself rummaging through a trash can 
and tossing out odds and ends of metal.  "We work for the Goddess Relief 
Office.  We grant deserving mortals wishes.  Odd, though.  Urd's on 
probation, and as a goddess second class, she's not supposed to grant 
wishes.  But it _was_ accepted by the Ultimate Force, so Father must have 
assigned her to you."

Shan Pu felt her head spinning, and gave up trying to understand.  She just 
wanted to get dry and find Ranma.

"You're more than welcome to stay with us for awhile." Belldandy offered.  
"Keiichi won't mind, and I can get you some fresh cream, or tea if you'd 
like to change first.  I'm sure we can come up with some clothes to fit 
you."

Shampoo looked at the contraption the younger girl had built to move the 
unconscious Urd and blinked, then shrugged.  It was obvious that they were 
more than normal humans, and supposedly, she had been granted her wish.

She looked up at the sky, and the falling rain.  It was certainly a better 
offer than just staying wet.

With a tail twitch, she walked over and allowed Belldandy to pick her up, 
and in a fairly short time found herself falling asleep in the goddesses lap 
as Skuld drove them all home...

* * * * *

The five Sailor Senshi stood around Zhu Shu's unconscious body as Mars 
finished her exorcism.

"That was weird." Sailor Moon said as Mars carried out the last few chants.  
"How could she be able to deflect Venus's attack like that and not be able 
to handle Jupiter's lightning bolt?  And why did my healing have no effect 
at all?"

As her chant concluded, Sailor Mars looked puzzled as well, "She should have 
changed back to normal and the Cardian forced out of her if it was 
possessing her."

Mercury tapped her computer, "That's not the weirdest part.  Now that she's 
unconscious, all traces of that bioenergy are gone, but I've still got 
massive traces of the other kind.  She's definitely one of the sources we've 
been tracking all week, but it's wild.  It's almost impossible to detect 
from any kind of distance, except when it spikes, and then it's too quick to 
triangulate.  I've gotten three other spikes since we got her, but I can't 
get a lock on any of them.  And those swords ...  I can't make heads or 
tails out of the readings on them."  She sounded frustrated.

"It's okay, Ami."  Mars said from where she sat with her hand touching the 
ofuda on the unconscious girl's forehead.  She looked over the prostrate 
form.  "Now that I've had a chance to get a really good look at her, I think 
I know what your readings are.  I'm so used to fighting evil villains that I 
wasn't thinking like a priestess," she sounded upset.

"Rei?  What's up?"  Sailor Moon looked worried.  When Mars was upset, it 
usually meant that _she_ had screwed up.

Rei stood, "Usagi, help me get her down to a bed in the shrine.  I'll 
explain inside."

Sailor Moon nodded and moved to help pick up the unconscious girl.  Venus 
bent down to pick up the pair of fallen swords and just for an instant, the 
faint dragons etched on the blades flared brightly.

Ami dropped her computer and ripped the visor off her eyes with a cry of 
"Ouch!"  She rubbed her eyes.

"What happened?"  Venus asked, looking at the swords in askance.

Mercury picked up her computer, "Silver Millennium energy spike off the 
scale.  It almost overloaded my computer."

"Silver Millennium?"  Rei looked at her, "From the swords?"

"I can't tell.  It was too quick a flash."

Jupiter looked from the swords to the unconscious girl, "What is she, Rei?  
Is she a Cardian?  I've never seen one so quick."

"She's not a Cardian, Mako-chan."  Rei said as they jumped down and entered 
the shrine.  "And as a Shinto priestess, I should have known,"  She looked 
down at the strangely beautiful face of the changed girl, "It's my fault we 
nearly killed this poor girl.  Her only crime was trying to defend herself 
against the five of us."

"Hey," Ami called, "The readings on her are much clearer in here.  She 
almost glows."

Rei nodded, "I thought that would be the case."  She nodded down at Zhu Shu 
as Minako and Makoto slid back the doors of a spare room.  "This girl is 
probably perfectly human, and I suspect she's under a spell of some sort."  
She settled Zhu Shu onto the bed and removed the ofuda, "I should have 
known.  Close as we were, I felt the spike when she changed, like that huge 
bolt that occurred just before we got to the roof.  It could only have been 
magic."

She pulled out her wand and transformed.

Back in her normal garb, Rei continued, "I'm a priestess.  I should have 
recognized it immediately.  I suspect the surge you keep reading is the 
spell which transforms her."

Ami nodded and started tapping away at her keyboard.  Minako closed the door 
to the room and asked, "But what about that weird green energy she hit Ami 
with?  Or that flash from her swords?"

Rei closed her eyes and sighed, "I don't know.  Some other kind of magic I 
guess.  It almost feels like ki, but on a level I've never heard of."

"Just plain old ki?"  Makoto asked.  "She'd have to be some kind of super 
Martial Artist for it to be that.  I've never seen anyone who can manifest 
enough ki to even be visible, much less anything else she did."

Rei shrugged, "It's doesn't feel 'magical' that way the transformation spell 
does.  Anyway, it's my fault she's like this ...  I'll take care of her till 
she's awake."  She laid a hand along side the scorched girls cheek.  "She's 
a hell of a lot tougher than we had any right to expect for a simple human, 
even a cursed one.  She'll be okay, but we were lucky this time."

Makoto nodded, "Yes.  We owe her a big apology when she wakes up.  I'll cook 
dinner for her."

Usagi suddenly got a big grin.  "I know!" she said, her finger held up to 
indicate her great idea.  "We can take her to that new okonomiyki restaurant 
in the Ginza!  That'll make a great apology!"  She beamed in happiness at 
the thought.

Rei nearly kicked her.

* * * * *

Ranma awoke lying face down on a sleeping mat, a wet cloth over a bump on 
his head and a memory of having smugly told Akane he was better built 
rattling around in his skull.

"Ah! She's awake!" Kasumi called out next to him.  Ranma's head popped up, 
then pain hit,  "Ooooooooooooo ...." Ranma said.

Kasumi leaned over, concerned, "Are you okay? Don't think badly of Akane," 
she pleaded, "She's really a very sweet girl ...  She's just a violent 
maniac."

"Oh, good Kasumi.  That makes lots of sense." Nabiki said from her seat next 
to Kasumi.

Ranma shrugged.  He thought they were all crazy.

A few minutes later, after assuring Kasumi that he was alright, Ranma 
stumbled down the steps towards the bathroom feeling the bump on the back of 
his head.  It still smarted.  What kind of girl was Akane anyway?  Zhu Shu 
had been much nicer. Hell, even Shan Pu had at least been understandable!  
What was Akane's problem?

Friends, she'd said!  So much for friends when she found out he was a boy!

He stripped in the outer room and thought again of Zhu Shu.  It would have 
been nice to have another friend like her, but it didn't look like that 
friend would be Akane.

He was reaching for the door to the tub room when it slid aside.  A once 
more completely nude Akane stood there.

Ranma was taken aback, and tried to think of something to say as Akane 
stared at him getting madder and madder.

"Why ... you ... you ... YOU ..." Akane growled, then she slapped him ... 
Hard.

"So she's got spunk," Genma said after Ranma had finally gotten his bath, 
"That just makes a fianc�e cuter!"

"Cute is not the word." Ranma growled.

Behind him in the dining room, Nabiki was discussing the incident as well.  
"But you were both girls, right?  That makes it okay!"

Akane refused to be mollified, "Okay is not the word!!!"

* * * * *

Following Usagi's comment, Rei chased the other Senshi out of the shrine, 
then returned to her patient.

"Whoever you are, I hope you can forgive us," she whispered as she knelt 
beside the bed with a bowl of warm water and a washcloth.  She looked over 
the scorched girl, taking careful stock of her condition.  Her clothes were 
charred and useless, as well as her pack, but surprisingly little damage had 
been done to her body.  Rei thanked her ancestors for that.  Gently, she 
rolled the unconscious girl over to check her back, where the lightning bolt 
had hit.

Most of the back of the silk dress had been charred to ash, coating the 
girls skin with black smudges, but here and there, faint metallic gleams 
caught Rei's eye.  Reaching for her small first aid kit, she took out a pair 
of bandage scissors.  With enormous care, she began to cut away the rest of 
the ruined dress.  Afterwards, she took the washcloth soaked in warm water 
and began to wash away the soot.

At the first touch of the warm water, Rei jerked her hand back as the 
unconscious girl shifted back to her original form.  She watched carefully 
for a few moments, but there was no other reaction, so she resumed.  
Cautiously, she wiped away the ash....

The first stroke revealed a brilliant pattern of red and gold scales picked 
out in metallic ink along a sinuous form.  Gently, Rei washed more of the 
ash and soot away from the rest of the tattoo, revealing an elegant Imperial 
Chinese Dragon.  Golden eyes seemed to watch her as the girl's breathing 
seemed to make the Dragon writhe.  It's long serpentine form crawled across 
her back from her right shoulder in spiraling coils down to it's tail just 
above the joint of her left leg.  Enwrapped in those coils was a long golden 
staff that Rei found hauntingly familiar, yet could not place.  In overall 
appearance, it vaguely resembled an old fashioned key topped by a large 
ruby.

In one of its four claws, the Dragon gently held cupped a pink flower, a 
cherry blossom, so exquisitely drawn as to almost seem real.  A single 
dewdrop traced down a petal, almost like a tear.  As she touched it, Rei 
sensed an enormous sadness, and an almost unbearable sense of loss.

She looked away, not sure if the feeling was hers.  Her "feelings" were 
never predictable, or controllable, and she wished she understood them 
better.

Another claw was reaching out towards a tiger as beautifully drawn as the 
flower.  It seemed as if the Dragon yearned to reach the tiger, but it was 
just beyond reach.  Rei had a strange sense of connection, however, as if 
the Dragon and the Tiger were in some way a part of each other in a way she 
could not describe.

She shook her head and moved on to the next claw.  The symbolism was 
puzzling to say the least.  This claw gripped a sword identical to those 
born by the unconscious girl, complete with the long ribbons, but those 
ribbons twined about an object that Rei had to look twice at to be sure of.  
It appeared to be an oversized spatula.  The ribbons twined around the 
object in a tight spiral that tied the two together as one.

The last claw also held a sword, this one's ribbons wrapped around a 
throwing star.  The four objects made a complimentary spiral down the girl's 
back, from the flower on her left shoulder opposite the dragon's head down 
to the star on her right cheek, they formed a double helix around the golden 
staff.  Rei was reminded of a DNA helix.  The artistry throughout was a 
master's handiwork, and surely, to have spent such a long time detailing the 
individual items, they must possess a significant meaning to the unconscious 
girl, but Rei had no clue as to their purpose....

As she cleaned the last of the soot away, a final detail emerged.  At the 
base of the long staff, just above her coccyx, a group of golden symbols 
circled a gold ring with a dot in it's center.

Rei's breath caught at the sight of those symbols, and her hand reached out 
involuntarily to the uppermost one....

Her symbol ...  For Mars....

As her fingers brushed the sign, a feeling of an electric shock coursed up 
her arm and images formed in her mind...  A pink haired girl with sad eyes, 
waving goodbye, a black haired Japanese girl holding twin tiger-head 
pommeled swords, a flash of golden cat-slit eyes glowing in the darkness, a 
flash of fire followed by a vision of a girl dressed in a boy's outfit, 
holding out an okonomiyaki with a heart on it, replaced by a female in a red 
ninja's gi, holding a fan and a spray of darts ...  A flash of light 
illuminated one of the dragon etched swords, a golden fire burning along its 
blade as the dragon blazed like the sun ...  As the light faded, the ring 
with the dot burned in the darkness, then drew back to assume its spot in 
the center of the ring of nine before darkness covered them all.  In the 
darkness, those golden eyes opened again, then as the dragon's face appeared 
around them, it drew back to form the heart of a burning mandala.  Rei felt 
a surge of power throw her backwards, and she lost contact with the tattoo.

As quickly as it had come, the vision passed, leaving her no wiser than 
before.  Shaken, Rei dropped her cloth into the basin and willed her heart 
to stop racing.  She looked at the still form of the Chinese girl and 
whispered.

"You become more of a mystery yet."

Finally getting a hold of herself, Rei finished the sponge bath, then tucked 
the girl into the bed.  Taking the girl's swords to her room with her, Rei 
sat and started to polish the soot off of them, humming a song that was 
running in her head, then softly singing the lyrics.

It never even occurred to her to wonder that they were all in Chinese.

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