[Ranma/OMG]

The thunder of hooves was a familiar sound to the chariot's driver. Two
mighty
stallions pulled the chariot across the heavens. It was his duty, and,
although
it was a never ending task, it was a responsibility that he bore with pride
on
any normal day. This day, his responsibilities had an addition that he
welcomed
with all his heart.

She had returned home.

He laughed aloud with joy as his chariot rumbled across the sky above her
home.
Looking over the side, he caught sight of her near the central pavilion. Her
face was turned up as she followed his progress through the air. Her
distinctive
crimson hair caught the rays of the sun and seemed to dance with a flame all
their own. He tore his gaze away from that welcome sight long enough to
guide
his team down to her.

In moments, the chariot was stopped not far from where she was standing. She
walked toward him slowly as he jumped down from his chariot. Grinning
widely, he
moved up to her and enveloped her in an exuberant hug. "Ah, Kinhoshiko," he
exclaimed happily as he spun her around, "it is so good to see you again!"

-----------------------------------------------------------

DISCLAIMER: I lay no claim to characters from Ranma 1/2, Tenchi, Sailor
Moon,
Ah! My Goddess! Or any other character of any other anime that may,
inadvertently or not, be within this story. They are the property of their
respective authors. Characters and situations from those series are used
without
their consent. This is a work of fanfiction for which I do not expect nor
will
accept compensation.

This fiction is based upon Ranma 1/2, with strong influence from Ah! My
Goddess
and lesser cameos from the Sailors and possibly Tenchi. Ranma will not be a
scout, related to a scout or have a prior engagement to a scout. Ranma will
not
be related to or engaged to Tenchi.



------ Wildfire Chapter 6 ------



Clouds drifted lazily past the flying island that had been her home ever
since
Urd had abandoned her here so long ago.

With one final, loving tap, she settled the last screen into place. It had
taken
her what seemed to be several months to rebuild the shrine, but the job was
finally complete. Where a delicate Grecian style structure of crystal and
stone
once was, now a wooden building with a distinct Japanese styling stood.

The sun dipped lower toward the cloud masked horizon. When it settled into
the
proper position, the warm golden rays shone full into the interior of the
shrine. Each of the four walls was dominated by the wide sliding paper
screens
that allowed air and light to enter freely. The black marble gate stone,
once
elevated above the floor of the old structure, was now flush with the smooth
wooden floor of the shrine. It was the center point of the building,
occupying
the place under the high peaked roof.

To the east and west of the shrine, the gurgling fountains and shallow pools
remained. The constant sound of the flowing water formed a soothing
counterpoint
to the occasional rush of wind. The area south of the shrine had been
extensively reworked. An ornate park of marble sculptures and tall, mazelike
hedge rows had been relocated to another part of the isle. Now, a clearing
of
packed dirt was all that remained. This training area showed signs of
constant
and heavy use. North of the shrine, a small, well tended rock garden
separated
the shrine from another, smaller building of similar styling.

The redhead paused as a now familiar sensation gathered. She fought to
control
the wild and tenuous whip of energy that surged about her. However, as with
all
previous attempts, she found herself unable to retain a hold on it. With a
brief
vision of a mangled pot dancing in her eyes, her form twisted and melted.
The
change was not as drastic as it had been before, but there was still a still
a
small difference in the height of his two forms. The willowy curves of his
feminine form melding into his wiry masculine frame.

He sighed as he knelt once more, faced the repositioned sun and settled down
for
a wait. The change no longer really bothered him. It was the fact that it
remained out of his control, once again, that annoyed him immensely. In the
month before Urd had brought him here, he had learned how to control his
form
with sufficient application of ki. Now, in attempting to control the change,
he
felt like he was fighting a natural part of himself. He'd had no control
over
the changes since his arrival.

He believed it wouldn't be very long before his invitation was answered.
Although he had no certain way to determine exactly how long he had been
here,
he was certain it had to have been many months, or even a few years.
Thankfully,
his time here had not been boring. The very timelessness of the place made
it
impossible to be distracted by the passage of time. That wasn't the real
reason,
however, that he had not succumbed to terminal boredom. Were it not for his
sensei and the skills and knowledge that they offered, then he may very well
have gone crazy anyway. It was in just this sort of setting, when the old
shrine
still stood and and the sun was in that location, that he met his first
sensei.
Of course, he had been a girl at the time...

-----------------------------------------------------------

Haisano gazed upon the sun as it hung motionless above the cloud covered
horizon. Urd had abandoned her here, with no obvious way off this strange
island, what she guessed was several days prior. It was hard to determine
the
passage of days when the sun never moved. In that time she had discovered
her ki
was walled off or blocked somehow. She could sense it, but she couldn't
manipulate it or use it to enhance herself in any way. It was worse than
that
moxibustiation weakness point Happosai had used upon her. At least with
that,
she could still use her ki for movement and speed. At odd times, she could
feel
her level of ki fluctuate. It almost felt like she was giving her ki to
someone
else.

After the first few hours, once she had been able to move again, Haisano
wasted
no time in searching for a way off this strange mountain top. This
exploration
revealed that she was not on a mountain, but on a strange little island
floating
over and among a seemingly endless sea of clouds. She decided to explore her
prison, as she saw it, in more detail when it became apparent that Urd was
not
going to be returning any time soon.

Throughout her exploration, the sun had neither risen further into the sky,
nor
set. It remained stationary just above the horizon. It also seemed much
smaller
than it should be, although the warmth and remained the same. Since it
didn't
move, every part of the island received light from the star in different
proportions. One side was always in direct sunlight. The other was always in
the
shadow of the island itself; a form of perpetual twilight. The plants on the
direct side grew thick and tall, and were of a hearty tropical stock that
could
readily withstand the constant heat. Most of the island's streams wound
their
way amongst the roots of these trees before making the final plunge off the
side. The middle sections of the island supported plants with more temperate
requirements. The dark side was mostly covered in ferns and similar soft
light
plants.

Throughout her search, she had found a multitude of places where training
could
be performed. All across the flying island, there were clearings and glades,
pools and waterfalls. In places, clearings were filled with an assortment of
fixed obstacles, beams and poles for practice. In others, the growth of the
flora created a natural arboreal gymnasium. Most appeared to be for weapons
use,
but, she was confident she could adapt to using them to keep up her unarmed
skills, if she were to be stuck here for long.

Scattered across the island, she found several large trees that stood out
from
the rest. Each one stood in its own pond of water which had a series of
stepping
stones leading out across the pond to the base of the tree. Of greater note
to
her, in each great tree she could sense massive amounts of ki. They greatly
resembled the sacred tree at the Masaki shrine, but were several times
larger.
At first, she kept well clear of them, but eventually her curiosity won out
over
caution. She approached one of those strange trees. As she stepped out upon
the
first stone, she had felt the ki surge within the plant. Streamers of light
shot
out from the leaves and bounced off the surrounding pond. The reflected
streams
of light formed a broad, multi-hued beam of energy that lanced up into the
clear
sky above. At the same time, her vision started to black out.

Uncertain as to the cause of this event, she retreated quickly and returned
to
large atrium to think. So now, she found herself staring at the burning orb
hanging motionless in the sky. She should have burned out her eyes by now,
but
the light didn't bother her at all. Even the brilliant spark moving away
from
the sun was easy to pick out against the overall glare of the sun.

Haisano blinked a few times and looked away for a moment and then looked
back.
The spark was still there, but now it was apparent to her that the spark was
moving closer and growing larger. The glittering mote of light swelled as it
drew closer. It wasn't long before she could make out a shape within the
brilliance.

Moving toward her little floating prison was a chariot drawn by a pair of
matched white stallions. Flames leapt from the hooves of the magnificent
beasts
as they galloped through the sky. The chariot trailed a stream of fire
behind
the two flashing wheels. Silver and gold inlays ran the length of the
vehicle
adding to the brilliance. In the chariot, with one hand firmly holding the
reins, stood a man. He was the source of the brilliant light.

As the chariot thundered overhead, casting the warm radiance down upon the
island, Haisano stood and stepped out from beneath the arches of the atrium.
As
she did so, she heard a delighted laugh from the man. Unlike the laughter
she
was accustomed to hearing, the man's voice was full of mirth and joy. She
stepped around the atrium, expecting to see the glowing chariot receding
into
the distance. Instead, she saw that is was slowing, and circling back toward
her
prison.

Now that it was moving slower and descending to land, she was able to make
out
more details on the lone occupant. He was a caucasian man, appearing to be
in
his mid to late twenties. His full beard and thick head of wavy golden hair
streamed out behind him along with a golden cloak. Armor of European design,
fashioned from small overlapping scale-like golden plates covered his torso,
but
his arms and head were bare. A large sword, also of European design, was
strapped across his back.

The man's eyes twinkled above a broad grin as he reigned in his steeds and
stopped the chariot a few meters from where Haisano was standing. He hopped
from
the back of his hovering chariot, setting his golden scale armor to
jingling.
His fur lined boots thudded onto the packed dirt of the practice ground.
Standing at least two meters tall, he towered over her.

Upon the man's face, Haisano could easily pick out markings similar to the
ones
she saw on Urd's face, and, more recently, upon her own. Centered on his
forehead, was a star burst similar to her own. At the corner of his eyes,
where
she had a pair of curved marks resembling claws, he had a single long
diamond
shape. Even more startling were his eyes. His left eye was a bright blue,
similar to her own. His right eye, however, was a rich emerald green.
Haisano
had never seen a person with eyes of different colors before then. She was
distracted enough by this observation that she was totally unprepared for
him to
step up to her and envelop her with his arms.

"Ah, Kinhoshiko," he cried as he spun her about, "it is so good to see you
again!" Haisano stiffened with outrage at the unexpected and unwelcome
contact.
"Let me have a look at you," he said as he set her upon her feet and stepped
back. Before he had move more than a single step, her fist flew up and
embedded
itself in his face. Even with the difference in size, her blow knocked the
blonde stranger back into the side of his chariot.

"Are ya' done squeezing me yet?" she snapped as she glared at the tall god
and
settled into a ready stance. "You try something like that again, you
pervert,
and I'll kick your but off this rock!" Haisano was prepared for almost any
reaction. The usual response she got from all the perverts was a declaration
of
love, or lust. The next most common reaction was cries of vengeance or for
some
perceived slight. Failing that, her rivals would come up with some other
form of
response combining some aspect of the two. She didn't expect the stranger to
burst into laughter.

She stood in her ready stance and stared at the stranger in stunned
amazement.
She had smacked him almost as hard as she usually hit Kuno, and he was
laughing
at her. Her face flushed darker as her anger grew. She reached for, and
found,
that deep well of power that she discovered access to during her battle with
Saffron. Her ki was blocked off, but this was even easier to summon than
before.
Winds erupted about her as her aura flared into a flaming crimson pillar of
power. "And just what do ya think is funny?" she snarled as he slowly stood
once
more.

Holding up his hands he gestured in a placating manner. "Peace, My Lady," he
said. He wiped his eyes as he continued to chuckle, "Peace. I laugh not at
you,
but at myself. When I was told that you had returned once more to your home
I
could not wait to welcome you back. In my joy at seeing you here after such
a
long time I forgot myself and overstepped the bounds of courtesy."

"You're darned right you did!" she snapped, "Who do you think you are,
waltzing
up and grabbing me like that?" Her glare didn't diminish as she waited for
him
to explain himself.

The stranger's chuckles died away as his amused expression faded and a sense
of
sadness grew. "I see. You did loose much of thyself, Lady Kinhoshiko. I
apologize for welcoming you back in that manner." The man spread his hands
wide
as he continued to speak. "I am known as Odur, God of the Sun, Category One,
Class Two, Limited. I am husband to Freya, driver of the Chariot of the Sun,
and
heir to Odin and Lodur." He then bowed low to her in European fashion and
intoned, "At your service, My Lady."

Haisano blinked and relaxed her stance a bit when he mentioned having a
wife.
The power she had gathered dissipated slowly as a smirk formed on her
expressive
face. "Odor?" she asked. "What kind of name is that?"

The god winced slightly and shook his head. "No, not odor," he corrected
with a
strained smile, "Odur. O - d - U - r."

Haisano shrugged and brushed aside the correction, "Whatever. That doesn't
tell
me why you grabbed me like that."

"As I said," Odur replied cheerfully, "I was so overjoyed to see you alive
once
more I forgot that you may not remember me. I was well known to you in one
of
your prior incarnations, Kinhoshiko."

"Prior what?" the red-head asked as she raised a hand to forestall any other
comments.

"Incarnation. As in, reincarnation," he explained. "When you were Sol
Haisano,
Goddess of the Sun, you knew me very well." He paused then grinned, "I was
like
the son you never had."

Haisano felt her stomach lurch at his comment. She could almost feel the
blood
draining from her face. "W-what? What do you mean, son?" she demanded.

"Well, okay, not really a son," he admitted. "You were my mentor before I
was
given my first domain." Haisano sighed with relief as he continued. "Now, it
seems that it is my turn to return the favor, after a fashion. I have been
given
the honor of instructing you rules and responsibilities associated with your
newly recovered divinity."

The redhead stared at his smiling face for a moment, expecting him to
continue.
When he did not, she muttered, "What?"

"That means," he said, "I am you new sensei!"

"What?" she repeated. She waved her hand before he replied again and added,
"I
mean, what rules? What responsibilities? What are you talking about?"

"Ah, I understand," Odur said, nodding. He thought for a moment before he
continued speaking. "Well, I ask you, is a martial artist free to do
whatever
she wants, to whomever she wants?"

Haisano snorted and, thinking of a certain old pervert and panda, said,
"Depends
on who ya ask."

"I am asking you," the god replied softly and without the smile of moments
before.

"No. A true martial artist cannot be and is not free to do, as you say,
whatever
she wants to whomever she wants. That is completely opposite the code. A
true
martial artist should use the art to protect those who cannot protect
themselves. The art should not be used to injure or kill unless to protect
the
life of another."

Odur nodded and, with his wide grin back in place, said, "Good enough. The
rules
for a deity are not very dissimilar."

"So," Haisano drew out the word as she peered cocked her head to the side
and
looked up at the tall god from under her brows. "You are saying being a god
or a
goddess like being a martial artist or something?"

Odur laughed again as he responded, "Yes, or something. As a martial artist,
you
believed that it was your duty to protect those who could not protect
themselves. The martial code laid down some basic rules for you to follow
and
you undertook them as well as can be expected considering how your mortal
life
went."

"'As well as can be expected?'" Haisano repeated with an annoyed tone of
voice.

"Well, yes," he said. "Consider who it was that raised you for most of your
mortal life. It is amazing that your basic nature wasn't perverted into
something that would have made you totally unfit to resume your role,
Kinhoshiko. As it is, you have a great deal of information to relearn and
forgotten skills to unlock. There has been some damage, but I am confident
that,
given time, we can repair that damage. However, with some key parts of
yourself
still missing, it will not be easy."

The redhead glanced down at herself then "Hold on there! What do you mean by
that. What is missing?"

Odur leaned against the side of his chariot. His smile dimmed and he seemed
to
consider her question for a moment before responding. "I will answer that by
asking you this question. Who are you?"

"My name?" she asked. When he shrugged, she said, "I'm Ra... I am Haisano."

"Ah," the god said as he smiled slightly at her, "you were going to say
'Ranma,'
correct?"

In response, Haisano shook her head swiftly, "N-no. He is just a bad memory.
I
am no longer that person. I am Haisano, now."

"I see." he said with a sight frown. "In that case, tell me of your
parents."

Haisano flinched and her face hardened. "Oh, right," she sneered, "them.
They
are just as dead to me as Ranma. I have no parents!"

"Interesting," he murmured. He looked at her for a moment then shook his
head
and said. "Kinhoshiko, you are wrong. It is Haisano who is but a memory.
Ranma
is very much alive. Haisano loved her parents and honored their memory. If
you
were truly Haisano, you would know that. You are Ranma."

"I," she began then bit her lip. After a moment, she continued, "I gave up
that
name. My family rejected me. They rejected what I had become. They wouldn't
allow me to make my own decisions or give me any way to keep everyone's
honor
intact.

She shuddered as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Don't you understand?
I
sacrificed my own honor to remove myself from that family. When Ranma's
mother
rejected me as well, I decided to give up the name of Ranma, also. I have
memories of Haisano. They aren't all good, but her life can't have been as
bad
as Ranma's. Besides, she was the spirit of Jusenkyo, I gave myself to her
willingly in order to defeat Saffron and rescue Akane. Why can I not use her
name?"

The blonde god looked down at his feet in apparent thought for a moment
following Haisano's response. After a moment, he glanced up at her without
moving his head. "If you cannot accept your life as Ranma, how do you expect
to
accept the full memories of Sol Haisano's mortal life? She was the last
daughter
of the House of Sol in the Second Age of Man. Are you sure you can deal with
the
reasons why she was the last? She became the Goddess of the Sun and an
active
supporter of the Lunar Kingdom that united the Third Age. She fell along
with
the Kingdom she supported. Will you be able to accept why that happened?"

"I'm sure I can accept her life... my life," Haisano replied with confidence
she
did not feel.

Odur pushed away from his chariot and towered over the petite red-head and
glared down at her. "Well then, 'Haisano,' perhaps you can tell me what your
duties as a Category One, Class One, Unlimited deity are?"

She stared blankly at him for a moment. She started to speak a few times but
nothing came forth.

"Where," he continued after a momentary pause, "does your power originate?"

Haisano remained silent.

"What are the rules for using that power?"

"I-I-I d-don't..." she stammered before he cut her off.

"Who are your friends? What allies can you call upon? Who are your rivals or
even your enemies?"

"Enemies?"

Odur disregarded her question and continued his questions one after another.
"What was the name of your father? Your mother? Her co-wife? How about your
brother and sister?"

"I had a brother and sister?" Haisano asked softly.

"How and why did you become a goddess, Haisano? That much, at least, you
should
remember!" Odur fell silent, finally giving her a chance to respond.

For several minutes, they stood like that. He waited patiently as Haisano
looked
away and thought over his questions. Eventually, she looked up at him once
more
and slowly replied. "I... no. No, I do not remember. Are you happy now? I do
not
remember any of that."

"Good." Odur said with a smile.

"'Good!'" Haisano retorted. "Is that all you have to say? You rant at me
like
that and then all you have to say is 'Good?'"

Odur smirked. "Yes," he said with a sharp nod of his head.

Haisano flushed in anger and clenched her fists as she fought to contain her
anger at the annoying god standing near her. After a moment, she composed
herself and found her center once more. She looked back up at him when he
continued speaking. "It is good that you see and admit your lack of
knowledge.
>From that beginning, I can show you how to take the reins of your destiny in
hand once more. You took the first step when you ended the engagements that
Genma established for Ranma. However, in refusing to acknowledge your life
as
Ranma, you risk ignoring what that life has taught you. Do not cheapen the
life
you have had or the good you have done in spite of the hardships. By
throwing
away that life, you do far more harm to yourself than to those who you seek
to
punish by it.

"So, If I am not Haisano, then who am I?"

"Ahh, now that is the question, isn't it," he said with another broad smile.
"You have had many names. You were known as Haisano, Fire Talent, of the
House
of Sol to the people of the Second Age and Sol Haisano, Goddess of the Sun
to
those of the Third Age of Man. That name was yours in another life and
should
you choose to use that name, then that is your choice. More recently, your
reborn spirit was called Takashina, Honorable Virtue. To the ancestors of
the
Celts, you were Edana, the Fiery. In the Gaelic tongue, you have been called
Ona, the Graceful One. To the people who later became the Nyuchezu, you were
Serilda, the Warrior Maiden."

"However," he continued, "you are who you choose to be. In the end, what is
in a
name? Recently you have been Ranma the Wild Horse and unofficially, Ranko
the
Wild Child. Either would suit your current incarnation perfectly. As the
goddess
Haisano, one of your foci was honor. In this life, you have been following
that
focus as best you knew how. Considering that, either Ranma or Ranko
Takashina
would be an appropriate name. You are, above all else, the Kinhoshiko, the
Golden Star. No matter what name you choose to go by, many will always refer
to
you as such, myself included."

"That doesn't really help, you know," Haisano complained. "You say all that
as
if I have had many lives. Why don't I remember them?"

"As I had said, you have lost much of yourself. None of your past lives
since
Sol Haisano's sacrifice ever survived to reach Jusenkyo and merge with the
part
of yourself trapped therein. Your enemies saw to that. Even so, there is
much of
your essence still tied up in the magic that was Jusendo. In time, you will
eventually recover it all. When those who bore the curse of Jusenkyo died,
the
part of yourself that was tied to their life force was released to once
again
return to the springs. Now that you have merged with that part of yourself,
those fragments will return to you. With them will come the accumulation of
the
experiences gained from their life."

Haisano became troubled over this revelation."Does that mean," she asked,"
that
their souls will come to me instead of being reborn?"

"What?" Odur exclaimed, then shook his head. "No, no worries about that. The
souls of those cursed by the power of Jusenkyo will go on to their final
destination as decreed by their life. What you will recover is the bit of
your
own spirit that clings to them and powers their curse."

"Oh," Haisano sighed, "That's okay then."

Odur nodded, then continued his explanation. "Unfortunately, time is not
something that is on your side. There are events occurring that you are not
prepared to face as you are now. So, you may need to take a more direct hand
in
the recovery of your memories, your power, and your heritage. Should you
turn
your back upon your life as Ranma, then you will find recovering yourself
that
much harder to accomplish."

"If my spirit is stuck to people with the curse," the red-head said, "how am
I
supposed to get it back? I wont have to kill them, will I? If so, I ain't
gonna
do it!"

"No. That won't be necessary Kinhoshiko." Odur replied. "That, however, is a
lesson for another day. Going back to the point I am trying to make, what
you
choose to be called is entirely up to you. What other people call you is
entirely up to them. You cannot force someone to use one name over another
when
referring to you. So, why should others be able to force you to use a
different
name? Do not allow the actions or inactions of those who were your family
and
friends decide your name or your future. Once you are fully restored, the
system
will log your chosen name. Be certain that it is the one that most suits
you.

You should not be asking me who you are. I should be the one asking you. So,
Kinhoshiko, who are you?" As he spoke, Odur jumped back onto his chariot and
gathered the reins. "I must return to my duties, or Freya will be crying an
ocean of gold awaiting my return."

Before she could respond, Odur let out a yell as he snapped the reins,
urging
his stallions back to work. "I will return, Kinhoshiko," he called back to
her.
"Think on what I have said."

-----------------------------------------------------------

The young man smiled as he thought about that first meeting with Odur, his
first
sensei. At first, he had not thought over the issue of his name as the kami
had
suggested. Several visits passed before the subject came up again.

It was just after his first true encounter with the stored memories of his
past
life's memories. He had finally decided to investigate one of those great
trees
with the massive ki signature. This time, when the visions started, he did
not
pull back from them. He wanted to see what the tree had to show him.

He had watched, from Haisano's viewpoint, as the immense weapon of the
destroyers killed her planet. He had felt her determination to save her
people,
even if she could not save her planet. He had felt her lifeforce being
expended
in powering an energy form she knew as The Wings to move her people from the
doomed planet to somewhere else. He had felt the incredible surge in
lifeforce
as the trees added their own energy to hers and the power of the Wings
multiplied by several factors, helping her to move far more people to safety
than her own lifeforce would have allowed.

It would have been easy for her to save herself. It was not in her nature to
save her own life when those of her people were endangered. She had not the
time
nor the energy to depart the planet in order to find a way to defeat the
destroyers. Had she left, her people would have been destroyed. Instead, she
saved her people.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The last of her people on the planet had been relocated. At last, she turned
her
attention to the battle raging above. One last heavy cruiser, the Phoenix,
remained between her doomed planet and the weapon that would murder it. The
battered ship had no chance of stopping the planet killer or the scores of
enemy
vessels escorting it. Yet the ship remained - the crew choosing to fight to
the
last. It was a valiant, futile gesture. Her people would need warriors
willing
to protect them at all cost. As the foe closed in, Haisano reached out with
the
power of the wings, embraced the Phoenix, and pushed the ship into
hyperspace.

She could feel her sense of self fading fast even as the trees continued to
pour
their own life force through her. It was far too much for any human, even
one
descended of Jurian royalty, to channel. Even as she focused on the Phoenix
and
their destination, she could feel the darkness closing in. Her body
stiffened
even as her arms stretched forth toward the sun's warm radiance. Her feet
sank
into the rich loam even as her senses sight, sound and touch faded.

The weapon of the Destroyers struck.

An entire planet screamed from the death blow.

Haisano, overwhelmed by the sudden, searing rush of life energy, lost her
grip
on the Phoenix. The surge of energy cast the battered craft away through
time
and space.

The Destroyers closed in on the stricken planet. Like carrion hunters
circling a
dying beast, they gathered. Their purpose became clear to Haisano. The enemy
sought to capture the life force released by the cataclysmic collision and
the
death of an entire planet.

It was not to be.

Still tied to the lifeforce of her home, Haisano became the recipient for
all
the energy the Destroyers sought to steal. Her mortal shell flared and
burned as
the titanic energies poured into and through her. Haisano, daughter of the
House
of Sol, ceased to exist. Even as she died, a new being was born.

Too much power. Too much life. The being that had been the last daughter of
Sol
screamed. For a brief moment in time, she was more brilliant than the star
named
after her family. In that brief moment, the Destroyers surged closer,
seeking to
capture this focused source of life energy.

Haisano gave them what they desired. However, she did not give it to them in
the
manner in which they desired. Instead of waves of unfocused energy, focused
beams of destruction lanced forth. Whatever those beams touched, burned. In
mere
moments, more of the invaders were destroyed than in the months since Sol's
main
fleet was defeated near the eleventh planet.

Like a Phoenix. arising from its ashes, Haisano erupted from the surface of
her
dying home. Flames shrouded her as she danced among the burning ships of the
Destroyers. In the blink of an eye, an eternity of destruction passed. The
Destroyers were gone. Some fled. Most remained. Those that fought, died.
Those
that fled, escaped to tell the tale of the prey that became the hunter.

With the last of her foe fled or destroyed, the being known as Haisano
returned
to the tortured wreck of her home. The impact of the rogue moon tore a huge
chunk of the planet's crust away. The sudden imbalance, combined with the
planet's spin sealed its fate. It was slowly tearing itself apart. She could
feel her strength waning as the stricken planet threw more of itself into
space.


A sense of despair drew her attention away from Sol five. It was coming from
further into the system. It was from the Sol three, the Juraiformed colony
world
where she had moved her people. With a thought, she jumped across the
system.

She popped out of subspace and for a fleeting moment thought she had
traveled in
time instead of across the Sol system. She hovered in high orbit over the
blue-
green jewel of the life bearing planet. Hurtling down upon the refuge of her
people was yet another moon turned into a weapon by the Destroyers.

She lashed out with all her strength. In seconds, the surface of the moon
was
rendered molten. Mighty engines, used by the Destroyers to nudge the moon
from
orbit and send it hurtling in -system, exploded violently. The explosion
nudged
the errant satellite moon of the eleventh planet slightly off course and her
attack managed to slow it somewhat. It was not enough to prevent the moon
from
striking the planet, however.

Haisano placed herself between her people's new home and the hurtling weapon
of
the Destroyers and poured everything she had at the weapon. She hadn't the
strength to destroy the moon, but perhaps she could adjust its path and slow
it
enough to spare her people.

Ever so slowly, the weapon slowed and turned. She could feel her home
shuddering
in its final death throes as she poured its life and thus her life into
saving
the fragile life on Sol three. The lifeforce she channeled weakened and
faltered, but she did not. Even as the last of the energy from her dead
planet
passed to her, she held none of it back.

The river of force faded to a stream, then a mere whisper before fading
altogether. Bereft of power, her own spark fading and her world dead, the
being
once known as Haisano could only hope that her efforts were not wasted.

-----------------------------------------------------------

He stood and looked out over the forest growing upon the chunk of land
surrounding the shrine. Haisano's efforts had not been in vain. She gave her
life twice to protect her people. First by moving them to Earth, sparing
them
the death of their home planet, and then by preventing the second weapon
from
destroying the Earth. It remained in orbit to this day as a remnant of a
forgotten war. The sheer volume of life energy she threw at the moon must
have
saturated Earth's new satellite. Undoubtedly, this is why the Moon Kingdom
that
eventually expanded to colonize the entire Sol system used the moon as their
capital. It was also likely the reason behind the attacks that resulted in
the
eventual fall of that Kingdom and the end to the Silver Millennium.

Before Haisano had faded completely, a presence had appeared next to her and
offered her the chance to continue to watch over and protect her people or
to
pass on to the afterlife. Thus, Sol Haisano, Goddess of the Sun was born.

He shuddered as he though back on that terrible day. Would he have had the
courage to make the sacrifices she did that day? She fought for her people
even
as the last of her family died. She could have saved herself and her family
and
abandoned the planet to the Enemy. Had she done that, billions of people
would
have died and the Destroyers would have been that much stronger and life as
he
known it wouldn't have happened. The Earth would have been destroyed as
well.
For all intents and purposes, the Sol system would be devoid of habitable
planets.

He lost his family and friends due to a conflict of honor. The were still
alive.
She lost friends, family and her planet to war. How could he justify
claiming
that he was Haisano? He could not. He would honor his predecessor and former
incarnation, but, he was not and could not be her. Even if he recovered all
of
her power and memories, he was a different person.

In his time spent here, learning from Odur and Sif, he came to realize that
fact. It would be better for him to honor her memories and uphold her ideals
than to attempt to claim that he was Sol Haisano, First Class Goddess of the
Sun, Honor and Battle. He could learn from her memories, however, just as he
had
his own to learn from. Perhaps, together, they could be greater than the sum
of
their parts. His name was Ranma.

Another gust of wind blew across the Isle causing the chimes in the trees to
dance and sing in response. The aura of gathering power drew his attention
to
the gate. He turned to face the gate with a bit of surprise. Sif-sensei
wasn't
due back for more sparring for several more days, and she was the only
visitor
he had received who used the gate. Odur-sensei always rode in on his
chariot.

He walked slowly toward the gate in order to meet his unexpected guest. The
portal flared as a translucent sphere of energy snapped into place. The
sphere
faded to reveal a hovering goddess with long silvery-white tresses.

Urd had returned.

-----------------------------------------------------------

------ end Wildfire Chapter 6 ------

Completed 10/10/03

Notes

Edanna - Celtic 'Fiery'
Ona - Gaelic 'Graceful One'
Serilda - Germanic 'armed maiden of war'
Takashina - Japanese 'honorable virtue' (neutral/female)
Kinhoshiko - Japanese 'golden star' (gender neutral)
Haisano - Japanese 'fire talent'

-----------------------------------------------------------

C&C welcome and requested.  Thanks!

ketheria_mt at hotmail dot


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