Belldandy quietly sang a lilting melody to herself as she removed the laundry from the clothesline. She considered the song to be one of her favorites - one she had used, in fact, to entertain Ranmira and Skuld as children. She knew the reason why the song had surfaced in her thoughts. Her concerns were with her sister, Ranmira, who had been summoned by Kami-sama the night before to discuss her actions in making sure the wish contract with Saotome Nodoka would see its fulfillment. Belldandy knew that Ranmira couldn't be blamed for a few of her choices, however; who could have foreseen Ranmira losing her memories and self for sixteen or so years, due to an outbreak of bugs in Yggdrasil? Or the peculiar chain of events her 'recovery' would set in motion? None of Belldandy's own assignments had ever been as unique as the one Ranmira had completed the night before. That one person's wish could interact with another person's wish - one wish potentially changing the course of others, or the world in which those wishes existed - always remained a strong possibility, with only a finite amount of people in the world. Each Goddess who worked for the Goddess Relief Offices learned that fact and had it reinforced in training. Saotome Ranma and Tendo Akane were fair examples of two wishes eventually interacting with one another. The wish made by Akane's mother had linked Peorth to Akane, just as Nodoka's wish had inadvertently done the same for Ranmira and Ranma. Although Ranmira was no longer required to supplement Ranma's conscience and common sense, a link continued to exist between the two. Belldandy was linked as well to Keiichi, though part of that link preceded Keiichi's wish. Most of the clothes on the line belonged to Keiichi; Belldandy and her sisters could change or renew their clothes with a mere thought. There were spells that could complete the household chores without much effort on her part, spells that admittedly cost a lot of energy to use on a regular basis, but Belldandy nonetheless preferred to do the cooking and cleaning herself. She heard the telephone ring from its small table within the main hall of the temple. "I'll get it!" came Urd's shout. A moment later, Urd stepped through the door and into the yard. "Belldandy," the Goddess of the Past said, her face taking on a mask of complete seriousness. "It's Ranmira. She wants to speak to you." Belldandy nodded. She hurriedly folded the remaining clothes, setting them in her hamper. "Would you bring these in for me?" Urd waited until her sister made her way into the renovated temple to frown. "Right. Like I've got nothing better to do than haul Keiichi's clothes around," she muttered under her breath. Had she not been preoccupied with hiding her concern for Ranmira, she might have considered *other* things to do with the boy's clothes... An Aa! Megamisama / Ranma 1/2 Crossover Instruments of Change Part Eleven written by Mike Koos -------------------- "Oneesama?" Belldandy caught what she assumed to be a slight touch of sadness in her sister's voice. "Ranmira? What's wrong?" "I... I've been placed on suspension. They're starting an investigation into my assignment." "I had a feeling they might do that," admitted Belldandy. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will turn out well." A momentary pause. "Kami-sama said that I should use this as an opportunity to spend some time with all of you. I was wondering... if I could stay with you at the temple for a little while." Belldandy's face brightened at the thought of having Ranmira come to live with them. "Absolutely. We would never turn you away; you know that." "I wouldn't want to impose. If you don't have the room to spare, or if there are any other problems, I can find someplace else to stay." "Enough of that talk, Ranmira," her older sister scolded. "I won't hear of it. We will have a room ready for you by this afternoon." At her assigned station in the Goddess Relief Offices, Ranmira urged her hoverchair back toward her console. Everyone else within earshot was - thankfully - too busy to pay attention to her call. "Are you sure Keiichi won't mind? Or Urd and Skuld?" "They would love to have you stay with us for a while. As I would, too." "I... um, I just don't want to be a liability." "You won't be. Now, we really must get started in preparing your room if we are going to have it ready by the time you arrive. I hope to see you soon, little sister." Ranmira sighed. "Thank you, oneesama." She reached out a finger to click the button on her armrest that would close the connection and removed her headset. Why in the Planes did she feel so apprehensive, she wondered? Belldandy found Urd waiting at the end of the hallway after hanging up the phone. "So?" asked Urd. "What happened?" "She has been suspended, and is coming to stay here with us while they conduct an investigation into her actions." The platinum-haired Goddess grimaced, no stranger to being suspended or investigated. She knew that Ranmira had definitely been changed through her experience as part of Ranma, but just how much *had* Ranmira changed? "Keiichi should be home soon," Belldandy continued, as though she hadn't noticed her sister's reaction. "I'm going to start preparing one of the spare rooms for Ranmira. When Keiichi returns, tell him what is going on." "Uh, sure. I... I'll be watching TV if you need me." Urd turned and started toward the living room before Belldandy could discern that she was slightly troubled as well. She plopped into her favorite plush chair, snatched the remote from the endtable next to her and began flipping through the channels. There were two television sets in the temple now; the second set resided in Urd's room, seeing more use as the television set it had been intended to be than a gateway to Urd's medium. None of the shows she found were of interest to her. Ranmira was being suspended, and investigated. Urd had known full well that some of her own actions warranted such procedural reprimands. She had fully expected that, with no surprise and few regrets. But how did Ranmira feel about this? Her little sister had gone from an innocent, shy Goddess to one who had inherited several skills and traits from her sixteen year-old martial-artist charge, and was facing the consequences for what she had done in response to events largely beyond her control. In that regard, the investigation would probably turn out in Ranmira's favor. The matter that worried Urd more was that Ranmira had already begun to change into a different person and seemed not to truly realize it. Her sister had become angry enough at Marller to chase the demon across a good portion of the Nerima ward, trading shots the entire way using skills and agility new to her. That kind of behavior everyone normally expected from Urd, but not Ranmira. Which was more ironic - a Goddess of Change who never changed, herself, or a Goddess of Change who had been changed and might not even recognize that she had? "Urd?" She glanced up to find Keiichi watching her from a few feet away. "Oh, hi," Urd hastily covered the fact that she'd been too lost in thought to catch his return. Keiichi blinked. "Where's Belldandy?" "Getting one of the spare rooms ready for Ranmira to use," Urd replied, giving him a condensed version of the day's events. "I'll bet she wouldn't mind some help." "You think so?" "Yeah." And with that, Keiichi rushed out of the room, stopping on the way to drop his bookbag and jacket in his room. Urd sighed; her desire to be alone was more important to her at the moment than any thought of trying to 'help' Keiichi gather enough nerve to go beyond talking with or even kissing Belldandy. She shrugged and went back to her thoughts. Belldandy stood in the doorway of what had been Megumi's bedroom for a short period of time, examining her work. A quick spell or two had the room cleaned and the basic set of furniture that was already present moved into position; Ranmira could tailor the room to her tastes after settling in. Belldandy had also thought to ensure that one of the electrical outlets along the far wall remained clear and unobstructed, as a courtesy to her sister. She wasn't sure how Ranmira would take being suspended... from the sound of her voice during her call, Ranmira was already experiencing depression. Would she lock herself in her room, or decide to take aimless walks? Ranmira no doubt knew that an investigation - even one required by procedure - naturally implied that they suspected she may have done something bad, and that alone might have been enough to cause her sadness. All of this was largely new territory for the young Goddess, and Belldandy resolved not to let Ranmira shut herself away from everyone and everything. Keiichi peered around her into the room. "Urd told me everything," he said quietly. "So Ranmira really is coming to live with us?" "Yes, for the moment." He nodded. At least this time, they'd been given fair warning someone was going to come to live with them. Urd and Skuld hadn't bothered to let anyone know they were coming - and neither had Megumi, for that matter. It wasn't that he minded the guests; rather, what troubled him was the possibility of someone showing up at the worst possible moment. Hiding the fact that Belldandy and her sisters were Goddesses was a rather difficult task on occasion... Suddenly Belldandy hesitated, and looked at him expectantly. "Keiichi, do you think Ranmira will like the way I've arranged this room?" "Why wouldn't she like it?" She let her gaze linger on one piece of furniture, then another. "She... Ranmira is feeling somewhat sad. I'm not sure how she is taking this investigation and her suspension." Keiichi regretted not having had much time to consider the situation at hand. "If she needs any help at all getting through this," he told her, hoping that he was saying the right thing, "we'll all be here to help her." "Thank you, Keiichi-san." Belldandy gave him one of her appreciative smiles, the exact type which often seemed to numb his body and mind all at once. Her eyes glimmered. Ah, if only she knew what kind of effect those smiles had on him... A thought came to him. "Wait... Belldandy, would you mind if I added something to this room?" "Not at all. What would you like to add?" He dashed to his room for a spare piece of printer paper, a large permanent marker and a roll of tape. In less than a minute Keiichi had scribbled the words 'Ranmira's Room' on the makeshift sign and taped it to the door. "Oh," Belldandy said, exiting the room to examine the sign alongside Keiichi. "I had almost forgotten about that." Now, all the room needed to make it feel as though it belonged to Ranmira was the scarlet-haired Goddess herself. "So, umm, when will Ranmira be coming here?" asked Keiichi. Someone cleared her throat behind them. "She's here," Urd announced. They turned to see Urd leading Ranmira into the hallway. The young Goddess did appear downcast, almost withdrawing in on herself. "She arrived a few minutes ago while you two were over here smiling at each other." She pointedly ignored the glance that Ranmira sent her way. Keiichi decided to take the initiative. "Ranmira?" "I'm fine," she admitted at last. "I'm merely worried--" "You want to turn yourself into a nervous wreck?" Urd interrupted before Ranmira could complete her sentence. "Come on, kid - why don't you stop worrying and forget about it for now?" "I can't do that! They're investigating everything I've done!" Ranmira protested. Urd folded her arms. "Ranmira. You know I've been investigated, and suspended more times than I've bothered to remember. Did I spend all my time worrying about what might happen?" There was a brief silence while Ranmira reviewed her memories. "No." She had never seen her eldest sister show much concern over this sort of thing at all. "I did, once," Urd corrected her, voice softening. "A long time ago, before your birth. But no matter how much you worry, you can't do anything about the procedure. They'll continue investigating even if you have a nervous breakdown. It's easier to change who you are than try to change the process." Ranmira's eyes narrowed. "So you believe I need to change, is that it?" she asked, her anger beginning to show. This, Urd hadn't expected. "No, that's not--" "Of course that's it! I should change so that I don't wind up like you, getting in trouble and being suspended all the time. Right?" "No! I wasn't saying you should change! I said--" "Leave me alone!" shouted Ranmira. She stormed into her new room and slammed the door shut behind her. "Ranmira!" exclaimed Belldandy. Through the thin walls of the temple, they could faintly hear Ranmira's muffled sobbing. She wanted nothing more than to run to her younger sister's side, to help her and protect her... For the moment, however, she had to confront Urd as well. "Neesan, you know Ranmira is feeling emotionally tense at this time. You shouldn't provoke her." Urd stared at her. "I wasn't trying to provoke her, Belldandy. I thought I was making a remark about how she's changed since being lost. But I guess she either doesn't know she has changed or want to admit it." "I'm sure she knows." Rather than immediately respond, Urd turned away. "Maybe." She left Belldandy and Keiichi alone in the hall to consider how to deal with this turn of events. ** ** ** Atop the roof of an apartment building, a young woman who looked very much like Tendo Akane sat, idly watching the grounds of the distant Tendo residence while she let her mind wander. Kaede sighed. Akane was essentially on her way to becoming a Goddess, assuming she didn't make some sort of mistake and was demoted back to being an 'ordinary' Mortal. They'd order Akane's memories to be wiped, and Kaede's superiors would reinstate her as little more than a Mortal's mischief-making demon. wondered Kaede. Could she make Akane look good to those training her? she reasoned. But how? Trouble, she didn't mind. But she knew Akane, and given Akane's temper and impulsiveness, the Goddess candidate could make a dangerous mistake at any moment. That meant if Kaede wanted to help Akane improve her image, the sooner, the better. Now, what could she do to help? ** ** ** Skuld rose from the small cup of water Belldandy kept on the kitchen counter for the express purpose of leaving open a convenient doorway to her youngest sister's medium. Belldandy changed the cup and water on occasion, of course; even an open container of water could become unsanitary if left alone for a while. Leaving a cup of water out for Skuld's use was certainly a better option than, say, making Skuld depend on a sink or bathtub... particularly since Skuld seemed to have a knack for rising out of bathwater while people were still reclining in it. "I'm home!" Skuld grinned. It was a custom in Japan to announce oneself when returning home, although it tended to annoy Keiichi somewhat when she announced herself after entering through any way *other* than the front door. "Ah, Skuld, okaerinasai," Belldandy said, without missing a beat. "Dinner is almost ready. Would you mind seeing if Ranmira would like to eat?" Skuld felt her eyes widen. "She... she's here?" "Yes," the other nodded. "Please, be careful what you say in her presence. She may still be upset over all that has happened to her." Belldandy related what Ranmira had told her of the judgment. "She closed herself in her room earlier and was crying." There was no need to chance Skuld's temper for now by telling her that the reason why Ranmira had been crying was the result of a disagreement with Urd. "I will." The smile on Skuld's lips faded. Since learning that Ranmira had been summoned by Kami-sama, Skuld had attempted to imagine everything that could possibly happen to her sister. Despite all her actions, Skuld doubted that Ranmira was prepared for the official results of what she had done. Even earlier, before asking Belldandy if she could restore Ranma to his proper age, Ranmira had seemed unconcerned about the eventual consequences. And now... she had been crying. She hadn't waited until *now* to truly consider everything, had she? Skuld threw that thought aside. Ranmira needed sympathy and comforting, not someone to analyze what she was doing or had done. She had always been close to Ranmira while the two of them were growing up, with Belldandy practically scrambling in order to keep an eye on them. Skuld still wasn't sure which of them had been more difficult for Belldandy to care for - her two younger sisters, or Urd. She frowned. Now wasn't the time for reminiscing, either. With determination strengthening her steps, Skuld headed into the hall. It took her a moment to find the room. Seeing the sign Keiichi had taped to the door, she paused. Skuld shook her head and made a mental note to correct the sign later. She brought a hand up and took hold of the edge of the door, sliding it open. "Oneesama?" asked Skuld, tentatively. There was no answer. Had Ranmira left the temple without letting anyone know? She slipped into the room. Ranmira - clad in an unassuming pair of pajamas - lay fast asleep on her bed. Skuld came to stand next to the bed. "Oneesama..." She gently shook Ranmira's shoulder. "Wake up." "Mmmm..." the scarlet-haired Goddess stirred. Her eyes bleared open, and found Skuld standing beside her. "Hi." "Hi." Skuld's smile returned. Time and sleep had removed most of the signs of sadness from Ranmira's face. "Sorry about having to wake you up, but Belldandy asked me to see if you were hungry. It's about time for dinner." The older Goddess sat on the edge of the bed, checking herself. "I... hmm. I guess I am hungry. Let me have a few seconds; I'll change my clothes and go with you." Skuld nodded and stepped back. Ranmira's pajamas shifted around her into a modest pastel-green blouse, white skirt with green trim similar to that of the blouse, and a pair of black leggings. "So, green is still your favorite color?" Skuld raised an eyebrow. The color was a reminder of life and growth in Nature, as Ranmira had a fondness for saying. "I suppose it is," said Ranmira. "What are we having for dinner?" Skuld shrugged. "I don't know. I just got back from the afternoon session with Akane. But since oneesama's cooking it, it'll be great." She stuck her tongue out. "Keiichi goes to the weirdest places for takeout sometimes." That earned a slight chuckle from Ranmira. "In other words, he isn't getting nearly enough ice cream." When Skuld snorted, she allowed herself the luxury of a stronger laugh. Skuld thought, studying her. "Ranmira... are you okay? Belldandy told me you've been crying." "I will be fine. I guess I just let the worrying get to me." "I'm sure everything will turn out okay, oneesama." Pause. "Well, that is what everyone keeps telling me." It was Ranmira's turn to snort, as she walked toward the door. Skuld followed her out of the room. When they reached the end of the hall, Urd passed them on the way to her own room. "Oh, hey, Ranmira. I just wanna say I'm sorry for what happened earlier. ...Okay?" Ranmira continued walking as though she hadn't seen or heard Urd at all. "Why?" Skuld turned a narrow glare on her eldest sister, confused. "What happened earlier?" All she received in response from Urd was an indifferent shrug. ** ** ** Admittedly, Kasumi wasn't taken by surprise when Ranmira emerged from the only unused electrical outlet in her kitchen the following afternoon. Skuld had warned her before leaving for school with Ranma and Akane that Ranmira would likely pay a visit. According to Skuld, Ranmira had been upset about something - though Skuld wouldn't go into detail about the reasons why; Kasumi hoped nothing bad had resulted as a consequence of Ranmira's last assignment and her summons to see Kami-sama Himself - and, after an argument of some sort with Urd, was seemingly behaving as if her oldest sister no longer existed. That certainly was unlike the young Goddess... but at the same time, Kasumi was reminded of another person she knew who behaved in much the same manner toward a member of her family. Perhaps, Kasumi reasoned, she could do something to resolve both problems. Ranmira picked up a clean dishtowel and began drying the dishes as Kasumi washed them. "Kasumi?" the Goddess asked in a slightly reserved voice. "So... where is everyone this afternoon?" Kasumi assumed that by the words 'everyone else,' Ranmira was referring to everyone but Ranma, Akane, Nabiki and Skuld, as all four were still at school and would return in about half an hour. Unless Ranmira was hoping that a conversation would distract her from certain issues... "Mr. and Mrs. Saotome have been out with Father for most of the afternoon, looking for a new home, one which hopefully is closer to us." Nodoka did live within the neighboring district, though she wanted to sell her house and buy one in the neighborhood - so that she could live near her son and his iinazuke. Without Genma present to assume complete control of the family finances, Nodoka had been able to set aside a considerable amount of money within her savings. She had decided that it would be for the best if she put a bit of distance between Genma and his friend, Soun. When the two were together, they discarded most forms of rational thought. Separating them also helped ease the pressure they were forcing upon Ranma and Akane... not just to marry, but for other schemes in the name of 'honor' as well. Realizing that she shouldn't likewise separate Akane and Ranma, however, Nodoka had insisted that Ranma continue living at the Tendo home until he finished school and moved on to college. At that point, Ranma could decide for himself what he would do with his life. Ranmira breathed a mental sigh of relief. Her biggest concerns remained with Ranma; simply because she had seen Nodoka's wish contract through to its end did not mean that the rest of Ranma's life would be quiet and normal. Plenty of other outside influences remained, waiting, hoping to wreak havoc in his life - far more than even his counterpart demon might accomplish in a couple of months. "I can't say I know where Happosai-ojiisama might be, however," concluded Kasumi. Ranmira's lips formed a tight line. There were Mortals close enough to the Darkness that a Goddess could mistake their 'presence' as that of a demon's; Happosai, in particular, triggered that sense. Skuld had sensed the same thing, and was keeping an eye on Happosai as often as she could. That was the best either of them could officially do at the moment, given the Goddess' non-interference policy. Time for a subject change. "Did Mrs. Saotome happen to mention how she knew to come here at this time?" "Oh, yes," Kasumi said without looking away from her work. "Akane guessed after some reasoning that it was Nabiki who told her that Ranma and his father would be here, and Mrs. Saotome confirmed it." Ranmira mused. "I assume Mr. Saotome wasn't pleased," she shook her head. Kasumi nodded. "He threatened to do something to her, but Mrs. Saotome kept him from doing anything. What surprised me is that Nabiki remained calm the entire time." "She knew that no one would let him harm her." Another nod. Kasumi turned on the water so that she could rinse a plate. "I had the impression Mr. Saotome only wanted to scare her." "Mr. Saotome likes being in control of a situation whenever possible," Ranmira thought to point out. If he couldn't have control, as was the case whenever he confronted Happosai, he became desperate. The man acted more or less like a bully, pushing around those people he knew were weaker than him or had to defer to him, and cowering in the presence of those he knew were stronger. "Would you mind if I asked you a question?" Ranmira turned to look at Kasumi. "No, of course not." "How... how is Peorth? Is she... okay?" "From what I have heard, they have placed her on suspension and are looking into all of her assignments from the time period when she granted your mother's wish." For a brief instant Kasumi thought she heard a touch of distress in Ranmira's voice. Was Ranmira in a similar situation? "Other than that, I haven't really seen her at all. Why do you ask?" Kasumi paused. "I'm worried about Akane. Peorth is her mother, perhaps just as much as our mother was. If not for her, Akane would have died with Mother. Akane is enjoying being given the chance to become a Goddess, yet she wants nothing to do with the Goddess who gave her that chance." She took a breath. "I know that Peorth made some errors in judgment, and having to leave us wasn't entirely her decision - though she could have handled it better - but I don't think that is reason enough for Akane to condemn her for the rest of their lives." Ranmira blinked in surprise. "Yes. You're right, Kasumi. In fact, that's one of the things I wanted to ask you about in coming here, today. To become a true Goddess, Akane must completely accept her universe and appreciate it, both as a whole and the components which come together to shape that universe. That includes Kaede, Akane's corresponding demon, and Peorth." Kasumi shuddered at the mention of Kaede. She had yet to get used to the idea that somewhere in the world, her own 'twin' - an evil copy of herself, perhaps - might be doing things the true Kasumi would never think of doing. Nabiki, her father, Ranma, his parents... who knew what *their* counterpart demons were doing in their name? Or Happosai... if everyone claimed the man was evil, what was his demon capable of doing? Kasumi shuddered again. she thought. No sense in giving her nightmares more inspiration. "I thought that you might help us convince Akane that she should speak to Peorth," the Goddess said. "I would rather Akane wish to meet her, instead of forcing them together. Nothing would be accomplished if Akane isn't willing to listen to anything Peorth might say." Kasumi considered this. Akane was remarkably stubborn, indeed - who *had* she inherited that trait from? She carefully worded her next question. "Is there... is there a way we can have Akane talk to our mother? Tendo Hiroko, I mean?" "You wish you could see her again, don't you?" Ranmira asked, studying her. "Naturally, I wouldn't mind being able to see her again. Neither would Nabiki, Akane, or Father. If we could..." Kasumi caught herself. "That's not the reason why I asked. Maybe, if Akane had a chance to visit Mother, she might help in changing Akane's mind about Peorth." The Goddess of Change smiled. Kasumi was the most selfless member of the Tendo household, placing everyone else's desires before any of her own. "It might be possible, but unless she has chosen to rest or something has happened to her, she has probably been reborn and is living a new life. I'm sorry," she apologized. "No, that's quite all right." Together, they finished putting away the remainder of the dishes in silence, then moved on to the next chore in Kasumi's agenda - making sure that the family room was once again clean, until the rest of the family again turned it into a mess. Ranmira hastened the process by casting a spell that cleaned the room and set everything back into its proper place. "Will Akane be able to do that?" Kasumi inquired, amazed. "If she chooses to keep spellcasting as one of her abilities, she can. That spell is one of the basic spells every Goddess learns, but not everyone wants to continue learning more than the basics." "Skuld mentioned that you and Belldandy are quite skilled at casting spells," said Kasumi. "She also said that Akane has the potential to become a powerful spellcaster." "Yes, she does. Particularly if she applies herself and remembers not to misuse her magic." "As she did earlier." "Yes." The sound of the front door opening brought an end to their conversation. "Tadaima!!" Akane called, brightly. Kasumi blinked. "Oh, Akane is home." Ranmira extended her senses to 'feel' the presences entering the foyer. "Ranma and Skuld are with her." A moment later, the three joined them in the family room. "Ranmira!" Akane smiled. "Skuld said you'd be here. Are you okay? I heard about your fight with Urd." Pause. "Who?" Ranma looked curiously at Ranmira. "Urd. Your oldest sister?" "I don't know anyone named 'Urd,'" she declared. Kasumi opened her mouth to differ, as did Ranma, but relented when they noticed Skuld shaking her head no. It was true; for Ranmira, Urd had apparently ceased to exist. She knew from dealing with Akane that no matter how much they directly confronted Ranmira, the Goddess would stubbornly refuse to reconsider her disagreement. What kind of disagreement had it been, for Ranmira to 'forget' about her sister in such a manner? Akane's refusal to have anything to do with Peorth was understandable, though not completely warranted. Nonetheless... this type of behavior wasn't what she would expect from Ranmira. Surely whatever had happened during her meeting with Kami-sama hadn't been enough to make her behave this way... Before Kasumi could consider the matter further, Ranmira took an awkward step toward her former charge. "Ranma," she said, hoping that the apprehension she felt wasn't obvious. "Yeah?" Her voice caught, briefly hesitating within her throat. "I... I would like you to train me to be a martial artist." "What?" Everyone stared at her, taken completely by surprise - even Skuld. "O-oneesama!" the younger of the two Goddesses stammered. "Why... would you want to do that?" Worst-case scenarios and possibilities began pouring from her overactive imagination, worrying her to no end. Ranma's thoughts were also racing, but through slightly different concerns. Ranmira - a Goddess! - wanted *him* to train her in the martial arts? Didn't they already have access to knowledge of this sort through that super-computer of theirs? She had been a part of him for sixteen or so years; she must have seen the training his father forced upon him. The Nekoken. The Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken, and the Hiryuu Shoutenha, among other techniques. He glanced at her again, mentally admonishing himself. *Knowing* the moves and even special techniques was one thing... but having one's body physically conditioned to be able to use that knowledge was a different story. Ranmira would need to improve her reaction time, as well as her reflexes. Assuming he *did* train her, of course. But why would she want the training? The Goddesses had magic, elemental powers, debugging hammers... and, if one counted them, Skuld's bombs. They could levitate, teleport and more. With all that, they didn't need the martial arts, as far as Ranma could tell. Ranmira sighed. "Kami-sama insisted that I ask." This wasn't of much reassurance for Skuld, however. "Ranma, due to the time I spent as a part of you without my memories and powers, I have inadvertently inherited some of your knowledge as a fighter, your reflexes, instinct and skill... which is why I need you to train me. I'm afraid of what might possibly happen if I accidentally used... say, the Hiryuu Shoutenha technique without knowing how to keep it under control." Ranma and Akane both nodded. Although the Hiryuu Shoutenha could hardly be executed by accident, if Ranmira did just that and supplemented the technique with her divine powers... who knew what the end result could be? Worse, Akane could now execute her own version of the move - a version that needed *no* preparation or buildup whatsoever. Wait. Wouldn't Ranmira and Akane have access to even more advanced martial-arts techniques, through Yggdrasil? Akane would not have much need for them, but if he became Ranmira's teacher, perhaps they could look into the more advanced techniques? He supposed it was worth a try, and said as much. How difficult could training Ranmira be? She supposedly had some of the knowledge and skill already within her... "Oneesama... I'm really not sure I like the idea of you becoming a martial artist," Skuld said. "You're not a fighter." Ranmira tried to gauge her sister's concerns. "There is a difference between knowing how to fight and aggressively looking for any kind of fight. Becoming a fighter won't make me want to pick a fight at a moment's notice." Skuld wasn't convinced. "Yes, but doesn't trouble have a way of singling out those who can fight?" she argued. Goodness knew Ranma was enough proof of that. Before Ranmira could answer, an all-too-familiar figure leapt into the yard - a young man wielding a wooden sword. Kunou immediately forced his way into the family room, leveling his bokutou at Akane. "My long search is over," he gave her a cold glare. "I was correct in assuming the wretched Saotome and the demon that dares to assume control of the fair Tendo Akane would have the audacity to gather here." "See!?" Skuld asked her sister. Kunou ignored them. "If you wanted to find us, you could've just come to school," Ranma snorted. The Kendo swordsman hadn't been seen at school since Marller had convinced him that Akane was possessed. Apparently, he'd spent these two days searching for Akane to 'exorcise' the demon from her. Ranma flipped backward to throw himself out of the way as Kunou's sword suddenly flashed through the spot where he had stood. "Hey!" "SILENCE!" snarled Kunou. He leveled his sword at Akane again. "Destiny writes that two foul evils that blacken the Earth and the Heavens shall be eradicated by my sword this day. You cannot hide from me any longer! I intend to show you your end!" (...to be continued...) ------------ Credits: Written by: Mike Koos Prereaders: Richard Beaubien, Kevin D. Hammel, Jonathan Ng, Shadowmane, Tom Williams, David Wills With apologies to Takahashi Rumiko and Fujishima Kosuke... All parts of this series are available at the RAAC archives at ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works or from my WWW pages at http://www.fanfic.net/~makoto/ Comments and questions welcome. * Mike ('Kino Makoto') Koos: makoto@cal.net * http://www.fanfic.net/~makoto * * "I can do nothing to stop you. Your background music is too strong * for me." - Sam Johnson, Whose Line is it Anyway?