[FFML] [Ranma 1/2 Crossover] Storm Stallion Chapter 1

[DorianVal at aol.com]

Storm Stallion 
By 
Jeremy Harper 
Disclaimer – The characters and concepts in this story belong to their  
original creators, and are used without permission. 
Chapter 1 – Apotheosis  
“We’re being followed again,” Akane Tendo said softly to her fiancé.  
Walking along the top of the wire mesh fence that ran along the canal,  Ranma 
Saotome slowed his pace a trifle and rolled his shoulders, his book bag  
hanging from his right hand. He looked down at Akane. “Same person?” he  asked. 
“Yes.” 
“I wonder who she’s following – you or me.” 
“Well, since it’s a girl, it’s probably you.” Akane’s tone was somewhat  
caustic.  
“Tomboy wit. Ha.” Akane blew a raspberry at him while Ranma glanced out  of 
the corner of his eye before looking forward again. The girl was trailing  
twenty feet behind, a pretty little thing in a white and blue dress and matching  
sneakers, trying very hard not to look like she was shadowing them and 
failing  miserably. She had long black hair, was shorter than Akane, and Ranma 
judged her  at least two or three years younger than they were.  
“I wonder what she wants?” Akane said softly.  
“Dunno.” Akane looked up at Ranma, alerted by the glowering cadence in  his 
voice. “But there’s one way to find out.” He dropped his book bag to the  
street and kicked off the fence, jumping backwards in a high, graceful arc,  
spinning so to face the girl. He swore when he saw she was running and all ready  
had a good lead. She must have bolted the exact moment he went airborne, but 
how  she anticipated him, Ranma had no idea. He knew damn well he had not 
telegraphed  his intentions. She ducked into an alley a second before he landed, 
and he  pursued, a tigerish blur of crimson and black. He rushed the alley’s 
mouth,  slapping a hand against the wall of the left hand house to help make his 
turn,  then jerked to a stop. Save for litter, dust and a stray trash can, the 
alley  was empty.  
Ranma’s blue eyes narrowed as his mind calculated. The strange girl was  
fast, but not amazingly so, and the alley was fairly long. There was no way she  
could have escaped out the other end before he came in and saw which way she  
went. Frowning, he went down the alley, quick but wary, stopping at the  
t-section forming its end. He glanced both ways, concentrating with every sense  he 
possessed, physical and spiritual, and detected nothing. The girl was gone.  
Perplexed and cross, Ranma walked back towards the canal, thinking. This  
little stalker was perhaps more than she appeared. That did not surprise him,  
since very rarely was anything in Nerima just what it seemed. He stepped into  
the street, nearly colliding with Akane. Neither of them noticed the small  
puddle of water behind Ranma, a few steps away from the entrance of the  
otherwise bone dry alley.  
“Where did she go?” Akane asked.  
“No idea.” He glanced upwards at the rooftops and all around. “I can’t  
even make a guess. It’s like she vanished.” Ranma shrugged and frowned. “I don’
t  like it.”  
“Well, I don’t really blame her for running. You probably scared her,  
jumping at her like that.” 
Ranma snorted. “Tough for her. If she wants something from one of us, she  
should just come out and say it, not skulk about like a wannabe Gosunkugi.”  
Akane glared at him in irritation, but said nothing; she agreed with his  
sentiment, if not with the tactless way he stated it. Ranma retrieved his book  bag, 
resumed his position on the fence and the two continued their way home.  They 
did not see the young girl peeking cautiously at them around the corner of  
the alley, pointing a small gray rod in their direction and adjusting with a  
fingertip the receiver in her right ear.  
Akane kept an eye on Ranma. He was still frowning in thought,  occasionally 
scratching the back of his head. He suddenly noticed her attention  and frowned 
at her. “What?” Akane gave him an arch smile.  
“Nothing. It’s just that I’ve never seen you thinking this hard, and I’m  
waiting to see smoke pour out of your ears when the gears in your head start to 
 strip.”  
“Ha. And again, ha. You’re an absolute joy to be around,  Akane.” 
Akane laughed. “Seriously though, Ranma: a yen for your thoughts.”  
“You value them that much?” 
Akane’s smile softened. “Sometimes.” Ranma looked at her for a moment and  
nodded. “I dunno. Something about that girl is bugging me.”  
“What, the fact that she’s following us, or that she hasn’t attacked us  yet?
”  
“Neither. Hell, if she did try to jump us it’d be a relief. That I could  
handle.” Ranma frowned again, and bit his lower lip. “She’s familiar somehow. I 
 think I’ve met her somewhere.”  
“Where?” 
“Dunno. I just feel like I should know her. Maybe I saw her in a dream…”  
Ranma shrugged. “Like I said, it’s bugging me. Like an itch on your back just  
out of reach. It also bugs me she managed to ditch me almost without trying. 
How  the hell did she do it?” Ranma shook his head.  
Now Akane was frowning in thought. Suddenly her eyes widened and she  stopped 
walking. “Maybe she’s another fiancée?”  
Her words struck Ranma like a punch. He stumbled, nearly falling into the  
canal before managing to right himself. He jumped down in front of Akane,  
looking at her in disbelief and shaking his head.  
“No… No way. Pop couldn’t have. Even he couldn’t be stupid enough to  
saddle me with another engagement on top of yours and Ukyo’s. Besides, that girl  
is too young. She’s thirteen at the most!”  
Akane crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “And are you stupid enough to  
belief your father wouldn’t engage  you to any sort of girl if he was  offered 
enough?” Ranma opened his mouth to retort but then snapped it shut with  a loud 
click of his teeth. He considered her words, trying hard to ignore the  
insult, and then his mind leaped to thoughts of his father, sifting through  memory 
of his past behavior. His face flushed red, then paled white as his anger  
began to soar almost to murderous heights. His blue eyes smoldered. A low, feral 
 growl rumbled through his bared and grinding teeth. Akane took a step back,  
frightened, not by his anger, but by its deadly intensity. “Ranma…”  
Ranma took a deep breath and swallowed his rage, calling upon past  masteries 
to seal it within a cold chamber of his soul. He could whistle it back  up 
easy enough, he reasoned, if he had need of it. He blinked, looked at Akane,  
and nodded to her. “You make a good point. Why don’t we get home and ask the 
old  bastard if he knows anything about this girl.” Without waiting for a reply 
he  turned hard on his heel and ran off. Akane watched him go, then shook her 
head,  as if coming out of a daze. “Ranma, wait up!” She chased after him.  
The young girl stepped out of the alley and stared after the two, her  wide 
brown eyes stained with pain and longing. She wiped at them with the back  of 
her hand, then removed her earpiece, opened the satchel at her hip and placed  
the earpiece and gray rod in it, next to a small thermos. She looked again in  
the direction Ranma and Akane ran off, and for a moment blue light shimmered 
on  her cheeks and forehead, vanishing when she shook her head. She returned 
to  alleyway, melding into the shadows.   
***** 
Ranma entered the Tendo house without announcing himself, simply shucking  
his shoes in the foyer and storming in. Akane trailed in his wake, her lips  
pursed in a tight frown. “We’re home!” she called out as she hurriedly kicked  
off her own shoes. 
“Welcome home!” Kasumi answered as she stepped into the hallway. “How was  
your –“ Kasumi stopped herself with a gasp, bringing a hand to her mouth and  
taking a step back, the expression of barely reigned, volcanic rage on his 
face  startling her. Ranma’s look softened a trifle and he sketched a nod of 
apology  to her before entering the living room.  
“What’s wrong?” Kasumi whispered to her younger sister when Akane joined  her
 by the living room door.  
“A strange girl has been following us from school.” Akane whispered back.  “
Ranma tried to catch her today, but she got away. We were talking about who 
she  could be when I suggested that maybe she was another fiancée.”  
“Is she?”  
“I don’t know. Knowing Uncle Saotome it’s possible.” Akane, eyes bright  
with worry, stared at Ranma as he walked up behind Genma Saotome, who was bent  
over a shogi board with her father Soun, too focused on their match to notice  
the angry young man looming above them. “But I really wish I hadn’t said it. 
I  don’t think I’ve EVER seen him this upset.” Kasumi could only nod in 
concerned  agreement.  
Nabiki looked up from the television, blinking when she saw Ranma. She  could 
feel the anger and resentment pouring off of him in palpable, crashing  
waves, and gave fervent thanks that it was not being directed at her. While she  
was a bit contemptuous of him, she also had a healthy respect for his prowess.  
She spared Genma and Soun a quick glance, wondering how anyone could be so  
obtuse as to not notice the smoldering time bomb lurking nearby. “Oh hell,” she 
 muttered to herself, grabbing her bag of snacks and retiring to the 
questionable  safety of the hallway with her sisters. “A thousand yen says that Uncle 
Saotome  doesn’t last longer than a minute,” she whispered to them. 
“Little sister, be serious,” Kasumi chided.  
“Yo, Pop!” Ranma growled. “We need to talk.”  
“In a minute, Ranma.” Genma reached for his farthest advanced knight,  then 
withdrew his hand, reconsidering.  
“I’m serious, old man. This is important!” 
“Quiet, boy! Can’t you see I’m busy?”  
Ranma’s hands clenched, their knuckles bleaching white. He took a deep  
breath, opened them, then in a blur of motion seized the collar of his father’s  
gi, yanking it back and twisting. Genma let out a squawk of surprise as his son  
pivoted, heaved and hurled him through the open engawa doors, into the yard.  
Genma rolled as he hit the ground, coming to his feet near the koi pond, 
turning  in time to see Ranma flying at him. Ranma put his father on the defensive 
with a  jump kick, following with a hook kick immediately after gaining his 
footing,  forcing Genma to one side. Ranma maneuvered so they were both 
parallel to the  pond and then closed the distance between them, lashing out with a 
flurry of  blows. “When I say I want to talk to you I mean I want to talk to 
you NOW!”  Ranma gritted out between strikes.  
Genma grinned at his son’s anger as he defended himself, successfully  
parrying the entirety of Ranma’s attack. “Absolutely, boy!” he growled back. “A  
good father always makes himself available when his son wants to talk.” He  
deflected a punch to one side and stepped in to take advantage of Ranma’s opened  
guard, aiming a forearm strike at his temple. Ranma fell back underneath it,  
rolling away, then surging forward with a side thrust kick. Genma slapped it  
down and barely managed to avoid having his nose clipped by the high spinning 
 back heel kick that followed. “What the hell do you know about being a good  
father, you panda?” Ranma demanded.  
“About as much as you know about being a competent martial artist,” Genma  
retorted, launching a sequence of punches, hoping to catch Ranma before he  
recovered from his missed kick. His son was too fast; the elder Saotome gritted  
his teeth from the pain caused by Ranma’s punishing hard blocks.   
“Funny,” Ranma snarled. “Shame your punches don’t have the same snap your  
words do.”  Ranma shifted from  defense to offense, making his father block 
and weave frantically, forcing him  slowly back. “A girl’s been following me 
around lately.” 
“Oh? Well, nothing wrong with that. Just further proof of how manly you  are. 
As long as you remember just who you’re engaged to, I don’t see what the  
problem is.” Ranma roared in rage. He sent an elbow thrust beneath Genma’s  
guard, striking him squarely under the ribs, stunning him. “And that there’s the 
 problem: knowing who I’m engaged to!” Ranma shouted, hitting him again in 
the  same spot with a palm strike. Genma grunted and staggered back, gasping a 
bit.  Ranma did not follow up his advantage, instead flowing into the 
deceptively  relaxed fighting stance he favored, holding his ground. “She’s maybe 
twelve,  thirteen years old, with long black hair and a pretty, sorta sad face. 
Never  seen her before, but I got to wondering if maybe you had.” 
Genma had recovered from Ranma’s hits and set into a side guard stance,  but 
made no move to attack, watching the younger Saotome warily. His breath  
rasped slightly, and he fought the urge to reach under his gi top and rub at the  
bruise starting to form on his stomach. “I have no idea what you’re raving  
about, boy.”  
“I bet you don’t! What kind of dowry you bilk some sucker out of this  time, 
old man? A takoyaki stand? Yaki-imo cart? Or maybe just a cheap hibachi  and 
a package of fish sausage?” A fierce, furious snarl slashed across Ranma’s  
mouth. “Spit it out before I beat it out of you, you old fool! What sort of  
trouble am I going to be in now?”  
Genma’s eyes narrowed as he considered his son, then snorted  contemptuously, 
dropped his guard, and looked directly into the flashing blue  eyes 
challenging him. “Ranma, I have no idea who this girl could be.”  
“Bull.”  
Genma shook his head. “No, it’s the truth. Admittedly, your description  is 
a bit vague, but I can say honestly that I never engaged you to anyone that  
much younger than you.”  
Ranma peered suspiciously at his father and grimaced. He knew Genma was  sly 
and treacherous, but could not lie to save his life, preferring to conceal  
the truth through omission. He could equivocate, attempt to change the subject,  
or, if sorely pressed, revert to his cute, dumb panda act, but when it came 
to  telling falsehoods he was almost as bad as his son. Ranma did not trust 
him, but  silently conceded to himself his father was telling the truth. “If this 
ends up  biting me, and I find out you had a hand in it…” Ranma trailed off 
into unspoken  menace. He sneered at the air of wounded innocence Genma 
assumed and turned  towards the engawa.  
Ranma sensed the rush from behind. In truth he had been expecting it. He  
dropped beneath the punch aimed for the back of his head, planted his hands and  
mule kicked. He felt no contact and heard his father leap back as he twisted  
sinuously up to his feet. Genma stood facing him and at the ready, his  
expression stern and haughty. “Foolish boy!” he snapped. “Finish what you  start.” 
 
Ranma cricked his neck and swiped the tip of his nose with the knuckle of  
his thumb. “Feh. And since when do you ever? Have it your way, Pop.” Ranma  
closed in and attacked.  
They exchanged blows for over a minute, neither Saotome yielding ground  nor 
attempting anything sophisticated, merely blocking and punching, gaining  
speed the longer they attacked, rocking back and forth on their feet like  willows 
in a breeze, their arms blurs, their faces snarling masks of  concentration. 
Then in a blink it ended, Ranma breaking open Genma’s guard,  stepping close 
and striking him in the sternum with a one inch punch. Genma’s  eyes bulged 
behind his glasses, his face flushing deep red and his cheeks  billowing out. He 
reeled and collapsed in a heap. Wheezing for breath, he lifted  his head and 
looked blearily at his son posed above him at the ready, fierce  with the 
arrogance of a fighter who knows his worth. Pride lifted Genma briefly  above his 
pain. But sixteen years old, and all ready so skilled… he was lucky to  beat 
his son two out of five spars, now - how strong would Ranma be in another  ten 
years, he wondered. His vision wavered and he let his head fall back,  letting 
out a breath. He was not hurt too bad, knowing from past experiences he  would 
be all right by next morning, but the need to rest was overpowering.  
Ranma spun his fists over each other and settled into his relaxed stance.  “
You have enough, Pop?” Genma lifted a hand, conceding defeat. Ranma let out a  
satisfied grunt, turned to walk back into the house, stopping when he felt the 
 impact of Tendo sisters combined stare. Kasumi’s lips were pursed tightly, 
her  eyes bright with concern and more than a little trepidation. Guilt stabbed 
at  Ranma, and it increased three fold when he noticed Akane’s expression 
mirrored  her eldest sister’s, though tinctured with another emotion he could not 
 decipher, the presence of which brought a slight flush to his checks and 
made  him want to duck his head. Nabiki seemed amused, looking him up and down  
appraisingly, but he could sense the tension in her. Her arms were crossed  
defensively and she was leaning away from him, ready to run if he startled her.  
He ignored Soun’s mildly quizzical look – the Tendo patriarch’s opinions 
carried  little weight with Ranma, in comparison of those of his daughters.  
Ranma looked down at the grass, feeling confused and ashamed, not  
understanding the Tendo sisters’ fear. It was not like they never saw him fight  with 
his father before. He looked back up and bowed to them. “Sorry about this,”  he 
murmured contritely, then entered the house, unable to look at them. They  
made way for him wordlessly, and he retreated to the uncertain solitude of his  
room.  
***** 
Ranma sat on the roof, watching stars wink into existence as the darkness  of 
the eastern night sky deepened and the shadows cast by the rapidly vanishing  
sun grew. He had stayed out of sight for the rest of the day as he wrestled 
with  the feelings the Tendo girls had invoked in him. He did not regret the 
thrashing  he had inflicted on his father – if he concentrated, he could hear 
the fat panda  now, talking with Soun, the occasional soft click of a shogi 
stone being moved  or swiped punctuating their dialog. Ranma made a face. Indeed, 
Genma Saotome  seemed no worse for wear after fighting his son, but then he 
had always been, if  nothing else, tenacious. Ranma heard Kasumi addressing the 
two patriarchs,  saying something about going out tomorrow night after dinner 
was finished.  Probably to the mahjong club she was a member of, since 
tomorrow was Friday, he  surmised. He sighed deeply, covering his eyes, rubbing at 
their corners with  middle finger and thumb, still unhappy with himself for 
scaring her and Akane.  
He uncovered his eyes when he heard a clank of metal and saw a ladder  
leaning against the gutter, and a moment later, as if his thought had summoned  her, 
Akane was on the roof. Ranma arched an eyebrow – she usually left him alone  
when he retreated to this perch. She seemed to sense his surprise, and asked  
softly “Do you mind if I join you?” He gestured at the spot next to him  
indifferently and she came over and sat down, drawing up her legs and wrapping  
her arms loosely around her knees. He looked at her out of the corner of his  
eye, and admitted to himself she looked good tonight, having changed out of her  
school uniform, into a golden tee shirt, jean shorts and white sandals. Ranma 
 sighed and reclined, pillowing his head with his arms, eyes on the stars, 
but  his attention focused on the girl next to him.  
They said nothing for a while, the silence between them tense. Then Akane  
looked down at him. “You know, you’re a very scary guy sometimes, Ranma.”  
Ranma visibly winced. “I don’t know what the hell frightened you,” he  
snapped. “It’s not like you three have never seen me fight with Pop before.”  
“True, but my sisters have never seen you that angry ever. I’ve only seen  
you close to being that mad once – when Sanzenin kissed you way back when.”  
Ranma winced again. “I was worse than that?”  
“I could feel your anger pump higher with every step you took. By the  time 
we got back home I was amazed you hadn’t exploded.” 
Ranma looked away from her, shaking his head vigorously, then sighing.  “I’m 
sorry, Akane,” he murmured, his voice so soft that Akane had to lean  towards 
him to understand. “I’m sorry that I scared you and Kasumi. I didn’t  mean 
it.”  
Akane considered his apology. “What about Nabiki?”  
Ranma looked up at her, grinning. “Nah - that I don’t regret. She deserves a 
good scare every once in  while.” 
Akane giggled. “Baaaka,” she drawled affectionately. 
“And proud of it,” he retorted, laughing. They were quiet again, this  
silence much more relaxed and companionable. “Did you believe what your father  
told you?” Akane asked.  
“Yeah.” 
“Do you feel bad about beating him up?”  
Ranma snorted. “Hell no. He probably deserved it for something else I  don’t 
know about yet. The old man really pisses me off.”  
“I’ve noticed.” Akane said dryly. “So… now what?” 
Ranma sat up, shrugging his shoulders and rolling his head. “Now I try to  
talk to the girl and find out what she wants with me… or you… or whoever.” He  
glanced over at Akane. “You wanna help?” 
Akane answered him with a smile.  
*** 
They did not see the girl again until Monday, during the walk home from  
school. Akane spotted her first, having apparently popped up from out of no  where 
and following them from a distance, trying to seem that it was but a  
coincidence that she was traveling in the same direction as they. The way the  girl 
alternated between staring intently at Ranma and Akane or else looking  
conspicuously around at anything but them spoiled her efforts. Again she was  dressed 
in simple white and blue – this time a collared blouse and slacks, with  
matching sneakers and a large black satchel slung over one  shoulder. 
Why is she following us openly,  still? Akane wondered. She knows  we’re 
aware of her. She’s either determined or stupid. She considered the  expression 
she had seen on the young girl’s face. Determined, she decided. Now to find out 
why. Akane casually  whistled a brief snatch of tune, the method she and Ranma 
had decided on using  to signal their stalker was about.  
Ranma waited for a moment, not missing a step as he walked the fence rail  as 
he stared out across the canal thoughtfully, before looking down at Akane. “I 
 feel like ice cream. Wanna come with? I’ll buy.”  
Akane feigned a suspicious glance. “Why are you being so generous?  Feeling 
guilty about something?”  
“Can’t a guy be nice every once in a while? Come on, I’ll even buy you  one 
of those strawberry and banana parfaits you like so much – though why you  get 
‘em, I don’t know. They’re way too girly for a macho chick like  you.” 
Akane struck the fence with her book bag, making it shiver. Ranma wobbled  a 
little trying to keep his balance. He glared down at her. “Hey! Knock me in  
the water you can forget about me buying!” Akane sniffed imperiously.  
“Jerk! A good dunking would serve you right. You’re lucky that I want  some 
ice cream right now. It’s been so warm lately.” Ranma flipped off the fence  
and landed neatly next to her, favoring her with a thoughtful, evil grin.  
“In that case maybe you should  be the one to go into the canal. It’d cool 
you off real good, believe me.”  Akane’s eyes opened wide in alarm.  
“Don’t you even think of it,  Ranma,” she growled, waving a fist at him. 
Ranma held his hands up in placation.  
“I’m kidding! I’m kidding!” he said with a laugh. “So, you want the ice  
cream, or would you rather fight?”  
Akane pretended to think over her options. “Ice cream,” she  answered. 
“Good choice. Let’s go.”  
“All right… but just to let you know, I in no way consider this to be a  
date.”  
“Like I’d be caught dead on a date with you, tomboy,” he smirked. Akane gave 
him  a light slap on the back of the head, which made him laugh again. She 
glanced  out of the corner of her eye towards the young girl and nearly 
stumbled. The  girl had stopped walking and was now glaring at them. No, Akane 
amended, glaring at me. The girl was trembling, her mouth  screwed up in an angry 
frown, her fists clenched tight at her sides. Akane  firmly resisted the 
temptation to look directly at the girl as she crossed the  street with Ranma. She’s 
angry with me  for fighting with Ranma, so that must mean she has an interest 
in him. Figures.  She’s young, but not too young.  Maybe she is another fiancée…
 I agree with Ranma about  Uncle Saotome not knowing about her… Could maybe 
Auntie Nodoka have something to  do with her? I don’t think so… Auntie’s a bit 
strange, but she also seems to  approve of my engagement to Ranma.” Akane 
blushed a little at that thought.  I can’t see her doing anything to  undermine 
it. But then again, we don’t know her all that well yet. She  exhaled softly 
through her nose. Hopefully we’ll get some answers in a  minute.  
The young girl watched Ranma and Akane round a corner onto an adjoining  
street and leave her line of sight. She seemed to have gained control of her  
temper, though she was frowning. She took a deep breath and looked over her  
shoulder, as if wondering if she should end her pursuit for the day. Suddenly  her 
frown became fierce and decisive. She turned back towards the direction her  
quarry had gone in. Blue light glimmered briefly on her cheeks and forehead. “
If  she hits him again…” she muttered, her hands clenching. Thrusting a hand 
into  her satchel, she started swiftly following their path. She turned the 
corner,  took three steps down the sidewalk, then stopped with a gasp. Akane 
Tendo was  standing in her way, her book bag slung over a shoulder, smiling. “
Hello there!  Is there something I can help you with, Miss? You seem lost.”  The 
girl turned to flee, but found her  path cut off when a red and black blur 
descended from the top of the nearby  house. She gasped again, taking a step back 
as Ranma appraised her with cool  eyes, arms folded across his broad chest. “
We need to talk,” he growled. The  girl’s face, all ready pale, blanched. She 
swallowed visibly and began to blink,  as if trying to hold off tears. Ranma 
faltered at this – he was, admittedly,  annoyed at being followed by a 
stranger. Too much sudden strangeness had  occurred over the past months for him not 
to be wary of such a thing. Still,  this was a kid, and a girl to boot, and the 
way she looked at him made Ranma  feel like a bully.  
“Ranma, ease off. She’s only a child,” Akane chided. Ranma grimaced and  
looked across the street, scratching the back of his head, while Akane circled  
the young girl to stand next to him. “Don’t be afraid, we’re not going to hurt 
 you. We just want to ask you a few questions.”  
The frightened look vanished the moment the girl was addressed, replaced  
instantly by the fierce glare she had favored Akane with before. “I’m not a  
child! Don’t call me that. And why should I even talk to you, you… you… violent  
witch, you!”  
Ranma snapped his eyes back onto the girl, his annoyance surging,  submerging 
his guilt. “Don’t talk to her that way,” he snapped. The girl  flinched away 
from him, ducking her head so her black hair fell before her like  a veil, 
and she scuffed at the pavement sidewalk with the toe of a sneaker.  Again Ranma’
s anger receded, and he felt a shame similar to that he had  experienced a 
few days before when he had frightened Akane and her sisters, and  this guilt 
was made worse be the nagging feeling of familiarity he had about  this girl. He 
knew he had seen her somewhere before, but where and when he could  not 
place. It bothered him tremendously – he knew his memory was fractured and  
incomplete, but there was a sense of… importance… about this girl, as if it  were 
completely and utterly wrong for him not to know exactly who she was.  Ranma’s 
mouth curled into a tight frown as a shiver ran up his  spine. 
Akane shook her head, taken aback by the young girl’s outburst and trying  to 
recover her composure. It was not the girl’s fierce anger that surprised her, 
 but the raw jealousy in the strident voice and flashing eyes. She definitely 
does not like me. But what’s Ranma to her? She glanced  over at her fiancé, 
conflicting emotions clashing openly on his face as he  looked at the young 
girl hard, trying to cudgel up a source behind his feelings  of recognition. “It’
s all right, Ranma,” Akane murmured softly. “I don’t blame  her for yelling. 
We startled her.”  
Ranma made a face. “So what? It’s not like she deserves to be coddled.  She’
s been chasing after us for over a week now. You’re too damn empathetic  
sometimes times, Akane.” 
Akane arched an eyebrow. “And you’re not?” Ranma muttered something  
uncomplimentary under his breath, which she graciously chose to ignore. She  turned 
her attention back to the young girl, who was watching the pair of them  
warily, her lips pursed in a tight, petulant pout that looked quite cute on her.  
Akane looked at her closely – there was something a bit… off… about her  
appearance. The girl was not precisely Asian, but did not quite look Caucasian  
either, despite her pale skin. Eurasian, Akane decided hesitantly, but that did  
not quite fit. Akane shook her head again – the young girl’s ethnicity was not 
 really all that important. “What’s your name, miss?”  
The girl frowned back resentfully in answer, then flinched and relented  when 
she felt the force of Ranma’s narrow eyed glare. Reluctantly she whispered  
something.  
“What was that? I couldn’t hear.” 
“I said Skuld. Are you deaf or something?” Ranma and Akane blinked and  
looked at each other. That’s an odd  name, Akane thought. Even by Nerima  
standards. Ranma looked distracted, his expression distant. Does he recognize it?  
Suddenly he started and began to scan the  sky.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“I thought I heard thunder…”  
Akane looked around herself, frowning. “There’s not a cloud in the sky.  Don’
t start freaking out on me here, Ranma.” Ranma shook his head. The young  girl
’s name echoed in the corridors of his thought. “Skuld…” he muttered, and  
again he swore he could hear a distant whisper of thunder. 
“So, Miss Skuld… would you mind explaining why you’ve been following us  
around?”  
“I have not!” Skuld protested. “I just happen to be going in the same  
direction as you two. If anyone owes an explanation it’s you two… or you in  habit 
of accosting people minding their own business for no reason at all!”  Ranma 
rolled his eyes in disgust. Akane merely pursed her lips in  thought. 
“Are you going home?” Akane asked.  
Skuld hesitated. “Y-yes.”  
“And where are you walking home from?”  
The young girl bit her lip, hesitating for a longer moment. “The junior  high 
school!” she blurted out, blushing at the looks the two older teens gave  
her.  
“You mean Furiken Junior High?” Akane asked gently. Skuld looked at her  
warily before giving a slight nod. “Funny. I’ve lived in Nerima all my life, and 
 I’ve never heard of a Furiken Junior High.” Skuld’s blush deepened, and she 
 bowed her head, again hiding her face behind her hair. “Not to mention the  
fact,” Akane continued, gently but relentlessly, “junior high classes aren’t  
dismissed for the day until an hour after the high school lets out.” Akane  
folded her arms and looked at Skuld firmly. “The truth this time, if you 
please:  why are you following Ranma and me?”  
Skuld’s head snapped up, her brown eyes ablaze with anger and  frustration. “
I’m not following YOU anywhere,” she hissed contemptuously. She  checked her 
temper with a sharp breath, and her expression shifted from anger to  one of 
sadness and worry. She darted a look at Ranma than quickly turned away.  “I’m 
following him.” 
Ranma hissed, grimacing. Again he heard thunder, this time louder and  
nearer. He spared Akane a quick glance, but she gave no indication she had  noticed 
it, her own gaze locked on Skuld as she frowned. “Are you engaged to  me?” he 
asked the young girl bluntly. Skuld stiffened, then rapidly shook her  head. “
Then why are you interested in me?”  
Skuld did not answer immediately, keeping her head turned away from him.  
Finally she spoke, her voice so soft and so low that by all rights Ranma and  
Akane should not have heard her, yet her words were as clear and distinct as the  
dulcet chimes of a silver bell, the sorrow and longing in them touching the  
young couple to their core. “I’ve been watching you from afar for a long time 
 now. I shouldn’t be here. I know I’m breaking the rules that Yggdrassil set 
down  and that we agreed to, but I couldn’t help it. You’re so near now, and 
you’ve  been gone so long and I’ve missed you so much I couldn’t help myself!
”  
Ranma took a step away from Skuld. His heart was beginning to race and  again 
the thunder only he seemed to hear boomed through the air. Something  pressed 
and strained in the dim recesses of his memory, but whatever it was it  could 
not escape from the vault that contained it. “Skuld,” he said. Akane  looked 
sharply at Ranma – there was an imperiousness, a note of command, in his  
voice that she had never heard before, the sound of which sent soft lightning  
playing through her nerves, making her shiver. “Skuld,” he repeated. “Who am I  
to you?”  
Skuld whipped her head to face him, tears streaming down her face.  “You’re 
my big brother, and I miss you so much!” Her hands flew to her mouth,  and 
with a sob she spun away and fled. Akane gaped after her, too stunned to  
respond, then heard the sound of a hard impact. Ranma had collapsed against the  
nearby house, leaning against it with his shoulder for support, shaking hard, as  
if in the throes of a fit, his breath coming so fast he was practically  
hyperventilating. Thunder rumbled, and finally Akane heard it. She looked up and  
saw that the once clear sky was now completely covered by dark clouds, 
lightning  crawling in their depths. 
“Ranma,” Akane whispered, taking a step towards her fiancé, her hand held  
out tentatively.  
“I’ll kill him!” Ranma gasped,  his hands clenching as he struggled to 
master his raging anger, staring after  the fleeing Skuld. “That goddamn, mother 
fucking panda! First not telling me  about my mother, and now I find out he’s 
been hiding a sister from me! I’m going to murder  him!”  
Akane bridged the distance between her and Ranma, laying her hand on his  
trembling shoulder. “Ranma, please calm down! You’re making yourself sick.”  
“I feel sick! Why does he  always pull shit like this? Selfish, ignorant 
bastard… Goddamn him!” 
“Baka, use your head!” Akane snapped at him, more afraid for him than  
angry. The rage he had been in days before seemed but a candle flame compared to  
the apocalyptic emotions tearing through him now, and she feared what he may do 
 to Genma or himself if she could not calm him. “We don’t know if your 
father has  anything to do with this girl. We don’t know anything about her. We don’
t even  know if she’s telling the truth!”  
Ranma grew still and he looked at Akane. She stared into his eyes, and as  
she discerned the pain and confusion swirling in their azure depths, she felt  
tears begin to prickle in her own eyes. “Do you think she was lying?” he 
asked.  
“No… yes… I don’t know! She looks nothing like you, and she definitely  
looks nothing like your father - or your mother, for that matter. I’ve never  
seen anyone who looked quite like her.” Akane took a steadying breath. “Ranma,  
we don’t know enough yet to make any conclusions. It’s not right to blame 
Uncle  Saotome until you know he had something to do with this.” 
Ranma stared hard at Akane for a moment, then snorted humorlessly.  “That’s 
good, coming from you. Wish you’d follow your own damn advice sometimes,  
Akane.” 
Akane flinched. Her hand clenched on his shirtsleeve as anger spiked  through 
her, only to fade when the truth of Ranma’s retort struck home. She  stared 
down at her feet, unable to keep looking Ranma in the eyes. “I’m sorry. I  
know I get angry at you for things that aren’t your fault, and I’m sorry for  it.
” She glanced up at him through her bangs. “But I don’t think I’ve ever  
gotten mad the way you’ve been getting lately.” 
Now Ranma turned away, covering his eyes with his hand. “I’ve scared you  
again,” he whispered. 
“Yes,” she whispered back, nodding. Ranma sighed. “I’m sorry, too,” he  
murmured. He felt her rub his shoulder, this small, intimate act comforting him.  
Ranma sighed, dropping his hand from his eyes and letting it cover Akane’s, 
and  he pushed himself off the wall. “You’re right. The panda will keep, for 
now.”  His eyes hardened. Skuld was far down the street, but not yet out of 
sight. “She  won’t.” He gently removed his fiancée’s hand from his shoulder, 
squeezing it  softly before releasing it, and ran off in pursuit of the young 
girl. Akane  watched him for a moment before following. Neither noticed the 
storm above  chasing after them all.   
Ranma ran after Skuld with peerless speed, moving in great bounds, his  legs 
devouring the distance between himself and the young girl. Skuld slowed for  a 
moment, looking over her shoulder and crying out in distress at the sight of  
her gaining pursuer. “Wait! Don’t run! I wanna talk!” Ranma shouted. She did 
 stop running, but only for the quick moment it took for her to bend over and 
 slap the sides of her sneakers. That moment almost ended the chase, but just 
as  Ranma reached out to grab her shoulder a blue, shimmering aura enveloped 
her  feet, and when she started running again she seemed a bolt of white and 
azure  lighting racing along the pavement. Ranma stumbled to a halt, shocked. “
Holy…”  he whispered. How the hell did she do  that? Letting out a growl of 
frustration, he resumed the chase, redoubling  his efforts. He just managed to 
keep Skuld in sight, and was vaguely aware that  Akane was managing to do the 
same with him. He hoped the girl would tire soon –  he could run all day with 
little effort, but there was no way he could maintain  this level of speed for 
long. The world around him blurred past, his entire  concentration focused on 
his goal. Skuld made a sharp turn down a right hand  street, and when Ranma 
rounded the corner he swore as he watched her run into  the small park at its 
end and lost sight of her amongst the flora. He cut his  cursing short to save 
his breath and continued running. Hopefully she needed to  rest and was hiding 
somewhere on the grounds. If not, then there was no way he  could find her 
trail again. He did not want that. She had the answers to the  questions she 
called forth, and he wanted them. Her name continued to toll  through his 
thoughts. Skuld… who are you  to me?  
*** 
Skuld blurred into a grove in the heart of the park, set her back against  an 
elm tree and desperately tried not to fall over from fatigue. Her mouth was  
awash with copper, a ferocious stitch throbbed in her side, her feet felt like 
 they were on fire and every muscle in her body ached. She looked down at her 
 sneakers and let out a sound of dismay when she saw them blackened and 
smoking.  Great! Now on top of everything else my  prototype acceleration 
generators are ruined. She sat down in the grass,  pulled her sneakers off, scowling at 
them before throwing them across the grove.  Oh well. They were only a 
kitbash anyway.  They definitely need refinement. She stripped off her socks, 
sighing at the  feel of cool grass soothing her abused feet. She closed her eyes, 
assuming a  lotus position as she turned her energies inwards, returning her 
body to balance  and banishing pain and fatigue. While she yet had little 
proficiency with  evocations, no one could deny she had excellent body control. She 
was definitely  going to need an ice cream binge after this day, however. As 
she continued her  healing meditation she stretched out with her senses, sending 
her awareness to  search for Ranma. She found him at the edge of the park – 
he had just entered  it, slowing to a trot and moving in a methodical pattern. 
Searching for her…  great… 
Skuld’s face tightened. Her sisters were going to kill her… well, Urd  would 
yell at her and call her a selfish brat – that she could handle -  but she 
just knew that Belldandy would  give her that sad eyed stare and tell her how 
disappointed she was with her  actions, and for Skuld that was the equivalent of 
getting a thorough spanking.  But she had not seen Ranma for so long, and 
when she came to Earth to be with  her sisters, to find out he was so close by… 
the temptation had been too great.  Even if he was manifested as an avatar, his 
true essence sealed away in slumber,  she still wanted to see him. She had 
broken the rules Yggdrassil had set down,  to make it easier for Ranma to 
fulfill his obligation, for he was of one of the  Outer Orders, and knew little of 
how to deal with the mortals of the Core. Skuld  could feel his true self 
stirring, trying to rouse to wakefulness, and knew that  one way or the other she 
was going to Get It. Her best bet was to return to the  temple as soon as she 
could, confess to her sisters what happened, then stay far  away and hope her 
brother eventually fall back into complete torpor.  Skuld sighed and slipped 
out of  concentration, feeling tired but able, making a face when her stomach 
grumbled  at her. Right. Teleport, ice cream, then  tearful confessions and 
righteous scolding. Always good to have these things  planned out. She stood up 
and peered around the elm tree shielding her,  scanning the area for her 
pursuers while she reached into her satchel and  rummaged for her thermos.  
Someone grabbed her from behind, slapping a hand hard over her mouth.  Before 
she could react her satchel was torn from her and she was pulled back and  
thrown to the center of the clearing. She cried out when she hit the ground  
hard, but quickly recovered and scrambled to her feet. A man dressed in black  
stood before the elm tree, facing her, her satchel dangling negligently from one 
 hand. He was tall, thin but strong looking, with large hands and a sharp 
chin.  Eyes black as anthracite leered out at Skuld from a corpse pale face, 
crimson  runes writhing and burning across its cheeks.  
“Demon!” Skuld cried out, backing away frantically.  
“Yes,” agreed the man, as he stalked closer. “I am Asmodar, and you are  
Skuld… young little Skuld, so pretty, and oh so helpless, when deprived of her  
toys.” Asmodar tossed the satchel behind him. “You should not have strayed so  
far from your sisters, Norn.”              
Skuld turned to run, but Asmodar was on her in an instant, seizing her  
cruelly. She struggled, but could not break free from the demon’s grasp, his  wiry 
arms possessing terrible strength. He leered at her, and to her horror she  
saw his teeth were like a shark’s, white blades of razor sharp bone. He grabbed  
a handful of her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her throat.  
“I’ve been watching you, Skuld,” the demon crooned. “Watching you follow  
those two mortals around like a brainless sheep, unaware of your surroundings,  
waiting for a chance. I nearly took it when you fled from the boy some days  
back, but you teleported away before I could. I didn’t think you’d return, 
but I  decided to bide my time anyhow, and see now how my patience rewarded me.” 
A  sinuous gray tongue emerged from the black hole of his mouth, wetting his 
lips.  “What terrors I will show you, before we are through.”  
Skuld shivered, her stomach clenching in terror as her mind cast about  
desperately for some defense. The demon was right about her lack of sorcery, and  
most of her gadgets were in her satchel. “The doublet…” she  protested. 
“To be so naïve,” laughed Asmodar. “There are many things I can do to  you, 
my sweet, which will not trigger the doublet system.” He cocked his head  and 
gave her a coldly appraising look that nearly paralyzed her. “Sandalphon  once 
told me it was a pity to harvest in the spring. I do not agree. Nothing  
compares to the taste of spring cherries…” His mouth dove for Skuld’s throat,  
and she screamed. Thunder crashed in the skies above, and a blur of red and  
black flashed through the clearing, tearing Skuld from Asmodar’s grip and  
knocking the demon to the ground. Asmodar bellowed in outrage as he stood. The  
mortal youth had attacked him, hurt him. The demon glared murderously across the  
clearing at the boy. He stood in front of the goddess, his blue eyes burning  
with anger and disgust. “How dare you…” Asmodar hissed. 
“You bet I dare,” The boy snapped back. “Just what the hell did you think 
you were doing?”  
“Fulfilling my function, as we all must do,” the demon retorted. “Walk  away 
now, boy. You are in waters far too deep for you.”  
Ranma sneered, feeling his blood rush angry and quick through his body.  To 
stumble upon Skuld, so important to him in some mysterious way, being  molested 
by this hideous pervert sent his barely reined anger to heights he  never 
imagined. With a wolfish howl he rushed the man, determined to cause him  pain, 
lashing out with a punch aimed to crush his nose. The man spat out a word  and 
a strange blur briefly enveloped his form. The sound of flesh striking flesh  
snapped through the clearing, and Ranma goggled. The man had caught and held 
his  punch with ease, as if it were but a gently tossed softball. Before the 
young  martial artist could react the man spoke another word. His free hand 
arced and  slapped Ranma across the face, the impact sending unimaginable pain 
exploding in  his head. He sagged to his knees, barely conscious, his head 
lolling on his  shoulders.  
Asmodar laughed. “I warned you, boy.” With a negligent twist of his arm,  he 
sent Ranma flying to one side. He returned his attention to Skuld, and saw  
her making a dash across the clearing. He bounded after her, seizing her by the 
 hair just before she grabbed her satchel. She cried out in pain and 
desperation  as Asmodar pulled her back. Suddenly, the demon was aware of a third 
presence in  the clearing. He turned in time to see the other mortal Skuld had 
been following  rushing him, fury bright on her face. Asmodar growled and again 
spat at a word.  Again he blurred, and Akane gasped in surprise as her punch 
was casually  intercepted, Asmodar’s large, hairy hand grabbing her wrist. He 
jerked her  around, dragging her over next to Skuld, and twisted her hand, 
forcing her to  her knees.  
Asmodar leered at the two young women, his tongue snaking out through his  
shark-like teeth again to wet his lips; Akane stared in horror at the demon’s  
inhuman features. “Indeed this is my lucky day; two rare beauties for the price 
 of one! And for you, little mortal chit, there is no doublet to give you 
even a  shred of protection.” Akane shook her head sharply, fighting through her 
pain  and fear and punched Asmodar in the pit of the stomach. He gasped, 
staggering  slightly, then with a curse threw Skuld to the ground and raised his 
hand to  strike Akane.  
Ranma struggled to sit up, trying to will away the shadowy veil that  
obscured his vision. His head throbbed, and it felt as if shards of glass were  
piercing his neck. The veil shredded and faded away, and he saw Skuld and Akane  
struggling in the grasp of Asmodar. Resurgent anger burned away his pain, though 
 his body still responded sluggishly. Again in the shadows of his mind 
something  strained and railed against confinement, its demands for release far 
stronger  now, yet it still could not break free. As he struggled with physical 
and mental  turmoil, he watched Akane punch Asmodar, seeing how only her awkward 
position on  her knees kept the man from being knocked away. Ranma heard him 
swear, watched  him brutishly throw Skuld aside, and felt fear turn his blood 
to ice as Asmodar  raised an open hand in preparation to strike Akane down.  
Time ground to a near halt, micro-seconds stretching into eternities, and  in 
the depths of his thoughts Ranma heard clicks, like locks being opened, and  
the rattling of metal against metal, as if chains were falling free. A howl 
like  typhoon winds, fierce and joyful, cried out through his mind, and in the 
sky  above thunder exploded in greeting. Electric blue light flooded his  
consciousness, and in this burst of satori Ranma knew who Skuld was, what she 
meant. He  remembered his power and his purpose, what he truly was, what duty 
demanded of  him, and understood how it coincided with his desire, burning away all 
childish  denials. The light of his rebirth faded, and looked out upon the 
world with  illuminated eyes. He saw, suspended between the moments, his beloved 
younger  sister sprawled on the grass, crying out in distress. He saw Asmodar 
the petty  demon, his face contorted in rage and pain, twisting the arm of 
Ranma’s charge,  hand lifted to strike her. He saw Akane looking up in horror, 
trying her hardest  to break free. A fiery wave of anger washed through Ranma, 
but instead of  allowing it to tsunami out of control, he seized it, rode upon 
its crest,  directing it to fuel his purpose. 
Time reasserted itself. Ranma was ready.  
“STOP!”  
At that shout, everyone froze, ceasing their struggles and looking across  
the clearing. Ranma was on his feet, swaying slightly in his relaxed, open  
stance. He was smiling, but the hot gleam in his eyes belied the humor in it.  
Ranma licked the tips of two fingers then ran them over his swelling, bruised  
cheek. In an instant the wound deflated, its color fading away, and was gone,  
totally healed. Skuld sat up, letting out a happy breath of joy and relief.  
Akane slipped from Asmodar’s suddenly slack grip and scuttled away before  
gaining her feet. She looked at Ranma in wonder, instinctively aware of a  radical 
change in him, put unable to perceive its exact nature. How did he do that? 
She wondered. I know he heals fast, but I’ve never seen  anything like that 
before… Without knowing why, she was suddenly afraid.  
Asmodar forgot about the retreating girl and the goddess behind him, his  
attention focused on Ranma. Pain and anger clouded his perception, so he could  
sense the sudden awakened power in the boy, but could not discern its source.  “
What sorcery is this?” he growled, perturbed. Ranma laughed, and Asmodar felt 
a  small trickle of fear run through his depths, generated by the purpose and 
wild  mirth in the boy’s laughter.  
“Come and find out, demon,” taunted Ranma. Asmodar’s brows arched. “Come  
and fight me.”  
“So you want another beating?” Asmodar snarled, forgetting his fear. “I’m  
more than happy to oblige!”  He spat  out a word as he charged, his form 
blurring with impossible speed, lashing out  at Ranma’s head with an open hand. 
Silent and smiling, Ranma negligently lifted  a hand and intercepted the strike, 
easily taking hold of his opponent’s wrist.  Now it was Asmodar’s turn to 
goggle in surprise, and he gasped when he saw  Ranma’s azure eyes suddenly turned 
a solid electric blue. Understanding and  terror caromed through the demon, 
and he struggled desperately to extract  himself from his opponent’s hold, but 
it was as if his hand was entrapped in  concrete.  
“Orlanth’s Whip,” said Ranma, and from the black clouds above a bolt of  
lightning descended, striking Asmodar. The demon screamed, hair charring, flesh  
blistering, clothing burning, and though Ranma still held his wrist the  
electricity did not harm the martial artist, instead dancing around him in arcs.  
The bolt finished its work, and as Asmodar began to drop Ranma buried his fist  
in the demon’s stomach, lifting him off his feet. Thunder roared through the 
sky  on the moment of impact. Still holding the demon up, Ranma spun a full  
revolution and hurled Asmodar across the clearing, bouncing off a stout elm 
tree  and falling hard on the ground.  
Skuld picked herself up, grinning from ear to ear as she retrieved her  
satchel. Akane stared at the fallen demon groaning in the grass then back over  to 
Ranma. She felt so odd – dizzy and weak as if experience an onset of vertigo.  
Licking dry lips, she stepped back, trying to control her breathing. Ranma 
stood  slightly bowed, his bangs covering his face. When he looked up his eyes 
had  returned to their normal deep blue, but azure light glimmered on his face. 
Twin  lightning bolt tattoos slashed down his cheeks, and a spiral adorned 
the center  of his forehead. He canted his head slightly, eyes narrowing as he 
considered  his defeated enemy, then took a step forward and launched into the 
air, arching  gracefully and landing before Asmodar. Akane gasped again, 
bringing the heel of  her palm to her mouth, for though he had flexed his knees 
slightly, Ranma had  not jumped across the clearing so much as he had flown. He 
leaned down, grabbed Asmodar  by the collar of his smoldering shirt, heaved him 
up and slammed him against the  trunk of the elm, holding him there. “Little 
demon,” Ranma growled, his eyes  burning dangerously, teeth bared in a feral 
snarl. “Do you know what I am?”  
Asmodar struggled briefly and futilely, and was quelled by Ranma slamming  
him again. He stared at Ranma, blearily studying the tattoos on it, then  
shuddered. “You’re Orlanthi…” he stuttered out.  
Ranma’s snarl momentarily became a grin. “Good. Now, do you know who I am?”  
Asmodar blinked as he considered the question. Comprehension dawned in  his 
eyes, and he blanched snow white and began to tremble violently. “Storm 
Stallion!” he wailed, voice  pitched high by fear.  
“You should have stayed in Hell,” Ranma growled before dashing Asmodar to  
the earth. “You should not have struck me.” He planted his foot on the demon’s 
 left shoulder, grinding his heel into the joint, ignoring Asmodar’s howls. “
You  should not have awoken me,” Ranma continued relentlessly, grabbing 
Asmodar’s arm  and pulling it upward. “And you most definitely should not have 
laid your filthy claws on my  little sister and my charge.” He pried the demon’s 
fist open and took hold of  his index finger.  
“You can’t! The doublet!” protested Asmodar, abandoning all poise and  
pride. Ranma’s answering chuckle was a thing of dread. 
“I recall you saying to Skuld,” Ranma sneered, ‘before I interrupted you,  
that there’s many things one can do without triggering the doublet. It works  
both ways, demon. I’m gonna break you apart, slowly, molecule by molecule, and  
when I’m finally done I’m gonna put you back together again and start all 
over.”  Ranma’s wrist tensed as he readied to break Asmodar’s finger.   
“Ranma,  stop,” Skuld called out. Ranma looked up at her. She had drawn her 
hammer out of  her satchel, and was staring at him, eyes wide with concern. “
Don’t, big  brother. Please. He’s not worth it.”  
Ranma growled. “I will not let what he tried to do go unpunished,  Skuld.” 
“I know, and you didn’t. You struck him with the Whip. That’s punishment  
enough. It’s incredible that he’s even coherent. And you’ve scared him good –  
far more than he scared me.” Skuld’s eyes became imploring. “Please, big  
brother. You’re not meant for such things; you’ll end up hurting yourself more  
than you will Asmodar.”  
Ranma just stared at Skuld for a minute, his expression still fierce and  
angry. Then he relaxed, and his sudden laugh was gentle. “Wonder of wonders, my  
little sister is becoming wise about matters other than  mechanics.” 
“Hey!” Skuld said in protest, but she laughed when she did, and she and  
Ranma looked at each other fondly for a moment. Then Ranma sighed, becoming  
fierce again. He grabbed Asmodar by the throat and heaved him up again, holding  
him suspended in the air with one arm. “When you get back to Hell, you best get 
 on your knees and thank Hild for my sister’s forbearance, because that’s 
all  that saved you from my wrath this day. Now engrave these next words in your 
 soul: if I ever even think you’re  anywhere near me and mine again, I will 
make you hurt, long and hard.” Ranma’s  eyes narrowed and he smiled wickedly, 
as if suddenly struck with an excellent  idea. “And after I’m through, I’ll 
tell my blood brother Zorak Zoran what you  tried; anything he decides to 
inflict on you will make my attentions seem like a  lover’s caress. Understand?” 
Asmodar  nodded frantically, a torrent of supplication gushing from his lips. 
Ranma  silenced him with a sharp shake. “Good. Now hie yourself out of my sight.
” He  threw down the demon, who instantly bounced back up to his feet and 
ran,  shimmering and fading from sight before he reached the clearing’s edge. 
Ranma  scowled after him, then turned towards Skuld, who in turn gave a happy 
squeal as  she ran up and hugged him. 
“I’ve missed you sooo much,  big brother!” Ranma sighed and embrace her in 
return.  
“I’ve missed you too,” he murmured, before taking hold of her by the  
shoulders and carefully peeling her off. “But I would be lying to say I was  
entirely happy with you right now. Roaring Chaos, Skuld, what are you doing here  
down on Earth? You’re supposed to be maintaining Yggdrassil, and you very well  
know we all agreed it was for the best that everyone stayed away from me while 
I  was in torpor.”  
Skuld ducked her head for a moment before reluctantly looking up at him.  “I’
m sorry, Ranma. I couldn’t help it. You’ve been gone for such a long time,  
and I missed you. Then Belldandy got herself bound to the Earth a half a year  
ago-“  
“WHAT?” Ranma shouted, not believing what he just heard.  “Bell’s here too?”
  
Skuld nodded in affirmation. “Urd, as well. All three of us are on Earth  now.
”  
“Empty Night,” Ranma swore with fervor. “How did all this happen?” 
Skuld shot a fierce glare over Ranma’s shoulder at Akane, who was  watching 
their exchange, her arms wrapped around herself and shivering slightly.  Ranma 
did not notice, still surprised by Skuld’s news. “Belldandy’s stuck for  the 
same reason you are: a mortal made a stupid wish. Urd’s bound for being…  
Urd. Punishment for lying, not that she seems to mind being here, the  cow.” 
“Watch your mouth, young lady,” Ranma admonished. Skuld ducked her head  
again, while he eyed her critically. “What of yourself? Are you bound, too?”  
“No. I came because Belldandy and Urd were attracting a whole lot of  bugs. 
We resolved the problem, and I decided to stay to make sure nothing else  went 
wrong…” She couldn’t bring her self to look back up at Ranma, knowing that  
he sensed she was not revealing the complete truth. Ranma just clucked his  
tongue and waited for her to continue with her explanation. “A lot of craziness  
happened afterward – I don’t know if you sensed it, when you were asleep, but 
 I’ll fill you in later – but after things settled down and I got 
comfortable at  the temple we’re living in at Nekomi I checked up on your location, and 
found  that you finally stopped wandering  all over the place…” She lifted 
her face, her dark brown eyes brimming with  tears. “Over sixteen years, Ranma. 
I haven’t seen my big brother in almost a  generation, and now you’re so 
close by… I couldn’t help it!”  
Ranma sighed, running a hand through his unruly black bangs. He was about  to 
speak when he heard Akane softly, desperately, call out his name. He froze,  
then slouched, closing his eyes. “Orlanth’s bones…” he murmured before 
turning  to go to his fiancée.    
“Ranma, what’s going on?” Akane demanded, trying to keep the growing  
hysteria within her out of her voice as she watched Ranma walked towards her.  She 
did not quite succeed. “How… how did you get those marks on your face? How  
did you call down that lightning bolt? What is going on?” She flinched slightly  
when he reached out for her, then gasped when he cupped her cheek, gently  
stroking her face. His smile was regretful, and there was sadness and longing in 
 his eyes. “I’m sorry about this, Akane,” Ranma said quietly and kissed her. 
Her  eyes widened in shock, then rolled back as she fainted, collapsing as if 
 boneless, a sigh escaping her lips as she fell. Ranma carefully caught her  
before she hit the sward. He held her tenderly, again stroking her cheek. “I’
ve  wanted to do that for a while, now,” he murmured. “I only wish you could  
remember it.” He released a resigned sigh as his tattoos began to glow. He  
touched his forehead to hers, whispering words of power as he carefully folded  
her memory back upon itself, so that the events she saw from before he put 
her  to sleep to just after he entered the park would be an impenetrable haze. 
He  sealed those memories away but lightly, unwilling to compromise her mind 
any  further – he found what little he had all ready done distasteful enough, 
but  necessary to protect her, considering the frantic state she had been 
working her  self into. Despite all the wizardry and wild romance she had seen in 
her life,  it was obvious she was not ready to deal with this newest revelation. 
The memory  charm was the work of moments, and once finished Ranma rose, 
cradling Akane in  his arms. He turned to face Skuld, and the young goddess winced 
at his  sternness.  
“We’re going to have a talk about this, Skuld – you, me and our sisters.  I 
have to take Akane back home and see her settled, but I shouldn’t be too long. 
 You’re all in Nekomi, you said?” Skuld just nodded. “I’ll be there in an 
hour,  two at the most.”  
“Okay, big brother,” Skuld answered, looking away from him. Ranma nodded,  
walking past her and away. But just as he reached the edge of the clearing he  
sighed, summoned a disc of gentle force to hold Akane suspended in the air, 
and  turned back to sweep Skuld up in a strong embrace. “And though I’ve slept 
these  long years away, I’ve truly missed you too, little sister.” Skuld 
clung to him  fiercely, crying a little. They held each other for awhile, then 
Ranma pulled  away to kiss her on her the forehead, then each cheek, then softly 
on the lips,  after which they parted. Ranma returned to Akane, dismissing his 
spell and  carrying her away. Skuld took her thermos from her satchel, opened 
it and tossed  its contents in the air. The instant the cascade of warm water 
touched her, she  vanished. In the sky lighting crawled across darkened 
clouds one final time  before they leavened and began to dissipate, their labor 
finished, for their  master was awake now, free and restored to his proper might. 
 
////// 
Full Disclaimer – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Oh My  Goddess 
is the creation of Kosuke Fujishima. Other concepts and deities are the  
creations of, or are owned by, Greg Stafford. All are used without permission.  
Blame Karaohki for this. Not that she gave me the idea, or even knows who  I 
am. On a whim I started rereading her work a few months back, the act of which 
 – God help me – got me interested in Ranma ½ again. Wish you were writing 
more,  Ms Geraci, but I know life happens.  
Like most of my recent fan fiction, this story has been kicking around in  my 
head for years. I actually started to write this one some five years back,  
but got nowhere with it – the fate of most of my pre-Deathless fan fiction. We’
ll see where I  go with this. I’d like to finish one long Ranma ½ story, 
before I’m through.  
Cheers, 
Jeremy Harper   




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