I had an idea one day. A C+C welcome idea.
What if Genma had a real reason to keep Nodaka from her
son?
The Heir
Chapter 1
I had always been that adventurous sort. If I wasn't
practicing some bizarre martial art from before I'd settled
down, I was off into the woods someplace or looking at a map
to get there. For a long time I'd been looking at on place in
particular. Yunnan. China.
The topo maps put some of the river gorges there at
15000 feet deep. The valleys, they held the promise of being
absolutely primitive because of the unbroken mountain chains
that separated them. I'd hike right over the mountains to
places the Communists hadn't even built a dirt path to yet.
Sure, it was fun. I saw things, kingdoms that hadn't
heard from the outside world in centuries. One place where
the prince had a huge castle and was in to interesting hair dye
patterns. Most of them
tolerated me pretty well.
The freakiest part was when I got to this one area that
didn't hold true to the map. It was in a valley eighty klicks
east of the Mekong Gorge, when I went west up a feeder
stream and into the rock wall. It was a very narrow gorge for
a while, but on the other side I saw the stream was draining
this dead flat plain, studded with limestone mountain-
pinnacles just like in that famous part of Katwungtung.
I was busy avoiding being enslaved by some matriarchal
tribe I'd.... inadvertently pissed off when I stumbled across
this unassuming little guy in a Mao suit. I blabbed my plight
to him just praying he was government authority and would
stop all the madness, even if it meant me doing hard labor for
traveling without papers. He said in a half joking, half
serious way that if I wanted to avoid being molested by the
Jusenkyo, I should jump into one of the little pools at his hut
around the bend. I was just about crazy by then so I ran off
without listening to his protests. Even now, after finding out
the consequences, I would do it again. I'm sure it saved my
life.
The next few minutes had been so unreal I was
convinced I was disoriented. I just had to be wearing a
clever little costume the little man had dressed me up in while
I was unconscious, and the Jusenkyo were marching by;
completely ignoring me. Yea, that was it. A costume
which fit a little weird, made my balance a little off and all.
I remember the guide walked up to me with an ornate
teakettle, and soon after the strange weight of the costume
was off. I didn't bother to translate whatever he was saying
now, and the next day I made a beeline for India. It was just
my luck the weather was hot and dry the whole way.
I took a plane back to LA, hung around at my foster-
parents' place for a week, then began my sophomore year at
USC.
As to the curse, I found out two hours ago.
I was trying to get back to my dorm at USC before one
of those monsoon-class deluges that occasionally grace LA
hit. When the rain started, I lost my balance, my bike
upended and, among other things, I hit my head.
This time I had the conditions right but I thought I was
just dreaming. Of course. I'd been having nightmares
about being in some girl's body ever since China. So this
time I was just a few blocks away from my dorm and my
roommate Raoul was looking over me.
"Uh, miss? Are you alright?" Raoul was bent over me,
his broad form blocking out the remaining sun. I tried to get
to my feet but fell back down as my overlong pantlegs were
caught in the chain. All my clothes seemed to be that style.
"Ooo, sorry, um, can I help you up?" He held a hand out,
looking really nervous.
'What's wrong here? Wait, I'm a girl; just a nightmare.
Well if this is just a dream, if I string lonely ol' Raoul on it
won't matter in the real world. This'll be fun.'
A couple of notes here folks. Raoul is a nice guy, and
very trustworthy. That's why I asked him to be my roommate
this year; I knew I could count on him not to steal anything or
have any wild characters around while I was out. But while
he isn't exactly stupid, he is _very_ gullible. (and very
lonely for a girl) Of course, I couldn't resist.
"Ooh, I think I hurt my head...." I was laid back, eyes
wrenched shut. The rain came down hard all around.
"Could you help me get my pants out of there?" I propped
myself up on my elbows, and then ever so slowly, bringing
my eyes up to his. He was like a deer caught in the
headlights; he'd been stealing a glance and now he couldn't
turn away. "Thanks for stopping in the rain like this and all.
It's really nice of you. Um, I... I don't think I remember
where I was going. Would you let me walk with you awhile
till I do?" I still had eye contact. He was totally trapped.
'My old girlfriend has nothing on this performance. Ha!'
The rain came down all around, impacting.
Splashing on the pavement, or making our clothes shake a
little, then soaking in. Everything else faded off into its
gray. Tranquil, still. "Say, um, guy. Earth to Raoul! Are
you gonna get my legs out of here or what?"
[He shook his head around like he was just waking
up or something.] [It was like he'd woken up to an
earthquake.] "Gaa! Um, sure. What was I thinking?" He
got busy on getting my pants out of the gears of my bike.
'Never really had a chance to check out this girl
before. Hmm, my foot is a decameter from the cuff, so 155
maybe. Man does this feel weird! How'm I gonna walk.
Take off the shoes maybe?' I stuck out my bottom lip and
puffed a stray clump of hair from my eye, then it swung right
back in. 'Red hair. Not only a chick but a white chick. Not
too bad looking eit....Wait, what am I thinking? This ain't
me. Probably somebody I've seen around on campus.
There's gotta be something symbolic about her being in my
clothes.'
"All done." He stepped back from the bike.
"Wait, don't stand up"
"Why not?"
"I couldn't see it for your hair before, but you're
bleeding from the head. If you stood up now you might
faint." He moved to unsnap his backpack's waist strap.
'Of course, and this premed always has his first-aid
kit with him.' "Could you use the blue gauze wrap, it'd be
much prettier!"
"How'd you...:" I gave him what I think was a cute
face, "uuh, I could do that," he said, pulling the kit out.
"So, you still haven't told me who you are."
"Oops, I haven't. Could you hold this?" I obliged
him, holding the cotton pad against my head as he began
wrapping the gauze around. "I'm Raoul Plakakis. I'm on 7
south tower right there."
"Mm-hmm, and where you from?"
"Truckee. So, um, where are you from?"
'Hmm, where is this chick from?' "China."
'What?!'
"Whoaah. That's sure different."
"Sorry, um, China, Oregon. One of those funny
little towns, you know."
"Oh." He looked around at the rain. "Heh, I did
come here for sunshine. What's with all this?"
'Now for some real dream power!' "Nevermind, I'll
take care of it." I pointed one finger at the sky and didn't
even bother to look. "Rain," I turned my finger down,
keeping my arm up in the air,"off." Not much changed. "I
said rain off!" I resisted the urge to look up in the sky,
twisting my face into a fury. "Dammit, I don't want any rain
here so why doesn't it just go away? This is MY
imagination!"
I finally looked up at the sky in frustration. "Are
you sure you're all right? I mean, you can tell me who you
are and... where you're going when you really remember
okay. Don't feel bad if you can't, sorry."
'I thought you could control lucid dreams!' I spent
the next minute or so in silence, with an exasperated look on
my face.
"All done here."
"Ok." I got up immediately and unlaced my shoes.
"So do you remember where are you going?"
"Yea, but could I rest up at your place first?" I
looked up to ask, then returned to using my shoestrings to tie
my pants off at my ankles. I was beggining to notice just
how cold I was from the rain.
"Sure. No problem."
I carried my shoes and he walked my bike.
We stopped just before the entrance to my dorm.
"Just put the bike here, I'll get it later." I chained it up.
'Man, this is so real. Even have to put in my combination.'
Pretty soon, we were back up to my room.
"So, what is your name?"
"Rachel" I shivered involuntarily. 'Yeaa, that
sounds good.'
"Um, I'll go get you something to drink if that would
be alright."
"Yes it would Raoul," I said, sickeningly sweet. He
sneaked away to the cafeteria. I was alone in my own dorm.
Things seemed to look pretty much as they did in reality;
floors relatively clean, but the walls plastered with notes.
'Holdon. My head hurts. There is no pain in a dream, fear
maybe, but no pain.'
'Wait a minute here, this just isn't possible. No way.
I haven't pissed off anybody in the biochemical engineering
department lately. I'm me. Has to be a dream, has to...' I
looked to the window. 'I'll wake up when I hit the ground.'
I walked toward it. 'Seven stories up, damm this is gonna be
scary. There's that tree across the street, the pothole they
patched. Our parking lot, and there's the sidewalk. The
concrete, your ticket out. I'd be killed if this were real, yeah.
Gotta just let myself fall, otherwise not enough fear....' I
tried to put my hand through the wall, screwing up because I
misjudged my reach.
I cradled my left hand. "Damm my wrist hurts, gotta
practice more..." 'Hooooly fuckingshit, I'm not dreaming!'
'Okay Ranma, lose your mind later. If we lose it now
things could get real sticky real fast.' I stopped pacing and
sat down at my desk. 'Think, think! Okay, what do I know's
going on?' I exhaled
loudly. 'Known; this seems to be the same body I had all
those nightmares about.' I glanced around my desk, 'my
stuff is all here, so I'm in my own place somewhere where I
exist.' I couldn't be sure, not after all the strange things me
and Pops had seen. 'Raoul is....somewhat interested in the
person I've pretended to be here, a girl, ho my gawlll, what
the hell am I gonna...Get it together Saotome.'
'Almost the same thing as in my nightmares....hey, that's
it. I've had them since China!' I took out a piece of paper,
held it down with the elbow of the arm pressing my head
bandage, and made a timeline. 'Okay, up to China, no
nightmares, no nuthin. Then that guy in the green Mao suit
hides me from those women I infuriated by putting me in that
costume that felt kinda funny.' "Hmm," I circled that spot
two or three times, "Don't really remember _how_ he got me
into that costume...." 'It must have been then.' I drew a
straight line from there till my recent bike crash.
'I was biking to the dorm...I was still me then, clouds
looked nasty. Then I'm down in the rain and I'm...this
person.' That euphemism took a conscious effort. 'Rain. I
changed in the rain. First rain I've seen since before the first
incident, so we're one for one on this being the cause.' A
little mental whisper reminded me there were all those ponds
at the China incident too. 'We're past that, the problem now
is getting back to normal.'
'I was sitting there like a dumb fool, when Mao man is
coming toward me right before I'm back to normal.' "He's
holding a teakettle?"
"N-no. These are, um, styrofoam cups." I jumped six
inches in the seat and my arm shook a bit, even after I
realized it was Raoul coming back from his beverage run. "I
got some coffee from down in the cafeteria, would that be
alright?"
"Sure." I accepted the cup from him. 'It could be
herbs, it could be something with the kettle he used. Damm.
The cure could be under my nose for all I know.' I took a sip
of coffee. "Thanks, that really felt good." In reality, I
despise coffee, but I was too chilled to care.
"So, um, where you going to?"
"Well I was heading back to the dorm when I fell there."
'Uh oh, that's gonna get me in trouble.'
"So you go here then?"
"Um, well, not actually." My mind was paralyzed.
'How am I gonna explain this one?'
"Oh." He tongued his cheek and looked at the floor.
"So you're just visiting a friend?"
"Yeah, that's it. Just visiting a friend."
"Oh," he looked disappointed. I took some pressure off
the gash on my head and it started to bleed again. "Say, that
looks pretty...bad..." his image blurred in my eyes. *1
A dream of a cathedral. Huge marble slabs held up by
impossibly thin columns. Sunlight filtering through from a
long window in the ceiling. A long train of black-clad
priests walk down the hall, singing dark hymns. A few are in
tan. Two hold up glass banners. They become blurred, an
elephant, moving ever-so-slowly down the hall towards me.
The image separates into an arm and a body. My pulse was
jackrabbiting. Raoul quickly leaned over me and put two
fingers on my jugular, a panicked look on his face and
mumbling. "darn, could be concussion, what if it's more
serious...., god, what if..."
I looked around. The cathedral was gone; just bunk
beds and a florescent light. The radio had been on my
station. "Hey, it's alright, just out for a bit there." I felt
exhausted. Raoul looked relived when he looked into my
open eyes again, then his face turned red and he quickly
backed up into his own chair. I sat up in mine now that I
had room. "What's wrong?"
"Um, nothing. Where do you want to go for that?"
"University medical center would be NO! I mean, I
really need to get to my friend's place now, thank you."
"Would she pick you up, or..could I walk you there?"
"I can escort myself, really." Wrong answer.
Red crept up to his face from his collar. "No way.
With your condition, I shouldn't be letting you go without
checking by the hospital. I don't think you should even be
alone for at least the next 24 hours. I'd let you go with my
roommate but I guess he found a new place to camp out."
'I didn't know he had it in him.' I put my head in
my hands. 'Damm. I need to get alone soon to try and
change back, but I since I don't know I even _can_ yet, I can't
just tell him off. He would be my only friend.' I tried to
sound meek. Still feeling dizzy from passing out helped.
"That's probably wise. Could you take me there then?"
The anger had drained from his face as I thought.
"Um, sure. Sorry. About that I mean. It's just that I
wouldn't want to see you hurt because of something I did. So
where's your friend at?"
Oops. "Um, ah, heh heh...uhh," 'think ranma cause
if you cant think now we're really in...' "Akane Tendo."
"What?"
"Um, I mean Akane lives at 303 ()" 'Alright,
Akane's the other student from Japan in my study group.
What can I say to her?'
"Isn't that an all-women's dorm?"
'Aha!' "Yeah, and guys aren't even supposed to be
in there if they aren't accompanied by a registered hall
resident. They'll fine you."
"Oh" I began to get up. "Oops, um, be careful not
to slip in that."
"What?"
"The coffee. You spilled it when you passed out."
I looked down at my feet and noticed the puddle all
around my chair. 'Good thing I didn't buy that carpet. And
I only got a little bit on my foot.' "Oh" I got out of my chair
to cross over it. My foot, asleep, didn't agree with my
decision, and I pitched forward into Raoul's arms.
"Sorry, I probably should have gotten you over that
myself," he lifted me up and set me back on my feet.
'This is getting worse and worse.'
"And you know what, I don't care if they'll punish
me. I'll see you all the way safely...um, no need to sulk like
that, it doesn't look like any permanent damage." He bent
down to my level and smiled. "You'll be back to your old self
in no time, alright."
I know there's nothing 'abnormal' about a guy
hugging another guy, but my form then makes me verrry
paranoid about what I did. I was hugging him _hard_. And
the feelings were something new. This wasn't like being
infatuated with some girl, it was more like he was a rock that
I could cling to. I'd lost my will to go on; the impulse was
that he would take care of everything.
As soon as I realized just what I was doing, I backed
off. 'Where the hell did that come from?
His face was red again. "Um, thanks. Just thought
it was good to be supportive."
'Good, he didn't notice my reaction. I should
probably talk to Akane first in case he follows through.'
"Yea, welcome. Can we go now?" And a short while later,
comparatively uneventful thank goodness...
"-Hall, here we are," piped up Raoul. We'd gotten
as far as inside the doors when I bolted.
"Ineedtogotothebathroom
rightnowandI'llseeyouupatherroom. Bye!" I sprinted up the
stairs as well as I could.
"Hey, there's one right here! You don't have to go
far. Rachel!"
It seemed to take forever to get to her room. 'C'mon,
c'mon, open the door, be here, please.' The knob turned, and
the person I was looking for answered. She's average height,
which makes her taller than I was then. Nice looking,
rounded features, but she looked dense. Not like she was fat,
but like there was weight in her limbs. I wouldn't want her
to punch me. "<Akane? I'm a friend of Ranma's.>"
"<You mean that guy in my study group? Say, your
Japanese is pretty good!>"
I heard Raoul's heavy steps approaching. "<Um,
yeah, well, pleeese play along when he comes up here.
Ranma'll explain everything later.>"
"<What are you saying? Is Ranma coming now...er,
oh.>"
'Raoul has decided embarrassment is not as
important as my well-being. Great. He COULD have used
the phone on the first floor!' He was a little nervous-looking,
but he remembered what he was here for.
"You're Akane?" She nodded. She was still in her
doorway, and I was behind her. "Your friend banged her
head and needs to be with someone else for the ne..," I glared
at him," eee, day, uum, well, it's cause that gash might still be
dangero..," upped the intensity a bit,"ooos, yeah, well you
have to make sure she is with someone else anyway because
she's already hallucinated a teakettle...," I got to looking
downright evil," aaand she might hurt herself or something
like that, um bye." He got off the floor without quite
concealing his nervousness.
"What a strange man." Her English was somewhat
accented.
"<Yea, glad he's finally gone. Bye now>."
"<Wait a second here girl. We're not done.>"
I turned around, arms behind me, bowed at the waist
and looked up at her. "<Yeah, what?>"
"<What was he talking about? I can see you're
injured, but just how dangerous is that? Who was that guy
who.....how many fingers am I holding up?>."
"<Three. That was Raoul. I crashed my bike and
he helped me out. He's a premed, so he's a little obsessive
about this kind of thing. >"
"<And what do you mean Ranma will explain
everything later? And, you're supposed to be my friend?>"
"<I had to do something to get him to let me go, and
besides, I do know Ranma pretty well.>"
"<So who are..?>"
"<Ranma'll tell you later. Ja ne!>" I turned and
ran.
"<Hey...come back here....baka!>"
'Hope I don't have to do that to too many more
people. That sucked.' I sighed and slowed down after I
passed the entrance. 'Sixty bucks. More than enough for a
sample of all the different kinds of tea they have at Trader
Joe's. If it's the brew, I probably need an oriental variety,
hmm. Chem lab? No, locked up. Ah, I could try at that
one hidden table in the cafateria. That way I'd have hot
water right there too! Alright, way to plan Ranma!' "Oof!"
I staggered back from the figure I'd run in to; I hadn't been
watching my direction. 'Him!'
The large man wiped his forehead nervously.
"Sorry miss, I wasn't watching where I was going."
My jaw fell open, but I couldn't speak. 'Him!' I
wanted to welcome him with open arms, but had enough
presence of mind to know I shouldn't, not with how I was. I
managed to bring my jaw up. "S-sorry sir, it was my fault."
'Why? Why now?'
Like always when a stranger was suspicious, he
looked me over closely, then seemed satisfied he hadn't seen
me before. "Of course it wasn't your fault. I apologize."
He bowed slightly and went on his way.
'Why are you here father? What's stalking you?' I
turned to see him enter a red minivan, watching over his
shoulder, of course. I got a look at the plate then left. 'Don't
think about it Ranma, don't think. It'll just overwhelm you.
You can think later.' I managed not to for a while.
Soon I had a dozen varieties of tea arranged in front
of me in dark corner of the Cafateria. 2:30 pm. A few
people in there, but not enough to where this place would be
seen.
Eleven variaties of tea arranged in front of me.
'Bleaaach, I guess tea ceremony tea was to keep them awake!
Yuck.' I tried the rest one by one, giving a few minutes for
each to have a chance to 'work'.
'One more steaming hot styrofoam cupfull of tea left.
If this doesn't do it I'll have to start mixing 'em.' I just
looked at it for a minute, then downed the whole thing in one
gulp. Some splashed on my cheeks and hands. 'I'm gonna
havta piss a lake in a couple of hours. Bangs still red, oh
well.' The open skin the hot tea had touched burned initially,
of course, but I noticed that settled down to a pins and needles
feeling that wasn't going away soon. I looked at the bag.
'English Breakfast tea, hmm.'
I made myself another cup and immersed my hand
in it. 'Damm that's hot!' I knew I was getting a scald, but
the reaction I was getting was out of proportion. The feeling,
like a foot falling asleep, went up my whole arm. Control of
it was, uncertain. I tried to take my arm out as not to spill
the tea, but it was too late. My arm thrashed, it was all over
me, and...'The chair just got smaller, huh?'
I was me.
'176cm, and 77 kilos of good 'ol me. Ow!' I undid
the strings now biting into my ankles. A grin spread across
my face. 'That was such a weird experience, whoah. Just
add it to all the rest I suppose.' I reflected for a few minutes.
'What am I thinking about, I must have hallucinated
the whole thing. Easy after 12 cups of tea, but yet...' I
brought a wrap of blue gauze from my wound to where I
could see it. I let it drop and turned my face to the side,
away. 'No dream.'
'And Pop is here too. Why? He could just be
visiting, but why not before. It's been six years...I'll find out
when I talk to him. Oh hell, and I've missed two classes
today!' I saw various folks about what I'd missed in class:
that took a while. On the way back to my room I picked up a
whole case of English Breakfast Tea mix.
Raoul was already there when I arrived.
"Oh, hey Ranma, how's your day been?"
'Oh just fine Raoul. I found out I turn into the girl
in the rain and have to burn myself with English Breakfast
tea to get back to normal. I made a couple of passes at you
and my father has shown up after leaving me in California six
ago. All in all, an interesting day!' "Aah, same 'ol, daily
grind, ya know? So how was yours?"
"Well, I met this really weird girl...." He managed to
report everything factualy. "So would you know who she is,
I mean, have you seen her around? She seemed nice
enough."
"Nope, but I bet she's close. Hard to find anybody
on a campus like this, eh?"
"Yea, I know what you mean. Oh well, I'm off to
shower."
"Don't drown," I called after him, sarcastically.
I climbed up into my loft, stared at the ceiling, close
above my head, till now. So anyway, here I am. I don't talk
in my sleep, so I think I can have my mental breakdown now.
End chapter one.
Hope you enjoyed.
Yea, yea, I know its taking a while to get anywhere.
More will be explained next chapter, but still, this is rough,
it could change with opinion. I'd also like to know if this
moved too slowly.
Thanks to Rumiko for the story and inspiration.
Yarrow