Hiya there, folks. Like I said quite a while back, I've 
decided to go around do some rewriting of my multicrossover 
fanfic. This being prompted by the mere fact that I needed to do 
a bit of slight tweaking here and there. Yep. The tweaking became 
a full fledged rewriting of certain areas and chapters. 
	For those who are new to the list, I hope you guys get a 
kick out of what I'm doing. After all, it isn't ever day someone 
goes around trying to tie up a dozen or so anime series into one 
story. I've done my best to fit them all together seamlessly and 
as you progress through the chapters of my fanfic, you'll notice 
what these anime series are. 
	For those who've read this when I first posted this fanfic 
so long ago, I hope you find it a more interesting read that 
before. 
	Anyway, I'm not really using Ranma cannon in this. Well, 
somewhat as I wanted to do my own version of how Nodoka finds out 
about Ranma's curse. Also, a little note: THIS IS NOT AN SI. 
	Hah!! 
	As if anyone would be willing to listen to that age-old 
argument. Try as I might, I will let you people judge it. For me, 
I _know_ it isn't an SI. Just a new character that's bound to 
stir up the necessary trouble to create this little story. Okay, 
so the name's the same as my handle. So what? I like the name. As 
a friend of mine once commented on the name; it really sticks to 
your memory. 
	So there. 
	Well, enough rantings. This fanfic could never be created 
without the contributions of Takahashi-sensei who created Ranma 
and a score of other lovable anime, Naoko Takeuchi for 
Sailormoon, Kyosuke Fujishima for Oh! My Goddess, as well as to 
all the other anime creators out there!!! 
	My thanks. 
	C&Cs and others like it may be directed to me. I want your 
opinion on this one people. I mean it. ^_^ 
	On with the show!!!!!



==============================
ANGEL'S CHRONICLES:  BOOK ONE
ANGEL'S FOLLY
==============================


Chapter One: Shattered Peace


	It has been two months since the abortive wedding of a 
certain couple in Nerima. A couple that had been fighting tooth 
and nail over the engagement. The very people that had brought 
chaos and everything else to the lives of the citizens of Nerima. 
The very same couple that two bumbling fathers have tried so hard 
to get together and wedded so that the families may be united. 
	The fathers had a grand goal. 
	A decent one at that. 
	Too bad they failed to take note of one little thing. 
	They should have left matters of heart to their children. 
	Not that any of them would listen to what their hearts had 
got to say in the matter. The two of them were somewhat busy 
arguing all the time to even bother.  
	And, like the others, this one ended the very same way -- 
save for one tiny detail. 
	A lot of people nearly got hurt in the process.
	But then again, this was kinda expected considering that 
news had spread across town that the great Ranma Saotome had 
pledge his love for Akane back in China. 
	Definitely reasonable for it to happen. 
	But still, it had been too much for the couple.  
	Two months had passed since then. Everyone promptly forgot 
it all. Standard procedure. Best way to live through live in 
Nerima. Not that it's all that bad. 
	The various martial artists in Nerima had gone their 
separate ways -- so to speak. The Chinese Amazons had 
concentrated on their little business, leaving the Tendos and 
their guests for the time being. The okonomiyaki chef, Ukyou 
Kuonji, had left her own shop in the care of her servant, one 
Konatsu Kenzan. No reason was given save that she just needed to 
be away for awhile. The eternal lost boy, Ryouga Hibiki, was last 
seen somewhere in the outskirts of Tokyo. Where he's bound, no 
one really knew. 
	Yes. 
	Life had indeed settled down for the time being. But it did 
have its price. And this was merely a temporary thing. Nothing 
could ever be permanent in Nerima. 
	Ranma and Akane had barely talked in a month. Their 
relationship strained past the point of it ever being mended. 
Talk about their imminent break up was the highlight of things in 
Nerima. That was until Ranma had decided to do something drastic 
to change all that. 
	All with a little help from an unexpected person. 
	Happossai. 
	Yeah, well... he was instrumental in bringing the two 
together. Having brought some sort of scroll he managed to buy 
from the Cursed Antiques Store and managing to snare Akane, 
turning her into a willing slave to his will. 
	Suffice to say that Ranma had not been pleased by that. 
	None at all. 
	With a bit of help and a _lot_ of luck, he had been able to 
restore Akane back into her original self before Happossai could 
do anything... unpleasant to her. But such help was not without 
their own price. He had been forced to work long torturous hours 
in the Cat Cafe as a waitress. Why the old ghoul didn't even 
bother using the deal as leverage to get him to marry her great 
granddaughter was a mystery.  One Ranma did not even want to 
think about. 
	Still, it did make him wonder time and again. 
	Of course, he had to deal with the slight fact of Shampoo 
glomping him to death every time during the course of her work as 
a waitress. It certainly created a lot of embarrassing 
situations. Not the least was Akane's treatment of him during 
that time. 
	And like any other tale, both of them somehow got back to 
being their usual, bickering selves. 
	Life had gotten back to its usual track. 
	Ranma and Akane fighting. 
	Shampoo glomping Ranma once every so often. 
	Ukyou being her usual cheerful, friendly self after finally 
returning from the trip back to Kyoto where she'd taken some 
_necessary_ steps with her family. 
	Mousse and Ryouga hot for Ranma's blood and both having 
newer techniques to pummel Ranma to the ground.  
	Etceteras. Etceteras. 
	True love can be such a pain.  
	

* * * * * * 	


	It was yet another fine Monday morning in good old Nerima. 
The skies were clear. The sun shinning brilliantly upon a 
sapphire blue sky. All was right in the world. Well, as right as 
it could be in this particular neck of the woods. 
	"DIE RANMA!!!" an angry, feminine voice bellowed. 
	"And I will if you want me to eat that... that thing you 
call breakfast, Akane!!" retorted a male voice. "Can't you just 
see how much of a bad cook you are?" He shouted back at her, 
leaping away from another mallet strike. "I mean, you could put 
every bio-weapon the world has stockpiled to shame with your 
cooking!!" 
	That did it. 
	Ranma Saotome, uncontested martial artist in Nerima and the 
next heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, was in for 
it now. True, he insulted Akane's cooking much as he did with 
everything else she did just as Akane never listened to anything 
he had to say. But there were times that he really _did_ put his 
foot in his mouth. 
	Or maybe a leg even. 
	Ranma often times insulted Akane's cooking. That, in 
itself, was nothing new. But there _were_ limitations of just how 
much one could insult the cook and still get away with it -- so 
to speak. Akane had somewhat mellowed down knowing quite well she 
needed a lot of practice in cooking.  Of course, when one starts 
comparing the cook's food to biological weapons.... well... 
that's kinda taking it too far.
	Well, not much but still far. 
	And one must note that this cook is one Akane Tendo. 
	The wielder of the great mallet of justice. 
Mallet-sama as most people in Nerima called it. 
	Akane began to glow an unhealthy shade of red, wrapping her 
in righteous rage. The type of glow you normally see when a star 
is expected to turn nova. The kind that signaled that something 
very bad was about to happen to someone.  
	Ranma knew he was in definite trouble. 
	The kind that was going to hurt a lot. 
	"Uh-oh." was the only coherent thought that passed through 
his mind before he found himself on a journey to the outskirts of 
town compliments of his fianc�e's mallet.
	"DIE!!!!!!!!!" 
	Those words echoed across the neighborhood. The impact of 
the mallet set a shockwave that was audible for quite a ways. And 
judging from the trajectory of Akane Flight 101, Ranma was going 
to be up in the air for quite some time. 
	There was indeed an inherent danger to being a fiancee to 
some people. 
	Yeah. 
	Poor Ranma. 


* * * * * * 


In another area of Nerima, specifically Furinkan High, two 
students sat by the window of their classroom as they waited for 
the start of school. Life had been one hell of a carnival for 
everyone in Nerima. More so with the students of Furinkan 
themselves as they tackled daily problems like insane principals 
with a short hair fetish, crazy professors not to mention the 
occasional chi vampire like Miss Hinako, or even martial artists 
challenging the reigning champion, Ranma Saotome. 
	Every day was different. 
	Every event spectacularly crazy in its own way. 
	And every good-looking female that came through Furinkan's 
gates was already attached to someone. 
	More likely to Ranma Saotome. 
	Of course, being best friends with Ranma, they had a more 
understanding view of it all. After all, hadn't Ranma bemoaned 
his fate with women. While they envied the guy for his endless 
charm with women, they really did not envy him for all the 
_other_ problems that came attached with it. 
	That was when the duo noticed an errant projectile in the 
sky. 
	It was going up real fast. Faster than a ballistic missile 
on steroids.  Both took note of this and quickly deduced who 
could it be. Most people have become quite good in figuring out 
who it could be traversing the sky not to mention calculating the 
possible crash sites for said people. It helped to know that ever 
martial artists had to bow down to a force stronger than their 
own. 
	Isn't love such a pain? 
	"Ranma must have pissed Akane off more than usual." Daisuke 
said conversationally. "Think he'll hit escape velocity?" 
	His good friend and usual partner, Hiroshi, shrugged. 
	"Most probably." came the reply. 
	"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if Ranma 
hadn't arrived in Nerima?" questioned Daisuke. "I mean, who would 
have Akane ended up with." 
	Hiroshi looked thoughtful for a moment. Yeah. There were 
times when he entertained those thoughts. Of course, those were 
the times when they had yet to accept the reality of things. But 
now... with the advent of Ranma's coming into their lives like a 
hurricane, things started coming into focus. 
	The male students of Furinkan High began to come out of the 
shell they've put themselves -- much to the relief of the _other_ 
largely ignored females of Furinkan. Things have indeed began to 
change since then. Heck. The two of them actually began to think 
of the other females. 
	Perhaps they should be thanking Ranma for what he's done to 
them all. He glanced out into the horizon, staring out at the 
blue expanse laid out before him. He doubted the others hadn't 
thought about it already. Ranma _was_ the catalyst for all the 
changes in their everyday lives. 
	Heck!! 
	Life had never been so much fun or insanely crazy. 
	Ranma had given them all the entertainment they needed. You 
don't get soaps as good as the one that was happening every 
single day in Furinkan. Roving martial artists. Jilted fiancees. 
Cursed objects and love potions galore. Sexy and busty babes. 
Mayhem and destruction. Even the occasional prince of some nation 
searching for potential brides. All the entertainment that 
everyone in Nerima have become party to. 
	It was like watching a Shakespearean play at work every 
single day of their lives. 
	"So, you ready for Saturday night?" Daisuke asked. 
	Hiroshi nodded absently. "Yeah. I sure hope Yuka and Sayuri 
would agree to come with us." 
	His friend laid an arm around his shoulders. "No need to 
worry." Daisuke assured him. "Sayuri-chan said the two of them 
would come with us."
	Hiroshi found himself smiling. 
	"Cool. A double date." 
	Daisuke shrugged. "Something like that." 
	 
	
* * * * * * 


	Somewhere in China....
	It was a peaceful day in Jusenkyo. Well, it should be. Not 
after what had happened here not so long ago. After all, by the 
end of it all, the cursed springs of Jusenkyo had all but 
disappeared. The only evidence of it being there was the large, 
shallow lake that covered the springs. 
	It would be a while before all the waters could be drained. 
	At least, no one would get cursed for the time being. 
	Of course, this would not last long as most Jusenkyo guides 
knew well. 
	The daughter of the current guide stared out into the vast 
expanse of the man-made lake that covered all of Jusenkyo. She 
was happy to see those springs disappear. Even temporarily. There 
were things out there that held curses that were never intended 
for human eyes to see ever again. 
	 Jusenkyo was originally not a training ground as they've 
been advertising all these decades. It was something else. It was 
an ancient mystic prison. Built by the ancients of old. Who they 
were had been all but forgotten save for the legends. 
	Nothing more. 
Plum could never truly figure out the travelers that seemed to 
flock to these springs day in and day out. And for some even 
stranger reasons, none of those travelers bothered with the signs 
plastered everywhere written in dozens of languages. She'd often 
asked her father why this was so. Her father merely answered that 
in due time she would come to understand. For now, she need not 
concern herself with it. She was too young. 
	She hated it when people treated her so. True, she was 
young but she'd learned quite a bit from the many books she'd 
come across. She was well-versed in half a dozen languages not to 
mention adept at philosophy and mathematics. She knew she was 
smart but the village elders merely brushed her off calling it a 
child's arrogance and ignorance. 
	Plum sighed wishing those sour old men would finally begin 
accepting the changes happening all around them. Even the Amazons 
had started to see the advantages of change. 
	She snorted in disgust. 
	There were times when adults were so stubborn to the point 
of foolishness. At least her Dad was nice enough to notice _her_ 
potentials. For that she was happy and pretty much content with 
how things were going for the time being. 
	Still, that would change in time. 
	She'd show them!! 
	Plum shot up from her seat as if a fiery poker had been 
prodded at her. She stared at the valley that held Jusenkyo, 
feeling something strange was about to happen. 
	It filled her with a sense of dread like no other. 
Plum quickly pulled out her Rangefinder Binoculars, a gift from 
one American tourist who had thanked her for saving his life in 
more ways than one. She adjusted the scopes, zooming in on the 
distortion she saw over the lake. 
	Plum gaped at what she saw. 
	The waters of Jusenkyo churned and boiled. Steam rose from 
the sunken springs as a dense fog began to form from the 
precipitation. Plum could feel the power growing stronger. The 
very air was becoming charged with it. She cried out in surprise 
as lightning came down from the clear skies above to strike the 
waters of Jusenkyo. 
	Over the waters that covered the cursed springs, streams of 
multi-colored light slowly rose from within the water's depths, 
climbing high into the skies. More and more of those light 
streams began to appear, streaking towards the sky, leaving faint 
trails in their wake. Plum stood there, staring at the spectacle 
before her. She watched impassively, fear being replaced by 
wonder and curiosity. 
	 Without any warning, a blue-white vortex of energy erupted 
from the sunken springs of Jusenkyo. An intense beam of light 
that spiraled its way up into the heavens. Plum watched in awe. 
Never had she witnessed such a display of power in her life!
	The light show lasted mere seconds, but even then, it still 
felt like an eternity. 
	The gleaming vortex dissipated, leaving behind a pulsing 
golden sphere in its wake. It hung there, glowing softly above 
what had been the cursed springs of Jusenkyo. Nothing remained of 
Jusenkyo, only a large gaping crater several meters deep. 
	Plum gaped, stunned by this sudden turn of events. 
	Jusenkyo was gone. 
	Forever. 
	But what could have possibly destroyed something that the 
mages of the Old World had tried unsuccessfully to destroy? No 
one could have that _much_ power. 
	No one.
	But the evidence in front of her said otherwise. 
	Plum eyed the sphere warily.
	It hung there, pulsing with a soft golden light, doing 
nothing. 
	Plum waited, wondering when the end of the world would 
begin. Considering all that had happened just moments ago, that 
idea was not as far fetched as it sounded. 
	Then something happened.
	The sphere flared to life, blazing like the very heart of 
the sun. It expanded as it grew ever brighter. Plum could only 
cover her eyes as the world around her exploded in a blinding 
flash of light...  
	
	
* * * * * * 


	A twelve year old Miss Hinako sat under the tree, happily 
eating quite a bit of sweets from the bento box she brought with 
her. All in all, she was quite the happy camper. No spiders to 
scare her silly. None of the usual craziness that was her life 
her in Nerima.
	Life was good.
	It was just a matter of time though for it to turn into 
anything but good. 
	A loud commotion from the women's changing room proved that 
all too well. 
	Hinako sighed, wishing that Happossai would stop molesting 
the females. Not that it would ever work. Better to ask the 
Amazons to wear skirts and become homemakers rather than ask 
anything of the old man. She had often times wondered if her 
meeting with him when she had been younger was either good or 
bad. 
	Probably of both. Back then, she had been an innocent 
little girl recuperating from her illness. One thing about 
Happossai that, while he was indeed the ultimate pervert, he had 
a terribly soft spot for children. 
	Hinako-sensei watched and waited for the inevitable train 
of women wielding instruments of female wrath. Directly in front 
of them was a shrunken old man carry an oversized sack, literally 
overflowing with silky underwear. 
	"Hohoho!! Can't you girls give an old man a break?" he 
asked, his voice taunting them so. 
	"Like hell we will!!" snapped one of the girls from the 
soccer team wielding a nasty pitchfork she'd grabbed from 
somewhere.
	"I want my stuff back, you disgusting lecher." another 
cried out.
	"All I want is to see you die, old man!!" another enraged 
voice declared.
	"Geez!! Is this how you treat your elders now?" he asked, 
jumping around as the women tried to hit him. "I say!!" 
	Hinako-sensei quickly intervened, putting herself directly 
in front of the warpath. She fished out a 5-yen piece from her 
yellow dress and aimed it right at the old lecher.	
	"You will not get away, you dirty old man!!" she intoned in 
whatever serious voice she could muster. "Happo-Go-Yen-Satsu." 
	A luminescent green glow surrounded Hinako's child form as 
she absorbed the chi-energy from the old pervert. The change 
began to take place. Her form shifted, her body suddenly aging to 
accommodate the energy that had been taken in. 
	Her clothes strained to contain Hinako-sensei's now 
voluptuous form, molding itself around her like a second skin. 
Males within range openly gaped at Hinako. Their minds going into 
overdrive, possibly thinking hentai thoughts. Not surprising 
considering the object of their fantasies. 
	The females openly glared at Hinako, secretly envying the 
way their school disciplinarian/teacher made the males drooling 
with lust. What they would not do to be able to look like Hinako. 
Still... there was just _one_ thing they had to address first. 
They stared at the crumpled flesh that was the old pervert. 
It was time for some much deserved payback. 
	Happossai gulped -- or tried to for that matter. 
	Things did not look good for him. 
	Hinako smiled, taking her seat against the tree once more 
and began to finish a meal that had been disturbed. The male 
population of Furinkan High still drooled over the luscious form 
of their teacher whilst the female population took care of 
Happossai. 
	The males could only stare at their  teacher. 
Long, flowing auburn hair as smooth as silk. Emerald green eyes 
that sparkled with mischief  and framed by a wealth of long 
lashes. A curvaceous body that any model would kill for to 
acquire. A voice to warm even the coldest of hearts.
	Definitely a goddess to be worshipped.... until she turned 
into a kid again, of course. Still, quite a few students were 
known to go to extremes just to see their beloved teacher in full 
bloom. Even if it meant a couple of chi-drains to do it. 
	High atop the rooftops of Furinkan High, Hiroshi and 
Daisuke watched the scene unfold below the, They too were no less 
affected by Hinako's transformation than the others. They too 
wanted so very much a chance at their teacher.
	Of course, unbeknownst to them, two girls regarded them 
with contempt and disappointment.  
	"Man, I wish I had a girl like Hinako." said Hiroshi, 
leaning against the rail.
	"You and everyone else." Daisuke put in. "Me included." 
	The two friends sighed, eyes glued upon the splendor that 
was Hinako-sensei's adult form. 


* * * * * * 


	Kasumi smiled, humming a simple tune as she kept herself 
busy in her kitchen. The others would be coming back by now and 
she needed to finish the food preparations if she was to let 
Akane help her around here. She'd had to be careful and ever 
attentive of her sister as Akane often times sought to spice 
things up without really meaning to at times. Other times she 
merely did it because she found the recipe boring. Such was her 
youngest sister's shortcomings in the kitchen. 	
	And the times she allowed her sister in here, her kitchen 
ended up looking like a scene from World War III. Perhaps even 
worse with all those unimaginable _things_ pasted across the 
entire room. She loved her sister so, but even she had her 
limits. 
But, she also knew how Akane wanted so very much to learn. It was 
just Akane couldn't get the right mindset when she cooked. She 
kept thinking that cooking was not that different from training 
martial arts. In a way, it was, but Akane had yet to grasp the 
simple logic of reading instructions and not substituting 
ingredients just because it might make the food taste better. 
	She prayed to their departed mother for strength -- not to 
mention some idea as to how to go about helping her culinary-
challenged sister.  
	"Huh?" 
	Kasumi looked up from her work, glancing at the kitchen 
entrance, wondering just what it was she had suddenly sensed. She 
blinked a few times, trying to determine just what it that had 
disturbed her. Seeing nothing out of the relative ordinary, she 
turned her attention back to her work. 
	Out on the porch, Soun Tendo basked under the relative 
peace and quiet. It was good not having to worry about what might 
happen to his house with Akane and Ranma under it. It was only 
temporary but he was willing to get what he could out of it all. 
	"Today is a good day." he breathed. 
	Like hell it was.
	*DING* *DONG* 
	Soun blinked, wondering who could it be? He was not worried 
too much. Trouble did not ring doorbells. It hardly bothered with 
pleasantries at all. Curious, Soun stood up, walking out of the 
living room and out the front door. 
	*DING* *DONG*
	As he neared the front gate, a feeling of dread washed over 
him. There were quite a few things that could do this. Another 
super powered martial artist out for Ranma's blood. Ranma 
suddenly proclaiming that he really was a girl. Or....
	He opened the gate, wondering who could it be this time.
	What he did not expect was a smiling Nodoka Saotome gracing 
his house once more. She had left quite disappointed upon seeing 
the remains of what was supposed to be the dojo. Soun could still 
vividly remember the look of sadness upon her face. It had been 
enough for him to do something right for once at that time. It 
was too bad that he had not seen Genma-panda appear behind him to 
pummel him into oblivion. 
	Soun sighed inwardly, wondering how long before this poor 
woman would be able to see her son. It hurt terribly to see this 
woman suffer for the mistakes of her husband. Indeed, had Genma 
not been so much a good friend over the years, he might have done 
something about it. Of course, upon further deliberation, there 
_was_ the fact that he needed Ranma to continue the legacy of 
their school. And that will not happen if he committed seppuku 
now. 
	*What a tangled web we weave.*  Soun thought sadly. 
	"Nodoka-san." he greeted. "It is an honor for us to be 
visited by you once more."
	Nodoka smiled. There was a tinge of sadness in that smile. 
Soun could hardly blame her. She had every right to feel that 
way. 
	"Are they...." 
	Soun shook his head. It pained him to do this, but it had 
to be done. If anyone had any right in revealing their secret, it 
would have to be Ranma. To hear it from others would hurt this 
woman far, far more. Soun only prayed it would be soon. 
	"I'm afraid not, Nodoka. I cannot say for certain why they 
had left this time. But rest assured your son is fine." he said 
to her, omitting Genma's name quite purposefully. 
	Nodoka sighed, clutching the bundle in her hands tightly. 
	"I see." she said quietly, looking away. 
	Soun could feel his heart cry out. He wondered just what 
pain Nodoka hid within her. A mother should not be deprived of 
her child. Nor should a child grow up without the love and care 
only a mother could possibly give. He had seen that first hand 
with his own children when his wife had died. 
	"Perhaps you should join us for dinner, Nodoka-san. Better 
yet, why not spend a bit of time here, after all, the girls do 
love having you around." suggested Soun. 
	Nodoka smiled gratefully. 
	"If it isn't that much of a bother..." 
	Soun shook his head, ushering the Saotome matriarch into 
his home, trying to hide his nervousness behind a chuckle. 
	"No trouble. No trouble at all."  he assured her in as much 
as himself.


* * * * * * 


	"Life sucks." a wet redhead declared for the nth number of 
time. 
	Ranma shook off the excess water from her clothes, all too 
conscious of the numerous stares she received from passerbys. She 
hated getting wet. Hated it with a vengeance. She'd never gotten 
used to the infallible way cold water found its way to her or any 
other Jusenkyo-cursed victims. 
	Ranma sighed, pinching her clothes away from her soaking 
wet skin. She wondered just what the heck was Akane's problem 
anyways. All she said was that she'd ought to try harder if she'd 
wanted her cooking to improve past the point of killing anything 
living. Why the heck does she have to get pissed off like that?!! 
Couldn't that tomboy try and do something about that unreasoning 
temper of hers?!! 
	A little voice in her head quietly informed her that 
perhaps the next time she decided to say something to her 
fiancee, perhaps it would be wise to take her temper into 
account. 
	Like that would ever happen. 
	Ranma sullenly kicked a small pebble, her mind filled with 
thoughts about her life and Akane. She knew she cared about her. 
And why not considering all the trouble she'd gone through for 
her. What more could anyone ask for to prove that she really did 
care. 
	Of course, there were rare times the two of them had 
somehow bridged the gap they've thrown between them. Walls of 
pride and honor that kept them apart. They broken through it, but 
for so short a time. 
	It was hard at times, with all the fighting they've been 
doing. It was hard to recall those sweet memories of the two of 
them she'd keep in her heart. But she would not give up. She 
couldn't. Not with everything she'd gone through for her.
	Perhaps someday, she'd find some way to cross the ocean 
that divided them so... 


* * * * * * 


	"How can he -- she be not yet home???" Akane demanded 
quietly.  
	"Perhaps she had something to do after school?" suggested 
Kasumi.
	Akane bristled in anger. Oh yes. If that baka would be 
doing something after school, there can only be a few things. 
Both involved two of his _other_ fiancees and food. It was a 
continual source of irritation that Ranma would want food from 
_those_ two rather than eat the food she lovingly prepared for 
him. Could that idiot not see how hard she tried to please him?!! 
	"Well, since you're not doing anything right now, perhaps 
you could help me in the kitchen?" asked Kasumi nicely. 
	Akane visibly relaxed; eyes gleaming with eagerness. 
	"Honto!!" 
	"Well, so long as you _do_ as I direct, then yes, you can." 
admonished Kasumi firmly. She did not want a repeat of what had 
happened a week ago when Akane had helped her in the kitchen. 
Kasumi was not one to be frustrated over things, but there were 
indeed times that Akane pushed her to the limits. 
	Still, she could never really blame Akane. Kasumi believed 
that her youngest sister could one day call herself a decent cook 
-- if time permitted. 
	Not that Kasumi found this hard to believe at times. 
	"Okay. No problem." Akane agreed enthusiastically. "Think 
you could help me spice up my curry too??" 
	Kasumi smiled. 
	"Of course, Akane." 
	

* * * * * *


	"Tadiama!!" announced the tired voice of Ranma.
	"Hello there, Ranko." 
	Ranma did a double take at the sight of her mother as she 
emerged from the kitchen. It was hard not to go rushing towards 
her mother and spill everything. Not with that katana she kept 
hauling around everywhere she went. Well... that wasn't the only 
reason why. She felt... unable to even speak about it. Sometimes, 
she wished she'd kicked her father's ass that time when her 
mother had first visited them. At least, she couldn't have 
learned about that stupid promise! 
	A man amongst man that idiot said! 
	Ha!! 
	Just take a look at her right now!! 
	*Stupid old man!!!* she cursed inwardly. 
	Nodoka hugged the slight figure that was Ranko, the Tendo's 
only cousin. 
	For Ranma's part, she felt those familiar stirrings within 
her. A deep-seated longing for the love of a mother she hardly 
knew. Ranma sighed, kissing her mother on the cheek, hugging her 
back. How she wanted to stay with her mother!! 
	If only...
	Nodoka smiled at her. 
	Ranma smiled back, trying hard not to show just how 
unhinged she felt right now.  How often had she  seen _that_ look 
in her mother's eyes? Ones that conveyed such sadness and 
loneliness. How many times had she tried in the past few years? 
How many times had her stupid cowardly father ruined it for her? 
	She hated it. Hated the lies she had to spin for her 
mother. 
	How she hated it all. 
	It was painful for her. It hurt so much that she could 
hardly stand it sometimes. How she hated herself for what she was 
doing to her mother. There were many a number of times at night 
when she would retreat to the roof to cry her heart out.  
She wanted her mother. To let her know _she_ was her son.  
	*Damn you, oyaji!* she thought angrily. *Mom deserves 
someone better than you as her husband.*
	"Ohayo, Auntie Saotome." 
	"Dinner will be ready in a while. you could freshen up a 
bit while you're waiting." 
	"Hai."
	Minutes later, a distraught looking Ranma stared blankly at 
her reflection. Ranma had never really looked at this side of 
herself. What she saw took her breath away. 
She was beautiful. Like a flower that had yet to fully bloom.  
Soft curves that could only be shaped by nature's hand. Delicate 
features any woman would wish for. Eyes that shone with the fiery 
beauty of her spirit. Hair of such vibrant red to match her 
spirit and name. 
	She stared at the mirror. 
	Stared at herself. 
	At how different she look with this curse of hers...
	Something she had to live with.  
	Ranma sighed, covering herself up again. She did not relish 
getting called a pervert just because she was staring at her own 
body! Sure, it was a curse, but it was one she had to live 
with... perhaps even for the rest of her life for try as she 
might, she could never truly find a cure for her curse. 
	Ranma snorted at that thought. Who was she kidding?!! 
	Still...
	It was hard for her to remain in this form -- not because 
it was not her regular form -- but because of other things that 
no male should ever have to experience. In the past few years, 
she had experienced every aspect of what it was to be a woman. 
She hated it. Hated what strange feelings it stirred within her. 
Alien sensations that had no place in a man's body. 
	Just now... in the baths... Ranma closed her eyes, willing 
the thought to leave her mind. She knew what had happened. Knew 
well enough that it was _not_ something she wanted to be thinking 
about. 
	"What now?" she wondered out loud. 
	"Howz about wearing this number for me, Ranma, my boy?" 
suggested the old man glomped onto Ranma's assets. "Make an old 
man happy." 
	"Get off me you stupid old letch!!" growled Ranma, trying 
not to get too worked up.
	"No. No. No. NO!" Happossai objected, shaking his head 
vigorously across Ranma's ample bosom. 
	A low growl emanated for Ranma's lips, her body bathed in 
her battle aura. 
	"Happossai!!!" she screamed. "DIE!!"
	Ranma ripped off the offending lecher off her chest, 
launching the pervert out through a handy wall and out to LEO. 
She was still breathing hard when the door behind her burst open. 
She turned to see everyone staring at her. 
	"What happened?" Nodoka asked.
	Ranma quickly calmed herself. "Nothing I couldn't handle 
myself, Auntie Nodoka. I just had to get rid of a certain lech." 
	Nodoka blinked fingering the katana in her hands, then 
remembered the old man that had been her husband's sensei. 
	"Ah..... So desu." 
	Everyone calmed down, breathing a sigh of relief. The 
scream had been far more than just a mere cry of surprise. Well, 
nothing to worry about. 
	Almost.
	"Ra... Ranko? What's that you got on your leg?" asked 
Akane, frowning. "Looks like blood..." 
	Ranma -- errr.... Ranko -- gulped, looking down, fearing 
what it was she would see....
	Blood.
	*Not again.* 
	Ranma froze, eyes wide with terror. For the first time in 
her life, she felt herself losing consciousness.... 


* * * * * * 


	Dinner was finally over.
	Thank God!! 
	Well, that might be stretching it a little but not too 
much. After all, what  dinner one could safely walk away from was 
good enough reason to be relieved. Akane's cooking may have 
mellowed down by quite a bit but it was still a far cry from any 
meals cooked by Kasumi. Ranma suspected that Akane had helped 
from both Nodoka and Kasumi. Not that it did anything other than 
make the food safe for digestion. 
	Ranma had often times pointed out her mistakes but Akane 
had been less than willing to listen to anything she said to her. 
Like Akane ever listened to her in anything unless it somehow 
involved kidnappings or life and death situations. 
	Still, Ranma was glad she didn't have to resort to using 
the stomach pump again. 
	A part of her chided her for that. True, Akane was not 
exactly a great cook but she was trying for his sake. Another 
part quickly countered that if she had been trying enough, none 
of them would have to be forced to suffer through her dinners. 
	Nabiki had once entertained the thought of making a killing 
if they sold Akane's homemade cooking to the UN. Akane had not 
_liked_ the idea at all. But since it was her sister that raised 
it, she could hardly do anything about it other than stare at 
Nabiki coldly. 
	Ranma sat on one of the larger stones of the koi pond as 
she mulled over what was happening to her. She shifted slightly, 
unused to having to wear female underwear not to mention that 
sanitary napkin her mother had to help her with. Of course, she 
had loudly protested having to make use of such things but her 
mother had her way with her in the end. 
	She stared blankly at her reflection. 
	Her mind replayed the events which culminated to this 
single instant in her life. 
	Cursed to live half her life as a girl. 
	That she could have lived with. She had not thought of its 
deeper implications until now. The curse changed her far more 
completely than she had first thought. Ranma shook her head. No. 
That wasn't it. She knew deep down inside but had refused to 
listen to it. 
	And now, the final proof of just how feminine she was 
barred before her very eyes. 
	A period. 
	Ranma could not help but laugh at that. 
	Guys don't have periods. 
	Normal guys don't!
	Save for one Jusenkyo-cursed victim of Nyannichuan. 
	Ranma sighed, chucking a small stone at her reflection, 
causing a small ripple to form. There was no other way to look at 
it. It seems she'd have to live with the fact that she was 
_indeed_ 100% female half the time. 
	Oh yeah. 
	Joy and rapture!! 
	HA!! 
	Yeah right!! 
	As if she needed it to be any more complicated than it 
already was!!! 
	"Why does these things have to happen to me?!!" she thought 
out loud. 
	"Ranko-chan?" a voice called out from the porch. 
	Ranma turned to see her mother approach her -- sans the 
family katana which Ranma was silently glad. She could see the 
look of concern in her mother's eyes. Ranma had a hard time just 
accepting the curse. And now this!! 
	Her mother.... _Auntie Saotome!!_ had tried to explain what 
was happening to her. But that explanation only served to make 
her even more afraid of her curse. 
	"Are you alright, Ranko-chan?" pressed Nodoka as she sat 
beside the troubled young woman. 
	Ranma shook her head, sparkling trails of tears running 
down her cheeks. Ranma blinked at that, brushing away the tears 
with the back of her hand.  
	"No!! I'm not all right!!" she retorted.
	Nodoka frowned. 
	Ranma looked away, mumbling an apology. 
	"Sorry." 
	Nodoka lost her frown, patting the young woman on the 
shoulder. 
	"Need someone you can talk to, Ranko?" she wanted to know. 
"I'm willing to listen if you're willing to tell me." 
	Ranma sighed, staring at her mother for a moment. 
	*It wouldn't hurt.* she told herself. 
	And so... 
	"It's just that... well... with all this things happening 
to me day by day, it takes everything I have just so that I don't 
go crazy!! To be able to go on. I mean, I never asked for anyone 
to pick on me!! But that just what's happening to me. I've 
managed to cope with it. But now... this had to happen to me!!" 
Ranma gestured down below.  "As if I needed any more problems in 
my life!!" 
	Nodoka stared silently at this troubled young woman beside 
her. This young woman was ever a dilemma to her. But that self-
same quandary over her  made her all that much more interesting.  
Vibrant and full of life. It reminded her so much of herself in 
her younger days. 
	"You're afraid of what your body has suddenly decided to 
tell you. You realize its implications and the inherent need for 
safety on your part." concluded Nodoka for her.
	"It's not just that, Auntie Saotome." Ranma replied sadly. 
"I never really liked being a girl in the first place." 
	"But your body has decided to inform you of just what you 
are, Ranko-chan." 
	"Yeah. I know. Don't I just know it!!!" 
	"Why do you hate yourself so?" Nodoka asked quietly. "Is 
there any reason why being a member of the female half of 
humanity such a burden to you??" 
	"Well, Pops always been saying that girls are weak. They 
just don't have what it takes." Ranma was about to say more when 
she detected a sudden chill. It left before she had time to 
figure out where it had come from. 
	She did have a slightly rough idea right after turning to 
face her mother.
	Oh, yes. 
	A definite idea who had done it. 
	Lucky for her her mother had decided to leave the family 
katana in the living room. Probably the only time she had ever 
seen her mother without the frigging thing. 
	"Then your father was an idiot, my dear." informed Nodoka 
bluntly.
	Ranma let out a guffaw at that. 
	"Hahahaha. I guess you could say that." 
	"Do you think yourself as weak, Ranko?" she asked.
	Ranma shook her head.
	"No." 
	"Then why think that males are superior to us then?" 
	Ranma considered it for a moment. His mind began to cite 
instances to her. Akane pummeling her like there was no tomorrow. 
The Furinkan females trashing the old pervert. Miss Hinako and 
her disciplines. 
	Yada. Yada. Yada.
	"I dunno." 
	Nodoka smiled. "You are as strong-willed as any man I've 
ever met. Never think yourself weak or any less superior to 
males. After all, we tend to get away with _other_ things too you 
know. I'm sure you know what I mean." 
	Nodoka winked slyly at her, giving her a quick V sign with 
her hands. 
	Ranma had to laugh at that as she remembered all the times 
she had managed to wheedle things by just smiling or doing 
something cute.  
	*Okay. So there _is_ something good to this curse.*
	"You see? Being female has it own inherent advantages." 
Nodoka stood up, smoothing down her kimono. "It's getting rather 
late, Ranko-chan. You have school tomorrow." 
	Ranma sighed, gazing at the lovely features of her mother. 
Even in the dim light of the moon, she could see just how much 
she did look like her mom that it was a wonder her mother hadn't 
figured anything out yet. 	
	And if she did... 
	No. She had to say something. Tell her before things got 
well out of hand. Before she found out on her own.  
	"I... I would like to stay here for a bit. Get some fresh 
air before I turn in." 
	"Very well, Ranko. Remember what I just told you." 
	Ranma smiled, nodding. 


* * * * * *


	Her world was at an end. She could not believe how soon her 
life could end like this. Why of all the times did it have to 
happen? Was her life to be haunted with nothing but sadness in 
her life. Of anyone, he had been the only one to see through her 
ice queen facade. To see the woman who was hurting within. He had 
been the one to finally make her come out of her shell. And the 
very first one to make her truly happy. 
	She stared at the mirror in front of her, demanding it 
answer her. Life had been good to her for once. One year of 
absolute bliss. Happiness she had never felt for ages. But all of 
it had been dashed away. She threw the wine glass angrily at the 
mirror, shattering it and the mirror into a thousand pieces. 
	How she hated it all... 

to be continued....


	Alright! A new Chapter One. Thoroughly rewritten. And 
better looking to boot. Hope you people liked it. Next chapter 
will sport just as much... ^_^ And don't forget the C&Cs. Flames 
and stuff accepted as well... Need something to cook dinner 
tonight... 
	BTW: Any takers on pre-reading? I know I had a couple of pre-readers
but considering my recent HD cleanups... well... I honestly lost them all. 
So, for those who wish to be my pre-readers for my fanfics, drop me a line.