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Ranma 1/2
The Crystals of Reality

by James Epnett
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Authors notes: Okay, this is an adaptation of a story I did as part of
the Manji Itoko series called the Reality Crystal (which you DON�T want
to read, trust me) Please, do C&C, give advice, flame, etc. Private or
public, either way is fine. (I�ve learned you have to take the C&C, good
or bad, and just move on and don�t dwell on it)

As this is my first full-length FanFic, there are bound to be grammar
mistakes and plot holes everywhere. But, that�s why I send it to the
good ol FFML. As I have been told, I should just sit back and not
criticize my work -- there are plenty of people on this list who will do
it for me, weather it be good or bad. ^_^

Last of all -- This is a first draft and not the final cut. I am posting
it in sections because my e-mail program will only send/recive mail as
large as 64kb

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Chapter 1 -- The Guardian (Draft)

Section 1


The bright glow emitted from below the old bamboo door
and illuminated the room in a wash of brilliant light.
The glow fluctuated, like a strobe light set on minimum
speed. 

	The bamboo door began to open, slowly, it�s hinges
squeaking loudly as the old woman pulled it until it
hung fully open, exposing the room of radiant light. 

	She walked into it slowly, looking up into the
array of brilliance. The display before her was an
intricate one, and had been created by the finest
architect of her home village. 

	She slowly kneeled before the monument and lowered
her head from the shrouded force that emitted the bright
glow.

	Her staff lowered down next to her, and she spoke,
her voice hoarse, and edged with concern. �I have been
the guardian of your great secret for the past two
centuries, and never have I seen such an uproar in your
existence.� She paused, closing her ancient eyes. �What
has caused this unrest? Please, send me a sign, so that
I may understand.�

	A fluctuation in thhe flashing grew more intense
and harsher as a heavier unrest washed over the room of
light. 

	The woman opened her eyes and looked up into the
light. An image began to form in the pattern of energy
-- a human outline. 

	She watched for a moment. �So this is what I am to
be warned of. A time of chaos and destruction is at
hand.� The old woman, the Guardian, lowered her head
again.

*	*	*

	Ranma started and his eyes opened suddenly. His
breath came in deep gasps as he lay silently on his
futon, staring up  at the ceiling. 

	A low mumbling caught his attention, and he turned
his head to the left to see Genma sleeping next to him,
his face down on a pillow, his midsection and rear
arched into the air. 

	Ranma rolled his eyes and sat up. He looked over
at the clock on the table and shook his head. The clock
read 4:12am. He yawned and stretched. He would be the
only one up right now, this he knew, so he figured he
could train for a few hours before Kasumi awoke to cook
breakfast. 

	He stood slowly from his futon and stretched. He
yawned again as he felt his muscles loosening from the
previous nights sleep. But something didn�t feel right.
He froze and wiggled his hips a bit. He look down at his
waist and felt his cheeks growing warm and they also
tinted a rosy red color.

	His boxers were expanded forward from his waist,
and he knew instinctively why. The pressure in his groin
was unmistakable. �Aw Jeez,� he mumbled, shifting. He
heated when he woke up like that. What was worse, he was
always afraid someone would see it. Namely Akane. God he
would die, not only from embarrassment, but an
Akane-inflicted mallet wound on the forehead would
deliver him to concussion city. And god forbid Nabiki
ever see him like this. He groaned internally at the
thought of what she would say and do.      

	Ranma moved around to the closet and pulled a pair
of pants out. He balled them up and moved towards the
door. He peeked his head out and looked around. It was
clear. 

	He sighed in relief and moved out into the
hallway. Slowly he tiptoed towards the bathroom. He felt
uncomfortable as each step only seemed to cause more
noise. It was unnerving.

	He reached the bathroom and slowly slid the door
open -- and stood face-to-face with Nabiki, who was
exiting the bathroom. 

	Ranma started and jumped. His hands lowered
quickly to use his pants as a cover over his crotch. 

	Nabiki looked Ranma up and down. �Good morning to
you too, Saotome.� 

	Ranma gulped out loud and took a step back.
M--mornin, Nabiki.�

	�Is something wrong, Ranma?� Nabiki stepped from
the bathroom and turned towards her bedroom. 

	�No. Nothin at all. Just gotta use the bathroom
real bad is all.� Ranma smiled nervously. Maybe she
hadn�t noticed. She certainly didn�t seem to indicate
having seen -- 

	�Okay,� Nabiki replied, snapping Ranma from his
thought. �It�s all yours.� With that, she began towards
her room. 

	Ranma smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. She
hadn�t noticed. Thank god. 

	He moved towards the bathroom.

	�Oh, Ranma,� Nabiki called from her bedroom door. 

	The pigtailed martial artist poked his head out
the door. �Yeah?�

	�A small piece of advice.� She paused, as if for
dramatic effect. �You shouldn�t wear such tight boxers.
They show off your.... better half a little too well.�
Nabiki winked and disappeared into her bedroom, closing
the door softly. 

	Ranma stood in the bathroom door, staring stupidly
after her. His face became warm and he blushing so
deeply, he could feel it in his ears.

*	*	*

	�That�s funny,� the young man stated after
studying the shape of a large bolder for a few moments.
�I KNOW I�ve been here before.� He reached up and
scrached his head, running his fingers over his black
and yellow bandanna.  

	He stood up from his spot next to the boulder and
lifted his massive travel back pack. �I know Nerima has
to be around here somewhere.� 

	Ryoga Hibiki turned his head upwards to look at
the large, bright moon above his head. This desert area
was killing him. He had been the whole day without
water, and had come no closer to finding his �home�
town. As a matter of fact, he wasn�t even sure he was in
Tokyo anymore. Scratch that, he KNEW he wasn�t in Tokyo
anymore. He shouldn�t have taken that boat ride, he
decided. The few people he had bumped into hadn�t spoken
any Japanese. He had only assumed that they spoke
English because he wasn�t honed to the language. He knew
a little, though, from what time he had managed to spend
in school. 

	The eternally lost boy turned and started towards
one of the large cliffs that rose up high above the
Earth. He stopped at it�s edge and crouched, looking
down into the deep canyon. He sighed and shook his head.
�Which way now, Ryoga?� he questioned himself. He stood
slowly and looked in both directions. �This way. I
definitely came from this way.� And with that, be began
east. 

	A great number of things would have been set to
rest in the lost boy�s head had he read the large wooden
sign that he had past three times over that night. The
sign read -- �THE GRAND CANYON�.

*	*	*

	Ranma walked out of the bathroom, now wearing the
pants he had taken in and the undershirt he had worn to
bed that night. He had brushed his teeth, slapped on
some deodorant, and washed his face. 

	His face was still a rosy color, and he made an
extra effort to not make noise as he passed Nabiki�s
room. <God that was so humiliating,> Ranma thought,
moving down the stairs three at a time. <I hope she
don�t tell no one.>

	He moved out the back door onto the veranda and
looked out over the koi pond. He stood there for a
moment, breathing in the cool, early morning air. It was
such an exhilarating feeling. He smiled to himself as he
pulled his shoes on, and then leapt off the porch and
landed smoothly next to the koi pond. 

	He closed his eyes for a moment and let his body
relax as he listened to the sounds of early morning.
After a few more moments, he fell into a typical dragon
style stance. He began his newest kata, moving his legs
in time with his arms as his body moved through the back
yard. He tried to focus his mind and forget about his
run in with Nabiki. 

	He breathed deeply and continued on, punching and
kicking in a smooth, lethal dance. It flowed so
naturally. Ranma always knew when a training session was
going to go well when he was able to perform a newly
developed kata with such ease.

	But something was wrong. He didn�t know what, but
he felt uneasy all of a sudden. He wasn�t sure why. A
wary feeling suddenly flooded through him, and it caused
him to sway to a halt. His eyes opened slowly. He faced
the house, his back to the wall. 

	Ranma looked down at the ground, at his shadow.
His eyes began to trail away from the -- <Wait a
minute,> Ranma thought. <That isn�t my shadow.> His eyes
fell instantly back to the shadow. He was right. The
shadow was too tall, and it stood on the wall behind
him. 

	Ranma spun around suddenly. �Hey, what do ya think
you�re doin spyin on m--� His voice caught in his
throat. The wall was vacant. A small piece of paper blew
through with a cloud of dust, caused by the rather
strong breeze that morning.

	He turned back around quickly to look behind him.
The shadow was gone, and only the shadow of the wall and
the top half of his body remained. He reached up and
scratched the back of his head. 

*	*	*

	Akane stood next to the telephone. She spoke into
it softly, smiling occasionally. �Good. 3:30, then?� She
paused. �That�s great. Thank you very much.� She hung
the phone up and walked toward the kitchen. 

	She looked around the overly empty room and smiled
as she approached the stove. 

	Suddenly, a knock came to the door. Akane turned
to go that way. 

*	*	*

	Cloud Manji stood at the front door of the Tendo
Dojo, his stomach growling loudly as he waited for
someone to answer.

	�Who is it?� A soft voice called from the kitchen
as Akane walked swiftly into the hall. 

	�It�s Cloud,� he said, waiting for the young women
to reach the door. �May I come in?�

	�Sure, come on in.� Akane smiled politely as she
neared the door.

	Cloud pulled his shoes from his feet and entered
the house. 

	�What�s up?� asked Akane, escorting Cloud into the
family room.
	
	�Not much. I was finding it quite lonely at my
home, to tell the truth,� he replied, sitting across
from Akane at the coffee table. 

	Akane stood before the table. �Would you like some
tea?� 

	�Yes please.� Cloud�s stomach growled and he
cleared his throat, hoping Akane hadn�t heard. 

	Akane made for the kitchen, and Cloud continued to
talk. �Actually, I was wondering if you had an extra
spot at the dinner table tonight. With Ku out of town, I
have neither the funds or skill to cook for myself.� 

	�I�m sure we can fit you in,� Akane called.
�Actually, we were just about to have lunch.�

	�We?� asked Cloud, scanning the room for other
people. 

	�Ranma and I, that is.�

	�Where is Ranma?�

	�He�s out back, training.� 

	�Where are everyone else?� Cloud asked, a deep
sense of foreboding washing over every fiber of his
being.

	�Mr. Saotome, father, and Happosai are out
training.� Akane�s last word was acid. Cloud flinched
unconsciously.

	�Nabiki had business to take care of, and Kasumi
went to Dr. Tofu�s clinic to barrow a few medical
books.�

	�So that means....� Cloud froze, suddenly wishing
he had stayed home.

	�That�s right.� Ranma was suddenly in the door
that led to the garden out back. �Akane is cooking.� 

	Cloud�s stomach sank, nausea washed over him. He
did not want to be disrespectful, but the memory of his
last meal prepared by Akane and Dr. Tofu�s stomach pump
filled his mind. 

	�I would not want to impose on you...� He did not
finish, Akane was back in the room with a tray that
carried three glasses of tea and three bowls.

	�Not at all.� Akane placed the tray on the table.
Cloud looked longingly into the bowl. It couldn�t be
*that* bad. 

	<Oh god,> he thought suddenly, <She's been
experimenting.> The sight in the bowl was *not* a pretty
one. It *looked* like scrambled eggs, but was covered in
a dark brown sauce. 

	Cloud�s face drained of color. He reached for the
glass of tea Akane had brought to him and drank as much
of the hot liquid as he could. If he could burn his
taste buds severely enough, he might not need taste the
substance.

	�Where do you think *you�re* going?� 

	Cloud looked up to see Ranma edging his way for
the back door. 

	�I�m not really hungry, Akane...� Ranma froze, the
look on Akane�s face said it all -- that and she
suddenly had a *very* large mallet in her hand, tapping
it impatiently in the other.

	�I knew I came in too soon...� Ranma whispered,
taking a seat at the table. Akane followed, sitting down
in front of her space.

	Cloud looked up from his bowl. �Akane?� 

	Akane looked up at Cloud.

	�I�m not trying to be rude, but can I ask what
this is?� 

	Akane smiled at her friend. �It�s brown rice,
silly. I�ve been trying to adapt my own sauce based on
one of Kasumi�s recipes. Try some.� 

	Ranma grimaced. <I never could have gotten away
with that,> he thought, looking at the bowl in front of
him.

	Cloud looked down at the bowl, still convinced
that the contents were some sort of strange egg.

	Reluctantly, Cloud reached for his chopsticks, as
did Ranma. At about the same time, both caught a clump
of the substance and place it in their mouth.

	Cloud was the first to be observed, his face
becoming paler still. He chewed the rice, at the protest
of his stomach. At least his taste buds were still
slightly numb. With all the strength he could muster, he
swallowed it. 

	Ranma had also become pale, his right eye began to
involuntarily twitch. <What *is* this stuff?> he
thought, chewing it as best he could. After a strained 
moment, he swallowed the food, followed by a swig from
of his tea. 

	Cloud and Ranma both looked at Akane, and
regretted it. Akane�s face was bright red as she looked
at the contents in her bowl. She sniffed at it, but
refused to eat it. �Oh no,� she said, an annoyed look
crossing her face, �I think I used too much anchovy
paste.� She whispered the words, as if trying not to let
the two across from her hear.

	Ranma and Cloud�s eyes were like saucers. Both
calmly stood from the table. After a quick glance at
each other, both bolted for the bathroom, both trying to
out run the other. 

	Akane watched in disbelief at the sight before
her. Both men ran like animals, trying to hold back the
contents of their stomach. 

	Ranma reached the bathroom first, slammed the door
shut, and locked it. 

	Cloud, unable to think, made for the closest
window. He pulled it open and leaned out. 

	*	*	*

	After a few moment, Ranma exited the bathroom
holding his stomach and looking quite sick. 

	Cloud approached Ranma from the end of the hall,
in much the same condition.  

	As they made their way back to the family room,
Akane�s battle aura caught their attention. They both
looked up at her, and realized that she held a super
large mallet in her hand. 

	�So,� she said in a low voice, �my cooking is that
bad, is it?�

	Ranma�s tone was low and weak. �Well, yes.�

	*	*	*
	
	The two human-shaped holes in the top of the Tendo
house could be seen from almost anywhere in the
neighborhood. Ranma and Cloud fell fast from  a low
orbit flight - and right into the koi pond behind the
house.

	A large panther and a red hair girl both sat
upright in the pond, looking at the house. Akane glared
at them from the door.

	�Baka,� she screamed, �the both of you!!� She
slammed the doors closed as hard as she could. 
	
	Ranma shook her head. �I guess that�s what we get
for telling the truth.�

	Cloud growled softly, nodding. 

	Ranma suddenly became very still. Her head turned
very slowly towards the panther that sat next to her. 

	Cloud looked over at Ranma and suddenly remembered
what he had been told about Ranma and cats. 

	A terrified expression had crossed the pig-tailed
girl�s face. Her mouth twitched as she rose back out of
the pond. �C--c--ca--CAT!!!!� 

	Cloud watched Ranma literally fly from the pond,
as though she were running on top of the water. She ran
towards the wall surrounding the yard -- and right
through it, leaving a giant Ranma shaped hole. Her
screams could be heard all through out Nerima until they
slowly began to fade.

	Cloud shook his head and rose from the pond. He
walked slowly out of the yard, through the Ranma shaped
hole. He had had enough of the Tendo home for one day. 

*	*	*

	Akane stormed into the kitchen. Her mind rushed as
she tossed the trey and bowls of food into the sink, not
bothering to empty them. She knew Ranma was an
insensitive jerk, but did he always have to make fun of
her cooking? She tried, she really did. 

	She walked back to the living room and sat down at
the coffee table, resting her elbows on it. �That jerk.�

*	*	*

	After Ran-chan had had time to calm down and
realize that the large panther was no longer near her,
she had climbed down off of the telephone pole she had
claimed as her perch and started home. 

	Her mind wandered as she walked. She was still
unsure of what she had seen that morning when she was
training, but she was almost certain that it WAS the
shadow of another person. It was nothing new to be spied
apon, and whoever had been watching her would not have
been the first. 

	It could have been any number of people. Ranma
went through the list and knocked off each person one at
a time. 

	Ryoga. Ranma knew he probably never would have
found the Dojo in the first place, and even if he had,
he would have just attacked her. No, she knew it wasn�t
Ryoga. 

	Then there was Mousse. Mousse was one to spy, but
the chances of Mousse knowing that she had been the one
training in the backyard were slim. The guy never wore
his glasses, and had mistaken her for a potted plant
once. He had been less than 3 feet away, yet. No, Mousse
was out of the question.

	Kuno. But why would Kuno be spying on her? If
anything, he would have been spying on his pigtailed
goddess, and as she was in male form, he would have been
spying on Akane, who had been in bed at that time. So,
Kuno was out. 

	Ranma was running out of people to blame. He knew
that it couldn�t have been a female -- The shoulders
were too broad, and the figure wasn�t right. Then again,
if Ukyo could make Ranma think she was a guy with the
figure she possessed....

	Ranma shook her head. She had to stay focused. And
right now, she wanted to know who the heck was spying on
her. 

*	*	*

	The strobe of the light had grown more urgent, and
the energy from within the infrastructure of the display
had become more powerful. 

	The Guardian looked up into the brilliant light.
�I have come no closer to locating him, and time is
running short. Please, offer me strength in this time of
great urgency.� 

	The fluctuations of energy shifted, becoming more
intricate, more urgent, as if beckoning her to hurry.

*	*	*   

	He had finally made it. After five weeks, he had
made it back to Tokyo. How long he would be able to
remain was a different story. 	

	Ryoga had been trying to find his way back into
town since he had caught that strange guy following him
when he was at Hokkaido. Ever since then, he had found
it increasingly hard to make it back into Tokyo, as if
something besides his sense of direction were
deliberately keeping him back. But now, he had made it.

	He walked slowly down the crowded street, thinking
about the man who he had caught spying on him. He had
just passed into the Hokkaido mountain range to train.
After his latest failure against Ranma, he had decided
to return to Hokkaido to train and try to perfect the
Shishi Hokoudan, and had managed to strengthen the Shin
Shishi Hokoudan. 

	Ryoga shook his head and realized his mind was
wandering away from what he wanted to think on. He
focused on the man, who had come to him one night while
he was training. He had been dressed in a long, black
over coat that came down almost to his ankles. The rest
of his wardrobe had been simple -- black T-shirt, black
kung-fu pants, black boots, like work boots. He
remembered the guy�s face. It was very pale and deeply
lined. 

	He looked like a ghost, Ryoga remembered, and had
said nothing at all when they had bumped into one
another. He had known the man wasn�t well suited to be
in the Hokkaido mountains, and must have had a camp set
up somewhere. He never found one, and had caught the guy
following him three times more. 

	Every time he had tried to confront him, he had
vanished into the forest. It was unnerving. 

	But now that he had made it back to Nerima, he
could concentrate on his one and only goal -- destroying
Ranma.

*	*	*

	He watched as Ryoga moved across the street and
into a dead-end alleyway. He smiled to himself, a thin,
humorless smile. �Welcome home, Mr. Hibiki. Now that I
have found the other two, you are better suited to be
here, in Nerima. But don�t get too comfortable.� 

	He waited for a moment, and saw a small piglet
exit from within the alleyway. He chuckled lightly.
�Looks as though you found a stray mud puddle, Ryoga.�

	He turned and began down the long street, his over
coat blowing up in the light breeze as he darted through
passing pedestrians. 

*	*	*

	Ryoga squealed in irritation. He KNEW something
like that was going to happen. He looked back down the
alleyway to see his clothes and backpack laying in a
large puddle of water. 

	He shook himself off and began down the street,
keeping an eye on the people around him. He didn�t want
to become someone�s next pork dish. 

*	*	*

	Ranma walked up to the entrance to the Tendo Dojo
and stopped. She took a deep breath and then reached out
to open the door. She waked through it into the house.
�Is any body home?� she called exhaustedly. 

	�In here,� Akane called from in the living room.
Her voice was a bit happier than Ranma had expected.
This she was thankful for.  

	Ranma walked towards the living room slowly. She
walked into the room and opened her mouth to speak.
�Look Akane, I --� She fell short when she observed
Akane�s clothes.

	Akane stood near the coffee table. She was dressed
in general golfing attire, all the way down to the
stupid hat. She held a club coaster next to her as she
went through her clubs. She looked up at Ranma. �Yeah?�

	Ranma bit her lip, tears building in her eyes as
she held back the urge to laugh. �N--never mind.� Unable
to contain it, Ranma suddenly exploded in laughter. 

	Akane looked at the red head, her eyes wide. �What
are you laughing at, *Ranma*?� She sounded almost hurt,
though her tone was edged with acid.

	Ranma held her sides and stood doubled over,
laughing hysterically. �Did I miss Halloween or
somthin?� 

	�What do you mean Halloween?� Akane narrowed her
eyes, her body began to glow blue. �Ranma, I�m warning
you.� 

	Ranma shook her head, standing back up straight,
trying to regain her composure. �Well, w--what�s up with
the stupid costume?�

	�It happens to be a normal golfing outfit.�

	�Golfin?� Ranma arched a brow. �Why are you wearin
a golfin outfit?�

	�Because you and I are going golfing, that�s why.�
Akane turned from Ranma and began to go through her
clubs again.

	Ranma had completely stopped laughing. She stared
at Akane�s back stupidly. �Golfin? What for?� 

	�I called and reserved a spot on one of the only
three Golf courses in Tokyo, that�s why.� Akane turned
her head to look at Ranma, her face soft. �I thought it
would be something you and I could do to spend a little
time together.�

	�Time together?� Ranma pulled a face. �We spend
time together. Too much time together if ya ask me.�

	Akane frowned and felt a familiar ache forming in
her stomach. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed
it. After a moment, she spoke. �It�s up to you, Ranma.� 

	Ranma watched as Akane moved towards the stairs. 

	�I�m leaving in 20 minutes. Be ready if you�re
coming.� With that, Akane vanished up the stairs. 

	Ranma looked over at the golf equipment and
suddenly felt a sharp stab of guilt. She realized
suddenly how cruel she had just been and shook her head. 

	She noticed that she had suddenly started to feel
differently in various ways. She was finding that it
hurt more and more when Akane was upset with her. She
was unsure of what it meant, but it was unnerving. 

	Slowly, she moved up the stairs and walked down
the hall to the bathroom. She entered it and turned on
the shower.

*	*	*

	Akane stood next to her golfing equipment. She
went through the bag slowly and made sure she had plenty
of golf balls and all of her clubs. 

	After doing a head count, she sighed and looked
down at the floor. Ranma�s voice suddenly caught her
attention.

	�So you ready or what?�

	Akane looked up at the stairs and saw Ranma coming
down them. He wore one of his blue, sleeveless tai chi
tops, and a pair of black kung-fu pants. On his head, he
wore a golfers cap.

	Akane couldn�t help but smile at the sight of the
extremely goofy hat nestling atop Ranma�s head. �Yeah,
I�m ready.�

	Ranma nodded and smiled, picking up Akane�s
golfing equipment. He turned towards the door and
started towards it. 

	Akane moved up behind him and smiled. �Thank you,
Ranma.� 
	
	Ranma smiled and nodded, feeling nervous suddenly.
�Don�t mention it.� 

	He opened the door and stepped out onto the front
porch. Akane exited after him and pulled the door shut. 

	�BWEEEE!!�

	Akane looked down and saw P-Chan, sitting before
her feet.

	Ranma looked down at the small black piglet and
rolled his eyes. �Oh great.� 

	�P-Chan!� Akane cried happily. She bent down and
picked the piglet up, cradling him close to her chest.
�Where have you been you naughty boy?� 

	P-Chan squealed happily. 

	�Have you missed mommy?� Akane asked in a rather
babyish voice. She cuddled the piglet tightly.

	Ranma rolled his eyes and started towards the
gate. �You treat em like some kinda baby or somthin,
Akane.� 

	Akane only smiled and followed Ranma.
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Next -- Chapter 1: The Guardian (Section 2)
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