Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Zenki Fan Fiction ❯ Book One: Heir to the Throne ❯ Exile Cycle II: Gaia's Tears ( Chapter 2 )

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or any other anime or video game

that may appear in the story.

** = thoughts

Chapter 2:

Gaia's Tears

"How about making a deal with the devil m'boy?" asked a grinning

Happosai to Ranma.

*What the hell is the old pervert thinking this time?* thought Ranma

to himself when he answered with a dumbfounded,

"Wha?"

Happosai, despite himself, sighed. He looked to the bewildered Ranma

and asked again, "I said, how about making a deal with the devil?"

He saw his would-be heir's eyes narrow in suspicion and couldn't help

to think that if their places were switched, he would do the same

thing. He didn't want to mention the artifact to Ranma, but he couldn't

take the chance that the situation might eventually resolve itself,

because it wasn't and Ranma would end up going insane and kill everyone

he knew. No, it would be good for both Ranma and himself that Ranma

would make himself scarce.

But it would be better that way, Ranma didn't have to die to restore

everyone's honor, though he could not guarantee what the artifact would

do to him when he used it. Ranma could very well be sent to a demonic

dimension and forever be tormented until the end of time. Although,

seeing the desperation in Ranma's eyes, Happosai knew that he would

agree to anything just to get away from the chaos that was his life in

Nerima. But Happosai had to make sure that Ranma was committed to his

decision to use the artifact completely, and he would ask Ranma to

think really carefully about his decision, but not before saying his

own opinion about using the artifact.

In the end, it was Ranma's choice that was the deciding factor and

Happosai didn't want to use it on him forcefully because there was a

fear in Happosai that even if Ranma was banished using the artifact,

there was a very small chance of him returning and exact vengeance upon

the martial arts grandmaster. He knew the boy had a knack for making

the impossible look easy.

*Hopefully the boy will pick the right answer for his own good and mine

also.* Happosai thought himself as he waited for Ranma's answer.

Ranma himself was silent as he thought hard for his answer to the old

pervert's question.

*A deal with the devil eh? How appropriate, but how can I know that

he's telling the truth. It might be one of his stupid, perverted plans

to lock me in my female form to force me to be his heir or sumthin'* he

thought to himself, but if the old pervert did have something up his

sleeve then it would be worth his while.

"Ok, I'll bite. What's the deal ya old perv?" asked Ranma who was very

cautious of what the wily old Grandmaster of Anything Goes had in his

little perverted head.

Happosai grinned a little bit maliciously at what Ranma had said,

but Ranma took it the wrong way and narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

Happosai mentally smacked himself in the head at what he did; he had

to say this very carefully now.

"You said that you had enough of the chaos in your life here in Nerima

and you want to get away from it all don't you? You also said that you

wanted a new life, right? I may have something to help you out, but if

and only if you listen to what I have to say."

As soon as Happosai stopped speaking, Ranma felt some hope spring in

his being, but he quickly suppressed it. He didn't want to be given

hope then have it all taken brutally away from him if this turned out

to be a lie. But if this was all a big joke or lie at his expense, he

would make Happosai pay very dearly for this.

"Talk then old geezer." he said, trying not to sound hopeful at what

Happosai had to say.

"I'm glad you chose to listen to your elders this time boy." said

Happosai grinning

"Whatever old perv, just say what ya gotta say." came the retort from

the pig-tailed youth

"Fine, back then after I acquired some of the Amazon's artifacts...."

"You mean you stole them." Interrupted Ranma

Glaring at the youth, Happosai said to him, "Hey! Do you want my help

or not? Then listen to what I have to say and don't interrupt me."

Seeing no response from Ranma, Happosai continued, "Now where was I?

Oh right! One of the artifacts I 'acquired' had special powers like

the Nanban Mirror."

He paused to let his words sink into Ranma's head before he continued.

Ranma still remembered the incident with the Nanban Mirror and how he

and the others almost got trapped back in the past, he unconsciously

shivered at the memories. He listened more closely this time as

Happosai began to speak again.

"Although the Nanban Mirror can only go to the past, present, or

future; this artifact also has the power to go to different realities,

dimensions, or universes. But there is one catch though." Happosai

finished as he waited for the obvious question to be asked.

Once Happosai said that there was a catch to using the artifact, Ranma

had a very sinking feeling about the artifact and he could only guess

what the price was.

*Is it worth it?* he asked himself and Ranma immediately knew the

answer to his own question.

"What's the catch old geezer?" he asked preparing for the worst.

Happosai answered in a grim tone, "The catch is that since there are an

infinite number of realities, dimension, and universes there is no way

of knowing where you would end up. For all I know, I could accidentally

send you to the burning hells and I wouldn't be able to do anything

about it since the trip is also one way, once you go you can't go back

to your home world forever." Now Happosai waited in silence for Ranma's

answer

Ranma, despite himself, gulped at the implications. He would never be

able to go back if he wanted to. But did he really want to go back if

he wanted to? No, he had too much angst in his life and he had no ties

in this world that mattered. But, he at least owed it to the NWC an

explanation before he said good-bye to them forever, especially to

Akane, he would finally tell her what he truly felt for her. He looked

at the master of his father and Mr. Tendo and said the two words that

sealed his fate.

"I accept."

Happosai sighed to himself. He knew with this answer, he would lose his

best student-although he would never admit it out loud-and only worthy

heir to Anything Goes Martial Arts, but if it atoned for his mistake

with the barrel of Nannichuan and also save his skin, he was glad to

help Ranma.

*Guess like this is my good deed for the century.* thought Happosai to

himself

"Good, I will give you three days to prepare yourself for your

departure but do not pack anything, the trip will most likely destroy

anything you bring with you even your clothes; and give me enough time

to prepare the incantation for the artifact to work properly." said

Happosai as he prepared to leave to rescue more of his silky darlings,

but stopped when he heard Ranma's voice.

"Wait."

"What is it?" Happosai asked slightly irritated with the boy for

stalling him in his quest.

"Can I see it?" asked Ranma curiously

Snorting, Happosai searched his gi until he found what he was looking

for and threw it at Ranma, who caught it with one of his hands. The

pig- tailed young man looked down at his hands and beheld a beautiful

tear- shaped crystal no bigger than his hand that was giving off a soft

blue color in the night. He looked at Happosai with questioning eyes,

Happosai just nodded once and departed but not before answering the

question in Ranma's head.

"Yes Ranma, what you are holding now is your salvation or your

damnation, the grief of a goddess....Gaia's Tears."

With that Happosai was gone, leaving Ranma alone with his thoughts once

again on the Tendo rooftop. As Ranma gazed at the crystal, Happosai's

departing words planted a small amount of fear in his mind as he leaped

down from the roof and into the Tendo household.

*Salvation or Damnation.....* he thought to himself as he entered the

room he once shared with his dad and hid the crystal away from the

greedy hands of his father and Nabiki until his time of departure.

He then headed towards the dojo to get some rest, though he doubted

he would get some tonight. Closing his eyes a single of thought kept

plaguing him as he tried to rest his troubled mind for the night.

*Salvation or Damnation.....*

The cloaked figure, observing Ranma's failed attempts at sleeping,

tried to steel herself to the coming events that would be the final

blow to Ranma's tortured soul. A final act of betrayal that would mark

the beginning of the end of Ranma Saotome and the rebirth of the heir

to the throne of mankind, she could only hope that Ranma had what it

takes survive the chaos he was destined to fight.