Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Little Angel Lost ❯ Past Histories ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Little Angel Lost

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Ryo Oki
ryo_oki@pacbell.net

Disclaimer: All characters and places not created by me
are probably owned by someone else.

Authors Note: This story is an alternative universe / crossover story
set roughly 4 months after the wedding. Ranma and Akane are now juniors
in high school.


**********


Chapter 7 Past Histories

Lunch period for the day was just ending and Hibiki Amawa was walking
towards the classroom, he agreed to substitute for this afternoon. Normally
this would be his free period, but it seems that the usual instructor had
some sort of breakdown. Several people witnessed a middle aged man jump out of
the second story of the school and run across the school yard and out of the
main gate. Quite an impressive feat for a man of his age and physical
condition.

This school was admittedly a little different from all of the other
schools he had taught in before. The daily fights were a disgrace and that
pathetic excuse for a principal defied description. Imagine trying to cut his
hair with hedge clippers of all things. It was a good thing Hibiki remembered
a lot of his boxing training from his college days. The principle would
probably be waking up soon, but he really should see to that broken nose of his.

"Well at least I do not have to pretend to be a woman anymore. Of course
with all the cross dressers in this school, who would notice or even care. I
wonder if the rumors of this transsexual martial artist is true. Don't know why
anyone would want to have surgery to change their sex, but if that is what the
'boy' Ranma did, who was he to judge.", Hibiki Amawa thought to himself as he
walked into the classroom and laid eyes on what appeared to be two cat people
sitting next to each other.

"What the #@$@", he accidentally said out loud, and stared at the catgirl
in particular.

"Now, now a teacher should not use such language. Besides I am already
taken.", Nabiki said as she grinned at the somewhat dazed teacher.

"It would too be much to hope that you are merely wearing makeup, but from
what I have seen here so far today, it wouldn't be that much of a shock to
find out that you are really cat people.", Hibiki half asked both Nabiki and
Ranko.

"Sorry for the shock old boy, but Nabiki-chan and I are both quite real.",
Ranko said in his British accented Japanese.

"And......you were always like this?", Hibiki asked cautiously.

"Well I was, at least I believe so, but Nabiki-chan gained her
present lovely form when I accidentally bit her.", Ranko said as several
girls in the class looked at him with lust filled eyes, much to Ranko's
discomfort.

"You don't plan to bite anyone else do you?", Hibiki said, wondering
how he would or even could handle a whole class full of cat people.

"No need to worry professor, neither Nabiki nor I can transform any more
humans into beings such as ourselves.", Ranko replied as the girls who were
looking at him suddenly seemed quite disappointed for some reason.

"That's good to hear.", Hibiki said as he imagined Kuzuha asking to be
turned into a catgirl, and he lacking the willpower to refuse her.

After taking role, Hibiki noticed that Ranko was not enrolled in
the class, or even the school for that matter. Although he should have asked
the catboy to leave, his presence seemed to calm Nabiki down, and he was one
of the few people in the class who had seemed to actually be familiar with
the material Hibiki was covering. Perhaps he could be used as a teaching
assistant. Most of the students, well the female ones anyway, seemed to pay
constant attention to Ranko as he spoke.

**************

"So what did you think of our substitute today?", Ranko asked Nabiki
as they were walking home from school, later that afternoon.

"Oh I have heard all sorts of interesting things about our dear
teacher Hibiki Amawa.", Nabiki said while grinning.

"Oh really, do tell Nabiki-chan.", Ranko stated.

"Well he was let go from one position at a private girls school,
because he was disguising himself as a female teacher.", Nabiki said.

"Heh, my that does seem to be quite lecherous.", Ranko replied.

"Not only that, but from what I understand, he is dating one of
the girls that he taught at that school, and she is not even 16 years
old yet.", Nabiki snickered.

"That does seem a little young, but from meeting those Amazons
in several different dimensions, during Kasumi-chan's and mine
adventures, I have seen younger girls getting close to older men.",
Ranko stated.

"You have met the Amazons before?", Nabiki asked.

"Oh yes, in several different times and places. Most of the time they
seem to have the same culture, except for one particularly horrifying
example.", Ranko said as he shivered.

"What were they like?", Nabiki asked as her tail began to 'swish'
back and forth.

"Well during the 1980's in a dimension thankfully far from this one,
a group of Amazons settled in the San Fernando Valley in California. There
is nothing more terrifying than having to deal with several hundred "Valley
Amazons" speaking in that horrible accent of theirs. I swear I thought I would
go quite 'mad' if I had to spend even one more day with them.", Ranko
stated while looking quite disgusted.

"Ah you poor baby.", Nabiki teased as she and Ranko approached the Tendo
dojo and went inside.

"Were home!", Nabiki and Ranko called out as they entered the dojo.

"So how was your day today?", Kasumi asked as she met them at the door
to the house.

"It was an 'interesting' day, elder sister.", Ranko said.

"Did something happen?", Kasumi replied.

"Not too much. We both had a chance to beat up on Kuno-baby. Ranko
sent our instructor running screaming out of the school, and the new substitute
that came to our class was 'flirting' with me.", Nabiki said as Ranko rolled
his eyes.

"So you like older men now Nabiki-chan?", Kasumi teased.

"Alas it is so. I have been abandoned liked yesterday's newspaper for
another. Oh the tragedy of it all. What a cruel fate I have succumbed to.",
Ranko said in a melodramatic tone of voice.

"Oh you poor baby.", Kasumi said as Nabiki started to giggle.

"Fear not dear ladies for I shall overcome this setback and work
hard to become one with the fair Nabiki.", Ranko said in an exaggerated
accent much to the two women's amusement.

"On a more serious note, I do not believe that a person, such as that
Kuno child should be allowed to roam around the school. He is clearly insane
and I believe quite a danger to others. He had the nerve to attack Nabiki,
claiming that she was a demon. I was able to deflect the blow aimed at her,
but not without some injury to my person.", Ranko said as he showed the
rather large bruise on his arm to Kasumi.

Kasumi took a long look at the bruise, before turning to face Ranko
and Nabiki with a dark and quite angry expression on her face.

"I see. Perhaps it is time that foolish boy is taught a lesson.",
Kasumi said in a tone of voice that caused Ranko and Kasumi to move closer
to each other.

"Now what would be a proper punishment? Hmmm........ Oh yes, that would
be quite amusing and ironic as well.", Kasumi said as she watch her father
and a certain large panda walking down the street, through the open dojo
gate.

"You are not going to kill him are you elder sister?", Ranko said.

"Of course not Ranko-chan. You only kill an enemy when there are no
other alternatives.", Kasumi said as Nabiki seemed to fidget.

"You sound as if you had to kill someone before. That can not be right
though, can it?", Nabiki asked, unsure of whether or not she wanted an
answer to her question.

"I am not proud of the fact, but both Ranko and I have had to kill an
enemy on a few occasions.", Kasumi said while sounding ashamed.

"How? Why?", Nabiki asked in a confused and shocked tone of voice.

"Nabiki-chan there are many worlds and dimensions out there that are
populated with some very evil and vicious beings, both human and
non-human. They think nothing of killing someone for money or even for fun.
There have been many times when Kasumi-chan and I have had to fight these
beings in order to protect others. Some times we had to even kill them. It
is not something that we are proud of, or something that we enjoyed, but it
was necessary at the time.", Ranko said quietly.

"I only hope Ranma understands when I tell him. He likes others to think
of himself as stoic and 'manly', but he is quite sensitive underneath that
macho exterior of his.", Kasumi said.

"You do not have to tell him Kasumi. I will not say anything to him
if you want me to.", Nabiki said.

"Thank you Nabiki, but it would not be right to keep secrets from him.
If we are to have some sort of a relationship in the future, lying to him
would not be a good way to start out.", Kasumi said.

"How do you feel about me Nabiki-chan, now that you what I have had to
do one rare occasions.", Ranko asked Nabiki.

"I am not sure. There have always been a lot of fighting in this
district, but no one has ever died because of it. Ranma did have to kill on
one occasion to save Akane's life, but......", Nabiki trailed off.

"It is not an easy thing to accept or get used to. Would you like some
time alone to think.", Ranko asked.

Nabiki nodded and went outside to sit down by the koi pond. Ranko and
Kasumi could see her expressions change rapidly as she stared at the pond, and
was no doubt trying to come to grips with what she had just heard.

"Do you think that she will still accept me, elder sister.", Ranko said
in a sad tone of voice.

"I believe that she will. Nabiki is a very smart girl, and has always
been an excellent judge of character. I am sure that she will still want to
be with you. She just needs time though to get used to the idea. Do not forget
that her initial feline persona is now wearing off and she might be shocked
when she realizes how she has been acting. Remember how Minako avoided you
for a few days when she returned to her senses.", Kasumi said.

"I remember. It hurt when she did that, but somehow seeing Nabiki
look at me in a similar fashion hurts worse. Kasumi-chan do you believe in
love at first sight?", Ranko asked Kasumi.

"Yes, Ranko-chan I most certainly do.", Kasumi replied.

"This may sound silly, but the first time I saw Nabiki, my heart almost
stopped. You had told me so much about her, that I felt that I had known
Nabiki for quite some time. It also just feels right to be around her. I
haven't felt this way since Minako left.", Ranko said.

"If you love her, try your best to show her that you care and respect
her. Do not smother her with affection or act possessive, that will only
cause problems. I have seen far too much of that sort of behavior in my
life. Finally, do not let whatever fears you have about being close to
Nabiki rule your life. I made the same mistake once with a very kind and
sweet young man. Fortunately it seems I might be getting a second chance with
him.", Kasumi smiled.

"I think I understand what you are saying elder sister. I can only
hope that the both of us can find someone to love.", Ranko said as he hugged
Kasumi and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Outside, next to the pond, Nabiki was doing some soul searching of her
own.

"Why do I feel so confused? He was all I think about last night
and this morning? Why am I starting to have doubts right now?", Nabiki
thought to herself.

"It is only natural to have doubts. You have been alone a long time. To
suddenly find yourself with someone who cares about you must seem strange.",
a voice in Nabiki's head says.

"He has killed someone. That should bother me or even repulse me, but
I can not seem to hate him.", Nabiki thought.

"He had to do what was necessary to survive and save others. It was
probably a very difficult decision for him, but it does not change who he
is as a person.", the voice further says.

"I guess that you are right. Strange, I never used to talk to myself
so often.", Nabiki thinks.

"Who says that you are talking to yourself?", the voice says, shocking
Nabiki.

"What!", Nabiki exclaims out loud.", attracting Kasumi's and Ranko's
attention.

"Look behind you and up.", the voice says.

Nabiki looks behind her and sees a familiar figure in a grey cloak
sitting on the roof of her home.

"Come on up here Nabiki-chan, I want to talk to you for a while.", the
figure said.

"Alright 'Ko-chan', but I want to know what is it that you want this
time.", Nabiki thought to the other girl.

Nabiki hopped up onto the roof in front of Ranko and Kasumi, causing
Ranko to try and walk outside to see what was going on. He was held back by
Kasumi's hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about Nabiki-chan, Ranko, she is talking with a 'friend'
at the moment.", Kasumi said as Ranko looked at her in confusion.

Meanwhile back on the roof:

"So why are you here now?", Nabiki asked 'Ko-chan' as the girl pulled
off her hood given Nabiki another close look at the elven looking girl.

"I see that you have now met Ranko. Tell me Nabiki-chan are you
pleased with him.", Ko-chan said.

"You make it sound as if he were a piece of merchandise. I am not sure
I like that.", Nabiki said.

"You are already defending him. Very good. Very good indeed.", Ko-chan
said.

"If this is some sort of game. I am not amused, and neither will Ranko
when I next speak to him.", Nabiki said.

"It is definitely not a game my dear ni....I mean Nabiki. A lot
beings have worked hard to fulfill your wish and to ensure that no
difficulties arose, as what happened in your sister's case unfortunately.

"Who had a wish? Akane? Kasumi?", Nabiki asked.

"It was your sister Kasumi's wish. A few days before Ranma first
arrived at your home, your sister made a heart felt wish.", Ko-chan
said.

"What was it?", Nabiki asked.

"She wished to be with someone who could love her, and whom she could
love in return. That person was supposed to be Ranma.", Ko-chan said as
Nabiki stared at the strange elf girl.

"But Ranma never really paid all that much attention to Kasumi. None
of us ever did.", Nabiki stated, now sounding somewhat guilty.

"Tell me Nabiki did you ever wonder why it was, that with so many
women after him, Ranma never ended up with any of them.", Ko-chan said
to Nabiki.

"I thought it was just because he was clueless.", Nabiki said.

"Well that is part of it, but the main reason was because of the
'Ultimate Force'.", Ko-chan said.

"Ultimate force? What is that?", Nabiki questioned Ko-chan.

"It is a sentient energy force, that ensures that those who are granted
wishes receive what is coming to them. Your sister made a wish to have someone
to love, but because you and your sister reacted with fear and 'chose' Akane
to be with Ranma, the ultimate force did its best to ensure that she and Ranma
would never be together. It even altered their personalities at times, making them
argue and insult each other. Ranma's rivals and fiancées were also
unknowingly under the Ultimate Force's influence, ensuring that he and Akane
would never be together.", Ko-chan said.

"Kami-sama!, so all the trouble that Ranma and the others have had to go
through for the past two years was because of this 'Ultimate Force'. Wait was
I affected as well?", Nabiki asked.

"Yes you were, I am sorry to say. It ensured that you would not
entertain to many romantic thought of Ranma, although it didn't seem to
affect the many fantasies that you had of him.", Ko-chan said.

"So Ranma and I could have ended up together?", Nabiki asked.

"Yes you could have, but as Ranma and Kasumi seemed to grow closer as
of late your thoughts were not being affected as much, and you began to see
him not only as a source of income. When you made your wish for someone to love,
the 'Ultimate Force' sought out another person with whom you could love.",
Ko-chan said.

"So are we all just play things for the gods and this damned 'Ultimate
Force?", Nabiki asked angrily.

"No Nabiki, none of you were ever playthings, even though there were
times when your mother did want to become directly involved, but she was
not allowed.", Ko-chan said.

"Mother.....", Nabiki said sadly as Ko-chan reached over and hugged
Nabiki close.

"WWaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh, get away from my daughter you demon.", an
annoying voice yelled out from down below.

Nabiki and Ko-chan looked down to see Soun Tendo glaring at them
with a demon head attack forming.

"Sigh. We will have to continue on conversation at a later time.", Ko-chan
said to Nabiki before turning around to address Soun.

"The only demons that were here are yourself and that perverted former
master of yours. You had best change your ways Sound Tendo if you do not
with to meet the same fate the Happosai met.", Ko-chan said as she waved
her right hand causing Soun's attack to dissipate much to his shock.

"I should be leaving. He was not supposed to see me.", Ko-chan
said to Nabiki as she stood up and raised her hood back over her head.

"Before you go, could you please tell me your name. You seem to
know so much about me, but I know next to nothing about you.", Nabiki
said to Ko-chan.

"So you wish to know who I am?", Ko-chan asked Nabiki.

"I think you owe it to me. You insist I call you Ko-chan as if we
were close friends, but you refuse to tell me anything about you.",
Nabiki said.

"Very well, my name in my past life was.......", Ko-chan whispered
to Nabiki who stiffened in shock.

"But that would mean that....", Nabiki tried to say as Ko-chan
put a finger across Nabiki's lips.

"Let that be our secret.", Ko-chan smiled as she stepped away
from Nabiki and faded from sight.

Nabiki sighed, shrugged her shoulders and leapt off the roof and
entered the house, totally ignoring her father who was demanding to know what
was going on.

Inside the house Ranko and Kasumi noticed Soun walked into the yard,
freeze in place, then start to form a demon head. The attack quickly faded
and Nabiki entered the room shortly there after leaving an angry looking
Soun standing outside.

"Is anything wrong Nabiki-chan?", Ranko asked.

"No, Ranko everything is fine.", Nabiki said quietly.

"Did you and your friend have a nice talk.", Kasumi asked Nabiki
with a smirk on her face.

"It was quite.....informative.", Nabiki said as she walked upstairs,
past everyone, her tail swishing gently from side to side.

Ranko tried to follow, but was once again held back by Kasumi.

"She still needs time alone. She was talking to a mutual friend of ours
and needs time to think about what she was told.", Kasumi said.

"Nabiki was talking to 'her' wasn't she?", Ranko asked.

"Yes, she was.", Kasumi said.

"I hope she doesn't feel too manipulated.", Ranko said.

"Perhaps a little, but she will get over it. It was here wish after
all.", Kasumi said.

**************

"Kasumi what is going on. Did you know Nabiki was on the roof talking
to some strange creature?", Soun asked as he came into the living room.

"Oh that was just a friend of mine father. She wanted to speak to
Nabiki about a few things.", Kasumi replied.

"What sort of things?", Soun Said.

"I am sorry, but I can not tell you father.", Kasumi stated.

"Daughter I think, that I've been quite lenient about your deplorable
behavior lately, but I will not stand for having secrets kept from me. I am
after all still head of this family.", Soun said indignantly.

"You mean secrets such as you lying to us about mother, or perhaps
not informing us about Ranma, until the day he arrived here. Sorry father,
but if you can keep secrets from us, then we can create secrets from you.",
Kasumi said.

"Kasumi!", Soun said indignantly.

"Father, Nabiki is finally starting to come out of the 'shell' she had
built around herself ever since mother died. It wouldn't hurt for you to show her
some compassion and even respect for once. Do not forget, it was she who kept this,
family from being thrown out on the street for ten years. A job I might add that
was your responsibility. Now though, it is time for that to end. Nabiki is almost
an adult now, not a child. She must be allowed to make her own decisions in life.
Remember father, although we are your children, we are not your property. Our lives
are, our own to live, and that includes what friends we chose to have and even who
we marry. After all, you don't want Nabiki, Akane or I to end up being forced to
marry someone they didn't really love.", Kasumi said harshly, hoping that
maybe her father would finally be shocked out of his stubbornness.

"So you are not going to tell me who that was?", Soun asked.

"If you wish to know more you will have to ask Nabiki. If you chose to do so
though, ask politely, or she might to choose to keep you at a distance. Now if
you excuse me there is an errand I must run. I will probably be home in time for
dinner, but not before that.", Kasumi said.

"Ranko would you be so kind as to prepare dinner while I am gone. There is
something important that I need to accomplish.", Kasumi said to Ranko.

"You are going to 'punish' that Kuno boy are you not.", Ranko asked.

"Something like that.", Kasumi grinned as she walked out of the
house, changed to her goddess form and flew off towards the east.

"Oh what did I do to deserve such disrespectful children.", Soun
said out loud.

"Would you like a list.", Ranko thought as he walked into the
kitchen with his tail swishing rapidly behind him.

************

Kasumi continued to climb high and the air and soared towards the east.
When she reached the western coast of Japan she began to increase her speed.
Soon a pressure wave built up in front of her, then slid past, causing a loud
roar that could easily be heard from the ground. In the span of less than a
minute Kasumi was now traveling at over 3000 miles per hours, enjoying the
silence that surrounded her, for when one is traveling faster than the speed
of sound, one leaves all noise behind them quite literally.

It is true that she could have easily have chosen to just appear at her
chosen destination, but flying was just too exhilarating. The travel time to
her destination, as short as it was, still gave her a few minutes to think of a
suitable way to also punish one who has disturbed her family and Ranma on
several occasions. Yes if her plan went well, two residents of Nerima would soon
be finding there lives becoming more complicated than usual.

Kasumi was not out for revenge, so to speak, but in her travels with
Ranko over the past five years, subjectively, she was presented with one very
true fact of life. The fact being, that when one continuously performs unjust
acts and is not punished for them, that person begins to believe that there is
nothing wrong with their aberrant behavior. Kasumi decided that now would be a
perfect time to show these two individuals the error of their ways. After all,
Ranma would still be 'asleep' for a few days and she needed something to do with
her time.

As Kasumi noticed her destination begin to appear on the horizon, she began
to slow down. As she descended towards a certain pool filled valley, one last
'boom' echoed overhead, attracting the attention of a certain pudgy guide dressed
in an old Mao suit.

The much put upon Jusenkyo guide was feeling quite relaxed for once. There
hadn't been any 'customers' for over three days. This was almost a new record.
Perhaps he would now have time to continue his research to find a cure for his
daughter's curse. A loud 'boom' outside caused the guide to sigh.

"It was too much to hope for another quiet day, I guess.", the guide
thought to himself as he exited his hut to see what the source of the
noise was.

The guide exited the hut and stood in shock as he noticed a very tall
woman with long red hair with silver streaks in it. On her back were two large
black and white wings. The guide squinted as the sun reflected off the woman's
'chrome' body armor. The guide saw the woman approach the pools and quickly ran
after her. If this woman was some sort of angel or goddess, then it was his duty
warn her away from the pools. Many customers became quite angry when they
changed for the first time. The guide did not want to be the focus of her
anger.

"Be careful honored one. It be very bad if you fall in spring.", the
guide said.

"Thank you for the warning, but you do not have to worry. As strange
and even perverted as these springs can be they are still part of nature, and
that is my domain.", Kasumi said as she dipped her hand into one of the pools
and was not affected.

"Amazing I have been guide here for many years and have never seen anyone
immune to the pools.", the guide said in amazement.

"Daddy are you talking to someone.", a voice says from within the
guide's hut.

Kasumi looks towards the hut and sees a young girl with her head just
barely peaking out of the door.

"There is no need to hide little one. Come out into the light so that I
can see you.", Kasumi said.

The little girl exits the hut and stares at Kasumi with stars in her eyes.

"How preety.", the girl says as she walks towards Kasumi.

"Be careful of the pools Plum, you do not wish another curse do you.", the
guide said to his daughter.

"What form has she been cursed with.", Kasumi asked the guide.

"Plum fell in spring of drowned girl.", the guide said.

"So this is 'her' cursed form that I am looking at.", Kasumi asked the
guide.

"Oh no, honored one, this is Plum's true form.", the guide said.

"Then why would the pool that she fell in be a problem?", Kasumi asked.

"Plum turns into teenage girl when splashed with cold water. She have
teenage girl's feelings and emotions, not to mention hormones. Very confusing
to Plum. She have a young woman's feelings, but still a young girl's mind.",
the guide said.

"If I agree to cure her, would you be willing to help me with a with a
small task?", Kasumi asked as the guide and Plum looked at her with stunned
expressions on there faces.

"You can cure me?", Plum asks in a small voice.

"Yes I can.", Kasumi replies as she kneels down next to the shy girl.

"Honored one I promise to help you in any way I can if you would be
so generous to cure my daughter of her curse.", the guide said to Kasumi.

Kasumi placed her hand on the Plum's head and a soft yellow light
began to flow across Kasumi's arm and onto Plum. The young girl shuddered
briefly then sighed in content. Kasumi then walked back towards the guide
with Plum's hand in her own.

"Your daughter is now cured of her curse.", Kasumi said.

The guide brought out a water bottle and poured a small amount on his
daughter. When she did not change the poor man almost fainted in shock.

"Thank you honored one, for curing my daughter.", the guide said.

"Your daughter never has to worry about the pools again. Besides
removing her curse, I have made her immune to any further dunkings in
the pools. Now as to my favor.", Kasumi smiled, which made the guide nervous
for some reason.

"Honored one, before we retrieve the water that you require, might this
humble man ask your name.", the guide said.

"My name is Katrina Saotome.", Kasumi said.

"Hmmm..... Once had customer with same last name. You are family?", the
guide asked.

"Not as of yet, but perhaps someday.", Katrina said while smiling.

Kasumi left the springs an hour later carrying two small casks in a bag
attached to her sword scabbard as she flew back towards Japan.

**************

Kasumi flew back towards Japan at more leisurely rate then when she
left. She was originally going to carry out her plan this evening, but
decided that carrying it the next morning when everyone was in school
would produce far more effective results.

As Kasumi landed back at the Tendo dojo and shifted back to her human
form, she heard a crash from the kitchen and the sound of three voices
arguing. Well actually, it was more like two voices arguing and a third
voice pleading with the owner of the second voice.

Entering the kitchen Kasumi noticed her sister Akane trying to hit
Ranko with one of her mallets. Ranko had somehow managed to produce his own
mallet and was managing to block Akane's strikes. To add to the confusion
Akari had her arms wrapped around Akane's waist and was trying to pull her
away from Ranko when he and Akane had managed to 'lock' the heads of their
mallets together.

"Why is everyone fighting. Akane what are you doing in the kitchen?",
Kasumi asked.

"Oh Kasumi-sama thank goodness that you are here. They have been
arguing like this for over an hour.", Akari said to Kasumi as she continued
to try and pull Akane and Ranko apart.

"Elder sister would you please remove your sister from the kitchen
before she manages to destroy any more of my hard work.", Ranko said.

"Hey I was trying to help you jerk. The recipe said to add oil and I
did. It's your fault it blew up", Akane said.

"The recipe called for olive oil, not motor oil, you bloody twit. I
can not even fathom, how anyone could make such a foolish mistake.", Ranko
said in exasperation.

"Hey they are the same color, and it was much cheaper than that
other brand.", Akane replied self-righteously.

"Akane I asked Ranko to make dinner. Would you please leave and let
him get back to work.", Kasumi sighed.

"But I wanted to help, besides I am a good cook.", Akane said.

"Akane we have went over this before and you must face up to the fact
that you cannot cook. I know you want to try and help out sometimes, but you
can not be good at everything. You are an excellent martial artist, and you did
a wonderful job acting with Ranma in that play. You should be happy with the
talents you already possess.", Kasumi said to Akane.

"Hmmm..... She has a bad temper, always wants things to go her way, no
wonder she enjoys acting, she has all of the qualifications.", Ranko
jokingly thought to himself.

"So you are saying that it is a waste of time for me to even try
cook.", Akane spoke to Kasumi in a sad tone of voice.

"That is not necessarily true, perhaps you just have not had the
proper motivation yet.", Akari said.

"What do you mean?", Akane said.

"Akane-chan up until two years ago I was a horrible cook. Some of my
cooking could even melt the pan that it was in, which frustrated me to no end.
I wanted to help my then girlfriend with preparing our daily meals at the
school that I was in, but no matter how hard I tried nothing seemed to work.
Until one day though, when my girlfriend Kris and I stumbled across a surefire
way for me to learn. I think it might work on you as well.", Akari said.

"What is it?", Akane asked.

"Ranko-san are there any dishes that still need to be prepared for
tonight's dinner.", Akari asked.

"The dinner salads still need to be prepared. Why do you ask?",
Ranko replied.

"Would you mind if Akane and I prepared it.", Akari said as Ranko
twitched a little.

"I am not sure that would be wise.", Ranko said.

"Ranko-san I promise nothing will go wrong. We will not even go near
the courses that you have prepared so far.", Akari said to Ranko with a cute
pleading look on her face.

"Unfair kawaii attacks.", Ranko mumbled as he found it hard to resist
Akari's offer.

"Ranko-chan I will stay and watch over them if you wish. I could also
keep an eye on the dishes that you have prepared so far.", Kasumi offered.

"Very well, I should go upstairs and check on Nabiki-chan. She as
been up there far to long as it is.", Ranko said as he left the kitchen with
more than a little trepidation.

"So are you ready to begin Akane-chan.", Akari asked.

"What do we do first?", Akane replied.

"How about we start with slicing the tomatoes.", Akari stated.

"Oh I know how to do that.", Akane said as she grabbed a large meat
cleaver and hit the poor tomato with the same amount of force one would use
to hit a hardball over the fence.

(Squish) (Splat) Tomato juice went everywhere.

"Um, that's not quite it.", Akari said while trying to hold back her
laughter at seeing her girlfriend covered in tomato parts.

Akane began to pout.

"Now none of that. Lets try again, this time I will help guide
your cutting.", Akari said.

Akari picked up a small knife and moved behind Akane. She gave the
knife to Akane and place her hands over Akane's while pressing up against
her. Akari then began to demonstrate the proper way to slice tomatoes. Akane
though seemed to not be paying attention. The moment Akari pressed up behind
her Akane began to blush and Kasumi noticed her sister's eyes glazing over.

"It took a few minute for Akane to come back to her senses, but she
began to follow Akari's gentle strokes, much to her surprise. In a few
minutes both Akari and Akane had managed to slice up a few tomatoes without
too many problems.

"See it is not that hard. You just need to go more slowly and be more
precise than you were before. Now lets try slicing up the cucumbers and see
how that goes.", Akari said.

***********

Meanwhile, upstairs, Ranko entered Nabiki's room and found the cute
little catgirl staring at the wall with an intense look of concentration
on her face.

"Am I disturbing you Nabiki-chan.", Ranko said as Nabiki was jolted from
her 'meditating' by Ranko's voice.

"I don't mind if you come in.", Nabiki said as she sat down on the edge
of her bed and motioned Ranko to sit next to her.

"What is bothering you?", Ranko said he held Nabiki's hand in his own.

"I am not sure how I really feel about you. Are these feelings my own or
are they being forced on me.", Nabiki said.

"Why do you say that.", Ranko asked, already knowing the answer.

"I was talking to....someone and they told me about something called
the "Ultimate Force" and how it can influence peoples' emotions.", Nabiki
said to Ranko.

"So you are not sure if you really like or love me.", Ranko said.

"Yes. I want to like you. I never really have had a chance to grow
close to anyone, so the idea of it being an illusion is frightening.",
Nabiki said sadly.

"Nabiki the Ultimate Force can not create love. It can arrange it so
that two people will have the opportunity to get to know each other and
hopefully grow closer, but it can not create love from nothing.", Ranko
replied to Nabiki.

"How do you know?", Nabiki asked.

"I have seen Kasumi-chan grant a few wishes during our time together,
and during that time I have picked up a little knowledge about such things.
Both of us made a wish so that we could find someone to get to know and
grow closer to. We didn't wish to be instantly in love.", Ranko said.

"So I am not being brainwashed into loving you.", Nabiki said, then
quickly regretting her choice of words.

Nabiki was surprised when Ranko did not seem hurt by her words. Instead
he smiled at her and gave her a gentle hug, causing Nabiki to blush.

"I would be lying if I told you that I was upset about how our wishes caused
the Ultimate Force to bring us together, but I would never want to brainwash you
or anyone else into liking or loving myself. I respect the rights of others far
to much for that to happen.", Ranko replied to Nabiki, who seemed to be growing
more comfortable around Ranko that when they started their conversation.

"I know that I have been acting somewhat....um...horny earlier to say
the least. Would you mind if we took our relationship a little more slowly?",
Nabiki said to Ranko.

"Nabiki-chan I have waited five years to meet you. If it takes us an
equal amount of time for us to truly fall in love I will gladly wait.",
Ranko replied to Nabiki.

"So now what do we do.", Nabiki asked.

"Well first we go down and eat. After spending so much time cooking
today I am rather hungry.", Ranko said.

"If you made dinner, who is down in the kitchen right now?", Nabiki
asked, while hoping a certain someone had not decided to 'help'.

"Akari is down there teaching Akane how to make a salad.", Ranko said
as Nabiki turned somewhat green. A good trick when you are covered with fur.

"There is no need to worry. I am sure everything will turn out fine.
At least I hope so.", Ranko mumbled the last part to himself.

After dinner everyone was surprised that Akane had help make the
salad and that it was actually edible. Even Ranko complimented Akane, not
that she cared about the opinion of the little fuzzball. Of course not. After
all it was not her fault that she began to notice how happy he seemed to
make Nabiki or how Kasumi seemed to enjoy 'mothering' him and showing more
life than she had in years. Beside he probably sheds and we have had enough
trouble with that stupid panda as it is. It of course also didn't matter that
Ranko was starting to remind her a little of a more cultured Ranma, and his
fur did feel really nice, when she accidentally brushed up against him.

"Sigh, maybe I am the pervert.", Akane thought in a rare moment of
insight as she noticed Ranko actually smile at her when she looked over
at him.

Ranko of course was only trying to be polite. After all it would be
unseemly to maintain bad relations with his girlfriend's sister.

After dinner, Kasumi was in her room pouring the two small casks
that she had brought from Jusenkyo into a larger container, then sealing
the container with a spell. She couldn't take the chance of the water leaking
out before she had a chance to 'give' it to its new owner tomorrow.

Later that night Cologne was starting to notice a change in one of
her two patients. The week was about half over and Hinako appeared to be
aging as the spell scroll had predicted. She appeared to have gained a year in
age, now appearing to be about 9 years old.

Cologne next watched Ms. Hinako roll over in her 'sleep' and lay right
next to Ranma, who instinctively put his arms around her. It was a good thing
that she was an emotionless old elder or she might feel the need to comment on
cute the scene in front of her was, but of course she did not have to worry
about that being the case.

As she walked out of the room, Cologne missed the fact that both
or her patients eyes were now moving rapidly under their eyelids
signifying a deep dream state, quite a difference from their almost coma
like stillness during the initial part of their slumber.

*********

Ms. Hinako looked around in confusion. She appeared to be in a garden,
the same garden that she first saw her grandmother, when Hinako 'died' in
class about a week ago. Hinako also noticed that unlike the time before, she
was now in her adult form.

"Hello Hina-chan.", Hinako heard her grandmother say as the 'older'
woman appeared in front of her.

"Grandmother!", Hinako shouted in surprise as Urd walked over to Hinako
and hugged her.

"I am glad to see you again.", Urd again.

"Am I dead again?", Hinako asked.

"No child you are not. This is a shared dream between you, I, and that
cute little 'boyfriend' of yours.", Urd teased as Hinako found herself
blushing much to her embarrassment.

"Grandmother you shouldn't say such things.", Hinako giggled.

"It is a grandparents job to tease their grandchildren.", Urd said.

"So you said this was a shared dream?", Hinako asked, while hoping
to change the subject. She was not about to admit to anyone how her adult
form sometimes felt about Ranma.

"Hinako, both Ranma and you are now undergoing something that hasn't
been done in several hundred years. While he is reviving you with his
spirit, both of your souls are intermingling with each other.", Urd said
as Ms. Hinako suddenly had a panicked look on her face.

"Don't worry, you will not develop a split personality or anything like
that, but both you and he will develop an empathic bond. You will at times
feel each others' emotions. You might have been already experiencing
something like that, but this spell will intensify that effect I am sorry
to say.", Urd said.

"Why are you sorry?", Ms. Hinako asked Urd.

"Ranma has led a very difficult life, as you will soon see, I hadn't
intended for the both of you to become linked together at all, but after he
healed you the first time a bond began to grow between you and he. Ranma is
changing. He is becoming something more than he was, because of how he touched
your spirit, and you touched his.", Urd said.

"Because of my spirit?.....Oh dear, what about that nice girl Kasumi? She
was starting to develop some of my abilities before Ranma and I started this
treatment.", Ms. Hinako said.

"Kasumi....That Daemon... Hmmm, this could be interesting.", Urd
thought to herself.

"Grandmother, they are not going to be hurt because of me are they?",
Hinako asked her grandmother.

"No child they will not be hurt.", Urd said.

"Good, because if there was a chance that they would be harmed, I would
rather end this treatment now, then let them suffer any harm.", Ms. Hinako
said.

"You feel that strongly about them.", Urd said.

"Yes I do.", Ms. Hinako said somewhat surprised by how protective she
felt first about Ranma, and now Kasumi.

"I can not stay too much longer. It is somewhat draining for me to
intrude into yours and Ranma's dream. I can say for now that, when the spell
runs its course, you, Ranma, and Kasumi will have some hard decisions to make
about your lives. I and others will help as best we can, but the final
decision in the end will be up to the three of you.", Urd said as she faded
from sight and Hinako now found herself not in a garden but in a wooded
area.

"I wish she could have stayed longer. What did she mean about a
decision affecting our lives. Come to think of it how did she know about the
spell on Ranma-chan and I anyway.", Ms. Hinako thought in frustration.

***********

Back in the real world, Urd awoke from her trance to find Belldandy,
Skuld and Mara staring at her.

"Something I can do for all of you?", Urd asked in a tired tone of
voice.

"So how was the talk with your granddaughter?", Mara asked.

"Does she know who she is now?", Belldandy asked.

"I tried to tell her, but I couldn't.", Urd said

"Are you sure that is wise Urd. She does deserve to know who she is.",
Belldandy said.

"It might be wiser to not tell her.", Urd said.

"What are talking about?", Skuld said flippantly as Urd glared at her.

"When I had my daughter I always told her how proud she should be of
her heritage and how special she was. I see now that I overdid it. As she
grew older she began to feel that she was better than everyone else. It
didn't help that she insisted on hanging out with Ares and his crowd when
she was a teenager. Kami-sama knows the 'garbage' he filled her head with.
I wanted my granddaughter to live a more normal life. Perhaps if that
disgusting little demon had never found her she might have. Maybe then
she wouldn't have been abandoned and had such a horrible life. Urd said as
tears began to fall.

"Please...don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you.", Skuld said trying
to comfort her sister, much to Urd's surprise and Belldandy's pleasure.

"So it was because of the way you raised your daughter that caused
Hinako to be hurt?", Mara said then winced at how bad that sounded.

Urd looked up at Mara with such a pained look on her face that
caused Mara to feel about 3 inches tall.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it the way it sounded.", Mara said.

"It's not your fault. If anything it is that pitiful excuse of a nature
spirit she fell in love with. I should have tried harder to keep them apart.
If anything, 'he' was even more arrogant and flighty than Ares. When my
daughter became pregnant, he promised to take care of her, but when it was
time to give birth to Hinako that bastard had decided that he didn't want to
be bothered with the trouble of raising a family, so he left my daughter just
as she was giving birth to Hinako.", Urd said as everyone gasp in shock.

"I know of several demons who wouldn't even do that.", Mara said.

"Grr, he better pray that I do not ever catch him.", Skuld said.

"After she was abandoned, I am afraid that my poor little Nanase, was
never the same again. She blamed Hinako for her husband abandoning her. I even
had to stop her from physically abusing Hinako when she was just a small child.",
Urd stated, as everyone looked on in shock.

"I couldn't watch over her all the time though. If I could have maybe...",
Urd tried to say as tears started to fall once again.

"Urd please don't do this to yourself.", Belldandy pleaded.

"I can't help it. I was a horrible mother and not much better as a
grandmother.", Urd said continuing to sob.

"That is not true. Not true all.", Mara said with conviction.

"How can you say that?", Urd said.

"I can say that because a horrible person would have never taken the
time to play with and get to know a friendless little demon girl, who others
avoided because of her who mother was. You do not realize how much that meant
to me and much I cared about you. There were many times that I almost gave up
wanting to exist. Having you as a friend changed that though.", Mara said as
Urd looked at her with shock written all over her face.

"You mean you considered.....", Urd said.

"Yes I did, several times in fact when I was young.", Mara said while
shivering at the thought.

Urd reached over and pulled Mara into a tight hug, dragging Skuld along
with her, much to the young goddess's annoyance.

"Do you mind you squishing me here.", Skuld said as Urd smiled and almost
laughed at the mortified expression on her sister's face.

"So do you feel a little better now?", Belldandy asked Urd.

"I suppose so.", Urd replied.

"Good now can you let me up now.", Skuld said.

Mara and Urd both let go at the same time, causing Skuld to fall over onto
the floor, and Urd to actually giggle.

"Good you should smile and not look so worried and depressed.", Mara said
to Urd.

"Why is that?", Urd asked.

"Because worrying give you wrinkles and you are old enough as it is.",
Mara teased Urd.

"Oh, you'll pay for that.", Urd said as she grabbed a nearby pillow and
hit Mara over the head with it.

"Oh you want to play that way do you?", Mara stated as she pulled a rather
large neon colored plastic rifle out of nowhere.

"What is that?", Urd asked.

"Don't you remember when we were children and you snuck off into the
future to pick these up.", Mara said as she pointed the barrel of the rifle
at Urd who now realized what Mara was holding.

"You wouldn't dare!", Urd exclaimed.

(Splash)

"Oh wouldn't I", Mara grinned as she now looked at the very wet Urd.

"You realize of course, this means war.", Urd grinned as she pulled
out what looked like a large yellow and pink bazooka.

"Eep.", Mara squeaked out as she took off out the door with Urd
chasing her while firing water balloons from the strange device.

They both came in a few minutes later looked quite drenched.

Keiichi, who chose this moment to come out of his workshop, took one
look at Urd and Mara, with their clothes clinging to all the right places,
and fell over with a nosebleed.

"H-sama what a weenie.", Mara said.

"Tell me about it. Did you know that all he and my sister have done
so far is kiss.", Urd said disgustedly.

"That's pitiful.", Mara replied while looking at a somewhat
embarrassed Belldandy.

"I mean honesty, all she need to do is pick the poor fool off the
floor, take him to her room, and #$#* #**$$ *#*$, till they are too sore
to even move.", Urd said to Mara as Belldandy looked ready to faint.

Keiichi, who had started to wake up, heard what Urd had said
Belldandy should do to him, and promptly fainted again.

Skuld meanwhile was too in shock to even move, although she was a
little bit curious about how Urd said that Belldandy should #$%$# her
boyfriend. She was also a little curious about what *#*# and (#(#
meant as well.

**************

Ms. Hinako wandered around the forest that she somehow found herself in,
for over an hour, confused on why she was there.

"I know I have never been here before. Mother was never much for going
to the woods, or doing anything else with me for that matter. This might be
one of Ranma's memories since mother said that we are sharing a dream.", Ms.
Hinako thought to herself.

She continued to wander for another half hour until she heard what sounded
like a small child crying from nearby.

"Stop your crying boy, you sound like a little girl and I will not have not
such a disgraceful child as my heir.", a loud voice said from nearby.

Following the sound, Ms. Hinako walked into a small clearing in the woods
Seated near a campfire was a fat balding man in his 30's. He was yelling at a
small boy, who appeared to be about six years old. As Ms. Hinako walked closer,
she realized who the boy was.

"Ranma, are you all right.", Ms. Hinako asked, but was surprised that not
only did he not notice her, but her hand passed right through him when she
tried to pick him up.

"I want to go back and see U-chan. Why did we have to leave? You never
let me have any friends.", Ranma yelled back as he clutched what looked like a
stuffed cat in her arms.

"Boy we are not here on this trip for you to make friends. We are here
to make a man out of you.", Genma yelled back, grabbing the stuffed cat from
his son.

"Give that back. U-chan gave it to me as a present.", Ranma said as he
tried to lunge for it but was pushed aside by his father.

"You are a disgrace boy, hanging onto a toy like a little girl.", Genma
scolded his son.

"I don't care. I want to go home with mom. I don't want to be with you.",
Ranma yelled at his father.

(Slap)

Ms. Hinako gasp as she saw Ranma's father strike the boy across the face
with such force that Ranma was knocked to the ground. As the boy tried to get
up Ms. Hinako noticed a black eye forming on Ranma's face.

"I hate you! I wish you were dead!", Ranma shouted.

"Boy it was time you realize who is the master and who is the student.",
Genma said as he threw Ranma across the clearing before returning to his
tent to grab a bottle of sake.

Ranma was now lying on the ground whimpering for his mother.

Ms. Hinako yelled at Genma. She tried to attack him, but her hands only
passed through him when she struck out.

"No use whimpering boy. You will be a man or your mother will never want
to see you again.", Genma snorted.

"Your lying mother loves me.", Ranma said.

"You mother doesn't love you. How could she love such a weak whining
child. Think boy that is why she sent you away. She is ashamed of you. That
is why she sent you away. You will never see your mother until you learn to
act like a man.", Genma said as he continued to drink.

"Mother....", Ranma sobbed from his place on the ground.

"Now as for your punishment, you will sleep outside tonight and skip
dinner. Perhaps that will teach you to behave.", Genma said, trying to sound
as if he knew what he was talking about.

"Genma you will pay for what you have done.", Ms. Hinako said as she
found herself fading from sight and appearing somewhere else.

************

Ms. Hinako found herself standing on a beach, still in Japan, she
believed. It was late evening and the beach appeared to be deserted
except for two familiar people.

Ranma was standing in two metal buckets, while his father appeared
to be pouring what looked like cement in them.

"What the hell is that idiot doing now.", Ms. Hinako said out loud.

"Now boy you will learn this technique without complaining,
UNDERSTAND!", Genma said sternly.

"Yes father.", Ranma replied woodenly.

"Now that is what I want to here. Now out you go.", Genma as he
pickup up his son and dragged into the water.

Ranma promptly sank like a rock.

A few minutes later Genma pulled his son from the surf. Ranma spent
the next few minutes throwing up seawater.

"Ranma, my boy you disappoint your father.", Genma said as he threw
Ranma back in.

It took Ranma several more times, but he finally made it back to shore
on his own. All throughout this Ms. Hinako noticed one very important
difference from the last time she saw Ranma. Where as before he seemed to
show some spirit by talking back to his father, now he seemed almost like a
robot. He seemed to be just going through the motions. It appeared to have
been only a year since she had last seen Ranma. How could he have changed
so much in such a short time, and did she even want to know the answer to
her question.

Ms. Hinako found herself fading from sight once again, this time
reappearing in a wooded field a few miles outside of a large city, which
appeared to be Tokyo.

**************

As she walked through the field Ms. Hinako, noticed that unlike the
times that she had witnessed Ranma's life, she could not only see and hear
what was going on around her, but smell as well. This was not necessarily a good
thing as she began to choke as a very foul odor reached her nose.

"It smells like a cat..... What a minute, cat..Ranma....Oh no!", Ms.
Hinako exclaimed as she tried to approach the source of the smell without
'losing her lunch' so to speak.

She found Ranma's pitiful excuse for a father sitting on a large
rock drinking again, as he appeared to be staring a large wood covered pit.
The strange thing though, was the lack of noise coming from the pit. If this
was the cat fist technique that she had heard about ,shouldn't she be hearing
lots of hissing and yowling cats. She put her head through the roof of the
pit and peered down into the darkness. What she saw caused her to jump back in
shock and wrap her arms around herself in an effort to calm herself at the
horror that she had just witnessed.

Ranma was sitting in the middle of the pit with a glazed feral expression
in his eyes. He was licking blood from his fingers. Blood from the dozens of
dead felines that now surrounded him.

"Kami-sama how could anyone do such a thing.", Ms. Hinako thought as she
shivered from her place in the field just outside of the pit.

A few moments later the roof of the pit exploded violently, spraying
wood in all directions. Ranma was now outside of the pit walking on all
fours. He did not look very happy.

"Foolish boy, took you long enough to learn the technique.", Genma
said as Ranma looked at the man and hissed.

Ranma raised his hand and made a swiping motion. Soon after that
Genma found himself flying through the air, before being imbedded in a tree
that was thirty feet behind him.

"Boy, what the hell do you think that you are doing.", Genma growled
as Ranma took another swipe at his father, producing four very deep gashes in
his chest.

Genma shrieked, like a little girl, and took off running with Ranma
in pursuit. Ranma chased the fat older man for almost a kilometer, before
turning back and heading towards the clearing, confident in the fact that
he had chased off the old tomcat that had dared to intrude in his territory.

Ms. Hinako watched Ranma dug through the backpacks in the clearing
and pull out whatever food he could find. The smell of cooking meat began
to waft through the clearing. Ranma raised his head and ran off in that
direction, followed by Ms. Hinako.

It took her several minutes to catch up to the boy. She found him
sitting on the lap of an old woman, that was sitting on a rocking chair
in the front porch of a small cabin. It took Ms. Hinako a few seconds to
realize the old woman looked just like her grandmother.

"What is grandmother doing her?", Ms. Hinako said out loud.

"Did that mean old man scare you?", Ms. Hinako heard her mother
address Ranma as if he were an infant.

"Don't worry I will do what I can to help you.", Urd said as she
scratched Ranma behind the ears, who purred in response.

Ms. Hinako watched his grandmother's hands begin to glow a pale yellow,
and the wounds on Ranma's body begin to heal. When the wounds were fully healed
Ranma yawned widely stretched, then curled up on her grandmothers lap and fell
asleep.

A couple hours later, Genma finally made his way to the cabin.

"Ah I see you have found my son. Well, I will just take him and we will
be on our way.", Genma said rapidly.

"I recognize the condition that your son is now in. What kind of fool
would dare subject his son to something as horrific as the cat fist.", Urd
said angrily.

"Now see here woman, who do you think that you are trying to give
orders to me.", Genma said in a self-righteous tone of voice.

"You will be silent!", Urd yelled out as several bolts of lightning
struck the ground near Genma, who responded to this by falling to the
ground and begging for his life.

"Please don't kill me. I'll do whatever you want. Keep my son if you
want to, just let me live.", Genma whined.

"You are pathetic. Consider yourself very lucky, Genma Saotome, that I
am not allowed to kill you like the insect that you are.

"Thank you mistress you are too kind.", Genma said as he continued to
bow at Urd's feet, much to her disgust.

"The boy will stay with me for a period of one week. You may come back
for him after that. He will be free of his feral state then, but every time
he sees a cat from now on, he will reassume his cat persona. Now go and do
not even think of trying to steal the boy away until then, for if you do, I
will kill you regardless of the 'rules'.", Urd hissed, lightning dancing
in her eyes.

Genma responded in his typical fashion by shrieking and running away
as fast as he could.

As Genma's fat form faded into the distance Ms. Hinako noticed her
grandmother start to look very sad and tired.

"I wish I could do more for you child, but I am not allowed. I
probably wouldn't do a very good job of it anyway. I can not even find out
what happened to my own daughter and grandchild. It's a shame though. You
would make the perfect younger brother for Hina-chan, or perhaps something
else if you were a little older.", Urd said as she continued to pet Ranma.

"Grandma wanted to see me more often? But mother always said that
grandma was too busy, and that I would bother grandma if I saw her more
than I did. I wish I could have found her when mother abandoned me, maybe
then we would not both have been so lonely. I wonder if grandma died while
trying to search for us?", Ms. Hinako thought as a shiver went down
her spine.

Genma returned one week later as pompous and full of himself as usual.
He barely even acknowledged the fact of how much her grandmother had helped
Ranma, Hinako observed.

"I was almost tempted to leave with the boy. Well I suppose it is time
to return to Asgard. I wonder if Belldandy or Peorth have been able to
locate my daughter yet.", Urd said as Hinako looked on in confusion.

"What does she mean?", Hinako thought out loud then stared in shock as
her grandmother's form began to blur, her body taking on the appearance
of a young and very beautiful woman with long silver hair and tanned skin.

"What happened? Is that grandma?", Hinako thought in confusion as she
saw her grandmother disappear in a flash of light.

***************

Ms. Hinako observed several more events in Ranma's life as he got older.
He was disgusted about how poorly Genma had raised his son. The poor boy had
almost no social skills. He did not realize how much his teasing affected people
and how much it made some people hate him. All he had to go by was his worthless
father as an example on how to talk to people. To him everything was a game.

Ms. Hinako continued to observe Ranma's life. She saw his father sell him
off constantly to other families in exchange for food or money. She saw Genma
engage the boy to so many girls, that Ms. Hinako lost count after the
twentieth girl.

The foolish training methods that Genma used on Ranma continued to
disgust Hinako. They were not as bad as the cat fist, but no sane person
would still ever attempt them. Escaping from wild wolves, swimming in rivers
filled with crocodiles or piranhas, honestly what was that idiot Genma
trying to accomplish. OF course Ranma took these risks alone. Genma would
always run away and hide when things became to dangerous.

"It is a shame one of the crocodiles did not get him. Of course the poor
reptile would probably die of food poisoning afterwards, but it would be
worth it.", Ms. Hinako thought as she glared at Genma.

Ms. Hinako saw Ranma's initial meeting with that perverted little pig
boy Ryoga. She could understand a little about how Ryoga could initially
dislike Ranma for 'teasing' him. The boy was probably lonely and quite
socially inept from always being alone. This did not excuse his almost
psychotic behavior at times. Ms. Hinako watched Ranma lead Ryoga home
several times. Ranma even tried to share his food with Ryoga as time went
by, but the stubborn boy refused, thinking that he was being pitied.
Finally, she saw Ranma leave the vacant field after waiting three days for
the foolish boy. Ryoga, of course, came one day later and blamed Ranma for
skipping out on their duel of 'honor', this causing the foolish boy to fall
in the spring as drowned pig, when he followed Ranma to Jusenkyo.

Ah Jusenkyo. Ms. Hinako could not decide on whether or not it was one
of the best things to happen to Ranma or one of the worst.

On one hand Ranma had been told his entire life that girls were weak and
stupid. Suddenly becoming one must have caused the poor boy no end of angst.
On the other hand, by now being a girl half the time, he was able to learn,
somewhat, that girls were not weak or stupid and possibly his girl form
allowed him to express himself more openly. It certainly seemed that way
to Ms. Hinako. Now only if he open up more in his male form.

***************

The initial meeting with the Tendos went worse than she thought it would.
Ranma lashed out verbally when Akane insulted him, then struck him from behind
with a table, like a coward. She could not fault the boy for insulting Akane
though. Earlier she had offered to be his friend, but when she found out about
his curse, she rejected him harshly. Ranma fought back in the only way that he
knew how, by verbally lashing out. He could have struck back. That might have
taught Akane a lesson on the dangers of attacking people without cause, but if
Ranma did that he would have probably been assaulted by both fathers and even
thrown out of the house.

It was strange how both Kasumi and Nabiki seemed concerned about the
boy when he was first knocked unconscious, but later seemed to ignore him,
in the case of Kasumi, or take advantage of him, in Nabiki's case. It was not
as if either of then had any sort of social life. Would it have been so
difficult to just have been his friend? A boy who could change sexes with the
application of a little water was strange, but it didn't make him a monster.
He did have feelings.

Ms. Hinako watched some of Ranma's early fights as he started to attend
high school, including Ryoga making an appearance. The boy deserved his curse
in Ms. Hinako's opinion. Sleeping with Akane in her bed, proved how much of a
pig he really was.

Ms. Hinako finally came to the point in Ranma's life where she first met
him. How much she was annoyed with him then. To her, he was just a loud
ill mannered delinquent who deserved to be punished for acting up all the time.

"I wish I had realized how abused he had been as a child, back then.
Perhaps if I did we could have helped each other. Lets face it, neither of us
was raised by our parents very well.", Ms. Hinako thought to herself.

"When we wake up, perhaps I be a better friend to him as well as a
teacher. I will not be a child for long, if what the doctor said was true.
As I get older, maybe he will treat me less as a child to protect and more
like a......friend, yes that's it a friend.", Ms. Hinako giggled as
everything went dark one last time.

************

Ranma found himself in a hospital near what appeared to be the maternity
ward. He saw a few women be wheeled past, looking as if they were going to give
birth at any second. Strange how, no one seemed to be paying any attention to
him. He leaned up against the wall behind him and was surprised when he fell
through it, without damaging it. Picking himself up off the floor he saw that
he was in the nursery. He never had much experience with being around infants,
but Ranma found himself smiling as a nurse nearby fed a cute little girl. At
least he thought it was a girl. It was wrapped in a pink blanket after all.

"That's a good girl. Drink all your formula Hinako, and later we will
go see your mommy.", the nurse spoke softly to the little girl.

"Hinako? Is that her?", Ranma thought out loud.

Ranma followed the nurse and Hinako to small room down the hall from
the nursery. Inside was a very haggard looking woman, who looked a little
like Ms. Hinako's adult form.

"I guess having a baby is somewhat difficult.", Ranma said as he
noticed the woman try and sit up as the nurse entered the room.

"Ms. Nanase, I brought your daughter to see you. Would you like to
hold her?", the nurse asked.

The woman look at the nurse for a moment before saying in a half-
hearted voice, "I guess so."

Both Ranma and the nurse raised an eyebrow at this attitude. Ranma
was even more surprised when the woman did not even seem to know how to hold
her baby.

"Aren't girls supposed to know how to do these things? I thought they
taught it in a class or something.", Ranma thought to himself.

"May I be alone with my daughter for a while?", Nanase asked the nurse.

"Of course.", the nurse said, wondering why the woman seemed to be so
unemotional towards her child.

"What am I going to do with you? Because of you my life is over.", the
woman said as Ranma looked on in confusion at what Nanase had said.

"Perhaps I should give you away. It would make things so much easier. I
wonder if mother would be willing to take you in.", Nanase said as Ranma felt
his jaw hit the floor.

"She doesn't want Hinako? Is she disappointed in her in some way? Stupid
pops, always said mom would be disappointed if I wasn't a "man amongst men", but
why would Hinako's mother not want to be with her?", Ranma thought to himself.

*************

The scene shifted and Ranma found himself in a small house. Two people
were arguing about something from behind a door at the end of a hallway.
Ranma walked through the door to see what was going on. He found himself in
a rather large bedroom. Hinako's mother as holding the girl against her
hip as she was arguing with a striking young woman with long silver hair and
golden tan skin.

"That's one of the 'demons' that was chasing the old pervert. What is
she doing here?", Ranma whispered in surprise.

"No, I will not raise Hinako for you Nanase. It was your decision to
a child with that fool, even though I warned you not to.", the golden skinned
woman said.

"But I didn't want to have a child. Dammit Urd....Mother I can't raise
a child on my own.", Nanase said.

"Mother!?!", Ranma thought.

"I will help out as much as I can, but you know that I can not
take the child up to Asgard.", Urd said.

"You took me there. Why can't you take Hinako with you.", Nanase said.

"Daughter, we have gone over this before. You know why I was able to
bring you there. This situation is different. You do not have my
responsibilities. You have friends down here and you are definitely not
what one could call poor. I know that fool Ares filled your head with all
sorts of foolish ideas, but there are some things you can not avoid. Your
heritage doesn't give you the right to ignore your child.", Urd said.

"So you won't take her?", Nanase sighed.

"No I will not.", Urd said as Nanase frowned.

"Then I guess I have no choice then.", Nanase said is a disgusted
tone of voice as she looked at Hinako in contempt.

**********

Ranma blinked and found himself in the same house, but some time
seemed to have passed. Hinako, who appeared to be about three now, was
trying to wake up her mother, who was passed out of the couch. Ranma
noticed a sake bottle nearby and remembered all the times he had to drag
his sorry excuse for a father around when he passed out.

"Mommy wake up, I don't feel good.", Hinako said.

Nanase grumbled something and turned over.

"Mommy!!", Hinako said louder.

"Go away Hinako and let your mother sleep.", Nanase mumbled.

"I don't feel very good.", Hinako said.

"So what do you want me to do about it.", Nanase said, as Ranma
twitched.

"Kami-sama are all mothers this bad?", Ranma thought to himself.

"I want you to make me feel better like grandma does.", Hinako
said to her mother.

"Not now Hinako, perhaps later.", Nanase said while rubbing her temples.

"Don't you care about me?", Hinako asked while wiping away a tear that
started to fall.

"I said I will help you later. Now go back to your room.", Nanase ordered.

Hinako walked slowly back to her room, with Ranma following close behind.

He tried to put his arms around the girl in order to comfort her, but
his arms past right through her.

"I wish I could do something to help. She deserves so much better than
this.", Ranma thought out loud.

From somewhere out side of the dream a voice said, "Wish Granted, and
thank you."

From behind her desk in Niflheim Hild, for the first time in a
millennium, felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Perhaps there are some worthy mortals after all.", Hild said as
she watched her great granddaughter's and Ranma's shared dream.

***********

Back in Dr. Tofu's office, the yellow and blue aura surrounding Hinako
and Ranma flashed white of a moment. When the glow faded both of the patients
now had curious silver and red streaks running through their hair. The flash
of light caught Cologne's attention. She noticed not only the color change
in their hair, but their auras seem to increase greatly in power.

"Hmmm, most interesting. The silver color almost reminds me of... No, I
suppose that can not be true, but it does have something to do with the
change in their aura's.", Cologne thought as she looked at Ranma and Hinako.

************

Ranma next found himself in a small park, near a group of townhouses.
He saw a now five year old, he guessed, Hinako being pushed on a swing by a
middle-aged woman with long silver hair and tan skin. She looked just like
the young woman he saw earlier. Maybe they were related?

"Come on grandma. Push me higher.", Hinako called out.

"Grandma? Hmmm... Maybe this was Hinako's other grandmother. Strange
how two woman from different families could look the same though.", Ranma
pondered.

Ranma continued to watch Hinako play with her grandmother. Hinako
seemed so different than she usually was. She seemed happy.... It was a
strange thought admittedly, but in all the time that he had know the strange
teacher, he had never seen her really happy. Her child form at times seemed
to be cheerful most of the time, but there was always some hidden emotion
under all that cheerfulness. It almost reminded Ranma of Kasumi. Kasumi
always seemed almost annoyingly cheerful, but Ranma could always feel
something else under that smile. Now though, or back then, Ranma guessed
Hinako seemed genuinely happy.

"At least her grandmother seems to care for her. Kami-sama knows her
doesn't seem to.", Ranma thought as he followed Hinako and her grandmother
back to Hinako's home.

As everyone entered the house Ranma noticed Hinako's mother glaring
at her mother. The expression on Nanase's face clearly showed that she was
not pleased about something.

"Hina-chan why don't you go to your room and play for a while. Your
mother and I have something to 'discuss.", Urd said in a flat tone of
voice, causing Hinako to look a little scared before she took off
towards her room and shut the door behind her.

"And you have the nerve to say that I am not a good parent.",
Nanase said sarcastically.

Urd glared at Nanase, causing the young woman to gulp and step back
with more than a little fear in her eyes.

"Do not start with me daughter. I never treated you the way you are
treating Hinako. Would it kill you to spend a little time with her, instead
of always going out to get drunk with those worthless friends of yours. You
are lucky that some of your neighbors are willing to look after Hinako when
I can not.", Urd growled.

"What am I supposed to do? Spend every waking moment with her. I do have
a life as well you know.", Nanase shot back.

"When you have a child, especially that young, they are your life.
Honestly I taught you better than that.", Urd replied.

"As if you never abandoned me from time to time.", Nanase said
in anger.

"I never abandoned you. Every time my duties took me I away I always
saw too it that you were well taking care of. I never wanted to leave you,
but my responsibilities...", Urd tried to say, but was cut off.

"Oh yes, 'your responsibilities'. How could I ever forget. The great
Urd, Norn of the past, having to go save the world while leaving me wondering
where you were. Do you know how many times I cried myself to sleep wondering
if something bad had happened to you or maybe that you were just tired of
having me around.", Nanase said with her lower lip starting to tremble.

"I could have never done something like that to you or anyone.", Urd
replied in an almost pleading tone of voice.

"Right.... If that was true you would not have abandoned daddy the
way your did.", Nanase hissed at her mother.

(Slap)

Time seemed to freeze in the room. Both woman stood shocked at what
had just happened.

"Oh no.. Kami-sama I have never hit her before. Why now?", Urd thought
as she looked at Nanase's reddened cheek.

"What is the matter mother, does the truth hurt too much.", Nanase
said, tears now falling from eyes.

"I told you what happened many times. You know what happened. I could
have never left your father. I loved him to much.", Urd managed to choke out
the words.

"I am supposed to believe that lame story of yours about how a demon
made him disappear. How stupid do you think I am? Of course father could have
just left. If you treated him as badly as you treated me, it wouldn't
surprise me. Tell me mother did you hit him, when he said something you
didn't like, just like you now hit me.", Nanase sobbed.

"Na-chan, please, I could never have hit.....", Urd tried to say through
her own chocked back sobs.

"Just go mother. I don't want to see you anymore, much less talk to you
now. Just go away and leave me alone.", Nanase angrily replied to Urd.

Urd tried to say something, but the words seemed to stick in her throat.
Finally she just nodded and faded away from sight.

Ranma watched Nanase begin to completely fall apart after her mother had
left. The woman was curled up on the couch, crying like a lost soul. Ranma
felt bad about seeing her this way, much to his surprise. She was so mean and
uncaring to her daughter, why should he even care if she was sad. Still it
was in his nature, for good or bad, to hate to see anyone suffer. Well,
except for maybe that disgusting little pervert Happosai.

"At least Hinako did not have to see this....oh #*$@!", Ranma thought
as he saw Hinako looked out from behind the hallway, where she had
evidently snuck out and heard anything.

Ranma saw Hinako almost drag herself back to her room, the sadness on
her face equal to the one on her mother's.

In Hinako's room, Ranma tried to once again hold the saddened girl
close to him, but failed. The more he saw his young teacher cry, the more
his heart began to hurt. Unable to do anything, the built up emotion
caused Ranma to begin to cry, partly for Hinako and partly for how much
this reminded him about how his worthless father treated him. He began
to feel better as he sobbed, but he was glad, that no one could see him
do it. Who knows, how his parents would react to seeing him in such a
state.

********

Back in Niflheim, Hild continued to watch her granddaughter's early
life unfold in a mix of anger and sadness. At least the one responsible
for most her family's problems had been dealt with. Hild pulled a small
black crystal out of her desk drawer, that her niece Mara had given her
earlier. A light in the crystal seemed to shake in terror as Hild looked
at it with a look of disgust and hatred.

"You believe that you are terrified now little imp, but when I am
through with you, you will know what true terror really is.", Hild said
to the crystal, as the ball of light in it seemed to faint.

Hild looked at the event in Hinako's life that Ranma was heading to.
Hinako's knowledge about what had happened then was quite limited. Ranma
would need to be educated about a few things so that he would be a better
protector for Hinako. Hild concentrated and caused her physical form to
enter the dream stream. Most beings could only enter the dream stream in
their astral forms. Those of great power could enter physically, giving
them far more power over the dream constructs than an astral form would.

********

Ranma found himself outside of Ms. Hinako's mother's townhouse
again. Ranma tried to approach the door, but he found out that he could
not move from where he stood. As he looked around everything in this dream
seemed to be frozen in place. Birds hung in mid air. People were frozen in
mid step. It was more than a little unnerving. A ball of black light appeared
in front of him, and started to expand, taking on a human shape. Ranma stared
as he found himself face to face with a very tall silver haired woman. His
first thought was that this was one of the demons that attacked the old pervert
earlier, but this woman? had easily 100 times the power. Compared to her, Saffron
was about as threatening at Kuno.

"Hello Ranma.", the Hild said in a silky voice that caused Ranma to
breakout in goose bumps.

"Um...Hi...er...Miss?", Ranma said nervously.

"There is no need to be nervous. My Name is Hild Dai Makaichou and I am
here to help you.", Hild said as she snapped her fingers, releasing Ranma from
his paralysis.

"You are here to help me?", Ranma said.

"Yes.", Hild replied, wondering if the boy was a little 'slow'.

"So pops didn't steal anything from you did he?", Ranma asked. After all
every time he met a strange woman, they either wanted something returned to
them or they turned out to be some long lost fiancee.

"No, if your father had done that, he would no longer be alive.", Hild
replied in a tone not of arrogance, but in a calm voice that said she could
easily do this and there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

"Then you aren't a fiancee of mine?", Ranma asked really hoping that this
was not the case. He really didn't need another fiancee right now.

Ranma was somewhat surprised that instead of answering him, the woman
began to laugh, as if the idea of marrying him was some sort of joke.

Hild looked at the young man's discomfort and was greatly amused.

"Teasing mortals is almost as fun as torturing fallen souls, perhaps I
should do this more often.", Hild thought.

"Ranma I am neither your fiancee, nor one of those that your pathetic
father has cheated over the years. I brought you before me for quite a
different reason.", Hild said.

"What reason is that?", Ranma asked in an annoyed tone of voice, not
liking the fact that someone seemed to be playing games with him again.

"The boy really needs to work on his manners.", Hild thought while
briefly entertaining the thought of hitting the boy over the head with a mallet
for being so crude, but she decided against it. After all she was certainly not
one to stoop to such stereotypical and crude behavior.

"To answer your question, I have brought you here so that you may observe
more of my great granddaughter's life.", Hild stated.

"Who is your great granddaughter?", Ranma asked.

"Why Hinako of course.", Hild said, wondering how the boy could ask such
as obvious question.. After all, who was he just observing.

"But you are a demon.", Ranma said, then gulped at Hild glared at him.

"Foolish boy, do you think that humans are the only creatures that
can love and have children." Demons and the gods for that matter do not exist
merely for mortals to worship. Sigh, why is it that mortals are so dense.",
Hild said as Ranma looked offended, but decided for once not argue back.
Ranma the feeling that arguing with this demon would not be the best idea.

"You seem to have a lot of power, how come you could not cure Hinako?",
Ranma asked, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Gods and demons can only interfere in the lives of mortals in a
limited extent, even if they are our descendants. That is why you are here
now, to help heal my great granddaughter, and to do so you must know what
has happened in the past.", Hild said as the 'frozen' dream began to move
again.

Ranma and Hild entered the house and saw Hinako's mother removing several
bottles of sake from a cabinet of the kitchen sink.

"Drinking again. She and pops definitely have one thing in common.",
Ranma snorted.

"You believe so? Watch closely then.", Hild said.

Ranma watched Nanase open several bottles, and begin to pour their
contents down the drain, instead of drinking them.

"It had been two years since you last saw Hinako. She has just turned
seven and tonight will be a turning point in her young life.", Hild stated
in a wistful tone, surprising Ranma.

"Mother, you promised to stop drinking. What are you doing with those
bottles.", Hinako yelled as she came into the room.

Nanase, surprised by the yelling, spun around quickly, forgetting that
she still had a large sake bottle in her hand. The bottle struck Hinako and
shattered across her temple, knocking the girl to the ground unconscious,
and causing a rather deep wound.

"No!! Hinako!!!", Nanase shouted as she picked up her daughter and began
to concentrate. She disappeared from the room immediately.

"Come Ranma, we must go now.", Hild said.

"Where are we going?", Ranma asked.

"To the hospital where Nanase took Hinako.", Hild said as she grabbed
Ranma's hand and they too disappeared.

Nanase hated using her abilities at times. They reminded her too much of
her heritage and what parent she acquired these abilities from. There was a time
that she enjoyed using them, abusing some would say. Admittedly she had made some
mistakes in life, like her drinking for one, but she was trying to improve. That
was why she was throwing out off the sake from her home. She wanted to improve
herself. She wanted her mother to be proud of her, no matter how much Nanase
convinced herself that it didn't matter. Perhaps that is why she decided to
fly Hinako to the hospital as fast as she could, instead of asking her mother
for help.

Hinako didn't appear to be hurt too bad, and there was no harm in using
nonmagical healing.

Nanase ran into the emergency room with Hinako, after she landed near
the hospital unnoticed by almost everyone. A short little man in a brown gi, was
just hauling a small sack filled with underwear over his shoulder, when he
saw Nanase and Hinako enter the hospital. He smiled evilly, realizing who they
were from their mana signatures. An evil plan began to form in his warped little
mind. He would get back at the goddess who 'wronged' him so long ago.

Hinako was wheeled into the radiology department so that the doctors could
check for any internal damage. Nanase, unable to follow, paced back and forth in
the waiting room, while the nurses looked on in sympathy.

The head nurse on duty told Nanase that if she did not want to wait inside,
she could walk around the small garden that the hospital had behind it. Nanase
nodded and walked outside deep in thought.

Nanase was startled from her thoughts when a strange little man seemed
to just appear in front of here.

"Who are you?", she asked.

"My name is Happosai, and I am an acquaintance of your mother.", the little
pervert said, quite pleased that his name meant nothing to her.

"Why are you here. Did mother find out I was here and she sent you?",
Nanase asked.

"That will work.", Happosai thought.

"Yes, she found out how poorly you are treating your daughter and
intends to take her away from you.", Happosai lied convincingly.

"If you know my mother then why are you telling me this.", Nanase
replied.

"To help you of course. I have known your family for quite some time
and I know how poorly your mother treated your father. Why it was she who
even arranged for him to 'disappear', because she was tired of him.",
Happosai said to a now shocked and angry Nanase.

"Now she wants to get rid of me?", Nanase asked.

"Yes she does, but I can help you.", Happosai said as he pulled out a
small bag.

"What is that?", Nanase said while dropping her guard down around the
strange little man.

"Oh this, well this is going to make you quite unable to move.", Happosai
grinned evilly.

"What...", Nanase tried to say as Happosai quickly scooped some
blackish powder and threw it Nanase's face.

"Bastard...you ..lied...", Nanase tried to say.

"Sigh. So gullible, just like her father. Hardly a challenge at all.",
Happosai said.

"Why are you doing this?", Nanase said, while fighting off some of the
powder's effects.

"Tsk, Tsk. You mean your mother never told you about a certain little
demon that caused your father to vanish.", Happosai grinned evilly.

"But that is just a story mother made up.", Nanase replied.

"I am afraid not. I did take care of your father and now you are going
to be dealt with. Don't worry though, I will not harm your daughter, much.
I Have much more interesting plans for her.", Happosai grinned.

"Don't you dare touch her you bastard!", Nanase hissed.

"Such a temper you have my dear. Why it would be quite easy for one such
as I to convince the nice doctors and nurses here about how you mistreat
your poor injured daughter. I wouldn't even need all that proof. You know how
sensitive some people can be about such things.

Nanase froze in shock. It wouldn't be that hard for the demon to convince
the doctors that she would harm her child on purpose. There were far too
many stories of that happening in the news. Some doctors even seemed to be a little
overzealous. One of the children that lived next door to her and Hinako was taking
away from his mother. The boy seemed to be habitually turning up outdoors at all
hours. He claimed to be 'lost'. The authorities thought that his parents were
purposely abandoning the child. Poor little Yoshi Hibiki. The boy was eventually
returned to his mother, but the woman became a nervous wreck. It seems that even
if you were innocent of such a crime, the fact that you were accused though still
caused others to treat you like a criminal.

"Now all I have to do is get rid of you, and nobody will be able to refute
my claim.", Happosai said as he knocked the unmoving Nanase unconscious,

Looking around to see if anyone was nearby Happosai pulled out a small
silver medallion and pressed a jeweled center stud. A portal opened next to
him. He quickly walked in, dragging Nanase behind him. A few moments later
he exited the portal with a small sack, but no Nanase. He quickly sealed the
portal and bounded off towards the hospital. The fun was just beginning.

*************

Watching nearby, Ranma stood in sheer outrage. Hild was quite impressed.
Most demons would be unable to put up such an aura.

"That little bastard is a demon?", Ranma asked woodenly.

"Of course. Don't tell me you were not aware of that fact. Considering
his aura it should have been obvious.

"Everyone thought he was just a pervert", Ranma gasped.

"Well its appears that everyone was wrong now doesn't it.", Hild said
in an offhand manner.

"How could you be so cold. Don't you care about your family?", Ranma
stated in shock at how cold this 'woman' seemed to be.

"If I didn't care , I would not be helping you now. I can not change
the past, that is forbidden, but I can help you improve my great
granddaughter's future.", Hild said holding back her sorrow and outrage. She
could not show emotion to this mortal or to anyone in front of her. It would
cause 'problems' if anyone noticed that she cared about someone. She had to
be emotionless, or others would only take advantage of her. That is what
her father always said to her.

Ranma noticed that the woman, er.. demon, Hild now had an expression
on her face very similar to one Nabiki 'wore' when he accidentally said
something rude or hurtful to her. He didn't want to insult Hild, especially
if she could help him improve Hinako's life, but the woman seemed so strange
and distant to him. He was unsure on how to deal with her, so he slipped
into a familiar role, the insensitive and clueless martial artist.

"Come now Ranma, we still have much to see. Happosai has yet to perform
his most vile act today. We will need to witness it, if you are to truly
understand Hinako-chan.", Hild said.

"This is when that little pervert teaches her to drain people right?",
Ranma asked.

"That is only part of his evil.", Hild said as she dragged Ranma
after her.

**************

In a small room, just off of the emergency room, Hinako laid in a bed
shivering. The nurses were trying to find her mommy, but she had yet to be
found.

"Maybe she went to get grandma so that she could help heal me.", Hinako
thought to herself.

Hinako had not seen her grandmother for over a year though. Mother would
not talk about it, but from what little Hinako remembered about the argument
her mother and grandmother had the day before she left, her grandmother had
to go away on some 'mission' or another. What this meant though, Hinako was
unsure. Her grandmother's prolonged absence saddened Hinako greatly and was
now causing her to think that maybe her mother was not off seeing her
grandmother. Perhaps the reason was something else entirely.

"Maybe she just doesn't want me anymore. Why else would she hit me?",
another part of Hinako's mind thought.

A nurse stationed nearby began to hear sobbing from Hinako's room. As she
began to walk to Hinako's room, a voice called to her from nearby. Turning
around the nurse noticed an old woman limping towards her.

"Are you alright?", the nurse asked the old woman.

"I am fine dear. I noticed that a young girl was brought in earlier. I
happen to know that girl and her mother. There is something rather important
about how that young girl is treated that you should know.", the old woman said.

"What is it?", the nurse asked.

"I have lived next door to the little girl and her family for a couple of
years now and I have witnessed Ms. Nanase strike her daughter on several occasions.
She tended to drink a lot. Even her own mother had to come and watch over little
Hinako at times when Nanase was too incapacitated to watch over the little girl.",
Happosai said blending true and fantasy together, creating a very convincing lie.

"If this is true why did you not tell someone earlier?", the nurse asked.

"I wanted to, believe me I did, but she threatened to harm myself and my
dear grandchild that I watch over. If it was just me I could have said something,
but I was too concerned about my grandchild's well being.", the old woman lied with
a tear falling down her cheek.

"I will go inform the doctor in charge of her case about this. He will have
talk to Hinako's mother as well.", the nurse said.

"Of course, dear I understand.", the old woman said.

As the nurse left to speak to the doctor, the old woman left the lobby and
walked into an open storage room. Her form began to shift to that of a very
familiar little old pervert.

"Now that part two in complete, its off to the final part of my plan.",
Happosai cackled as he pulled out a scroll with a rare ki technique written
on it.

Putting away the scroll, after checking it thoroughly, Happosai pulled
an old priest's robe out of nowhere and made his way towards Hinako's room.
He was followed by a stunned Ranma and a seemingly unemotional Hild.

Hinako heard a knock on the door to her room. A strange short little
man entered, smiled at Hinako and sat down in a chair next to her bed.

"Good day young one, I have heard that you have been having some
problems today.", Happosai said.

"Who are you?", Hinako asked.

"My name is Brother Happosai, and its my job at this hospital to
talk to others and help them with their problems. I heard that you are
here with us today because your mother accidentally hit you.",
Happosai said.

"It wasn't an accident.", Hinako said.

"What do you mean child?", Happosai said in a concerned voice.

"Momma drinks a lot. She said that she didn't do it anymore, but
I caught her today with a bottle. When she is drunk she is mean to me.
She probably hit me, because I found her drinking, when she promised
that she wouldn't anymore.", Hinako said.

"I see than that explains why she left.", Happosai said in mock
sadness as Hinako looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?", Hinako asked.

"My dear, I don't know how to telling this, but your mother is
no where to be found in this hospital. Several employees here were sent
to look for her, but no one could find your mother. I don't want to say this,
but I think that your mother abandoned you here.", Happosai said as he tried
to hide a smile at how distraught Hinako now looked.

"Momma left me?", Hinako sobbed at tears fell down her cheeks.

"I am sorry, but that is probably what happened.", Happosai said.

"What am going to do? I don't know where grandma lives, and momma is
all I had.", Hinako said.

"I can help you.", Happosai said.

"How?", Hinako said.

"I have a scroll with a magic spell on it, that will enable you to take
care of yourself, until you can find your grandma. Do you want me to use it on
you?", Happosai said.

"It's real magic?", Hinako asked, begin very familiar with some of the magic
that her grandmother could perform.

"Yes it is, and with it no one will treat you so poorly ever again.",
Happosai said.

"All right. Use the scroll.", Hinako said.

"You won't regret this.", Happosai said while grinning.

Hinako started to shake as the scroll was read. After the reading was
done Hinako felt strange, empty in a way.

"Now I want you to hold out this coin and say the first thing that
come to mind.", Happosai said.

"What is going on here?", a nurse demanded as Hinako held out the
coin.

A beam of energy flew out from Hinako, striking the nurse in the doorway
and a few others behind her.

Hinako felt her body stretching and she lost her balance.

"What happened?", Hinako said in a deeper voice than usual as she
pulled herself off the floor.

"Hotcha what a woman you are now.", Happosai as he glomped onto her
chest, much to Hinako's shock.

"What did you do to me, you monster?", Hinako yelled as she shoved
the little pervert off of her.

"Why helping you of course. The fact that it allows me to take what I
want is merely a side benefit.", Happosai said as he quickly stripped the
underwear off of the unconscious nurses.

"You used me to get underwear? How could you do such a thing.", Hinako
said groggily, as she tried to think. This new body had such strange feelings.
She seemed to be smarter now, but she felt weird.

"Don't be so naive my dear. Do you think that people actually care
about each other. If that were true your mother would not have left you.",
Happosai sneered.

"Bastard!", Hinako yelled as a different beam of energy flew out
towards Happosai.

He dodged the beam all too easily. The security guards though, rushing
into the room, to investigate all the noise and lights, were not so lucky.
Hinako watched in shock as they were slammed into the wall hard, and slid
onto the floor unmoving.

Hinako felt herself shrinking back down to her normal size as she
watched in horror at what she had just done.

"You should be more careful my dear. You could hurt someone after all
if you are not careful.", Happosai cackled as he bounded out of the room.

Hinako quickly grabbed her clothes, got dressed, and ran out of the
room. She knew that she would be punished. After all who else would everyone
blame. She had become a monster thanks to that little man. Hinako managed to
avoid being seen and was soon outside the hospital running away as fast as
she could towards where she thought her home was.

************

Ranma watched what had just happened in shock. He wanted to feel
something, anger, sadness, anything. He just felt numb though. What he had
just seen was too horrible to even imagine. That little pervert ruined a
family out of revenge? Revenge for what though.

Ranma looked over at Hild. The demon's normal unemotional expression
seemed to braking down. He guessed that she might have known something
about what had happened to Hinako before, but somehow she either wasn't
aware, or allowed to know the details about what had happened.

He began to feel sadness emanate from her and out of instinct reached
over and grabbed onto her hand. Hild jerked her hand away after a moment of
shock.

"What do you think that you are doing?", Hild hissed.

"I....saw that you were sad and I....", Ranma tried to say.

"I don't need anyone's help or sympathy, especially that of some
mortal boy.", Hild said in a harsh tone of voice.

"But...", Ranma said, sounding somewhat hurt.

"Don't bother saying anything. I do not need to here it. Now if you
excuse me, here is where we will part company. You will observe the rest
of Hinako's life on your own. I have done my part.", Hild said as she
disappeared from the dream stream and returned back to her body in
Niflheim.

***********

"Stupid mortal, think that I would need his help or anyone else's'
for that matter. I am not some weak little girl who needs a shoulder to
cry on.", Hild thought as she opened her eyes and got up from the chair
that her body was resting on.

"You do not have to be so cold sister dear. Not everyone will think
that you are weak.", Lilith said from the door to Hild's office.

"You were watching the dream stream were you not?", Hild half asked
and half said.

"Of course, how could I not when someone that I care about it hurting.",
Lilith said as she walked over towards her sister and hugged her, causing
Hild to stiffen in shock, before relaxing in Lilith's arms.

"Don't you dare tell anyone about this?", Hild ordered her sister.

"There is no shame is caring about others. We have both made mistakes
in raising our children. You now though have an opportunity to help your
child and grandchild. Maybe someday I will be able to help my Mara-chan as
well.", Hild said as she stood away from her pouting sister and brushed the
hair away from Hild's eyes.

"That foolish boy tried to comfort me, even though he knew that I was a
demon. A demon that is far more powerful than that little creature who had
tormented he and his family.", Hild said in exasperation.

"He is a rare breed, especially if you are fond of him.", Lilith
teased.

"What makes you think that I am fond of him, a little mortal.",
Hild said in a haughty tone of voice.

"If you do not care then why do you look so guilty sister dear. I
understand why you do not want to show this side of yourself to your
underlings, because they may see it as a sign of weakness, but there is
no reason to lie to yourself.", Lilith said to Hild.

"Perhaps he deserves a little reward for his misplaced kindness.",
Hild replied to Lilith.

"What do you have in mind sister dear?", Lilith said.

"Something that will enable him to be closer to that housewife he
seems so fond of.", Hild said.

"He is not the only one.", Lilith said as she grinned at her sister,
who snorted in response.

"As if I would care about that 'fluff-brained' daemon as well.", Hild
stated.

"This would be the same daemon who was partially responsible for
destroying Xverfm's material form and the same daemon who made you those
white chocolate brownies for your birthday. H-sama knows how she found out
about that. You will not even tell your poor sister when your birthday is.",
Lilith scolded her sister.

Hild tried to walk away and ignore her sister, but it seemed that
her 'dear sister' was into one of her preaching moods again.

"It is obvious that you care about your daughter and granddaughter. How
much harder would it be to care about two more people, besides I think that
hunky little Ranma thinks that you are cute.", Lilith teased.

"What?!?", Hild said a little too loudly, causing her sister to snicker.

"That is not funny sister. You know how long it has been since 'he' and
I have seen each other.", Hild said while glaring at her sister.

Lilith was surprised to hear an actual hurt tone in her sister's voice.
She had always thought that Kami-sama and Hild saw each other quite often. After
all if they did not, why would her sister not show more signs of being sad or
frustrated. Perhaps she was a little too much like father, who thought emotions
were a weakness. Foolish belief. As her dear sister herself had said, even
demons can feel love.

*********

After Hild had left, Ranma expected to 'black out' again and find
himself somewhere else. After a few moments, he realized that this was not
so. Perhaps there was still something for him to observe.

He leapt off in the direction that he noticed Hinako run off it. If he
found her and watched whatever was to happen, then he would move on.

Hinako ran away from the hospital as fast as she could. She felt sick
at what had just happened and just wanted to go home and hide under the bed
in the hopes that this was just some strange nightmare.

About an hour later, she realized that she was lost. Hinako had never
really walked long distances by herself before, she wasn't allowed. As she
walked down the street she noticed that a lot of the people here were kind
of weird. Many of the men she saw had strange tattoos on then and several of
the woman she saw were hardly wearing any clothes. Many people were stopping
their cars to talk to these women. Hinako wasn't sure what was going on, but
all of the people were making her nervous.

Hinako saw a man staggering down the street towards her. As he came
closer she could smell the sake on his breath and clothes. Just like her
mother. Weren't there any adults who were responsible?

"What are you doing here little girl? This place is too dangerous
for you. Perhaps you would like to come home with me?", the obviously
drunken man said.

Hinako ignored the man and tried to walk past him, but he grabbed
onto her arm.

"Little girls should respect their elders.", the man said while
squeezing Hinako's arm.

Hinako wasn't trained in any martial art, but her grandmother had told
her what to if some man tried to hurt her. She lashed out with her foot,
striking the man with a glancing blow right between his legs. The blow was
lacking in power, but it was enough to cause the man to gasp out loud and
let go of her arm.

"You little bitch, I guess I will have to teach you some manners.", the
man said as he advanced on Hinako who took off running.

Hinako unfortunately chose to run down a dead end alley. The man
approached her with a disturbing glare in his eyes. Almost unconsciously,
Hinako reached for a coin in the pocket of her jacket. A few seconds later
a beam of light struck the man in his chest, causing him to fall to the
ground. Hinako cried out a few seconds later. It seemed her now larger
size caused her clothes to either rip or pinch tightly. She staggered over
to the man. Some part of her adult brain told her that now that mother was
gone she would need money. The man might have some. She reached into his
coat and pulled out his wallet, just as several people came into the alley
to see what caused the scream and flash of light.

They began to back up in panic at the sight of a woman with a
glowing aura around her, standing over a bruised body. Hinako heard someone
say that she was a demon. Four large men were now approaching her with
knives. She held out her hand and the energy that she had absorbed earlier
shot out striking the men and sending them flying across the street.

With her larger size, Hinako was able to leap a wall at the end of
the alley and disappear from the area. She eventually made her way back home
in a few hours. She had returned to her normal size and tried to hold her
torn apart clothes together. She found the spare key to her house hidden
near by and entered the house. She collapsed on the couch and began to cry.

Ranma had once again observed all that had happened, but he could do
nothing more than watch.

Hinako woke up a couple hours later, feeling very hungry. She didn't
know how to cook. Her mother tended to by many frozen foods, or order
take-out. She settled for making a couple sandwiches and a tub of ice cream
she found in the freezer. She was surprised when the ate everything and did
not feel too full. Maybe her strange power had something to do with it.

After her dinner, she looked through the man's wallet, that she had
taken. She was surprised that she could read some of the papers in it so well.
When she attacked the man, she appeared to have drained some of his
knowledge as well. She knew about how to use the credit cards that the man had
and even had some of his memories about math and history. The man was a teacher
she found out. Disgusting, how could he do that to her, when he was supposed
to help children. He deserved to be punished, but Hinako could not think of a
way to do so.

She had so many other new memories to go through, such as how she was going
to pay the bills. The man seemed obsessed with those, and Hinako realized
that maybe her mother might have bills as well. She would have to look for
them tomorrow. She would need help though. Perhaps that nice girl who baby-sat
her from time to time. She wasn't really an adult yet, so maybe she could
be trusted.

"That's if she doesn't run away from me, when she finds out what that
nasty little man turned me into.", Hinako thought out loud.

Hinako called her baby sitter, Megumi Takahashi and managed to
convince the girl to come see her for a few hours. Megumi was a little
curious as to why Hinako's mother was not the one to call, but Hinako said
that she could explain. Besides Megumi wanted to get out of the house. Her
parents were acting weird again. They kept whispering to each other whenever
they thought their daughter was not around. Something was going on and Megumi
didn't like it. After all she was the chief information broker at Furinkan
High, and no one kept a secret from her for long.

Before Megumi could leave her house though, she was stopped by her
mother.

"Megumi dear, please hurry back as soon as you can. Your father and I
are having guests tonight and it is appropriate that you attend this party
as well.", Megumi's mother said with a strange smile on her face.

"Alright mother, I'll try to hurry back.", Megumi said as she left,
wondering what her mother was up to this time.

When Megumi arrived at Hinako's home, she found the young girl a
already waiting at the door for her. Hinako escorted Megumi into the
house and into the living room.

"So Hinako-chan, where is your mother? She did not already leave for
the evening did she?", Megumi asked.

"Mother is gone....", Hinako whimpered out.

"What do you mean?", Megumi asked, noticing how scared the little
girl seemed to be for some reason.

"Mother left me, and isn't coming back.", Hinako cried.

"What happened Hinako-chan?", Megumi asked.

Hinako told Megumi all that had happened today at the hospital and
afterwards.

"That is rather hard to believe. I mean, I have seen you and your mother
argue, but to think that she had abandoned you, not to mention this story
about being able to grow older, it sounds like a story Hinako. You are not
lying to cover something else up are you?", Megumi asked.

"Its not a lie! I am alone and I need your help!", Hinako shouted.

"Then prove it to me. Let me see this 'technique'.", Megumi stated
while wondering where Hinako had come up with such a silly story.

"I might hurt you with it. I don't want to do that.", Hinako said.

"Then why should I believe you. Who is to say that you and your
mother did not just have another fight. Maybe you are saying these things
just to get back at her.", Megumi said.

"Fine then watch this!", Hinako said in frustration.

Hinako grabbed a small coin from near by and pointed it at Megumi.
A yellow light flashed forward, hitting Megumi and causing the girl to
collapse onto the ground.

Megumi looked at Hinako in shock. The girl seemed to age before her
eyes, and Megumi felt quite weak at the moment. It appears Hinako was
telling the truth after all.

Hinako picked up the now smaller girl and carried her over to the
couch.

"I am sorry that I had to do that, but you left me no other
choice.", Hinako said in a sultry voice, much to her embarrassment.

It took an hour for Megumi to recover, and in that time Hinako
returned once again to her child form.

"So Hinako-chan, what do you need my help for?", Megumi asked as
she sat up from the couch.

*************

Ranma sat down next to Hinako as she began to tell her friend about
some of the ideas she had.

"Megumi I think that mother is gone for good, but if anyone finds out
they will send me to some sort of orphanage. I do not want to go to one of
those places.", Hinako stated.

"You want to stay in this house by yourself? I don't know Hina-chan
people will notice that no one else is registered as living here.", Megumi
said to Hinako.

"Well... I was hoping that perhaps you could arrange it so that people
think that my 'aunt' lives here with me.", Hinako said.

"Your aunt?", Megumi asked.

"You know... My new form.", Hinako replied.

"Hinako what you are asking is very difficult. Your 'aunt' would have
to be created from out of nothing. I do have some friends who work at the
city records building, but it will be very difficult. Even if it can be done,
are you sure that you can, or are even able to live alone. You are still a
little girl.", Megumi said in a worried tone of voice.

"I found out that I can learn things, when I use my power on others. I
have some memories and skills of your own now, but I can't use them as well as
your can.", Hinako said as Megumi looked more than a little disturbed at that
particular revelation.

"Is there anyway I can talk you out of this? Do you have any relatives that
you could live with?", Megumi asked,

"There is my grandmother, but I do not know where she lives. She used to come
and visit quite often, but she hasn't been here in over a year.", Hinako replied.

"I need to some time to think on how this could be done. It will take a
while. For now though, do you want to come home with me and spend the night?
It might be strange being here by yourself.", Megumi asked Hinako.

"Now I think that I'll be ok. You can come back tomorrow to walk me to
school if you like though.", Hinako said quietly.

"Alright Hinako, I will see you tomorrow then. I would stay later, but my
mother wants me to attend some pitiful excuse for a party she is planning
tonight. Gods, I hope it not another one of those horrible 'noble' families
that she is always trying to impress.", Megumi said in disgust.

Ranma spent the night watching over his teacher, who seemed a lot less
sad that he thought she would be, that is until he heard crying coming from
the bath. He did not want to enter, because, well... Hinako was a girl
after all, so he waited outside. She did not cry for long, but as he watched
over her as she slept, Ranma could tell, that Hinako's dreams were
definitely not pleasant.

************

The next morning Megumi arrived at Hinako's house and the young girl
was surprised to see her babysitter and friend holding a few suitcases, and
looking as if she hadn't slept at all last night.

"Megumi what happened? Are you ok?", Hinako asked as she led the older
girl into the house.

"Hina-chan, can I stay with you for a few days please?", Megumi asked.

"Of course you can.", Hinako said.

"Good, because I don't think that I will be able to go home again
for a while.", Megumi said as Hinako and Ranma noticed the girl's eyes
began to tear up.

"Megumi..", Hinako said softly.

"It was horrible. The party that my mother said that I had to attend
was nothing more than a pretext to announce that she had chosen a fiancee
for me.", Megumi sobbed.

"He was that bad?", Hinako asked, having some idea what a fiancee was.

"Worse. The boy was a totally insane. He thought he was some sort of
samurai from the old days, and he expected me to just accept him, because
I was merely a peasant girl. It's bad enough that my poor cousin has to
marry that whining idiot Soun Tendo, but I will be damned before I even
marry someone like that 'creature' Godai Kuno.", Megumi said.

"That's the name of our idiot principal. You will run far away from
him if you are smart girl.", Ranma thought to himself.

"It was bad enough that everyone thought I would just blindly go
along with marrying that idiot, but when my father told me that it was
done in part to repay a debt that he owed those vultures I lost it. I told
everyone that I would not be sold off into 'slavery' and if they tried to
force me I would tell everyone, the police, the newspapers, etc, what they
were trying to do.", Megumi said.

"That's horrible Megumi. You can stay here as long as you want. I
won't let those mean people hurt you.", Hinako replied in a righteous tone
of voice, causing Megumi to smile.

"That stupid old lady Kuno did try to hurt me.", Megumi growled.

"What!", Hinako said in shock.

"The old woman told me to mind my place and tried to slap me when
I dared to tell them the truth about them being a drug using bunch of
inbred bastards. I caught her slap and squeeze her hand as tight as I could.
She yelled out and I pushed the old woman away from me. After that was over
my own family expected me to apologize to her, when she tried to attack me.
I told father what he could do with that idea and stormed upstairs to pack.
As I was leaving they told me either I apologize or 'else'. What this 'else'
is I do not know or care. I will never have anything to do with them.",
Megumi stated.

Hinako always tried to see the good side of people until now, but her
adult side was telling her that these people were 'delinquents' and should
be punished, but she did not find a way to do so until years later. The main
reason she applied to Furinkan High was not to punish the delinquent
students, as she told the idiot principle, but to pay back the Kuno family
for what they did to her friend.

Megumi, true to her word, did manage to arrange it so that Hinako now
officially lived with her 'aunt', although it was really Megumi who took care
of the little girl, until Hinako finished elementary school. Megumi was impressed
by how quickly and easily Hinako seemed to absorb knowledge. She was as smart as
any high school senior, by the time she was twelve. This was quite fortunate,
for as Hinako graduated from each grade in elementary school, she did not seem
to age. She still appeared to be an eight year old. Her 'aunt' had to go to the
school several times and talk to the principle about Hinako's 'glandular
problem'.

Megumi took care of Hinako until the girl finished the eighth grade and
Megumi finished junior college. She wanted to go onto a better school, but
each time she applied for a school, or internship program she was refused for
some reason. It did not take a lot of figuring out what this reason was. The
Kuno family in an act of petty vengeance, used what little political power they
had to hurt Megumi whenever they could.

Megumi saw that her only chance for a good education was to attend a
school in another country. Hinako wanted Megumi to leave. Hinako explained
that she could now take care of herself thanks to Megumi. If Hinako ever
ran into any trouble then her 'aunt' could take care of her.

Megumi stayed with Hinako for one more year, working odd jobs to pay
for her trip abroad. She had managed to acquire a scholarship at a small
college in the US, but she would still have to earn some money in case it
took a while to find a part-time job in that country.

Watching Megumi and Hinako say goodbye to each other was painful for
Ranma to watch. He hadn't felt this upset since he watched that disgusting
little pervert Happosai kidnapped Hinako's mother.

Soon after he watched Megumi drive away from Hinako's house in a taxi
everything faded to black and Ranma sensed that he was now finished with
viewing Hinako's past.

**********

As the blackness faded, Ranma and Ms. Hinako, in her adult form, found
themselves standing side by side in a small park. A short ways away, they
noticed two small children about ten, playing together on swings. Walking
closer they noticed that the two children were themselves. Ranma and Hinako
tried calling out to their younger selves, but they seemed to be unaware
of their older selves presence.

"There is no need to call out to them. They do not even exist. They are
mere projections of what could have been.", a voice said.

Turning around both Ranma and Hinako see Urd, in her true goddess form.

"Grandma, that is you isn't it?", Hinako said confused.

"Yes Hina-chan it is me.", Urd replied.

"I don't understand. What are you?", Hinako asked.

"This is very difficult to explain. To put it simply I am a goddess.
I am also the Norn of the past.", Urd said.

"Does that mean that I am a goddess too?", Hinako asked.

"I am not sure, to tell you the truth. Both you and your protector,
Ranma were influenced by the spell that you are under and by interference
from both Hild and Lilith, who are my mother and aunt.", Urd said.

"Grandma, if you are a goddess and so is your mother aunt, why did you
abandon me. Did you feel the same way about me that mother does?", Hinako said
in a hurt tone of voice.

"I could only see you sometimes Hina-chan. There are rules that govern
what a god or goddess can do on Earth. Your mother was only a demi-goddess.
She did not have any restrictions on where she could or could not go. I wanted
to see you more often, please believe me.", Urd almost begged as Hinako looked
at her with a skeptical look on her face.

"I met Hild while I was looking at your life, in the dream. She told me
the same thing about goddesses being able to visit or influence mortals. I am
sure that your grandmother and others would have seen more often if they
had wanted to.", Ranma stated to Hinako.

"Neither of you are human, even Ranma who started out that way. You
both have changed so that you could become closer to each other.", Urd said
as Ranma and Hinako stared at Urd in shock.

"Closer. You mean as in.....", Hinako tried to say while blushing.

"More like friends, but in actuality soul mates. Both of you are now
bound together until one day when it is time for either of you to pass
on to Asgard. You and not married, nor engaged. You do not have to fall in
love with each other.", "Although you probably will somewhat.", Urd thought the
last part to herself.

Urd expected Ranma and Hinako to be upset to some degree, and from the looks
that Hinako was giving her, Urd could see that she was upset. Ranma's expression
though was one of someone who had suffered a great loss.

"Ranma, what is wrong?", Hinako said while holding Ranma's hand.

"If Hinako and I aren't normal anymore, will we be able to go home. I
don't have a lot of friends, but there are some people that I would miss.",
Ranma said.

"Like Kasumi...", Hinako guessed out loud.

Ranma only looked at the ground and seemed to shiver in response.

"Poor boy has it bad, even if he doesn't completely realize it.", Urd
thought to herself.

"Ranma I can not tell you how the rest of your life will proceed. That
is up to you and those that you care about. If something worries or
frightens you, talk to someone. Kasumi, Hinako, or even I will listen to what
you have to say.", Urd said as she put her hand on one of Ranma's shoulders.

"I'm not afraid of nothing.", Ranma mumbled.

"Everyone feels fear at times, Ranma, even gods and goddesses. The
last world war terrified more than one god and even some demons as well.
Humanity was so close to destroying itself.", Urd said as she remembered
seeing one dimension where both the US and Germany developed the atomic
bomb at the same time. The results of which, were almost too horrific
to think about.

After a few moments of silence, Ranma decided that he had to tell
Hinako and Urd about what had happened to Nanase.

"Hina-chan, before we came here, I saw your mother in several
of your past memories. I know what happened to her when she left you
at the hospital.", Ranma stated as he noticed several emotions flash
across the faces of Hinako and Urd.

"You saw mommy?", Hinako sniffed.

"Your great-grandmother showed me what happened and how I could make
both you and others see it as well.", Ranma said as he grabbed both Urd's
and Hinako's hand.

Both women stiffened as Ranma's memories of Nanase were seen by them.
Ranma tried to not look at their faces. Their expressions were almost too
much for him to handle.

"I thought that she hated me and didn't want to see me anymore. I wished
that she was dead, so many times. I am so sorry, mommy. Please forgive me.",
Hinako said as collapsed to the ground crying like a lost soul.

"That bastard. How could he have done that. Death was too good for him.",
Urd spoke through her own tears.

"He's dead?", both Hinako and Ranma seemed to whisper at once.

"Yes, a couple of days ago, he was finally destroyed by myself and
others. Hild still has his perverted little soul trapped in a gemstone. I
don't know what she is going to do with it exactly, but he will be made
to suffer for what her has done.", Urd replied.

An hour later, Urd and Hinako had managed to calm down somewhat, from
what Ranma had shown them. Hinako though was now sitting in Ranma's lap,
with her head on his shoulder. Urd noticed how embarrassed the poor boy
looked.

Hinako lifted her head and looked at Ranma with a smile on her face.

"I feel a little better now. Thank you for holding me.", Hinako
said to Ranma.

"It's ok, I'm glad you are feeling better.", Ranma replied, while
trying to ignore how Hinako's adult body made him feel.

"Sigh. Stupid soul link is still making look at other girls.",
Ranma thought, then blushed as Urd teasingly blew a kiss at him.

Hinako glared at her grandmother, for teasing her... er rather Ranma.

"Now that everyone is feeling a little better, we can get to the
real reason, why I am here talking to you.", Urd said.

"What reason is that grandma?", Hinako asked.

"Hina-chan, both Ranma and you have suffered far too much when you
were children. I created this 'park' for you to relax in. You can stay here
for days, or even weeks if you want to, and no time will pass in the real
world.", Urd said.

"Aren't we a little old to be at a playground?", Ranma asked.

"Well that is a simple enough problem to solve.", Urd said as she
snapped her fingers and Ranma and Hinako now both appeared to be about
ten years old.

"Neat!", ten year old Hinako said.

"How'd we get so young.", Chibi-Ranma asked.

"Its simple, only your spirits are here on this plane. Your bodies
are elsewhere. You can look like anything you want, and even do anything
you want. All you have to do is imagine it.", Urd said as the two
'children' starred at her in awe.

"So if I wanted to fly...", Hinako started to say, then stopped
short and squealed in delight as she began to lift off the ground.

"Hey, I want to try too.", Ranma said as he lifted off and the two
of them began to chase each other through the air, all round the park.

Urd watched Hinako and Ranma chase each other around for hours, before
they began to tire somewhat. After the flight they settled for taking
turns pushing each other on the swings. Urd laughed out loud when Hinako
decide to fly off the swing at it flew forward, causing poor Ranma to look
on first with worry, then relief as Hinako arced upward then stopped in
midair, grinning at Ranma.

The two children finally tired out and laid down next to each other
on a blanket, under a large cherry tree. Urd wished that she could have
brought a camera onto the astral plane. The scene in front of her was just
too cute not to share with anyone, and of course embarrass the two
'children' at a later date.

************

Back in the real world, Kasumi sighed in relief and pleasure as she
felt the joy coming from both Ranma and Hinako. Kasumi was quite pleased to
see that Hild-sama was right when she told Kasumi that Ranma's and Hinako's
bonding would remove some of the darkness from their souls. Of course the
real interesting part of the bond would not take effect until they had been
both awake for a couple weeks. The time would go slowly, but Kasumi had
waited for over ten years, a few more weeks would not make a difference.

*************

In Niflheim, Hild and Lilith watched as the dream between Hinako and
Ranma ended. They saw their spirits enter the astral pocket that Urd had
created so that she could speak to Hinako and Ranma. Lilith looked over at
her 'unemotional' sister. She could tell that Hild desperately wanted to see
both her daughter and great granddaughter, but was too concerned about what
others may think of her.

"They will only be asleep for two more days, Earth time. You could
go down to Earth then. I don't believe anyone would mind as long as you
don't hunt down Genma Saotome or anyone else who has hurt Ranma or
Hinako.", Lilith stated.

"It would be best if I was not seen there. I have made the mistake
of showing myself to often as it was.", Hild sighed.

"You could go in disguise. I know how fond you are of your native
form, but there would be no harm to do it a few times.", Lilith half
teased her sister.

"I am not the only one who thinks too highly of herself at times.",
Hild said smugly to Lilith.

"You mean me, dear sister?", Lilith said with an innocent wide eyed
look at her sister.

"I wish you would not do that.", Hild said as she looked at the
disgustingly cute expression on her sister's face.

"I'll stop if you agree to at try and see your family.", Lilith
said seriously.

"I'll think about it.", Hild said.

"I suppose that will do for now.", Lilith said as she teleported
away from her sister's office.

After Lilith left, Hild turned back to the projection of Chibi-Ranma
and Hinako laying next to each on a blanket, and smiled sadly.

"It has been so long, since I have even been around a child for
any length of time. How old is Urd now anyway? Will they even want me to
be around them. I know I made that boy Ranma nervous. Will I have the
same effect on my family?", Hild thought as she ended the projection.


Author's note:

What an emotional chapter this was to write. I made more revisions,
, additions, and deletions to this chapter than all of the others combined.
The hardest part to write about was Hinako's past life. I wanted people to
feel some of what Hinako experienced, but I did not want to depress anyone
too much. Hopefully I was able to reach a 'happy' medium so to speak.

The next chapter will cover the rest of Ranma's and Hinako's sleep,
as well as the plans that Kasumi has for the barrels of water that she
brought back from Jusenkyo. If I am very lucky I might even begin to
write more about Urd's past, but since I said the same thing in the
last chapter's author's note, I can't give any promises.

If you have any comments, compliments, or constructive
criticism, feel free to email me at ryo_oki@pacbell.net

Ryo Oki