Child of the Goddess Chapter 5 By: Gekigengar3 Disclaimer: All characters, and such are the copyrights and property of their respective owners. I claim no ownership of any character and such in any way. "" = Spoken words It was early morning in the Nerima district as the sun rose into the heavens. The birds were singing their songs, gentle droplets of dew clung to the grass, and several dogs were watering the lawns. All was quiet, peaceful, and serene. For some reason the residents of the area took this as a sign of the apocalypse. In a small little house, also known as the Tendo Dojo, a being of power stirred. Aroma's danced across it's nostrils as the icy grip of sleep lost it's hold upon them. All too soon, twin pools of blue mixed with pale red opened to stare at the ceiling. The being sniffed and smiled slightly. Food was being prepared. Food it could easily recognize as it's mother's. Removing himself from his futon, Ranma stretched a little to remove the kinks from his body. Once finished, he rolled up his futon and walked to the bathroom to clean up for the day ahead. Sitting down on the stool, Ranma dumped a bucket of cold water over himself. Feeling the usual change occur, she proceeded to scrub herself of any dirt and oils she accumulated during the night. Once finished she took an extra minute to make sure no more physical changes occurred while in dreamland. Seeing none, she stepped into the furo to soak. While soaking, Ranma thought about what he had to do before leaving town. *I'll have to talk to mother before leaving. Let her know I'll be all right and that when things finally settle down here, she can come visit. For some reason I have a feeling that I'll be at that shrine for a while. No use dwelling on it though. I'll find out when I get there.* thought Ranma. Meanwhile, down in the kitchen, Nodoka busied herself with breakfast. Her son would be leaving today and she was going to make sure that he had a good meal filled with motherly love. She didn't know when he would return or when she'd be able to go visit with him after he was gone. The poor girls needed her support. She had faced the death of a loved relative a few times before but neither Kasumi or Nabiki had her experience dealing with that kind of loss. The only loved ones they had ever lost was their mother. Now it was their mother and their sister. Already a picture of Akane had been placed next to the one of their mother on the shrine in the dojo. There she would be remembered by her family and loved ones. Upstairs in one of the guest rooms, admidst mountains of panties, bras, and other various women's undergarments, sat Happosai. In front of him rested a small shrine. Incense not of this planet burned as he prayed to his goddess. After a few moments, his prayers were finished. Standing up he put out the incense and placed the shrine back in it's hiding place where eyes, not of Jurai, wouldn't lay eyes upon it. It was special to him and gave him a connection to his planet of birth. He'd built it shortly after he arrived here from some Jurian wood he had with him. "Hmm, perhaps I'll go take a walk around the yard before breakfast. It smells as though Nodoka is cooking and I don't want to miss any of her meals." he said to himself before heading outdoors to enjoy nature. Ranma, finished with his soak, stood up and let the water drip off his body. Stepping out of the furo, he toweled himself off before putting on a set of his favorite silk chinese shirt and pants and fixing his hair. Once dressed and cleaned up, he looked into the mirror to make sure his hair was all right. What looked back wasn't what he was expecting. Sure he was expecting the odd new eye color. His black hair now had some silver blue strands in it as well. But that wasn't what he was looking at. No, it was his eyes. They had undergone further changes. Looking closely, he could see that they were slightly slitted similar to a cat's. Not too much, but enough to be noticeable. Despite the new physical alteration, he had to admit it looked cool. Shaking himself out of his self admiration, he left the bathroom and walked downstairs. He could hear his mother in the kitchen. The sounds and aroma of cooking could be easily detected. Deciding not to bother her right away, Ranma headed to the dojo. He had someone to talk to this morning. Someone very special. Ranma entered the dojo and walked over to the shrine. Facing it, he bowed and clapped a few times. With his eyes closed, Ranma prayed, "Akane, I hope you find peace now that you are with your mother. I will always remember you and you will be in my heart always. I know you would want me to be happy, so I'll move on eventually. But for now, I still love you." Wiping away a tear and thinking a moment, Ranma chuckled to himself and talked to the shrine, "You know, it's funny Akane. The Neko-ken is a powerful technique. It had even helped me a few times in the past. The most prominent being the fight with Cologne for the phoenix pill. But you know what Akane. I'd rather have spent the rest of my life as a girl than to watch you die. I wish Genma never taught me that technique. But I suppose I can't blame him too much anymore. He was the only family I had for a long time. He might be a liar, a thief, and an idiot, but a very small part of me still cares about him. However he does not have my respect any more. What little I had was shredded when I learnt what the neko-ken did to my heritage and power. It's just the revelation of what happened because of him that made me so mad. Sigh. Good bye Akane. I will always love you." Bowing once again to the shrine, Ranma turned and left the dojo to have breakfast. Just outside the doors to the dojo, a diminutive man sat and pondered what he had just heard. *So Ranma did love her. I had always suspected but to hear him say it out loud and so freely speaks of how much he has grown these past few weeks. Death can do that to a person. I ought to know. I have watched people I have cared about grow old and die while I went on. I've even taken the life of others in battle when I needed to. He is now a warrior. A warrior of our people. Sigh, may our goddess ease his pain.* thought Happosai, looking at his hands while opening and closing them. His thoughts ended for the time being, Happi rose and went to breakfast. Today would be a eventful day and he wanted plenty of energy for the trip. The fact that he'd be able to spend some time with his first love from when he first arrived on this planet could also be part of the reason he wanted the extra energy. Arriving at the dining table, Happi could see the various people sitting and waiting for breakfast to be served. Nabiki, despite the indifferent facade, had twin tracks of tears running down her face. It was easy to see that the death of her sister had affected her. She was openly glaring at Ranma whom seemed to ignore it. It appeared to him that she blamed the boy for her sister's death. Apparently she was so mad, that she neglected to notice the changed eye color or the slight change of some of the boy's hair color. At one end of the table, Kasumi sat with a handkerchief in her hands. She was sniffling and her eyes had bags under them. Apparently she didn't get much sleep last night and had been crying quite a bit. Occasionally she would use the piece of cloth to wipe her eyes. Kasumi noticed Ranma's changed features, but though it best not to ask. He would tell them when he was ready. Ranma however seemed to be one of the more stable people at the table. He simply sat there, waiting for breakfast. If what Happi had heard earlier was true, then the boy had begun the healing process. He had accepted the death of his love and had begun to move onward with his life. But it would take time. And Happi knew all too well that time was something Ranma had plenty of. But there were two people missing from the gathering. Soun and Genma had not come down for breakfast. Extending his senses out, Happi found them upstairs snoring away. Both were in Soun's room and by the feel of their aura's, they had been drinking heavily. Happi was brought out of his musings as Nodoka entered with several plates of food. Ranma, being the kind son he was, offered to help her. She smiled at her son and it appeared that she noticed something about the boy's eyes. Happi smiled at that. He might be too old to have any of his own, but he still liked seeing a child and their mother together. Ranma mouthed later to her and she nodded. All too soon, the food was set out on the table. Nabiki picked at her food seemingly not interested in something such as eating. Kasumi ate very little as well. She appeared to be worn out from all the crying she had been doing. But she still managed to eat enough to satisfy her own hunger. Nodoka and Happi both ate more than the two sisters. Nodoka because she would need her strength today to help the two girls. Happi because he always loved good food and Nodoka's was some of the best he'd ever known. However it was Ranma that drew Nodoka's and Happi's attention. He wasn't mimicking a vacuum cleaner for once. In fact, he was eating with better manners than he had ever shown before. Both looked at him curiously for a moment before shrugging and deciding that they would get an explanation later. Once breakfast was finished, Ranma stood up and said, "Thanks for the great meal mom. It was one of the best I've ever had." He smiled as he saw his mother's smile. He was glad he could cheer her up. Looking around, Ranma noticed Nabiki had disappeared as well as Kasumi. Kasumi he could hear upstairs, but where was Nabiki? Thinking back a moment he hit his head with his hand. Nodoka, coming out of the kitchen saw this and asked, "What's wrong?" Looking over at his mother, Ranma said, "Well, I forgot today was a school day. I still haven't withdrawn from school either. I guess I'll have to do it after I meet up with Cologne." Shaking her head, Nodoka said, "Ok dear, but I want you to find a school or tutor up near that shrine. I don't want you to neglect your education." Hanging his head a moment, Ranma said, "Ok. I'll try to find a school or tutor while I'm there." ********************* In a place between dimensional subspace, a mad scientist sneezed. ********************* Back at the Tendo Dojo... Smiling at her son, Nodoka asked, "Now that we have that settled, I have to ask dear, what happened to your eyes and hair?" Happi looked closely and could see the slitted pupils. *So, he really has mastered the neko-ken. Hmm, I wonder how those eyes would make his female form appear. I'll probably find out eventually.* Sheepishly, Ranma said, "Well remember when I told you about joining with the hawk and panther the other day and there being physical changes that would occur?" Seeing her nod, he continued, "Well I think this is from the neko-ken. Sorta a representation of it being a part of me. I think it's pretty cool looking." Shaking her head while smiling, Nodoka said, "Well, at least it's not too noticeable. And you are right, it makes you more handsome." Blushing at the praise a little, Ranma hugged his mother, "Thanks Mom." Hugging her son back, Nodoka smiled. Her little boy was still there for her. Happi stood back and let the two have their moment. He wiped a lone tear from his eye before anyone could see it. He decided to give Ranma some privacy, so he went to wait on the porch for Ranma to finish. "Mom?" asked Ranma. "Yes dear?" replied Nodoka. "Um...Well...Last night I merged with my past self's personality and such. So now I don't mind my female form anymore. I also remembered some more stuff and I wanted to give you something." said Ranma. Blinking a moment, Nodoka digested what Ranma just said. Her eyes widened a little, "Ranma dear, you mean there were more fragmented parts?" Nodding, Ranma said, "Yeah, I think she was the last of them. But I don't know for certain though." Nodoka smiled and said, "Well, as long as it didn't change you too much. Anyhow, you said you had something for me. What is it?" Smiling at his mother, Ranma said, "Well, you remember when I told you about my heritage and power from the hawk? And using it I managed to defeat Saffron?" Seeing a nod of confirmation, Ranma continued, "Well, last night when I received my memories from long ago, I learnt...well it's better if I just show you." Nodoka watch as Ranma backed up and concentrated. In between his hands appeared 10 miniature wings of light. Nodoka held her breath at the beautiful sight. She watched as Ranma concentrated harder to do whatever he was going to do. It was obviously the first time he'd tried something like whatever he was doing. Placing his hands together, the wings compacted and formed a ball of blue energy laced with midnight black. Slowly he pulled his hands away from each other and the energy elongated. Once it was long enough, Ranma grabbed one end with his hand. The rod of energy transformed into a katana of exceptional beauty and quality. Ranma smiled and handed the blade to his mother. Nodoka looked upon it and gasped at the beauty of it. The blade was etched with the relief of a prowling cat and a majestic hawk in flight. The metal was unlike any she had ever seen. The hilt was also beautiful with the majestic blue hawk and midnight black panther wrapped around it. The beasts seemed as though they were alive and the blade almost glowed with power. She knew enough about swords to know this was worth a small fortune. It's beauty alone made it that valuable. Looking up at her son with a questioning glance, she asked, "How?" Wiping a bit of sweat off his brow, Ranma staggered a tiny bit before saying to himself, "Whew, it was harder than I thought to make the wings that small and manipulate it." Seeing his mother waiting for an answer, Ranma said, "Well I didn't want you to miss me so I wanted to give you something special. I thought about what you might like the most and a katana was the only thing I could come up with." Nodding, Nodoka asked, "Is it usable?" Smiling, Ranma nodded, "Yep. Strong too. You'd probably have to forge a sword for about several thousand years to equal that blade." Blinking, Nodoka's eyes widened, "But...How?" Shrugging, Ranma said, "I can't really explain it. I picked up a little about swords while on the road and I used that knowledge to make this one. I just improved on what I had learnt." Shaking herself out of her slight shock, she asked, "Is there a sheath to go with it?" "I knew I forgot something. Just a second." said Ranma, slapping his head. Concentrating again, this time a little easier, Ranma made a ornate sheath for it. Carved into the sheath was the same panther and hawk motif as was on the sword. "There you go." he said, handing his mother the sheath before he wiped more sweat from his brow. Thinking to himself, *I'm gonna have to practice this more. Making that sword wore me out a little bit.* She slid the blade into the sheath and heard a click as the blade was locked into it. Smiling at her son, she hugged him again. Ranma, a little less awkwardly, hugged her back. He'd been doing a lot of this lately and he was finding that he sorta liked this hugging stuff. It made him feel warm and loved. Breaking apart, Ranma said, "Well, I better get going if I want to get on the road soon." Nodding, Nodoka said, "Very well son. I'll try to help the girls as best I can while you are away. And thank you for the wonderful gift dear." Smiling at his mother, Ranma went to the porch to get Happosai. Seeing he was ready to go, Happosai followed Ranma outdoors. There Ranma picked up his pack from where he had set it earlier. Once he had it on, the two lept to the rooftops and made a beeline for the Nekohanten. Nodoka smiled as her son left to find himself. Looking down at the sword she was given, she smiled again. Her son was so kind and generous. If only he could give her some grandchildren. Sighing, she retreated back into the house to finish cleaning up from breakfast. Leaning the sword against the kitchen wall, she turned around and began washing the dishes. With her back turned, she failed to see the sword emit a purplish glow before returning to a normal looking state. ********************* Meanwhile, Ranma and Happosai were almost to the Nekohanten. They lept from rooftop to rooftop. People on the street only saw a brief shadow flow along the ground before it was gone. Soon the two arrived outside the door to the Nekohanten. Stepping into the restaurant, Ranma,with his eyes closed, prepared himself for a bundle of purple haired energy. When none came, he cracked an eye open to look around. All that he could see was Cologne sipping tea calmly. She was smirking at Ranma's actions. "Don't worry Ranma. Shampoo is still asleep. The long hike back from China wore her out. She'll most likely be asleep for another hour or two." she said as Ranma stepped closer. Happi was close behind. Finishing her tea, she hopped back into the kitchen to put the dishes in the sink. Once done, she hopped back out with her cane. Upon reaching Ranma, she lept to the top of his backpack and made herself comfortable, her staff across her lap. Looking down at Ranma, she said, "Well, let's get going. I'd like to get there before dark." "What about Shampoo and Mousse?" asked Ranma. "Don't worry. I talked with Mousse last night and left a note on Shampoo's dresser." she replied. Nodding, Ranma said, "Well, we need to make a quick stop first. I haven't withdrawn from school yet. It shouldn't take too long I hope." "Alright Ranma. Let's go to the school so we can be on our way." she said. "Okay" replied Ranma, stepping outside and leaping to the roof. From there he, Cologne, and Happi sped away toward the school. It only took about 5 minutes since they were in a hurry. Upon arriving, they realized it was still early enough that school had not yet started. All activity stopped for a moment as the student body saw Ranma stroll in wearing a backpack with a gargoyle on top. Next to him the ancient pervert of their nightmares. Many wondered why he was with the pervert. Some fainted realizing the gargoyle was alive. Others wondered when Ranma started dying his hair. Off to the side, Nabiki was talking with Kuno. He appeared to be quite enraged by whatever she was telling him. She pointed over toward the courtyard where Ranma was walking and Kuno lept into his path holding his boken up high. "Halt vile sorcerer!" proclaimed Kuno holding his boken up high in a overly dramatic pose. Seeing Kuno blocking his path, Ranma asked, "What do you want Kuno?" "You fiend! You dare allow one of your foul minions to slay my true love! My fierce tigress who longed to be held within my arms. Surely she must have been breaking free of the foul spell you placed upon her to keep her from my loving embrace!" spouted Kuno. Starting to get a little angry at the accusations that were being directed toward him, Ranma asked through somewhat clenched teeth, "And who, pray tell, told you that?" Seeing a conflict arising, Cologne hopped off Ranma's backpack to stand next to Happi. Watching the two for a moment, Cologne turned to Happi, "What do you think?" Puffing on his pipe, Happi turned to regard Cologne, "I think the samurai wannabe is gonna get a boken rammed down his throat." Cologne nodded in agreement. "Why none other than the mercenary one! My true love's older but money hungry sister!" said Kuno while striking another pose. Nabiki, to the side, glared at him through half lidded eyes. *Oh, he is going to get it from me when this is done.* Ranma turned to glare at Nabiki a moment. His newly shaped pupils narrowing. "Nabiki" he whispered through clenched teeth, his eyes beginning to glow purple. Nabiki, seeing the glowing eyes of the one she believed allowed her sister to die, took a step back. This was something new and she didn't like it. She wouldn't admit it, but those eyes scared her. Still, she would get her revenge on him. Even if it was the last thing she did. Ranma returned his gaze to Kuno, the glow fading away before he could see it. Of course, Kuno was still in his corny speech routine and wouldn't notice a pink elephant even if it came up and sat on him. Kuno was still ranting on how he would vanquish the foul sorcerer and avenge his love's death while freeing his pigtailed goddess in the process. Ranma wasn't liking the way Kuno was debasing Akane's death. Added to the fact that Kuno was blaming him for it as well. No, Ranma didn't like that at all. Then there was how Kuno was describing what he and his pigtailed goddess would do once the vile sorcerer was vanquished. Ranma's eyebrow twitched at some of the more graphic things Kuno was saying. Finishing his long winded speech, Kuno pointed his boken at Ranma. "I shall avenge my love!" proclaimed Kuno. Ranma, angry at Kuno for various reasons decided to teach the idiot a lesson. Smirking, Ranma called upon the power of the Neko-Ken. "Have at thee!" shouted Kuno as he attempted to impale Ranma upon his boken. As the boken closed in, Ranma blurred and disappeared. Kuno stopped and looked around for his adversary but could not find him. Suddenly, pain unlike any he'd felt before erupted from his back. Ranma was behind him and smirking. His right hand in front of him as he stood in some sort of cat stance. "Aaaaagggggghhhhh..." cried Kuno. The students that stood off a ways wondered what happened. Nobody saw Ranma touch Kuno. All they saw was a swipe of his hand and Kuno crying out in pain. Whispers broke out through the crowd as they tried to figure out what Ranma did. However there were three that realized what had happened right away. Cologne thought, *Hmm, the boy is using the Neko-ken. A little much, but then again, the idiot he's fighting might not be bothered too much by it.* Puffing on his pipe, Happosai smiled and nodded to his new heir, *Yes, Ranma will definitely do me proud. He's the first to master that technique since I've been on this planet. That Kuno boy is quite the fool for saying what he did about Akane and Ranma's female form.* The third person's thoughts were not as happy as the previous two. She knew the signs of what just happened. And she didn't like it one bit. *He's using the Neko-Ken! Ranma will rip him to shreds! Kuno doesn't stand a chance! But how? There aren't any cats around? Unless...Oh no, he doesn't need cats anymore. He's mastered it! My plans will have to change a little then. Ranma won't be as easy to beat if he has that technique available to him.* thought a now worried Nabiki. Kuno, having recovered from the pain somewhat, turned and regarded his foe in a different light. *He's too far away to have touched my noble personage. Of course! He's using his foul magic's upon me!* "Had enough Kuno?" quipped Ranma. "I fight on!" shouted Kuno as he unleashed his air pressure attack upon Ranma. Ranma weaved in and out of the razor sharp gusts of air. He had other things to do and this idiot was keeping him from them. Taking the offensive, Ranma dodged all of Kuno's strikes. Reaching him, Ranma unleashed a flurry of kicks, punches, snap kicks, and various other forms of unarmed combat attacks upon Kuno's body. When it was over, Kuno lay in a heap. Still alive, he wheezed, "I fight on!" before falling unconscious. Wiping his hands, Ranma turned and went into the school to withdraw. The rest of the school body however were a little bit in shock at what they had just witnessed. The school moron had just said that Akane was dead in more words than were necessary. Then there was the fact that Ranma had pretty much gone and hammered on Kuno worse than ever before for insinuating that Ranma was the reason for her death. Some felt that Kuno got what he deserved for debasing one of their classmates passing on. A few minutes passed as the students absorbed what had just happened. Some of the females had started crying for the loss of one of their friends. The males were still a little out of it though. On his way out, just about to the door, Ranma was grumbling something about friggin Kuno and stuck up administrators. So absorbed was he in his mumbling that he failed to notice the water dripping from a leaky fire sprinkler. Stepping outside, Ranma could see that Kuno had extracted himself from the ground and was limping slightly toward Nabiki. Seeing Nabiki, Ranma decided it was time for a little payback for her. He was just about to go look for some cold water when he realized he was already in his female form. Wondering about that a moment, she simply shrugged and began to implement her plan. Running up to Kuno, she put on her distressed girl face, "Oh Kuno-sempai!" Turning, Kuno saw his pigtailed goddess running up to him, obviously distressed about something. Nabiki however was wondering what Ranma was up to now. "My pigtailed goddess! Come and let me comfort you in my noble arms!" said Kuno as he opened his arms to embrace her. Swallowing her pride, Ranma stopped short of Kuno's outstretch arms and turned up the cute distress factor. "Oh sempai, you must help free me from the foul spell placed upon me! Only you are noble enough to vanquish the evil fiend that has entrapped me so." said Ranma, her eyes big and pleading. "Saotome you fiend! Finally my pigtailed goddess is breaking free of your foul magic!" proclaimed Kuno. "Oh no sempai, my brother is under a spell too. He's not a sorcerer. Let me tell you who it is before the spell begins to reclaim me." said Ranma putting her arm up to her forehead. "Wha? Your Brother? But then who is the foul sorcerer that has entrapped you my love?" asked Kuno, a new warped connection forming in his head. *If Saotome isn't the sorcerer then there is someone else who has imprisoned my pigtailed goddess! If he is her brother as she claims then I must find the fiend that has cast a spell upon them to free them. Then my pigtailed goddess will be mine at last! And surely her brother will approve!* Smirking internally at Kuno's stupidity plus the fact that he bought the line about her male form being her brother, she proceeded onto the next step in her plan. Nabiki watched the proceedings with some worry. *What is Ranma up to? And why do I have a feeling as if I'm not going to like what he says next.* Her eyes pleading, Ranma said, "The sorceress that cast the spell is none other than Nabiki. She cast the spell to force her sister and my brother together as well as keep me from you! But you must not kill her! In order to break the spell, you must make love to her! Only then will she lose her powers forever!" Digesting that a moment, Kuno stood as tall as his injuries would allow him and proclaimed, "Fear not my pigtailed goddess! No longer shall I attempt to subdue your brother. Instead I shall break the spells placed upon you and your brother by the foul sorceress." Sweetly, Ranma said, "Oh thank you sempai! I must leave you now, but fear not. When the spell is broken, I shall return to you!" Nabiki was right. She didn't like what Ranma had just done. He had effectively just cut Kuno out of the picture on her plans for revenge. Not only that, but he had redirected Kuno at her. And if that weren't enough, he told Kuno that he had to make love to her which was something she didn't want, at least not with Kuno. So, she did the only thing she could do. She ran into the school. About a minute later, the tone chimed, signaling the start of the school day. All the other students walked into the school. Some better emotionally than others. Ranma however walked over to Cologne and Happosai. Nodding to them that he was ready, he motioned for Cologne to hop up on his backpack. She hopped up and the trio proceeded on their way. Behind them, Kuno stood posing and vowing that he would free his love. One of the newer transfer students that didn't know Kuno that well looked at him strangely for a moment wondering if Kuno was some sort of reject from the Ginyu Force. The trio were quiet until they had reached the countryside outside of Tokyo. It was about that time that Cologne piped up and asked Ranma, "Nice job handling that idiot, but did you really have to do that to Nabiki?" Looking up at Ranma, Happosai put his two yen in, "I have to agree with Cologne-chan. Why did you do that to Nabiki?" Contemplating a moment, Ranma answered, "Well, I didn't like what she tried to do. Telling Kuno that I killed Akane went way over the line. Plus the fact that she twisted what I had said when I told her and Kasumi what happened to Akane. This will teach her that she has to take responsibility for her actions. And if you are worried about Kuno actually succeeding, then think again. He might talk high and mighty, but he's as shy around girls as Ryoga is. He just covers it up really well with his poetry and acting like a noble samurai." Curious, both the elders asked, "How do you know he's as shy as Ryoga?" Chuckling, Ranma said, "Because I found him one time passed out with blood dripping out his nose. He had a picture of my female form in his hand. The picture was of me in the bath with a towel wrapped around me. I think Nabiki had sold it to him earlier that day." Both the elders chuckled at that. Who knew that Kuno was really a shy guy around girls behind that false bravado? "So how did your withdrawal go Ranma?" asked Cologne. His face turning a little darker, Ranma answered, "Well, at first they didn't want to let me withdraw. Since they wouldn't let me, I said real loudly that it was a shame they wouldn't let me leave. Principal Kuno came out and let me withdraw. Said something about finally getting rid of a bad cake or something." Both elders chuckled at that little remark. "Well anyway, we are on our way to the shrine. We should be there in a few hours." said Cologne. In the distance behind them, a faint 'Nooooooo!' could be heard. The three of them heard it and looked back a moment. Cologne shook her head slightly, "Looks like Shampoo read the note I left her." Curious, Ranma asked, "What did it say?" "Oh not much. I just told her that I would be gone for a little while with you and Happi. I didn't tell her where we were going. I also included that I had nullified the kiss of death and kiss of marriage. Apparently she didn't take it too well." said Cologne. Shaking his head, Ranma said, "Well as long as she accepts it and leaves me alone. I wouldn't mind being her friend, but right now I'm not looking to marry anyone." "That is one of the reasons I nullified it." replied Cologne. "What's the other?" asked Ranma. Chuckling, Cologne said, "I'll tell you later Ranma. But for now, let's get a move on. I'd like to be there in time for dinner." Nodding, Ranma readjusted his backpack and began hiking toward the Masaki shrine with Happi walking beside him. ********************* Meanwhile... Shampoo had found the note that her great grandmother had left for her. Currently she was staring at it, disbelief evident on her face. Twin tracks of tears flowed down from her eyes. When she had first found it, she wondered what it might have said. However, once she had opened and read it, she wished she hadn't. Her great grandmother had nullified the kiss of death and kiss of marriage. The letter had also said that Cologne would be gone for a while to visit an old friend of hers with Ranma and Happosai. Quietly she kept wondering why. Why had they spent all this time here? Why did her great grandmother nullify her claim on Ranma? And why in the name of her ancestors was her grandmother traveling with he who must not be named. Despite all her why's, she knew one thing. Ranma would be hers no matter what. She didn't spend all this time in this country to return empty handed. She would have him no matter what her great grandmother said. ********************* Downstairs, Mousse was preparing the restaurant for business. He had heard Shampoo's scream earlier but he didn't run to find out what was the matter. At first he had been overjoyed with the news. However, he knew deep down that Shampoo would not give up. Despite what the elder said, Shampoo would not rest until Ranma was hers. He sighed. For most of his life he had tried to get Shampoo to take notice of him. She had, but not in the way he wanted. Perhaps the elder was right when she told him to find someone else. He knew that there were other girls in the village that had tried to get him to notice them. But he had ignored them in favor of his childhood crush. Thinking back on what Cologne told him, Mousse reflected on her words. ***Flashback*** Mousse was sitting with Cologne at one of the tables. Shampoo lay upstairs sleeping. She was sipping some tea, obviously thinking about what to say. Finally, after a few moments, she spoke, "Mousse, I will be leaving tomorrow to visit a very old friend of mine. I do not know how long I shall be gone but I want you to try and keep an eye on Shampoo for me. I left a note on her dresser just a moment ago and I'm afraid she will not react well to what I had written." Curious, Mousse asked, "What did you write elder?" Looking at him a moment, she decided to tell him, "The letter basically tells her that I will be gone for a while. I also wrote that I had nullified the kiss of death and the kiss of marriage on Ranma." "You have?" asked Mousse, getting excited at the prospect of his love being free. "Yes I have. Ranma and Happi will be coming with me to visit my old friend. I just talked to them earlier. Before they left Happi told me he wanted to come. Here is the address and phone number of the shrine we will be going to. However, I expect you and Shampoo to behave and run the Restaurant while I am gone." replied Cologne sliding a piece of paper over to him. "Oh Shampoo! You are finally free for me to woo you!" proclaimed Mousse. A gnarled staff bopped him on the head. "Quiet you. I don't want you to wake Shampoo up." Seeing him settle down, Cologne continued, "Now then, as I was saying. I've already informed Ranma of this and he has acknowledged it. However he does not want Shampoo chasing after him. The main reason being that he just lost the love of his life only a short time ago." Looking up at Cologne, Mousse asked, "Elder, what if I cannot stop Shampoo from leaving in search of Ranma? What do I do then? I can't run a restaurant by myself." "That is why I gave you the address Mousse. If she goes against my words, then I want you to come to the shrine. Ranma could use someone his own age to talk to and I have a feeling that you have begun to consider him a friend. But when you come, make sure nobody follows you." said Cologne. "Alright honored elder. So you have given up on getting Ranma in the tribe then?" said Mousse. "No I haven't. What I am going to do is offer to adopt him into the tribe. That way we will be able to benefit from his knowledge and bloodlines." "But what if Ranma doesn't agree to be adopted?" said Mousse. Chuckling, Cologne replied, "I will have him in the tribe one way or another. If I have to offer him a position as patriarch, I will. He would be an equal to me in every sense of the word despite what the status of past patriarchs were." Mousse gasped at that. In the history of the Amazons, there had only been a couple of patriarchs ever. And even then they were second to all the elders. Looking at her, he could see she meant every word she had said. Ranma could effectively be one of the two heads of the village. Seeing his understanding, Cologne sighed, "Mousse, I'd like to offer you some advice as your elder and as a motherly figure." Mousse noticed Cologne being sincere and he wondered why. Before she had always treated him as a servant. Now it seemed she was going to offer him advice as a mentor or a mother would. Having his attention, Cologne spoke, "I have watched you grow up Mousse. Seen you take a simple technique and master it beyond any other. That alone has earned you much respect among your peers. However I have also seen you foolishly chase my great granddaughter around like a love struck puppy. All because she showed you an act of kindness while you and her were kids." About to retort, Mousse was halted by Cologne, "Wait till I am finished. Now then, as I was saying, you are one of the more respected males in the tribe. However much of that respect has been lost as you chased Shampoo around. But I have seen the other girls taking notice of you, despite the problem with your eyes." Mousse listened to the elder. This was something new to him and he could hear the sincerity in her words. For once, he decided to listen and possibly follow the elders advice. "Right now, Shampoo is very much like the late Akane Tendo was. She is stuck in her own little world and nobody will be able to change her views very easily. I have tried many times but she believes that as long as she gets what she wants, then she will be happy. She reminds me of the way I was when I was younger. So head strong and sure of the world." said Cologne. "So what happened? How did you grow out of it?" asked Mousse respectfully. Looking at him a moment, Cologne smiled a little and chuckled, "I will tell you some of what happened. It happened when I was about 24 years old. I was young and brash. Thought I knew everything like most kids these days. Happi had just been run out of the village and I was outside the village feeling lonely. There I ran across a male that was able to defeat me easily." "You were defeated easily?" asked Mousse. Chuckling some more, Cologne replied, "Yes, well I learnt later why he was as good as he was. Anyway, he had knocked me out and carried me back to the village. When I woke up, I was in his arms. I gave him the kiss of marriage and thought I had finally found my husband. It was at that time that the elders decided that I had embarrassed myself enough." Curious, Mousse asked, "How did you embarrass yourself? You were defeated and had given the kiss of marriage." "Are you familiar with the village legend of the warrior Yosho who saved the Amazons from the Musk around 500 years ago?" asked Cologne. Nodding his head, Mousse said, "Yes, it was one of my favorite bedtime stories when I was younger. "Well, it turned out, that I had just declared my love to him! In front of the village no less! I thought I would have died from embarrassment! Here was a living legend and I had just kissed him!" laughed Cologne. Mousse just gaped a moment, "You mean that he was real? And you knew him? But he must've been a dried up mummy by then." Receiving a bonk on the head, Cologne continued, "Yes he was real and yes I knew him. But he wasn't a dried up mummy as you put it. I cannot reveal to you why, but he looked just as young as I was. And the reason he was so strong was because he was a master of his art." Rubbing his head, Mousse nodded, "Ok, so he was able to keep himself young by using his ki then." "Something like that." replied Cologne cryptically. "So what's that have to do with Shampoo?" asked Mousse. Sighing, Cologne said, "Mousse, you and I both know that we cannot always get what we want. I had to be embarrassed in front of the entire village in order to grow up and get out of my dream world. You are stuck in a similar state. You cannot see past Shampoo and that will lead you down a path of self destruction. Please, let Shampoo go and try to find another who will return your feelings. Shampoo will grow up eventually, but from the looks of it, it will be some time before that happens. Despite what you may believe, I do care about you as well as my great granddaughter and I want to see you both happy. But I can guarantee you that you will not be happy with her. She is too childish and must mature more." Unable to deny what the elder said, Mousse nodded. "Very well honored elder. I shall reflect on your words of wisdom and decide from there." "That is all I ask." she said, patting his hand. ***End Flashback*** Reflecting back on it, Mousse could say that Cologne was right. He had been living in a dream world of obsession. All he saw was Shampoo as his lovely goddess and failing to realize that she was a bit self absorbed. He couldn't help but think how much he was acting like that idiot Kuno. Mousse shuddered a little at that. Perhaps it was time he moved on and stopped his chasing after Shampoo. But where would he begin? Pulling out a slip of paper from his robes, Mousse looked at it. Perhaps he could go and visit that shrine Cologne was visiting. He was sure Ranma might like a friend to talk to. He would have to call later and ask Cologne if it was alright for him to come. Until then, he had a restaurant to run. Hearing footsteps, Mousse turned to see Shampoo coming down the stairs. However, instead of turning toward the kitchen, Shampoo walked toward the door. "Where are you going? We have a restaurant to run." said Mousse. "Shampoo no have time to run restaurant. Must find Airen and make him love Shampoo." replied Shampoo. "But the elder said we were to run the restaurant while she was gone." said Mousse. "Shampoo no care. Must find Airen." stated Shampoo, walking out the door. Sighing, Mousse tried to stop her but she had already left. Stepping outside, he could not find any sign of her. Turning around, Mousse decided that without Shampoo helping, he could not open the restaurant. Hanging a closed due to family emergency sign on the door, Mousse went to pack. He would go and join Ranma at that shrine. It would give Ranma someone his own age to talk to instead of three elderly people. Later that day... Three figures walked through the forest. Ahead of them, about a couple miles away, was the Masaki shrine. They were chatting away about various little things to pass the time during their journey. It was still early afternoon, not quite time for dinner yet, when a growl was heard from on of the traveler's stomach's. Ranma looked down and chuckled a little. The two elders chuckled as well while shaking their heads. "It's always food with you Ranma." chuckled Cologne. "That reminds me. Earlier you weren't eating like you usually do. Why was that?" asked Happi. Cologne, curious, asked Happi, "What do you mean?" "Well, he was eating with manners. Something I have never seen him do." stated Happi. Cologne almost fell off the backpack at that. Would wonders never cease with this boy! First he stuns her by learning and refining ancient amazon techniques. Then beating her for the Phoenix pill. Not giving into Shampoo's advances and later killing a self proclaimed god by using a tool that she had only heard about. Not only that, but mastering and adding the neko-ken to it as well! And now, he actually learnt manners! "Hey!" quipped Ranma. Chuckling, Cologne asked, "So what was the reason Ranma?" "Well, last night I joined with my past personality and memories. Manners were something that were taught to me then and I just decided to use them now so that I could enjoy my mother's cooking and make her proud of me." said Ranma. Cologne patted him on the head, "I'm sure your mother is very proud of you Ranma. What mother wouldn't be?" Nodding, Happi said, "I agree with Cologne-chan." Smiling, Ranma said, "Thank you. But I just hope my other mother will be proud of me too. She might get quite a shock to learn about my past self. I haven't told her fully yet about it." "What do you mean?" asked both elders. Thinking a moment, Ranma said, "Well, when I joined with my past self, I learnt that I was born as a girl on Jurai." This time, Cologne did fall off the backpack as both elders massively face faulted. Extracting herself from the ground, Cologne looked up at Ranma and asked, "So what happened because of it? The panther gave you full control of the neko-ken as well as other gifts. The hawk gave you your heritage and power. What did this new fragment bring to the mix?" Pulling himself from the ground, Happi threw his two yen in, "Yeah, what changes did she bring?" Scratching behind his head, Ranma replied, "Well, basically I gained all the knowledge that my past self had learnt while she was alive as well as the knowledge she accumulated traveling through space for all those thousands of years. Oh, and I also am comfortable with my female form now." Both the elders eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Here was Ranma. A boy that was young, brash, sometimes arrogant, but could endear himself to you easily. And now they had just learned that he had just accepted his female form, and was imparted thousands of years of knowledge. Cologne asked, "Well has all that knowledge made you any smarter?" Blinking a moment, Ranma said, "Well, it's still being absorbed, but I do know more than I used to. But it doesn't help me very much on dealing with people. I mean, how can knowing what a supernova looks like up close help me talk to someone?" Chuckling, Cologne hopped back up onto his backpack. "Let us get moving Ranma. We are almost there." Nodding, Ranma began walking toward the shrine again. Happi by his side. Both the elders had one thought running through their minds, *What's next?* Up ahead, at the shrine, Katshuhito sat sipping tea. Across from him were Washu and Sasami. "So when is your old friend supposed to get here Katshuhito?" asked Washu. Sasami nodded cutely and said, "Yeah! I wanna meet my new sister!" Smiling at Sasami's cheerfulness, Katshuhito said, "They should be here soon. I can sense my old friend now. She is only a short distance away." Blinking a moment, Washu brought up her holographic computer terminal. Typing away at it for a minute, she smiled and nodded. "You are right Katshuhito. I detect three lifeforms. One is human with some minor traces of Jurian energy, similar to the water of life." said Washu before being interrupted by the priest. "That would probably be my friend. What of the other two?" said the old looking priest. Looking back at her laptop, Washu smiled, "Well, the other two are somewhat odd. One registers as Jurian but has hardly any Jurian power in them but quite a bit of human energy." "Hmm, I wonder how that could be? I suppose we will find out when they get here. What of the third?" asked Katshuhito. "I'm fairly certain that one is Tsunami's child. I'm detecting strong Jurian power but just barely. Whoever they are, their power is almost undetectable. I'm only able to detect it because I was able to fashion a better sensor array last night." said Washu. "Yay! My new sister is coming!" cheered Sasami. "Perhaps it would be best if we do not tell them about that until we are certain." said Katshuhito wisely. Washu nodded, "Yes, it might not be. However I'm fairly certain it is. But we must make sure to try and explain the situation with Tsunami and Sasami if it is them." "Ok, I won't say anything until later then." said Sasami quietly. "Good. Now then, are things going to be quiet for a while between Ayeka and Ryoko?" asked Katshuhito. Nodding, Washu smiled, "I hope so. I told them to behave tonight otherwise I'd have them both assist me with a new experiment." Smiling, Katshuhito nodded, "Very well." It was about that time, that the three could hear voices outside. Standing up, Katshuhito stepped over to the door with Washu and Sasami behind him. Sliding the door open, Katshuhito was greeted to the sight of Cologne riding atop the backpack of a young man. Next to the young man was a smaller older man. He could tell by the way the young man moved that he was a martial artist of an extremely high caliber. *Hmm, the boy walks with grace and power. It would appear that he knows quite a bit about martial arts. Perhaps he'd like to spar later. If he's as good as I believe, then he might be able to teach Tenchi a thing or two as well.* thought Katshuhito. Standing to the side of Katshuhito, Washu gazed out into the courtyard to see three people at the top of the steps looking around. The visitors had yet to notice the three residents of the shrine. Taking this opportunity, she decided to gauge them with her eyes until she had time to use her more powerful electronic equipment. The old man appeared to be quite old but the way he acted seemed to indicate large amounts of energy. She'd have to look into that later. It was odd that someone that old could be that energetic. The way he jumped up the steps like a young teenager. The woman appeared to be as old as the man, but the way she acted was different. She was content to sit atop the young man's backpack and enjoy the ride. If her guess was right, the woman was the one her computer said was human but with some traces of Jurian energy. The one Katshuhito said was his old friend. The woman might be older than she appeared to be as well. To her trained eye, the older couple were of little concern. It was the young man whom accompanied them that she was interested in. The young man was quite handsome in her book. Each step he took spoke of a grace and power that she had rarely seen. Katshuhito walked in a similar way but the young man made it look like an art form. His muscles would move each time he took a step. His pack alone made her think that those muscles had seen a bit of use. The pack must have weighed a ton or two but he carried it like it was nothing more than a knapsack. Visions of herself, the young man, and large amounts of confectionary toppings danced in her head for a few moments. Shaking herself out of that line of thought, she resumed her assessment. His hair was an odd color. It looked to be black but with streaks of a silvery blue mixed in. Finally, she looked at his face. As she gazed upon his visage, she had the strangest feeling that she knew him from somewhere. But for the life of her, she could not recall where. He appeared familiar, yet the memory danced just out of reach. It was most likely that this was Tsunami's child despite them being a male. Her computer had never lied to her before and the other two were unlikely candidates since the child would not age like other people. However, if this was indeed Tsunami's child, why did she feel a kinship with him? What was it about him that provoked this feeling? Her head hurt trying to think about it. She wouldn't worry too much about it for now. But she would try to get some answers later. Yes, later she thought. Later was very good. ********************* Down at the house, three gems flared with power. However they returned to a state of dormancy before anyone could notice ********************* Back up at the shrine... Sasami peaked out from behind Katshuhito to see who was arriving. She frowned briefly when she didn't see a girl anywhere. She was hoping it'd be her new sister. Could Washu have been wrong? She said that her new sister was coming but there wasn't a girl in sight. Looking at who did arrive however, she saw that it was a young man and an older couple. A little sad, she was about to go back inside. However she couldn't help looking at the young man with oddly Jurian features. Why did she feel as though she knew him? And why did she feel like she wanted to run up and hug him? Ranma had just reached the courtyard of the shrine when he looked up to see three people looking at him. The old man seemed to be sizing him up. Probably the old man could see he was a martial artist. Moving his vision to the redheaded girl next to him, he couldn't help but wonder why he could feel a kinship with her. He also wondered why she was looking at him like a piece of meat. Shaking himself out of those thoughts, he looked over and saw another young girl with long silver blue hair and pale red eyes. Just like his past self! *Could she be from Jurai?* he thought. Arriving in front of the three residents of the shrine, Ranma bowed to them. Bowing in return, Katshuhito greeted, "Hello there. You must be Cologne-chan's student. She told me a little about you over the phone the other day. It is a pleasure." Before Ranma could reply, Cologne took that time to smile and say, "Hello Airen. It's been a long time." Smiling back, the priest replied, "Yes it has. Far too long I'm afraid." Cologne mearly smiled and nodded. Chuckling, he continued, "And you know darn well I have never been your Airen. Despite how much you would have liked it. Anyway, please come in. We can sit and discuss things over tea and lemonade." All six people stepped into the shrine. Katshuhito motioned for them all to sit around the small table that was located there. For reasons unknown to him, Ranma sat between Washu and Sasami. Katshuhito rose an eyebrow at this but didn't say a word. On the other side of the table, Cologne sat between Katshuhito and Happi. Clearing his throat, Katshuhito said, "Perhaps it's time for introductions. I am Katshuhito Masaki. And these two are Washu and Sasami" He indicated each as he said their name. "Hello." said Washu. "Hi." said Sasami. Each of the visitors said hello to the three residents before they began their own introductions. First was Cologne. "Hello Washu. Hello Sasami. I am Ku Lon, Matriarch of the Chinese Amazons. And these two are Ranma and Happosai." she said indicating each as she spoke their name. "Hello." Ranma said while nodding. "Ooh, such beautiful ladies out here in the country." said Happi. "Don't even think about it." stated Ranma looking at Happi with a stern glare. Looking down, Happi replied, "Yes Lo...Ranma." Sasami blushed at the compliment, but Washu asked, "Don't think about what Ranma?" Thinking about it a moment, Ranma said, "Don't worry about it. I'll tell you later." Nodding, Washu turned to sip some tea. Sasami, ever the kind hostess offered the elders some tea. Once the elders were served, she turned to Ranma. "Would you like some lemonade Ranma?" she asked, her eyes sparkling and innocent. Smiling down at her, he nodded. Seeing her bright smile made him think he made the right choice. Just as she was about to pour him a glass, an explosion rocked the shrine causing the lemonade to spill on Ranma. Before anyone could jump up, Katshuhito said, "Don't worry, it's just Ayeka and Ryoko. Two others that are staying here at the moment." Nodding, the three visitors settled down. It was about that time that Katshuhito, Washu, and Sasami took notice of the new girl sitting at the table. Katshuhito could pretty much guess who she was. *So, the boy is touched by Jusenkyo. Hmm, interesting* thought Katshuhito. "Who are you?" asked a perplexed Washu. *Wasn't Ranma just sitting there? And why is this girl wearing his clothes? And why do I have a feeling of kinship with this girl?* "I'm..." started Ranma before being cut off by Sasami glomping onto him. "Rhea!" squealed Sasami as he latched onto the slightly wet girl. Looking down at Sasami, Ranma chuckled nervously while scratching the back of his head, "Um...Sorry about this." ********************* Out in space, a large ship slowly lumbered through the endless blackness of space. Inside, the Emperor of Jurai and his wives watched as the stars flew by. Each was anxious to get back to earth. The women wanted to see their children again as well as find out what was going on. The male however just wanted answers. Answers that he knew could be provided by his wayward son. ********************* In the far reaches of the universe, a darkness stirred. Soon it would be ready to go and destroy the little hawk. It had just felt another spark of the hawk's power and it knew where the little hawk was. Yes, very soon now it would be able to travel and complete it's mistresses wishes. Soon, Deus, parent of the galaxies most wanted criminal Kain would be ready to finish something it began millennia ago. ********************* A ways outside Tokyo in the country side, Mousse sat by a campfire. It was too late for him to reach the shrine that day so he decided to camp out until the next. He just hoped that the elder would not be angry with him for being unable to keep track of Shampoo. Laying down, Mousse watched the sky while he waited for his diner to finish cooking. ********************* Back in Nerima, a purple haired girl was making a beeline for an Okonomiyaki restaurant where she hoped to find answers as where to find her Airen. ********************* In a higher plane of existence, a powerful being known simply as Lady Tokemi watched her niece/nephew as they tried to explain their condition to her sisters. She smiled. Soon Deus would be ready to fight and bring her the power that her niece/nephew possessed. And while he was at it, perhaps he would be able to bring back Washu as well. Yes, things were shaping up quite nicely for her. Soon the power of her sisters would be hers. ********************* To Be Continued... Author's Notes: Looks like Ranma has finally arrived at the Masaki shrine. How will Washu and Sasami react to Ranma's little gender problem? How will the others living there react? How is Happi going to survive without being able to grope the pretty ladies or liberate their silky darlings? When will Ranma meet his second Mother? All this and more in the next chapter of: Child of the Goddess!
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Child of the Goddess
Chapter 06: Chapter 5
By: Gekigengar3
** = Thoughts
= Telephone
Later, he would have to see what happened to the boy's eyes this time.
He already knew why she had screamed. The previous evening, after Shampoo had fallen asleep, Cologne had came and talked with him. She told him that she would be gone for a while with Ranma and Happosai for a undetermined amount of time. She had also informed him that she had nullified the kiss of death and kiss of marriage.