From: Donny Cheng <chengdo@shaw.wave.ca>
Subject: [Ranma/XOver][FanFic] First Knight: A Beginning


Disclaimer:  All characters portrayed in this story are owned by their
respective creators and companies.  I don't own any of them.

This story draws ideas from the manga and anime of all series involved.

This story is part of my Life and Times crossover series.  This is the
first part of an ongoing series called First Knight.  I will take place
from now to that 'way in the future' I keep hinting at.  ^_^

C & C welcome.  Flames not.

A Ranma 1/2, Sailor Moon, Ah! My Goddess, Tenchi Muyo, Yu Yu Hakusho,
Darkstalkers, and Wheel of Time crossover.

                       First Knight: A Beginning

                                  by

                              Donny Cheng

        Ranma sulked.  If you asked him, he would have vehemently
denied it and said that he was meditating.  Akane decided to say it
anyway.  "Ranma, will you just go already?  You can't stay mad at your
cousin forever.  I don't know what you guys could have argued over that
could get you so upset."  Ranma didn't budge in inch.  Akane gave up
and left the pouting BOY in the room.

        Ranma continued to sulk.  He really didn't care if he didn't
talk to his cousin again.  It wasn't his fault that they got into a
fight.  So, he made a few comments about girls and youmas.  He might
have sounded a bit chauvinistic, but it was for her own good.  Imagine
a girl trying to fight a monster twice her size and wearing only a
sailor fuku for protection.

        He sighed.  Who was he kidding?  He knew that he was totally in
the wrong the moment their words began to heat up.  He had read the
newspapers and knew that Sailor Moon has been protector the world for
two years running now.  However, just the idea of his little cousin
fighting made his blood run cold.  He loved his cousin.  He never
thought that he would admit to loving someone other than his mother.
But, he did.  She was the sister he never had.  He visited her often
over the years with his last stop before they met up again two years
ago.  Before she became Sailor Moon.

        Back then she was always so weak.  She ran at the slightest
threat of danger.  Except when there was someone else in trouble.  It
always brought a smile to his face when he remembered how she bullied
four tough guys for picking on a little girl.  It just so happened that
he and pop were in the neighborhood and wanted to visit her and the
family before going off again.  It was fortunate that he was there, or
he was sure Usagi would have been in serious trouble.

        That wasn't the only instance of this.  He could remember
earlier visits where his cousin displayed the qualities that made him
love her so.  It helped that she worshipped him and often showed him
off to her friends.  Strange how things change.  She was now the
protector.  The person that stood over him and the rest of the world at
night.  The least he could have done was acknowledge that.  Ranma
decided to go and see his cousin.

                               * * * * *

        Usagi sulked.  Rei could see that coming a mile away.  It was
easy.  It happened whenever there wasn't a smile on her usually
cheerful friend's face.  "Usagi, just go over there and talk to him
already.  I'm sure he didn't mean what he said.  You know what a mouth
he has."

        Usagi ignored Rei and sank deeper into her sadness.  She knew
that Rei was right, but she couldn't think of a way to make up with
Ranma again.  Her cousin was an extremely stubborn person.  Only by
staying mad at him could she prevent him from getting too close to her.
She did not want Ranma to get in to that fool head of his that she
needed protection.  She remembered the fight at Furinken and the sight
of his body after it.

        Ranma was always that way.  This was proven many times, when
they were young.  Whenever she got picked on and Ranma was within the
vicinity, she immediately got rescued.  She idolized Ranma because of
it.  Even when she knew that once he left, she would be in trouble
again.

        As she grew older she found bullies were less than enthusiastic
about picking on her.  For some reason she got extremely clumsy around
them and more often than not caused more harm to them than they to her.
It wasn't until she met up with her cousin again, that she learned the
reason for that.  It seemed that Ranma did know that she would still be
picked on and took measures to ensure her safety.  He ingrained martial
arts skills into her subconscious.

        More than saving her a few times, she loved him more for the
way he took measures to protect her.  It showed to her how much he
cared about her.  It was for that reason alone, she knew that Ranma
cracked jokes about the senshi and youmas.  Despite his rough edges,
Ranma had a deceptively soft heart.  The thought of hurting that heart
dissolved her resolve to keep him away from her.  She had to talk with
Ranma.

        Rei, Minako, Makoto, and Ami cheered for their friend's
decision to break the silent treatment they were supposed to give
Ranma.  It just wouldn't do for them not to see Ranma ever again.

                               * * * * *

        Sailor Moon wrinkled her nose and tried to stop the quelling of
her stomach.  That was strange.  The youma didn't vanish like it always
did.  Instead, it left a corpse on the battle ground.  She couldn't
believe it.  They were out the door for less than a few minutes and
some monster already attacked them.

        Mercury frowned as she recorded the readings the dead body was
giving her.  "This was not a youma."

        "What?  How can that be?  It looks like a youma.  It acts like
a youma.  If we didn't come here in time, it would have destroyed the
entire block," Jupiter asked as she got a better look at the body.
Venus and Mars nodded in agreement.  They tried to ignore their leader,
who's stomach was giving back to the world, her lunch.

        "Maybe, I should explain myself better.  It is not a youma in
the sense that it is of a different sort than that we are used to
fighting.  I think youkai would be a better term to keep them separate
in our minds.  Its body also contains large amounts of negative energy,
but this energy did not disperse upon its death like a regular youma,
hence the corpse.  I've only seen these type of negative energy
readings at one other place."  Mercury inclined her head towards Mars.
She knew that her friend had already figured it out.

        "At the Tendo Dojo.  That girl Botan's friends, Yusuke, Hiei,
and Kurama.  They each exhibited high levels of negative energy.  But,
I could not sense any evil intent from them.  Their energy is
relatively the same as this youma's, only greater," Mars explained.

        "Right," Mercury nodded, "I had a talk with them after the
attempt to rescue Ranma.  It seems they are from another dimension or
plane of existence if you prefer.  Just as the youma we have usually
battled are from the Negaverse, they are from Makai."

        Seeing their worried faces, Ami quickly explained the rest of
her findings, "Though their society tends to be evil, there are some,
like Kurama and Hiei, which are just.  From what I understand the
levels of strength range from D, C, B, A, and S with D being the lowest
and S being the strongest.  There is a barrier that prevents the
classes of A and S from entering our world.  So this youma was probably
of the few that manage to get across and is not strong enough to worry
about."

        The senshi smiled in relief that it was not some major new
enemy.  "Good.  We deserve a rest from fighting would be conquerors.
Hey, we better get going if we want to see Ranma."  With that said,
Venus sped off.

        "Wait for us," Jupiter yelled as she, Mars, and Mercury raced
after their blond friend.

        Sailor Moon groaned as her stomach settled somewhat.  She
looked around and noticed that she was alone.  "Waah!  You guys left me
again!"

                               * * * * *

        Usagi paused in her running as she caught sight of Ranma
walking on the opposite direction.  The direction to her house.  She
couldn't help but notice he was carrying two ice cream cones.  Triple
chocolate, if she was correct.  Her favorite.  "Ranma!"

        Ranma turned his head around to see Usagi running towards him.
She didn't look too angry with him.  Maybe she had already forgiven
him.  That was another thing he liked about her, she couldn't hold a
grudge to save her life.  Just like him.  "Usagi-chan... um hi.  Funny,
meeting you here.  I was just walking past, on my way to... um the
arcade.  Yeah, that's it."

        Usagi sighed.  It looked like she would have to make the first
move after all.  "Come over here, you big lug and give me a hug.  Be
careful of that ice cream.  You got it for me right?"

        Ranma gave up all pretenses and nodded.  He awkwardly held his
arms out as his overly affectionate cousin hugged him.  She let go
after a moment and promptly took one of the cones.  The larger of the
two, Ranma noticed.  "You would take the bigger one of course."

        "Oh, don't be such a baby.  You were going to give it to me
anyway.  You're the one apologizing remember."  She waved him off even
before he got a chance to deny it.  She knew that if you wanted to get
Ranma to admit something, the easiest way was just assume it to be
true.  It saved a lot of hassle and he never really put up that much of
a fight.

        Ranma gave up at the wide eyed look of innocence his cousin
gave him.  He really hated when she did that.  "Fine then, have it your
way."  He grew more irritated when it looked like Usagi was more
concerned for her cone than the fact that he was still standing there
like an idiot.  "Well? Do you?"

        Usagi could her the whine in Ranma's voice.  She giggled and
figured that she had punished him enough.  "Yes, Ranma.  I forgive you.
Just don't say that again.  You're lucky the other girls didn't think
you meant what you told me about the 'weaker' sex.  They figured anyone
who was half girl himself could not believe what he said."

        Ranma winced.  He vividly recalled how some of the more violent
tomboys in his life reacted to his jibes.  Makoto used to punch him in
the face every time he forgot to watch his mouth.  "Yeah, yeah, I know.
So where were you going..."  Ranma stopped in mid-sentence and reacted
instantly to the oncoming rush of what was apparently a ten foot youkai
with bulging muscles and four arms.

        Usagi turned her head around and caught a glimpse of a mass of
muscles rushing towards her...

          ...Ranma cupped his hands and prepared to fire a chi blast,
but his cousin was in the way...

            ...Usagi turned her back to Ranma and her eyes widened with
shock as she felt him hold her to him from behind...

              ...Ranma wrapped his arms around Usagi and quickly turned
around so that his back was towards the beast...

                ...Usagi felt a warmth radiate from Ranma and her shock
grew as she figured out what Ranma was going to do...

                  ...Ranma expanded his battle aura just in time to
feel the youkai's hand puncture his body through the back...

                    ...Usagi stared at the claw that protruded from the
front of Ranma's body, which came just short of reaching her.

        Ranma smiled as he looked at the blood fall from his body.  If
he had to choose a way to go, dying to protect his family was not a bad
one.  He fought to remain conscious and gazed lovingly at his cousin.
He hoped that he had given her enough time to change into Sailor Moon.
His last thoughts before eternal darkness claimed him were of
apologies.  Sorry, Mother, Pop, Akane... and Moiraine and Urd.  He
could already feel the bond between him and the older women begin to
fade.  They would literally feel the pain he was going through now.
Sorry.

        "Heh, got the wrong one.  No matter, I will kill you next.
This is for killing one of us today."  The youkai leapt at the girl who
was cradling the boy's head in her lap.  He immediately found himself
suspended in mid-air.  He felt electricity crackle around him.

        Usagi gently lay Ranma's body on the ground.  Her head was
downcast as her eyes never wavered from the gaping hole in Ranma's
body.  "Stupid jerk.  This was exactly why I didn't want to make up
with you."  As if suddenly remembering that she was not alone Usagi
gazed at the monster.  "You.  You did this.  Do you know who he was?
He was my cousin, my friend, my protector.  I cannot forgive this."  A
tiny crystal materialized in front of her.  It's light gave off a
brilliant light.

        The youkai shivered as the girl's eyes finally left the body to
stare at him.  The eyes were watery from the tears, but behind they
contained a fire that seemed to burn him from where he floated.  He did
not know what was coming over him.  Never before in his life had he
ever felt fear.  Never, until today.  He tried to move, run, do
anything to escape the air that was his prison.  A moment later all his
exertions were for naught.  His body literally evaporated from the
energy that the girl gave off.

        Usagi turned her eyes back towards her beloved cousin.  The
power of the silver crystal allowed her to know that Ranma was still
alive.  She would NOT let her Ranma die.  With a determined look, she
set forth to save her fool of a cousin.

                               * * * * *

        Rei was the first to notice that Usagi was not behind them.  So
the rest of the group retraced their steps to pick up their lagging
friend.  None of them were prepared for the scene before them.  The
sight of Usagi in a deep trance-like state over Ranma's body.

        Ami quickly stepped in front of her friends before they could
walk any further.  With her computer she knew that the power radiating
from around Usagi was too dangerous to approach.  Their friend was
using the power of the silver crystal.

                               * * * * *

        Ranma did not know what Usagi was doing, but from the
incredible amounts of strain she looked to be in, he guessed that it
was not good.  Thankfully, practice with Botan had taught him some
ability to fly as a spirit.  He floated down so that he was right in
front of her.  Even though, he had been in this position before, it
still felt strange to see his body lying on the grounds as it was.

        Usagi felt the life force from her body start drain away.  If
it would take her life to save another, then so be it.  She could
hardly concentrate with each increasing dosage of life's energy sapped
away from her.  She smiled lazily as Ranma's face came to her as if in
a dream.  She reached out to touch the apparition before her.  Soon,
Ranma you will be fine.

        Usagi blinked in surprise as her hand felt resistance at the
ghostly image.  She wondered if she was starting to hallucinate like
people say you do when you start to die.  "Ranma?"

        "Yes, it's me."  Ranma noted the strange calmness of his own
voice.  Having accepted his fate, he felt as if he no longer had a care
in the world.  "Usagi, I think I have an idea of what you are doing.
Well, I won't stand for it.  If you die in my place, my sacrifice will
have been for nothing."

        Usagi refused to listen.  "NO!  I was supposed to be the one
that got killed.  You just took my place.  If it costs my life to save
yours, it's only fair."

        Ranma frowned.  "Usagi, there is no way, I am going to let a
girl do that for me.  I would rather die first."

        Usagi felt her cheeks dampen as more tears flowed from her
eyes.  "I told you not to say that anymore!  This girl is going to save
you and that's that."

        Ranma stated to panic.  He didn't know how much energy Usagi
had already wasted on his body.  There couldn't be much time left.
"Oh, look there's what's his face."  What was the name of her boy
friend again?  "Mamo-chan!"

        Usagi didn't even blink.  She continued to pour her life into
Ranma's body.  "Please, Ranma.  Let me do this for you!"

        Ranma grew frustrated at his cousin's stubbornness.  "Listen,
carefully.  If you give up your life for me, I will commit suicide
right after!  I will not live with your blood on my hands."

        Usagi stopped what she was doing.  She could only stare at
Ranma in defeat.  With a pained voice, she could only ask, "Why?  Why
won't you let me save you?"

        Ranma relaxed slightly with the crisis seeming to be over.  "Do
you even need to ask?  I love you.  Along with my parents and Tenchi,
you are closer to me than anyone.  More importantly, you are special.
You're Sailor Moon, champion of the people.  I'm just Ranma.  A martial
artist that does more harm than good most of the time.  I may have
joked about the senshi, but in my heart I know that what you guys do
make a difference in this world."

        He smiled at Usagi's shaking head.  "It's true and I think you
know that.  The world won't miss me when I'm gone, but they would have
missed you.  I mean who else is there to save the world?  I'm happy
that my death resulted in saving your life.  I've accomplished
something that was a benefit to this world and to myself."

        Usagi stopped crying.  She would not let her cousin's last
moments on this world be one of sadness.  "Ranma, come to me.  No,
don't worry, I won't try anything stupid.  You are my protector and I
will reward you."

        "What would your Mamo-chan say?" Ranma asked smilingly to
lighten the situation and the feeling of awe that he felt.  The
majestic voice of his cousin overwhelmed him.  So awed was he, he
hadn't even given a thought of not obeying her.

        Usagi held a hand towards Ranma's ghostly head.  "Endymion is
my husband.  I will not let him be a foolish as you.  Now, listen
closely, Ranma.  I, Serenity, in honor of you sacrifice, hereby appoint
you to be my protector, my guardian, my knight."

        Ranma blinked at the name of Serenity.  When he looked up, no
longer was he seeing the clumsy teenager that he knew and loved but a
woman in full bloom wearing a dress of the purest white.  In his life,
Ranma had never knelt down to any man.  However, today, he fell on his
knees before his queen.  "I, Saotome Ranma, am honored and accept the
position."

        Serenity smiled faintly.  She got him!  "Done.  You will do
everything in your power to come back to me and fulfill your duty.  I
will keep your body alive in the meantime with my own life force.  If
you do not come back in the allotted time span, my life is forfeit."

        Ranma staggered back at the implications of Serenity's words.
She tricked him!  He had never ever heard of anyone coming back from
the dead.  Was it even possible?  He briefly thought of weaseling out
of it, but the look on Serenity's face told him he better not even try
it.  "I hear and obey."

        "Good.  You better get a good start.  You don't have much time.
Oh, your ride is here by the way."

        Ride?  Ranma turned around and stared into the face of a cat.
Or rather a girl dressed in kimono waving to him in a catlike fashion.
How she could make her face appear like a cat, he would never know.
"Botan, you scared me half to death.  I really hate that you know."

        Botan blinked.  "How could I have scared you half to death?  I
mean, you're dead for real this time aren't you?"

        Ranma sighed and quickly explained the situation to the
friendly spirit.

                               * * * * *

        Usagi awoke from her dream to see her friends gathered around
her with concern written all over their faces.  She glanced to her side
and noticed that Ranma's body was still there.  "Quick, we need to get
to my cousin Tenchi's house.  That friend of his is the only one that I
know of that could save Ranma.  Well, the only one that I know where
she lives.  Those goddesses didn't give us an address."

        The senshi immediately scrambled into action.  They would learn
what they needed to know when Usagi had the time to explain it to them.

                               * * * * *

        Moiraine woke with her shift clinging to her sweating body.
She could feel her cheeks wet with tears.  The bond was gone!  That
could only mean one thing.  Burn him!  That mule headed fool.  Already,
she could feel the emptiness begin to its assault on every inch of her
mind.  He had to get himself killed.  She heard the door to her room in
the temple slide open.  It was her teacher, Urd.

        Urd's eyes were bloodshot with worry and pain.  "I'm going to
Reikai to have a talk with Enma.  You coming?"

        Moiraine only nodded.

                               * * * * *

        "He what!?  And you let him?"  Akane tried to control the tone
of her voice.  But the very idea of that pervert staying at his
cousin's house with all her friends being around made her see red.

        Nodoka nodded.  "Usagi said that they had a lot of catching up
to do and I thought, why not?  They did grow up with each other and
they hadn't really had a chance to talk since they met up again."

        Akane sighed as she remembered the look on Ranma's face after
his talk with his cousin.  She still didn't know what the pair argued
about, but knew that Ranma felt guilty about the entire thing.  She
couldn't blame Ranma for wanting to spend some quality time with Usagi.

                               * * * * *

        Botan was really starting to get annoyed with her record book.
"Looks like the book still won't list you as dead.  In fact it still
can't decide when, if ever, you'll die.  Must be those bugs around you.
I can't take you to Enma if you're not even supposed to be dead yet.
Normally when this happens we allow you to take the place of the person
that should have died in your place, but it looks like your cousin
would have survived the attack."

        Ranma didn't like the sound of that.  "Does that mean I'm going
to be a ghost forever?  I need to see Koenma.  I have to get back to my
body before Usagi uses all of her energy and dies."

        "Hmm... You're body is still alive?  That's not fair.
Sometimes, I think you do this just to tease me, Ranma.  Oh well, I
guess I'll have to wait a few more years."

        "What!?  You think I want to keep seeing you like this?  I'd
rather see you in the real world than this." Ranma all but yelled.

        "Okay, okay.  Jeez, you'd think you never died before," Botan
muttered as she held her hands to her ears to dampen out some of the
sound.  "Aaannnyyyway, I can't take you to see Koenma.  Enma got mad at
him the last time he brought a human back to life with that weird
experiment.  I mean how was Koenma supposed to know that Yusuke would
turn out to be descended from Makai."

        Ranma frowned.  That didn't sound good at all.  Well, who else
can I go to?  I don't know how long Usagi can last."

        Botan thought for a moment before her eyes brightened up.  "I
know.  If your cousin can heal you body well enough, we can put your
soul back into it.  Because you're not really dead.  Right now if you
jump back in, you'll only die from your injuries.  But, I really don't
know how they can repair a gaping hole in you body, especially with the
heart mostly ripped to shreds.

        Ranma smiled and shrugged of Botan's comments.  He remembered
the look of confidence and determination in his cousin's eyes.  "I
trust her.  So, I guess all I can do now is wait.  You doing anything
today?"

        Botan blushed.  Another day with Ranma to herself.  "Well, I
was going to see a tournament in Makai, but I guess I could stay...
urk!"

        Ranma's eyes suddenly shone.  "A tournament?  A martial arts
one?  I talked with Yusuke for awhile that time you guys had a big
party without telling me.  I don't know why you guys didn't invite me.
Didn't have to make up that story about trying to rescue me.  Anyway,
the moment I saw him, I knew he was a great martial artist.  He told me
about the tournaments he'd been in.  Too bad he wouldn't spar with me,
but now's my chance to spar with the people he's fought before."

        Botan groaned inwardly.  She had a big mouth, she thought to
herself.  She thought of telling him that she only had one ticket, but
then she looked into his eyes brimming with excitement.  Her cheeks
reddened at the intensity of his gaze.  "Er... okay."

        Ranma couldn't believe his luck.  Well, other the fact that he
was dead.  Ever since being bonded to Moiraine, none of his rivals
stood a chance against him.  He hadn't fought good battle in weeks.  He
was so desperate, he seriously considered going to China and find Herb
or Taro, just to see how high a power boost he got.  Then, he thought
of something that sank his hope.  "Damn!  I don't have a body, how can
I fight?"

        "Don't worry about that.  Now that you're a spirit, it means
your world is Reikai.  I can transform myself a body that resembles a
human.  I can do it for you too.  But some of your skills will be a
little different.  You're not really alive so you won't be able to use
your life force, your chi.  But you should be able to use reiki or your
spirit force.  In some ways it's more powerful than chi because it's
purer and doesn't depend on any certain emotions.  Try it.  Just focus
your energy into your finger and shoot."

        Ranma smiled.  Already he was learning.  He imagined himself
performing the moko takabisha technique, only this time he didn't try
to think of anything that would boost his ego.  He grinned as he looked
down at his finger.  A small glow of reiki.  Aiming at the ground
nearby he let it loose.  He was immediately rewarded with the result of
a small crater in the ground.

        Botan marveled at Ranma's skill.  "Wow!  Usually, when a human
first develops this skill, they can only use it once a day at most.  As
they gradually use it, it becomes stronger and they can use it more
often.  Your training with chi and all those times you spent in spirit
form because of your close calls with death must have strengthened you
reiki."

        Ranma nodded at Botan's explanation.  The bond between him and
Moiraine was still there, but very faint.  If he didn't look for it, he
probably would have missed it.  That meant the strange boost he got
from that was also with him.  He looked within himself and summoned all
the reiki he could find.  It was easier now that he knew where to look.
Four more times, he should be able to use it.  "Let's get going.  I
want to get a few fights in before, Usagi pulls me back."

                               * * * * *

        Tenchi found it strange as he hugged Usagi in support.  He
never really got along with her.  The two of them were always competing
for Ranma's attention.  But, he did love his cousin.  The rare times
he, Ranma, and Usagi got together were some of the best moments of his
life.  Even better, when it was only him and Ranma, he had to admit.
"Usagi, don't worry.  Washu can help him."

        Usagi squeezed Tenchi's hand.  Strange, how times of crisis
brought people together.  She smiled as she looked at her friends
surrounding her in a circle formation.  Each of them wanted to help her
sustain Ranma's body.  They each fed into her a portion of their life
force while she in turn kept Ranma's body from deteriorating.

        Washu frowned at the softly beating heart barely holding itself
together.  It was going to take awhile to regenerate damage of that
caliber.

                               * * * * *

        Mukuro gazed at Kurama thoughtfully.  "Please, continue.  I
would like any help that you can give me."

        Kurama found it hard to pay attention to the ruler of Makai.
His gaze wandered once or twice to his short friend.  Hiei appeared to
be sleeping and didn't give a damn about him being here.  He still
found it hard to believe that he would come back to this place so soon
after leaving it in favor of the human world.  But something kept
pulling him back.  Or someone to be specific.  He finally turned away
from Hiei and answered his friend's master.  "I remember Demitri from a
long time ago, before he decided that he like the human world better.
If I remember correctly, he and Yusuke's ancestor, Raizen, were once
rivals and sparring partners.  However, Raizen would eventually fall in
love with a human and refuse to eat humans ever again.  Demitri did not
like that.  He has a craving for female blood.  He decided to weaken
himself to that of a B class youkai in order to keep having his special
appetite satiated.  Now that he's decided that he's had enough to the
world, he has come back."

        Kurama didn't quite know how to phrase his next words.  "I
would hazard to guess that his strength is returning back to old form.
He no longer has to worry about Enma discovering him in the human
world.  In Makai he is free to use his power as he sees fit.  As with
all of Raizen's sparring partners, I gather that Demitri is also a high
level S class youkai.  He has the strength necessary and the influence
to control a major fraction of Makai.  There are many youkai that are
greedy and lust for power.  He will draw them to him.  I estimate that
within the next few years his power will rival yours and this world
will be at war.  There is one way to halt this war.  And that is to
return to the three kingdoms that kept the peace for thousands of
years."

        Mukuro frowned.  She had thought that her power over Makai was
near absolute.  She knew there were a few dissenters, but she never
gave them any thought.  However, with a leader as ruthless as they are
to lead them, she knew that it was going to become a problem.  Youkai
as a whole are not as righteous as Kurama and his group friends.  There
are those that like to rape and pillage.  Demitri could easily gather
them together.  "Who do you think will be able to control the third
faction?"

        Kurama smiled as he remembered his confrontation with Morrigan
after he discovered that it was her that had kidnapped Botan's
boyfriend.  She still hadn't changed in the slightest since he took the
identity of Youko Kurama all those years ago.  He had been surprised
that her master had died, from what, he didn't know.  However, the
point of the matter was that a whole kingdom in Makai lay open for
claiming.  True it was in the borderlands, but it kept itself together
for thousands of years even with the likes of Mukuro at their
doorsteps.  "Morrigan."

        Aesland.  Mukuro had a hunch it would be that succubus.  Right
now, both she and Demitri were frantically recruiting the followers of
Morrigan's former master.  Morrigan did not take her role as heir to
the throne seriously.  She, like Demitri, preferred the taste of
humans.  "If she were brought into play, she might be enough of a
threat to prevent either of us gaining too much control.  This might
force Demitri to abandon his plans and accept the tournament as format
for being ruler of Makai.  Do you know where she is and if she will do
it?"

        Kurama smiled.  "She is holding a tournament in her kingdom
right now.  It seems she loves the art of fighting as much as we do.
She will not agree to talk with us.  She really doesn't care for ruling
a kingdom.  A little bit of knowledge came to me an hour before I came
here.  A human male has died or rather came close to dying and now
resides as a spirit.  I think he should be able to persuade her to our
thinking.  Before Botan, a friend of mine and also a spirit guide for
Enma, could leave to guide his soul, I had given her tickets for the
tournament.  I've only met the boy for but a moment, but I think I have
a pretty good grasp of his personality.  He will try to go to the
tournament and compete."

        Mukuro raised an eyebrow at this.  The mind of the Youko Kurama
was clearly a sharp one.  "A human male.  I had met Morrigan Aesland a
few times when I visited her master in hopes of getting him to join me.
She doesn't look like the type that would fall for a mere mortal."

        "Mere?  I wouldn't quite say that," Kurama replied cryptically.

                               * * * * *

        "Eek!  What is it!"  Botan jumped out of the way as a head
suddenly emerged from Ranma's body.

        "It!?  I'm a full blooded woman!" Mini-Urd yelled back at the
spirit guide.

        Ranma stared at the little version of the goddess.  "Urd-chan,
what are you doing here.  Didn't you go and remerge with Urd?"

        Mini-Urd turned her attention back on Ranma.  "Silly, I'm a
part of your soul as much as I am a part of hers.  That's why you feel
a bond to Urd.  I couldn't let you die alone, so I jumped back into you
by following the link."

        Ranma patted the little woman's head affectionately.  "How is
Urd taking this?"

        "Badly," Mini-Urd grimaced.  "I can feel her going towards
Reikai now.  Probably going to harp on Enma.  If he were smart, he'd
leave and let Koenma face her instead."

        "Eek!"  Botan cried out again as another head popped out of
Ranma's body.  This was getting just a bit weird.  With her being a
guide for the dead, that was saying something.

        "So, that's how you get of there.  It's pretty stuffy in there.
Too bad Neko-chan won't come out and play," Mini-Usagi said as she
stretched out to relieve some to the cramps in her muscles.  She then
looked at Ranma and gave him an enthusiastic, "Hi!"

        "Usagi?"  Ranma couldn't believe his eyes.

        "Yep!  Well, a part of her at least.  I don't know how that
works.  But, I'm here to keep your link to your body going."

        Mini-Urd fumed at no longer being the center of attention.
"Look!  Beat it pipsqueak!  I can do that for Ranma too.  A little
spell should do nicely."

        Mini-Usagi frowned as she looked at the miniature goddess.
"Bleah!  Too bad.  Ranma wants me here.  Isn't that right Ranma-kun?"

        Mini-Urd was about to blow her top.  The little brat just gave
her the tongue and Mini-Usagi actually had the gall to glomp onto
Ranma's leg like that in front of her.  "Well, Ranma?  Tell her to
leave!"

        Ranma stared wide eyed at the two bickering souls of the women
in his life.  "Urd-chan, I can't do that.  Usagi-chan is trying her
best to save me right now."

        "Hehe!  Bleah!" Mini-Usagi cheered and then stuck her tongue
out at Mini-Urd.

        Mini-Urd scowl deepened considerably.  "Using Ranma to pick on
me will you.  Let's see what you say when I get my apprentice to help
me.  Come out Moiraine-chan!  I know you're in there."

        Botan decided then that she would just not look at Ranma's
chest anymore no matter how pleasing it was.  She turned away from them
and looked for a nice place to sit down until Ranma got everything
sorted out.

        Mini-Moiraine softly drifted down to the ground where Mini-Urd
and Mini-Usagi argued.  She ignored them.  Instead, she turned around
to look at the boy from where she came from.  She smiled and waved
shyly at him.

        Ranma found himself unable to resist waving back to demure
little version of the Aes Sedai.  She looked rather like what Moiraine
would look like if she scrunched up into the body of a toddler only
with the curves that made her a woman still there.  In other words,
like Mini-Urd and Mini-Usagi were to their respective counterparts.
"She seems different from Moiraine."

        "That's because she's not really a soul like us.  She's the
personification of the bond between you and Moiraine.  She doesn't
really have much of a vocabulary.  It because of how young she is in
this world.  She was only created recently.  Also, her personality is
somewhat limited to the types of feelings you and Moiraine passed on to
each other from the first time you bonded to now."  Mini-Urd paused
long enough in her glaring match with Mini-Usagi to explain the
differences between her and Mini-Moiraine.

        Ranma frowned.  The bond had been very recent.  Most of the
emotions that he got from Moiraine had been grief over her previous
Warder Lan and the rest she kept to herself.  He hadn't learned how she
did that yet, so he still passed every emotion to her.  They were
mostly of concern for the very depressed Goddess-in-training.  Later
when she had gotten over the missing bond between her and Lan, Ranma
had felt relief for her and happiness that she could get on with her
life again.  What kind of personality would come from that?

        Mini-Moiraine finally turned away from Ranma as her sensei kept
on prodding her to help her with Mini-Usagi.  She smirked as she
thought of just the thing.  She felt the flows of air around her and
started to weave.  In a moment she got her result.

        Ranma scrunched his face in an effort to contain his laughter.
Mini-Urd and Mini-Usagi couldn't talk!  He remembered when Moiraine
once gagged him with nothing but air.  He caught Mini-Moiraine's sly
wink and wondered how much of his own personality rubbed off on the
little woman.  "Okay, you two.  Calm down and stop looking at
Moiraine-chan.  If you promise not to argue anymore, I'm sure she'll
take the gag off.  Do you agree?"

        Both girls nodded quickly, while still glaring at Mini-
Moiraine.  The Aes Sedai aloofly ignored them and kept her attention on
Ranma.  With a nonchalant wave she allowed the other two to talk again.

        Botan, seeing that everything was finally settled, got up and
walked over to Ranma.  "So are they all tagging along?  A tournament
isn't exactly the place for little girls."

        "I can't exactly explain it, but they're a part of my soul.  I
guess where ever I go, they go.  Come on you three, let's get going.
Do you want to jump back inside or walk with me and Botan?

        For once all three girls were in complete agreement when the
looked at the spirit guide standing way too close to Ranma for their
liking.  Mini-Urd spoke for the three of them.  "Uh... we want to stay
outside.  It is pretty stuffy in there."

        Ranma frowned at the term 'stuffy' again being used to describe
his soul.  It was NOT stuffy.  "Okay, whatever.  Let's get going.
We've wasted enough time."

        The five of them quickly made way to the coliseum, not far from
their current position.  The three little women slowly found themselves
losing any animosity towards Botan.  It was hard to be angry with a
woman who babied you.  The three of them took turns either riding on
her shoulder, since Ranma's shoulders could only hold two of them at
any given time.  Botan for her part was very nice about the whole
situation.

                               * * * * *

        Koenma breathed a sigh of relief, "You can stop pacing around
Urd.  He's not dead.  Yet."

        Urd stopped in the the middle of the room and turned to glare
at the junior God of Death.  "I think I would know if he's dead or not.
Only a small piece of my soul is missing after all."

        Koenma winced at the angry goddess's tone of voice.  "Have you
ever considered that maybe he's not on the same plane of existence
anymore?"  Where was George when he needed him?

        Urd looked at Koenma as if he really was the five year old he
appeared to be instead of a few hundred.  "That's the same as death
isn't it?  Now where have you got him hidden.  I'm sure he's not
supposed to die yet.  Why don't you try that test on him like you did
with that half-youkai, Yusuke.  I'm sure he'd be glad to be a spirit
detective.  Come on!  Bring him back to life."

        Koenma wished he had some earplugs.  One of the reasons he
didn't really want to see Urd was that she was probably one of the best
whiners in existence.  He would never say that to her face though.

        Also, there was the fact that she was one of the all time
absolute best in getting revenge.  He remembered once when she
complained about a former lover of hers dying.  He couldn't do anything
about it.  After that he kept having a different disposable diaper
company come by the office asking to pick up his dirty pairs each
month, much to the office worker demons' delight.  This went on for
about five years.  Who knew that there were so many of them in the land
of spirits?  How a Goddess could be so vengeful, he never understood.

        "Urd, leave the poor boy alone.  I think what he meant to say
that Ranma is in a different plane other than death.  Didn't you teach
me the planes in of existence in this world?  Heaven, Hell, the youkai
world, the spirit world, and the human world," Moiraine intervened
calmly.  She had been quietly sitting in the corner ever since they
first barged into the office.  At first, she had be a little shocked to
see that a little boy was in charge of where souls went after the body
died.  But, she later discovered that his youth hid a quiet competence.

        "You mean, you think Ranma might either be in Heaven, Hell, or
the middle worlds Makai, Reikai, and Ningenkai?  There's actually more
than that, but those are the main ones.  So, is she right, Koenma?  Is
that what you meant?  If so, that means he must be in Makai.  I can't
sense him here or on the human world and he can't get to Heaven or Hell
unless he passes through Reikai.  So that leaves only Makai, the demon
world."

        Koenma nearly dropped his pacifier as his chin dropped and his
mouth hang open.  "You CAN'T be serious.  You're a goddess!  Makai is
too close to Hell.  What if HE finds out?  HE is going to speak to my
father if HE knew that I gave you the information.  I do not want
another punishment."

        "Oh, keep your diapers on.  Nobody is going to find out.  Here
watch this," Urd said.  She moved to the center of the large office.
Closing her eyes she let a beautiful smile play across her face.  Very
slowly, her wings sprouted from her back.  She flapped them lightly
relieve some of the stiffness from lack of use.  She looked at them
briefly in wonder before closing her eyes yet again.  This time a smile
not at all pleasant formed on her mouth.

        Koenma gasped in shock as the color of Urd's wings changed from
white to black.  They did not, however, turn to bat wings like he would
have thought.  In some ways black feathers on a goddess scared him even
more.  "You can't be serious.  Doing this is even worse than going to
Makai!"

        "Don't worry.  Now that I know that Ranma is alive, I know that
my part of the soul is alive with him.  The Yggdrasil won't notice the
difference.  Well, what are you standing there gawking at Moiraine?
You coming or not.  I haven't upgraded your registration with the
Yggdrasil as a full goddess yet, so you can technically go where you
want," Urd was pleased to note the wide eyed look in her apprentice's
face.  She normally had a hard time to get the Aes Sedai to react to
anything that she did.

        Moiraine recovered enough to regain her composure.  She
searched within herself and affirmed Koenma's comments.  She could feel
the bond.  It was so faint, almost as if it were cut off.  If she
didn't look for it, she would never had known it was still there.
Mentally she grasped that faint wisp of the bond.  She held it fast,
not daring to ignore it again.  "Yes.  I will join you.  Maybe, teach
the young Saotome about his responsibilities to those alive."

        Urd smiled secretly as she noticed happiness flicker lightly
over the other woman's features.  She must have tried to find to link
to Ranma too.  She herself had went straight into herself looking for
it the moment she learned Ranma might be alive.  If Moiraine was
anything like her, the Aes Sedai was probably holding onto that link as
tightly as she was.  "Now, Koenma.  Where is he?"

        Koenma gulped.  Urd's tone made it clear to him that she knew
that he knew where Ranma was.  He silently cursed Kurama for bringing
him into this plot of his.  "We've recently learned that Demitri is
building an Army in Makai.  Since he wasn't there when they established
the tournament for ruler of Makai, he won't accept it.  We hope to slow
his growth down by introducing a third power in the fold.  It appears
the only one qualified is Morrigan."

        "And of course she wants nothing to do with it.  But if a
certain boy were to ask her, she might reconsider.  Am I right?  No,
don't answer that.  I know I'm right.  Well, I still remember where her
castle is from the last time I went there.  Let's go, Moiraine."

        Koenma stared in wonder as Urd flew into his big screen monitor
with the other woman holding on.  "The last time she went there?" he
asked himself wonderingly.

                               * * * * *

        Washu pulled Tenchi aside, away from the ears of Usagi and her
friends.  "I'm worried.  I'm going to have to shut down the heart for a
moment.  There are some places I need to go that would not be wise if
his already badly damaged heart was still beating.  It'll only be a few
seconds, but I don't know what that will do to your cousin.  She's
holding a direct link between Ranma's body and his soul.  If I shut
down the body with her in her weakened state, she might not be able to
take it.  It would be better if she let go at that time and I try to
find Ranma's soul again when I restart his heart."

        Tenchi could hear Washu's voice trail off with that last
sentence.  "You're not sure are you?  You don't know if you can find
him again."  Tenchi sighed as Washu nodded reluctantly.  He knew his
cousin's personality very well.  "No, please don't tell her.  If she
thinks for one moment that Ranma may be lost to us forever, she might
try something drastic.  We can only hope for the best."

        "Tenchi," Washu whispered as she watched the boy leave to
rejoin his cousin in their wait for her results.  She knew how much it
must have hurt for him to make that decision.  How alike the two
cousins, who claimed to dislike each other, were.  Both would rather
give up their lives rather than see one that they loved die in front of
their eyes.  Her face set with determination, she proceeded to prepare
for the time when she would shut Ranma's heart down.

                               * * * * *

        Ranma ignored the stares he was getting from the various youkai
around him.  His focus was entirely on a little booth near the arena.
He couldn't contain his excitement.  Now that he had harnessed his
reiki, he found that his awareness of the battle aura all around him
was more acute than usual.  There were some very strong youkai in this
place.

        Botan sighed in exasperation at Ranma's very restrained glee.
You'd think that he never he was a little boy in an amusement park the
very first time.  "Go ahead, Ranma.  I'll keep the girls with me while
you sign up over there.  Right by the side of the arena."

        Ranma nodded absently.  He patted each of the girls head before
he left, much to the four girls delight.  It looked like most of the
fights were already finished.  The winner was accepting anyone who
would challenge him.  Who was the winning right now anyway?  Oh, the
current champion is ready for another match.  Time to check out the
competition.

                               * * * * *

        Morrigan sighed as she dispatched another youkai quite easily.
Was there anybody in her kingdom that could fight worth a damn?  She
seriously considered restricting her powers to the level she usually
kept it at on earth.  Anything for a little thrill.  She hadn't had any
fun since the last Darkstalkers tournament.  She had to restrict her
powers then, maybe she should do so now.

        "Morrigan?  I should have known that the castle looked
familiar.  You're the champion?  I can't fight a girl," Ranma said as
he got into the ring.

        Morrigan stared at her new opponent.  She rubbed her eyes in
disbelief.  How did Ranma get down here?  A quick scan of his aura told
her the answer.  "You're dead, Ranma?  That's wonderful.  I was
wondering how long I would have to wait for you to die so that you can
join me here."

        "No, I'm not dead.  Jeez, two girls in one day happy that I'm
dead.  Well, isn't there anyone else I can fight?"

        Two girls?  Morrigan looked around the arena and noticed an
apparently human girl waving at them.  Make that four girls as she
looked down a little lower.  One of which she recognized.  Urd, or a
piece of it at least.  "Not dead?  Don't tell me that Kurama sent you
here to get me to join with Mukuro.  I swear that bloody fox is going
to get it."

        "Kurama?  Yusuke's friend's here?  I always wanted to spar with
one of them.  Maybe I can get a fight with him."

        Morrigan watched Ranma's expression closely.  He didn't even
blink at Mukuro's name.  She shouldn't have doubted him.  Well she
would just have to apologize her way to him.  She slinked slowly and
suggestively towards the pigtailed boy.  How cute!  He was backing away
from her and blushing.  "Why would you want to fight someone else, when
you can 'spar' with me?"

        Ranma didn't know what Morrigan had in mind, but the way she
emphasized 'spar' left no doubt in his mind it wasn't a fight.  "Er...
I really don't have much time.  I'm going back to my body soon.  I want
to get a fight or two in before I go.

        Morrigan pouted seductively.  "Oh, that's no fun.  I'm sure I
can think of better things to do while you're here."

        "Oh no you don't!"  A voice shouted out.  A shadow descended
upon the arena.  That was when the chaos started.

                               * * * * *

        Botan gaped at the blank winged angel that emerged from the big
screen TV that stood in front of the arena.  She couldn't believe her
eyes as she took in the sight before her.  The deepest blackest wings,
tan skin, and platinum colored hair?  It was Urd!?  Looking down in
front of her quickly, she gasped.  The girls were out of their seats.
Turning her eyes further ahead she caught a glimpse of three girls
jumping over the railing that separated the crowd from the arena.
Getting out of her seat she ran after them.

        Mini-Urd scowled as she took in the awful sight before her.
The Almighty was not going to like this.  Black?  What was she
thinking!

        Mini-Moiraine was calm as she raced after her teacher.  Her
face expressionless as she gazed upon the face of her mother.  The
woman was looking right back at her with recognition.  They would have
words with each other before the day was through.

        Mini-Usagi focused on breathing as she kept up with her
companions.  Something was happening to Ranma's body.  Was Usagi losing
strength already?

                               * * * * *

        Morrigan looked right at the goddess.  "I see you've reverted
to your true colors.  What are you doing here?  I thought HE didn't
like it when you visit here."

        Urd grimaced at Morrigan's subtle accusation.  "That was a long
time ago.  No need to drudge up the past.  I'm here for Ranma.  You
know what it feels like to wake up one morning to find yourself a
little dead inside?"

        "Actually, I do.  That happened surprisingly the same time you
left Makai all those years ago.  Anyway, like you said, no time to
drudge up old grievances.  In case you haven't noticed, he isn't
exactly dead.  Can't I have a little fun with him before he leaves or
are you going to take that away from me?"

        Urd flinched inwardly.  Jeez, she just had to get back to
heaven that time so long ago.  She had already put off a ton of work
from her days as system maintainer.  She had no idea it would take a
hundred years to sort it all out.  "I know he's okay now.  I just
wanted to make sure.  Anyway, what's going on?  You joining with Mukuro
or what?  I hear an army is building up."

        "That's none of your business so bud out.  I'm about to have a
little sparring match with Ranma before you showed up.  If you'll just
excuse me, I've made him wait long enough."

        "I think young Saotome has started without you," Moiraine
commented as she watched Ranma take advantage of the distraction to
pick fights with some of the youkai near the arena.

        "Ooooh!  That jerk!  Never lets me have any fun."  Contrary to
her words, Morrigan smiled as she looked admiringly at Ranma's skill.
She would rank him at about upper B class youkai level.  Not bad for
someone just learning to fight in spirit form for the first time.

        "By the way Urd, your little soul is running towards you.
Along with, I might add, a little girl that resembles me.  What is it?"

        Urd wanted to applaud Moiraine's steel control.  Her dry
monotone voice gave not hint as to what she was thinking.  "Oh that?  I
wasn't sure, so I didn't tell you before.  That's the personification
of the bond between you and Ranma.  She has the characteristics of her
parent, meaning you and the person you bonded with, Ranma.  The
Yggdrasil was having fits as it tried to process the bond between you
and him.  I think it just decided that it was a combined soul and left
it at that."

        Moiraine nodded to herself in confirmation of what she already
surmised.  The girl was currently glaring at her.  When Mini-Moiraine
finally reached the arena, the girl immediately went right over to
stand right in front of her.  "What do you want, little one?"

        Urd could hardly contain her laughter as she watched the stare
down between the two Moiraines.  She then noticed her shin being kicked
hard!  "Ouch.  You little brat.  Why'd you kick me for?"

        Mini-Urd angrily pointed at the obscene wings on the larger
Urd's back.  "That's what for!  You're a goddess.  You can't go around
doing that.  What will the Almighty do if he found out."

        "Oh, what would you have me do?  I was worried sick.  You could
have just popped back to me and told me that Ranma was all right.  I
had to see him.  You can't believe how painful I was to not feel him
there!  It was worth what ever price to make sure he was okay," Urd
snapped.

        Mini-Urd cooled down slightly.  Everything Urd said was true.
"I'm sorry about that.  But just like you, anything was worth jumping
back into him to be there when he nearly died.  I would do the same
thing all over again.  We did promise we wouldn't let him ever be
alone.  Not even death will stop that."

        Urd smiled affectionately at the little piece of her soul.  She
held out a hand and Mini-Urd took it.  A moment later they were one
again.

        Moiraine finally gave up and broke the silence first.  "You
don't want to break the bond.  You know this is for the best, don't
you?  If I were to die or he were to die, either of us would feel
excruciating pain.  I don't want Ranma to go through what Lan is
probably going through right now.  If you leave his body and join up
with me, it will not hurt as much as having myself or him die.  It's in
both our best interests if you leave him."

        Mini-Moiraine didn't even blink.  She reached out and touched
her mother's hand.  Closing her eyes, she passed onto Moiraine the
emotions of her short life.

        Moiraine relived the pain and sorrow that she felt when she
first discovered the bond between her and Lan was gone.  She felt the
concern Ranma felt for her during those first few days.  After she had
regained control over her rampant emotions over Lan, she had reverted
to her old Aes Sedai training and kept everything to herself.  During
that time span, only Ranma sent to her his feelings.  To Mini-Moiraine,
he was as much a part of her as she was a part of Moiraine.  "I see."

        Mini-Moiraine smiled as the two of them came to an
understanding.  She then turned and watched Ranma's fight.

        Moiraine couldn't help but look at the little hand that lay in
her own.  Mini-Moiraine had not pulled her hand back yet and somehow
she didn't want to let go either.  It was strange seeing a part of
herself standing beside her.  She felt guilty knowing that all the
sadness she passed onto her little self probably stunted Mini-
Moiraine's development somewhat.  Sighing, she let go of her defenses.
She did not have to be an Aes Sedai all the time.

        Secretly Mini-Moiraine cheered as new feelings flooded into
her.  Mostly wonderment at the bond, this new world, and what it means
to be a goddess, messenger of the Creator.  Like a baby that had first
woken up.  It wasn't much, but it was a start.

                               * * * * *

        <Clap> <Clap> <Clap>

        "Quite impressive boy," Demitri applauded as he emerged from
the billowing cloud of fog that sprung up from nowhere, "but these
fools are hardly worth your effort."

        "What is he doing here?" Urd growled at the man facing Ranma.
"I thought he's busy at war."

        Morrigan shrugged.  "He comes here all the time.  I made some
offhand comment that the only way I would join him is if he could beat
me.  Ever since Lilith merged with me, Demitri hadn't even been able to
put a hand on me.  So I let him try.  He's the only one here that can
provide me with at least a decent work out."

        Ranma didn't know what it was about the vampire, he just knew
that he hated that tone of voice.  Was the freak challenging him?  "Oh?
You think you can do better?  I'd like to see you try."

        "Uh oh!  Demitri is an upper S class youkai.  There's no way,
Ranma could beat him," Morrigan said as she prepared to jump into the
arena and stop the two before any serious damage could be dealt.

        Urd put a hand on Morrigan's shoulder.  "No, you're wasting
you're breath.  You see that look in Ranma's eyes?  Nothing short of a
friend dying can take him out of the battle."

        It was then that Morrigan first noticed the strain in her
former lover's eyes.  The goddess really had been through a hard time.
She couldn't imagine what it would feel like to lose Lilith now that
they were one.  At the thought of the child, she felt Lilith start to
stir.  "You finally awake?  Ranma's here.  I thought you might like
that."

        "Wow?  Is that the Urd you keep moaning about?  She looks cool.
Hey, you in there?  Want to play?" Lilith blabbed out as she emerged
from Morrigan.

        Mini-Urd came out of Urd's body to smile at the friendly little
girl standing in front of her.  "Sure.  My name's Urd-chan?  You must
be Lilith."

        Morrigan stared in wonder at the rapid exchange and the quick
friendship between Mini-Urd and Lilith.  She was beginning to wonder if
Lilith really was the dark and evil side of her soul.

        Urd also gaped at the exchange between the two souls.  She
watched them join up with Mini-Usagi to watch the beginning of the
fight.  "Weird, huh?  How they seem to get along when we don't
anymore."

        "Yeah," Morrigan replied softly.  After a moment of silence,
she decided enough was enough.  "Truce?"

        "Truce."

                               * * * * *

        Ranma flipped out of the way immediately as the kick came
within inches of going through his chest.  So much for preliminaries.
Demitri started right after the fight was agreed upon.

        Demitri smiled evilly at Ranma's evasion of his attacks.  Time
to make it a little more interesting.  A feral growl unconsciously
escaped from his lips as his clothes began to bulge with his muscles
beginning to expand.  He sighed deliriously at the power channeling
through his veins.  Hair began to grow over his upper chest and his
face soon followed suit.  When the transformation was complete, he ran
his tongue over his teeth.  He needed as snack.

        Ranma stared that the man turned beast.  He felt his opponent's
battle aura increase ten fold after the transformation.  A slow smile
crept upon his face.  This is going to be interesting.  Ranma decided
to take the initiative and lunged at Demitri with a flying jump kick.
He fully expected a block or a dodge on his opponent's part.  Which was
why he was surprised when the vampire disappeared.

        "Above you," Demitri said as he reappeared up in the air.  His
foot came down hard on Ranma.

        Ranma quickly rolled away before Demitri could follow up with
another assault.  Let's see how he likes a taste of reiki.

        Demitri pulled his foot from the crater it created in the stone
floor.  The boy was fast for a human.  He turned his head just in time
to see a glowing ball of energy hit him in the chest.

        Ranma frowned at the still standing vampire.  It seemed Botan
was right about how weak it would be the first time a human used it.
He quickly pressed the attack while Demitri was still stunned.

        Demitri merely gave a soft grunt as Ranma came in close raining
a fury of punches on him.  He moved his hand in a sweeping arc which
Ranma flipped back to avoid.  "Pathetic.  You dishonor the person that
developed the reiki techniques.  Let's see how you like youki, its
counter part.  Chaos flare!"

        Ranma landed on his feet as he came out of the flip.  No sooner
said than done, a bat surrounded by a flaming aura ran smack into his
side.  It took all of his strength not to faint.  It felt as if a huge
chunk of his reiki was eaten away.  His side burned.  He went on the
defensive as he tried to figure out a way to lessen the pain.

        Demitri smirked at the obvious pain Ranma seemed to be in.
This really was the boy's first fight as a spirit.  A spirit body was
composed mainly of reiki rather than mass.  Energy blasts did more
damage than any physical attack ever could.  With that thought in mind,
he flared his up his youki so much so that it gave the appearance that
he was on fire.  "Demon Cradle!"

        Ranma literally flew up into the air from Demitri's last
attack.  A long gash appeared over his chest where the youkai's bat
wings grazed him.  He didn't know what would happen if he died as a
spirit.  He didn't want to think of that, especially with Usagi's life
on the line.  Desperately, he thought of a way to control the pain
somewhat.  If reiki was the energy his body now used, maybe if he were
to concentrate reiki into those areas that hurt it would help.  Much
like what he usually did with chi during a fight.

        Dimitri looked at Ranma faintly glowing body in surprise.
Already figuring out a way to use the new energy.  Clever lad.  Too bad
even with Ranma enhancing himself with reiki, it really was no match
for a youkai of his class.

        Ranma cursed as Demitri pressed the attack.  Even with his
newfound speed and strength from reiki, it still wasn't enough.  He had
never feared an opponent in his life, be it Herb, Taro, or Saffron.
This case was no exception.  Instead, he could only feel exhilaration.
His reiki blazed throughout him in concert to the tempo of the battle.
Do it, IF you can, he silently thought as he looked into Demitri's
eyes.

        Demitri scowled.  He did not like the wild look in Ranma's
eyes.  It was time to finish it.  With inhuman speed he reached out and
grabbed Ranma's body by the shoulders.

        He groaned as he felt himself fly up into the air.  His head
swam with dizziness, but that would not matter as it was soon replaced
with a massive headache.  A head crushed into the ground did that to a
person, he found out.  He then heard the deaf-inducing wail of a soul
dying.  Mini-Usagi!

        "Arrghh!"  Mini-Usagi clutched at her chest.  Ranma's body was
dying back in the human world.  The link was severed.  Slowly she felt
herself begin to fade.  It took all strength to stay in physical form.

        Mini-Moiraine immediately ran to Mini-Usagi's side.  Moiraine
was right behind her.  The both of them immediately began to weave
strands of spirit and water around the dying soul.  Botan held the
little soul's limp body in her arms.

        Ranma's only thought was of his cousin back in the human world,
as he pushed himself up and out of the ground.  He flung Demitri off of
him and ran straight to Mini-Usagi.  "Jump back into me now!  I know
Usagi wants to bear the brunt of it all, but I won't take it.  Urd-chan
and Moiraine-chan please take her inside of me now."

        The two girls nodded and quickly helped Mini-Usagi to her feet
and the three of them float back into Ranma's body.  Ranma started to
feel the death of his body the moment Mini-Usagi came back into him.
He could feel his cousin through the link slowly begin to die.  He
softly whispered 'sorry' to Urd and Moiraine and closed his eyes to
wait for the final moment.  It never came.

        Urd blinked.  "You didn't die.  I guess you're heart must have
stopped or something."

        "If you're done, will you please get back here so I can pound
on you some more," Demitri said irritably.  How Ranma was able to stand
after that last technique, he would never know.

        Three heads popped out of Ranma chest to give the glowering
vampire the tongue.  That done, the went back inside.

        Ranma bigsweated.  "Er... I'm coming."  Ranma prepared to flare
up his reiki again when he suddenly felt a wealth of energy hidden with
in him.  He couldn't understand the power he now had.  Those girls.
Their reiki were now part of him.  It still wasn't enough to win, but
maybe it would be if Demitri wasn't prepared for it.

        Demitri laughed as Ranma pointed a finger at him.  "What are
you going to do?  I already proved that it doesn't hurt me.  All that
will do is lessen your own energy..."  Demitri didn't get a chance to
finish as his world blackened out from the reiki that slammed into him.
Ranma would pay, was the last thought that crossed his mind before
oblivion claimed it.

        Ranma couldn't believe Demitri fell for it.  He soon found
himself surrounded by Urd, Morrigan and Botan gushing over him.  He
smiled as he felt Moiraine probing his body with one power to find out
if he was all right.  "I can hear Usagi call me.  I guess it's time to
go home."

        Morrigan openly pouted and made Ranma promise to visit them
when he died the next time.  Next time!?

        Urd looked over at Morrigan before she left.  "If you're not
doing anything sometime later..."

        "Whatever.  It'll give me a chance to kick you're sorry behind.
I really wanted to have a fight with Ranma," Morrigan replied in a
seeming indifferent voice.

        Urd grinned.  Her expression was not one you'd expect to find
on a goddess.  "Hold onto me, Ranma.  You too girls."  She then flew up
into the air and through the TV screen.

                               * * * * *

        "You finished looking?" Hiei asked in a bored voice.

        Kurama smiled at his short friend.  "Jealous?  Just kidding.
Let's get down there with our proposal.  I'm sure she's in a great mood
now and after what Demitri tried to do, I don't think it would be too
hard to convince her to our plan."

        Hiei sniffed at Kurama's comments.  "No, I was thinking rather
of that look on that boy's face.  Even when Demitri had him beat, he
was still smiling.  If doesn't control himself, he will end up dying
because of his personality.  Reminds me of Yusuke."

        Kurama frowned.  He had noticed Ranma's joyous expression also.
Ranma was infatuated with the thrill and heat of the fight.  Not many
people overcame the obsession with the battle.  That same obsession
forced Yusuke to Makai.  He hoped for Botan's sake that Ranma would
survive his ordeal.

                               * * * * *

        "I'm doing it!" Usagi cried out.  As soon as the girls learned
that having Ranma back into his body was not enough.  He still needed a
breath of life to get him started.  Coincidentally, this breath of life
could be administered with a kiss.  "I was the one that kept him
alive."

        "No, I am," the rest of the senshi shouted out.  Ami was a
little quieter.  Only slightly.

        "Hey, I was with Ranma this whole ordeal."

        "You're not really alive, Botan.  You can't breath life into
Ranma if you're not alive," Moiraine said calmly.  "I can weave spirit
into him.  I'm sure that will revive him."

        "That's no fun.  Here let help," Washu said.  She then typed a
few commands over on her computer.  A straw with dozens for mouth
pieces appeared.  "There now we can all do it."

        Urd shrugged and reached for a mouthpiece.  The rest of the
girls grudgingly did the same.  "All together now," Urd said and
started the count down with her fingers.

        Ranma awoke to see a straw in his mouth and a dozen girls on
the other end.  Jeez, only a minute alive and he was in trouble again.
Well, only if the girls from Nerima didn't find out about it.

                               * * * * *

                               Epilogue

        Usagi ignored the glares from her friends as she waved Ranma
goodbye.  She couldn't help it if Mini-Usagi liked Ranma's soul better
than her own.

                               * * * * *

        "You know Moiraine-chan can't really do anything to stop you.
It would be painless too.  She would gradually forget Ranma the longer
she stayed with you," Urd commented as they returned to the temple.

        Moiraine said nothing.

                               * * * * *

        It was a rare occasion to see Happosai and Genma sitting side
by side and in good terms yet.  "Is he ready?" Happosai asked as he
smoked on his pipe.

        Genma took a sip of his tea before answering.  He then poured
some more for himself and his master.  "Almost."

                               * * * * *

The End. (maybe)

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