Ranma 1/2: A New Awakening Alternate Continuation (minor crossovers) By: Dani Yanega yanega@mindspring.com Co-author & Concept by: "Jerry" starfire@brainerd.net Chapter Six Nodoka turned to see the golden skinned mage standing behind her. Trying to regain her composure, she stood and bowed slightly. Her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "It seems that I am not use to the fact that although my daughter may look like an adult she is still a child. I am afraid she is too tired to make it home." She told Raist, a tear escaping. "I understand, when I first crossed over I had the same problem myself, here I will carry your daughter for you." Raist bent down and gently picked up a sleeping Ranko. To Nodoka and Raist's surprise Ranko huddled closer to the golden man as though she was seeking the safety of his arms. The shock wearing off, Raist smiled down at the young girl. Nodoka watched while something flickered in his eyes but she couldn't make out what it was. Raist looked up at Nodoka and nodded he was ready. She bent down to retrieve her bags and led the young man to their home. While Raist carried Ranko to her home, she began to dream of her training, quietly crying out when dreaming of the time she was chased through the woods by wolves. She leaned into the chest of the mage and put her arms tightly around his neck, while she tried to move deeper into the strong arms holding her, trembling slightly. Raist held her tighter, and frowned when he realized Ranko's sleep was one of terrors. [I will need to look into this.] He thought while Nodoka noticed him frowning down at her daughter, she ushered him into their home. He watched as Nodoka removed her daughters shoes then her own. He looked at her with mild confusion. Nodoka smiled and explained to him what she was doing. "We are from a country called Japan, and it is customary to leave your outside shoes at the door." Nodoka explained to him. Raist nodded then slipped out of his soft sole boots with ease although he still had a fitful Ranko in his arms. Nodoka led Raist to Ranko's room where he placed her gently on her stomach to protect her wings. He stared at the young girl for a moment, Nodoka watching him closely. He reached down and gently pulled her hair back from her face. "I would like to train your daughter in human or _earth_ bound magic if you will. She has the potential for it." He stated, still watching the sleeping girl. "I will have Seran set up a schedule with you." She told him as she kept a wary eye on him. "Why does she have night terrors?" He asked suddenly catching Nodoka off guard. "I can sense great fear from her now, and terrible pain." Nodoka sighed and led Raist to the living room. She knew if he was going to train her daughter he needed to know about her. She escorted him into the living room where she served him some tea courtesy of Honeysuckle since she still needed to learn how to use the stove. When they were settled with honey cakes and tea, Nodoka told him of her child's life at the hands of Genma Saotome. How Queen Titiana was the one who told her the whole truth, of the things she never knew and that Ranko had forgotten except at night when sleep came. Nodoka talked for hours, explaining Ranko's birth as the boy Ranma, of the promise to make her son a man above men. She told of the curse of Jusenkyo, and how it effected her son and those around him. She told him of the Neko-Ken and the effects it had on her child. Raist turned a little green at the thought of the training Ranma had to endure. Nodoka told of the selling of Ranma into engagements Genma had no intention of keeping. While she talked a dark red glow formed around the quiet mage. She told of the abusive relationship with the younger Tendo daughter. She admitted that Ranko did not have the social skills that may have prevented that, but again that was because of Genma. They talked for hours; Raist talked about his training as a mage, his adventures with his friends on Krynn. His becoming a full mage, skipping the final test in the towers, since they no longer existed. The war on his world, his coming to the Faerie Realm, and how Queen Titiana cured him. He told Nodoka he could understand her son's feelings about his curse although it was not that bad. Nodoka raised an eyebrow at his statement then he told her of the curses he was cured of, the debilitating cough, the frail useless body and the hourglass eyes of decay sight. He told of the two he can never get rid of, the golden skin and eyes. Nodoka shuddered when she looked into his eyes to still see the remnants of the hourglass pupils. It was late into the night, when Raist finally excused himself, at the door he put on his shoes then turned to face Nodoka. He bowed to her then took her hand and kissed it. He then looked deep into her eyes and gave her a small smile. "I thank you for allowing me to talk of my past, and for trusting me with the story of your child. I feel she will now re-grow into a happier, healthier person because it will be _you_ who takes care of her." Nodoka blushed as Raist turned while casting a spell; he flew off for home. Nodoka closed the door to their new home and went to bed. Honeysuckle had gone home hours ago, but would return in the morning. Nodoka entered her bedroom and prepared for bed. She brushed out her newly lengthened candy apple red hair. She then braided it, to keep is somewhat tangle free. She next slipped out of her kimono and into a white lightweight cotton nightgown. Nodoka then settled into the soft bed, after making her wings disappear, so she could sleep normally. She snuggled down into the comforter on her bed then turned to face the window. She stared out at the star filled sky. Now she could let the tears fall, while the rage, and guilt warred within her. She will need to tell her daughter tomorrow at breakfast, what Queen Titiana told her, about why they are really there. If she had not let Genma take her child when he was six this would never have happened, all of Ranma's life would have never happened. The tears flowed unchecked, as she cried herself to sleep, knowing she was partly responsible for her child's miserable life. Praying her daughter can forgive her for allowing it to happen. /*\*/*\ About three hours before dawn, Ranko was a sleep in her new room, remembering the horror that was her previous life. Suddenly Ranko sat up in her bed, gasping for breath, while she looked around confused. Her eyes unfocused while she tried to figure out where she was and how she got there. She listened to the sounds of the strange creatures that inhabited this place. She was surprised because for some reason they seem to frighten her. She was a martial artist, she should not be afraid. When a dark shadow passed over her, Ranko snapped her head up toward the skylight to see a large serpentine shape cross over head. Ranko jumped from her bed and headed downstairs. She stopped outside the door to her mothers room, debating if she should show weakness and knock. She lowered her fist and turned to head back to her room. She was after all the premier martial artist of her generation, she can't show her mother how she is acting like a frightened little girl. She headed back up the stairs when she heard a roar that shook the tree. She ran back toward her mother's room and knocked timidly. /*\*/*\ Nodoka was awakened by a gentle urgent knocking at her door. She sat up in bed and turned on a small magical orb sitting on her nightstand. She straightened her blankets, then looked to the door. "Come in." She invited still sounding half asleep. The door slowly opened and Ranko poked her head around the door. Her eyes wide with terror. This shocked Nodoka since she was still so use to her manly son, not being afraid of anything. She began shaking her head and berating herself for not remembering the change. She smiled sweetly at her daughter. "What is wrong Ranko?" Ranko stepped into the room her head bowed while drawing toe art on the floor. "I..I heard a strange noise, and I was..um." She stumbled over the request, as she looked nervously at her mother. "Would you like to sleep here tonight, dear?" Nodoka asked knowing a frightened child when she saw one. Ranko nodded as she stared at her mother, unshed tears forming in her eyes. Nodoka held out her arms and Ranko ran nearly full speed into them. She jumped into her mother's embrace and held on for dear life. Nodoka soothed her child as she shivered in her arms. "I saw something big fly over my room, and then heard it roar, can I please stay her with you, momma?" She leaned back to look at her mother with big soulful eyes. "Of course you can dear, now make your wings disappear and get under the blankets." She told her daughter while holding the blanket up for her. Ranko did as she was told, she made her wings vanish. Then she crawled in beside her mother. Nodoka draped her arms around her child and pulled her close against her. They both soon fell asleep, Ranko feeling safe for the first time in her entire mortal life, and Nodoka finally feeling peace knowing she had her child. /*\*/*\ As the morning approached on Ranko's first day in her new life, her internal clock brought her to wakefulness. She stretched, then looked at the space next to her only to find her mother missing. She got out of bed wearing her burgundy outfit from the day before. She headed into the living room looking for her mother. Panic gripping her heart, as she feared she was alone again and no one cared what happen to her. She breathed a sigh of relief when her mother came from the kitchen with Honeysuckle fluttering behind her. "Ranko dear, what's wrong?" Nodoka asked when she saw the look of relief wash over her child. Ranko ran up and gave her mother a kiss, shaking her head to indicate nothing. Nodoka kissed the top of her head, and gave her daughter a tight hug. They then sat down to a hearty breakfast, of tea, cakes and fruit. When they had finished Nodoka cleared the table and Ranko went to get dressed. She came back in another of the outfits Honeysuckle brought her. She chose the green/light green variant. Nodoka also changed into a light gray tunic with dark gray pants. She worn leather soft sole ankle boots. For her training she pulled her hair back into a braid and then braided her daughter's hair. When they finished they went outside to wait so that Ranko could do some of her katas before Seran arrived. Honeysuckle followed. She watched Ranko for a while amazed at what she could do; she then turned to Nodoka, and bid her farewells as she needed to report to court. She waved by to Nodoka and Ranko then headed back toward the palace. Nodoka sat staring into space, wondering about what Titiana had told her, angry with herself for allowing it to happen, but some how glad it did, now she has the chance to raise her child right. She wrestled with the need to tell Ranko the truth that she may not know or remember. Fighting against the need to protect her little girl and allow her the life she should have had. Nodoka decided Ranko's first day of training was not the time to tell her the truth. Nodoka turned to watch her daughter with awe as she went through one of her more strenuous katas. Nodoka noticed she seldom used her wings but every so often made use of them as if she was trying to test them to gradually build up their strength and to incorporate them slowly into her work out. She watched while they began to glow a bright blue. She watched while Ranko pushed her chi through them, her eyes widened even larger when Ranko's wings became an almost invisible blur, yet she never moved from where she was. /*\*/*\ Seran flew to the apartment set aside for the Saotome women, when he came to the apartment, he noticed them down on the ground, with Nodoka watching her daughter while she did some strange exercises. He flew down to meet with them, when he got close enough to see what Ranko was doing he froze standing behind Nodoka a few feet. With his mouth hanging open he watched while Ranko again showed her prowess at being airborne without using her wings. He watched her wings glow a bright blue. Then while she flapped them so fast that the were almost invisible. Seran's eyes widened even larger as he leaned against the tree for support. "Fascinating isn't it?" Seran jumped when the voice behind him asked the question. "_DON'T DO THAT_!" Seran turned gasping for breath, while glaring at the visitor. "Sorry didn't mean to startle you, but I came here to schedule some time with your pupils to train them in human magic." Raist told Seran. Seran raised an eyebrow while he scrutinized the golden mage. Nodoka came up behind the two men. She looked a little surprised at Raist including her in the training. "Well first they must learn to use their elemental powers, let's have you start with them in six months. I believe they will be fast learners, and should have progressed enough to start training with others. I will work out a schedule with you and the others and send you all copies." Seran explained as he made notes in a small electronic device. Nodoka was surprised to see the technical device, Seran just shrugged and smiled her. Raist nodded in agreement, then turned to watch Ranko continue her practice. He smiled fondly at her then turned to leave. Nodoka put a hand on his shoulder, she felt a great amount of heat coming from the mage. Raist turned to look at her, with a wry smile. "I think you should come with us now Raist, you may not train us for six months but since Ranko will be training Seran let her train you as well, you may like what she has to offer." Nodoka said with a small grin. Raist looked at her a little confused, and was about to comment, when he suddenly gets the wind knocked out of as he is driven back. Landing on his back he looks into a pair of twinkling sapphire blue eyes, loaded with mischief. Seran and Nodoka giggle, and gave the mage a look of 'glad it was you, that looked like it hurt!'. "Hi Raist, are you going to train momma and me?" Ranko asked the mage excitedly. "He will in about six months dear, right now though _you_ are going to train him. Now get off of him, so he can stand up." Ranko looked back at her mother then down at the mage a smile crossing her lips. Before she got off him she quickly leaned down a gave him a kiss on the cheek, then jumped up from her laying position to about twenty feet doing a flip to land in front of Seran. She bowed to Seran, giving him her best smile. "Good morning sensei." Seran looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Sensei is Japanese for teacher Seran." Nodoka told him as she stared at her daughter with some surprise. Raist got to his feet and gently touched where Ranko had kissed him a wry smile on his face. Nodoka watched this with a motherly smile, as she started making plans. Then the four of them take flight to a secluded area where their training was to begin. /*\*/*\ Ranko was the first to reach the training ground, at the base of a mountain range, about ten miles outside of the city. She began to explore the area looking into every nook and cranny with a child's enthusiasm and curiosity. A half an hour later the rest of the party arrived, all of them out of breath from flying fast and hard to catch up with the martial artist, who was still busy exploring the mountains and the forest around it. The new comers sat on the ground trying to catch their breath. "I have never seen a Faerie move that fast, _how_ does she do that." Seran gasps, out between breaths "I told you it was her training as a martial artist, here watch this." Nodoka told them while taking a deep breath. "RANKO, DEAR, PLEASE COME HERE!" She shouts for her wayward daughter. A few seconds later a bright red and green blur beelines straight for Nodoka slamming into her and lifting her up off the ground. Spinning her around both women are wrapped in their long braids. "Oh, momma this place is so cool, there are caves, and little animals living in them. There are baby birds in the trees, they are so cute, can I have one momma..." Nodoka shushes her daughter, as they land in front of the shocked men. "Now calm down dear, and no you must leave the babies alone, so their mothers can take care of them." Nodoka scolds gently to a sad looking Ranko. "Now dear, I want you to show your sensei and Raist why you fly as fast as you do and why your wings are much stronger then a normal Faeries." Nodoka told her daughter as she grabs the tip of Ranko's wing and bent it over. Both Seran and Raist jump to their feet to try and stop Nodoka from damaging Ranko's wing beyond repair, but stop in amazement as the wing snapped back with no damage. Both Ranko and Nodoka begin to giggle at the look of surprise on their faces. Ranko walked away from the group to a clearing a few yards away. "Now her wings aren't at their full strength yet, but I watched my daughter this morning begin her retraining, to incorporate her wings into her fighting, and that included starting to strengthen them with her chi." Nodoka explained to the two men, with a proud smile. Nodoka pointed to her daughter, who then began to glow a bright blue, Raist gasped and cast a small spell to determine what it was that surrounded her. His eyes went wide when the spell told him something he couldn't believe. He started to walk toward her but Nodoka stopped him. "Not yet Raist, Ranko dear do that chi blast you do, please." Nodoka asks her daughter. Ranko nodded, and looked for a target that wouldn't hurt any of the animals she found in the area. She located a boulder. She stood facing the boulder, bringing her hands in front of her letting her chi coalesce into the space between her palms. The men watch in awe while the ball grew to the size of a basketball then jump a little, when Ranko shouted. "MOKO TAKABISHA!" The men nearly fall when the blast slammed into the boulder turning it into rubble. "_What was that_!" Seran asked facing Nodoka, as she smiled sweetly. "That is what your training by my daughter will lead to." She answered cryptically, to him. "It is not possible for someone even a human to do that, not using that force!" Raist explains in shocked awe. Both Nodoka and Seran turned to the golden man as he watched Ranko approaching them. Nodoka walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. With a gentle smile she told him what he needed to hear. "Yes Raist it is, when trained in the martial arts for as long as she had been it can culminate in the use of ones _life force_ to increase ones attributes. A true master of the art can do what she just did and project it as a weapon. Genma always assumed I knew nothing of the art and would weaken our son, but he was wrong." She turned her head to smile at her daughter when she rejoined the group. "Was that alright momma?" Ranko asked with a sheepish smile on her face. "Yes dear, thank you." Nodoka told her with a hug. "You mean she is using her life force to enhance her speed and wing structure, but if she keeps doing that _she'll kill herself_" Seran told them with a small amount of fear crossing his face. "No, I won't, at first it is quite draining but the more you practice with it the stronger you get. That chi blast comes from my confidence, the blasts are based off your strongest emotion. Ryoga uses depression for his blast. I use my ki which is my life force to strengthen my body, increase my speed and agility, I have also learned to use it to enhance the healing of myself." Ranko explained with the tone of a teacher. Nodoka smiled as she marveled at the switch taking place, from her child like demeanor to that of a young adult when she explained the art to others. Raist walked over to Ranko and placed a gold hand on her shoulder. She turned and smiled brilliantly at him, causing him to smile back. "Ranko can you bring up the aura again, so that I may get a better look?" He asked her, she nodded. She began to glow, then held out her hand and formed a small Ping- Pong ball size of chi in her hand. Both Seran and Raist gathered around the young artist. Raist again cast a spell, which allowed him to analyze what he was seeing on a more minute level. He could not understand how she was able to do this, to use this much power and not destroy herself, but he wanted to learn. Seran reached out with his magical senses and he too, felt the need to learn this technique. "I think we will divide our time between learning your Sylph powers then Ranko will teach the three of us her skills." Seran said to a smiling Ranko and proud Nodoka.