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 Eight Nabiki stood outside a small coffeehouse on the outskirts of Juuban, she and Miroshi always met here, this way they didn't have to worry about unwanted eavesdropper. Nabiki entered the shop taking a deep breath; she loved the smell of fresh brewing coffee. She looked around the shop and smiled slightly when she saw Miroshi sitting in one of the booths back in a far corner. She went to the counter and ordered her favorite coffee, a chocolate hazel nut cream, then went to the booth to wait for its delivery. She slid in across from her _friend_, they knew better then to show friendship at school it would be bad for business. Miroshi smiled at her _boss_. "You're late _boss_." She stated flatly with a small grin, Nabiki rolled her eyes, then stuck out her tongue. "I was detained by Kuno." She said with a shudder. "Aw, wanting more pictures of the fair Tendo Akane and his pig- tailed goddess, no doubt." The young girl commented doing an impression of the Kendoist. "Yeah, plus information on where the pig-tailed girl had disappeared too. Saruka, about those pictures...I uh um?" Nabiki left the request hang as she shuddered thinking of some of those pictures. Saruka took a long sip of her Kona Hawaiian coffee. Saruka was a girl that was pretty but not enough to stand out. She blended into a crowd and did not make others feel threatened. She had reddish-brown hair that went to the middle of her back; she wore it in a loose ponytail. Her eyes were a dark brown, she stood an inch shorter then Nabiki, and she wore gold wire rim glasses. She was highly intelligent, and like Nabiki had a flare for business. "You're not going to believe what I have to tell you." She stated while she looked at her friend over the coffee cup. "I have lived with Ranma for over three years, what is not to believe." Nabiki said as she pulled out the photos, Saruka cringed when she spotted the one on top. Nabiki quickly put her hand down on the photos when the waitress brought her the coffee she ordered. She smiled and paid for the coffee. She then looked back at her friend determination glaring in her eyes. "I couldn't hear much on the tape about what this was that encased Ranma." Nabiki stated showing the picture to Saruka. "I didn't hear much about it either, since they were out of the room, but when they came back in, while Ranma was trying to get out the Doctor and old woman called it a cocoon." Nabiki looked at her skeptically; flipping through the pictures to the next one she wanted. "I see by most of these my sister was still her _calm_ self, but this picture with the two large bright lights and three small ones. Where is Ranma in this one?" She asked showing her friend the photo; the girl smiled slyly at her friend then leaned close. "The smaller of the two big lights _is Ranma_ the other is _HER_ mother, the three little lights are Faeries." She sat back smiling smugly at the look of shock that crossed Nabiki's face, which then disappeared as fast as it came to be. "Ranma and his mother were turned into Faeries?" Saruka nodded while taking another sip of coffee. "A _female Faerie_ Nabiki, plus they will be back in one week to tell your family and Ranma's fiancées what is going on." Nabiki looked thoughtful, then her eyes lit up and Saruka knew what the look meant. "I think I will have some visitors waiting for them when they return. It is not like they are my family or anything. More like a couple of freeloading pigs. Tanaka Laboratories will pay big bucks for real Faeries." Nabiki mused with a cold grin. Saruka paled while she searched Nabiki's face to see if she was joking, hoping she was joking. There was no indication. She scowled at her friend, slamming down her coffee cup. Nabiki jumped at the display of hostility. "You know I thought that maybe you cared just a little about how you were treating Ranma, that you only did what you did to him to help keep your family off the streets. That is why I worked with you I thought..no I hoped that you had some ounce of integrity and that you would never do anything to really hurt someone. I guess I was wrong. He may have been a jerk at times, but believe me your sister deserved it. How many times did he nearly die trying to save her or some other member of your family, Nabiki? Huh, _how many_?" Saruka didn't wait for an answer, she picked up her things and turned to leave. "Nabiki I hope you think long and hard before you do something you will regret. Oh, and one more thing if I read my Amazons correctly they have made an agreement to be allies with Ranma and her mother. If you call Tanaka Labs you're signing yours and your family's death warrant." She said before heading out the door. Nabiki sat in her chair staring at her rapidly cooling coffee. Soon she got up and left. While she walked home she thought about what she had been told. She didn't want to hurt her family but Ranma and Nodoka were nothing to her, they weren't her family. Then an idea sprang into her mind and she smiled with all the self- assurance of a shark closing in on its prey. Nabiki headed for home, formulating her plan as she went. She had a lot to do before they showed up on Sunday. Miroshi stood in the alley, shaking her head she knew that Nabiki didn't listen, that she was going to some how sell Ranma and her mother to the lab. A tear began to trickle down her face, for she knew Nabiki's true heart, and this was not it. Sakura watched Nabiki head down the street toward home. Nabiki never saw her friend, never saw the iridescent white Faerie wings appear behind her, and never saw her take flight toward her home. /*\*/*\ Nodoka and Ranko were in their fourth day of training as mages. Raist was flabbergasted at the speed with which Ranko picked things up she was already showing levels of a novice mage of with one half a year's worth of study and increasing rapidly with each passing day. Nodoka was not far behind her daughter, Raist figured both would be full mages with in the year, arcmages within maybe three, four at the most. The lesson for today was to be a simple healing spell. Both women had to gather their own ingredients to create their potions. Since neither male wanted to chance another run in with the satyrs even though both Nodoka and Ranko could defend themselves. They each went with one of them as an observer only. Seran went with Nodoka and Raist with Ranko. Nodoka decided that if they were to learn what to look for in the plant life for their spells, she and Ranko will need to search separately. She felt they would remember their training better. Ranko took off for the forest giggling, while she wove in and around the trees, Raist following behind her. His speed had increased some but just barely, he still had trouble keeping up with the speeding Sylph. Nodoka and Seran laughed at the two of them, as they took flight to search for her ingredients. While Seran and Nodoka searches, Nodoka must continually remind him that he must not help her. She is trying to learn how to look for and spot the plants that she needed. Seran just smiled at her and tried hard not to interfere. While she searched they talked about what her life was like waiting for Genma to return with her son. "It was the one of the biggest mistakes I made." She stated flatly as she began to snip leaves from a wild tyme plant. "I don't regret marring Genma, because then I would not have Ranko, but he cost me my son, and he turned my son's life to living hell." She continued a single tear escaping. "It is not all his fault though, I must take some of the blame. I wanted Ranma to be the best just like his father did. So I agreed to let him take my son away, if I could do it all over again, Ranma would not leave my site. Unfortunately that is not possible, and now with our new life here I don't think I want to." She finished with a heavy sigh. Seran said nothing, he let her continue to talk out her guilt and anger. He knew she needed to get these feelings out, he had been watching her since they started training. He would catch her watching Ranko with tears barely held in check, and he knew she needed to deal with them or she would never let go of her past life, so she could be happy in her new one. "Maybe if I had insisted that I go with them, a lot of the problems my child had could have been avoided. I know he never would have taught Ranma the Neko-Ken, and Jusenkyo, I hoped would have turned out differently, or at least Ranma would have been better prepared to handle his curse." Nodoka stopped and stared down at the moss she had just collected. "You know Seran life is full of should of, could of, would of, but it all boils down to is that I am just as much responsible for my son's misery. Titiana would have been well within her rights to just take Ranko alone and leave me out of her new life. After all I allowed the engagement to Akane, even though the girl is a danger to others, because of her violent nature and inability to make non deadly food." Nodoka looked up at Seran, the tears finally escaping. "I just hope her faith in me is not misplaced, and that I can give my child a new life that will see her happy and carefree like she is now." Seran took Nodoka in his arms and held her tightly. "Do not worry, my love, Titiana did not make a mistake your being here is the main reason Ranko is such a happy child." Nodoka looked up at Seran surprise on her face at the term of endearment. Seran leaned down and kissed Nodoka passionately, then pulled back and looked deep into her eyes. Eyes that were filled with tears and something else, he saw what he was looking for, smiling at the shocked woman. "When you get your divorce from Genma, my love will you agree to be my wife?" Seran looked at her as he pulled out a ring. Nodoka looked at him then down at the ring, it was very delicate. It had a base ring of yellow and white gold in a loose open weave. Then in pink gold surrounding the 1/2-caret white diamond where miniature Sakura blossoms, with rose quartz chips in the center of them. There where four blossoms lined up and down on the left side of the stone, while on the right at the center were two blossoms. "I..yes, yes I would love to be your wife and I would be honored for you to be the father my child needs." Nodoka told him, he put the ring on her finger then gently kissed it. "May I always strive to make my new family a happy one." Seran told her, she then jumped into his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed him deeply, his arms holding her tightly. They suddenly jump a part when they hear the bell like giggles of a certain mischievous child. They are both then knocked to the ground as that bundle of energy slams into them. "Are we really going to be a real family momma?" Bright sparkling blue eyes stare down at the two adults. Both Seran and Nodoka grab a giggling Ranko into a big hug of tickles, while answering her question with a resounding "YES!". "My this isn't how I envisioned my training going!" Raist stated with a wry grin. Ranko tried to get free from her _parents_ to go tell Raist the good news, but Seran and Nodoka had a firm grasp on _their_ daughter, as they knew her technique. Raist looked at the struggling Ranko and laughed heartily. "Momma, and papa Seran are going to get married, ain't the great!" Squealed a still struggling Ranko. "That is _isn't that great_ dear." Her mother corrected. "Well all I can say is it is about time, now lets get going we still have potions to make before our martial arts training." Raist said with a wide smile at the two shocked adults, and a grinning Ranko who was finally able to escape. /*\*/*\ The three Sylphs and gray elf returned to their training clearing, while Seran and Raist watched, the women started to prepare their healing potions. Ranko's mind was not on the task at hand as she was excited about the fact that Seran was going to be her real papa. She happily flitted around her pot, while not paying too much attention to what she was doing. Raist watched Ranko intently and saw that she was not doing the potion correctly, he wasn't sure what the out come would be but he wrote down everything she did, in the order she did it and the amounts. A good mage always keep tracks of ingredients because a mistake may be a breakthrough. The potions started to boil and Raist examined both pots. Nodoka's potion looked and smelled perfect, and dark blackish green with the smell of wild tyme and tiger lilies. Ranko's pot was a different story all together, hers was more a greenish orange in color, which Raist added to his notes, then smelled it had a very nice fragrance of tiger lilies, and mint. This information also was added to his notes. Ranko watched him closely while trying to read what he was writing, but it was in the ancient tongue of magic and she hadn't learned too much of that yet. Raist then brought out two cages with earth rats in them both are wounded fairly seriously but not life threatening. He takes a small eyedropper full of Nodoka's potion and is about to give it to the rat. "What if it don't work, and the potions kill them instead?" Ranko asked with apprehension. "Don't worry I have a couple of powerful healing potions handy so that they won't die." He explains while giving the rat Nodoka's potion. The potion healed the rat but not completely. Nodoka looked downcast while she watched Raist complete its healing with a spell. He then put down the healed rat and looked over at Nodoka. "That was very good Nodoka, you and Ranko never cease to amaze me, most students their first time do not even get the rat healed at all, let alone more then halfway healed." Nodoka looked at him, seeing he was sincere she smiled weakly. Then Raist turned to Ranko's potion, raising one eyebrow as the bubbling potion had changed color to a more orange color, but still slightly greenish. The smell was still the same though, he made this notation in his notes. He then took the eyedropper and filled it with the potion. He gave it to the rat, Ranko looked on sadly as the rat did not heal. Raist cured the rat, and turned to Ranko with a sympathetic smile, he was about to say something when a small voice cut him off. "Hey toots, how about letting us out of these cages?" They all turned to look at the rat that Raist was holding with surprise. "We're hungry and want to go look for some food." It continued as it scratched behind its ear. Ranko giggled at the silly rat then when to the picnic basket and brought back some cheese for the little patients. She gave the cheese to the two rats and watched as they gobbled them up. She giggled while they cleaned themselves, after they had finished. "Well are you two happy your full now?" Raist asked sarcastically, but the rat didn't say a word. "Well it doesn't look like the potion lasts to long, but it is a very useful one at that, though not what you were suppose to make." Ranko looked sadly at him with tears welling up in her eyes. "However, that is something you both needed to remember, always write down what you are doing when making a potion." Raist explained holding up his notebook. "You never know when a mistake may bring forth a stronger potion or in Ranko's case something different all together." He finished with a pat on Ranko's shoulder. "Now let's have some lunch and start our martial arts training, you both did a good job, even if it wasn't perfect." Raist smiled at the sadden Ranko, giving her a gentle brotherly hug. /*\*/*\ Six months into their training, Raist began to show them how to cast spells, during one of the training sessions, Nodoka and Seran were called to see Queen Titiana. They were both a little nervous, while they were escorted into the throne room by an angry looking Rohn. Rohn was as tall as Seran about six feet, he had white blonde hair, with hollow crystal blue eyes. His features were hard and angler. He wore black pants and a blue tunic, covered with white satin robe, trimmed in gold brocade. When they entered the throne room, Nodoka looked around, to her it looked like there were more guards this time then before. She looked around and noticed they were mostly elves and a few salamanders. On the far side of the throne room stood four elf women who seemed to sneer at her, then looked away haughtily. When they reached the throne Rohn moved to stand to the right side of the queen. Nodoka bowed respectfully to her new Queen, as did Seran. They stood and looked at the queen with a small amount of nervousness. Rohn gave them a sadistic smile. "Greetings my friends." Titiana said smiling sweetly at them. "I would like for you to tell me how the training is going Seran?" She asked looking at the Sylph, he broke into a wide grin. "It is wonderful my queen, Nodoka and Ranko are well ahead of schedule and Raist is starting to teach them human magic. I plan on starting their training with the other elemental races next week. In addition, Ranko has been training Raist, her mother and me in her abilities. I am afraid Raist and I will take longer then Ranko's mother because we had no prior knowledge of martial arts, plus it seems Ranko got her extremely fast learning curve from her mother." He finished with a proud smile at Nodoka. The queen looked from Seran to Nodoka with a wry grin. Then she turned to Rohn with a smile that said 'I told you so!' She looked back to the couple then motioned for the guards to escort in the other two guests. She noticed Nodoka's ring, and gasped. "OOHH, Nodoka when did you get that lovely ring?" She held out her hand for Nodoka to show her. "Seran asked me to marry him when my divorce is final from Genma, six months ago." She said stepping forward and showing the ring. "Then the day you return from signing your final divorce papers I and my husband will marry the two of you!" Titiana exclaimed happily. They were interrupted as the guards returned, Nodoka and Seran turned and were surprised to see Ranko and Raist come in being followed by two high elf guards. They looked back at the Queen Titiana with some confusion, when a commotion was heard from the new comers location. Upon seeing the queen Ranko ran forward excitedly, several of the guards started to load arrows and take aim at the child martial artist. Ranko paid them no mind, her smile broadened as she neared one of her most favorite people. One guard became over zealous and let his arrow fly, causing a chain reaction as the rest of them flew toward the young redhead. Nodoka screamed as the arrows, headed toward her child. "RRRAANKKOO!" Nodoka tried to lung for her daughter but was held in a tight embrace by Seran, while covering her with his own body to protect her and pulling her to the ground out of the flight of arrows. Suddenly arrows ended up embedded in the walls opposite those that shot them just missing their counterparts on the other side. Oblivious to all this was Ranko as she was sitting on Titiana's lap giving her a big hug and talking non stop about all the training she has been doing and how much fun she was having. Raist stormed up to the throne, while glaring at Rohn, he turned to the queen and bowed. He then turned to Ranko and held out his hand to her. She reached out confused as to why he was so mad. She looked to her mother who was crying while being held by Seran. She then looked back at the queen who just smiled at her and stroked her hair. Titiana then summoned an elderly elf, with black hair streaked with silver. She was 5'9" tall, and had twinkling green eyes. She wore a long green dress with bell sleeves trimmed in gold, and where Rohn's features were hard and harsh, hers were soft and caring. "Ranko dear this is Kajri, would you please go with her and she will get you some honey cakes and milk." Ranko looked a little frightened as she looked at her family and friends. "Go on daughter everything is just fine, we'll see you in a few minutes." Nodoka told her through frightened tears. Raist helped her down after she gave Titiana one more hug which the queen reciprocated, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Come child, would you like to help me make some honey cakes?" Kajri asked her in a soothing voice trying to alleviate some of her fears. "Yes, I would like that." Ranko said as she looked back at her mother trying to be brave. Once Kajri had taken Ranko out of room, and Titiana was secure in her feeling that they were far enough away not to hear what was coming, she rose to her feet, anger flashing in her blue eyes. Rohn smiled arrogantly as the queen looked at the three adults in front of her. Which quickly turned to confusion and fear as Queen Titiana turned on him. "_How dare you_! How dare you order an attack on a _child_ of _my_ kingdom!" She growled at him eyes flashing like burning embers, while she lashed out and with a resounding *SMACK* and slapped his face. Rohn put his hand to his face, as the room was stunned into silence. She then turned to the guards that had shot the arrows. Most were still stunned from the fact that the young Sylph had dodged every arrow. While some of the others were stunned at the queen for lashing out at her head adviser. One elf guard however was pinned against the wall with an arrow through the collar of his uniform, just missing his neck by a fraction of an inch. Shakily he reached up and grasped the arrow and pulled it from the wall and his collar, his face as pale as death. He slowly slid to the floor, while staring at the offending object. "If any of you _ever_ attack like that again without my permission I will send you as gifts to the ogres. I am the queen and I have powers you never even dreamed of, I can protect myself if I see a need." Titiana snarled at the guards. "_AND_ if you ever order something like that again Rohn, I don't care if your mother is Kajri, I will have you banished!" She turned angrily to her advisor, who stood trembling and pale. Titiana then took several calming breaths as she lowered herself back into her throne. She then turned to the three Sylphs in front of her sighing she began to tell them why they were there. "It seems that Rohn here is afraid that with your increased powers that you and your daughter will take over my kingdom." Titiana told them with a sad look in her eyes. "Your highness, I don't know where he would get such an idea! I owe you a debt that can never be paid, you took me and my child away from a life that might have ended with my baby and I dead. You gave us a new start, and a purpose to bring honor to our name." Nodoka said as she knelt in front of the queen. Taking her ever present sword from her side placing it in front of her she unwrapped it, being careful _not_ to remove it from its scabbard, until she was ready. Nodoka laid the katana at the feet of the queen. Slowly and non threatening she pulled it from its sheath, placing it on top of the scabbard. She then bent low to the ground kissing the sword, then while still prostrated on the floor she vowed. "My queen, I and mine shall always be in your service, we will give our lives to protect you, your family, and kingdom, I swear this upon _my_ families honor blade, from the clan Takashi." She stayed that way when Titiana bent down and retrieved her sword. "Nodoka I accept your pledge of honor, and as a show of good faith from me." Titiana began to glow a soft white, as did Nodoka's sword. Nodoka watched from her kneeling position her eyes wide, behind her stood Raist and Seran, Raist showing curiosity and Seran smiling. While the sword was still glowing Titiana placed it in Nodoka's hands. The glow began to travel to Nodoka as well. When the glow faded, Titiana bade Nodoka to stand, taking her hand. "Nodoka I give to you and your family the queen's blessing, and who so ever in your family takes up your honor blade in defense of myself, family or kingdom, they will have a blade that will be unstoppable. I have placed on your blade a spell in invincibility." She stated with a smile then something occurred to her, she held out her hand to Nodoka she took back the sword. "In your old realm there is a phenomenon known as the Northern Lights, or the Aurora Borealis, it is a shining beacon in the north beautiful beyond belief, a guiding light if you will. From this day forward, you will no longer be Saotome, or Takashi but your clan name will be Aurora." With that proclamation the sword began to glow and again, this time a much brighter white. The glow flared brightly around the sword causing all but Titiana to look away, her eyes glowing the same bright white. When the light faded everyone looked back and gasped as the sword now shone in vibrant rainbow colored lights, much like the Aurora Borealis. Titiana returned the blade to its changed scabbard as it too glowed the same as the sword then handed them to Nodoka with a broad smile.