Healing
Chapter 1

	I think that anyone that has read any fan fic can probably 
tell what this is without reading it, but...   All characters in the 
following story belong to their respective creators.
*thoughts*
<Telepathy>
[Signs]
^emphasis^
SHOUTS
<"Chines">

	It had been quick and sudden.  One minute the Heavens 
were quite and the next the Gods of Martial Arts and Healing were 
dead.
	Kami-sama was working on a solution but had decided to 
put the two categories together this time.  *Now I have to find 
someone that I would willingly promote to the status of God hood,* 
thought Kami-sama.  He started looking through files.  *I need 
someone that is basically good, a fighter and Healer, quick witted 
would help, and someone that wouldn't snap under strain from the 
unusual.  What have we here?* Kami-sama smiled as he looked at the 
file on his screen.  *With a little help he could be perfect!*

***

	Ranma Saotome was sleeping peacefully in the Tendo Dojo 
when his dreams were interrupted with a voice that called 'I 
Kami-sama call for the presence of Ranma Saotome now!'.
	*This is a weird dream,* thought Ranma as he looked 
around the huge office with what looked like plants growing out of 
the walls.  There was a desk with a computer on it and sitting behind 
it was and older, but not old, man with a patch over one eye.  The 
other eye was ice blue.  "Where am I?" asked a confused Ranma 
thinking that he had met this guy before.
	"I am Kami-sama and I have summoned you and am asked it 
you to take up the responsibilities of the Gods of Marital Arts and 
Healing."
	"Huh," managed Ranma who was stunned.  *Why would I 
be dreaming this?*
	"Your not dreaming.  You survived the Nekoken training, 
which should have been just about impossible.  Also you have the 
goodness inside that I look for in those who serve me.  We need you.  
I will sent someone to you her name is-," began Kami-sama but he 
was cut off by a splash of water.
	"AHHH," yelled Ranma-chan as she jumped up out of bed.  
She was soaking wet and staring at Akane.  "What did you do that 
for you tomboy?" demanded a wet and angry Ranma-cahn.
	"Your going to be late for school if you don't hurry and see 
if I ever try and be nice to you again!" shouted Akane as she stormed 
out of the room.
	*What a strange dream that was I can almost remember it,* 
thought Ranma as he got ready to face the day, noticing in passing 
that he was moving faster and more fluid.  His senses also seamed to 
be very awake this morning.  Sight, hearing, and smell were very 
much aware of everything that came within their expanded reach.

***

	Belldandy was cooking breakfast for Keiichi Morisato, 
before he left to attend Nekomi Institute of Technology, when there 
was a bolt of lightning and a crash of thunder in the back yard.
	"What was that?" asked Keiichi getting up from the table.
	"Its a message from Kami-sama," said Belldandy.  
"Apparently He has found a replacement for the missing Gods and 
wants me to go over and talk to him."
	"Him?" asked Urd who was also sitting at the table.
	"Yes it seams that Kami-sama didn't get time to give him the 
whole deal and Kami-sama says that it is possible that the young man 
wasn't aware that it wasn't a dream, but he has already been  
activated as the class 1, category 1, unlimited god of Healing and 
Martial Arts!"
	"Is that bad?" asked Keiichi.
	"That means he has more power than Belldandy and may not 
be aware of that fact, let alone how to control it!" exclaimed Skuld.
	"Skuld, could you please get his file for me while I finish 
breakfast.  I'll especially need his home address.  His name is Ranma 
Saotome."

***

	"Thanks Doc," said Ranma walking out of Dr. Tofu's 
bathroom drying out his hair.  He had needed a cup of hot water after 
an encounter with a street sweeper and had stopped by Tofu's place 
to get it and talk to the doc.
	"No problem at all, Ranma.  You know I still have trouble 
believing how all of this worked out," smiled Tofu.
	"Yeah I know what you mean," said Ranma.  *It seams like 
so long ago.*  Ranma's mind drifted back over the last few months.

***

	--Flashback--
	After their return from China and the failed wedding Ranma 
has been rather depressed.
	"Is something the matter?" asked Kasumi, after she had 
tracked Ranma to the roof.  "You haven't seamed yourself since you 
got back."
	"You mean I'm not acting rude, inconsiderate, and 
arrogant," laughed Ranma.  It was a short biter laugh.
	"No I mean you don't eat much, you almost go out of your 
way to avoid a fight now, and you don't seam to care enough about 
Akane to even tease her anymore," pressed Kasumi.  "If you don't 
want to talk out here we can go to my room.  Nabiki has promised me 
that it is bug free," smiled Kasumi.
	"Thanks, I'd like that."
	"And I just happen to have some tea ready," commented 
Kasumi as they walked into her room.
	"You had this planned, didn't you?" asked Ranma.
	"Everyone thinks that I don't have anything in my head 
except my name sake, but I do think once in a while.  Now why don't 
you let it out.  You can trust me and I'll do what I can to help you.
	That was all it took the one person that he didn't 
automatically go defensive when he saw her said she wanted to help 
him.  The dam broke and we started crying.  He told her all of it.  The 
hopelessness and the helplessness of facing their fathers, Aknae, 
Ukyo, Shampoo, Nabiki's schemes, the guys at school trying to 
splash him in the showers, Kuno, the curses, and to top it all off the 
one refuge that he had had, the art, had now been closed to him.  He 
explained how he had enjoyed the fighting because he love the art 
and fighting people like Ryoga had been a rush of adrenaline and 
being able to take the art higher than he could against anyone else, 
but then on Phoenix Mountain he had used the art to kill.  It really 
didn't matter that Saffron was reborn, the fact was that he had used 
the art he loved to kill another living being and now his one refuge 
from his other problems brought worse problems.  Also he had 
thought at one time that he loved Akane, but now she just kept right 
on hitting him, and calling him a pervert even when he was all but 
ignoring her.  He was starting to wonder if he even liked her 
anymore.
	She had understood everything and for the first time in his 
life someone asked him what he wanted to do and with a smile on his 
face for the first time since China he told her.

***

	That was what had started him studying with Tofu.  He was 
tired of fighting for the sake of fighting, now he would turn his 
considerable arts to healing those in need.
	With a shake of his head Ranma snapped back to the 
present.  Looking at the clock he hopped up.  
"SorryDocgottagoI'mlate," rushed out Ranma as he almost flew out 
the door.
	"That boy has grown considerably after that disaster in 
China," said Tofu as he correctly decoded Ranma's message to mean 
that he was going to be late and had to hurry even if it was the last 
day of school.  *I was always amazed at what that boy, no, young 
man could do once he put his mind to it.  He has mastered techniques 
that took me years to learn in months.  Some of that is the discipline 
that his own art gives him, but most of it is that incredibly quick 
mind.*  Tofu shrugged and reflected on the fact that once Ranma 
found or was shown a reason that he needed to learn something he 
picked it up incredibly fast.  Showing something in terms of battle 
made him even faster.

***

	Ranma raced over the fences toward school thinking about 
something that Dr. Tofu had told him.  'Learn everything that you can 
like unusual martial arts techniques you never know when something 
can come in handy and in medicine someone's life was usually on the 
line when you needed to know one of those little things.'  So as a 
result he had talked to his teachers and now his grades were climbing 
by leaps and bounds, but as they had agreed no one had made a big 
deal out of the fact.  Ranma still pretended to sleep in class and fluff 
off his school work, which had the effect that no one knew that he 
was suddenly studying hard to get into medical school and was 
currently planning to leave all of his fiancees behind when he did so.  
His musing was suddenly cut off as he heard a whisper of sound 
above him.  Someone had opened a window and Ranma knew what 
that meant.  He desperately tried to leap over the descending water 
and found that his leap carried him an effortless twenty feet into the 
air and rolling to land on his feet was almost an instinct.  *How did I 
do that ?* wondered and astonished Ranma.
	"Prepare to meet your destiny foul sorcerer!" proclaimed 
Kuno as Ranma ran into the school yard.  Kuno swung his bokken in 
a hard down slash only to have Ranma side step and his hand shoot 
out, at faster then chestnut speed, to tap a point on Kuno that locked 
all of his muscles in place.  Then as though nothing had happened 
Ranma continued on up to his classroom.  While everyone stared 
after him in the yard.

***

	Ding dong rang the doorbell again.  "I'll get it," called 
Kasumi as she hurried out of the laundry room and to the front door.  
Akane, Ranma, and Nabiki had all gone to school and Genma and 
Soun were of course cheating each other at shogi.
	"Can I help you?" asked Kasumi as she opened the door to 
see a beautiful young woman about her age with brown hair and what 
looked like tattoos on her face.
	"Sorry to bother you while your working," answered 
Belldandy, who had noticed the apron and detergent that Kasumi still 
carried in one hand.  "But I was looking for a young man by the name 
of Ranma Saotome the last address I have is here.  Could you by any 
chance tell me where to find him."
	"Why are you looking for Ranma?" asked Kasumi trying 
hard to keep anger out of her voice.  *This had better not be another 
fiancee or I'm going to make a Panda rug for the living room.  Ranma 
is finally starting to get his life together and the last thing that he 
needs is another fiancee.*
	*She is trying to hide anger, but that anger is not directed at 
me or Ranma.  It's directed at a ^Panda^?* wondered Belldandy.  
"Actually I was in the area and an old friend of his asked me to stop 
by and say hi for him."  *It's true, Kami-sama is a friend to everyone 
and I was in the area.  Relatively speaking.*
	"Oh well then he does live here but is away at school just 
now.  Please excuse my rudeness but we are used to people coming 
by to try and marry or kill Ranma, so when a caller asks for him I 
become suspicious.  Would you like a cup of tea?"
	"Normally I would love to but I'm afraid I'm in something 
of a hurry, but if you don't mind I would love to stop by the next 
time I'm in town," explained Belldandy who had seen enough of this 
girl to want to get to know her better.
	"Of course I'd love to.  Have a good trip."
	"Thank you.  If you'll excuse me I really must be going."
	*This is the place Furinkan high school,* thought 
Belldandy looking around at the school yard.  Which was empty, not 
to surprising since classes were in session.  Belldandy pulled a 
pocket mirror out and stepped though it to get her sisters.
	A few minutes later she stepped back out of the mirror with 
her two sisters in tow.
	"So this is the place where we're going to find the new god 
huh," commented Urd.
	"Yes it is," commented a voice from behind them.  They 
turned around to see Lady Death smiling at them.  (Hel Norse 
goddess of death.)
	"Hel, what do you want?" asked Urd.
	"He is my brother now isn't he?" asked Hel.
	"How did you know about him?" asked Skuld.
	"I have ways of finding things out," said Hel mysteriously.  
"Shall we go and meet him?"
	They walked into the office and got directions to Ranma's 
classroom and proceeded down the halls.
	Math class for Ranma was interesting now that he was 
actually paying attention, but his was not to enjoy it today.  The class 
was interrupted by a knock at the door.
	"Yes can I help you?" the teacher asked the four girls at the 
door.
	"Pardon us for interrupting but we would like to talk to 
Ranma Saotome," said Belldandy.
	"Ranma these ladies would like to speak with you for a 
moment and since your not going to pay attention in class you might 
as well find out what they want," sighed the teacher, but countered 
with a wink that no one in the class could see.
	"Why to go Ranma, now you got girls coming in groups," 
whistled Hiroshi.
	Akane was getting madder and madder.  First after coming 
back from China Ranma had been all but ignoring her, and sneaking 
off to do who knows what with no one knows who, but now he had 
new fiancees looking for him at school.  Akane had had enough 
"RANMA NO BAKA!" she shouted as she whipped out her mallet and 
smashed Ranma under the chin intending to put him in geosink orbit.
	To most peoples total surprise the mallet splintered into 
pieces as it snapped Ranma's head back.  Hel however had seen 
enough.  She lunged forward and smacked Akane across the room 
with a backhanded blow.  "How dare you?" snarled Hel as she 
advanced on Akane.
	"Stop!" yelled Ranma.  "Who are you?"
	"My name is Hel and I'm going to take care of this," 
commented Hel in an absent minded tone.
	"We may not get along and may not want to be but we're 
engaged so if you want to fight her you have to fight me first," said 
Ranma as he moved around between them.
	"Enough, Hel we came to talk not to fight," called 
Belldandy.  "Ranma if you would please come out to the hallway we 
would like to talk to you for a moment.  Hel will be coming with us 
so your fiancee doesn't have anything to worry about."	
	They all move out into the hallway and Belldandy quickly 
cast a spell against anyone listening in.
	"Did you have a really weird dream last night?" asked 
Belldandy after she was done casting.
	"Who are you?" asked a very confused Ranma.
	"When Kami-sama called you to his office he asked you to 
take up the duties of the Gods of Martial Arts and Healing.  He also 
promised that he would send someone to help you.  Do you 
remember?" asked Belldandy.
	"How did you know that?" asked Ranma in a whisper.  He 
was starting to remember that dream with startling clarity and the 
implications were starting to get to him.
	"I am Belldandy, Goddess of the Present.  This is my older 
sister Urd, Goddess of the Past, my younger sister Skuld, Goddess of 
the Future, and this is Hel, Goddess of Death.  I have been assigned 
to help you adjust to the burden and powers of the God of Martial 
Arts and Healing."
	"You mean that wasn't a dream?" asked a stunned Ranma, 
then Nerima suspicion kicked in.  "We shouldn't be talking about 
this here Nabiki is likely to have the hallway bugged."
	"We can't be heard on any listing device known to mortals," 
Belldandy assured him.
	"So your telling me that I'm a god now, and you have been 
assigned to teach me everything that I need to know about being 
one?"
	"Yep.  We have room for you to stay with us if you would 
like.  Its summer vacation now so you wouldn't even be missing any 
school.  Though you don't really need any schooling on Midgard."
	"So thats it.  I just leave with you and come back after 
summer vacation, right?"
	"Well you only have to come back if you want to.  You 
don't even have to live with us if you don't want to," explained 
Belldandy.  "You were always taught that Martial Artist were 
supposed to protect people right?"  At Ranma's nod she continued 
"Well now you can help the Martial arts flourish.  Also you would be 
responsible for Healing.  Doctors and all other healers will be 
depending on you to hear their prayers."
	"OK, I'll go but I have to say good bye to someone first."
	"Of course," said Belldandy in perfect understanding.
	"Ah, have to tell your girl that you'll be gone for a while," 
guessed Urd.
	"Then why is he walking the other way, you meddler?" 
asked Skuld pointing out the fact that Ranma was headed out of 
school and toward the Tendo Dojo.
	Several minutes later they were standing outside the Tendo 
Dojo as Belldandy walked up to the door and when Kasumi answered 
it lead her over to where Ranma was sitting.
	"Ranma, what are you doing home from school so soon?" 
asked Kasumi.
	"Don't worry Kasumi.  I'm fine, but I have to go away for a 
while.  You and Tofu are probably the only friends I have so I wanted 
to say good bye to you and ask you for a couple of favors."
	"Going away, where?" asked Kasumi, who was saddened 
that the first person she had to talk to in a long time was leaving and 
afraid that it was something she had done.  Then the rest of his 
statement sank in.  "Of course I'll help you.  What did you need?"
	"The first is would you still be my friend?"
	"I'll always be your friend, Ranma," whispered Kasumi.
	"The second is could you tell Dr. Tofu that I'm following 
what I really want to do and at the same time tell everyone else that I 
have gone on a training trip for the summer."
	"Your going on a training trip?" asked Kasumi, with a 
strange look on her face.  *I thought that he had decided to be a 
doctor instead of a martial artist,* wondered Kasumi.
	"Yes this trip is as much healing as martial arts, though."
	"Then I wish you good luck and I hope I can talk to you 
sometimes."

***

	In the classroom after Ranma had left the room.
	"Akane are you ok?" asked one of the guys trying to put an 
arm around her and helping her stand up at the same time.
	"Wow, I've never seen anything like that," muttered Ukyo.  
"Ranma didn't even leave the ground when you hit him."
	"Yeah and who was that person that hit me?" asked Akane.  
*If those are fiancees I'd rather work with Ukyo and get rid of them, 
then we can go back to being enemies.*
	"We'll have to ask Ranma at the next class," said Ukyo as the bell rang.

***

	"Wow thats a weird sensation," exclaimed Ranma as 
Belldandy led them out of the mirror in the temple.
	"You should be thinking about what medium you want to 
use for travel," suggested Belldandy.
	"This is a nice place," said Ranma looking around.
	"Thank you," responded Belldandy.  "When Keiichi gets 
back we should probably go to Asgard."
	They moved into the kitchen to sit down and have a cup of 
tea.
	"What's Asgard?" asked Ranma.
	"Let me give you an over view of the Gods.  We all usually 
live on Asgard, which is similer to what mortals call heaven except 
that it has nothing to do with the afterlife its just the home of the 
gods.  Some goddesses work for the Goddess Relief Hotline, some do 
blessings, some work with the dead, and some do other things.  What 
you really need to know is that gods have enemies.  Demons can be 
anywhere and are usually up to no good."
	"I've met a few demons and most of them are pretty tough 
customers," agreed Ranma.
	"You mean you've fought demons already?" asked an 
astounded Skuld.
	"Yeah sure.  The old Panda's teacher is nasty enough but 
has also been known to call up a demon or two."
	"Hello," called Keiichi from the front door.  He had just 
finished the last day of his semester at Nekomi Institute of 
Technology and was ready to enjoy his vacation with Belldandy.
	"We're in the kitchen," called back Belldandy.
	"Hello, I see you found him," said Keiichi walking over to 
Ranma and holding out his hand.  "Keiichi Morisato, pleased to 
me'cha."
	"Ranma Saotome," countered Ranma shaking hands.  "How 
did you know I was coming?  Are you one of them?" asked Ranma 
jerking his thumb towards the goddesses sitting around the table.
	"Who me, not a chance.  I was a mortal that was granted a 
wish," explained Keiichi.
	"Really what did you wish for?" asked Ranma.
	"He wished for me to stay with him forever," said Belldandy 
from off to the side.  "Now we really should be going."
	They all linked hands and Belldandy led them through the 
hallway mirror and into Asgard.  They marched over to the head 
office and told His secretary that they needed to see Him.
	"He left instructions that you were to be admitted at once," 
explained the angle sitting at the desk.
	For the second time in twenty-four hours Ranma Saotome 
walked into the office of Kami-sama.
	"Ah, welcome Ranma, I hope you can stay longer this time," 
laughed Kami-sama.
	"I'll try sir," said Ranma nervously.  He was looking around 
comparing this to his dream and found that it was identical.
	"You don't need to be nervous Ranma.  I'm your friend.  
First we need to finish the gift of your powers."  With a gesture.  God 
marks appeared on Ranma's face, they were pearl white.  "Now lets 
see you have your domain set, you marks, your rank.  Was there 
anything else?"
	"Since you asked what about my curse?" asked Ranma 
while wondering if he really did what to get rid of it.  It had caused 
him lots of trouble but had come in handy a time or two and he was 
more or less used to it now.
	"I'm going to leave it, but after you start learning your magic 
I'll place it under your control.  I have moved all of the books and 
other recordings of your predecessors into two large trunks and place 
them in the temple.  You should spend some time reading them.  
They contain information on your specialties."
	After the they all returned to the temple.  Urd went to watch 
TV, Skuld started working on her next robot, and Keiichi went out to 
work on his bike.  Belldandy suggested that Ranma take the rest of 
the day off before starting his training.
	"Hello, Keiichi," said Ranma as he walked into garage.
	"Hi Ranma.  What'cha up to?"  He had his bike about half 
way apart.
	"Belldandy suggested that I take the rest of the day off and I 
was kinda wondering how a guy ends up living with four goddesses," 
said Ranma sitting down and watching what Keiichi was doing.
	"Well its three goddesses not four.  I've never seen Hel 
before today, but the rest of the story is like this..."  Keiichi 
explained how Belldandy, Urd, and finally Skuld had come to stay 
with him.  
	"So now you have a goddess staying with you forever?  That 
must make your life even more interesting than mine."

***

	The next morning Ranma started his training, Hel arrived 
shortly to help Belldandy, they discover quickly that if Ranma 
visualized the patterns of a spell as a mental kata he could grasp the 
concept of magic easily enough, if not always with perfect results.  
	The first time he tried it on his own the goddesses had went 
back inside for a moment and when Hel came back out she found a 
surprise.
	"Do I want to know what happened here?" laughed Hel as 
she looked at the scene in the back yard.  Ranma was hanging upside 
down in what looked like a cross between a ball of glue and a spider 
web.  The whole thing was hanging in the cherry tree.
	"You know you could help me down," commented Ranma, 
trying to hold in a laugh.
	"First you have to tell me what you did," insisted Hel.
	"Fine I was trying the levitation spell and my other training 
kicked in.  I tried to modify the 'kata' in the middle out of habit and 
this was the result.  Happy now?"
	"Yeah," replied Hel as she began casting the spell that 
would free him.
	They would all laughed about that one for a long time.

***

	For the next week Ranma put in study time day and night to 
get his new abilities under control and he studying paid off.  By the 
end of the first week he had gotten the hang of his new style of 
'katas' and could modify spells on the fly, but experience often told 
against him when doing so.  However it was good enough for 
Kami-sama and Ranma was given control of his curse.
	To Ranma's complete surprise he began trusting the 
goddesses and Keiichi almost immediately.  He began sharing secrets 
that he had only shared with one or two other people.
	"You know for a guy that was just promoted to Godhood 
you don't seam to happy.  Want to talk about it?"
	"Well I few months ago I killed someone."
	"Really, why?"  Keiichi stopped working on the bike and 
started to pay attention. 
	"Because a friend of mine needed something to get well and 
he didn't want me to have it."  Ranma was seeing the final 
confrontation again in his minds eye.
	"What is the duty of the martial artist?" asked Keiichi 
quietly.
	"To protect and help those that can't help themselves," 
answered Ranma.  "And instead of helping, I killed."
	"If I understand you correctly a friend of yours was in 
danger and needed your help and this person tried to stop you from 
that help, right?"
	"Well yeah I guess it did happen like that."
	"That was the first person you'd ever killed right?  So 
you've been dwelling on the fact that someone died, but your duty as 
a martial artist dictated that you help your friend.  Sometimes duty 
can be a harsh mistress, but that is why being honorable is such a 
burden to bare."
	"He's right Ranma," interjected Hel from behind them.
	"How long have you been standing there?" asked Ranma in 
a tight voice.
	"Just long enough to hear the last part, but I know the rest 
because I've read up on your life.  Besides Death is my job, the 
Phoenix has an automatic rubber stamped pass back to the land of 
the living.  I usually get a nod as he walks back out.  But this last 
time he stopped to say something to me.  When your in between lives 
you can remember all of them you know.  Well he said that he was 
grateful that someone stopped the person he had become and he 
would spend a long time trying to make up for this life."
	"He said he was happy that I had killed him?" asked Ranma 
incredulously.
	"Yes he knew what he was doing was wrong once he had 
the rest of his memories in the afterlife, so he was happy someone 
had stopped him.  Keiichi is right.  Your a Warrior, your job is to 
protect those that can't help themselves.  Sometimes that will involve 
doing things that you don't want to do, but I know enough about you 
to know that you will do what ever it takes."
	"Thank you, you two you have given me a lot to think 
about," said Ranma.
	"Your welcome.  Now about that problem you have with 
girls..." started Hel.
	"WHAT?  How do you know about that?" demanded Ranma 
who had turned bright red.
	"Your a normal Teenager that's growing up with a lot of 
girls that would be happy to help you continue your education, but 
every time you blush, stammer, and retreat.  Would you like some 
tips," laughed Hel.
	"You know for even death, you have a mean sense of 
humor," countered a still blushing Ranma.
	"Sorry about that I'm still thinking of my brother," 
apologized Hel.
	"No, no your right," Ranma started then paused.  "What do 
you mean brother?"
	"The god of healing was my brother and now your the god 
of healing.  Which kinda makes you my stepbrother," smiled Hel.
	"You know I've never had a sister before," laughed Ranma.
	"Now you do and I'll be here for you, but for now I have to 
go."
	"That was one of the strangest conversations I had ever 
heard," spoke up Keiichi.
	"Yeah well I'm not the most normal of people."
	"Your not a normal person for ever more, remember.  How 
do you feel now?"
	"Better, it'll still take some getting used to but....  How do 
you feel about sparing?" asked Ranma with a sudden light in his 
eyes.
	"I've never practiced the martial arts," confessed Keiichi.
	"How would you like to learn from one of the best?" 
countered Ranma with that light growing brighter.
	"If you think that you can slow down far enough for a 
beginner."	
	"Were you going to start now?" asked Skuld with an ultra 
cute look.
	"I don't know why?" asked Keiichi.
	"Because we were going to go down to the carnival and we 
wanted you to come with us."
	The two guys looked at each other and smiled.  "I think that 
we can manage to put it off for a while," said Ranma.
	When one guy showed up escorting five beautiful girls, 
Ranma had decided that he should go as Ranma-chan to slow down 
recognition, there was a lot of dark stares directed at the one guy.
	"Thanks Ranma you've just made me the most unpopular 
guy at the carnival!" complained Keiichi after another guy glared at 
him.  "Now everyone thinks that I brought five dates to the carnival."
	"You'll get over it," Ranma-chan assured him.  "Besides all 
you have to do is point out that your with Bell-chan there and her 
sisters are tagging along as chaperons and I'm a lesbian so your 
obviously not with me."  Ranma-chan was smiling in a way that 
attracted attention from several nearby guys, like all the ones in the 
carnival.  Belldandy, Hel, and Skuld blushed a bright red, Urd had an 
answering smile, and Keiichi just gave her a funny look.
	"Are you sure you want to be announcing that out loud?" 
asked Keiichi looking around.
	"What does it matter?  I used to worry about being a "man 
among men' like the old Panda's promise but now that seams kinda 
silly after getting used to looking at souls.  Now I have the 
opportunity to do something that many people claim they'd love to 
do, I get to understand the opposite gender."
	"What is the opposite gender?" asked Urd looking at Ranma 
kinda funny.
	"At the moment, guys.  When my body changes my core 
personality stays the same but at the same times my body is using 
different hormones so small parts my change, for instance I don't 
really care how I look as a guy, but as a girl I like to dress up and get 
a reaction to prove that I'm still worth looking at."
	"You do realize that your starting to confuse me, don't 
you?" asked Skuld.
	"Hey girls how bout you dump this wimp and come party 
with me and my friends," suggested a man with a leer.  He and several 
friends had come over.
	"No thanks," said Urd with a frown.
	"Are you turning me down?" asked the man stepping closer 
to Urd.
	"The lady said beat it," said Ranma-chan pushing him back 
and noticing that they were drawing a crowd.
	"'The lady'?" asked the guy.  "And what do you think you 
are?"
	"I'm defiantly not a lady!" said Ranma with a sharp, quick 
jab that most people didn't see doubled the guy over and knocked 
him to the ground.  "See that wasn't very lady like now was it?"  
Turning to the rest of her group.  "Where did you want to go first."
	A little later they were looking around when Ranma 
suddenly looked over and said "Hey anyone want sake or ice cream?"
	"ICE CREAM?" asked Skuld and Hel in the same tone.
	"Yeah I could go for some sake right now," said Urd.
	"Lets go," said an excited Skuld all but dragging Ranma and 
Urd, Hel didn't need any dragging.
	"Wait a minute let me see if Bell-chan wants anything," 
interrupted Ranma-chan, trying to free her arm.
	"Ok you two beat it.  I can get these three back to the house 
all right, you go and have a good time," whispered Ranma-chan to 
Belldandy and Keiichi with a wink as soon as the others were out of 
earshot.
	"Thanks!" they whispered as they hurried away.
	Ranma quickly discover that the feared goddess of death 
couldn't get enough ice cream.
	"Hey were did Bell and Keiichi go?" asked Urd.
	"Gee, they must have left with out us," said Ranma-chan 
with her best 'I'm stupid' look.

***

	Later that night after Hel, Urd, Skuld, and Ranma, now 
male, made it home to find that Keiichi and Belldandy still hadn't 
made it.
	"We have to go find them," shouted Skuld.
	"Hehe, if Keiichi did his job right they don't want to be 
found," countered Urd.
	"Well I have some studying to do so I'm going to turn in 
now," said Ranma hurriedly as he headed toward his room.
	He had discovered that the previous god of Martial arts had 
stored a great deal of information in the magical equivalent of virtual 
reality.  Row after row of little quartz disks, each containing all the 
information on a school of martial arts.  The amazon's style and 
secret techniques, Unseen Light, Anything Goes, Saotome sealed 
techniques, kendo, and all the others.  They even included the 
traditional weapons, but the one point that the records were silent on 
was the Nekoken.  However Ranma quickly discovered that his new 
perceptions when turned inside unraveled the knot in his head that 
was the Nekoken.
	The God of Healing had left piles and piles of medical 
textbooks and those same VR disks that had surgery, the human 
body, and pressure points.  Ranma quickly discovered that his 
predecessor hadn't be happy with just healing the body.  Whole 
sections of that big library were devoted to mental health, things that 
mortals weren't aware that existed.  Also were the large sections that 
dealt with healing the heart and soul.
	Both of them had studied magic, the god of healing to 
nurture and the god of Martial arts for battle, and had many tricks 
that none of the goddesses had heard of before.
	During teaching Keiichi Tai chi, Ranma accidentally 
discovered that he now had more ki then he knew what to do with.  
Studying the records of the God of Martial Arts he discovered that if 
used in a certain way an individual's ki could be used to fly.  Ranma 
was quick to pick up on the advantages that this offered.
	Several weeks past where Ranma played big brother for the 
girls on both Asgard	and Midgard.  Ranma also acquired a job, 
with his quick whispered nature spells he was a asset to any 
landscaping team.  He was quickly making pretty good money for 
what he was doing just working with the plants.  Then one day he 
came home with a CD player and a stack of CDs.  After he had it set 
up he put in some Celtic and classical music.
	"You know now that I can actually listen to music instead of 
the sound of people wanting to do me grieves bodily harm I kinda 
like music," said Ranma with a content look on his face as the music 
started.
	"Have you ever considered playing an instrument?" asked 
Hel from the couch.
	"Who me? Are you serious?" asked Ranma.
	"Yeah, I'll tell you what I'll make a bet with you if you can 
take up an instrument and learn it I'll buy you a house in Nerima and 
if you can't I get to pick someone and you have go out them and have 
a real date."
	"Ok, but I have a condition," smiled Ranma.
	"Shoot."
	"You all have to take up instruments also."
	"Agreed."
	They went down to the local music store where Ranma 
picked out a flute, Belldandy and Keiichi took up the guitar, Urd the 
harp, Hel the violin, and Skuld the dulcimer.  Urd teased Skuld that 
she only played the dulcimer because she like to hit things with 
hammers.  In a surprisingly short time they were actually pretty good.  
They even formed a band Heaven Bound and Flying, their private 
joke, and their signature tune was Stairway to Heaven.

***

	The first day back to school was hectic for everyone.  Akane 
and Ukyo discovered that they were in the same classes again, but 
this time Shampoo was in the class too.  Cologne told her that she 
needed to be in school so that she would learn better Japanese, sound 
smarter, and get to spend more time with Ranma.
	They walked into their classroom and saw someone had 
beaten them there.  He was standing at the window dressed in white, 
his shirt was a pearl white and his pants a flat white.  He also had a 
black pigtail hanging down his back.
	"RANMA?" asked an astonished Ukyo running over to him.
	"Hi, Uchan," called Ranma turning to meet her.
	"Where husband been?" demanded Shampoo.  "And why 
have tattoos?"
	"Hey Ranma's back," yelled several of the people coming 
into the classroom.
	"Where have you been?"
	"Why did you get a tattoo?"
	"Why did you leave?"
	"Are you staying?"
	"Class," called the teacher as the bell rang but no one 
noticed.  "CLASS!" shouted the teacher when it was obvious that her 
first call had been totally ignored.
	The class turned to stare at her.
	"Please sit down I have someone to introduce to you," with 
that statement the teacher gestured toward the door and a young girl 
about thirteen with black hair walked in to the room.  "This is Skuld 
Morisato, she has passed her entrance exams with flying colors so 
she well be joining us this year."
	"Hello everyone," said Skuld trying for an ultra cute look 
and waving.
	"Skuld, do I really want to know what your doing here and 
where did you leave your hammer?" asked Ranma from where he was 
sitting by the windows.
	"Oh you two know each other?" asked the teacher.
	"We sure do Ranma's almost like a bother to me," said 
Skuld with grin.
	"Well then go sit with him and he can show you around," 
instructed the teacher.  "Now we'll be studying...,"  The teacher 
started listing the syllabus.
	"Skuld what are you doing here?" asked Ranma as she sat 
down beside him.
	"Going to school of course," responded Skuld with an 'I'm 
so innocent' look.  Turning to see who was sitting around them 
Skuld noticed Ukyo, Akane, and Shampoo right off hand.  "You 
must be Ukyo," she said to the chief.  "Ranma talks about his old 
friend all the time.  I really have to see if your cooking is as good as 
he says."
	"Any friend of Ranma's is a friend of mine," responded 
Ukyo.
	The rest of the school day pasted with people trying to get 
Ranma to tell them where he had been, but he wouldn't say.
	"So are you still living with the Tendos?" asked Ukyo as the 
whole group, included Skuld, headed home from school.
	"I'm not sure weather I am or not.  I was just going by to tell 
everyone I'm home," explained Ranma.
	"I'm home," yelled Akane as she walked into the house.  
"And Ranma's here too!"
	"Ranma, your home!" yelled Kasumi as she ran over and 
gave him a quick hug.
	"SWEETO!" shouted Happosai hurling a bucket of water on Ranma 
and jumping toward him.
	The rest of the people that had arrived could only blink.  
One minute male Ranma was standing there getting splashed and the 
next a wet male Ranma was standing on a Happosai shaped hole in 
the floor.  Skuld however had seen it all. Happosai had jumped at 
Ranma only to have him sidestep and smash him to the ground hard 
enough to leave a hole, then step back to his starting position.
	"Husband cured," managed Shampoo, being the first one 
that could managed to talk after the shock.
	"Huh, oh yeah I did," commented Ranma in a board tone 
looking around.  "You know this place hasn't changed much."
	"Saotome!  Where have you been?" demanded Nabiki as she 
ran down the stairs.  Ranma just held out his hand.  "Surely you 
don't expect me to pay you for information.  You owe me too much 
already," snorted Nabiki.
	"Lets make a deal," countered Ranma.  "You pay me half of 
what you got with the schemes that involved me and then well call it 
even."
	"Are you out of your mind?   Why would I do that?" 
demanded Nabiki who was definitely confused.  *Ranma doesn't 
make deals, he's not smart enough.*
	"Because if you don't I'm going to take my story to the first 
Officer I can find.  Then I'll explain the blackmail, the stalking, the 
child pornography, and inciting a riot that resulted in destruction of 
government property.  Just imagine how the Tendo name will look 
after you've been arrested and probably convicted.  How's that sound 
to you?"  Ranma was still smiling but his eyes had changed into 
chips of blue ice.
	"I, uh, that is."  Finally Nabiki sighed "all right you win."
	"Good don't try and cross me.  I've changed a great deal," 
warned Ranma.
	"You ungrateful boy!  Where have you been?" shouted 
Genma finally gathering his wits after he realized that Ranma is 
cured.
	"I told Kasumi.  I was on a training tip," replied Ranma with 
a smile.
	"What could you possibly learn on a training trip without 
me?" demanded Genma.
	"You'd be surprised," was the only reply.  Skuld just 
smiled, the cat that ate the canary and his owner just ordered another.
	"Well that doesn't matter, because no that your back we can 
have the wedding," pressed Soun.
	"Who's getting married?" asked Ranma with a 'I'm an air 
head' look on his face.
	"Why, you and my little Akane," gushed Soun.  Just as he 
said that a lightning bolt hit in the back yard amide a roll of thunder.
	Ranma and Skuld shared a look.  *Right on time,* they 
both thought.
	Everyone, except Ranma who was remember how he 
convinced Kami-sama to give him an honorable out to the weddings, 
rushed out to the yard and looked at the ground.  There was a 
messaged carved into the ground by the lightning.

	Ranma Saotome is no longer honor bound by the promises 
of Genma Saotome.  Nor does Genma Saotome have the right to 
speak for him.  So I speak.
					Kami-sama
					Lord of Creation

	"I'd say thats that," remarked Skuld from where she was 
watching by the back door.
	"Then husband can go back to China with me!" shouted 
Shampoo as she danced around the yard.
	"Oh my.  I guess the pledge between the families wasn't 
meant to be," said Kasumi.  *I'm almost sad.  Ranma was growing up 
and he has grown a great deal on this last trip, I really shouldn't have 
given him up that easily.*
	"Oh well just because the original pledge was nullified 
doesn't mean that they can't get married," insisted Soun.
	"Thats right my friend.  They love each other and they can 
still get married," agreed Genma.
	"I really hate to burst your bubble but I'm not going to 
marry anyone just yet and it won't be Akane at any rate," interjected 
Ranma.  Turning to Kasumi.  
	Akane who turned red and yelling "RANMA NO BAKA!" swung her 
mallet at Ranma, who dodged and produced his own mallet and 
smacked her to the floor.
	"As I was saying.  Kasumi I would like you to meet Skuld.  
Skuld this is Kasumi.  Akane you might want to be more careful thats 
about as light as I can hit," continued Ranma
	"Pleased to meet you," said Kasumi to Skuld.  "Will you be 
in Nerima long?"
	"So your the Kasumi that I've heard so much about.  And 
yes I'll be here for the school year.  My sister is still looking forward 
to meeting you and having that cup of tea."
	Everyone else was still staring at Akane laying on the floor 
and trying to absorb the fact that Ranma just hit a girl, and not just 
any girl, but the one that he'd been protecting all this time.
	"Oh that nice woman was your sister?" asked Kasumi with a 
smile.  "Oh my.  We have to call Auntie Nodoka."
	"Now listen here boy you have to marry Akane," said 
Genma recovering.  "Regardless of what that message said I-,"  
Genma was cut off in mid rant when Ranma tapped a point on his 
lynx that froze his voice box.
	"Yes Kasumi if I could barrow the phone a moment I'll call 
her right away."  Ranma moved into the hallway and called his 
mother on the phone and told her that he was back at the Tendos' 
place.  She responded that she'd be right over.  "Well its been a 
while how have you been?" Ranma asked Kasumi.
	"I've been well.  It just wasn't the same without you you 
know.  It was pretty boring actually."
 	"Excuse me but how did you do that?" asked a dazed 
Nabiki.

	To be continued, if I can get enough reason.
	Please send all comments, good, bad, or the ugly, to 
Sjiriki@aol.com