Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Amg Ashes A Cinderella Story ❯ Chapter 1

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Imported From: RAAC
From: James and the Bluejay <jeeades@swbell.net>
Subject: [Ranma/AMG][FanFic] Ashes - A Cinderella Story, Chapter One


Disclaimer: Hmmm. Rumiko Takahashi and Viz and a whole bunch
more have dibs on Ranma et al, Fujishima Kousuke and Animeigo
takes credit for associating Urd of Norse mythology with kawaii
features and a computer engineering degree, Cinderella is an old
fairy tale, which leaves me with Hainoko and Kidori who are
derivative and belong to nobody. Basho belongs to himself. Not
to worry, since I don't figure on making any money off this,
anyway.

Caution: Loose Canon.




ASHES - A Cinderella Story

Chapter One

Three Threads




Three threads of a tale have we,
Three beginnings you will see,
Let us warp and let us weave,
And the first chapter you'll receive.




PROLOGUE:

"Basho."

A voice without dimension, coming from everywhere, raised the
platform of his awareness until he realized that darkness no
longer was. Curtains of violet and lilac fluttered in the
breeze, golden green and olive columns arching to support the
expanses, yellow lanterns shedding their glow.

"Basho."

He reached for the fullness of being and fumbled, for being was
not. Not yet. The handles, the...the...'things by which being
was contacted'...eluded him. The curtains - he must push them
aside, so he could see the voice - but which should he try first?
There were two. There were a dozen. There were one hundred and
one. He selected one at random. The violet curtain parted to
produce another set of curtains, these pink and pale yellow.

"Basho!"

The voice was stentorian. Demanding. He knew the being who
uttered that command, though the name by which that being was
called also eluded him.

"BASHO!!"

"Ow!" Basho straightened. He had been slumped over, a rivulet of
saliva cascading down the front of his robe. The violet and
lilac flowers brushed his eyes, hiding the speaker of the dread
summons. That person was...that person was....

"Sensei!"

Basho attempted to rise, which was a mistake, as his limbs chose
not to work properly. Fortunately, the sensei caught him before
he scattered the candles (and, perhaps, caught his clothes on
fire).

"Basho," Sensei spoke more kindly, now that he was assured that
the monk had wakened. "You simply have to spend more time in this
world."

"Thank you, Sensei. I was only...." Basho halted, his
explanation of where he had been frozen by the congestion of
details and information he wished to relate. He sat this way for
a time, straining to communicate.

"Relax," Sensei advised him. "Let it happen."

"I was...." Again the words eluded him.

Sensei sighed deeply. "It has happened again, has it? You have
tried to examine 'why things are.'"

"I was...."

"It is time for you to take your turn and await the summons, and
I must return to the outside world, to my old school. While I am
gone, you must be vigilant, prepared to respond if the call
comes."

"Forgive me, Sensei. I was so close! But when there are two of
everything, I feel I must choose one. Each time I choose one of
the remaining two, there is always another choice to make. Now I
must consider one hundred and one!"

Sensei sighed again, "Then do nothing, Grasshopper."

"Grasshopper?"

"Forget it. An old joke we pulled on a movie company, once."

"And, if I choose nothing, I have failed in my responsibility!
A decision goes unmade and it may affect another person! How can
I do nothing when someone could get hurt by my inactivity?" Basho
wondered querulously, "And how can I find perfection when I keep
getting interrupted?"

"Come, then. Since you are so close to your goal, you must
strive for it with all your being. Choose a secluded spot and
shut out the rest of the world, but remember, you are expected to
rise and perform your duty if you are called upon," Sensei began
to don the brightly colored clothing he wore in the outside
world. "However," he paused to add thoughtfully, "I would not
worry about that...we have not had a call for centuries."

"Thank you, sensei! I shall do that!"


--------------

Through the mountain valleys, past sheer cliffs overhanging
narrow trails, via trails over breathtaking vistas of rugged rock
and hardy green trees, a stranger wandered. A gallant lad he
was, husky and muscular, with a boyish charm and innocent
demeanor. He might remind you of Prince Charming, on a noble
quest, going forth to rescue his fair damsel. Hold that thought,
for Prince Charming he was not. He had only one comment to make
about the surrounding scenery.

"Where the heck am I now?"

This comment was invariably followed by another, a pensive,
thoughtful expression of the depth of feeling in his heart for
the woman he adored, "I wonder what Akane is doing?"

Yes, a noble ambition - to survive the wilderness and make it to
the side of his true love, where he would find....

The stranger sighed, deeply. He would probably find her shackled
to a dull-witted, self-serving clod of a man who did not respect
her and who spent his time chasing other women.

"Curse you, Ranma Saotome! When I find you I am going to destroy
you!"

Travel is supposed to be broadening. It is not, really. Mostly,
travel is loneliness, separated into intervals of too many people
going in other directions. Loneliness, taken to extreme, leads
to sadness. Sadness, taken to extreme, leads to depression.
Depression, taken to extreme -

"SHISHIHOKODAN!!!!"

- leads to huge chunks of mountain-side raining down on the
valley floor.

Among the debris was a gray-clad fellow who added, to the rattle
and clatter of boulder and stone, his own comment on the nature
of man falling to earth.

"Ouch!"

The husky lad ran to extricate the monk from amongst the debris.
"I am sorry!" the boy exclaimed, "I did not see you here! Are
you okay?"

"I will be when you leave this country!" Basho cried, "You
interrupted my meditations yesterday, asking for the way to
Furinken High School. I was in a locked cell! Last week, you
appeared on a secluded island with shores so steep the only
access is by ladder, and then you thought you had found some
dojo. Now, when I sit in my cave to meditate in peace and quiet,
you bring the mountain down on me! Tell me where you are going
next, so I will not be there!"

"Heh. I am very sorry," the boy said, scratching the back of his
head in embarrassment. "I was releasing some nervous energy. I
did not mean to disturb you."

"Well, you disturbed me! Now, leave me alone!"

And with that the gray monk hobbled off, and our story begins.




BEGINNING ONE: HIROSHI

My name is Hiroshi. This is my version of what happened. There
are some parts of this story where I could not give my first-hand
view, but I have done my homework and made it as accurate as
possible.

This is how it started.

Part of the story involves my family, particularly my little
sister, Hainoko. She is a brat. Don't get me wrong. I am
usually pretty cool. I don't blow my top. But that morning I
had reached my breaking point.

"Hainoko!" I cried, angrily. Echoes from my voice burst through
the morning calm in our small Nerima house. "Hainoko! Where's my
Primrose poster? I know you got it!"

"Biiiih!" Hainoko stuck out her tongue, safe behind the
stairwell banister where she could dodge whichever way I tried to
grab her.

"You little sneak thief! This isn't homework! I don't want to
lose that poster! This is important!"

My mother, whose name is Yohko, appeared stage center at the
bottom of the stairs, wringing her hands in _great despair_ and
crying, "Oh! Are you children fighting _again_?"

Mom studied drama in college, before she married Pops and gave up
her dream of acting. Pops is a mechanic at the Yotodensho
Bearing Works in Tokyo where he commutes every morning, and he
believes Mom did the _right thing_, taking up a starring role as
a mother raising a family.

"No, Mom," I answered glumly. The brat had gotten away with it,
this time. She always seemed to get Mom involved.

"Nuh-hunh, Mommy," added Hainoko, who used the distraction to
slip past me and down the stairs. She called back, "I'm going
next door to Yoriko's, Mommy!"

"You were lucky, Punk!" I called after her, "But you better give
me back my poster or you'll regret it!"

"Biiihh!" replied the brat, on her way out the door.

"Man! I can't have anything!" I grumbled. That poster had been
inside a locked cabinet, rolled in a tube and hidden under
several layers of clothes in various stages of decomposition.
Still she found it, and took it. It irritated me, but there was
nothing I could do before school. Tonight I would have to try to
make her give it back.

I stopped long enough to give Mom a goodbye peck.

"Oh, Hiroshi," emoted Mom. "Be careful going to school. It
looks like it might _rain_ today."

"I won't melt, Mom." I left the door open and cleared the steps
in a bound, headed for Daisuke's.

School was the same old thing. Kuno glomped Akane and got booted
into a tree. Shampoo glomped Ranma and Akane booted Ranma into a
tree. Ukyo brought enough okonomyaki for four people but Ranma
got there first. The principal had come back from Hawaii with a
new idea: He wanted someone to sing his new school song at the
next assembly. When I tried to volunteer, someone locked me out
of his office. I get no respect for my voice.

On the way home after school, Daisuke and I held a conference.
There were arrangements to be made. With my pal by my side, we
mulled over our prospects for the following evening.

"Yuki and Saori?" asked Daisuke.

"They don't like Rock Cliff," I replied. "Or maybe they don't
like lead singers who bite the heads off gerbils on stage."

"Some girls have no sense of adventure."

"Yeah."

"That's a thought, though. We could catch someone who fainted
and give them mouth to mouth resuscitation."

"That's a pretty lame chance."

"Yeah. There's bound to be a bunch of guys just waiting and
hoping."

Several name bands and singers were staging a big charity event
the next day, a concert to raise money for endangered
sea-monkeys. They had offered local talent a chance to join them
on stage. I tried to get Daisuke to go in with me and sing a
duet, but he refused absolutely - he says I sound like a dog
caught in a cement mixer and he did not want to be near me when I
sang. This is my best friend speaking. I don't get _no_
respect.

So we settled for attending the event - hopefully with female
companionship. All we needed were girls. We had made a list and
were checking it twice, but everything we tried produced the same
result.

"Ukyo?"

"Working - or waiting for Ranma to ask her to go."

"Shampoo?"

"Working - or stalking Ranma. A little intense for me, if you
know what I mean."

"We've eliminated all the usual girls. Kodachi?"

We looked at each other and shuddered. "Naaaah!"

"There is Nabiki...."

"Too old. Expensive tastes."

We had gone down the list of possible dates, quickly eliminating
all the choice beauties until there was nothing left to do but
wish for the impossible, or at best the improbable.

"Remember!" hissed Daisuke, "Do exactly as we practiced!"

The improbable just happened to be mooching down the street ahead
of us. We hurried to catch up, and placed ourselves on each side
of the improbable.

"So, Ranma," I began. "Who are you taking to the benefit?"

"Yeah, are you taking Akane? After all, you are getting
married," Daisuke chimed in.

Ranma reacted predictably, "Whaddya mean? We ain't decided that
for ourselves, yet!"

"Of course you have! And since you are already doing _it_, you
really ought to admit it and act like a couple! Show the world
you love her by taking her to the concert!"

"But we ain't...and besides, we wouldn't...." Ranma sputtered,
then shrugged. "Anyway, she promised somebody she would babysat
tomorrow night."

"Hmmm...and what are you going to be doing with her while she's
babysitting, need we ask?" I smirked, while Daisuke poked Ranma
in the ribs.

"Gonna be a baby, aren't you?" Daisuke grinned. "Ummm, dessert!"

"You guys got the wrong idea! I ain't doing anything!"

I looked at Daisuke. Daisuke looked at me.

"We were wanting to talk about that with you," we said at the
same time. In stereo. "If you aren't doing anything, we
thought you might agree to come with us. We're going to the
concert."

"Come with you guys? You paying?"

Daisuke and I shared a significant look. Daisuke waggled his
eyebrows.

"Sure!" we chorused.

"We could go out for some okonomyaki, afterward," I added
expansively.

"And maybe a drink or two, and a nightclub...." Daisuke suddenly
realized that he had said too much.

"Say!" Ranma eyed us warily, "You wouldn't be expecting a date
with a certain redhead, would you?"

"Well...." Daisuke hesitated, then nodded. "We'd show her a real
swell time!"

"What makes you think I would go for something like that?"

"Look, Ranma," Daisuke began. "You really ought to be more
generous with your wealth. Think of your fellow man."

"Yeah!" I chimed in, "If one of us had your...assets...he would
certainly share them more generously."

"I ain't that kind of guy!"

"It isn't you we want," I explained. "If that is what bothers
you, we don't want your girl-side for her mind. We want her for
her body."

"Forget it!" growled Ranma.

We watched the martial artist stomp away.

"Idiot!" I turned on Daisuke, "Why did you have to bring up the
nightclub?"

"But I thought that was the idea! Take her to the concert, get
her a drink, take her out to eat, get her a drink, take her to a
nightclub, get her a drink...."

"Yeah, but did you have to tell HIM?"

"Do you suppose they are the same person? You know, inside?"
Daisuke shuddered.

I considered. "Nope." I decided, "Entirely, a very subtle
difference. You can see it in their eyes. Of course, HE says
he's the same."

Since there appeared to be no hope for the moment, we gave up
worrying about a date and sat around the park, fantasizing.

"If you could be anybody, what would you be?" I wondered.

"Astronauts get chicks," Daisuke offered.

"Naw. Too much time in isolation. I want to _feel_ those babe's
bodies pressing in on me. I vote for a rock star. Babes.
Parties. Money. Babes. All that applause. Money. Babes."

"Athletes get chicks, too. Baseball players. Sumo wrestlers.
Have you seen the babes who hang around those guys?"

"I want to be a rock singer. Like Elvis."

"Who?"

"Elvis!" I snorted, "Don't you read your history?"

"But he's dead!"

"So's Caruso, but they'd both be fighting off the babes if they
were here, today!"

"I prefer sports." Daisuke did not add that his daydream was
indeed as much sheer fantasy as mine, since he was about as
inclined athletically as I was vocally.

The final result of our brainstorming was that we decided that we
would take tomorrow as it came, and we would have to take our
chances. Right then, we would go shopping for manga in Tokyo,
then go home and sit around the TV with our families.

"Now, THAT is desperate for something to do," we groaned.

And that is how MY part of the story starts.




BEGINNING TWO: THE TENDO DOJO

It was morning in the Tendo household. Timid rays of sunlight
peeked through the evaporating fog, while equally timid koi
ventured back into the open part of the pool. Water that had
been splashed out of the pool earlier was soaking into the
ground, providing moisture for the lawn, and Kasumi had already
hung wet towels to dry from the back porch. At a low table, the
murmur of breakfast was disturbed by only one absence - an empty
place at one corner - and the owner of that space was expected at
any minute.

The front door of the Tendo residence slammed shut.

Which was not that unusual, considering the nature of the place.
This particular loud noise was followed by a lesser sound, a sort
of a sizzling growl...

"r....r....r....r....r....r....r....r....r..r!!!"

....which traveled in the front door, into the hallway, up the
stairs and culminated in another loud bang as another door was
slammed almost off its hinges.

The ensuing silence was broken by Kasumi, who appeared at the
entrance to the kitchen to ask, hesitantly, "Was that...Akane?"

In answer to her question, the door upstairs was slammed open and
banged shut again as Akane came down the stairs and out to the
dojo, eyes fixed straight ahead, wearing her yellow gi.

"She looked upset," Nabiki said, nibbling a rice roll.

"I'm gonna check this out," Ranma rose from the table after
quickly clearing his bowl. Well, more quickly than normal,
which was saying something. Only an alert observer with a
stopwatch might have seen the difference, but it was there, and
others saw it and made calculating mental notes.

Ranma stopped at the door and looked back at the others. "It's
probably nothing," he said. "Probably stubbed her toe or
something. She's not usually this late on her morning run."

Two middle-aged men, one bald, one longhaired and mustached, sat
calmly, before nudging each another and smiling.

"He is showing concern, Saotome."

"Yes, Tendo. Another step closer...."

"Well, I'm not concerned," said Nabiki. "But I am curious."




--------------

"You lost?" Nabiki blinked. She stood at the doorway to the dojo
and wondered if she was hearing right. Not about Akane losing,
but whether or not she had overlooked something.

Akane was setting up her bricks again, trying to find a level
place which was not cluttered with the mortal remains of
previous bricks. Her face was dirty and bruised, with a blue
smudge beginning to appear below her right eye.

"I got beat, okay?" she growled, "Now let's just shut up about
it!"

"Wow," said Ranma, leaning against the wall.

Akane stopped to glare at him. "What do you mean, 'Wow'?"

"Well, it must have been quite a battle, from your bruises and
black eye and all. Not many guys can do that."

"It was a girl! Now leave me alone!"

Nabiki blinked again. "There is a girl in Nerima who can beat
you? Who was it? I thought I knew them all."

"I don't know! She wore a mask!"

Seeing Ranma tense, Nabiki pounced. "What's the matter, Ranma?
You looked like an avenging angel when you came in - now you are
uncertain."

"Well...henh...I figured any guy who would beat up a muscle-bound
tomboy might be a challenge. But a girl...why bother?"

"Oh, so you still have that thing about not fighting girls, huh?"

"Yep."

"But a guy is all right, right?"

"Right."

"And especially so, if that guy beat up your fiancee, right?"

"Righ..." He converted his answer into a cough.

"Admit it, Saotome. You want revenge. You want to hurt anyone
who hurts Akane."

Ranma straightened and stretched. "Has nothin' to do with it,"
he said. "I want a challenge, and girls ain't no challenge."

"It's because you are afraid to find out!" Akane called.

"Whatever," Ranma yawned and stretched again, then looked over
his shoulder at Ryoga, who had stopped in time to avoid getting
a hand in the face. "Hullo, Ryoga. Long time no see."

"Now I wonder. Who was this girl?" Nabiki frowned.

Ranma smirked, "It's still hard to believe there's a girl around
who could beat up a gorilla."

Akane said, "I just wish you would go away and leave me alone!"

"Ranma!" Ryoga cried, "If you don't quit tormenting Akane, I will
have to punish you!"

"Yeah, sure, pigboy!" Ranma said, moving into a defensive
posture, "You and what army? C'mon!"

"You have caused enough suffering! I'm going to get you for...."

-poof-

"Huh? Where'd he go?" Ranma wondered at the bare ground where
Ryoga had stood.

"Is that a new move?" Nabiki asked. She stooped to retrieve
several pale yellow flower petals from the dojo floor.




BEGINNING THREE: TEMPORARY SERVICES

The next part of our story begins in what you might call the
service department of a really big organization, with an
attractive lass, slightly over - scratch that - underdressed for
the job. She was, if you will pardon the expression, 'manning'
the phone - if ever there was a phrase that needed updating...
manning? - This was a babe, curvy figure, smoky gray eyes, and
platinum hair down to her.... (Ahem!) - As I was saying, our
story begins with this...person.

"Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored!"

The platinum blonde made a face as she tried to blow a strand of
hair out of the way.

"Why did I even ask to be put back on this duty?"

She was not the heroine of the story, although she _did_ grant
wishes - which is the 'stock-in-trade' of the fairy godmother.
You have to have a fairy godmother for a Cinderella story. It is
a rule. An ancient rule. Before anime, even.

In any job involving telecommunications there are inevitable
misunderstandings -

-ring-

"Hello, Goddess Hotline. No, this is not a wrong number.
Hello? Hello?"

There are practical jokers -

-ring-

"No, we don't have Prince Albert in the can. In fact, he is
out of gaol now and playing cricket with Mary, Queen of Scots.
Hello? Hello?"

-ring-

"Hello, Goddess Hotline. Sorry, no executions, fomenting of
rebellions, or tickets to Star Wars III. Also, no trips to
alien planets, and we don't do Windows. And no Instant
Lifetime Companion. New rule."

-ring-

"No, we do _not_ deliver takeout. That only worked once, you
know! Give these guys an inch and they'll take a
kilometer...."

-ring-

"Hello, Goddess Hotline. No, this is not a wrong number.
Hello? Hello? Darn, again. Can't help the unbelievers."

And there are the people who simply want to pass the time of day-

"Always glad to hear from an old friend. When can we do
something that will satisfy your needs? Yeah, I'm an old
tease, you know me. Still haven't made up your mind to see
her one last time? Okay. I won't pressure you. See ya."

"Yawn. No challenge. I could do this with one wing tied behind
my back. If I bothered with wings, that is." Around her,
perfect sunlight dappled a perfect pool, while perfect koi slid
beneath the surface.

"Booooorrrrriiiiing," she said. "Everything is _so_
predictable."

-ring-

"Hello, Goddess Relief Line. What is your wish? Uh-huh.
Oppressive family situation? Nobody cares, huh? Oh-kay, it's
being taken care of. Thank you for your patience."

"There!" she breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally one I can do
something about. Hmmm? Someone is in the data garden....? And
there goes that phone _again_!"

-ring-

"No, I've told you before! We don't ruin your competitors for
you. That's your job, and I see by your record that you have
been doing an excellent job of doing just that. Who gave you
our number, anyway?

"No, you do _not_ get your wish.

"No, it is not a matter of being good. There are many good
people out there, of whom you are not one, and they don't get
a wish because they are not on our list.

"Yes, I know who you are. As a matter of fact, I know _what_
you are, and I know _where_ you are. I've got a good mind to
reach through this phone and...."

Thunder rumbled again, beyond a clear sky.

"...but I won't. Probation, darn it. I can't leave my desk
for anything. However, I _can_ correct this wrong
connection...."

-Bzzzapapppp!-

"THAT felt good. Hello? Hello? (Smirk) Must have hung up."

"Yawn. _So_ predictable. Hmmm. Something about that last
call bothers me. No-one gets through unless they have a
need...or they have help. I'd better check my tattle-tales."

A tone sounded and Urd turned to scan the printout.

"Uh-huh!" she muttered, "I thought she would be trying something
about now...." Positioning the diamond-studded headset pertly
over her platinum locks, she punched a few buttons and, after a
few distant buzzes, was rewarded with a connect signal.

"What do _you_ want?" the voice on the other end demanded.

"Just a moment of your time, Marlar," Urd smiled. It was not a
malicious smile - more of a NIGYYSOB* type of a smile.

(*Now I've Got You, You Sweet Old Biddy. Why? What were you
expecting?)

"Oh, I have time, dahling. More than you do, I will wager,"
Marlar's reply was silky, seductive, and unsettling. Not at all
what Urd was expecting.

"So I see," Urd frowned. "Not thinking of causing problems for
my sister, are you?"

"Maybe," the person on the other end of the line paused, as if to
savor the moment. "What's it to you?"

Urd leaned back and curled the cord around her shapely fingers.
She did not really need a cord. Cords were decorations,
physical manifestations to indicate the flow of data from headset
to junction. Not essential at all. They were, however, fun to
twiddle with while you were ragging your competition.

"I'm watching you," she said. "Tried to distract me with a bogus
call while you were hacking, didn't you? Naughty, naughty!"

"I got your attention, didn't I?" Marlar purred. "I just wanted
to tell you something, professional courtesy, just to give you a
heads up. There's something going down in your own backyard, and
you can't do a thing about it!"

"What have you done now?" Urd downgraded the frown to a scowl.
Not much of a change, but it would have been enough to give any
overly friendly males in the area second thoughts about hanging
around the office. Or the universe, even.

"Oh, I did not have to do anything. Too bad you can't watch your
own domain, especially when you're tied up to that prissy
'relief office'."

"Are you planning on messing with my sister and her relationship?
'Cause if you are, I can give you such a hurt...."

"That's for me to know, and for you to worry about, starting
right now. Norn of Love, are you? Let's see you save this one!
I happen to know someone put a worm into Yygdrasil, and you'll
never find it in time!"

"Why, you...." Urd growled, banging the phone down. The receiver
obediently shattered into fragments, then reassembled itself.
"She's up to something, and I'm stuck on phone duty! I need to
get back to my own desk! Where's my relief when I need it?"

A glance about showed no one in range. Other points on the
Goddess Relief Line were busy, according to their readouts. Her
own wish-meter on the wall clicked over and the phone rang again.
Urd hastily punched up the line, completed the call and stewed,
fidgeting as she puzzled how to escape her probation long enough
to check on the demoness.

Finally, she snapped her fingers and exclaimed, "Well, am I a
goddess or not? All I need to do is keep the wish-meter running.
I'll call our temp service!" As she tapped the keys, she began
to hum a lullaby.

--------

Basho, a monk of the Temple of the Good Deed, faced a beautiful
young woman who seemed not quite upset with him. He would have
been less worried if she had frowned, or even spoken angrily.
Instead, she smiled pleasantly, in a manner which suggested that
she expected something from him.

"But I don't know how I got here!" he said, "I was meditating,
concentrating on the main precept of our sect, which is to help
people, when...."

"Isn't that a contradiction in terms?" The young woman placed a
finger to her chin in a 'thinking' pose, which made her all the
more kawaii.

"Helping people?" Basho stopped in confusion.

"No - meditating and concentrating. Entirely opposite methods."

"Umm...I suppose so. But according to my sensei, it is
necessary, in order to help people! There is a final truth,
which I must find, in order to attain the highest level of
understanding! I want so much to fulfill the precepts of my
school...uh...where was I?"

"In our data garden...." The goddess leaned toward him to point
out the neat rows of information, a move which exposed an
impressive amount of her cleavage. Basho drew back in alarm, his
tranquility trembling.

[I shall take a couple of deep breasts,] he thought. [I must
retain a calm state of mind. Did I just think what I think I
thought?]

"...Somewhere between the RAMdishes and the spaghetti code," the
young woman continued. "Trespassing. I'll have to ask you to
leave."

"Gladly!" the monk said, "I do not wish to intrude."

"Oh, no problem, really. No damage done. Next time you can use
the front door. But, the reason I called you is, maybe you can
do something for me, and I can do something for you. Simply
agree to do some 'good deeds' for me, for oh, say two weeks. To
make it worth your while, I will grant you one wish."

"I do not have time! I am a struggling student!" cried Basho.
"My heart must remain pure, and my mind crystal clear, for I am
almost through with my training! I have memorized the entirety
of the concepts of my branch, the five sacred koans, the
seventeen holy precepts, and the twenty-three admonitions, and
the seventy-one prohibitions. I was working on the one hundred
and one possible modulations, but I keep being interrupted!"

"By any chance did you read the clause in the bottom of your
`Temple of the Good Deed' charter which specifies that your
temple will provide temporary services to the Goddess Relief
Office on an 'as needed' basis?"

"Ulp. No. That would be one of the one hundred and one
modulations that I was about to memorize, wouldn't it?"

"Precisely. Now, can you help?"

"THAT is what Sensei meant! I suppose it would be a stain upon
the honor of my temple should I refuse?"

"Oh, no more than your average loss of face. Or neck."

Basho said, tightly, "Then I must be obedient to the charter.
Did you mention a wish?"

"Umh, yes. For your services, you are allowed one wish, to be
used as you see fit," she smiled blindingly.

Basho was very aware of the aroma of wildflowers, the hissing
roar of a wild mountain stream which he decided was the sound of
his own blood, and the nearness of a shapely expanse of barely
covered flesh. With a will of iron, he controlled his voice to
squeak, "I agree! I want my wish right now!"

"And just what is your wish?"

Basho ignored the sultry eyes to babble swiftly, "This is my
wish, that-someone-else-will-take-my-place! I-happen-to-have-
one-in-mind!"

-poof-

The monk was gone. In his place stood a youth, wearing a yellow
bandana for a headband, tied leggings and a wrathful expression.
The youth was continuing a conversation he had started earlier -

"...this! I'm going to beat you until you can't stand up! I'll
wrap you in wire and bounce you from here to..."

The muscular lad cut his outburst short. He froze, one finger
pointing at Urd's most prominent features. His eyes widened as
he attempted to deduce his location without staring, from the
alabaster spires mounting the bluest skies, to the birds of
paradise fluttering among cinnamon trees.

"Ooooh, bondage!" Urd purred, looking him over. "You earth guys
are always coming up with the quaintest notions! Nice package,
too. Definitely a step up from the first temp."

"Gleep?" Ryoga spoke.

"Hmmm. Language challenged. Well, you'll have to do. The
wishmeter must roll. Gotta give you the oath. Will you carry
out your duties as given by your client - that's me - to the best
of your abilities?"

"Gleep?"

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. Now, what you are supposed to do is
take this readout," Urd placed a bracelet on the wrist he had
presented. To close the clasp, she had to lean forward, making
contact with his outstretched digit, ignoring the tiny trickle of
red from Ryoga's nose.

"What you are supposed to do is to wander around, spreading
wishes to everyone who qualifies. Your readout will manipulate
your aura so you are attracted to the people who need our
services the most. Then, all you have to do is listen to what
they wish for," she patted his hand and frowned. It was like
patting a marble statue. "The programming will do the rest. Oh,
yes. If you have any questions later, just ask the bracelet. Is
there anything you wanted to ask me right now?"

"Gleep?"

-ring-

"I'll take that as a 'no'. There's a client right now. You
gotta go. Good hunting! Oh, scratch that. Good wishing!"

-poof-

Ryoga found himself on pavement, with hundreds of cycles, trucks,
cabs, and persons on roller-skates bearing down on him. In
downtown Tokyo.

"Hey, Get out of my way, you backwoods moron!" one of the drivers
yelled, "I wish you'd go home!"

The street shook.

-poof-

The Hibiki house stood forlorn, tidy and neat, but with spider
webs on the windows and grass growing through the cracks in the
walkway. No one was home. Ryoga sighed and turned away.

"Maybe I can find Akane. She'll help me make some sense of
this," he said, as he set out in the opposite direction. Even if
she could not clear up the mystery, he would feel better sitting
in her lap.

As he hiked, he felt himself drawn off the street into a small
shop, where a man and woman were arguing. The bracelet began to
tingle and he read the inscription on the silver plate.

-client proximity.

As Ryoga approached, their shouts and loud words intensified.
The man told the woman, "I wish you'd forget about me and my
faults for awhile, and let me go away and rest!"

The ground shuddered, and

-poof-

The man vanished, while the woman continued sweeping the floor.

"Excuse me," Ryoga quavered, not sure what he had seen. "What
happened to that man who was standing there?"

"What man?" the woman asked, "No one works here but me. May I
help you?"

"Uh...I'm not sure. Is there anything you would like to wish
for?"

"How very kind of you. No, thank you. Except maybe a cool glass
of orange juice right now."

There was a small but noticeable vibration.

"Oh, thank you," she said, paying no attention to where the glass
of orange liquid had come from. She drank it down and returned
to sweeping.

[It works,] Ryoga said to himself as he left the shop.

A mother dragging a small, wailing boy brushed past as Ryoga
stood on the corner. "I want more ice cream!" the small boy
cried, "I wish I could have all the ice cream I could eat!"

Ryoga noticed a shudder as the pavement trembled.

_Whump_

The boy was almost buried under a mound of strawberry, pistachio,
vanilla, Neapolitan, and cherry-maple-chocolate-swirl. His
mother stood nervously scanning the sky while her son ate his way
out of the pile.

"It works," Ryoga said aloud. "It works!!! I wish I could be by
Akane's side!"

Nothing happened, except for a sound...

-ping-
-error. see appropriate help file for information.

Ryoga clutched at the bracelet. "What's wrong? Can't you grant
my wishes?"

-my sources say 'no,'- read the inscription.

"What? You mean I have to grant everyone else's wish, but I
can't give myself one? One wish! That's all I want!"

-my sources say 'no'.

Gloom settled in on Ryoga's face, but it did not last long. "Can
I grant a wish for Akane?" he wondered.

-agent may grant one wish for any qualified recipient.
-ping-
-fatal error!-
-caution: agent has not accepted nondisclosure agreement.
-agent's capacity has been temporarily rescinded.
-agent must accept agreement before resuming duties.

"Accept what? And I am not an agent!"

-ping-
-title of 'agent' removed.
-title of classification reverts to 'fairy god-mother'.

"I am NOT a fairy god-mother!"

-ping-
-classification fitted to subject.
-title of classification is 'wishpig'.

"Agent!" Ryoga waved his arms frantically, "Agent is fine! I
wanna be called an agent!"

-agent has not fully complied with requirements.
-acceptance of nondisclosure agreement is mandatory
before agent's capacity may be reinstated.

"That means I cannot give Akane her wish!" Ryoga gasped. "I
agree! I agree!"

-ping-
-recorded. agent has all capacities and benefits.

"Thank Kami!" breathed Ryoga. Encouraged by the talkative
bracelet, he added, "Can I give Akane more than one wish?"

-Information: agent may optionally elect to utilize the
capacity to grant multiple wishes to a single person. This
capacity may be switched off as desired.
-Cost: 1 wish

"Then I want it! Give me multiple-wish-granting!"

-does agent wish to activate multiple wish feature?

"Yes! Yes! Akane, here I come! You can have everything you
want!"

-agent has expended 1 (one) wish.

"Hey, wait a minute! I thought you said I didn't get a wish!"

-rule: agent is entitled to one wish, under stated conditions
specified hereunto by said agent, subsequent to acceptance of
non-disclosure agreement.

"Allright! I wish my curse lifted! No more cowering from the
cooking pot! No more shame!"

Nothing happened.

"What's the matter?" Ryoga asked, his enthusiasm flickering into
irritation, "You said I had a wish coming!"

-agent has previously expended entitlement.

"Gulp. I did?"

-agent expended wish when requesting multiple wish-granting
capability.
-agent had previously stipulated that agent was to receive one
wish, and one wish only.
-multiple wish-granting is now available for qualified
recipients.

"Oh, no! I'm no better off than I was before!" Ryoga beat his
head against a rock wall, with the result that the wall suffered
immensely.

Eventually he calmed and decided, "Wait! I can still give Akane
her wishes! I can give her all the wishes she wants! Just wait,
Akane! I am coming! Wait until you hear! The goddess has given
me the power to grant wishes!"

He had not taken a dozen steps before he felt a chill vapor drift
across his face. A face formed of white mist smiled in a wanton
leer as it sought his lips, and a tentacle of vapor coiled about
his body.

"Yaaaaaaahhh!" Ryoga cried. He was capable of great speed when
he tried, and he tried. Miles away from the clinging mist, he
pressed his back against a wall and watched the shadows for signs
of movement.

As he caught his breath, he panted, "What was that??!?!"

-ping-
-describe 'that'

"That was a ghost trying to feel me up!"

-phenomenon was spectral projection from demoness,
specifically, Marlar. Demoness unaware of present location
and searching.
-Chance of discovery=00.008%.

"Why was she after _me_?"

-Warning! Warning! -
-Disclosure of forbidden subjects carries a substantial
penalty!

"I didn't 'disclose' anything! What are you talking about?"

-demoness attracted by agent's vocalization of intended
utilization of 'wish granting capability'.

"You mean I can't tell Akane about it?"

Ryoga recalled the cold vapors winding around him and shivered,
"Brrr! Then I won't talk about it! I don't have to ask Akane
what she wants! I won't say a word, just be there when she asks
for something! I can give her anything in the world! She'll
have to accept me, then!"

-My sources say 'no'.

Ryoga ignored the inscription and set out at a run. In the wrong
direction.




CHAPTER ONE: END

James and the Bluejay
http://www.wanderway.com

From: James and the Bluejay <jeeades@swbell.net>
Subject: [Ranma/AMG][FanFic] Ashes - A Cinderella Story, Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Hmmm. Rumiko Takahashi and Viz and a whole bunch
more have dibs on Ranma et al, Fujishima Kousuke and Animeigo
takes credit for associating Urd of Norse mythology with kawaii
features and a computer engineering degree, Cinderella is an old
fairy tale, which leaves me with Hainoko and Kidori, who are
derivative and belong to everyone. Basho belongs to himself. Not
to worry, since I don't figure on making any money off this,
anyway. No gerbils were harmed in the writing of this fanfic.

Caution: Loose Canon.




ASHES - A Cinderella Story

Chapter Two

If Wishes were Pigs




Take precious thread and weave it true
Crimson sheer and silken blue
Let us swing and let us sway
And Chapter Two is on its way.


Wording of the wish is extremely important. However, the
subject may sometimes have difficulty expressing a specific
heart's desire, either because the exact specifications are
not known, the subject may have subconscious barriers to
admitting a desire for the end object, or the environment in
which the subject exists forces them to alter their request in
an unforeseen manner. It is important that you look in the
heart of the person making the request as well as looking to
the express wording. (from: A Few of the Basic Rules for the
Temporary Fairy Godmother)


RYOGA:

He was trying to get to heaven, trying to straighten out the
mess. While this was his intent, of course, being Ryoga, he
wound up far away from where he had intended to go. He was in
Japan, which - although it has been reputedly described as next
door to heaven, was not the destination he was seeking. Trying
for the next best choice, he grabbed the nearest passerby and
demanded, "Where is the Tendo dojo?"

"Hey, no need to get anxious, Ryoga," said Hiroshi. "We're going
by there. It's only a few blocks straight ahead."

"Do you want a lead rope?" grinned Daisuke.

"No!"

"Just offering," said Daisuke, turning back to Hiroshi. "I still
say athletes get more babes."

"That's just publicity, paid for by the sponsors. For me, a rock
star is the way to go. I'd like to have a better voice and more
talent than the greatest rock star alive. Part of the time, that
is. I'd want to be able to go home and chill out with the rest of
you ordinary people the rest of the time."

"Hah!" snorted Daisuke. "You wish!"

"Yeah," Hiroshi said dreamily, "I wish."

-tunk-

"What was that?" Daisuke glanced around at the noise.

Ryoga had jumped as if startled. "Heh. Bracelet. Scraped it
against the signpost," he explained, sneaking a peek at the
readout.

-insufficient data-
-searching-

Ryoga cast his eyes about uneasily, walking with his feet planted
firmly on the pavement. After a block of these cautious steps, he
asked Hiroshi, "So, who is the world's greatest rock star?"

"Heck, I dunno," Hiroshi paused to think. "There are so many."

"There's Rock Cliff," Daisuke supplied.

"Don't make me puke! The only reason we're going to this concert
is for the chick fallout! When he starts putting gerbils in his
mouth they're gonna freak!"

Daisuke looked dubious, "I thought we decided that was lame!"

"Better lame than alone, I say."

Ranma greeted them as they entered the dojo yard, "Yo, Ryoga!
Where'd you go this morning? That was a smooth exit! Hi, guys!
What brings you around here?"

Ryoga turned his head aside and mumbled something unintelligible.

"We're going to the benefit at the school and we wanted to see if
you had changed your mind about going," Hiroshi paused as he
absently looked at Ranma's flat, masculine chest. When he heard
his friend's knuckles crackle ominously, he quickly added, "as
yourself ...Really! We have the tickets."

Daisuke blurted, "I didn't mean to make you angry! Honest!"

"Sorry, guys," Ranma shook his head. "I heard about Rock Cliff.
Them things just ain't my cup of tea. Too loud."

"I thought martial artists were supposed to be able to endure any
amount of pain."

"Nope, you're thinking about Pop. Why don't you get Ryoga to go
with you?"

"Hey, you want to go, Ryoga-kun? We have an extra ticket,"
Daisuke asked, hopefully, "Hate to see it go to waste."

"Sorry," mumbled Ryoga. "I have to get a drink of water." He
preceded them into the house.

"Think about it!" Hiroshi called after him, "It's not often you
get to see that kind of talent!"

"Thank the gods," muttered Ranma. "You guys want a drink? I
think Kasumi has tea ready. 'Scuse me, I been sweatin'. I gotta
take a bath." He walked off grumbling about 'becoming
domesticated.'




THE TENDO HOUSE:

Soun yawned and stretched, keeping an eye on the shoji board and
a certain panda, which also yawned and stretched while keeping an
eye on him.

Nabiki sat down quickly as the boys walked in, moving her
backpack to one side. Something clanked underneath and she
glanced about to see if the noise had been heard.

"Daddy, have you seen the comics section of the paper?" she said,
"Oh, hi, Ryoga-kun."

"Ummmh," Ryoga scratched the back of his head. "I wanted to tell
Akane something. Do you know where she is?"

"She's in the kitchen, getting psyched up to cook supper," Nabiki
spoke with hooded eyes. "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

They heard Ranma's female voice crying from the bathroom, "What
is it with this hot water? It's broke again!"

"That's too bad, Ranma!" Nabiki called, "The repairman should be
here tomorrow." [Unless I can divert him, somehow.]

"Why does this always have to happen? I wish this darn thing
would stay fixed for awhile!"

[Why does it happen? Oh, I don't know. Let me count the ways -
Camera full of film, check. Verbal commission for pictures,
check. Heating element removed, check.] "Don't have any idea,
Ranma! You'll just have to make do for tonight!" She listened
to the griping, grinned, and turned to Ryoga. "How about you? I
know where to get a GPS receiver, cheap."

"Thanks. I had one," Ryoga got his bearings and launched himself
toward the kitchen. "Funny," he paused to say, "I didn't know
computers had suicide hot lines...."

Suddenly Nabiki grabbed the table to steady herself and asked,
"Was that an earthquake I just felt?"

"May have been," Soun said, glancing around unconcernedly while
keeping one eye on the board.

"Hey!" came Ranma's male voice again, "It's working now!"

Nabiki snapped to full alert. "It's _what_?" She picked up the
backpack. The wrench and heater element were intact. "Something
is strange, here!" she muttered.

In the kitchen, Ryoga had suddenly become tongue-tied.
"Uh...Akane...."

"Yes, Ryoga?"

"Akane...I want you to know that if there is ever anything you
want...just wish for it, I will get it for you. Anything! Isn't
there something you wish for, more than anything in the world?"

"Oh, Ryoga...yes," Akane's eyes misted. She brushed a hand over
the picture of the Tendo family at an earlier, happier time. Her
father had taken it out earlier and had been mooning over it.

"Errr...." Ryoga halted. Surely she was not going to wish for
THAT. "Maybe I should have said...." He did not want to know if
it was possible to bring back Akane's mother, especially if she
appeared as a ghost. Not to mention the fact that such a
powerful wish would give a certain demoness his location. He
shuddered. He did not want to face the wraith again.

"But that is silly. I would not bring her back, even if I could,
and take her from her peace," Akane sighed. She did not notice
the relief on Ryoga's face.

"I swear, Akane!" cried Ryoga, "If there is anything you want,
all you have to do is wish!"

"Ryoga," Akane reached up to touch his cheek. "You are such a
thoughtful and considerate friend. Thank you for caring."

Ryoga staggered off, torn between delirious joy at her touch and
unfathomable depression because she still did not understand how
deeply he loved her.

A splash, and P-Chan was in her lap. As P-Chan, Ryoga could be
close to Akane and grant her every wish. Thus, he was there when
Ranma provoked her.

"I'm not saying that the last miso soup you made was quite as bad
as turpentine..." Ranma managed to insert his foot in his mouth
and talk at the same time.

"Ranma! You never say anything good about my cooking!"

P-Chan sprang to alertness. Now, if she became angry enough, she
would wish Ranma away, far away!

"Yeah, that soup was good, like rancid yak butter tastes good.
At least someone can eat yak butter!"

Akane shoved to her feet, dumping P-Chan onto the floor. "You
never give me a chance! I wish...."

YES! The little black pig quivered with excitement. Yes! This
was it!

"I wish...I wish...." Akane nearly fell over the bouncing,
frantic pig. "P-Chan, be careful! Now, what was I saying?"

The little black pig backed away, trying to quiver unnoticed as
he strained to project his thoughts, [_Say it! Say it!_]

"I wish for once I could cook a really good meal! That would
show you! That would show all of you!"

No one noticed the shuddering vibration except the little pig,
who was moping toward the bathroom with tears in his eyes.

"In fact, that is what I am going to do right now! You just
wait!" Akane slammed off into the kitchen to make good on her
word.

Akane cooked a great meal. It was beautiful. It was fabulous.
And...no one ate it. No one of the immediate household, that is.
Daisuke nibbled some cabbage turnovers and persimmon dumplings,
but the meal looked and smelled so delicious that he could not
resist. He thought that the few bites he could eat, before the
food was wrenched from his grasp, tasted great.

So did the traveling troupe of mimes who found a feast dumped
hastily out on the sidewalk out of Akane's sight. The mimes ate
and ate and left rubbing their tummies and making signs of
contentment to indicate their pleasure, but being mimes they
could not say out loud how good the food was.

Ryoga appeared shortly after, said, "Hellogoodbye," and left
towing Hiroshi and Daisuke. Daisuke was glad enough to leave, as
he could not figure out why everyone was regarding him with such
pity.

"Someone stacked our dinner dishes out on the sidewalk," said
Kasumi. "Now, why would anyone do that?"

Akane glared at everyone and received guilty looks in return.

Kasumi held one of the dishes up to the light. "It has been
licked clean," she noted, "But there was no one there."

"Probably on their way to the emergency room," Ranma guessed.

Soun began to tune up the sprinklers. "Oh, the humanity!" he
cried.

"Will you guys stop that?" Akane cried, "At least Daisuke liked
it!"

"Yeah," sighed Ranma as he prepared to run, but not fast enough.
"I'm gonna miss him. Ow!"





Your response, upon hearing a request, should be to reaffirm
that the request is valid. This may take the form of a
question, such as, "Is that your desire?" or perhaps, "Do you
really want to wish for that?" or "Is that your final answer?"
The first few times you submit a request you may inadvertently
overlook this, since timing is critical. The system has
checks and balances to prevent blatantly wrong wishes from
becoming fulfilled, but it is possible for a properly
validated wish to accomplish something other than the desired
goal. In fact, this is the very nature of wish-giving, since
most people ask for something they don't really want since
they do not know, or will not admit to themselves, what is
needed. This is the Art of wish-giving, to provide what is
truly desired, even though it may not be what they thought
they wanted. (from: A Few of the Basic Rules for the
Temporary Fairy Godmother)


HIROSHI:

The evening was shot. We had gone to the concert, only to find
that our tickets were no good. Somehow, we had bought tickets
for the next day's performance, on the other side of Japan.

So, we decided to sneak in. After all, we had paid for tickets,
which we weren't going to travel all the way across Japan to use.
We deserved to get in. That made sense. We tried to keep
together. In the long run, with Ryoga, this did not make sense.

Through caverns dank and cold, by waterfalls that roared in the
night, down hallways echoing with emptiness, beneath dusty
lantern-lit ceilings too creepy to belong in any school, not even
Furenken, we crept.

"Y'know," I said as I polished off my ice cream cone, "I have a
dream. I have always wanted to be a singer. Making money,
having fans. I wish I was a rock singer."

I noticed Ryoga grimacing, and he must have hit his bracelet
again because I heard it go -tunk-.

"What's wrong with wishing?" I asked, "It helps to pass the
time."

Ryoga appeared to be watching something outside my range of
vision. "Things have a way of coming true around me," he
whispered.

I stuck out my chin. "I wish...."

Ryoga covered his ears. "I don't want to hear it!"

"...I wish...I want to be a rock singer! There! How's that for
a dumb wish? I haven't got the looks, and I haven't got the
voice. Plus, my parents would never let me out of the house."

The light from a torch guttering on the cavern wall reflected
eerily from Ryoga's eyes. "It didn't happen before. Maybe it
won't happen now," he said, and he seemed to cheer up. "Hey! It
doesn't happen every time!"

About that time, we had a break. We emerged from a janitor's
closet into a room that I recognized, and I said. "We are in the
basement of the school auditorium, and we missed the concert!"

"Don't look at me! Ryoga had the map!" Dai protested.

"I don't understand!" Ryoga said, with a hurt expression,
"I may get lost, but I always get where I'm going...eventually
....sometimes."

"Wait!" Daisuke said, looking up at the stage floor above us,
"Do you suppose they are still here? I hear music! I think
there is something still going on up there!"

There was, indeed, noise. I tried to listen, but all I got was
ear-strain and a sore nose from walking into a stage-prop door.
Daisuke has always had a better ear than I did. What can I say?
Music is music. Besides, I was just getting over a cold.

He listened some more, then said, "They are just getting
started!" He leaned against another prop and sighed, "Man, I
wish I could get up there and watch!"

Getting out of the basement proved tricky. We tried first one
door, then another. There were a lot of fake walls, stage props
stored down here between performances of the drama society, so we
spread out to look for a real door.

"Here's one!" Daisuke's voice floated out from a corner, then
the door slammed and he thumped against it - from the other side.
His muffled voice came through, "It locked on me after I went
through it! You'll have to open it from the inside!"

We found the door and tried it, but the lock was jammed.

"You're a martial artist. You got the muscle," I said to Ryoga.
"Let's break it down."

Ryoga looked dubious and said, "Maybe I had better not. I have
been through hell...er...some strange places recently, and I think
I'd better be careful."

"Look!" I reasoned, "I'll pay the school back for the door! We're
going to miss the concert!"

Ryoga shrugged, raised a finger, and touched the door.

"Bakusai tenketsu," he said in a conversational voice. I jumped
back, expecting the wall to explode when he released his chi.

Nothing happened.

Ryoga stared at the undamaged door and at his finger. Onto his
face crept an expression of disbelief, followed by determination.

"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!!" he roared, poking at the door.

A hole appeared, about the size of his finger, but again nothing
happened. No, wait. Something did happen. Tiny bits of
sparkling confetti floated down from the ceiling, leaving a
dusting of glitter on the stage furniture.

Ryoga's eyes were wide. "Fairy dust!" he muttered, "And I have
lost my earthbreaker!"

"Glitter," I said, correcting him. "Simple glitter, must have
been left here by the drama society. Let's try something else."

He grasped the handle and pulled. The door opened easily with a
screech of wrenched metal, an ear-rending howl that went on and
on. I finally realized that I was hearing the scream of a
hard-rock guitar being tortured into scrap metal, and it was
coming from the stage above. I grinned. The show was about to
start, and we had come out of the basement behind the stage!

We could not find Daisuke. He must have given up on us and had
followed his ears to the shouts and cheers from the crowd seated
in the auditorium. As I followed, leading Ryoga along, I passed
another door that looked very promising. It was the entrance
backstage.

"We could go in there!" I suggested, above the noise.

"I still FEEL strong...."

"No one would see us, and we could watch the whole performance!"

"...I can get as depressed as ever, though that works best with
the Shishihoukoudan...."

"And I've always wanted to get the feel of a rock concert, up
close and personal, even if I'm never going to be a rock singer!"

"...so why doesn't anything go bang? All I get is this sparkly
dust...."

Ryoga was too busy examining his finger and poking at solid
objects to object, so I made the decision for us. Carpe diem.
Grab the fish, I always say.

The show began with a loud guitar riff. From the shadows we
watched as a scrawny kid stomped out on stage and began to
warble.

"I can understand you wanting to sound better than that!" Ryoga
shuddered.

"He's just getting the audience warmed up," I shrugged. "Rock
Cliff is due up next! He's gross, but he can sing great!"

"And you want to be better," Ryoga sighed. He shook his bracelet
again.

"I wish it with all my heart," I sighed. "Just for a little
while. Like I said, I wouldn't want to give up my regular life
for it, mind you."

As the scrawny kid left the stage, the announcer led a spattering
of applause and began a long rambling introduction for the next
act. Rock Cliff could not make it because of a bus breakdown.
In his place....

....Into his place on stage walked the most beautiful girl I had
ever seen, dressed in yellow and moving like a vision of heaven.
As the music rose, she performed a dance routine. She sang the
first line, and I shouted with excitement.

"Isn't she fabulous? Her name is Primrose. She is the
greatest!"

-ping-

Ryoga fidgeted as if he were itching. "She's the greatest?"
he repeated, as if in disbelief.

"She's the best, man!" Didn't he hear me?

"But that's a...."

"Yeah. Ain't she something?"

"The greatest looks?"

"She's a knockout!"

"The greatest voice?"

"Listen! Doesn't it send shivers down your spine?"

"You don't know how much," Ryoga shuddered. "And now it's too
late."

"Eh? What did you say?"

There was a steadily growing rumble which drowned out all
thought.

"I said...." Ryoga had to yell to make himself heard above the
din, "I said...."

-poof-

I lost my balance and I reached for his arm to steady myself.
Then I looked at the hand grasping Ryoga's shirt, a slender
female hand which was attached to a slender female arm which
was covered with a brilliant blue sleeve which was attached to
a jacket which was attached to...me. I released him and in a
calm, dignified voice, expressed my opinion about the situation.

"Acckkkk!" I said.

"Hiroshi?" Ryoga asked. He was pointing at me, his forefinger
wavering in a sketchy circle.

"Ack!" I said, brightly, feeling my eyes expanding like dinner
plates, in alarm.

"Hiroshi? You're...."

"Ack!" I said again, feeling my chin bounce off the floor.
Three or four times.

"Oops...I was afraid something like this might happen...."

"Ack!" I repeated, for good measure. My breasts were jaunting
perkily. What distressed me was that I could _see_ my breasts.
I was no body builder. These were not pecs, built up from months
of hard labor on the rowing machine. These were _boobs_.
Creamy mounds of delicate flesh. What was worse was that they
were clearly visible for the world to see, as well, through the
almost sheer blue material of the blouse, hindered only by
strategically placed blue ribbons and the jacket which did not
quite meet in front.

"Sorry...."

"Ack!" Sorry? He was sorry? If he was sorry, what was I? I
was...I was.... There was something awfully familiar about this,
but for once I was seeing it from the wrong perspective. Those
perky boobs, that slim waist swelling into thrilling hips, that
impossible, compelling, sultry voice - voice?

"I'm a girl?"

He nodded miserably.

"How?"

Ryoga actually seemed in pain. "This sort of thing has been
happening to me a lot, lately," he said in an embarrassed voice.

"You? Whaddya mean, you? I'm the one it happened to!"

He scratched the back of his head and grinned sourly, "Wishes
have been coming true around me, but I can't talk about it. All
I can say is that I think it's something in my aura that triggers
it. Yeah. That seems safe enough."

"I didn't wish to be a _girl_!"

"You said you wanted to have more talent and look better than the
greatest rock star."

"But I meant a _guy_ rock star!"

"And then you said Primrose was the greatest."

[Arrgghh!!] "But I didn't mean - "

"Hey, you two!" a uniformed security guard shouted, "Get outta
here! This is a restricted area!" Several more guards joined
him. They were big, tough, and they carried nightsticks. It was
then that I did several things wrong.

I panicked, which was mistake #1.

I ran, which was mistake #2.

I followed Ryoga.

Mistake #3.

Strike three. I was out. On the stage. In front of millions
and millions of staring eyes. Well, hundreds of staring eyes -
that was bad enough. As a girl. Wearing - or almost not wearing
- a brilliant sparkling blue mini-dress with blue jacket and
tails, with blue ribbons in strategic locations. Ryoga was
nowhere in sight.

I mean, what's a guy to do, given the circumstances? Behind me,
the guards were preparing to rush the stage and grab me. They
only held off because they were checking to see if I was part of
the show.

So, I froze. For ages of seconds, we stared at each other, the
audience and I, and they began to make an ugly sound.

-Drool-

I mean, _really_ ugly.

Then they began to chant, softly at first, until everyone was
calling, insisting, "Sing something! Sing something!"

Me? Sing? I could remove paint with my voice. Pops said he
would never need to buy sandpaper when he had me around. Stray
cats followed me around for inspiration. They wanted _me_ to
sing?

"Sing something! SING something!"

There once was a lady from Osaka...no, forget that....

[They're gonna kill me....]

So, I tried to sing. When I cleared my throat, a silence fell,
as deafening in its own way as the previous thundering demands.

I remembered hearing Mom humming a lullaby that morning. It was
nothing, just a pleasant melody she had sung to Hainoko when she
was a baby. So it wasn't a pop tune. It was the only thing I
could think of at the time.

"Hush, little baby, to my lullaby...."

The audience loved it. They ate it up. The band took up the
melody and improvised, jazzed it up and blasted out a sax solo
when I stopped to catch my breath. There was a band? I didn't
know there was a band. Oh, yeah. The Primrose Path. Off-stage,
a girl in pale yellow stood watching me. She seemed as
awe-struck as the audience.

It was a simple lullaby, for Kami's sake. You would have thought
it was the most inspirational, pulse-pounding, thrilling aria
ever recorded.

Maybe it was the way my new voice said, "Baby?"

The sound of girls cheering and muttering enviously was only
drowned out by the sound of guys cheering and slobbering.
Overcome with passion, fans began to swarm the stage.

If they were overcome with passion, I was overcome with panic.
Girls with souvenir scissors. Guys with roses and amorous
gleams in their eyes, and hands that reached for me. Again, I
ran.

This time the guards were actually helping me, politely hustling
me out a side door so I could get away. I fled into the basement
where I hid for an hour, until I thought it was safe. It was
not. The mob spotted me again outside and was about to catch me
when I rounded a corner. They swirled about me, there was
momentary confusion and....

-poof-

I was myself, again, plain old Hiroshi. I did not ask questions.
I was me! The mob rushed on past. No one paid any attention to
me, so intent were they on their pursuit.

I walked away, back stiff, my eyes held rigidly ahead, and
eventually managed to find Ryoga. He was reading the inscription
on his bracelet by the light of a streetlamp. A TV news crew
bustled past us, the anchorwoman peering into the shadows and
searching the shrubbery.

The news woman approached us, still searching. "Have you seen
that girl?" she asked.

"What girl?" I asked innocently.

"That singer in blue! She was magnificent! She was wonderful!
And no one knows who she is or where she went!"

"She disappeared like Cinderella," added the cameraman.

I glanced at Ryoga. He looked at me. "Haven't seen her!" we chorused.

"I have to interview her!" the news woman said, "She is the find
of the century! I'll pay you if you can get her name!"

This caught my attention. "Pay? How much?" Before she could
name a figure, Ryoga had grabbed me and dragged me away with him.
We lost track of each other almost immediately.

I got home after midnight, but Pops was already asleep.




CHAPTER TWO: END

James and the Bluejay
http://www.wanderway.com

From: James and the Bluejay <jeeades@swbell.net>
Subject: [Ranma/AMG][FanFic] Ashes - A Cinderella Story, Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Hmmm. Rumiko Takahashi and Viz and a whole bunch
more have dibs on Ranma et al, Fujishima Kousuke and Animeigo
takes credit for associating Urd of Norse mythology with kawaii
features and a computer engineering degree, Cinderella is an old
fairy tale, which leaves me with Hainoko and Kidori, who are
derivative and belong to everyone. Basho belongs to himself. Not
to worry, since I don't figure on making any money off this,
anyway. No gerbils were harmed in the writing of this fanfic,
except the one who refused to cross at the crosswalk, and that
was his own fault.




ASHES - A Cinderella Story

Chapter Three

Friends




Some are young and some are old
Silver threads among the gold
Let us dip and let us groove
And Chapter Three is on the move.


HIROSHI:

"Ah Wop Bop alubop Ah Lop Bam Boom!"

I loved the shower. The furo was great for soaking, but the
shower had acoustics. I could hold the scrub brush like a
microphone and really put my soul into the song.

Last night was a fading nightmare. I had inventoried my assets
and determined that I was still a walking, talking male. And
singing, too, although for some reason I never got to finish.
There were always interruptions. For instance:

"Hiroshi!"

I wiped the water out of my eyes and stuck my head outside the
curtain. "Yes, Mom?"

"Hiroshi, please hold it down. The neighbors are _complaining_."

"Aww, Mom! I can't sound THAT bad! And besides, the neighbors
left on vacation for a week."

"It is the neighbors beyond them. And the ones from across the
street. Hiroshi-chan? Please?"

"Awww...right." Mom meant well. She simply did not appreciate
good music. After all, that was an American love song - a
classic.

She gave me a weak hug when I came down for breakfast, and said,
"You have _so many_ other qualities, Hiro-chan. You should work
on them." I recognized the line from one of the 'afternoon drama
clubs' she attended without Pops' knowledge.

"Okay, Mom," I sighed, then Hainoko shoved in front of me at the
table. "Hey!" I yelped, "That's my place!"

Hainoko smirked at me, "You only want this seat because it is
closer to the rice bowl. You snooze, you lose."

"Hainoko - move," said Pops, not even looking up from the
morning's sports news. Hainoko made a 'he always takes your
side,' glare and grudgingly scooted over.

"Also, Hiroshi-kun, I want you to walk your little sister to
school, today," Mom said as she served the soup.

"Why? That's way out of my way!"

"Don't argue, please. She has no one to walk with, and I don't
want her on the streets _alone_."

"What's the matter, Insect?" I said to Hainoko, "Nobody like you
enough to walk with you?"

"Boy!" growled Pops, "It's a man's place to take care of
weaklings like women. Show your gonads. Be a man!"

"Uh, right," I muttered. "Get arrested for indecent exposure.
Very manly." He flipped the paper back up before him and refused
to be baited.

Hainoko blinked at me and said, "Yoriko had to go to her
grandmothers for a week, but in a few days the space aliens will
come along and take me away, and you won't have to worry about me
any more."

"Space aliens would bring you back as soon as they heard you
whine, Rodent! Cry, cry, cry!"

"Mom!"

"Don't tease her, Hiroshi."

"(Sigh) All right, Mom."

"Here, Hai-chan. I fixed lunch in your favorite panda-bear
bento, so you be sure and enjoy it." Mom paused as if to rest,
then handed it to her.

"I will, Mommy," Hainoko gave me a warning look as if to say, 'If
my big brother doesn't spoil it somehow'.

"Are you okay, Mom?" I asked. Hainoko crowded close to support
Mom when she seemed about to fall over.

"I am fine, children. Just a cold. It's nothing (dramatic
pause) life-threatening. You go on to school, now."

Pop looked up from his paper to check the sports scores on the
miniscule table TV. The Giants had a good start on the season
and he wanted to see the highlights before leaving for work.
"Back by midnight," he decreed.

"Sure, Pop. Can I stop over for a snack, somewhere?"

"If you're back by midnight."

"Pop, everyone else gets to stay -"

"Midnight."

Pop's voice did not waver. He could repeat the same word, tone
by tone, timbre by timbre, decibel by decibel, all day long. "You
need your sleep to maintain your virility," he explained.

"Okay, Pop," I said as I left the door open and cleared the steps
in a bound, headed for Daisuke's.

"Hiroshi!"

"Yes, Mom?" I called back from the street.

"Please take Hainoko by her school."

Oh. Yeah. "Right, Mom. Sorry."

"Apologize to Hainoko. I am not the one offended."

Apologize to the shrimp? Ewwww.




HAINOKO:

Bullies are not always boys, and they are not always from the
poorer neighborhoods. Hainoko desperately needed a friend. It
was not easy being a nobody in a school where the playground was
dominated by a two snobby bullies, even if those bullies were
girls.

The two sisters Deirdre and Deirdrum made Hainoko miserable,
taking her lunch and laughing when Hainoko cried, and then lying
about it when the playground supervisors came to see what was
wrong. They always made it seem like Hainoko had started the
fights, and her classmates always agreed with the snobs.

Hainoko needed a friend, and when she could not find one on the
playground she tried for the next best thing - an edge. She
became sneaky. In fact, Hainoko was so good at surviving that
there were days when she actually got to eat her own lunch. Not
that the bullies wanted her food. They only wanted to hurt and
humiliate someone, and Hainoko was handy. When they took the
food, they would throw it away, spoil it by spitting on it, or
pour dirt over the rice and fishcakes.

So, Hainoko spent her school days in a kind of living hell. The
only person who made it better was Yoriko, who had moved in next
door and walked to school with Hainoko. While the bullies would
pick on this neighbor girl also, they would not bother Hainoko
and Yoriko when they were together.

When Hainoko complained to her parents, she was disappointed.
Father was always too tired, or too busy, and he was
uncomfortable around schools. Mother never felt well enough to
go down to the school and talk to the principal, and Hiroshi -
well....

Hiroshi was a big brother. End of subject.

She stood at the gate, her bento clutched to her breast, not
wanting to cross the threshold into the war zone. Her
adversaries were in there, obscured by other children, but they
could find her as unerringly as sharks found distressed swimmers.
They could smell blood.

"What are you waiting for? Go on! I gotta get to school!"
Hiroshi encouraged her, in his own way.

Hainoko looked back at him, mutely pleading, but of course he
could not understand. He was a big boy. He never got in
trouble. He had a friend. With a sigh, she stepped through the
gate and awaited her doom. She felt, rather than saw, her
brother hurry away to his own schoolyard, where kids were nice to
one another. He never looked back. He did not see the ominous
shadows sliding up to her, nor hear the jeers as Deirdre and
Deirdrum found her bento and took it from her. He did not see
the bento flying over the fence to be crushed by a passing truck.

For Hainoko, it was just the start of another day.




HIROSHI:

If wishes could really come true, I would I could wish that last
night had never happened. It was a bad dream. It happened to
someone else. I denied it, categorically and imperatively.

Unfortunately, at school all the talk was about the singer who
had popped up, sang a marvelous song, then disappeared at the
stroke of midnight. They were even calling me Cinderella. I
didn't know why I got so upset, hearing them drool over her. It's
not like I turned into a girl every day. I was not Ranma.

It was like that all morning. There were some really weird
Cinderella rumors, but I tried to discount them. What they
couldn't pin on me did not happen.

Finally, something happened to take everyone's mind off me.
Kodachi showed up. She looked awful. I mean, she looks great,
especially when she dresses out for gym, but you could tell she
had been in a fight, and she had not won, and she was pissed.

We were eating lunch in the shade of the trees when black rose
petals began to fall about one side of the clearing. I was lucky
or I would have been one of the first students who fell
unconscious. Ranma quickly grabbed Akane and carried her into
the open, then turned to face a whirlwind of razor-ribbons and
gymnast's clubs.

"Stand aside, Dearest Ranma!" cried Kodachi. She was wearing her
combat leotard, which exposed the bruises on her legs. "Do not
protect this witch, Darling Ranma! She is not worthy! She hides
behind a mask to attack, and she leaves a common flower as her
calling card!"

Ranma blocked the missiles and cried, "Will ya lay off, Kodachi?
She's been with us all morning! There is no way she could have
attacked you!" Akane, still showing her own bruises from the day
before, looked at Ranma in surprise, as if she expected him to
add an insult.

He finally convinced Kodachi that Akane was innocent. The
leotard clad girl came closer, clasped Ranma and leaned her head
against his breast while she sobbed, "For you, Ranma-sama
Dearest, I will refrain from attacking this peasant!"

Then she leaped away, calling "But that cowardly masked girl,
whomever she is, shall feel my wrath! I will find her and show
her the revenge of the Kunos! Hohohohohohohoho!"

In the uneasy silence which followed, I leaned over and asked
Ranma, "Revenge of the Kunos?"

He made a wry face. "If it's worse than bento-breath behind us,
I don't wanna know."

"I heard that, Saotome!" Kuno growled, "Show some respect for
your sempai!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. I just did."


-------------


I found Ryoga that night, and dragged him home to our apartment.
He came without argument, which surprised me. At least he was no
longer trying to poke things with his finger while shouting,
"Bakusai tenketsu!"

I asked him what had happened. Why had I been changed into a
girl and chased around like that? I got angry. I yelled at him,
and he took the abuse in the manner of a prize boar ignoring a
pesky fly. He merely shrugged and tried to avoid talking about
it, as if it were not real, which made me shout that much louder.
He looked down at his bracelet now and then and tried, not very
successfully, to hide a yawn.

"I know it happened! You were there! You saw!" I pulled at my
hair in frustration and yelled, "We were talking about wishing
and I said 'I want to be a rock star', and...."

-poof-

I went on in a decidedly softer, gentler voice, "...and now I am
again, and I didn't really want to be, and oh, Kami-sama! I'm
stuck again! What if it is permanent? Daisuke's coming over! I
have to hide! Where can I hide?"

In the hall an ancient upright cabinet was stored. I thought of
closing myself in it. However, there was a mirror on the cabinet
door. It caught me and would not let me go. Looking at the
diaphonous blouse and the blue mini-skirt and jacket combo I was
wearing, I sighed. "What am I going to do now? Daisuke is coming
over tonight! We were going to cruise the park for chicks!
Specially ones who look just like this, darn it! I can't wear
this in public! I can see myself through it!"

Myself.

There was someone standing in my place and she was a she, quite
obviously, and it was me, and I was going to start doing
something painful to that mirror very soon if I did not look away
from it.

Ryoga was unhelpful. He was wearing one of those chain-link
bracelets with an inscribed plate. He kept reading the
inscription as if he could not remember what it said.

"All I know is that you have a recurring wish which requires a
trigger to make it work," he said. "Your trigger is...."

"I know! I know!" I blurted, "Saying the words 'I want to be a
rock star'!" I was unhappy. I was deeply depressed. Why did my
voice make me sound so thrilled to be alive that I could hug
everyone? Yeck. I did not _want_ to hug anyone.

He went on, "According to this, since you did not request any
changes following your trial period, you will remain in your rock
star form for two hours, the average length of a rock music
performance. (mumblemumble) You will quit turning into your
rock star form once you get what you really wanted from the
wish."

"This is not a rock star costume! This is a disgrace! This is
an embarrassment! Just look at this!"

He took a really good look at me and turned abruptly away,
staunching his nose. He said, "Adyway, chewel be bag do dorbal
affer doo hours."

"I can't wait! I'll just have to find a way to undo it. I'll
say the words again! 'I want to be a rock star'! I don't want to
be a rock star! Star rock a be to want I! Hot water! Maybe
that will do it!"

I splashed.

"No, it didn't! Cold water! I'll try that!"

I splashed, again.

"No, again! Dammit! Nothing does anything!"

"There is one gambit which might work, when Daisuke gets here,"
Ryoga said as he lifted his backpack.

"Anything! What?"

"I have learned of the Saotome ultimate secret technique, to be
used only in the face of total disaster."

"Great! What is it?"

"Run," he shrugged the backpack into place.

"Wouldn't that look great! A blue-eyed bimbo running through
down-town Nerima! Where the heck would I go?"

Ryoga shrugged again. "That's your problem," he said, brushing
his hands of the entire matter.

"Waitaminute! You can't just walk off like this! This is partly
your fault, too, you know!"

"Quit pawing me!"

"Sorry. I was just carried away. I am about to be publicly
humiliated, and you grant wishes. Grant me this one wish!"

"No! No can do. And quit talking about it! Something bad will
happen!"

I wilted. "There has to be _something_ you can conjure up!
Can't you control it?"

Ryoga frowned. "The only way I can explain it, something in my
aura is conditioned to grant wishes to some deserving, unselfish
person. I don't get to decide who that person is. And if I talk
about it any more, we are both going to regret it."

"I'll be deserving! I'll be unselfish!"

Ryouga paused, then asked, "What do you think of Akane?"

"What?"

"Do you think Akane is cute and deserving?"

"Are you off your rocker? Sure, I think Akane is cute, but...she
is also engaged to Ranma. I wouldn't want to spoil that!" [Not
and live to tell about it...if Ranma didn't kill me she would!]

"That's not what I was asking," Ryoga said, heading for the door.

I was becoming desperate. "If you don't stay and at least try, I
will start screaming!"

"Say what?" Ryoga paled and softly eased the door shut without
exiting.

"I said I would scream!"

There was a haunted gleam of fear in his eye. He could handle
charging rhinocerii, but he could not handle this. He almost
whimpered as he said, "But...but...isn't that sort of...girlish?"

"Look at me, you blockhead! Do I look like a guy right now?"

"Uh...no," He winced as he rubbed his forehead.

"Right now, I AM a girl. Just like Ranma!"

Ryoga stiffened at the comparison, eyed me with sudden suspicion.
"You are not like Ranma," he declared. "I don't hate you...yet."

"Well, you are going to! How far are you going to get if I chase
you down the street accusing you of taking advantage of me?"

"You...now...." Torn in two directions, Ryoga settled onto his
haunches and tried to reason with me. He would have had more
luck with Ranma. I was seething. Bubbling, perkily seething.

"And furthermore...." I wanted to dump my whole life of misery
onto him while I had him on the defensive. I wanted to let him
know exactly what kind of trouble he had caused. I never got the
chance.

There was a sudden brightness as the door opened and someone
walked in. That someone stopped, stared, and cried out, "Woah!
You're here! This is great, and I beat Hiroshi to you! Boy, am
I lucky!"

"Daisuke? Oh, no! Look, I can explain...."

"How's about a date? Let's beat it before that joker Hiroshi
gets here."

"H...Hiroshi?" I stuttered, thinking, [The dumb goof. He does
not recognise me. He is trying to date me because he thinks I am
my girl.]

I looked from Ryoga's confused frown to Daisuke's feverish grin,
and something clicked. My scowl traveled, with a knack worthy
of Ryoga's navigational skills, until it became a calculating
smile. I contemplated vengeance, or at the very least, a whale
of a practical joke. [Steal my girl, will he?]

"Of course!" I said, plastering all the sincerity I could muster
onto my face. I had to get a coat, a blanket, or anything to
cover up with. No way was I going out dressed as I was.

"And while you are buying me dinner, you can tell me about your
friend, Hiroshi."

"What friend, Hiroshi?" Daisuke drawled, wearing a sloppy, dazed
smile. If I didn't know him better, I would have called him an
oversexed, hormone-driven teenager with lust on the brain. As a
matter of fact, I did know him well enough to call him that, and
the fact that I was the subject of that lust made me
uncomfortable. I wanted to retaliate.

"Say goodbye to Ryoga," I suggested, dragging Daisuke along by
the tie.

"Yeah, sure. Bai-bai, Rogy-kun."

Ryoga watched us go with something like fear in his expression.

"Hope you have money, sap," I muttered to myself, drawing on one
of Moms' coats. It was about as fashionable as a tent. "This
evening is going to cost you plenty."


---------------

The evening was a mixed success. I had dined sumptuously and
extravagantly, with Daisuke footing the bill.

However....

Why did I do it? I meant at first to get a dig at Dai-kun for
presuming to steal 'my girl'. Sometime during the evening, when
the two hours were up, I was going to jump up and say, 'Look at
me, you chump! Guess who I really am!' and then I would suddenly
shift my appearance and he would be so shocked he would probably
pass out. At least that was the plan. I mean, I would have to
tell him sooner or later, anyway. He was my buddy.

However....

We first went by the park, the way we always did, scouting out
goodlooking girls who would not let us approach for a million yen
but who would be disappointed if we did not notice them.
Somewhere along the way, I began to see a different side of
Daisuke. Beneath the bluster, he was deathly afraid of girls.
Oh, he started out brash and bragging, but as the hour wore on he
began to withdraw. Then we hurried to a restaurant for dinner,
where I ordered the most expensive meal I could find on the menu.
Even then, I intended to let him in on the secret, tell him how
it happened and have a good laugh.

However....

There were a couple of girls from our class sitting at the next
table, and when they saw me they decided that I needed rescuing.
So they invited me to the 'powderroom'. They practically dragged
me away from the table, to the girl's restroom, with me frantically
trying to escape. Once inside, I hurriedly turned my face to the
wall to keep from nosebleeding, but all they wanted to do was
stand around and talk, which was fortunate. Besides, turning to
the wall did not help, since it was a mirror.

I locked myself in a stall and talked over the walls. After they
got over the thrill of talking to a 'real' rock star, they
started getting personal.

"I can't believe it!"Yuki gushed, "Of all they guys that you
could date, you choose Daisuke? What could you see in him?"

"Well, I...." I started to say.

"Oh, you don't know!" Saori took up the lecture, "He's always
been a member of the Loser's Club along with his friend, Hiroshi.
I think Hiroshi must be the president of the club. Maybe Dai-kun
is a good kisser? I bet that's it. He certainly isn't all that
great looking. Did you kiss him yet? Is he any good?"

"Well, I...." I started to come out and face them, but about that
time one of them said she had to 'adjust some straps'. So I
chose to remain locked in.

"I think maybe he must be very funny or else he is very polite
and gentlemanly," mused Yuki. "There's no way a girl as good
looking and classy as you are would go out with some dweeb like
Dai-kun without there being something good about him."

"Well, I...." I started to say.

"You're right!" Saori piped up, "I'm going to get Dai-kun alone
sometime and give him a field test!"

"Wow," said Yuki, mockingly, "Talk about self-discipline!"

"He might not be so bad. Like Cinderella said, there has to be
something to him."

I sat silently waiting, forgotten, as they continued talking and
planning on how to get Dai alone. I was upset that they thought
so poorly of me as Hiroshi; happy that Dai was going to be
getting a few good breaks with some girls; confused because I was
irritated that they wanted to find out what made him attractive
to me. I mean, I wasn't jealous or anything, but we had come
here together.

As I made my way back from the 'powderroom', I saw our booth
surrounded by a group of our guy friends from school. I quickly
sat and huddled down by drawing the edges of the tent tight
around my neck. The heat was almost unbearable, but there was no
way I was going to allow any of these perverts a glimpse of what
lay underneath the canvas. They called Daisuke aside to talk to
him, as if I were not even there.

"Hey, check it out! Daisuke's got a date with Cinderella-chan!"

"Oh, no! Say it ain't so, man! She's not with him...he's with
her! He's a lapdog! Gotta be!"

"That's right! Daisuke! Is SHE really your date?"

Daisuke replied somberly, "She's my date."

"What's wrong with you? A knockout like that and you're
complaining? Man, I'd be caroling from the housetops!"

Daisuke turned his head to one side and hissed, "She likes girls,
understand? I take her to the park and she wants to watch other
chicks! Is that right? Am I in hell?"

"Oh, man, a lesbo! What a challenge!"

"He's right! A groovy chick like her needs some lovin' to see
the proper path! You wanta tag team?"

"Never mind," said Daisuke, aware of the growing swarm of guys
around his 'date'. "I'm gonna take her home. It's getting
late."

"You are so noble. Is it true...that she disappears at
midnight?"

"I dunno," Daisuke stopped to think, and he brightened, able to
focus on only one thing at a time. "Let's watch and see!"

"Hey, Cin-chan!" cried someone, "Wanna autograph my tongue?"

"Let's go," I said to my 'date'. Daisuke examined his depleted
wallet and agreed. I was beginning to feel sorry for him. He
would have spent his entire savings, beggared himself, even
agreed to do chores to help pay for my entertainment, and I was
tricking him. I had seen a new side of him that night.

[Serves him right,] I thought. [But, I'm gonna owe him when this
is over. When. Oh, Kami-sama, I hope it will be over, someday
soon!]

As we walked away from the restaurant, I thought about the money
he had spent. He's not as rich as a Kuno. He probably expected
some little show of appreciation, which I was determined not to
give. The two hour limit was approaching fast and I had to get
away from him. If I stood and chatted I was going to change in
front of him, and suddenly that was the last thing I wanted to
do. As I thought about how easily the girls had accepted me, I
wondered who else I might get close to, in disguise.

I stopped on a street corner a block or so from my apartment and
said, "Well, I guess it's g'bye. I had a great time. Did you?"

"Yes." He lied, looking anywhere except at me. If he had
stopped trying to act like someone else, I would have relented
and told him everything.

Then he stepped closer. I stood and looked up into Dai-kun's
eyes. Between the gleams of uncertainty and wounded pride, I
saw something else that unnerved me.

I saw something that looked like hope.

He was getting ready to pucker up. I had to get away from there.

"Look!" I cried, pointing up toward downtown Tokyo, "There's
Godzilla!"

"Where?" he looked. The old cynical Daisuke I had known would
never have fallen for such a stupid stunt. The new Daisuke, more
vulnerable, more gullible, had to look. When he turned back I
was already around the corner and gone.




THE TENDO HOUSE:

"Forgive me, Saotome, I have something to do. No time for a
match, right now," said Suon.

"Just as well," replied Genma. "I have some serious thinking to
do, myself." With that, he splashed into a panda and was soon
snoring beneath a tree near the koi pond.

"Where's Father?" Kasumi asked later.

"Out. I think he's upset for some reason," replied Nabiki. "He
has been mooning around all day."

"He keeps looking at our old family picture," Akane added.

"Oh, then he will be okay," Kasumi returned to the salad.

Nabiki exchanged glances with Akane, as if to say, 'How did she
decide that?'




END: CHAPTER THREE
James and the Bluejay
http://www.wanderway.com/cinder/ashes.htm

From: James and the Bluejay <jeeades@swbell.net>
Subject: [Ranma/AMG][FanFic] Ashes - A Cinderella Story, Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi and Viz and a whole bunch more
have dibs on Ranma et al, Fujishima Kousuke and Animeigo takes
credit for associating Urd of Norse mythology with kawaii
features and a computer engineering degree, Cinderella is an old
fairy tale, which leaves me with Hainoko and Kidori, who are
derivative and belong to everyone. Basho belongs to himself.
Not to worry, since I don't figure on making any money off this,
anyway. No gerbils were harmed in the writing of this fanfic,
although a few are still on medication.




ASHES - A Cinderella Story

Chapter Four

Drawing Closer, Getting Caught




Weave around and you may find
Fate is cruel and love is blind
Let us sweep and let us soar
Here we go with Chapter Four.


HEAVEN:

Urd stretched luxuriantly, rolling her eyes as she spoke into the
transcendental headset, "Oh, I think we can come to some kind of
an arrangement, Short, Dark and Scrawny...yes, I'm talking to
you, Loki-sama. I suppose you expect to wine and dine me, and
then call it even? I don't think so!" She added a throaty chuckle.

"Face it, Loki-baby," Urd purred into the receiver, "It was your
little prank that split them up in the first place. The way I
see it, your tail is hanging in the breeze, not the other way
around, and I will not let you forget it. Oh, yeah? Not
likely!"

The platinum-haired goddess signed off and stretched again.
"Back to the salt mines, I guess," she yawned. "Nothing on the
traces. If Marlar introduced a virus, she did it long ago, which
does not make sense. Heh. Her attention span isn't that long."

"Might as well check up on my helper," she propped her chin in
hands to peer into the wide-screen very-very-very-very high
resolution monitor.




NOT HEAVEN:

-ping-
-instructions follow-

"What is it _now_?"

-remain at present location for instructions-

"I am sick of granting wishes! I never asked for this!"

-poing-
-sensors indicate presence of demon in
present direction of travel-

"Wup. What about this way?"

-poing-
-strongly advise you do not travel in that direction-

"This way?"
-poing-
"That way?"
-poing-
"Up? Down?"
-poing-

"I give up! Which way am I supposed to go?"

-remain at present location for instruction-

"...!"

Ryoga dropped his backpack and propped against a storefront to
rest. "Let me know when you make up your mind," he growled.
With the ease of long practice, he set his mind to awaken at the
first sign of trouble and relaxed. He did not rest for long.

"Hey!"

Ryoga started out of a doze, leaning against the side of the
appliance store. Wondering what had awakened him, he looked up
and down the sidewalk and across the street. Nothing. He closed
his eyes and put his head back against the wall.

"Hey!"

The sound was coming from a television screen on display in the
store window. Holding a hand up to shade the glass, Ryoga peered
in. A platinum-haired woman, chin propped in hands, was smiling
back at him.

"You're that...what are you doing here?" Ryoga goggled.

"Hi! How's things working out?"

"Take this back! I don't want it!" cried Ryoga, yanking the bracelet
from his wrist and extending it toward the image on the screen. He
ignored the plate glass window which had been in the way and which
bowed inward, groaning with the stress. "I have been hounded
from one end of Japan to the other, because everyone wants a
wish, and I am tired! And then, every time I grant a wish I get
chased by some demon! I haven't had any rest for two days!"

"Aww," the platinum-haired goddess tskked. "I'm so sorry. Can I
do anything to help?"

"Let me stop! I demand that you allow me to quit! Since you did
this to me, I can't use my bakusai tenketsu!"

"Is that all? Don't you have a special someone you want to give
a wish to, before you give up your powers?"

"I want...." Ryoga paused. "I want to give Akane her wish. If
only she would _think_ before she wastes it!"

"Oooh," smiled the goddess. "But you have multiple wish
granting. You could give her dozens of chances! And you could
use your own...oh. You deliberately limited your own wishes!
What fortitude! You are amazing! What a tribute to your ability
in martial arts!"

"Well, I try..." Ryoga colored, embarrassed by the praise, but then
he stopped short, "...Hey, don't try to sweet-talk me out of this!
I want to quit!"

"Tell you what. Take a breather. Go back to Nerima and visit
your friends. Hand out a few more wishes. I can spare you for a
while."

"But I don't want to - "

The plate glass window straightened back to flatness, shoving
him away and back onto the sidewalk. A different platinum-haired
woman was on the television screen, advertising pet food.

"I'll show her! I'm not going anywhere near Nerima!" Ryoga
deliberately stepped off, marching toward the distant majestic
peak of Fuji, a path which, oddly enough, took him straight into
Nerima.




DEFINITELY NOT HEAVEN:

"Oh, that was fun," snarled Marlar to the short, dark, and
scrawny man by her side. "She called in a temp, just like you
said, but I can't find him. How am I going to get that PDA if I
can't find it?"

"Why do you need the PDA? You gave her the warning, didn't you?"

"She's jumping around like a bear on an ant hill!" smirked
Marlar with satisfaction. "But I'm not finished with her, yet.
Give me that remote terminal and I'll make her life so miserable
she'll weep!"

"I can't help with the PDA," said Short, Dark and Scrawny.
"However, if I were to look for temporary services, I'd say the
Temple of the Good Deed has a number in the phone book."

Marlar just grinned, evilly. "Tell me one thing," she said.
"What do you get out of this? Why do you want to mess with Urd?"

Loki examined a fingernail. "Let's just say I owe her," he said,
with a distant smile.




HIROSHI:

Lies. All lies!

Still, I had to admire the poster maker's work. He was an
artist; the poster had certainly cost me enough. He had used a
picture from a telephoto camera to create the illusion of a warm,
breathing human being, on the concert stage, smiling out from the
surface of the paper.

I knew better. The girl in the photo had not even been breathing
most of the time. She had been afraid, petrified, in fear for
her life. At least, _I_ did not remember smiling.

Hmmm. Yet, still....

So that was how the public saw Cinderella. Not bad, when I could
squelch the tiny voice of reason that kept chittering inside my
skull. If I applied my years of expertise, I could enjoy this
picture. A little too much ribbon here in front, maybe, but
someone with an airbrush.... Accckk! If I could think this,
then someone else was already doing it! I was being violated by
proxy, and I had all my clothes on!

I gathered my resolve and determined to keep my humor. Only
fools would waste their time playing with pixilated images. I
would laugh at them. I would sneer at anyone who found comfort
in distorting reality in order to support their crippled vanity.
I would...I would...I wondered if the same artist might have any
posters of Primrose at a reasonable price.

Still, I would probably attempt to maim the first person I saw
selling a picture of a nude Cinderella. After all, a man must
have _some_ principles.

Which reminded me. Buried in the bottom of my closet I had some
excellent snapshots of Ranma in a state of disdress, bought from
Nabiki, whom, I was almost certain, had taken them without his
consent. Would I have to worry about Nabiki taking pictures of
me? She wouldn't. Naaaw. Never happen. I would watch my back.

But first, I had to protect the poster. The hiding place had to
be perfect. Hainoko had a nose for my stuff. She had stolen
CDs, posters, manga, homework, and even my favorite chewing gum.
(Now that, she returned. Used. Ewwww.) I mean, how am I
supposed to keep anything when she can just walk in and take it?
Under the floorboard. Superglue the loose board. There, safe.
A ninja could not get in there. It would be my secret stash, a
guilty memory to take out and reminice about, someday when all
this would have been forgotten.

I sagged onto the sofa, bushed beyond belief. Today had been
fraught with tension, even worse than yesterday. Everyone was
gossiping about the mystery girl, Cinderella, who she was and
where she had come from. Illogically, I expected to be exposed
at any second. They could not know anything, yet my nerves were
on edge. The other students kept staring at me, probably because
I wasn't hanging around with Daisuke.

Daisuke, my old pal, my best chum, was busily stabbing me in the
back. He yukked it up in the gym, bragging to all the guys about
how far he had gone with Cinderella. In class, he winked and
made sickening faces at the girls. To make matters worse, some
of them winked back, especially Yuki and Saori, who had mentioned
that they were determined to find what secret charm Daisuke had
to attract a fabulous chick like Cinderella.

By now I realized that I had sabotaged myself by going on that
date. Then I had sealed my fate by not revealing my secret to
Daisuke when I had the chance. I would have to get him aside and
tell him the truth, before he smeared my reputation any more.


--------------

Someone was trying to beat down our door. I waited for Mom to
answer it, but she must have been out of the building. Pops was
at work. Hainoko never answered the door. That left me, and I
was bushed, beat, and feeling sorry for myself. I was still
sleepy and wanted to go back to my nap but someone was trying to
knock our door down, which was leading me in a circle, so I
answered the door.

Daisuke was prepared to pound on our the door again when I opened
it and stuck my head out. "Hey, have you heard?" he said
excitely, "Primrose is at Ucchan's!"

I wondered, muzzy headed, "What in the world is she doing there?"

"I don't know, but that's where I'm going!" Daisuke had an eager
expression on his face, along with a confidence I had never seen
before.

"Ah, man," I put on a long face and tried to look even more tired
than I was. My heartbeat had tripled and my exhaustion had
vanished, but I did not want to show it. "What's the point?
She'd never notice me! Besides, I have that test to study for.
I can't go."

Meanwhile, I was thinking. Not as myself. But in my secret
identity.... This situation _had_ to have a up side. I rubbed
at my eyes, trying to scrub away some of the sleep. I was still
groggy, for some reason. Last night had really drained me.

Oops. Last night. There was something I had to do, and I might
as well get it over with, now.

"Well, I'm going," Daisuke pouted. "Go ahead. Stay home. Break
up the dynamic duo. You are shaking the very fabric of the
space-time continuum."

"Wait," I said. "About last night...."

He lingered at the door in what I recognised as the insecurity of
guilt. With a sidelong glance he said, "You're jealous because I
stole Cinderella-chan from you. I understand. In time you will
forgive me."

"I am _not_ jealous!" I blurted.

He pressed the back of his hand against his forehead in pure
Kuno-esque fashion, "I must go forth into the cold, dark,
treacherous night, knowing that my best friend, whom I have
wronged by stealing his girl, actually thinks I did it
deliberately!"

"...Well?" The schnook had not noticed that he had dropped his
date off less than a block from my apartment. I doubt he
remembered where he had picked her up.

"It was an accident! Honest! It wouldn't happen again in a
million years! She was there, and she was all over me! Trust
me, I was saving you from her! She would have eaten you alive!"

"I don't want to even imagine what you mean by that!"

"Someday you will forgive me," he paused again at the door to
gesture dramatically. "Farewell. I must go, for Primrose calls
me. She will want me to escort her home. Another date, another
notch...."

"I'll notch your head, Dumbass! Look!" And then I said the
magic words, "'I want to be a rock star.'"

-poof-

Something clattered to the floor and rattled around. I think it
was Daisuke's jaw.

"Now," I growled cutely, "Would you like to repeat that garbage
about me pawing you?"

"Woo-woo!"

"Dai-kun...."

"Pant...pant...pa nt...."

"Zip it, will you? This is ME, Hiroshi!" My hand was invisible
to him as I waved it in front of his face, but when I stepped
around him, his eyes followed. "Do you hear? Daisuke!"

"Wow. Hiroshi. That's really you?"

"Are you better? Can you talk?"

"Did you go to China, too? I'm going to carry cold water all the
time!"

"No! Cold water doesn't work on me! I made a wish, and the
whole thing went to crap. About last night...."

"It was great!"

"That is not what I was talking about!" I tried again, "Now,
about last night...."

"I am free tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after that,
and...."

"Idiot!" I rarely struck my cohort in academic crime, but this
time he deserved it. I popped him on the top of his head with
the palm of my hand. He never even blinked. "I am not going out
with you! I am Hiroshi! I am NOT a girl!" I hit him again.

"Ow!" he said. "Well, you coulda fooled me, Hiroshi!" His eyes
went roving and he smiled a slow, calculating smile. "Oh, boy,
could you fool me. You can fool me all day, and...."

"Knock it off, willya?" I said, pushing him away. My voice was
too soft. I wanted to scream, but that would have sounded even
more like a girl. "Why are you taking this so calmly? This is
as bad as Ranma's curse!"

"Yeah," he agreed, wiping at the corner of his mouth, his gaze
never leaving the vicinity of my chest. "Bad."

"Well, I can choose when I change, and I don't have to worry
about water. But everything else is not good. I am stuck this
way for two hours."

"Two hours. Gee, that's terrible," He seemed deep in thought,
with one finger raised as though about to say something.

"What?"

"It's the answer to a prayer!"

"_What_?"

"Don't you remember? You told Ranma that if one of us could turn
into a girl, we'd be more generous than he was!" He did not seem
to notice that I had stopped to stare at him. "You're in luck!
Now you can share!"

"You have about two seconds to rethink that thought before I take
out your tonsils with a hockey stick!"

"Uh...okay," Daisuke appeared to agree, only to take off on a
different tack. He approached the subject hesitantly, as though
concerned that it might turn and punch him in the nose - which it
might have. I was getting a little irritated. "What I really
want to know is...what size are you?"

Blink. Blink. "What?"

"What are your measurements? I'd say less than Shampoo and more
than Akane, but...."

"Whaddya mean?" I gasped, "Are you a pervert?"

Daisuke looked at me with misty, hurt eyes. "Of course I am!" he
exclaimed, "What did you expect?"

"It's none of your business! Idiot!"

"Wait here! I'll get a tape measure!"

"What part of 'when hell freezes over' don't you understand?
Just forget about it!" I shoved him, protesting, out the door.


------------

I looked around after he left. No one. The place was deserted,
with the only movement my reflection in the hall mirror, which I
wanted desperately to avoid. I had almost two hours before I
became Hiroshi again, and I did not want to be alone with myself.
Also, I did not want to be around the house when my parents came
in. I shrugged. Might as well go to Ucchan's.

I suited action to impulse, grabbed a coat and hurried out the
door, feeling the outer surface of a bubble of panic. I was
going to step out into the public eye. Alone. As a girl.
Somewhere in the base of my heart a muscle quivered. So I could
see Primrose. As a girl. Oh, dear gods. I was actually
looking forward to it. I was sinking into a pit of
self-delusion.

I evaded Daisuke, who was lurking outside to escort me, by simply
running away from him. It surprised me how fast I could run,
legs pumping, arms swinging, coat flapping, past shocked
pedestrians, leaving him behind, heaving and blowing.

Yes, Primrose was at Ucchan's. So were half the students from
Furenken, making it impossible to get to the door. I took off
the sweltering hood, trying to see more clearly, wary of bumping
into Daisuke. Somewhere along the way my reason had begun to
reassert itself, and I had almost convinced myself to turn away
and return home when I ran into a familiar face.

"Yo, you're new around here, ain'cha? Y'look kinda lost."

"Ulp!" I froze, not wanting to let Ranma get a close look at me.
Not that he would have recognised me, but I was having a heart
attack at the moment, and I didn't want him to look closely.

"Oh, don't pay any attention to him," said his companion, digging
her elbow into Ranma's side. "He has to hit on every pretty girl
he meets. Hi! I'm Akane!"

"I'm...um...I'm...."

"What's with the crowd?" wondered Ranma, "Ukyo must be giving it
away free, tonight."

"Raaanma...."

"What? What'd I say?"

"You are hopeless!"

"I didn't say nuthin'...."

"I think Primrose is here," I said, finally managing to get my
jaw moving. Who could I say I was? Why didn't I just stay home
the way I said I would? Why did I have to change into a rock
star, or something? Why was I asking all these questions?

"Hey, look!" someone shouted, "It's Cinderella! She's here,
too!"

"Oh, boy," I groaned.

"Oh, of course! You're Cinderella?" Akane gasped, "Why, I've
heard about you! That's all anyone would talk about at school,
today!"

Yeah, I know. Talk about embarrassing. Oh, I did not mind it
when they talked about how well I sang, but the boys tended to
drool and the girls got this strange look in their eyes, as if
they wanted to talk about something else.

"Sing us something, Cinderella!" Suddenly I was surrounded by a
crowd. "Give us an autograph! Give us your clothes!"

"Oh, no!" I said, thinking out loud, "I've got to get out of here
before they mob me!" It did not help that I had spotted Daisuke
at that moment, and he was fighting his way through the mob to
get to me. He was being hampered by several girls who seemed
intent on getting his attention.

"Put me down! What do you think you are doing?" Akane demanded
as Ranma swung her into his arms.

"We're going around back," said Ranma. "Can't be any more
crowded than it is out here!"

With that he jumped to the roof of the building. He turned to
call back at me, "Wait there and I'll be right back!"

"Don't bother," I said from beside him.

"Wup," he said. Recovering quickly from his surprise he added,
"Nice jump."

"I find I can do all sorts of stuff when I put my mind to it," I
said, while my private thoughts raced. How did I do that? I saw
him go and decided that I wanted out of there, and up I went.
Yeah, nice jump. Three meters, straight up? I had wished to be
a rock star, not an acrobat!

Konatsu was at the back door, all smiles and gracious manners,
and he led us through the busy dining area where the fans were
elbow to elbow in the corner. It was easy to guess who was at
their center. Primrose.

Then I saw her, the most beautiful girl in the world, sitting at
the counter. She looked up from the crowd, saw me, and waved me
over.

"Hi! Over here! My name is Kidori!" she called. I floated
closer on a cloud and she asked, "Is your name really
Cinderella?"

All I could do, in response to her question, was nod my head.
She acted like a fan, but not just any fan. Without her stage
makeup on, she still looked beautiful. I was unable to speak
around my heart in my throat. It hurt when it beat so strongly.

Somehow, Konatsu arrived through the crowd and took our order,
and I said I was not hungry. Also, I was broke. I had brought
no money, having no pocket to put it in, anyway. I said so, and
ten guys immediately crowded around to offer to pay my tab.

"Uh, I don't think I ought to allow them to do that," I
hesitated, thinking of the consequences when some guy tried to
collect on his investment.

"Let them all chip in," said Kidori. She showed me a napkin and
a pen. "If you feel like it, give them each an autograph signed,
'With my gratitude.' They'll love it. Fans are so nice! Now,
take off your coat and sit down. Let's enjoy the food!"

"Yeah. Nice," I said. I had seen 'nice' from the other side of
the fence. I was beset with memories. I always had an agenda
when I was generous to a girl.

Then, without thinking, I took off the trench coat. The place
got deathly quiet and I began to think that maybe I had made
another mistake.

"That's...a nice outfit," said Kidori, her eyes widening. "Isn't
it the same one you wore onstage?"

"What there is of it," I agreed, willing the blush out of my
face. My cheeks were probably blushing as well, because I could
feel a draft. I considered placing a napkin across my lap, gave
up on that and wrapped the coat around my waist.

"But it's beautiful!" she gasped, "You're so pretty! I am
jealous!"

"There are disadvantages," I said. Particularly when you don't
want to attract attention. Having a guy call me 'cute' was
enough to give me the blind staggers.

"Oh, I heard you sing, yesterday!" she went on, "It was
breathtaking!"

"It was a lullaby! A simple nursery song. Nothing special!" I
wanted to sink out of sight. How could she sit here in front of
all these people and carry on a conversation as if they were not
there?

"The guys in the band want to record it, if you'll let them pay
you for it."

"They can have it. No problem," I waved off the thought.

Part of me asked, 'Where was my brain? How could I pass up
money?', while another part responded, 'Profit? And just who
would cash the checks?' The ensuing internal argument kept me
from noticing when the crowd started thinning out. Ukyo and
Konatsu had issued an edict, 'Paying guests, seated only.'

There are places and times when you have to ask yourself, am I in
heaven or in hell? I was in both. Simultaneously. I was face
to face with the girl of my dreams, but I was not myself.

"I loved your song, really!" Kidori bubbled. "It made me feel so
warm and loved, and I wanted to spread it to the rest of the
world. I nearly passed out, it felt so wonderful. Don't you
feel loved when you sing it? I wanted to go right out and have
my own baby. Are you choking?"

"No, no! Of course not!" I coughed.

"You have such a lovely voice, and I really ought to be jealous,
I suppose Mother would expect me to scratch your eyes out, or
something, but you just make me feel comfortable, as if I'd known
you all my life. Do you think we could practice together,
sometime? I would love that!"

"I...ah...yea...uh...I never thought about it." This was a
little too fast for me. All I wanted was to get close enough to
see her. Now she wanted me to sing with her?

"Please?" she begged, "Think about it? I've always had to
practice alone - Mother is such a stuffy disciplinarian, and I
had to keep house and clean up after everyone else, and then I
had to go off alone to practice, and I'd love to have someone to
sing a duet with. Oh! You are such a good listener! Here I've
been talking your ear off and you haven't been able to say a
word!"

"Oh, that's quite all right! Honest!" I had enough to think
about, without my mouth saying stuff to get me deeper in trouble.
I had assumed that this 'wish' thing would wear off. Now I found
that I was not in such a hurry. She would not even glance my way
while I was Hiroshi, but as Cinderella.... Another thought came,
unbidden, 'What if she likes me because I am a girl?' I
shuddered in anguish. No. I had to tell her, sooner or later,
who I was. If I could.

"Oh, no!" Kidori jumped up, "It's getting late! Mother will kill
me if I'm not back in time for my night exercises. Oh, she won't
really kill me, but y'know what I mean."

She said goodbye to Ukyo and Konatsu. Konatsu gave her a hug and
a bow. "Thanks for having me over!" Kidori said to Konatsu, "You
are so kind and generous!" Konatsu gave her another bow and held
it until she was gone.

"Sweet kid," Ukyo said, leaning over the counter. "You'd never
know she was so popular."

"Come to think of it, where are her bodyguards?" I wondered.

"Mistress Nobara does not like them," Konatsu supplied, cleaning
the counter and fastidiously preserving the unused napkins for
later service.

"Her mother must be a slave-driver," I said, and Konatsu nodded,
making a wry face.

I wrapped my trench coat around my shoulders after she left,
because suddenly there seemed to be a lot of guys with only me to
watch, and it gave me a queasy feeling.

I wanted to go over to Ranma and say, 'Hey! I know how you feel,
now! You really have it rough, don't you? Still, you wanna let
me-boy date you-girl? (wink-wink)'. But I didn't do it. At the
moment, I would die before I admitted to anyone what I was doing.
It was bad enough that I had admitted my secret to Daisuke. I
could trust Dai to not spread it about. Couldn't I?

Ukyo prepared to close the shop. "Stick around, Sugar," she told
me, "We can talk. Tell us about yourself."

"Acck!" I looked at the clock and it said that I had four minutes
left before my disguise vanished. "I can't stay out this late! I
gotta run!" Where had my two hours gone?

I stepped out the door. Voices hushed. Faces turned.

I thought I had made all my current allotment of mistakes.
Apparently I was wrong. Kidori had vanished like smoke before
anyone had spotted her, but I was not so fortunate. The crowd
saw me and converged. I heard voices clamoring for my attention,
felt hands tugging at my sleeve, patting my face, roaming over
my....

"Hey, watch it!" I snapped.

"Whatcha think I'm trying to do?" came the reply.

Behind me, Ranma and Ukyo were coming out of Ucchan's to rescue
me, but I could not wait for them. I had to get out of there in
a hurry. I leaped out of the crowd, somersaulted over one guy
and took to the rooftops until I had left them behind.

Fears that I would relapse back into myself in public kept me
running until I reached my own doorway. I was so glad to get
back in time, that I was inside the apartment before it hit me
that I was still not me.

So I tried to be cool and casual about it - walked through the
hall, up the stairs, and into my room as if there was nothing
unusual happening. Maybe no one saw me.

Except Pops. Uh-oh.

And Hainoko. Drat!

Hainoko came into my room - uninvited, of course - lugging the
Cinderella poster I had hidden away so carefully. I almost
lunged at her to grab it back before I remembered that I was
still shape-shifted.

"Is this you?" Hainoko demanded, pointing to the blue ribbon
wielding diva pictured on the poster.

"Yeah, that's me," I gruffed. That is, I tried to speak gruffly.
What came out of my mouth was softer, sweeter, and impossibly
perky. Man, I couldn't even sound rude in this form!

Hainoko stared somberly, then, as silently as she had appeared,
she disappeared.

The apartment grew quiet. I tried to calm down and be patient
for the few seconds until the change wore off.

Pops had watched me, bug-eyed, when I first came in. Now I heard
his footsteps creaking toward my room and I cringed, trying to
hide. It was a close thing - if Pops had slid the door open and
stuck his head in a second sooner, he would have seen a radiant
complexion and blue eyes in panic mode staring back at him. As
it was, he hesitated, and the person receiving his lecture was
male, pale, and inexplicably relieved.

"Don't you have any principles at all?" thundered Pops, "Bringing
a girl into this house and into your room ALONE?" The thunder
trailed off into puzzlement as he cast his eyes about the floor,
the futon, the cabinet, the posters on the wall, the closet, and
the window. "She gone already?"

I nodded dumbly, inwardly kicking myself for being so
pre-occupied as to make such a stupid blunder.

"Oh," said Pops, and he sounded disappointed. "She looked like a
hot - seemed like a nice girl. But, you should think about her
reputation before you do something stupid." He looked about
again before lowering his voice. "Just remember, kid. Don't
forget the protection."

"Heh," I scratched the back of my neck absently, and my voice
squeaked, "I won't, Pops!" as I watched the door slide shut.

Oh, man! What had I done? Now even Pops thought I was a
pervert, and I could not imagine what would've happened if Mom
had seen me!

The door slid open again and Mom entered, stage left.

"I saw the girl tiptoeing up to your room. She was so young, so
beautiful, so _in love_. To think such a liaison could be going
on in my own house!" Mom sighed with _deep emotion_. "Oh,
Hiroshi! You are growing up! I am so proud!"

Exit stage left.

"Oh, great," I groaned and collapsed.




END: CHAPTER FOUR
James and the Bluejay
http://www.wanderway.com/cinder/ashes.htm

I must not forget to thank my prereaders, without whom this fic
would have shriveled and wasted away - Lyn Daniel, Mike Allen,
Scott Rich, and Ted Holeman. Thanks, guys!

From: James and the Bluejay <jeeades@swbell.net>
Subject: [Ranma/AMG][FanFic] Ashes - A Cinderella Story, Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi and Viz and a whole bunch more have
dibs on Ranma et al; Fujishima Kousuke and Animeigo take credit
for associating Urd of Norse mythology with kawaii features and a
computer engineering degree; Cinderella is an old fairy tale,
which leaves me with Hainoko and Kidori. Basho belongs to
himself. Not to worry, since I don't figure on making any money
off this anyway. No gerbils were harmed in the writing of this
fanfic. Pay no attention to their protest lines.




ASHES - A Cinderella Story

Chapter Five

A Primrose by Any Other Name




Woven lies take us to task
When we hide behind a mask
Let us jump and let us jive
Here we go with Chapter Five.



NERIMA:

"She isn't really gone, you know."

The man dabbed at his face with a handkerchief and turned his
eyes toward the woman who had fogged into being beside him. "In
your world, perhaps," he said. "Here in mine, where I have chosen
to remain, it gets a little lonely." He nodded his head and
added, "I am honored. I did not expect you to come, yourself."

"For one of our most important - and cutest - mortals? How could
I not?" The woman looked at him more closely and said, "You have
decided!"

He took a deep breath and said, "Yes. One last glimpse. And you
are the only one who can help me see her as she was. That is how
I want to remember her."

There were few people around in the tidy park, with benches
overlooking neatly groomed flowers and bushes. The one exception
was this man sitting on one of the park benches, admiring the
flowers, with a portable television set hissing white static
beside him.

"Soon," she promised. "Right now, I am up to my...armpits...in
work. It seems someone managed to introduce a 'worm' virus into
Yygdrasil."

"Impossible! Can it be?" Any thought he had that she might be
joking vanished at the seriousness of her frown.

"Tensquare on the truthmeter - she wasn't lying. It's there,"
she said through gritted teeth. "I just can't _find_ the blamed
thing."

"Ah," the man ventured a hesitant smile, leaning back to gaze at
the manicured trees around them. "Yygdrasil, the ancient ash
tree."

"Yep," the woman said, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her
knees, taking in the quiet peace of the park. With a sardonic
smile, she added, "Yygdrasil. The original hierarchical
structure."

"As I recall my mythology," he said, "the tree has always been
under some kind of attack. Snakes in the roots, goats in the
branches. A never-ending battle, with the tree refreshing itself
from your well."

The woman stopped as if stunned. "She wouldn't have," she
muttered to herself. "But then - I believe you may have given me
something to think about," she said to the man, as she hastily
rose from the bench. The television set began to sputter again.
"Please forgive me for delaying your wish, and for my abrupt
departure!"

"Oh, do not trouble yourself on my account. I have waited this
long to see her, I can wait awhile longer," the man waved her on,
and the woman vanished. For a while he sat and enjoyed the warm
breeze, then he shut off the television, checked the time, and
left.




FURENKEN:

"Yo, Akane! Why was Mr. Tendo dressed up, last night?" Ranma
coasted into class barely before the bell.

"He just went out, Ranma. Dads do that, sometimes."

"Yeah? Mine don't. He was bored 'cause he didn't have anyone to
play 'go' with, so he tried to pick on me."

"You _were_ a little more noisy than usual. Didn't you didn't
bring an umbrella, today?"

Ranma looked back at Akane, who was covering a bookcase with
plastic, and said, "No, why should I? It ain't supposed to rain,
is it?"

"He hasn't heard the announcement," Yuki told Akane, unfolding
her own umbrella. There was a 'whump' sound as other umbrellas
opened about the room.

"What announcement?" Ranma asked. He jerked his head as the fire
alarm sounded and a fine mist briefly clouded the room.

"The principal wanted to test his new sprinkler system," Yuki
explained.

"Oh, great," growled Ranma, shaking water from her pigtail. "He
did that deliberately!" The instructor nodded wearily as Ranma
signalled for permission to get some hot water, then waited
impatiently as a male Ranma returned to reclaim his seat.

The school room quiet was broken again when Ukyo came to class
late, limping, using her battle spatula as a cane.

The instructor sought to bring order back to the furor as he
said, "Class, Miss Kuonji is quite capable of walking to her seat
without your chatter. Please return to your books and go to page
number forty-three."

Ranma leaned toward Ukyo and whispered, "Yo, wha'happen?"

Ukyo directed a melting glance toward him. Noticing the teacher,
who was watching Ranma's blatant disregard of class-room
discipline with an accelerating tic in his eye, she hissed, "I'll
tell you later, Ranchan!" As the instructor again prepared to
render his assignment, she sat upright and faced the front of the
room, entertaining visions of being comforted by her Ranchan.


-----------

"She got you, too?" Akane asked, unconsciously testing the
tenderness of the purple smudge on her own face.

"Same gal, sounds like," growled Ranma. "She challenged Akane
and Kodachi."

"She didn't say a word, Ranchan. She just hit me. I didn't even
see her, until it was too late." Ukyo reached for the security of
Ranma's strong arms, but he had prowled away from her. She
continued, "I am more worried about Konatsu. He left without
saying a word after he saw what had happened to me. I haven't
seen him since."

"Who's next?" wondered Akane.

Ranma merely opened and closed his fists, his knuckles creaking.
"Only attacks girls, eh?" he said.

"Unless she got Konatsu, too," Akane mused. "Ranma, are you
thinking of doing something dumb?"

"Whaddya mean, 'dumb'?"

"You have that look in your eye."

"What look?"

"The one you get when you are going to do something stupid and
maybe get yourself hurt!"

"Since when do you care if _I_ get hurt? I am supposed to get
myself hurt! That's how I learn!"

"Hummph! I couldn't have said it better, myself!"

"Yeah? And what would you suggest, huh?"

"What kind of plan is that? Go out as a girl and hope someone
attacks you? I've fought this monster! She's powerful! She
scared even me!" Akane stopped abruptly, put her hand over her
face and moaned, "Oh, no. Now I've done it."

"Aw, what d'ya know? Stupid tomboy. I don't care if she's built
like an elephant! I can beat her! She's only a girl!"

"Listen to yourself, Ranma. Whoever she is, she could take you
on right now, and your girl side does not have your strength or
reach."

"Ain't no girl so strong that I gotta be scared of her!" Ranma
snorted. "Except maybe you, that is."

Akane stiffened. "What do you mean by _that_?"

Ranma appeared to actually calculate the result of two plus two
and replied, "Uh, nothin'."

"I was only trying to help, and you start insulting me. And I am
_not_ a gorilla!"

"Well...I wasn't going to say that, exactly."

"That's what you usually call me! And another thing. I am _not_
unsexy and uncute!" Akane's lower lip quivered with building
rage. "I'm not!"

"Heh...one thing ya are, though."

"What is _that_?"

"Loud."

Akane suddenly noticed the circle of interested faces, and she
turned scarlet. Grabbing Ranma, she dragged him back to class,
trying to ignore smiles and laughter from observers.




HAINOKO:

"I, Hainoko, swear that Cinderella is my friend. Furthermore, I
agree to become the personal servant of Deirdre and Deirdrum for
one (1) year if I cannot get Cinderella to perform at the charity
bazaar hosted by their mother. P.S. If Cinderella or her
assigned agent does not appear immediately and agree to this,
then I am a great big liar and a cheat."

"That's not fair!" cried Hainoko. "You didn't let me read all of
this!"

"Too late," sneered Deirdre. "You've already signed it. You
swore that Cinderella was your friend. Now, prove it!"

"Or we'll tell the teacher who really brought that Cinderella
poster to school," piped Deirdrum. "She got very excited when
she found it in the lockers. If we tell, you'll be in big
trouble!"

"I can't help it," sniffled Hainoko. "Somebody told her where it
was." She looked suspiciously at Deirdrum's smug grin.

"You think you are so special!" crowed Deirdre. "I told my mother
what you said about Cinderella, and she said you were lying.
Then she said if you really knew her you could give her this
message. It's from the charity where my mother donates time.
If Cinderella replies, then _maybe_ you are telling the truth."

Hainoko folded the paper and hid it in her backpack, aghast.
She was trapped. A whole year as personal servant to those
slobs. She'd die!

She would have to ask Hiroshi to give the message to Cinderella.
She would have to humble herself and be _nice_ to him, and he
hated her. What if he refused? What if Cinderella refused? So
Cinderella had come to see Hiroshi once. That did not mean they
were great friends.

"Still," she sniffed, wiping her nose, "At least she came to
_our_ house. She hasn't gone to visit any one of them!"




IN A DARK ALLEY:

Daisuke was not speaking to me, or anyone, for that matter. He
complained of seeing me at Ucchan's and I didn't even speak to
him. Or rather, he saw Cinderella and expected her to say
something, since they had such a great time together on their
date. He never got near the door to get inside, there was such a
jam of people outside. He felt snubbed and upset about
something, so he holed up in his room while he read his manga.

I didn't know what he was so upset about. Several girls were
hanging around his house waiting for him to come out and say
'hi.' I wasn't jealous, or anything. Why should I be?

So I went out to spread my own somber mood around. No way I was
going to sit at home and brood, merely because I was stuck with
an alter ego that threatened my manhood.

I sought companionship with someone I figured could identify with
my problem. I was ready to confess all and tell him what had
happened. However, he was not at home, so I never got the chance
to discuss it. She was 'out', according to Kasumi. I found her
acting preoccupied, prowling about the streets near the Cat Cafe.

"Hey, Ranma!" I said. "Why are you sneaking around like that?"

"Shhh!!" she hissed, "I'm trying to catch someone!"

"Who? I don't see anything."

"Listen!"

I stopped and strained my ears, which was a strange feeling, but
the sum total of my hearing was the whir of tires from a passing
bicycle and a distant clatter, perhaps a stray dog knocking over
a trash can.

Ranma tilted her head slightly. She must have heard something
because she turned and said, "See ya." Then she left at a dead
run.

I was curious. I followed, as best as I could, which was not
very fast. Before I got so tired that I was gasping my lungs out
I came upon Ranma again, standing in a posture of alertness
outside an alley.

From within the alleyway I heard a thump, then an angry voice,
"Aiyah! You think you fool Shampoo with ugly mask! You will
die!" Then another thump, the rattle of a loose bonbori and a
crash, followed by a groan of pain from Shampoo.

"She's getting killed!" I panted.

"Not if I can help it," Ranma muttered as she stepped away from
the corner and leaped into the alley. In the darkness all I
could see was Shampoo facing shadows, some of which were moving,
until Ranma barreled into the middle of them. Something hit
something else very hard and very fast - blows, counterblows,
blocks and above it all the gasps and yells of three girls in
mortal combat.

Excitement drew me closer, until, suddenly, the air was filled
with howling projectiles, blowing a trash can beside me into
tatters. The flurry of pointy things whining past reminded me of
a fact of great import - I was a coward. I scrambled away from
more flying splinters and watched the scuffling shadows from the
shelter of the alley entrance.

Then I heard a sound that sent chills down my spine. Several
sounds, in fact - a splash, a yowl, and Ranma's voice saying,
"Ca...ca...ca...."

I did what any sensible person would have done. I ran like hell.

Somebody sped past me like I was standing still, except she did
not duck around the electrical utility poles at the end of the
street. She hit one dead center and knocked herself silly.
I found Ranma lying flat on her back, with Shampoo nosing her
face to comfort her.

I picked Shampoo up off Ranma, getting several scratches in the
process, and carried her away from the spot, cautioning her to go
back to the Cat Cafe. The thought occurred to me that I could
probably dump some hot water on Shampoo and bring her back to
human form, but since she would be unclothed and not in a very
civil mood, logic and self-preservation dictated that I merely
get her out of Ranma's sight. I was _not_ going back into that
alley to retrieve her clothes. Shampoo wanted to stay but she
finally thought better of it and limped stiffly home.

I never did see who they had been fighting, though I saw a darker
portion of the shadows move once, out of the corner of my eye.
Also, I think someone followed us while I helped Ranma back to
her feet. Ranma in girl form was small but solid - I did not get
to carry her or even support her, and I was too scared to try to
get a feel anyway. She decided that she had skulked enough and
headed for the Tendo dojo, while I headed for home. I kept
hearing noises, but nothing more happened.




PRACTICE STUDIO:

The next evening I went to practice with Primrose.

The Primrose Path had found an empty practice hall close to
Ucchan's, somehow, and they were using it for their rehearsals.
The band greeted me enthusiastically and introduced themselves -
Juupooku on the bass, Sakku-chan on the sax, Guapo on the drums,
and Michiro on the synthesizer. They gave me a round of applause
when I took off the trench coat, but then went back to tuning
their instruments and wisecracking back and forth about baseball
and rollerblading.

Heaven. I was definitely in heaven. Kidori and I rehearsed
songs that I know that I did not know that I knew. I heard
nothing different about my voice, but for once no one cringed or
turned the TV louder when I sang. Primrose seemed to glow with
happiness when our voices blended, and she praised my footwork.
We danced, each with our own routine, and I could dance beyond my
most outragous fantasies.

Before each number, Kidori would go centerstage and do a kind of
dance routine I did not recognize. I asked Guapo and she said
Kidori was practicing a kata, because martial arts forms limbered
her up for the dancing she had to do during a live performance.
She seemed to be somewhat stiff as she moved, however.

When she finished the song which was to be the finale, Kidori
reached into a pocket somewhere and tossed flower petals onto the
bare floor which represented the audience. I asked her where she
hid the flowers, since, like me, she had only the barest
essentials of a costume...although, in all honesty, her costume
had more places to hide stuff than did mine. She would not
divulge her secret.

"I wish I could do something like that," I said, and I snapped
thumb and forefinger. There was a -zap- and a tingle.

-poof-

A sparkling blue ribbon appeared in mid-air above the 'audience
floor' and fluttered down.

"How did you do that?" she asked, wide-eyed, while Guapo
retrieved the ribbon.

"It's a secret," I replied smugly, even as I searched the shadows
for Ryoga. My thumb was stinging from snapping my fingers. I
truly did not know where the ribbon had 'appeared' from. I had
my suspicions, but how could I have a wish answered without Ryoga
nearby?

"Look at this!" called Guapo. "It says, 'From Cinderella to
Guapo-chan'. Can you beat that? Instant autograph!"

"Who belongs to this oinker?" Juupooku laughed, holding up a
struggling black pig. "If no one claims it, I oughta invite him
for lunch."

"I think that's Akane's pet," I said. "Hang onto him and I'll
take him back home."

"Never mind, I couldn't hold onto him. He lit out when I
mentioned 'lunch'," Juupooku said, leaning forward over his
guitar. "Pop out another ribbon. I want one."

Snapping out the ribbons became easier after a little practice.
Each band member got one, plus a few extra, with names I did not
recognize. They assured me that the names were of friends, and
not a ribbon went unclaimed. One final ribbon fluttered down,
and Kidori grabbed it.

Her legs seemed to give out and she sat flat on the floor. "I
don't understand," she said with a puzzled frown. "This one says
'Hiroshi loves Kidori.'"

I almost freaked out. "Throw it away!" I blurted. "I'll try to
make another one!"

"No. I think I'll keep it," she said, very softly, folding the
ribbon away. A tiny glimmer appeared in her eyes, and I thought
I saw something like loneliness shining through, before she shook
herself and called, "Okay, break time. Let's go get some food."

After I helped her to her feet, I checked the time. For once the
clock was good to me. I still had over a half hour before I
would have to run away from the ball.

While the band opened their bentos, Kidori and I went to
Ucchan's. We went in disguise - that is, we dressed up in the
latest fad - boy's clothes - which felt weird, since mine did not
fit me. She borrowed some clothes from the band - Michiro's
silver moon suit and space boots, since he was about the right
height.

I did not explain why I happened to be carrying a pair of pants
and a shirt along - let them wonder. Every time I changed to
Cinderella my clothes had changed, too, but I was wary lest I get
stuck as a boy wearing my blue scanty outfit. Go ahead and
laugh. It has happened to Ranma.

"Oh!" Kidori exclaimed, "You look so cute in boy's clothes!"

"Heh," I blushed. "It's something in the jeans."

Our disguises got us into Ucchan's without mishap, except for a
couple of sharp-eyed urchins who stopped us and demanded
autographs. Primrose smiled graciously and complied, and I found
myself so enraptured by her grace that I signed 'Cinderella,'
without complaining, on the notepads the kids held out to us. It
felt odd, suppressing the twinge of irritation, remembering that
at one time I had actually wanted to be a rock star.

At Ucchan's I surprised her by holding her stool. She hesitated
as she sat, easing into the chair as though in pain. "I helped
move furniture last night," she explained.

[Oh. That would explain the scratches on her arm, as well,] I
thought. Seemed perfectly logical to me. "The katas didn't help
loosen you up?"

"Katas?" Her gaze was blank for a second, then she smiled, "Oh,
you mean the exercises. No. Those are Mother's idea of
relaxation. They really don't seem to ease the stiffness."

I looked around. "Where's Ukyo or Konatsu? They usually wait on
customers by this time."

"Right here, Sugar. What'll you have?" Ukyo limped up behind the
counter. Kidori jerked about at her voice, knocking over a
condiment tray, scattering bottles, shakers and sauce.

"Oh, I am sorry!" cried Kidori, gazing in horror at Ukyo's
scrapes and bruises, "I am so terribly, terribly sorry!"

"It's all right, Sugar," said Ukyo tiredly. "No problem. I'll
get another tray."




UCCHAN'S:

At the far end of the counter, a conference of war was going on -
five heads with but one thought, five hearts with but one
ambition: vengeance.

"Only an uncultured barbarian would waste their strength on
direct blows when a sophisticated twist would be so much more
effective," Kodachi spoke, imperiously. She shifted her body
into a more stylish posture, then slumped back on her stool to
brood. "For that reason, I suspected this peasant Akane, because
of the forceful attack the masked girl used."

Akane sat with her eyes fixed straight ahead, though the
countertop she was gripping began to bend. "I thought we weren't
going to get into personalities!" she said, "Or is this more of
the 'revenge of the Kunos'?"

"We all got hit, and hit hard," Ranma said, for once the
arbitrator. "Can ya think of anything that might help us figure
out who it was? I remember seeing someone sneaking about just
seconds before I went into the alley."

"And what about _you_?" Akane asked, "I thought you were above
hitting girls!"

"I didn't exactly hit anyone," Ranma replied stiffly, setting
aside his third okonomyaki only half-eaten. "I blocked."

"Airen block very good," Shampoo added with a smirk. "Shampoo
have scar to prove it, from time we fight. Macho girl want to
see?"

"Keep your clothes on, Hot Stuff," Ukyo ordered. "Let's
concentrate on the problem at hand."

"Well, I believe you, Ranma-sama," purred Kodachi.

"Since when do I gotta defend myself?" demanded Ranma. "We got
ourselves a problem!"

"Shampoo puzzled," the purple-haired girl said, "Why mask girl
attack spatula girl without warning, but challenge rest of us?"

Ukyo shook her head. "She never said a word," she said. "I also
remember seeing someone skulking about in the shadows. When I
stepped out the door to investigate, I was hit from another
direction. Then I saw that hideous mask. Afterwards, I found
flower petals scattered about." She propped her chin on her hand
and frowned in reflection.

"What sort of flowers are these?" Akane asked, "I didn't even
notice them until Nabiki pointed them out."

Kodachi fingered the petals disdainfully. "Common field flowers.
I would not even allow them into my yard. The tramp is an
uncultured boor."

Ukyo lifted her head to growl, "All you grow are black roses,
Kuno. What would you know?"

Kodachi laughed, which made everyone shift uneasily, then she
said, "I chortle at your ignorance! I know all about flowers,
Merchant. This is cowslip, an ugly plant which grows wild in the
fields or alongside the road. Another name for it is the
European Primrose."

Ranma's eyes shot wide open. "What did you say?" he yelped.

"Primrose?" Akane answered.

"But she's...." Ukyo began, and five heads turned toward the far
end of the room, where Kidori and Cinderella were attacking their
respective dishes, as they liked them.




END: CHAPTER FIVE
James and the Bluejay
http://www.wanderway.com/cinder/ashes.htm
also jeeades@swbell.net
I also wish to thank my prereaders, without whom this fic would
have shriveled and wasted away - Lyn Daniel, Mike Allen,
Scott Rich, and Ted Holeman. Thanks, guys!

From: James and the Bluejay <jeeades@swbell.net>
Subject: [Ranma/AMG][FanFic] Ashes - A Cinderella Story, Chapter Six

Disclaimer: The talented and beautiful Rumiko Takahashi and Viz
and a whole bunch more have dibs on Ranma et al, Fujishima
Kousuke and Animeigo take credit for associating Urd of Norse
mythology with kawaii features and a computer engineering degree,
Cinderella is an old fairy tale, which leaves me with Hainoko and
Kidori, who are derivative and probably belong to everyone.
Basho belongs to himself. No reference to any present or past
singing group, rock star, entertainer, or agent is intended. Not
to worry, since I don't intend to make any money off this, anyway.
Jell-O is a food substance produced by Kraft Foods.

Also, no gerbils were harmed in the writing of this fanfic. Their
trade union, however, is negotiating more screen time and a
contract may be hammered out at any time.




ASHES - A Cinderella Story

Chapter Six

Reassurances (Not)




What a tangled web we weave
When we practice to deceive
Let us waltz and let us trip
Chapter Six is gonna rip.




TEMPLE OF THE GOOD DEED:

"Basho." A voice.

In the great void, existence sundered and became two: dark and
light, black and white, good and evil, substance and naught. The
extremities twained yet again, and again, until there were
objects, color, sound, and sensation. Ages fled as life formed
in pools and pushed their way onto land, evolving in microseconds
into multicellular creatures that plunged through the ocean,
roamed the earth, and climbed the trees. One such multi-celled
creature blinked and became a gray monk within a single stone
cell.

"Basho.o.o.o...."

[Not again - ]

"Basho!"

[I am so close. I can feel the ultimate truth lying within my
grasp, like...like...like holding Jell-O in my hands while wading
in the ocean. If I answer, Sensei will distract me from my goal.
If I do not answer, Sensei will distract me from my goal. -sigh-
Decisions, decisions.]

"Basho! Wake up, you lazy snot!"

[Wait. That does not sound like Sensei. Would Sensei call me a
lazy snot? Yep.]

-whap!-

[Would Sensei slap me about and cause me pain? Yep.]

"Oh, Basho, Sweetie! Please wake up!"

[That is _not_ Sensei.] "Who are you?"

"Good! You are awake. It's about time!"

"I repeat my question. Who are you?" Basho opened his eyes and
immediately closed them, tightly. [I don't need this. Another
woman. Why must I face these temptations when my goal is so
near?]

"My name is Marlar, fat lot of good it will do you. Why aren't
you out granting wishes?"

Basho opened one eye a crack. Enough to see that the woman was
attractive in a devilish sort of way. Demoness. Good. Made it
easier to ignore her.

-whap!-

Or maybe not....

"What do you want?" he complained, "I am busy!"

"I can see that! But you can't grant wishes in this cell!"

"I had no such intention. I have called for a substitute to
handle those duties."

"Someone else has the power?"

"Of course!" snorted Basho, "A lovely person. As sweet and
gentle as a summer breeze. Very qualified." He managed to
restrain a self-satisfied chuckle.

"Drat! She brought in a real fairy god-mother! No wonder I
could not find her!"

"And now, if you do not mind, I have thirty-nine modulations to
go. After that, I will be happy to talk to you."

"Never mind, fat boy. You have answered my question. A
substitute, huh? How did she get that clever?"




HIROSHI:

"What did you say?"

"Primrose?"

"But she's...."

It happened so suddenly that I dropped the slice of octopus
okonomyaki I had been wolfing down. I was planning on heading
for the exit in less than a minute, since my time was about to
run out, when suddenly, I found I could not leave.

On the other side of the okonomyaki shop, a cluster of people had
stopped talking and turned toward Kidori and me. I heard Kodachi
shout, "That is the villainess! I would recognize that drab
hairdo anywhere!" Five people stood up and started toward us.

A freaky thing happened to me. Everything slowed down, and my
mind went into overdrive. To my heightened senses, each of the
five was bathed in a blazing color. Akane's flames were pale
blue. Somehow the yellow-white fires surrounding both Ranma and
Ukyo seemed less threatening, so I concentrated my attention on
Kodachi and Shampoo, who were both glowing a dangerous red.

They attacked simultaneously. Shampoo charged directly at Kidori
while Kodachi sprang to the side and loosed a barrage of gymnast
clubs, followed by a snaking streamer of razor ribbon, none of
which Kidori was attempting to dodge. The sinuous coils of the
razor ribbon flowed toward her like a monstrous snake, snipping
through hanging lamps, banners, and a hapless potted plant.

I stood from my stool, fascinated by the violence about to occur.
As the half dozen gymnast clubs tumbled toward us, something
clicked inside of me. There was no uncertainty, no doubt in my
mind. I was moving before I knew, yanking loose a section of the
counter top and tossing it into the path of the clubs. The
clubs, deflected, clattered to the floor. I then spun a couple
of the stools into the air to tangle the ribbon.

I am not sure how I did what I did to Shampoo - I stepped between
her and Kidori, and when she tried to get past me, I shoved her.
She flew backward against the wall and slid down to the floor,
blinking until her eyes uncrossed.

Kodachi sent more clubs, this time directed at me, and I swatted
them away reflexively. She finally got the message - that I
was knocking away anything she threw - stared at me in surprise,
and backed off.

All five of them backed off, as shocked as if a serpent had
appeared in their midst. I was shocked, myself, but determined
to stand between them and Kidori.

"What manner of insolent creature are you, protecting this
wretched villain?" Kodachi demanded.

"Cinderella!" cried Akane, "You are going to get hurt!"

There was a look in Ranma's eye that I never thought I would have
directed at me - he was trying to evaluate my weaknesses and my
strengths. As a martial artist. He was not attacking, but if he
did he would be very dangerous. Dangerous? He could kill me! I
did not have the faintest idea what I was doing, or how I did it!

The little voice in my head was murmuring something about Kidori.
Why were they trying to hurt her? What had she done to them?
And at the same time, I _knew_ what they were accusing her of
doing. They thought she was beating them up. But to do that,
she would have to be a better martial artist than they were.

The little voice said, [When I made my wish, I asked to look
better and have more talent than the greatest rock singer.
Modesty aside, she is cute, and she says I look better. She
sings wonderfully, and the band members claim I sing a little
better. She dances divinely and I held my own with her.

I just waxed Shampoo and bested Kodachi without even trying. How
good a martial artist _was_ Kidori? And could she have actually
attacked them?]

I wanted to believe that she was innocent. One look at her,
cringing away from the hostile glares of her accusers, and I
wanted very much to hear her say that they were wrong.

"Tell them!" I cried to her. "Tell them you didn't do it!"

She would not say anything, just hung her head and tried to
withdraw behind me.

Another thought was nagging me. My two hours were up. In a few
seconds I was going to revert to plain old Hiroshi and two things
were going to happen: My shameful secret was going to be exposed,
and Kodachi and Shampoo were going to make sushi out of me. Then
they would turn on Kidori.

"Hold it right there!" I cried, "Ah! I...I have to...I'm going
to...."

I did not know what I was going to do. So I did what always
worked before. I ran. I ran, lean lithe legs pumping, not for
the front door, but for the back of the building, where I had
seen a storeroom door. There was a shadowy blur in my way,
another kid holding out a paper for an autograph. The little kid
seemed familiar, but I was in a panic - autographs could wait.
I bolted into the tiny room and slammed the door before I
'poofed' back into myself. I barely made it. My school shirt
and pants rematerialized over my 'disguise', uncomfortably tight
until I could hurriedly remove the extra clothes.




HAINOKO:

Cinderella brushed past, in a terrible hurry to get to the
restroom or some other place, so Hainoko decided that it was not
a good time to give her the letter from the twin's mother.
Celebrities were terribly busy people, and when they went to the
restroom they didn't want to be pestered. And everyone shoves
little kids aside when they get in the way. Hainoko sorrowfully
zipped the messages back into her bookbag and prepared to leave
Ucchan's.

A sound called her back, a voice from within the restroom. "I
want to be a rock star! I want to be a rock star! Why isn't it
working? How long must I wait? I can't wait!"

Hainoko returned to the door and listened, saying to herself,
"Hiroshi?"

The door flew open and Hiroshi rushed past her, going back into
the dining room. Examining the vacated room, Hainoko found it
empty except for a shirt and a pair of school trousers. She
identified them as Hiroshi's, picked them up and started again to
go home, her steps slow and thoughtful.




HIROSHI:

Kidori remained at the counter, still seated and, as far as I
could tell, terrified by the martial artists menacing her.

They were surrounding her by the time I got back; Ranma was
looking nervous, as though things were not going according to
plan and he was not sure about how to handle it; Ukyo was holding
back, also uncertain; Akane was glancing about as if looking for
someone; Kodachi and Shampoo had reorganized and were closing in
for the kill, while all the time Kidori sat there with a woeful
expression and tears in her eyes.

Okay, so I did something stupid. I pushed in front of Kidori,
using my body as a shield, all the time yelling at them to stop.

Baka. Bakbakabakabakabaka.

After a few moments where I had not been reduced to a bloody
pulp, I opened my eyes. Shampoo glared over my shoulder at
Kidori; Kodachi stood back, still dangerous, evaluating me as if
I were a side of beef about to be quartered and she was
contemplating the first cut.

"Stop! Please!" I cried. "You don't know what you're doing!"
Relief flooded over me. No one was jibing me for being a
cross-dresser, and so far I still had all my body parts.

"Hold it, fellas," Ranma said, to Shampoo and Kodachi. "This
ain't no place for vendettas. No matter how much she deserves
it."

"Shampoo show you vendetta! Shampoo give Amazon kiss of Death to
masked monster girl!" I tried to stop her advance, but this time
she was too strong.

"Do not defend this creature!" Kodachi commanded, "She is the
essence of evil! She strikes unmercifully, with tremendous force
and precision!"

"Wait!" I cried, having finally remembered a discrepancy which
had been bugging me, "If she is so strong and hits so hard, why
would she stoop to throwing darts? She wouldn't need that kind
of weapon!"

"Darts?" Ranma remained angry, but at least he stopped to think.
"I don't remember any darts!"

"It was last night. You probably dodged them automatically and
forgot it when you saw...er...something to distract you." Credit
me with some sense. If I had said 'cat', Ranma would have
reacted badly. I needed him rational, at the moment.

I continued, "I was outside that alley when you went after
Shampoo's attacker. Somebody threw some darts or ninja throwing
stars, and they tore hell out of a trashcan. Shampoo was there!
She saw them!"

"The harridan had an accomplice?" suggested Kodachi.

"Look at her!" I cried, pointing to the cowering Kidori, "She's
frightened! Does that look like some kind of monster?"

"Maybe need mask to make brave," said Shampoo, but she, too, was
having doubts. Her lips, centimeters away from planting the Kiss
of Death on Kidori's face, were beginning to droop in a
disappointed pout.

"Okay, Hiroshi," Ukyo said. "You made your point. I didn't want
to believe it, anyway."

I could not describe the look Kidori gave me - it was wide-eyed
fear, disgust, horror at being attacked, I didn't know. When I
tried to get a closer look at her face, she turned away from me.
I kept thinking that maybe she had fathomed my secret and she was
ashamed to be seen with me. Surely she had noticed that the
clothes I was wearing were almost identical to the 'disguise'
Cinderella wore.

What mattered was that the others had lost their battle glow.
They weren't ready to hack and thrash Kidori into a bloody heap,
and I was not going to lose her.

Ranma's arm landed on my shoulders. "Old buddy," he said, "I
know ya like the gal and all, but that was either very brave or
very stupid."

"Brave," I suggested, as I tried to sit down. My hands were
shaking so badly I knocked the stool over.

"Yeah," Ranma said, as if he believed me. There was an edge to
his voice and his eyes were filled with unease, as though he were
thinking dark thoughts. I regretted not telling him my secret,
for now things had gotten too complicated.

"Still - " he went on, forcing a pleasant face, "thanks to you
and that gal, those two had a chance to cool down before they
hurt somebody. Where'd she go, anyway?"

"I saw her head out the back way," Ukyo said. She patted Kidori
on the arm and said, "Sorry, Sugar. I guess we jumped the gun.
I'm tired and cranky with my hired help missing."

"Oh!" cried Kidori, rousing from her fearful apathy, "Let me
help! I am good at cleaning!"

"Yeah, so was Konatsu, before he left," Ukyo muttered.

They straightened the mess and cleaned up. I knew it was time
for me to leave when Kidori moved me aside like a piece of
furniture in order to stack chairs. She wouldn't even look up at
my face. I was Hiroshi, not Cinderella. I was nobody.




HAINOKO:

Mommy was taking a nap when Hainoko got home. After putting away
her school books and papers, Hainoko fingered the message for
Cinderella. Maybe she could try again, tomorrow. Maybe
Cinderella would come back for a visit with....

Memories made her face contort in thought, of the room with one
door, where one person went in and another person came out, and
she thought, [No. This is one of those imaginary things that
teachers try to get you to forget. This is one of those
daydreams, where something wonderful happens and you get to meet
interesting people who know you and like you, but it isn't really
true.]

She sighed. Somehow, there was an explanation. Dumb, dull, big
brother Hiroshi? Just how well did he know Cinderella? Were
they really such good friends that they could both hide in the
same room together? That had to be it. Yet, if he was such good
friends with Cinderella, who was this girl he was protecting at
Ucchan's? Hainoko knew the reputations of the martial artists at
Furinken High, and she had never before seen Hiroshi risk their
anger.

She found her old hiding place, a dark corner of the hallway
where the ancestral cabinet was ensconced, there being no space
in the rest of the apartment to store it. It made a wonderful
place to sit and brood, away from Mommy's constant cleaning and
with a good view of the front room where the TV stood. She could
watch shows she was not supposed to watch, and had fallen asleep
there several times.

She was there an hour later when Hiroshi returned, slumped with
resignation. [That girl must have turned him down. The other
girls at his school are always turning him down. They know a
loser when they see one.]

In addition to having an eye to the living room, Hainoko's spot
had an ear to Hiroshi's room. She had never used it before.
Well, maybe once or twice to be certain he was out before she
went into his room for raids. But she had never used it to spy
on him. Not intentionally. This time she held her ear to the
thin wall and heard Hiroshi's muttering.

"Why doesn't it work? Any other time, it would have 'poofed' me
when I didn't want to do it. Now, when I _want_ to, it does not
work!" He chanted a phrase, almost like a mantra, "I want to be
a rock star. I want to be a rock star!"

Hainoko lost a few words when he went into the hallway, then his
voice got louder and she realized that he was standing beside her
hiding place. Holding her breath to keep from revealing herself,
she leaned forward to watch and listen.

"It has been two hours since Ucchan's! How long do I have to
wait? I want to be a rock star! I wannabearockstar! I
wannabe...."

Hainoko clapped her hands over her mouth to cover her gasp. She
was watching through the crack in the cabinet door, so there
could be no doubt as to what she saw. There could be no doubt as
to what she heard, for Hiroshi's voice suddenly climbed the scale
into a soft soprano, even as he shrank into a more shapely size.
His black and white school uniform became a brilliant blue
minidress.

"Yes!" cried Cinderella, and she pulled on blue pumps that were
suddenly at the stoop and hurried out the door, leaving it
standing open. If she had looked back, she would have seen a
younger sister standing on the stairs, eyes wide open and jaw
gaping.




HAINOKO:

There was a bird's nest in the tree outside the back window of
the apartment, near Hainoko's room. In the nest were two blue
mottled eggs, almost purple in the afternoon sun. Hainoko
finally realized that she had been staring at them for many
minutes, her jaw slack, while she tried to make the pieces of her
world fit back together again.

Hiroshi, her older, arrogant, self-centered brother, protecting
some girl dressed in boy's clothes? He was really worried about
her, and she acted as if she did not know who he was. But...
Hiroshi? Brave? But that was not the central point of her
agitation.

"Hiroshi..." she said softly, "...Cinderella?"

Already, the memory of her ornery brother vanishing and
Cinderella appearing was at war with her concept of reality, and
she was wondering if it could have been something she simply
wanted to happen.

She roused when she heard her mother call.

"Mommy?" she answered. The weakness in her mother's voice
frightened her. "Mommy!"




TEMPLE OF THE GOOD DEED:

"Basho."

[Again?]

"Basho!"

[Maybe if I say nothing she will go away.]

"BASHO!"

-whimper-

"Oh, good! You are awake."

Basho grumped to himself. [Another woman. Do I deserve this?
Twenty-four modulations to go....]

Awareness dawned and Basho ossified in great fear. [Oh, no. The
platinum-haired goddess. She has come to punish me for evading my
duty. I am in _deep_ trouble.]

"No, you are not in trouble...yet," the platinum-haired goddess
cooed at him. "I can be very forgiving. I have another job for
you. And there will be no substitutions, this time."

[I am being ordered about, like a common drudge. That is bad.
By a beautiful goddess. That is normally good, but at the
moment, it is very bad. I must maintain the gestalt presence
which I have developed through months of intense discipline. I
stand in the ebb of the ocean, holding a handful of Jell-O as the
tide surges about me, holding the truth inconsistent while it
neither attempts to remain or flee, it simply IS, and the water
of which it is constructed flows unrestrained through my mind,
held only by my concentration from disintegrating. I must
maintain that focus. I will not look upon the beautiful woman
who is ordering me around like a common drudge. I will not
look....]

Basho looked.

[...ah, well. Even common drudges are entitled to a few
pleasures, I suppose.]

"I have a task for you. It will not be easy - it will be like
finding a needle in a haystack." The goddess's smile was fixed,
much like the predatory gleam of a wolf about to attack. It was
not a kind smile.

Basho released his hold upon his focus. He sighed with
disappointment as the image blurred into mundane reality.

"Looking for a needle in a heap of straw is simple," he said.
"You do not find the needle. It finds you."




HIROSHI:

I had worked hard, changing to Cinderella, but the effort was
wasted. Kidori was not at Ucchan's. Ukyo said that she had gone
somewhere on an engagement, so I was left with an hour or so to
kill before my spell wore off. I spent most of it listening to
Ukyo.

The band members of the Primrose Path had found Ucchan's, and had
landed in force. Despite their previous bento meal they were
ravenous, and had consumed enough okonomyaki to make Ukyo richer
and tireder. She poured me a tea, pulled up a chair, and
proceeded to bend my ear about the gossip she had heard.

Once upon a time, as a group, the Primrose Path had been doing
poorly. This was due to their former lackadaisical manager and
the engagements he kept getting for them at ratty, run-down
establishments.

Then Kidori's mother had taken over their management, dropped a
couple of members and added a couple, and had brought them, along
with Kidori, into the limelight. She was a maverick manager,
shunning most agencies, and she was ruthless when it came to
scheduling her group.

Oddly, whenever Primrose was booked to open for a particularly
good group, the other band would encounter some kind of trouble
and not be able to show up, which gave Primrose more exposure and
led to more fame.

Kidori refused to talk about her mother, and the band members got
a haunted look in their eyes whenever they discussed her. Her
mother chose to remain out of sight, ruling the public
appearances but not interfering with their normal lives.

"You're Kidori's friend, aren't you?" Ukyo asked.

"Well, yes. Sorta. I hope."

"You need to talk to her. That poor kid. She needs all the
friends she can get."

"But why? She's a famous rock star! How could I help?"

"You're no small potatoes, yourself, Sugar. Although, I'll admit
I haven't heard much of you, before. How do you get away with
it?"

"Err...get away with what?"

"Being so humble and modest and shy. You should have groupies
and bodyguards and fans howling around you all the time. Yet,
here you are, chatting around my shop like an old chum."

"Oops! Speaking of the time, I gotta go!"

She laughed, "What's the matter, Sport? Are you goin' to turn
into a pumpkin, or something?"

"You would not believe," I assured her. [But then, on the other
hand, this being Nerima, she might....]




END: CHAPTER SIX
James and the Bluejay
http://www.wanderway.com/cinder/ashes.htm

From: James and the Bluejay <jeeades@swbell.net>
Subject: [Ranma/AMG][FanFic] Ashes - A Cinderella Story, Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: The talented and beautiful Rumiko Takahashi and Viz
and a whole bunch more have dibs on Ranma et al, Fujishima
Kousuke and Animeigo take credit for associating Urd of Norse
mythology with kawaii features and a computer engineering degree,
Cinderella is an old fairy tale, which leaves me with Hainoko and
Kidori, who are derivative and probably belong to everyone. Basho
belongs to himself. No reference to any present or past singing
group, rock star, entertainer, or agent is intended. Not to
worry, since I don't intend to make any money off this, anyway.

Also, no gerbils were harmed in the writing of this fanfic,
although several might have been traumatized by seeing
Cinderella's outfit.




ASHES - A Cinderella Story

Chapter Seven

Don't Look Back




Threads of laughter, threads of joy
Spun with tears by girl and boy
Let us climb the stairway to heaven
As we trot out Chapter Seven.




BASHO:

[It is simple. Take the least likely of all probabilities,
decide where is the most unlikely place for an event to take
place, and then take a random walk. Not entirely reliable, which
makes it so effective.]

Basho seated himself on the curb and inhaled. The odors of
grease sizzling on an okonomyaki grill, noodles in deep fat,
peppers and squash joining in a vegetable medley along with
sausage, beef and chicken and warm bread, drifted from the food
carts across the street. He set a bag full of their products
beside him and made himself comfortable. This might take a long
time.

[Now, to consider. I am wading in the ocean, holding the
gelatinous food substance in my hands, feeling the currents
moving the Ultimate Truth into being.] On another level, Basho
recalled that Sensei had mentioned a scroll which contained the
one true revelation of the Temple of the Good Deed. Perhaps
Sensei would let him take a look at it? If he approached Sensei
respectfully, and asked politely, he might. And then again, he
might not. Sensei was a volatile, changeable person.

[Truth has a texture. Truth has a moment of being, an eternity
which lasts only a split-second, yet which rings with a vibration
all its own. I can feel the nuances of that vibration. It burrs
at my fingertips as I move them through the mold of the gel, it
sings in my ears as I draw ever nearer, and nearer, and I can
almost feel it! It is...it is....]

"Baka! Why can't you stay away from me? You have caused me
nothing but trouble! Because of you I have known more
humiliation than I have ever had to endure!"

Basho stifled a sob of grief. [I have failed. And I have
succeeded. Which is more important? Does it matter?]

Hiroshi had his back to Ryoga, arms folded, jaw clenched. "What
about me?" he demanded, "I have been embarrassed, chased,
fondled, and ogled. I have endured hardship, too, you know!
Besides, you are the one who is always running off!"

"Well, you would run, too, if you were being chased by some kind
of spook!" Ryoga said, pacing restlessly back and forth, "Every
time I say the wrong thing, or someone makes a wish around me, I
feel this 'thing' appear!"

"Ahem," Basho said, from their side. He was solidly ignored.

Ryoga continued, "All I want is to stop somewhere and rest.
Yet, if I only _say_ the word, 'wish', something happens!"

As if to prove his point, the limbs of the tree he was under
began to move. They enfolded him while roots pulled themselves
loose from the ground to wrap about his ankles.

Hiroshi froze where he stood. While he had become accustomed to
odd sights, the creeping tree was a little too much.

Before Ryoga could rip the enfolding limbs from him, Basho
stepped up from the curb, withdrew a slip of paper from his
satchel, scratched a rune onto it with an aged bamboo pen, and
slapped the paper onto the tree trunk. Instantly the branches
released Ryoga and collapsed back into their former positions.

"What was that?" demanded Hiroshi, "That tree moved!"

"Tree spirit, under the command of a demoness," explained Basho.
"Simple to take care of, if you know what you are doing."

"This is what I have to endure!" Ryoga said, then to Basho, "I
don't know how it happened, but I think you had something to do
with it!"

The monk shook his head. "Many times you have irritated me. I
would say that you are a burden upon my soul and a trial to my
spirit, but I am forced to admit a responsibility. Therefore I
will try to help you as much as I can, but you must learn to keep
your mouth shut about your task. You know who commands this."

"You are the one provoking me!" Ryoga responded. He was brushing
at his arms and legs, as if he could still feel the branches and
roots imprisoning him. He added reluctantly. "But, since you
helped me, thank you."

"Who are you?" Hiroshi asked of Basho.

"A humble student, like you, striving to find truth in a world
that is much, much too busy."

"He knows about the...." Ryoga said.

"He knows about the...?"

"Yes."

"He knows you can...?"

"Yes."

"And about her?"

"No, not that."

"How much does he know?"

"That I can...even though I don't want to...and he has a...still
going on right now."

"What?" Hiroshi stood between them, head snapping back and forth,
following their conversation.

"Then he can...."

"No."

"Does he...."

"Yes."

"What are you guys talking about?" Hiroshi demanded.

"You'll have to read the manual," said Ryoga, and he departed for
Tokyo via Hokkaido.

Hiroshi was hot on his heels, determined to have some answers.




BASHO:

Basho was digging into the bag for another sweet bun when a dark
cloud -whoomped- into existence in the street before him. Marlar
stepped from the concealment of the dissipating vapors and faced
him.

"Where is she?" demanded the demoness, "Where is that sweet,
sickeningly nice do-gooder of a fairy god-mother?"

There was a sesame seed cemented to his cheek in a honeyed paste.
Basho caught it with a fingertip and delivered it into his mouth
before he stood and spoke.

"I cannot allow you to harass my charge," he said.

"Me? Harass? Oh, you haven't _seen_ harassment, yet!"

Basho flipped the remainder of his bun into the bag and deposited
it at his feet. "Therefore, I must stop you before something bad
happens!" he said.

He began scribbling the powerful glyphs of goodness that he had
learned at the Temple of the Good Deed into the air. "I call
upon the forces of goodness and light! You will transform! You
must turn into a good person!" A marshmallow cloud appeared
above the demoness.

-whump-

"Arrgh!" screeched Marlar as her hair changed from blond curls to
stiff gray and her face withered into a hideous old woman. "I am
a demoness, you idiot!" she screeched, "I am allergic to good!"

"Oops," Basho mumbled contritely. "Heh. Sorry about that!" He
edged away from the furious hag who had began to glow a dull,
angry red.

"It will take me all day to get this ick off me!" rasped the
hag's voice. "Let me encourage you to re-appraise your
abilities! You are not yet ready to take on even a demoness
second class!" She snickered menacingly and gestured, and Basho
found himself snared in a vat of rancid honey. "Eat your way out
of that!"

Mired in the sticky goo, Basho mourned, "I am never going to be a
do-gooder until I finish the modulations and achieve the right to
read the Temple's most treasured scroll!"

"Little prints of niceness all over the place! She left a trail
a blind imp could follow," said the hag. "I will catch her and
make her my slave! I can use a few wishes, myself!"

"I will stop you!" cried Basho, but his pursuit was a sticky
crawl.




HIROSHI:

I never meant to find out Ryoga's secret. It just happened. One
minute I was following him through the park, absolutely no one
around except him and me. Then the sprinklers came on, and there
was only me. Oh. Me and this little black pig, who happened to
have a yellow bandana exactly like Ryoga's, and a charm bracelet
around his neck. That is how I found out.

"Wow," I shook my head. "Bummer. Double plus ungood, old chum."

"Buee?"

"Yeah. I suppose you got it the same place that Ranma got his?"

"Buee."

"Man, that's terrible," I said, in sympathy. "I mean, you are one
ugly pig. Why couldn't you change into a beautiful babe like
Ranma?"

"Buee!" Ryoga-pig was trying to get to his charm bracelet, which
was not easy since it was around his neck.

"Let me see that," I said, removing it and holding it in front of
him. "Is this what you want?"

"Buee." He seemed to be reading something on one of the plates of
the bracelet. Looked like shiny metal to me. "Buee!!!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Buee! Buee!!"

"Are you trying to tell me something? Squeal once for yes and
twice for no." I once saw this movie from America, about a dog
with long brown and white hair, and the dog had tried to tell his
master that someone was trapped in the mine and the only way he
could make his master understand was to bark.

"Buee!" Ryoga-pig also stomped his feet, to emphasize his point.
On top of my head. Ouch. Maybe he hadn't seen the same movie.

"Stop that!" I cried. "Look! If you are like Ranma, all we need
to do is find you some hot water. There should be some water up
ahead."

He took off, going the wrong direction, frantically squealing.
I could not keep up with him.

I could not understand at all. It was plain that I would never
be able to communicate with him until I could change him back,
and he was determined to go away from the hot water. If only I
could catch up and find out what was bothering him. A light came
on, a blinding flash of insight.

I blinked and moved away from the street lamp which had switched
itself on early.

"I want to be a rock star," I said. Might as well get it over
with. Anyway, I had other powers while I was a 'rock star'. I
glanced down at my scant clothes and was glad that the park was
empty. Then, I set out to catch Ryoga and find out why he was so
frantic.

The trees in the park were perfectly normal, so Ryoga could not
have been worried about them coming to life and grabbing him. He
darted for a fence, ignoring the standard entrance. I bounded
after him, almost snagging his bandana as he jumped the stone
wall. I was puzzled. He passed shops that would have had
kettles of hot water ready to pour.

"What are you running for?" I asked, winded and irritated. He
only looked back and redoubled his speed. Another light came on,
but I dodged it. He wasn't running _to_ something. He was
running _from_ something. Another light. He was not running
from me.

I looked behind me. A gruesome hag was hot on my heels.

The sight frightened me so much I forgot that I had magical
martial arts skills. All I could think to do was run, and run I
did. As I passed Ryoga, I called back to him, "What are you
waiting for?" He merely lowered his head and ran faster.

We entered the marketplace, a maze of interwoven streets and
alleys with booths, stalls, okonomyaki stands on the side
surrounded by tiny tables and stools, flower vendors, grocery and
garden shops, meat vendors (which Ryoga avoided), and many, many,
avenues of escape. She would never get us there. I motioned to
Ryoga to head down the main courseway, then we cut right.

She was waiting for us. We 'yeeped' and headed back the other
way, pelting down the stone pathway into another alley. Again,
we were too late.

At last I remembered my strengths. I decided to confront her.
She was only an old lady, but she scared the stuffing out of me.
I faced her directly and demanded, "What do you want?"

She pointed at the charm bracelet I had taken from Ryoga and
cackled. "I want that, Dearie!"

"No way!" I shouted. I batted her hand away, and it was like
hitting a steel bar. She was very strong. I jabbed at her
hideous beak of a nose, and my blow was blocked. She was very
fast. My stomach rolled. She was also very ugly.

"You'll give it to me!" she shrieked, "You'll give it to me,
or...."

"Or what?"

For answer, she turned her gaze to Ryoga. With eyes like steel
marbles she said, "Why, I'll cook your pet pig, here!"

Ryoga-pig gulped and ran. It was an excellent demonstration of
the action one should take when faced with a powerful,
implacable, not to mention ugly foe. I did likewise.

Again, she was hot on our heels. No matter which alley we took,
no matter how we twisted and turned, she was right behind us. At
last, we had to stop, trapped in a dead-end. We were cornered,
brick walls on three sides.

She occupied the entire width of the alleyway, her tattered cloak
spreading stiff and razor sharp so we could not get past her, no
more winded than if she had taken an evening stroll.

Smiling evilly, she clasped her clawed hands and cackled, "Now I
have you, my pretty! And your little pig, too!"




TOO GLOAT:

"I wish this had never happened!" I called out, and the tableau
froze expectantly. Nothing happened, hard and fast, and it went
on not happening. I gulped.

The witch lady glanced about and rasped a cackle, "You can't wish
for yourself, Dearie! That only works for the person you give
the wish to!"

"Drat!" I said. I was sure that Ryoga granted wishes. Where
could I have gone wrong?

"Now, give me the little trinket, and we'll call the whole thing
off. I won't have to reduce you to your component molecules, and
you won't have to spend years in some beaker in my laboratory."
She smacked her lips. "And, oh, yes. Maybe I'll turn your pet
loose...IN A RESTAURANT!!"

Her icy gaze speared me and I tried to shake it off. Attacking
her seemed insane...it had not worked before. Still, I had to
give it a try. I jumped toward her, aiming a kick at her face.
She cackled again and easily caught me by the heel, holding me
upside down.

But while she was distracted, Ryoga made a flying leap that
almost took my hand off, grabbing the bracelet. The hag dropped
me on my head and snatched at him, but he evaded her.

Ryoga bounced off the bricks into a corner. He then shoved his
snout through the wrist-band of the bracelet, which expanded to
fit his neck. To me, he said, "Buee!"

"What?" I said, climbing to my feet.

"Buee! Buee!"

"One for yes, two for...."

"Buee!"

"You're wasting my time with your trained pig routine!" snapped
the old hag. She suddenly widened her eyes, "You're...hold it!
You're not the agent! _He_ is!"

"Buee!" said Ryoga smugly, looking at me with expectation.

"But if he's the wish-pig..." she sputtered, and as Ryoga flashed
a very indignant frown - for a pig, that is - she pointed at me,
"...then what does that make you?"

I grinned hugely, saying, "I'm guessing it makes me one dangerous
son of a...wait, that's not right...it makes me...anyway, you're
in trouble!"

The hag was wasting no more time talking. She was readying a
spell, judging from the putrid green clouds appearing about her
hands, so I hurriedly added, "Iwishyouwouldgoawayandleavemealone!"

"You haven't seen the last of me!" she shrieked as she melted
into a puddle. "Who'd have thought you would use a pig? Urd,
Urd, you baka! Your spells have never worked...."

-poof-

"We beat her!" I was so happy, I did a victory dance. I grabbed
Ryoga and hugged him to me in glee. Then I noticed that he was
struggling to get away, his eyes glazing over. He was aware of
something I had forgotten in my joy. I was still shifted, and I
was holding him tight against my...I had forgotten that
Cinderella had very prominent...my chest was fuller than I was
accustomed to, and....

"Aw, gross," I hissed and dropped Ryoga before he nosebled all
over my dress.

He staggered to his feet and turned to stare at the mouth of the
alley. I whipped around, expecting to see another foe, but what
I saw was shopowners and vendors. Angry shopowners, whose stalls
we had run through.

"Ohboy. I hope they're fans," I said, but Ryoga merely grunted.

It turned out okay, though. I did a song and dance routine, the
shop owners applauded, and we walked away. We walked fast,
because one baker kept hinting that we could help him replenish
his supply of pork buns.




HIROSHI:

I walked home slowly, kicking at stones and feeling melancholy.
After talking to Ryoga and seeing that tree come alive and go
after him, and then getting chased by an old witch, I was also
feeling a little nervous. What else could go wrong?

Mom was not home. Nor was Pops, or Hainoko. There was a note on
the table, in Mom's handwriting but weak and trembling, "Clinic.
Hurry."

I ran.

Pops was in talking to the doctor when I got there. They did not
know I was there. The doc shook his head and counted tiles on
the floor while Pops ranted, "Are you sure? But she's only...at
her age? Why her?"

Again, the doc shook his head. He was not smiling. "You will
have to consider the other children," he said. "They need to be
told."

"Have you forgotten?" Pops cried, "What if it finds out?"

"Then you'll have to - " the doctor began.

I burst into the room and watched the doctor slap a porcelain
smile onto his face. "Where's Mom?" I asked, and the doctor
began to tell me how she was all right, she had only suffered a
bad cold, and she would be up and about in no time, and she was
in such good health. All the time I could see in his eyes that
he was not telling me everything.

His nurse came in and I could see Mom lying on a bed in the other
room, so I pushed my way to her side.

"She's been sedated," the doctor said. He hurried me away from
the bedside, saying, "She nearly collapsed because she has not
been eating right, but she is fine, now." I was shuttled outside
before I could think of any argument, and Pops sent me home with
conflict brewing in his eyes. He wanted to say something, but he
would not.

Hainoko wanted to stay at the clinic, and I had to drag her home
bodily. Even when I fixed her some dried cereal she cried and
moaned, "I want to see Mommy!" She shied away from my grasp and
whimpered, "She's dying! I wannaseemymommy!".

"I told you, she's only got a bad cold. She does not want you to
catch it, so you can't go in to see her," I said. Maybe I was
trying too hard to be positive, remembering the doctor's
expression. Mom was all right. Everything was fine. Wasn't it?

I decided maybe also I was being too hard on the little brat.
"Listen to me. If you want, I'll take you back to the clinic. You
can stand at the door and wave at her. You'll see. She is fine,
she just needs some rest."

"I don't want to wave at her! How do I know that is really her?
That's somebody pretending to be Mommy so I don't know she's
dying!"

"Who else could it be? What's the matter with you, Packrat?"

"Don't call me that! You know I don't like it! I want to be
with Mommy!"

"Well, you can't. Go play with Yoriko." It was only later that
I remembered that Yoriko and her family had gone on vacation, and
that meant Hainoko could be roaming around anywhere.

She sniffed back tears as she left, probably heading for the
playground. From the doorway, she shouted, "You don't care! You
don't care what I want!"

I sighed as calm settled over the apartment. [She's such a
snotty little twerp. Where did she get the idea that Mom could
be someone else?] While she was out of the apartment, I used the
opportunity to snoop in her room, looking for my Cinderella
poster that she had taken.

Then I got a shock. Among the mound of trinkets and personal
items on her dresser was a paper, and it started, "I, Hainoko,
swear that Cinderella is my friend."

I let out a groan, "Packrat, what have you gotten yourself into?"

My little sister had been going around, bragging to everyone that
she knew Cinderella! Well, in a way, she did. But she had no
right to make promises like this! I read farther, my heart
sinking. Personal servant? Impossible! And they expected me to
sing at their mother's bazaar? "Packrat," I added, "what have
you gotten ME into?"

I could take the stress of performing in front of a huge
audience, though it was exhausting work. They were always at a
distance. There was a fog of unreality between me and the
screaming fans, and they could not touch me. I was an actor in a
costume. I could dress like a girl and be applauded, even if it
offended my sensibilities. That was show biz.

Charity benefits meant small, close, intimate meetings. One on
one with fans scared me, because they expected me to be what I
looked like, and I refused to degrade myself by acting like a
girl.

Now this. Great. Just great. I would simply go down and tell
them to forget it, except then I'd have to explain how I, too,
knew Cinderella. I could go to them as Cinderella, but then I'd
have to explain why I was refusing to perform at a charity,
without sounding stuckup and arrogant.

My head throbbed as I rested it in my hands, trying to think of
a way out. I did not want to have to face these people!




NABIKI:

"She's called the 'Cinderella Singer', because she vanished at
precisely midnight the first time she sang," Satchiko said as she
slid the cassette into the VCR. "No one knows who she is, where
she came from, or where she goes. Here is a video of her running
into a crowd just before she disappeared. She never came out."

Nabiki watched the video, slowing and pausing it as the scene
played out, Cinderella merged into the crowd, and then the crowd
dispersed to reveal only a few students. She tapped her teeth
with a pencil eraser as she thought, rewound the tape, and zoomed
the image. Eventually, she pushed back her chair. "That's
great, Satchiko," she said, "Good stuff, here. Excellent
detail."

"Thanks, Nab-san. Always glad to help a business colleague,"
Satchiko said as she reloaded the camera. "Any idea what the
school assembly tomorrow afternoon is about?"

"I heard that Principal Kuno had something he wanted to present
to the school, which is why he gave everyone a day off to prepare
for it. Whatever. Anyway, I have someone to visit."

"It is probably a new test to 'improve' morale," Satchiko grinned
sourly as she left.

After she was alone, Nabiki leaned back and smiled a Nabiki smile.
She purred, "Yep, it's always good to call on old friends."




HIROSHI:

Pops came home late the previous night, and then took the morning
off to stay with Mom, while I sent Hainoko, protesting, off to
school. With my own school postponed until tomorrow, I settled
down to stare at the walls.

It happens once in a hundred years. Maybe more often, but you
get my drift. It was a rare occurrence. Someone knocked at the
door, and when I went to answer it, it was Ryoga. I grabbed him
and pulled him in before he could ask for directions to Furinken
or the Tendo dojo.

"I have another wish!" I cried. "I wish my mother was healthy
and well! You gotta do this! And then I want out of this trap!"

We both waited, but there was no answering rumble.

"It's not working! Why?"

He pried my hands loose from his shirt. "I am sorry about your
mother," he said. "But you know I can't control these wishes."

"But can't I ask for something? Anything? I've got too much to
worry about. My Mom is sick! My stupid kid sister saw me as
Cinderella and told someone and now she has promised that I will
meet with them and she will be in trouble if I don't! I don't
want to stress out Mom, worrying about this, and I need someone
to help me meet with these people, to handle all this stuff!"

Ryoga groaned. "Is that a...."

"Yes! I wish for an agent to help me!" I knew, somehow, that my
wish was unwise. Troubles are placed on this earth to teach us
how to cope for ourselves. We should not expect others to care
for us. I knew, and yet I wished anyway.

-poof-

There was a rumble. Seconds later, the door swung open.

"Did someone call?" Nabiki asked, cheerfully.

"Someone shoot me," I groaned. I was doomed. Dee Double-Oh
Doomed!




END: CHAPTER SEVEN
email: jeeades@wanderway.com
http:/wanderway.com/cinder/ashes.htm

Fro m: James and the Bluejay <jeeades@swbell.net>
Subject: [Ranma/AMG][FanFic] Ashes - A Cinderella Story, Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: The talented and beautiful Rumiko Takahashi and Viz
and a whole bunch more have dibs on Ranma et al, Fujishima
Kousuke and Animeigo take credit for associating Urd of Norse
mythology with kawaii features and a computer engineering degree,
Cinderella is an old fairy tale, which leaves me with Hainoko and
Kidori, who are derivative and probably belong to everyone. Basho
belongs to himself. No reference to any present or past singing
group, rock star, entertainer, or agent is intended. Not to
worry, since I don't intend to make any money off this, anyway.

No gerbils were harmed in the writing of this fanfic, which is a
wonder, since they have been doing all their own stunts.



ASHES - A Cinderella Story

Chapter Eight

Someone to Care For




The time we really feel the pain
Is when we weave against the grain
I feel fine and you look great
We're gonna boogie with Chapter Eight.


HIROSHI:

Nabiki slapped an official looking parchment onto the table and
demanded, "Explain this to me. I didn't sign this thing, but it
has my name on it!"

I was trying to swallow my upset, still not prepared for the way
that she had appeared out of nowhere, immediately after I had
made my wish. "It's sort of complicated," I hemmed.

"Take your time. I want to hear this. Why does both your name
and Cinderella's name appear on the signatures? And why are they
both in the same handwriting?"

There was no escape. I had to tell her. "We're kinda the same
person."

"Oh?" Nabiki raised her eyebrows in mock concern. "Are you
coming out of the closet on us? I saw the video where Cinderella
disappeared and you strolled onto the camera, but you did not
look like the same person. I was on my way over here to ask you
about it when I found this contract in my hands."

I looked to Ryoga for help, but he was busy trying to slink away.

If Nabiki had appeared in answer to my wish, then she would have
to be told the truth. But how could we keep her from blabbing? I
decided to take a chance.

"I want to be a rock star," I said.

-poof-

I will give Nabiki credit for this. Her eyes only bulged for a
second before greed clicked in.

"We need to discuss how much you are willing to pay to keep the
whole school from hearing about this," she said, with a predatory
gleam in her eye. She began to list the possible customers she
could approach. "There is already a Cinderella fan club in
Furenkan. Most of the boys would want to know of this, and...."

-ping-

I will give Nabiki credit for this. Her eyes only bulged for a
second before greed clicked in.

"How much are you willing to pay to keep me from telling the
whole school about this?" Nabiki smiled with predatory
anticipation as she said, "There is already a Cinderella fan club
whose members would be very...."

-ping-

I will give Nabiki credit for this. Her eyes only bulged for a
second before greed clicked in.

"How much are you willing to...."

She stopped, eyed me aslant, and asked, "I've been through this
before, haven't I?"

As I explained that I had made a wish (without mentioning Ryoga)
and the consequences thereof, I felt a weight lifting from my
shoulders.

Nabiki eyed Ryoga, who was trying to blend with the wall, then
turned back to peruse the parchment. "So you ran into some
magic!" she spoke the word as if it were dirty. Holding the
contract between thumb and forefinger, she added, "This thing is
magic, too, isn't it?"

"Yep," I grabbed a towel. "Man, am I sweating!" I complained.

"Glowing," Nabiki corrected, still holding the document by the
corner.

"What?"

"Men sweat. Girls glow. I read about it in a magazine."

I wiped my glowing brow. It still got the towel wet.

"Hmmm," she hummed as she read. "There is a clause, here. It
says that I get a percentage of your gate, only.... " The
remainder of her words were unprintable, spoken in cold fury.

"Only....?"

"...Only if I never, ever, tell anyone about this. I can only
talk to people who ask for you, I can't go out and promote new
business. And I don't get paid until I prove that I can keep
your secret, or you retire...whichever is sooner," she frowned.
"I think I get it. If I try to profit from this transaction,
other than as a representative, I get recycled!"

"That is the way it looks," I admitted, with great relief. There
was a way. Use her own strength against her. How very 'martial
arts!' I was safe. Nothing to worry about.

"Right." She turned an inquisitional eye on my petite frame and
drawled, "Okay, 'Roshi-kun. What's in it for me?"

"Er...for you?"

"Right. I don't work for free."

"But I thought - " I hemmed again, stalling for time. All I had
wished for was an agent, someone to represent me. Did I have to
ask for some way to pay her, too? A tiny sound interrupted my
worry.

-ping-

Nabiki read the bottom of the page, where a new paragraph had
appeared. "Okay. I get concessions and Tee-shirts. That might
help. But it is still not enough. Too much work. There is one
more thing I would like to ask for."

-ping-

"That's better," she mused. "It read my mind! A full session?"

-ping-

"Wait a minute!" I cried, my voice sounding like the opening aria
for a dulcet opera. "What's this about a session? What kind of
session?"

"Full centerfold," Nabiki was smacking her lips in anticipation.
"Enough for twelve months?"

-pong-

"Sure, I'll give up the group sports shots, if we can do a beach
setup."

"Don't I get any say, here?" I yelped, prettily, "The only kind
of a session I know about is a photo session, and if you get
that, it means...."

Nabiki gave me a long, lingering smirk, complete with raised
eyebrow. It was enough to make my blood run cold.

"I won't do it!" I declared.

"You've already signed it. Twice," Nabiki was purring like a cat
with a bowl of cream.

"I'm doomed!" I groaned, but I knew when I was beaten. "Okay.
Okay. Now, do you accept?"

"I'll have to think on it. That's a lot of work for very little
money. Not to mention that I would have to throw in lessons on
being feminine."

"I don't want to be feminine!"

"But you said you went to see that singer, Primrose. She thinks
you are a girl, but she won't be fooled for long if you keep
making mistakes."

"I'm not making any mistakes!"

"Oh, yes, you are. You shuffle when you walk. You talk too
loud. You stand as if you expect to be assaulted. How long do
you think you can get away with this charade?" she countered,
"You don't know the first thing about acting like a girl!"

"I'll...I'll bluff it out. I'm supposed to be a rock star. They
don't have to act normal!"

She looked me over slowly, all the way around, blue coat with
tails and semi-transparent blouse and all, until she came to a
stop in front of me. With her finger a millimeter away from
prodding my breast, she gave me a predator's grin. "You're not
comfortable with this, are you?"

"No! No, I am not!"

"I'll arrange in interview with Ranma. He'll help guide you
through the worst spots. Underwear and all that."

I felt as if the floor had been cut out from under me. "You
can't tell him!" I cried, dismayed that my objection came out as
a girlish squeal. I grabbed the doorknob ahead of her, to keep
her from leaving. "I'll do it myself!"

"Fine. When?"

"Ah...when I'm ready."

"Right. Any year, now."

"Well, I'm not ready, yet! Okay?"

"Very well. Because you interest me, I'll stay on. Although, I
don't mind telling you, this contract would never stand up in
court!"

"Fine! Just throw it in the trash!"

"Oh, I can't do that! The payoff could be terrific! But if I
can't arrange for you to work paying gigs, where's the profit in
that?" Her mind was working furiously as she headed for the
street. "There has to be some way!"


---------------

I watched her go, feeling like a swimmer watching a departing
shark. She was scarcely out the door before I cornered Ryoga.

"You have to help me with my mother! Can't I wish something?"

"I'm very sorry about your mother, Hiroshi, but there is nothing
I can do about it. Maybe she'll get over it without magic,"
Ryoga said.

"You are right. I am being silly. I don't know how bad it is.
But I have this awful feeling - "

I could not get over the way Pops and the doctor had shut up when
I went to see Mom. They had given me that strange look. Come to
think of it, Mom had given me a strange look. Was I changing?
Was I growing fangs and long ears? What was the matter with me?

Ryoga was hoisting his backpack, preparing to vanish into the
incredibly complex maze that was a simple street. "I didn't ask
for this responsibility!" he said. "Sometimes, even when I really
want to help, nothing happens!" He shut up as Nabiki stuck her
head back in the door.

"Hi guys! I forgot my valise!" Nabiki said cheerfully, grabbed
it and hurried back out. When she halted on the stoop to greet
someone, I remembered that I was still an underclad girl.

"Oh, no!" I gasped, "Pops is bringing my mom home! I can't let
her see me like this again! Don't tell her I was here!"

"Don't ask me to lie for you!" Ryoga growled at me, "Can't you
face your own parents?"

"You don't understand! My mom thinks I am dating myself!"

He blinked. "She does?"

I called back to him as I hurried out the back door, "Here she
comes! Remember! You didn't see me, okay?"

"I am still not going to...Oh, hello, Mrs. H!"

With Pops dancing attendance, Mom entered, stage right, emoting
_pleased surprise_, "Why, you must be Ryoga, one of Hiroshi's
friends!" Mom loves an audience. I don't think Ryoga knew what
to make of her. He stammered and scratched his neck and tried to
be polite, but Mom just grasped him by the elbow and chattered,
"I am _so_ delighted to meet you! Tell me, what do you think of
Hiroshi's new girl friend?"

"Girl friend?" Ryoga looked like a cat near a birdcage, with
feathers in his teeth. Pops appeared to have swallowed something
larger and with claws as he gasped for air.

"Oh, yes!" Mom looked about, "She is such a sweet thing! Why,
she was right here a moment ago!"

"Ah! No, no, didn't see anyone! You must be mistaken!" Ryoga
scrambled to make his escape.

Mom came into the kitchen, but I had already ducked out the door
and fled down the back stair. "That's odd," she mused, "I could
have sworn I saw her."

Ryoga caught me before I reached the end of the block. "What did
you tell your mother about your wish?" he demanded, holding me by
the collar.

"Nothing! I don't want to tell her anything!" I complained
sweetly as I wriggled in his grasp. "She'd tell Pops, and Pops
would kill me! He hates sissies! The only ones who know are
Nabiki and Daisuke, and I am sorry I told them!"

"Hmph," said Ryoga, as my feet scratched for purchase. "You
should count yourself lucky, and be glad you have any friends! I
would think that you would cherish the relationship you have with
your pal, Daisuke!"

"Cinderella! I have been looking for you!" came a voice down the
street, from a friend whose relationship I had always cherished.
Up to a point. That point was rapidly approaching, with the
force of an aircraft coming in for a carrier landing.

"I gotta go," I said. I twisted about, broke free from Ryoga's
grip and fled down the street. Daisuke was in hot pursuit,
holding a length of ribbon marked in centimeters.

"Wait!" Daisuke was crying, "This won't take a minute!"

"No!" I cried, "Nononono! That is too humiliating!"




NABIKI:

Nabiki entered gates shimmering with polished stone, past a tidy
lawn being tended by a harried groundskeeper in neat but
threadbare clothing, and up the steps of a mansion pillared with
imported marble. She knew it was imported because it still had
customs tags plastered conspicuously over it.

"This looks impressive," she admitted. Impressive, too, was the
demeanor of the servant who answered the door and escorted her
into the parlor, although the old man's frock coat appeared
frayed at the cuff.

Nabiki was thinking of other affairs, however. "These people
have money," she said to herself as she waited, looking about the
parlor at the expensive appointments. "Terrible taste, but lots
of money to throw at the decorators. I'll simply have to arrange
to have them throw some at me."

In a moment, the same servant appeared, wearing a different but
equally worn coat. "The mistress of the house will see you,
now," he announced, and led Nabiki into another room.

"Who is it?" asked a bosomy woman, looking up from tending her
aquarium.

"A young lady, Mum," responded the servant. "I believe she is
here about the entertainment."

"Oh, excellent!" breathed the lady, "My dears were telling me
that you were going to sing for the 'event'."

"Whoa, no!" Nabiki sputtered, "Not me! I represent someone who
has asked me to negotiate."

"Negotiate? I have money! I pay generously, I never bicker!
Who is this person whom you represent?"

"Cinderella. You may not have heard of her. She is very new."
Cash registers were playing a concerto in the back of Nabiki's
mind. [Never bicker? Let's see if we can raise the threshold,
then!]

"Oh, excellent! I love fairy tale singers! Is she any good?"

Nabiki gave her a tight smile. "I represent only the best."

"Then she can start immediately. I will require that she attend
my evening meals. When she is not singing, she can help serve
the guests. There is a spare room where she can stay in between
performances."

"I don't think you understand exactly what my client does,"
Nabiki began, noticing that the same servant had reappeared to
pour tea, wearing a different, but equally worn, uniform.

"Nonsense! She is an entertainer for hire, isn't she? I believe
that every person should earn every penny that I pay them, and
when she is not singing, she can keep busy. A yen saved is a yen
earned, my dear, departed husband always said."

Nabiki was tapping her toe against the elegant teakwood coffee
table, which still had the price tag affixed in a prominent
position. "My client is a rock star," she said, in a measured
voice. "She sings. While she is not singing, she has a life."
The fact that said life consisted of being a boy pursuing a
fulltime career in Furinken High School was not a factor that she
was prepared to discuss. In fact, the more she thought about it,
the less she wanted to say about Hiroshi's activities.

"But, I pay well," the matron responded, as if that solved
everything. "Any of my servants will tell you, they have no
complaints."

Nabiki glanced at the servant pouring tea, who looked at the
ceiling and remained silent as he tried to hide a patched spot on
his jacket.

[Nevertheless, I will not give up this chance to make a yen,] she
resolved. "Exactly how much are we talking about?"

"Why, twenty thousand yen a week! Not to mention, she will be
eating with the other servants. Entertainers can't expect to eat
with the guests."

"Uh - sure. Right." Nabiki fumed. For twenty thousand yen, she
could buy a ticket to a real concert. "Sorry," she announced,
rising to her feet. "My client suddenly has another engagement.
She will not be available for your 'event'."

The matron lowered her tea cup and stared at her,
incomprehendingly. "She is refusing my offer?" she gasped.

"I am afraid so. Sorry." [Lady, if I have anything to say about
it, he will tell you to stick your offer where the sun don't---]
"Really nothing we can do about it. See ya."

At the door, Nabiki turned to the servant, who had again donned
the worn frock coat to see her out. To the old man, she said,
"You pay for your own uniforms, don't you?"

"Of course," the old man smiled, weakly. "Doesn't everyone?"

"Not this gal," Nabiki said between gritted teeth, as she strode
determinedly away.

At a park near school, she saw a familiar face. She shifted
modes of thinking and became the huntress instead of the
bargainer. Stealthily, she moved into position for the kill.




HAINOKO:

Hainoko would have been happy to stay inside and study, but the
teachers insisted that everyone had to get outdoors because it
was so much healthier. She was sitting on the steps reading when
someone came along and blocked the healthy sunshine.

"You think you're smart, don't you?" Deirdre sneered, restoring
her cell-phone to her backpack, while Deirdrum took up sentry
duty between them and the playground teacher. "You sent that
stuck-up lady around to make up excuses cause you can't prove
Cinderella is your best friend!"

"I didn't say she was my best friend!" objected Hainoko, trying
to hold onto her book as it was pulled from her hands. "She's
my...I mean, my brother Hiroshi can...."

"I don't want to hear your lies!" shrilled Deirdre. She waved
the book just out of Hainoko's reach, the way she always did
before she threw something over the fence. "That woman made my
mother feel bad! Do you know what happens when Mother gets
unhappy?"

Hainoko felt her lower lip begin to slide forward. "Hiroshi
can...." Again she could not continue. Her book was precious,
but something kept her from telling them about Hiroshi's ability.
Would he turn into Cinderella to help her? Would he be angry if
she told everyone about him?

Deirdre dropped the book aside. "Don't forget Miss Yamato is
still looking for whoever brought that nasty poster to class!"

"What's your big brother going to do, anyway?" yipped Deirdrum.
"Why don't you bring your big brother to school tomorrow? We
have a surprise for you both."

"We dare you," contributed Deirdre.

Another shadow appeared, and the two bullies began to slink away.

"Hainoko? What have I told you about throwing your books
around?" Miss Yamato picked up the book and handed it back to
her. "You will be more careful, won't you?"

Hainoko felt tears burning, but she held them in check. "Yes,
Miss Yamato," she said, contritely.




NABIKI:

There is a type of stare that you see only when an animal is
cornered: white about the irises, extraordinary pupils, absolute
devotion of attention to the creature that holds it transfixed.
Think of a bird hypnotized by a snake. Think of a mouse with a
hawk at twelve o'clock. Think of Ryoga and Nabiki when Nabiki
smells blood...er...gold.

'You have to help me with my mother! Can't I wish something?'
-zzzipppp-
'Maybe she'll get over it without magic.'

Nabiki had an unapologetic smile on her face as she switched off
the tape recorder. "It's the darndest thing," she said. "I
accidentally left it on, when I left my valise at Hiroshi's, and
you heard what it caught you saying to Hiroshi. What else do you
suppose I found on it?"

"Nothing?" Ryoga ventured, hopefully.

"Not a thing. From the time I said hello to Hiroshi until I
left. However, _after_ I left, it got everything. With what
there is on this tape, not to mention the other stuff I have on
you, I think we can swing a deal."

"Other stuff?"

Ryoga's involuntary twitch made the corners of Nabiki's lips curl
upward in delicious anticipation. [He's hiding something, all
right. Time to go fishing. I don't have anything, but he
doesn't know that.] "In addition...." she paused, "There have
been some strange things happening, lately. It seems you are
around, somewhere, each time, then you mysteriously disappear.
It is almost as if you had a secret identity."

"What...what..." sputtered Ryoga, turning pale, his eyes wide as
saucers, "You know about that?"

Bingo! "Of course I know!" snapped Nabiki, "Everyone in this
place who has any sense knows about it. Who can miss seeing you
disappear and someone else suddenly arrive?" She did not
question the information, or the fact that it seemed too
convenient. What mattered was his reaction. A relay clicked
over in the back of her mind, but she ignored it and the truth,
unobserved, subsided into background noise.

Ryoga seemed about to melt in panic. "But - you've never tried
to blackmail me!"

"Oh. That." Nabiki waved the thought aside. "You wouldn't
understand. I don't attack weaklings."

Ryoga sprang back to a state of indignation. "Who are you
calling weak?!" he demanded.

"You, for one." She tapped his forehead with a finger. "Mind
you, I've kept my eyes open for a way to use this knowledge, but
the opportunity has never presented itself. Until now. Suddenly
you have a new secret I can exploit, without destroying life as
we know it."

Ryoga asked cautiously, "What weakness?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't call it a _weakness_,"
Nabiki smiled to herself. She'd have to bring up the subject
carefully. Otherwise, he'd run away so fast she would lose her
chance. "Things happen around you. Some good things, some not so
good. A person might guess that you have some kind of power to
give people what they ask for. You make wishes happen." She
patted the tape recorder.

"Not true!" Ryoga blurted, but the alarm on his face told her
she was perilously close to the truth. He was casting alarmed
glances at the shadows.

[At least he didn't just run away,] Nabiki smirked, "You were
there when I talked to Hiroshi. You know what happened to him,
when he made a wish. He's singing a different tune, now, isn't
he? I think you had something to do with it. Now, a few minutes
ago, I watched a little kid wish for a balloon, and you made some
kind of gesture, and a hundred balloons appeared. All I have to
do is ask for something, and you will have to give it to me!
Okay, I wish for a billion yen!"

Ryoga tensed and looked around. Birds twittered, insects hummed,
but nothing else happened. He began to relax.

"Okay, so it does not work every time," Nabiki frowned. "What
does it have to be, an unselfish wish?"

"I don't have to answer that," Ryoga answered that.

"Wait a minute!" she grabbed him by the ear, "Get back here. You
don't get off the hook that easily."

"What?!"

"Can you grant wishes?"

Ryoga gently extricated his ear and tried to act casual. "Why
didn't you ask that before you started?" he asked.

"Well, can you? Wait. Do you have to answer my questions
truthfully?"

Ryoga glanced at his bracelet and made a sour face. "My sources
say 'yes'," he answered glumly.

Nabiki wrinkled her nose and growled, "Oh, it's going to be
_that_ way, is it? Yes, no, twenty questions?" She thought for
a moment and began again, slowly.

"You have a power. Yes or no."

"Yes. Sort of. And I did not ask for it! I can't help it if
strange things happen to me! It's not my fault!"

"Oh, right. Don't try to sidetrack me. Can you grant me a
wish?"

"Sometimes," Ryoga said, evasively.

"What kind of wish do you grant?"

"It's not that simple! You have to be eligible."

"Oh, I see. Like you have to have enough credit to get a wish.
What if I wished for something small?"

"You still don't get it! I don't decide! Some people wish for
one thing, when they might deserve something else entirely, and
then they complain because they did not get what they thought
they wanted! I never asked for this ingratitude!"

Nabiki patted his arm consolingly and said, "That's okay, Hibiki.
At least you can't blame this on Ranma."

Ryoga grabbed at the possibility. "You're right! I was talking
to him when I...." He fell silent.

Nabiki tired of waiting and prodded him. "When you what?"

Ryoga covered his face with his callused palms. "I...I...can't
talk about it."

"But then you started granting wishes."

"Well, yes. Sort of."

"Back to question number one. What kind of wish will you grant
for little old moi?" Nabiki fluttered her eyes in a way that
could have been fetching, were it not for the yen behind the
lids.

"I don't know! All you want is money!" Ryoga said with
exasperation, "Ask for something else!"

"I...." Nabiki stopped suddenly, an appreciative grimace on her
face. "That was very subtle of you. Never thought you had it in
you to be clever."

"Clever?" Ryoga gave her a blank, helpless stare.

"You almost got me to ask for something foolish...nonprofitable.
You want me to ask for a sweetheart? Mind you, if I had said 'I
wish for someone to care for', you could not pair me up with a
dip like, say, Kuno or some other lame excuse for a guy,"

Nabiki waved away the thought. "Dream on, Hibiki. I'm not that
kind of girl. After all, _if_ I asked for a friend, maybe...not
you!...I wouldn't want a bunch of sticky, syrupy romance...I told
you, I'm not that easy to please."

-poof-

The ground shuddered.

She shifted her gaze about and mused, "Y'know, that was a very
circumstantial earth tremor." Turning to her companion, she
found him still shaking, with his face even paler. "Does it mean
anything?" she wondered aloud.

"Nothing! It means nothing!" Ryoga cried as he departed the
scene in third degree panic, bowling over trash cans, stone
fences and the occasional utility pole.

Nabiki shook her head and muttered, as she watched him vanish,
"Oh, well. Easy come, easy go."

She was about to step off the curb into the crosswalk when a
dense black cloud screeched to a stop, blocking her path.
Immediately, a woman appeared. She was wearing neo-retro garb,
her hair about half explosive curls and half gray mopstring, her
face part beauty and part ogre, and she was displaying
approximately one kilogram of attitude over Nabiki's tolerance
level.

"Did you see a fairy god-mother person here?" the half-old lady
demanded.

"Just follow that road," said Nabiki, watching her with narrowed
eyes while pointing in the wrong direction. "If you stay on it,
it will...."

"I will find her! She cannot escape me so easily!" The woman
climbed back into the smoke cloud and accelerated in the
direction Nabiki had indicated.

"...drop you right in the Pacific Ocean. Hope that thing has
good brakes," Nabiki finished. She shook her head again and
shuddered, then took a quick step backward to avoid being run
over by a blue-eyed blond in a miniskirt who raced past crying
'nononono!', followed soon after by another familiar person.

"Hiya, Daisuke," Nabiki said.

"Oh, h'lo, Nab-chan," puffed Daisuke. "Did you see...."

"That way," said Nabiki, again pointing in a wrong direction.
Daisuke raced away, followed shortly by Yuki, Saori and Niko.

"Wait, Dai-chan!" they called, "We want a date!"

This time Nabiki looked both ways before taking a careful step
onto the walkway. She quickly withdrew the foot as Ranma bounced
past, sticking out his tongue and 'biiiihing' at Kuno, who was
two steps behind and waving his bokken furiously.

"Just you wait, Ranma Saotome!" cried Kuno, "Sorcerer! I shall
teach you a lesson for purloining the affections of my Pig-Tailed
Girl!"

Close behind Kuno struggled a near-child, Miss Hinako, waving a
five-yen coin and screaming, "Delinquents!"

"I'd better keep an eye out for anything unusual," Nabiki said as
she traversed the crosswalk without further mishap. "Not that I
actually believe all this nonsense about wishes. Still, I'll be
careful of any boys I meet." Safely on the other sidewalk, she
scanned the horizon for boys. She was alone.

Well, not quite alone. As she stood on the path, someone bumped
into her from behind. Since this someone was only a little over
a meter tall, Nabiki had to lean over to talk to her.

"Good morning, Hainoko-chan."

"Sorry," said Hainoko, somberly saluting with a finger in the
nose. Her cheeks were streaked with dried tears.

"You seem pre-occupied," quoth Nabiki, who often found herself
doomed to inform others of the obvious.

"S'nothing."

"Big problems?"

"Uh-huh."

"Want to talk about it?" [Please say 'no'. I have people to do
and things to see.]

"Nuh-uh."

[On the other hand, she knows something, and it's bothering her.]
"Is this about Hiroshi?"

Big stare. "How did you know?"

"Trust me. What have you discovered about big brother that has
you so upset?" [As if I did not know. Found out, huh?]

"I oughtn't tell."

"I suppose you are right. That is something that you shouldn't
go blabbing around. I respect you for your decision."

Hainoko ducked her head.

"Oh, you haven't decided, yet? Not to tell, I mean?" Nabiki took
tiny shoulders in hand and smiled into the doubtful eyes. "Now,
who could you want to tell?"

"Those bullies at the school. If they knew, they'd never pick on
me again," Hainoko did not return her gaze as she added, "Deirdre
is so stuck up. She called me a liar. I should have told them.
I could have told them...."

"Well, then," Nabiki released her, paced back and forth, then
struck a thoughtful pose. "How do you turn this to your
advantage? You have a terrible secret, which your brother will
probably pay handsomely to protect. You have someone to tell
that secret to. How can you lose?"

Hainoko hiccuped and eyed her. "I've heard Hiroshi talk about
you," she said. "Why do you want to help me?"

"I...." Nabiki stopped, asking herself the same question. The
wheels turned within her mind, until she said, slowly, "My
reputation precedes me. Oh, well. What if I decided it was time
to train a protegee?"

"What's that?"

"A student. Someone to carry on my life's work. And to work for
me, too. Mustn't forget that. I have several people that I am
helping. Of course, you are a bit young...."

"No. Thank you," sniffed Hainoko. "I have to go home, now."

"You don't want my advice?" [Buy low, sell high. Naaww. She'd
never understand.]

Hainoko paused and frowned. "If it's free," she said as she
rubbed her nose again.

Nabiki quirked an eyebrow. [Maybe she _would_ understand.]
"Look at your options. You can use what you know to boost your
school-yard status. Everyone would want to be your friend if
they knew how close you _really_ were to Cinderella," Nabiki said
with a Thoughtful Scowl (patent pending). "Or, you could go to
Hiroshi and say, 'Big brother, if you don't give me such-and-such
I will expose you.'"

After a moment of scrutinizing Nabiki's face, wondering how much
this big woman actually knew about Hiroshi, Hainoko said,
pensively, "I know. He's afraid everyone will find out." She
wriggled miserably, remembering how earnestly Hiroshi had pleaded
for that girl's safety at Ucchan's. This was a side of him that
she had never seen, and she was not sure if this new version of
her brother deserved to be threatened. "I'm all twisted around
inside, just thinking about it," she added.

"Okay. This is your first lesson, if I am going to be your
sensei. Determine the course of action which is most profitable
in the long run. I am confident that you will choose wisely.
Now, run along. I am sure your mother is waiting for you."
[There. That ought to occupy the little brat.]

Nabiki stopped when the little girl squirmed away and began to
rub her eyes.

"Don't tell me you have other problems," Nabiki scoffed. [I can
read this kid like the morning paper.] "I suppose your mother
isn't home right now...right. You can't get in...no, you can get
in. She's shopping...no. She's at the doctor's...okay. She's
sick...yes. She's bad sick...oops."

For answer, Hainoko closed her mouth tightly while her eyes
seemed to grow larger, like water balloons approaching full
charge.

[Uh-oh,] thought Nabiki.

The water balloons began to leak, while Hainoko's chin quivered.

[Oh, jeez,] thought Nabiki. She grabbed a tissue from her valise
and tried to mop up the overflow. "That's okay, now. Let it all
out. She really is sick, huh?"

Hainoko nodded vigorously.

[Damn. Me and my big....] "Here, let me wipe that - You're
worried about her, aren't you?"

An even stronger nod.

"And they won't let you get around her because she's too sick,
hmmm?" The ache in her heart surprised Nabiki, as memories of
helplessness flooded her. Painful memories, when she was worried
and no one would tell her anything. She had resolved never to be
that powerless again.

"They say (gulp)...they say I might make her sicker. But they
let Hiroshi see her!" Hainoko wailed, not mentioning that big
brother Hiroshi had forced his way to Mommy's side. She clasped
Nabiki tighter as the tears began anew.

Nabiki muttered some homilies, scarcely paying attention to what
she said. Hugging Hainoko seemed to ease the tension in her own
chest, somehow. She gathered the small child in her arms, gave
her a final hug and sent her on her way, thinking, [Great. Just
when I have to watch out for Ryoga pulling a fast one on me, I
get a kid to worry about....]

Nabiki frowned.

[To care about. Someone to care for....]

Realization smote her and she jerked upright, a calculating look
in her eyes and a growl on her lips.

"Ryoga Hibiki, you are _so_ dead!"



END: CHAPTER EIGHT
email: jeeades@wanderway.com
(oops - out of spac

From: James and the Bluejay <jeeades@swbell.net>
Subject: [Ranma/AMG][FanFic] Ashes - A Cinderella Story, Chapter Nine

A tale by James and the Bluejay, jeeades@wanderway.com .
Sending this by Outlook Express instead of Netscape. Hope it works.
http://www.wanderway.com/cinder/ashes.htm
------------------ --
Disclaimer at end of chapter: Also, no gerbils were harmed in
the writing of this fanfic. Trust me.



ASHES - A Cinderella Story

Chapter Nine

Mommy Dearest




We've had fun weaving words that rhyme
But we don't mess with Father Time
While everybody's doing fine
Let's rock and roll with Chapter Nine.


HIROSHI:

That evening, Kidori, or rather, Primrose and the Path, performed
at a local concert hall. Naturally, I attended, after scrounging
the money for tickets from Daisuke. Daisuke had plenty of money,
since his two dates were paying for his way. I was not jealous.
Not at all. Why should I be jealous that he had two girls
hanging on him while I had only...Kidori.

Kidori began her performance with her usual warmup. She seemed
to have recovered from her ordeal the night before. However, as
she vamped into her routine she was not putting a lot of energy
into it. Listlessly, she looked around, saw me as Hiroshi, and
immediately turned away, stumbling over the next line of her
song.

When she finished, she faced out over the audience and started
another, one the group had not recorded. The members of the band
swung into the backbeat, Guapo soft on the drums and Sakko-chan
easy on the sax. JuuPooku, the bass guitarist, started off
playing a different song, one they had been practicing, until she
realized she was all alone. She frowned hugely, as if
displeased, but segued in.

Feels like centuries,
lost without a clue
Traveled the whole world over,
trying to find you

But now that I've found you,
you are so far above
Climb nine and ninety steps uphill
tryin' to win your love.

But when I reached for you,
I stumbled to the ground,
Took ninety-nine steps to reach your heart
but only one step to fall down.

The first time that I saw your face,
it almost broke my heart
Oh, you're so far above me,
we'll always be apart

The chances that I'll share your love
are looking very pale,
Only one way to win your heart
and ninety-nine ways to fail.

And so, I know, our love is only
letters written in the sand,
There are shadows on the ground
between us you don't understand.

It was a moment of weakness. I have no other excuse. The music
called, she sounded so sad, and I rationalized that she needed
someone to help. Slipping behind the privacy of a fold of
curtain, I transformed into my alter ego, grabbed a mike and
stepped out on the stage behind her, to join in the chorus to
which I somehow knew the words.

You and I both know we'll
never make it in this town,
Ninety-nine steps up to your heart
but only one step to fall down.

Kidori brightened when she saw me, as if they had thrown another
spotlight on her. I ached to touch her, but it would not be
right. Doubly so, while I was in my shape. So, I did the only
thing I could do, which was to sing along with her. As our
voices blended, the audience stopped shifting and muttering in
disappointment and began to liven up.

I show my heart but you don't stop
and I tumble like a clown
Ninety-nine steps to win your heart
but only one step to fall down.

So I sing my songs and hide my heart
and travel with my band
'Cause there's shadows on the ground between us
you don't understand.

You and I both know we'll
never make it in this town,
With nine and ninety steps to climb
and only one step to fall down.

You know how I love seeing you around,
But it's ninety-nine steps to win your love
and only one step to fall down.

The audience exploded in cheers for Primrose, and I basked in the
reflected glory. Ahhhh. Fans. Applause. Adulation. I loved
it, even though I was so weak in the knees I could have
collapsed. Kidori rushed over to me and begged me to sing
another song with her. I let her pursuade me. Hah! As if I
would have refused! In case you haven't noticed, my ego is
pressurized.

And so, we performed. The music was flawless, driving and
compelling, and we danced a duo to make the stars swoon. For a
finale, Kidori popped out her flower petals and I snapped a bunch
of blue ribbons into the audience. I even forgave Daisuke for
being so dense and I sent one his way. The theater was packed
and the thundering applause left me weak and made my head spin.
It was perfect. Everything was perfect.

Kidori and I were swept from the stage by adoring fans, cheered
and applauded for encores, which we had to deny because we were
both so exhausted. Finally we ended up in her dressing room,
where things started going wrong. Not 'wrong' wrong, at first.
At first she started changing out of her costume, while I made
excuses. Then as she turned away to strip I saw enough that I
had to stare at the wall in a panic, to avoid nosebleeding.
There was no doubt in my mind that she was female. And there was
no doubt in my mind that I was a louse, betraying her trust in me
for my own pathetic desires.

"Ah...what's in this office?" I asked, trying to find something
to get my mind off clothes.

"You really shouldn't...." she began, but I had already opened
the door.

And stopped, immobilized, by the face that greeted me. It was a
horrible face, distorted beyond recognition by age, harsh times
and fierce determination. Glittering eyes challenged me through
slits in the leathery surface, separated by a gargoyle nose. I
had to be confronting the person with the ugly mask.

While I stood frozen by the sight, the person in the mask
attacked. With the heel of my hand I countered a sidearm slash,
batted a four-finger thrust away with my other elbow, danced over
a leg sweep and tumbled backward out of the office.

The door slammed, and I was relieved to hear the bolt slide
closed. The relief was two-fold, for now I could relax. Kidori
could not be the person in the mask, the one who had been
attacking the female martial artists in Nerima. She was
innocent!

I regained my feet, shaken by the memory of a face too ghastly to
behold except on the evening news, and I sputtered, "Who...who...
who was THAT? What a horrible mask!"

"I was trying to tell you. That's not a mask. That's my mother.
Actually, she is not my REAL mother. She's just a stepmother.
She does not like to talk to visitors. Honestly, you would like
her if you get to know her. She can smile. Sometimes. At
least, that is what I have heard."

"Argh," I said. Must breathe. Must remember to take a breath.
Keep moving. Sharks die if they do not keep moving. "But, why
did she attack me?"

"Mother wants to know if people have martial arts abilities,"
Kidori said. She had already dressed in shorts and sweater.
"Don't worry. You are far too skilled to allow her to hurt you.
Aren't you going to change?"

I hesitated. In order to change my clothes, I would have to take
off my clothes. I would have to face a me without even a skimpy
costume over the most critical of areas. It took me a moment to
consider, but...yeah, I could do that.

I actually undid three buttons. At the third button, I found a
tag, sewn to the lining of the blouse, which read, "Stock blouse.
Created by Magic, product of Heaven Knows, for use in Fulfillment
of Female Fantasies, Unlimited. 100% Elysium Cotton. Bra not
included."

I became aware that:
1) I had my hand on my chest. My blouse was open, and I had my
hand on my chest. In public.
2) My blouse was open, I could see an indecent amount of skin,
while I had my hand on my chest. In public.
3) In front of a girl, who was gazing at me with adoring eyes.

"Accckk!" I yipped, hastily rebuttoned the blouse, grabbed my
costume bag, and dashed for the door. "Igottago! I can't think
about this, I can't think about this! I gotta go!"

"Oh, please, stay around a while! I need someone to talk with!"
she begged, touching my arm. Pulling away from her tender grasp
was the most difficult thing I have ever done, but I had to go.
I was beginning to feel exposed, as if someone was watching me
from within the office, and my nerves were beginning to scream.

Not only was I about to revert to boy status, I had this
terrible, sinking feeling that Kidori wanted me in my girl shape,
and that was almost as bad as knowing that she would never give
the boy me a second glance.

She waved a weak farewell as I hurried out of the dressing room,
giving the office door a wide berth.

Something teased my heightened senses, following me, shifting
through the dark places and back streets, much like the shadow
which had followed me home the night Ranma and Shampoo had
fought with the masked girl. I evaded it long enough to duck
into an unlocked booth in the deserted marketplace. The presense
quested about until it gave up in frustration and it left before
I poofed back to normal dullness. When the change came, I
wandered aimlessly for a while until, unable to avoid it any longer, I
slumped back home.

Mom was home, much rested and bustling about, fussing and smiling
as if trying to prove that nothing was wrong with the world,
pretending that she had never been sick. She had to reassure
Hainoko over and over that nothing was wrong before the packrat
quit clinging to her and simply stared at me.

--------------

I was sitting at my desk, chin propped on palms, when I heard the
door slide open. I did not turn to look. My misery was
complete. Kidori was some kind of a two-faced sociopath,
outwardly a kind, beautiful, smiling girl, but inwardly a beast
who used her hidden strength to brutalize other girls. I could
almost accept that. I mean, at least she had _some_ redeeming
qualities. But if she beat up on girls because she liked girls
and not boys.... I was miserable. Either way I lost. I sighed
morosely. What else could go wrong?

Small socks scuffed the floor to stand behind me.

I sighed again and tried to squeeze the pain out of my temples,
waiting for her to go away and leave me alone.

Finally, Hainoko whispered, "I know you are Cinderella."

Before she could finish the statement I arose from the desk, flew
across the room and clamped my hand over her mouth. "Don't tell
anyone!" I begged, "Please! You won't tell anyone? Will you?"

She shook her head, as well as she could with my hand restricting
her.

"How did you find out? Oh, Kamis! Now everyone will know! I
won't be able to go to school! They'll mob me! Did you tell
anyone? How did you find out?" I repeated.

"Mmmmpphmmmphh," said Hainoko around my hand.

"Oh," I said, and I took my hand away.

Hainoko brought a bundle around from behind her. "Here," she
said, handing me my Primrose poster. With it were the clothes I
had dropped in Ucchan's.

I looked at the poster numbly, shifting it from hand to hand.
"Why? What do you want?" I asked, "Are you going to tell?"

"No."

"Why not?" As much as I wanted to, I could not believe she would
let me off this easy.

Hainoko rubbed her nose and thought. She backed out and started
to slide the door closed, then admitted, "I don't know."

Later, I knocked and watched through the half-open doorway as she
looked around, uncertain. Mom was the only one who ever knocked
on her door. She slid the door the rest of the way open and
gazed up at me.

"Thanks," I said. I gave the Primrose poster back to her,
feeling slightly foolish. Here we were, mortal enemies,
exchanging a poster.

She took the tube and verified that the paper rolled up in it
was, indeed, Primrose, before she ventured the ghost of a smile.
She did not put it away, but held onto it. "Could you get me
another Cinderella poster, too?" she asked. Instantly abashed,
she added, "I'm sorry. I lost yours."

I stopped, frowning. "You lost it?"

She nodded, with large sad eyes. "I took it to school 'cause I
liked it so much. A teacher got it."

"Was it a good teacher or a bad teacher? We could go ask for it
back," I said, trying to keep a stern face.

"I wasn't s'posed to have it there."

"Oh. I could go buy another one. But why should I give it to
you?"

"If you don't, I'll probably steal it, anyway," she said. Cute
smile. Wonder why she had never showed it before?

"Okay, then," I said, extending my hand. "It's a deal. Truce?"

"Truce..." she became somber for a moment as she tried to match
my grip with her small hand, then a shy grin stole across her
face. She held her hand up, palm toward me. "High five?"

I brought my palm up to meet hers. "High five. Awright."

She added, "...Wart Hog!"

I came back at her, "Tarantula!"

"Bug-eater!"

"Spider monkey!"

"Children!" cried Mom from downstairs, "Are you _fighting_ again?"

Hainoko and I stared at each other in chagrin. Mom always broke
up our shouting contests and then had to suffer in silence while
we tried to blame each other for starting it.

"Yes, Mom!" I said. "Sort of."

"Don't fight. Be _nice_ to one another," she commanded. There
was something different about her voice, something abnormally
cheerful. It was frightening.

"Okay, Mom!" I called.

"Yes, Mommy! I'm sorry!"

------------

With my homework finished early, I had time to kill. At the
door, I called, "I'm going out, Mom! Are you feeling okay?"

"Of course I am feeling well, Hiroshi! What kind of question is
_that_?"

"Just asking, Mom. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Hiroshi, dear. There _is_ something I have to ask you about,"
Mom said with a dramatic pause. "Have you been seeing _that
girl_ again?"

"Huh? Ah...oh...no! No, Mom! Not at all! I haven't been
seeing anyone! No one has been around to see me, either! Just
sitting up here, all alone, all by myself, being quiet! Ah. Was
there anything else?"

"Yes, there is, and it is terribly important..." _Hesitation.
Distinct Concern_. "...but it can wait. I am not sure what I want
to say. I have so much on my mind. I want to think about it."

All I could hear was the 'terribly'. "Is it - is it bad?"

"Of course not!" Mom giggled, turned a little pale and sat down.
Then she gave me THAT look. The one Pops and the doctor had
used. I left the house in a state of unease. Halfway down the
street I stopped and went back to close the door that I had left
open.

-----------

I suppose I could have kicked a can down the street all night
long, but I was lonely, so I went to look for people. At the Cat
Cafe I came across Daisuke.

Don't get me wrong. Dai and I were pals. We had always hung out
together. This time, however, he could only spare a few moments
to talk to me before his companions demanded more of his time.
One of them was Yuki. She was looking tired, exasperated, and
determined, yet still she clung to one of Daisuke's arms as
tightly as Niko clutched the other. I went on to find Mousse to
place my order, and looked around for someone who had time to
talk to me.

"Yo, 'Roshi!" Ranma said around a mouthful of noodles. He was
just polishing off a bowl of ramen, while Shampoo and Akane
watched each other across the table. I collected my own bowl of
'Chicken dancing in Spring Herbs' ramen from Mousse and went to
join them.

They were discussing the recent fights. Cologne had been
listening, balanced on her staff at the entry to the kitchen, and
she hopped over to join the conversation. "It could have been a
haunted battle mask," she mused.

"Huh?" Shampoo looked up from her staring contest with Akane,
"Battle mask?"

"To you youngsters, a mask may seem a hindrance, but some
warriors in the old days wore a mask to protect their face and to
enhance the fearsomeness of their appearance. There are cases in
my books of these masks actually picking up some of the
personality of the warrior who wore them...a kind of 'psychic
signature', reflecting the tremendous emotional charge the
warrior was experiencing at the height of conflict."

"What 'signature' have to do with monster masked girl?" Shampoo
wondered.

"Actually," interposed Akane, who was the only one who had seen
their opponent in daylight, "it was more like the mask a drama
actor might wear."

"That is something about your description which puzzles me," the
old woman frowned. "However, this is what I am saying. A truly
gifted warrior might have imbued his battle mask with enough of
his own spirit, his 'residual chi', that whoever wore the mask
afterward would pick up some of the original owner's abilities.
They could even have their own martial arts capabilities
multiplied many times over."

"You mean, like the 'battle suit' that I wore to defeat Ranma
that time," Akane said, watching Ranma from the corner of her
eye. Ranma's smile darkened slightly and he harrumphed to
himself.

"Precisely, child. However, in this case, the personality of the
original owner could be overwhelming the person now wearing it.
That person would have to be extraordinarily susceptible to the
influence for this to happen."

"Y'mean she don't know what she's doin'?"

"Oh, yes, Son-in-Law. She would be aware, all right. But she
could not stop herself. The influence would be occurring at a
subconscious level. She would be controlled by the warrior
impulse - much as you are controlled by the impulse to dodge
blows in fighting, or a girl like Akane would be controlled by
the impulse to care for a loved one."

"Heh. Guess I'm safe, there." Ranma glanced over at Akane, who
sniffed and looked away.

"At any rate, this 'masked girl' could eventually learn to
overcome this warrior impulse, but to do so, she would have to
change her own inner nature, until she was as powerful as the
warrior. Ultimately, that would mean that she would be absorbing
the warrior into herself."

Kidori's mother's face loomed in my mind. She wanted Kidori to
master martial arts, while Kidori was indifferent. Her mother
had a horrible face, but she was not the person who was using a
mask to attack people. With a sick certainty I knew who the
'masked girl' was.

"Are you saying that she would no longer be Kidori?" I blurted,
more a statement than a question. Everyone turned to stare at me.

Cologne sighed with a dismissive gesture and said, "No. She
would not, Boy. Not as you know her, today."

"I can't let that happen!" I cried, before I could clamp a lock
on my runaway mouth.

"I know you swore she wasn't the masked girl," said Ranma. "But
ya gotta face it - there's something missing, there."

"It can't be Kidori!" exclaimed Akane. "She is too tender-
hearted!"

"I hope it isn't," I said, glumly. "But if she is, I will do
everything in my power to help her get free of it!"

"Oh. Yeah. Guess ya would feel that way about it." Ranma
returned to his meal without his customary vigor.

"I have to help!" I cried, "I lo...lo...like her! And I am the
only one who can help her!"

I was aware of the sympathetic looks they gave me. Goofy old
Hiroshi. They thought I was crazy. At least they did not laugh
at me. But, then, they did not understand. Kidori was too meek.
Kidori was too kind. Kidori would never do a thing like that.
Would she?

I found myself eased to the outskirts of their circle, as they
huddled closer to discuss the 'masked girl', then Cologne took
them upstairs to look up something in her old reference books.

I saw Daisuke again as he broke free of his companions, but he
had his own campaign to run. He only came over to me to gloat.

"Hey, check it out!" he crowed, "I got my own ribbon! See? It
says, 'To Daisuke from Cinderella'. Cool, huh? I was at the
concert when, heh, she and Primrose did a double act!"

"Yeah, sure!" I growled. [I ought to know, you knucklehead!
I practically had to make you eat it before you saw it!]

Then he said the words which made me turn cold inside.

"This goes with my airbrushed nude Cinderella poster!" No, no.
Those weren't the words which brought me the most grief. Well,
they made me want to throttle him, but then he also said,
"Where's yours?"

"Mine?" I wondered. "Should I want a length of blue fabric with
some dumb words scribbled on it?"

"Sure! Everybody got one! Didn't you, of all people? I'm
surprised!"

I had souvenirs from all my favorite artists. My collection was
complete, up until the day that Cinderella came to town, and now
it was flawed. I had a reputation to uphold. I had to have my
own ribbon, and as Cinderella, I could not snap one out!

Oh, I had tried. I could not produce a ribbon for myself. At
first I told myself that I had no need for it, it was only a
gimmick. It would be the same as saying, 'From myself to myself.'
After a while it had become an obsession. Someday, Cinderella
would go away. There would never be a blue ribbon inscribed, 'To
Hiroshi from Cinderella.'

But I had snapped one out for Daisuke. I looked him in the eye
and threw a ribbon straight at his face. "I was at the concert!"
I answered, "Don't you remember?"

"No, I don't recall seeing you anywhere," he said, blinking as if
he had something in his eye.

"On the stage, Dumbass!"

"No kidding? You weren't on stage! That was one hot show! But
I only saw Primrose and Cinderella!"

I grabbed his collar and growled down at him, "Didn't I tell you
about me and Cinderella?"

With uncertainty clouding his eyes, he shook his head. I watched
as his eyes shifted and he appeared to be debating something with
himself. He came to a decision. "Man, you never said _anything_!"

"Oh, hell," I hissed. "You forgot?"

"No, I didn't. You are being awfully secretive, lately, Hiroshi.
Is there something you aren't telling me?" He seemed to get
something in his other eye, blinking and winking outrageously.

It was a minute before I could draw a breath. When I did, I
said, "You idiot!"

"Takes one to know one," he agreed cheerfully, turning back to
his appreciative, though long-suffering, female audience.

It was then I remembered. I had wished that he could forget it,
and apparently, he had.

Maybe it was a good thing, not having that information rattling
around unprotected. I listened to Dai enthrall his audience,
expounding on his knowledge of the great baseball players and
what he thought of romantic movies, like 'Matrix' and 'Perfect
Storm'. Yuki and Niko were both looking weary.

Yep. Definitely a good thing.

I got to wondering. What safeguards did the wish have to keep me
from exposing myself? In a figurative manner, that is. There
were subtleties to this condition that I had to learn more about.
Nabiki stood to lose a lot of money if she told - a powerful
persuasive technique, although I shuddered to think what kind of
pictures she would expect to take at the 'sessions'. Hainoko
knew. Would she remember? Daisuke knew about my secret, but he
seemed to have forgotten what I had told him after I had wished.
Who else could I tell? Could I shout it out, here in the Cat
Cafe, assured that all the customers would forget by the next
morning? Somehow, my confidence ran away like water when I
considered it.

Why had I ever made such a stupid wish? Why did I want to be a
'rock star', for Kamis' sake? I counted off the reasons:
1) To meet girls? Scratch that. What good did that do when I
_was_ a girl at the time? Although, I admitted dreamily, because
of the wish I had met Kidori. I sighed. Such a beautiful girl.
If only she would stop trying to kill people.
2) To have a bunch of people cheering me? Scratch that. I did
not care if nobody ever applauded me again. The applause was
nice, though. But not worth it.
3) To get attention, to have people notice me? Right. Like I
wanted that kind of attention. If I were to even whisper the
triggering phrase, the magic would attract more attention than I
could ever want.

I became dimly aware that Dai was telling Yuki and Kiko about his
date with Cinderella. "What a wonderful life she must live!"
cried Yuki, and I sneered. If only she knew. Then she said
eagerly, "That would be so thrilling! I want to be a rock star,
too!"

-poof-

The world looked subtly different, somehow, and I decided that it
was because I was back to being Cinderella again.

Daisuke saw me immediately, his eyes venturing up and down until
they lighted on my chest. I tensed, expecting him to rush
forward and become a nuisance. Instead, he flung himself forward
onto his face.

"I am not worthy!" he cried.

A drop of 'glow' began to trickle down my hairline.

"I have kept your secret!" Daisuke cried, "But I have had impure
thoughts! I am not worthy! Forgive me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Wow," said Ranma over my shoulder, as the rest of his gang came
down the stairs. "I've never seen anyone master the 'Crouch of
the White Tiger' so quickly!"

"I've never seen him so sincere!" added Akane, "But, what was
he going to do with that tape measure, Cinderella-chan?"

"Err...I'm sure I don't know," I lied, hoping that she had not
caught my quick glance from her bosom to mine.

It was a busy night. There were a lot of other patrons in the
Cat Cafe. I felt the magic attraction kick in as their eyes
began to light up. We stared at each other for a few seconds
before recognition flared, and then several guys came at me.

"I want an autograph!" they demanded, "Souvenir! Soul Kiss!"

I barely made it out of there with my skin and costume intact,
leaving the old ghoul, Ranma and his group, and the customers
staring wide-eyed after me.

Away from the crowd at the Cat Cafe, shivering with the night air,
I started walking home. Naturally, with everything else going
wrong, things had to get worse.

"Blue-clad Venus!"

"Oh, great," I groaned. "Kuno. Like a moth to a flame."

"Blue Venus! You have smitten me with thy enchanted beauty! I
would date with you!"

"Yeah, I am enchanted," I snarled, totally out of empathy.
"It's all part of the magic. Go away!"

I should have walked away and let him expostulate. Did I? Of
course not. I shoved him away from me. After all, he was
assuming the stance of the 'wide-arm breast glomp' and I did NOT
want to experience that, first hand. Perhaps I used too much
muscle shoving him, for when he pulled himself out of the
cratered wall, he seemed ecstatic.

"A challenge! I will conquer your body and your heart, and then
you will date with me! Hear me, oh glorious vision! I am
Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furenken High! Undefeated
Kendo Champion and rescuer of lost damsels!"

I searched for clouds, but there were none. Where did he get
that thunder? By the time I looked back, he had donned a black
silk hood and had drawn that wooden stick he always carried
about.

"My Love! To prove that I wish my own defeat, I will blind mine
eyes with this Hood of Death! Only conquer me, and you may date
me!" With the silken hood covering his face, he advanced.
"Strike! Strike! Strike!"

"I'm dead!" I said. He was on me before I could think, rushing
me and forcing me backward. I gulped and retreated. However, a
funny thing happened on the way to the slaughter. My feminine
body anticipated the path of the bokken, allowed me to weave
between and around the deadly thrusts.

"Heh," I said, "I forgot I had martial arts ability. I'm better
than _he_ is!" I remained complacent, easily evading Kuno, until
a wild swing stung my bottom where the costume did not cover.

Brushing aside the bamboo weapon, I moved through the rapid
strikes as though they were forest undergrowth, to snarl into
Kuno's hidden face, "Hey! That HURT, y'know!"

Kuno released the bokken, allowing it to clatter across the
pavement as he ripped the concealing hood from his head. He
chortled ecstatically, "You have penetrated my defenses with the
ease of the stooping falcon! And now these eyes can perceive
that your beauty rivals the fairest of the fair! You are - dare
I say it? - as clear and desirable as the morning over the misty
lake, yea, even the flowers that adorn the hanging gardens of
Babylon (though of course not so fair as the loves of my life,
enshrined within my strong breast). It is my wish - nay, it is
my duty, to allow you to date with me!"

And with that, he glomped. I found myself in a bear hug, my
breath squeezed out, my eyeballs bulging. Only by using an elbow
to his throat was I able to pry myself loose.

"I. do. not. want. to. date. you!" I gasped, before Kuno
grabbed me again, giving preference in his handling to the
vicinity of my chest.

"Oh, the noble agony of it all!" wailed the eldest Kuno sibling,
"To find this delicate flower, yearning for love, and yet I must
give her up!"

"It's better in the long run, believe me," I panted, struggling
free by prying his arms apart.

"To walk away, leaving her pining for my masterful touch! Oh,
the cruelty of fate! Should I deprive her of her heart's desire,
because I am so shallow as to be content with my present loves?"

"Oh, please do!" I gasped, somehow hauled back from near freedom.

"But hold! Is it possible to spread myself so thin as to serve
all three lovely damsels?"

"No. Not really. Really, you should not!"

"Yet, could I hesitate to do this, knowing the tortured
loneliness she must endure without my affection?"

"Look, you moron!" I cried, "You are already after Akane and the
Pig-tailed girl! Do you really think you can handle three girls
at once?"

I thought I had him, there. Wrinkles formed on his majestic
brow as Kuno considered the question. You could almost hear the
arguments rumbling back and forth in the empty space between his
ears, causing him no small amount of pain as he debated the
morality of his actions.

"I love the noble Akane, for she attacks with the grace and
power of the foraging lioness! Yet, too, I love the spirited
Pig-tailed Girl, for she has cuteness and charm on her side.
Could I dare to presume to impose my desires on yet another
adorable Venus, this blue-ribboned girl, deserving of my
attention as she may be? Oh, the agony! To hold such sway over
such gentle flowers, to be saddled with such noble
responsibility! I must harm none of them, but one of them is
destined for loneliness, for I cannot possibly spread my noble
self to nurture all three!"

He wept on with the struggle, burdened with the decision. As I
tried to ease away, he debated, "Or can I? Is it possible? Can
the noble Tatewake Kuno handle three girls at once?"

And shortly the answer came floating to him, sweet and clear. The
corners of his mouth tugged upward as he accepted his grace and
turned to embrace his destiny.

"Yes! Yes I can! Come to me, my blue-ribboned girl!"

In retrospect, I had to admit that it had been the wrong question
to ask. "Listen, Kuno!" I cried, "You don't really want me!
That desire is only magic! It will go away! It isn't real!"

"Tear not my heart with warnings of enchantment!" cried Kuno,
"For my very soul has already been ensorcelled by your beauty!
I adore thee, I love thee, O' My Blue Ribboned Venus! I would
give my life for thee!"

A wave of weariness broke over me and I stumbled. Struggling
free from his clutch took great effort, my strength fading as he
pursued. I was cornered, unable to lift a finger to protect
myself and too weak to jump to the roof above.

However, as Kuno swooped to clench me in his arms, someone
stepped between us.

"Get a clue, Kuno!" she cried. "You're not wanted!"

Kuno turned to the newcomer with glad welcome in his eyes, only
to be booted into the next prefecture.

I could agree with Kuno about one thing. Akane's high kick was a
joy to behold.

-----------

"Really! You'd think he'd learn," Akane huffed as she helped me
to my feet.

"I've had a rough night," I said as I smoothed creases from my
blue jacket. "I don't know why I felt so weak. Thanks."

"Glad to help," Akane said cheerfully, then she tensed, looking
beyond me. "Oh, no!" she whispered, "You have to get out of here!
Can you run?"

I did not answer, for I had followed the direction of her glance.
All my attention was on a lighted doorway which silhouetted the
slim shapely figure of a girl, glowing at the edges with pale
yellow fire. The girl's eyes emitted a dull red gleam through
slits in a wooden mask.

My skin crawled with alarm, my hair stood on end, and I felt the
first real fear since I had found myself alone on stage the night
the madness had begun.

A booming gust of wind sent sand and leaves flying, but it was no
natural gale. It was the voice of my true love, filled with an
awful power as she cried, "-Cinderella! I challenge you!-"




END: CHAPTER NINE
The talented and beautiful Rumiko Takahashi and Viz and a whole
bunch more have dibs on Ranma et al, Fujishima Kousuke and
Animeigo take credit for associating Urd of Norse mythology with
kawaii features and a computer engineering degree, Cinderella is
an old fairy tale, which leaves me with Hainoko and Kidori, who
are derivative and probably belong to everyone. Basho belongs to
himself. No reference to any present or past singing group, rock
star, entertainer, or agent is intended. Not to worry, since this
is not for money, anyway.


James and the Bluejay
http://www.wanderway.com/cinder/ashes.htm