Work Text:
Ok! So, this one will likely leave the canon of Gold Digger fairly quickly, as I want to get Ranma in before Stripe, and for those who only know Ranma, doing that is the equivilant of trying to sneak some other character into Ranma 1/2 before Akane. He first shows up about page 5-6 of the first issue of the comic, so... yeah.
Also, will warn I started going over the early comics for this, so before that my experience was reading crossovers, so pardon any mistakes on the GD side, I likely will be straying and messing with stuff i've heard of. Also, I fell off watching Ranma around the mirror, it just kinda fell into a rut for me, but I LOVE the fics, so I know the basics. And I AM tossing the Neko-Ken in this, just fair warning.
So basically, I'm taking info I've found on stuff, and twisting timelines and other factors to do what I want. So ha.
Also, this is something I've been slowly chipping aay at for a LONG while. VERY, VERY slowly.
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Prolouge: The Road to Atlanta is paved with... Weirdness.
Ranma grumbled to himself as he hopped back over the wall to the Tendo Dojo. Stupid tomboy and her stupid mallet. Things had only been getting worse ever since he arrived, and it's been accelerating since that soba incient. Akane had taken to attacking him with the slightest provocation. Honestly, it was a miracle he hadn't landed in a fountain someone from his flight. Stupid panda, stupid curse, stupid every loony. He was just so tired of it all. Stopping in the bathroom, and starting up the furo, the young man stared into the mirror, frowning. Those bags under his eyes were a bad sign. And their purplish color didn't mesh with his hair at all. He carefully brushed out his hair, careful not to pull out the dragon whisker. It was a fear of his to lose it and end up bald like the old man. It wasn't girly to care about his hair, and he thought it looked cool. Who else could say they had blonde hair with spots? He frowned, consiering nowadays sometimes it was fiery red, but he didn't like to think of his curse. Sure, he was glad he stayed human, there were MUCH worse things he could become than a girl, but even when he knew mentally it wasn't THAT bad... It felt so very, very wrong. He didn't know why, but he hated it. He would have mused longer but he heard light steps behind him. Sighing, he turned around and saw a small purple cat creeping towards the furo. Seeing it as caught, it sprung at the water, but found itsef caught by the tail. "Oh no you don't! I already got sent away on Tomboy Airlines twice today! I'm not going for three! Get out!" he tossed the cursed amazon out the window, yelling after her. "And stay out!" He closed and triple checked that the window was locked, and satisfied, he settled down to soak, letting his mind blank for a bit. Well, minimize the thoughts and worries. If only things could be like this more.
While Ranma soaked, a new visitor to the Tendo Dojo was approaching. She was VERY unhappy when she found out about Genma and Ranma being back in town without even a letter. Genma better not be trying to push that Tendo pledge she told herself as she knocked on the door. If he had, she was prepared to take her son away from here, and if she had too, she could pack up and move if they didn't leave her and her son alone. Maybe Atlanta. She had heard talk about a werecat there, and if it was indeed the other survivor as she had heard... Well, a mother can hope, can't she?
Stepping out of the bathroom, Ranma finds himself being carried by a panda, and plopped uncerimoniously into the koi pond. "What the hell was that for, pops?!" The now-redhead complained.
'I'm just a cute 'lil panda!' The sign the panda holds up in reply reads, while writen in the back where only Ranma could see it reads 'Play along, boy!' Ranma follows his gaze to a woman who seemed familiar. Ranma couldn't quite place where she had seen this woman, until she saw the woman's hair. Blonde with spots.
"Mom?" She barely whispers, before she sees the woman's head snap over to her, and a moment later, she is in front of her, looking into her eyes. The two stare for a moment. "Er... Hey-?" But she can't finish before being interrupted.
"Ranma?" The woman asks. "Is that you?" a bit suprised she could tell, she only nods. The woman's eyes move to the panda, narrowing. "Genma. How DARE you take my son to Jusyenko!" This was a surprise. This was her mother? And she already knew about Jusyenko? The bigger suprise was when Genma was sent sprawling. She hadn't even seen... her mother, she still couldnt believe that... move. She felt like a mere observer in her body as HER MOTHER walked her into the kitchen, and picked up a kettle, only snapping back to attention when she returned to being a he. She looks and sees his hair. "It is! My son!" She hugs Ranma. She had recognized his eyes, even on her, a mother knows, but she wanted to be sure. The mother and son pair had a reunion for a short time, before Nodoka recovered. "Now, I want to ask you this, as I know that panda fool won't tell me. Why are you here and not back home?"
Ranma blinks. He had never consiered she was even alive, let alone angry they didn't return. "Er... Pops kinda engaged me to one of the Tendos. Though the damn Tomboy seems to just enjoy hitting me." He blinked as a battle aura blazed to life around Nodoka.
"GENMA SAOTOME!" He tried to flee, but was still woozy from the blow. Not helping matters as he, like everyone else froze in shock as Nodoka transformed. Her clothes pooled as she leapt out of the kimono, and before he knew it, Genma had a snarling cheetah on him, fangs bared, and then... sound came from it, not a snarl, but words, rumbling unnaturally from it's lips. "YoU aRe A WaSTe oF SpACe, iGNorIng mY WisHEs, SaoTome. I shOuLD KilL yoU NoW. BUt I am MerCIFul. ThIS Time." She snarled and took a bite inches from his face before stalking back to her clothes, wiggling into them before shifting, nobody moving a muscle as they watched her return to a humanoid form. Emphesis on the oid as they watched a seven-foot cat-like woman stand, fur covering her as her Kimono still fit her, designed to accomidate both forms. Her face was human-like, though her ears had shifted to cat-like ears, and her tail lashed angrilly. "Come, Ranma. We're leaving."
It took several blocks before Ranma returned again, though he didn't need any help with it this time. "Er... What happened?" Was all he could think of, only noticing his bag on her shoulder. When had she gotten it? He didn't recall her going upstairs. Hearing him, she stopped and turned to her son.
"I'm sorry about my snapping, but I had been very clear I would not tolerate any kind of arranged marriges, and then I find he tried to go behind my back with the Tendos anyways. I apologize."
"I kinda figured on that. Not the first time he pulled... that." He trails off at her glare and grip as she grabs his shoulders, staring intently into his eyes.
"Ranma. What do you mean by that? Not the first time?"
Ranma got nervous at the intensity of his mother's glare. "Er... I mean, it kinda was, as he made it before I was born. But, then there's Ukyo... and all the others."
"OTHERS?" Nodoka growls.
"Er... we jokingly call it the Fiance of the Month club?" He wasn't ready for her yowl of rage, or being swept off his feet. Before he could react, he found himself in a house, the door open as anything not heavy or bolted down fluttered in the air. Just as he was starting to wonder what was going on, Genma-Panda was tied up an on one of the couches, the door locked, as Nodoka glared at him in fury.
"How many?" Was all she asked as the panda merely squirmed. "Oh, fine." She relented, zooming into the kitchen and returning with water, pouring it on the panda.
"Yeowch! It doesn't have to be that hot!" Genma complained, an was ignore.
"I said... How. MANY."
"H-how many what?" He tried, very unsuccesfully, to play innocent.
"HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU ENGAGE MY SON?" Nodoka was furious.
"Only the pledge, I swear! The rest were misunderstandings!"
Nodoka looked at Ranma. "We've had a count of at least 3 properly, though I dealt with one. Then there's also a crazy girl who thinks she is after I caught her on the tendo roof, and then there's the amazons."
"Said extra girls you never would have met if Genma had not gotten you cursed, OR had returned you here properly?"
"Er... I guess so."
"How dare you! Oh the tragedy to have such an ungrateful and dishonourable son! WAAAAAH!" Genma tries to copy Soun, being snapped out of it by a trio of slaps. From the outside, Ranma was in awe as even he had hardly seen her move, so likely anyone else would have missed it.
"Well, it's your lucky day then, Saotome. Know why?"
"You'll have Ranma obey me?" He tried, only earning another slap.
"Wrong! Ranma, I really wish this all happened better, but..." She glared at Genma. "You're a lucky man, Genma Saotome, because you DON'T have an ungrateful and dishonorable son... because you don't have a son! And thus all concracts you made are null and void." This froze both Ranma and Genma.
"Mom... What do you mean he doesn't have a son?" Ranma asked, confused. "I'm right here."
"Ranma, I'm sorry I couldn't ease you into this, but Genma is not your father." Needless to say, Ranma was shocked.
"Then... Why was I stuck with him? All those years..." Nodoka dropped the sole Saotome, and hugged her son.
"I'm truely sorry, but it had to be done. There was too little time, and too much at stake, and Genma was my best hope to keep you safe. I'll tell you everything, but first." She glares at Genma. "Get out. You'll find that our mariage had a clause that stated 10 years away would nulify it. Because you didn't come straight home, the time passed. You are not welcome here." Genma, being the mighty coward he was, fled from the woman who could aparently strike him without moving. And was a cat. Of course, also being the mighty idiot he was, he started plotting how to drag Ranma home.
"I'm sure you have many questions." Nodoka turned to her son.
"Who's my real father? Why didn't I meet him? Why are you a cat? What's going on?!" Ranma was a bit overwealmed, but Nodoka's smile calmed him.
"One second." She zipped out of the room, then returned with a shampoo with simple numbers on it. 391. Nodoka noticed his eyes widen a bit. "Do not worry, I'm not some Amazon ploy. Though this IS one of their shampoos, it's one they likely forgot about years ago. But our tribe didn't.
"Our tribe? You saying we're amazons?"
"Oh, heavens no! I suppose I can tell you the full story that will hopefully answer all your questions, though let us move to the washroom, as I need to use this." Nodoka gestures an leads Ranma that way, having him sit by the drain as she starts to use the shampoo. "The first thing likely on your mind is your father, and where he is. Sadly, he has been dead longer than I even knew about you. The why will answer why I'm a cat as you say, and the tribe part. Ranma, we aren't human. We are a species called were-cheetahs. Many years ago, our tribe was in trouble, and in danger of dying off due to enviromental situations. However, we had mae a deal with the were-wolves, who we had been at war with for a long time, to end our fighting and come together in peace. Sadly, this was a trick, and the were-wolves turned on us, slaughtering us. I was injured early in the attack helping my friend Cyan and her husband to race home and check on their newborn daughter. Your father found me as the were-wolves were closing in, presumably having killed everyone else. He told me to flee to a backup path he had set up, having been paranoid over the whole situation, and stayed back to cover me, as with my injury I would not be able to outrun the wolves. Sadly, He was killed while keeping them occupied, so I fled to Japan. After arriving, I would find out the wolves were on my trail, and I needed to shake them, and that was how I met Genma. His scent was so human that it masked my own, and when I discovered that I was pregnent, I tricked Genma into believing you were his, relieved to have at least a child. Sadly, when you were 5, the were-wolves had gotten wind I'd survived, using a human as cover, so I needed to vanish, while ensuring you would be safe. As much as I hated it, I knew two were-cheetahs would be easier to track, so I had to send you with Genma. I used Shampoo 390 to make you unable to transform, as it was a punishment we would occasionally use, and I was the member of our tribe who worked with such things, so I prepared a dose of 390 and 391, the counteracting agent, which should be finished now."
Ranma took a moment to reply at that revelation that he wasn't human, and seemingly his mother and he were the last of their kind. "Why the amazonian shampoo?"
"Our tribe has been around a long time, so I'm not suprised some of our tecniques are known elsewhere, though as the few werecreatures still on earth keep to themselves, I doubt any humans know of 390 and 391. Now, let us see if it worked. Now, look at me, and focus on what it must feel like." With Nodoka's coaching, soon Ranma had transformed.
"Woah, this is odd." He looked down to his mom, the fact he was doing so messing with his head. The other part was also how this felt... right. Like this was how he was meant to be. Of course, Jusyenko had to say hi, as his tail bats a nearby handle and a spray of cold water renders Ranma female. and human. He sudenly felt that wrongness again, quickly turning the water hot, as he returned to male, though now in human form, he paused. The feeling hadn't gone away this time. He still felt wrong. compacted. slow. heavy. Focusing how his mom had told him, he transformed, feeling the drain on his Ki, though it was nothing compared to some of his tougher fight, a drop in the bucket one may say, and the wrongness vanished as his eyes lit up in understanding.
"What is it, Ranma?" Nodoka watched the cycle. It seemed Jusyenko turned him into a human female, though based on hat she had heard of the springs, it was no suprise. The light in his eyes got her attention.
"Even if mentally I've kinda accepted the curse, seeing as it's best to accept the chance I may not get a cure, it's always felt wrong. But now I feel like that as a guy too. Well, a human guy. I think my problem has always been the curse is human, and I'm aparently not. Maybe the shampoo supressed it for me as a guy, or maybe I just didn't know. Great, I'm gonna be stuck swapin' species too."
"Perhaps not. I know of an Aura Mage. It's possible he may be able to, if not cure the curse, alter it in the least. I'll let you get situated as I look up Dr. Diggers." With that Nodoka left. When Ranma looked back at the mirror, he noticed his hair was unbound, the ash mush have knocked the dragon's whisker free. He momentarilly paniced, then noticed that his hair wasn't growing, nor was it longer. He shifts back to human for a moment, watching his hair NOT grow. Once he had confirmed his hair wasn't growing out of control, he shifted back to his cat-man form.
"At least that's one problem that sorted itself out." He smiled a bit. Maybe things would get better. Mom said someone may be able to help. He just had to hope.
The next day was luckilly the last day of classes, so he only had to make it through that. As he steped into the kitchen that morning, having fially gotten to wake up on his own for once, he saw someone new. The boy looked about his age, though certainly not like a fighter. He was hunched over a notebook and taking notes, looking at an open book. Ranma creapt up and looked over the boy's shoulder, recognizing one of the pictures as Jusyenko. "It is quite a chaotic place, isn't it?" The boy asked, though Ranma saw his mother didn't react. Was he talking to himself? "It can't be easy to have a curse, particularly one that leaves you trapped, huh Ranma?" He was suprised the boy had noticed him, as focused as he had been on the book, and Ranma's stealth skills. The boy set his pencil down and turned to Ranma. "Hey, name's Rayderet, though I usually go by Ray." He bowed in greeting from his seated possition.
"Ranma Saotome, though I take it you knew that already. So... Why 'ya here? Studying Jusyenko?"
"More I'm studying it because I'm here. Your mom found out the guy she was trying to contact for help is off on Jade, so she reached out to mom. My mom was the one who cast the non-infliction spell when you were a baby. Mom's got other stuff, but sent me to take a preliminary look to see what we can do." Ray tapped the notebook. "And I'm jotting notes on Jusyenko and possible ideas."
"Wait, non-infliction spell?" Ranma tilted his head as Nodoka came over with two large plates of breakfast.
"Do remember Ranma only just learned his true species, Ray." She placed one in front of Ranma, and the other in front of Ray, who started eating away, a bit suprising as Ranma didn't think he was a Martial Artist. "Werecreatures can inflict a form of lycanthropy on others with a scratch, but for many generations have had their young enchanted to prevent it. Ray's mother is a mage, and he aprentices under her.
Ray smirks as he sees Ranma watch in suprise as this boy seems to try and outdo him. "I can tell you're wondering if I'm a Martial Artist. I'm not. I'm firmly the squishy caster archetype!" He chuckled. "This is good, Ma'am."
"Why, thank you Ray."
"So... do mages burn through calories like Martial Artists then?"
"Nah. Dragons do though." Ray's grin widens as he watches Ranma's face. "Yep, I'm a dragon. Fairly young still, though we do mature about as quick as humans, even if our physical growth is slower. Anyways! I may have at least a stop-gap method to keep you from being changed, though it does seem an Aura Mage is your best bet for any long term fix." Ray had already finished his food as Ranma finally sat and started on his, though slower so he could hear Ray, as any chance at a cure was great. "Jusyenko is flighty, so I can't say if there's a way to cure, but I'm sure an aura mage could at least override a curse.
"And your method?"
"If I'm near you, I can supress the activation of the curse with a spell, but that's about all I can do. Mom's out of town so she can't look to help, and she's not an Aura Mage, so no telling if she could help. You talked about moving to Atlanta, correct, ma'am?" Nodoka nodded.
"Why yes, we were. Your mother requested that you travel with us as well, which was rather odd."
"Not so much once you know why. She wants me to try my hand at Jaden magic, and it just so happens the Archmage Aura Mage lives in Atlanta, Dr. Theodore Diggers."
"Really? What a suprise, I actually was trying to contact him. Well, that may work out very well then."
"Wait..." Ranma finished his food. "So the place we're going, seeing if another Werecheetah being there, also happens to have the guy who's the best shot at helping with Jusyenko?" He just shakes his head at his mother's nod. "Me? Getting lucky? Guess hell froze over."
"Chilly afterlife or not, it's time to get to school. Ray, I assume you'll go too to help with the curse?" Ray nods. "Great!" Nodoka smiles. "Then I'll start looking into a place there!"
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"Class, we have a visiting student today." Miss Hinako announces as Ray stands at the front. "You can introduce yourself. Your name, how you know Ranma, what crazy school of martial arts you practice, and what Ranma or his father did to you." She shrugs at Ray's look at the strange introductory subjects, stated by rote, as she was currently in adult form, having had to calm down Akane. "Seems there's been a trend since Ranma arrived."
"Well, my name's Rayderet, though you can just call me Ray. I'm not a martial artist." The class gasps. a NORMAL KID?! Had hell frozen over?! "I am an aprentice mage though." He had been told this school was used to magic at this point. Everyone relaxed, there it was. Not a normal kid. "And I'm here on request of Ranma's mother. I can help keep Ranma's curse from triggering if I'm around, and it's important I do so."
"Does it have to do with Ranma being a cat monster?" One of the students asked, hand in the air. Ranma at least had the decency to look embaresed he had forgotten to return to human form.
"He's not a cat monster. He's a Werecheetah. One of the last of his kind too, so those of you wanting to kill him, know you'd likely for sure doom his race."
"No planning an extinction, understand class? Ok then, let us begin."
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Things had gone fairly well untill lunch, when all hell broke loose.
"The vile demon does show his true face! I, the noble scion of Kuno, shall smite you and free the fierce tigress and pigtailed goddess from your grasp!" Ranma just groaned.
"Damnit Kuno, leave me alone..." Ranma grumbled, turning to see the boy wielding live steel. "Woah, there, Bokken Boy, where's your toy? That's dangerous 'ya know?"
"A foul beast like you needs special weaponry to deal with! Have at thee! I strike!" Ranma prepares himself to catch the blade, but finds himself knocked away by something large and solid striking his torso, knocking him into the wall, as a loud, growling voice rumbles.
"Stop there!" everyone stares in awe at the honest to goodness DRAGON standing in the courtyard that had just sent Ranma flying, and held Kuno under it's claw.
"The foul sorcerer has summoned a beast to prevent his righteous punishment! See?!" the crazed boy babbles on, earning a snort from the dragon.
"I'm here on his MOTHER'S request. Strictly speaking, I was INTENDED to keep his curse at bay, but I figured his mother would be very upset if he got Burned." These words drill through the viewer's minds, as a few manage to put two and two together.
"Ray?!"
"That new kid?"
"I mean... he did say he was a mage."
Ranma approaches the dragon. "Ray? Why did you do that? I coulda taken him down?"
"Ranma... You're no longer protected. That blade was silver, one of the weaknesses built into werecreatures by their creator Iceron. A mere touch of it can burn your very soul. It's no joke." Ranma froze upon hearing that. "Get your mother. It's best if I keep an eye on this one."
Nodoka jumped as the door slamed open to see a frazled looking Ranma. "Ranma?! What're you doing back from school?" She looked at his expression, as she could tell it was something major.
"Kuno... Ray sent me... He had silver- eep!" Ranma feels himself pulled along as Nodoka heard 'Silver' and ran, a fury on her face. No WAY she was leaving Ranma at a place that had a silver-waving menace on the loose!
She arrives to the sound of explosions. "Let the kheki go! The Big Kahuna demands it!" she arrives finding Ray just staring at the principle who was tossing his pineapple bombs at the dragon ineffectively, one claw still holding down Kuno, the other over something, the hint of a hilt suggesting he was keeping the sword held down too.
"PRINCIPLE KUNO!" Nodoka growled, catching the man's attention.
"What do yah want? Can't ya see the big kahuna is trying to save one of his students, yeah?"
"Save? Your SON just tried to KILL mine!"
"They were just playing, boys will be boys!"
"Playing?! That blade was silvered. If Ray here hadn't intervened, my son's very SOUL would be burned at BEST! I Demand you do something!"
"You can't order me around! I'm the Big Boss!" the principle shouted back.
"Well then, I'm pulling Ranma out of class for his own safety! And I will be making some calls to make sure an investigation is launched! Ray, deal with the blade if you may, then head home. I'll contact you with the NEW plan, since it's obvious my son isn't safe here!" She stormed off, bringing Ranma with her.
After a few blocks, Ranma spoke up. "Mom... New plan? What're you speaking of?"
"We had been planning to pack up and move. But after this... We're leaving. Tonight. Ray can get the rest of the things and bring them with him. This time tomorrow, we'll be in Atlanta.
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End of Chapter Notes:
Ray and his mother are dragons following more DnD esque rules as opposed to Gold Digger. Still reading, so gonna just say that and do as I want :P