Dawn.  Time for the sun to creep over the horizon and envelop the world in its light.  Time for all pigtailed martial artists to get annoyed at the sunlight entering their rooms and waking them up.  Said pigtailed martial artist is, of course, Saotome Ranma heir to the Mutsubetsu Kakuto Saotome Ryu, moves his hands in front of his eyes in a doomed attempt to stave off the day.  After a moment he reluctantly rises.  He moves to the window and opens the blinds allowing the sunlight an unobstructed path into the room.  “Close the blinds,” A voice behind him mutters.

            Ranma smiled and turned to the voice.  Laying a few feet from where he was sleeping is an obviously feminine figure.  She rolls onto her side and brings her…wing up to shield her eyes.  Ranma shakes his head and moves towards her.  He kneels down next to her and whispers into her ear.  “Ohayou, Kiima.”

            The bird woman yawned.  She moved the blanket off of her and stretched before turning to Ranma.  “Ohayou, Ranma-s…” She stopped her greeting as she noticed that Ranma had turned away from her.  “What is wrong Ranma-sama?”

            “You’re not exactly descent right now,” He informs her.

            Kiima looks down and blushes.  The small t-shirt she had been sleeping in had fallen off of her, and she had been giving her roommate an unmolested viewing of her right breast.  “Sumimasen, Ranma-sama.”

            Ranma sighs.  “And what did I tell you about calling me Ranma-sama?”

            Kiima sighs and pulls her shirt back up.  “Sumimasen, Ranma.”

            “It’s all right.  You’re my friend Kiima, not my servant.”  Ranma holds his hand out for her.  “Come on.  It’s time for breakfast.”

            Kiima smiles and takes his hand.  “Hai!”

 

            Time’s funny, ain’t it?  Ten years ago Oyagi and me left mom and set off on a training trip that took us all around Japan and even to China.  Baka taught me a bunch of forbidden techniques, most of which could have and should have killed me or at least driven me insane.  He even got us cursed, baka panda.  I’ve had my fair share of adventures.  The last one being the biggest.  Me, Oyagi, two of my rivals, and one of my fiancés went to China to get cured of our curses.  When we get there we find out that Akane, another one of my fiancés, has been kidnapped.  To make things worse Saffron, the king and god of the Phoenix People, was using our cure to ascend into full godhood.  It didn’t sit too good with any of us, except Shampoo, when he all but killed Akane.  In the end we beat him.  Correction, I killed him.  That was bad by itself, but something else happened that day.  Something that changed me.  Kiima explained it to me after the fight.  When I killed Saffron all of his powers as a Phoenix passed to me.  She said that it shouldn’t have happened to a normal human.  In other words there was something inside of me that made Saffron’s powers come to me.  After the fight we all came home without our cures.  Everyone but me.  It seems that Saffron’s powers have canceled out my curse.  Kiima came with us.  She said that her family always served the Phoenix, and since I was the Phoenix she was going to serve me.  It gets a bit annoying, but we’re learning to deal with it, or at least I am.

 

            Ranma was surprised to find his mother talking with an obviously foreign woman.  At first he did not ask who she was or why she was at the house.  Reason being new people in the house usually meant a new fiancé had been found.  He sat down at his spot at the table and focused his super sensitive hearing on their conversation.  “Are you sure?”  His mother asked.  The other woman nodded.  “But he’s only been returned to me recently.”

            The other woman frowned.  “You shouldn’t be attached.  Your mission was not become attached.  You were to look after him, if needed, until this day.”  She brought her hand to her chin.  “Though I am a bit surprised that he was able to kill Saffron.  Even with his heritage and training I did not think it would be possible.”

            “I am the best,” Ranma added without thinking.

            The other woman smiled.  “You certainly are, and it would seem that your training with the Neko-ken has improved your hearing.”  Ranma blushed.  Busted.

            “So what were you talking about?  You goin’ take me somewhere?”  He asked.

            “I am.  But first you must be aware of your heritage and be told the truth about your mother.”

            “The truth?”  He looked to his mother for an answer.

 

            One hour later

            A very stunned Ranma sat in front of the two elder women.  They had exchanged the crowded house for the privacy of the dojo.  What they had told Ranma was unbelievable.  It would have been unbelievable for anyone other than Saotome Ranma.  It took him a full ten minutes to regain his composure.  He turned to the woman standing next to Nodoka.  “How long?”

            She stood there for a moment considering then answered.  “With your learning curve and natural talent, maybe a month on the island.  After that I will tell you where you can find her.”

            Ranma nodded and stood.  “Kiima?”  The winged woman hesitated but entered the dojo nonetheless.  “You heard?”

            “Hai.”  She frowned.  Her eavesdropping had not been intentional.  She was only making sure that her lord was all right.  But now he would be displeased and not allow her to come.

            “You’ll be coming.”

            Kiima smiled and nearly jumped for joy.  It had not been a question!  He wanted her to come.  “Hai!”

            The other woman frowned.  “Normally I would frown upon others coming with us.”  She looked Kiima over.  “However she is of the Phoenix Clan. And,” She turned to Ranma.  “I do not foresee you leaving without her.”  Ranma nodded.  “Very well.  Go pack, we leave within the hour.”  Ranma bowed and ran out of the dojo.

            Kiima waited until he had left before bowing as well.  “Arigatou Titania-sama.”  The Queen of the Avalon nodded and shooed the young woman along.

 

 

A month later

 

            A gathering of sorts was occurring at the Tendo Dojo.  Those who had gathered shared one and only one real common ground.  They all had something to do with one Saotome Ranma.  Of course what that something was was not necessarily the same for all of them; some wanted to kill him, some wanted to marry him, and some wanted other things from him.  But they had all gathered at the insistence of Saotome Nodoka and the one called Titania.  Only two of those gathered gave Titania a second glance.  Genma, however, was sweating profusely.  And Elder Cologne was studying the woman as though there were something about her that was hidden from her eyes.  The group did not have to wait long.  A mere five minutes after the last one had arrived Saotome Ranma and Kiima arrived.

 

            Ranma entered the dojo with Kiima right behind him.  He moved to stand before the group as Kiima stood near his mother and Titania.  The young man cleared his throat and began speaking.  “Thank you all for coming here on such short notice.  You’re probably all wondering why you were asked to come here, right?”

            “Obviously, Saotome,” Nabiki snorted.

            Ranma ignored her.  “Well the long and short of it is this:  I’m leaving.”  The bombshell had been dropped.  (“5, 4, 3, 2, 1,”) He mentally counted down.

            “NANI?”

            “Airen finally come back to China with Shampoo!”

            “Saotome you fiend!  I will not allow you to have Shampoo!”

            “Ranma, how dare you cheat on my daughter!”

            “So the foul sorcerer admits defeat and will now run?”

            “Yes Ranma-sama, let us leave this place!”

            “Ranma, how dare you cheat on Akane!”

            “Ranchan, you’d better explain yourself!”

            Ranma sighed and looked around.  “Well that went better than I expected.”  He shook his head and continued.  “No I’m not going to China.  No I am not cheating on Akane.  No I am not running.  Hell no Kodachi.  And I will explain if you will let me.”  He waited.  No one attacked so he continued.  “As I said I am leaving.  As for where I’m going,” He stopped and looked to Titania.  She shook her head.  “I can’t tell ya.”

            It was at this point that Soun decided to use his dreaded Demon Head Attack.  “YOU WILL MARRY MY DAUGHTER!”

            Ranma shook his head.  “All engagements made by Saotome Genma are invalid.”

            Soun’s attack shrunk and dispersed.  “What?”

            Nodoka cleared her throat.  “Ranma is not our son.  We were just taking care of him.”

            “That means…,” Ukyo mumbled in shock.

            Kuno smiled.  “So Tendo Akane is released from the sorcerer’s clutches?”  He asked.

            Ranma shrugged his shoulders.  “Something like that.”

            “We do care if you are not the panda’s son,” Cologne said.  “You’re engagement to Shampoo does not change even if your identity does.”

            Ranma nodded.  “I know.  But I don’t care.”