Chapter 1:

 

The Jusenkyo Guide looked up from his reading when he noticed an angel enter the training ground. She had silver hair that went to her waist and emerald green eyes, and a pair of white wings on her back. But her choice of clothing was rather strange.  She wore Chinese clothes, a red shirt and a black pair of shorts. He ran over to her before she could get any closer to the springs.

 

She looked Japanese so he tried talking to her in that language. <<Very bad place here. Better you go now.>> He tried to push her away frantically. But the angel just frowned and pulled out a battered looking book. She muttered something to herself, wings fluttering in anxiety, then looked at him.

 

She spoke in perfect Chinese, “This is the place of cursed springs, correct?” Seeing his nod, she smiled. “I am looking for a specific spring, the Nyannichuan, the spring of drowned girl.”

 

The Guide frowned. “But you are an angel, why do you need to find the spring?”

 

“You know what I am and the girl who drowned in that spring was human.” She smiled at him. “Please point out which one it is,” Her battle aura suddenly flared and the Guide felt his mouth go dry. “Please.”

 

He watched the angel jump in the spring and emerge. She looked the same but her wings were gone.  She nodded to herself and muttered, “Well, its good enough. At least my aura is fully human, as long as I avoid any Class-One demons or mages, my secret should be safe. My power is at Class 2 so its not too bad.” Then she noticed the guide watching her. “Sorry about that, thank you for your help.” She walked off to the south. The Guide shrugged and returned to his hut, he wanted to finish that book.

 

Rei nearly jumped for joy as she walked down the mountain. Her father had long harped on his Jusenkyo curse but he conceded that it might help her in her travels. She just wanted to be a normal human girl. Rei mentally hit herself upside the head. Yeah right, she thought. Not when your father is an Archangel of the First Ring and your mother is an Angel of the Second Order. Not when you yourself are an Angel of the First Order.

 

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Rei looked at her guidebook then looked at the sign on the house. It read “Hibiki Dojo of Anything Goes Martial Arts” not “Tendo Dojo of Anything Goes Martial Arts”. She shrugged. Maybe the Tendos moved or something. She knocked on the door and waited.

 

Akane Hibiki looked up from her cooking and swore. She was so close to making a good meal then someone had to come to the door. She sighed and left her monstrosity cooking on the oven. The kids were practicing in the dojo with Ryoga and they would be having company that night. It might be one of the guests arriving early. She went to the door and opened it. It was a girl that she never met before. “May I help you?” Akane asked gently.

 

The girl looked at her book then frowned. Then she looked up with a bright smile. “Uh yes, I’m looking for a Genma Saotome, I was told that this was his last place of residency. Do you know where he is?”

 

Akane was startled to say the least. She was too young to have been engaged to *him*, but you never know with Genma Saotome. “Is it about his son, Ranma Saotome?”

 

The girl nodded. “Yes, it is. I am also looking for a Nodoka Saotome.”

 

Akane sighed in relief. “They will both be here later tonight, you may wait for them if you wish.”

 

The girl looked outside briefly before nodding. “I suppose so. Thank you for your hospitality. My name is Rei.”

 

Akane was surprised when she gave no surname but answered, “I am Hibiki Akane. Come inside.”

 

Rei followed Mrs. Hibiki into her house. IT was a large house, with a dojo attached to it. She looked in the backyard and saw the famous koi pond that her father mentioned. She entered the kitchen and sniffed the air cautiously. “Ma’am, is something burning?”

 

Akane shrieked and pulled out the remains of a ..something that looked like a mixture between a dead rat and a pit imp. Rei eyed Akane with a little fear. Maybe there was some truth to those stories.

 

“Oh no, I spent hours slaving over it! Maybe I could make a salad or something..” Akane grabbed her cookbook.

 

Rei asked, “I know a little about cooking, can I make something for you? I don’t want to be a burden on your family or anything like that.”

 

Akane sighed and buried her head in her hands. “Please, salvage this meal.”

 

Rei nodded. “Okay, first you must go relax or burn off your anger. When you are finished, come back and you can help me make dinner.” She pushed a unresisting Akane out of the kitchen then turned to look at the mess in front of her. She tested her power level and smiled, it would be easy to use a little magic to clean things up a bit. She gestured her hand and the mess suddenly disappeared. Rei summoned a bag of shrimp and a kilo of rice. She began cooking her grandmother’s recipe for shrimp and rice soup.

 

Akane went into the backyard and broke some bricks. Then she went back into the kitchen and nearly fainted. It looked as clean as Kasumi once kept it. And the soup, which was cooking nicely on the stove, smelled like heaven and very familiar. Akane frowned and walked over to Rei who was tossing together a salad. “What kind of soup is it?”

 

Rei shrugged, as she cut up vegetables with a skill that Akane envied. “I’m not sure, it was a recipe my father told me that belonged to my grandmother. I’ve never met her so I don’t know if it’s hers or not.”

 

Akane shrugged then sat down on a chair. “So where are you from?”

 

Rei briefly paused before continuing. “Uh, it has many names but we call it Etheria. It means “Sanctuary” in the old tongue.”

 

Akane heard a knock on the door and excused herself from the kitchen. It was the Saotomes, Genma and Nodoka. She warmly greeted Nodoka but eyed Genma suspiciously. “I am sorry but there is a girl in the kitchen who needs to speak to the two of you about Ranma. I’m not sure what it’s about.”

 

Nodoka glared at her husband who tried slipping away. “We will see what this is about. IF this is about another fiancée..” The warning hung in the air between the couple. Genma sweatdropped and briefly considered trying for the koi pond. But the look on his wife’s face told him that he would be very lucky to walk away with a head. He followed her into the kitchen.

 

Rei looked up from her soup at he couple who followed Mrs. Hibiki. She definitely recognized the resemblance between her father’s other side and his mother. She bowed to them. “Are you Nodoka Satome and Genma Saotome?”

Nodoka nodded. “Yes, who are you and why do you seek us?”

 

Rei smiled. “I am Rei, daughter of Arylith and Ranma Saotome, and your granddaughter.” At that, Nodoka promply fainted. Rei sighed, mortals were so odd at times.