In order to ascend to the Throne, Crown Princess Erika of the Magical Realm (Mahou no Kuni) was required to create a magical item and to test its effectiveness by giving it for a one-year period to a mortal on Earth (the Mahou no Kuni is a separate realm from Earth, accessable only via magic or magically created portals). Erika created a magical red hair ribbon that allows the user to transform into a copy of any other living person for a limited time. She gives the ribbon to Himeko Nonohara (Hime-chan), who has many misadventures using it.
Oddly enough, Ranma had come across a girl's red hair ribbon lying in the street. Out of deeply-ingrained habit trained into him by his father, he picked it up. Loose items were always to be taken--either they were valuable in and of themselves, or else somebody looking for them would be grateful for him finding it. This was a principle of the Anything-Goes School--anything and everything could be used somehow, no matter how stupid it seemed.
Such was Ranma's state of mind as he turned the corner and came across a girl with long blonde hair. She appeared to be about fourteen years old, and if her fancy-looking dress was any indication, her family must have been quite wealthy. She looked at the ribbon in Ranma's hand intently.
"Um...is this yours?" Ranma asked.
"Why, yes, it is," the girl replied.
Ranma held the ribbon out to her. "Um...you want it back?"
"Oh no," the girl answered. "You can keep it."
"Um...thanks, I guess...but what does a guy need with a girly ribbon like this?"
The girl beamed. "Oh, but this is no ordinary ribbon. It is a magical!"
"Magical?" Ranma's experience with magic was that it usually never turned out well, especially if you didn't know how to use it right. "Um...I hope you don't mind me asking this, but if it's a magical ribbon, then why would you want to give it to me?"
"Well, you see," the girl explained, "I am Erika, the Crown Princess of the Magical Realm, and--"
"Waitaminit!" Ranma interrupted. "Princess? All right, what did my old man do to set you after me?"
"Your father?" Erika looked puzzled. "I assure you that this has nothing to do with your father, Ranma Saotome."
"Well then what?"
"Well, as I was about to say, in order to ascend to the throne of my kingdom, I am required to create a magical item and give it to a mortal, to use for a year's time. If that mortal uses the magic for good, then I can ascend to the throne, but if the mortal uses the magic for evil, then the throne shall go to another. You, Ranma Saotome, are the mortal I have chosen."
Ranma sputtered. "Why me?! And why a girly ribbon? Why not a watch or a belt or something?"
The princess smiled and silently cast a calming spell on Ranma. It was a weak one, but it would be sufficient to keep him from freaking out any more before she could finish explaining.
"I chose you because you have the most potential to use it for something good," Erika explained. "I have used my magic to observe you, and you have the honesty, courage, and the good heart that would make this possible. As for the shape, I am sorry, but magical items tend to reflect the personality of their creator and not that of their users. There's nothing that I can do about that."
Ranma seemed to accept this explaination. "Okay, but what does this thing do anyway?"
Erika smiled again. "When you wear this ribbon, you can change into any other person for the period of an hour. You will be exactly identical to that person in appearance, but your mind will still be your own."
"I've got plenty of trouble with shape-changing magic as it is! Besides, if my Mom saw me wearing this thing she'd have my head--literally!" Ranma protested.
Erika pondered. Most mortals jumped at the chance to have a bit of magical power, but Ranma was refusing. Then again, this was one of the reasons that Erika was sure that Ranma would not use the ribbon to do anything evil. She thought of how she could convince him to accept the ribbon.
"Well, I can make it so that other people will not be able to notice the ribbon. Please, use it! I know you can do good with it!" Erika pleaded. Small tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.
"Well, uh..." Ranma faltered. He was a sucker for crying girls, even if it meant that it got him in trouble.
Erika added the kicker. "And when you wear the ribbon, any other transformation magic is blocked. That includes your Jusenkyou curse."
Ranma started. "You mean it?"
"Yes," Erika insisted.
Ranma grinned. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Nobody would know he had the ribbon, and if wearing it meant no more changing into a girl when wet, then it was worth it.
"Ok, I'll do it," he said.
"Good." Erika smiled and tied the ribbon onto the end of Ranma's pigtail. "Now, let me explain how to use it."
Ranma snapped to attention. He knew how badly magic could be messed up when one used it wrong.
"You have to look in a mirror or anything that shows your reflection. Then, cross your arms in front of your face, and say 'Parallel, parallel, change me into somebody else'. Try it." Erika held up a hand mirror in front of Ranma's face.
Ranma gulped. "Ok...here goes nothing."
Ranma crossed his arms in front of his face and said "Parallel, parallel, change me into, um, Ryouga Hibiki!"
Ranma felt nothing. Lowering his arms, he said, "Hey, are you sure this works? I mean--"
He caught a glimpse in the mirror. Reflected there was not his own face, but rather that of Ryouga.
"Whoa! No way!"
Erika giggled. "It works perfectly! Now try changing back. You have to say the words backwards. Say 'Lellarap, lellarap, change me back into myself'."
Ranma nodded and crossed his arms again. "Lellerap, lellerap, change me back into myself."
He lowered his arms and looked into the mirror again. There was his face, the same as it had been before.
"Now to make the ribbon invisible. Well, not really invisible--people will see the ribbon, but they'll just not notice that it's there. Mind you, anybody with strong enough magic won't be affected, though."
Erika raised one hand into the air. "Rimpa rompa rambarii, without any magic, no eyes can see!" The ribbon glowed softly for a moment, then grew quiet once more.
"Um, thanks, I guess," Ranma said. "Is there like, anything else I need to know about this?"
Erika thought for a moment. "Oh yes, the rules!"
"Rules?" Ramna groaned internally. Magic was always more complicated than it looked.
Erika held out her hand, and a small scroll materialized. She handed the scroll to Ranma, who opened it and began to read.
Item One: the ribbon lets you change into any living person. Dead or imaginary people are not allowed.
Item Two: you can only change while you are wearing the ribbon.
Item Three: You may only change for up to one hour at a time. If you exceed this limit, then you will be unable to change back, ever! However, you may change again immediately after changing back to yourself.
Item Four: while you are transformed, the ribbon changes into a pendant around your neck (Ranma paused--he had not noticed this before.). You must not remove this pendant while changed, or your changed form will become your new "normal" form.
Item Five: remember that the ribbon only changes you into a duplicate of another person--the other person will still exist separately.
NOTE: By the rules of the Trial, the ribbon must be kept secret from all other Mortals (magic-using persons who were born Mortal are counted as Wizards). Failure to maintain this secrecy may, at the discretion of the King and other judges, result in the immediate ending and failure of the Trial, with the memories of all of the Mortals involved being wiped of any knowledge of the magical item or its effects and any subsequent events.
"I believe in you, Ranma Saotome," Erika said. With that, the princess slowly faded from view and vanished.
See other episodes by Ijuin-kun
(Posted Mon, 09 Dec 2002 15:47)
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