“I am so screwed it isn’t even funny,” she muttered.
Pluto knew the fates of the Senshi were tied to Ranma. It took more than a few dozen timelines and alterations to prove it, but it was true.
Ranma would be involved with the Senshi in one form or another.
And she had just turned him into a soul-devouring monster.
Say goodbye to Crystal Tokyo.
“Even the ginzuishou can’t fix that,” she muttered. After all, it was fused to his soul. To remove it would be the same as ripping his soul to shreds.
And that would most likely end up FUBARing the situation further than she could comprehend.
“Okay Pluto,” she said, trying to still some confidence in her voice, “this is not all bad. I mean, they didn’t kill him.
“Crap, I went from trying to eliminate him to wanting him to live. There must be at least one God, because that is about the only thing that explains this.”
Taking a few cleansing breaths, she set about scanning for changes to the future. As a rule Hollows tended to avoid Senshi in either form, mainly due to the fact a Senshi’s aura usually purified them within a block of the Senshi.
But with a human heart and a living body, Hollow-Ranma might be able to get around that little detail. Even then, the boy still seemed ... innocent.
So she now had a somewhat demonic male, dark past, which would grow up strong, powerful, and end up in at least one fight with the Senshi.
“Great,” she muttered, “with those qualities, one of the Inners is bound to try and screw him.”
Well, she hoped it was only one; Ranma tended to attract the harem thread of destiny, much like that one guy up near Hinata Springs, Kitimo, Kentaro, ... something or another. Pluto tended to ignore him since he had no contact with the Senshi.
Well there was that one timeline where he and his wives lead an army of robot turtles against Crystal Tokyo, but that thread was no longer viable after she had him fail his second exam test for Tokyo-U.
Anyway, she had to check and see just how badly she was screwed in the karma department. After all, evil Hollow-Ranma was bound to mess up Crystal Tokyo.
She could already see Dominatrix Moon back again.
“My,” said Kisuke, chuckling a bit. “He’s gotten much bigger.”
The he in question had once been a small boy as of a few months ago. Now in his Hollow form, he was easily two meters tall, easily holding a small redheaded boy by his head.
“Please don’t be mad, sir,” said Ururu. “He just didn’t like Jinta picking on me.”
“Let me down you big ugly!”
Ranma spun the boy around so that they were face-to-face, and released a deep growl.
“Um...” shuddered the redhead.
“Now, now,” said Kisuke, “no killing the help, Ranma.”
The Hollow looked at him before nodding ... and dropped the boy on his rear. “Run...” growled out Ranma, as the kid darted off.
Kisuke shook his head. “Can you help her finish up restocking?”
Ranma nodded as he went inside with Ururu.
“Any luck?” asked Kisuke towards a small box, as a black cat emerged from it.
Yoruichi sighed. “I found his father about two towns away, drunk in a bar, and trying to use his son to pay for the bar tab.”
“Disgusting,” snorted the shop keeper.
“I agree,” said the cat. “Ranma’s easily worth more than that.” She paused for a moment as her friend chuckled at her joke. “So, how’d he get so big since I last saw him?”
“Hollows,” said Kisuke. “He kills them and absorbs their spirit particles. Don’t worry though, their souls seem to head to Soul Society or Hell, whichever would have had them anyway.”
“That’s good,” said Yoruichi, “I’d hate for them to consider him a mutant Quincy.”
“We have ... other issues,” said Kisuke. “I fear that his diet is beginning to affect his demeanor. Aside from the fact he may soon become as large as a Menos Grande, we must not forget exactly what this diet is reinforcing.”
She nodded. “We should try and restore him to a human form, but how to do so escapes me at this point.”
“We could always test him to see if he can become a shinigami.”
Yoruichi glared at him. “I know what that test entails. He could just as easily wind up dead or a full Hollow if he fails.”
“But I would be me again?”
The two turned, spotting the Hollow behind them, scratching the back of his head. “I won’t lie to you,” said Yoruichi. “It could work if you have the potential. But if it fails, you’ll become a full Hollow, and we’ll be forced to kill you.”
Ranma nodded. “I’ll do it.”
“But child,” started Yoruichi.
“But nothing,” growled Ranma. “I ain’t acting like me half the time. Half the time the meditation ain’t working, and it’s getting worse every time I slap one of those pale-masked idiots down.”
Kisuke sighed. “That’s another thing I was going to tell you. It seems his diet is slowly building up a standard Hollow personality.”
Yoruichi sighed. She had begun to think of the small boy as her own child, someone that needed to be protected in the now, mainly because she had failed to do so in the past. “If we do so, I want you to know there is no turning back once we start. You’ll literally feel your soul burning in pain.”
“It’s not that bad,” said Kisuke. “Well,” he said, seeing the cat’s glare, “not as long as he completes it before his chain collapses.”
“Chain?”
Yoruichi sighed once again as she quickly assumed her human form, taking the robe that Ranma produced just as quickly, smirking a bit at seeing his mask show his blushing status. “Come with us, and we’ll explain it ... all of it,” she finished, glaring at her companion.
“What?” said Kisuke. “You think I would administer a test like this without explaining everything?”
Across town on his way to a karate class, a certain orange haired boy sneezed.
“Whatever,” muttered the former cat as they stepped back into the shop.
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(Posted Sat, 02 Dec 2006 13:02)
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