"Sa-sa-otome?" Soun asked.
Genma swallowed uncertainly.
"Ranma?" Akane said with some quaver in her voice that of course couldn't be fear. She was Akane, she didn't know fear!
Nabiki wouldn't admit it under normal circumstances, but these were not normal circumstances. F-E-A-R. Fear. Verb. To experience a feeling of great trepidation and desire to avoid a condition viewed as a negative - such as death. That's why she was in her room packing.
I See. Things Are So Much Clearer Now. I Remember So Much More.
That was enough for Genma. Zoooom! His boy remembered? He did absolutely NOT want to be there when Ranma remembered certain aspects of his upbringing.
"How interesting, Ranma, what do you remember?" Kasumi seemed to be taking it all in stride.
More Than I Can Take The Time To Relate, admitted Ranma. So Much Is Clear To Me That I Can Scarcely Believe How Blind I Was. Who Knew That Death Was So Illuminating?
"Well, some of the most devout of at least three faiths that I know of," said Kasumi. "Christianity, Buddhism, and Hindu faiths all teach aesthetism even if their respective flocks rarely pay attention. Oh, I believe your ride is here."
Oh Yes, My 'Pale Horse' Is An Indian Motorcycle, Isn't It? Tell Nabiki I'll See Her In A Year. She Might Want To Get Her Karma Cleansed Before Then.
"I'll mention it," promised Kasumi. "Bye bye, Ranma."
Akane tried to yell. She tried to tell him to wait. She tried to scream at him. Her eyes strayed to his dead body and the mess he'd left behind, then back to where Ranma was riding off. She just couldn't seem to find her voice until after he was gone.
By then, of course, it was too late.
"Ah, there you are," said a woman phasing into place nearby.
Indeed. Here Am I, said Ranma, struck with the profundity of the statement.
"I am Doc," said the girl with the glasses, pulling out a large folder.
I Expected Someone Shorter With A Beard.
"Humor," said Doc. "That's a good sign. The job gets to you after awhile."
I Think This Job Has Its Perks said Ranma. How Do I Know That You Are A Goddess, Third Class, Whose Authority Is In The Written Word?
"One of those perks," said Doc. "You, as of a few minutes ago, are Death Incarnate. You'll have to work with some of the other living Incarnations as well as the gods and goddesses whose spheres you interface with."
That Seems Reasonable. What Exactly Are My Duties Now That I Am Not Dead, But Death?
"Those people who are especially good or especially bad are outside your purview. Likewise those who require Judgement or have a particular faith that they cleave to." Doc checked her file, thumbing through another few pages.
From What We Have Seen, That Is The Bulk Of Humanity.
Doc shrugged. "Can't be helped. You get the chronic skeptics, atheists, life's ronins who fail to make any commitments, that sort of thing. You also keep an eye out for those who need a special help over the hump - people of manifest destiny but no clear faith."
Sounds Like A Lot Of Work. Who Are These Other Incarnates?
"Oh, the basic ones. Sometimes they'll take a break too and you'll have to deal with their substitutes," said Doc. "Most go by more than one name. There's War or Strife, Time, Life or Nature if you prefer, Art or the Muse, Chaos, Order, and so on."
I Don't Suppose There's One For The Martial Arts?
"If you're good I'll introduce you," said Doc, not looking up from her papers.
Yay.
"Now I'll give you this, this is your learner's permit. There's also this. This indicates where your next client is."
Do I Get Paid For This?
"Not in coin of the earthly realm," said Doc. "I've got to go, my time here's almost up. Someone else will be by later to check up on you."
That's interesting, said Ranma as he consulted the device. It looks like my next client is in
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Sat, 06 Dec 2003 12:58)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.