Ranma decided to ask one of two people he knew would do what was best for him.
And Since Kasumi was still reading the list of Jusenkyo curses...
“Spring of Drowned Caped Crusader, Spring of Drowned Club-to-Death Angel, Spring of Drowned Bumbling Galaxy Police Officer, Spring of Drowned One-Eyed One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater, Spring of Drowned Failed Sitcom Writer...”
“Um, Belldandy, what Spring would you recommend?”
The Goddess smiled, glad that he was learning. “Well, Ranma-kun; I would suggest both keeping your current curse, and adding the Spring of Drowned Were-cheetah.”
“HUH?”
She blinked as everyone stared at her as if she had gone mad.
“Spring of Drowned Elvis Impersonator, Spring of Drowned Elvis ... oh my, he is dead. Mr. Ino will be so upset.”
Well, almost everyone.
Belldandy nodded. “You see, the Drowned Were-cheetah spring is a permanent spring, which will forever lock you as a were-cheetah. This will not only help cure you of your fear of made by the Nekoken, but will make you immune to being cursed by 98% of the other springs.”
“But why do I gotta keep my girl curse?”
“The remaining 2% would allow you to receive a human curse, which an enemy might use to make you an easy target. After all, several would make you deplore fighting, and willingly allow yourself to be killed instead of fighting back.”
“Can’t he just get the Drowned Man curse to replace it?” asked Akane.
Belldandy shook her head. “That would be the same situation. He could still be cursed. Besides, that would be the same as curing it. However, being that Jusenkyo works off karma as well as chaos magic, there is a very large chance the curses may simply mix; as was shown with Mr. Taro.”
“But wouldn’t that give Ranma more weaknesses?” asked Nabiki.
“He could phrase the wish so that his new curse would not have the drawbacks of weakness to silver, or that the thrall effect would be in use.
“Thrall effect?” asked Ranma.
Belldandy refreshed their tea, as Kasumi was still reading the list. “Yes; Bastet was very upset with that bit of Iceron’s idiocy. You see, as a were-creature, if you bit someone not a were, then they would be changed to a were-creature within a day. That is unless they already are a were, like Mr. Hibiki.”
“Bwee?”
“Oh; P-chan is back,” said Akane, grabbing the piglet before turning back to Belldandy. “Now what is this about Ryoga being a were? He looks normal to me.”
“You see, the Hibikis are sealed werewolves. In the past, they paid a very poor sorcerer to seal their heritage, to better fit in with the world and hide from their clan, who considered them weak for being pacifists.”
“Not in this generation,” mumbled Ranma.
“Since the sealing was poor, their bodies are torn between what they were and what they are now. This makes their sense of direction pretty much zero.”
“So if Ranma-kun bit Ryoga...”
“Then Ryoga would revert to his werewolf heritage, and be cured of his direction curse. If he were to be infected with a Jusenkyo curse such as an animal one, then his cursed form would be a were-form of that Jusenkyo curse.”
“But anyone else?” asked Nabiki, trying not to think of selling were-cheetah-Ranma-chan photos. If Goddesses and Kami did exist, then she was not about to dig a bigger whole for herself than she may already be in.
“They would be full were-cheetahs. However, I could not guarantee that they would share the same gifts as Ranma. They would need to see a high-quality mage to have their infection abilities sealed so that they could not make thralls.”
“If these weres are alive, why haven’t we met one?” asked Akane.
“Many have left this world for the plane of Jade; a world were magic is as prevalent as technology here. Many of those that remain on Earth hide, and of those, only three exist to this day.”
“And they are?” asked Nabiki.
“Well, there are werewolves, which still exist in many places. Then we have the were-cheetah, who are almost extinct due to the war with the werewolves and the treachery of both them and the third race during a peace mission. And the last ones are the were-rats, who are currently under the control of an evil man who wishes for world domination and the extinction of all were-cheetah due to a curse on himself that states a were-cheetah will kill him.”
“So my son would restore the race?”
The group turned to see a redheaded woman standing in the doorway, holding a silk-wrapped bundle.
Belldandy nodded. “Yes; that is true. Without the thrall drawback, Ranma could bite those that desire to become were-cheetah, and restore a solid genetic base for the rebirth of the were-cheetah race. Otherwise he would have to convince the last female were-cheetah to divorce her husband, and that wouldn’t be very nice.”
Nodoka nodded, before she smiled.
“WAH! My son is about to restore a proud race! He’s so manly!”
It was enough to make Kasumi stop reading the list. “Oh, welcome Auntie.”
“One problem,” said Nabiki, glad that Ranma had knocked the two fathers out before they could start proclaiming that Ranma would only be mating with Akane. “What’s to keep that wererat from killing whoever Ranma bites?”
“Aside from a Dr. Diggers, who lives in Atlanta and who could acquire people to help train Ranma to fight him, Ranma could use the second wish to be granted Bastet’s Blessing. If she gives it, she could train him in his dreams in magic and other methods to protect the new pride he is forming.”
“The baka’s already got pride,” muttered Akane.
“I think she means a pride as in a clan, little sister,” said Kasumi. “And it is not polite to speak ill of others when before a Goddess,” said Kasumi, making Akane blush in embarrassment.
Belldandy either didn’t hear it or more likely, chose to ignore it. Sadly, even she didn’t know that Bastet had altered her blessing a bit since the last time she had given it. After all, a Goddess of Pregnant Women did tend to think along those lines. And she tended to feel every pack needed a strong virulent Alpha capable of lots of children.
Actually, she had Nodoka’s dreamscape on speed-dial.
Ignoring the shiver down his back, Ranma considered what Belldandy had said. If he did that as his first wish, he would be rid of his fear of mouse chasers, earn a lot of good karma for restoring a near dead race (that female were-cheetah would like not being alone like that), get some great training, be immune from Jusenkyo, get some training, and have a Goddess helping him out.
Did he mention training?
Taking a deep breath, he turned to Belldandy. “Okay, then would it be okay if I asked for those two wishes we just talked about, except I wanna be able to control who gets infected. I don’t want Pops placing his dirty hands in my mouth when I’m sleeping just so he can be a were-cheetah.”
Belldandy smiled inwardly. Her aura was even making him consider the future. At this rate, he might just earn a Goddess Relief Office wish yet.
She’d have to make sure they had someone very understanding answer it, otherwise they might end up undoing all this progress he was making. Plus, he now had one wish left, and she knew just what to coach him to get.
That was one of the benefits of the Genie-wishes. They could be coached to wish for the right things.
“One were-cheetah curse and one Bastet’s Blessing coming up.”
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(Posted Wed, 19 Jul 2006 03:33)
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