Ah My Ranma ½ Pt4

Oh My Ranma ½!
No Need for Goddesses!
Started: 05Aug05
By Ozzallos

Forward- I highly recommend referencing the 'The Improbable Goddess' series before tackling this one, as it might help you make sense of some of the senseless events in this one ;) 'No Need for Goddesses' is basically a direct continuation of that story, crossing over into the Tenchi universe.

Chapter 1

The determined girl focused on the pile of chestnuts in front of her, brushing a strand of cobalt blue hair from her face while her white karate gi shrugging with the action. On the dojo mat across from her was a redheaded girl sporting a red silk shirt, loose fitting black pants and a stopwatch, which she promptly reset.

"Again."

Akane Tendo took a deep breath thrust her hand into the pile, quickly pulling as many of the nuts back as she could in the shortest amount of time possible. While her hands weren't a blur, they were impossibly fast by normally measure and the last chestnut disappeared into the new pile beside the student. Sweat beaded once more from her forehead with the exertion.

Ranma Saotome smiled, clicking the stopwatch. "One point five seconds faster than last time. I think that's a personal best." Akane blinked, and then beamed with pride, causing Ranma herself to remember back to when she had first learned the technique she was now teaching. If anything, the redhead was determined to be a better teacher than the ones who had taught her. Ranma was finding that while teaching wasn't easy, she had a natural flare for it and for the first time in her five year stay at the Tendo Dojo, was loving every moment of it. Of course, several key events had transpired to bring that side of Ranma to the surface. First there was the minor issue of 'accidentally' being transformed into the Norn Goddess of Luck. Needless to say, the implications that event held were tremendous. It had locked her into the girls' body she now inhabited and the engagement with Akane had ultimately collapsed under the strain.

So why was Ranma Saotome, Goddess of Luck First Class, Category One Unlimited still living under the Tendo roof and teaching at the Tendo Dojo? Simple. She was training the heiress, the first student the Dojo had seen in generations. A few feet away sat the Tendo Dojo's second student, Norn Goddess of the Future, Skuld.

"Go A-chan!" She cheered enthusiastically at the victory. Skuld had started off simply wanting to improve her hammer technique at Ranma's instruction, but somewhere along the way that line had blurred and she had begun taking hand-to-hand instruction along with Akane as well. The Hammer Twins, Ranma occasionally called them with no small amusement, but they were starting to become good friends after an initially rocky start.

"Very good. Both of you." Ranma stood up and smiled. "That's it for today" Then with a twinkle in her eye, "But now I have a surprise."

Both girls were on their feet instantly. A surprise? Sometimes those words combined with the glitter in their sensei's eyes meant trouble, but if practice was officially over, it was probably a good surprise. Maybe. Skuld noted that Ranma could be devious like that when she was in Sensei-mode.

Ranma nodded, "The Anything Goes School of Martial Arts now has its third official student!"

Third? That was a surprise! Akane was almost visibly glowing with pride now. Yes, she was still just a student, but she was also the heiress and her dojo was growing!

Their Sensei turned to the door. "Come on in."

Even as the Third stepped though the doorway, Akane's pride withered and died in shock. It was her, the hentai mercenary. Her sister, of all people! It wasn't the mercenary part that bothered her so much, Akane thought as Nabiki took her place beside Ranma. That was a given and it had helped pay the bills. But the hentai part, on the other hand, was a rather recent and disturbing development. The fact that She was even going to make the pretense of learning martial arts was perhaps equally disturbing, as her older sister had never once shown any interest in the school or it's art.

Skuld on the other hand, could look at the girl with slightly more objectivity. There was a good chance she could guess exactly why the Nabiki had chosen to join the school. Not that she really cared. That was between Ranma and Nabiki, but boy Urd would simply eat this stuff up!

"This is probably one of the easiest introductions I'll ever make," Ranma commented and Nabiki Tendo stepped forward. "So why don't you tell us a bit about why you want to learn The Art instead." Even as she made the request, Ranma cursed herself mentally. Now that had been a stupid idea.

Nabiki gave her a sharp look and an evil little smile, as if she knew the landmine the redhead had just stepped on. "Well, there are several reason why I'm here right now," She began, enjoying the light shade of pink Ranma's face was turning, "but the main reason I'm here is because my line of work involves negotiations. If those negotiations should say, break down, I'd like something to fall back on."

Even as her face heated up, Ranma admired the middle sister in that regard. Though her answer was loaded with subtle and not so subtle innuendos, the game she was playing with Shampoo was a dangerous one. Two fiancées had dropped out of the running once it had become clear that Ranma's girl-type was here to stay. That fact, however, did little faze the Amazon, whose tribe thought nothing of the practice, especially when the betrothed was a skilled warrior. The surprise had come to just about everyone when Nabiki stepped up to take the Tendo's fallen fiancée baton.

I should have seen it coming, Ranma thought silently to herself. The transformation had opened up an added dimension to their relationship as the two actually got to know one another for what really amounted to the first time, spending evening after evening fine-tuning Ranma's new power. But not all that time had been spent in practice, Ranma admitted silently. They had talked. Laughed. Shared their problems. And somewhere along the way, she had made an indelible impression on Nabiki Tendo without even realizing it. Actually, she had been trying her hardest to ignore the sister, truth be told. Even though her body was that of a girl, parts of her mind still held the psyche of a guy, and that guy still noticed girls. Ranma found it very disturbing and perverted when it came right down to it, but only a fool wouldn't notice Nabiki, and Ranma had already been warned of the severe danger she faced if she tried to suppress one side of her nature in favor of the other. She had done it once before and the results hadn't been… pleasant.

But that was done, and now Nabiki was playing for keeps. It was evident that she knew blackmail and extortion would only hold off her opponent for so long, and Ranma couldn't help but to applauded her insight. Sure, they were formidable tools and in Nabiki's hands doubly so, but she also recognized there might come a time when such tools would no longer serve their purpose if the Amazon ceased to be intimidated by them. Ranma could see the problem clearly if only because she had been on the sharp, pointy end of Nabiki's tools for the better part of five years.

Nabiki looked from face to face, reading her fellow students eyes. Akane: Sibling rivalry, I'm a pervert. Great, she thought. Skuld: Curiosity. A new friend to spar with. Shrug. Then back to Ranma: Embarrassment. Respect? Admiration? She knows every angle I'm playing here. Nabiki produced a warm smile that turned Ranma's face a deeper shade of pink. That's part of the reason I like you anyway, Saotome, she thought, regardless of your body. That mind of yours is every bit as sharp as mine, just focused in an entirely different direction.

That smile faltered, however as an impish grin spread across the redhead's face, embarrassment evaporating with it. There was something else in her eyes now and that something had caused Akane and Skuld's faces to become an unreadable mask. What was going on…?

"Martial arts can be another tool of negotiation," Ranma agreed, "but how hard are you willing to work to sharpen that tool? Take a good look at Akane and Skuld."

Nabiki did and the sweating girls had obviously been put through their paces today. This was warning then, Nabiki thought. She's not going to go easy on me just because. "I see."

"Good." The impish smile grew and the glittering in her eyes intensified. "Because I'm going to train you twice as hard." Nabiki blinked. Twice as hard? "That is if you're serious about your… negotiations."

Even through her shock she could see Ranma's underlying point easily enough- Put up or shut up. It was also a side to Ranma she hadn't seen before, but then if there was one person who realized the stakes of the game she was playing, it was the redhead in front of her. Shampoo was no pushover and the knife of blackmail could easily cut both ways. When it failed her- and it would fail her eventually, Nabiki openly admitted -She had better have a fallback plan. This was it, and Ranma obviously wasn't going to take it lightly.

Nabiki Tendo produced a crisp nod. "I understand."

"Alright then," Ranma replied, her feral smile softening only slightly. "Training begins at five a.m. tomorrow. Don't be late. Class dismissed." And with that, her red pigtail whipped around and she was gone from the dojo.

Akane and Skuld came down from high alert, staring at the exit their sensei had just departed through. Akane spoke first, her low voice totally devoid of the resentment she had felt earlier.

"Ooooh, you are so going to get it tomorrow, Nabs…"

Urd looked up from her magazine just in time to see her sister clear the surface of the water fountain in front of her, heaven-side. The redhead stepped from the fountain and onto the soft carpet of grass that made up the park grounds where the bronze and white Goddess had been waiting in. Urd rose from her bench with frown on her face. "Honestly, Ran-chan. It's your first day Live. Couldn't you at least pretend to have some fashion sense?

Ranma looked down at herself. Chinese shirt, black pants. I'm failing to see the proble-Oh, she realized, suddenly. Good for sparring and other mundane activities, but not exactly the attire a goddess in her line of work should be wearing. With the slightest mental nudge, her clothing evaporated in favor of an elegant tan and blue body wrap that had all but the vaguest resemblance to a Chinese dress, bare in the shoulders and back with matching arm wraps. She cocked her head in annoyance. Somehow she still hadn't been able to get rid of that thigh-high slit up the side of the wrap, which invariable produced a shapely leg everywhere she walked.

"Better?"

Urd grinned. "Much."

Even though she had bemoaned the circumstances her Goddess transformation had originally produced, Ranma recognized there had been a substantial silver lining to this particular cloud. The loss of her male body had hit Ranma hard and she was still dealing with the fallout that was producing, both mentally and physically, but it had produced something of equal, if not greater in value- Friends, a commodity her former life had in pitifully short supply. Ranma looked at the white haired Goddess and smiled inwardly. That same loss had landed the Goddess trio into her life; Urd, Belldandy and the dojo's second student, Skuld. All three became fast friends as they helped Ranma cope, while Urd had become one of her best; both bound to one another by their duel natures and the chaos that plagued their everyday lives.

"After all," she continued with an amused tone, "You can't exactly go around granting wishes looking like you just stepped of the boat from China."

"Hmmf!" Ranma sniffed as the pair made their way out and back into one of the many beautifully architectured suburbs of heaven. "Says you."

"So, how'd it go?" Urd's grin turned into a conspiratorial smile.

Ranma was about ready to protest, but didn't bother to waste the energy. She had since come to realize that her best friend would wheedle the information out of her somehow, even if it meant wearing her down all day to get it. "She's serious." Ranma simply stated, as if half not believing it herself.

Urd's smile turned into a look of smug satisfaction. "Told you."

"But I ain't gonna go easy on her." The Goddess of Luck stated firmly. Urd simply listened intently as Ranma continued. "She's not even close to Akane's level, let alone Shampoo. It's thin ice she's walking on. Blackmail won't keep somebody that determined away forever."

Urd's neutral expression melted into a slight grin. "You do like her." Ranma was about to protest once more, but instead produced a single nod. The bronze goddess recognized the honor that single nod bestowed upon her. Anybody else would have born the full brunt of Ranma's denial, but she trusted Urd enough to know her darkest secrets. And for Ranma, this was a dark secret. After the Yggradsil incident, she truly became a guy trapped in a girl's body. Sure, that body was starting to have influence on her, but you just don't shrug off seventeen years as a guy. Urd knew from her experience as the self-proclaimed Goddess of Love that the mental process itself carried just as much weight in physical attraction as any hormone, and Ranma was being twisted into psychological pretzel over that fact. Maybe if his upbringing hadn't been so strict, this wouldn't be such a big deal, but between his mother and father's rigid code of manliness, Ranma had been well on his way to become a man's man. Well, except for the curse, Urd smiled inwardly. Having had to deal with his girl-type for the better part of his life was probably the only reason she hadn't cracked. She'd come close though. Very close.

"Maybe." She finally acquiesced, "But I still ain't playing any favorites on this one. Heck, I'm still not even sure what I think of her… She's being nice and all, but she also spent the last three years blackmailing."

"You think she's hot." Urd stated smugly.

Ranma turned pink. "I never said anything about--"

"I'll bet you're just dying for another kiss!" The Goddess of the Past was on a roll now.

"I didn't ask for that one!"

"And if you hooked up with Shampoo…!" Urd added, clearly enjoying herself.

Ranma sighed, thanking God that the Goddess Relief Hotline area franchise she had been assigned to was right around the corner.

It was a quick ride to the third floor and the open aired office she had been designated for use. Urd had been tutoring her for the past month on the do's and don'ts of granting wishes, as well as the various procedures and mock telephone calls. One of the scenarios they ran through had a guy that wanted to destroy the world, to Ranma's disbelief. After trying to talk him out of it, he and a copy of the earth were shunted into a special partition of the Yggradsil and summarily destroyed, according to the wish report on file. Of course, Urd had to assure Ranma that any calls about sexual relations with a Goddess would be handled by a different office and now she was wondering exactly who this Peroth character was that Urd mentioned in the same breath.

After a final little pep-talk, Urd stepped out, promising to check on her in an hour or so. That left Ranma alone, staring at the pearly white antique phone. This time it was actually connected and Live, just waiting for somebody on the other end to summon her and make a wish. Ranma's heart pounded and she stared at it for fifteen minutes before finally realizing she could probably stare at it for another two hours before it actually rang. Chiding herself mentally, Ranma walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out the something she had been studying off and on between Urd's lessons. Plopping down into the reclined floating chair, she gave the telephone one last look before opening the bookmark to chapter five of 'How to Win Friends and Influence Demons'.

Tenchi Masaki ran a hand through the short crop of hair on his head, sighing as another couple found one another during their school lunch break. He wasn't exactly bitter that he hadn't found that certain somebody yet, he just hated being reminded of it every single day, he mused as he broke off from the main body of student, finding a tree to sit under on the school ground perimeter. This particular tree knew him well, and while he wasn't anti-social by any means, it was just the place to come to and forget about this particular problem. Or dwell on it without interruption, one of the two. Tenchi plopped down into the grass and looked up into the tree as leaves rustled in the wind. Sunlight spattered through the branches and he took a deep breath. Well, at least he didn't have to worry about the lover's quarrels and such. Of course with the right girl… Bah!

He flipped out his cellphone, determined to take his mind off the matters. I need a night out or something. Wonder if Kiro is doing anything after school? Tenchi punched the number into the phone and sent, waiting for the person on the other end to pick up.

Click!

"Um, uh, this is the Goddess Relief Hotline! I'll be right there to process your request!"

Tenchi held the phone away from his ear, puzzled. Goddess Relief what? He keyed the phone a few times, trying to pull up the number he had dialed without success. Well, whatever. Obviously a wrong number. His thumb hovered over Kiro's direct dial number when a shadow blocked the sunlight. Tenchi twisted around to find the source--

"Ahhack!" He twitched reflexively, suddenly realizing there was somebody now standing beside his tree, looking down at him. Tenchi's heart pounded as he struggled to regain his wits. And his breath. He hadn't even heard her approach! "Wu- wu- Where'd you come from!"

"Oh, just thought I'd pop in and say 'Hi." She shrugged and smiled mischievously. Having a chance to collect himself, Tenchi studied his surprise visitor intently. The red hair and long ponytail said it all. Definitely foreign, he decided, and the clothes… They were exotic. No possible way she could be a student, he reasoned, looking into her azure-blue eyes. She proffered a hand. "Tenchi Masaki, right?"

He nodded. Now this was just getting too weird. He took her hand and she pulled him up easily. He now stood a full head higher than the diminutive redhead, who seemed to be unperturbed by the fact as evidenced by her continued mischievous smile. Too-too weird. "Um, who are you?"

The girl's smile brightened. "I'm Ranma, Goddess of Luck first class, category one unlimited, and you," she paused for dramatic effect, pointing at him, "have a wish to be granted."

Tenchi blinked. "Goddess?" Ranma nodded. "Of Luck?" She nodded vigorously. "And I get a wish?"

"Yep," The perky redhead confirmed. "Anything your heart desires." Then she waggled a finger at him in mock admonishment. "Just let's try not to destroy the world and stuff. I'm still relatively new at this."

Finally, some obscure connection clicked in Tenchi's brain. "OOOoooh, I get it now!" The girl's smile faded into curiosity. "The guys put you up to this!" Her face crinkled with irritation as he continued, "Hahahah! When you see 'em next time, tell them they really got me good!"

"Look, I wasn't sent by your friends," Ranma countered irritably, "I'm a Goddess and you have a wish to make."

Tenchi continued to snicker. "And you just have to tell me how you did that phone trick! That was genius!"

Ranma let out an exasperated sigh. "Just make your wish already, kay?"

The student was just about to say something when the campus bell chimed. "Aw, lunch is just about over. Gotta go. Nice meeting you, Goddess of Luck!"

Ranma's hand dug into the tree with considerable force as the boy trotted off across the grass and back toward the school building. Little chunks of bark began peeling away. So he thinks I'm playing games, does he? Ranma fumed. Fine. We'll play games.

Chapter 2

Fifth period was just getting under way and Tenchi was spreading out his homework on the desk in front of him with minor annoyance. It was so much the math class he disliked, but the teacher. The old man was the classic epitome of the boring old teacher. Bald, thick glasses with a teaching style that was dry as the Sahara winds. Even so, Tenchi was a diligent study and today would be-- The classroom door clicked open and the red head of a girl poked in, gathering the attention of the class. Her blue eyes scanned the students quickly until they locked onto Tenchi, producing a grin that looked all too familiar. What in the world…?

"Ahem, excuse me Miss, is there something I can help you with?" She had caught the attention of the teacher now, causing her to step into the classroom. Tenchi immediately noticed the difference in apparel, from the exotic robe she had worn to a silken red Chinese top and black pants. The long ponytail was also missing in favor of a shortened pigtail. None of it really did anything to hide her figure, which was, admittedly excellent.

Her eyes widened and she smiled brightly, "Is this Algebra 203?" The math teacher nodded. "I'm a transfer student from abroad and I was told this is my class."

The teacher sized up the new student with confusion. "I wasn't told about any new students today…"

Ranma effected a dramatic sigh. "Oh, they must have lost my paperwork again! Now I'll have to-"

"Now, now," He interrupted the obviously distressed girl. "This kind of stuff happens all the time. Why don't you tell us your name and a little about yourself so that the class can meet you."

Her smile returned instantly. "I'm Ranma Saotome." She bowed formally to the rest of the class. "I've spent quite a bit of time in China practicing martial arts and have just transferred into the area recently."

Murmurs and speculation rippled through the class. China? Martial arts? This little red headed girl? The teacher nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sure you're paperwork will come through in time. Why don't you have a seat so that we can get started?"

Ranma nodded and her eyes locked onto Tenchi Masaki once more, that bright smile transforming into the impish one he had seen earlier. He began to squirm as she made her way down his row and conveniently into the open seat next to him. The teaching began in earnest and for the next hour Tenchi found it impossible to concentrate. He looked over at her for perhaps the tenth time since she sat down, only to find those blue orbs and that smile looking right back at him. If this was a practical joke, it's becoming downright unnerving, he thought, desperately trying to focus his attention on the textbook in front of him.

Sixth period didn't go much better as the redhead had once again found his history class, and with the same excuse, happily inserted herself into a desk. The only saving grace this time was that the only available seat was several rows behind him and to the right, but he could still feel those eyes boring into the back of his head. Of course, turning around to steal a glance only confirmed that suspicion. The bell didn't ring a moment too soon and he bolted out of the classroom and into the hall, hoping to lose her before his final class began. On his way, Tenchi saw one of his friends and promptly cornered him as he was pulling books out of his locker.

"Kuz, you're not trying to pull one over on me are you?" Tenchi asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

His friend looked at the normally levelheaded Tenchi and shrugged. "No idea what your talking about T-kun. Why, problems?"

Tenchi sized his friend up and considered the answer. He seems to be telling the truth. He might not know a thing about this girl. "Yeah, there's this redhead from China stalking-" He managed to cut himself off mid-sentence before terminally embarrassing himself. Yeah, what am I going to say, Tenchi snorted mentally, that I'm being stalked by a redhead from china? Oh that's a good one. She's a goddess too, Kuz!

Kuzangi blinked. "Oh yeah! I heard about her! Rumors going wild that she's a martial artist or something! I can't count the number of guys already trying to work up the courage to ask her out!"

"She seems to be in every one of my classes so far."

"Whoa! Lucky dog!" His friend exclaimed. "If she's in your next class, I want all the details, T!"

"Uh, right." Tenchi mumbled as his friend collected a final book and shut the locker. "Right. All the details." With that, he was gone, leaving the scruffy haired student to walk to his next class. Maybe she wouldn't be there. Maybe she was just--

Tenchi stepped into the room and froze. It was her, surrounded by a group of students who were happily making introductions and asking questions. The eyes. That smile. He froze like a deer caught in the headlights of a car.

"Yo Tenchi!" Her voice called out, waving him down. His eyes widened in shock, totally unprepared to be addressed directly by this redheaded psychotic stalker chick from China.

One of the girls around the redhead piped up. "You know Tenchi?" There was no mistaking the subtle implication.

Ranma waved her off. "Oh yeah, he's such a nice guy."

Tenchi twitched mentally once more. Somehow she had managed to not only arrive before he did, but had found yet another seat right next to his, even though she couldn't possible have known before hand! As soon as his butt hit the seat itself, every guy in the classroom converged on his desk. At least, every guy not trying to gain the attentions of the pigtailed girl.

"You know her?" One student whispered in disbelief.

"Are you going steady?" asked another.

"Hey, introduce your friend to me!" Came yet another.

It continued like that until the school bell rang and class started, dispersing both crowds to their seats. This time, the redhead didn't need permission to join the class as she had already obtained it before Tenchi even set foot in it. Probably used the exact same excuse, he thought with no small amount of sarcasm. She made the standard introduction when called upon and class began once more in earnest.

Concentrating, of course, was a lost cause.

Once again, he managed to duck out of class faster than his redheaded stalker and breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped into the open air. The day was done and she couldn't possibly follow him--

"Yo."

--Home? Tenchi twisted around slowly to find those blue eyes, staring at him, leaning lazily on the wall of the main entrance he had just departed. She pushed off easily and walked over to him. He took a step back but it was too late- The redhead had snaked her arm around his and locked it in place with a smile.

It wasn't quite a Shampoo-style glomp, Ranma noted as an afterthought, but it was close. Just enough to make him feel extremely uncomfortable. What could she say, having learned from the best and all. The attention they were now gathering was just an added bonus. "Hmmf. Now you can't get away."

"What do you want from me!" Tenchi hissed desperately, trying to wriggle his arm out of her grasp. Unfortunately, he already had two strikes against him with Ranma being a world class martial artist and a goddess, so the arm stayed firmly in place.

"Your wish so we can both go home." Ranma said with an indifferent shrug.

"I wish you would let me go!" Tenchi had ceased his struggles, settling for glaring at the girl attached to his arm.

She sighed. "Sorry, bro, but it's gotta come from the heart, or something like that." Then she winked, shattering his glare. "By the time this is all said an done, that my very well be your hearts desire anyway."

Now it was Tenchi's turn to sigh. "Ok, whatever. You're the Martial Arts Goddess of Luck from China." His mind began turning over all the options to somehow detach this girl from his arm. Not that she wasn't cute or anything, just clearly insane.

Ranma chuckled. "Flattery will get you nowhere. Now make your wish."

Then it came to Tenchi. It was so simple it was genius. "Well, Miss China, I'm going home. See you around." God, I hope not, he silently amended and began to walk down the sidewalk. The plan had been brilliant. She would never actually follow him home, but there was a problem. She was still attached to his arm. "I'm going to the bus now." Ranma simply nodded with a smile and they walked. Together. Off the school property and to the nearest bus stop. She's determined, I'll give her that, Tenchi admitted, but this is where the rubber meets the road. "Ok, I'm going get on the bus and going home." She nodded again. Damn that smile was getting irritating… Which happened to be exactly what Akane and Skuld thought whenever Ranma was busy mopping the dojo floors with them during practice, ironically enough. He endured the twiddling of a group of girls that couldn't help but to steal glances at them. Occasionally the words 'cute couple' and 'so romantic' would filter over to them until the bus finally arrived. Tenchi looked down at his new accessory and drew a breath.

"Yes, yes. We're getting on the bus." Ranma anticipated. "So lets go already."

It was ten minutes into the bus ride home and Tenchi was realizing that his brilliant plan had gone horribly wrong. He didn't know how and he didn't know why, but the redheaded psychotic stalker was still attached to his arm. Ranma, on the other hand, was actually having fun, finally being on the giving end of a glomp instead of the receiving end. It was payback for all the trouble this one was making her go through, she mused as he squirmed uncomfortably in the seat next to her. That, and it felt… Nice. Dang, now why did I have to go and feel that, she thought sourly. Wonder if that's the way Shampoo feels whenever she attaches herself to me…? Nice…?

Tenchi looked down at the fixture on her arm, noticing that her smile had drifted away into a mask of deep thought. What was up with this girl? Ok, you can't possibly be a Goddess. That was probably just ego talking. Figurative speech. Maybe you're a martial artist. As foreign as you look, I guess China isn't totally out of the realm of possibility either. Does she just like me that much? No, any girl this forward would probably just come right and say it. She blinked, finally noticing the attention she was receiving and the smile fell back into place.

"Make your wish yet?"

He shook his head. "You're serious about this aren't you?"

"Jeez, one stop from your house and you're just now realizing that?" Ranma rolled her eyes. "Could have saved us both a lot of time if you had back at the school."

The student's mouth fell open. "Just how do you know where I live?"

She sighed, finally uncoiling her arm from his. "Bus stop is coming up."

The bus rolled to a halt and Ranma got up, walking down the aisle and out the door, Tenchi following behind her. Not that it mattered anymore whether she had her arm around his or not. She apparently knew exactly where he lived and was obviously bound and determined to get this wish thing out of him if it was the last thing she did. Finally the bus rumbled off, leaving the two alone on the hillside road overlooking the Masaki property.

"Nice place you got down there," She noted with approval. "Looks better from this angle." She found the concrete stairway that led down to the house easily enough and began walking.

He hurried after her as she began her decent. "This angle? You mean you've seen it before?" What the heck was going on here?

"Yep, but only from the air." She smiled back at him. "Shrine is off to the right?"

Tenchi nodded dumbly and she took the fork right. "Where are you going?"

"To see the shrine, duh." Ranma heckled and kept walking.

"But why?"

"Because I'm nosey like that and you won't make your damn wish." She shrugged. "I'll just have to occupy myself until you do."

Ranma approached a set of misshapen stone markers, indicating the boundaries of the shrine just beyond, and she stepped across them. As soon as her foot touched the ground, her breath was immediately sucked away and she stiffened. Power came to bear and coursed through the redhead as if she had just completed some mystical circuit. Tenchi jumped back and the air howled around him as the girl burst into a bright golden aura. She flinched once more and luminescent wings sprouted from her shoulders, stretching to their full extension before relaxing into a semi folded state on her back. With the wings came the dress and ponytail she had worn earlier when they first met, as did the marks around her eyes and forehead. Finally, her body relaxed and Ranma found that she could inhale once more. Well that was… Unexpected, she thought, feeling the change. The shrine was alive around her and she could feel it too, like it was happy that she had arrived. Power continued to swirl through her as it welcomed her home. Or at least home away from home.

Ranma turned to find Tenchi on the ground with an absolute look of incredulity on his face. She proffered her hand to him for the second time that day from much the same position as the first. The impish smile had returned with a vengeance, Her wings shifting slightly.

"Maybe I should reintroduce myself. I'm Ranma Saotome, Goddess of Luck First Class, Category One, Unlimited."

Now they walked down the path to the house, Ranma no longer even bothering to conceal her wings or wardrobe. If full goddess was what it took to get a wish out of this joker, then full goddess it is. Heck, she'd bring Feather Light out if it would speed up the process at this point. She glanced at the student who was still staring at her.

"Ah, Um…" Tenchi stammered, "I'm very sorry about…"

"Aw, don't worry about it." Ranma waved the apology aside. "It's my first time too."

"You're first…?"

"Granting a wish." She clarified. Ranma really couldn't get mad at the guy since he was so far out of his depth it wasn't even funny. Kinda like me a few months back, she thought with irony. "Maybe I should have popped the wings sooner…" She mused.

"Ha! Are you kidding!" Tenchi snapped out of his trance of astonishment. "If you would have done that anywhere near a public place, you'd have people gawking for miles."

Ranma winced. "Good point."

"I'm sorry I still don't have a wish for you yet." Tenchi apologized as they crossed the lawn to his residence. "I mean, I can get you something to eat while you wait though."

She smiled. At least he was sincere enough. And food was always a good thing. It was less than ten minutes later that Tenchi produced a nice hot bowl or raman with all the fixings and Ranma dug into it with gusto. Tenchi was chuckling at her appetite just as the kitchen door clicked open, admitting a kindly old man with mustache and a well kept gray mane. Regardless of appearances, he radiated power.

"Ah, so this is the one that paid a visit to the temple!" He noted and smiling, neither taken back by her wings or the fact that she was in their kitchen with Tenchi.

Ranma, with noodles hanging out of her mouth and chopsticks in one hand couldn't do much more than look up at him and wave with her free one nonchalantly. He seemed remarkably calm about it, she noted. If he was good with having a Goddess in the kitchen, she wasn't going to worry too much about it either.

"Ah, Grandfather! I can explain!" Tenchi exclaimed at the elder's sudden appearance. He looked at Ranma, sucking up noodles from the bowl at their table. "Um, ah… Well, actually, no I can't."

. Ranma finished her helping and offered the most suitable explanation. "Your grandson dialed the Goddess Relief Hotline and has qualified to make a wish."

"A wish, you say?"

She nodded. "Yep. Anything his heart desires." Then she added with a sidelong glance over to Tenchi. "Sometime before tomorrow, preferably. I've got students to teach and a dojo to run."

"You weren't kidding about that martial arts thing either, were you?" Tenchi asked, clearly impressed.

"Goddesses can't lie." She shrugged.

"What about all that stuff about being transferred from China!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Ranma chuckled. "Sure I was a transfer student. Transferred into your class on my own authority. And I did train in China for quite a long time before coming back to Japan. As for martial arts, I'm probably one of the best you'll ever meet."

"How about the paperwork?"

"I made up my own paperwork." She now had a playful look on her face. "...and gave it to a friend to be lost."

At first Tenchi thought that it was all bravado and ego talking until he realized that her voice held absolutely none of those elements. Just as she knew she was a Goddess, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she was one of the best martial artists alive.

Tenchi's grandfather interrupted his thoughts. "And you still haven't made your wish?"

The grandson looked down at the table and shuffled his feet. "Ah, no."

"I don't think you realize the depth of honor bestowed upon you, Tenchi." The wisened old man admonished.

"Yeah, it took me half the day just to convince him I was a Goddess." Ranma chimed in for fun.

"Well who would have believed you were a goddess!" the young man bristled.

Ranma's gaze narrowed on Tenchi. "Are you saying I don't make a good goddess?"

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"You said--!" Ranma cut herself off abruptly. God, I sound like Akane! All anger dissipated with that single thought. "You're right. I apologize. Make your wish."

Tenchi stared at the girl and her abrupt mood swing. "I just don't know…"

Ranma considered the student for a moment. Luckily Urd had prepared her for just such a contingency. Her hand dug into one of the folds in her robe and pulled out a crinkled scrap of paper, unfolding it.

"Ok, maybe this will help. We'll run down the top ten. Money?"

"Never really cared about it." Tenchi admitted.

She went to the next scribbled entry. "Fame?" The boy shook his head. "Eh, Sex?" She noticed a little heart Urd had doodle by the entry. Tenchi turned a nice shade of pink. "Right. Power?" Another negative. Ranma was just about to move further down the list when her eyes widened. "Oh, DUH!" She exclaimed suddenly, punching a fist into her palm with a slap. "Chicks!"

Tenchi face planted into the floor and his Grandfather simply smiled.

"WHAT?"

Ranma didn't know why she hadn't seen it sooner. Actually, she knew exactly why she hadn't seen it sooner. Unlike most boys his age, Ranma had women climbing up the walls to get a date her- or him as the case was -whether she liked it or not. They'd chase Ranma to date Ranma. They'd fight other girls to date Ranma. Heck, they'd fight Ranma to date Ranma. In fact, she never had to worry about being shy, even though for all her bravado she had a shy streak a mile wide. Regardless, it had never been an issue, because the women never stopped bugging him. Ever. But for Tenchi now, She smiled with the thought, Tenchi was alone over by that tree for a reason, and it wasn't because he was being chased by multiple fiancées. Nor had she seen any trying to attach themselves to him in class. It was just a hunch, but…

"I'll bet you're lonely."

"Um, well…" He stared down at his feet, the light shade of pink returning to his face. He scratched his head thoughtfully. "It would be nice to have somebody like…" Ranma simply looked at him, any expression of mischief gone now. He looked into her neutral blue eyes and produced a shy grin. "Somebody like Mom…"

The grandfather nodded thoughtfully and Ranma cocked her head to one side, leaning toward him. "Close, huh?"

"Not really… She died when I was young." He answered, and she noted a feeling of sorrow flash through him. Call it Goddess ESP or whatever, but she could feel it radiate from him, however briefly. "But I've seen plenty of pictures of dad and her together." He continued, and the feeling changed to wistful happiness. "They looked so happy. Like they didn't have a care in the world."

Ranma stood up and placed her hand gently on Tenchi's shoulder. He looked up and found a warm smile waiting for him. "Then make your wish."

"I wish…" Tenchi hesitated momentarily, thinking of his mother. "I wish I could just fall in love with a woman that was, you know… Out of this world!"

Her instructors had told her what to expect, but she was also told that would never prepare her for the real thing. As it turns out, the instructors were right on both accounts. The divine circuit within her connected and every cell lit up with holy power. Ranma's body went ridged and she lifted her head skyward, floating lightly off the ground. That awesome power pulsed outward and the hollow oval mark on her forehead lit brilliantly as a shaft of pure energy short through the roof of the Masaki house and climbed into the dusk sky. Something in the beam pulsed back into Ranma and the circuit inside her was broken. Finally, the beam disappeared and her power levels returned to normal, allowing the dazed girl to regain her senses. She blinked and the world came back into focus, normality restored. She turned to Tenchi, who had jumped across the kitchen in shock, and smiling once more.

"Wish Granted."

Chapter 3

It had taken a bit for Ranma to convince Tenchi Masaki that was all there was to it, as if a holy shaft of light sprouting from her forehead wasn't enough. The boy seemed to think that maybe his dream woman would knock on his door that very night or something. Maybe she would, Ranma thought wryly, but that wasn't her concern. Her job as 'the great wish antenna' was done and she happily assured him that his future wife would probably be along sooner than later, finally leaving the student to his future. The Goddess of Luck cleared the surface of the Tendo coy pond without so much as a ripple, satisfied with the day. It had taken a bit of effort, but she was happy to label her first day on the job an unqualified success.

"Oh my!"

Ranma's attention snapped back into the present to find Kasumi taking clothes off the yard cloth lines while Akane swept the walkway. Both were now staring at her. Now why would they be--? Ranma twitched the glowing wings on her back. Oh yeah. She normally didn't wander around the dojo in her goddess persona, if only because it made for more comfortable interaction with the family in general, and she had never appeared before them with her wing unfurled. The reaction wasn't to be totally unexpected, she guessed.

Both sisters walked up to her in curiosity as she stepped from the pond into the yard, staring at the luminous wings. Ranma shrugged mentally. Why not? She extended her wings to their full span just so the sisters could get a good look at them.

Akane bent under one of them to get a better view. "When did you get these?"

"Soft." Kasumi observed as she stroked the wingtip.

"Uh, I've had em."

"From the beginning?" Akane asked, a perturbed look flashing across her face. "Why keep em a secret?"

"Em, because I was worried certain people would, um, overreact." Ranma said timidly.

Akane was about to say something further, then held her toungue. She was probably right. Around anybody who didn't know her, those wings would cause quite a stir, and their parents certainly didn't need another reminder of why they were no longer betrothed. So instead of pushing the goddess further, she shrugged it off and Ranma produced a thankful smile in return.

The roulette tables had proven pathetically easy, Ranma thought as she and her partner in crime departed the establishment 40,000 yen richer. Nabiki had thought it would be a good lesson in refining Ranma's improbability talents since both the ball and the wheel itself were in constant movement counter to the other, thus making a harder target to predict and alter. The problem was that the Goddess of Luck was gaining considerable grasp over her powers and it had only taken Ranma two spins of the wheel before embarking on a half hour winning streak and getting bored with the game.

Which was probably for the best, Nabiki realized. Her contacts had been relaying whispers of some redheaded gambling queen that had taken up residence in Nerima's gaming district and that she should be avoided at all costs. Sure they were still whispers, but word was getting out and pretty soon Ranma wouldn't be able to walk into a gambling establishment without being asked to leave.

"Maybe if they would have put more marbles on the wheel…" Ranma thought aloud as they walked down by the river and to the bench they had a month since designated as their break spot between lessons.

"Oh please." Nabiki brushed the suggestion aside. "You would have mastered that in another couple of spins anyway." The two found their bench unoccupied and sat in silence, both merely content to be around somebody they didn't have to maintain their guard around. But curiosity was eating the Tendo alive. "Rough day at work?"

Ranma looked at her with curiosity. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Well, you didn't bother to change out of your, em, working attire, and," Nabiki observed the body wrap, then pointed at the shapely leg she had left crossed and hanging out the side. "You normally don't slip that much."

Ranma looked down and sure enough, there was the offending leg she had unconsciously let hang out in a most feminine manner. She frowned, but otherwise did nothing to correct the oversight. "The baka didn't even think I was a Goddess." Ranma grumbled.

Nabiki was only one step behind Urd in realizing just how much change Ranma had been dealing with, and while the redhead hadn't exactly confided with her on the details of that change, she didn't exactly go through great lengths to hide them around her either, which was a compliment unto itself.

"I mean, the baka made me glomp on him." Ranma's frown turned to mild disgust.

Nabiki couldn't help but to laugh now. "Made you?"

The Tendo's laughter helped stabilize her own mood swing. "Hmmf. Made me. I couldn't exactly break his arm just to make him wish for something," the Ranma grinned, "So I took a page out of the Nabiki Bible of Blackmail and Extortion."

"Ah, embrassement. Clever, Saotome. And a few pages from the Shampoo Book of Seduction too, it sounds like." Her eyes narrowed on the goddess, but her tone remained playful. Still, it produced an unexpected result, causing Ranma's smile to wither away. Nabiki considered the girl in front of her and came to her own conclusion. "Tommorow isn't going to be fun, is it?"

Ranma's leg disappeared into the folds of her wrap and she looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact. "No." She looked into the sister's eyes hesitantly. "I may not know who the one is for me yet, but I can't let you go against Shampoo unprepared and that means I'm going to have to push you hard."

Nabiki looked at her friend in silence. Such a strange girl, she thought. There was none of the morning's arrogance present whatsoever, even through the message was basically the same. 'Sensei-mode,' Skuld had called it; something she'd only see in the dojo. Kind of like me when I'm out trawling for information. I guess we really are two of a kind when you look at it that way.

"Hmf." She sniffed, wearing that 'I got a secret' smile. "Remember what I told you during the first week I started helping you study your power?"

The goddess thought about it for a minute. "That you only bet on a sure things?" She hazarded.

Nabiki nodded. "Exactly." She pulled herself up from their bench, then Ranma. "Now let's get back to your studies." Leaving Ranma to chew on the cryptic reply.

"She's fast." Genma Saotome observed as Nabiki Tendo ran through another set of the simple kata's Ranma had instructed her to perform. She had been at it in various stages for over an hour now and the strain she was under was quite evident. "Maybe faster than you once she's fully trained."

Ranma nodded, sitting off to the side of the mat with his father. "Not a lot of raw power though. Nowhere close to Akane."

Genma thought about it for a moment. "Pressure points then?"

It had started simply enough; both fathers occasionally dropping in on their morning practice just to see how the Dojo's first two students were doing. Instead of the nuisance Ranma thought they were going to be, both Soun and his father were turning out to be useful sounding boards when it came to discussing training and tactics concerning Ranma's charges, and now he often welcomed them to sit in on the sessions. It was almost as if being removed from the loop entirely had gone a long ways toward mellowing the elders, or maybe it was just the relief of knowing the dojo finally had a secure future. Whatever the reason, they had finally become an asset to the lives of their children instead of a hindrance.

"No," Ranma rolled the suggestion around in his head and discarded it. "That's Shampoo's bread and butter. We don't even want to go there."

They sat in silence, watching sweat bead off Nabiki's forehead in earnest now. Her breathing was becoming labored and she would occasionally snatch glances at the pair as if hoping they'd see the exertion and let her rest. No such relief came. Every glimpse at Ranma shown those glittering blue eyes and she knew the redhead would keep her word.

"Read her Chi levels yet?" The old man asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah. She's a damn battery inside…"

"…But that's not going to help her much in close combat without power." Genma finished her thoughts exactly. It was great for delivering standoff firepower, but when it came down to hand to hand… "Well boy, you could always try and teacher her the Cat Fi--"

Her sharp glare cut him off decisively. Whose dumbass idea was it to teach a person an unbeatable technique that could only be activated by psychologically torturing the recipient with nekophobia, anyway? Ranma's mood darkened quickly. I swear, if I could go back in time and find the person who developed that technique in the first place-Ranma's eyes suddenly got wider.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea…" She mumbled to herself.

"What, the Cat Fist? I was joking." Genma stiffened. "I'm not sure even I'd teach it again to be honest."

"No, not the technique exactly," Ranma clarified, clearly animated by the idea now. "But the form itself is absolutely perfect."

"It'll be tough replicating the movement and the chi claws. That's what you learn in the pit, after all. But like you said…" Genma began to fill in the blanks, seeing where his son was going.

"…She's a Chi battery." Ranma confirmed.

"And fast." Genma agreed.

Nabiki spun through another series of katas, irritably wondering what the two were chit-chatting about as sweat dripped across her burning muscles.

Ranma popped out of the heaven-side water fountain at the usual time, only to find the park notably absent of her best friend. Can't expect her to be here every day, she thought, and walked to work on her own. She greeted Deedra, the cherub at the reception desk a good morning before continuing to her third story office where she found Urd waiting for her. And Mikasa, a Heavenly Resources Director if she remembered their brief meeting correctly. It was an interesting contrast, she decided. On one hand, Urd was wearing a tube top, jacket and short red spandex skirt while on the other, Mikasa was sporting a white business shirt, gray blazer and knee-high skirt. It was rather ironic, in her opinion, that neither wardrobe did much to hide the women's figures. Their idle chatter stopped instantly as Ranma stepped into the room, both staring at her.

"Um, morning Urd. Director." Bother returned her smile. Ok, let's just get this out of the way, she thought. "Look, it wasn't my fault he was being so dang stubborn!"

"Oh I don't know." Urd grinned. "Looked like you had him- oh, I mean the situation well in hand."

"You were watching me?" Ranma squealed indignantly.

"Of course I was watching you!" Urd planted her hands on her hips as if she were affronted by the insinuation. "I'm not about to let my student and best friend go out on her first live wish without backup."

"And you just watched me glomp on him for the better part of a half and hour?" the redhead fumed, thoroughly embarrassed now.

"Yeaaah." Her sister replied in a self-satisfied tone. "You made such a cute couple."

"I so, so hate you."

"Enough to go get a glass of sake with me after work?" Urd winked.

Ranma shrugged in defeat. "Sure, why not."

"And a good first wish from the report I've received." Mikasa finally injected herself into the conversation. "Though infiltrating the boy's classes just out of spite was a bit over the top."

"He asked for it." The redhead grumbled.

Mikasa chuckled softly. "Maybe, but I'm not here to hammer you on the minor details. You got the wish and a good one at that." Ranma was just starting to beam when she continuted. "But."

Urd chuckled. "There's always a catch."

Ranma's smile disappeared. "But what?"

"But Tenchi Masaki should have been out of your jurisdiction entirely." Mikasa stated, arms folding across her chest.

Ranma shot a questioning look at both women. "He's an alien." Urd supplied.

"One forth Jurai, to be exact." Director Mikasa specified. "From his Mother and Grandfather."

"He didn't look alien to me. Neither did his Grandfather." Ranma was now thoroughly confused. "Do aliens even get wishes?"

Mikasa nodded. "Yes they do in fact, but that's normally handled by their own world office."

"So… There would be separate Goddess offices for different worlds then?" Ranma ventured, trying to grasp the politics of wish granting.

"Indeed." Mikasa agreed, turning back to Ranma. "You can't grant a wish made by somebody actually living on another planet. They have their own Goddess office for that because they know the customs and such."

"So how did I get Tenchi's wish again?" Ranma looked from one Goddess to the other.

"That's a good question." Urd remarked, as if to compliment her again.

"You don't know." Ranma replied dryly.

"Not a clue."

"It's like the Yggradsil routed the call to the wrong office accidentally." Mikasa clicked her long red nails on Ranma's desk.

"Except…" Urd continued.

"There are no mistakes." Ranma finished, remembering her conversation with Kami-sama quite clearly.

"Right." Mikasa confirmed both their suppositions. "Which means we're pulling you off the phones for now so that you can keep an eye on Tenchi and his wish."

"What!" Ranma's tone soured. "I don't wanna baby-sit him! It took me half a day to convince him I was a Goddess and then he made me glomp on him!"

"You break it you buy it." Urd quipped with amusement.

Ranma shot a glare at her sister, but Director Mikasa intervened before she could produce a retort. "What she means is that with Tenchi being one quarter Jurai, the Yggradsil would take the content of his wish quite seriously."

Ranma's temper cooled just enough to consider his wish-- 'I wish I could just fall in love with a woman that was, you know… Out of this world!' Her eyes widened suddenly in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Now do ya see?" Urd remarked, driving the point home. "The Yggradsil will move all of creation to make that wish come to pass. Literally."

"And he doesn't even know his heritage." Mikasa added.

"And you can't tell him." Urd finished, still clearly amused.

Ranma viewed both Goddess with a dead look. "Oh, this is just great."

The Lost Boy stepped out of the jungle and crumbled the travel guide in disgust. These pyramids were not on the map, he noted with some resentment. Of course, the fact that he was reading it upside down wasn't helping matters any. That, and the fact that it was a map of Paris further complicated the issue. If he ever found the vendor that sold him such a plainly mismarked map- which wasn't likely -He'd kill him! Ryoga sighed. Akari-chan was going to kill him for being home late. Three months late.

"Whoa, nice place you found here!"

Ryoga spun around at the female timber and found Ranma. Standing a few feet away, taking in the sights and greenery. "Kinda hot though. And steamy." She amended, turning her attention back to the boy in front of her.

Hate bubbled up from within Ryoga at the sight of the redhead, but unlike their past encounters, didn't hold. He sized up the Ranma standing in front of him who now wore her Goddess attire, a reminder that the dynamics of their relationship had changed dramatically. She was no longer engaged to Akane, which had been a major source of hostilitiy between the two. She could no longer even be considered a rival anymore given her new station and the fact that no matter how hard he trained, he would never come close to touching the power she now wielded. So instead of towering anger he would normally feel for her at this moment, only a burbling of resentment made its way to the surface of his face.

She ambled over to the Lost Boy easily and offered him the glass of ice water that she had been holding. Ranma noticed the disgruntled look on his face. "Look, truce already, ok?"

Ryoga eyed the redhead once more and snatched the glass out of her hands, drinking it down greedily. Satisfaction replaced his sour mask, only to be replaced with suspicion seconds later. "What do you want, Ranma?" It wasn't hostility, but it was close.

Ranma sighed. "A truce. Ryoga, that's all."

"Why?"

Now the redhead was getting irritated. "Because I've got better things to do than to argue over a rivalry that doesn't hold a lick of meaning anymore."

"Are you saying I wasn't good enough to be your rival!" Ryoga growled, his words taking on a sharp edge.

Ranma's eyes flashed with heat, but softened just as quickly. "I'm saying I can't be your rival anymore." She unfurled her luminous wings to drive the point home, chopping down Ryoga's anger at the source.

Ryoga opened his mouth, then closed it, watching the wings quiver slightly around Ranma. Her voice… It was almost… Sad? Why would she be--? It was at that moment he realized just how much they had lost with the rivalry. Three years of vengeance, dueling and mutual combat. Through it, both had gained in skill and power. And respect. Even in their darkest hours, one could rely on the other to come to their aid, however grudgingly. And in all that time, Ranma had never once betrayed him or his curse to Akane. In some twisted way, they had become brothers and Ryoga finally realized how deep the loss of that rivalry cut into Ranma. And himself.

He took a deep breath, looking into Ranma's blue eyes "Ok, Truce." Ranma's wings extended happily with her bright smile and Ryoga was momentarily taken back. There was definitely some girl in there now, he realized with some surprise. This was really going to take some getting used to. His grudging brother and rival had become… A sister?

"Good." Ranma began happily, digging into the folds of her robe. "Because now I can give you this." She thrust a hand toward him and he stared. She was giving him…

"…A watch?" Ryoga took it, turning the oversized wrist device over to examine it. "Um, uh, thanks… I guess."

Ranma looked annoyed. "Not just a watch, dummy! See those two big buttons on the face?" Ryoga flipped it upright and saw one blue and one green button, both taking up more space than the display itself. "The Blue one is keyed to the dojo. The green one is keyed to your house."

"A compass?" He asked, staring at the watch with irritation. "Compasses hate me."

Ranma folded her arms and shook her head with a wide grin. "Nope. Skuld couldn't make just a compass." The Lost Boy looked, well, lost, so Ranma clarified. "What you are holding in your hands is a teleportation device keyed to your house and the Tendo dojo." Ryoga nearly dropped it in shock. "She originally designed it to be the size of your backpack, but once I convinced her it only had to go two places, she was able to get it down to a considerably smaller size."

"So if I press this button…?"

"You get zapped strait back to your house." Ranma beamed, almost as much as Skuld had when she present her sister with the finished product. "No matter how lost you get, you've always got a way home now."

Ryoga was quite literally speechless. His biggest obstacle to happiness and Ranma had just… He just let his mouth hang open. Of course, the thought had crossed his mind as to whether it was safe to be zapping ones self around the world, but that was instantly crushed under the bigger picture. He had a predictable, reliable way home!

Ranma watched Ryoga's face transform from awe to sheer joy. It warmed her heart. After all they had been through together he deserved this small thing. It was a very un-Ranma like thought, but she felt it nonetheless.

Finally she interrupted his joyous revelation. "Well?"

Ryoga looked at the gift bearing Goddess, who now had a twinkle in her eye. "Well what?"

An impish smile crawled across her face slowly. "Now that you have a way home, aren't you going to ask me why you have a button for the dojo?"

He asked. She told him. Ryoga Hibiki nearly passed out.

Author's Notes:

I have to admit, I'm having considerably more fun writing No Need For Goddesses! if only because I'm allowed to really thicken the plot beyond the first series. Of course, it's also fun to play with the three-way crossover here and it's taking directions I hadn't even originally planned. Hope you've enjoyed it so far. I'm really looking forward to writing the next chapters.

Timeline;
With the Ranma and Goddess timelines already in progress, I decided it would just be better to start the Tenchi timeline from the very beginning. The main reason for this being that unlike the first two, Tenchi tends to jump around all over the place. One moment they're on earth, the next in space and so forth. This way I can isolate them on earth so that all three series can interact there. Likewise, it meshes well with Ranma's job. If we join the tenchi timeline in progress, we'd have characters tripping over themselves wishing Tenchi as their husband :p

About Nabiki (vs Shampoo)
I honestly never intended Nabiki/Shampoo thing to have as big of a role as it's currently scripted in this series. It's the result of my writing style, where I map out my critical plot points but allow the little subplots and details to be written on the fly and run wild. Nabiki's kiss in Improbable Goddess was added in on a total whim and just for fun …Until I realized what that little kiss meant if carried to it's logical conclusion. I have to say I'm liking where that conclusion is leading, even if I never planned it out that way. I think you will too. Don't worry; Shampoo won't be neglected by any means. Expect it in 4-9

Rewrites;
The series was going to involve a wish concerning Ryoko as well, but I ultimately decided that one wish that could bind the entire cast would be for the best. Frankly, it was just too messy having two cast members coincidentally receiving a wish so close to one another. For anybody wondering, her wish would have been to just get out of that stinking cave! That, and if I made her the primary wish recipient over Tenchi, Ranma would be tasked to watch over and favor her over other fiancées. I wasn't quite ready to go in that direction, while giving Tenchi a wish mid-series would just be all sorts of trouble as well.