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                   Ranma 1/2: Guardian Angel

                     by Space Pirate Hamster
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	I hate Genma Saotome. It's wrong to hate, but the other
Guardians say that I shouldn't worry. I do though, for my self
and Ranma.
	I'm Kannis, Ranma Saotome's Guardian Angel. I've been
watching over him since before he was born. In seventeen years,
I've grown quite fond of him. Now, he's just about to meet his
wife for the first time. She looks quite a bit like me, so I
feel rather proud. I can feel that the emotional bond between
my self and Ranma is shared, even if he'll never realize it.
	Poor Ranma. He's the sweetest, kindest soul I've ever
known. His father's corrupted him, though, filling his head
with hateful, bigoted, sexist, stupid ideas.
	I didn't really recognize the problem until he was ten.
The multiple engagements worried me, but I was fairly new to
the job, and didn't have much experience with what was
expected. When Genma started to collect cats, however, I knew
something was wrong. I didn't know what to do. We don't have
much control over what the parents do anyway. If I had known
what Genma was planning, I suppose I could have found some way
to prevent it.
	Unfortunately, I didn't have much idea at all, and had to
set stupidly by as Ranma was mauled by starving cats. Crying
all the way, I ran back to Heaven to apply for divine
intervention, but by the time it actually happened, it was too
late. Genma had stolen a large piece of Ranma's sanity and all
I could do was masquerade as an elderly woman, holding him,
soothing his new, utterly terrified feline instincts until he
became lucid.
	Genma paid that day with a footlong scar down his belly.
Ranma gave it to him with his bare hands.
	Day after day it was the same thing. Genma came up with
some stupid, or horribly dangerous training exercise. In the
name of 'Art' Ranma nearly perished a total of ninety two times
at his father's hands.
	The speed drills on the train tracks...
	The strength drills against local boxers...
	The horrible balance exercises on chain link fences...
	Ranma still does those when he has the chance. It's
really my fault he's become so arrogant. With my help, he's
learned to cheat death at every corner and will until he dies
of old age with Akane.
	I applied for an injunction against Genma. "Anything," I
pleaded with the Almighty. Anything that would stop Genma's
torture. I mapped out a plan to have him get drunk and wander
in front of a commuter bus. Ranma would go back to his mother
and train by himself until he was ready to marry.
	But, He told me, We do not kill. We protect life and all
its treasures. I must keep Ranma safe and minimize Genma's
damage to his psyche.
	It's horrible to know you can do your absolute best, a
perfect job, and still wind up with a flawed result.
	They sent me to the help sessions for Guardian Angels of
abused and molested children. Most there had children who were
beaten or taken advantage of. At first I pitied them, but soon,
they began to pity me. I was one of a small group whose
children's lives were actually endangered by their parents.
	I tried talking to the Angel who guarded Genma when he
was young. She only cried, smoked a cigarette, and ignored me.
All my friends try to help, but how can you help someone who is
damned by their own father?
	So every day, I make my decisions. What will keep Ranma
alive today? What is the lesser of two or more evils? How will
he survive *this* idiot training mission?
	Today, Ranma will die. They will come across a village of
Amazon warriors who devalue men. Genma will convince Ranma to
steal food, and the Amazons will hunt them down and butcher
them in their sleep like cattle.
	That is... Unless they cross Jusenkyou first.
	Genma certainly deserves to be cursed. But Ranma... He
will receive Nyannichuan, spring of drowned young girl. For the
first time in his life he will challenge his own perceptions
and prejudices. He will be female when he faces Shampoo, and
therefore worthy to challenged combat. That will keep him
alive, if deprive him of sleep for the next few weeks. Most
importantly, he will quit trusting his bastard father.
	To curse Ranma to save his life... Or let it end now so
that his spirit will be spared the torment that the curse will
bring him. It will not just be Shampoo trying to kill him, but
Ryouga as well, and Mousse, and later Herb and Saffron.
	The lesser of two evils...
	I open the way to Jusenkyou and weep. Make me proud,
Ranma.

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The characters of Ranma 1/2 and likenesses thereof are used
without permission.
comments to hamster@arn.net

* * *
Hamster
http://www.furinkan.net