Phoenixes Story snippets and ideas

[Darkphoenixlady]

Loss

"T'o-Ba'sall have you seen my special egg anywhere?"
T'o-Ba'sall looks at Arry, "What special egg?"
"I didn't want to leave you alone if someone managed to kill me. So, I laid a special queen egg with all of our ancestral memories and the abilities we've gathered. It took me a week to plan it out, and a day to lay it over the Christmas holidays. Anyway, I left it in this locker so that nobody could accidentally activate it."
"I can't say I've seen anything touch that locker."
"Damn it!"

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Half a turn around the galaxy, and several dimensions to the orthogonal, a 15 year old girl is trapped in a locker, when the space becomes that much more cramped.
Taylor panics as something appears between her legs, forcing them uncomfortably into the corners of her locker. Any hope of getting out of the locker herself is dashed by this single thing.
"Fuck you, and fuck your friends too!" – Tears stream down her eyes as she bashes her fist against the back wall of the locker – "Fuck you and your friends you betraying bitch. I hope they pin my murder on you and you go to jail forever."
Somewhere, she finds the energy to scream one more time as something crawls up her body and then her screams are silenced for a good long time. By the time the Janitor uses bolt cutters to open the locker and pull Taylor's unconscious body out, the egg and the face hugger have both broken down and melted through the floor of the locker and the concrete floor beneath it. Which is unfortunate for the PRT, who are called in to investigate but can't say anything more than it was very strong acid, and the girl is lucky to not have suffered any burns from contact or inhalation of the fumes. While she's unconscious, she undergoes an MRI to see if she's triggered, but all they find is some swelling in her brain from where she bashed her head against the inside of the locker repeatedly.

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Taylor looks at the kitchen clock and reluctantly tuns off the TV and puts her dirty plate in the sink for later. An hour really isn't long enough for lunch. Palming her forehead, she snaps her fingers and her washing up is done and put away. Nodding to herself she invisibly pops back to the girls loo and checks that the door is still locked, which it is. She also can't hear anyone in the toilets, or just outside. Dropping her invisibility, she saunters out of the bathroom feeling nicely relaxed after having a bully free lunch at home. Her grades are also starting to climb again, as it's very difficult for the trio to steal the homework she's left on her desk at home. Ducking back she snaps her fingers to style her hair, before leaning against a wall. A few seconds later Sophia stalks past, anger clearly indicated by her footsteps and the heat radiating off of her face.

A few minutes later, Taylor's walking into world studies and, seeing Madison's smirk, she checks her chair, glue, how juvenile. A discrete snap of her fingers in her bag and the chair is clean. A second snap and her textbook is in her hand, along with a script for a Tom and Jerry cartoon she wrote out one night last week, just to see if she could with her new powers.
"Good afternoon class."
"Good afternoon Mr Gladly" they all call back.
"I want you all to split into groups of four, you have 5 minutes to decide on a Hero and write it down."
Taylor sighs as every one groups up so fast she's left with Greg and Sparky.
"What do you two think? Mouse Protector?"
Greg narrows his eyebrows, "Why her?"
"She's one of very few nationally famous independent heroes."
Greg nods, "Sparky?"
Sparky just nods along to whatever he's got playing on his headphones. It sounds like Queen or a cover of one of their songs. Writing the name down on a scrap of paper, she hands it to Mr Gladly. As she gets back to her seat Julia comes into the class 5 minutes late.
"Julia, nice of you to join us. You're with Taylor, Greg, and Sparky."
"Can't I sit with Madison?"
"Their group is full. You're with Taylor."

"Madison, I'm sorry you need to pick another Hero, Mouse protector is already taken. I want you to talk about how your chosen hero has shaped the way that parahumans are viewed."

As Taylor is 'rooting' around in her bag for her notebook and pen, Greg says, "Hey, Taylor. Is this your homework? Do you mind if I have a look?"
Taylor looks up as Julia neatly takes the homework out of Greg's hands, and passes it over to Madison.
Greg just looks at her apologetically, "Sorry."
Madison quickly erases her name, and stands up to hand it in as her own work. As Madison gets out of earshot, Taylor throws Greg a bone, "No, it's fine. I just wrote out the script for a Tom and Jerry cartoon, and I wanted to see what you thought of it. Having said that, I should probably hand in my own homework now."

After handing in her own homework, Taylor goes on to do the group work on her own. Greg only wants to talk about his latest games or shows, Sparky was lost in his music as always, and Julia spent the lesson gossiping. She grimaces slightly as Vivian's memories point out that Greg and Sparky are probably just as traumatised as she is, and deal with it in their own ways.

When the discussion period ends, Taylor stands up as soon as Mr Gladly calls for volunteers to give their class discussion. With the confidence of multiple adults and Yautja in her head, she gives a speech outlining how, as an independent hero, Mouse protector has shown that, not only is it possible for Parahumans to operate as heroes outside of the PRT, but also that having a theme can make all the difference between being seeing as a vigilante and a hero. As she returns to her own seat, she muses that there's not a lot she can do to make her own theme more palatable to the general public. Especially given that it's becoming apparent that she's becoming like a Case 53.

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When the bell goes, Taylor is one of the first packed and, just as she's about to leave, Mr Gladly calls her over.
"Taylor, I can see that you're having problems. If you want help, come and see me and we'll take it to the Principal."
Taylor looks into his eyes, "Mr Gladly, I'm starting to wonder if you, along with most of the other teachers here, actually have a teaching degree. What ever happened to 'See something say something'? You expect me, the victim, to stick my neck out on the off chance that history won't repeat itself? Or that if my bullies actually do get punished, it will be with permanent removal from the school? Or how about that I will be assigned to another, better school? How many of you walked past my locker in January and did Nothing? No, I think I'm better off not relying on the professionalism of the teachers and staff here. Good afternoon, Mr, Gladly."
As she walks out, Taylor thinks to herself, 'I really shouldn't have done that'. Right outside the door, Emma and her posse are waiting for her. Obviously her little chat with Mr Gladly gave them time to gather.

Not seeing any way to get past them without looking like the instigator, Taylor reluctantly allows them to force her into a corner.
[An: conversation is from Worm chapter 2.04] "Nobody likes her. Nobody wants her here," Julia said.
"Such a loser. She didn't even turn in the major project for art, last Friday," Sophia responded. This is the first time that Taylor has to supress a laugh, as she handed it in the day before during one of the breaks.
"If she's not going to try, then why is she even coming to school?"
"Ugliest girl in our grade."
"What does she use to wash her face? A Brillo pad?"
"She should! She'd look better!"
"Never talks to anybody. Maybe she knows she sounds like a retard and keeps her mouth shut."
"No, she's not that smart."

Taylor looks over their heads and has to force herself not to give an ironic smile as Mr Gladly comes out of the classroom carrying a stack of folders, turns around and locks the door. She does, however, raise an eyebrow and, when he looks her in the eyes, looks pointedly at the girls around her. Giving her a sad look, he just clutches his folders to his chest and shuffles past without saying a word.

"So glad we don't have gym with her. Can you imagine seeing her in the locker room? Gag me with a spoon."
"You should have seen her group fail in class just now. It was painful to watch."

Taylor can't help it, she giggles when Madison says that. After all, her group got the highest score out of all the groups in that class.
Emma gives her a poisonous look, "Is something amusing?"
"Oh, very. Madison's comment has just made it clear that I'm getting to hear your groups juicy gossip. After all, you couldn't be talking about the group that Julia and I were part of. Especially given we got the highest score in the class today. Isn't that right Julia."
There's a couple of chuckles from the onlookers, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I really need to get to my next class."
Very carefully, Taylor weaves her way through the girls with the aid of a very weak elf notice-me-not effect. As she's walking away she looks back over her shoulder, "Oh, and Emma. That hairstyle did look good on you. I'm sorry that something happened to force you to adopt it, but that doesn't change the fact it was a complement."
As Emma goes white, Taylor walks away to the closest girls Loo. Once she's sure it's empty, she pops over to the loo closest to her math class and, after walking there, takes her seat at the front.

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After school ends, Taylor's only left with the trivial task of dodging her tail long enough to pop home. The hardest part of the exercise is doing it from somewhere in the school that she could have gone anywhere. Once home she heads down to the basement, where she has a few eggs laid, and her current attempts at wand crafting are laid out on the old workbench. She carefully doesn't look in the corner, where she's covered that thing with an old tarp.
Grimacing, she looks at the eggs, she woke up this morning in the basement to find that thing there, and the eggs laid, loosely arrayed around it. She's been forcing herself not to think about the implications of that fact all day. However, quickly checking over each of the eggs, she's satisfied that none of them are the deadly type. With that done, and still having saved an hour on the bus ride home, she decides to cook something from scratch for dinner. Though, it proves to be a challenge to come up with something that uses the small amount of meat in the house, or that doesn't undercook said meat. What she wouldn't give for a fresh acromantula. Maybe tonight she should head out and get some fresh lobsters. Her mouth waters at the thought of cracking through their shells with her teeth and sucking out the juicy flesh. Pushing the thought to one side, she finishes the prep and sets the dish to cook slowly while she heads back downstairs, to try and make herself a workable wand. It doesn't have to be super brilliant, just good enough that she can do basic charms and transfiguration with it.

The sound of her fathers truck pulls her out of her work, and she heads upstairs to start peeling potatoes for mash.
"Hey Taylor, that smells lovely."
"Thanks Dad, the buses were quick so I thought I'd do something a bit nicer than our usual fare."
Dinner passes with its normal, quiet small talk, where neither of them directly asks the other about their problems, and they then ignore the implied questions, because it's easier than actually talking about their feelings. With that thought Taylor silently curses Vivian, and starts pushing her peas around her plate for a few minutes before she gets up abruptly, and takes her plate to the kitchen.
"I'm going upstairs to do some homework."
"Ok."

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Taylor listens as her Father does the washing up, then puts on the TV. The tell-tale hiss of a can of beer quickly follows the familiar creak of his armchair. Finishing her homework quickly, she heads to bed for an early night, hoping that the extra sleep will make up for the nightmares of hunting and being hunted in forests.

A few hours later, her Father's snores wake her, and she carefully pushes the blankets off the bed, being careful not to catch them on her claws or tail. Looking down at her body, she knows she's not ready to accept this part of her yet. So Queenie carefully opens the sash window in her bedroom, and slips out into the night. Her task is to find somewhere suitable to set up her hive, and also get some lobsters. On second thoughts, let's get the lobster first.

Rather than popping to the coast, she takes to the roofs and enjoys the shear thrill of leaping from shadow to shadow, rooftop to rooftop, all absolutely silently, and without using any of her magical abilities. Once she gets to the docks, the buildings turn into derelict factories, and she spends half an hour or so just playing amongst the buildings, jumping from girder, to roof, to chimney. Even through windows, along the ceilings and walls. Eventually, she makes a game of kissing the foreheads of the sleeping homeless that occasionally find refuge in these places.
As Queenie finally slips into the water with nary a ripple, she wonders if they would thank or curse her if she brought them into her hive. It would be nearly midnight when she finally climbed ashore again, satiated for the moment and having enjoyed playing evade the sonar and electro sensitive sensors littered through the bay. Looking down at the two lobsters she's holding, she looks at her claws and decides she doesn't want to learn how to click them right now. So she pops home and fills the kitchen sink with some cold water before putting both lobsters in it.

Returning to her previous location she starts looking for an appropriate place to set up her nest.

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It's nearing midnight when she hears a car engine switch off, and a car door slam. As she focuses her attention in that direction, a man's voice becomes distinct from the background noise. "…the children, just shoot. Doesn't matter your aim, just shoot. You see one lying on the ground? Shoot the little bitch twice more to be sure. We give them no chances to be clever or lucky, understand?"
Some part of her ancestral memories reacts, and she's suddenly crying in a crib as a woman with red hair dies trying to protect her. Standing in a hive on a planet gently pulling resin away from a small child with 4 arms, and using her psychic abilities to kill the xenomorph growing inside it. Pulling another child, this one looks like a spider, from another hive. Of finding a child in the street looking for a new mother. Of multiple Yautja sent against her far too young, and those she can, being saved and adopted into her hive.
Taylor agrees with her alter-ego, children need to be protected. With her tail lashing around angrily, she takes to the roofs, this time not even bothering to be stealthy. When she arrives at the location she heard the voice, she can see that there are 20 or 30 members of the Azn Bad Boys fanning out down the street and alleyways. Leading them is a shirtless giant of a man wearing an ornate metal mask.

Taylor doesn't remember much after that point, only vague snatches of killing the gangers in silent and efficient ways, followed by lots of fire and then thinking that the earth looks pretty from here.

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On a rooftop nearby, four teenagers watch as Lung and a black monstrous cape battle it out a block down the road. Grue, a tall young man wearing a black motorcycle helmet with a white skull painted on the front, looks over at Tattletale, who is shivering violently in her skin-tight lavender costume.
"Tats are you alright?"
Tattletale snaps back, "What do you think? The rage dragon is currently fighting an unknown cape, and they aren't losing. His fire seems to be having absolutely no effect on it, and I have no idea what it is. My power is telling me that it is built to kill quickly, efficiently, and silently. If it knew we were here, we'd be next."
Regent pokes her in the ribs, "So why are we lying here?"
"Because it's currently preoccupied with Lung, and if we try to escape it might hear us and decide we're an easier meal than he is."
"Fuck."

As they watch, Lung bites into its back before recoiling in agony, Tattletale then adds, "And it has acid for blood, strong enough acid to hurt Lung when he's starting to grow wings."
After a few more minutes, Lung is starting to get a clear advantage over the monster, when it stabs its tail straight through his chest. With him unable to escape, they both immolate in a massive gout of fire, leaving nothing left apart from the collateral damage from the fight.
All four of them just stare at that spot for a few minutes until the soft purr of a motorcycle engine becomes apparent.
"That's Armsmaster, we need to leave."

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Code Vein

For as long as he could remember, Harry dreamt of a mother with platinum silver hair and glowing blue eyes. These dreams only happened when his relatives had been especially harsh or neglectful. Something that he occasionally deliberately provoked when he hadn't seen her for too long. She was dead, she freely told him that when he asked during a particularly long visit after he'd got onto the roof of the school without permission. From her he learnt all about math, science, reasoning, and her own language and literature. Reluctantly, she also taught him about revenants, the great collapse, and the importance of blood.

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A 10-year-old Harry looks up from the work he's doing, "Mum?"

Cruz Silva looks over at the foundling who visits occasionally, "Yes Harry?"

"If you're dead, how can I still visit you?"

"My body is still alive, though it's now driven by a parasite, code named BOR. I have been unable to pass on because of this. When you come here, you are always very close to death. I still remember the first time you came, a babe barely able to walk. I had to feed you then, and you visited almost every night."

"What does BOR stand for?"

"Biological Organ Regenerative, my father helped develop it during the great collapse." – Cruz's eyes unfocus – "Our world was invaded by beings from beyond our dimension. I was a child at the time, and I remember how everything fell to ruin so quickly, like a house of cards with it's support cut. Air and Sea travel became hazardous once you left sight of land, where the invaders prowled the world. Occasionally they would come ashore around the world and seed monsters, the news showed that these monsters were all but immune to conventional weapons. We were moved by the government to a city with a lot of other scientists and they bio-engineered an existing parasite that created zombies in order to make it work faster and more resiliently. But that's enough from me, show me your homework."

Harry looks up at her, his green eyes glowing for a second, before he hands over the tablet with the exercises she'd given him completed.

"Well done, I can see that you understand the concept so we'll move on next time. Don't forget to eat your fruit." Cruz holds out a blood fruit to Harry and shakes her head sadly at the slight hint of fang when Harry takes and drinks it.

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A couple of weeks after his 11th​ birthday, Harry again visits his mother, "Hi Mum, I'm a wizard."

Cruz just raises an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Apparently, my birth parents didn't die in a car crash. Hagrid, he's a massive man easily as tall as the ceiling at my relatives home, he brought me my letter for a school called Hogwarts."

Cruz nods seriously, "I see, and what did your relatives do to you this time?"

Harry smiles widely, his eyes glowing with Misama, "Absolutely nothing, now I know magic is real I figured it must be magic that kept bringing me here." Frowning he continues, "It still took me most of a week to do it."

"No frowning, you did it that's what's important. It took you longer than that to understand Hammurabi's theorem."

"I know Mum, but I wanted to be able to see you whenever I wanted, not just when things were rough."

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Cruz looks down at the wrapped package with a confused expression, it was apparently a celebration called Christmas and Harry had found a way to bring her a present. Carefully unwrapping the present, she takes out a couple of books, a photo that moves without any sign of technology, and a sealed pot of ink, a quill, and a large stack of parchment.

She looks up at Harry and opens her arms, "Thank you Harry, how did you manage this?"

Harry hurries over and then settles into her lap, "I wanted to. I've never been able to give you anything, but you've given me so much."

"Silly boy, you've already given me so much just by visiting."

"Mum, what happens if I don't want to be a boy?"

"Then you'd be a silly girl that's already given me so much just by visiting."

"That might be nice. I wish I didn't have to leave."

"What about your friends?"

Harry sighs, "Hermione's great, but she remembers stuff rather than knowing it. I mean, what's the point in knowing the exact wording that was used in a theory if you don't actually understand why that theory exists."

"Harry, some people learn by doing, others by reading, others by thinking, and any of a multitude of different ways. You are a very creative person, this means that you need to know the boundaries and limits and you then colour in your own space. You seemed to learn best when I gave you the basic grounding in things and then you had to work out the applications yourself. It's likely that your friend is more structured than that. What about your other friends?"

"Actually, she's the only one that I'd really call a friend."

"What about Ron?"

Harry shakes his head, "He's alright, but he treats me like some sort of prize or possession. I didn't really notice before Halloween, but since then Hermione's opened up a bit, and he also trapped me in a proposed duel. Not that it was a duel, we ended up running from the caretaker and finding a 3 headed dog. Neville is a better friend than Ron is, and the only time I ever get to talk to him is in Herbology when he relaxes. However, I think Ron's a fun guy to be around, just don't trust him as a friend as all he wants to do is goof off. Oh, would you mind if I did my homework here?"

Cruz laughs, "As long as it doesn't interfere with your mundane studies."

"Thanks Mum, and thanks for looking after me."

"You are my child, and I do what I do out of love. Same as I agreed to go through Q.U.E.E.N for my father, because I loved him."

"What happened to him?"

"He's dead, my body killed him."

"Oh, sorry to hear that."

"It's ok, it happened decades ago." Opening one of the books she shakes her head, "What language are these books written in?"

"English."

"Huh, I guess you'll be teaching me to speak the English of your world then."

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Harry appears in front of Cruz beaten and bloody, so she quickly hurries over and pulls out a blood fruit before forcing it down their throat. As the fruit enters their system, their eyes flicker open, "Hi Mum, sorry to drop by like this."

"Oh Harry, what have you done?"

Harry coughs and spits out some blood, "I killed Professor Quirrell and stopped Voldemort from getting the philosopher's stone. Here, can you look after it for me please?"

"Shouldn't you take it back with you?"

"Voldemort isn't dead, and there's nowhere safe from him there."

"Harry, you need to find somewhere else to be, as you're vulnerable when you come here, and if he's hunting you, you could be killed while visiting."

"I can't Mum, you know that, I'm still a child."

"Oh my dear child, if I could I'd spirit you away to the Union and find a magic school over there."

Harry laughs weakly, "It's the United States here mum, you know that."

"Of course, silly me. Still, I'm going to teach you how we made mistle, as I don't trust that you won't need it before long."

Harry coughs again, a mixture of phlegm and blood this time as his lungs continue to heal, "Thanks Mum, you're the best."

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Harry blinks as he wakes up in the Hospital wing, sitting nearby is the headmaster, "Harry my boy, I'm glad to see that you're awake."

Harry frowns, "Why wouldn't I be awake?"

"You took a bludgeoning curse to the chest, something that has killed many others. Ah, but you are young so your magic was still flexible enough to help."

Looking around he notices all the cards and gifts, "What are these?"

"Ah, well we were trying to keep your escapades secret, so naturally the whole school knows."

Harry turns his gaze to the headmaster, and his eyes glow with light, "What do they know?"

"Why, that you went through the 3rd​ floor corridor of course."

"I see. Headmaster, can I stay here over the summer?"

"I'm afraid not Harry, you must return to your home and your family."

"Why?"

"Because your mother laid a set of protections on you as a baby, and only living with your blood relatives will keep them going."



After a few minutes of conversation, the headmaster makes his excuses and leaves. As soon as he's out the door, Hermione rushes in followed by Ron, "Harry, you're ok!"

Harry smiles at Hermione, "I am, thank you, what about you and Neville?"

"I'm fine, you know that. I'm not the one that faced a dark wizard. We got our exam results, I've got yours here."

Harry smiles at the way Hermione bounces excitedly as he opens the folded parchment, "O's in everything except potions and history. Though I have a note on my Astronomy that I need to use the Latin names for constellations rather than Indian names."

Hermione huffs, "How did you do so well when I hardly ever see you studying?"

Harry laughs, "If by hardly ever, you mean an hour an evening, then it's because we think differently."

Ron grouches, "Yeah, think differently. At least you know how to have fun."

Harry shakes his head in disappointment, "And that is why you're just a mate while Hermione is a friend. Hermione, think about it this way, can you describe a creature that's a cross between an elephant and a kangaroo?"

"What? No! There's no such thing."

"Imagine one then?"

"Well, erm."

"How about a platypus?"

"Oh, that's easy, it looks like a creature that was made by committee, it's a mammal that lays eggs like a reptile, has a bill like a bird, and venomous claws like a snake or scorpion…"

Harry holds up a hand, "See, this is the difference, I could describe or draw the first one, but I know where to find the information I need about a platypus. You on the other hand remember those facts, but find imagination and creativity harder."

Ron scowls, "Hey, what about me?"

Harry shakes his head, "You're a lazy slob who is only interested in chess. If it wasn't for us you wouldn't have done any studying at all. Hey, Hermione could I get your telephone number, and maybe address?"

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Cruz sighs and puts a piece of paper in the book she's struggling through as Harry appears holding a struggling humanoid, "What have you done this time Harry?"

Harry lets the humanoid go, as it starts looking around in confusion, "This is Dobby apparently, he doesn't want me to return to school next term."

The now named Dobby startles and begins wringing the dirty tea towel that he's wearing, "The Great Harry Potter mustn't go back to Hogwarts, there is great danger there."

Cruz shakes her head, "What danger is there for my child?"

"Dobby can't say, bad master has forbidden it."

"Then what about his friends?"

"Friends who don't even write?"

Harry looks confused, "Why would Hermione write? I've spoken to her a couple of times over the phone, and she's in France at the moment, I got a postcard the other day."

Dobby looks like the world's just stopped making sense, "But Dobby has been catching all your mail"

Harry just looks relieved, "Oh, great, thanks for that. I dread to think what Vernon would have been like if an owl turned up to deliver post. He has enough trouble with Hedwig. Oh, hang on, if I brought you here I can bring Hedwig here."



As Harry vanishes, Cruz looks at the distraught Dobby, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what manner of being are you?"

"Dobby is a house elf miss…"

"I see, and what is a house elf?"

"House elves are like Dobby."

"Ah, I mean things like do you go to school, have jobs, earn money, use wands, that sort of thing."

"Oh, noes, Dobby just have jobs to do. Dobby is a good elf and doesn't take money."

"What about school and wands?"

"Elves learn from other elves and no need wands. We use wish magic."

"I see, and how did you come to be in my son's bedroom?"

"Dobby elf popped there."



Harry reappears with Hedwig on his shoulder, "Sorry for taking so long, I had to dismantle Hedwig's cage as Vernon had locked it. Oh, and Dobby, you're currently passed out on my bed. I might be keeping you here until Vernon's guests leave, but there's no reason you body can't be comfortable."

Dobby bounces in excitement, "The great Harry Potter cares about Dobby's comfort. Dobby isn't worthy of such comforts and will iron his fingers when he gets home."

Harry kneels down in front of Dobby as Hedwig takes flight, "Dobby, as one servant to another, you are always worthy of comfort and decency."

"How can the Great Harry Potter be so kind, even when Dobby was going to get him in trouble with the Ministry."

Cruz shakes her head, "I have taught Harry better than that. Now, before I will let Harry return you to the living world, you will promise me that you will not do anything to get Harry in trouble with the ministry before they have boarded the train."

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Harry stands beside the bed where they've put Hermione, still crouched down holding her mirror at an angle, even though they've laid her on her back. Coming to a decision, he pulls up a chair and sits beside her before laying his head down as he grasps her hand. Searching for the same feeling he gets when he takes Hedwig to see his mother and stretch her wings, it takes him nearly 15 minutes to find her presence and get a good grasp on it.



Hermione pulls in a deep breath and stumbles backwards for a moment before she registers the different surroundings, "Harry! Run, it's a Basilisk."

Harry carefully pulls Hermione into a hug, "It's ok, it can't find you here. I'd like you to meet my mum, Cruz. Mum, this is my friend Hermione Granger."

Hermione looks over, "Pleased to meet you Mrs Potter."

Cruz laughs, "No child, I'm not their birth mother, I'm Cruz Silva. Harry found their way here as a toddler, and I've been looking after them and teaching them whenever they make it here."

Hermione frowns as she works her way through the sentence, "Is there more than one person?"

Cruz laughs while Harry looks confused, "No Hermione, Harry once asked me what would happen if they didn't want to be a boy. Since then, I've referred to them using the English gender-neutral pronouns. When Harry's ready, they'll let me know who they are, and I'll start using their pronouns."

Harry gapes, "You remember that?"

Cruz gets up and ruffles Harry's hair before drawing them into a hug, "Of course I did, you're my child."



While they're sharing a hug, Hermione manages to get her thoughts into some sort of order and the fact that she's no longer in Hogwarts becomes clearer in focus, "Ah, I'm sorry to interrupt, but where are we?"

Cruz breaks the hug and turns to face Hermione while Harry dries their eyes, "We don't know. What we do know is that only souls or spirits and non-living things can come here. Not even plants can be brought here, though pots and dirt can. Apparently it's very useful when you're repotting flowers. Also, what happens here is reflected in the waking world. Harry comes here most nights to do his home work and mundane studies."

Hermione rounds on Harry, "So that's why you're always going to bed early."

Harry smiles sheepishly, "Guilty as charged. I've been keeping my books and things here after some money went missing during first year."

"I want to read your notes so that I don't fall behind."

Harry is about to agree when Cruz interrupts, "Miss Granger, would you care to rephrase that."

Hermione swallows, "Sorry Harry, would I be able to read your notes so that I don't fall behind please?"

"Sure, not sure you'll be able to read them though."

"Oh? Why's that?"

Harry just starts to laugh while Cruz explains, "I don't actually speak the same language as you, though it's called English. Much the same as they language spoken in the Union and Confederacy is English but bears only superficial relationships with English English. From what I can tell, the biggest difference in the language development was that the Library of Alexandria was never burnt down in my world. As such, the written language borrows more from cuneiform and hieroglyphs than it does from roman letters. Equally, there was no Christianity, so Gaelic and Norse are still common languages. As I have been Harry's main teacher growing up, I taught them in my own language rather than the language they taught at school."



Harry shakes their head, "I'm going to head back before someone tries to wake me, I'll see you both tonight. I figure that you're better off here than laying in the hospital bed as a statue."

"Thank you Harry, I think I appreciate that."

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Hermione screams as Harry appears holding a sword, and covered with cuts and abrasions, a massive tooth sticking out of their back where their kidneys should be. Cruz hurries over and pulls the tooth out without care, even as she pulls a blood fruit out from somewhere and feeds it to Harry. Hermione looks aghast as black veins bulge taut against Harry's skin, and their back arches in agony.

When the blood doesn't seem to do anything, Cruz looks down at her child sadly, "Harry, you're dying and there's only one way I can save you."

Even as Hermione collapses to the floor and starts crying, Harry reaches up and touches his mothers cheek, "I love you, and I trust you. Give me a BOR parasite."



Standing up, Cruz steels herself as she draws a wickedly sharp sabre. Taking a deep breath she brings it down in a precise arc that cleaves through Harry's ribs as though they were made from paper. Immediately heart-blood and ichor begin to fountain out of the small incision she made in the heart. Stabbing the sword into her own heart, she pulls out a parasite and weakly drops it into Harry's heart, where it immediately burrows in, and starts to connect to the chambers. Suddenly, the wound starts healing rapidly. As the wound on the heart seals over, Harry bursts into golden motes before recoalescing into a young woman with long straight white hair, and features that look like Cruz's even though the nose is definitely Potter. Of course, there's still the scar just above her eye. A moment later her killing curse green eyes open, glowing from the ichor flowing through her veins.



Harry smiles, over at her mother, who's wound has already healed, "Thank you, and I guess I'm your daughter now. Can I have a blood fruit and the philosophers stone please?"

"Are you sure? Remember, it was the Mistle that broke me."

Harry smiles, showing fang, "Oh, I'm sure. It just has to be linked to a soul, and Tom is trying to steal someone elses."

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In the Chamber of Secrets, Tom looks dispassionately at the dead basilisk, and the dying Harry Potter lying on the floor in front of its mouth. With a shake of his head, he turns his attention back to the girl and his connection to her. Because of this he misses the tooth in the back of the body disappear, as well as the massive rent opening up on the chest. The mournful song of the Phoenix barely moves him, as it cries desperately into Harry's heart.



What does catch his attention is the golden light that fills the chamber momentarily. Spinning around with his stolen wand, he watches aghast as a young woman with platinum hair stands up holding the sword lightly in one hand. A split second later, he's already in motion, the wand spitting hexes and curses at the woman, even as she turns into smoke and disappears. As he looks around, a tinkling laugh catches his attention, and he spins around before raising the wand when he realises that the girl has his diary.



"It's too late you know." Tom speaks urbanely even though he hasn't quite got enough energy for corporality, "I've already got her soul, a few more minutes and she'll breath her last."

She smiles up at him while she places a red gem on top of his horcrux, then places a blood red fruit on top of that, "I don't think she will, as you'll be far too busy. You wanted immortality? Well, I'm going to give it to you, I hope you enjoy it."

Tom watches for a moment as she stands and slices open her wrist, blue ichor spilling out and over the three components. As the first drop touches the fruit, he springs into motion firing curse after curse at her and the pile of things. Alas, it's far too late, and when the ichor touches the fruit, it sprouts white roots that dig deeply into the floor, through the philosophers stone and his diary. Even as his spells find their mark, he feels his connection to Ginny snap as something else usurps the connection. Turning to flee, he gasps as the wand falls from his insubstantial grasp, even as he's dragged back towards the growing tree. The girl explodes into golden motes of light before reforming next to a tendril that's growing out of the floor on the other side of the chamber.



Harry watches dispassionately as Tom's soul fragment is linked to the new Mistle network. According to her mother, it will slowly grow Mistle nodes for a few miles around the parent tree. In that area it will absorb all of the Miasma that the BOR parasites produce and channel it into the person linked into the network.



"Well, that's something you don't see every century." Harry looks around before spotting the sorting hat lying on the floor, "Well, what are you waiting for, pick me up."

Harry smiles as she looks down at the sword she's holding. It takes her a few moments to work it out, but she's able to find the mental trigger that allows it to dissolve into the same dust she does, waiting to be called when she next needs it. Walking over to the hat, she scoops up her own wand on the way, and does the same thing.

"Well, that's much better. Hats are supposed to be worn, not left on the floor. That's what Mats are for. Now what do we have here. Well, I've got good news for you girl, you're still alive after all that. I still think you'd have done well in Ravenclaw."

Harry laughs as she goes over to check on Ginny and Fawkes, who appears to be unconscious near the basilisk, "If I was interested in knowledge for knowledge sake I would agree. However, my mother taught me better. I'm surprised that Hermione wasn't sorted there though."

"Indeed."

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Code Vein – 2

Harry looks down at Ginny, who is still unconscious on the floor, "Do you think she'll recover?"

The hat on her head grumbles, "Put me on her head and we'll find out."

Being careful, Harry takes the hat and, lifting Ginny's head, places it on her. It takes a few minutes for the hat to stop humming and harring, but eventually it speaks up, "I can find no signs of possession, and she appears to still be in there."

"That's good. Hopefully she'll be able to recover. Do you do that at the sorting?"

"Not anymore. Put me back on your head. It used to be that everyone was tested, including the headmaster and deputy. Of course, that was back in the first few centuries the school was open, when demon summoning was still a common theme. Especially for home protection. Of course, occasionally it would go wrong."

"What about angels?"

"No such thing, one pantheon's angels are another pantheon's demons. Now what do we have here, hmm. Well, your possessed alright, benign human possession. If you die in a highly magical area it will probably turn into a ghost."

"Does that happen a lot?"

"Hmm, it used to. If someone died a violent death it could shatter their soul. If you were close enough, a bit of the soul could get lodged in you. Can't get rid of them like you can demonic possession either, as they're not tied to another plane."



As the hat falls silent for a little while, Harry searches around for Ginny's wand. Finding it she puts it in Ginny's pocket before hefting the girl over her shoulder. Making her way over to Fawkes, she gently picks the phoenix up and walks back towards the entrance.

"Did you know you've got a parasite in your heart?"

Harry stumbles at the sudden noise, "Yes, yes I did. It was the only way we knew of to save my life. I've probably also lost large chunks of memory, so it's not something we did lightly."

"Why's that?"

"The parasite only works on dead bodies. The natural parasite that it was engineered from makes zombies."

"Who's that?" Ron's voice comes down the corridor.

Harry shakes her head, "It's Harry, I've got your sister. She's alive."

"Oh thank Merlin. Are you OK mate?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, there's just been a couple of side effects. Listen, I need you to help pull Ginny through, and then Dumbledore's phoenix."

"What's wrong with my sister?"

"I don't know, she's unconscious, that's why I need your help. How's Lockhart doing?"

"He's gone, whatever he did I don't think he's there anymore."

At the mention of his name, Lockhart comes back with his glowing wand, "Hello, do you live here?"

"No, sorry, but we are leaving if you could help me move a young girl through the gap."

"Oh, certainly."

Lockhart promptly drops the wand, plunging the entire tunnel into darkness. The only available light the emerald glow of Harry's eyes.

"You know, that's right freaky that is."

"What's that?" Harry materialises her own wand and casts a Lumos.

"Your eyes, they're literally glowing."

"It's one of the side effects I mentioned. I'm just lifting up Ginny, be careful of her head."

"I know, I know."



Together, the three of them managed to manhandle Ginny and Fawkes through the gap, Harry deftly follows suit which leaves Ron gaping.

"You're a bird."

"I don't think you'll find I am. I'm still mostly human."

"I mean, you're a girl."

"Of course, I did mention side effects didn't I."

"But how?"

Harry shrugs, "I came as close to death as it's possible to get without actually dying, so my recovery was equally spectacular."



It doesn't take them long to reach the bottom of the pipe, and looking up they can see the faint twinkling of light from the bathroom. Harry discretely leans against a wall while she gets her broom from her stash and says hi to her Mum and Hermione. When she gets back, Ron's saying.

"…how we're going to get up there, as it's a long way, and the sides are slick."

Harry gives small smile, "Well, I was going to just fly up and get a teacher to help."

Ron spins around, "Fly up, are you crazy? Wait, where did you get your broom from?"

"Now, that would be telling." With that said, she mounts her broom and carefully ascends the pipe into the bathroom.



As her broom crests the lip of the pipe, Harry suddenly finds herself facing a bevy of wands pointed in her direction. Desperately she calls, "Ginny's alive, but unconscious. We just need help getting the others out from down there."

Snape snaps, "Who are you?"

"I'm Harry Potter."

"Harry's a boy, who are you really?"

The sorting hat takes this opportunity to speak up, "This really is Harry Potter, and she's suffered some unfortunate side effects from being bitten by a Basilisk before being healed by a phoenix."

The headmaster carefully says, "What sort of side effects?"

"Nothing that I'm obliged to tell you about. There's no sign of demonic possession, though she has a benign human possession. That should sort itself out later in life. Miss Weasley is also clear of possession."

"Harry is possessed?"

"Really Albus, I said it's a benign possession. It use to happen fairly commonly amongst warriors, as dying a violent death can shatter a soul. When she dies, the bit of soul might turn into a ghost, but until then it will remain inert."

Albus strokes his beard, "I see. Well, we need to get the other people out of the bottom of the pipe. Harry, would you mind terribly if I borrowed your broom?"

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After a deft bit of spell work to get everyone out of the pipe, Harry finds herself sat in the headmasters office with Professors McGonagall and Snape while the headmaster examines his familiar. She glances up to the sorting hat, which has been placed on a shelf along with a lot of other knickknacks. Coming to a decision, she stands up and, ignoring the glares from the two teachers, grabs the sorting hat and places it back on her head before taking her seat again. Closing her eyes, she sends herself to the place she meets her mother.



When she opens her eyes again she can see Hermione and her mother staring at something beside her.

"Well, this is awkward." Harry's head swivels to look at the huge bear of a man standing next to her. He easily breaches 6 foot tall, and has a warriors build. A bushy, chestnut beard graces his face while what hair remains on his head is tied back in a long, grey, ponytail.

"Who are you?" Harry demands.

The man gives a loud belly laugh, "I suppose I deserve that, Godric Gryffindor at your service, more commonly known as the sorting hat."

Cruz cocks her head to one side, "How can you be a hat?"

"My Lady, that is a question with a very complicated answer. One that I fear we do not have the requisite amount of time to delve into. If fortune favours me, I will return in order to bask in your radiant beauty, as well as indulging your curiosity." He turns to face Harry, "Now young sorceress, what prompted you to bring me to this place?"

Harry swallows, "Er, I just thought you might get bored on that shelf, so I figured I'd introduce you to someone you can talk to. Assuming I'm not the only one that can come here on my own."

Godric laughs good naturedly, "There's the chivalrous nature of my own house. I believe that I will take you up on that offer. When we return, if you allow me to, I shall examine the memory of you coming here to see just how you are doing it." He turns back to the other two, "Young wizard, know that I am proud to have you in my house. Though I stand by my thoughts that you would have done better in the house of ravens."

Hermione bristles, "What do you mean Wizard?"

"Peace young lady, it is the style of magic you are most accomplished with. Your talents lie with cold logic and research, which is the path of wizardry, others take to the subtle arts of potion making, animals and plants better, and they are witches. That is why this is a school of witchcraft and wizardry. When I return, I will endeavour to explain the reasoning better, as it stands I fear we have already tarried longer than the professors will stand. If you would do the honours, young sorceress."

Harry loops her hand through the offered elbow and concentrates on returning with Godric.



"…Potter, are you paying attention?"

Harry looks over at McGonagall, "Sorry professor, I was just chatting with the sorting hat while we were waiting for the headmaster."

Godric sniffs on top of her head, "At least someone can see the benefit of talking to me, unlike some I could mention."

McGonagall sniffs, "Well I never."

The headmaster smiles genially, his eyes twinkling with amusement, "Indeed, you'll be pleased to know that Fawkes is just suffering from magical exhaustion. Something that I never thought I'd see. Now Miss…"

Albus cuts off as the door to his office slams open and a blond man with aristocratic features strides in, closely followed by Dobby. As she turns with the others to see who's barged in, Harry looks curiously at the house elf trying to work out why he looks familiar and why, just that she feels sorry for him. She does, however, recognise the man from the alley when he took the book from Ginny's caldron. The man himself is wearing posh white robes, and white silk gloves. One hand rests on the silver pommel of an ornately carved ebony cane.



Albus turns his gaze to the intruder, "Mr Malfoy, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

Malfoy sneers, "I have here a writ from the board to dismiss you as headmaster and close the school while we search for the beast now it's killed a student."

"Ah, I don't know where you got your news from, but the student that was kidnapped has been successfully rescued. She is currently being seen to by Madam Pomphrey."

"I see, how… fortunate."

"Maybe you should take a seat, as we were about to ask Miss Potter here about what happened."

"I think I shall."



Swallowing hard, Harry explains their adventure up to the point where the sorting hat arrived. When that point arrives, she shakes her head, "From this point, I think it would be best if the sorting hat took over, as he will have a far more coherent view on the situation. I'm afraid that my own memory of the situation is somewhat hazy due to the consequences of being healed from near death."

From the top of her head, the sorting hat looks down at her, "Of course I can young lady."



As the sorting hat starts to talk, Harry closes her eyes and sends herself to see her mother, "Sorry to rush, but I'm looking for one of my notebooks."

Quickly locating one, she rubs it over the loose basilisk fang, watching it steam and smoke as the venom from the tip leaves it scarred and pitted. Smiling, she then wraps it in one of her old, smelly socks and leaves again. As she opens her eyes, the sorting hat is just getting to the part where she made the tree.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Mr Hat, but I think at this point I should return the diary to Mr Malfoy." At the same time, she lightly tosses the wrapped notebook over to land in his lap, "After all, he did give it to Miss Weasley in Diagon Alley."



Wrinkling his nose, Malfoy pulls the sock of the notebook with two fingers and throws it over his shoulder, where Dobby catches it. As his glove starts to smoke, he quickly places it on the desk. A look of frustration passing over his features almost faster than it could be seen.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I should have mentioned that I wrapped it in the sock because of the basilisk venom from the fang I was bitten by."

Stripping off his gloves, he holds them out behind him, "Dobby, take these back to the house and see if they can be salvaged."

When there's no answer, and the gloves are still in his hand, everyone turns to look at the house elf. Dobby is standing there absolutely motionless, though a couple of feet from his previous position, staring cross-eyed at the sock that is lying on his head and flopping down over his face.

"Master gave me a sock…" he breathes almost silently

"Dobby, did you hear me."

Gingerly, Dobby reaches up to the smoking garment and takes it in his hands, "Master gave Dobby a sock, that means Dobby is free."

Angrily, Malfoy stands and stalks to the door, "You cost me my house-elf, you will pay for that. Oh, and while I did lose a diary in Diagon Alley, it wasn't that one."

Albus coughs, "Lucius, I believe you owe Miss Potter an apology, as it was clearly your own inattention that freed your elf. Also, thank you for the clarification on the diary."



Once the now named Lucius has left, Albus turns back to Harry, "Miss Potter, I believe that earlier in the year you were warned that if you broke any more rules I would have to expel you."

Snape sneers as he anticipates what's coming, though as he looks at Harry, the sneer is not as pronounced as it normally would be. Harry on the other hand shakes her head, "I'm sorry sir, but I don't recall that. Just as Dobby looks familiar, but I don't know why."

Dobby's ears droop at that, "The great Harry Potter has forgotten Dobby?"

"Yes. I'm sorry Dobby, but I have. It is almost certainly a side effect of being so close to death, though the sorting hat assures me that I didn't actually die."

"Indeed you didn't, if you had, then the benign possession would have left as well, and we'd likely have a new ghost in the school."

Harry nods, "Anyway, as you seem to know me, I would like to get to know you again."

"Great Mistress Harry Potter wants to know Dobby, Dobby is not worthy."

"Dobby, I think we should talk about this later when I'm not in a meeting with the headmaster, deputy headmistress, and a head of house."

McGonagall sternly says, "Indeed, I think we need to talk about your future accommodation going forward. Both in school and out."

Albus adopts an injured expression, "I don't think we need to worry about her home situation."

"Headmaster, of course we do. It would hardly be appropriate for her to return to her relatives like this, after all, she lives in the muggle world. What would they say about her eyes, or even her teeth? Don't pretend you didn't notice her fangs."

"Regardless, I was saying about rules and being expelled. It appears that I must now swallow my words, as both you and your friend Ron have performed a great service to the school."

"I'm sorry headmaster, but Ron isn't my friend. We are friendly, however the only reason I went with him is that it was his sister's life on the line. As it stands, that was probably a good thing in hindsight given what Professor Lockhart tried to do."

From the corner where he'd been lurking unnoticed, Lockhart says, "I'm a professor?"

The headmaster nods, "Ah, yes. Indeed, that is yet more paperwork I need to do, as I need to find a replacement for the rest of the year, and find a new teacher for next year. But, returning to your own accomplishments, I think that we will need to give you both an award for special services to the school."

Professor Snape smirks as he adds, "Given your self-proclaimed amnesia, I think that you should have remedial lessons to ensure that you haven't forgotten any important lessons from the last two years."

Looking like she's sucked on a Lemon, Minerva is forced to agree.

Harry herself grimaces, "While I don't think I've forgotten anything important, given the way Dobby here seems to already know me, I can't say it's true."

The hat still on her head speaks up again, "I would be more than willing to tutor you in what you need to know, after all I have been known to be a dab hand at teaching. It will get me off of that shelf more than once a year, and the Professors will keep much of their precious personal time while I do. Why, I believe that today has been more excitement than I've seen in the last 300 years."

Minerva frowns, "We would still need to supervise her practical work, as you are only a hat."

Harry can't help giggling at that, "Is there something funny Miss Potter?"

"Not really, just the reference to the sorting hat as 'only a hat' struck me as funny."

"I see, maybe we need to include lessons in deportment so that you know what will be expected from you given your new gender."

Harry sobers, "Yes Professor."

"Very well, be off with you while we discuss things." As she gets up to leave Minerva adds, "And leave the sorting hat here so that we can ascertain it has sufficient knowledge to tutor you in the required subjects."



Harry quickly flees the room, but pauses outside the door, her enhanced hearing allowing her to follow the conversation inside.

Snape says, "Well, it's clear from Malfoy's reaction that he did indeed send the diary to the school. What are we going to do about it?"

Albus shakes his head, "That will be a conversation for another time, but I think it's clear that Voldemort isn't as dead as we hoped. This diary may well provide us with the clues we need to work out how he cheated death."



Harry shakes her head as she walks down the stairs, the only thing they'll be learning from that diary is that it was covered with basilisk poison.

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As Harry's idly making her way to the hospital wing, in order to check on Ginny, there's a soft pop beside her and Dobby appears.

"Dobby never thought that the great Harry Potter was so great. Or that the Great Harry Potter was female. You didn't need me to save your life, you slayed the beast yourself."

Harry stops and turns to face Dobby while crouching down, "What do you mean save my life?"

"Dobby knew about the monster, but Dobby was forbidden from saying anything. So Dobby did his best to ensure you were safe away from the school."

"What about now?"

Dobby looks downcast, "Dobby is free, so Dobby can say what he wants."

"Dobby, look at me. Why are you down?"

"The Great Harry Potter is asking after Dobby's health?"

Harry laughs self-deprecatingly, "Really, I'm not great. But, yes, I'm asking after your health."

"House elves need family, they need a bond otherwise they weaken and can die."

"Don't we all. I have my mother, but she can't exactly come here. I have a friend too, but you can never have too many friends. Though making them can be hard."

"Will the Great Harry Potter be Dobby's family?"

"Sure."

"The Great Harry Potter is the best Mistress ever." Dobby flings himself at her as he starts to cry.

Shaking her head with a smile, she easily picks him up and carry's him to the infirmary with her.



As she enters the hospital wing, Madam Pomphrey turns to her with wand drawn, "Who might you be, young lady?"

"I'm Harry Potter."

From a bed, surrounded by redheads, Ron perks up, "Harry, I still can't believe the new look."

"How are you doing Ron?"

"Better now you're here, apparently I'm not allowed to leave until Madam Pomphrey has finished examining me."

Pomphrey's eyes dart up to Harry's scar before she harumphs, "I see, well you should have come straight here rather than galivanting off with the headmaster."

"They wanted to know what happened."

"And they could have waited until I had examined you, now on the bed young lady, or I will be forced to make you."

Harry grumbles good naturedly as she climbs onto the bed, "I don't suppose it would help if I said that Fawkes healed the basilisk venom, would it?"

All eyes in the room turn to face her as the wand that Madam Pomphrey was just putting away, is whipped out again, and she starts casting a massive battery of diagnostic spells.



It doesn't take Dobby long to stop crying, though there are two false stops where he realises that 'The Great Harry Potter' carried him to the hospital wing, and also kept holding him while he was crying. Unfortunately, the examinations that she's put through by the Madam are not nearly as quick, as they involve not only spells but also potions followed by spells. It's even more frustrating because she can't just go and visit her mother, and Hermione as well, to relax and talk about what happened. At some point, Professor McGonagall comes in and smiles at Harry before saying something to the Madam. It's while she's sitting there, magically stuck to the bed, as her bladder fills uncomfortably from the 2 pints of water that she was made to drink an hour earlier, that the cherry is finally added to the ice-cream. A white robed healer from St Mungo's comes through the floo and starts casting spells at Harry and then whispering excitedly to the Madam.

"Excuse me!" Harry calls loudly, "I really need to go to the bathroom, and I'm not sure I can hold it much longer."

The male healer comes over and casts a couple of spells, "Just a few more minutes Miss Potter, you need a full bladder for a couple of our diagnostics. Absolutely remarkable, you appear to have had a complete sexual change, the gold standard diagnostic for sex will be confirmed in a couple of minutes, but you are the oldest person that this has ever happened to. Not only that, but such a dramatic change to appearance is absolutely unheard of from spontaneous magic. According to your healer, you have no signs of any of the potions or rituals that could have accounted for this. You are going to be immortalised in medical history, there is so much different that your name will be appearing in journals for years while we decipher everything that Healer Pomphrey's scans have documented."

Harry looks pained, "Look, I really need to pee, and I don't want to do it on the bed."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, you're stuck there with a medical sticking charm and it won't let you void your bladder. Don't worry though, we'll switch the contents into the toilet before we remove the charm."

Harry doubles over as her abdomen cramps, "It hurts."

"That means that your bladder is full, Healer Pomphrey, I will observe."

Pomphrey bustles over and starts to cast a lengthy spell, as the spell hits, Harry doubles over as a wave of nausea and cramping take over her world. The pain is so bad that she can only whimper while clutching her abdomen, a flush of liquid escaping her leaves her feeling damp. Though the need to pee diminishes.

"1.2 million ovum, uterus is fully functional and has gone through a full menstrual cycle with no complications. There is no extraneous uterine lining elsewhere in the body, and she will be able to lactate for a child. Her biology is also still compatible with other humans, though she will probably have trouble conceiving with a non-magical partner. In short, she is a newborn pubescent woman."

A wave of her wand saw Harry cleaned up and her bladder and bowels cleared as the sticking charm released, "My apologies Miss Potter, but a change like yours needs to be thoroughly documented and investigated so that we can catch any complications or incomplete changes before they cause a problem. Standard procedure is to obliviate you of the examination, however the patients are normally between 3 and 5 years old. As such, we can give you a choice about whether to forget the last 3 hours or not."

Harry shakes her head vehemently, "I've lost too many memories as it is, and I have no idea which ones. So I'd prefer to avoid losing more."

Pomphrey nods, "Understandable, you'll be staying overnight for observation, and it looks like you have some dietary changes, so you need to visit every Wednesday evening until the end of the year so that I can monitor your intake and tell you if there's anything you're missing. However, before I allow you to sleep, the Deputy Headmistress wishes to speak with you."

Much to Harry's relief, both the healers depart to her office, and they pull back the curtain as they leave. Much to her annoyance, seconds after the door to the office clicks closed, Arthur Weasley walks over, as solemn expression on his face.

"Miss Potter, House Weasley owes you a debt that can never be repaid for you have given us the life our daughter. Tell me, what can we do for you?"

Harry is about to brush him off when she really looks at his expression, "Mr Weasley, my first inclination is to say that I would have done it for anyone. However, your expression says there's more going on that I don't understand. Please, take a seat and explain why this is so important."

Arthur sits down with a sigh, "With the name of Potter and your scar it's hard to remember that you no next to nothing of your heritage. Many of us treat magic as though it's alive. I don't think it is, at least not in any sense that you or I would understand it. However, it does seem to act on its own, especially through blood, especially the blood of family. Part of that is through the form of debts, not monetary rather the debts that we feel. Our own magic reenforces those feelings until we act on them, and that feeling will only go away when we feel we have discharged the debt. In our traditions, the greatest of these debts is called a life-debt. Not because you saved a life, but because the person that holds the debt feels that it can only be repaid with their life. There is more to it than that, but that's the school level version of it."

Harry smiles, "Thank you, and at the moment I think I need to process what happened today. No offence, but I grew up lonely, and I have got used to the solitude. It gives me time to think, I remember I enjoyed my time with your family last year, however I don't think I could stand living there longer than that."

"I understand, and it would be impossible this year anyway. We haven't told the children, but I won the Ministry sweepstake this year, and we've won enough money to take the family to see Bill in Egypt. I hope that they holiday will do Ginny some good and chase away the memories of this year."

Harry reaches out for Arthur's hand, "Mr Weasley, as someone who is adept at hiding their feelings, when you look at Ginny, don't do it during the day when there's things to do and fun to be had. Watch her in the evenings and the times that people are quiet, check in on her to see if she's having nightmares. I'll tell you know as others probably won't, but she was possessed by a dark artefact for most of the year. The sorting hat said there's no more signs of possession, but I can't imagine it was pleasant to experience. If she's not healing by the end of the summer, take her to see a counsellor or doctor so that she can talk to someone guaranteed to keep what she says private. My mum has done that for me more than enough times in the past, and it really helps."

Arthur nods gravely, "I will take your words to heart."

The door opening catches Harry's attention, "Looks like Professor McGonagall has arrived."

Arthur gives her a wane smile, "I'll leave you to her tender care."

Harry smiles, "Thanks."



McGonagall strides over, "Miss Potter, you will be pleased to know that we have agreed that the sorting hat can tutor you on the theory you may have forgotten. You will be expected to visit the headmasters office after classes every day until the end of term exams. There he will supervise you while you receive your tuition. Additionally, your things are being moved into the girls dorm where you will be sleeping from now on. At the weekend, one of the female professors will take you to Hogsmeade to get the required garments you need for your new body and school uniform. Your outer robes should still be sufficient until the end of the year. Do you have any questions?"

Harry nods, "Just one, is there anywhere else other than my relatives over the summer?"

McGonagall's expression softens, "I'm sorry Miss Potter, I don't have an answer for you yet. If I had my way, you'd stay with me if there was nowhere else. However, the headmaster is your magical guardian, so it's ultimately his decision."

"What's a magical guardian?"

"It is the magical that has the legal responsibility to see to your health and wellbeing. For most people, it's their parents. However, as muggleborn and muggle-raised like yourself don't have a magical relative that can deal with the legal responsibilities in the magical world, they have a magical guardian in the school. We are responsible for ensuring their health and wellbeing while they are of school age."

"Can I change the person who is my magical guardian?"

McGonagall shakes her head, "No, they would need to be shown to be negligent or incompetent, and the ministry would then assign a new guardian. Even if you could, in the current political climate, I would strenuously suggest that you don't. Corruption is rife in our government, and I'm sure that gold would quickly pass under the table to ensure that old followers of You-Know-Who would become your magical guardian. At which point your life would very quickly be put in peril."

Her tone indicating the exact opposite, Harry shakes her head, "I see. Thank you for telling me."

"I may have disagreed with the headmaster when he placed you with your relatives, however it was the only legal recourse he had that would avoid the politics and corruption of the Ministry. I fear that you wouldn't have survived the year if you had been subject to having a regent declared."

"I think I'd like to sleep now."

McGonagall smiles sadly, "Sleep well Miss Potter, and ask Pomphrey for a dreamless sleep potion if you can't sleep."

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Harry appears in the place his mother lives, and is immediately hit by a Harry seeking Hermione, "You're alive! Are you OK? What took you so long? What's it like being a revenant? Did you save Ginny? Was that really Godric Gryffindor?"

"Hermione!" her mother says sharply, "Remember what I told you and give Harry some space."

Reluctantly Hermione lets go, "Sorry, I was just so worried."

Harry relaxes a little, "It's ok, I just need to decompress for a bit. Just, give me 5 minutes."

Hermione walks back and picks up the tablet she was reading from and frowns at it while Harry sits down comfortably.



After a few minutes, Harry asks, "How are you getting on with my notes?"

Hermione glances up, "They're pretty good, when I can read them. Why don't you just write them in English?"

Harry laughs, "I do write them in English."

"No, I mean English English, our English. Oh, you know what I mean."

Harry's eyes go distant, "Because I wasn't allowed to growing up, the Dursleys wouldn't let me excel or do better than the whale. So most of my education came from Mum. The English she taught me is very different to the English we speak at school, but I guess I'm bilingual in that way. Though you could make yourself understood there, and you would be able to get by with out learning it, the sentence structure and alphabet is completely different."

Hermione glances at Cruz before she says, "Can I give you a hug?"

Harry sighs, "Sure, I'd appreciate it. Also, I'm doing ok. The worst part of it is the missing memories, like I know we're friends, but I don't remember how we became friends."

Hermione sits down next to Harry and hugs her, "You saved me from a Troll after that git made me cry in charms."

"That git?"

"Ron, it's what I call him in my head. He's a lowest common denominator, and he keeps trying to pull everyone down to his level."

"Ah, I see. Well, I do know that he's not one of my friends, and maybe now I'll be in the girls dorm I'll be able to make more friends without him barging in. I think I've been able to have 1 good conversation with Neville since we started school. Of course I could have just forgotten the others."

"What's that like, the memory gaps that is."

"Scary, as I know they're there, I just have no idea what I've forgotten until something prompts it. Like I knew Dobby looked familiar, but I had no idea why. Same as I remember we're friends, and a lot of the stuff we've done together, like the philosopher's stone and brewing Polyjuice in the loo, did we ever finish that by the way?"

Hermione smiles, "We did, and Ron persuaded you to impersonate Crabbe and Goyle to find out if Malfoy was the heir."

Harry puts her head in her hands, "Oh god, really? What was I smoking?"

"I think it was the same thing as the duel during first year, where he just stuck his opinion in and wiggled it about until we both agreed with him."

"I remember that, didn't we discover Fluffy that night?"

"We did."



Cruz smiles as she watches Harry slowly relax and unwind by talking about the things that happened at school. While she's sure that there will be gaps in Harry's childhood too, most of those are probably best forgotten anyway. The good memories she's sure that she can share when they come up.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Code Vein – 3

The next day was strange, everyone just kept staring at her. Some of those stares, especially from some of the older male students, left her feeling very uncomfortable. Surprisingly, the house gossips, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, were absolutely brilliant.

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Early morning, before breakfast, Professor McGonagall leads Harry up the stairs to the second year girls dorm. As she opens the door, Harry looks around curiously before averting her eyes, as the girls are all in the process of getting up and dressed.

"Girls, sorry to interrupt your morning, but I would like to introduce your new dorm mate."

All the girls stopped what they were doing, and swivelled to face the two of them, with Fay even poking her head around a door that presumable leads to the bathroom, a toothbrush in her mouth. Suddenly uncomfortable, Harry tries to step behind the professor. However, McGonagall puts her hand on the small of her back and pushes her forward.

"This is Harry Potter, she's moving from the boys dorm after being involved in a magical event that has left her as much a witch as the rest of us. Be gentle with her, as she's new to this. One of the professors will be taking her to get the necessary foundation garments and changes to the school uniform at the weekend."

Lavender, with a towel wrapped around her, walks over from where she was brushing Parvati's hair and stands up straight next to Harry. After turning left and right a couple of times she says, "Well, we're about the same size, so you can borrow some of my clothes until you've got your own. We can't have a witch as pretty as you are walking around wearing those rags. Fay! Hurry up in there so that Harry can shower."

Silently McGonagall leaves, as a confused Harry asks, "Stays?"

Lavender nods, "Uh huh, they're a support garment, though Granger has a training bra from the muggle world. They do the same job, however once we're older we'll learn support charms. My mum says that they feel like you're wearing stays, so that's why we have to wear them now." She lifts a lock of Harry's hair, "I love your hair, it's a pity it's dead straight, as until we learn styling charms the only thing we can do with it is braid it or leave it long."

"I'm done, Harry can take the shower now."

"Go on, do you have a large towel?", Lavender indicates the towel she has wrapped around her.

Harry shakes her head, "No, sorry. I, uh."

"Parvati, grab one of your towels, mine are being cleaned."



Once Harry finished her shower, Lavender brushed her hair for her and Parvati showed her how to brush Lavenders hair. All the while they talked about fashion, makeup, and, unfortunately, boys. Once she was dressed and down at breakfast, they were the ones that stood up to McLaggen, a 2nd​ year creep that Harry had heard the girls on the quidditch team complain about a couple of times. This also happened when Malfoy came over to chat her up in his smarmy way.

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Potions was also odd, as Professor Snape didn't seem to be as abrasive towards Harry as normal. Finally she was done with classes for the day, and slowly makes her way to the headmasters office on the 3rd​ floor. Going up the spiral staircase feels odd, like she should be in trouble, but she knows she isn't. Finally, she reaches the top and, before she can knock, the headmaster calls "Come in Harry."

As she walks through the door, Fawkes trills happily to see her, and Harry smiles, "I'm glad to see that Fawkes is up and about."

The headmaster nods, "Indeed, he was most disgruntled to find himself lying down this morning. However, I don't think you are here to chat. I have set up a desk by the window there. I hope you'll forgive me if I seem short, I have a lot of paperwork to do, and I need to cover Lockharts lessons as well."

Harry looks around and spots the desk, with the sorting hat sitting on it. As he does, the sorting hat looks at her, "Well, come on and put me on already. I hope you know how to meditate, as we're doing these lessons in your mind."

Shaking her head, she sits down and places the sorting hat on her head, closes her eyes and takes the two of them to her mother.



"Are you really Godric Gryffindor? Why are you in the sorting hat? What happened to the other founders? What was life like back then?"

Godric laughs and ruffles Hermione's hair as she gets close enough, "You remind me of Rowana young wizard. Now, I am supposed to be tutoring Miss Potter on the things she should have learnt in the first two years." Hermione looks downcast at that, "However, I don't think there's anything stopping me from tutoring two people instead of one. Come, let us find the Matriarch of this place and we can begin."



As they walk over to her mother, Harry can almost see literal stars in Hermione's eyes. When he reaches Cruz, Godric bows, "My lady, would you care to join us as I instruct the children in the ways of magic?"

Cruz laughs, "Certainly kind sir. It will be a most welcome distraction, much like the children have been while they're here. Hel, we sound like someone from the middle ages."

Godric laughs, "Nay fair lady, we sound nothing like English from that period." Standing, he puts a hand on his chest, "Eft he axode, hu ðære ðeode nama wære þe hi of comon. Him wæs geandwyrd, þæt hi Angle genemnode wæron. þa cwæð he, 'Rihtlice hi sind Angle gehatene, for ðan ðe hi engla wlite habbað, and swilcum gedafenað þæt hi on heofonum engla geferan beon.'"

Cruz shakes her head, "I'll be honest, I have no idea what you just said."

"It was a passage from Aelfrich's 'Homily on St. Gregory the Great', it was quite popular at the time we build our school. Anyway children, it's time we started, and I'll start the same way that we did when the school was founded."



Godric takes a few steps away before turning to face Harry and Hermione, "The first and most important lesson you need to learn about magic, is that you are only limited by your own thoughts and will. While you are here you will be taught the basics of witchcraft and wizardry. However, we are not ignoring sorcery or battle magic, you will be expected to partake in the exercises that will expose those talents. Yes Hermione?"

Hermione puts her hand down, "Um, what's sorcery and battle magic?"

Godric strokes his beard, "Ah, yes, you don't have the basic knowledge that was common in my era. Simply put, there are four major ways of performing magic, all of which have some level of overlap. Sorcery is the foundation of all magic, and it is what our children exhibit as they're growing up. A sorcerer can use their magic purely on willpower, intent, and desire. Most of the famous magical artists were sorcerers, as it is a skill that is strongly linked to creativity.

"Next we have Battle Magic, which is magic channelled through your body and weapons. Someone, like myself, can use their magic to make impossible leaps, cleave through things that our weapons shouldn't be able to, shrug off blows that would fell a dragon, and even spit fire from our weapons.

"Following that, is witchcraft. This encompasses working with the natural world through animal husbandry, gardening, and potion brewing. Don't be mistaken for thinking that there is no magic in this craft, for while it may not be as obvious as the other three. There is true magic involved. The accomplished witch can heal the direst of injuries with a potion brewed from the right plants and animals, they can send you into an enchanted sleep, and they can ensure full and bountiful crops.

"Lastly, we come to wizardry, the study of magic itself and the application of magic through rigorous study and development of spells."



Hermione frowns, "Wait, I'm sure that we use spells in Herbology, and Potions has all sorts of reaction tables."

"Indeed, I believe I did say that there was overlap. What you need to remember is that first lesson, you are only limited by your own thoughts and will. Tell me, what is a wand? You bought one because it was required for your schooling, but what is it?"

Harry is about to speak while Hermione is deep in thought, but Godric raises his hand, "Hold young sorceress, the wizard needs to work this one out for herself."

After a few minutes Hermione looks up, "According to Spellman's syllabary, a wand is a magical focus made from magically reactive wood and core that comes from a magical creature."

"Miss Granger, what is the key part of that definition?"

"A magical focus?"

"Indeed, now what does focus mean?" Hermione takes a deep breath and Godric continues, "I don't mean the various dictionary definitions. What do those definitions have in common?"

Hermione's mouth opens and closes as she runs through all the definitions in her head, "To concentrate or bring to bear?"

Godric nods approvingly, "Indeed, and it is absolutely required for wizardry, where knowing exactly how much magic, what type, and even how focused it is, is important. However, there are applications of magic where that focus makes it much harder. The first spell you ever learnt here used to be a teaching aid."



Holding out his hand, a glowing ball of light appears floating over his hand, and easily illuminates the area, "Now do the same with your wand."

"Erm, I can't as my wand didn't come with me."

Godric sighs, "Miss Potter, if you would."

Harry materialises her wand and casts a lumos, a brilliant point of light appears at the end of the wand, though it doesn't illuminate nearly as much as Godric's light does.



"Miss Granger, which of these two lights would you prefer if you were tidying up a room?"

Hermione looks between the two lights, "Er, your one sir."

"How about if you were inspecting a carving for flaws?"

"I guess Harry's one, as it would throw sharper shadows."

"Indeed, the lesson here is that sometimes less precision is better than more. A lesson that took Rowana nearly 2 decades to learn after we started the school. Oh, she was a wizard without peer, but she'd often come up with massively elegant solutions to problems that Salazar or I could fix with a mere thought. Now, I'm going to have both of you start on the exercises we gave to the students who were older when they were discovered. They should allow you to get in touch with your magic, and loosen it up so that you can perform focus-less magic."



At dinner, Ginny Weasley shyly approaches Harry, "Excuse me Harry."

Harry half turns to face her, "Can I help you?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for saving my life."

"You're most welcome, I'm just glad I could get there in time. How are you doing?"

"I've got lots of blank spots, but I think I'm doing ok. Erm, could we be friends?"

Harry takes one of her hands, "I don't know, friendships take time to develop, and I've only ever had one friend before."

"I know, Ron won't shut up about how you're best friends."

Harry shakes her head with a sad smile, "It's not Ron, it's Hermione. Ron needs to do more growing up before he has a chance of being a friend. However, I'm certainly willing to try. I also know about the debt, and your father has been very helpful with my understanding of that."

Ginny nods firmly despite the tears in her eyes.

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It's only a few weeks later when the Mandrakes they were looking after finally mature, much to Hermione's relief, as Godric has worked out how to visit on his own. An unfortunate result of which is that he and Cruz are starting to do adult things together. Much to Hermione's frustration, Godric's only answer to 'How do you do it' is 'I just do'. Privately, Harry was sure she was more upset that this was something that couldn't be found in a book, only done.



Either way, she found out from Madam Pomphrey when she was going to administer the restorative during one of her weekly check-ups. She used that information to let their house mates know, so that there would be friends around while the draft worked its magic. This was actually to cover the fact that Harry needed to bring Hermione back to her body.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Ranma sekirei

There was, Ranma reflected as he, well currently she, slowed her descent down the side of the skyscraper to survivable levels, a certain sense of irony that she was the one who was kidnapped. Cradled in one arm is a young girl with long blond hair, wearing a hospital gown, and who is thankfully unconscious given the screaming she'd been doing 5 minutes ago.



Below, she can see jackbooted thugs boiling out of the main entrance of the skyscraper. Making a split second decision, she times her next touch carefully, and pushes hard off the side of the building. Angling herself across the road to another skyscraper, putting a little chi into her jump allows her to make the impossible distance, where she uses her momentum to run sideways across the glass frontage. Reaching the corner of the skyscraper, somewhat lower than she started, she pushes off to the next skyscraper. Behind her, the sound of a helicopter becomes apparent as it crests the top of the building she just left. Cursing slightly under her breath, she redoubles her efforts to escape. Seeing some shorter buildings in the distance, she quickly diverts her course away from skyscraper central to an area that's likely to have some alleyways and buildings that she can actually roof hop across.



Alighting on the ground, to the screams and shouts of the pedestrians, Ranma takes a moment to orientate herself in Tokyo before cursing. 'Why did they bring me all the way to Minato Ward?' Shaking her head and spitting out a mouthful of flame red hair, she takes a moment to reposition the girl in her arms before launching to the top of a nearby building and heading towards the closest ward, Meguro. Some discrete thefts from washing lines later, as well as stolen cup of tea from a small café, and Ranma is a young man carrying his sleeping imouto to the station. Overhead, the black helicopters fly past without stopping, by the time they turn back Ranma has entered the subway and is heading north to Nermia Ward.



It is around 20 minutes later that the young girl wakes up briefly and looks up at Ranma with her deep green eyes.

"You are my Ashikabi."

"Wha… mumph", before Ranma can say more, the young girl kisses him on the lips, massive green wings rising out of her back, to the shock of everyone else in the carriage. As if nothing had happened, the girl then moves around on his lap and goes back to sleep.

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"Ma'am! Number 108 has just been winged."

Sahashi Takami looks over at the operator, "Did we at least get a fix on her location?"

"No Ma'am, she's in the subway."

Takami pinches the bridge of her nose, "What about 109?"

"She disappeared from our sensors before 108 boarded the subway."

"Tell me we at least have CCTV footage?"

Another operative shakes his head, "No Ma'am, they were moving too fast and unpredictably to locate them."

"Ancestors help me! Does anyone have any good news?"



The door to the operations centre clicks closed in the silence and Miyajima coughs, "Um, that probably means that now is a bad time to say that 109 escaped with a Jinki then."

Takami spins around, "Why in the hells was a Jinki even here?"

Miyajima crosses her arms, "Why do you think? 109 has never been regulated, so I was tasked with seeing how much regulation she needs. Which, as you well know, requires the use of a Jinki. I was coming here to tell you that 109 needs to go to the island, as I don't think she's a Sekirei in the same way that Miya isn't a Sekirei."

"Shit! How did we miss that?"

"I don't know, what I do know is that her Tama has never been used."

Takami stalks towards Miyajima, "What did you do?"

Miyajima shakes her head, "What do you think I did? You're a regulator, you do the math. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say."



Takami fumes as Miyajima turns and leaves. Suddenly she spins around and shouts at the operators, "What are you all looking at? Find that Jinki or else!" For emphasis she raises her omnipresent clipboard. Hurriedly everyone turns back to their consoles.

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An hour later, Ranma carries a sleeping child into the Tendo home. As the door closes with a soft click, Akane looks up, "Where have you… been? Nani?"

Ranma shakes his head, "It's a long story, where's everyone else?"

"Baka! They're out looking for you, where have you been all week?"

Carefully, Ranma lays the girl down on some cushions, and struggles to disengage her grip as she murmurs, "No onii-chan, don't let me go", in her sleep.

"It's been a week? Last I remember I was heading home from Ome overland as it was a nice day. How are you doing after Jusenkyo?"

"How do you think I'm doing Baka! You missed our wedding!"

Ranma scratches his head, "Huh? What do you mean I missed our wedding?"

"We were supposed to get married last week, and you ran out on me."

Ranma raises his hands, "Now hang on! I don't know about no wedding, and there's no way I'm going to marry an uncute tomboy like you."



Ranma only has a moment to roll backward before a mallet smashes through the floor where he was sitting, "Stay still and take your beating like a man!"

Ranma jumps over a wild swing as he shouts, "What are you doing?!"

"Stay still and let me beat you, you damn baka! You think I'm not good enough to marry?"

Sleepily the girl on the cushions looks up, "No beating up onii-chan." As she says that, vines quickly grow through the cracks in the floorboards and latch onto Akane, wrapping her up like a mummy.

"Ranma! Get me out of here so that I can beat you!"



Ignoring Akane, Ranma crouches down in front of the girl, "Are you awake now?"

The girl nods, "Yes onii-chan."

"I'm Ranma, and the tomboy over there is Akane, what's your name?"

The girl smiles, "I am Sekirei 108, Kusano, and you are my Ashikabi."



"Oh My!" Ranma looks up to see Kasumi standing in the doorway looking at the damage and the trussed up Akane, who has a faint red aura around her as she glowers impotently at Ranma.

"Boy! Where have you been?"

"My manly son has returned!"

"Arien will take Shampoo on a date now."

Ranma sighs when everyone that's piling into the room stumble to a halt at the sight of Kusano, "Everyone, meet Kusano, a girl I rescued while I was rescuing myself."

Pulling himself together, Genma looks at his son, "You've been slacking boy, there's no way that you should have been kidnapped."

"Says you!"

Cologne pogos into the room and takes a seat, "I think we should hear what son-in-law has to say before we start the normal entertainment."

"Well it was like this."

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"I'm glad you're save son, and thank you for coming to visit."

Ranma blushes as Nodoka, his mother, pulls him into a hug, "Ah, it was nothing. I just needed to get out of the house for a bit."

"No matter, you still came to see me. Now be careful and try to avoid cold water."

"Yes mum."



Once Nodoka lets go, Ranma scratches the back of his head, "Hey, mum. As it's a nice day, I'm going to walk home rather than take the train. I need time to think."

"I'll let your fiancé know if she calls."



Around 30 minutes later, after a freak shower, that she is passing through Musashimurayama when a scythe comes out of nowhere towards her. Despite being the pre-eminant martial artist of her generation, and possibly the world, there's still not a lot she can do when an attacker comes out of nowhere. Despite this, she's able to roll with the blow and face the black haired assailant. Her top fluttering down to the street below.



"Hey! What's the big idea?"

"You face Sekirei number 14, and I will remove you from the game before you can threaten my Ashikabi."

"It's not like it would take much to threaten your guy, at least I have boobs."

"Why you!"

"Why me, urk!" Whatever Ranma was going to say next is cut off as a wire saw loops around her neck. Flipping over, in a modified cartwheel, she uncrosses the wire even while she's leaping over the head of the assailant behind her. Ducking down, she slips out of the garrot and under a claw swipe from a third assailant.

"What, it takes 3 of you to attack poor little me?"

14 swipes her scythe at him again, "Just stand still so we can terminate you."

"Nah ah, not happening, you need to do better than that." Privately, Ranma's worried, as all three of the women are almost as fast as the old ghoul. On top of that, they seem to be accustomed to working with each other in a fight. It's only the last year and a bit of near constant fighting between himself and the fiancé's and rivals, culminating in fighting Saffron, that has allowed him to keep up with the three of them so far. Unfortunately, while Ranma Saotome doesn't lose, sometimes it takes more than one fight for him to win. Such is the case today, where number 14 manages to catch his temple with the haft of her scythe while he dodged back away from both the blade and a lunging metal claw. This sends him cartwheeling over the edge of the building, to land face down unconscious in the street below.



Ranma wakes up suddenly as a searing pain scorches her back between her shoulder blades. Reflexively, she kicks out at other occupant in the room, kicking the weird crystal out of their hands. Leaping over the head of the middle aged woman, she deftly hits a couple of shiatzu points and knocks her out.



Taking stock of her situation, she realises that she's in some sort of hospital. Though she's never seen a hospital room with so much high tech gear before. Looking down at herself, she realises that she's wearing a hospital gown rather than her normal clothes. Quickly pulling a change of clothes out of her hidden weapons space, Ranma gets dressed and takes the crystal and a clipboard full of notes.



As she opens the door to leave, she hears the clear sounds of an alarm going off, as well as booted feet heading in her direction. Shaking her head, she slips into the Umi-Sen Ken and leaps up to the ceiling where she finds that it's a high quality suspended ceiling. Smiling, she pushes up one of the well concealed tiles and slips into the small gap, the tile being pushed back into place just as the guards arrive at the room. Silently she curses her father for her knowledge of how to sneak into and out of buildings like this, even though it's proving useful.



She carefully makes her way around the corridors until she comes to the door for the stairs. Making sure that there's nobody around, she slips out of the ceiling and is about to open the door when she hears a young girl scream. Before her conscious mind has even processed the sound, her body is already bouncing off the wall and down the corridor towards the scream. As she's heading down the corridor, she disables a few groups of guards that are obviously still searching for her, before bursting through a door into a similar room to the one she woke up in. Sitting on the bed is a blond girl with wires attached to her head, chest and arms. Off to one side is a grey haired woman working on a computer of some description.



Swiftly, Ranma knocks the woman out just as the girl starts to scream again. Not knowing how to fix this, she rips the wires off of the girls body and picks her up.

"It's ok, I've got you, nobody's going to make you scream again."

The girl looks her in the eyes before they roll back into her head, and she passes out. As she steps through the door, a large group of guards rounds the corner accompanied by a white haired woman, with bandages wrapped around her legs and arms. A tattered black kimono covers any other bandages she may be wearing. What catches Ranma's eye are the gauntlets she's wearing, that have scythe-like barb-tipped claws at least 6" in length. At the sight of those, Ranma executes the Saotome family secret technique and runs towards the stairs, quickly followed by the woman, and slowly followed by the guards.



As the door comes into view, she doesn't even slow down. Instead she fires a Móko Takabisha at the door and blows it off its hinges. Co-incidentally, she also knocks out a group of guards that were just coming down the stairs. As she's making her way up the stairs, it becomes clear that the woman with the claws doesn't have the same experience that Ranma does with parkour like movement. A frantic 15 minutes later, where they've been trying to use the lifts to cut off her escape, she finally arrives at a floor before the security guards. Kicking the door off it's hinges, she darts out and down a corridor where there's a glimmer of daylight. There's a ding behind her, and a shout as the claw wielder takes up the chase again, and starts to gain rapidly. Desperately Ranma slides under a claw swipe before bouncing off the wall and down a corridor that leads to an office with an external window. A Móko Takabisha takes care of the door, and she launches a pair of Móko's at the window, sending spiderweb cracks through the entire thing. Vaulting over the desk she turns to protect the girl she's holding from the glass and sees the woman slide to her knees just as Ranma breaks through the window.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Takami pauses the video and turns back to the audience, "What happened Haihane, she was in the perfect position to catch and you dropped to your knees?"

"We were on the 110th​ floor Ma'am, and it just hit me."

Minaka Hiroto, head of MBI, and 'guardian' of the Sekirei, steeples his fingers, "What I want to know is how she did that."

Takami shakes her head, "We detected no flares of her tama during the entire time she was loose in the building. Coupled with her apparent ability to climb around the floating ceiling without making any sound, this made it impossible for us to triangulate her location in the building. In fact, a few times we lost track of her tama completely."

"What about outside?"

"The security team is still putting together the footage of their escape, it should be done tomorrow."

"Well this is an interesting twist to the game, do we know where 108 went after they split up?"

Takami nods, "Nermia."

Karasuba swears, "Shit, that's the place where we have virtually no coverage. I'm going out for a walk."



That said, she stands up and picks up her nodachi before leaving the room.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Ranma Sekirei – 2

Like normal, Ranma wakes up to the feeling of cold water hitting her face. It only takes her a few seconds to realise that she's not in the Koi pond. Instead, Genma has thrown a bucket of water over her face. The reason for this becomes apparent as he realises that someone is lying next to him.



Kusano opens her eyes and looks at Genma, "You're a poo head, why did you do that?"



In a panic, Ranma scrabbles off the futon, only for Genma's foot to catch her under the chin and launch her into the Koi pond. Unseen by Genma, Kusano starts to cry at the violence happening outside the window.



Meanwhile, on the lawn, Ranma and Genma are fighting like normal. This goes on for a few minutes until Ranma pushes a bit of chi, and something else, into a double handed strike. Genma doesn't have time to raise a block, dodge, or even redirect, before he's sent flying backwards with a collapsed sternum and crashes through the boundary wall and the wall of the house on the other side of the street. Ranma just waits for him to stand up and attack, and she waits a few moments more. Finally, she lowers her guard and starts to walk over to where he went.

"Otousan, come on, I didn't hit you that hard."

As Ranma picks her way through the hole that Genma made, she sees him lying against a broken sink, cold water spraying all over the unconscious panda. After making sure that he's still breathing, she grabs a leg and trudges back to the Tendo's home.

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Minka looks up from his seat as one of the operators pops up in a window on his computer, "Sir, we've just detected 109's signature."

"Tell me you know where she is."

"She's very close to 108 in Nermia sir, beyond that we don't know."

Minka smiles, "Excellent, send out a message to all the current Ashikabi's, include the profile information we have. Tell them that she's a special release, how's the rest of the schedule going?"

The operator nods, "Certainly sir, we are releasing numbers 72, 88, and 100 later today, that will leave another 30 to release over the next few months."

"Delay the release for a couple of days to give the others a chance to catch 109."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

"Ashikabi, Sekirei, Ashikabi, Sekirei, Ashikabi, Sekirei…"

Ranma sits, sulking as Kusano pours hot and cold water over his head under the watchful eye of Kasumi. Genma is propped up against a wall, bandages wrapped tightly around his ribs.



It's into this scene that Akane stomps down the stairs into, "Pervert! how could you do that to a child!"

"What did I do?"

"Ranma no baka! Urk!" Kusano's eyes glow green and Kasumi's spider plant shoots out and wraps Akane up like a mummy, with her hands held over her head holding the mallet.

"No attacking my Ashikabi meanie."



Everyone turns to stare at the young girl, as Nabiki tromps down the stairs, past Akane and into the kitchen. A minute later she comes out holding a mug of coffee and stops, staring at Akane.

"Akane, what happened?"

"Mmmph!"



Ranma looks around the room at all the silent people before quickly dashing to the kitchen, "I'm just going to prepare breakfast, be right back!" A moment later he darts back in and grabs the still warm kettle and pours a little over his head.



For once, breakfast at the Tendo household is a quiet affair, with neither Akane, who is being hand fed by Kusano, or Genma, due to his ribs, causing any problems for the other diners. The only minor disturbance was actually caused by Kusano.



"Onii-chan, why do you eat so fast?"

Ranma stops with his chopsticks full of rice half way to his mouth, "Hey old panda, why don't you answer this one?"

Genma coughs painfully, "Well… you see… it's speed training, if he can't eat fast enough then he deserves to go hungry."

Kusano puts on such a serious expression that it's comical, after a while she looks up at Genma, "You're a poo brain. You steal food from your child and call it training."

Ranma gently puts his hand on Kusano's, "The old man is often an idiot, but his training techniques did work."

"Na ah, you poo brain too. You like Akane?"

Ranma looks wildly around the table and then back to the child next to him, "Um, ah."

"See, you poo brain. Mutsubi says that love is the most important thing, if you love don't lie about it. You keep lying."

"But, I have other fiancés"

Akane stills as he says that, and gets a chopstick full of rice up her nose for the trouble as Kusano continues, "Then you strong Ashikabi. I don't want to share when I'm older, but you're strong so it be ok."

Ranma chokes on his rice as Nabiki turns a calculating eye towards the young Sekirei.



"Hello the house!" Dr Tofu's voice from the front gate cuts through the tension in the room like a knife, and Kasumi smoothly stands up and glides to the door, smoothing her skirt on the way.

Opening the door, she bows and blushes faintly as the Dr's glasses steam up, "Please come in Dr, we were just eating breakfast, if you would like to join us."

Tofu laughs as he pulls a skeleton from somewhere, "Don't worry, Betty and I have already eaten. Please, just show me the patients."

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Shampoo cycling along the rooftops, delivering food for the lunch rush, when out of nowhere the wheels of her bicycle are shredded by a multitude of bladed strings. As she leaps off the cycle onto a nearby chimney, a woman with short blond hair, and slender build lands on the roof she was just occupying, hanging from her fingers are loops of string. Landing next to her is a tall, curvaceous woman with long dark green hair, and pale blue eyes; in her hands she holds a quarterstaff.



As Shampoo sizes up the two newcomers, the green haired one speaks up, "109, my Ashikabi wishes to add you to his flock. Come quietly and we will ensure that you arrive unharmed…"

"Shampoo not know what you talking about. But Shampoo already have Airen."

"Then, we will need to terminate you for the sake of the game. Know that you are facing #16 Toyotama."

The blond adds, "And I am #31, Sai."



With that, the two leap to the attack, even as Shampoo pulls her Bonbori from her weapons space and leaps backward.

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On the other side of Nerima, Kodachi Kuno has just finished 'discussing' the upcoming Martial Arts Gymnastics competition with some students of Kolkhoz High School. While she is winding up her ribbon, a faint clapping sound can be heard from behind her. Turning around, she sees a slim teenage boy with brown hair and hazel eyes, wearing an expensive suit. Behind him is a tall man with messy silver hair and grey eyes. Held loosely in one hand is a sheathed straight sword.

"HoHoHo! What can the Black Rose do for you gentlemen?"

The teenager bows, "I am Mikogami Hayato, this is #05 Mutsu, and I would like you to become one of my Sekirei."

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Over in Edogawa, a young woman desperately jumps off a building and lands, sprawling, on the floor in front of a young man with a yellow and black bandana, a huge backpack, and an umbrella. As a lightning bolt flies down from one of the two women still on the rooftop, the man steps in the way and raises his umbrella to deflect the lightning bolt. The woman dodges and both of them look at the bandana lodged 3" deep in the brickwork before nodding to each other and leaving.

"We're just giving you a breather Ebinuma, we'll be back when you don't have a handy knight in shining armour to step in."

The man steps back and looks down at the now named Ebinuma, who is a young woman with black hair, grey eyes, and a tattered blue Yukata. The woman also seems to be breathing heavily, and her eyes are dilated. Concerned, he kneels down and bends over to have a closer look. As he does, she loops her arms around his neck and pulls herself up into a kiss. Wings of mirrored light leaping out from her back and surrounding the two.

"You are my Ashikabi, and I am Sekirei number 47, Ebinuma…"

She trails off as the man falls over backwards with a dazed expression and blood gushing from his nose. Worriedly, Ebinuma lifts the boy off the floor and kneels behind him, cradling his head between her breasts. This doesn't actually seem to help, as the nosebleed flows even more freely, even as she dabs at it with her sleeve. This situation resolves itself when the cistern of a toilet in the building behind them overflows, and a trickle of cold water pours out of the overflow pipe straight onto the mans head. At this point he turns into a small black pig.

Frowning, Ebinuma looks down at the pig in her lap, "I wonder if this happens to all Ashikabi?" Shrugging, she hefts the backpack onto her own back, and picks up the umbrella with a little effort.

"Wow, this is heavy, lets find somewhere to stay. I know, #6 told me about an inn in the north, we can go there."

Ebinuma promptly turns east and starts to walk in the wrong direction.

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"Takami Ma'am, we've just lost #47."

Takami spits out the tea she was drinking, "What? How can we lose one of the Sekirei?"

"I don't know Ma'am, she was in Edowaga fighting with Numbers 11 and 12, we have cctv footage of an unknown male stepping in and helping her. 15 minutes later she starts walking towards the coast and then disappears."

Another operator calls out, "I've got her MBI card on satellite, she's currently in the Himalayas in Tajikistan!"

"Check that again!" Takami shouts.

"I have triangulation with 5 satellites, she is 200km northeast of Chikhok"

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Ranma Sekirei - 3

Ranma trudges up to the gates of Furikan High School, her hair plastered to her face and her silks sodden with water. Glowering next to her is a damp Akane, who got caught in the splash as the washer woman threw out a bucket of water rather than the normal ladle that she normally does. Unknown to Akane, adding to Ranma's discomfort is a trickle of liquid seeping down the inside of her leg, along with a slight cramping feeling in her abdomen.

"Ho fair maidens, I am glad to see that the evil sorcerer Saotome has released thee from his grasp for a moment. I, The Blue Thunder, wish for you to date me…"

Ranma growls, "Not today Kuno, go and annoy someone else."

Kuno instead draws his bokken and steps forward, "I strikkkeeeee"

Almost faster than the eye could see, Ranma covers the distance between them and launches Kuno over the school with a kick to the belly. As she stalks into the school and heads for the boys toilets Akane look around in confusion.



A few minutes later, Ranma approaches Akane's friend Sayuri, "I'm really sorry, but do you have any spare hygiene products, as I wasn't expecting that to start today."

Sayuri nods and hands over a tampon and pad. Once Ranma's left again, Akane asks, "What was that about?"

"She didn't expect that time of the month to come today."

Akane's eyes widen, as she has never known Ranma to have a period, when the curse isn't locked. Even during the cat tongue she was period free for the entire 3 months. "I wonder why she didn't just change back to a guy."

"Because it didn't work."

Akane spins around, mallet at the ready, and Ranma just takes it out of her grasp, "Baka, what did you do that for?"

"You pervert, how dare you."

"Hey, it's not like I wanted this. 's not like a jock like you would understand anyway." Ranma snatches another mallet out of her grasp, "Hey, are you slowing down in your old age?"

"Ranma!"



Somehow, they manage to get to class on time. As Ranma sits down, Daisuke drapes over her shoulder, his arms hanging over her breasts, "You don't feel like being a guy tod…oooohhh."

The teacher, Hinako Ninomiya, looks over as Daisuke crumples to the floor holding his stomach, "Miss Saotome, what do you think you are doing?"

Ranma shrugs, "He touched my boob and it's that time of the month."

"Oh, carry on then."



By lunchtime, the entire school knows that Ranma has PMS, and to keep well clear.

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A bruised and battered purple cat scratches at the door to the Nekohaten until Cologne opens the door and it limps in. Seeing the state of her great-granddaughter, Cologne picks her up and carries her to the kitchen, where she pours some hot water over her head. Where the cat was, Shampoo now sits, one eye already swelling shut, with a massive bruise running the length of her face. Her clothes have been cut to ribbons, and she also has numerous shallow cuts and bruises all over her body. As she breaths in, she winces as one of her ribs doesn't move right.

"Granddaughter, what happened?"

"Two women wanted to take me to someone they called an Ashikabi to join their flock. I told them I already had an Arien, so they attacked me with intent to eliminate me."

"I see, this is troubling. How capable were they?"

Shampoo wilts, "Better than me, almost as good as Arien."

Cologne nods, "That word, Ashikabi, seems familiar. I'll send a letter back to the village to check out histories."

With that said, Cologne turns the sign to closed and starts to tend to Shampoo's wounds.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

A few days later, Kasumi is voted to be the person to approach Ranma about her female form.



"Ranma, could I have a word?"

Ranma stops her kata and turns to face Kasumi, "Sure, what can I do for ya?"

"We have noticed that you have been a girl for almost a week now."

Ranma shrugs, "Yeh, what of it?"

"Your father and my sister are worried about the fact it doesn't seem to be bothering you."

Ranma cocks her head to one side, "What? Are they afraid I'm going girl?"

"I would imagine so."

Ranma shakes her head, "Na, it ain't that. It's just that this form doesn't feel wrong anymore. Whatever they did to me while I was unconscious changed something about this form, made it whole in some way. That an it's been quiet since I got back from wherever. I ain't seen Shampoo or Ryoga, and Kuno's just an annoyance."

"Oh my, I did have one other thing to ask you about."

"Oh?"

"Kusano, I don't feel it's right for her to be sleeping in the same room as two grown men."

Ranma looks down at herself, "I ain't exactly a man here."

"I can see that, but my point still stands."

Ranma looks out of the window to watch Kusano working on a flower bed by the Koi Pond, "I know, but she's so young. I can feel that she needs to be close when she sleeps, and I need to protect her ya know. It's also not like we have any other rooms here. I also don't want to take her to see Mum, she's doing better but she's still not ok with my curse."

Kasumi nods seriously, "I understand, however, that doesn't change how inappropriate it is."

Ranma thinks for a moment, "How about this, we kick pops out into your fathers room, and I promise to sleep as a girl."

"That would not be appropriate."

"Less appropriate than Kusano sleeping in the same room as pops?"



The door to the dojo slams open, as both Soun and Genma try to squeeze through at the same time, "No son of mine is going to sleep as a girl!"

"You are engaged to Akane, it's inappropriate for you to be sleeping with another woman in your bed!"



Ranma looks up, "Oh look, practice. Kasumi, discuss it with the girls and let us know what you decide."



With that Ranma grabs the two men and throws them out the back door, away from Kusano, before leaping after them, a faint battle aura forming around her.



Kasumi sighs, "Come in Akane, you too Nabiki."

The two girls come through the door, "Sit!"

Obediently both girls sit on the floor, though Akane takes one longing look at the fight going on behind the dojo as she does so.



"Nabiki," Nabiki looks startled to be addressed directly, "Kusano is off limits. She is too young to handle the fallout of your schemes, do you understand?"

"What? I would never."

"I know you care about the family, but sometimes your antics leave unfortunate collateral damage. As such, you will ensure that Kusano is not involved in any of these antics. Am I clear?"

Nabiki swallows, "Very."

Kasumi smiles, "Good, with that out the way, what do you think of Ranma's suggestion?"

Akane scowls, "That pervert just wants to sleep with a girl."

"Now Akane, that's just unkind. Ranma did rescue her, and it has proven quite impossible to stop Kusano from joining Ranma in bed."

Nabiki looks alert, "What do you mean sis?"

"Surely you are aware that I set up a futon for her in my room?"

"I, uh, yeah." In truth, Nabiki has been avoiding Kasumi's room for the last few days, ever since she experienced being tied up by Kusano for being nosy, and as she had never had any cameras in her sister's room, this left her unaware of the changes inside.

"Well, Kusano thinks she's been sneaky when she leaves. Though she's much like Akane was at that age and can't help giggling."

"I was never like that!"

Kasumi just smiles sadly at Akane, as it's true that after their mother died, she stopped being like that, "That is beside the point at the moment. What of Kusano's sleeping arrangements?"

"Why don't we just move the panda in with Grandfather Happosai, after all, he is one of his disciples."

"That; is a very good idea, I will…" Kasumi cuts off as there's a loud splash followed by a childish scream of rage. As they all turn to look, they see a panda being wrapped up in plants as he's climbing out of the koi pond. Kusano is standing with her arms apart and her drenched summer dress, one of Nabiki's old ones, plastered to her skin.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

As if Fate had been listening to Ranma and decided to screw with him, the quiet time comes to an end quite spectacularly.



Ranma and, despite Ranma's better judgement, Kusano, both get off the train at Nishi-Kokubunji Station in order to buy Kusano some clothes while they're waiting for the train to Ome to see his mother. As they leave the station a call of "Leave me alone you despicable louts! Forasmuch as I enjoy a brawl, thou art behaving in a most unseemly fashion!"

As Ranma looks up, a blond woman wearing a short white dress with a long black open front over dress jumps over the road from the station roof to the shops. Following her are the Sekirei that attacked Ranma over a week ago. Ranma looks up and then down at Kusano in indecision, indecision that is solved when Kusano holds up her arms to be carried. Swiftly picking her up, Ranma launches them up to the roof tops and takes up the chase. After all, a Martial Artists duty is to protect the weak, even when the weak might normally be able to defend themselves. It has absolutely nothing to do with wanting payback, honest.



They finally catch up when the person they were chasing runs out of roof, and the three Sekirei following her manage to surround her.



"…to fight, our Ashikabi just wants strong Sekirei."

"There is more chance of a snowball surviving a volcano than there is of me being willing to be winged by an over-evolved monkey."

Putting Kusano down on a nearby roof, Ranma leaps into the circle to stand behind the blond, "Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?"

#14 looks at him, "We're not supposed to attack humans or Ashikabi, so I'll give you one chance to leave."

"No, I don't think I will. Not after you put my sister in hospital a week ago."

"Then your sister shouldn't have tangled with us, last chance!"

"I don't think a boy like you has much to offer me, maybe I should take on one of the others. At least they're real women."

The blond says over her shoulder, "I don't need your help monkey brains."

"Hey, who said I was helping you, I want payback from the boy over there and his cheating friends."

#14 screeches, "I am not a boy!"

"You sure look like one, no hips, flat chest, wide shoulders. Yep boy, I bet if I checked I'd find you're tucking."

"Why you!" #14 leaps forward to attack with her scythe and Ranma deftly takes to the air, pushing of the haft as he launches a kick at her head. Behind him the other two leap in to attack the blond. As they do, she calls out "Get back you foul varmint, Water celebration!" and fires a jet of water at one of them while dodging the other.



Ranma's ability to pay attention to the other fight quickly dissolves as #14 attacks with sharp while swings of her scythe, utilising the entire length of the haft and blade to good effect. Though, the fact that Ranma won't stay at roof level is giving her fits. Finally, Ranma sees an opening and steps inside her guard, "Kachū Tenshin!". #14 goes flying off the roof as hundreds of punches catch her in the torso within the span of a second.



Seeing their companion fall of the roof, one of the others disengages to collect #14 while the other one switches target to keep Ranma busy before. As she does, the blond fires a water blast at her, sending her off the roof in a different direction. When the water dies down, a busty redhead wrings out her soaking top, "Whacha do that for? They were retreating!"



As Kusano starts to hop over to them, the blond pokes Ranma in the boob, "Doth my eyes deceive me? Pray monkey brain, by what are you known?"

"I'm Ranma Saotome, best martial artist in Nerima, who are you?"

"Number 9, Tuskiumi." She replies absently, her breathing starting to become heavier, "No, I refuse, I will not be winged by an over evolved monkey!"

With that last statement, she leaps off of the roof.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Harry Potter and the Tuath Dé – 3

A month after Harry's disappearance, Petunia and Vernon are finally able to return to England with Dudley. Grunning's has been really good and allowed them time to grieve, after a farmer found 'his' body, a week after his disappearance, while digging out a badger set. As the set was uninhabited, the police turn a blind eye to just why the farmer was digging it out. The autopsy report says that he probably crawled into the set when he couldn't find his way home and went to sleep. He had frostbite in all of his extremities, though they hadn't had time to discolour before he finally passed away.


Despite crying herself to sleep in Vernon's arms for a week after the discovery, Petunia's health quickly improves as she's able to sleep more regularly, and she no longer gets random bouts of weakness. By the time of the funeral in the local chapel, even Vernon sheds a tear for his lost nephew.





A visit to this village would become a yearly occurrence for the family in the future. Even after Grunning's opens up a Canadian branch in a few years time, and promotes Vernon to branch manager. With Petunia able to look after Dudley more effectively, he grows up to be a very different person than he could have otherwise.

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In Dunblane a Harry Danann, son to Morgana Danann, is registered in the local registry office. If the systems were better linked, automated flags would be raised, as the birth of both the deceased Harry Potter, and Harry Danann are identical apart from the mother. Instead, a copy of the birth certificate is posted to the new address, while the central office is notified by fax machine of the new resident of Dunblane. The local Council, Town hall, and Doctors also get the paperwork required to have had Morgana on record for years.

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In the Ministry of Magic, functionaries are running between departments trying to identify a massive surge of magic across the UK and Ireland that has knocked out all of their detection grids, including those they use to identify illegal entry into the country. In all the turmoil, nobody would notice a minor change to a sealed record and the book of names in Hogwarts, as the name Potter becomes Danann, and always was Danann.

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Unfortunately for the wizards, the goblins of Gringotts are not so lax. They also recognise the alias of those they used to call Gods and Rulers before they retreated from the world. This triggers a similar level of panic to that in the ministry. However, in this case it's a structured panic to ensure that the Potter accounts are complete, accounted for, and most importantly, completely above board.

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Several years pass as Morgana becomes a reclusive pillar of the community, one who everyone assumes earns her money from stocks and shares, with an interest in Celtic history. Her son, Harry, is known as a mischievous little tyke with a good heart.





Every year she would host a feast at her home for Samhain, where she would prepare historically accurate dishes, seating, and entertainment. This was always well attended, as it was open to the whole village. Even though spaces were, by necessity, limited. She was also active in the local re-enactment scene, and her most ardent student is her son, who she home-schools.





Much to the consternation of the local churches, the Danann's are very much not Christian, not even giving the nod towards the religion that most others do. Instead, Morgana would hold classes on the ancient religions of the Celtic people, and even religious ceremonies. All based on archeological records that she either found personally through digs that she authorised, or found by other experts in Scotland, Ireland, and strangely enough Brittany in France.





For Harry, growing up as a child of Danu, was fraught with excitement and peril. Not least because of the innate connection he now holds to the mist. There is also his aptitude with things like poetry, blacksmithing, and farm animals, while being average for his age at everything else. His ability to talk to the local snakes has been a source of hope for Morgana.

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"Evie, that's not fair!" Harry sulks at Ephis, who is currently the last of the fae that he hasn't tagged yet.


Ephis looks down from the sword point that she hid on, "I know you can fly, I've seen you do it before. So all you need to do is tag me and we can go in for ice cream."


"But then you'll just fly away again."


"Then you know what to do, your mother has shown you often enough."


"I'm not playing anymore." Harry pouts and sits at the base of the statue.





9 years ago Ephis would have gone to comfort Harry, 5 years ago she's have flown down so that she could see how he was doing. But now, after being part of the Mórrígan's household for nearly a decade, such instincts have been tempered by the experience of living with a war goddess. Instead, she takes the opportunity to change her hiding place from the sword to behind a chimney pot. The excited chattering of the other fae that Harry has already tagged alerts him to the fact something's changed. Looking up he notices that Ephis has moved and throws his hands in the air, "Oh come on!"





Holding his hands out, his form shrinks down into the form of a small brown Linnet. Wearing this form is always so uncomfortable, and leaves him very much aware of the fact he has taken the place of his mother's sister in the pantheon, something he has yet to tell Mórrígan. As he's flying around looking for Ephis, a shadow crosses the sun and he desperately dodges to one side as a barn owl swoops through the space he was just occupying. Swiftly returning to human form, he stands on the air and shouts, "Hey, what's the big idea!? You could have killed me doing that!"





Ignoring his outburst, the owl instead swoops around the courtyard and, with a couple of beats of its wings, rises up to Harry's level before landing on his shoulder.





"Oh, you're domesticated. Why would anyone want to domesticate such a magnificent species." The owl puffs up it's chest in pride, "Come on, Mum's at her roundhouse today. Ephi, games over due to outside interference! I'm going to find Mum!"


Cautiously, Ephis pokes her head around the chimneypot, and seeing the owl on Harry's shoulder, flies down to take her position on his other shoulder. Now that she's there, Harry approaches the gate in the centre of the courtyard and concentrates on it. Over the next few minutes mist forms in the gate, and then the clearing his mothers roundhouse occupies first becomes visible, and then gains focus as if approaching it through the mist. Once it is completely clear, Harry lets out an exhausted breath. His mother can do this with nary a wave of her hand. As he starts to walk through, a veritable rainbow of fae fly past him and into the clearing, before heading off to their own homes in the mist. One of them gets caught by one of the omnipresent guards outside the entrance.





As Harry walks forward, he holds out a hand to one side and a bronze sword materialises in his grasp. Seeing this, the guards hold their hands out, palms visible, and take a step away from the door. When he was younger, they'd have tested him, but his mothers lessons were as thorough as they were painful. Given that they were exceedingly painful, with mistakes brutally punished and then corrected… Each of the guards had, at one point or another, been part of his lessons in warcraft. Just like the game he'd been playing with the fae, after the local children stopped wanting to play once he got too good at both the hiding and seeking. Oh, he still had human friends, but they wouldn't do anything vaguely competitive with him. That didn't stop them from egging him on at the pool table when their parents took them all tenpin bowling in Stirling every month.





Suddenly he stops just inside the house, sniffs the air and sighs, "I'll come back later mum! An owl arrived with a letter, so don't take too long."


Mórrígan calls back, "It's ok, come on through. I've put everything down now."


Harry blushes, "Mum!"


"Oh Harry, I have no idea where you got this prudishness from. When I was last living amongst mortals, you'd often have 3 or 4 generations living in the same room. Most nights there would be at least one couple having sex."


"Mum!"


"Anyway, you said that the owl has a letter."


"Yeah, it's weird, it's a domesticated owl."


Mórrígan comes through one of the hangings, and the owl takes one look and tries to flee. Her hand flashes out and grabs it gently by the wings, "Welsh descent then, from Arianrhod's get. Fear not, I am not here to take you as my own. I believe you have a letter for my son."


The owl bristles, as though someone stepped on it's grave, before it turns it's head to face her and hoots softly.


"Harry, hold out your arm." When he does, she places the owl down, and releases her grip. Deftly she removes the letter and opens it, reads it and then nods.


"Harry my son, it seems your fate has arrived. You are to start at a school for mortal magic in September. Do you wish to go?"


Harry turns to look at Ephis, "Will you come with me Ephi?"


"Of course, where else would I be? I am sworn to you after all."


Harry laughs, "I know, but sometimes I wonder if it isn't the other way around."


"I would never presume such."


"Then yes, I would like to go. I might be able to make some friends that I can see as equals."


Mórrígan shakes her head, "Friends I'm sure you'll find aplenty, equals I'm sure will be in scant supply. I will also ensure that you have the supplies you need to keep up with your modern subjects."


"But Mum! You know I hate math, it doesn't make sense."


"This is why you need to work on it, much like your nature rebelled against learning the arts of war. Math and science are both weaknesses that we share, and so we must work to overcome those deficiencies in our knowledge. For have I not been studying right beside you?"


Harry slumps, "You have mum, but it's so hard."


"If we only ever do what comes easily to us…"


"…We become complacent, and will be caught off guard when faced with a challenge."


"Indeed." She holds out her hand and a velum letter appears, which she attaches to the leg of the owl. A wave of her hand opens a portal to their mortal home for the owl to fly through.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Sir Rupert stares up at Princess Susan in shock. In her hands she's holding a halberd rather more competently than he expected.

"Princess, I have been sent to rescue you."

"No you haven't."

"Are you questioning my word?"

Susan shakes her head as she carefully backs towards the next left hand bend where he would be at a disadvantage against her polearm, "Not at all, I know that you are a true and honourable knight. I am questioning the word of my father."

Rupert tries to step forward and bring his shield in to the side of the halberd, "You father has ever been a just king, always looking out for the welfare of the kingdom."

Susan watches for an opening, and when he tries to side swipe her halberd again, she swiftly steps back around the corner, then lunges for the shield with the point of the halberd, too late, Rupert sees her twist the head so that the axe catches his arm, causing him to drop the shield even as his armour saves him from injury. "Yes, the welfare of the kingdom, not the welfare of his own daughter. I left on my own after he had my last betrothed killed because it is unbecoming of a princess to marry a dragon."

"A dragon that had been terrorising the nearby villages."

"Only because they not only moved into his hunting area, but they also slaughtered his last mate while she was laying. Under orders of my father, I might add."

Rupert cautiously tries a few probing attacks, trying to move the princess away from his shield as the numbness in his arm starts to fade, "I do not know what prompted him to make such orders."

"I do, copper, there was a rich copper vein in their territory. And now he wants to marry me to a monster."

"I'm sure he only wants what's best for the kingdom."

"Oh, of course he does. And if you try to go for your shield again, I will stab you, mentor or no mentor. What he hasn't taken into account is that the monster has already had 8 wives, and every. Single. One. Of. Them. Is. Dead." Susan punctuates the last sentence with a series of jabs.

"Princess, please, I am only doing my duty."

"And I am doing mine. I will not return till the harvest moon. That's when the betrothal agreement expires. Then I will return and do my duty to the kingdom, all of the members of the kingdom, not just the humans."

With a sigh, Rupert steps back and pulls a small crossbow from his back, "You leave me no choice princess."

As he brings up the crossbow, Susan breathes in and then out in a massive gout of flames, the string snapping before he is able to pulls the trigger. Falling backwards, he clutches his face and screams as Susan walks over and kicks his weapons away.

Kneeling down, Susan pinches Ruperts voice box, strangling the cry as she leans down to his ear, "It took me months to talk Myrgir down, and I got to know him. Did you know he went to the college and was qualified as a scribe and historian? I negotiated the betrothal, and we consummated the relationship. Then you killed him. It might not have been love, but it could have turned into a love match and you killed him. Did you never wonder why there are no half dragons?" She laughs, "Well, now you know. Oh, and just so you know, part of that betrothal was to allow the kingdom access to the copper vein. But no, my father would rather I marry a monster of a human than a noble person that happens to be a dragon. For what it's worth, thank you for teaching me everything you could. Goodbye."

The last thing Rupert feels is the weight of the halberd's axe falling on his neck and cleaving it from his body.

Susan sighs as she stands, what a waste, at least she won't need to go hunting for another week.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

The story is now being published on it's own. Due to what happened with Queen Potter, I am not going to risk posting it here, so you can find it on Ao3, FFN, or Wattpad