Starting Over: Do You Want to be Friends?

Review

This story is a crossover with Card Captor Sakura and Yu Gi Oh. Normally, I don't like crossovers, but this one is an exceptional case. The crossovers work, quite well.

However, it's a rough story to read; it's very, very emotional. This is the darkest, most evil Genma that has been in any fanfiction that I have read thus far; there is not a single trace of goodness in the man. He beats and rapes Ranko on more than on occasion.

It makes it hard to read the story because, at times, you have to stop reading for a bit since the story has become so incredibly intense in feeling.

The traditional characters are here (Happosai is left out, fortunately.) They are pretty much in-character. The fact that Ranko is in the position that Sakura is in Card Captor Sakura is believable and works. Nodoka is a stronger, much more sane person in this fanfiction piece than in most others.

There's a little bit of stretching in the storyline in relation to people being related to certain other people, but the whole thing pretty much works. A lot of people end up coming out better people than they do in the actual series.

This is an excellent, even if at-times upsetting, fanfic.

Synopsis

Chapter 1

Ranma is in female form, about to spar with Akane. Kero, from Card Captor Sakura, appears and refers to her as Ranko. Her involvement with the Clow Cards had become only a few weeks earlier.

Ranko also thinks everyone hates her. She says something about Akane having betrayed her, and Kero says something about Ranko actually being a girl.

It's also revealed that Genma apparently beats Ranko, at the very least.

Akane had left the dojo but comes back and stands outside, seeing Ranko and Kero, and sees Ranko use a magic card to summon a girl she can really spar with.

Chapter 2

Ranko, Kero and Akane sit down to talk. Ranko reveals her real name is Ranko; Ranma is a name used by her father for her. Ranko reveals that Genma regularly beat her and forced her to bathe in front of him. Genma got Ranko into a spring that was a cursed drowned boy type of spring.

Genma's plan is to get one of the Tendos to marry Ranma (which is why he used a cursed spring to make Ranko a male), then he plans to take the dojo as the dowry, kick everyone out, sell it and take off with the money.

It's also revealed that there is a high probability that Genma forced Ranko to have sex with him.

Chapter 3

Ranko runs off to be alone for a while and ends up at the school where she encounters Li Showron who sees Ranko use the clow cards to defeat a monster. He demands she give him the cards. She gets away from him when he chases her.

Back at the dojo, Nabiki is angry and confronts Akane and Ranko, and Ranko tells her almost everything about her past.

Chapter 4

Nabiki has basically vowed vengeance against Genma. She also had found out that Genma had beaten Nadoka and kidnapped Ranko. Genma apparently also had married other women, stolen their dowries and left them.

Then, at school, Li shows up as a new student and Ranko realizes she is attracted to him, getting mad at herself for doing so. Li talks to Ranko alone and they agree to sort of work together getting the clow cards back.

Then Kuno shows up, Li having beaten him up earlier. Ranko punts him away. Later Ranko and Li have a new math teacher, a woman named Ms. Mackenzie.

Chapter 5

After school Nabiki, Akane and Ranko are walking together. Ukyo shows up and gets mad at Ranko, accusing her of flirting with Li.

Later, Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi and Soun go to visit a relative, leaving Ranko home alone. Genma beats her and then rapes her. Kero returns later from exploring and finds the crying Ranko.

Chapter 6

The next morning Ranko is washing up when Kasumi appears and sees all the bruises and cuts on her body. Nabiki shows up and gets really, really angry. Nabiki tells Kasumi everything she knows about Ranko, and now Kasumi is very, very angry.

The next scene is at the breakfast table. Kasumi reveals that Genma had beaten and raped Ranko, and that Ranko is really a girl, not a boy. Genma kicks Soun and takes a weapon Kasumi was holding, but then Ranko hits him.

One of the clow cards voluntarily returns to Ranko and units with her, giving her the power and confidence she needs to defeat Genma, kicking him out through a wall.

Chapter 7

A woman named Kuno ends up entering the dojo. Her first name, though, is Nodoka, and it's Ranko's real mother. Ranko had thought that her mother hated her, but Nodoka explains that she loves her and has been trying to find her ever since Genma kidnapped her. Nodoka also turns out to be a detective.

Nodoka reveals that she got a divorce from Genma after he kidnapped Ranko.

The chapter also notes that Ryoga had seen Genma rape Ranko the previous night. Ryoga was in the form of P-chan, though, and there was nothing he could do to stop it, but now he wants to kill Genma.

Chapter 8

The girls, Soun and Ranko go to live for a while at Nodoka's while the Tendo house is repaired. Nodoka plans to take Ranko and the girls shopping, but comes in when Ranko is changing and sees how terribly bruised and cut Ranko's body is. She also sees Kero, and promises not to tell anyone about him.

It also turns out Nodoka is, by marriage, Kuno and Kodachi's aunt. The girls and Nodoka run into Kuno while out on a major shopping spree. Ryoga meets Ukyo and tells her that he saw Ranma-chan get raped by Genma.

The police tell Nodoka that Genma has escaped from them.

Chapter 9

Nodoka confronts Nabiki about selling photos of Ranko. Nabiki explains the hosuehold needed the money, and she agrees not to sell any more pictures. Nodoka promises Nabiki she will get her a well-paying job in accounting after she finishes college.

Nodoka then confronts Kuno, telling him Ranko was raped, and he is to leave both her and Akane alone.

Ranko wants to take a swim (Nodoka lives in a mansion with an indoor pool), but Ryoga and Ukyo shows up. Ukyo draws her battle spatula when Ranko says she is really a girl; Ryoga has been insisting Ranko is really Ranma.

A servant, Alita, talks to Ryoga and Ukyo about the curse, and she has information about the Jusenkyo springs, telling Ryoga there is no cure to any of the curses. Ukyo still won't accept that Ranko is really a girl and not a boy.

Chapter 10

Ryoga dreams about a time he knew Ranma, and realizes that there were clues even then that Ranma was really a girl. Ranko takes Ryoga to her room and uses the power of the Clow Cards to do away with Ryoga's directional curse/whatever, and manages to separate him from P-chan, creating a real pig and an uncursed young man.

Later, Kero shows he can use the cards. Ranko is sleeping and having a nightmare, and Kero uses a dream card to stop the nightmare and give Ranko a good dream, instead.

Chapter 11

Ranko takes a shower and collapses, crying. She feels she is totally worthless and that she's a whore. Nodoka finally gets Ranko to calm down, but she again breaks down when Nodoka suggests she see a therapist.

Kuno and Akane arrives, and Kuno apologizes for the way he's treated her, and suggests they both see a therapist. (Kuno has finally realized that Ranko is actually a cousin of his.)

Kuno and Nabiki have a talk, and Nabiki explains about Ranko's curse to turn into a boy. Kuno realizes every time he went after “Ranma” he was really attacking his own cousin.

Chapter 12

Nodoka has arranged for tutors for Ranko and Akane until it's time for them to take their finals. Nodoka and Soun have a talk and decide not to tell Ranko that Genma is loose somewhere.

Ranko talks to his teacher and then she leaves. Li then appears and starts yelling at Ranko, and then Genma appears. Ranko backs up against a tree and collapses, crying. Li challenges Genma, and uses magic to push Genma far away.

Two of Akane's friends see what happened, and they and Li take Ranko to Dr. Tofu's. Li realizes he's fallen in love with Ranko. At the doctor's it's obvious that Ranko still has incredible problems with her self-image, although Dr. Tofu tries to help her with that.

Chapter 13

The next day Ryoga and Ranko are walking together and Ranko tells him about the clow cards, and Ryoga reveals that he thinks Ranko is cute. They run into Sakura and Tomoyo, who are Alita's relatives. Sakura triggers a clow card, and they have to find their way out of a maze.

Their teacher, Ms. MacKenzie, gets them out of the maze, and Ranko seals the maze card. Meanwhile, Ryu/Bakura is on a motorcycle somewhere.

Chapter 14

Nodoka goes to see Kodachi, but finds her unconscious in the garden. Kodachi is taken to a hospital, where it's determined that plants she was working with had released hazardous pollens into the air, so a hazmat team is sent to take care of them.

Ukyo goes to the cat cafe and we find out that Cologne does not know what has happened, still calling Rama a “son-in-law.” Ukyo reveals that Ranko was beaten and raped by Genma.

Cologne replies that the any “kiss-of” things are null and void, since kissing the person would transmit their impurity to the kisser, at least according to Amazon law, although Cologne does not agree with that position herself.

Meanwhile, Bakura encounters a punk who has shot a girl and challenges him to a game of Russian roulette. The prize for winning is a bag of jewels and gold (which are really illusions.)

The guy ends up dying.

Ranko is going to a slumber party with Akane. The whole thing ends up as a disaster when a girl there gets mad at Ranko, thinking she is Ranma, and calling her a freak. Ranko runs off with Akane in pursuit.

Ranko is alone, at night. Bakura finds her and says she has been touched by Bast, the Egyptian cat-goddess. Ranko tells him about Genma, and Bakura says he should be fed to the shadows.

Chapter 15

Ranko gets hold of a tanto (a ritual blade) and starts to cut her wrist when Kero catches her. Nabiki comes in and says Ranko should not kill herself, that they would not be better off without her (also finding out about Kero, though.)

Nabiki reveals to Ranko that she also was once raped (but not by Genma.)

Shampoo is angry at Ranko, thinking of her as a “tainted piece of trash.” The more she thinks about things, though, the more she starts to disagree with the Amazon way of thinking about Ranko. Ryu, meanwhile, is walking around, developing his own plans for killing Genma.

Nabiki and Ranko go to a support group for women who were raped. It turns out the girl who didn't want her at the sleepover is one of the women at the meeting, and she apologizes to Ranko.

Chapter 16

Ranko is in a courtroom on trial, Genma testifying against her, saying why he thinks she is worthless trash. Nodoka testifies in favor of Ranko. The judge has a scales-of-justice thing, and Ranko is found innocent of the first charge. Genma is basically found guilty.

The second charge is that she is dishonorable. Again, the scales show Ranko to be innocent and Genma guilty.

Ranko is also charged with not deserving anyone. Ranko again is innocent, Genma guilty.

The last charge is that Genma thinks Ranko deserves to die. Again, Ranko is innocent, and Genma guilty. Bakura is there, and the shadows take Genma.

It turns out, of course, to be a dream, one of Nodoka's. It turns out Ranko is asleep and holding a clow card that shows the scales of justice. Bakura, asleep elsewhere, wakes up from the same dream, now knowing what Genma looks like. He begins his hunt.

Shampoo and Cologne have a discussion, Shampoo saying she no longer believes in the Amazon laws, especially how they relate to a woman being defeated by a man and being forced to marry him, etc. Cologne says she's tired of the elders arguing, and says they should just simply stay in Japan.

Chapter 17

Ranko also had the same dream that the others did, and she feels a lot better.

It turns out Genma had the same dream, but he still plans to “take care” of the “traitorous” girl.

Mousse is out walking and is attacked by a girl named Merlin who is apparently engaged, sort of, to Li, and she doesn't want to be engaged.

Nodoka picks up Kodachi from the hospital when she's released and tells her about Ranko, and Ranma not really existing. Kodachi vows to kill Genma.

Nodoka has gotten some papers drawn up that will put Ranko in the Kuno clan, and remove her from the Saotome clan. Nodoka will also adopt both Kunos, and get their crazy father removed from the clan.

Ranko, Nodoka and the others go to eat at Ukyo's restaurant. Kero says he senses a clow card near, and Li shows up. Ranko chases after a fox (which is a clow card in action.) The fox eludes her, though, and suddenly Genma grabs her.

Only a moment later Ryoga arrives, along with Mousse, Nabiki, Tomoyo and Sakura. Ranko says she has to face Genma, and the two fight. Ranko projects ki-claws and slashes Genma's chest.

They lead Ranko away. Later, Bakura shows up along with Cologne. Cologne uses her technique to take his strength away, then it's Bakura's turn. Genma wakes up and recognizes him from the dream.

Genma and Bakura play their shadow game with cards. Genma loses and changes into a physical copy of Ranko. A Genma from the shadow world grabs her/him and pulls her/him into the shadows.

Chapter 18

The next night Nodoka and the others watch a video of Ranko's fight with Genma. Even Kasumi says she hopes he burns in hell. Nodoka and Soun are becoming much closer.

Bakura and Cologne talk, and Bakura explains the origin of the neko-ken and the use of a pit of starving cats.

Meanwhile, Ranko and the others go to school to take their finals, but principal Kuno tries to stop them. Nodoka throws papers at him, telling him he's out of the clan, out of the mansion, and out of his job.

Then Ranko, Kodachi and Tatewaki have sort of a “discussion” with the once-principal.

Chapter 19

Nabiki and Ranko talk about the growing relationship between Nodoka and Soun.

Akane says some inconsiderate thinks to Ranko, who is wearing a bikini, and Ranko goes inside and starts crying. Kasumi consoles her.

Bakura casts a magic circle to talk to Bast who shows up. Bakura says he needs Bast to drive out the neko-ken from someone and Bast agrees.

Chapter 20

Bakura and Bast find Kasumi and Ranko. Kasumi plays with Bast's ears and says they are so cute.

Bast works on the neko-ken, not removing it, but allowing Ranko full control of it. She also gives her a “gift.” In effect, when Ranko accesses Bast's powers, Ranko changes into a cat-girl.

There's a slight addition, though. The spirit of the spring that Ranko fell into has been removed from her and is now her brother, Xellos.

Bast talks about Xellos training Ranko.


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