This is slightly more yaoi than the last chapter, so if this disgusts you, 
please just toss this into your trash.  But I do hope that you'll give it
a chance.  This was not written by me!  Here is the 1st installment of the 
2nd chapter.  Please direct all C&C to csmith2@home.com   

~ShadowCat



Disclaimer here - I don't own any of these characters and if caught this
story will self-destruct in 5...4...3...2...

Author's Notes- With all the nice comments I got from the others I decided
to go ahead to write a sequel. The yaoi content is a little higher but not 
much. I hope you like it and once again I thank Shadowcat for posting this 
story for me. I really do enjoy all your commits and look forward to 
getting more. Replies should be sent to csmith2@home.com 



Crimson Tears 2: Ranma's Story part A

by Nyghthawk



	I stand in the Father's office. In my Father's office. I look at 
his face closely but his emotions are hidden. His face is a mask and even 
his eyes are not telling anything. A lot of people forget how much you can
see when looking into someone's eyes.

	I have come before him today accused of a hideous crime. One that 
I did not commit but am willing to take the blame for.

	All because of love. For the love of him. He who has had my heart 
from almost the first moment I saw him.

	He is beautiful, but that is not the reason I love him. It is 
something else that I can't describe. A warmth in my heart, a tugging in 
my soul. All I knew was I wanted to cradle him in my arms forever. I still 
feel this way and I hope I always do.

	I watched him for so long. He was a delight to the eyes. Picture a 
seven foot tall kitsune with long flowing silver hair. He has black points 
on his ears and tail. His eyes were gold with specs of green thrown in.

	His every move was graceful. His feet never made a sound as he 
walked. He could and did seduce with ease. Numerous times I watched him
pick him or her up. The relationships never lasted long, maybe a day, 
maybe a month, or maybe even a few years but nothing was ever permanent.

	All his lovers left with a smile and many with a few sighs. Most 
believed him too wild and free to ever truly settle down with someone. 
The few who tried to hold him only pushed him away. It was part of his 
nature that he hated being trapped.

	Tarou was not ranked as a war god but everyone respected his 
fighting abilities. His playful nature hid a cunning predatory mind. I 
find it interesting that no one noticed his pranks were like hunts. He 
picks out his prey, then waits until just the right moment to strike swift 
and sure. Then he runs off to a safe place to savor his victory. Just like 
a fox in a hen house he usually doesn't get caught until after the fact. 
That is if he gets caught at all.

	I was surprised and overjoyed when I became his prey. I knew nothing 
of physical relationships, but that didn't matter. Without even trying he 
showed me what I needed to do. He was pretty drunk and so was I, not that
it slowed him down or hampered him in any way. I learned first hand why all
his lovers leave with a smile and wistful looks. He is very skilled and
generous with his passion. He is also damn near insatiable.

	I woke the next morning so deliciously sore. The soreness was 
heaven and even better I found him cuddled up in my wings like a baby 
chick. He looked so beautiful I actually cried. Warm salty tears of 
happiness silently spilled down my cheeks.

	I didn't know how or why his attention was brought to me and I 
didn't care. All I cared about was for some small amount of time he'd been 
mine and I'd been his whether he realized it or not. Sadly I knew it 
wouldn't last even though my heart had other opinions.

	I watched him awake and smile at me. I also watched him get up and 
leave me. I even somehow managed to smile back. I knew this was coming, 
but it hurt. Oh how it hurt, my heart felt like it'd been ripped out and 
tears of a different kind burned trails down my face.

	I tried to continue on like normal, but I could no longer find it 
within myself to smile. I found it impossible to move a few muscles in my 
face. As hard as I tried, my face refused to respond and soon I gave up 
trying.

	My change in demeanor was not unnoticed. Everyone was asking me 
what was wrong. My reply was always the same. "Nothing." It wasn't a 
complete lie since there was nothing I could do about it.

	So I continued on and the number of people noticing the change in 
me grew more and more. I was forced to field the same question over and 
over again, until almost any question asked would get the same response.

	At night I was tormented by dreams. Dreams of what had been. 
Dreams of what could have been. Dreams that had only two things in common. 
One was they were always about him. Two I was always awakening from them 
after seeing him leave me again and again.

	I was so embarrassed when I learned he was being punished for what 
he did to me. He was being punished for giving me paradise. It was brief 
but it had been what I always wanted. I also learned about the bet with 
Coyote. I really should thank him.

	I got to Tarou as soon as I could, but by the time I got there he 
was already a bloody lump on the ground. Nothing was broken but there were 
many cracked bones, bruises, and cuts. He looked like someone had tied him 
to the bottom of a Hummer and took an off road tour of Hell.

	I took him to my home. A modest apartment that was fairly spartan. 
There I started patching him up one injury at a time. With every injury I 
treated, the guilt inside me was growing a little bit stronger because 
directly or indirectly I was responsible for this. I was the cause of his 
suffering. He did not deserve this. My suffering had been of my own making. 
It was not his fault.

	Since it was my fault he'd been injured it was also my duty to see 
him healthy again. Also I admit, I would do anything to spend time with
him. My guilt wouldn't stop eating at me until he was well once more. So I
waited on him hand and foot and did my best to spare him from even the 
slightest discomforts.

	When he was finally well I felt better but my guilt was still 
strong inside me.

	I was so completely shocked and surprised when he declared his 
love for me. All I wanted to do was scream "YES!!!" and jump into his 
arms. The only thing that stopped me from doing this was my belief that 
it was some sort of misguided guilt on his part. That he felt he owed 
this to me.

	So against the yearnings of my heart and soul I did not jump into 
his arms. It hurt worse than watching him leave. Yet despite my forced 
neutral stance, there was no way I was going to actually rebuff him, he 
continued to pursue me.

	After some of the crazy and humiliating stunts he pulled there was
no doubt in my mind that he truly did love me.

	With this surety I did what I'd been aching to do. I jumped into 
his arms and delivered my heart and soul to him with no reservation.

	It really amazed me that some people actually thought he wasn't 
good enough for me. Truth was I wasn't good enough for him. Not by a 
long shot.

	Loving Tarou and having his love in return was pure nirvana. My 
smile returned with a vengeance. My happiness radiated from me at a visible
level. According to Tarou even in sleep my smile never left me.

	It didn't bother me that Tarou couldn't open himself up to me like 
I had to him. All that mattered to me was he wanted to and he loved me. To 
put it quite simply love was all I needed.

	My paradise came crashing down when Tarou's prank went horribly 
wrong.  Athena was well loved by all. The person responsible for her death, 
even indirectly, would suffer horribly.

	My love for Tarou crossed all bounds of self-preservation. I was 
and I am willing to endure any pain, torture, or sacrifice in order to keep 
him safe.

	I look up into my Father's eyes. I look into them and know that at 
least He knows the truth. He knows the truth and will not stop me. It is my 
free will and right to choose my own path in life.

	"IF YOU CHOOSE TO FOLLOW THIS PATH. I WARN YOU NOW THAT YOUR TRIALS 
AND HARDSHIPS WILL BE MANY."

	"I know but for love I can and will endure anything. Anything to 
keep him safe." I said.

	"SO BE IT. YOU WILL FALL. YOU WILL LIVE A MORTAL LIFE AND DURING 
THIS MORTAL LIFE YOU WILL BE FORCED TO FIGHT FOR ALL YOU HAVE. PEACE WILL 
BE A STRANGER TO YOU AND DESTINY AND CHAOS WILL RIDE YOU HARD."

	"I understand." I said even though inside I flinched at His 
judgment. I knew it would be harsh, but I had not been ready for anything 
like this.

	"I KNOW MY JUDGMENT IS HARSH MY CHILD. FORGET NOT THAT YOU CHOSE 
THIS PATH. ALSO NEVER FORGET MY LOVE AND THAT MY LOVE GOES WITH YOU NO 
MATTER WHAT PATH YOU CHOOSE."

	"Yes Father and know my love will always be with you as well." I 
said.  Then I turned and left His office. I went outside to face my 
punishment.  The guilt inside me felt I was getting my just reward. That 
now, finally, I was going to pay for the pain I had caused Tarou. I was 
finally going to balance out his pain with my own.

	I faced the wrath of the gods head on and willingly. I will not 
describe the tortures for there were no words to describe such pain. I was 
a living breathing entity of pain.

	The absolute worse part was when they tore off my wings. An Angel's 
wings are not just appendages like arms and legs. An Angel's wings are 
extensions of their souls. So quite literally when they pulled my wings out 
they were ripping out parts of my soul. It is a pain that transcends all 
other pains.

	Yet despite it all, this was nothing to me as long as it protected 
him. If it kept him safe I would gladly sacrifice my soul.

	Compared to the rest, the actual Fall wasn't so bad. It wasn't 
pleasant don't get me wrong, but compared to the wings it was a walk in 
the park.

	Mortal life was so confusing. Especially for someone who had been 
born an Angel like myself. There were so many experiences good and bad that 
as an Angel I wasn't ready for. Like for example hunger, fear, hate, and 
pride to name a few. These aren't really alien to Angels in general, but 
as for myself I had no experience with them.

	Despite whatever age I could claim as an Angel I had only been a 
child. I finally grew up and matured as Ranma Saotome. By the time my 
mortal life ended and I was once again in Father's office, I was almost a 
completely different person.

	My life as Angel Ranma was like a childhood. It was still part of 
who I was, but not who I was now. Yet I was not Ranma Saotome either. At 
least not completely. I badly needed to redefine who I was.

	Father understood what had happened to me and I could see a 
certain sadness in his eyes. The sadness of a parent who regrets the 
passing of childhood. I believe He mourned the child I had been, but he was 
also interested in the adult I was becoming.

	Father understood my need to redefine myself and offered me a way 
to do it. He sent me off to Angel bootcamp. It's where Angels of a more
warrior/soldier bent get trained in the arts of War. After all no matter
what training you had before or what kind of fighter you were, it does take
some time adjusting to fighting with a pair of wings.

	Sadly at the bootcamp I was truly a freak. My wingless back 
screamed that something was wrong. I stood there as a thousand whispered 
rumors flew by and eventually everyone knew why I had no wings. That I was 
a Fallen one.  That the gorges in my back were where my wings had been 
ripped out.
	
	With the knowledge of what I was, all the other Angels avoided me 
like the plague and pretended that I didn't exist. The few exceptions were 
the instructors who treated me like everyone else. No better and no worse.

	Since I had no friends or people who wanted to associate with me 
all my time was spent training. Let me tell you right now it is extremely 
hard to master maneuvers that require wings when you don't have said wings.

	My only respite was at night. There I was haunted and comforted by 
dreams of Tarou. Both memories and fantasies danced through my head. Always 
to disappear in the morning when I once again got up and went to train.

	All things considered, Angel bootcamp was no worse than the 
training I had received from Genma. Although it wasn't much better either. 
It must be noted that despite the bottomless hole of faults Genma Saotome 
had, he'd been if not a good teacher he'd been an effective one.

	As Ranma Saotome I had gained a great deal of pride when it came 
to my physical abilities. Personally I'm just glad the foot in mouth 
disease hasn't stayed with me. You have no idea of the horror that comes 
with being tactless.

	As Ranma Saotome I had limitless self-confidence in myself and my
abilities. As Ranma the Angel I had very little self-confidence except when
it came to my love for Tarou. Currently I was teetering between the two. My
self worth was a giant question mark, even to myself. I badly needed to
believe in myself and my own self worth.

	It took me seven back breaking and emotionally trying years for me 
to determine my own self worth. Seven years of being socially isolated in 
which I learned to close myself off from others. Seven years to accept who
I had been and who I was becoming.

	With this acceptance and the knowledge that I'm unique and worth 
something to myself my wings returned. They simply burst out of my back as 
if they'd been waiting to be released and maybe they had. Finally those 
missing pieces of my soul returned to their rightful place.

	I spent three more years in Angel bootcamp polishing my skills with 
my returned wings. So after ten years I finally graduated bootcamp. Now it 
was time to test my mettle.

	I along with the other graduates were sent to War. An Angel vs. 
Demon War.  Such wars are very common and pretty much endless. A certain 
balance is maintained so neither side really wins. It's about an infinite 
number of battles that begin and end, but the War itself never ends.

	This was the first time I ever battled not to defeat my opponent, 
but to kill him. There is a huge difference between defeat and killing. I 
have no pity or mercy for demons. My only regret is the act of killing 
itself. To bring death in any form. I really hated the drug like power 
there is in killing. I worked extremely hard to become cold about killing. 
To kill with a cold efficiency instead of an emotional fury.

	Five long years went by and I reaped death through countless demon 
armies. I watched as many of my Angel brethren were slain and still more 
took their place. I had gained something of an Angel of Death reputation 
and I hated it. Note that there are Angels who work under Death, but I'm 
not one of them. Although I have met a few as they show up on the 
battlefield from time to time.

	After five years of war I was being reassigned elsewhere. I wasn't 
exactly happy about being reassigned, I just hoped I wasn't being sent off 
to another war. I was escorted by two Archangels that I didn't know the 
names of. They brought me before the most famous Archangel of them all. 

	Michael.

	I suppose I could dither on and on about how magnificent he looked 
and the power that radiated from him. The truth is he looked no different 
than a thousand other Angels I've seen. It's no question that he was 
handsome, but most of us are. The one thing that did make him stand out was 
the enormous amount of power he radiated.

	Whether it is common knowledge or not, Archangels can be anywhere 
near as powerful as a third class god to a first class god limited. 
Michael's power was around that of a first class limited. The biggest
differences between gods and Archangels, besides their purposes, is that 
Archangels don't have mediums and they don't have ways to quickly restore 
their energy.

	I had been brought before Michael because I had been chosen for a 
great honor. I had been chosen to become an Archangel. Personally I was 
looking around for the other Angel named Ranma. There was no way I was 
qualified to become an Archangel.

	Michael had been expecting my reaction and laughed at me. Not in a 
nasty way but more like it was an inside joke.
	
	He stopped laughing and got dead serious. In plain and simple terms 
there is one requirement, one test an Angel must fulfill before they are 
even considered for the position of Archangel.

	They must Fall and they must Ascend.

	A lot of little things became clear to me in that moment. The small 
flash of pleasure in Father's eyes before and after I Fell. The hope that 
had been in His eyes. All the trials I had to go through as a human. Not 
all of that had been punishment. A lot of that had been to prepare me. 
All those considering looks the Archangels had been giving me since my 
return. All of it had been leading up to this!

	This was the kind of thing there are no words for. Nor should there 
be. There was no question of me taking up the honor.

	Actually becoming an Archangel is hard to describe. There really 
are no physical changes. You just get infused with the power of all living 
things. Yet a large part of this power comes from prayers. From the belief 
of living things. Belief is like an invisible energy that feeds the world
around us. Part of the reason Michael is so powerful is because of all the
people who pray to him personally.

	I was now an Archangel. I still needed to go through some training 
to get familiar with my new powers and duties. So I was going have to serve 
an apprenticeship with another Archangel until I was ready to work on my 
own.

	I was apprenticed under an Archangel named Gloria. She ironically 
enough looked exactly like the body I had as Ranma-chan. The only 
exceptions was she wore her red hair loose and she wore a Xena type outfit 
that was made of gold. From experience I can tell you despite appearances 
the gold of her outfit was as strong as titanium.

	Gloria's personality was an odd mix of the three Tendo sisters. 
She was kind like Kasumi, cunning like Nabiki, and she had a hellish temper 
like Akane. To those she cared for she was like Kasumi. When she was 
working she was as cunning and efficient as Nabiki. In battle she was a 
raging storm like Akane.

	Yet unlike Kasumi she never turned a blind eye to the darker side 
of life. Unlike Nabiki material things meant nothing to her. Unlike Akane 
she never let her anger blind her to her purpose.

	Gloria's only true fault was she was a ditz when it came to love. 
I'm not a great example, but she fell in love by the minute. She also has 
no problem sharing that love with all those she loves. AT THE SAME TIME!!!
I
once, as a joke, asked her if she'd ever heard of marriage and she stared
at me blankly.

	Don't get me wrong, she's not a slut. Far from it, she's completely 
loyal to those she loves. It's just the numbers of those she loves grows 
daily.

	Remember Helen of Troy or the woman named Circe ? Those just 
happenned to be two of Gloria's human incarnations. She had a few others as 
well, but most of them were as harem girls and I think one was a hippie.

	Apprenticing under her was interesting to say the least. She was 
good at teaching me the ropes. She was also good at getting me involved in 
bar fights. The most memorial one involving Thor, Aries, Loki, Apollo, and 
a valkyrie named Hilda.

	The fight was very messy and the bar was trashed in the end, but I 
must admit I had fun. Seeing as how I was the least drunk of all of them, 
it was my job to drag everyone to their respective homes. Including Gloria
herself.

	One of the nicest things about becoming an Archangel is my fellow 
Angels stopped shunning me. I don't think anyone who hasn't experienced it 
first hand can realize how painful it is being shunned. It really hurts 
when people turn their backs to you and pretend you don't exist. It hurts a 
lot.
	
	The gods are another story. They haven't forgotten about Athena and 
they haven't forgiven. Well most of them at least. A few treat me alright 
and the rest have at least stopped blatantly shooting hate filled glares my
way.

	There is one completely surprising and shocking duty I learned of. 
It's one that all Archangels have to perform at one time or another. Every 
world has a test it must face. Most often the world as a whole doesn't 
realize it's being tested.

	In the case of the world I'm most familiar with that test is 
Saffron. The Phoenix in human form. While it is true he can die, it is 
also true that after each death he's reborn as an infant. The amazing and 
frightening thing is Saffron is not a single person. Saffron is the 
demi-god guise of Archangels. Every Archangel takes a turn being Saffron 
during one of his lifetimes.

	So every time Saffron dies another Archangel takes his turn at 
being Saffron. As Ranma Saotome I had faced Saffron and defeated him. I had
passed the test of God. Of Kami! I defeated an Archangel in battle as a
human!

	It really scared me to realize this. It's frightening to realize 
how much more had been riding on that fight than I had realized. That fight 
had haunted my mortal life even though I had won. It haunts me more now 
that I realize what the true consequence of that fight had been.

	On the other hand it was not like I had faced an Archangel directly. 
Like with mortal incarnations you start fresh from birth. Although after
reaching a certain maturity, past memories of Saffron's come to you. There
are also power limits on Saffron. Saffron's set level is third class
unlimited which is riding very close to second class limited depending on
how skilled the current Saffron is.

	Eventually I was going to have to take a turn being Saffron. Take 
a turn being one of the few people that I as Ranma Saotome have ever truly 
hated. A being that even now I still feel anger towards.

	Yet it was the last thing I learned that sent me to a bar on a 
drinking binge. I got drunk beyond anything Genma, Soun, Happosai, or 
even Urd has ever managed. The Archangel I had faced in the form of Saffron 
was none other than Michael HIMSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!

	After a week of my serious drinking binge I pulled myself together.
Michael was obviously not angry with me and in retrospect I had done a good
thing. Ensured the continuing life of that world. I sobered up and got back
to work.

	The actual duties of Archangels are really quite varied. We police 
things, but we also fill in for other people as well. So I varied from 
killing demons, helping debug Yggdrasil, and escorting souls to their next
destination.

	As for the last one I mentioned, that was my first solo duty as an
Archangel. This was after four years of apprenticeship with Gloria.

	I was sent over to Enma's office to escort a soul to the Wheel. It's 
kind of like the Wheel of Reincarnation in terms of what it does. 
Physically it looks like a giant roulette wheel and functions like one. 
Souls are placed in giants balls then are sent spinning around the Wheel 
until they come to a stop in one of the slots. The slot determines the 
future destination of the soul and the options are quite varied. This 
particular Wheel's official name is the Minor Wheel of 
Fate/Destiny/Reincarnation/and Bad Breaks.

	There was a surprise waiting for me when I got to Enma's office. 
The soul I was to escort was someone I knew. I'm not sure who was more 
surprised, Ryoga or myself. From appearances Ryoga was more surprised than 
me. If fact he proceeded to get quite upset.

	"Oh Kami what have I done to deserve this ?! All my suffering !!! 
Why must you continue to torment me ? What have I done to offend you so ? 
Must he even lead me into Hell to torment me further ?!?!?!?" Ryoga said 
as he continued to rant.

	As I listened to him rant, it became pretty obvious he wasn't happy
to see me. A huge sweat drop appeared behind my head as he continued to 
rant. As I listened to him, I picked up the impression that he believed I 
was taking him to Hell or that he was in Hell ? I wasn't quite sure which. 
Although all things considered he wasn't completely wrong. It was possible 
that I was taking him to Hell since that was one of the options of the 
Wheel.

	Since Ryoga's rants showed no signs of ending I was forced to take 
steps. From experience I know shock was the best way to get his attention 
and stop his rants. As shock goes the two most effective ways were turning 
him into P-chan and flashing some female flesh. Too bad that neither were 
currently an option. With those options gone I decided to be literal and 
hit him with a mildly powerful lightning spell.

	To most people this would have been overkill and fatal, but Ryoga 
is not most people. For Ryoga it was more like an ordinary person getting 
hit by a taser. Besides if I'd hit him physically it would have just 
started a fight.

	As it was I dragged Ryoga's dazed and slightly smoking body off to 
the Wheel. He finally snapped out of his daze a few seconds before the ball 
he was in was launched.

	I couldn't help myself and I started laughing at him as he whizzed 
by. Every time I heard his distinct voice screaming my name along with more
than a few curse words. The main operator was stone faced but his
assistants were laughing with me.

	This continued for a few minutes with Ryoga going round and round. 
Ryoga's  curses filling air in burst of distant and close volume. Finally 
the ball slowed down enough to bounce towards the slots. It finally settled 
into one, but not before some wicked bounces that Ryoga didn't appreciate 
if the volume of his curses was any indicator.

	Well the Wheel had decided and now it was my job to escort Ryoga 
Hibiki into his new life. So I got the great honor of welcoming Ryoga into 
the fold. Ryoga was now an Angel and his first angelic act was to try and 
kill me. He wasn't too successful since he hadn't regained his equilibrium 
yet.

	As he groaned on the ground, his inner world still spinning, I 
looked over the newly made Angel. The first thing I looked at were his 
wings. They really were lovely. Big and full, but the truly unique thing 
about them was their color. Ryoga's wings were a mix of gray and green with 
the colors patterned like tiger stripes. The colors just happened to match 
the shade of his shishihokodan.

	As for the rest of Ryoga he didn't look any different from the last 
time I'd seen him. The only thing he was missing were his bamboo umbrella 
and large traveling pack. He was wearing his usual traveling clothes and 
his tiger striped bandanna.

	Well, Ryoga finally recovered from his little ride and resumed what 
he tried to do before. Namely he attacked me with the intent of great 
bodily harm. Unfortunately Ryoga never even had a chance. The last two 
decades for me had been almost straight training. I will say this, Ryoga 
was noticeably better than the last time I faced him. He was even fighting 
quite well despite the wings he had yet to notice he had. Unconsciously 
compensating for their addition.

	When the fight was over, I once again found myself dragging Ryoga's
unconscious body away. Actually he was thrown over my shoulder, since
dragging doesn't work as well when the person you're dragging has wings.
Anyway I took Ryoga to Father's office since all new Angels get greeted by
Kami before getting assigned.

	When Father was done with Ryoga I took him to Angel bootcamp. Not a
surprise because Ryoga was a fighter. I would have been surprised if Ryoga
hadn't been sent there. Most of the way there Ryoga was busy playing with
his wings.  He was enchanted with his new appendages like a little kid
filled with wonder.

	With Ryoga dealt with, I had some real free time for the first time 
since my return. The first thing I planned to do was go see Tarou. I missed 
him very much and I hoped he could accept the new me.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART B