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Anime/Manga » Ranma » Dragons, Mages and Martial Artists font: B s : A A A . width: full 3/4 1/2
Author: Jerry Unipeg
Fiction Rated: M - English - Adventure/Fantasy - Reviews: 9 - Published: 04-02-08 - Updated: 04-03-08 - id:4172365
Ranma 1/2:
Dragons, Mages, & Martial Artists Crossover: DragonLance By: Dani Yanega (please respond to this e-mail address)
/yanega/index.htm

Chapter Four

"It will be a challenge, your curses are of a strange magic but I will study the situation and see what I can do. I won't promise anything though and I could make it worse." The three cursed boys stared at the golden skinned mage.

"How could it be any worse?" Ryoga asked it indignation, Ranma slapped the back of his head and the lost boy turned to snarl at him.

"Because Pig-boy you could be locked as a pig!" Ranma told him making Ryoga pause his eyes filled with horror.

Ranma shook his head while the rest of the companions just stared transfixed at the three martial artists. The kender trying to go up to them but Flint had a good grip on his topknot and a rough strong hand on his mouth. The little kender struggled against Flint's restraint but he was not strong enough to break it.

"We are going to need to do something for dinner we now have more people to feed." Tanis mused trying to take the attention from the newcomers and hide his own nervousness.

"we can help with that. Since we have all being on training trips we had to learn to live off the land we'll go see what we can find." The three boys eager to help with the meager food supply headed into woods near the camp.

Tasslehoff tried to follow but Flint grabbed his topknot and pulled him toward the small river to check it for fish. The dwarf pointed at the river. The kender looked at the crotchety old dwarf, he shrugged his shoulders, then using his hoopak began to catch some fish. Strum had followed the three Nerima teens into the woods. They were gone for over an hour the kender had caught five fish not really enough to feed everyone. Their only hope was the boys and Strum.

Strum strode proudly into camp carrying a wet squirming pig and duck each under an arm. He thought there was something he should remember about a pig and duck but pushed the thought away. He tied the pig and duck to a small tree and prepared to sharpen his sword as he sat near their dinner.
Tasslehoff came up and noticed the pig was wearing the same cloth that Ryoga wore and the duck was wearing spectacles just like Mousse's. He looked over at Strum and gulped he then spotted Flint coming over with his axe.

"You aren't going to kill them are you?" The kender asked as he stood in front of the little animals something tickling the back of his mind about them.

"Yes I am!" Strum said with finality.

"I wouldn't if I were you warrior!" Rastlin's raspy voice cut through the kender's reply.

"I do not take orders from you mage!" The Rose Knight growled, as he stood to relieve their dinner of their heads.

Flint stood next to Strum his ax at the ready, but neither could get past the kender. Flint reached out and pulled the kender from in front of the animals handing him to Caramon. He then followed Strum in raising his weapon to do in the two cowering animals.

The shadow stood quickly as Akane and Ukyo entered the Nekohanten. It paused and stared as if waiting for something, a few moments later Shampoo returned from her deliveries leaning her bike against the wall of the building she headed inside. She stopped a moment and looked across the street toward the alley. Her eyes stared into the darkness, then she shrugged her shoulders, turned and entered her home.

The shadow backed deeper into the darkness when the Amazon turned and stared in its direction. It watched with some relief when she entered the Nekohanten. It then slowly left the safety of the shadows and headed for the one place it know to receive answers.

Akane and Ukyo entered the Nekohanten their eyes adjusting to the darkness of the interior. There were still a few lunch patrons finishing up their meals. Ukyo pointed to a reserved table which she figured was for them and led the way to it. Akane followed her mind going over what they had learned that morning. Cologne had come out of the kitchen when she heard the bell on the door tinkle.

"Greetings granddaughter is out on deliveries and will be back shortly.
Take a seat and I will join you in a moment." She said pointing to the table that Ukyo was heading for.

The two girls sat down when the bell on the door jingled again this time announcing Shampoo. The young Amazon entered the room carrying her delivery pouch. Ukyo and Akane watched as Shampoo headed to the kitchen ignoring their presence.

She returned shortly with a tray of tea and four cups. She severed the two girls then returned to the kitchen leaving the other two cups at the other seats at their table. They watched the kitchen door for the appearance of the elder and her great granddaughter ignoring the jingle that announced another patron. Shampoo came out ready to help the customer to find no one there. She looked confused but returned to the kitchen.

Maybe just customer leave! She went back in and a few moments later she returned following her great grandmother with a tray of cakes and dessert plates.

The two Joketsuzoku Amazons sat down across from the other two fianc?s of Ranma Saotome. Shampoo offered them each some of the cakes then waited for her grandmother to begin. The other two girls stared at the aged woman with questions forming in their minds but not sure what to ask.

"I have gone over the ancient parchment that came with the spell Mousse used on son-in-law." She stated with some finality, this frightened all three girls.

"I am afraid they are stuck where they are until they find a way home. I do however, believe I can trace them through the magic used on them and we can at least speak to them. The problem is it will be a one time spell." Akane and Ukyo looked at her with confusion, Shampoo stared with horror and sadness.

"What exactly does that mean?" Ukyo asked unsure if she wanted to be labeled as stupid.

"It mean great grandmother can only use spell one time. It destroy access to Airen when used." Cologne smiled at her great granddaughter with pride.

"She is correct the spell takes the latent traces of the magic used to send son-in-law away and uses it as a link to the three boys. We are lucky that the other two went with Ranma because that gives us more traces to gather on. It then uses up those traces thus the time limit is short and I am afraid we all won't get to talk to him.

"Then I believe I should be the one that talks with my son!" The group turned to see a very angry Nodoka Saotome standing before them her sword glinting in the dim light of the restaurant.

"MOKO TAKABISHA!" A blast of energy plowed into the side of Flint knocking him into Strum and both of them into the side of the cliff that blocks one side of the camp.

The companions draw their weapons and turned to be faced by a glowing Ranma. He stalked over to the two downed men his eyes filled with rage and threw a half a dozen rabbits at them.

"Try eating real animals. Tasslehoff get me some hot water!" Flint and Strum glared daggers at the strange boy but had the good sense not to move.

Tasslehoff ran up with a small pot of water and handed it to the glowing boy. Ranma then walked over to the pig and duck both squealing and squawking at the martial artist. Ranma knelt down and undid the ties that bound them to the stakes.

"HEY THAT'S OUR DINNER!" Flint shouted as he struggled to untangle himself from Strum and the rabbits.

"You would eat humans?" Ranma snarled at the dwarf who stopped struggling for a moment, Ranma then turned to the women in the group.

"I would advise you turn around as when Ryoga and Mousse transform they will not be wearing anything." The women blushed and quickly turned their backs to the young man.

"Mousse? Ryoga?" Flint and Strum both spoke in dazed tones.

"Yes Mousse and Ryoga I told you..no I SHOWED YOU they turned into a duck and pig just like I turn into a girl. I didn't think you would forget something like that!" Ranma finished as he turned to the two animals.

"Raistlin and I tried to tell them Ranma!" Tasslehoff told him as he came up to get a closer look as they changed.

Ranma smiled down at the kinder and gave the mage an appreciated nod then dumped the hot water on the pig and duck. Strum and Flint gaped as they watched the transformation. Their eyes widening as the tiny animals stretched and shifted, feathers and black skin was soon replaced with pink skin. Webbed feet and hooves shifted into hands and feet.

When the transformation was complete Ryoga and Mousse stood in front of the small group in all their glory. Both boys blushed deeply then scrambled to get their clothes on. Since Mousse put his and Ryoga's into his weapon space after the change he was able to give Ryoga his clothes to wear.

"What happened?" Ranma asked as the two finished dressing, Raistlin had come up to stand next to the three boys as they talked.

Raistlin kept staring at Ranma for some reason as something was out of place. He still looked young to his decay seeing eyes much like the other two. Raistlin paused and looked closer, Ranma looked at him a little nervously as he stepped back. Raistlin reached out and grabbed his arm in a tight viselike grip.

Raistlin then turned and looked at the other two. He reached over to the fire and picked up the bucket of water and threw it on all three of the boys. The companions watching the metamorphosis as the pig and duck returned along with Ranma-chan.

"HEY WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR!" Shouted Ranma-chan as she wrung out her shirt, the pig and duck squealing and squawking in agreement.

"I needed to verify something young man or should I say woman?" Raistlin smiled at the angry glare he got from Ranma-chan and smiled broader at what seemed to be little piggy and ducky laughs.

Raistlin looks even closer at the pig, duck and Ranma-chan and as he noticed before Ranma-chan had no decay none, so it seemed for the duck and pig. He then grabs the pot of hot water off the fire testing it for heat then threw it on the three Jusenkyo victims. The women turned quickly blushing deep red as Mousse and Ryoga stood before them naked.

While they got dressed Raistlin studied them closer and all three had decay around them as if they were just a long lived race like dwarves or elves. Ranma's however was in flux, he would see the same decay that was around the other two then a white light would flare and the decay would go away. He watched as it took the decay several minutes to fight its way back and to him it looked like it was fighting.

A spot of decay would show up around Ranma when a tendril of the white light would wrap around it and pull it back inside. The decay never really got a full grip on the boy as the white light would always pull it back into him. He turned to Ryoga and Mousse he saw the same with them but the only difference was that with them the decay was winning.

"Tasslehoff take the buckets and get more water for supper." Rasped Raistlin as he walked back to his seat by the fire to think.

"Well do you mind telling us what that was all about?" A confused Ranma asked the golden skinned mage, who ignored him.

"When he is ready he will tell us." Caramon told them, the contrast between the two brothers was amazing.

Caramon was tall over six feet, his body bulged with muscles. He had brown hair and eyes and was a warrior of the sword. While Raistlin although tall at 5' 10" he was wiry, his hair was down to his shoulders and snow white, while his skin was golden and his eyes were shaped like hourglasses and where also gold. He was frail where his brother was strong, but Ranma could sense the hidden strength in him as could the others and they showed him the respect he deserved.
Strum and Flint came up to the Nerimaians and looked down at the six rabbits then up at them again.

"We would like to apologize we should have remembered of your curses we will not make that mistake again." Strum told them then turned and walked over to the fire to prepare the rabbits and fish for dinner.

"Yeah I'm sorry too, stupid kender had to be right I ain't never gonna hear the end of this." Flint said as a halfway apology and he grumbled the last part as he walked away.

When dinner was ready everyone ate a hearty meal and a night watch was set. The Nerima crew would take a later watch as the companions were still not too sure of them. The three boys settled in by the forest but Ranma couldn't sleep so he got up and went to one of the nearby trees, no one noticed he was gone. He jumped into a tree and sat on a branch a short ways up the tree. Then stared at the strange stars through the foliage.

"Ryoga you awake?" Mousse whispered to the lost boy.

"Yeah what do you want?" Ryoga whispered back a little gruffly.

"Lets go over by the trees we need to talk." Mousse told the lost boy as he rose from his sleeping bag.

Ryoga got up and followed the blind boy to a large tree on the edge of camp. Neither of the boys noticed Ranma in its branches. He felt their approach but ignored them. The two boys sat down under the tree. Mousse sat quietly for a few moments gathering his thoughts. Ryoga waited patiently for him to start his head leaned back against the trunk of the tree.

"We both agree our lives would be better if Saotome were not in it don't we." Mousse asked, the question catching the attention of both Ranma and Ryoga.

"Yeah I'd say I would be happier if he was dead!" Ryoga growled out,
Ranma hung his head fighting back the tears.

"Yes I agree but neither one of us has the skills to take him down even together we can not defeat him." Mousse said as he pulled at the patch of grass next to him.

"Yeah so what's your point?" Ryoga asked getting frustrated with where this conversation was or wasn't going.

"Well we already gave our word of honor to have a truce until we find a way home." Mousse paused to let the emphasis hang in the air between the two of them.

"Are you saying we should strand him here?" Ryoga was quick to pick up the unspoken meaning.

"Yes." Was all Mousse replied.

Ryoga let out a slow sigh his mind racing over the possibilities. No more Ranma, meant no more fights, no more P-chan cracks, and Akane would finally be his. He thought about how his life might change with Ranma out of the picture and he liked Akane as the wife and the bunches of children with fangs and the lack of directional sense. He never really could kill Ranma it would have hurt Akane.

Mousse sat quietly thinking how his life would change if Ranma disappeared. He knew if he ever did kill Ranma it would truly break his Shampoo's heart and through all the fights and challenges that is the one thing he never wanted to do. Mousse stared blindly back toward camp in the direction of Ranma's sleeping bag. His mind racing over his life back at the village with Shampoo as his coveted wife and their children playing happily.

Ranma sat in the tree trying to figure out why his life was always in turmoil. All he ever wanted was just some friends. His heart sank into the depth of loneliness that he thought had disappeared when he started living at the Tendo Dojo. He realized now it was just a simple dream and it was time for him to wake up. They won't have to leave him here he would just stay. Either by himself or with the people they are now with but this was his new home.

"What about the death sentence hanging over your head?" Ryoga asked staring earnestly at the blind boy.

"SIGH! I will tell them that I caught Ranma rifling through Cologne's things and I tried to stop him and you tried to help but we got caught in the spell when he used it." Mousse said as he thought of an out.

"What about Kuno you know he would have told everyone he saw you use the artifact." Ryoga continued, Ranma listening with keen interest.

"Yeah, but everyone knows he is crazy and his ramblings are not to be believed.

"I guess that might work, but we will have to work out more of the details if we want it to be believable." Ryoga said a satisfied look on his face.

"How are we going to do it? Leave him I mean neither one of us could stop him if we wanted to." Ryoga asked as he stared out into the depth of the forest.

"Well when we are ready to use what ever magic we find to go home we just make sure to use it when Ranma is busy. We can disappear during a fight or something." Ryoga bristled at the thought of leaving in the middle of a battle, he would then be the coward he accused Ranma of.

"If that is the only way I guess we have no choice." He said solemnly he looked over at Mousse and saw the sadness he felt in the blind boys visage.

"You don't like leaving him here either do you?" Ryoga asked, Ranma perked up the tears still glistening in his eyes.

"It is better then killing him. To kill him would hurt Shampoo and I can not do that, but I won't have her married to him so leaving him is the lesser of two evils." Mousse snarled low in barely a whisper.

"Yeah I agree. Akane would be hurt if I killed him and it would push her away from me this way I can just say he didn't want to come back and no one would be any wiser." Ryoga agreed staring back into the woods.

Ranma's shoulders slumped as his depression rose up and swallowed him in its black empty depths. He thought about the people back home he would miss them but at least he won't have to marry anybody and this way they still have their honor if he just disappeared. His thoughts turned toward his mother and that caused the tears to fall. After the failed wedding attempt he and she had been spending time together away from pop and he was able to tell her everything and how he felt.

Flashback
The rain beat against the windows of the house the soothing noise slowly relaxing her. She was at her mother's sitting in front of a nice fire.
She as usual had got caught in the rain but didn't bother to change when she got to her mom's house. Nodoka was happy to see the soaking wet redhead although the fact she was not wearing a bra did bother her.

She had just started the fire and led the soaking wet girl to it. She then disappeared and returned with a big soft fluffy towel and an equally as soft blanket. Ranma-chan dried off removing her shirt and pants and laying them out on the hearth to dry. In her tea shirt and boxers she pulled the blanket around her and stared into the fire.

"What is wrong son?" Her mother asked as she sat behind the redhead and began to undo her braid and brush out her fire red hair.

"It is just getting to much mom that trip to the cabin helped me some but now Akane is constantly mad at me and she finds any excuse to beat on me.
I can't fight back she would get hurt and I don't want to cause her any more pain." The petite girl told her mother.

"She is still angry about what you said at the cabin isn't she?" Nodoka asked as she slowly brushed her sons hair, silently glad she now had both a son and daughter.

"Yeah she is but I can't help how I feel mom. I did finally talk to Ukyo and Shampoo, but neither of them listened to me SIGH! I am still a trophy for them to win at all costs." Ranma stared deep into the burning logs and watched mesmerized as the fire danced over the logs.

"You know you use to love to sit and watch the fire when you were little.
I would sit right here behind you and brush your hair like I am now and you would just fall to sleep right here." Nodoka reminisced, Ranma chuckling at the memories it brought up.

"I vaguely remember that. I still enjoy watching the fire but I am afraid pop was never one for brushing my hair like you did. If I fell asleep he would just leave me there telling me in the morning it builds a martial artists strength and stamina." Ranma's visage changed from soft and caring to hard and angry, but she didn't let her mother see that or the pain that came with it.

"Well you have a haven here son, and if you choose a home to come to"
Ranma didn't need to turn around she knew her mother was crying and that she was the cause of it.

Ranma finally fell into a troubled sleep. Her mother covered her with the blanket and brought down a pillow for her child. She then sat and watched her child sleep. A frown on her face. Her child's life should not be this chaotic she just wished they could go somewhere just the two of them and live a nice quiet life where Ranma could find true love and happiness. Nodoka decided she would have to work on that one.
End Flashback

Ranma came out of his memories, he listened as Ryoga and Mousse left. He watched while they headed back to their sleeping bags. His eyes never left them as they crawled into the sleeping bags. Then he turned his gaze back to the strange sky above him, he nearly fell from the tree at the voice below him.

"It is hard to take betrayal alone young one, I am here to listen if you need it." Ranma looked down into the golden eyes of the mage, his mouth opened but no words came out, Raistlin smiled and returned to his bedroll under the watchful gaze of Ranma Saotome.



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