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Chapter Nine
Ryoga was excited after hearing an end to his torment would soon be at hand.
He and Mousse jumped excited slapping hands together and patting each others
backs.
He watched as Ranma just shrugged and walked off. His face showing the
confusion his mind was in.
It passed quickly as an evil gleam came to the lost boy's eyes. He started walking toward Ranma-chan his gaze firmly fixed on his prey. His mind briefly wondering why he hadn't gotten lost since he came to this world, but the thought was pushed aside for more pressing matters.
"So Ranma-chan bet you can't wait to finally become a whole man, not that you ever were!" Ryoga snarled at the petite redhead.
Ranma-chan turned and faced her rival. Her eyes flashing red with rage and her greenish-yellow aura becoming as black as a void. Ryoga took a step back his eyes wide with shock and actual fear of the person before him. Ryoga did not like feeling fear especially fear of Ranma.
"What do you know of being a man, pig! You dishonor Akane by sleeping with her as a pig then you totally destroy the entire Tendo family honor by sleeping as a human with a woman promised to marriage for that honor. You tell me Ryoga what do you know of being a man! If you're what men are supposed to be then no thanks I will stay a girl!" Ranma snarled low her eyes tiny slits as her aura grew in size.
Ryoga wanted to yell at Ranma, he wanted to attack him, but the black aura round the girl had just moved beyond massive to something more. Ryoga took a step back as black lightning began to course over Ranma-chan's body and out in all directions. In Ryoga's subconscious his mind was busy trying to figure things out.
How is she controlling that lightning as mad as she is? How did she find out about me an Akane? Am I really causing dishonor to Akane and her family? Man that lightning is getting awful close? Ryoga's thoughts were interrupted as a bolt of black lightning grazed him on the shoulders.
"AAAARRRGGGGG!" This drew the attention of the others and they all stared in shock.
Mousse focused his eyes on the scene before him he made out Ryoga, and saw before him a blob of black with some red in it which he assumed was Ranma. Then his eyes widened as he noticed black things shoot off of the pigtailed martial artist and started toward Ryoga when the scream came.
A heavy hand fell on his should he tried to jerk away but could not budge the hand. He turned and glared daggers at the person holding him. Mousse's light gray eyes darkening to a raging storm gray. He gulped at the scorn he could make out on the face of Sturm.
He turned his attention back toward Ryoga and Ranma and saw a movement of white and red heading for the pair. He watched as the new blob he figured to be Raistlin, reached the black and red blob which he knew had to be Ranma.
Raistlin turned at the scream of pain, his eyes wide with surprise. He did
not realize the boy's power was so great. Maybe the boy did not know it
either.
Raistlin raced toward Ranma and Ryoga. When a movement caught is eye.
He turned his head slightly and saw Mousse starting for the fighting pair.
Raistlin gave a look to the closest companion to him. Sturm just glared at him stubbornly refusing to follow the orders of a mage. When Raistlin made a reach for his pouches as to cast a spell on the blind boy, Sturm reluctantly placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.
Raistlin came up behind Ryoga but to one side so that Ranma would see him. He believed that Ranma's desire to protect those she felt were innocent would prevent her from allowing the lightning to strike the weak mage (in body not magic). He breathed a silent breath of relief when he saw his assumption was correct and the lightning around the enraged girl dwindled back down to the black aura.
"RANMA HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY AND AKANE'S HONOR FOR THAT YOU WILL
DIE"
Raistlin could not believe the denseness of this boys skull, he is worse
then Caramon, at least his brother learned from his experiences.
He watched as Ryoga pulled his umbrella and charged Ranma-chan. Raistlin wondered why Ranma was doing nothing to protect herself. When he realized that either she was afraid of hurting him which was unlikely do to her control over her powers or she wanted to die.
Raistlin's eyes narrowed and he knew he did not have time to create his own spell which meant he must expose one of the many secrets he kept hidden in the Staff of Magius. Raistlin directed his staff at the charging fanged boy, his golden eyes flashing with anger.
"VORAK!" The silence in the camp was deafening.
Caramon watched his brother nervously, glaring angrily at the three
Nerimaians.
If not for them his brother wouldn't be behaving this way. He
then recognized the stance his brother was taking. His eyes went wide as a
memory flickers quickly through his mind.
"HIT THE DIRT, NOW!" Caramon shouted as he pulled Tika to the ground under him trying to protect her from what was to come.
Tanis and Riverwind saw Caramon's action and followed suit with the other two women who didn't know whether to be indignant or enjoy the closeness of those they loved.
Sturm threw Mousse to the ground then joined him making sure the blind boy did not interfere. Flint quickly grabbed the topknot of an escaping kender and pulled him to the ground under his dense weight of more then three hundred pounds.
"AWW! I WANNA SE..ACK! C..Can't b..breath!" The kender gasped from under the heavy dwarf who shifted slightly but still kept the kender pinned.
The companions watched as a ripple in the air around Raistlin's staff began to form. Their eyes widened with amazement as the ripple elongated at and rapid rate. The dirt and leaves around the three was sucked into the displacement.
This allowed the others to watch the progress of the spell Raistlin was
using.
The growing ripple widened in circumference to almost six inches
around. At the tip was a large ball about the size of a bowling ball. The thing
that came from Raistlin's staff took on the shape of a battering ram.
It shot forward at a horrific speed and slammed into the left side of Ryoga's back knocking him in the same direction as the spell was going. The spell pushed Ryoga away from Ranma and slammed him into several trees. When Ryoga hit a tree the ram spell just continued to push him through it.
"VORAK!" The command like his light spell turned the spell off.
Raistlin glared at the unconscious form of Ryoga as he laid against a fourth tree having gone through three of them and was covered by the debris. Raistlin looked to Ranma-chan who had been knocked back in the opposite direction and was leaning dazed against another tree.
Raistlin slowly walked to his new friend worry on his face. He paused as he felt what ever Ranma had done for him when they met begin to leave. He however did not feel as weak as he did before. Raistlin fell to his knees his wracking cough returning.
"RAISTLIN!" Came the cry from Caramon.
Mousse watched in awed horror as the spell slammed into Ryoga. He saw as it knocked an unprepared Ranma-chan in the other direction and into a tree. He watched in fascination as the spell slammed Ryoga into a large tree. It then continued to push at him until he went threw the tree into another.
He heard the THWACK of Ryoga's head as it hit the tree trunk. Mousse hoped the scene was over, he watched with morbid fascination as Ryoga went threw the second tree and into a third. He cringed as the spells forced increased and shoved Ryoga through the third tree not even stopping when Ryoga hit the trunk.
Mousse breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Raistlin's shout and the spell abruptly disappeared. Sturm's iron grip on the Hidden Weapons Master slacked in his shock. Mousse squirmed free and headed for Ryoga.
He paused when he heard Caramon's cry of anguish. He turned to see Raistlin on his knees and hands coughing hard enough to cough up a lung. Mousse sneered with sadistic glee as he felt the mage deserved it for humiliating Ryoga. After all Ranma was going to let him kill her. Why not let her have what she wanted.
He turned with a snort of disgust and headed for his fallen comrade. He never saw that Sturm had been watching him and that his eyes were narrowed with raw rage. His hand clasped knuckle white to the hilt of his sword. The only thing stopping him was the hand of Riverwind on his arm.
Sturm and Riverwind stood close as they watched Raistlin fall. They heard their friend's cry of concern for his brother. They watched as Mousse running toward his friend stopped and smiled sadistically at the fallen mage.
Sturm growled low in his throat as his hand clasped tightly to his sword. He had begun to pull the broadsword from its scabbard. When an arm as strong as his own stopped him. He turned and glared at the Plainsman next to him and tried to jerk free.
"They will receive their dues when the time is right." The Plainsman said cryptically, but Sturm understood and lessened the grip on his sword.
"It is not that I care for the mage, he is after all a magic user. I just will not tolerate that kind of glee from the misery of another." Sturm growled low his honor still demanding he take retribution but Riverwind's iron grip stopped him.
"I agree but the Gods will give to them what they deserve." Riverwind released his grip and patted Sturm's arm as he turned to check on Goldmoon.
Caramon followed closely by Goldmoon ran to the fallen man. Their other friends close behind. Save Riverwind and Sturm. Caramon helped his brother to sit up and then looked pleadingly to Goldmoon for help.
Goldmoon held out her mahogany staff which morphed into the blue crystal
staff.
She brought it toward Raistlin who tried weakly to stop her. When the
staff touched the red mage he screamed in pain. Goldmoon quickly pulled the
staff away from him and looked sadly at Caramon shaking her head.
"LET ME THOUGH!" The soprano voice commanded behind the companions.
Ranma heard the command Raistlin gave, confusion as to its meaning. She stood ready to die there was no reason for her to go on any more. The chaos in her life had robbed her of everything. Her mother, a normal life, any friends she might have, and the one girl she thought she loved and who loved her.
Ryoga had promised to destroy her happiness and he had. Now all that remained was to give him what him really wanted her death. Ranma waited her eyes closed her face serene as she waited.
She then felt the power building from somewhere close by. It wasn't chi or ki but it was strong. Almost as strong as her chi blasts. She felt the release but did not have time to brace for it when she was knocked back.
She opened her eyes in time to see Raistlin's spell in action, then her mind shut down as she slammed into a tree. She slid to the ground her mind cloudy as she fought to stay awake. She heard Raistlin shout again and the power was gone.
Ranma-chan struggled to get to her feet, she felt more then saw the approach of the strange golden man who was trying to reach out to her. She was still suspicious of his attempts at friendship. After all she had a bad track record in that department. When Caramon's shout broke through her hazy mind.
"RAISTLIN!"
Ranma-chan forced herself to her feet and looked in time to see Raistlin fall
and begin to cough. She saw as Caramon and Goldmoon raced toward him.
Ranma-
chan started for them. A wave of dizziness washed over her and she
fell back against the tree.
She was breathing heavily surging her ki through her body to help alleviate the after effect of tree slamming. Her eyes snapped open in horror at the sound of Raistlin's scream of agony. She pushed herself off of the tree the dizziness still there but she pushed it back as she ran toward the group of warriors.
"LET ME THROUGH!" Her voice was hard and unyielding and brooked no argument.
The friends parted and watched as the small redhead strolled forward glowing a bright blue. She smiled down at Goldmoon who looked worried and guilty for causing the mage more pain. Ranma then knelt next to Raistlin.
Ranma extended her senses as Tofu-sensei had taught her to do. She read the ki and chi flow running though the mage. She noted an additional power coursing through the man. This she assumed was his magic. She studied that flow carefully, not wanting to disrupt its flow while fixing the other two.
"Don't touch him!" Caramon snarled as Ranma-chan began to reach for the
semi-
conscious mage.
"I can help him Caramon!" She told him sternly her eyes flashing.
"We don't want your help!" Caramon snapped back.
Ranma pulled her hands back and let them fall into her lap. She bowed her
head.
A sad sigh escaped her as she started to rise. A hand of extreme heat
stopped her. She looked down to find a gold hand wrapped tightly around her
wrist.
She absentmindedly noticed how hot Raistlin's touch was almost like lava. Ranma also noticed that she didn't mind she kinda liked the warm feeling it had on her skin. It made her feel alive for some reason. Ranma looked up into the glazed eyes of her new almost friend and worry crossed her face.
"Brother! COUGH, COUGH, HACK! Don't be stupid! Allow Ranma's aid!" The gold mage broke into another round of coughing.
"But Raist..!" Caramon's protest was cut of by a glare from his brother.
Caramon glared at Ranma but nodded once. Ranma nodded back and turned to her
patient. She prayed she did this right as these were still fairly new. She
closed her eyes and brought up the images from the book of pressure points
Tofu-
sensei had loaned her.
She was now glad she had been transcribing them over to her journals it helped to etch them deeper into her mind. She found the image she wanted. Once firmly in place she reached out again with her senses.
She located the three powers running through the mage. Although his chi and ki where very weak the magic was not. It was obvious that this world did not use the other two. Ranma knew she had to increase their flows though so that Raistlin would grow stronger.
She followed the three flows noting from the last set of pressure points she had used his chi and ki were slightly stronger. Ranma opened her eyes ignoring the stares she was receiving and reached out for Raistlin.
Ranma began pressing pressure points the first set where just under his left pectoral muscle and the only ones that were easy to reach. The other four sets were deeper in and she would have to use her own chi to manipulate them
Mousse reached Ryoga who had just started to get to his feet. When both boys turned at the sound of Raistlin's cry of pain. Both boys smiled at the scream.
"Man I feel like I went twenty rounds with Taro in his cursed form." Ryoga complained a smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Well, you just might have we have no defense for magic." Mousse told the lost boy, Ryoga glared at the blind boy.
"LET ME THROUGH!" The two turned at the sound of their most hated enemy's voice.
Slowly with Mousse's help Ryoga limped over to the group around Raistlin. They walked up their eyes fixed on Raistlin's fallen form. They had the good sense to remove their smiles. They however had not removed them fast enough for Sturm had caught them as he watched the two approach. His eyes were not the only ones to see them, and a scowl crossed the face of Tanis Half-elven.
Ryoga and Mousse watched as Caramon refused to allow Ranma to help his brother both silently praising the warrior for allowing his brother to suffer. They watched as Ranma started to rise, then was halted by Raistlin's firm grip on her thin and delicate wrist.
They scowled slightly when Raistlin gave the order to allow her to help. They couldn't help but watch in awe as Ranma began to meditate and her blue aura flowed around her. They watched transfixed as when Raistlin let go her wrist his hand print remained as if burned into her flesh.
They watched her aura as it grew and moved around her body like water flowing trough a stream. They had never seen this before and Mousse knew not even the elder's chi did this. They watched as the aura slowly turned from bright blue to purest white.
"GASP!" Both boys released their breaths at the same time.
"What? WHAT IS IT?" Caramon shouted ready to jump and shake the two martial artists, his brother's head in his lap prevented this.
"She isn't using chi any longer but her ki!" Mousse whispered, the others looked at him with confused faces.
They ignored them as the two Nerima residents watched Ranma work. The saw as she started pressing groups of pressure points. After each group she would pause and take a reading again. This would take several minutes as though she was trying to locate something.
She would then nod her head and press the next set of pressure points. They noticed after the first set points were manipulated. She started using her ki on the others. Some just slightly but it steadily grew as she moved to the next set of points.
After each pressure point set Raistlin's condition would change. The first ended his coughing the second evened out his breathing. The third and fourth sets where not evident to his physical body, by the others. Ryoga and Mousse knew though as they were reading his power levels.
At first they could not get past the strange power within Raistlin to find his ki and chi. They did not know what the strange power was but they knew Ranma did and they would get her to tell them later.
With each set of pressure points the strange power in Raistlin fluctuated and
they figured Ranma paused to allow it to stabilize. When she pressed the third
set of points Mousse and Ryoga could just begin to feel Raistlin's ki and
chi.
They all felt a slight increase in the third source of power in the red
mage.
They watched as Ranma's brow furrowed at this new development and she waited a little longer before going on. When the strange source of power became stable at its new level she shrugged and moved to the fourth set of pressure points.
They watched as she pressed these points near the man's groin. Everyone red
with embarrassment, including the doctor. They watched as she meditated
before,
during and after she pressed the points. These last ones causing
Raistlin a bit of discomfort but nothing major (hey it is a soft spot for you
men!).
Ryoga and Mousse marveled at the new level of chi and ki that now ran through
the mage. They also followed the flow of the third power in him as did Ranma and
although they could not sense all the nuances Ranma had been trained to,
they
could tell it had increased again.
Ranma waited as the last of the pressure points took effect her eyes closed as she felt the flow of all of Raistlin's power streams. The one she felt was his magic had increased again and she began to form a hypotheses that the chi and ki in this world at least is related to this third source. The problem is it should have decreased if more chi and ki where released not increase.
When Raistlin's flow lines settled in she opened her eyes and pulled an empty journal book from know where with a pen. She smiled down at the mage as he rose to his feet. He extended his hand to her and helped to her feet.
"Thank you Ranma, I feel better then I ever had." Raistlin told her his voice strong and deep.
"We should probably wait for another hour before leaving to give Raistlin time to readjust to the changes." She told the group they all nodded and began to cluster around the mage asking him questions.
Ranma smiled and walked off toward a boulder. She sat down and began to write in her new medical journal what she had discovered here and what had happened because of her manipulations. She was determined to keep an eye on Raistlin for any ill effects but she didn't feel there would be any.
Ranma let her hand flow over the pages writing down all she learned when tending Raistlin. Her mind recalling every little detail as if it were a battle. She worded everything as concisely as she could for future reference.
So drawn into her work she did not notice she had company at first. Then their presence filtered through her mental block of the outside world. Ranma jumped and flipped backwards away from the two boys who had just arrived.
"What do you want!" She growled looking directly at Ryoga.
"We want to know what happened! We also want information on what we sensed when you tended the mage." Mousse told her feeling she would respond to him more easily then Ryoga.
"What I know, and what happened between me and my patient are none of your concern. There is a confidentiality between doctors and patients." Ranma snarled as she quickly stashed her journal and pen.
"You aren't a doctor so it doesn't apply!" Growled Ryoga his aura blazing around him.
"You don't know what I am pig boy!" Ranma spat back at the glowing martial artist.
"If you keep threatening me with your chi P-chan I will cut off your access to it!" Ranma told him coldly as her eyes narrowed to tiny slits.
Ryoga's aura winked out and he stared at her with shock. Mousse stepped between them his mind racing on the new information he has begun to pick up. He looked at Ranma blocking her view of Ryoga.
"What do you mean Ranma? I know you told us when we first got here you were getting ready to leave Nerima and start training as a medical student.." Mousse was cut off by Ranma's broad smile.
"I already finished my college courses Mousse I have been going to college
since the first week I was there.. Why do you think I kept falling asleep in
class"
Her smile turned cold and calculating, Nabiki would have been proud.
"But?!" Ryoga was cut of when Ranma continued.
"The past year I have training with Tofu-sensei on the more esoteric healing arts. All those training trips I took were to places where I could learn more about that portion of healing. I not only brought back information for myself but Dr. Tofu as well." Ranma stood straighter and started to walk away to find a quieter place to work.
"Are you a full fledged doctor?" Mousse asked wanting to get to know this strange new person in front of him.
"Yes and No. Seiko Takashi is only missing her residency at a hospital." Ranma said as she faded from view using her father's forbidden techniques.
The two boys stared at were Ranma use to be. Their shock evident on their faces. The skepticism grew as the two rivals wanted to know why Ranma would tell them all this. She had to know that they would tell the others.
"She must be losing her mind she has to know we would tell the others, just to ruin it for her." Ryoga said as he reached out with his senses to try and find his arch nemesis.
"Would we Ryoga? I mean think about if Ranma up and disappeared and no one knew where. Would you want to tell Akane where she could find him? I know I wouldn't tell my Shampoo. His disappearance would be the answer to our prayers." Ryoga looked at the blind boy an eyebrow arched.
He thought about it, he knew Akane loved him she told him so. She however,
has a need to keep Ranma around. He doesn't like it but to her he is like a
drug.
She is the only one who can beat the 'Great Saotome' and she liked that
power.
She also didn't want the others to have him. She had once told him she
would kill Ranma before letting any other girl have her property.
Ryoga cringed as he didn't like that side of his beloved Akane, but he would over look it as long as she was his and not Ranma's. Ryoga looked back at Mousse and nodded his ascent.
"It is amazing though who would have thought Saotome was a genius." Mousse said to know one in particular as he walked back to his things to finish packing them up.