Ranma 1/2:
Dragons, Mages, & Martial Artists Crossover: DragonLance By: Dani Yanega (please respond to this e-mail address)
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Chapter One

A dripping Ranma-chan trudged toward home, a bruise on her cheek.
She reached up and tentatively touched her cheek a wince of pain crossed her pretty elfin face when her fingers lightly brushed against it.

Stupid tomboy! Just because I wanted to live and not eat that toxic waste she called food. Ranma slowly walked her head bowed her mind flowing through the memories of her life.

She thought about how after the failed wedding attempt Akane and her had gotten a chance to talk thanks to her mom. Ranma for the first time was able to admit that she did care for Akane but she wasn't sure what love was so she couldn't say that was what she was feeling. This time Akane actually listened to her and heard what she said instead of what she thought Ranma had said.

Flashback
In a cabin in the mountains owned by Nodoka's family Akane and Ranma sat in front of a fireplace where a warm fire burned brightly. Ranma's mother in the kitchen preparing supper. The two quietly contemplating their relationship.

"Akane can I ask you something?" Ranma asked while staring into the fire.

Akane turned toward him hope in her eyes that he was going to ask her to really marry him. He never saw that for he had not turned to meet her gaze. He sighed and continued on his nervousness evident in his voice.

"Akane I care about you I really do, but I don't know if it is love. I mean I don't know what love is so how can I be sure what I feel is love?" Ranma winced as he waited for the mallet but was surprised when there wasn't one.

He looked over at Akane who sat there staring at him a small smile on her face. Her eyes shone brightly as the fire flickered in them. He could not read her emotions but he was glad he didn't get beaten.

Akane looked at Ranma her mind full of excitement as he had chosen her to talk to about this, not Ucchan but her! She felt the pang of guilt when he she saw him brace for being hit. She watched him as he slowly looked at her and she smiled at him. She was going to help him to understand so that he could tell her that he loved her.

"Well Ranma lets look at how you feel about the other fiancИes"
Ranma looked unsure knowing that this topic usually caused him great pain.

"How do feel about Ukyo? Can you put it into words?" Akane turned back toward the fire figuring he would be more comfortable if she didn't look at him while he talked.

"Yeah I think so. I love Ucchan, but I know it is not the way she wants me too." Ranma began glad Akane turned from him.

He had bowed his head and was staring at his hands. He did not see Akane begin to glow red when he told her he loved Ukyo. He also did not see the glow dissipate when he told her he knew it wasn't the kind of love she wanted. He paused to gather his thoughts and Akane asked him a question.

"If it isn't the kind of love she wants from you Ranma what kind is it? Take your time and sort out your feelings." Akane was so proud of herself that she could talk Ranma through his feelings and show him he was hers.

"She is my friend, maybe more like a sister, but I know I don't love her the way a man should love a woman. Well at least I know that much about love, huh?" Ranma explained, a chuckle escaping him on the last sentence.

"What about Shampoo? How do you feel about her?" Akane watched him from the corner of her eyes as a frown appeared on Ranma's face.

Shampoo's name brought a myriad of emotions surging through the young martial artist, one being fear because of her curse. He sat silent for several minutes trying to sort out how he felt about her. Some of what he felt was similar to how he felt about Akane but there were other emotions he felt about her that got in the way.

"SIGH! Well Shampoo is complicated my feelings for her are very close to how I feel about you." Ranma looked into the fire his eyes shining golden from reflecting the fire.

The heat from the fire prevented him from feeling the aura of an angry Akane next to him. Her mallet appearing in her hand, raised above her head ready to bash Ranma into next Monday. When she stopped remembering what she was trying to do. She quickly made the mallet vanish and looked at Ranma closely she sighed in relief when she saw there was more to it then what he first said.

"There is more to it, isn't there Ranma?" She asked nudging him quickly before she lost her temper again and couldn't control it.

"Yeah, yeah there is. You know of all the fiancИes she is the one that I got on my own. Well pop did have some hand in it, but it was my fault that I beat her and now she can't go home." Ranma continued to stare into the fire talking softly as if talking to himself more then talking to Akane.

"I could have lived ok in the village especially with the curse it would have given me the warrior status. Then she and the old mummy started with the tricks and the deceptions. I can't stay with someone I can't trust." Ranma paused a thought caught on his lips.

"And?" Akane asked her eyes shining nervously at her fiancИe.

"And I am not sure I could stay with someone who wouldn't trust me!" Ranma whispered so quietly that Akane needed to lean toward him to hear him.

Akane's eyes widened with shock and guilt. She rose and ran from the room her tears flowing down her face. She slammed the door to the room she was staying in and Ranma could her sobs through the door. He lowered his head a single tear escaping. He couldn't control how he felt, he cared for her but when she won't trust him how could he live under the constant mistrust. He had lived that way for the past few years and it hurt too much not to be trusted and accused of everything, even when you had nothing to do with it.

Ranma jumped at the gentle touch on his shoulder. He turned and his mother smiled proudly down at him. He looked up at her sadness filling his eyes. Nodoka leaned down and gave him what he needed most the unconditional love of a mother. Ranma stiffened then slowly he wrapped his arms around his mother and just held onto her, but he refused to cry.
End flashback

After they got back she it had gotten worse. They had returned a month ago and Akane had been more violent then usual. Ranma was getting to the end of her rope, she could not live like this and she was sure she didn't want to. The only thing was how to get out of it. The redhead walked on toward the edge of Nerima park where Akane had sent her, her mind lost in turmoil. When she ran into something solid. She bounced off it and landed on her rump on the hard ground.

She looked up and standing over her glaring angrily down at her was Ryoga. She was surprised he was able to stand there and not shout his usual warning before attacking her. She was actually glad to see the lost boy as she needed to work off some frustrations. She grinned up at the glowing martial artist with her usual cocky grin.

"Hey, P-chan how's tricks?" She asked as she tilted her head cutely to one side.

Ryoga glared down at her, his anger rising. He snarled bearing his fangs at his foe. Like always dealing with Ranma his emotions were in constant upheaval. Today his hated foe will pay for making his sweet Akane cry. Ryoga reached up and pulled down his umbrella and raised it over his head ready to bring it down to end his misery.

"RRRaaannnmmmaaa! PREPARE TO DIE!" He shouted as he brought down his weapon.

Ryoga smiled as Ranma didn't even move, she just stared at him as if wondering who he was. Ryoga wasn't confused by the look, he knew that was Ranma in front of him and he knew he was going to end their battle here, today. If he knew all this why was she looking at him like that. The steel reinforced umbrella moved in a smooth arch when it was almost close enough to Ranma to slice her in half she dropped onto her back and kicked up with her feet which were glowing a bright blue.

The umbrella made contact with her chi charged feet and snapped in half. The tip went flying into a nearby tree, dislodging its occupant and voyeur to the battle. Ryoga shouted incoherently as he lunged for Ranma using the broken piece of his umbrella against the redhead. It was lucky he had just purchased a back up one two days earlier but he did not have time to get it out of his giant pack.

Ranma rolled away from the jagged umbrella a smile on her face she was having fun as she dodged around Ryoga's attempt at impaling her. She could always count on the eternally lost boy to help her get her mind off unwanted thoughts with his stupid attacks. Ryoga lunged forward and Ranma jumped over the lost boy, spinning and kicking him in the back with both feet. He stumbled forward several paces as Ranma spun and landed on her feet. She faced Ryoga with a cocky grin.

"So pig-boy what did I do now? Breath funny? Walked weird? Oh I know I didn't smile right!" The redhead asked each question dripping with sarcasm.

Ryoga stumbled slightly. surprise on his face, Ranma was never like this. Ryoga stepped back a few steps as he saw something in Ranma's eyes he never thought he'd seen before. Ranma's eyes were overflowing with depression and pain, feelings Ryoga was well acquainted with. He then narrowed his eyes as his denial kicked in and decided Ranma was mocking him as he always did.

"RRRAAANNNMMMAAA! THIS IS FOR INSULTING AKANE'S COOKING AND MOCKING ME!" Ryoga charged the deflated martial artist, Ranma shook her head in disgust and dismay.

Ranma was tired so tired of her life day after day fighting off one enemy or another, trying to get away from fiancИes or people who want to be her fiancИe. He is tired and not going to take it any longer. Today Ryoga gets his wish she is going to end this today. Ranma looked at the lost boy and snarled her eyes narrowed to thin slits.

"OK Ryoga! I will fight you NO HOLDING BACK! When this fight is over on what is left of your honor you will leave me ALONE"
Ranma's voice raised emphasizing some of the words.

Ranma's aura blazed not is normal blue aura either, but Ryoga recognized it and backed up slightly. Ranma used this aura when she killed Saffron and Ryoga trembled because he knew what could happen to him. Then Ryoga remembered Akane's face buried in her hands crying because Ranma would not eat what she spent most of the morning preparing. Ranma is trying to make him look like a fool again.

Ryoga narrowed his eyes and growled showing his fangs as he ran toward the glowing Ranma. His fantasy of Akane turning to him for defeating Ranma and freeing her from him. Still carrying the broken shaft of his umbrella and reaching up and letting loose of several of his shuriken bandanas and throwing them ahead of him he charged. He never noticed the bandanas bursting into flames he was too engrossed in the fantasy. He never saw the ground in front of Ranma burst into a gray mist, and he never saw Ranma's aura wink out as the redhead disappeared.

The body hit the ground after the top half of Ryoga's umbrella crashed into the tree. The two cursed martial artists did not even notice him as he stood to his feet. His white robes fluttering in the wind. His gray eyes dark and stormy. He pushed a strand of his long ebony hair from in front of his face. His gaze fixed itself onto the blurry red object, his mouth turned down into a deep frown. He reached up to the top of his head,
finding nothing he was on his knees patting the ground until he found what he was looking for.

Mousse picked up his glasses and putting them on he watched the confrontation between the two rivals. The snarl on his face as he looked at Ranma was the only way you knew how he felt about the redhead, since the thickness of his glasses made it hard to see the rage flashing in his eyes behind the lenses.

He watched as the two traded punches and kicks, his mind going to the young girl he wants. He can see why she wanted the redhead,
but he knew she didn't love him no matter what she said. He has protected her for years from the other males in the village. The purple haired girl was his and once Saotome was out of the way she would finally belong to him.

Mousse watched and waited for the perfect time he wanted to make sure Ranma was so distracted he would not be able to dodge the magic sphere he carried. The fight progressed pretty much like all of his and Ryoga's fight but then he began to notice something was wrong. Saotome was not taunting like he usually did he was being sarcastic, and was that heavy chi from Ryoga or..! Mousse did not want to think it was from Ranma not after the Phoenix Mountain incident.

Mousse watched, really watched the fight and he could relish now the skill Ranma had as a martial artist. He could see why with even his hidden weapons he could not beat Ranma. Although Mousse couldn't prove it he thought Ranma had taught himself the Hidden Weapons Technique. He believed this because he had over heard Nabiki with some of her flunkies complaining that she couldn't find any of Saotome's belongings so she could tell if he was hiding anything from her.

Mousse was at first angry then that changed to pride to think one of Ranma's skill thought his technique was worth learning. Mousse was brought out of his musings when a flash of bright golden light flared in front of him his eyes opened wide with fear and awe as the aura Ranma used on Saffron surrounded her. This was it Mousse just knew she was too distracted to pay attention to him. He waited until Ryoga charged then tossed the ball. His one mistake was not paying attention to who else was there.

"Magic old, Magic wise, take this person from mine eyes!" Then Mousse threw the sphere.

It landed in front of Ranma-chan releasing a gray mist around the petite redhead. Mousse watched and his guilt rose as Ryoga stopped to close to Ranma and got caught in the spell as well.
The mist grew around him as well covering the both of them.

"WHAT SORCERY IS THIS? THOU WILST NOT BANISH MY BELOVED! RETURN HER TO ME!" Mousse did not even get the chance to turn and confront the enraged kendoist.

Tatewaki Kuno's bokken smacked into the back of Mousse sending him forward into the dissipating mists. Kuno's eyes widened as the foul sorcerer who stole his pig-tailed girl vanished in the gray mist. Kuno ran for the mist and jumped into it but by then it was to late as all that was left was a few wisps. Kuno collapsed onto the ground and lamented to the loss of one of his true loves.

Akane entered the park looking for that no good baka. She heard the battle cry of her friend Ryoga and her aura flared an angry red. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as she stomped off into the direction of the fighting.

I'll fix that baka for picking on poor Ryoga! How dare he fight him when I've told him to leave poor Ryoga alone. Her aura grew darker with each step she took toward her fiancИ and his fighting partner.

When she reached the fight she froze as she watched an aura appear around Ranma she had not seen but had heard about. Her mouth dropped open and her aura winked out as Ranma-chan was surrounded by a golden aura, that shone almost as bright as the sun. She remembered the day on the mountain when she woke naked in the arms of Ranma tears flowing as he whispered he loved her. She knew he had said it but he wouldn't admit it. Her anger at his unwillingness to admit his true feelings burst forth again, this time with a mallet accompaniment.

She stared in awe as she watched unnoticing that Ryoga was going to attack Ranma. She then heard the shattering of glass and saw a gray mist surround her gender switching fiancИ. She gasped as Ranma disappeared, her eyes widened as the mist reached out for Ryoga and took him as well.

She then heard the shout of Kuno and turned in time to see him knock Mousse into the mist. When Mousse vanished she tried to follow. She followed Kuno into the remainder of the mist but it had no effect on either of them. Akane stood in shock, anger, and disbelief. She turned at the sound of Kuno's voice.

"Oh, beauteous Akane Tendo tis all that is left to me. The evil Saotome has brought forth another of his dark minions to take from me the fiery pig-tailed Goddess, but in banishing him I prevented myself from saving my other true love!" He reached up and took Akane's hand as she stared confusedly down at him.

She was pulled from her shock when Kuno took hold of her hand.
She jerked it away from him knocking him back onto his butt. When he started to get to his feet she glared at him her anger rose quickly. Finally her anger had a viable target. She spun and kicked him flying into LEO (Lower earth Orbit).

Akane stood there watching the moronic kendoist disappear her fists clenching and unclenching. She raged at his stupidity at not saving Ryo..Ranma, then she broke down as she realized her fiancИ was gone. She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

Cologne was busy cooking ramen for the lunch crowd, her hands going at incredible speeds. To the normal person they were invisible. Her mind formulating new plans to get son-in-law to fulfill his obligations to her granddaughter and return to the village. Her thoughts were interrupted by that same granddaughter.

"Great grandmother, see stupid Mousse? He disappear after morning rush! He carrying strange glowing ball. Never see gray light before." Shampoo asked as she walked into the kitchen.

Shampoo stood in the doorway her long purple hair fluttering in a cool breeze from the opened kitchen door. She watched her grandmother as she used the chestnut fists to chop vegetables.
Cologne looked at her granddaughter a reply on her lips when she dropped the knife. Her eyes widened as she nearly fell from her perch on top of her walking staff.

"NO! It can't be not that!" Shampoo followed her frantic great grandmother up the stairs to their living quarters.

She followed her into Cologne's bedroom and stopped bumping into the old woman, although Cologne never noticed. There in the middle of her bedroom floor was her chest that she had brought with her some of the Amazon artifacts and magical devices.
Shampoo stepped back from her great grandmother as the woman began to glow a dark red. Shampoo watched nervously, as she had never seen her grandmother allow her aura to come into the visible range. Shampoo hesitantly followed the diminutive woman into the room.

Shampoo moved off to the side and watched her great grandmother with worry and fear. The anger written on her face was as strong as the almost black aura surrounding the matriarch. She watched as Cologne quickly looked through the trunk. Shampoo began to hop slightly from foot to foot as the aura around her elder grew in size and intensity.

Cologne looked up from the trunk her eyes narrowed with rage, she sighed when she realized her aura was blazing nearly taking the whole room. She calmed herself and stood closing the trunk. She turned to her granddaughter her face a mask of cold rage.

"Mousse is now banished from the tribe, when he returns if he does not leave us we are to kill him!" Cologne stated calmly and with no emotion.

"If he has used what he has taken then he it to die immediately"
Shampoo stared in shock at her great grandmother.

"But what stupid duck-boy take so bad?" Shampoo was curious she hoped that Mousse did not use what he took she didn't love him but he was still her only friend.

"It was an ancient artifact older then the Amazons themselves.
Its ability has been lost, but what information remains of it is only the punishment of any Amazon using it and the incantation.
From the incantation we could tell it will send the victim somewhere else we just don't know where." Cologne told her great granddaughter her face unreadable.

Cologne closed her eyes feeling for the artifact she opened them a smile on her face. She jumped out the window and took the rooftops toward the park. Shampoo followed her. Worry on her pretty young face for her friend but it warred with anger because she knew he was going to use it against Ranma.

The two Amazons reached the park to late, all they found was Akane kneeling her face buried in her hands crying. They saw scattered around her broken shards of thin glass. Cologne bent down and picked one up, her scowl deepened as she quickly dropped the glass.

"Shampoo get as much of the glass as you can all of it if possible." Cologne did not give her time to comment and headed for the crying Tendo.

"What happened child?" Cologne asked placing a gentle hand on Akane's shoulder.

Akane jerked free from Cologne she stood up and stared down at the old woman her aura blazing around her. Cologne's hand reached out pressing some of Akane's shiatsu points. Cologne watched as the young girl deflated. Her aura winked and she collapsed back to the ground. Cologne looked at her anger still evident on her face.

"Tell me what happened child!" Cologne told the girl, her tone brooking no arguments.

"ITS ALL YOUR FAULT IF YOU HADN'T COME TO NERMIA, HE'D STILL BE HERE!" Akane cried into her hands again, Cologne walked up and tried to give her comfort but it is something an Amazon is not good at doing.

"I need to know if I am to bring him back!" Cologne told her,
Akane's head shot up hope blazing in her eyes.

Akane told Cologne everything she knew including Kuno's boast of sending the minion of the evil sorcerer Saotome into the spell.
She explained he was talking about Mousse. Cologne's face froze and Akane shivered as she felt the 'Soul of Ice' over take the matriarch. Shampoo watched and listened with awe finally having all the glass shards she could find, she gathered them into the dish rag she was still clutching.

"Shampoo have all of glass can find great grandmother." Akane looked at her rival with some suspicion, and some hope.

"Good, lets return to the Nekohanten." Cologne told her as she turned and headed back toward the restaurant.

"NO! I'm going with you he is my fiance and I'll not let you be anywhere near him without me there!" Akane raged at the old Amazon while glaring at the young warrior.

"I can not bring him back, child the only thing I can do is find a way to contact him and help him find a way home." Cologne turned and walked away leaving a shocked Akane with tears streaming down her face.