Subject: [ranma][fanfic] Of Curses and Dragons - Complete
From: Victor Coutu
Date: 5/10/1997, 1:44 AM
To: FFML

Okay!  Here's the next installment in my hopefully continuing series,
and I have to thank Loius-Phillippe Giroux for his C&C on the pre-release.

As always, **Please** <best kawaii eyes!> let me know what you think.
Catch all my 'Fics (and more!) at Water's Edge!
http://waters-edge.home.ml.org/archive/Vic/

"If man realizes technology is within reach,
he achieves it... like it's damn-near
instinctive." - Maj. Motoko Kusanagi.


*Author's note - this episode follows "Almost a Miracle, Part 3."
All *Real*Ranma 1/2 Characters copyright Rumiko Takahashi, and
are used without permission, hopefully to entertain.


Of Curses and Dragons - A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic              <Warning - Lime!>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Ranma lay quietly on the roof of the house, absently watching the sun
going down on yet another day.   As the heat waned, he stretched his tired
and still sore muscles, and thought about returning to the rest of the family.
	Standing up, he did a few more stretches, then leapt off the roof into
the back yard.  As he landed, he heard the voice that made his heart beat
just a little faster.
	"You better be careful, Ranma... you're still not completely back in
shape yet."  Akane cautioned from her seat on the walking deck.
	"I know...  I'm taking it easy."  He responded, walking over and
kissing her forehead as he sat beside her.  "How long have you been out here?"
	"A few minutes... I knew you'd be coming down soon."  She stated,
nestling into his side.  "How are you feeling now... is the headache still
there?"
	"Yeah.. it comes and goes.  Nothin' I can't handle, though.  Besides,
I have to see Tofu tomorrow, don't I?"
	"Yes, you do.  I already asked Dad to take the beginners class in the
morning so we can make the appointment."
	"I hope he lets me get back to the advanced classes... This beginner
stuff is okay, but I'm getting soft."  He grumbled, unhappily.
	"You better not be... In fact, let's go make sure of that right now."  Akane admonished, looking up at her husband with a lecherous grin.
        "Hai... I gotta exercise to stay in shape."  He responded, returning
Akane's look.  Akane responded by taking Ranma's hand and walking him
straight up the stairs.

	The next morning, Ranma patiently sat through the examination, then
waited for Tofu to announce his results.  He exchanged nervous glances with
Akane, still anxious about restarting more intense training.  It had been
well over six months since his last serious workout, and he was very worried
about keeping his edge.
	"Well, Ranma... It seems as though most of your physical injuries
have healed perfectly."  Tofu indicated, rising to his feet.
	"But..."  Ranma added, sensing the impending second shoe. 
	"But,  your neck sustained a great deal of soft tissue damage, and
that makes it still extremely weak... and it's not all that easily defensible.
I still want you to avoid sparring or full-contact for a while yet.  As to
your headaches, that will ease off after your neck heals better."
	"So I'm still only teaching beginners level, ne?  Okay, Doc... If I
have to, I have to."  he sighed, resignedly.  Akane looked sympathetically
at him, her eyes conveying the disappointment she felt for him.
	"I'm sorry, Ranma.. but it's for your own good.  You don't want to
end up in a wheelchair for life, do you?"  Tofu asked, giving Ranma a look
that meant business.
	"Okay.. I get the point already.  I'll behave."  Ranma shot back,
grumbling.
	`"Doctor Tofu..."  Akane piped up, quietly hoping to change the
subject.
	"Yes, Akane?"
	"Something's been on my mind ever since you mentioned it a few months
ago...  If onna-Ranma would have had the baby... would the curse have moved
into it instead of staying with Ranma?"  She asked, looking the doctor
directly in the eyes.
	"Akane?  Where did that come from?"  Ranma asked, after recovering
from his double-take.
	"Ranma.. I'm cursed now too, and I want to know if I'll be able to
have more children without passing the curse on to one of them."  Akane
replied, looking at the floor.
	"You never said anything to me... "
	"I didn't want to bring it up with you because of what you've been
through... but, I just couldn't stand it any longer.  I had to ask before it
drove me nuts."
	Tofu, meantime, adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.  "Akane...
You have nothing to be concerned over.  Your male side can't conceive... In
Ranma's case, it was his altered body that was pregnant, which directly
involved the curse and it's original life force.  And I still have no
information about  what effect that  would have had on either Ranma or the
baby."  He explained, shrugging.
	Akane was visibly relieved.  She looked up at Ranma who regarded her
sadly.
	"Ranma.. what 's wrong?"  she asked, worriedly.
	"Akane...  I just want you to know that no matter what I'm feeling,
going through or putting up with, anything that concerns you like this is
more important.  I want you to be able to tell me about anything... no matter
what it is."  He explained, regarding her tenderly.  "Your worries are more
important to me than my own."
	"Ranma...  I'm sorry.  I just didn't want to burden you with any more
problems... you've been through enough."  Akane explained, walking over to
Ranma and taking  his outstretched hand.  "I love you, you big dummy... I
wasn't hiding anything."  She continued, kissing his forehead.
	"I love you, Akane... and that means that if it bothers you, it
bothers me.  I can't help with it if I don't know about it."  Ranma
admonished gently.  Akane smiled in response, knowing she'd never win this
one.
	"Well, I guess you can go, Ranma.. unless you have any questions...?"  Dr. Tofu inserted, wanting to leave the two of them alone.
	"Actually, yeah.. I have a question, now that it's been brought up.
Do you have any other information about the curses?  I'd like to know what
gives with it... especially now."
       "Hmm... No, I don't.  But I might be able to find out more... You two
go home now, and I'll look into it.  I actually should have done this long
ago, considering that there are so many in this one Ward."  Tofu replied,
thoughtfully.
	Ranma and Akane looked at each other for a moment, and both turned to
Tofu simultaneously.
	"You'll call us right away?"  They both insisted at once.
	"As soon as I find anything.  Go home now."  He urged, smiling.

	For the next few days, Ranma and Akane both jumped every time the
phone rang, expecting it to be Dr. Tofu with the information.  So far, it
hadn't been, and they were getting disappointed.  Over dinner on the third
day, Ranma sighed heavily, and voiced the thoughts that he and Akane shared
at that moment.
	"I guess he couldn't find anything... not that I'm surprised, though..
Nobody knows much about the curses.. not even that old Guide knew more than
the names and dates."
	"Well, Ranma... I guess that just makes us all that much more unique."
Akane quipped, hoping to lighten the mood.
	In the background, the phone began to ring, and the two simply looked
at  each other for a second, waiting for Miyabi to answer it.  When the little
girl trotted back out to the dining room to say it was Dr. Tofu for Papa,
Ranma was over the table and gone before she finished the sentence.
	Akane listened intently to the muffled conversation, but was unable
to make any sense of it.  She then waited anxiously for Ranma to return, and
when he finally did, was taken aback by the strange look on his face.
	"He said he couldn't find anything, but he did find a way for me to
look into it... firsthand."  He began, his face indicating how perplexing the conversation was.
	"What does that mean?"  Akane asked, not sure she understood the
statement at all.
	"He wants us to come to the clinic tonight after dark, and to bring
the clothes I wore the day it happened."
	"Ranma... I don't know if I like this."  Akane stated, touching his
arm.
	"It sounds kinda spooky to me..."  He indicated, looking into Akane's
concerned face.  Then he turned away and looked skyward, skritching his head.  "Do I even still have that gi?"  He asked aloud, looking at Akane again.

	Later, Ranma and Akane stood outside the clinic, Ranma dressed in the
gi he had worn the day he fell in the pool.  He felt odd wearing it, since he
had put it away immediately after arriving in Japan, never wanting to see it
again.
	Akane too felt odd, only it wasn't the gi that had her on edge.  She
had that nagging feeling deep in her intuition that something was not right
about the upcoming events, no matter what they would turn out to be.
	Ranma sensed her misgivings and tightened his grip on her hand, then
turned to her and looked into her eyes.  Reaching out to her, he pulled her
into a reassuring hug, and kissed her lovingly under the dim light of the
streetlamp.
	"Hoo.. what was that for?"  She asked breathlessly once they parted.
	"You looked like you needed it."  He smiled, winking.
	"I always need it."  She agreed, hugging him again.
	Just at that moment, Kasumi poked her head out the door and called
them in.  With a quick glance and a sigh each, they headed into the clinic.
	Inside, Tofu sat in a darkened room surrounded by candles, incense
and an old dusty book.  "Aha!  Come on in, you two... We have a lot to do
tonight."  Tofu beckoned, indicating the futon before him for Ranma, and the
chair nearby for Akane.
	"Doc, you look like something from a bad Ninja movie"  Ranma
commented, smirking.
	"You like it?  Kasumi thought it would add atmosphere."  He smiled,
happily.
	"It does..."  Akane stated, the waver in her voice surprising even
her.
	"Ranma, you stretch out here, and Akane, you sit beside him, so
you're ready if we need you.  And make sure you don't touch him unless I tell
you to, no matter what he does."  Tofu instructed, the smile leaving his face.
	"What are you planning to do to me, Doc?  I don't need any more
grief."  Ranma asked, laying on the futon as indicated.
	"Ranma, you're going to take a little trip.. well, at least your
Chi is.  I found a spell in the back of this book that allows the cursed to
travel back through time to understand their enjoined Spirit.  Your body will
stay here, but your Chi will travel time to China, about 490 A.D.  There,
hopefully you'll get your answers."
	"This ain't gonna do anything to me, is it?"
	"No.. But I have to have Akane here beside you just in case."
        "Just in case?"  Akane asked, eyes widening.
        "Just in case something happens to him, and he can't  make it back
home.  You'll have to go after him, Akane."  Tofu explained, matter-of-factly.
        Akane and Ranma looked at each other, then at the Doctor.  Ranma was
the first to break the silence.
        "Okay, Doc.. I trust you.  If this is the only way to get to the
bottom of this, then let's do it."
        "Ranma... Be careful.  You don't want to end up stuck back there...
and I can't stand the thought of something going wrong."  Akane implored,
her eyes staring to tear.
        "It'll be okay, Akane.. Dr. Tofu has it all under control."  Ranma
assured her, touching her shoulder for emphasis.
        "Well, let's get started... Akane, sit there and remember.. don't
touch Ranma till I say so."
        "O-Okay, Doctor..."  Akane responded, nervously.
        "Ranma, close your eyes, and I'll administer some pressure points
to put you out..  You should experience nothing but black until the spell
starts to work, then you'll feel like you're on a big, bright slide.  After
that, you're on your own.  Use your time wisely, since you don't have very
long.. your Chi will only sustain itself for a short time outside your body."
Tofu instructed, moving close to the prostrate Ranma.
        "Okay Doc.. Akane.. kiss me for luck"  he asked, looking toward his
nervous wife.  She leaned down and gave him a surprisingly deep kiss.
	"You come back to me, Saotome.. no matter what happens."  She
whispered, insistently.
	Ranma smiled, and winked at her happily.  Then he turned to face the
ceiling and closed his eyes.  Tofu immediately put him out with a few quick
touches, then sat back and began the incantations.
	Akane watched warily as Tofu rhymed off the words of the spell, and
felt her heart skip a beat as Ranma's body twitched beside her.  She didn't
know how long she'd be able to keep her hands to herself if this kept up.
	Finally, Tofu raised his arms, called out a few weird words, and
brought his hands down over Ranma's chest.  Ranma twitched violently for a
few seconds, then lay eerily still.
	"That's it... He's away.  Now all we can do is wait."  Tofu advised,
breathlessly.  Akane folded her hands together and brought them up under her
chin, too worried to respond.

	Ranma at first saw nothing but blackness, just as Tofu had explained.
Then, within a few seconds, A bright light formed off in the distance, and
began to enlarge rapidly.  It grew  until it encompassed all around it, and
Ranma suddenly began to feel like he was indeed on a massive slide, racing at
breakneck speed to a destination he couldn't see.  This continued for what
felt like forever, until finally a bright wall appeared in his path.  He blew
right through it, landing surprisingly hard on damp, swampy ground.  Shaking
his head, he looked carefully about himself, sizing up the area and looking
intently for landmarks.  He knew he was near Jusenkyo, but the surroundings
looked totally different.
        As he sat somewhat bewildered by his experience, he abruptly heard
gruff voices in the distance, punctuated every so often by short female
squeals.
	Thinking it best he not be seen, he looked around for cover.  Above
him was a thick treetop, and it was within easy leaping distance.
        He immediately leapt for the nearest branch, and got the shock of his
life.  He went right through it and up into he empty sky above, as if it was
only an illusion.  When he regained his senses, it occurred to him that HE
was the 'illusion', not the tree.
	"That's right.. Tofu said only my Chi would travel.. not my body.
Neat.. I'm a ghost!"  He thought to himself, grinning like a fool.  His
delight was soon interrupted, however, as the voices he had heard became very
close.  Swooping down to just below the treetops, he waited for them to come
into view.
	Within a few moments, A group of ancient looking soldiers appeared
through the brush, dragging with them a girl.  Ranma's heart nearly stopped
when he saw who she was.
	Dangling helplessly between two big, surly soldiers was the
Red-Haired Chinese girl that he knew as his other self.  The only difference
between the two was the absence of the pigtail.  She was dressed in
now-tattered silks and still had on pieces of jewelry, telling Ranma that
she was obviously Royalty, or at least extremely rich.
	Ranma followed the group back to what appeared to be an advance camp
of some kind, since there were only three tents.  As he watched helplessly
from a short distance away, the soldiers tied the girl to a stake in the
largest tent, and proceeded to strip her of all her silks and remaining
jewels.  Her screams of protest only earned her a backhand from one of the
men, and a chorus of laughter from the rest.
	Finally, the men moved off, headed toward the fire side and their
supper.  Ranma floated over to the tent entrance, and as he peered inside at
the girl, his heart sank.  Suddenly, how he felt about her no longer mattered
as he looked at her dirty, defeated, sobbing form tied out like an unwanted
dog.  Her face was covered with scratches and bruises, and her legs and arms
bore similar signs of abuse.  His heart broke for her, as he desperately
tried to think of some way to help her.
	As he floated about the entry to the tent, the girl abruptly stopped
her crying, and painfully dragged herself to a sitting position.  Looking
around her, she suddenly spoke, actually startling Ranma.
	"Who's there?"  She asked, fearfully.  "I know someone watches...
speak!"  she commanded, despite her situation.
        Not entirely sure what to do, Ranma tried to speak out loud in
his best Chinese to answer her.  His attempts resulted only in frustration,
however, as his mouth made no sound.
        "Kuso!" he thought to himself, angrily.
        "What say you?"  the girl abruptly asked, looking about for the
source of the word she had heard.
        Ranma's face dropped in shock.  "She heard me?" he thought, stunned.
        "Yes... I heard you... only I heard you not with my ears..."  the
girl responded, a confused yet slightly apprehensive look on her face.
        "That's it!  You heard me in your mind!"  He thought again, directing
it toward her as if he was actually talking with her.
        "In my mind..." she echoed, her eyes widening with the gradual
realization.  "Who.. are you that you can speak to my mind?"
	"A friend."  He responded, watching her intently for a reaction.
Much to his surprise, she turned to face directly toward him.
	"You say 'A friend'... yet you remain hidden.  If you are a true
friend, show yourself."  she replied, looking around for him.
	"You can't see me... I'm sort of like... a Spirit."
        The girl's eyes widened again as she drew a deep breath.  It occurred
to Ranma at that point that during the fourth century, the peoples of both
Japan and China were highly superstitious... He hoped he hadn't just made a
huge mistake.
	"A... Spirit?   Mother told me these woods were an evil place.  What
do you want of me, Spirit?  I have nothing to offer you."  She blurted,
momentarily losing her composure.
	"No, No.. you got it all wrong... I'm on your side.  I would like to
help you, if I could only figure out a way."  Ranma assured, hoping she
wouldn't panic on him.
	"Help... me?  Why would a Spirit help me?  I have made no pact...
broken no curse... I don't understand."
	"Don't worry about it.  I saw you were in trouble, so I came to see
if I could help you. Okay.  Let's start over... What's your name?"
        "I am Mu-Lin.  Daughter of the Emperor Mu of the Eastern Wei Dynasty,
and my mother is Mu-Lan."  She replied, hesitantly, still glancing about for
signs of her visitor.
        "Mu-Lan.. Why does that name sound so familiar?  I know I've heard of
it before."
        "Perhaps you know of my mother going in her father's stead to fight
the Khan's war... The tribes still talk of it, though it was many years ago..."
The girl suggested, leaning further toward Ranma's location.
        "Hmm.. Can't be sure.. Well. It doesn't matter right now.  Why are
they holding you prisoner, anyway?"
        "I have been taken from my castle by the forces of the Western Wei
Dynasty.. they seek to overthrow my father, and are using me to bring him out."
She explained, sadly.  "I know they will kill me even if he does come... and
I hope he does not.  He has another great battle to fight."
	"Damn.. I wish I could touch things... I could cut you loose, and you
could escape."
	"My destiny is sealed, Spirit... there is nothing you can do to
prevent me meeting my fate."  Mu-Lin stated, lowering her head.  "I too, must
accept it.  Even if I were to escape, I would only be captured again, or even
killed."  She continued, resignedly.
	"No!  If I could get you free, you could return to your people and
prevent your father coming after you.  Don't give up, Mu-Lin!  There has to
be a way!"  Ranma retorted angrily, feeling his Chi start to flare.
	Mu-Lin noticed it as well, her eyes widening again, only this time to
better see the faint blue aura generated by Ranma's anger.
	"Spirit... I see your image!"  She exclaimed, rising painfully to her
knees.  As she moved, her tattered underclothes slipped off her chest,
revealing the same breasts that Ranma bore in his female form.  He was now
even more convinced that she was in fact the one that drowned in the Pool at
Jusenkyo, which meant only one thing.  Either this timeline is wrong, or it
happens after this event .. some time in the future.
        "Mu-Lin!  I know you escape from this... Your fate is not decided
here!" he yelled in his thoughts, again flaring his Chi.  Mu-Lin again saw
it, only this time, she made out his face in the dancing flares.
	"You are a young man... "  she stated, quietly.  "Yet you are not of
this land.  Where do you come from, Spirit?"  she continued, staring toward
him still.
	"I come from a land called Japan... it's an island not too far from
your Eastern Coasts."  he replied, wondering if she had ever heard of it.
        "I know this island of which you speak, but only savages live there..."
she replied, perplexed.
	"Don't worry about it.  Anyway, Mu-Lin.. your fate is not decided
here... take it from a Spirit;  You survive this.  So let's try to get you
out of here."
	"How..."  She began, but Ranma cut her off.
	"Are there any weapons in here?"
	"Only with my captors."  She replied, shaking her red-maned head.
	At that moment. Ranma could hear the men coming back to the tent,
noisily yelling and cursing in Chinese.  A second later, they burst through
the flaps, and he could tell that they were all stinking drunk on something
that smelled like paint thinner.  One of them noticed Mu-Lin's exposed chest,
and immediately pointed it out to his fellows.  They all turned and stared,
slobbering over the sight like a pack of ravenous wolves.
	Mu-Lin flopped on her side in response, rolling onto her stomach to
cover herself.  It was too little too late, though, as the first of the
soldiers dove at her, crushing her delicate form under his immense weight.
Two others moved in as well, each grabbing a body part to try to restrain
the now squealing, struggling girl.
	As Ranma watched in horror, they flipped her on her back and held
her legs apart, then one of them brutishly ripped off whatever garments stood
between him and his objective.  Mu-Lin began to cry, begging them to stop.
The soldier that had positioned himself between her knees only laughed, and
delivered a jaw-snapping backhand to her small face.
	Ranma could stand no more.  Instinct took him over completely, his
Chi erupting into a full battle aura that illuminated the entire tent.  The
soldiers froze in their places, staring at the now fully-visible and extremely
angry Ranma.  Before any of them could move, he delivered a basketball-sized
Chi-Blast to the head of the slap-happy soldier, exploding it like a dropped
melon.  The others moved to attack, but were no match for Ranma's blind rage.
He spun in place and drove his fingers right through the upper body of one
enemy, then followed with a skull-crushing chestnut-fist to the face of
another.  A third came at him with a huge sword, which he instinctively
avoided, then redirected back through it's wielder's belly.
	When it was over, Ranma stood breathing heavily atop a pile of bodies,
still in full view of the stunned Mu-Lin.
	"Spirit... Thank... you for... saving me." she stammered, staring
agape at Ranma's bluish, shimmering form.
        Ranma, meantime, had regained his faculties and was a bit shocked by
his sudden tangibility.  As he thought about it, he assumed that it was the
summoning of his battle aura that did it, and with that assumption came the
realization that it was a short-lived blessing.
	"No time for that now, Mu-Lin.  We have to get you out of here.
C'mon!"  Ranma responded, using the sword from the fight to cut her rope
bonds.  Mu-Lin slowly stood up, but her legs were cramped and badly bruised
from the attack she had just endured.  Ranma, worried that others may have
heard the battle, helped her get out of the camp as quickly as they could go.

        A small, dusty path Ranma spotted led them out of the encampment and
off into a thick overgrowth of trees and brush.  It was difficult for Mu-Lin,
but she managed to put quite a bit of distance on before she had to rest.
	As she sat gingerly on a convenient log, Ranma suddenly felt weak
and slightly dizzy.  Looking at his hand, he noticed that it was more opaque
than it had been a few moments earlier.
	"Mu-lin... I'm starting to fade out again.. .  I'm still here,
though.  Are you okay?"  he asked as he finally faded from sight.
	"I am, Spirit.  I must thank you for my rescue.  When I can again
walk, I want to get back and warn my people.. as you foretold."  She replied,
her eyes showing happiness for the first time.
	Ranma had to smile as well, pleased that  he had managed to save her.
As he looked at her, barely clothed and sorely abused, he could still see the
person she was under it all.  He liked her manner, her charm, and even her
appearance, despite the rough shape she was in at the moment.  He wondered
how he could have hated her so much.  Smiling, he made a mental note to thank
Tofu for the opportunity to meet her.
	"Mu-Lin... How far is it from here to your people?"  He asked, trying
to maintain the upbeat conversation.
	"It is a day's ride East.  The soldiers have horses beyond the rise
yonder a half-league."  She indicated, pointing in the direction they came
from.  "We could be among them by the light of morning."
	"Good.  Are you sure you feel like riding, Mu-Lin?  You're in pretty
rough shape."
	"Worry not for me.  I will not hinder our travels."  she replied with
a confident smile.
	"Let's rest here for a while, and then we'll get you a horse and take
you home.  We should find something for you to wear, though...  it won't do
to have you running around like that."  Ranma commented, flatly.
	"I see.."  Mu-Lin replied, her face flushing as she realized how
undressed she really was.  As she subtly tried to cover herself, Ranma flew
quickly back the camp and found a cape and large shirt for her to wear, so
that she could at least travel.
	"Here."  He said, as he floated the clothing over to her.  Her eyes
widened again as he handed the articles to her, since they appeared to be
simply hanging in the air.  Just as she reached for them, they dropped to
the ground, falling right through his hands.
	"Oop!  Sorry, Mu-Lin... I must be losing the last of my solidness...
I can't hold things anymore."  Ranma observed, sheepishly.
	"No matter.  I can dress myself."  Mu-Lin responded, not realizing
what effect that statement had on Ranma.  He had not paid much attention
until she said that, but he finally noticed that she *did* have an attractive
body.  The idea of dressing her actually gave him some less than honourable
thoughts.  Shaking his head, he chided himself for thinking such things,
especially when he realized he was thinking them about a body he actually
possessed.
	"Spirit... Thank you again for your kindnesses... I owe you more
than I could ever recompense."  Mu-Lin stated quietly, looking around for
some sign of Ranma.
	"Don't worry about it.  Just trying to help, that's all."  He replied
cheerily, not wanting to give her the wrong idea about his 'Spirit' role.
	"But I must.  I owe you my life, Spirit... had you not come, I surely
would be dead by this time.  In gratitude, I can offer you but one thing...
I command the 'Fire of the Dragon'.  I could show you it's use, and perhaps
you could one day instruct another unfortunate."
	"Fire of the Dragon?  Is that a spell or an attack?"  Ranma queried,
his curiosity piqued.
	"It is of both.  It is a spell that obliterates one's enemies that
are caught in it's path.  It is for this reason that the soldiers bound my
hands... I could easily have killed the number of them, had I been able to
invoke the Fire."  She continued, looking down at her open hands.
	"Okay.. show me this attack... I could stand to learn a few new
tricks, anyway."
	Nodding, Mu-Lin rose slowly and stood looking toward a stand of old
trees.  Closing her eyes, she began series of deep breaths, finally setting
herself in a power stance.  Raising her arms, she traced the outline of a
dragon's head before herself, a thin red wisp of energy marking out the image.
Opening her eyes, she encircled the wispy image with her hands, then yelled
"Dragon Fire!"  in Chinese.
	Within a heartbeat, a solid blast of Mystic Flame exploded from her
hands, destroying the stand of trees completely and carving a furrow through
the hillside behind them.  So much power was expended in the blast that
Mu-Lin actually had to brace against a strong recoil effect.  As the Flame
dissipated, Mu-Lin moaned softly and fell to her knees.
	Ranma, upon recovering from the sight he just witnessed, swooped over
to Mu-Lin to see what had happened to her.
	"Mu-Lin..!"  He called out, anxiously.
	"I am fine... I just forgot how much of the invoker's Chi is required
to call the Fire.  I need but to rest for a few moments."  She assured,
barely able to talk above a whisper.
	"Okay.. as long as you're not injured or something.  So, do you feel
up to telling me how that Fire thing works?"
	Slowly, and with several stops to catch her breath, Mu-Lin explained
the technique to Ranma in great detail.  Regrettably, he could not try it out
in his current condition, but vowed privately to do so when he returned home.

	After explaining all to Ranma, Mu-Lin eventually fell asleep, simply
exhausted from her torturous day.  Ranma sighed as he watched her sleep,
thinking that he could finally understand why he had so much trouble with
men when he was in her form.  She was attractive, intelligent and cultured,
three things that, when combined, spelled 'irresistible' for most Japanese
men.  And on top of that, he noticed that she seemed to be able to charm
rational men without even trying... a trait which explained several things.
	As Ranma entertained these musings, he thought he could hear a horse
whinny in the distance.  Listening carefully, he heard it again, accompanied
immediately by another.  Propelling himself up high into the air, he looked
around the area to pin down the source.
	Ranma's face darkened as he realized the horses were coming from an
entirely different direction than the one in which Mu-Lin had indicated the
soldiers had tied theirs.  He knew he had to get her out of the area, but he
was intangible again, and she was sound asleep.
	Power-diving down to the slumbering girl, he stopped right beside her
face and mentally yelled her name.  Much to his chagrin, she didn't respond,
prompting him to try again.  Finally, more out of desperation than
inspiration, he tried to mentally 'nudge' her awake.  Much to his surprise, it
actually worked.
	"MMMmmm... Spirit?  Do you call?"  She mumbled, sleepily.
	"Mu-Lin.. there are riders coming this way!  We have to get out of
here!  C'mon!"  Ranma urged excitedly.
	"What?  Riders?  They must form the rest of the advance party...
I heard one of the soldiers mention something about them."  She replied,
pulling herself slowly to her feet.  "From where do they come?"
	"Off to the north.. looks like they're trying to stay under cover
till they get here."
	"You are right.. we must go.  This way!"  Mu-Lin indicated, starting
off toward the brush.
	They had only managed to get a few hundred feet away when the first
rider appeared, passing them by and heading for the encampment.
	Within moments, the rider returned at a full gallop, screaming about
his fallen comrades, and alerting those that followed him to the assault.
Ranma watched them meet up very near the area where he and Mu-Lin had just
been, and immediately dismount to start inspecting the vicinity for the
identity of the attackers.
        It didn't take them long to discover the blast crater from the Fire
of the Dragon Mu-Lin had unleashed, which served only to enrage the leader
of the group.  In response, he ordered his men to fan out and locate the girl.
        Ranma turned to check on Mu-Lin, and discovered her halfway up a
rocky hillside, cautiously picking her way through the rough terrain.  Flying
over to her, he immediately got angry at her choice of direction.
        "Why are you going up here?  They're sure to see you, and they can
move a lot faster that you can, Mu-Lin... what the hell are you thinking?"
"I want... to get above... all of them... so I can call... upon the Fire."
She replied breathlessly.  "Only way... to get them all."  She continued,
stopping for a moment after grimacing in pain.
	"What?"  Ranma blurted, noticing her holding her side.
	"One of the soldiers... kicked me..." she began, turning back to
the cliff face and reaching for her next hand-hold.  As she reached, the
large shirt she wore billowed up in the slight breeze,  and he could plainly
see a large bruise over the side and to the back of her rib cage.  He knew
immediately that she probably had a few broken ribs.
	"Hey.. why didn't you say anything sooner?  We could have wrapped
those ribs..."  Ranma chided, angrily.
	"I do not >ERRH!< complain... It is not... befitting... a lady of
the court."  she responded, continuing her climb.  Ranma could only shake
his head in sad disbelief.
	Several tense minutes later,  Mu-Lin crested the lip of a small
plateau, and agonizingly pulled herself up onto it.  Ranma circled above her,
wishing he could solidify again.. even for a few moments.  As he watched her
work herself unsteadily to her feet, he speculated that she may have suffered
more than just broken ribs.
	When she finally rose to her feet, Mu-Lin cautiously peered over the
edge of the plateau to locate the enemy.  When she could not see all of them,
she stepped a bit closer, a move which proved disastrous.  One of the soldiers
milling about below them spotted her, and called out to the others where she
was.  All in a wave, they rushed the hillside and began to climb it, each
wanting for himself the honor of catching the killer of their brethren.
	Mu-Lin gasped, then stepped back and set herself.  Breathing deeply,
she again traced out the head of the dragon, and moved her arms into position
to deliver the Fire.  Instantly, Ranma knew it wasn't working properly.  The
Chi energy barely showed the head of the Dragon, and when she yelled the
casting phrase, she only got a small, narrow blast that took out two of the
advancing soldiers.  She then realized, much to her horror, that she did not
have enough energy left to create even another small Fire.  The soldiers
seemed to know it too, as a yell went up among them.
	As Ranma watched helplessly, Mu-Lin panicked, and began to back away
from the angry mob now pouring over the lip of the plateau.  When her foot
slipped at the edge of the flat, she turned quickly to see that she was
inches away from falling.
	Suddenly, she became as calm as a quiet summer day.  Looking skyward,
she smiled.
	"Spirit!  I am glad to have known you... Thank you for at least the
chance to have returned to my home."  She called out, happily.  "But now, I
know what I must do.  Goodbye, my Spirit.  Grant me good fortune in your
world!"
	With that said, she turned and leapt off the plateau.
	"Nooooo!"  Ranma screamed, diving toward her plummeting body with
all the speed he could muster.  As he got closer, he could see that she was
still smiling happily.  Then, just as he was getting close enough to grab at
her, she hit the water of the Pool with a thunderous impact.


	Ranma sat bolt upright on the Futon, scaring the life out of Akane
and Tofu.  His eyes were wild, and he was breathing so rapidly that Tofu
thought he'd hyperventilate.
	"Ranma!  What is it?  What happened to you?"  Akane blurted, dropping
to her husband's side.  Ranma only stared straight ahead gasping for a few
long seconds, then, his eyes closed and a single tear slowly rolled down his
cheek.  He turned and looked into his wife's eyes for a brief moment, then
broke down crying.
	Akane comforted him as best she could, rubbing his back gently as he
cried into her chest.  She shot a worried look at Tofu, who could only shrug
in response.  At  that moment, Kasumi walked quietly up behind Tofu, and
using hand signals, suggested they leave Akane and Ranma alone.

 
	The next day, Ranma lay on the roof of the house, still trying to
sort out all that had happened on his little 'voyage'.  He still had not
spoken to Akane about it, filled as he was with regret and remorse for the
outcome.  Mu-Lin's last words rang in his ears over and over, and just
hearing them brought a lump to his throat.
	"Grant me good fortune in your world!"  she had said, little knowing
the sad but powerful irony of the statement.
	Ranma was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't  hear Akane
land on the roof a few feet away.  Noticing that, she quietly walked over to
him, and stepped into his field of view.
	"Hey... Remember me?"  She quipped, grinning.
	"Wha..? Oh, Akane... Gad, you scared me!"  He stammered, shaking his
head.
	"I see that... you must have had a rough time... You've been on
another planet since you got back."  She continued, sitting beside him.
	"You don't know the half of it."  He replied, grimly.  "I've been
thinking about it ever since last night.   Akane... I... I'm actually
responsible for cursing *myself*... 1500 years ago."  he continued, turning
to look directly at her.
	"What?  How did you do that?"  She blurted, stunned.
	"I saved Mu-Lin - you know, my 'female side' -  from being raped and
killed, only to have her dive into the Pool at Jusenkyo to avoid being
recaptured.  If I hadn't rescued her in the first place..."  his voice
trailed off as he pondered the possibility.
	"Ranma... are you sure?"  Akane asked, still wide-eyed.
	"Hai... no doubt about it.  Feh.  Ironic, ne?  I go back to learn
about her, and end up being the cause of my own curse.  Just my damn luck,
isn't it?"  he spat, suddenly feeling angry about the whole affair.
	"Ranma...  You know you couldn't just stand by and watch someone get
killed, no matter who it was.  You'd rush in to save them without a second
thought."  Akane remarked, her tone soothing.
	Ranma looked back at her, a retort on his lips, but when he saw her
soft face framed by the glow of the late morning sun, he bit it back quickly.
	"You're right, Akane..." He sighed, resignedly.  "I'm just a sucker
for a pretty face."  He continued, smiling wryly.
	"Oh, she was pretty, was she?"  Akane responded, her voice rising.
	"Hai.. you know *exactly* what she looks like.  About five foot,
cute, red hair, chest out to..."  he began, but was cut off by having to
avoid Akane's half-hearted attempt to slap him.
	"Oh, shut up Ranma!  I guess I was worried for nothing.  I can tell
you're still a hentai at heart!"  She chided, glaring at him while she tried
to conceal her grin.
	Ranma only smiled wickedly at his wife, then sat up quickly and
leaned into her face.  "How would you like to find out just how hentai I
really am?"  He intoned, grinning lecherously.
	Akane, not expecting that kind of reaction, swallowed audibly.
Ranma took advantage of the moment and kissed her deeply.  When they parted,
he held her face gently in his hands, regarding her lovingly.
	"Akane... no matter how hard I try, I just can't stay depressed when
you're around.  How do you do that?"  he asked softly.
	"I just love you."  She replied, kissing him passionately.








============================================================================
End - Of Curses and Dragons - A Ranama1/2 Fanfic by V. Coutu



Comments Welcome, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com
http://waters-edge.home.ml.org/archive/Vic