Hello all,

	A couple of days I posted a teaser called One-Half a Life
about a possible Ranma/Highlander crossover.  This is a background
story set in that continuity about Cologne.  We all know Cologne is
old, but in context of this story, suppose that we just didn't know
HOW old she is.  In my story, yes, she is an immortal, and suppose
that her ties to Amazon tribe goes back long before anyone suspects.

	In response to this story, I'm hoping several things.  One,
people suggest real Chinese names to replace the onces I have in this
story.  I would love to find out that Xu is a real name, but I doubt
it.  It should be obvious to all why I chose it, though.

	Secondly, I hope to get feedback on the historical setting of
the story.  I really, really am bad at history.  So I need to know
things like, did China have horses in the 12th century?  Did they even
know of the weapons mentioned in this time period, etc., etc.

	Oh, third, I'd like a general reaction to the story, because I
think it can stand on it's own, without any kind of backdrop.  Style
comments always appreciated.

	Fourth (am I losing ya' here?), I'd like a general reaction to
the combat scene in here.  If it's okay, I'll probably stick with the
style for later scenes.  I worry about being over descriptive, under
descriptive, boring, etc.

	Note: this will probably be the last you hear of me for a
while.  Writing takes a lot out of you, so I'm gonna rest a bit.

Thanks,
D.Fire

And without further ado.


	The Legend of Princess Xu
	(possibly chapter 3 of One-Half a Life)

	Flashback to circa 1198 A.D.

	In a rural area of China, a young Chinese girl in rags
staggers into the limits of a broken-down village.  The girl has dark
purple hair, which would normally be lustrous, if not for the unkempt
and ragged appearance.  The rags she wears hint of a power and
influence.  No one comes out to greet her and dark eyes can be seen
behind closed curtains, peering out at this new intruder with alarm
and distrust.

	Seeing a well in the middle of the village, the girl stumbles
to it, grabbing desperately at the rope and slowly pulling up some
water.  Not seeing any cup or bowl available, she drinks from the
bucket directly.  Still, no one comes out to protest her treatment of
the well.

	Suddenly, off in the distance the sound of hooves can be
heard.  As the sound comes closer, additional sounds off armor and
metal intermigle with the pounding hooves.  Building to a deafening
crescendo, the men in dark armor mounted on horses enter the village.
Upon seeing the girl standing near the well, the man in lead yells out
(note, at this point all conversation will be Chinese as denoted by
'<>', for the benefit of the screen audience, this section will be
subtitled :) "<There's the brat.  Surround her and take her alive.>"
The men under his command does as he orders, and shortly the girl is
surrounded by the half-dozen warriors.

	"<By the order of Emperor, your father, we command you,
Princess Xu Liang to return and be wedded to Prince Dai Xi.>" demands
the commander of the troops.

	"<Never!  Commander Hiu, I'll never return to that
god-forsaken dog of a man!  You will have to drag me back in chains if
at all,>" the girl defiantly spits back at him.  Dredging up the
remains of her long-depleted strength, she steps into a martial ready
stance, her back to the well.

	"<So be it.  Princess, we will resort to force if you so
desire.  Men, take her.  Be careful, Prince Xi will be not happy with
damaged goods.>" Commander Hiu tells his men.  Glancing over to one of
his men, he says, "<You, Dang-Fo, take her.>"

	The man so pointed out dismounts his horse and pulls out a net
and sword.  Arrogance painted his face as he sneers at the girl,
"<Today, you will go down, little girl.>"  As the net whirls above his
head, he charges the girl and releases it, sending it flying toward
the girl.

	Instead of dodging the net, as is standard tactic, the girl
jumps directly up, and grabbing the edge of the net, she flips
dragging the net with her.  At the completion of the flip, she
releases it sending it flying directly back at Dang-Fo.

	Dang-Fo, surprised, drops his sword to meet the now incoming
net but is too late.  The net entangles him as his intent was to
entangle her.  He begins to flail wildly, trying to push the net off.

	Princess Xu takes this opportunity to grab the discarded
sword, and with a nimble leap is immediately beside the downed man.
"<Well, Dang-Fo, it looks like today is the day *you* will go down,
little *boy*,>" she sneers at him and casually runs him through with
his own sword.

	There is a silent pause, as the other men stare in shock.
Suddenly, one of the other men, looking almost identical to the first,
jumps down from his horse and yells, "<Dang-Fo, my brother, I will
avenge your death at the hands of this witch!>"  He charges at the
Princess with blood lust in his eyes, his sword held high.

	The sword descends in slow motion as the Princess stands there
in a casual ready pose.  As the sword comes within a handspan of her,
Princess Xu suddenly blurs, as time speeds up again.    As motion
reaches normal speed Princess Xu stands one yard in front of her
previous position still in the same pose, and the man is still running
behind her.  The man then slows down and coming to a complete stop,
and he falls to his knees.  As his knees hit the ground, his head
separates from his neck and falls to the ground eventually halting in
a position where he still faces his body.  The mouth on the head opens
and closes for a few more seconds before he dies, as the rest of his
body keels over.

	Cursing, the commander mutters, "<Damn you, Jang-Fo, you
fool.>"  In a louder voice, he motions to his three remaining men,
indicating that they should attack in tandem.

	Added numbers make no difference to Princess Xu.  Because the
trio attacked as a group, they are vulnerable as a group.  Waiting
until they are in close, the Princess blurs as she appears beyond
their sieging circle.  Dropping her sword, she immediately retaliates
by besieging them.  Moving with superhuman speed, she flows around
them, as six images of her appear.  The men inside her illusion circle
did not stand a chance as punches and kicks pummeled them into
unconsciousness.  When the last man drops to the ground oblivious,
Princess Xu herself drops to the ground panting desperate for air.

	"<So it comes down to we two, Princess,>" the commander
comments as he dismounts his horse.  Pulling out an oversized sword,
he points it at her.  "<It is my solemn duty to do as my Emperor
commands.  You *will* coming back to court, with your life, or as a
corpse.>"  Glancing around the village, he spits out, "<So, I should
have known this would end here of all places, this village of Fallen
women.>"  He charges her, just as the other men had.

	Leaping to her feet with the purloined sword in hand, Princess
Xu defends herself.  As the blows start coming from the commander, the
Princess realizes that she has finally met a greater skill.  Barely
holding back a dozen blows and with numb hands holding the sword she
comes to a decision.  As the next sword swing comes in, she only
partially deflects it, losing her sword in the process.  The
commander's tempered swing bites into her side as he viciously smiles
in triumph.

	The smile turns into a look of horror as the commander sees
Princess Xu still approaching, her momentum still sending her at him.
His eyes follow the path of the dagger currently in the Princess's
hand as it approaches his throat in slow motion.  He thinks, '<Where
...?>' and feels the bite of dagger slicing across his throat, and he
closes his eyes as he accepts his fate.

	"<Commander..., my choice ... is death ... before slavery,>"
the Princess whispers to the commander while facing away.  Both fall
to the ground as silence reigns.

	***

	"<Princess Xu, Princess Xu, you awake yet?>", comes a voice
through a hazy dream.

	The Princess comes immediately awake and on alert.  She sits
up but regrets her decision.  Holding her head, she mutters, "<Oh,
damn it.  What happened?>"  Slowly opening her eyes, she glances
around the room.  To her relief, she finds no finery or as she had
feared more a dank prison.  In fact, it looks very much like the
inside of a commoner's hut.  Sitting up slowly this time, she peers
around in the darkness.  She can smell the sickness pervading the
room, as though someone had been ill for quite some time.  All she can
make out in the darkness is the doorway covered by a cloth.  It is
dark outside, and looks to be early evening or early morning.

	Suddenly, behind her a torch gutters to life.  Shielding her
eyes and adjusting to the new-found light, she cautiously peers toward
the light.  To her surprise, she sees a girl about her age.

	"<Princess Xu, you're finally awake!>" exclaimed the girl.
"<I need to get the elders.>"  Before the Princess can protest, the
girl runs out of the hut in the darkness of the night.

	Minutes later, steps approach the hut from all directions.
There is a murmured council outside discussing something, and then
figures enter the hut.  A total of 11 people enter the hut, ten of
them women with varying ages from 35 to 40.  The eleventh is the girl
who had been there when the Princess first awoke.

	"<So Commander Hiu was right.  I am in the village of Fallen
women,>" said the Princess as she glanced at the assembled figures.
She haughtily adds, "<So commoners, why do you hold me here?  If you
know who I am then you know I am of royal blood, but if your thought
is to ransom me, then you have made a greivous error.>"

	"<Silence, young one!>" demands the oldest of the gathered
women.  "<Blood royale does not give you any right to speak such ills
of us!  Where is your gratitude?  We have tended you for the past two
weeks, and you would have died if not for our meticulous care.>"

	The Princess has the grace to blush at the old woman's
admonishment.

	"<Now that you are awake, we have gathered to determine what
is to be done with you,>" continues the old woman.  "<Let me introduce
myself.  I am Hiang Xi Lon.  This is indeed the village known as the
village of Fallen women, and for the moment you are our guest.  What
happens at this point is up to us and up to you.>"

	"<What do you mean by that, old woman?  I told you that I am
worthless as ransom as if I would ever return alive even if you
managed to ransom me.>"

	Striking her staff into the ground, Hiang broke the rhythm of
the Princess tirade.  "<Foolish girl!  If we wanted to deliver you
back from whence you came, you would not be here now.  Many men have
come through here while you were fevered searching for you.  We hid
you from their searching eyes while you recovered.  Do you think we
did that just so we could ransom you for some paltry coins?>"

	The Princess paused in thought for a moment and her next words
are more respectful.  "<I am ... sorry, for my harsh words ...
Mistress Lon.  I did not realize the amount of trouble you have gone
through for me.  But if you hid me from the men, you must have
realized the danger I pose to you, no, to this village if I am found
here.>"

	"<We know that, child.  It was a ... calculated risk.>" Hiang
Lon explains.  "<This village is barely tolerated as it is.  Women
from outside the village hate us, while the men that come to us only
come out of selfishness.  It  is true that we of this village do sell
our bodies but we only do it out of necessity.  It is also true that
if Princess Xu were to be found among us, no man would hesitate to
raze our village, but we have taken council on this and have come to a
decision.>"

	"<And that decision is ...?>" prompts Princess Xu.

	"<It was decided to offer you membership in the village.>"

	"<What!?  Why?  If you know of the danger, why would you let
me stay?>" asks the Princess.  The reasoning of these women baffles
her.  A moment ago, they admitted that she brought great danger to
them, yet they were still asking her to stay and be one of them.  She
is about to refuse when one of the other women speaks.

	"<I agree with the Princess.  I think she is too dangerous to
live here with us.>" states another woman.

	Hiang rounds on the woman who just spoke.  "<Soong, hold your
tongue.  This has already been discussed in council and the majority
voted to allow her to stay.>"

	"<I have my right to dissent!  I still don't see how letting
her live here will benefit us, even with her martial skills.  She is
but one girl and will have to stay out of sight,>" protested Soong.

	Sighing, Hiang returned, "<Soong, you are too short-sighted.>"

	Digesting this exchange in silence, Princess Xu contemplates
her decision, but is unable to decide.  She asks of Hiang, "<And what
if I decide to leave, now or later?>"

	Glancing around at the other women in the hut, Hiang answers
with bowed head, "<Then we will let you leave.  We only ask that you
do not tell anyone who helped you.  No woman in this village will ever
betray you.  It will be up to you and the Gods if you betray us.>"

	Another moment is spent in silence before Mistress Lon
continues, "<You do not have to decide immediately.  Take this night
to think it over.>"  Turning and leading the other women out of the
hut, she pauses at the door.  "<For now, you are still our guest.  My
daughter, Riang Mi, will attend to your needs,>" she says, indicating
the young girl, who then bows deeply to the Princess.

	Hours pass as the Princess sits with the back to the wall.
She sits thinking and contemplating, not even noticing when the torch
burns low.  Riang Mi comes to replace the light, but the Princess
stops her.  "<Leave it be, Riang Mi,>" she tells the girl.  "<Why
don't you come over here and talk with me?>" she lightly commands,
indicating a spot next to her.

	Nervously, the girl glances at Princess Xu and complies.

	"<Don't worry, I don't bite,>" says the Princess upon seeing
the other girl's bashfulness.  Riang Mi smiles a little at her little
joke, but the smile quickly disappears as Riang Mi's shyness returns
full force.  Trying to distract the girl, she asks, "<Tell me a little
about village life, Riang Mi.  Is it peaceful?>"

	Unsure of how to answer, Riang Mi begins, "<Um.  It's pretty
peaceful, I guess.  Nothin' much happens in the village.  We try to be
peaceful.>"  She pauses a moment, toying with a loose string.  She
continues, "<In a way, it's rilly borin', you know?  The most exciting
thin' I ever saw was when you came the village!  It was 'mazing, you
know?  There you was, all surrounded.  Then bam!  You really beat the
crap out of them men.>"

	The Princess flushed at the girl's praise.  "<Speaking of
which, what happened to those men anyway, after I passed out?>" she
asked Riang Mi.

	"<Uh, well.  Mama came out with the elders and told us to tie
up the men that was still livin'.  There was only three you know.  You
done killed the rest.  That first guy had bled until he was white.  O'
course, the second guy you took his head off.  And that last guy you
fought, Commander Hi ... Hu ...whatever.  His throat was sliced from
cheek to cheek.,>" the girl almost gushes.

	"<And then what happened?>" the Princess asks trying to
distract the girl from continuing the gory detail.

	"<We done carried you inta a hut and our doctor helped put you
back together.  Then the elders called council.  Council's when
ev'rybody gets together to decide somethin'.  I wasn' payin' attention
though.  I was lookin' at the men we tied up.  Mama's never let near
one before, and she was too busy this time to notice.  I wanted t'see
one up close.  I shore thought he was handsome.  I can't wait until
I'm old enough to have some men.>" Riang Mi proudly states.

	"<What!?  You want to become a prostitute?  How could you even
think about becoming one?  How can your mother even think about
letting you be one?>" the Princess self-righteously asks.

	"<Hey!  Don't be getting a stuck up nose about it.  I'm
pretty.  I can bring in lots of money for the village, y' know, with
my looks.  Mama don't want me bein' one, but it ain't her choice.
It's mine.  She wants me to be a farmer, but I know I'll help more
this way!>" Riang Mi defensively says.

	After this, both lapse into silence for a couple of minutes
until the Princess speaks.  "<I'm sorry, Riang Mi.  I didn't know you
felt that way.  With your youth and health, I just thought you could
be doing other things.>"

	"<S'all right, Princess.  I know you didn't mean to be mean.>"
She continues, "<But anyway, we'd council for a couple hours.  Me and
the other girls had fallen asleep cuz' it was so boring.  But they
woke us up and told us what happened.  They'd told us you wuz'
Princess Xu, and that these men chased you all the way from the royal
court.  They also told they wanted you to join the village, and that
we had to get rid of the eveedenz.>"  Then she speaks in a lowered
voice, "<Then we killed the live ones and buried all the bodies and
armor.  We also killed the horses.>"  This last is spoken with regret.
"<They said that people would recognize the horses.>"

	Princess Xu nods knowingly at Riang Mi's statement.

	"<By this time, the healer told us you would live, so long's
your fever died.  Then we took your clothes, Princess.  Actually,
'twas more like rags at the time.  It was my job to throw your clothes
into the river, about a day's walk from here,>" Riang Mi proudly
states.

	Unconsciously, the Princess's hand reaches down to her side
and feels the new scar.  It is newly healed and feels thick and
rubbery, reaching from her right thigh up to just below her right
breast.  '<A sizeable wound indeed,>' she thinks.

	Mistaking the Princess's movement, Riang Mi quickly continues,
"<We didn' take nothing, Princess.  All the jewels and that pouch you
had we put beside you.>"

	The Princess reassures her with a laugh, "<Don't worry about
that.  I'm just glad to be alive.>", not even bothering to look for
the baubles.  "<So.  Hopefully, by now, my father and his men think
that I perished in the river,>" she states to no one in particular.
Turning to Riang Mi, she says, "<Thank you for talking with me.  I am
feeling a little tired now and I'd like to get some sleep before
morning comes.>"

	"<You're welcome, Princess Xu,>" comes the reply.  Riang Mi
stands up, bows to her, and then turns and leaves, only pausing at the
door to say, "<I hope you stay, Princess.>"

	***

	Morning comes quickly for Princess Xu.  Her eyes flutter open,
wincing at the bright light emanating through a crack in the doorway.
Still wincing, she gets up slowly, and seeing a pot of water placed
beside her, she refreshes herself.  Hearing no movement toward the
hut, she cautiously walks to the doorway and peers out.  Outside, she
sees the normal bustle of a commoner's work day, the only thing out of
place being that all the commoners she sees are women, and that the
women are doing jobs normally thought of as men's work.

	Almost timidly, she walks out into the open.  No guards or
anything stop her from leaving the hut, and she begins to wander
around the village.  Every now and then, people stop to look at her in
curiousity, but without malevolence.  She returns their gaze equally.
Not seeing anyone she recognizes, she picks out a little girl and asks
her gently, "<Could you please show me the way to Mistress Lon's
hut?>"

	The little girl timidly nods her head and grabs onto the
Princess's hand, leading her to a hut not unlike the one she had
stayed in.  Before she can thank the little girl, the little girl lets
go of her and takes off.  Resolving herself to thank the girl later,
she knocks on the frame of the doorway.  A tired voice that she
recognizes as Mistress Lon's responds, "<Come in, come in.>"

	As she enters the hut, Princess Xu notices that this hut is
different from the one she slept in, in that it has a lived in look,
with a homey atmosphere.  Unlike her spartan hut, this hut is
cluttered with odds and ends as well as with the essentials of living.
Cups and pots adorn the shelves.  Surprisingly the hut also contains
rolled up scrolls.

	Seeing the Princess's surprise at the evidence of literacy in
her home, Mistress Hiang Lon chuckles, "<Some of us came from the
noble class before we came here, Princess.>"

	"<Oh, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to imply ...,>" the Princess
says.  "<I just didn't expect it, that's all,>" she lamely finishes.
Determinedly, she continues, "<I have made my decision whether or not
to stay.  I will stay, but I have conditions.>"

	"<Wait,>" commands Mistress Lon, "<before you continue, there
are rules in this village that you can't change.  First, you will not
be able to change the order of control in the village.  All voices are
listened to equally, but the decisions are made by the elder council,
who you met last night.  Ten elders form the council, and only the ten
eldest can be on it, excepting for when a council member has gone
senile.  Second, all others are equal.  Do not expect to be treated
like a Princess while you live here.  The third and last rule is this:
if you are found to be coercing any member of the village, you will be
thrown out.  Now please give me your conditions.>"

	"<My conditions are simple, and do not affect your rules at
all.  One, I will not be forced into prostitution,>" began the
Princess.

	"<That would never happen, Princess.  All the women who do
that here only do it because they want to or they think that is their
best skill,>" interrupts Mistress Lon.  "<What will you be doing then?
All members of this village contribute to village's welfare.  Perhaps
farming?>" she suggests.

	"<No, my second condition is this: I want to be able to use my
best skills, and those skills are the martial arts.  I want to be able
to teach others and pass on my skills to the village.>"

	At this, Mistress Lon's face breaks out into a great smile.
"<I was hoping you would come to that conclusion.  I was eventually
going to suggest it, but I didn't want to pressure you into it.  That
was the main reason we voted to allow you membership in the village.
Your martial skills are .. considerable.>"

	The Princess again flushes at the compliment to her skills.
"<My last condition is simple.  I want you as Riang Mi's mother to get
her to train in the school I will be setting up,>" she says with a
smile.  "<I think she can do a lot better than selling her body.  I
also know some skills that will supplement what we earn, if we can
persuade some of the girls to turn away from prostitution.>" she
offers.

	"<Of course.  I never wanted my daughter to follow that path.
Besides, hopefully, all the girls will eventually have some skill in
the martial arts.  The one glaring skill we lack in this village is
the ability to defend it.  Before you, no woman had even the barest
skill to defend herself.  With your knowledge, we will finally become
a village in the truest sense of the word.>"

	***

	"<We are gathered here today to welcome a new member to the
village,>" Mistress Lon announces to the assembled full council.
Every one of 56 women and children has been gathered in the central
area of the village.  "<We welcome she who was once known as Princess
Xu Liang.>"

	Agreat cheer arises from the gathered women.

	Turning to face the once Princess Xu, Mistress Lon asks of
her, "<As the eldest in the village, I offer my name to be yours and
my family to be your family.  Will you become my adopted daughter?>"

	With tears in her eyes, the once Princess Xu replies, "<I, who
was once known as Princess Xu Liang, of the royal house, gratefully
accept your offer.  From now on, I take the name Khu and the family
name of Lon in honor of my adopted mother, Mistress Hiang Xi Lon.
From now on, my name is Khu Lon!>"

	The cheers, if possible, increase.