(Don't you have these weird
crossover ideas?)
Tomb Ranma
or
Ranma Goes Camping
------------------------------------------------
By
She-Hulk (brobinso@neocomm.net)
The motorcycle sped swiftly through the streets of down town Nerima.
People stared and pointed as it flew past, motorcycles being rare in this
city. Actually, motor vehicles of any kind were unusual here. Everyone
seeming to prefer walking or running to their destinations. Lara Croft
passed a young delivery girl on a bicycle and realized that it was the
first man made mode of travel she'd seen since arriving. She eased back
on the accelerator and began to search for the address she'd been given.
Her grasp of the Japanese language was flawless. She had no trouble
translating the colorful banners and signs advertising the restaurants
and shops that lined the street on either side. Lara turned at the next
street and found what she was looking for: Dr. Tofu, Chiropractor.
She parked beneath the sign and swung off of the bike, stretching from
the long ride. She had started out from Osaka and had not stopped to
rest. Her hand automatically touched the back of her neck as she
stretched, checking the position of her knife. Guns were too much trouble
to carry in Japan, but she could conceal the foot-long hunting knife with
ease. She had designed the sheath herself and it fit comfortably down her
back, yet could be drawn instantly. Her hair was in its usual braid, her
eyes hidden by mirrored sunglasses. Lara ran an absent hand over her
khaki field shirt and faded blue jeans. Dusty, but she wouldn't stop long
enough to change. There wasn't time. She strode quickly, her booted feet
making rhythmic thuwmping sounds on the concrete side walk.
Lara opened the door to the clinic and stepped into the cooler air with
a sigh, removing her glasses. She pulled her boots off and slipped on a
pair of flat paper sandals. Leaving her boots against the wall beside a
pair of loafers, she went in search of Dr. Tofu.
She found him in a small office in the back. He was reading from an open
folder on his desk and she took this moment to study him. The round
glasses gave him an endearing quality and his long brown hair was pulled
back into a pony tail. She saw the strength of his arms and fingers as he
turned the pages and noted the erect, alert way he was sitting. She
realized then that he knew she was there and was waiting for her to make
the first move.
"Gomen." She let her knuckles strike the door lightly. Dr. Tofu looked
up and she continued her apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare."
She bowed deeply as he stood. "I'm Lara Croft, I believe you've been
expecting me?"
Dr. Tofu returned the bow and waved her into his office with a smile.
"Of course. It's a pleasure to meet you at last. Please, sit down. May I
get you some tea?" Lara nodded, knowing it would be rude to refuse and
desperately wanting something to drink. He was back shortly and Lara was
soon sipping the strong, hot tea. They drank in silence, both studying
the other unobtrusively. Finally Dr. Tofu spoke.
"You lead a dangerous life for one so young."
Lara took another sip and replied, "Perhaps, but I find that one is
drawn to the lives that they need. Choice doesn't enter into it." Another
sip and she began. "Mr. Lin said that you might know where I could find
the item I've been looking for."
Dr. Tofu considered the young woman in front of him. She was a British
aristocrat and would have been Lady Lara Croft, if her family hadn't
disowned her because of her wanderlust and penchant for danger. He had
doubted her abilities when the council had first proposed the idea. Dr.
Tofu met her calm gaze and felt for an instant, the flash of power that
she held in check. Surprise crossed his features and he saw her frown as
if realizing that she'd slipped. An instant later the power was gone,
drawn back inside and masked from the world again.
"I think the council was hasty to bring outsiders into this, but at
least they chose wisely." He opened the top drawer of his desk and
removed a metal tube. It was gold, over a foot in length and covered with
ornately carved calligraphy. Dr. Tofu passed the cylinder to her and she
set her tea cup down, eagerly studying the writing.
She looked up at him, puzzled. "I've never seen these symbols before.
Where did this come from?"
"The legends say that it came from the gods and is written in their
language. History tells us that it was first found in the Tang Dynasty,
but I believe it's older than that. There are only five characters which
are translatable. One phrase that has shaped generations of lore. The
door will crack, evil will be free."
Lara ran her hands over the words and felt something stir. A shiver
snaked down her back and she glanced at Tofu to see if he had felt it. He
said nothing, but she knew. "The time's drawing near, isn't it?" She
didn't really expect an answer to such an obvious question and wasn't
surprised when she didn't get one.
"May I take this with me?" Dr. Tofu nodded. He had his doubts at first,
but now he knew that she might be the key.
"The council predicts that the door will crack anytime within the next
month. I assume you'll be staying in the area." He handed her a leather
pouch and she slipped the cylinder inside.
Lara nodded, "Yes. Do you know of good place to-" She broke off as she
became aware of a presence behind her. She whirled and found a young
woman standing in the doorway. She was a little younger than Lara and she
was smiling at her with an incredibly happy expression. She heard Tofu
gasp and turned in time to see his glasses fog over.
"K-K-K-Kasumi! What a wonderful surprise meeting you here! Have you met
Lara Croft?" He gestured to the skeleton against the wall. Lara stared in
amazement as the calm rational man she'd been talking to evaporated. He
handed Lara her tea cup ."Betty, get Kasumi some tea would you?"
He picked up the skeleton and began to dance around the room with it,
humming loudly. As he sailed out the front door and down the street, Lara
turned to face the cause of his dementia. She smiled at her calmly and
wished she had her uzis. Or at least her magnums. Kasumi smiled back and
sang out in musical voice, "Hello! I'm Kasumi Tendo. Welcome to
Nerima!"
))))*((((
Lara brought the motorcycle to a halt in the courtyard and shut off the
engine. She stared at the house and wondered what she'd gotten herself
into. Kasumi Tendo had turned out to be sweet, kind and generous. Once
Lara had realized what had happened to Tofu, she could appreciate the
humor of the situation. Imagine losing control like that just because one
woman walked in the room. Kasumi had cheerfully explained and had then
proceeded to make Lara agree to stay at with her family while in town.
The streak of iron determination within Kasumi had been a surprise and it
had taken Lara off guard. She had found herself agreeing and now here she
was.
She sighed and unstrapped her backpack from the bike. A sign hanging by
the door proudly proclaimed this to be The Tendo School of Anything Goes
Martial Arts, whatever that was. She walked up the wooden steps, glancing
around. Off to the left there was another building. She wondered at the
long line of boarded up places in the wall. Must be the Dojo. Lara raised
her hand to knock, but the door opened. Fast. A small red-haired girl
came barreling out and slammed into Lara, knocking her back down the
steps. She twisted in the air and landed in an awkward back flip. Lara
turned around to find the girl staring at her in surprise.
"Sorry about that, I didn't see you. Hey! That was a cool recovery. I'm
Ranma. You practice martial arts?" Lara didn't get the chance to answer
as another girl came running up behind Ranma-chan. Lara saw the
dark-haired girl's angry expression and pointed at her, wanting to warn
Ranma. Ranma-chan just shrugged and moved aside at the last possible
instant. A huge hammer fell across the spot where she'd been standing.
She started to lift the mallet for another strike when Ranma-chan
tapped the girl on the shoulder. "Akane. We have a guest." Akane froze
and turned to look at Lara. She blushed and whispered furiously at
Ranma-chan. "Why didn't you say something?!"
Lara blinked as the hammer went...someplace. One second it was there and
the next it was gone. She shrugged it off as being tired and returned the
deep bows of the two girls. Akane came forward and took Lara's bag,
ignoring her protests. Lara followed them inside, wondering why she felt
like she'd fallen down a rabbit hole. The house seemed normal inside.
Ranma-chan showed her into the dining room/living room, while Akane took
her bag upstairs. The gold cylinder was in the satchel she wore, the
strap across her chest.
Kasumi came bustling out of the kitchen with a laden tray and greeted
her warmly. "Please sit, make yourself at home." Lara seated herself at
the low table and bowed slightly to the older gentlemen who were playing
Go outside on the deck. The whole wall was open, revealing a small garden
and fish pond. She thanked Kasumi for the tea she poured her and accepted
a bun from the huge platter in the center of the table. Genma and Soun
wandered in and Kasumi introduced them. The amount of food Kasumi carried
in was astounding, but for some reason Genma continued to steal from
Ranma-chan's plate. Or rather, tried to steal as Ranma-chan quickly
blocked each attempt.
Lara got the impression that this was an old game between them and asked
Genma if Ranma-chan was his daughter. Total silence. Lara realized that
she'd made some kind of mistake and started to apologize.
Ranma-chan stopped her, "It's all right. It's kind of complicated to
outsiders. See, I'm...wait a minute, I'll be right back." She got up and
went into the kitchen. Akane came back downstairs and sat next to Lara.
She frowned when Ranma-chan returned carrying a tea kettle
"What are you doing, Ranma?" Ranma-chan shrugged and raised the kettle
over her head. The hot water spilled out over the girl and Lara was
stunned at what happened. She watched the small red-haired girl change
into a tall, black-haired boy. Kasumi handed the boy a towel and Lara saw
that no one else thought this change was odd.
"I don't understand."
))))*((((
Lara sank into the huge tub with a sigh of pure pleasure. She leaned
back against the rim and soaked in the heat. Time hadn't allowed for this
kind of thing lately and she wanted to enjoy every second. Lara felt
herself smile at the rather confused explanation that had followed
Ranma's change.
A cursed spring? Sounds like a place she would like to avoid. Although,
it might be interesting to see if there really was a cure. Her thoughts
were interrupted as the door slid open. She let her hand drop to the
outside of the tub, her fingers now within reach of her knife. She had
laid a towel over it and the satchel.
Akane stepped inside and bowed. Lara remembered little about the bathing
customs in this country, so she waited for Akane to explain. She wore
only a bath robe and she pointed to the tub. "May I join you?"
Lara felt her eyebrow raise, but nodded. She averted her eyes politely
while the girl disrobed and moved her legs out of the way. Akane picked
up a wash cloth from the edge of the tub and motioned at Lara with it.
"If you'll turn around, I'll wash your back." Lara did this, but only
because she remembered the practice. Not turning your back on anyone or
any*thing* was her first rule of survival.
Akane ran the cloth over her back, pausing when she reach the first
scar. It was about a foot long and ran from the top of one shoulder, down
and across to the other. The raised flesh was slightly puckered and Akane
wondered what had caused it.
"Velociraptor." Lara spoke quietly, but Akane was still startled. She
didn't think she'd spoken aloud. She continued to wash Lara's back,
finding other scars, but not letting them halt the rhythm of her strokes.
It didn't matter as she touch each scar, Lara told her its cause.
"Wolf."
"Bat."
"Bear."
"Cougar."
"Bullet." Akane was appalled at the amount of scars she found, but
fascinated by the way she'd gotten them. They switched positions and
Akane saw a long scar across her thigh. It was very thin and appeared to
be fading. Lara began to wash Akane's back and answered her unspoken
question. "T-Rex."
Akane frowned at that. Tyrannosaurus Rex was extinct, so was
Velociraptor. "Those are extinct."
Lara smiled, this should be interesting. "I found a valley, deep in the
mountains were a few still existed. But by the time I left, they were all
dead."
"What happened to them?"
"I did."
Akane flinched at her matter of fact statement. "Are you some kind of
big game hunter?"
"Not hardly. I guess you could call me an adventurer, for lack of a
better word. I was searching for the pieces of a powerful artifact and I
had spent days combing every inch of that valley trying to find a way
out. I took no pleasure from killing those animals, but I had no choice.
It was truly a case of them or me." She waited for Akane's reaction.
Akane was silent for time, considering. "Did you find the artifact?"
Lara leaned back and waited for Akane to turn around before she
answered. "Sort of. I...well, let me explain."
))))*((((
The Dojo was large and Lara was able to push herself to her limits. She
flipped backwards and rolled away to face her left, then rolled again to
face back. Being able to face any direction almost instantly had saved
her life on too many occasions to count and she practiced regularly. She
flipped forward and then flipped to her left, landing neatly in a crouch.
The sound of clapping drew her attention to the door.
Ranma and Akane were standing in the doorway. Akane smiled, "That was
great! Do you mind if we join you?"
Lara agreed and watched them as they warmed up. Akane was dressed in a
white gi and wore a yellow and blue headband. Ranma wore his usual red
and black outfit. Akane began a kata and Ranma shadowed her moves. They
worked in a precise manner and Lara realized that they were very good.
She also realized that even though their engagement was made against
their wishes, they obviously cared for each other. They finished warming
up and turned to Lara.
"Would you like to spar a little?" Lara hesitated before answering.
Either one of these two could probably clean the floor with her, but she
decided that a few bruises would be worth it if she learned something.
"All right, but I must warn you that I'm not skilled in a particular form
of fighting. Unless you count street fighting as a form of martial arts?"
Ranma laughed and pointed to Akane. "I think you'd be better off with
Akane, then you'd have a chance." Akane frowned, uncertain if that had
been a compliment or an insult. She shrugged and assumed a fighting
stance.
Lara stood quietly, hands down, eyes focused. She didn't look like she
was getting ready to fight and Akane straightened slightly, unsure if she
was ready.
Lara moved. The foot that swung toward Akane's head was deflected away
and Lara jumped backwards to avoid her answering kick. She rolled forward
and to the side, coming up behind Akane, who struck out as she turned.
The blow grazed Lara's arm and she let her foot sweep in and tumble Akane
to the floor. Akane rolled away, flipping up to her feet and Lara
recognized that move. She'd used it just before they'd announced
themselves. She found herself falling back under an onslaught of punches
and began to retaliate. Her blows and kicks were blocked easily and Lara
knew she was out-classed. Still the bout continued, as she was determined
to learn as much as she could. What kept distracting her was the faint
blue aura that seemed to surround Akane. A punch connected solidly and
she staggered back as the breath was driven from her body.
Akane stopped her attack and went to Lara, helping her up. Ranma gripped
her other arm and they helped her to one of the benches against the wall.
"I'm sorry! I thought you'd block that one for sure."
Lara gasped, trying to get her breath back. Ranma pressed something on
the small of her back and tapped two fingers against her side. Air filled
her lungs and she began to recover. "What did you do?"
"Shiatsu." It meant nothing to Lara, but she was very glad that he knew
it.
She told them she would sit this round out and for them to go ahead.
Lara then watched the most incredible display of fighting skill she'd
ever seen. They made it look so easy and Ranma never lost the slight
smile he wore. She saw Akane execute another roll and shook her head.
<She's copied my moves just from what she saw earlier.> Akane threw a
punch at Ranma and he dodged, but her fist went through the wall behind
him. That explained the patched places. She winced in sympathy when
Akane's kick caught him in the side, but it didn't seem to hurt him. He
laughed and continued to tease his fiancee.
As they fought, Lara realized what was happening. Ranma wouldn't attack
Akane. He dodged and swayed and generally stayed just out of her reach,
but he was also pulling his punches and making sure she could block every
one. They soon called a halt to the match when it became apparent that
there would be no clear victor. Lara had the impression that this
happened a lot. Ranma offered to teach her some basics and Lara readily
agreed.
))))*((((
The days that followed fell into a steady rhythm of sorts. She would
awake, shower and spend the morning studying the cylinder, trying to
unlock it's secrets. Some times she would go to the library or to see Dr.
Tofu, gathering all of the information she could find. Lara had made
several trips to surrounding towns, meeting with the elders and searching
ancient texts that they guarded. She continued her training sessions with
Ranma and Akane and was pleased with her progress. She usually ate dinner
with the family and then retired to her room to resume her study.
Lara finished the detailed sketch of the (what she assumed to be) top of
the golden tube and began to go back through the pages of her journal.
Each page was filled with the curious letters and side notes listed any
information she'd discovered. There was none. She had continually hit
dead ends and false paths. In the two weeks she'd been searching she had
found nothing. She closed the book with a snap and threw it across the
room. It struck the wall with a dull thud and fell to the floor. Lara was
immediately appalled at herself. <What's wrong with me?> She got up from
the bed as the door opened a crack. Kasumi peered in and smiled when she
saw Lara.
"Is everything all right?" She pushed the door open further and came in.
The book was lying at her feet and she bent to pick it up.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me." Lara moved forward to
take the book, but Kasumi had started to flip through it.
"Oh, how interesting!" She looked up and caught sight of the cylinder
lying on the bed. "So you're trying to translate it?"
Lara frowned slightly. The council had said nothing about secrecy, but
she wondered if it would be wise to let her see...Good grief! This was
Kasumi! She was the most harmless person Lara was ever likely to meet.
"Yes, but I'm not having much luck, I'm afraid."
Kasumi frowned at one of the drawings and Lara was surprised that she
knew how. To frown that is. Kasumi pointed to the page. "I recognize
these symbols, they're different from the others."
Lara stood beside her and saw that she was pointing to the five warning
characters. She explained their meaning and started to retrieve the book,
when she noticed something. The only light in the room was from the lamp
by the bed and from the hallway light. Kasumi was blocking part of that
light and her shadow fell across the open book. The unknown writing began
on the opposite page and half of one symbol was in shadow, the other in
light. Lara stared at it and realized that is was the word for sun. She
looked at the other half and found that if you looked at it upside down
it was the word for life.
That's it! She tried not to show her excitement as she took the book
from Kasumi. "Well, I had better get back to work. I'm sorry about the
noise." As soon as the door was closed she raced across the room and
snatched up the cylinder. "All right then, my secretive friend, where
were we?"
))))*((((
Lara was reading over her translation again the next morning at the
breakfast table. It still made no sense and she would have doubted the
translation if it hadn't been so obviously correct. She was interrupted
in her study as a strange boy staggered into the room with Akane's help.
He looked exhausted and Akane removed his large backpack as Kasumi
brought him some tea and food. Ranma scowled at this new arrival and
returned to his breakfast. Lara stared at the black and yellow headband,
memories surfacing. Akane struggled to prop a red umbrella against the
wall and it fell against it with a heavy thump.
"Ryoga Hibiki?" Lara's tone was incredulous. Ryoga looked at her in
puzzlement, then his expression cleared.
"Lara! What are you doing here?" He smiled and explained to the others.
"We ran into each other in the Himalayas. It was a nice surprise to find
someone who spoke Japanese. I hadn't been able to read any of the signs
and she pointed me the right direction."
"Yes. He was coming down, I was going up. Did it take you long to get
back down?" Ryoga shrugged and sipped his tea.
"About a week. It took a little longer to get back to Japan." Lara
wasn't sure how to respond to this. She had left Ryoga a day's journey
from the bottom. How had it taken him a week? "Umm, that's good."
"Ryoga can't find his way out of a room with one door." Ranma was snide.
"Isn't that right, P-chan?"
Ryoga's tea cup shattered and he was on his feet. "Shut up!" He was
about to launch himself at Ranma when Lara gasped in pain, stopping them
both.
Lara felt an burning at her side and looked down to find the leather
pouch was smoldering. She tore it off and the golden tube flew out,
landing on the table. It was glowing and began to burn the table
underneath. Nabiki rushed to get the fire extinguisher, but by the time
she returned the glow had faded. Lara absently slapped at her clothes and
stared at the artifact. The time was drawing closer. She reached out and
picked it up, drawing gasps and warnings from everyone. The metal was
cold. "It's all right now."
Kasumi lead her upstairs to the bathroom and helped her undress. Lara
stared at the burn across her hip. The symbols were reversed but she
recognized them. The symbols meant shadow, death, and chaos. She
shivered and tried to shake off a feeling of dread. Kasumi spread some
kind of salve over the burn and the pain stopped. She was wondering what
she could wear when someone knocked on the door. Nabiki stuck her head in
and handed Kasumi a kimono. "Thought you might need this." Kasumi
hesitated and asked, "You're not going to charge are you?" Nabiki managed
to look hurt and Lara almost applauded her acting skill. She had been
amused to discover this sister's mercenary tendencies and she found that
she rather liked her up front attitude. They shared similar values.
Nabiki promised not to charge for the use of the garment and Kasumi
handed it to Lara. She got dressed and smiled at Nabiki. "How much for
damage to the table?" Kasumi gasped.
"For you, I'll make you a special deal," They haggled back and forth for
a while, each enjoying the exchange immensely. Finally a price was
settled on, much to Kasumi's dismay.
The women returned downstairs and found a pensive group waiting for
them. Lara took in Genma and Soun's stern features and knew she'd have to
explain at least part of it.
"I've been hired by the council of elders to translate the cylinder.
They don't know what it's true function is, but it warns of a terrible
calamity that will occur soon." She pulled it out and told them about the
vague warning. As she turned it in her hands, she noticed several rows of
cracks that had not been there before. She gripped the cylinder with both
hands and twisted. The symbols began to shift. Lara fell silent and
concentrated on this new development.
She turned the first row until there was a click. The symbols were now
lined up over their opposites. Water and fire, earth and air, light and
dark. She moved the next row and again there was a click. Life and death,
chaos and order, shadow and sun. The next row slid into place and the two
symbols that had been the most vague lined up. One meant 'everything' and
the other meant 'nothing'. Lara felt the metal begin to heat again and
quickly set it on the table.
The glow was incredibly bright and everyone shielded their eyes. Lara
thought she saw the cylinder parting, but she couldn't be sure. She held
her hand up over her eyes and tried to see past the glare. Something was
hovering over the artifact. The light began to dim a little and she
realized that it was actually several small crystals. They spun in a slow
circle and she counted five gems, each one a different color. They
stopped moving and then seemed to vanish. Lara blinked and felt a red-hot
pain in the palm of her left hand. She cried out and grabbed her hand,
hearing similar cries from the others, but in too much pain to help.
Ranma heard Akane cry out and forced himself to go to her, despite the
pain.
Ryoga yelled and fell back, his hand clutched to his chest.
The glow faded and disappeared. Lara made herself let go and looked at
her hand. A black crystal was imbedded in her palm. The pain was fading
quickly and she got up and moved to Ryoga. He was laying on his back,
staring at the white crystal in his hand. Ranma swore softly and she
turned to find him bent over Akane.
Lara saw the red stone in Akane's hand and looked at Ranma. He held up
his palm and showed her the blue gem. Lara went to Kasumi and took her
hands; there was no stone.
Nabiki waved at her and the green crystal flashed.
Lara picked up the tube and felt something move. She grasped the top and
pulled, revealing smaller cylinder. There were five depressions in the
metal, presumably were the crystals had been. The small script that
covered the inner piece was old, but she knew the language. It was one of
the first written languages known. As she read she grew pale and sat down
heavily at the table. So that's what's going on.
She looked up to find everyone staring at her, waiting for some kind of
explanation. "I think you'd better sit down. This could take awhile."
At the beginning of time, demons walked the earth with men and there was
only darkness. There was much misery and the gods were moved at man's
valiant attempts to thrive against the evil around them. They decided to
help man rid the earth of the demons by locking them away in another
dimension. They sent five gems to earth and told the carriers how to seal
the gateway. When the doorway had been sealed the gods warned man that
the door would remain sealed unless the demons managed to summon enough
evil energy to crack the seal. If this were to ever happen, then five new
carriers could be found and might be able to seal the gateway again.
"We seem to be the new chosen ones." No one appeared thrilled with that
prospect. "We must go to the entrance of the gateway and re-seal the
door. Time is running out. I can feel a sense of urgency coming from the
crystals, can't you?"
Ranma nodded and sighed deeply. Just once he'd like to have a quiet
summer vacation.
))))*((((
Lara stopped a the top of the rise and surveyed the upcoming terrain.
More forest for the next few miles, then they would *really* start to
climb. She felt Ranma and Ryoga move to stand on either side of her and
looked back to find the others not far behind. They weren't making bad
time, but it wasn't as fast as it could be. Akane was holding her own and
even Nabiki was managing to keep up. No, the problem was Kuno.
Lara asked herself again for the thousandth time why he'd had to come
and again found no answer. He was bringing up the rear and she could see
Ukyo and Shampoo waving at him to hurry up. Now there was a mess. The two
girls had insisted on accompanying Ranma on this trip and had refused to
listen to reason. Apparently they both claimed to be engaged to Ranma and
didn't want him spending his nights out here alone with Akane. Lara had
tried to explain that she, Akane and Nabiki would be sleeping together,
but that didn't seem to reassure them.
Mousse stumbled up the trail and managed to balance the huge load of
Shampoo's gear. He was wearing his glasses (Something she'd insisted on
when she'd discovered the problem) and so he didn't talk to the trees
anymore as he passed them. She had thought he was a naturalist until
she'd overhead him address a tree by her name. Having gotten Mousse more
or less straight, she'd then tried to work on Kuno.
Big mistake. He had listened patiently to her as she explained their
need to hurry and asked if he could stop pestering Akane as it would help
a great deal. They'd had to stop several times and wait for Kuno to catch
up after Akane had kicked him a couple of hundred yards back. He had took
this as a sign of her concern for him and he had graciously allowed her
to date with him. Now he was wandering off every few minutes to pick
flowers for her and composing truly horrible poetry in her honor. When
Lara had caught herself with her hand on her pistol, she'd sent him to
the back of the caravan to guard their flank. Which put him near Akane
again.
Akane and Nabiki reached them and were more than happy to wait for the
strays. Even from this distance they could see Ukyo and Shampoo wincing.
Lara sighed, "Kuno must be writing verses again. Akane, maybe you should
just start kicking him in the direction we're heading, okay?"
))))*((((
The made camp a few hours later and Lara found herself reaching for her
gun once again. It had seemed simple enough. Ranma, Ryoga, Kuno and
Mousse had spread their bedrolls at the outer edges of camp. Lara and the
girls were closer to the fire. The problems had started when Shampoo had
decided that Ranma needed another pillow.
She had grabbed one and had turned to find Ukyo blocking her path. Akane
had been right behind her. Lara had looked up from cleaning her guns to
find the three girls exuding a wall of battle aura. After she managed to
calm them down and send them to their corners, she had discovered that
Kuno had come calling. He fell to his knees before her and professed his
undying love for her, laying yet another bouquet of wild flowers at her
feet. She took a page from Akane's book and booted him out of the camp.
Lara returned to her guns and was glad that they were in pieces. Another
argument broke out over who was going to prepare dinner and in the end
Lara settled the matter by declaring that she would cook and anyone who
didn't agree could start back for civilization. After dinner, she'd gone
to lay down, booted Kuno out of camp again and drew out her journal.
She faithfully written everything down, so that it could be used in her
next book. As she looked back over the material she realized that it
wouldn't work. There was no way anyone would believe this stuff. Lara
heard Kuno crash back into camp and wondered if she could pass it off as
a parody of her one of her books. The sound of Ukyo trying to sneak past
Akane was very loud and so was Akane's response. Maybe if she used a pen
name.
The sun was just creeping over the horizon when a dull thud woke Lara.
She raised up to see Ranma sailing toward her. She rolled away just in
time, taking the sleeping bag with her. Ranma hit the ground, repeating
the sound that had awoke her and she crawled out of the tangled bedroll
with her pistols drawn. Akane froze, her hammer in mid-air. She stared at
Lara, then at the guns. Akane dropped the hammer and shook her head.
"Americans sure are violent."
Lara blinked and holstered her weapons. "I'm not an American. I'm
British." Ranma got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Any particular
reason you're trying to kill Ranma or is this some morning ritual I've
overlooked?"
Akane frowned slightly and realized that she and Ranma had been getting
along better than usual lately so Lara didn't know about their fighting.
"He's a jerk."
Ranma scowled at her. "She's so uncute it should be illegal!" Lara saw
Akane's eyes start to glow and knew she had to break this up.
"Hold it!" They looked at her in surprise. "I don't care what set this
off, but it ends here. Akane go with Ukyo and get some water. Ranma take
Kuno and go get some fire wood. Be back in thirty minutes."
They went their separate ways grumbling, but going. Lara saw Ranma stop
by Kuno's bedroll and pull out a bound and gagged Kuno. He untied him and
dragged him off to fetch the wood.
"Now what was that about, I wonder?" Mousse answered her question as he
came up behind her.
"Kuno began to talk about Akane in his sleep last night. When he tried
to go to her, Ranma stopped him." Mousse let a tiny smile escape him.
Ranma had let him help.
"I can't believe I slept through that." She looked at an empty bedroll.
" Where's Ryoga?" No one could answer that question.
They searched and called, but Ryoga wasn't to be found. Nabiki pointed
out the obvious. "Doesn't it take five stones to seal the door?"
Lara was digging in her backpack. "Yes. It does take five stones, but in
this one instance I have actually managed to plan ahead." She held up a
black box. "I affixed a tracking device to Ryoga's bandanna."
She switched it on and it began to beep slowly. Lara stood and moved in
a circle. the beeping got very fast at one point and she realized that he
was now several miles ahead of them. "He's a few miles from here, but at
least he went in the right direction. If we hurry we can catch him." They
broke camp and went after Ryoga.
))))*((((
Ryoga stared at the vast walls of green that surrounded him and let out
a frustrated scream. "No! Not again! How do I do this? I was right next
to the camp and then it was gone." He sat down on a mossy bank and buried
his face in his hands. "This is terrible! I've left Akane alone,
unprotected from those jerks!"
After a few moments he sighed and got to his feet. The crystal in his
palm caught the light. " I can't wander around for months now, I have to
help the others. All right, I'll just have to find my way to the gate
myself!"
A burst of laughter startled him and he whirled in time to see Akane
smack Ranma across the back of the head. Akane looked back to Ryoga. "Hi!
You sure made good time. We really had to hustle to catch up with you."
She came forward and took his hand. Ryoga's eyes bugged out at her touch
and Lara winced. That had to hurt. "Next time you want to scout ahead,
don't do such a good job of it." Akane pulled him along the trail and
Ranma stared after them, totally confused.
"What the..Ryoga got lost!" He shook his head as if to clear it and
asked Lara plaintivly, "He was lost, right? We all know he has no sense
of direction. Why did she...?"
Lara smiled and clapped him on the back as she started after Akane.
"It's a woman thing. It's called compassion." Ranma looked at Ukyo and
Shampoo who were nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, Ranma. Don't you know anything?" Ukyo grinned and tapped his nose
as she passed.
"Husband has much to learn." Shampoo shook her head in pity and motioned
for Mousse to follow. Mousse just shrugged at Ranma's questioning look,
causing his load to shift precariously.
Nabiki rolled her eyes and stepped aside as Kuno ran past, calling to
Lara. "Oh beautious vision...."
))))*((((
Nabiki felt her fingers slip and cried out as she fell away from the
cliff face. Her heart exploded in a furious beat and she closed her eyes,
afraid to watch her death. A strong hand caught her arm as she fell and
her body lurched wildly, slamming into the rock. Nabiki whimpered in pain
as she felt something tear in her shoulder. More hands caught at her
clothes and tugged her upwards. She felt herself pushed onto a small
ledge and opened her eyes. Lara was crouched awkwardly beside her. Nabiki
could see Ranma clinging lightly to the cliff face beside them.
"Are you all right?" Lara's voice was concerned as she ran her hands
over Nabiki, searching for injuries. She touched her shoulder and Nabiki
gasped, turning pale. "Damn." She didn't tell Nabiki what was wrong. It
would be easier if she didn't have time to think about it. Lara called
down to Mousse. "I need the medical kit."
A box shot into view in front of her and she frowned. It seemed to be
balancing on top of a long pole. Lara peered over the edge and saw
Mousse, twenty feet below. She took the box and wondered absently were he
had gotten the pole and why hadn't she noticed it before now. She opened
the kit and pulled out what she needed. Ranma took the box from her and
dropped it back down. Nabiki was trying to be brave and ignore the pain,
but when Lara popped the shoulder blade back into postion she screamed.
Lara spoke softly as she wrapped Nabiki's shoulder. "I'm sorry. It would
have been worse if you knew what I was going to do. It's all right now.
The bandage will keep the arm immobile and I have something you can take
for the pain."
Nabiki felt the tears on her face and was embarassed by them. "No
problem. Just caught me by surprise." She was trying for an uncaring
tone, but it came out very small and afraid. Akane's head popped into
view and searched Nabiki's features in concern. She waited until Nabiki
had swallowed the pills Lara gave her and then asked to see her alone.
Lara's expression was confused, but she gamely climbed back out onto the
cliff and away from the ledge. Ranma moved away as Akane slipped up next
to Nabiki.
She brushed the tears from Nabiki's face and carefully drew her into a
hug. Nabiki stiffened at first, but then slumped against her. Akane
rocked her gently as she wept. "Shhh. It's okay Nabiki. You're all right.
I know this is hard for you. The rest of us take this stuff for granted,
bit you're not used to this kind of thing, you're not trained for it. We
should have been watching you more carefully. I'm sorry."
Nabiki sniffed and raised her head. "I know what I am. I never claimed
to be a fighter or an adventurer. I used to envy you, the way you would
storm a challenge and never hesitate. I thought that maybe this would be
my chance to try that. Now, I just want to go home." Her voice cracked at
the last and Akane smilled at her, knowing what an admission this was for
her.
"Nabiki, if there was anyway in the world I could send you home right
now I would. But there isn't. We need you."
" I want you to stay close to me and Ranma, okay? We'll watch out for
you and make sure you're safe." Nabiki opened her mouth to argue, but
Akane was adiment. "I'm serious. You my sister and I don't want you
getting hurt again, understand?"
Lara watched the play of emotions on Ranma's face and smiled. There was
no way they could have not overheard the conversation. Hanging on the
side of a mountain offered you very little in the way of privacy. Ranma's
smile was proud as he listened to Akane and Lara wondered once again why
these two were always at odds.
The group reached the top of the cliff with difficulty. They made camp
at the top and The girls tried to make Nabiki as comfortable as possible.
Akane brought her dinner and after a cautious sniff Nabiki knew that she
hadn't cooked it. She started to eat, but realized that she wasn't
hungry. She felt the hot, dry condition of her skin and frowned. Nabiki
was very arfaid that she was sick. She said nothing, not wanting to slow
the others down anymore than she already had.
The next morning the group set out again and Lara kept a careful eye on
Nabiki. She didn't look well and Lara wondered how long she could keep up
this charade. She fell back beside her and handed her a canteen. Nabiki
drank thristily and took the pain pills Lara gave her. She noticed the
extra pill, of course, and shot Lara a questioning look.
"It's for the fever."
Nabiki sighed and swallowed the pills. "That obvious, huh?"
"You look like hell." Nabiki's laugh was dull.
"I don't want to slow everyone down."
"Well, that's a nobel sentiment. However, without you we're wasting our
time. We'll make it, Nabiki. You just pace yourself so that we make it
together." Lara smiled at her and moved back to the front of the group.
She didn't notice that Kuno had come up behind them as they talked.
They walked until Lara called out a break for lunch. Nabiki was swaying
unsteadily and she felt herself falling with a calm sense of detachment.
Kuno was there and caught her before she hit the ground.
He carried her quickly to Lara. There was considerable confusion after
that and Lara finally had to place two fingers in her mouth and whistle
shrilly.
"Everyone be quiet! Ukyo, go get a bedroll. Mousse, build a fire. Ranma,
Kuno, set up the camp. We'll be staying here for couple of days. Shampoo,
make lunch. Akane, you stay here and help me." She looked around and saw
Ryoga standing behind her. "Ryoga." He snapped to attention. "Stay
put."
))))*((((
The fever broke on the third day. Nabiki opened her eyes and stared at
the trees above her. Since when did she have a window over her bed? The
sound of Akane's shouts drew her attention and she saw her sister
standing toe to toe with Ukyo. Oh yeah. She held up her hand and studied
the green gem. Discounting clarityand color, the carats alone would bring
a fortune. She sighed and realized that she was hungry. A sudden crash
told her that breakfast (or was it lunch time?) was almost ready.
Lara saw Nabiki moving around and went to her. She handed her a glass of
ice water and sat down beside her.
Nabiki sipped the cold liquid in relief, but frowned at the ice.
"Where'd that come from?"
Lara knew what she meant. "Mousse. Don't ask me how. I haven't found the
courage to ask him." Mousse had produced the ice when they had needed it
most. Nabiki's fever had been soaring and Lara had been desperatly trying
to find some way to bring it down. Mousse had stepped forward and pulled
a large bathtub of ice from nowhere. Lara could have sworn that it came
from the wide sleeves of his coat, but that was impossible.
Ukyo cleared her throat and knelt beside them. She was holding a
steaming plate of okonomyiaki. "Hungry?"
Nabiki was starved and she finished the pizza quickly. "How long have I
been sick?"
Lara glanced at her watch automatically, but she knew. "Three days."
Sighing deeply she apologized. "I'm sorry for holding everyone up."
Ukyo scowled at her. "You don't have anything to be sorry about. I for
one, am glad that we stopped. We needed the break." Lara nodded in
agreement. The constant travel had been a strain for everyone and this
pause had been exactly what the group needed.
Akane appeared. Nabiki looked at her in relief. She needed to take a
little trip, but wasn't comfortable with the other girls. Akane winked at
her and helped her to her feet. She swayed slightly, but felt her
strength returning. As they made their way out of camp, Akane chatted
about the events that had happened since she'd been sick.
"...and Ranma, the jerk, had the nerve to accuse me of poisoning Lara!"
She wound down and looked at Nabiki with a serious expression. "I..I'm
really glad you're all right Nabiki. You had us worried..." Akane laughed
slightly, but it wasn't a humerous sound. She hugged her suddenly and
Nabiki knew what was upsetting her. It had been too similar to their
mother's death. A sudden fever and then she was gone.
"I'm fine, Akane. But I'm glad you're here." Akane blinked back tears
and smiled at her.
))))*((((
The meadow was like any other of the dozens they'd crossed on their
journey. Tall grass rippled in green waves and birds darted in and out of
the thickets around it. Lara studied the small field and looked down at
her hand. The crystal was throbbing. This was the place. She motioned to
the others.
They split up and began to comb the small area. Ryoga stayed by Lara at
her insistance. He was keeping his eyes on her rather than his feet and
stumbled. Lara turned to help him up and spotted the stone they'd been
looking for. "Good work, Ryoga! Hey everyone! Ryoga found the seal!" The
others clustered around and Ryoga blushed as Akane smiled at him again.
They began to scrape the dirt and grass away. The seal was a ten foot
wide circle of stone and Lara could see the five depressions where the
stones would go. Four on the outside and one in the center. It was the
center position she was worried about. There was a large crack running
through it, bisecting the seal.
She moved cautiously around the circle and translated the symbols.
"Akane, your stone goes here. Ryoga, right there. Ranma, you're next.
Nabiki, the last place is yours." Lara motioned the otheres to stand well
back and then she stepped onto the circle. She felt the tingle of power
immediatly and swayed as it rushed over her. Lara shook her head and
moved to the center. The stone began to shake and the crack widened
alarmingly.
A dark hand shot out from the crack and grabbed Lara's leg. She screamed
as it began to draw her closer and the others attacked.
Ranma struck the hand an it let go, but the rest of the creature emerged
from the crack. Everyone fell back as the demon stood and roared at the
heavens. It was over fifteen feet tall and was the most ugly thing Nabiki
had ever seen. If this was what they were trying to stop then she was
Very glad that she'd come.
Lara balanced lightly on on leg and opened fire on the beast with her
shotgun. It had little effect and she switched to her uzis as Ryoga
blasted the creature with some kind of energy ball. The demon fell back
and Ranma unleashed his own ki attack. Black blood was seeping from an
unseen wound as the creature staggered. Kuno raced past and struck out
with his bokken. The monster's arm fell to the ground and Mousse attacked
with a bull dozer.
Lara saw the large piece of machinery fly at the demon and stopped
trying to free her guns from the pack. She suddenly had a nasty
suspiscion that she would only be in the way. Lara hobbled over to Nabiki
and lowered herself to sit beside her. "I think I'll sit this one out."
Nabiki knew what she meant and laughed. "Sure thing. Want a cold soda?"
They sipped the chilled drinks and watched as the battle turned ugly.
Shampoo and Ukyo had taken exception at the demon's attack of Ranma and
threw themselves into the fray with glee. Uyko screamed something that
Lara didn't quite catch as she began to slice the demon with her huge
spatuala. Shampoo cracked the demon over the head with her bomboori and
it fell to it's knees. Ranma attacked again and Lara couldn't see his
fists as they pummeled the beast. Finally the creature slipped back into
the crack.
Lara ordered everyone to their places and they set their hands into
place simultaniously. There was a bright flare of light and everyone fell
back from the stone.
Akane blinked rapidly and focused on her hand. the stone was gone. She
looked at the seal and let out a cheer. "All right! It's whole again! We
did it!" She turned and saw Ranma give her a thubs up sign as he helped
Nabiki stand. Ryoga looked around and realized that he couldn't see Lara.
"Where's Lara?"
Lara was several yards away and was staring at her hand in confusion.
She had heard Akane's yell and that meant that they had completed their
quest, but it didn't answer one small question. Ranma knelt in front of
her and frowned in concern. "You okay?"
"Uh, yeah. Everyone's crystal's gone?" She looked at the others and they
held up empty hands. Lara curled her hand into a fist and got to her
feet. She went back to the stone and studyied the markings again. Now
that the seal had been repaired she could see the complete text. Lara
read the instructions in disbelief and groaned. "Oh great!"
Akane knelt beside her. "What's wrong?"
Lara held out her fist and opened her hand. The black crystal was still
there. "I have to find the other four again before I can remove this one.
They've probably been blasted to the four corners of the world. Oh well.
I was going there anyway." She looked at the ragtag group that had just
saved the world and laughed.
"Anyone care to join me?"
shimai
"Trust Ivanova. Trust yourself. Anybody else...shoot 'em."
-Ivanova, Babylon 5