Yo, Alex again. It's been, what, two months since I've posted part of this?
Let's send another one out!
This is sort of an Elseworlds fic, but in contrast to those fics that go
right ahead and *tell* you how they're different, I'm starting in the middle.
You'll figure things out. Really. Warning: the following contains a spoiler
to the brand spankin' new, just out in the U.S.A. Playstation game _Bloody
Roar_. How did I beat the game so quickly, when it was just released today?
Easy!
I was on a Tiger cruise with my brother on the U.S.S. Nimitz, and this
wondrous game was out in Japan. Heh heh. I already had lots of practice.
Just a small spoiler. You'll barely notice it. Really. Would I lie to
you?
Just a reminder:
[This is a thought. You can tell from the []s that surround it.]
{Panda sign, here. See the {}s? }
"(English) Now I'm speaking another language. Can you tell?"
Paladin Dragonis is a character of my own devising. Maybe you don;t
remember the previous posts, so I'll refresh your memory. If you *do*
remember him, or don;t feel like getting to know him (more fool you!), just
skip down. Go ahead, I dare ya!
PALADIN
name: Paladin Dragonis, aka Paladin Wanderer
age: unknown, appears to be in his late teens. (Birthday is December 21)
race: human, caucasian. country of origin: presumed America.
description:
height: 6' 2.5" weight: 200 lbs. build: athletic
hair style: worn short w/ long bangs hair color:
brown
typical clothing: blue jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt.
Always wears a
black windbreaker.
notable features: wears glasses, usually has a Walkman,
faint burn
scars on his arms. Constantly seems to be lost.
Always.
martial arts style: A strange style that seems related to Anything Goes.
weaponry: A wakizashi he calls "Justice".
history: mostly unknown. Paladin has a severe case of amnesia and can't
remember anything before two years ago.
Well, wasn't that fun? Here's the first chapter. Enjoy.
-----------------------------------Rising of the
Storm----------------------------------------------------------
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Alex Ravenar
Based on Ranma 1/2, created by Rumiko Takahashi.
* *
*
[Just when things seem like they can't get any worse. . .] Paladin mused,
looking around at the bare stone walls of the mysterious chamber. [Where am
I?]
He sat down lotus-style in the center of the room, his Walkman playing
resolutely against the dead silence.
"This place is like a tomb." he said aloud, more to hear the sound of his
voice then any other reason. The echoes bounced hollowly from the walls and
faded out. He stood up and glanced around the room again.
"I think this is the first time I've gotten lost and ended up in a place
with no entrance. . ." he murmured, shivering despite the warmth of the air
and the comfort of his windbreaker.
Then, almost as if forced to, he looked up.
He swallowed convulsively.
"Oh man. . ." he said softly. "It *is* a tomb. . ."
* *
*
"Have you seen Paladin?" Kasumi asked as she served breakfast.
"Mrgmph." Ranma replied eloquently. Akane glared at him, then turned back
to Kasumi.
"Not today. I don't think he was in his room last night."
"How would *you* know?" Nabiki asked, at the same time as Kasumi said:
"Oh my. I hope he's okay."
"Paladin? He's probably on some tropical beach watching women in bikinis."
Ranma commented in between bites.
"In which case, he's probably bled to death by now." Nabii reminded him.
"Oh dear."
"Don't worry," Akane said, giving Ranma and Nabiki flat looks. "I'm sure
Paladin's doing just fine."
* *
*
He swallowed again, staring at the giant web that formed a makeshift
ceiling ten feet above the floor. Skeletons hung in various locations, bones
plucked clean by insects, age, and decay. The tattered remains of clothing
and armor was loose around the bones, and skeletal fists clenched long unused
weapons. Behind the bodies, blackness, giving the appearance of great
distance.
Paladin stepped back, not noticing the muffled "click" this action caused.
"My god. . ." he breathed softly.
Behind him, a small breeze stirred the dust.
"How long have they been up there?" he wondered aloud.
Another "click" heralded the release of a dart, tipped with deadly poison.
"Probably broke their necks when they hit. Poor fellows."
The dart flew, unerringly aimed for it's target.
"Hmm. . .that must mean there's a way out beyond that web!"
The dart spang!ed off a windbreaker harder than most startship armor.
"Now, how to get up there. . . ?"
* *
*
Mousse nursed his most recent set of wounds as he pondered his dilemma.
His eternal dilemma.
[Why can't Xian Pu see how much I love her?] he thought. A conversation
not too long ago arose in his head. . .
**Flashback**
"Why can't Shampoo see how much I love her?" he demanded. Paladin shrugged
and took a sip of his water.
They sat in one of the corner tables of the Nekohanten. The cafe was
emoty, between meal rushes. Cologne was back in the kitchen, rinsing the
dishes and readying for the dinner hours, and Shampoo had taken a platter of
ramen over to Ranma -- heavily spiked with passion dust, no doubt.
"I mean, all I've ever done is love her! I've proposed to her more times
than I can count! I've dedicated my entire life to her!"
Mousse sniffled and looked like he was about to start crying. Paladin
handed him a pack of Kleenex. He looked thoughtful as Mousse blew his nose.
"Have you ever given her a chance to think about how she feels about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"What's the longest time you've been away from her?"
Mousse thought for a second. "When she was hunting Ranma for the first
time."
"Maybe -- just maybe -- if you left her alone for a little while, so that
the two of you can organize your thoughts and find out how you feel about each
other-"
"ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME ABANDON MY LOVE?!"
"I can answer better when I can breathe." Paladin replied quietly. Mousse
blinked, released his grip on Paladin's throat, and sat back down.
"Sorry."
"No problem."
"You were saying?"
"You need to take a break, go on a training trip or something. Get your
thoughts together about Shampoo, and more importantly, *let he get her
thoughts together about you.*"
"But-"
"Just think about it, Mousse." Paladin said, standing up. "I've got to
get back to the dojo. Thanks for the water."
"Um. . .see you around, Paladin."
"Talk to you later, Mousse."
**End Flashback**
[Maybe. . .maybe Paladin was right.] Mousse thought, staring at the
ceiling above his bed. [I shall prove myself worthy of Xian Pu's love! After
all, absence makes the heart grow fonder. . .]
* *
*
Paladin sang along with the music as he hacked at the thick strands of the
web.
The sword stuck to the web.
He blinked.
He was clinging to the wall by a niche, swinging left-handed with Justice
at the web.
Which had just stolen his sword.
And at that moment, the batteries on his Walkman died.
[This royally stinks. I'm lost, I'm stuck, the wall is about to give way
and fling me to a painful landing, this stupid web just stole my sword, and my
music just died. Argghh. . .]
He was becoming rapidly angrier/more depressed/more frustrated as he said
this.
Actually, he's been thinking that. What he actually *said* was:
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
He retrieved Justice as she fell by him, sheathing the wakazashi with
practiced ease.
"Thank you," he said to the world at large as various ashes and fragments
of bones and web drifted to the ground below.
Paladin resumed his climb as his Walkman returned to life.
* *
*
Ryoga was lost.
Now, saying "Ryoga is lost" is on a par with saying "Grass is green", or
"The sky is blue".
But this time, Ryoga was "really" lost.
He was walking down a street in the suburbs, somewhere in Japan.
He could hear voices. Girl's voices.
"See you later Aunt Mitsuko!"
He turned to look at one of the houses. Two girls, both dressed in typical
school uniforms, were coming out, one still struggling to put on shoes, the
other already starting to run.
"Don't be so mean, Uriko, wait for me!"
He blinked. Two girls, one running down the street, the other starting to
follow, still holding a piece of toast in her mouth.
Nothing special, right. . .?
Ryoga slowly backed away. Then he turned and started running down the
street, back the way he'd come.
* *
*
Alice glanced back at the boy running down the street. That was wierd. Oh
well. If he was from the Organization, she'd kill him later. In the
meantime. . .
"Dammit Uriko, wait up!"
* *
*
If Kasumi was surprised when Mousse politely knocked on the door, she
didn't show it.
"Hello Mousse, won't you come in?"
"Thank you, Kasumi Tendo. I'm looking for Ranma, is he here?"
"Why yes, he's in the dojo with Akane." Kasumi replied. "Do you need
help...?"
"No, thank you Kasumi Tendo. I can see my way."
It wasn't until after Mousse had walked off towards the dojo that Kasumi
realized he had been wearing his glasses.
* *
*
"C'mon, Akane!" Ranma taunted. "You can do better than that! With legs
that thick, you'd think there'd be some muscles in them, right?"
"Jerk!"
Mousse leaned on one of the dojo walls and watched the two spar.
Or rather, watched Akane do her darndest to hit Ranma.
Ranma idly dodged a brilliant kick/punch/jab combo, and tapped Akane on the
back.
"You know, for someone as tomboyish as you are, you can't fight worth
crap." he commented. Akane purpled. Mousse decided to speak up.
"For someone with as many fiances as you have, Ranma, you certainly treat
them poorly. Insult one and ignore the rest? Maybe Akane Tendo should be
*happy* she gets some attention from you?"
"Huh?" Ranma looked over at Mousse with a puzzled look. Akane took
advantage of his distraction to start pummeling him.
Mousse intervened, sending a large shield on a chain in between the two.
"Excuse me, Akane Tendo, but I need Ranma conscious."
Akane, fuming, backed off to smash some cinder blocks. Ranma stood up and
brushed himself off, and Mousse took note of several places that seemed
bruised.
"So? Whaddaya want, duck boy?"
Mousse took a deep breath. This was the tough part.
"I need a favor." he said. "I need you to help me train."
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Well, that's all I have so far. I could use some C&C here, lemme know
what you think!
Did you notice the Bloody Roar bit? Could you tell it was there? How?
Well, it's 12:05 at night here, so I'm going to go hit the books. Long
day tomorrow. Wait a second, it is tomorrow....I'll get started on writing
the rest o9f this then, huh?
G'night.
-Alex Ravenar
"Never surrender. Retreat on your own terms. And
never, ever, forget to make sure your gun is loaded."
-Deathdancer to the troops, during a rather
entertaining Rifts game. (P.S.: They all went into battle. Without checking
their guns. R.I.P.)