Searching for a cure and one's self
Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
Continuation
Ranma sat alone on the roof of the Tendo dojo nursing his throbbing head
and with a sigh hefted his travel pak before leaving the dojo.
As he walked through the streets of Nerima, he wondered where he would
go.
With a heavy sigh, he relented to the fact he didn't even know where to
begin looking for a cure that is if he could find one at all for as far
as
he knew the cursed springs themselves were still flooded. Pausing
momentarily Ranma sighed and wondered where he would start.
Unknown to Ranma Akane followed with her own travel pack.
...at least she thought she was following Ranma without him knowing.
*********************
Several hours later at around noon Ranma stops to eat in an open field
far
north of Tokyo and just looks around at the scenery.
"Are you searching for something young man?" a mysterious hooded figure
asked as it leaned against the fence post of a nearby field.
"A cure for a magical curse," Ranma answered simply while noting the
figure
was very good at disguising whoever they were.
"A magic curse eh. The best place I know of to find out about magic is
the
underground dungeon about two day's walk from here. However it's sealed
by
a powerful magical spell and protected by the magic of a Master Magi
that
is over 5000 years old," The mysterious figure said before walking off
saying only one more thing before vanishing. "Be careful wild stallion
you
are still young and inexperienced."
Just then, the wind picked up depositing a parchment map practically in
Ranma's hand.
"Hmm," Ranma said nervously, "I have a weird feeling about this," Ranma
mumbled before starting to follow the map's instructions to the sealed
underground dungeon.
*******************
Later that night Ranma sets up camp in a small grove of trees and begins
cooking only to hear something.
"You mite as well come out Akane I know you're there," Ranma said as he
laid back on the ground.
"How long," Akane asked as she sat down on the opposite side of the
campfire as Ranma.
"Since we left the dojo," Ranma replied.
"Oh," was all Akane said in reply.
"So why were you leaving," Ranma asked sometime later.
"Do you really need to ask? After what happened I needed sometime away
from
the dojo and when I saw you leaving well I kinda figured you were going
after a cure," Akane replied to which Ranma only nodded to as a reply
before checking the food he had been cooking. Finding it done he served
himself and Akane.
"So who do you think that weirdo in the cloak was," Ranma asked after
inhaling his food.
"I don't know but whoever it was they seemed familiar."
"Yeah I thought so to," Ranma said absently. "I can't quite put my
finger
on who that guy or for that matter girl reminded me of," Ranma added
before
a nervous silence fell over the two. "Why did you agree to it," Ranma
asked
an unknown amount of time later.
Assuming Ranma was talking about the failed wedding Akane answered
nervously. "After what happened I realized I really did love you despite
all of fighting arguments screaming matches and everything else I still
do," Akane said with a very bright blush to which Ranma replied by
slumping
noticeably.
"You aren't going to start acting like Shampoo are you?"
"NO WAY," Akane practically screamed before noticing Ranma's odd look,
"What do you think love is anyhow."
"Hmm well," Ranma said before getting a description of love based on
those
that had loved him quote unquote in Nerima needless to say this
explanation
of love leaves Akane well beyond shocked. "No Ranma love is about none
of
those things. All of those things are an example of self-delusion."
"You mean they've all been acting like Kunou," Ranma said while
scratching
his head.
"At some level yes," Akane answered.
"Then what is love," Ranma asked while pulling on his pigtail.
"You have to answer that question yourself," Akane replied before
adding,
"Mom always told me that love is something that is very personal."
"Oh," Ranma said in reply as he nervously scratched his head as he
decided
to set up his tent.
***********************
Later that night we find the mysterious cloaked figure that had told
Ranma
of the sealed dungeon sitting in a tree high above the camp looking down
at
the two tents below.
Silently the figure removed its cloak to reveal the figure was a walking
skeleton and where the eyes should've been there was only a glowing blue
light.
Strangely, the 'undead' figure radiated a powerful benevolent aura.
Leaning back against the tree trunk the figure crossed its arms before
looking up at the stars.
[Day 1 A talk during a thunderstorm]
The next morning Ranma and Akane awake have breakfast and continue on
their
way never noticing the hooded figure in the tree.
***********************
Several hours later, around noon, we find Ranma-chan and Akane waiting
out
a thunderstorm under a dirt embankment.
"..." was all Ranma-chan said as she crossed her arms and leaned back
against the underside of the embankment, which was surrounded by a small
grove of trees as she watched a nearby stream.
"Are you ok Ranma you've been awfully quiet today?" Akane asked as she
sat
beside Ranma-chan.
"Yeah I'm fine. As to being quiet with no crazy fianc�es or rivals
around
there's not much to talk about," Ranma-chan said before looking up at
the
sky through the trees just as a lightning bolt flashed in the distance.
In response, Akane only nodded.
A half an hour later the storm had not even considered letting up let
alone
stopping.
"Tell me why do you call me names and insult me?"
"Most of the time when I insult you it's because you call me a pervert
or
baka ... I'm not either ... In fact till that sex-ed class a couple of
months ago I didn't even really know much about what sex was."
"You're joking about that last part aren't you?"
"Nope the only thing pop ever said about sex was something in between a
mumble and a grumble."
"...Oh," was all Akane said in reply before looking at Ranma-chan
strangely.
"But what about all the times you acted like a," Akane said before
Ranma-
chan interrupted.
"What has to be done has to be done ... like that time I snuck into the
girls' locker room looking for the Japanese nannichuan."
Somewhere in between anger and annoyance, Akane replied, "well you
could've
had the decency to wait till after school was out."
Sighing deeply Ranma-chan only nodded, "common sense never has been my
strong point .... Of course that's probably Pops fault sense he has even
less."
"Point," Akane responded rather sharply.
"What I don't get is why the girls got so angry when someone sees them
with
out anything on. I mean it's just stupid to overreact that much over
something so trivial," Ranma-chan said absently causing Akane to become
angry for a moment until realizing Ranma-chan was honestly clueless.
"It's because boys shouldn't see girls naked that's why."
"Why," Ranma-chan asked simply never noticing Akane starting to fume as
she
continued. "I mean what's the big deal about it all. It just seems so
stupid. In the boys locker room no one cares that the next guy is naked
and
as far as I know the same is true in the girls locker room ... but as
soon
as a boy sees a girl naked it's some kind of huge crime but not if a
girl
sees a boy naked. ... I won't even go into the fact it's always the boys
fault when they see a girl naked even if the girl walks in on the boy."
"Yeah I guess it is kinda stupid when you put it that way," Akane
admitted
after a long moment of thought before mentally adding 'and even a bit
sexist,' before continuing to speak, "but that's just the way things
are,"
Akane said before pausing for a moment, "... so why aren't you baka."
"Well just think about how quick I learn new techniques."
"What about school?"
"Between the snoring panda, and the middle of the night challenges
school
is the only place I get to sleep for more than a few minutes. Then
there's
a certain Chi-draining teacher that sucks what little energy I have left
away ... and even basic subtraction will tell you what's going to happen
next."
Again Akane's reply was a simple oh that was followed a few moments
later
by Akane's next question, "what about the names."
"Well uncute because you get so mad about things, Tomboy because you are
one, not that I got anything against tomboys. Long as there not being
uncute or well whatever you want to call what Ukyou and shampoo do
always
playing up to me. Acting all cutesy saying what they think I want to
hear
then plotting behind my back."
"And what about me," Akane asked nervously.
"Well you're always up front with me. You're never afraid to tell me
exactly what's on your mind. Also if you've got an opinion on something
you
make it known without hesitation and my mom says the reason why you get
so
angry with me is because you want to correct my faults and even I know
that's something good friends are supposed to do."
"Is that all I am to you a good friend?"
"Well as far as I'm concerned you're the only real friend I've got any
more.
Everyone else has something they want from me ... but thinking back on
it
all you've wanted from me is to be better then my pop and stuff like
that
and I got no arguments there."
"Anything else," Akane asked.
"Well I wish you wouldn't take my teasing so seriously and well," Ranma-
chan said before trailing off.
"Well what."
"Promise you won't get mad."
"Ok," Akane said warily.
"Well during a fight people fling insults to get the other guy or gal
angry
enough so there style goes to nothing and if you go nucellar just
because
of my teasing I don't even know how angry Shampoo will get you by
flinging
insults during a battle," Ranma-chan explained.
Biting her lip nervously Akane could only nod in reply before blinking,
"where did you learn how to fling insults any how?"
"Watching farm girls fight over some guy. Trust me they even make me
look
like an amateur at flinging insults," Ranma-chan admitted freely causing
Akane to blanch visibly after all even she knew Ranma was no slouch at
flinging insults.
"What else," Akane asked curiously, to which Ranma-chan replied with a
shrug. "Well what about the fighting."
"What about it. We're both martial artists and fighting is just
something
that's in our nature," Ranma-chan answered.
Akane didn't even reply to that statement as she thought about what
Ranma-
chan had said coming up with no immediate response to Ranma-chan's
statement Akane decided to change the subject. "So when do you think the
storm will stop."
"Probably one maybe two hours," Ranma-chan replied before the two began
waiting silently.
One-hour and 32 minutes later the storm cleared and the two continued on
their way.
*********************
That night after Ranma had fallen asleep. Akane stared at the coals from
the campfire thinking about the conversation she and her fianc� had had
during the thunderstorm.
The conversation had answered many questions only to reveal more than a
few
mysteries about Ranma.
The most paramount one on Akane's mind however was Ranma's answer to
their
fighting.
However, after a few more minutes of trying to decipher even one of the
mysterious of who Ranma was Akane merely sighed heavily before entering
her
tent and drifting off to sleep.
In a loan tree a mile or so from the camp the hooded figure relaxed
before
leaning back against the tree trunk of the tree it was sitting on and
looking up at the starts once more.
[Day 2 Halfway point]
Early morning we find Ranma and Akane walking along an old country road
when the two happen upon to country girls fighting over a nearby boy.
"See told you country girls can make me look like an amateur at flinging
insults," Ranma whispered to Akane who only nodded as a reply as the two
continued on their way absently watching the goings on of country life
that
they happened to see.
Several hours later the two stop as Ranma looks at the map. "Hmm looks
like
from this point on it's going to be pretty rough going so we better
stock
up on supplies," Ranma said plainly, before the two headed into a nearby
village to do just that after which the two continue on into a very deep
and thick forest.
That night we find Ranma and Akane sitting by a campfire.
Ranma had his arms crossed, head down, and was apparently asleep.
"So how much longer till we get there."
"Half a day at the most," Ranma said without lifting his head up, "is it
just me or do you think it's weird that that figure gave us this map
...it
seems like were getting roped into something here, and I finely figured
out
what that figure reminded me of."
"What."
"The Springs," Ranma said as he looked up.
"Do you think whoever that was? Was responsible for them?"
"I don't see how the springs are supposed to be at least 4000 years
old,"
Ranma answered, "but then the old ghoul is 300 years old so I suppose
it's
not that far of the stretch for somebody to live 4000 or more using
magic."
A thoughtful silence was Akane's only reply as she nodded.
"Anything wrong," Ranma asked.
"I don't know but I feel like I know whoever that character was he/she
seemed awfully familiar."
Ranma's only reply was to nod as he picked up a nearby cup of tea, "so
what
do you think this figure, whoever or what ever it is, is up to."
"Maybe just maybe this time it's on our side."
"Maybe I did sense a powerful compassion coming from whoever that was
but
also an hmm ...what was that word again oh yeah malevolence ... but I
also
sensed some malevolence coming from whoever it was. ... Sort 'a like
Nabiki
when she's planning on playing a practical joke but different more
vengeful
no but something like vengeance," Ranma replied distractedly before
reaching into his backpack and pulling out a textbook nearly causing
Akane's jaw to fall off. "Believe it or not I do try to keep up in
school
Akane," Ranma said without looking up from the book.
However, 20 are so minutes later it became apparent that Ranma wasn't
getting anywhere.
"What any help," Akane said as she sat down by Ranma while also taking
his
textbook from him.
Three or so hours later, the two had both fallen asleep leaving the
science
book they had been studying to flop onto the ground revealing the
chapter
the two had been studying which was on sound and waves.
************
Meanwhile high in the tree tops the mysterious figure mentally smiled as
it
saw the book before leaning back and looking up at the starts.
[Day 3 The mysterious dungeon]
Akane awoke to find herself sleeping next to Ranma silently Akane left
his
side while thinking she would enjoy the day she could wake up with Ranma
by
her side and not have to worry about being interrupted by anyone.
************
Later that day Ranma and Akane, arrive at the location the map had given
them only to find a sheer cliff.
"If we have to climb this thing forget it," Akane commented annoyingly
while looking at the sheer cliff face.
Ranma's only reply was to curiously look at the cliff face before
starting
to examine it, "seems solid enough but I'm not sensing what I should
from
this amount of rock," Ranma said aloud before placing the map in his
pocket
and punching the cliff face.
The results were interesting to say the least.
The cliff face rippled and outlined the shape of a large door.
"Well looks like we won't be climbing the cliff after all," Ranma
mumbled
as he rubbed his fist.
"You ok."
"Yeah what ever this is it was tougher then Saffron's hide was," Ranma
commented before backing off and firing off a ki blast.
The results were similar except for the rippling affect headed towards
the
point on impact instead of away.
"It almost looked like it absorbed it."
"It did but it absorbed it differently than it did my punch," Ranma
commented before sitting down next to the cliff face and playing with it
by
occasionally tapping it and firing off small ki blasts at it. "It looks
like direct force isn't going to work it just keeps making waves," Ranma
said before trailing off only to exclaim as he remembered the previous
nights work. "WAIT! Remember how the science book said that waves will
cancel each other out if there directly opposite to each other."
"Yeah," Akane said thoughtfully. "I get what you're saying if you can
get
the inward waves and the outward waves to meet and cancel each other out
and the door will open."
"Now the only problem is making sure the two waves are directly
opposite,"
Ranma said after punching and firing a ki blast at the door at the same
time with less than spectacular results.
"Yeah it looks like the energy and physical forces have to be delivered
at
the same time and from the same place," Akane said after a long moment
of
thought.
This caused Ranma to smile before his fist started to glow and with the
shout of, "Ki-ken!" Ranma once more struck the hidden door this time
however, the door dissipates easily.
"Well I suppose that's it for the door," Akane said with a smile before
she
and Ranma entered the cave however, one thought reverberated through
Ranma's mind.
'That was easier than I thought it would be .... Maybe too easy' were
Ranma's exact thoughts as he and Akane continued on into the cave.
After 4 hours of trekking through the cave however, Ranma was thinking
anything but the cave being easy considering the sheer number of traps
he
and Akane had run into.
First, there was a battery of 10 sentry cannons that fired off magical
cannonballs while not particularly damaging the sheer number of them
made
them a treacherous task to destroy. In addition, the cannons left Ranma
with more than a few bruises.
Second, there was a hallway filled with gas traps that spewed a noxious
mixture of poisons and toxins that Ranma was sure came from Kodachi's
demented laboratory. This left Ranma with a large headache after all he
had
encountered such poisons and toxins before.
Third, there were the spike traps, which thoroughly shredded Ranma's
shirt
and left Ranma himself with numerous small cuts.
Then of course, there was the Boulder in the long hallway Ranma's only
response to it was an annoyed ki blast.
The next trap literally froze Ranma in his tracts but did little more
than
that.
After thawing out Ranma encountered a battery of four lightning traps,
which left him shocked to say the least.
In addition, after a long rest the two continued on only to have Ranma
encounter a fire-burst trap, which leaves the pigtailed martial artist
looking like something Akane had coked.
Nevertheless, after that the two had finely managed to enter the main
dungeon complex.
What they found was; a large lair with many rooms, with the equally
large
kitchen next door, an enormous library, also they found a workshop with
substantial quantities of stored magical items and the means to create
new
ones, as well as a training room. Then there was what could only be
described as an underground Coliseum, and lastly there was a giant
beating
heart in the floor of the central room of the dungeon.
"What in the kami-sama's name is that," Ranma mumbled quite loudly
before a
ghostly figure reminiscent of a British butler appeared above the heart.
"I am the dungeon keeper and you may call me Alfred," the figure replied
calmly.
"What is this place?" Ranma asked of the figure.
"A gateway, training ground, and meeting place for those that know of
Avalon ... which obviously you do not considering you tripped every trap
on
your way in here. No matter I can since you have good hearts and it has
been many years since I have had any company except for my creator. now
if
you want anything merely ask and I shall be there to assist in any way I
can unless of course you are in one of the rooms in the lair," the
dungeon
keeper Alfred stated before looking at Ranma and Akane, "do you have any
questions as of now."
"Yeah where does that door behind you lead?"
"That is the grand portal room merely tell one of the portals where you
wish to go and you shall be transported there if you have previously
been
to that place by your self."
"And how do you get back," Ranma asked.
"Well for those that do not use Magic a return amulet or bracelet is
necessary to return to the portal room."
"One of each then," Ranma said earning him an elbow in the gut from
Akane.
"Be polite baka," Akane growled.
"No need for that Ma'am I am a magical servant and keeper politeness is
neither needed nor expected," Alfred replied before waving his hand
causing
a small three-foot creature with huge eyes to appear. However, before
the
creature could even react it was snared by a huge hand and drug off at a
rapid pace. "The imp will return shortly with your return amulet and
bracelet. However I have been dormant for too long and because of this
it
will take me at least until tomorrow morning to reactivate the portals,"
Alfred replied before vanishing with a bow.
****************
Five or so minutes later Ranma and Akane had settled into one of the
rooms
in the Magi dungeon.
"So tomorrow I guess we go to the springs," Akane stated as she looked
at
the magical bracelet she had received while Ranma absently looked at the
amulet he had received while thumbing over the instructions that had
come
with it.
"Yeah looks like it ends tomorrow," Ranma said before he and Akane
decided
to get some rest after all they had had a hard day.
*******************
However, in the library of the Magi's dungeon the cloaked figure sat in
an
ancient looking oak chair studying an equally looking ancient book on
astronomy.
[Day 4 The springs]
Ranma awoke late to find Akane sitting in a nearby chair looking at a
map
while smiling.
"What's that?" Ranma asked curiously.
"A copy of a magic map that's in the library showing the layout of the
springs including the spring is the drowned man," Akane said with a wide
smile, "now all we have to do is wait for the portal to recharge."
"Can it finally becoming to an end," Ranma wondered aloud doubt evident
in
his voice before a knock was heard on the door.
"Breakfast will be served in a few minutes," Alfred said from outside.
No points on what Ranma's reaction to the announcement of food was.
*******************
Later that morning Akane finds Ranma at the center of what Alfred had
identified as the combat pit practicing.
"Ranma I have a question for you," Akane asked interrupting Ranma's
practice.
"Go on," Ranma answered.
"Why don't you hit me when we spar?"
"You know I don't hit girls Akane," Ranma answered annoyedly.
"Bull shit you've hit more than a few girls," Akane responded to which
Ranma replied by looking very annoyed, "...ok then why don't you hit
girls."
The response Akane received from this was interesting Ranma just
scratched
the back of his head nervously.
"I can't remember," Ranma finely answered.
"You mean you don't remember," Akane asked curiously.
"No I really can't remember," Ranma admitted while looking somewhere in
between embarrassed and frustrated.
This left Akane to blink loudly and look at Ranma questioningly.
"it's another effect of the Neko-ken not only can't I remember anything
when I go through it but I can't remember things that happen before it
...
I don't really remember anything that happen before the Neko-ken very
well
not even bits and pieces ...it's all just a fuzzy blur," Ranma
explained.
"Kami you mean you don't remember your childhood."
"No just another thing pop robbed me of," Ranma muttered darkly before
firing off a few ki blasts.
"Another thing," Akane asked while sounding both angry and scared.
"Pop has put me through 4 really horrible training methods the each left
their scar on me. ... First, the Neko-ken robbed me of my childhood
memories and occasionally it still does eat a few. ... Second, there was
a
training methods pop came up with to help me control my emotions. ...
Since
then I haven't been really able to do anything but control them. ...
Third,
he came up with a method to increase how quickly I learned skills. ...
since then I haven't been able to really learn any new skills like I did
before and it seems to block anything that doesn't have to do with the
martial arts and lastly just before we went to China he came up with his
most insane method. it totally backfired because of it I can't remember
any
of the armed fighting styles I learned and all of the reading I did on
math,
science, technology, philosophy and everything else seems to be totally
gone. ... Pop used to be a halfway decent guy. If you dismiss the fact,
he's a thief and a liar but every time he came up with one of these
training methods, he got worse. ... Shortly after pop did the second
method,
we left Ukyou. ... Shortly after the third one, we left a sensei that
was
teaching me how to use the violin and draw. couldn't do either because
of
training method backfired and right after we left Ryouga pop did the
fourth
one. Each method chipped away at who I am leaving someone that was less
of
who they were behind; someone that lost a fifth of who they were each
time."
Akane literally couldn't think of anything to say and so just sat there
with her mouth open reeling at Ranma's tale.
However, before anything more was said by Ranma, Alfred appeared and
spoke,
"the great portal room has been fully recharged and is ready."
"Well then let's get going Akane," Ranma said with a smile."
*************
Five minutes later Ranma and Akane stood before one of the many portals
in
the grand portal room.
"So you ready," Ranma asked to which Akane nodded to as a reply, "ok
grand
portal open the path to the cursed Springs of Jusenkyo."
The portals silent response was immediate as is mirrored surface
momentarily became opaque before revealing the image of the springs.
After
that, Ranma and Akane stepped through and were instantly at the cursed
springs. The springs stood silently and looked just as innocent as the
day
Ranma first set eyes on them. However, Ranma and Akane both knew the
true
nature of the pools before them.
Ranma said nothing before pulling out a map to the springs and after he
put
the map away, he turned to a nearby spring and smiled bitterly. "It
would
have to be the one right next to the one I fell into wouldn't it," Ranma
said before reaching out for the magic water only to encounter a force
field. "Another force field well we know how to deal with these," Ranma
said before punching the force field with the ki-ken. However, this
force
field did not even ripple let alone dissipate. "Damm," Ranma mumbled
swinging at another spring only to receive the same result.
"I have sealed the springs Wild Stallion," the mysterious hooded figure
said as it as it appeared from nowhere.
"Why and what gives you the right."
"The right is mine because these springs are my fault. As to why they
are
sealed, it is because of what you did to their water supply. The magic
of
the entire area is unstable because of your battle with Saffron. In a
month's time they will be transported to the magical kingdom of Avalon
where they will remain for the rest of time."
Ranma's only response to this was an angered scream before he charged
the
hooded figure. The hooded figure however was quick but not quick enough
as
was apparent when Ranma ripped off one of the figure's cloak sleeves
revealing to both Ranma and Akane what was underneath
...a skeletal arm wearing a leather glove.
"Hmm it appears you have found out one of my secrets quicker than I
wanted
you to ... no matter it does not change my plans," the figure said
before
turning to face Akane. "Your name may mean scarlet but anger shouldn't
be
the only emotion you allow that name to lead you to also your treatment
of
Ranma and the fact you have never tried to understand his curse are
inexcusable. So from now untell you and Ranma complete my tasks you
shall
suffer your own curse."
That said the hooded figure raises its skeletal arm and fires off an
energy
blast right at Akane. Ranma of course tried to intercept the blast but
even
he knew he would not make it in time.
When the energy blast found its mark, Akane was instantly changed into a
young man that was now wearing a blue bright Chinese shirt identical in
style to one of Ranma's usual red Chinese shirts and a pair of black
drawstring pants also identical in style to one of Ranma's usual pairs.
Growling venomously Ranma turned to the mysterious cloaked figure, "what
do
you want us to do."
The figure is only immediate response was to pull out two letters from
within its cloak, "deliver this letter to the king of Avalon and this
letter to the leader of the council of Magi after that return here and I
will lift the curse on Akane."
"What about Ranma?" the now male Akane managed to croak out through the
shock of what had just happened.
Somewhat sadly the figure looked to the ground, "Ranma I will tell you
the
truth now you will never be free of your female body and all I will be
able
to do when you return is give you the control the springs and their
water
based trigger have robbed you of."
"I'll be in control of it," Ranma said while sounding like he didn't
know
what to feel like only to shake his head and angrily look at the figure
once again. "Fine will do your little errand but only if you make it so
Akane can at least change back with hot and cold water."
The figure's only immediate reply to this was to reach within its hood
--
presumably to rub its chin-- and start and think. After a moment
however,
the figure nodded its head and said, "So be it," before firing off an
energy blast at Akane-kun who twitched slightly before the figure spoke
again, "When you return to the Magi's dungeon Alfred will inform you how
to
get to Avalon. Also the full services of the Magi's dungeon shall be
yours
to use as you see fit," the figure said before turning to leave only to
be
interrupted by Akane-kun.
"Wait who are you?"
"I am the progenitor and guardian of the cursed springs, builder of the
first Magi's dungeon, and many other things as to my name however ...
well
from now until you complete my tasks you may refer to me as Madame
RelOrt
of the third Royal House of Avalon. Also with those pieces of
information
most anyone in Avalon will know who you are talking about."
That said the figure vanishes into the mists of the springs you leaving
Ranma and Akane-Kun alone.
"I suppose we should return to the Magi's dungeon," Akane-kun said
rather
nervously before Ranma nodded and raised his amulet while Akane-kun
raised
his bracelet.
"Return to the grand portal room now," the two said at the same time
before
both vanished in a flash of light.
*******************
Three or four hours later after Alfred had finished explaining to Ranma
how
to get to Avalon Ranma found Akane-Kun in the training room
halfheartedly
punching a training dummy.
The only immediate response Ranma gave to this was to remember what
Akane-
Kun had said when they had gotten back from the springs those words
were,
'I need some time alone,' after that Akane-Kun had merely walked off
leaving Ranma alone to talk with Alfred.
"You ok," Ranma asked concerned obvious in his voice.
"I don't know," was the now male tomboy's immediate response, "it feels
like well sort of like wearing a different style of clothing."
"That all," Ranma asked curiously.
"No I don't know why but I feel like I've just been punished by my
mother,"
Akane-Kun said as he began to cry. "I have no idea why but it does."
"Come on let's go get you some hot water," Ranma said as he lead
Akane-Kun
off.
***************
Ten minutes later Akane after had been returned to her natural form. She
was found comfortably sitting on the chair she had been on that morning
while Ranma sat on the bed.
"So how do we get to Avalon?" Akane finely asked.
"There's a special gateway Alfred says it'll take a week to recharge.
After
we get through the portal we'll be on a very out skirts of Avalon's
Southern continent far away from any port city and basically in the
middle
of nowhere."
"So where do we have to go to."
"The floating capital Alfred says it floats above high above the world
and
never stays stationary."
"So how are we supposed to get to it fly?" Akane said with a raised
eyebrow.
"Yep Alfred says there are three ways if we can find any sufficiently
skilled martial artist that is also a ki master he'll be able to teach
us
how to fly or we could find someone with an airship we could get their
really quick but airships powerful enough to reach the capital are only
found on the eastern continent. Then there's a gateway spell which would
get us their instantly but we would have to find and befriend someone
with
at least the level of a wizard."
"So anyway we slice it its going to take us forever to finish this."
A simple yep was Ranma's reply.
"So which way does Alfred suggest we go for first?" Akane asked with a
sigh.
"Either a friend or the airship ...so I figure we look for a friend as
we
head towards the eastern continent of Avalon," was Ranma's plan.
"Sounds good to me ... so what are we going to do until then."
"Find a way to cure the Neko-Ken. Alfred says the inhabitants of the
Southern continent are some kind of cat people and the countryside is
full
big cats."
"Oi," Akane mumbled.
"Don't worry Alfred said he do everything he could to find a cure in the
library."
"And untill then?" Akane asked.
"Well I've been thinking about what you said this morning and
considering
where we're going I'm going to have to start training you for real so
tomorrow morning we begin training," Ranma said sheepishly before
getting
ready for bed only to hear Akane sigh. "Anything wrong," Ranma asked
curiously.
"No not really," Akane answered a little too quickly.
"Come on what's wrong," Ranma asked while sounding concerned.
"Nothing," Akane said while starting to sound annoyed.
"It's not nothing you can't fool me," Ranma reply while looking annoyed
him
self.
After this point things quickly deteriorated into an argument however
after
a moment or two Akane blurted out, "I just thought it was nice sleeping
by
you the other night," in a rage before realizing what she had said as
she
covered her mouth and developed a large blush along with Ranma.
"Really ...well I guess it was kinda nice," Ranma said as the blush on
his
face grew to the point it looked as red as his hair did in when in
female
form. "If you want 'a we could do it again I mean well snuggle," Ranma
added as his face literally started to glow red causing Akane to giggle
before hopping onto the bed with Ranma after which the two got under the
covers and began to snuggle albeit a bit nervously.
After a few minutes, however the two were feeling far from comfortable.
'I need to do something to lighten up the mood. Hmm I wonder at Ranma is
ticklish' Akane thought before proceeding to find out the answer she
received was most definitive as the pigtailed martial artist started to
laugh.
"Hay quit it," Ranma managed to get out in between laughs.
"No this is fun," Akane replied with a wide smile as she continued her
onslaught.
"Oh really," Ranma replied before he too started to trickle.
After this, things quickly developed into a full-scale tickle war.
***************
While in the library the hooded figure of Madam RelOrt sat in her oak
chair
reading an ancient looking tome entitled 'magical cures for feline
related
psychological disorders and traumas; volume 5 The Neko-Ken'.
'I wish I had a stomach right now because I really need a cup of tea
*flips
a page in the book* ... no make that a cup of distilled caffeine' Madam
RelOrt thought as she rubbed her head.
***************
Meanwhile back in Ranma and Akane's room the tickle war had ended rather
oddly when Ranma had tickled too far up Akane's shirt and groped her
left
breast.
The situation that had developed from that accident was still going on.
The
situation was quite simple ... well at least to describe. Ranma had one
arm
around Akane's waist from his position behind Akane and his other hand
was
still cupping Akane's left breast.
Neither of the two teens seemed ready to move or even talk considering
they
were both very comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.
After about 10 minutes, however the silence got to Ranma and he spoke
quietly, "hmm how'd we end up like this?"
"A trickle war if I remember correctly," Akane said sarcastically as she
looked up at Ranma who looked very sheepish.
"I'm sorry I didn't," Ranma managed to get out before being interrupted.
"Don't be sorry Ranma it was great fun," Akane said only an inch or two
away from Ranma's lips.
With that said a nervous silence fell over the two before Ranma turned
red
to which Akane replied by asking why he did so until Akane felt
something
hard pressing against her rear.
"My mom told me that sometimes friends become lovers because something
stupid happens ...and they end up losing their friendship because of
it ...," Ranma said nervously as he looked into Akane's brown eyes.
Silence was the only immediate reply Akane gave before remembering
something her mother had told her just as she realized what it meant to
Ranma to have a friend, "my mom said sometimes friends get close enough
that a love is born from that friendship ... sometimes it's like a love
siblings have for each other and sometimes it's romantic."
"But how do I know," Ranma asked while looking like he had seen a cat.
Maintaining the scant small distance between her and Ranma Akane
replied,
"Search your feelings how does this make you feel."
Ranma didn't reply at all and only looked at Akane with a terrified
look.
Akane herself tried to think of something that would calm her friend and
fianc�e when a realization struck as she remembered what Ranma had said
about their fighting. This realization showed her perhaps for the first
time that Ranma's main form of recreation and fun was fighting. As well
as
the fact, he knew almost nothing else. 'The constant fighting between us
is
his way of showing his friendship and he's terrified of losing that.'
Akane
finely thought coherently before speaking with a smirk, "come on pervert
don't tell me you're scared."
Ranma's immediate response to this was undifferentiated shock. Until
that
is the smirk on Akane's face registered leaving a similar one on Ranma's
face. That is till both smirks faded into a passionate kiss after which
things quickly progressed as the lovers pleasured each other.
[Day 5 Training begins]
Early morning after breakfast, we find Akane looking down at Ranma from
the
top of the battle pit absently thinking of the last night.
'I finely understand why I love him so much,' Akane thought contentedly
as
she watched Ranma warm up. 'It's because were such good friends ... no
we're the best of friends we can fight pound each other senseless spar
make
love hang out together and everything else we do and it just brings us
closer together' Akane thought as one of her trademark smiles appeared
on
her face before Ranma stopped warming up and looked up at her.
"It's time," Ranma said with a definite Sansei tone of voice causing
Akane
to lose her smile and nervously bite her lip as she gulped quite loudly.
Thusly, a cycle began that lasted until the 11th day.
The cycle was quite simple Alfred and Madam RelOrt would quietly
research
the Neko-ken.
Ranma and Akane would spend the morning and most of the afternoon
training
in the combat pit or the training room.
The early evening would be spent soaking in the humongous soaking furo
in
the lair or having a water war.
After dinner, however things got considerably more intimate between the
two
and no matter how bruised Akane was; she was always up for more.
[Day 11 The cat within]
Akane awoke to find Ranma sleeping peacefully nearby however when she
found
she could not awaken him even with her usual sleeping Prince method
Akane
became panicked and then turned pale as she noted the cloaked figure of
Madam RelOrt sitting in the chair in the corner of the room however
before
she could speak Madam RelOrt answered her question.
"I have merely put him in a deep sleep it is the first step," Madam
RelOrt
said as she picked up a book from the table next to the chair.
"Have you found a cure already," Akane said while sounding astonished
only
to witness the truly odd side of a living skeleton in a cloak looking
sheepish.
"well that depends ... from what I've observed of Ranma in the past
points
to the fact he has a lot more damage between the ears then just the
Neko-
ken and well as if the Neko-ken wasn't as complicated as it is. *taps
the
book she is holding for emphasis* we also have to deal with any other
idiotic things Genma has done to him," Madam RelOrt explained.
The only reply Akane gave was to look extremely exasperated as she got
the
point.
"Ranma told me including the Neko-ken his father has put him through
four
things that have really scarred him mentally."
"Go on," Madam RelOrt said as she sat back and let Akane tell her what
Ranma had told her the morning before they went to the springs after
which
the living skeleton ponders things quietly before flipping through the
book
she is holding. "Hmm if I had to guess off and I'd say each one of the
traumas caused Ranma's mind created a separate shielded 'world' ... each
one of these internal world's holds part of him hostage and is probably
guarded by a fear or other some such mental creature."
"So we have to destroy that mental creature right."
"Maybe yes maybe no ...you will have to be the judge of that once you
get
their ...oh and if you see a fear that has nothing to posses and is not
confined by some other thing call me quickly very quickly."
Looking nervous to say the least Akane asked to the obvious question,
"you
mean I have to go inside his head."
"Bingo ... Now off with you," Madam RelOrt said before flicking her
wrist
and causing Akane to fall asleep
*************
Akane opened her eyes to find herself in a huge domed room with five
doors
each of which was unadorned by a seal.
The first door held the seal of a vicious looking Panther guarding a
single
book.
The second door held the seal of a stoic looking creature that Akane
could
not quite describe watching over a group of unruly children that were
confined to a small area.
The third door held the seal of a noble but rather uncultured looking
version of Ranma that was guarding a myriad of different things
associated
with skills of all types.
The fourth door held the seal of an ancient and not all nice looking
librarian who did not want to let any of the books that were behind him
out
of his sight.
The last door, which was much smaller than the others as well as looking
a
lot stronger, held a seal that showed only a specter a very frightening
looking specter.
However, the doors were not what Akane was looking at. What Akane was
looking at was the small child that sat playing with a toy while holding
a
small stuffed panda in the corner of the grand room looking rather sad
and
lonely.
Silently Akane walked over to the boy who looked nervous but yet
hopeful.
"Hi I'm Ranma who are you," Chibi-Ranma said shyly.
"Akane," Akane answered as she sat down.
"Are you here to play with me?" Chibi-Ranma asked hopefully.
"No I'm here to help you get over your fear of cats."
"but I like kitty cats ... well except for that nasty big black one over
there he's mean really mean," Chibi-Ranma explained.
"Well let's go see if we can't make that kitty play nice," Akane said
before the two walked towards the door with the Panther.
*************
Moments later after the two have walked through door to find themselves
in
a long hallway.
"What is this place?" Akane asked.
"Memories but the mean black cat won't let me get to the end of the
hallway
and he always sneaks up behind me and scares me," Chibi Ranma said with
a
pout that was quite funny if not hilarious.
"Memories hun take me to the memory that big black cat jumps out of all
the
time."
"Ok," Chibi-Ranma said before the two started to walk down the long
hallway.
"Tell me Ranma has the black cat always been here."
"Yep he used to be a nice kitty and help me remember things but one day
a
nasty black icky thing came out of the small door back there and wait
inside kitty and he got big and nasty.
'Hmm a black icky thing' Akane thought before realizing what Chibi-Ranma
must have been describing was the fear of cats generated by the Neko-ken
training.
30 are so minutes later the two arrived at a small door however before
either could say anything a black Panther the size of T. Rex was seen
charging at them.
Akane reacted as quickly as she could by opening the door and jumping
through barely avoiding the BIG cat that was about to eat them.
'now I know why Ranma scared of cats if I had a cat that big running
around
in my head I'd be scared shitless to' Akane thought as she tried to
swallow
her heart before focusing on the scene before her which was that of the
Neko-ken training which was oddly and eerily frozen in time to. 'Now
what
my going to do no way can I fight something like THAT directly' Akane
thought as she looked around the room for any sign of help.
"Why are the kitty cats hurting me?" Chibi-Ranma asked innocently.
"they're really not trying to hurt you ... your father starved the cats
then threw you in to this pit with food tied around you and starving
animals attack anything with food viciously," Akane explained.
As the Little Ranma, looked at his frozen image he said nothing until
bellowing, "I know! The big kitty's hungry and it wants something to eat
so
that's why it attacks me ...but what are we going to get that kitty that
large to eat ...he'd eat more than my daddy at his hungriest and daddy
eats
a lot when he's hungry," the little Ranma added a long moment of thought
later.
Raising an eyebrow 'naa it couldn't be that simple but I don't have any
other ideas to go by at the moment so what the heck' Akane thought, "so
what does the big cat eat."
"Hmm fish lots of fish," the little Ranma said with a smile.
"I don't suppose you have a memory of a fishing hole that had really
really
big fish and it do you."
The only reply Akane received was a happy nod.
"ok now all we have to do is get their," Akane thought before peeking
out
the door not seeing the Titanic cat anywhere she crept out of the room
and
back down the hallway with Chibi-Ranma in tow wondering quite nervously
how
a cat that big managed to vanish at all. While also wondering when it
would
reappear.
Thankfully, the two were able to get to the memory of the fishing hole
without incident.
"So how are we going to get to fish out of the lake?" Akane asked as she
stared at an absolutely gorgeous fishing spot located in a secluded
mountain lake.
"We dive in and catch them," the little Ranma said with a smile before
doing just that.
"Well you catch fish and I'll watch out for the kitty cat," Akane said
as
she sat down underneath a nearby tree watching the door while absently
watching huge fish being from the lake to the shore.
'He must have been watching too much DragonBall that day' Akane thought
with a raised eyebrow as the pile of fish started to grow to the size of
the huge black cat roaming the hall.
**************
In the hall however the T-Rex sized cat which had been taking a cat nap
was
now sniffing out its pray quite leisurely.
15 or so minutes later the big cat encountered a large fish which of
course
vanished a second later leaving the cat still quite hungry conveniently
however there was another fish nearby and another and another until the
cat
reached the room with a fishing hole in it where there was a mountain of
fish.
Salivating profusely, the cat took only a nanosecond to attack the pile
of
fish.
****************
Meanwhile watching in the shadows Akane and Chibi-Ranma sat watching the
cat consumed the vast amount of seafood.
3 minutes later the cat had finished stretched out and fallen asleep and
was purring quite loudly.
"Now what," Chibi-Ranma whispered before receiving an answer as a huge
specter that was black as night escaped from the sleeping cat.
Swallowing hard Akane didn't hesitate to scream 'Madame RelOrt', even
before the specter had finished unattaching itself from the sleeping
cat,
at the top of her lungs.
In an instant, the cloaked figure of Madame RelOrt was there with a
powerful staff raised.
With a primal yell, the staff the Magi was holding exploded with power
sucking the black spectral creature into it. After the light had faded
however, all that was left was a huge crystal that had streamers of
black
swirling within. Occasionally one of the smaller swirls would escape and
diffuse into nothing.
"Wow," was all Akane could think of saying coherently before the world
around her faded into darkness.
****************
When Akane opened her eyes she found herself staring at the ceiling of
the
room, she and Ranma shared at the Magi's dungeon. After sitting up she
also
found Madame RelOrt still sitting in the chair next to her.
"The crystal you saw was a fear diffusion crystal. It is used only when
a
fear is to large to handled by anything but magical means," Madame
RelOrt
said in reply to Akane's unasked question.
"How long will it take?"
"It will take at least a year for his fear to fully diffuse but thanks
to
the nature of the spell for all practical intents and purposes his fear
of
cats is gone," Madame RelOrt replied before getting up and leaving only
to
stop and look back, "I only did what I did because it was truly the only
option. ...I have scanned his mind. The scars created by Genma's' other
training techniques have nothing to do with a fear as severe as the
Neko-
ken did. When the time is, right and you choose to help Ranma with those
scars. You will be on your own receiving help only from Ranma's internal
reflections. So a word of warning next time you encounter one of his
fears
you will have to help him overcome it before you can proceed on," Madame
RelOrt added before throwing Akane a large gemstone made of pure garnet,
"That is the minds eye garnet with it you'll be able to reenter Ranma's
mind when the time is right. ... As for Ranma himself he will be
sleeping
for the rest of the day," that said the mysterious Magi left the room
leaving Akane alone with the sleeping Ranma.
*****************
Later that day we find Akane-kun in the combat pit, absently practicing
when he hears an odd clapping noise when he turned around he found
Madame
RelOrt leaning against one of the pillars of the stands surrounding the
combat pit.
"I must say Ranma is a fine teacher you have improved greatly over the
past
five days," Madame RelOrt said after Akane-Kun noticed him.
"Yeah I have."
"Is the coming journey troubling you?"
"No you are."
"If a walking skeleton disturbs you so much I could mask my appearance."
"No it's what you said at the springs about Ranma's curse."
"Ahh I understand after all this time you think he deserves better and I
agree unfortunately the most I can do for him is control."
"Is there any way?"
"Yes technically there is but it would scar him more deeply than
anything
else in his life even the Neko-ken," the cloaked figure said sadly.
The only thing Akane-kun did in reply was shed a silent tear before
looking
back up at the cloaked figure.
"Why have Ranma and I run your errand?"
"Simple really both of you need to grow up in more ways than one. Which
is
much simpler when you're in a different dimension on a different planet
where your enemies, friends, as well as your families have no hope of
getting to let alone ever interfering," the cloaked skeleton replied in
such a manner that Akane-kun knew she was smiling.
"So this is for our benefit," Akane-Kun asked skeptically before looking
at
the glowing eyes underneath Madame RelOrt's hood, "but who are you to
say
what's best for us."
"you'd be surprised ... and your right I am meddling in your affairs
just
as the rest of your friends and family do ... but once you leave for
Avalon
the journey you will be going on will belong to you and Ranma alone ...
can
you say that about the journey you have had in Nerima for the past
year."
"No and what will you be doing wile we're on this journey."
"Waiting and watching ... and you do not need to worry my powers are
weak
right now and cannot extend through the boundaries between earth and
Avalon."
"How weak exactly?"
"I am a walking skeleton right now you know," Madame RelOrt said as one
of
her glowing eyes raised slightly under her hood.
"Point taken," Akane-kun replied, "Are you weak enough that you couldn't
have delivered the letters yourself.
"No I can deliver the letters through the gateway ...but then there
wouldn't be anything for you and Ranma to do when you got to Avalon if I
did that now would there," Madame RelOrt said as she left.
"..." was all Akane-Kun said aloud before returning to his kata.
***************
Later that night we find Akane-kun resting on the chair in the room he
and
Ranma shared.
'Is she really giving us our own journey?' Akane-kun thought within
usual
mixture of emotions, 'I mean I know why Ranma's going and where he goes
I
follow but once we're there we'll have any number of ways to finish our
journey saying nothing of getting to the point where we choose one of
those
ways. ... In the end, I suppose only the beginning and the end of this
journey will be directly affected by her,' Akane-kun thought before
getting
a change of clothes and heading off to get a hot bath.
[Day 12 Departure for Avalon]
As Ranma awoke, he found himself feeling considerably stronger in
addition
to this however, Ranma also had a sizable headache and after sitting up
he
found Madame RelOrt.
"Akane has gone for breakfast already."
"What happened," Ranma said as he nursed his head, "my head feels worse
then that time pop got me drunk."
"Yes I'd imagine it does," Madame RelOrt said before starting to explain
to
Ranma why his head felt like it had a heard of wild elephants running
through it.
***************
Fifteen are so minutes later we find Akane-kun absently eating breakfast
when Ranma-chan entered drying her hair.
"You ok," Ranma-chan asked.
"Just trying to get used to this," Akane-Kun said as he motioned to
himself
to which Ranma-chan only nodded as a reply before Alfred entered.
"The gateway is fully charged and Madame RelOrt requests you in the
workshop at your earliest convenience," Alfred announced before leaving,
leaving Ranma-chan and Akane-Kun alone to eat breakfast silently.
"So do you have your memories back?" Akane-Kun finely asked after
finishing
his breakfast.
"Yeah that's why I got such a headache," Ranma-chan said as she reached
for
a nearby kettle of hot water before pouring it on her head before
pouring
some over Akane-Kun.
"Well I suppose we should go see what our host wants," Akane said before
the two headed to the workshop.
What they found there was Madame RelOrt standing over a workbench
looking
at several items.
"Ahh good your finely here," Madame RelOrt said before picking up
something
that looked like a construction belt and handing it to Ranma, "this is
an
adventure's belt Ranma the two main pouches are enchanted to be
completely
bottomless. The smaller and 4 smaller pouches are the same."
"Woh," Ranma muttered.
"Now a few notes on the belt when you reach into it for an item you must
reach in for a specific item or you will grab nothing but air also..."
Madame RelOrt said before handing Akane a similar belt, "... the belts
are
linked and even if you two where ever to become separated your belts
would
still be linked. Also each individual pouch on each belt is connected to
a
separate bottomless space," RelOrt explained.
"Hmm I don't mean to be pessimistic but what if we forget something we
put
in their," Akane said as she put on the belt.
"Ahh that brings us to our next item a magic atlas/cataloger that you
cannot lose or misplace," Madame RelOrt as she tapped a large book.
"This
book contains a complete topographical map of Avalon but does not
contain
the location of any dungeons, Caves, towns, cities, or anything else of
interest however when you encounter such things it will automatically
map
them. Also this book will contain a complete and current inventory of
anything in your adventure's belts."
"So where does it stay?" Ranma asked with a raised eyebrow.
"In a hyperspace pocket and all you have to do to access the book is to
think of it. Now to the last item," Madame RelOrt said before waving her
hand, which caused the enchanted atlas to vanish. After which she picks
up
a small leather pouch, "This pouch can expand and completely engulf just
about anything. ... but it has a limit of weight anything over what both
of
you could carry together cannot be placed in the pouch ... but if
something
can get into the pouch the pouch will return to normal size allowing you
to
place it in your adventure's belt."
"Damm with all of this gear this little errand will be a breeze," Ranma
swore as he took the enchanted pouch to which Madame RelOrt was only
response was a quiet laugh.
"I hate to tell you this Ranma but this is standard gear in Avalon," was
the ancient Magi's reply to Ranma's boost, which thoroughly popped
Ranma's
bubble.
"Oh," was the only reply Ranma could come up with considering how
thoroughly his bubble had been popped.
"Well you two better get going," Madame RelOrt said to witch Ranma and
Akane nodded and headed for the portal room after making a short detour
to
pack.
**********
As Ranma and Akane entered the portal room, they found Alfred waiting
next
to torous shaped object that was at least 10 meters in height.
"I assume you're ready for departure," Alfred asked calmly.
"Yeah," Ranma said adjusted his adventure's belt.
"Good and as dungeon keeper I'd like to give you my own gift," Alfred
said
before an imp ran into the room carrying a large bag, which Ranma took
while noting the fact that the bag was very heavy.
"Geez what's in this thing?"
"5000 gold pieces," was Alfred's flat response
"Shit," both Ranma and Akane said in unison.
"It is the least I can give you after what Madame RelOrt gave to you,"
Alfred said before activating the gateway, "when you step through the
gateway you will be day's journey south of the village of the cat
people."
"Ok," Ranma said before he and Akane started to walk through the gateway
only to be interrupted.
"oh one last thing you 2 should know Avalon is much like a video game
RPG
monsters roam freely and will have to be dealt with as they would in a
video game RPG," Madame RelOrt said from behind the two.
"... I see," Ranma said absently as he remembered his and Akane's
favorite
RPG, "...so do they drop gold after they croak."
"Yes ...and well let's just say that will be much for you to learn and
experience," Madame RelOrt said before trailing off thoughtfully.
"Let's do it," Ranma said to Akane before the two stepped through the
portal, which caused them to vanish from the realm of earth.
"How do you think they will fare," Alfred asked.
"They will succeed it is only a matter of time," Madame RelOrt replied
calmly.
***********************
"Damm what a ride," Ranma said aloud as the gateway closed behind
leaving
Ranma and Akane in a jungle.
"So do we set up camp and start out tomorrow."
"Yeah we've got to learn how to use the stuff we got before we set out
anywhere," Ranma said absently before two medium-sized Wildcats walked
onto
the scene. "but after a short battle it seems," Ranma said before a
battle
begun with Ranma charging one of the Wildcats and planting his fist
firmly
in the creature's stomach killing it instantly however as Ranma backed
off
the creatures body vanished in a cloud of smoke leaving 30 gold coins
behind. "They're not all that strong Akane so you take the other one,"
Ranma encouraged before Akane nodded and charged and landed several
blows
before having to dodge one of the creature's claw swipes.
"and they're not very fast either," Akane said as she and Ranma circled
the
creature who attacked Ranma in a rage Ranma however easily dodged
allowing
Akane to attack and kill the creature with a single well-placed chop and
again after the creature's body vanished in a puff of smoke another 30
gold
coins lay on the ground.
"This is weird Akane real Wildcats of that size should've been a hell of
a
lot harder to defeat them that," Ranma said after Akane had collected
the
60 gold coins and pocketed them in the first of the 4 small pouches on
her
belt.
"yeah I know but let's get on with testing are gear," Akane said
absently
before looking at the huge bag of coins Ranma was carrying, "well I say
we
start testing the belt first."
"Ok how?"
"Poor the entire contents of that bag into the first of the small
pouches
from your left to right," was Akane's direction.
"Ok," Ranma said before starting to do just that.
Surprisingly after about a minute, the huge bag of gold coins had been
emptied into the pouch.
"Wow that thing is bottomless," Ranma commented.
"Now since our belts are linked I should be able to pull out more than
60
gold coins from my pocket," Akane said before reaching into the pouch
she
had deposited the gold coins from the defeated Wildcats in and pulling
out
at least a hundred gold coins. "Well guess that proves their linked,"
Akane
said before putting the money back in its pouch.
"Now for that atlas thingy," Ranma said before reaching out and pulling
the
atlas out of nowhere and starting to flip through it, "wow come look at
this thing it has a 'you are hear' dot," Ranma said with a chuckle.
With that, the two began testing the capabilities of the atlas as best
they
could.
******************
Later that night Ranma sits alone looking up through the jungle canopy
at
the two moons above.
'We're really are on another world ... it's impossible for any of them
to
interfere here' Ranma thought with a mixture of emotions as he turned
his
attention to the campfire.
"You've been awfully quiet."
"Can you really believe it were on another world," Ranma said with an
odd
tone to his voice.
"...what's wrong?"
"Nothing it's just that here they can't manipulate us ... hell they
can't
even annoy us," Ranma said with a smile that turned into a frown, "But I
really didn't want to leave Akane. In the end it just means I'm running
away from my problems ... and there's no telling how long this journey
will
take weeks yeah most certainly weeks, probably months, maybe even
years."
"I don't care how long it takes Ranma because this journey is ours it
doesn't matter that we were sent here to deliver a couple of letters it
doesn't matter how long it takes it matters that mean now have our own
life's to live ... it doesn't even matter that were both cursed now. And
as
far as running away from your problems we will return," Akane
practically
screamed with her usual fire.
Ranma's first replied was to look back to the fire before nodding, "yeah
you're right and by the time we get back any one of us should be
powerful
enough to floor even Cologne without effort."
"Yeah that's the spirit," Akane said.
'gods we've changed over the past couple of weeks' Ranma thought
absently
as he studied his friend and fianc�e before noticing the hentai grin
that
had just developed on her face which caused Ranma to gulp heavily
'especially Akane'.
[Day 13 Journey to the cat people's village]
Ranma awoke to find his arms wrapped around Akane and hers wrapped
around
him. 'I never get tired of this part,' Ranma thought lovingly as he
stroked
Akane's blue-black hair causing her to awaken.
"Morning baka," Akane said with a happy smile.
"same to you tomboy," Ranma replied before sitting up and reluctantly
untangling himself from Akane to make breakfast after the meal was
served
Ranma started to study the atlas.
"So?" Akane asked after finishing her breakfast.
"well considering how thick the jungle is this village of the cat people
can't be that far north but it's going to be a rough trip ... probably
lots
of monsters and things like that," Ranma explained.
"Gee great," Akane, said sarcastically.
"Yeah it'll be good training for you," Ranma said.
Was all Akane said as she raised her eyebrow while thinking, 'at least
he
didn't suggest that I tie fish sausages to myself.'
"Well let's get going," Ranma said before the two cleared camp and set
off
into the jungle fighting any wildcats that happened to pass by.
*********
*yawn* was all Ranma said as he watched Akane fight the 20th through the
23rd Wildcat of the day while noting Akane had upped her speed quite a
bit
to avoid the Wildcats claws. 'These things aren't that strong but there
fast enough that it forces her two up her speed.' Ranma thought absently
before backhanding the Wildcat that had just taken a leap at him from
behind killing it instantly just as Akane also killed one of wildcats
that
was surrounding her. 'Not to mention these critters aren't particularly
bright after all any real Wildcat that's as week as these are would have
run for the hills after seeing how strong either of us was ...It's like
their deliberately created just to be beaten' Ranma added as Akane
dispatched the other two Wildcats.
"These things are starting to annoy me you know that," Akane said with a
huff.
"I know but you need to work on your speed and they're worth 30 gold a
pop."
"point," Akane admitted with a sigh before looking around and collecting
the bounty of 120 gold pieces from the defeated Wildcats before the two
continued on their way however after an hour or so of walking and
battling
another 3 Wildcats Ranma and Akane both knew they were being followed by
something other than the wildlife.
"I've got to go take a wizz Akane," Ranma mumbled after covertly
signaling
Akane to his real intentions.
"Ok baka," Akane said while mentally noting that whoever was following
them
was absolutely horrible at it before hearing someone scream in a feline
manner before turning around to find Ranma holding a young catboy in a
double underarm grab which kept the catboy's thrashing to a minimum. "Ok
catboy why were you following us," Akane demanded to which the catboy
only
responded by looking blank as he settled down.
"I don't think he understands us Akane."
"...ok," Akane said absently before nodding her head while pointing to
it,
"yes."
The catboy's response was to nod in understanding of what Akane had just
explained by using gesture alone leaving Akane to smile before pointing
to
her head once more and shaking it after which she says no. Again, the
boy
nodded in understanding again, after which she pummels a nearby tree
leaving the boy to look nervous.
"Hurt," Akane, said as she pointed to the tree to which the catboy
nodded
to after taking a large gulp. After which Akane pointed to the cat boy
and
said, "No hurt."
That statement relieved the catboy greatly.
"Run," Akane said after she ran in place for a few moments leaving the
catboy to nod after which Akane gently poked the boy while saying 'you'
to
which the catboy replied in understanding. "You run," Akane, asked to
which
the catboy replied with a shake of his head after which Ranma let the
boy
out of his double underarm grab. "sit," Akane said as she sat down after
which the catboy sat down to watch Akane draw a crude picture of a
village
with a catboy in it and herself and Ranma with an arrow that pointed
from
the picture of her and Ranma to the village.
The catboy's response was scratch his furry ear in confusion before
pointing to the arrow and making a walking motion with his other hand
Akane's simple response was the word go. After which the catboy pointed
to
both Ranma and Akane to which Akane replied with the word we. With that
figured out the boy pointed to the village while using his hand to cover
the picture of the catboy in the village. Akane's response was village.
After that the boy drew a circle around the picture of the boy on the
ground and pointed to himself and the picture while pointing at himself
to
which Akane replied by saying my. After a moment of thought the catboy
pointed to himself then pointed to the arrow as he also pointed to Ranma
and Akane and then to the picture of the village on the ground to which
Akane replied with a yes. The catboy's response to this was a nervous
look
before scratching out the drawings in the dirt and drawing a village
with
the pictures of Ranma and Akane in it leaving Akane to scratch her head
before pointing to herself and Ranma and saying, "our village."
The catboy responded with a nod after which Akane drew a large circle
underneath the catboy's drawing of a village.
"Earth," Akane stated simply as she pointed to the circle to which the
boy's jaw dropped in shock as he covered his mouth.
After recovering the boy pointed to Ranma and Akane and tried to see
using
his rather limited Japanese vocabulary, "you village earth," the boy
said
while pointing to the picture on the ground.
"Yes," Akane replied.
"You go my village," the boy said excitedly as he pointed to Ranma and
Akane while starting to walk off giving Ranma and Akane the general idea
that the boy was now very willing to take them to his village.
************************
Early that evening the three arrived in the cat peoples' village where
the
young catboy that had guided them their started screaming Earthers which
quickly gathered the entire village around them.
The gathered cat people murdered in their own language as they looked on
in
an odd way before being they where silenced with a shout of an old
looking
cat man who was carrying a staff.
After the villagers completely quieted down the wise cat man's tail
twitched annoyedly as he looked at the villagers before turning his
attention to Ranma and Akane and pointing to his ear before shaking his
head to which Ranma and Akane both to look as a sign that the wise old
cat
man was asking if they understood anyone. The elder's response to this
was
to hold out a small sphere, which Ranma took.
"Can you understand me now?" the wise cat said in perfect Japanese.
"Yeah what is this thing?"
"A language stone it allows the user to communicate in any language and
be
understood in any language as long as you have it.
"Cool," Ranma said before pocketing the sphere and turning to Akane,
"hmm."
"If your belts are linked than the affect of the sphere is spread
between
you," The elder said. "Now Chris here says that you two are from earth
is
that true or is his imagination just getting away from him again," the
elder said as he patted the young catboy that had guided Ranma and Akane
to
the village on the head.
"Yeah where from earth Japan to be exact," Akane provided.
"My word real Earthers ... we haven't had any real Earthers here in
several
hundred years ... is there any particular reason you have come to
Avalon."
"Yeah we got 'a deliver a couple a letters for Madam RelOrt," Ranma
said.
Hearing this name a murmur echoed through the crowd.
"As in the progenitor and guardian of the Springs of Jusenkyo," the
elder
asked.
"Yeah," Ranma answered.
"Ahh I see both of you have curses and Madam RelOrt has sent you on a
quest
before she will cure you," the elder said in understanding.
"Yep," Ranma replied with a shrug.
"Well in any case you two are probably very tired from fighting Wildcats
so
you may rest at the inn for the night," the elder said before dispersing
the villagers.
"come on I'll show you to the inn *laughs* although I doubt your that
tired
from fighting Wildcats considering how easily you two beat them up,"
Chris
said with a smile.
"Speak for your self kid I had to fight 40 Wildcats today," Akane
mumbled.
[Day 14 The cat people's village]
Ranma awoke to find that he was sleeping next to Akane after smiling he
got
and left the room in the inn he and Akane had slept in and headed down
to
the main floor of the inn where he found the innkeeper setting a table.
"Ahh good morning to you Earther," the kindly innkeeper said as her tail
waived happily behind her, "I trust you slept well."
"Yeah," Ranma said with a raised eyebrow.
"What is wrong?" the kindly innkeeper said as her left ear drooped
slightly.
"The Earther thing," Ranma replied.
"Oh I'm sorry sir I meant no disrespect ...It's just that people
visiting
from earth are something that are rare and adventurous from earth are
even
rarer," the innkeeper said as she sat down on the opposite side of the
table of Ranma.
"So it's sort of a special thing."
"Oh yes adventuring Earthers that are questing in Avalon are treated
with a
great deal of respect ...and patients," innkeeper said excitedly only to
inn in with an odd tone.
"Why."
"Well respect because everyone in Avalon knows earth is the birthplace
of
magic, technology, martial arts, and many other things and patients
because
most Earthers do not know the adventuring laws."
"Adventuring laws?" Ranma asked questioningly.
"yes the first law has to do with that chest over that in that corner,"
the
innkeeper explained as she pointed to a large red chest, "that is an
adventurer's treasure chest anything placed in one of those chests an
adventurer may take freely."
"So is that chest magical."
"Oh yes it only opens for adventurers and can only be closed by a non
adventurer who has placed something in it."
"So where are these things?"
"Well just about anywhere people's homes dungeons in the middle of
nowhere
sometimes -- although those that are found in the middle of nowhere are
usually grabbed by someone to put in their home but only if they've been
opened beforehand; Mimics you now. -- And palaces mansions but most
certainly you'll never find them in a shop that sells things unless the
shopkeeper is very generous. Some can only be unlocked if you have the
skills of a thief ... some can only be opened by magic ... and just
recently I've heard some have started to show up that can only be opened
by
a specific martial arts attack."
"So what you're saying is I can walk into someone's house and take what
is
in one of these chests and no one will say anything about it."
"Yep," the innkeeper replied with a nod.
"Go on," Ranma said while scratching his head.
"Second there's the gossip law which says anyone that is not a shop
keeper
has to give an adventurer all the juicy gossip about the area and the
village."
"Ok," Ranma muttered while raising an eyebrow slightly.
"And the third and last law says shopkeepers have to buy things and half
the price they would sell them for ...I know all adventure's hate the
last
one but the logic behind it is that the adventurers have to keep
fighting
monsters and don't depend on selling goods to keep themselves financed."
"Oh that's fair keeps adventurous from slouching off."
"Oh there are certain items that shopkeepers always buy and sell at the
same price."
"Gems right," Ranma, muttered while realizing that Madam RelOrt wasn't
kidding about Avalon being like an RPG.
"Yes quite right," the innkeeper, said with a smile.
"Next thing you'll be telling me is there's a save point around here
somewhere," Ranma muttered as he looked at a convenient wall while
resting
his head on his hand.
Blinking the innkeeper replied, "why yes over their actually," the
innkeeper said as she pointed to a nearby door.
Ranma's immediate reply was to him look at the innkeeper out of the
corner
of his eye while raising his eyebrow as high is it could go. Seeing that
the innkeeper was serious Ranma got up and said, "This I've got to see,"
before walking into the room indicated by the innkeeper.
What he found was a glowing sphere surrounded by two rings that were
slowly
circling it.
"Do you know how to use it?" the innkeeper said from behind Ranma.
"No," Ranma said flatly.
"All you have to do is put your hand on it and it will save your life's
story and if you totally defeated you will restart from the last time
you
saved remembering everything that has happened but with only half your
gold
and none of the physical experience."
"So if Akane and I get killed will be back here instantly," Ranma asked
with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes it will revive you for anything but a death caused by a natural
disease or death by natural old age or if you get killed by another
adventurer."
'Damm it's almost like the dragon balls in DBZ' Ranma thought to himself
before deciding to go get Akane up and telling her everything.
Akane's immediate reaction was the phrase, "You HAVE got to be kidding."
To
which Ranma replied by shaking his head and showing Akane everything the
innkeeper had shown him after which the two left the inn and began
exploring the village by talking to the villagers who did indeed give
them
the juicy gossip about the village and surrounding area.
"I don't believe it you weren't kidding," Akane muttered as she sat down
on
a bench that had been carved out of a dead tree trunk.
However, before Ranma could reply a rather nasty looking cat man walked
up
holding a very indignant Chris by his tail.
"Chris was bragging that you killed a wildcat was a single punch," the
nasty cat man said as he threw Chris the ground.
"Yeah so what," Ranma replied.
"Well I can kill wildcat with my pinkie," the brutish cat man taunted,
"and
I beat you couldn't even lay a hand on me."
"That supposed to be some that challenge."
"Yeah it is."
"Sorry fellah I don't fight people that can't even defend themselves,"
Ranma replied as he walked off raising Akane's eyebrow and infuriating
the
bully to know end."
"Come back here," the bully, said as he started to chase after Ranma
only
to encounter Akane.
The bully being totally ignorant of Akane's strength tries to push her
aside only to find himself several feet away.
"Ranma may not fight you but I'm going to pummel you into the ground for
hurting Chris."
"Yeah like a girl could even lay a hand on me," the bully taunted, "in
fact
I'll give you a free shot," the bully added as he pounded his chest
boisterously.
"You'll be sorry," Chris thought aloud as he remembered what Akane had
done
to the tree and 20 are so wildcats the previous day while his tail
twitched
mischievously.
Akane on the other hand just smiled cracked her knuckles and took the
bully's invitation.
The results were conclusive as the bully sailed through the air before
impacting a tree with an enough force to leave impression in the tree.
"Told you," Chris said as his tail continued to twitch mischievously
while
the KO'd bully fell out of the impact crater he had created in the tree
he
had been punched into and flat on his face.
"You ok," Ranma asked from behind Chris.
"Yeah Rob's always been a bit stupid," Chris said with a smile before
hopping up and running to a nearby tree house, "come on let me show you
the
general store."
**************
As the three entered the general store, they found a middle-aged cat man
sitting behind the counter.
Looking over his glasses, "so how badly did you beat up my son Robert
sir,"
the man asked Ranma while looking at Chris out of the corner of his eye.
"Hmm I pounded him into a tree," Akane admitted raising the man eyebrows
while Chris snickered.
"You set your brother up for that didn't you boy," The shopkeeper said
as
he drummed his fingers on the counter to which Chris replied by smiling
mischievously. "I swear," The shopkeeper mumbled before turning his
attention to Akane, "so how hard did you pound the boy into this tree,"
the
shopkeeper asked before Rob walked in looking like a walking bruise
however
when he saw Akane he ran off looking extremely scared.
"Well the tree has a Rob shaped impression in it now," Chris answered as
he
began to laugh while pointing to a window.
"This I've got to see," the shopkeeper said before walking to the window
Chris had pointed out of, "my word that had to hurt," the shopkeeper
said
as he turned around.
"Sorry," Akane said sheepishly.
"Don't be the boy needed a lesson in not being a bully and you also gave
him a healthy reality check on women," the shopkeeper said with a laugh
before walking behind the counter again. "He seems to think all women
are
weak frail creatures and none of the local girls will take enough time
to
beat the crap out of him considering he's the weakest in the entire
village.... In fact, he still wets his pants anytime he sees a wildcat,"
The shopkeeper said before relaxing again.
"So what do you have for sale here?" Ranma asked to change the subject.
"Nothing at the moment the inventory storage and transfer gem's power
crystal was damaged last week by a lightning strike and unless somebody
wants to go spelunking around in the ruins for another power crystal
it'll
be another week and a half before I can open up shop," the shopkeeper
replied.
"So what will you give us if we go get the power crystal?" Ranma asked
dryly.
"Well I suppose I can part with 30 potions and they sell for a 150GP
each
so getting the crystal is worth the equivalent of 4500GP to you."
"Money really isn't important to me but what kinds of monsters live in
the
ruins."
"Ahh the training type of adventurer ...well they're not that fast
considering they're all made of stone but they've got a lot of endurance
and they usually appear in very large groups."
"How strong exactly?"
"Well the golems are stronger than the Wildcats and they don't have any
petrifying magic so don't have to worry about getting changed into a
rock
yourself."
'Hmm Akane definitely needs to work on her endurance ... between these
stone guys and the Wildcats she'll get endurance and speed real quickly'
Ranma thought before accepting, "ok will do it."
"Good Chris will show you the way to the ruins," the shopkeeper said
before
the three left.
*********
"Well I'll wait for you to at the gates to the village," Chris said as
the
three exited the general store before running off.
"Well I suppose we should follow standard RPG methods before leaving the
village," Akane said with a note of odd sarcasm in her voice after which
she and Ranma did just that by gathering information and the contents of
the adventurer treasure chests and of course using the save point before
meeting Chris at the gates to the village.
**********
Meanwhile on the upper floor of the general store we find Rob looking
out
the window at Ranma Akane and Chris as they left the village when
someone
enters his room. Turning around Robert found a cat girl about his age
staring at him disapprovingly while holding a first aid kit. Gulping
nervously Chris spoke, "hi Lisa."
*********
*ahhhhhhhhhhkkkkkk!!!!*
"Wasn't that your brother screaming," Ranma asked.
"Yep Lisa must have gotten there with her first aid kit," Chris said
with a
smirk as the three continued on leaving Ranma and Akane to shrug as the
three entered the jungle.
********
Late that night we find Ranma absently staring at the stars while Chris
and
Akane slept near by.
'Memories long forgotten were remembered in a flash' Ranma thought
absently
as memories of his childhood were recalled without effort or even
conscious
request. Memories of home and his mother playing with him friends lost
and
relatives he had forgotten he had. These memories had a strong effect on
Ranma as he remembered his life before that life was reduced to nothing
but
the martial arts. The effect was simple and that effect was Ranma now
knew
and remembered that life was not just the intervals between challenges.
A few moments later Ranma's mental musings were interrupted when Chris
awoke looking rather curious.
"Can't sleep eh," Ranma said as he looked at the young catboy.
"No not a wink," the catboy Chris said as his tail twitched excitedly,
"what's earth like."
"Well for starters magic is purtty rare and most people don't even
believe
that it exists," Was Ranma's starting point of telling the young catboy
about earth.
[Day 15 The ruins]
Ranma, Akane, and Chris stood before an ancient looking ruin.
"So where's the power crystal," Ranma asked plainly.
"Occasionally a defeated Golem will drop one," Chris said with a shrug.
"Well Akane shell we go," Ranma stated with a smirk.
Cracking her knuckles Akane only smiled before entering.
The a few moments thereafter the sound of stone being crushed was heard.
"Well I don't think she needs any help but let's go watch anyhow," Ranma
said as he remembered just how efficient Akane was in making dust out of
stone.
What Chris and Ranma found when they entered the ruins, was a site of
total
carnage as a multitude of stone golems were bashed, smashed, and
otherwise
dispatched.
"Wow she's like a tornado on a berserker spell," Chris commented to
which
Ranma only replied with a raised eyebrow before Akane dispatched the
remaining five golems in the main entryway.
"Damm I'm already out of breath," Akane muttered.
"Well after smashing 20 golems in one go I'm not surprised," Ranma said
before cracking his knuckles, "take a break Akane and I'll handle this
group," Ranma said as he walked past Akane and into the horde of 40
Golems,
that where entering the entryway. What happened next even surprised
Akane
for she rarely saw Ranma fight groups let alone tear them apart like a
whirling dervish. In addition, Akane noted that Ranma was considerably
calmer then she had ever seen him before. Her exact thoughts were along
the
lines of the way Ranma fought which was usually like fire but now he was
more like water; No more like a raging river cutting through stone.
A minute later 40 stone golems sat on the floor in many pieces. Ranma
himself stood in the center of the debris just looking at his fist. A
moment later Ranma descends into the dungeon below the ruins with an
unusual fire in his eyes.
'What the hell just happened' Akane thought before another 10 golems
appeared out of nowhere blocking the path to the lower dungeon.
*******************
"What the hell happened indeed I have never seen Ranma fight with such
fluidity?" the mysterious Madame RelOrt said as she watched the events
in
Avalon through a crystal panel in the library while several imps sat
around
her eating popcorn.
"Do you know what happened," Alfred asked.
"I have my suspicions and if they are correct I wouldn't be all that
surprised that Ranma is going through what I think he is going through,"
Madame RelOrt replied before returning her attention to the screen.
******************
"Damm," Akane mumbled as she and Chris followed the trail of destroyed
golems before noticing something, "Chris why aren't these guys vanishing
like the Wildcats in the jungle."
"Oh that's easy these golems regenerate after a day unless there totally
vaporized or you use a soft potion on them," Chris replied.
"A Soft potion you don't say?" Akane said with a raised eyebrow while
remembering a similar use for that same potion in her favorite RPG.
"Yeah do you have any?"
Akane's only reply was to check the cataloger to find she had one, which
she had gotten from the adventurer's chest and the inn at the cat
people's
village.
"Good you never know when you'll need a status ailment cure," Chris said
as
the two continued to follow the trail destroyed golems.
An hour are so later they found Ranma who was glowing with power facing
a
Golem that was at least 20 feet tall and at already sustained severe
damage
from several Moko Takabisha as well as countless stone crushing and
punches
and kicks.
"Moko Takabisha," Ranma yelled as he fired off another one of his
signature
moves.
"Mana protect us. He's in a berserker rage," Chris said while sounding
frightened.
"No I don't think so ... but I'm still not getting in his way," Akane
commented before the two sat back and watched Ranma turn the giant Golem
into dust.
An hour later the golem finely fell to the ground defeated leaving Ranma
who was still glowing with power standing in the center of the debris
failed.
The next thing that Ranma did was drop his arms to his side before the
glow
that surrounded him erupted into an inferno as Ranma screamed in a
primordial manner.
*****************
"Damn," Madame RelOrt commented as she watched the crystal panel in
front
of her shatter due to the sheer amount of light had just come through it
before noticing the imps had been charbroiled, "maybe even double damn."
"What just happened," Alfred asked.
"An explosion of power ... from the way Akane explained it every mental
scar fifthed Ranma's power. So what we just witnessed was Ranma
accessing
the fifth of his power that was being held captive by the Neko-ken."
"If that was a fifth of his power and he only had a fifth of it before
that
means..." Alfred said before trailing off.
"He is only at 2/5 of his true maximum," Madame RelOrt said calmly.
*******************
Meanwhile back in Avalon Ranma had collapsed due to the sheer amount of
power he had just released thankfully there was a save point nearby.
"Is he going to be ok?" Chris asked as he guarded the door.
"Yeah he's just totally exhausted," Akane commented before Ranma rolled
over and let out a small snore, "And as usual sleeping as heavy as a
golem
does," Akane added sarcastically causing Chris to laugh, "I'll take
guard
after a while ok."
Chris only replied with a nod before returning to guard duty.
Close to an hour, later Akane asked a question, "What was up with that
20
ft. Golem."
"I don't really know but there has been a rumor of dungeon master
monsters
going around lately amongst seasoned adventurers," Chris replied.
"And what does the rumor say," Akane asked.
"That if an adventurer defeats over a certain number of monsters in a
given
time a dungeon master monster will appear. These dungeon master monsters
are even more difficult than dungeon bosses," Chris explained as his
tail
twitch nervously, "I just can't believe he was strong enough to defeat a
mega-golem there said to be almost indestructible and he was taking this
time and playing with it."
Yawning Ranma replied, "The thing may have been tough but it was slower
then ... well 500 tons of granite."
"You ok," Akane asked.
Ranma's only reply was to look thoughtful for a moment before speaking,
"yeah remember how I told you that everyone in my pops majorly stupid
training methods fifthed my total power."
Akane's only reply was to nod.
"Well I just got the fifth back one of those methods robbed me of,"
Ranma
replied.
"So you're basically two times as strong as you were before we left
Nerima?" Akane asked nervously to which Ranma only nodded.
"Cool," Chris said before asking a question of Ranma, "So did you happen
to
find any power crystals."
"5," Ranma replied dropping Chris's jaw.
"You're joking? You defeated enough Golems to get 5 power crystals,"
Chris
finely managed to shout.
"Yep," Ranma replied as he sat up before taking one of the power
crystals
out of his adventures belt, "So how much are these things worth?" Ranma
asked.
"A million GP but you can only sell them in the capital. Although their
handy for a lot more than just money," Chris explained.
"Like what?" Akane asked.
"Well a lot of things and trust me you'll find them," Chris explained.
"Well let's get going we have to deliver one of these two your dad,"
Ranma
said as he got up.
[Day 16 Going back to the cat people's village]
Akane said nothing as she watched Ranma prepare breakfast before looking
off at the ruins, which were a few yards away.
"Anything wrong," Ranma asked after noticing Akane's watchful gaze.
"Just how you were fighting yesterday," Akane replied.
Ranma's immediate reply was to stare off at the sky. "I haven't been
able
to fight like that in a longtime Akane.... not sense well actually ever
...
I've had dreams about fighting like that with total calm and piece ...
yesterday was a hell of a lot closer to that level then I usually am at
but
it's still wasn't like in my dreams."
"Why do you think this has happened now?" Akane asked.
"It's probably because I got cured of the Neko-ken and I can remember my
childhood now," Ranma replied simply.
Akane's only reply was a nervous nod before the two heard a certain cat
boy
yawn as he awoke.
Scratching his ear absently Chris said good morning.
An hour later, the three were on their way back to the cat people's
village
when Chris asked where they were heading after they gave his father the
power crystal.
"The Eastern continent," was Ranma's reply as Akane pounded a few
wildcats
in the background.
"Wow that's really far away," Chris commented.
"How far exactly," Ranma asked.
"Well it's at least 4 months journey to the port city of Sparta but
that's
only if you ride," Chris explained causing Ranma to roll his eyes and
mumble something unintelligible.
"So what does one ride in Avalon a giant yellow bird," Akane said
sarcastically as she walked back up to Ranma and Chris.
"No just run-of-the-mill horses," Chris answered. "In fact there's a
large
heard of wild horses near the prairie town of Equines," Chris added.
Raising an eyebrow at the name of the village Akane said, "Let me guess
the
people of Equines are centaurs."
"Not all of them, the rest are humans that are horse breeders," Chris
answered.
"So how far is it to Equines?" Ranma asked.
"A week's journey from the edge of the jungle," Chris answered.
"And how far is it to the edge of the jungle from your village?" Akane
asked.
"A half-day at most," Chris replied as the three continued their journey
back to Chris's village.
[Day 17 Preparations and departure from the cat people's village]
Early morning in the cat people's village, we find Rob sweeping the
walkway
in front of his father store, while one arm rested in a sling. "Rotten
Lisa
and her first aid kit," Rob commented as he used his tail and good arm
to
sweep.
"Well where finely back," Chris was heard saying happily as he Ranma and
Akane walked into view. Rob's response to this was to hide behind a
convenient bush until the three had entered at which time Rob continued
his
sweeping.
****************
Meanwhile inside we find Chris's father sitting behind the counter
having
breakfast.
Upon noticing the three however he stopped and asked, "Back so soon?"
"Yep," Ranma replied as he handed Chris's father a power crystal.
The only response the shopkeeper gave was to walk into the backroom. A
moment later, an unusual sound was heard and a moment after that the
shopkeeper exited the backroom and with a small leather pouch.
"Here are the 30 potions as promised," the shopkeeper replied as he
handed
the pouch to Ranma who emptied it into the adventure's belt he was
wearing.
"Now here's my price list," the shopkeeper added as he handed a piece of
paper to Ranma.
Potion Restores HP by 200 150
Antidote Cures Poison 150
Soft Cures Petrify 150
Eye Drops Cures Darkness 150
Echo Screen Cures Silence 150
Holy Water Cures Zombie, Curse 150
Phoenix Down Brings one back to life 750
Opal Gemstone 100
Pearl Gemstone 200
Topaz Gemstone 500
"So how many gold pieces do we have Akane," Ranma asked to which Akane
responded by pulling out the cataloger and looking.
"55,600" Akane said while looking surprised.
"Hmm let me see we'll take 6 of all of the status cures and two Phoenix
Downs," Ranma said after a long moment of thought.
"Ok," the shopkeeper said before walking back into the storeroom and
walking back out with another small leather pouch which Ranma deposited
in
his adventures belt before pulling out the needed amount of money.
After the exchange had occurred, Ranma and Akane left the general store.
"I guess we go to the weapons and armor store now," Akane commented.
"No we're martial artists so we can't have any heavy armor weighing us
down.
As far as weapons are concerned they're good to have in a pinch but
we're
not going to rely on them," Ranma replied before the two headed for the
weapons shop where they purchased two broadswords two bows, 100 arrows,
and
finely 2 spears for a total of 2000GP. After that Ranma and Akane took a
short trip by the inn to use the save point.
After saving Ranma and Akane asked the villagers, in which direction the
village of Equines was in. the response was to go due east until
reaching
the main road, which would take them directly to the village of Equines.
After saying there, goodbyes to Chris Ranma and Akane departed and
headed
due east. As they did so, Akane fought wildcats as per usual. About
noon,
however the two emerged from the jungle on top of high ridge.
"Wow," Ranma commented as he surveyed the vast prairie before him.
"It's humongous," Akane added before seeing a road that carved right
through the prairie grasses. "Ranma look over there that must be the
main
road," Akane added as she pointed to the road.
"Well we better get on the road then," Ranma replied before the two
headed
through the prairie grass onto the road where they found a sign that
pointed them in the direction they needed to go in. however a few
minutes
later the two found themselves facing four goblins. Ranma as usual stood
at
the sidelines and watched Akane pound the goblins. Absently Ranma noted
that the goblins were weaker than the golems but stronger than the
wildcats.
In addition, they were much more balanced then either of the previous
two
monsters they had battled. After Akane had disposed of the goblins, the
two
continued on their way ... only to encounter three killer bees that were
the size of large eagles.
Akane's only comment about the bees was, "oh shit."
However Ranma's comment was, "BOW NOW!"
Akane had no argument with the order as she pulled out a bow and several
arrows from her adventure's belt before starting to shoot the bees. By
the
time the battle had ended Akane had been stung multiple times and was
looking a little green by the end of the battle.
"Geez you ok," Ranma asked while looking concerned.
"Cataloger has a status page check it," Akane said between gasping for
breaths.
"Ok," Ranma said before pulling out the cataloger and opening it to the
status page and reading it. "It says you're poisoned," Ranma said after
closing the book. "So 1 antidote coming up," Ranma added before
retrieving
said item and feeding its contents to Akane who immediately starts
looking
like she ate some of her own cooking. However, in the end the potion
cured
her of the poison. "You ok," Ranma asked.
"Yeah," Akane mumbled before noticing Ranma had been grazed by one of
the
singers. "Geez are you do ok,"
Looking at the wound absently Ranma replied, "yeah it's just a scratch
nothing serious. It should heal up in an hour or so."
"...but those singers are poisonous," Akane said in a panic.
With a snort and a laugh, Ranma replied, "that stinger has got nothing
on
Kodachi's stuff."
Akane's only response was to look sideways however when she did so she
spied the cataloger that was still laying on the ground. Absently
thinking
of one of the newer RPGs, she had played Akane started to flip through
the
cataloger. "It says here to you have an 80 percent immunity to poison,"
Akane finely said while sounding a bit annoyed.
"...and you," Ranma asked.
"15%," Akane replied.
"Hmm you must eaten your home own cooking once," Ranma answered
thoughtfully while a smirk developed on his face.
"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane screamed before the chase was on.
However considering the smiles plastered on the twos faces' the argument
was not that severe.
Later that day after the argument had died down and Akane had fought 25
or
so goblins and 20 or so killer bees.
Looking at the horizon Ranma commented, "We better start looking for a
place to set up camp."
Akane who was also looking the darkening horizon only nodded in
agreement.
Stopping altogether the two started looking around only to find nothing
but
prairie grass and the main road as well as a single solitary dead tree
beside the road. Muttering something under his breath Ranma took out the
one of the swords they had purchased and began to hack away at the
grass.
Seeing this Akane shook her head before taking out the other sword and
beginning to hack away at the tree for firewood. An hour or so later the
two had established there campsite and Ranma started cooking dinner
while
Akane looked at the Magic Atlas.
Curiously, Ranma asked, "so what are you looking at," as he prepared
dinner.
"The instructions... it says here the Atlas can absorb the information
from
any map placed on its cover," Akane explained.
"Wow that'll be useful," Ranma said with a smile as he continued to
prepare
dinner.
"Yeah it will," Akane, answered distractedly before putting the Atlas
away.
"What's wrong," Ranma asked.
"I don't know. It's just that something's eating at me I don't know
exactly
what but something is." Akane answered thoughtfully before pulling the
Atlas back out and starting to look at it.
****************
Later that night Akane awakens to the two moons of Avalon and a question
that has been haunting her that question was 'why does she remind me so
much of my mother'. No answer forthcoming Akane got up and walked over
to
the main road where she looked up and down it. A moment later Akane
began
practicing a kata never mother had taught her. However, after only 15
minutes of practice Akane stopped looked up at the moon and walked away
from the camp.
Ranma who was watching silently merely stretched popped a few joints and
followed in the shadows.
What Akane did after leaving, camp was battle goblins and killer bees
until
she was mentally and physically exhausted.
In total, Akane defeated 50 goblins and 45 killer bees before Ranma
carried
her back to camp.
Smiling as he placed Akane in her sleeping bag Ranma thought, 'don't
worry
about anything Akane we'll get home soon.'
[Day 20 A short break in a forest]
Midday on the southern continent of Avalon west of the vast jungle that
took up the Western quarter of that continent we find Ranma and Akane
walking on the main road through the vast plains that took up the
interior
two quarters of the landmass they were on.
At the moment, Ranma was absently humming while Akane pounded a few
goblins.
'Fighting monsters helps the budget and her style but it's too slow for
anything but endurance training,' Ranma thought absently as Akane
finished
the feeding the goblins a full five course meal consisting of knuckles
sandwiches.
Dusting imaginary dust off her hands as she walked back over to Ranma
Akane
mumbled, "I wish they were more then goblins and killer bees out here."
"Agreed," Ranma, responded as the two continued to walk along the main
road.
About an hour later and several monster battles later Akane commented,
"Is
there anything out here but prairie grass and monsters."
Ranma who was looking in the other direction as Akane commented, "There
is
that forest of in the distance."
Whipping around in the direction, Ranma was indicating Akane said,
"Let's
head towards the forest there's bound to be different monsters there and
I
need a break from these endless plains."
Laughing lightly Ranma nodded his head while mentally adding something
about needing to stock up on supplies and food, which would most likely
be
found in a forest.
************
"Ahh a tree," Akane commented as she hugged the first tree that she saw
which caused Ranma to laugh and shake his head before he entered the
forest
looking for a suitable place to set up camp.
************
Later that afternoon we find Akane waiting out a rainstorm under large
rocky-outcropping that Ranma had picked for a campsite.
"I wonder what's taking him so long," Akane commented to herself before
Ranma-chan was seen returning from the depths of the forest apparently
empty-handed. Raising an eyebrow at this Akane asked, "Okay where's the
food you promised."
Ranma-chan's reply as she rung out her pigtail was a smile and a laugh
before pulling out the pouch the mysterious Madame RelOrt had given
them.
Ranma-chan then pulled out a dear, wild boar, and at least 100 pounds of
fish out of the magical pouch before smirking and saying, "That answer
your
question."
"Yeah," Akane replied as Ranma-chan began preparing the food to be
cooked.
As Ranma-chan prepared the food to be cooked, Akane watched the rain.
"You know it's strange in a way all of this time we haven't encountered
any
weather at all but the minute we enter this forest starts to rain,"
Akane
commented.
"Then there's the fact there's no monsters around here almost like this
place is some kind of protected area," Ranma-chan added.
After that, a silence fell over the two as Ranma-chan continued to
prepare
the food.
"It's so beautiful," Akane commented as she reached out from underneath
the
outcropping to feel the rain. Ranma-chan knowing that even that slight
bit
of water with trigger the change tried to warn Akane but it was too
late.
"Opus," Akane-kun said with a like chuckle before adding, "It doesn't
take
much does it."
"Nope it sure doesn't," Ranma-chan replied while noticing Akane-Kun
didn't
seem to care much about changing.
About ten or so minutes, later Akane-kun got up and decided to take a
walk
leaving Ranma-chan alone.
'She didn't even seem to care about changing,' Ranma-chan thought to
herself before continuing to prepare the food she had gathered. Once
done
with that chore Ranma-chan leaned back as she watched the food cook as
she
did this Ranma-chan also thought about the mysterious Madame RelOrt and
walked she had said about the curse. 'I'll never be free of it but after
we
do her little chore RelOrt said she would give me control over it ...
control why does that sounds so much more appealing than just getting
rid
of it.'
***************
Later we find Akane-Kun walking through the forest just enjoying the
rain
when he encountered a small pond that was sheltered by the trees above.
Seeing this Akane-kun curiously looked at his reflection what he found
there was a soaking wet young man with brown hair.
'Boy do I look silly,' Akane-Kun thought to himself with a chuckle
before
sitting down and taking off his shirt followed by his bra after which
Akane-kun proceeds to ring them both out. After doing so Akane-kun sat
both
articles of clothing aside to dry.
A few moments later Akane-kun absently began to hum a melody his mother
had
taught him as he looked at his reflection while enjoying the cool and
moist
breeze as it blew over his chest.
'I wonder if Ranma likes doing this,' Akane-kun thought to himself
before
picking up his clothing and walking off back in the direction of the
camp
while absently enjoying the feel of the rain running down his bare skin.
***************
Later back at the campsite we find Ranma-chan munching on a fish when
she
was grabbed from behind.
"Guess who," Akane-kun said as held his hands in front of Ranma-chan's
eyes.
Rolling her eyes Ranma-chan replied, "I know it's you Akane I could
since
you coming from 100 yards away."
Pouting slightly Akane-kun sat down and wrapped his arms around Ranma-
chan's waist. "You're no fun you know that," Akane-kun said as he put
his
chin on Ranma-chan's shoulder only to feel the redhead stiffen slightly.
"What's wrong," Akane-kun asked as he absently played with a stray lock
of
Ranma-chan's fiery red hair.
Ranma-chan who was trying to ignore the sensations Akane-kun was
unintentionally stirring in her female body Ranma-chan replied, "I was
about to ask you the same question."
"hun what are you talking about," Akane-kun asked in genuine confusion
before realizing that he was holding Ranma-chan in near the same manner
Ranma held her just before the two had sex which caused Akane-kun to
blush.
"I'm sorry I wasn't thinking or trying to excite you," Akane-kun finely
said.
A moment later Ranma-chan said, "I think I've done that see you a few
times
to."
Still toying with the same stray lock of Ranma-chan's hair Akane-kun
replied, "Really how many times?"
"I don't know half the time I guess," Ranma-chan replied while sounding
unsure of her answer. "So how does it make you feel when I do it to
you?"
Shrugging Akane-kun replied, "It depends on my mood. If I'm in the mood
...
well I'm sure you know the answer to that ... and if I'm not I just
enjoying being close to you."
"...and right now you just want to be close?" Ranma-chan asked a bit
nervously.
"Yeah," Akane-kun replied as he continued to toy with Ranma-chan's hair.
"Then stop playing with my hair like that its driving me crazy,"
Ranma-chan
said while sounding a bit panicked.
"Do you really hate being a girl so much that you can't even allow
yourself
to enjoy it?"
"It's just not right Akane this isn't who we are," Ranma-chan said as
she
pulled away from Akane-kun's embrace.
"Why?" Akane-kun asked as he turned away from Ranma-chan while looking
out
into the forest. "why shouldn't it be ...and from what Madame RelOrt
you're
stuck with your female body forever," Akane-kun added a moment later
only
to continue, "and so far I've liked being able to change back and forth
...
although the water bit has been beyond annoying."
Ranma-chan's reply to Akane-kun's short speech was to slip several
mental
gears before trying to recover.
Seeing Ranma-chan's mental state of mind reflection on her face
Akane-kun
sighed deeply before saying, "Ranma I'm not saying I like being a boy
over
a girl."
"Then what are you saying," Ranma-chan asked.
"What I'm saying is so far I like being BOTH a girl and a boy over just
being a girl," Akane-kun explained.
"Both," Ranma-chan echoed in a distant voice before walking off into the
forest leaving Akane-kun to blink.
'I wonder what that was about,' Akane-kun thought to himself.
********************
Sometime later, we find Ranma-chan wandering the forest.
"Both... I've never of thought it like that. Not once have I ever really
thought of being both only a boy OR a girl. It's probably because I've
been
too concerned with finding a cure and ... well worrying about becoming a
girl totally but if I can be both what do I have to lose. Then again,
there
is a lot to being a girl not that I can't hack it of course ... and I
have
to admit that sometimes I do kinda like how it feels..." Ranma-chan
thought
aloud before noticing her reflection in a nearby pond. "Can I really be
this as well as a guy," Ranma-chan said absently as she studied her
feminine figure.
A moment later in an almost surrealistic manner Ranma-chan took off her
shirt before pulling a bra out of her adventure's belt and putting it on
underneath before putting her shirt back on and looking at herself and
how
different the simple of article made her look. Seeing the affect
Ranma-chan
seemed to zone out completely.
Watching from the shadows Akane-kun just stared and wondered what he
should
do. I'll moment later Akane-kun walked over to Ranma-chan and
instinctually
wrapped his arms around the redhead before stroking her hair.
Surprisingly
the reaction Ranma-chan gave to this was to wrap her arms around
Akane-kun
before passionately kissing him. After which point both teens began to
run
strictly on hormones, instinct and love.
********************
"Isn't it funny how a single word or phrase can affect someone so much,
so
deeply, and so quickly," the mysterious Madame RelOrt said as she and
Alfred watched the events in Avalon.
"Indeed it is something we have both seen happen over the years," Alfred
replied.
**********************
As Akane-kun awoke an unknown amount of time later, he found himself
back
at the main campsite and laying in Ranma-chan's lap. A moment later
Akane-
kun remembered what had happened in promptly got off Ranma-chan's lap
considering Ranma-chan was still half-naked, "oh gods I'm sorry."
Ranma-chan who had been distractedly looking off into the forest
replied,
"Why I'm the one that started it," Ranma-chan answered while sounding
rather distracted.
"You ok," Akane-kun asked while sounding concerned.
"Yeah," Ranma-chan said as she stretched causing more than one joint to
pop
quite loudly.
"Why," Akane-kun asked after a long moment of uncomfortable silence.
"I don't really know why," Ranma-chan, replied with a shrug before
turning
to Akane-Kun and saying, "Although I'm glad it did happen," before a
smile
that Akane-kun recognized from a certain buxom Amazon's face developed
on
Ranma-chan's face as she moved closer to Akane-kun while looking
completely
female. Quite needlessly to say, Akane-kun's only response to this turn
of
events was a large gulp.
**************
Later that night we find Ranma-chan absently looking at the magic atlas
while Akane-kun slept very soundly nearby. 'I wonder how long it'll take
us
to get to Equines,' Ranma-chan thought to herself before putting the
magic
atlas away and laying down next to Akane-kun who she pulled into a
loving
embrace before falling asleep.
[Day 25 The Centaur Chiron]
Midday on the main road of the Southern Continent of Avalon we find
Ranma
and Akane walking down the road absently when they spotted a loan house.
Upon closer inspection, the two saw a very old looking centaur absently
attending to a large grapevine that was growing on a lattice.
'Finely someone civilized,' Akane thought to herself as the two
travelers
from earth walked up to the house.
"Hello adventurers how go your travels," the old looking centaur said as
he
continued to tend to his grapes.
"Good so how close are we to the city of Equines," Ranma asked while
sensing a strange power from the centaur.
"About five days walk by foot," the centaur said as he walked over to
Ranma
and Akane with a bottle of wine he had just picked up off a high table.
"So
where are you two from," the Centaur asked as he poured himself a cup of
wine.
"Earth, Japan to be exact," Akane answered.
"Japan you say ... you wouldn't happen to know Madame RelOrt would you,"
the mysterious centaur said with a raised eyebrow.
"She's the one that sent us here said we had to deliver a letter to the
king of Avalon and so the leader of the council of Magi," Ranma
answered.
"Wow she must really trust you to give that kind of job to a couple of
rookie adventurers," the old centaur said as he enjoyed his wine.
"...and what do you mean by that," Ranma asked while sounding slightly
annoyed.
"No offense but you ARE Earthers and Earthers are not known for their
strength nor their familiarity with the adventuring laws or methods,"
the
wise looking Centaur said with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll admit we don't know much about the adventuring stuff here in
Avalon
but both of us are considerably stronger than we look," Akane said while
looking annoyed.
"Really how many hits does it take for you to kill a goblin," the old
looking centaur asked with a smile.
"Two at most," Akane replied.
Looking somewhat impressed, the wise looking centaur asked another
question,
"With or without weapon."
"Without of course after all were both martial artists," Ranma replied
as
he smiled.
"I must say that is quite impressive young lady," the old looking
centaur
said before turning to Ranma and continuing, "...and what of you young
man,
how strong are you."
"Ever hear of king Saffron of Phoenix Mountain," Ranma replied with a
smirk.
"You wouldn't happen to be the man that killed the young king saffron
would
you," the old looking centaur said as he gave Ranma a scrutinizing eye.
Ranma's only reply was to nod.
"What is your name?"
"Ranma, Ranma Saotome," Ranma answered.
'Hmm I don't sense that the boy is lying and he does have a powerful
aura
even know he's suppressing it,' the old centaur thought before speaking,
"Well then you have my apologies for saying that you are week."
"No problem," Akane answered before adding, "So what can you tell us
about
the adventuring laws and methods."
"Just about anything I am a legendary trainer Chiron," the mysterious
Centaur replied as he took a sip of his wine.
"So what are the adventuring methods," Ranma asked curiously.
"The adventuring methods are basic ways to train your physical
attributes
in battles with monsters," Chiron responded before handing Ranma a small
booklet, which the pigtailed martial artist read.
Physical strength-
Requirement- Wear enough armor that it affects stamina
STI- weights
Battle action- must attack enough times that stamina is
completely
drained
Energy strength-
Requirement- Equip a weapon and/or armor that drains energy
STI- energy absorbing object
Battle action- use any energy-based technique or spell enough
times
that stamina is completely drained
Physical endurance-
Requirement- Character must have no armor on
STI- physical attack amplifier
Battle action- receive a 100HP from a non-energy based source
Energy endurance-
Requirement- No energy absorbing and/or nullifying armor or
weapons
can equiped
STI- energy attack amplifying object
Battle action- receive 100HP of damage from a non-physical based
source
Physical agility-
Requirement- No armor and weapons can be equiped
STI- gyrodestabilizer item
Battle action- Must execute six attacks that do not use
energy-based
attacks in a single battle without exhausting all stamina
Energy agility-
Requirement- No weapons or armor can be equiped or can any
relics
STI- focusing quality gemstones in negative focusing mode
Battle action- Must execute six attacks that do not use physical
based
attacks in a single battle without exhausting all stamina
Speaking-
Requirement-speaking STI equipped
STI- peanut butter
Battle action- every thirty seconds of chanting
Evasion-
Requirement-No special requirements
STI- None
Battle action- Every successful dodge
"Good methods although it doesn't cover everything," Ranma commented as
he
closed the book and put it in his adventurer's belt.
Taking another sip of his wine Chiron commented, "It's only meant to
cover
stats that have been proven can be trained directly in battle."
"What about stats that can't be trained directly in Battle," Akane
asked.
"For that you need to seek out rare stat training manuals," Chiron
answered
before adding, "of course there is a catch in getting the rare stat
training manuals."
"Let me guess they catch is we have to do something for whoever made the
training manual," Ranma replied dryly to which Chiron only nodded as a
reply before pulling out a manual labeled accuracy volume 1 which he
handed
to Ranma who looked it over before handing it back to the centaur. "I
already know that technique I learned it a long time ago," Ranma
commented
before looking over at Akane and smiling. "However I'm pretty sure Akane
doesn't know that technique and since I'm pretty sure what your task to
get
the training manual will be I'll let Akane do it," Ranma said with a
smile.
Looking slightly annoyed Akane said, "Why don't I like the sound of
this."
Chiron's only response was a light chuckle as he picked up a crossbow,
"don't worry miss it isn't that bad of a chore"
****************
About an hour later, we find Ranma, Akane and Chiron looking at Forest.
"Ok miss all you have to do to win the training manual is to kill a
quail
with one cross bow bolt and without using the targeting sites," Chiron
said
with a smile as he handed Akane are cross bow.
Akane's response to this was to smile while letting off a small chuckle
before walking into the forest.
Pulling out a bottle of wine and two glasses Chiron asked, "a bit of
wine
while we wait."
"I don't drink," Ranma replied.
Chiron's only response to this was a shrug, "your loss a little bit of
wine
each day does wonders for one's health."
Raising an eyebrow Ranma replied, "a bit that's your 4th glass."
Chuckling lightly Chiron responded, "This is a bit for me Ranma. After
all,
I am a centaur."
A rather flat oh was Ranma's only reply.
"So how did you come to know Madame RelOrt," Chiron asked sometime
later.
"I fell into the spring of the drowned girl at Jusenkyo," Ranma replied
rather darkly.
"And what of your traveling companion," Chiron asked.
"RelOrt cursed her to change into a man because she's been insensitive
to
the trouble my curse is caused me. Then she gave us these two letters
and
said only after we deliver them will she cure her."
Chiron's response to this was to look rather thoughtful.
"Anything wrong," Ranma queried.
"That just doesn't sound like something she would do. Unless of course
there is something she is not revealing to you which does sound like
something she would do after all Madame RelOrt is fond of mysteries and
being mysterious."
"Is that why she doesn't give out of her first name," Ranma asked while
raising an eyebrow to which Chiron only nodded as a reply.
"So how long do you think it'll take her," Chiron asked after another
long
moment of silence.
"Well let's just say she's not going to succeed by the end of the day,"
Ranma said with a smirk.
"I figured as much," Chiron added with a smirk on his own before both
heard
a primordial scream of rage, which caused both to laugh.
****************
That night we find Akane who was looking extremely frustrated sitting on
Chiron's front porch.
"Don't worry young lady you'll get sooner or later," Chiron said
reassuringly.
"I know I guess I never thought shooting a simple bird would be so
hard,"
Akane said while looking rather annoyed.
"Most never do," Chiron said before walking off.
"I remember when me and pop came across another guy that use this method
of
accuracy training and when it was time for pop to shoot the quail it was
absolutely hilarious," Ranma said from the shadows where he was sitting.
"...and what about you," Akane asked.
"It took me about a week of course I was only about 7 at the time,"
Ranma
answered.
"So how long do you think it'll take me to get the quail?"
"Depends on how well you can keep your emotions in check because you've
already got all the skill you need to hit the quail," Ranma replied as
he
stepped out of the shadows.
Akane's only reply to this was to look thoughtful before walking off.
"So do you think that will be enough to do it," Chiron asked as he
stepped
back outside.
Ranma's only reply to that was a shrug. "I don't know but we'll find out
before the sun rises I'm sure," Ranma finely answered while noticing
that
Akane had taken the cross bow.
***************
Later that night in the forest near Chiron's home, we find Akane hunting
her pray.
****************
Watching this from afar was Madame RelOrt who was rudely interrupted by
the
appearance of a young man who promptly found himself on the receiving
end
of a lightning bolt, which plastered him against the crystal scream
Hishizuka used to view Avalon.
Literally Smoking the young man who bore a vague resemblance to Nabiki
coughed out, "geez mom what did you do that for."
One glowing eye raising slightly mysterious Madame RelOrt replied,
"because
I've told you about 10,000 times before not to interrupt me when I'm
doing
something boy."
"Ok, ok I'm sorry mom," the youth said as he dusted himself off.
"So what are you doing here Denki," the mysterious Madame RelOrt asked
of
her son.
"I sensed that the gateway opened and wondered what was up," Denki
replied.
"I've sent two very special Earthers to Avalon to fetch me a vile of
Phoenix blood from my father," Madame RelOrt replied before, once again,
raising one of her glowing eyes' slightly.
"I know that look mom what you want me to do."
"They need a nemesis," Madame RelOrt replied.
"Cool I haven't been anyone's nemesis in hmm 264 years," Denki, replied
before Madame RelOrt began to get him the details of what she wanted him
to
do.
********************
Meanwhile back in Avalon Akane had found her pray. Smiling like a
panther
Akane jumped out of the bushes and started to chase after her pray
crossbow
at the ready and after a minute of chasing Akane finely fired a single
crossbow bolt, which found its mark.
********************
Ranma and Chiron bore waiting outside the forest only smiled when they
heard in an emphatic 'hell yeah' disturb the piece of the forest.
Hearing
this, the two seasoned Warriors just smiled.
"1:24," Chiron said as he looked at his watch.
"A bit worse than I expected her to do but still acceptable," Ranma said
with a smile before he and Chiron walked back to the house ahead of
Akane.
********************
[Day 26 A nemesis gained]
Early morning outside Chiron's house, we find Akane looking at the rare
stat training manual she had earned with an extremely wide smile.
Head resting on one hand Ranma asked, "So are you going to read it or
you
going to smile at it all morning?"
After putting the training manual in the adventures belt Akane said,
"I'll
read it later but in the meantime we should really be getting back on
the
road."
"Agreed," Ranma, said before he and Akane prepared to leave.
"Leaving so soon," Chiron said as he exited his house.
"Yep," Ranma replied.
"Well then I bid you good journey and I wish to give you another couple
of
adventures' items," Chiron said before pulling out a large feather that
was
held by a golden ring as well as a map. "This feather is from the wing
of a
Pegasus it has been enchanted to take the user to any named place they
have
been to before and this map will allow you to name any place you deem to
have significance. Also, this map is an extremely rare adventure's item
and
you should always keep it with in your magic atlas," Chiron explained.
"Ok," Ranma said before starting to walk over to Chiron to retrieve the
two
items however at just that moment 3 lightning bolts streaked out of
nowhere
electrocuting Ranma, Akane, and Chiron and sending the two adventure's
items flying. Ranma for his part was mostly unfazed by the lightning.
Chiron was on the ground with an angry scowl on his face and Akane was
near
death.
The next thing the three heard was a maniacal laugh, which was quickly
traced to a figure dressed entirely in black leather. A black leather
cloak,
long black leather gloves that went almost up to his elbow's, molded
black
leather body armor and black leather boots that went up to his knees. In
addition, the man had evil looking black eyes and long flowing black
hair.
In fact, the only things that weren't black were the man's skin and
teeth.
In simpler terms, the man was the classic evil villain who was of course
holding the two adventure's items that had just been thrown away from
Chiron.
Growling as only a centaur could Chiron spoke the name of the attacker
before him and Ranma and Akane, "Denki RelOrt."
Smiling evilly the man in black replied, "So good of you to remember me
Chiron. *turns to Ranma and Akane* So these are the Earthers my mother
allowed to come to Avalon ... well they should be fun for a few laughs."
Denki said before putting away the two adventure's items he had stolen.
"If
you want these back they'll be waiting for you in the cave at the base
of
the Mobius plateau," Denki said before he vanished with the items.
Growling angrily Ranma snorted before turning to Akane who had already
used
a potion on herself to heal the worst of her wounds. "You ok," Ranma
asked.
"Yeah, for the most part," Akane replied.
"So who was that guy Chiron," Ranma asked angrily.
Getting on his feet Chiron replied, "Denki RelOrt one of the black sheep
of
the RelOrt clan he's 1000 years old and a master sorcerer that's
absolutely
lethal with anything that has to do with electricity ... and he
absolutely
hates Earthers."
"Just great now we have a nemesis," Ranma muttered darkly before sighing
and asking, "so where's the cave he was talking about."
"I'll go draw you a map," Chiron said before trotting off.
This left Ranma to help Akane with her wounds.
Ten or so minutes later Ranma had finished and Chiron and handed Ranma a
map showing them the location of the cave, which was on a large island
south of the Southern continent. Ranma's reply to this was to mutter
something unperceivable and extremely vulgar after which Ranma and Akane
left heading due south.
******************
A few hours later, we find Ranma and Akane walking through the endless
grasses of Avalon's Southern continent
"Ranma how long do you think it'll take us to get to the port city on
Chiron's map," Akane asked.
"A long time Akane at least three months by foot," Ranma replied as the
two
continued on their way.
"In other words we have to find transport of some sort," Akane replied
to
which Ranma only nodded.
*****************
Meanwhile back at Chiron's house with find Chiron siping some wine as he
tended to his grape vines when a flash of light deposited Denki who
walked
towards him. In doing so Denki changed his very appearance to that of a
long green haired man with soft hazel eyes who was wearing a red tunic,
blue jeans, along with a pair of worn looking black leather boats.
Handing Denki a glass of wine while shaking his head Chiron said, "don't
you think the black leather outfit was a bit much."
"Naa I plan on using a hell of a lot more clich� stuff than that in my
villainy," Denki said before taking a sip of his wine and adding, "So
teach
do you know where I can find a good pipe organ and master villain's
castle
on short notice."
Chiron's only reply to this was to shake his head and mutter something
about how crazy Denki was to which Denki only replied with a good
hearted
laugh.
*******************
"I agree with Chiron that black leather outfit was overboard," Alfred
said
to which Madame RelOrt only replied with a nod of her own.
[Day 30 The open plains]
It was a relatively quiet afternoon on the plains of the Southern
continent
of Avalon. In fact, the only sounds that disturbed the peace of the
plains
where that of Akane Tendo pounding a few goblins while Ranma absently
looked through the manual Chiron had given him about training quote;
common
status.
'Hmm...' Ranma said as he read the manual
As one becomes stronger, so do the monsters that one battles but only up
until a point determined by ones location. However as one enters new
areas
the monsters can be significantly stronger than the ones in the previous
area this also means that new monsters maximum can be different.
Additionally for purposes of training if one party member is
significantly
stronger than all others (as in the case of a trainer, seasoned
adventure,
or other some such individual) then all monsters strengths' will be
based
on the strength of the average of all of party members that are not
significantly stronger than each other. Ie In the case of 5 level 20
individuals and one level 50 individual the monsters encountered will be
at
a minimum of level 20 or that monster's maximum for that area.
'Hmm that explains why the goblins have been giving Akane more trouble
lately,' Ranma thought absently as Akane continued to pound on the
goblins.
*****************
Meanwhile elsewhere in Avalon on an isolated island just north of the
Southern continent we find Denki looking over a large instruction manual
on
how to put together his villain's castle, which was sitting in
innumerable
pieces behind him.
"Hmm so do you need any help bro," a girl with extremely light blue hair
said as she appeared from nowhere behind Denki.
"No I don't Ryouko *flips a page in the instruction manual* ...on second
thought I do."
"So who are you being a nemesis to this time," Ryouko asked as she
started
levitating pieces of the castle into position while the instruction
manual
floated out of Denki's hands.
Leaning back and laying on the ground, "a couple of very special
Earthers
from Japan."
"Japan eh," Ryouko, said with a smile before changing her clothing to
match
the clothing of a certain anima character to which she already bore an
uncanny resemblance.
Denki's only replied to this was to roll his eyes and shake his head
before
mumbling something about going pipe organ shopping as he vanished.
******************
Meanwhile back on the Southern Plains of Avalon we find Ranma and Akane
absently walking along when Akane said, "Did you notice that that Denki
character looked like Nabiki."
Absently Ranma replied with a nod before saying, "weird hun?"
"Yeah it was," Akane replied.
"...but it's probably nothing but coincidence," Ranma added with a
shrug.
'I hope so Ranma I hope so,' Akane thought nervously before 5 killer
bees
were seen incoming to which Akane only annoyedly rolled her eyes to as a
reply.
*******************
Meanwhile back on the isolated villains' island we find Ryouko just
finishing the castle's dungeon when Denki appeared with a large box
labeled
classic villain organ model 255-512 that was from the villains' surplus
warehouse located on 1024 inferno Avenue 9th district Gomorrah city just
East of Dante's all-purpose fire, brimstone and all such magics shop and
the River sticks
"Wow a 255-512 those of the really good kind," Ryouko said with a smile.
"Well if were going to be someone's nemeses we might as well the well-
equipped nemeses," Denki replied as he sat down.
"And what makes you think I'm going to help you in your villainy Bro,"
Ryouko said flippingly.
"You're here for starters," Denki replied while sounding rather board.
Ryouko's reply to that was to stick out her tongue out her brother
before
returning to work on the villains' castle.
*********************
Later back on the plains, we find Ranma and Akane having lunch.
"So have you come up with any ideas on our transport problem," Akane
asked
as she ate her dinner.
"No not one and we don't know enough about Avalon to take a detour to
find
out," Ranma replied while sounding fairly annoyed.
"well according to the map Chiron gave us we should be coming to a
village
in about a week we should gather as much information there as we can,"
Akane said after a moment's thought.
Ranma's only response was a nod of agreement.
*********************
[Day 37 The village of Greensville]
"..." was all Akane could think of saying as she and Ranma stepped out
of
the endless grasses of the plains of Avalon to find themselves looking
at a
great open area of farmlands bustling with every kind of crop imaginable
and some that weren't.
"Woh I don't think I've ever seen so many kinds of food in one place in
my
life," Ranma commented as he wiped a thin line drool off the side of his
mouth.
"Ditto," Akane added as she did the same as Ranma.
After recovering from the site before them Ranma and Akane walked into
the
center of the farming community where they found the town square
bustling
with activity.
"So where to first," Ranma said dumbfoundedly.
"Well how bout we get the stuff the training manual says we need to
train
common status," Akane said as she scratched the back of her head.
"Sounds like a good place to start to me," Ranma said absently before
the
two started to do just that.
*************
Meanwhile at the villains' castle we find Denki and Ryouko watching the
events in Greensville through a crystal panel
"Hmm what do you think we should do," Ryouko said as she munched on a
bowl
of popcorn while floating upside down.
"I'm thinking little sister," Denki replied as he scratched his chin.
"I can always summon a demon," Ryouko offered.
"True, true but we will have to wait for the correct time to do so,"
Denki
answered.
************
Later that day we find Ranma sitting in the room at the inn while Akane
lay
on a bed near by.
'Hmm we've got everything it says we need in the manual,' Ranma thought
as
he examined the cataloger before adding; "now all we need is transport."
"Agreed but I'm to pooped to go looking right now so why don't you go by
yourself," Akane said while yawning.
"Ok," Ranma said before getting up and leaving.
*************
"Transport eh," Denki, said with a raised eyebrow before his appearance
shifted shocking Ryouko literally, as lightning crackled away from him
evilly.
"Geez I forgot how much he gets into the act," Ryouko said before
smiling
and following to see what her older brother had in mind.
**************
"...transport you say," was an old looking innkeeper replied to Ranma's
question. "Well there are always horses but the village of Equines is 2
weeks away by foot and I'm guessing you're in something of a hurry," the
innkeeper added to which Ranma only nodded as a reply. "Hmm Izzy the
tinkerer who lives in the junkyard near here will probably be able to
help
you," the innkeeper added.
"So where are the ruins," Ranma asked.
"About 3 hours' walk west of here," the innkeeper replied to which Ranma
replied with a nod before he left.
****************
About 3 hours later we find Ranma looking out on a 10 acre junkyard with
every technological piece of scrap one could imagined and a few one
couldn't which was situated in a small valley.
"Wow now that is a junkyard," Ranma commented before heading down the
hill
which he was on top of and into the junkyard which he began to explore
finding everything from parts for cars to parts for mobile suits and
everything and anything in between.
"...and who might you be," a young looking and very tall man with
pointed
ears said as he stepped out from behind a junk pile while tapping on a
laptop that was floating along.
"Ranma," Ranma answered.
Sniffing the air the man said, "you have a strange air about you
adventurer
one that I do not recognize."
Ranma's only reply to this was to raise an eyebrow slightly while
looking
slightly miffed.
"No I do not mean body older kind of air adventurer I mean smell of your
aura," the tall man said as he absently continued to tap on his laptop.
"Oh well I'm from earth so that probably explains it," Ranma replied.
"An Earther my word this is a surprise and a pleasant one at that," the
man
said before closing his laptop which promptly vanished before he added,
"I
am the Elfin Mechanic Izzy what may I do for you."
"Me and my friend need Transport preferably fast transport say 120 miles
a
day."
"Hmm do you want to be able to store it in your adventure's belt," Izzy
asked as his laptop once again up here beside him.
"Yeah and I can lift about 300 pounds with no trouble," Ranma replied.
"ahh very good with that kind of weight allowance I'll be able to make
you
a small hovercraft that will be able to traverse coastal waters," Izzy
said
before beginning to get to work only to pause for a moment, "it'll take
me
at least until tomorrow morning to finish."
"So hmm what you want me to do before you give me the thing," Ranma
asked.
"Nothing but I would like you to deliver something for me," Izzy
answered.
"Ok," Ranma answered before leaving.
****************
2 hours and 45 minutes later back at the inn we find Akane has just
awoken
with a large yawn noting that Ranma was absent Akane gathered their
things
before heading downstairs and asking the innkeeper where Ranma had gone
however before the inn keep her could respond a thunderous sound was
heard
from outside. Wasting no time Akane rushed out the door to find Denki
and
Ryouko floating in the sky along with Ranma who had been bound with very
strong looking chains and gagged.
Smiling evilly Denki said, "If you want him back come to the cave by the
Riverside in 1 hour," before vanishing leaving Ryouko and Ranma behind.
Smiling while draping herself over Ranma shamelessly Ryouko said,
"better
make it half an hour little girl or I might eat him for lunch," as she
nibbled on Ranma's ear.
This of course had Akane glowing with an extremely bright red aura, "who
are you anyway?"
"Ryouko RelOrt Denki's little sister and the other black sheep of the
family as well an expert demon summoner. I also love cute men like Ranma
here they're so *licks Ranma's ear* scrumptious. Oh and I also
absolutely
love anime and I'm sure you can guess which one is my favorite," Ryouko
said before vanishing with Ranma who had been suspiciously stoic ever
since
Akane had run out of the inn. Akane however didn't notice this
considering
her aura was hot enough to start a fire as was apparent from the
smoldering
grass around her. Turning to a nearby villager Akane asked, "Where is
the
river"
The terrified villager replied simply by pointing east to which Akane
responded by running off in that direction.
This left the innkeeper who had just stepped outside to extinguish the
grass to say, "It's been a longtime since I've seen an adventurer with a
nemesis that strong and that female adventurer must be a rookie not to
have
guessed that was a body double. Ahh well, I'm sure she'll be fine after
all
she did use the save-point before leaving."
15 minutes later the real Ranma arrives back at the inn and asks the
innkeeper where Akane was. After the innkeeper relayed the story of what
had happened and where Akane had, gone Ranma ran off at top speed.
***************
'When I get my hands on that girl I'm going to rip her apart,' Akane
mentally growled to herself before something Ranma had said at the
beginning of their journey filtered into her mind. That thought stopped
Akane in her tracks as her anger faded. "That bitch was purposely
fawning
over Ranma to get me mad," Akane finely said aloud before taking a few
seconds to calm herself completely after which she continued on her way.
Another 15 minutes later Akane arrived at the cave and entered to find
Ryouko sitting in Ranma's lap looking about ready to quote eat him.
Pouting falsely upon noticing Akane Ryouko said, "Well looks like I'll
have
to deal with you before having my lunch."
"Yeah right!" the real Ranma bellowed from behind Akane.
"Oh phooey you weren't supposed to get here for another minute," Ryouko
said with a pout before Denki appeared between Akane and Ranma.
"Don't worry about it sis I won't let him ruin your fun," Denki said
before
launching a lightning bolt at Ranma which sends the pigtailed martial
artist flying out of the cave and into the river after which Denki left
the
cave presumably to deal with Ranma.
"Well now that that you know this isn't the real Ranma I'm sure you're
wondering who it is," Ryouko said.
Dryly Akane replied, "A demon right."
Pouting slightly Ryouko only nodded to before vanishing after which the
pseudo Ranma changes into a bloodthirsty humanoid demon.
"Great just great a boss monster and it's all mine," Akane said
sarcastically as she took up a fighting stance.
The second later, the monster attacked and Akane replied by ducking low
and
followed up by a full power upward jab to the beast's gut, which knocked
the beast against the cave ceiling, which allowed Akane to see she had
punched right through the creature's stomach
"Gross she would have to summon a zombie demon," Akane commented as she
backed away while shaking her arm free of the blood and guts it had had
spewed over it before realizing zombies of any sort were extremely hard
if
not impossible to kill inn unarmed combat. "Fucking great," Akane
mumbled
before pulling out her broad sword and charging with the intent to take
off
one of the zombie's arms. Unusually however the zombie was quick and got
in
a few hits in before Akane hit the creature shoulder with her broad
sword
cutting only the creature's hand off. Coughing a few times because of
the
damage the creature had done Akane quickly used a potion to heal her
wounds.
"Damm this thing is tough very tough I'm barely got its hand," Akane
commented as she through the empty potion bottle at the creature who
interestingly enough reeled in pain. "Duu zombies are week against
curative
items," Akane commented before putting her broad sword away and pulling
out
a Phoenix down after which she charged the zombie. Ducking and weaving
as
fast as she could Akane managed to get past the creature's defenses and
jab
the Phoenix down into the creature's chest which activated the mystical
feather's magic, a second later the creature exploded in flames and was
reduced to ashes. "Well that was easier than I expected," Akane
commented
dryly before walking outside to find Ranma-chan fishing her self out of
the
river while looking extremely pissed.
"You ok," Ranma-chan asked.
"Yeah zombie demons go down really easy when you shove Phoenix downs in
their guts," Akane replied as Ranma-chan rung out her pigtail.
"I am quickly learning to hate those two," Ranma-chan said while
sounding
very pissed.
"Same here Ranma same here," Akane replied before the two continued on
their way.
*********************
Meanwhile back at the villains Castle
"I didn't expect such an armature to actually use a Phoenix down on a
zombie," Denki said with an interested smile.
"Maybe she plays lots of role-playing games after all that's another
thing
Japan's famous for," Ryouko replied.
"Good point sis," Denki answered.
**********************
Later back at the inn we find Ranma lounging by the window looking out
on
the village of Greensville.
"So did you find any transport," Akane asked as she entered from the
bathroom.
"Yeah," Ranma replied before starting to give Akane the details.
[Day 38 Transport gained]
Mid-morning at Izzy's junkyard with find the elfin mechanic putting the
finishing touches on a two-saeter hovercraft with a powerful but yet
small
magic engine with a self regenerating power supply while Ranma and Akane
sat on a junk pile nearby.
Smiling at his work Izzy wiped his brow before tapping on his laptop.
"Power output optimal predicted top speed 10.2505 miles per hour on flat
terrain and 8.3 repeating miles per hour in heavy grass. Hmm there seems
to
be a problem in the self-regenerating matrix of the engine it's only
working at 95.02 percent efficiency," Izzy said before reaching into the
engine compartment and fiddling with something for a moment before
pulling
out a huge green blob of glowing matter. "Just as I thought coagulated
mana," Izzy said before chucking the blob over his shoulder, which
promptly
exploded on contact with the ground.
"Thorough isn't he," Ranma commented as Izzy mumbled something about the
efficiency now being 99.98.
"Yeah he is," Akane replied before Izzy through a switch, which
activated
the magic engine that hummed to life with an eerie but not at all
unpleasant sound.
"...hmm... good ... very good fuel regeneration at above optimal
levels,"
Izzy was heard mumbling as he continued to type away on his laptop.
"Hmm,
most interesting, most interesting indeed," Izzy said before pounding
the
engine block, which began to hum quite loudly for a moment before
leveling
off.
"What was that about," Ranma asked.
"Nothing just a clogged mana injector," Izzy replied before hopping into
the hovercraft driver's seat and flipping it on which caused the craft
to
float into the air on its skirt. Surprisingly however the hovercraft
made
absolutely no noise other than the hum of the mana engine and the
rustling
of junk caused by the hovercraft's main and directional control fans.
"It's
complete," Izzy said as he hopped out of the driver's seat.
"Great," Ranma said before hopping into the driver's seat where Izzy
began
giving him instructions on how to drive the hovercraft while Akane
hopped
into the passenger seat where she also listened to the instructions.
"...and lastly don't push the red button unless you're in extreme
peril,"
Izzy explained to which Ranma nodded.
"One question Izzy why didn't you build us something a little bit more
high-tech and faster," Akane asked of the Elfin mechanic.
"Simple really you didn't ask and anything higher tech than this would
require a power crystal," Izzy answered as he wiped off his hands with a
rag before handing Ranma a small package while saying, "Deliver this to
my
family in the elfin forest please."
"Will do," Ranma said before putting on his helmet and fastening his
seatbelt after which he hits the accelerator and speeds off out of the
junkyard.
"Now I can get back to work on building that antigrav turban hovercraft
with a top speed of mach one," Izzy said with a smile before walking
back
into the endless piles of junk.
**************
About an hour later, we find Ranma and Akane speeding along the plains
when
Ranma made the comment of, "I guess one doesn't encounter any monsters
when
using a vehicle."
Akane who was looking at the magic atlas, which was laying on the
dashboard
on her side of the hovercraft said, "It would seem so."
"Well then I guess we'll have to use this thing sparingly," Ranma
responded
before adding, "after all you've still got a lot of training to do."
"Yes sensei," Akane replied sarcastically as she leaned back and watched
the terrain pass by.
[Day 45 A mysterious demon appears?]
Early morning we find Ranma absently lounging by the previous night's
campfire with a large brimmed leather hat over his face when he heard
Akane
grumbling about something.
"Anything wrong," Ranma asked as he peaked out from underneath his hat.
"Not really just cursing my mother," Akane mumbled rather darkly.
Raising an eyebrow quite high Ranma asked, "...and what are you cursing
your mother about."
Leaning back, Akane pulled out a picture, "mom was a very muscular woman
...
Grandpa always joked about her being related to a Greek Amazon."
"So she was buff," Ranma asked.
"No more then Ryouga or you and she quote wore that muscle like it
wasn't
even there ... it was strange really she was six feet even and weighed
around 175 with shoulder's you would expect to see on an American
football
player but was also very elegant, beautiful, and feminine and wore stuff
that would make Shampoo green with envy."
"Wow sounds like your mom was one tough cookie," Ranma commented before
thoughtfully adding, "So what exactly are you cursing your mom about."
"How much weight I gained and how big I've gotten," Akane mumbled
darkly.
Ranma's only reply to this was to hide underneath his hat as he shook
his
head and rolled his eyes.
"So what do you have planned for today?" Akane asked after a minute or
so.
"What else, Monster bashing?" Ranma said with a smirk from underneath
his
hat.
The response Ranma received for that was a low growl and a sneak attack,
which Ranma naturally turned into a sparring session.
**************
A few hours later, we find Ranma and Akane laughing as they tickled each
other. However both stop laughing when they heard and something fowl in
the
forest they where camping in.
"Did you hear that?" Akane asked.
"It was a little hard to miss," Ranma answered as he got up and took a
defensive stance.
"Do you think it's another one of Ryouko's demons?" Akane asked as she
to
took up a defensive stance.
"I don't know but what ever it is it's probably big and ugly," Ranma
replied.
"Well that goes without saying," Akane said with a raised eyebrow.
***************
"Sis is that one of your demons stalking them?" Denki asked with a
raised
eyebrow.
"Nope," Ryouko replied as she flipped through a paper, "but I do know
what
is stalking them," Ryouko added as she handed Denki the paper.
"OH, well this should keep them busy for awhile," Denki, said after
reading
the paper.
"...If not longer bro after all I do know those two," Ryouko said as she
rubbed her shoulders.
****************
"What ever as out there is playing with us," Ranma said as he dropped
out
of stance and adding, "and there's no telling how long it's going to
play
with us before striking."
"So are we going to use the hovercraft to get out of here or not?" Akane
asked hopefully.
"No we know it's out there so let's go about our business and wait for
it
to attack. Then all it will be fodder for your training," Ranma said
rather
dryly before the sounds of shouting were heard.
"The Chancellor went into the adventurers' forest Princess," one guard
was
heard bellowing from outside the forest.
"Then go into the forest after him," a rather evil sounding female voice
replied.
"Go get my precious little foxy waky," a rather high-pitched wail was
heard
soon after.
"But your Majesties is forbidden for non-adventurers to enter an
adventurers' forest," another guard was heard objecting.
"I DON"T CARE ... and if you don't enter the forest right now you will
be
my brother's next plaything," the first voice replied angrily.
"Ahhkk anything is better than that even facing the wrath of the spirit
of
the adventurers' forest," a third guard was heard yelling in fear before
running towards the forest only to scream in agony as something grabbed
him
lifted him high into the sky where he was flung over the horizon.
The next thing that was heard was an evil cackle that would have put
Kodachi to shame, "so that is what the forest spirit can do. Well I want
to
see it again so all of you into the forest."
The response this gained was the screaming of guards as they discarded
their weapons and ran for the hills.
"Cowards!!! Ah well it doesn't matter Chancellor you can't stay in the
adventurers' forest forever," the evil female voice was heard screaming
before laughing once more as it faded into the distance.
Raising an eyebrow quite high Ranma said, "Okay Chancellor you can come
out
now."
A moment later an extremely dirty, smelly and beaten man in his late 30s
climbed out of bushes and collapsed before even being able to introduce
himself.
"Isn't it the Prince or Princess the one that usually runs away from the
evil chancellor?" Akane asked rather sarcastically, to which Ranma only
shrugged before using a cure potion on the Chancellor.
******************
A few hours later the Chancellor awoke to find himself staring at Ranma
and
Akane.
"So why were you or running away from the Princess," Akane asked.
"You don't want the details," the Chancellor said as he sat up rather
shakily.
"Tell us anyhow," Ranma said.
"Fine I shall tell you then. The Princess is sadistic she enjoys
watching
people suffer either at her own hands or that of her brother's. The
Prince ... well one word describes him and that is kleptomaniac," the
Chancellor explained. "The King and Queen know nothing of the Princess's
behavior for whenever they are around she acts like a perfect little
Princess. It is truly a sickening site."
"Let me guess the king and Queen aren't currently in the capital which
gave
you an opportunity to gather evidence on the Princess's true character
however when doing so the Princess caught you and so you had to flee?"
Akane asked rather dryly to which the Chancellor only reply with a nod.
"So I suppose your next stop will be getting to wherever the King is
before
the Princess," Ranma guessed.
Again, the Chancellor only replied with a nod.
"So where is the King?" Akane asked.
"The Mobius plateau on vacation, however the Princess doesn't know this
nor
does the Prince or anyone else in the royal court for security reasons
of
course," the Chancellor related.
Looking rather board Akane said, "We're going that direction anyhow so
why
don't you give us the evidence and tell us what the King and Queen look
like."
"So what do I do rush out of this forest to distract them while you
takeoff
in a vehicle of some sort?"
"No you leave heading for some place you know is safe and when we know
the
forest isn't being watched we'll leave," Ranma explained.
Scratching his head the Chancellor only nodded before handing Akane a
crystal of some sort and telling both Ranma and Akane what the king and
Queen looked like. After which the Chancellor leaves using a vehicle of
his
own --which coincidentally looked something like a fox.
"You won't get away from me Chancellor," the evil princess was heard
laughing.
"Comeback here foxy waky," the kleptomaniacal Prince was heard screaming
in
a high-pitched voice.
Looking at each other Ranma and Akane just shrugged their shoulders.
"I suppose we're skipping going to the next city as well as monster
bashing?" Akane asked a moment later.
"Yep."
[Day 59 A shortstop in an adventurers' forest]
"2 days waiting in that forest then another 4 over the open planes
before
we hit these blasted hills which have slowed us down to a snail's pace,"
Akane mumbled as Ranma sat up camp.
"There's no sense in grumbling about how it's taken us 8 days to cross
the
hills Akane," Ranma said.
"But our travel time has been doubled because of these hills."
"So it will take us 2 weeks and 2 days instead of a week and a day to
get
to the port city we're headed for but it can't be helped considering the
terrain," Ranma replied as he used a small ki blast to light the
campfire.
Sighing deeply Akane replied, "I guess you're right Ranma," before Ranma
started preparing dinner while mumbling something about how he was going
to
train Akane afterwards which left Akane to make the mental comment of,
'I
want to fight goblins again they're easier.'
[Day 75 The port city of Crystal Cove]
"Finely we're here," Akane said happily as she and Ranma stepped out of
the
hovercraft in front of the walled city of Crystal Cove.
Ranma's only reply to this was to shake his head while putting the
hovercraft in his adventurers' belt.
"Now all we have to do is find a ship that will take us to the Mobius
plateau," Ranma finely said after dropping the hovercraft in his left
hip
satchel.
"That may be a problem," Akane said as she read a decree that had been
posted on the wall of the city.
The decree read:
By the order of the Princess, no ships shall set sail from the port of
Crystal Cove until the Chancellor is found dead or alive. Preferably
DEAD.
"Charming," Ranma commented sarcastically before the two walked through
the
gates of the city.
As Ranma and Akane entered the city, they quickly found out why it was
called Crystal Cove. For below them in the valley the city was situated
in
there was a huge protected cove with waters so crystal clear that only
magic could be responsible for them.
"Beautiful," Ranma commented without hesitation or thought as he watched
the wind ripple the surface of the cove ever so slightly.
"That, Ranma, is an understatement," Akane replied as the two continued
down and into the city, which was to the left of the cove.
After Ranma and Akane entered the city, they did as all adventurers did
by
going to the local shops to stalk up on supplies and by the newest and
best
weapons and armor, which naturally was quite a mundane task. After doing
so
however the two headed down to the docks where they began to talk to the
fishermen and the traders. However, the two found that none of them had
wanted to risk disobeying the decree and so Ranma and Akane headed back
to
the inn and checked in for the night.
"Damn how are we supposed to get to the Mobius plateau if we can't find
a
ship," Ranma mumbled.
"The only way I can think of is the hovercraft but it's not seaworthy
and I
don't want to risk going out to sea in something that isn't," Akane
answered.
"Agreed," Ranma, replied as he plopped down on one of the room's beds.
"I
suppose we could always hijack one of faeries."
Looking rather annoyed Akane replied, "Yeah I suppose we could but there
has to be a more inventive way of getting around the decree."
"Hmm the decree said no ships can 'set sail' from the port but it didn't
say anything about ships setting sail from anywhere else."
'Leave it to Ranma to find the legal loophole in a decree in one second
or
less,' Akane thought while looking sideways at a convenient wall. "So
how
do we get one of the ships out of the port without setting sail in it?"
"That I haven't figured out yet," Ranma said as he looked out the window
of
the room he and Akane were in never noticing Akane facefault as a reply.
A
few minutes later, however Ranma finely figured something out. "Hay I
know
there must be a few people outside of the port that have ships may be
one
of those will be seaworthy.
"I guess it's worth a try," Akane replied while raising an eyebrow
before
the two left to ask some questions at the pub.
************
"...a seaworthy ship outside of town no ...well there was that old
privateer that beached itself last year and from what I hear the crew
has
been trying to restore her," the bartender said in reply to Ranma's
question.
"So where is this ship?" Ranma asked.
"Just follow the coast you'll find it in a day or two by horseback," the
bartender replied to which Ranma and Akane replied by nodding as they
left.
[Day 76 The Privateer USS Enterprise]
As the hovercraft stopped Ranma and Akane stepped out of their craft
find
to a ship that was around 120 feet long being held in place by huge
timbers
as the crew worked on her. Emblazoned on the side in solid gold was the
nameplate, which read U.S.S. Enterprise. Ranma and Akane's only comment
to
the name was a 'you have got to be kidding look'.
"...and who are you sir and ma'am," a well-dressed officer asked from a
nearby pile of sand.
"Adventurers in need of transport to Mobius plateau," Akane replied
quickly.
"Well as much as I would like to help my ship is not going anywhere for
a
while," the officer said as he looked at the ship.
"Are you the captain?" Ranma asked.
"Yes I am Captain Joseph Campbell of the U.S.S. Enterprise," the captain
said before getting up and adding, "She is obviously a privateer class
ship
and not a Galaxy class ship," with a smile.
"So is she seaworthy?" Ranma asked curiously while noting the ship
looked
shipshape to him.
"Seaworthy is not a problem. After my men get done sealing the hull she
will be seaworthy," the captain explained calmly as he watched a few
crewmen performing routine maintenance on the ship's rutter, which was
coincidently the only part of the ship that was still in the water.
"So what is the problem?" Akane asked.
"She may be thin for a woman of the sea but she still weighs 15 tons on
dry
land ma'am," the captain answered rather flippingly.
"Wow 15 tons," Ranma commented.
"Oh come on Ranma when you fight at full power you throw around boulders
that are around that big," Akane said rather annoyedly.
"I do?" Ranma said as he scratched his head.
"Yeah I've seen you lift a Boulder that was two meters in diameter over
your head before throwing it at Ryouga," Akane replied.
"But those only weigh about three or four tons Akane," Ranma objected.
"Most of the boulders I've seen you thow are made of limestone and are
closer to being cylinders then spheres so they weigh approximately 20
tons," Akane replied
"Wow how'd you figure that out?"
"A combo between math and science you should try learning both
sometime,"
Akane replied sarcastically before adding, "and you've doubled your
power
since the last time you've picked up a Boulder so right now you can lift
a
bout 40 tons."
Ranma's only reply to this was to scratch the back of his head and shrug
his shoulders while the captain who had been listening to their
conversation just tried to relocate his jaw.
"And if you don't believe me there's plenty of boulders over the hill to
practice on," Akane added to which Ranma replied by walking over the
hill
to do just that.
"This I've got to see," the captain said as he followed Ranma only to
return five minutes later looking rather pale.
"Let me guess he's juggling three ton boulders," Akane asked
rhetorically
to which the captain only nodded before walking off to notify his crew
that
someone was going to push their ship into the ocean after they got done
sealing it.
*************
Later that night after the crew had made preparations we find Ranma
standing in front of the bow of the boat ready to push.
The captain who was directing his men and Akane who were holding ropes
to
steady the ship so it wouldn't tip over gave the thumbs up as they
prepared
to do their jobs.
Turning to Ranma the captain only nodded his head slightly before Ranma
powered up to his maximum with a primal yeel before grabbing onto the
ship
at its strongest point and pushing with all of his might easily sending
the
ship into the ocean.
Smiling at his work Ranma turned to the captain who just shook his head
in
awe.
[Day 78 Shipping out]
As Ranma and Akane climbed aboard the Enterprise, they were greeted by
the
captain who saluted them before turning around and directing his men to
set
sail for Mobius plateau at full speed. This left Ranma and Akane to
explore
the deck of the ship and talk to the sailors who told them it would take
around 36 hours total travel time to reach Mobius plateau at the ship's
full speed, which was 30 mph
"So what do you Denki and Ryouko have planned for us at Mobius plateau?"
Akane asked as Ranma closed the door to the captain's private captain
behind them.
"I have no idea Akane but I'm sure it's not good," Ranma replied as he
sat
down next to a window at the stern of the ship.
"Anything wrong?" Akane asked after noticing Ranma's distant look.
"I don't know. It's just that things here in Avalon are so much more
relaxed. The people we've met have been kind and respectful and not all
frightened of us and even the sailors on the ship are all good people."
"I know Avalon seems to be very utopian doesn't it."
"No it's not that we've seen evil people but even they seem relaxed.
It's
as if time doesn't flow here." Ranma said before receiving an answer
from
the captain who had just entered the room moments earlier.
"It's because of the magic of Avalon. Here in Avalon ancient and
extremely
powerful magic provides the basics of life: food, shelter, land,
conflict,
and money and because of this things are very relaxed because the basics
of
life will always be there."
"But what if the ancient magic fails?" Akane asked.
"The only way to destroy the ancient magic is to destroy the entire
dimension of Avalon," the captain answered with a smile.
"In other words it's not going to happen," Ranma replied to which the
captain only nodded as a reply.
***************
"So what do you think we should do to them now," Ryouko asked.
"Nothing the Southern continent Navy is closing in on them," Denki
replied
rather dryly.
Ryouko's only reply to this was to pout indignantly while mumbling
something about wanting to have some fun.
**************
Several hours later the watch men on top of the lookout shouted,
"captain
ships off the port bow!!"
The captain's response to this was to look off the port bow using his
handheld telescope.
"So?" Ranma asked as he and Akane walked up to the captain.
"A patrol ship," the captain replied.
"This could be bad," Akane said as nervously looked towards the patrol
ship
that was just appearing on the horizon.
"Don't worry as long as they don't know adventurers are onboard they
won't
care one bit about us being out here," the captain answered before
motioning crew member to hide Ranma and Akane a secret location while
motioning another crew member to change course. Moments later a scout
ship
pulled up beside the enterprise and a commanding looking officer stepped
onto the ship holding copy of the princess's decree, which the captain
of
the enterprise read before handing it back. "I assume this also means
ships
cannot dock at Crystal Cove."
"It does," the officer said before turning around and getting back onto
the
patrol ship, which quickly sailed away.
Shrugging his shoulders at the ease of getting rid of the patrol ship
the
captain returned to his duties after telling one of the crewmembers to
tell
Ranma and Akane they could come out of hiding.
****************
Looking at each other with a 'you have got to be kidding' look Denki and
Ryouko began to plan what they would do.
After several hours of debating -- actually it was more like a
full-fledged
war than anything else-- on whether or not to send a giant squid or a
Hydra
and after the two adventurers. Denki finally won the argument by zapping
his sister with a lightning bolt before starting to prepare the
necessary
spells only to find that it would take more than 52 hours to finish
creating a Hydra leaving Denki to mumble something unintelligible.
*****************
Meanwhile back in the Magi's dungeon Madame RelOrt just mumbled
something
about lazy good for nothing kids before materializing a blank piece of
paper and scribbling something on it rather hastily after which the
ancient
Magi hands the letter to an imp who runs off with it.
******************
As Ryouko awoke, she cleared her head only to find a letter laying on
her
lap from her mother.
"Hmm," Ryouko commented before reading the letter, which strangely
caused
her to pale considerably before vanishing with the intention of finding
her
brother.
*****************
A few minutes later a loan demonic looking Crow was scared by the shout
of
'oh shit' coming from the villains' Castle behind it.
****************
"Sis we better start making a lot more plans than just a simple little
Hydra," Denki said after calming down to which Ryouko only nodded as a
reply before both left the room to do just that. This left to the letter
from Madame RelOrt to drop to the ground. The letter simply read 'get
your
asses in gear OR ELSE'
[Day 80 Mobius plateau]
As Ranma and Akane watched the Enterprise sailed away, they smiled
before
turning their attention inland. What they found there was to towering
columns of rock that were completely flat at the top. The columns of
rock
were also connected by a natural stone archway, which acted as a bridge
between the two plateau's tops.
"So what do we do first find the King and Queen or get our items back?"
Ranma asked.
Akane's only reply was to shrug her shoulders and say, "whichever one
comes
up first."
With that said the two began exploring the town that was just south of
the
docks, they had just been dropped off on.
What the two found was the typical tourists' island retreat --Avalon
style
naturally.
Naturally, this left the two to scratch their heads as they went on
about
the business of purchasing supplies and gathering information about
anyone
fitting the description of the King and Queen who were vacationing on
the
island incognito. Finding none the two headed out of the town and
towards
the base of Mobius plateau in search of the cave.
As soon as they left the town, however they started encountering
monsters
that were significantly stronger than the goblins and killer bees of the
plains. These monsters, which were trolls, were so strong in fact, that
Ranma thought he would have to step and to help Akane. However, the dark
blue haired tomboy would have none of that considering how much fun she
was
having despite the amount of damage she was taking.
Shrugging his shoulders Ranma muttered something about uncute tomboys as
a
loving smile rested on his face while he watched Akane finish off the
monsters she was battling.
"well that takes care of those monsters," Akane said with a smile as she
pocketed the gold received from the defeated monsters before the two
continued on towards the plateau however once they reached the base of
that
plateau they found no sign of the cave they were supposed to enter.
Looking around while looking annoyed Ranma mumbled, "Maybe it's on the
other side."
"It looks like it has to be," Akane grumbled while realizing that she
and
Ranma would have to hike all the way up the plateau and down the other
side
to reach the cave.
"Well let's get started," Ranma added with a grumbled as he looked at
the
stairs that had been attached to the side of the sheer rock plateau.
"Well looks like we won't need to use a stair climber anytime soon,"
Akane
mumbled rather sarcastically before the two started up the stairway.
**************
"Ok sis do you have a plan on what to send after them in the cave yet,"
Denki said rather nervously from underneath a pile of notes and spell
books.
"I'm working on I'm working on it," Ryouko replied from under an equally
large pile of scrolls and oversized volumes.
***************
Back in the Magi's dungeon, Madame RelOrt only shook her head at the
antics
of Ryouko and Denki.
***************
Upon reaching the top of the plateau, Akane found herself panting to
catch
her breath while Ranma however hadn't even broken a sweat. Upon looking
around Ranma and Akane found two very powerful Warriors slicing dicing
and
blasting their way through 20 or so monsters as it they were
papier-m�ch�.
"Woah these guys are strong," Ranma said while actually looking
impressed
as the woman warrior fired off a powerful looking arrow, which instantly
pierced the monster it was aimed at.
"You're not kidding," Akane said as the male warrior sliced clean
through
another monster with a powerful looking crystal sword. "Hay don't they
look
like sort of like how the Chancellor described the king and queen?"
Akane
asked a moment later to which Ranma only replied by nodding before the
two
waited for king and queen to finish slicing and dicing the monsters.
"A good warm up eh dear," the female Warriors said as she put her bow
back
into her adventures' belt.
"Yes it was," the male Warrior said as he sheathed his sword before
noticing Ranma and Akane. "...and who do we have here?"
"Ranma, Ranma Saotome," Ranma answered.
"Akane, Akane Tendo," Akane answered soon after Ranma.
"I am King Cecil and this is my wife Rosa do you have any business with
us," the king asked.
"You're Chancellor gave us this," Akane said as she pulled out a small
crystal from her adventure's belt which Rosa quickly took and used.
By the time the crystal had replayed the imagery it stored the king and
queen were both very pale along with Ranma and Akane.
"I thank you for delivering this sir," the king said before the queen
cast
a Teleport spell which made both vanish in a flash of light.
"Well that was easy enough," Ranma commented with a shrug.
"Yeah maybe too easy," Akane mumbled before the two continued on down
the
other side of the mountain.
*************
"I've got it a young red dragon is strong enough that she'll have an
extremely hard battle," Ryouko said as she popped out from underneath a
pile of large volumes.
"How hard?" Denki asked.
"Well if she's not careful Ranma will have to use a Phoenix down on
her,"
Ryouko replied.
"Ok summon the dragon," Denki said before Ryouko vanished.
*************
"Is it me or is it getting hot," Akane mumbled as she and Ranma finished
climbing down the stairs of the plateau.
Before Ranma could answer, however a horizontal column of fire was seen
escaping from a nearby cave. Seeing this Ranma and Akane looked at each
other for a moment before smiling and pulling out and putting on two
suits
of magical fire nullifying armor.
"Hmm?" Akane said as she looked in between a quiver of ice arrows and an
ice sword.
Her mental musings however were interrupted when another horizontal
column
of fire escaped the cave.
"The arrows," Akane said with a quick nod before the two entered the
cave
where they were promptly blasted when another column of fire.
*cough* was Ranma's only reply.
"I'll second that," Akane said indignantly before continuing on into the
cave where they found Ryouko standing next to a young red dragon.
"This time little girl a simple Phoenix down won't stop my monster,"
Ryouko
said before vanishing and reappearing on a high perch.
Growling venomously as she readied an ice arrow to fire Akane said, "The
dragon is mine Ranma."
"Be careful not to get burned tomboy," Ranma stated as he leaned against
the wall of the cave.
"That has got to be one of the worst jokes I've ever heard," Denki said
from next to Ranma.
Ranma's only reply to this was to shrug before the dragon attacked with
its
flame breath, which Akane didn't even bother to dodge.
This naturally raised Denki's eyebrow as well as Ranma's until that is
an
ice arrow to emerged from the flames and found its mark in the dragon's
left eye.
"Good shot and move," Denki commented as the dragon roared in pain
before
taking a swing at Akane and connecting solidly which sent the tomboy
flying
into one of the cave's walls.
Recovering quickly enough Akane merely spat out some blood as she
mentally
up her speed to its Max.
"Tough isn't she," Denki commented to which Ranma only nodded as Akane
speedily evaded the dragon's attacks. While primarily successful in
doing
so Akane was taking damage from the dragons tail slap and had to
occasionally, back off to use a potion on herself. "She's looking for an
opening to take out the dragons other eye isn't she."
"Isn't that would you would do when facing a dragon?" Ranma asked with a
raised eyebrow.
"No dragons have blindsight," Denki replied.
Ranma's only response to this was to rub his temples just before Akane
shot
out the dragons other eye.
Smiling like a panther Akane pulled out her ice sword and charged only
to
be backhanded away by the dragon
Dropping onto the ground after recovering from being pounded into a wall
Akane snarled before retrieving her bow once again as she noticed the
dragon was sniffing the air. 'So it can smell me as well as it can see
me,'
Akane thought before to pulling back on the bow which attracted the
dragons
attention straight towards her giving her a clear shot at the dragon's
left
nostril. The resulting strike enraged the dragon to the point of
swinging
wildly. However the dragon tirade quickly ended as it regained control
over
itself, however when it did so it turned its head in such a way that
Akane
was able to take a clear shot at its right ear, which had the dragon
swinging once again. This time however it was lucky and hit Akane
squarely.
As she finished rolling to a stop Akane reached into her adventure's
belts
and pulled out and used a potion as she thought, 'damn that really hurt.
Ok
now all I have to do is take out its other ear and nostril and then it
won't be able to sense me.' Looking around at the cave quickly Akane
noted
a rock which she quietly picked up and threw in a random direction. Once
the rock hit the cave wall, the dragon directed its flame breath
straight
at it. Unfortunately, for Denki and Ranma the rock had hit the cave wall
just above their heads. Akane to focused on pulling back her bow's
drawstring and launching an arrow at the dragon's other ear did not
notice
this. 'Ok one nostril left,' Akane thought as she quietly waited for an
opportunity to strike. The dragon however had other ideas as it began
viciously whipping its tail around. 'Great just great as long as its
whipping around like that I can't get a clear shot in,' Akane thought
angrily to herself as she silently stood her ground. 'Well while it's in
a
berserker rage I'm going to heal myself,' Akane added before pulling out
and using another potion. 'Come on stupid calm down enough to give me a
clear shot,' Akane thought after discarding the potion bottle.
About three minutes later Akane's wish was granted as the dragon slowed
down obviously from exhaustion however when it finally did so the dragon
was facing away from Akane. Akane's reply to this was to annoyedly glare
at
the dragon's backside before picking up a rock and throwing it at the
dragons head. This of course gained the dragon's full attention as was
apparent when it whipped around and try to barbecue Akane with another
fire
breath attack. The response the dragon received for this was an arrow up
its other nostril.
Smiling like a panther Akane pulled out her ice sword and attacked
however,
she quickly found that the dragons hide was too hard to penetrate and so
settled on declawing the dragon before jumping back.
"Damn how my going to kill it if I can't get through its hide," Akane
shouted in frustration.
"Find a weak point in its hide what else," Ranma answered annoyedly.
'A weak point?' Akane asked herself before starting to examine the
dragon
thoroughly. After three moments of examination, she saw that skin
underneath the dragon's chin was loose and flabby. 'Now how am I going
to
puncture that skin it's to high for me to reach with my sword? I need
something with a long handle. *smiles* like the ice spear Ranma insisted
on
buying,' Akane thought before pulling out an ice spear which she charged
the under dragon with before thrusting the spear up and through the
dragons
chin instantly killing it.
"Good job Akane," Ranma complemented before noticing Denki and Ryouko
had
both vanished leaving only a bright red treasure chest.
"Yeah it was a piece of cake," Akane managed to get out between coughs
as
she leaned heavily against her spear while Ranma retrieving their
adventure's items from the chest.
"Hay you okay?" Ranma asked while sounding concerned.
"No that thing was way too strong for me and it's probably going to take
me
the better part of a week to recover from it," Akane replied before
Ranma
walked over to her and carried her out of the cave.
**********
"By the mana what in the plane were you fighting?" The innkeeper asked
as
Ranma entered carrying Akane who was already starting to bruise heavily.
"Oh not much I just went one-on-one with a young red dragon and won,"
Akane
replied as she leaned heavily against Ranma.
"By the mana," The innkeeper exclaimed.
"Do us a favor would you and see if you can find a healer," Ranma said
as
he guided Akane out of the lobby and into one of the inn's numerous
rooms.
The only reply the innkeeper gave to that was to run out of the in on
his
way to do just that.
*********
"So how bad am I hurt?" Akane asked the healer after he had finished
examining her.
"Six of your ribs have hairline fractures," the healer said before
pulling
out a small book and flipping through it as he added, "and considering
you
fought a young red dragon one-on-one I'm surprised you're not in a hell
of
a lot worse shape than you are. Now hold still while I use the bone
repair
spell on you"
With that said, the healer cast his spell, which instantly caused the
hairline fractures in six of Akane's ribs to be repaired.
"Now for those bruises," The healer said before saying something in an
ancient language, which caused Akane's bruises to be completely healed.
Setting up Akane blinked before saying, "wow."
The healer's only reply to this was to smile as he chuckled lightly
before
asking, "Do either of you know any healing magic."
Looking rather embarrassed both Ranma and Akane shook their heads.
"I swear adventures these days..." the healer commented as he left.
*************
"Well that went well," Alfred commented approvingly as he watched a
replay
of Akane's battle with the red dragon.
"Yes she is advancing quite fast under Ranma's tutelage and that is
pleasing me immensely." Madame RelOrt replied before the crystal panel
in
front of her abruptly shifted its view to show the ancient Magi a boy of
around 10 years old with flowing yellow hair spying on Ranma and Akane
from
just outside their room.
"Is that who I think it is Madame RelOrt?" Alfred queried.
"Yes it is Alfred yes it is," Madame RelOrt replied in such a way that
you
knew she was smiling.
**************
[Day 81 The mysterious yellow haired youth Ryu]
Early morning we find Akane staring out the window of the inn at the
endless beaches of the resort of Mobius Plateau when Ranma entered the
room
looking rather frustrated. "Couldn't find a boat could you?" Akane asked
rhetorically as Ranma plopped down on the bed and nodded as a reply to
Akane's question.
"The dockmaster said there won't be a boat docking here till tomorrow
evening," Ranma answered.
"...and we can't use the Pegasus feather to transport us anywhere since
we
haven't been anywhere else with it." Akane added while grumbling.
"Ahh well there's no sense in grumbling about it." Ranma stated before
getting up and starting to leave only to be interrupted by Akane.
"... and where do you think you're going to?" Akane asked with a raised
eyebrow.
"Monster bashing," Ranma stated before leaving.
This left Akane to roll her eyes before thinking about what she wanted
to
do. Ten or so minutes later Akane decided to go shopping for something
other than potions weapons and such.
************
"Good morning Miss I trust your feeling better," the innkeeper said as
Akane entered the main lobby.
"Yep that healer certainly does know this stuff," Akane answered on her
way
out of the inn.
However once she stepped outside she bumped into a boy that was no more
than 10 years old who was wearing a simple breastplate made of gold
dragon
scales.
"Owe!" The yellow haired boy complained as he landed on his posterior.
"Hay are you okay," Akane asked as she helped the boy to his feet.
In reply, the boy shyly nodded.
"Good," Akane said before he started to walk away only to notice a
picture
the boy had dropped
The picture was that of a man that seemed to radiate power holding a
baby
while an elegant looking woman stood behind him. Also to the man's left,
there was another woman that looked like she was the baby's mother.
Lastly
leaning against the left wall in the picture there was the familiar
cloaked
figure of Madame RelOrt. However, in the picture, she was very much
alive
and the hood of her elegant forest green cloak was down to reveal her
face.
A face Akane knew all too well; the face of her mother.
Seeing this face however Akane merely shrugged off as coincidence ... a
colossally large coincidence but nonetheless just a coincidence.
"Who is this?" Akane asked just to make sure the mysterious figure that
looked like her mother was indeed Madame RelOrt.
"Madame RelOrt she's my godmother," the boy said shyly as he adjusted
his
armor, which looked to be two or three sizes too large for him. "Do you
know her?"
"Yeah sort of," Akane replied as she nervously scratched the back of her
head.
"Can you take me to her?" The boy asked hopefully.
"No she's on earth." Akane stated.
The youth's response to this was to bow his head and look extremely
disappointed. "I really wanted to see her."
"Is the baby in this picture you?" Akane asked.
"Yes *points to the man dressed in dragon armor* and he's my dad *points
to
the woman to the left of his father* and she's my mom."
"And who is the woman behind your father?" Akane asked.
"She's my stepsister and best friend," the boy answered with a smile.
"So are you here on the island all alone?" Akane asked after noticing
the
youth was wearing an adventures belt.
"Yep," the youth said with a happy nod as he and Akane started to walk
along.
"So what's that armor made of?" Akane asked.
"My stepsister's scales," the boy replied without breaking stride.
Needless to say, this statement raises Akane's eyebrow quite high before
she scolded the boy by saying, "now come on you shouldn't say such nasty
things like your sister has scales."
The boy's reply to this was to look quizzical, "why wouldn't my sister
have
scales? She's a great-wyrm gold dragon."
The only reply Akane could think of to answer with was a rather flat oh.
However a moment or two later what the boy had said sunk in which caused
her to ask the question, "is your father a dragon also?"
"Dad's the King of all dragons," the youth said proudly.
"...and what about your mother?"
"Mom's dead but she was human," the boy answered rather tearfully.
"So you're half dragon half human?" Akane asked.
"yes but I'm not like other half dragon's, mom was so worried about how
other half dragon's had been treated that my father had Madame RelOrt
completely separate my human and draconic sides from each other using
modified type 3 transformation magic."
"So are you any stronger than a human even though right now you're
completely human?" Akane queried curiously.
"No not really that's why my sister gave me this armor." The youth
replied.
"By the way what's your name?" Akane asked as the two continued on there
little walk.
************
Meanwhile on the Plateau we find Ranma bashing trolls
'Glad to say I can still pound the monsters,' Ranma thought to himself
as
he crushed another troll without effort.
However as he finished doing so he found Denki sitting on a nearby
boulder
smiling malevolently. "You may have been able to defeat a few trolls but
let's see how you fare against an adult blue dragon without any
lightning
nullifying armor," Denki said before raising his hand and creating an
adult
blue dragon.
'This may be a little bit hard,' Ranma thought as he dodged a lightning
breath attack.
*************
Meanwhile back down in the city we find Akane-Kun who had just been
splashed with some water looking rather indignant.
"I'm sorry hmm miss," an innocent bystander said an apology for what he
had
just done before running off rather quickly.
"Are you ok?" The mysterious youth asked.
"Yeah it's nothing a hot bath and a change of clothes won't fix,"
Akane-Kun
said darkly before noticing her companions curious look. "I have a
Jusenkyo
curse okay."
"Oh! ...but don't you have a transformation bracelet that will change
your
clothes?"
"A what?" Akane asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Come on I'm sure the enchanter can make one for you," the mysterious
youth
said as he started to drag Akane off.
Neither of them noticed the fireworks coming from the top of the
Plateau.
*************
"A type-3 transformation bracelet eh," the enchanter said after
listening
to the youth's description of what he wanted the enchanter to make.
"Will that be a problem?" Akane asked worriedly.
"Nooo it'll only take me about an hour to make one," the enchanter
replied
as he levitated a book off one of the many shelves behind him.
"So how much will cost for two; One for me and for a friend of mind
that's
not here right now?" Akane asked.
"20,000," the enchanter replied simply, "and for an extra 2000 I can
make
both bracelets automatically resize any clothing to be a perfect fit on
the
wearer.
"What about a full wardrobe enchantment?" The mysterious youth added.
"Shared between the two bracelets or not," the enchanter asked.
"Shared and adventure's model," the mysterious youth replied.
"Hmm all of that will increase the price of the two bracelets to 50,000
gold," the enchanter replied before adding, "but it will be well worth
the
money."
"Hmm how so?" Akane asked.
"Well the wardrobe enhancement will allow you to change your clothing at
any time you wish by will alone. Also the adventure's model of the
wardrobe
enhancement will allow you to equip armor and weapons in the same way
and
put it together with the shared wardrobe enhancement you can share any
clothing and equipment providing it is unisex or the same sex."
"Hmm by chance would you know how to enchant the bracelet to block the
transformation?" Akane asked hopefully.
"No miss the only enchanters that would know how to do that would either
be
on the western continent or in the capital of Avalon," the enchanter
replied with a laugh.
"Ahh well five out of six isn't bad?" Akane said with a shrug before
pulling out 50,000 gold.
"The bracelets will be done by tomorrow morning ma'am," the enchanter
replied.
****************
Meanwhile back up on the Plateau Ranma had just finished shish-kebabing
the
blue dragon he had been fighting for the past hour.
"So is that all you've got for me?" Ranma asked as he nursed his left
arm,
which had been burned badly by the dragons lightning breath.
"For today," Denki replied before flicking his wrist and completely
healing
Ranma much to his surprise. "... but next time I will not be so easy on
you," Denki added before vanishing.
"Great just great I have a nemesis that likes to toy with me. Not that
I'm
complaining mind you," Ranma said before noticing the dragon had left
50,000 gold on the ground.
***************
Meanwhile back at the villains Castle Ryouko had been watching Akane and
her mysterious half dragon friend shop.
"Hmm they just may find in the enchanter that can enchant the bracelets
to
block the transformation before that," Ryouko said with a mischievous
smirk
before deciding what kind of enchantment she would use.
[Day 81 A little bit of shopping and Akane's new outfit]
As Ranma and Akane left the in the next morning Ranma mumbled something
about Akane spending 50,000 gold without talking to him about it.
Akane's only reply to this was to stick out her tongue and say, "come on
baka it's not like 50,000 gold is all that much considering the number
of
monsters we fight on a regular basis."
"Yeah I guess you're right but I'm so used to having next to no money
that
I'm stingy with it," Ranma answered.
Shrugging her shoulders Akane replied, "Understandable I suppose."
"HAY wait for me," the mysterious half dragon you said as he raced to
catch
up with Ranma and Akane.
"That they kid you told me about yesterday?" Ranma asked.
"Yep and his name is Ryu," Akane said as Ryu caught up with them.
***************
Meanwhile at the villains Castle we find Ryouko watching the crystal
panel
when Denki entered dressed in a bathrobe.
"So what do you have planned for them sis?" Denki said as he let off an
early morning yawn.
"I'll modify the enchantment on their bracelets so that they'll trap
them
in one form or another for an extended period of time," Ryouko replied
mischievously.
"So how will you get the chance to modify the bracelets' enchantments',"
Denki replied.
"Truthfully I haven't figured that part out yet," Ryouko said as she
absently scratched the back of her head.
Denki who was walking away from his sister replied only by facefaulting.
**************
"...now all I need to do is go shopping for some new clothes." Akane
said
with a smile as she Ranma and Ryu left the enchanter's shop.
"Well there goes the budget," Ranma teased earning him a mallet to the
skull.
"Ranma no BAKA," Akane grumbled loudly before adding, "...and just for
that
I'm making you go shopping for girl's clothes to." As she drug Ranma off
by
his pigtail.
Ryu's only comment to this was to think, 'grown-ups can be so weird,'
before following.
**************
Several hours later in the villains' castle, we find Ryouko and Denki
doubled over in laughter from watching the two shop for clothing.
*************
"I'm not wearing it," Ranma-chan said defiantly.
Exasperatedly Akane replied, "Then what are you going to wear?"
"..." was Ranma-chan's defiant reply.
Rolling her eyes Akane asked, "Ok you pick something out then."
'I suppose I really should but hell is going to freeze over before I
pick
out anything girly,' Ranma-chan thought to herself.
"Well," Akane asked impatiently.
"I'm thinking I'm thinking," Ranma-chan replied while sounding annoyed.
A moment later Ranma-chan walked off while absently watching the other
women especially the female adventures. Unfortunately, Ranma-chan was so
distracted by doing this she ran into a female elfin.
"Hmm sorry I wasn't watching where I was going," the female elfin said
as
she picked herself up.
"Same here," Ranma-chan said as she got up.
"So what are you looking for?" The female elfin asked as she began to
browse the racks.
"I don't know something feminine but not girly," Ranma-chan answered
with a
shrug.
"Hmm are you an adventurer by any chance?" The female elfin asked.
"Yeah," Ranma-chan replied.
"Well how bout a cloak or cape then?"
"Naa not my style," Ranma-chan replied.
Noticing Ranma-chan's red sleeveless shirt the elfin woman suggested,
"what
about a vest with something underneath it say a tube top?"
"I suppose the vest is okay but what's a tube top?" Ranma-chan asked
curiously.
The elfin's only reply was to point to the tube top she was wearing
underneath her cape.
"Oh," Ranma-chan said in reply, before adding, "I guess that's all
right."
"Now slacks or a dress," the elfin woman said.
"Neither," Ranma answered.
"Well how bout a mini skirt say halfway down to the knees," the elfin
woman
suggested after a moment of thought.
"Ok I guess," Ranma-chan said uncertainly.
Looking at her new shopping companion the elfin woman said, "I know,
you're
worried about boys looking up your skirt right? Well I've got the
perfect
solution for that little problem; Full-length skin tight leggings,"
before
dragging Ranma-chan off leaving the neo-girl no time to even react.
Watching this from afar were Akane and Ryu who just shrugged before
walking
off to the men's section where Akane began shopping for herself.
**************
About 20 minutes later Akane shopping was interrupted by Ranma-chan
saying,
"So how do you like it?"
Upon turning around Akane saw Ranma-chan dressed in an open red vest
almost
identical in style to one of the pigtailed martial artists red Chinese
shirts. Along with a white tube-top and black miniskirt that only went
down
halfway to Ranma-chan's knees and lastly Ranma-chan wore a pair of full-
length skintight black leggings.
Akane's immediate reply was to raise her left eyebrow as she noticed the
skirt had pockets before making the vocal comment of, "well at least
you're
not radiating bad girl."
"...and what's that supposed to mean?" Ranma-chan asked with a raised
eyebrow.
"it means at you're not wearing skimpy leather shorts like some
shameless
female anime character ... although I have no comment on that tube top,"
Akane replied before noticing Ranma-chan smirk.
***************
That is why we find Akane dressed in a near identical outfit to Ranma-
chan's around 30 minutes later.
"I still don't see how you talked to me into this," Akane said as she
nervously adjusted her open blue vest to make sure, as little of her
tube
top showed as possible.
Ranma-chan's only reply to that was a smirk.
"Well I've got my own form of revenge for making me get this outfit
Ranma,"
Akane said before dragging Ranma-chan off to the lingerie section with a
smirk of her own.
"I'll meet you two back at the inn," Ryu said before walking off.
**************
Later that day we find Ranma-Chan and Akane-kun returning to the inn.
Akane-kun was dressed in a simple black T-shirt and blue jeans and had
had
an ice sword strapped to his back.
Ranma-chan however was dressed in the same outfit she had been wearing
when
Akane dragged her off to the lingerie section earlier that day.
"You can be really cruel sometimes you know that Akane," Ranma-chan
muttered.
"Come on admit you liked it," Akane-kun said mischievously.
Ranma-chan's only reply was to start to walk faster. However she didn't
get
very far before she felt someone wrapped their arm around her and grab
her
rear.
Ranma-chan's only reply to this was to look up and darkly say, "you're
enjoying yourself far too much you know that."
Akane-kun's only reply was a 'who me' look.
'Well two can play at this game,' Ranma-chan thought before retaliating
by
grabbing Akane-kun's rear, which caused the neo-boy to stiffen
considerably.
***************
As Ranma-chan and Akane-kun arrived back at the inn they found Ryu being
yelled at by a tall woman wearing dragon armor that looked like she was
about ready to breathe fire.
"But sis," Ryu complained only to be silenced by a shout from the woman.
"No buts little brother you left fire mountain without permission and
before father agreed to let you go on the rights of passage," the woman
shouted.
"Ok sis I'll go back .... So how long do you think I'll be grounded,"
Ryu
asked.
"If you're lucky 3 months you know pop's temper," the woman replied
before
she and Ryu vanished never noticing Ranma-chan and Akane-kun's presence.
"Well I guess we won't be seeing Ryu for a while," Akane-kun said a
little
bit sadly.
That said Ranma-Chan and Akane-kun prepared to leave Mobius Plateau.
[Day 83 Return to crystal cove]
As Ranma and Akane stepped off to ship from Mobius Plateau, they looked
around at Crystal cove to find this city bustling with life. "Well this
place certainly looks better than it did last time we were here," Akane
commented before the two continued on and out of this city
[Day 99 A bit of soul-searching in an adventurers' forest]
As Ranma and Akane arrived at the adventures' forest early in the
morning
Akane noticed that Ranma looked rather distracted however considering
how
distracted she was herself Akane said nothing as Ranma put the
hovercraft
into the magic pouch.
*************
Later that day, around noon, we find Ranma-chan absently soaking in the
pond in the middle of the adventurers' forest.
What the redheaded pigtailed martial artist was currently thinking of
were
the events of the day she and Akane had gone shopping for clothes on
Mobius
Plateau. 'Both,' Ranma-chan thought to herself before looking down at
her
breasts. 'Am I? Yes I am but do I have the right to be.'
**************
Meanwhile in another part of the adventurers' forest Akane-kun lounged
absently against a tree while his thoughts mirrored Ranma-chan's
***********
"It's hard to see them like this you know," Madame RelOrt said before
getting up and leaving the library knowing that if she stayed any longer
she would be tempted to use her power. After walking, for a moment she
teleported herself outside of the Magi's dungeon and onto the mountain
she
had carved the Magi's dungeon out of with her magic. "3998 years ago I
built this place and 3 years before that were the springs. I still curse
myself for toying with that goddess like I did. Then as the killing
blow, I
changed her into a statue, which I then casually pushed into the spring.
The statue shattered into a million pieces cursing the area with my
magic
and hers. Her's was a chaotic magic and mine was well type 3
transformation
magic. I am sorry Ranma I truly am because of my arrogance you and
countless others have had to suffer," the mysterious Madame RelOrt said
with this sadness born of countless eons of guilt.
************
Meanwhile back in the adventurers' forest Ranma-chan lounged by the side
of
the pond completely naked save her adventure's belt when she had just
put
on as she sat down underneath a very large tree. Looking up at the tree,
she was under Ranma-chan subconsciously willed the bracelet that was on
her
wrist to cloth her in her usual red Chinese shirt and drawstring pants
and
boxer shorts. A few moments later Akane-kun walked onto the scene willed
all of his clothing into the adventurer's belts he was wearing before
taking off said belt as he also pulled out a bucket full of bathroom
items
from the belt. Seeing Akane-kun wash himself made Ranma-chan blush as
her
female body started to become aroused. Ranma-chan not been interested in
what are body wanted to do at the moment just looked up at the tree and
closed her eyes. Three or so minutes later Ranma-chan heard Akane-kun
enter
the pond and start soaking.
"What are you thinking about?" Akane-kun asked.
"Being a girl," Ranma-chan replied before adding, "...and what about
you?"
"The same in reverse I suppose," Akane-kun replied.
"So did you think of anything?" Ranma-chan asked.
"No," Akane-kun replied while sounding exasperated.
"Same here, I figure that even though I accept that I'm both a guy and a
girl that since I didn't grow up as a girl I only really know what it
feels
like to physically be a girl. So because of that I don't have the -- hum
what was that word Kasumi used again, oh yeah -- psyche of a normal
girl.
Of course, considering I grew up on the road with pop I don't exactly
have
a normal guy's psyche either."
Considering for a moment whether or not to make a sarcastic comment
Akane-
kun finely replied with the comment of reply, "You do have a point
you're
definitely not like most guys even without your curse."
After this, a long silence fell over the two.
"So do you want to talk about it," Ranma-chan finely asked as she heard
Akane-kun getting out of the water.
"Hmm talk about what?" Akane-kun asked while sounding lost.
"Well you know about the psyche stuff," Ranma-chan replied as she opened
her eyes.
Looking thoughtful Akane-kun only nodded before sitting down and trying
to
figure out where to start. However, after a long silence Akane-kun
finely
said, "Considering how different I am from most girls Ranma I'm probably
not the best girl to talk to this about."
"Yeah I guess you're right most of the people we know are hardly normal
...
hell most of them have problems with their sanity," Ranma-chan said
rather
jokingly.
"Very true Ranma very true," Akane-kun replied while sounding annoyed.
"So since neither one of us has a normal psyche how are we going to
figure
this kind of stuff out?" Ranma-chan queried off handedly.
"Something my mom told me a long time ago may help," Akane-kun said
after a
long moment of thought.
"So what did she say?"
"No matter what those around you tell you to be and expect you to do
always
remember that you are you and only you truly know what is right for
you,"
was Akane-kun's recollection of what his mother had said before adding,
"is
simpler terms mom said it means never betray your instincts even if
those
around you want you to."
"Have you ever had to tell anyone off because you followed that advice?"
Ranma-chan asked.
"More times than I care to count," was Akane-kun's reply. "Teachers,
classmates, daddy's relatives, and a lot of other people have all tried
to
boss me around. After mom died some of them even at the nerve to say it
was
my fault mom died because I didn't act like a proper lady as if mother
could hardly have been considered a proper lady by Japanese standards."
"How did your mom die anyhow?" Ranma-chan asked.
"No one really knows but it had something to do with some kind of
bombing
at the park. I saw the park the day after there was an absolutely huge
crater at the center of the park," Akane-kun replied.
"How big?" Ranma-chan asked.
"25 deep and 50 feet wide," Akane-kun replied.
"Damn that was a big bomb," Ranma-chan commented.
"I don't know much about bombs Ranma but what ever caused that crater
wasn't a bomb," Akane-kun answered.
"Why do you say that?" Ranma-chan asked curiously.
"There was a tree not 5 inches away from the crater that was totally
unharmed," Akane-kun answered.
"Okay now that's just plain spooky," Ranma-chan replied.
"I know I know," Akane-kun replied.
After this, a curious silence developed as both Ranma-chan and Akane-kun
thought about what Akane's mother had said so many years ago.
'Hmm pops has always beat it into me that I have to act one way or
another
maybe I should go over everything he said throw,' Ranma-chan thought to
herself before starting to meditate deeply.
Akane-kun however had decided to simply return to the main campsite,
relax,
and take a nap. However, Akane-kun could not get any sleep or relax for
some mysterious reason and so was fairly tense Ranma-chan returned that
evening wearing the outfit the female elfin had picked out for her. This
of
course raised Akane-kun's eyebrow quite high.
Ranma-chan however didn't even seem to notice this as she sat down
underneath a tall tree.
"Are you okay Ranma?" Akane-kun asked while sounding concerned.
"Yeah purtty much," Ranma-chan answered before noticing Akane was
extremely
tense. "You ok you seem a little tense?"
"Yeah I suppose," Akane-kun, answered while sounding distracted.
"Come over here and I'll give you a back rub," Ranma-chan said as she
pointed to a spot beside her.
Akane-kun's reply to this was to do as Ranma-chan requested. This
allowed
Ranma-chan to give Akane-kun a much-needed back rub but five minutes
into
said back rub Akane-kun turned around and attempted to passionately kiss
Ranma-chan. A finger placed on his lips however prevented Akane-kun from
doing so.
"I'm not in the mood you oversexed nynfo," Ranma-chan said causing
Akane-
kun to pout as he turned back around.
"Humph you're no fun," Akane-kun replied.
Ranma-chan's only reply to this was to roll her eyes before continuing
rub
Akane-kun's back as she also asked, "so what's got you so tense anyhow?"
"Bad memories of the time just after my mom died," Akane-kun replied.
"Daddies relatives --especially his mother-- never did like mother. She
was
well too liberal for them and especially for grandmother she and father
got
into lots of fights over how mom raised me and my sisters. *sighs
deeply*
After mom died all of daddies' relatives tried to tell me and my sisters
that it was our fault she died. They got to Kasumi and turned her into
little miss perfect housewife."
"Don't be fooled by that exterior she puts up Akane there's a whole lot
more to Kasumi than any of us know," Ranma-chan interrupted.
"... I suppose you're right but she changed that year and so did
Nabiki."
Akane-kun added sadly.
"How so?" Ranma-chan asked.
"That year was hard on all of us Ranma. Daddy turned into a crybaby.
Kasumi
was brainwashed into a perfect housewife. Nabiki changed from being a
nice
and caring person into the mercenary of diamonds and I developed a
temper
that no nuclear reactor can match."
"It sounds like your father's relatives put you all through hell,"
Ranma-
chan said thoughtfully.
"That's an understatement," Akane-kun said rather annoyedly. "So why are
you wearing that anyhow?"
"Let's just say this is my way of being a girl until we get back,"
Ranma-
chan replied.
"Oh," was the only intelligible reply Akane-kun could give.
"So what do you think the capital will be like?" Ranma-chan asked.
"Who knows?" Akane-kun replied.
"Well we'll find that soon enough," Ranma-chan said with a smile.
[Day 111 The capital of the Southern continent]
As Ranma and Akane stepped out of the hovercraft, they beheld the site
of
the Southern continent capital.
"Wow," Akane commented as she marveled at the sheer beauty of the
sculpted
and jewel encrusted marble walls that surrounded the capital.
"That is an understatement Akane," Ranma commented dryly before the two
noticed a guard walking up to them.
"Sir, ma'am the king and Queen would like to see you as soon as
possible,"
the guard said rather nervously.
"Ok," Ranma replied with a shrug before putting the hovercraft in his
adventures' belt.
"This way then," the guard said rather nervously.
As Ranma and Akane, follow the guard through the city streets they
quickly
found that the Southern Continent's capital was a major trade city that
brought together the widest menagerie of peoples, races, and such the
two
had ever seen in their lives'. True to the stature as superpowered
martial
artists, however the two showed no outward signs of even being remotely
phased by the site before them. Inwardly however both of them wanted to
see
what the traders had to offer.
However, both knew they would have to shop later considering their
destination was more important.
*************
About half an hour later Ranma and Akane finely arrived at the Palace
and
were they were shown to a back room where the chancellor and Queen where
already waiting for them.
Gravely the Queen looked up at the two adventures from Earth before
saying,
"she has runaway vowing that she will kill the both of you for
interfering.
I warn you now she is a powerful intermediate mage trained by a good
friend
of mine and I fear that she will not hesitate to use a killing blow.
"Damn," Ranma muttered darkly before the chancellor handed him a large
black jewel.
"That is an imprisonment jewel. Weaken her enough and you will be able
to
imprison her within it," the Queen explained
"And you want us to imprison her in this as soon as possible right,"
Akane
asked rhetorically.
In reply, the Queen only nodded sadly.
"Will do," Ranma replied before he and Akane left.
**************
"Why?" Akane asked Ranma as the two exited the Palace.
"Well if girl this going to be chasing after us I'd rather not have to
kill
her when we finely have to fight her," Ranma replied simply.
After a moment of thought Akane nodded in reply before the two headed
for
the Bazaar and all of the traders
**************
Smiling devilishly Ryouko took only a second to vanish.
"Hmm she must be planning on trying to mess around with their
transformation bracelets," Denki said with yawn as he looked up from a
spell book before reading, "I give her an hour or so before she fails."
**************
An hour later Ranma and Akane encountered a mysterious hooded figure
that
was offering enchantments for adventures items.
Rolling his eyes as he and Akane, passed Ranma commented, "you'll have
to
do I hell of a lot better than the mysterious hooded figure routine
Ryouko."
This of course had Ryouko fuming in less than a second.
"Dammit," Ryouko grumbled before disappearing in a flash of light.
***************
"How did you know it was her Ranma?" Akane asked sometime later. Ranma's
reply to this was to whisper something into Akane's ear, which made her
laugh as the two continued to shop.
***************
Back at the village's Castle, however Ryouko was fuming in classic anima
style while mumbling something in an ancient language that surrounded
rather unpleasant.
Denki's reply to this was shake his head and rolled his eyes.
**************
Meanwhile in the shadows of the Bazaar a certain evil princess watched
Ranma and Akane waiting for a moment she would attack.
'Not today there are too many that would interfere with my vengeance
here,'
the evil princess thought before completely dissolving into the shadows.
*************
"So where to next?" Akane asked as she and Ranma exited the capital at
around dusk.
"The elfin forest," Ranma stated as he readied the hovercraft for
travel.
"Fair enough," Akane said with a nod.
[Day 118 An encounter with an immortal wanderer]
As Ranma and Akane entered the adventures' forest, half way in-between
the
capital of the Southern continent and the elfin forest, they found a
traveled looking man looking at a campfire. Both Ranma and Akane knew
instinctively the man before them was someone very unusual.
"Hello young ones," the man said without turning his attention from the
fire. "You are far away from home are you not?"
"Hmm yeah where from Earth," Ranma said as he tried to sense something
about the man before him.
"Do not bother probing me young one," the man said calmly surprising
both
Ranma and Akane.
"Who are you?" Akane asked while noting that the man looked like Kasumi.
"I am an immortal wanderer," the man replied in a voice that spoke of
his
countless years of life, "I have wandered this world for 5 thousand
years
searching."
"For what?" Ranma asked curiously.
"That I do not know adventurer but I will know it when I find it," the
immortal said as Ranma and Akane sat down next to him.
"How sad to wander and not know where you're going."
Surprisingly this statement did not come from Akane but Ranma.
"It can be a times adventurer but no more than being as far away from
your
home as you are," the immortal commented to which Ranma and Akane nodded
as
a reply while looking slightly distracted. Seeing this, the immortal
asked,
"Is there anything wrong?"
"No it's just we actually like it better here in Avalon," Akane said
rather
reluctantly to which Ranma nodded in agreement.
"Then perhaps you should find some isolated out of the way spot and
build a
home there for your self's," the immortal suggested as he got up and
handed
Akane a map before saying, "I hope to meet you again some day brother
and
sister," and vanishing.
Dismissing the odd statement the immortal made Ranma and Akane looked at
a
map he had given them.
"Hmm looks like it's a map of the whole area all the way from the elfin
forest to the capital and from the coast to the jungle in the north,"
Ranma
said as he looked over Akane's shoulder at the map.
"... and there's an abandoned cabin just south of here along the coast,"
Akane added as she pointed to a small dot on the map, which had the
words
'abandoned cabin' printed below it.
"Well I suppose we should check it out," Ranma said rather dryly.
A nod was Akane's only reply.
***********
Meanwhile back in the Magi's dungeon the mysterious man Ranma and Akane
had
just encountered appeared behind Madame RelOrt.
"How long do you think it will take her to figure it out mother?" The
man
asked as he sat down.
"It depends VasPor she has never been one to pick up subtle hints," the
mysterious Madame RelOrt replied.
[Day 122 The abandoned cabin]
As Ranma and Akane's hovercraft came floating to a stop, Ranma and Akane
saw an abandoned cabin that was eerily similar in design to the Tendo
dojo.
This fact did not go unnoticed by Ranma or Akane. However, neither of
them
said anything about it as they approached the cabin and began exploring
it.
As they did so, they found the layout of the house was identical to the
Tendo dojo, which unnerved the two to no end.
"This is beyond spooky Akane," Ranma commented as he sat on the stairs
that
led to the upper level.
"Agreed Ranma agreed," Akane responded before adding, "Why don't you go
on
up stairs I'm going to take another look around down here."
Ranma's response was to nod and head upstairs.
Akane however headed to a location in the master bedroom, which in the
Tendo dojo she knew held a secret compartment. As Akane expected the
compartment was there and what Akane found in the compartment was a
photo
of Madame RelOrt, Ryouko, the mysterious immortal, and Denki who was not
in
his dark black outfit. Swallowing hard Akane put the picture in her
adventures belt before closing the compartment, getting up and heading
upstairs to find Ranma.
"Well I couldn't find anything more down stairs what about you?" Akane
asked as she found Ranma upstairs.
"Not a thing," Ranma answered with a shrug.
"Well we better be getting back on the trail to the Elvin forest," Akane
said.
"Yep we should," Ranma stated before pulling the Magic Atlas out of
nowhere
and using it to make note of their location by using the special map
Chiron
had given them along with the Pegasus feather after which the two left
the
house where Ranma pulled out the Pegasus feather
"Well ready to see how this thing works?" Akane asked rather nervously.
"Of course," Ranma said before willing to feather to take him and Akane
to
the adventures forest between the Elvin Woods and the capital and the
Southern continent.
A moment later Ranma and Akane vanished in a flash of light and
reappeared
at their destination.
"That's it?" Ranma commented while sounding rather disappointed.
"..." was all Akane said as she did Ranma a dirty look, which the
pigtail
martial artist didn't notice as he pulled the hovercraft out of his
adventures belt.
******************
Later that day we find Ranma and Akane speeding along the planes when
Ranma
noticed Akane's uneasy mood
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing Ranma that place just spooked me out a little bit," Akane
answered.
"Ditto over here but I still think it would be a good base camp. There
was
a nice Forest just a little while off that probably has a lot of game
the
planes around the cabin also looked fairly fertile and the coast line
was
no more than a half an hour from the place," Ranma said analytically
before
adding, "Although having all of that convenience right there is
extremely
suspicious."
"Agreed it's like it was set up so we wouldn't have to go back to Nerima
ever again," Akane said after a long moment of thought.
Ranma's only reply to that was nod as the two continued to speed along
to
the Elvin forest.
*****************
Later that night we find Ranma-chan sitting alone at campfire mulling
over
why Akane had been so nervous and rattled about the abandoned cabin.
After a moment of thought Ranma-chan retrieved the cataloger from its
dimensional cubbyhole and began looking at over for anything unusual.
She
found an unusual entry only moments later.
Rare item - mysterious photo
This photo was found in master bedroom's secret
compartment of
the Tendo dojo replica.
Raising her eyebrow, Ranma-chan reached into her adventures belt to
retrieve the photo Ranma-chan wondered why Akane had not told her about
the
photo. Her question was quickly answered when she saw a woman wearing
Madame RelOrt's trademark green and purple cloak.
'Kami-sama is that what Madame RelOrt looks like in life?' Ranma-chan
thought as she swallowed hard at the uncanny resemblance between Madame
RelOrt and the three Tendo sisters before noticing Denki and Ryouko.
'Could
she really be Akane's mother ... no if she was Akane would have said
something by now ...or would she ...hmm the there's the fact Madame
RelOrt
can probably take any form she wants,' Ranma-chan thought after another
moment before returning her attention to the picture and realizing
something. 'That bich she sent Ryouko and Denki after us,' Ranma-chan
fumed
before reaching into her adventures belt to retrieve the Magic amulet
Alfred had given him to return to the Magi's dungeon at any time.
******************
"Hmm," Madame RelOrt said before dismissing the crystal panel and
retrieving a book on astronomy, which she began to read until one very
pissed off redhead stormed into the room with the obvious intention of
grabbing Madame RelOrt. Ranma-chan however did not get the chance to
considering Madame RelOrt casually waved her hand, which caused
Ranma-chan
to be restrained by 60 powerful energy rings. Taking her time as
Ranma-chan
cursed in the background Madame RelOrt casually and calmly closed the
book
she was reading before asking Ranma-chan a question, "I see you finely
figured out that I was the one that sent Denki and Ryouko after you."
Growling like a Panther Ranma-chan nodded.
"Now don't be to angry Ranma after all without Ryouko summoning a
monster
to pound on Akane every few days she would have never advanced as far as
she has, and without Denki doing the same for you are you would be bored
out of your skull," Madame RelOrt said rather dryly.
"But those two could have killed us," Ranma-chan complained.
"Ranma have they ever summoned a monster that has even come close to
doing
that to either of you?" Madame RelOrt asked.
"No," Ranma-chan admitted reluctantly.
"And even if they did Ranma there are always the save points," Madame
RelOrt added.
Ranma-chan's only reply to this was a low grumble.
"Now if you don't mind I'm rather busy so Alfred will show you back to
Avalon," Madame RelOrt said before five imps guided by Alfred hauled
Ranma-
chan off.
*****************
As Ranma-chan landed, back in Avalon that rings that bound her faded
leaving Ranma-chan rather angry.
'Damm she's right without those two constantly pounding on us we
wouldn't
have advanced as far as we have,' Ranma-chan thought rather angrily.
'However that still doesn't make me any less pissed off about it ... but
I
can't argue that it shouldn't continue either after all Akane does
benefit
from the training,' Ranma-chan thought before saying, "I don't agree
with
this, Madame RelOrt, but it is good training". A moment later Ranma-chan
headed back to the main camp to get some sleep.
****************
Back in the Magi's dungeon, Madame RelOrt only sat back and relaxed in
satisfaction.
[Day 127 The Elvin Woods]
"Hold!!" An Elvin warrior said as he pointed a spear at Ranma and Akane
who
had just pulled up in their hovercraft.
"We have a package to deliver on behalf of the Elvin mechanic Izzy,"
Akane
said as she stepped out of the hovercraft.
Hearing this all of the guards at the guard post started murmuring
before
the leader of the guard post stepped forward and said, "I shall Teleport
you to the Royal house immediately."
"Ok," Ranma said as he picked up and tossed the hovercraft into its
pouch
unnerving the guards to no end.
Sighing at the lower guards' reactions The Captain of the Guards just
teleported Ranma, Akane, and himself to a location deep in the Elvin
Woods.
"Damm I hate adventures that are that powerful," one of the younger
guards
commented.
"You get used to it after a while Jr.," a seasoned guard said with a
smile.
The younger guard just walked off with a 'you have got to be kidding me'
look plastered on his face.
A few minutes later, the guards stopped a woman wearing a black cloak
riding a black horse. However, the individual wearing the cloak did not
take kindly to this as she raised her hand and proceeded to barbecue,
electrocute, or flash freeze all of the guards with a casual malevolence
and after she had finished murdering the guards the mysterious woman
rode
into the forest.
****************
Meanwhile at the villains Castle Ryouko asked, "So how long do you think
she'll last when she finely catches up to them?"
"10 minutes at most after all she's only a princess," Denki replied.
"...but what if she picks up some kind of magical artifact?"
"Hmm good point I guess we should start planning the next major thing we
do
to Ranma and Akane would that point in mind," Denki said after a moment
of
thought.
*****************
Meanwhile deep in the Elvin Woods Ranma and Akane follow the Captain of
the
guard post to their destination.
Their destination as it turned out was the Royal Palace of the Elvin
Woods
and the intended recipients of the package were King and Queen of the
Elvin
Woods. Surprisingly however neither the king nor queen where happy to
receive the package and dismissed Ranma and Akane with surprising speed.
"Well they were rude weren't they," Akane commented.
"Don't think too badly of them," a familiar Elvin adventurer said,
"mother
and father don't approve of Izzy's profession."
Looking at the woman questioningly, Ranma opened his mouth to ask a
question. However, the Elvin woman spoke again before he had a chance to
do
so.
"Elvin are quite sensitive to Life-force energy so I could tell it was
you
when you entered the throne room," the Elvin adventurer replied before
walking off.
Shrugging Ranma and Akane just made note of their location before using
the
Pegasus feather to Teleport back to the capital after which Ranma and
Akane
headed towards Equines.
[Day 137 Equines at last]
"So do you think we should just shop?" Akane asked as Ranma put the
hovercraft in his adventures belt.
"Just shop," Ranma answered before the two continued into the city where
they follow standard RPG methods by buying potions, weapons, and such.
**************
"Now what do we do?" Akane asked as the two left the weapons store.
"I don't know," Ranma, answered before sensing a magical spell heading
right towards them. Ranma's response to this was to simply raise his
eyebrow before seeing a fireball appear from a nearby alley.
By this time, Akane had also seen the fireball and replied by pulling
out
an ice sword and slashing the fireball in two.
'Whoever this is it's not Ryouko or Denki,' Ranma thought to himself as
he
watched Akane race into the alley, however at the time she reached the
alley she found no one and so walked back to Ranma was.
"Do you think that was Ryouko?" Akane asked.
After a moment of thought, Ranma said, "no most likely it was that evil
princess."
"Gee great as if Ryouko and Denki weren't enough," Akane replied
sarcastically while sounding extremely annoyed before walking off to the
inn.
**************
Meanwhile somewhere on top of a roof we find evil princess mumbling,
"Damm
those two are far too powerful for me. I have to seek out an artifact
that
will help me defeat them," before vanishing in a black mist.
**************
"Great just great, if she gets an artifact those two may not be able to
beet her. Then again Ranma is extremely powerful," Ryouko, muttered as
she
watched the evil princess through her crystal panel in her room.
***************
Later that day we find the evil princess standing in front of a shrine
of
some sort deep within the mountains of the Southern continent.
"The polymorph weapon of the wandering immortal," the evil princess said
with smile as she looked at a katana that was at least 5 and a half feet
long.
That said evil Princess took the blade, which instantly changed into a
staff of black obsidian. Unknown to the princess however was the fact
the
weapon she had just procured had a very mischievous soul.
***************
Smiling wryly Madame RelOrt said, "Now how many times I told you not to
leave your weapons laying around VasPor."
Looking fairly annoyed VasPor said, "That thing was nothing but trouble
from the first day I got it and it took me 5 hundred years to get rid of
it."
"I know son," Hishizuka said with a rather malevolent smile.
****************
Later that night we find Ranma and Akane sleeping at the inn in Equines.
****************
Somewhere on the plains of Avalon, we find the mysterious evil princess
tending to her black horse.
"Soon I will defeat them girl," the princess said as she calmly groomed
her
horse.
"Defeat who?" A ghostly and very kind sounding voice said.
Looking around the campsite rather nervously the princess said nothing
as
she readied a spell. A moment later, however she shrugged and dismissed
the
spell before returning to grooming her horse.
"Who," the voice repeated.
At this, the princess started firing off fireballs into the surrounding
plains. After completely draining her mama, supply the princess stopped
satisfied that she had burned whoever was talking to her from the
shadows
to a cinder. However, a moment later a ghostly laugh echoed around her.
Panicking the evil princess grabbed her travel pack jumped on her horse
and
rode through the fire she had just created.
***********
Meanwhile back in the villains Castle Ryouko just smiled before she cast
a
powerful spell that instantly created a huge rainstorm over the plains
of
Avalon that the evil princess had set ablaze.
***********
Meanwhile in another part of the villains Castle we find Denki looking
over
a thick tome entitled the complete monster manual volume 50, addition
3002
"Hmm a Xill ... maybe ... *flips a page* or maybe not."
[Day 138 Where to now?]
"So where to now?" Akane asked Ranma as they left the inn.
"We have to find a port city that will have a boat going to the eastern
continent." Ranma answered.
"The pub?" Akane stated flatly, to which Ranma only said yep as a reply.
***************
About three hours later, we find two centaurs holding halberds standing
outside the pub, which had just that somebody fly out its window.
"You'd think after awhile the local idiots club would figure out hitting
on
female adventurers was a bad idea," the younger of the two centaurs said
before another of the local idiots flew out the window.
"Trust me they never learn," the older of the two, replied before a very
angry and wet Akane-kun stormed out of the pub followed by Ranma-chan
who
was equally damp but not angry.
Stopping at this site of the two centaurs Ranma-chan asked, "You
wouldn't
happen to know where the nearest port city that has boats going to the
eastern continent is?"
"Just the keep following the rode east ma'am," the old centaur said
after
which Ranma-chan nodded before leaving.
This left the two centaurs to look at the 30 or so idiots in the local
idiots club for a moment before entering the pub for a drink of their
own.
**************
Later back at the inn we find Akane-Kun fuming as he washed her open
vest
and tube-top, which still stunk of alcohol. Watching him from nearby
Ranma-
chan silently washed her red Chinese shirt as she thought, 'you'd think
Akane would be used to the local idiots' clubs by now.'
"Gods you'd think they'd quit after a while!" Akane-kun exclaimed
annoyedly.
Ranma-chan's only reply to this was to roll her eyes and shake her head
while saying nothing.
Later after the two had finished cleaning their clothes, they headed out
of
town on the rode east.
***************
Meanwhile somewhere else on the plains of Avalon we find the evil
Princess
holding a certain staff while looking around with extreme paranoia.
"Who?" The mysterious voice said again causing the princess to start
freaking out again.
"All right who's there?!" The princess demanded after managing to regain
some composer.
The only reply the evil princess received was silence, which unnerved
her
to know end.
"Great! Just great, someone's playing with me!" the princess said in a
low
growl of a voice.
There was no response so the princess decided to focus on her enemies.
*******************
Meanwhile walking along the road east, we find Ranma and Akane.
"Monster bashing?" Akane asked rather dryly.
"Yep," Ranma answered before Denki appeared in a flash of lightning
along
with a 4-armed creature that looked like a giant mutant ant with an
attitude.
"You and your big mouth," Akane muttered before attacking with a bow and
arrow. The arrow found its mark in the creature's eye. This naturally
caused the creature to begin thrashing around in pain, Akane not wasting
anytime attacked with a 2-bladed sword and with her incredible strength,
Akane's victory over the creature was assured. however, the creature
managed to move out of the way enough to avoid most of Akane's attack.
Most
of it however was not enough considering Akane did manage to slice right
through one of its 4 arms. Growling, Akane attacked only to find
creature
was as fast as she was and was incredibly good at using all of his limbs
and after 10 seconds of intense fighting Akane managed to ram her two-
bladed sword through the creature's neck killing it instantly.
"A good showing but you really should work on something other then your
strength," Denki said before vanishing in a flash of lightning.
Akane's reply to this was to snort annoyedly before turning around to
face
Ranma who had a stoically serious look on his face.
"Tomorrow we begin training on your speed, dexterity, and dodging
ability,"
Ranma said with a deadly calm before walking past Akane.
"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Akane asked no one in particular
as
she gulped.
**********************
Watching these events through a crystal ball was the evil princess who
adjusted her collar and gulped while thinking about how effortlessly
Akane
had sliced through the Xill's arm.
"Who in the hell are these two?" The princess said while wondering if
she
had bitten off more then she could chew. A moment later, however she
shook
her head as she looked at the Black obsidian staff. After smiling and
picking up the staff the evil princess teleported ahead of Ranma and
Akane.
********************
Several hours later Ranma and Akane came across the evil princess
waiting.
"I'll handle this Akane," Ranma stated as he began to glow with power.
"You don't have a chance adventurer. This is the polymorph weapon of the
wondering immortal," the evil princess said as she pointed the staff at
Ranma before it exploded with power however just before the energy bolt
struck Ranma it stopped and fizzled out.
"Geez if that's all you've got your going down now," Ranma said before
charging only to be electrocuted by a lightning bolt. However, due to
the
princess's relatively weak power the bolt didn't even faze Ranma as he
delivered a punch to the princesses got, which knocked her out.
"Geez that was anticlimactic," Akane said as she walked over with the
imprisonment jewel, which she used on the Princess.
However, the mysterious black obsidian staff remained even after the
princess had been confined to the gem.
Ranma strangely was very worried about this fact and backed away from
the
staff while taking up a battle position. "Ok what ever that hell you are
reveal your self," Ranma practically growled.
Akane didn't have time to accuse Ranma of being crazy considering the
staff
had just floated into the air and polymorphed into a Claymore broad
sword.
"You are wise for a mortal but can you defeat me?" The sword asked as it
pulsed with power.
Ranma's only reply to this was to willed his adventures belt to put a
Claymore broad sword in his own hand. "Let's just see who will defeat
who
metal head," Ranma replied before attacking.
As metal struck metal, an enormous shock wave of energy was created that
stirred up so much dust Akane could not see what was happening. However,
she could hear the sounds of metal striking metal with the power of
thunderbolts. Every so often, the sounds of battle would stop and the
dust
would settle revealing the two combatants. Who would then banter and
insult
each other before the polymorph weapon would polymorph into another
weapon.
Ranma responded to this by changing his weapon after which the battle
was
on again.
By the time an hour had, passed Akane had pulled out a deck of cards and
started playing solitaire behind a convenient boulder.
****************
Several hours later, we find that Ranma and the mysterious polymorphing
sword were still fighting... albeit at a slightly less hectic pace then
when they started. In other words both could barely move.
"I'll beat you yet metal head," Ranma said as he collapsed on top of the
polymorph weapon, which was currently imitating a pair of gauntlets.
"See I
told you I would win," Ranma said before passing out due to exhaustion.
Akane who was watching from on top of the boulder she had been playing
cards behind for most of the day just rolled her eyes before starting to
set up camp.
***************
Meanwhile at the villains Castle Ryouko smiled before dematerializing.
"I wonder if she'll actually succeed in sneaking into their camp and
modifying the enchantments on those bracelets?" Denki asked no one in
particular before shrugging his shoulders and walking off to the library
of
the villains Castle.
**************
That night Ryouko materialized in Ranma and Akane's camp with two small
gems only to be greeted by a certain polymorphing weapon, "up to your
old
tricks again Ryouko."
"Of course, Hal," Ryouko whispered as she floated over to Akane where
she
dropped one of the gems. As the gem fell, it directed it's self towards
Akane's transformation bracelet and after it had fused with the bracelet
Ryouko move on to Ranma, where she used the other gem. Making a sound
somewhere in between a chuckle and a giggle Ryouko teleported away.
"I wonder what that was supposed to accomplish?" Hal asked no one in
particular before deciding to take a nap.
However, once Hal had fallen asleep Ranma and Akane shifted into their
alternate forms.
[Day 139 Emotions]
As Ranma awoke, he realized he was in his female state however, he also
sensed something quite wrong something he hadn't felt sense he had been
sealed in his cursed form by the Chiisuiton. A magic spell that sealed
him
in his cursed form and when he looked over at Akane he found her to be
sealed in her alternate form. After taking a deep breath, Ranma extended
his ki senses to find the source of the spell. The source Ranma found
out
was a small gem embedded in his transformation bracelet. Ranma
infuriated
by this tried to remove the bracelet only to find even his immense
strength
wouldn't budge the magical device. Ranma's first assumption on who had
placed the gem in his transformation bracelet was the polymorphing
weapon
he had fought the previous day. However, that assumption was quickly
dismissed when the sword briefly shifted forms before snoring loudly.
Despite his current predicament Ranma-chan couldn't help but laugh at
the
side of a snoring sword however Ranma-chan's predicament quickly
reasserted
its self.
'I hoped I would never feel this feeling again. Last time it felt like
being cut off from who I really was but it doesn't feel any better this
time around either even though I know I'm both. It feels so far away now
yet so close,' Ranma-chan thought while honestly feeling like crying
however or some inexplicable reason not even a single tear would form in
her eyes. "Gods of all the times for this happen," Ranma-chan said as
her
emotions began to overwhelm her. A minute later Ranma-chan became so
overwhelmed by these emotions that she finally screamed before pupils
dilated as something snapped in side of her.
Akane-kun awoken by the scream immediately was beside Ranma-chan side.
Seeing Ranma-chan's current state Akane-kun knew something was wrong;
something as wrong as the Neko-ken.
Swallowing hard Akane pulled out the minds eye garnet before willing it
to
take her with in Ranma's mind.
****************
As Akane opened her eyes she found herself in the same domed room, she
had
been transported to when she had first entered Ranma's mind.
Looking around she found the door with the Panther still illustrated the
powerful cat guarding its book. However, the Panther now looked content
in
its job.
Akane's reply to this was to smile before turning her attention to the
second door she found to her horror that the Guardian creature was
ignoring
all of the children's cries to be let out of their cage.
Needless to say, Akane did not like the Guardian's treatment of the
children. However, she also found that she couldn't get through the
door.
"Well it looks like strength isn't going to get me in there," Akane
muttered as she started to look around the room on any clue on how to
get
into the room. What she found sitting in the middle of the room was a
small
table holding three huge colored diamonds. Seeing this Akane turned
around
to examine the door she was leaning against to find there were three
indentations in the door. "Well it looks like those diamonds are the
keys
to this door but what diamond goes with what lock?" Akane asked as she
looked at the door. A moment later Akane turned back to the three gems
on
the table 'Hmm, red blue and yellow,' Akane thought before turning back
to
the door and looking at the area around one of the locks only to find it
was illustrating a scene of love and anger. "Bingo, love and anger are
red
emotions so those gems must be the keys to Ranma's emotions," Akane said
as
she snapped her fingers.
With that, said Akane rushed over to the table where she picked up the
gems
and began placing them in the proper slots. When she was done, the door
opened and she walked through.
*******************
As Akane entered the room behind the door of emotion, she found the
Guardian creature still ignoring the children with a stoic seriousness a
hunk of granite couldn't match.
Looking up the creature asked, "...and who might you be?"
"Akane Tendo and who are you," Akane answered.
"I am the Guardian Sphinx of emotion," the creature replied with no
emotion
in its voice.
"Then why are all of the emotions confined to that cage?" Akane demanded
to
know.
"Once long ago an evil specter gathered all of them together and then
created the cage. I have tried in the past to rescue them but to no
avail.
The specter always returns and repairs the cage and in prisons the
children
once again."
Boiling with rage Akane asked, "Where is this specter hiding?"
"It would not do you any good to know the creature has no form and
cannot
be hurt by physical means," the Sphinx answered in nothing more than a
monotone.
'Hmm, the specter must be one of the things created by Genma's training
methods. But how am I going to destroy it?' Akane thought before asking,
"Tell me Sphinx has there been any time when the specter has been
injured."
"Once a while ago one of the children became so emotional that an aura
of
energy exploded from him just as the specter was about to attack him.
The
specter was wounded but only slightly by the burst of energy," the
Sphinx
explained.
"Hmm, you don't say," Akane, said before turning her attention to the
children that represented Ranma's emotions and shouting, "SHUT
UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
***********************
Meanwhile in another part of Ranma's mind we find an evil specter
enjoying
the screams of Ranma's emotions. However those screams abruptly stopped.
The evil specter's response to this was to look rather confused however,
after a moment of thought it merely decided to take a nap.
***********************
"Good, now that I have your attention I have a plan for getting you all
out
of there," Akane said.
"What kind of a plan?" one of the emotions asked.
Smiling Akane just replied by starting to explain her plan.
***********************
An unknown amount of time later the specter awoke and realized the
Guardian
Sphinx was trying to tear apart cage once again. The specter's reply to
this was the quickly fade out of existence and reappear in the room
where
the children in the Sphinx where. "When will you ever learn that you're
powerless to stop me Guardian?" The specter said as it malevolently
floated
around the room before turning it's attention to the children. The
specter
however was surprised when it saw Akane standing behind the children
smiling like a Panther ready to pounce on its prey.
"NOW FOCUS ALL OF YOUR EMOTIONS ON THAT THING!!!" Akane shouted before
all
of the children's auras' flared in a multicolored rainbow of emotional
energy that completely vaporized the specter without effort.
"I might not stand chance against you specter but the children do," the
Sphinx said before looking at Akane who nodded before closing her eyes
and
willing herself back to the real world.
************************
As Akane come awoke, he found a certain sword looking over him.
"What in the name of the ancients did you did you do to Ryouko to get
her
mad enough to use type 3 transformation magic on you," the sword asked
as
it floated above Akane-kun.
"I didn't get Ryouko mad enough to use it on me I got Madame RelOrt mad
enough to use it on me," Akane-kun replied as she pulled a blanket over
Ranma-chan who was now sleeping peacefully.
"You got Madame RelOrt mad and you're still alive!!" The sword bellowed
while distorting considerably.
"Yes," Akane-kun replied
"Whoever you are girl Madame RelOrt must have plans for you," the sword
said before turning it's attention to Ranma-chan and saying, "So who is
he?"
"Ranma Saotome my fianc�e," Akane-kun answered.
"Tell me are you two from Earth?"
"Yes Nerima to be exact," Akane-kun answered.
"Is the ancient power finally returning to Earth," the sword mumbled as
it
embedded itself in a nearby stone.
"What ancient power?"
"The legends of the ancients say when the five Master ancients created
Avalon they all so removed every scrap of magical knowledge from Earth,"
the sword explained.
"Why?"
"At the time the rest of the human race was still wandering around in
caves," the talking sword replied rather coyly.
"Oh," Akane-kun replied rather flatly before Ranma-chan rolled over.
After this, a silence fell over the camp as Akane-kun watched over
Ranma-
chan.
However, five minutes later Akane-kun realized the sword had mentioned
Ryouko and turned to it asked, "Was Ryouko here last night."
"Yeah she put some kind of gem in your bracelets," the sword replied
before
it twisted and such a manner Akane-kun knew it was being thoughtful.
"Those
gems she used must have been blocking gems," the mysterious sword finely
said.
Akane-kun's only reply to this was to shake her head and mumble
something
before turning her attention to the sword and asking, "so what's your
story?"
"Me. I was created by Madame RelOrt for her first son but I didn't like
the
loser so I harassed him for around 500 years before he sealed me and a
shrine up in the mountains," the sword said it such a manner Akane-kun
knew
it was grinning.
"How much of the loser exactly?" Akane-kun asked curiously.
"He's 5 thousand years old and he's still a virgin that give you any
clue,"
the sword replied dropping Akane-kun's jaw.
"Okay now that's the loser by even a Catholic nun's standards,"
Ranma-chan
said as she sat up while nursing her head.
"You ok?" Akane-kun asked.
"Other than the fact I'm sealed in this form and have a migraine I'm
just
peachy," Ranma-chan muttered rather darkly before looking over at the
sword
and saying, "so what are you still doing here metal head?"
"Who me *chuckles* I've decided I'm going to tag along with you two,"
the
sword said before properly introducing itself as Hal.
Ranma-chan's replied to this was to shake her head before starting to
clean
up the campsite. Akane-kun however just had the thought of, 'why am I
getting the distinct feeling that this means trouble for Ranma.'
********************
Later that day we find Ranma-chan and Akane-kun speeding along the
Plains
of Avalon.
"So when are you going to start training me again?" Akane-kun asked.
"When we find the next adventures forest," Ranma-chan answered.
Akane-kun's only reply to this was to nod while thinking that Ranma must
be
in a hurry.
[Day 143 speed training begins]
As Ranma-chan and Akane-kun pulled up to the adventures' forest
Akane-kun
suddenly became quite uncomfortable.
"So what are we going to do now?" Akane-kun finely asked.
"Make note of this place using the magic map then use the Pegasus father
to
transport back to that abandoned cabin that happens to look like the
dojo.
Then Akane the next 65 days are going to be hell," Ranma-chan said as
she
stopped the hovercraft.
"Aren't you supposed to be encouraging your student," a certain talking
sword named Hal said from beside Ranma-chan.
"That was being encouraging," Ranma-chan deadpanned.
"Oh," Hal responded while Akane-kun cringed in the background.
**************************
Later that day we find Akane-kun sitting at the tea table of the Avalon
copy of the Tendo dojo looking rather nervous when Ranma-chan entered
with
some food.
"Once you get done eating I'll began with training your overall speed,"
Ranma-chan stated as she sat down and started eating.
Sighing Akane-kun did as Ranma-chan instructed.
***************************
"So what do you think he has store for you," Hal asked Akane-kun who was
waiting for Ranma-chan by the koi pond.
"Something tells me I don't want to know," Akane-kun said flatly before
looking up to find Ranma-chan holding five weights.
After throwing the weights beside Akane-kun Ranma-chan said, "Put them
on."
Raising an eyebrow Akane-kun did just that however after doing so he
found
he could hardly move.
"Ranma, what in the world are these for?"
"Speed and endurance," Ranma-chan answered flatly before adding, "...and
if
you're wondering pop would use double what you could carry maximum
instead
of just your maximum," as he sat down on the porch.
"So what am I supposed to do?" Akane-kun asked.
"Workout like normal until you can move around like normal while wearing
the weights 24/7," Ranma-chan answered.
"Oh," Akane-kun muttered darkly before trying to walk off.
"So why don't you put on a couple of thousand pounds weights?" Hal
asked.
"Weights only go so far in increasing speed," Ranma-chan answered.
"Too bad there's no such thing as a gravity chamber," Akane-kun said.
"Hmm," Hal said before teleporting away.
"I wonder what that was all about?" Akane-kun queried.
"If I had to guess I would say Hal knows something about gravity
training
devices," Ranma-chan said as she took a sip of tea.
******************
Several hours later, we find Ranma-chan watching Akane-kun trying to
walk
across the yard when a certain talking sword reappeared with a belt that
it
through at Ranma-chan.
"That's a gravity training belt," Hal said.
Raising an eyebrow Ranma-chan began examining the belt to find its
buckle
had a dial that went all the way up to 300Gs. Ranma-chan's response to
this
was to nod her head before putting on the belt and walking off.
"So how are you doing?" Hal asked.
"Just peachy," Akane-kun grumbled.
*******************
Meanwhile at the villains' castle, we find Denki and Ryouko are having
trouble with their crystal panel's reception.
"Forget it Ryouko mom must be blocking the transmission," Denki said as
he
watched Ryouko pound on the panel.
"Shows what you know bro," Ryouko said before pulling out a magical
toolkit.
Denki's reply to this was to Teleport away before Ryouko blew herself up
by
messing with the crystal panel.
[Day 173 dodging and reflexes]
Midday at the Avalon copy of the Tendo dojo we find Ranma-chan watching
over Akane-kun who appeared to be moving around normally despite wearing
920 pounds of extra weight.
"Stop Akane," Ranma-chan said in her sensei voice.
Stopping Akane-kun said, "So what's wrong with my form now," while
sounding
annoyed.
"Nothing, it's just time for you to take those weights off," Ranma-chan
responded.
Akane-kun replied to this by getting rid of the weights he was wearing
as
quickly as possible.
"Now you have to get used to your increased speed so will begin by
working
on your dodging and reflexes," Ranma-chan said as she pulled a length of
rope out of her adventure's belt.
"So what are you going to do with that?" Akane-kun asked.
"Just follow me and see," Ranma-chan answered.
**************
"This idea is crazy Ranma," Akane-kun stated while looking indignant
considering he was tied to a tree while a large beehive loomed nearby.
"No it's just seems that way," Ranma-chan said before hitting the
beehive
with a quarterstaff and running.
***************
Several hours later, we find Hal -who was currently imitating a pair of
gauntlets- playing a game of shogi when Akane-kun entered looking like
he
had been stung by every bee in the beehive.
Ranma-chan's only reply to this was to give Akane-kun a powerful healing
potion as he passed growling about something uncomprehensible.
"How long do you give her?" Hal asked.
"5 days at most," Ranma-chan replied as she made a move.
[Day 178 manual dexterity training]
"So what are you going to do to me today?" Akane-kun asked Ranma-chan
after
finishing his breakfast.
"Manual dexterity training," Ranma-chan, said as she handed Akane-kun a
needle and thread before adding, "when you can sew really fast without
putting holes in your fingers we'll move on to the next part of your
training," as she left the tea room for the training hall.
********************
Later that day we find Ranma-chan practicing in the training hall while
ignoring the occasional yelp of pain coming from the direction of the
tearoom.
"10 days?" Hal asked.
"Yep," Ranma-chan answered
[Day 188 balance]
"You have got to be kidding I can't walk across that," Akane-kun
protested
as he pointed to a tight rope.
"That's the point," Ranma-chan said as she started to leave.
"Then what am I supposed to do!" Akane-kun demanded to know.
"Keep trying until you can," Ranma-chan replied as she left.
"10?" Hal asked Ranma-chan who only nodded.
[Day 198 hand eye coordination]
"So what do you have in store for me today?" Akane-kun asked Ranma-chan
who
was standing next to a large pile of small rocks.
"Easy you have to catch or dodge the rocks I'm going to throw at you,"
Ranma-chan answered before adding, "and we'll move on to the next
training
regiment when you can catch all the rocks.
"How long is this going to take me to do?" Akane-kun asked.
"5 days at most I figure," Ranma-chan said rather menacingly as she
toyed
with a small rock.
[Day 203 flexibility training]
"So what's in store for me this time o master of torture," Akane-kun
said
sarcastically as he sat across the training hall from Ranma-chan.
"My own style of Yoga flexibility training," Ranma-chan said.
"I had to ask," Akane-kun, said as he stared up at the ceiling.
[Day 208 the adventure continues]
"So what do you have store for me today," Akane-kun asked as he entered
the
tearoom.
"Back to the long and winding road," Ranma-chan answered as she picked
up
Hal.
"...but what about the Amaguriken?" Akane-kun asked.
"You're not quite ready for it but when you are I'll teach it to you,"
Ranma-chan answered as she pulled out the Pegasus feather.
*********************
Meanwhile at the villains' castle, we find Denki and Ryouko playing
cards
while waiting for their crystal panel start working when said magical
device began doing just that.
"It's about time," Ryouko said as she jumped over to the panel while
punching one of the gems the process.
"Wow off hand I'd say Ranma's been training her," Denki commented.
"Good," Ryouko said before dematerializing.
*********************
As Ranma-chan and Akane-kun appeared, they found them selves in front of
the adventures' forest.
"On to the next town," Ranma-chan stated before pulling the hovercraft
out
of her adventure's belt.
However, before the two could use the hovercraft Ryouko appeared with at
least 50 skeletons all armed with Claymore broadswords.
"Well let's just see how good Ranma has trained you shall we," Ryouko
said
before vanishing and reappearing in mid air.
Akane-kun's reply to this was to crack her knuckles and attack.
"This could get messy," Denki commented as he appeared beside Ranma-chan
who just shook her head and rolled her eyes as Akane and the skeletons
clashed.
A minute later, none of the skeletons were moving.
"Yep I was right," Denki said with a smirk before he and Ryouko
vanished.
"Come on Akane let's get going," Ranma-chan said calmly.
"Yeah ok," Akane-kun said while he tried to come to grips with how well
he
had just fought.
******************
Later that day we find Ranma-chan and Akane-kun speeding along the
plains
of Avalon.
'I can't believe all of that crazy training really worked,' Akane-kun
thought to himself as he steered the hovercraft around a few boulders
while
Ranma-chan slept next to him in the passenger seat. 'Then there's
Ranma's
behavior since that thing with the Sphinx inside of his head. After that
he
became so much more emotional and emotionally balanced,' Akane-kun
thought
before Ranma-chan leaned against him and began to snuggle causing
Akane-kun
to blush.
******************
Late that day just before sun set Ranma-chan and Akane-kun found
themselves
staring at a rough mountain trail.
"No way is the hovercraft going to be able to get over that," Akane-kun
stated flatly.
Akane-kun's redheaded companion only nodded as reply before pulling out
the
enchanted map, which Ranma-chan used to make note of their location.
"Back to the adventures forest?" Akane-kun asked.
"No back to Greensville since we obviously need a new vehicle,"
Ranma-chan
said before pulling out the Pegasus feather.
[Day 209 a problem with an annoying Prince]
Early morning at Izzy's junkyard Ranma-chan and Akane-kun enter the
junkyard to find Izzy being yelled at by the female Elvin adventure
Ranma-
chan had first met in the resort town below Mobius plateau.
"Lia, for the last time I can't help you. You know nothing I can't say
to
mother and father will make a difference," Izzy shouted at his sister.
"Can't you at least try Izzy?" Lia begged.
"You know for a fact it wouldn't help Lia," Izzy said in obvious
frustration.
"Dammit," Lia cursed as she turned away from Izzy in a rage. This simple
action allowed Lia noticed Ranma-chan and Akane-kun.
Lia's response to this was to motion the two over.
Reluctantly Ranma-chan and Akane-kun walked over while each thought,
'why
am I getting a strong sense of foreboding from this?'
Upon seeing Ranma-chan and Akane-kun, Izzy blinked a few times before
asking, "Is there anything wrong with the hovercraft?"
"No we just encountered some mountains," Ranma-chan commented flippingly
as
she tossed of hovercraft into her adventure's belt; Much to Izzy and
Lia's
surprise.
"I thought you said you can lift 300 pounds at maximum." Izzy said while
looking shocked.
"No I said I could lift 300 pounds easy. I can lift 60 tons Max.
"60 TONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Lia screamed as her jaw dropped
After shaking his head to stop the ringing in his ears Izzy said, "I
like
you to prove that if you don't mind."
Ranma-chan's reply to this was to walk over to a nearby mace that
obviously
was meant for a Mech, which she lifted over her head after a
considerable
amount of effort.
"Now do you believe me," Ranma-chan said as she held a 60-ton mace above
her head.
Izzy and Lia only replied by nodding as jaws dangled in the wind.
"Good," Ranma-chan said before tossing the mace back onto the trash
pile.
"Now that the demonstration is over can you upgrade the hovercraft or
make
us a new vehicle that will get us over the mountains?" Ranma-chan asked.
"Not without a power crystal and even then it will take me will over a
week
to finish," Izzy answered.
"Well we've got 4 power crystals so that isn't a problem," Akane-kun
said
as she pulled out the 4 power crystals.
Shaking his head Izzy merely mumbled something about epic adventures
before
getting up and taking the power crystals from Akane-kun. "By the time
I'm
done with your new hovercraft it will be able to traverse anything short
of
a 75 degree slope and have a top speed of 300 miles per hour."
"What about the old one?" Akane-kun asked.
"Keep it if you want to if not just toss it on the trash pile," Izzy
reply
before walking off.
"Hmm, can you two help me with something while you're waiting for my
brother to finish your new hovercraft?" Lia asked while trying to look
cute.
Ranma-chan and Akane-kun's reply to this was to make a mental comment
about
other shoe falling.
"So what kind of help do you need?" Ranma-chan asked with a raised
eyebrow
while expecting that she was going to be roped into something.
"Well you see mother and father have engaged me to the quintessential
idiotic Prince. This guy is so much of a wuss he can't even pick up a
sword
but he's convinced everyone he's a master with a sword," Lia explained.
"So what do you want us to do?" Akane-kun asked curiously.
"Well the way I see it the only way to get my parents to notice this guy
is
a fool is to have another guy beat him. So my plan is that one of you
will
dress up like a Prince and beat this guy in combat," was Lia's
explanation
of her plan.
"Does it have to be a guy that beats him?" Akane-kun asked while
mentally
starting to worry he would have to play the part of an over bearing and
quintessential macho Prince.
Had Akane-kun bothered to glance over at Ranma-chan at that very moment
he
would've noticed the devilish smirk that rested on Ranma-chan's face.
"So how would you want me to act while I was in this Prince get up?"
Ranma-
chan asked.
"Oh you know the usual over bearing and quintessential macho Prince,"
Lia
said casually.
"Ok seems fair enough but there's a slight problem. You see our rivals
have
sealed us in our current forms so Akane is going to have to play the
part
of the Prince," Ranma-chan said with the smirk.
"Ok meet me back at Mobius plateau in an hour and will get the disguise
ready," Lia said before chanting a spell and teleporting away.
"RANMA!!" Akane-kun growled as he towered over Ranma-chan.
"Hay if I can act like a total ditz of a girl you can act like a macho
muscle-bound Prince with no problem," Ranma-chan said with a smirk as
she
walked off to leave Akane-kun fuming.
'Ranma I'll get you back for this somehow just you wait,' Akane-kun
thought
to himself as he fumed. "...and it won't be by a malleting either,"
Akane-
kun added with a smirk of his own before following Ranma-chan.
****************
Later that day we find a very indignant looking Akane-kun dressed in a
classic Prince outfit, which consisted of a royal purple tunic made of
silk
lavishly over decorated with jewelry and knickknacks, and a pair of blue
silk pants as well as a classic red cloak. In addition to all of this
Akane-kun also had his ice sword hanging from his adventures' belt.
"Now all you need is a cover name," Lia said with a smile before tapping
her chin in thought. "I know how bout Himo Diamonddew."
"Ok I guess," Akane-kun grumbled.
"Good, oh, and that name is Elvin. Now all we have to do is have you
challenge that annoying Prince into a sword fight."
"Then what?" Ranma-chan asked curiously.
"Well after mother and father find out that this Prince is nothing more
than a load of hot air they'll probably go on a 'vacation' to let their
egos heal and I'm sure I can do something about what ever is blocking
your
gender bending transformations."
"Then let's get going," Akane-kun mumbled before the three teleported
away.
After the three were gone, a mysterious cloaked female figure who had a
bright red ponytail hanging out of her hood stepped out of the shadows
said,
"That couldn't have been Nodoka she's far two young and I wonder what
Lia
meant by 'gender bending transformations'. Hmm, could Hi-kun be involved
with all of this?" The mysterious hooded woman said before scratching
her
chin and nodding a few times quietly after which she teleported away
using
a Pegasus feather.
******************
"So your friend Prince Himo Diamonddew wishes to challenge Prince Adam,"
Lia's father the king of the Elvin woods asked rhetorically.
"Yes father," Lia replied before turning around to find Prince Adam
trying
to woo her. The Elvin princesses reply to this was to growl.
"I accept the challenge this ruffian be no problem for me to defeat,"
Prince Adam said pompously as he pulled out a great sword.
Rolling her eyes Lia only sighed before walking over to Akane-kun who
was
doing a remarkable job of acting like a macho Prince. Ranma-chan who was
watching was somewhere in between fuming and laughing out loud
considering
Akane was imitating her. "Prince Himo, Prince Adam over there excepts
your
challenge."
"Bout time," Akane-kun said while doing a perfect imitation of Ranma's
macho drawl before walking over to the center of the room.
"You may think I am week now but this sword is very powerful," Adam said
before saying a few words in an unknown language after which the youth
was
engulfed in a light. After the light had faded, Prince Adam had been
transformed into a loincloth wearing muscle-bound he-man.
Akane-kun's only reply to this was to raise an eyebrow before drawing
his
ice sword and motioning the Prince to come and get some.
With a war cry, the Prince attacked Akane-kun. Akane-kun however just
stood
there until the last second at which time he used the butt of his sword
to
strike Prince Adam in the chest, which KO'd the Prince immediately.
Chuckling in a macho manner Akane-kun said, "Slow poke," before walking
off.
Growling angrily the king bellowed, "get that insulin human out of my
site!!!"
With that bellow, concluded two guards hauled away Prince Adam and his
magic sword. Leaving the king and Queen to grumble before announcing
they
were going on a vacation.
After the king and Queen had left Lia smiled widely before saying, "now
the
see what we can do about the magic preventing you two from
transforming."
*****************
"She's going to ruin all of my fun before it's even begun," Ryouko
complained.
"Face it Ryouko your plan was doomed from the start," Denki said as he
shook his head.
Ryouko's reply to this was to start fuming before she attacked her
brother.
*****************
"Hmm, this is very powerful magic and it will take me sometime to
prepare
the proper dispelling spell," Lia said after 6 hours of constant nonstop
research.
"How long exactly?" Ranma-chan asked.
"A week at most," Lia replied with a shrug.
"So what are we going to do for a week?" Akane-kun asked while
grumbling.
"Don't worry it something will come up," Lia said reassuringly before
adding, "as soon as I come up with the proper spell I'll wait at Izzy's
for
you two."
"Ok," Ranma-chan said before she and Akane-kun left the room and then
the
Palace.
"A bit of exploring?" Akane-kun queried.
"Yep," Ranma-chan replied before the two walked into the Elvin Capitol.
A moment later, the mysterious hooded woman exited the Palace and
followed.
*******************
Later that night at a restaurant not usually visited by average
adventures,
we find Ranma-chan and Akane-kun quietly eating. However, most
surprising
of all was the fact Ranma-chan was eating her food at a leisurely pace.
"You okay Ranma?" Akane-kun asked while looking at Ranma-chan as if she
had
gone mad.
"Yeah I just felt like relaxing, Akane," Ranma-chan said before a hooded
figure walked up to Ranma-chan and Akane-kun table.
"Excuse me ma'am but what is your full name?" The hooded woman asked in
a
voice that was eerily familiar.
"Ranma Saotome hair to the any thing goes school of martial arts,"
Ranma-
chan said formally, as she stood up.
"Ranma Saotome is a man which you most certainly are not," the woman
replied before pulling out a katana that was covered in magical runes.
"You
have one minute to explain why you are using that name or prove that you
are who you say you are."
"My worthless father took me to Jusenkyo," Ranma-chan said as she
crossed
her arms.
The woman's reply to this was to reach into her cloak and pinch the
rigid
of her nose as she put away her katana.
"Of all the colossally stupid things I have known Genma to do that tops
them all," the woman said before removing the hood of her cloak to
reveal a
woman that looked almost identical to Ranma-chan except for her height
and
age.
"Mom?" Ranma-chan asked curiously.
"Not quite, Ranma. I'm your grandmother Ranko Saotome," the woman said
as
she adjusted her sunglasses.
*******************
[Day 210 Grandma Ranko]
"You ok?" Akane-kun asked Ranma-chan as she regained consciousness.
"I suppose," Ranma-chan said as she sat up while adding, "Why can't we
just
get away?"
"I don't know about that grandson. After all no one back home knows I go
around hopping dimensions," Ranko said from a nearby chair with a smirk
similar to Ranma's.
"They don't?" Ranma-chan and Akane-kun asked in unison.
"No they think I'm in Africa on archeological expedition," Ranko
replied.
"How did you get hear?" Akane-kun asked.
"Madame RelOrt of course. By time you had been born Ranma my husband had
passed away. So I decided to move on and with Madame RelOrt's help, I
became an adventurer here in Avalon. She all so gave me a way to extend
my
life," Ranko explained.
"Do you know what her first name is?" Akane asked curiously.
"Yes but I'm not telling," Ranko replied.
"So how did you meet her?" Ranma-chan asked curiously.
"When I was six years old I tripped and caught my leg as I was crossing
some railroad tracks. I screamed for help considering there was a
runaway
train only two miles away and closing FAST. Then she appeared right in
front of the train and just stopped the train by holding up one hand.
"What happened to the train?" Akane-kun asked with a morbid curiosity.
"When the dust and smoke cleared she hadn't moved an mm and there was
nothing left of the train but scrap metal," Ranko replied before adding,
"The train was also over a mile long."
"Now that's STRONG!!" Ranma-chan commented while actually looking
frightened.
"That's an understatement, grandson," Ranko said flippingly.
"So what happened after that?"
"She walked over to me picked me up and sent me on my way. I didn't see
her
again till after I married."
"But how did you know it was her?" Ranma-chan asked.
"She looked exactly and I mean exactly the same as she did on that day,"
Ranko replied.
"Spooky," Akane-kun commented.
Ranko's reply to this was to nod her head in agreement before noticing
Ranma-chan had become extremely thoughtful.
"What are we to her? Pawns to be played with," Ranma-chan said bitterly.
"No not pawns. However she does love to play," Ranko replied before
turning
to the window.
Ranma-chan's reply to this was to grumble before getting up and angrily
leaving the room.
"What was that all about?" Ranko asked curiously.
"Me and Ranma have had people play with our life's enough," Akane-kun
replied sadly.
"Let me guess? Your father and Genma," Ranko stated flatly to which
Akane-
kun only nodded as a reply.
"And lots of others," Akane-kun added with a deep sigh.
"Ahh, well I've got to be going so see you two later," Ranko said with a
wink before teleporting away using a Pegasus feather
*****************
Later that day we find Ranma-chan walking along when Hal said, "Madame
RelOrt always had a saying about manipulating people, as well as the
saying
about being manipulated."
"And what would that be?" Ranma-chan asked angrily.
"People can only truly be manipulated into things they want to do and
not
realize it and in the in ALL those that manipulate people will suffer
backlash," Hal responded.
"Then why is she manipulating us?" Ranma-chan asked bitterly.
"With her you never really know but she always has her reasons both
apparent and as mysterious and hidden as the ancients," Hal responded.
Ranma-chan's only reply to this was to pinch the rigid of her nose while
mumbling something to herself.
*****************
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