Well, this here is the first fic I EVER wrote on an Anime theme, not surprisingly,
it was Ranma... and Dragonlance...
Sigh, since the beggining it's always been x-overs, I'm afraid...
I present it in the original format in which it was written, since I'm going
to continue
this story soon and might edit it somewhat... so, bear with me for a while,
ok?
In any case, please tell me what you think, R&R, and help me better my skills, ok?
Thanks!
Ranma ½ - Dragonlance Crossover
Chapter 1; 'Unexpected Arrivals'
The companions rested inside the cave they'd found, Flint lay in an unconscious
heap
next to the fire, completely soaked and muttering 'b-boat' under his breath.
Goldmoon, although tired, still watched over the two girls and their 'pet'.
The Red-haired
one was the one that she and Flint had heard moaning. And while they were on
the boat
the one with brown hair had waked up for a moment and muttered 'Ran-chan' while
she
grabbed the other girl's hand and fell unconscious again. Now again the red-haired
girl
stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She suddenly sat up startling Goldmoon.
The girl looked at the assembled group and then at his still unconscious companions.
"Ukyo? P-chan? Where am I?" Goldmoon placed her hand on the red-headed girl.
"Rest easy child," she whispered "you've been unconscious for
at least three hours, tell me your name."
The girl looked at the others stopping for a second on each studying them. Raistlin
frowned slightly, as
did Tanis, this was not the way a normal girl would act. "The name's Ranma
Saotome."
The girl extended her hand at Goldmoon, who for a moment didn't know how to
react.
Caramon walked up to where Sturm stood guard at the entrance of the cave.
"Strange girl." The knight muttered. "How's that?" "Look
at her demeanor, she's acting like nothing's
happening, and when she looked at me, she wasn't just curious, she was sizing
me up."
Just then the small black pig opened its eyes and looked around, then when
it saw Ranma it jumped
at her wailing and biting.
Ranma jumped backward just avoiding the little pig and held it from the bandana.
"Hey! What's the big idea Pig-boy?!" the little pig tried unsuccessfully
to break free.
Tanis and Raistlin looked at each other. 'Pig-boy?!' The other girl moaned and
Ranma tossed the
small pig away, then knelt besides her. "Ukyo?" she whispered.
The girl opened her eyes and looked up at Ranma, she then embraced her. "Ranma
honey!"
Ranma hugged Ukyo back for a moment before noticing the stares everyone was
giving them.
She quickly let go. "What?!"
Goldmoon cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but who are you?" she asked
Ukyo. Ukyo stood up
and bowed, "I'm Ukyo, Ranma's fiancée."
Riverwind looked at her. "You lie." Ukyo stared back.
"It's the truth!" "Why does this sound so familiar?" Ranma
thought miserably. "How dare you question
this young lady's honor?" Sturm walked forward.
Tanis quickly stood up. "Okay everybody. Hold it. We don't want to attract
any kind of attention."
He turned towards Ukyo, and smiled slightly. "Listen, Ukyo, Ranma can't
be your fiancée, she's a girl
remember?" Ukyo blinked a couple of times. "Ranma, are you a girl?"
Ranma fumed "Ofcourse not!" Ukyo turned happily at Tanis. "See?
Told ya!" Raistlin sneered,
Riverwind scowled - he still didn't trust the Mage- , Caramon sensed this and
looked at him wearily.
Goldmoon, still kneeling, looked at Ranma puzzled.
Suddenly Tas spoke up. "Hey," he said, tugging at Ukyo's shirt. "What's
that pig doing?"
Everyone turned to look at P-chan, who was at the moment trying to douse himself
in hot water. R
anma walked up to him and picked up the thermo P-chan was pushing around.
"Here, let me help you..." Ranma smiled mischievously, and soaked
P-chan with the hot water.
Immediately the transformation took place, where a little black pig stood, now
stood a young man
with black hair.
Sturm unsheathed his sword. "What kind of sorcery is this?"
"It's not," a harsh whisper stated "sorcery, Sir Knight."
Sturm paled briefly at the title, but quickly recovered his pose.
He looked questioningly at Raistlin. "Then, what is it?"
"It's a curse." The boy with the bandana muttered as he tried to grab
Ranma.
The red headed girl nimbly ducked out of the way. "A curse? A Curse? Really?!
That's great! I mean,
I guess it's not, since it 's a curse anyway , but it seems awfully interesting.
Don't you think Flint?
Uh, why is everyone looking at me that way?"
Tas backed up a step, however he was caught and lifted by Ranma. "It's
NOT interesting!"
"That will be enough!" Tanis walked up to Ranma grabbed Tas, and looked
sternly at the three kids
and the kender. "In case you haven't noticed, we' re here in this cave
trying to lay low for a night so we
can go to Haven without the Theocrat's goblins looking for us. Now all of you
are going to sit down
and answer some questions." Ranma looked at Ukyo and the other boy, then
back at Tanis.
She shrugged and sat, as did the others. Sturm looked at the cave's entrance.
"I'll stand guard outside."
Riverwind stood up. "I will watch with you." He said harshly. Sturm
stopped midway between the cave's
entrance and the outside. He turned around slowly until he faced the tall plainsman.
"Uh, oh." Ranma and Caramon muttered at the same time.
Although shorter in stature than Riverwind, Sturm's air of nobility and the
rigidity of his stance made
them look almost equal. "I am a Knight of Solamnia," Sturm said "My
word is my honor and my honor
is my life. I gave you my word, back in the Inn, that I would protect you and
your lady. If you doubt my
word you dispute my honor, therefore you insult me. I cannot allow that insult
to remain between us."
"Sturm!" Tanis was on his feet. -again.-
"Don't interfere Tanis!" Sturm warned, never taking his eyes from
the plainsman. "Well? What will it be?
Swords? Knives? How do you barbarians fight?"
Ranma looked at Riverwind intently, he knew, as everyone else did that a wrong
answer would start a fight
then and there.
Finally, Riverwind spoke. "I did not mean to question your honor, I do
not know men and their cities,
and I tell you plainly- I am afraid. It is my fear that makes me speak thus.
I've been afraid ever since the blue
crystal staff was given to me. Most of all I'm afraid for Goldmoon."
The plainsman looked over at the woman, his eyes reflecting the glowing fire.
"Without her I die. How could I trust-" his voice failed. The stoic
mask cracked and crumbled from pain and weariness. His knees buckled and he
pitched forward.
Sturm caught him. "You couldn't." The knight said. "I understand.
You are tired and you have been sick."
He carried the plainsman to the back of the cave with the help of Tanis and
Ryouga. "Rest now while I stand watch."
With that Sturm stepped out of the cave into the rain.
Ryouga sat down again, he looked at Riverwind while Goldmoon sat at his side.
He felt weird, here at last, was someone with whom he could identify, someone
who understood what it was
to love someone so deeply as to give his life for her.
He felt he liked the Plainsman already, and that was strange, as he usually
regarded strangers with some suspicion.
"Well, now's the matter with the three of you." Tanis said as he sat
down. "First off all tell me your name."
Ryouga stood up and introduced himself with a small bow.
"That's better, my name's Tanis, as you might have guessed, the tall plainsman
and the beautiful woman beside him
are Riverwind and Goldmoon of Que-shu, the shivering snoring dwarf is Flint,"
He pointed to the snoring figure that laid besides the campfire.
"The kender is Tasselhoff Burrfoot, the mage is Raistlin, and that,"
he motioned to the huge warrior "is his brother
Caramon Majere, the Knight standing guard outside is Sturm Brightblade."
Ryouga lifted his hand and waved it in the air.
Tanis looked at him. "Yes, Ryouga?"
"Uh, exactly what is a Kender?" Ranma-chan and Ukyo nodded Caramon
snorted, Goldmoon and Riverwind
both looked surprised, (to say the least), Tanis looked incredulous from one
to the other. "You don't know
what 's a kender?" Tanis asked.
Raistlin frowned slightly.
"I thought everyone knew what a kender was!?" Caramon stood, walked
up to Tas and lifted him by the scarf.
He then walked infront of the three kids and shook him. "This is a kender."
"What you call kids with pointy ears 'kenders' around here? Jeez, I would've
called them. 'Spocks' or
something." Ran-chan pointed out.
Tasselhoff stopped squirming in Caramons grasp. "Hey! Who're you calling
a kid! You gully dwarf reject!
I've known Trolls with more brains than you! What's more if I had a fazmhhmph!!
Lnnt mo ommph mnjhe!!"
Ignoring the kender Caramon held his hand over his mouth. Ran-chan, Ukyo and
Ryouga had three Big
sweat-drops.
"Umm, Tas is no kid. Maybe you have heard about half-elves?" they
shook their heads. Raistlin glared at Tanis.
"You can explain that later Half-elf, now, if you don't mind, I'd like
to hear about their curses," Raistlin smiled
cynically, "unless ofcourse you don't want to know."
"My curse is none of your business, all you need to know is that it's ALL
RANMA'S FAULT!!" Ryouga
pointed an accusing finger at Ranma, who glared at him.
"OH, IT'S NOT AND YOU KNOW IT, YOU'RE JUST AFRAID OF ADMITING IT TO YOURSELF!!
BESIDES, I'M CURSED TOO! SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT UP?" Ryouga jumped
to his feet.
"ME? SHUT UP? AT LEAST YOU REMAIN HUMAN!!! AT LEAST YOU DON'T GET ALMOST
EATE----" Ryouga continued talking but no noise came out of his mouth,
he looked surprised and put one
hand on his neck.
Ranma smiled and opened his mouth. "Don't you dare," the soft whisper
managed to stop Ranma from talking
and Ryouga from checking himself. Raistlin stood, leaning on the Staff of Magius,
his golden eyes reflecting the
fire eerily. "You don't know a thing about curses."
He took his hood off, Ukyo backed a step, as did Ranma, Ryouga however couldn't
tear his eyes from the
mage's gaze.
Long white hair, rested on Raistlins shoulders, his skin had a metallic-gold
hue to it, it also did little to cover
the young mage's cadaveric features, his eyeballs shone liquid gold, but most
notable off all were the pupils.
Shaped like hourglasses, they let nothing out. 'If the eyes are the mirror of
the soul. I'm almost willing to bet
he's got none.' Ukyo thought as she grabbed Ranma's arm.
Raistlin walked towards Ryouga, keeping him paralyzed by his gaze.
His voice was cold, it sent shivers through Tanis' back as he watched the mage.
Even Tas was looking
wide-eyed at the display, the fact that Caramon still had his hand over his
mouth all but forgotten.
"Look at me Ryouga," Raistlin continued, making the eternally-lost-boy's
name sound ominous.
"Look at my skin, at my face and hands," Everyone present could feel
Raistlin's burning anger behind the
cold tone of his voice. "This are marked by the suffering I faced,"
Raistlin suddenly doubled over coughing
violently, he took a white handkerchief out and wiped his mouth with it, Caramon
looked worriedly at his
brother, he could -as everyone else could- see the blood-stains in it.
Raistlin, however, never took his eyes from Ryouga. At last he stopped in front
of him and opened his
eyes wide. "But the curse, the real curse, are these. I see time as it
passes by, even now I see you, I see
everyone and everything withering and dying, I see your clothes tattered, and
your skin decomposing, I
see no beauty at all, tell me boy, what is your curse to mine?"
Again Raistlin was attacked by another fit of coughing, this time he almost
fell to the ground, but Ryouga
caught him.
He looked with horror at the mages white hair, and at the small blood drops
that stained he cave's floor.
Caramon cried out loud and let go of Tas, running towards his brother. He helped
Ryouga carry Raistlin to
the back of the cave, near the fire. While Caramon tended to his brother, Ryouga
looked down at the Mage.
"I.. I'm sorry.I didn't know, didn't realize." Caramon covered his
brother with a blanket. And stood, placing a
hand on Ryouga's shoulder, he led him away, to where Tanis and the others were
staring.
He then walked back to his brother and sat down besides him. Ranma looked worriedly
at her enemy/friend.
"Hey, P-chan, you Okay man?" Ryouga just nodded, ignoring her, and
sat down shivering.
"Guess not," muttered Ranma. "Hey, Tanis!"
The half-elf looked at Ranma. "What?"
"How 'bout explaining that Half-elf bit?" Ran-chan said as she sat
down, Ukyo besides her.
Tanis sighed in relief, anything that would distract him from the recent situation
would be welcome.
"Okay, how many years old do you think I am, Ranma?"
Ranma frowned, looking at Tanis. "Um, I don't know sugar, about. 30?"
Ukyo offered.
Tas started snickering. Ukyo, thinking she had offended Tanis somehow, quickly
apologized. "Sorry!"
Tanis smiled reassuringly at her. "It's okay, actually I'm over 100 years
old."
***
Caramon yawned, as always, he had taken his and Raistlin's turn in watch. He
looked up, it would still
be a couple of hours before dawn, he could still see Solinari's faint glow in
the horizon.
Shuddering he glanced at the vacant space where, Raistlin said, the constellations
representing the god
Paladine and the goddess Takhissis used to be.
Even after living around magic for most of his life, he still was unnerved by
some things, like missing
constellations. He turned around when he heard the rustling of the bush that
covered the entrance to the cave.
Ranma (in male form), Ukyo and Ryouga stepped out of the cave and looked around,
when they noticed
Caramon they approached him.
"Hey! Good morning Caramon!" Ranma greeted. "Good morning, kids,"
Caramon smiled. "What's up?"
"Nothing sugar, it's just that we're used to waking up early, that's all."
Caramon yawned again. "Uh, right. Listen, you wouldn't mind keeping watch
for a while, while I get
some sleep, would you?"
"Of course not sugar, go ahead. We'll be right here."
"Thank you," Caramon stood up, and walked towards the cave yawning
yet again. "Just remember:
if you have any problem don't doubt to wake us up."
The three watched Caramon walk into the cave, and after a few seconds they could
hear him snoring.
"You know, it's really sweet of him, the way he takes care of his brother."
Said Ukyo.
"Yeah, it's not that he deserves it though," Ranma stretched and walked
with Ryouga to a clearing, and
both assumed combat stances. "I don't understand how he keeps up with Raistlin.
Ready Ryouga?"
Ryouga grunted and soon they were both sparing. Ranma dodged Ryouga's kick,
and tried to bring him
down with another. "Hey Ryouga, you haven't talked much since yesterday,
what's up?"
Ryouga hit Ranma with his fist and Ranma was thrown back a couple of steps.
He quickly recovered
and tried an uppercut which was blocked, his round-kick, however, hit it's mark
in Ryouga's chest.
Ryouga grunted before answering. "It's Raistlin. I just can't shake a feeling
I've got since last night."
He jumped and Ranma quickly followed, they started jabbing, kicking, blocking
and hitting each other in the air.
"Hey! No fair! I gotta practice too, you know boys?" Ukyo tried to
clobber Ryouga with her giant spatula,
but he blocked her with his umbrella, and threw a hundred bandanas at Ranma.
***
Sturm woke up, he looked around, what had awakened him? Then he heard a shout
from outside.
He registered who was inside the cave, everyone was here. but the kids!
He quickly stood up, and noticed Tanis, Tas and Riverwind followed suit. They
looked at each other
for a moment, then when they heard another shout they quickly ran to the entrance
of the cave.
Breaking outside, swords, Hoopack and bow ready, they stopped short.
The kids weren't being attacked, they were fighting. As a bewildered Tanis looked,
slowly putting down
his sword, Ranma landed on the ground from an impossibly high jump and rolled
on his back barely
avoiding three small spatulas that embedded themselves one after the other in
the ground.
Ryouga swinged his umbrella and missed Ukyo, who propelled herself into the
air (by pushing herself
from his head) and threw more spatulas at him. Ryouga countered them throwing
his own bandanas striking
each spatula.
One of his bandanas got past the spatulas, and Ukyo had to shift forcibly in
the air to avoid it. Sturm watched
horrified as the flying bandana sliced through a tree branch taking it down
with a clean cut.
Ranma, meanwhile ricocheted from a tree trunk and landed next to Ukyo, both
facing Ryouga.
What happened next would later be described by Sturm as Sorcery, and by Tasselhoff
as; "Wow."
"Bakusai-ten-ketsu!" Ryouga embedded his finger into the ground, for
a second nothing happened. Then,
suddenly, the earth infront of him started exploding straight to where Ranma
and Ukyo stood.
They jumped.
High.
Very high, and landed behind Ryouga, who just stood up and dusted himself.
Ryouga, Ukyo and Ranma then noticed their audience.
Walking towards them, they commented on their 'sparring session', and chatted
on how to improve their
techniques.
End Chapter One.