Author's Note: I'm bbbbbbbbbbbaaaaaaccccccccckkkkkkkkkk! Man, yesterday I got my wisdom teeth pulled and my mouths killing me! *sigh* Oh, well, it was beneficial to you all cause I was bedridden most of the day yesterday and finally wrote this chapter down all on notebook paper. Keep in my I was still drugged by the anesthetics when writing this and the pain killer medicine that kept putting me to sleep, so I hope it makes sense but if it doesn't please forgive me. Heh, heh, I've put a few Japanese words in, not sure if I spelled them right, though. Anyway, as they say, "On with the show!"
Sakura ½
Chapter Three: Conversations
By Delphine
"The difference between a wise man and a fool is the wise man recognizes his mistakes, endeavors to correct them, and tries not to repeat the same in the future. The fool won't even admit to making the mistake in the first place."
-Delphine
"Wind's switched," Tanis told them as he pulled his hood over his head, "There'll be rain by morning." Sakura and Ranma gave each other uneasy glances. This was not a good sign. Shivering lightly at the chilly wind that was blowing around their group, Sakura raised her ki a little to create a shield of heat against the cold. Not far from her, she could sense Ranma doing the same. "We've got to find shelter," Tanis spoke again, "Some place to rest."
"And not freeze our asses off," Ranma finished.
"Ranma!" Sakura gasped in fake shock, "Such language, what would Kaasan say?"
He smiled at her vague mocking of their mother's habits. "Probably threaten me with that katana of hers and them reprimand Ojisan for teaching me to be crude," he answered.
"And then Akane would come, mallet in hand, say, 'Ranma no baka,' and punt you into low Earth orbit," she finished.
"What are you talking about?" Caramon wanted to know.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Don't ask, just believe that we've had ruff lives."
The large fighter shrugged and left her alone, however his twin didn't. Raistlin stared at her with those golden eyes of his and she stared back. A rose red tint painted her cheeks at the mage's scrutiny. "Tanis-" Tas tugged on the half-elf's cloak. "We could go by boat. Crystalmir Lake's only a short way. There're caves on the other side, and it will cut walking time tomorrow."
"That's a good idea, Tas, but we don't have a boat."
"No problem," Tas said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He looked impish with his small face and sharply pointed ears. He's enjoying this, Sakura realized.
"The boat's a good idea," Tanis finally said. "You guide. And don't tell Flint. I'll take care of that."
"Why didn't you want him to tell Flint?" asked Ranma, voicing Sakura's thoughts as they all followed after the kender.
"Now that's something you shouldn't ask," Tanis told him. "Flint hears he'll launch into a tirade that could take the paint off a battle ship at a hundred yards."
"Well from what I've seen he's that way most of the time," Sakura commented.
"True," he admitted, "Just don't let him here you say that."
"Hear what?"
The three turned to find Sturm, Caramon, and Raistlin coming up behind them. "What's the plan?" Sturm asked.
"We're going by boat," the half-elf answered.
"Oh, ho!" Caramon chuckled. "Told Flint yet?"
"No. Leave that to me."
"He must be afraid of water," Sakura whispered to her brother.
The martial artist snorted. "Don't know why, it's not very likely he has a curse like us."
"Well maybe something happened to him to make him afraid of water like we're afraid of c-c-ca-felines," she said, stumbling over that hated word.
"I suppose that's possible," Ranma admitted, "but somehow I doubt it rivals being wrapped in fish sausages and thrown into a pit of starving cats, several times." The brother and sister duo shivered as they remembered that horrible experience when they were only six years old.
"Who did that?" asked a soft, feminine voice. Startled, the Saotome twins watched as Goldmoon approached them, Riverwind close behind. A stricken look was on her lovely face.
It was Ranma who answered for Sakura was so furious that she feared that if she said anything she would go into a rant and draw unwanted attention to the companions. Ranma closed his eyes briefly before he said, "By baka no Ojisan."
"Your what?" Sturm demanded.
"They don't know Japanese, Ranma," Sakura told him, "If you hadn't noticed we seem to have been speaking in some deviant of English." This she made sure to say in Japanese so that the others couldn't understand. "And don't ask how or why we have been because I don't know. Just be careful what language you speak in; it'll be beneficial if we can talk without them understanding us all the time and I have a feeling that they are quick studies, especially the mage."
"Speaking of him, what's up with you and the mage. You got a crush or something?" Ranma asked, casually.
Her face turned red. "That's non of your business!" she hissed at him.
"It is if I'm going to be head of the family. I'll have say on who you'll marry." Ranma crossed his arms.
She rolled her eyes. "You don't have any say until you marry Akane. When you do then you can start arranging your own marriages."
He paled. "M-m-marry that uncute tomboy?"
Stifling a giggle, she said, "You and I both know its not that she's uncute or a tomboy that's the reason that you don't want to marry. You don't have the same excuses with the other fiancées either." She sighed sadly. "Poor Kaasan, I wonder how she'll take it when she finds out her man among men likes other men." Sakura saw the stricken look on her brother's face. Waving her hands in an innocent manner, she said, "Come on, Ranma, you know I won't say anything. It's your secret and you know I never tell secrets." He nodded slightly. Smirking she added, "Sides with your curse I don't think you can be put in the traditional homosexual category." He gave a pitiful look but didn't reply.
While they had been conversing the others had tried to figure out what they were saying without success, except for Tas who was ahead flitting from shadow to shadow like it was a spy game and Flint who was following the kender, grumbling to himself. Tanis for the most part was awed at the sound of a language he had never heard in his long life. The sounds, dialect, and tone were much more sophisticated and advanced then anything he had ever heard including Raistlin's magic spells and his own native elfin tongue. Raistlin narrowed his hourglass pupil eyes in a manner that reminded Sakura vaguely of Nabiki Tendo, the ice queen of Furikan High. Caramon just scratched his head in confusion. Both Sturm and Riverwind had suspicious looks on their faces that they would shoot at the Saotome twins. Finally, Goldmoon had a curious but harmless look on her face much like she was used to seeing Kasumi Tendo wear, only Sakura doubted the Chieftain's daughter was as clueless as the oldest Tendo girl.
Thinking that standing around when you're a wanted person isn't the best idea she told Ranma to go ahead and translate his answer so they could get out of there. "I'm sorry," Ranma said hastily. "My oneechan, I mean sister, just reminded me that you don't understand our native language."
"And just where, may I ask, are you from?" Raistlin demanded to know.
Ranma's hand curled into a fist in anger at the mage's rudeness. Fearing a fight, Sakura place her hand on her brother's, sending calming thoughts through their bond. Tanis saw this as well and said, "Questions can wait until we get to a place to rest." His reasoning was sound for everyone was weary to some point. The Plainsmen were the only ones who showed no outward signs of fatigue for their pride kept'em from acting weak in front of strangers. The red robed mage however leaned heavily on his staff with an occasional dry cough racking his frail body. Caramon looked concerned at his brother.
"Let me help you, Raist," Caramon whispered. Raistlin shook his hooded head and flinched away from his twin's touch. The big warrior shrugged and dropped his arm.
"Why does he put up with that?" Tanis asked, softly.
"Family. Ties of blood," Sturm said wistfully.
"He may put up with that but I won't," Sakura stated, firmly. Before Ranma or anyone else could stop her, she had already rushed over to the mage and had him leaning against her with her left hand wrapped firmly around his waist.
"I don't need your help," he rasped at her.
"Well you're getting it anyway, honey," she said taking up Ranma and her best friend's favorite nickname for people. "Now be good and corporate or I'll carry you over my shoulder."
"And she would, too," Ranma added.
"Me thinks it not wise to anger a mage, m'lady," Sturm warned, glancing at the fuming Raistlin. "He might turn you into something."
The pig-tailed boy snorted as he tried to keep from laughing. "My sister knows a thing or two about magic, courtesy of the old crone."
"He means Cologne"-Sakura glared at her twin-"She's three hundred years old, you could give her a little more respect that you do."
"I do."
"You do not," she shot back, "Why do you think she's always hitting you over the head with her cane."
Ranma opened his mouth to reply but Tanis cut him off. "As fascinating as this conversation is, I think it would be wise to get going before we attract any unwanted attention." Then without anymore words he left, heading after Tas and Flint. Silently, the others followed, with Sakura helping an exhausted Raistlin and Caramon hovering near by. The red robed mage was incredibly grateful for the darkness that kept the blush on his face, caused by the close proximity of a woman's body, unnoticeable. Too bad he couldn't hide his body's reactions from himself just as easily.