Chapter VI: Ranma's New Friend

'T: The Sire

The one you asked me to follow has very excellent duelling skills. He has just defeated Lord Benjamin Panikal, as per our seer's prediction. His victory was very sound, only taking one hit to his life points. Unsure of any talks or bets made, I was flying my Sky Dragon at the time and only saw the duel from my telescope far from earshot. Regardless I am tracking, with the Ring's help, the Millennium Puzzle's bearer.

According to our scriptures, the young man looks similar, if not exactly, alike 'He Who Sent The Items' to our world from Old Egypt.

At current subject's name is unknown. He stands between 5'8 to 6 feet in height, has long black hair pulled into a pigtail, wear's strange garments I have not seen anywhere else. The shirt he wears looks like fine silk; he has worn them in red and white, always with dragon print. He also wears black slacks and simple boots.

He currently travels with a young girl, one to two years his junior. It seems she was rescued from Lord Benjamin Panikal's grasp. She looks to be mildly unhealthy, or is at least easily tired. She is wearing a standard slave outfit from the Tea-Kea-Ire era, even if that slave outfit, and having slaves like that, is illegal. She has a borrowed sweater, and some torn slacks made to look like long shorts that are too big for her. Subject gave them to her, since he had nothing her size it seems.

They are on the road to Jokokona at current. Will keep updated on subject's progress around Celadon. I hope this letter reaches you in good haste my Sire, as I keep track on 'The One's travels.

I do hope he is the one you speak of from the legends, for if he is not 'He' may never rise again.

F: Bakura Ryou.'

---

Ranma looked at the girl with concern. After she had calmed down they walked out of the keep and decided on a road to travel, since Hotaru wanted to get far away from that place. And with a good reason.

But that wasn't what bothered him now. She seemed to be slowing down quickly, red in the face from exertion from the walk. Unsurprisingly he wasn't fazed by the travel, but even most of the guys and girls from his school could travel an hour on a simple path without wearing out. Hotaru looked ready to collapse.

"Hotaru-Chan?" He began, stepping in front of the girl. "Why are you so tired?"

"I-I'm fine, I just need a little rest is all." She stopped moving, and bent forward, hands on her knees panting.

"Don't give me that Hotaru-Chan, this is an easy path but your exhausted all ready. What's the matter?"

The first reply was startling. She sniffled. Then tears started running down her cheeks, while Ranma's mind started screaming 'WhatdidIdoWhatdidIdoWhatdidIdo?'

"I've just been weak for years now since... an accident... with my Father and..." Then she went silent, leaving it in the air, looking to the ground.

'Poor girl. Must be rough on her.' With that thought he placed his arms around her around. "It'll be OK Hotaru-Chan, It'll be OK."

Hotaru relaxed for a few moments regaining her composure. When she did, Ranma picked her up 'damsel-in-distress' style with one arm behind her legs and the other supporting her back.

"Wha-What are you doing?" Hotaru asked.

"Simple. I'm going to carry you until you rest up, then you can walk again. I think you'll get stronger if you work out right, so I'll help you with that."

As Ranma began walking down the road again Hotaru only thought one thing. 'This forest is rather warm.'

---

There are sounds that are well known. The sounds of a twenty-one-gun salute. The sounds of a NASCAR race. Or the bell of a boxing match. Then there was one sound, not well known, but used more in one day than all of the above combined.

"WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW!?!?"

Ryoga Hibiki was the source of this sound. The reason: He was lost and wanted someone to know he was suffering, or at least give him directions.

Giving directions to Ryoga was like giving a rock some salad to eat, but only those who have heard of his semi-legendary ability to get lost in a closet. Yes Ryoga and his lost/space-warp curse was a pain in the ass. And often other parts of the body.

Today he was lost in the artic tundra somewhere in Greenland. Never mind how he got there, no one quite knew. Except maybe that weird redhead that said she was the universe's greatest genius, but she seemed off somehow. And he didn't understand a thing of what she said.

Still last he checked he was on a road with a sign that said 'Welcome to Texas, Drive the Friendly Way' in English.

Ryoga turned around and smacked into something. Upon further inspection, it was a wall in a dark room. Upon turning around he saw a door. Although he was in a closet now that he saw the door he had a chance NOT to get lost! Maybe the person on the other side could help him get to Nermia and Akane, saved from an engagement to... one of them.

Reaching and opening the door he heard a female voice say something.

"Why'd those two run away, I just wanted them for a little while... OK, I wanted them for the week, but still..."

The blonde turned around and did a double take. And smiled. "Hello Cutie-Pie."

The following happened to Ryoga after that. Blood burst from his nose at all, or rather little, leather the girl wore. Then his eyes rolled back into his head. When his eye sockets would not allow his eyes further movement his head kept the movement up until his neck told him he reached the limits of it's range of backwards mobility. Then it was the rest of his body to move backwards as he fell onto the floor.

And meanwhile Brianna Diggers wondered why the cute boy fainted.

Ladies and gentlemen, the first of 'The Misadventures of Ryoga Hibiki.'

---

"Where in Japan are we Ranma?"

Ranma sighed after putting the tent up for the night. He was not going to enjoy this.

"Hotaru, this is not Japan."

Hotaru gulped. "We're not?"

"No."

"Then, where are we?"

Ranma sat down across from her, going through his pack for a dinner for two as he thought of the best way to put it.

"Somehow you ended up in another world." Seeing her blink he elaborated. "What I mean is a world called Celadon. I was brought here to help a god get his powers back to normal. Then I supposed to go back and 'Return the Chaos' to earth."

Hotaru double blinked. "So I'm away from everything and just dropped into another world?"

"I know it's hard Hotaru-Chan, but you gotta tough it out. I know some folks at Arcus, a town I saved from Panik. I can drop ya off there and come back when..."

"NO!"

Ranma jumped at Hotaru's outburst. "I don't want to leave you! I know I'll be a burden, but I want to help you... I might not have the cards to duel like you can, but I still want to help."

Ranma was silent for a while. "It's going to be dangerous, and you'll be safer in town, I can't drag someone who can't protect herself on a quest I'm not even sure of how to go about."

Hotaru answered quickly. "Maybe, but I want to stay with you. I know you can keep me safe. Please?" She looked at him with the one weapon the Ranma Yu-Gi-Oh, even merged with Yami, could not withstand.

Big-Puppy-Makes-You-Feel-Guilty Eyes.

"... All right, but I still don't know..." Hotaru looked up as he seemed to stop and think. In truth he was talking to someone else.

'Yami, do you think she could use the second deck?'

'Ranma are you sure she could duel?'

'She's not going to drop this Yami, and besides, with a deck she can defend herself.'

'A good point Ranma. We'll need to teach her, but we have the time.'

Once the talk was over Ranma reached back into his pack. Then passed something to Hotaru.

"A... deck?"

"Well, I was given a second one from the guy who sent me out here. I know he'd be glad to know it's been put to good use."

The answer was a large smile from Hotaru, the first he saw since he laid eyes on the girl. "I'll need to teach you how to play and summon the monsters though, because you might be challenged yourself."

Hotaru only nodded as Ranma went back to food preparation. 'Well, that went better than I thought.' Hotaru meanwhile began to excitedly look through her new deck.

---

A telescope was a wonderful device, Bakura thought to himself. His camp was behind some bushes far away from Ranma and Hotaru's camp, but close enough to see them clearly with the long object of glass and metal. He looked up as the monster he summoned, Yamatano Dragon Scroll, fluttered back to him with a letter tied to it. After recalling the weak, but quick, monster he read the letter.

'T: Bakura Ryou

Your observations intrigue me. Gain new knowledge of subject, name and whatever deck information that can be gathered. Same with the girl, the seer wishes information on her. Stay in the background however, there are those, as you well know, that may try and stop him from reviving 'Him' and I do not wish our observations to be known. Until your next report.

F: The Sire.'

---

The gathered Senshi breathed heavily as the last of the Dark Nebula force fell back. This was not the way other beings have fought them.

Other beings from Queen Beryl to Wiseman sent enemies out one by one. The beings, always monsters of some kind, attacked in odd ways, but rarely in close-quarters.

And that's how Dark Nebula fought... for the first month. Afterwards, they sent out six to ten soldiers, not monsters but soldiers, at a time. And those soldiers used magic at a distance but also used speed, rush tactics, numbers, ambushes and surprises to fight. It didn't make sense!

As one may guess, battle tactics are not needed to be a magical schoolgirl. In fact, they are almost frowned upon. Even Ami, AKA: Mercury, used little tactics outside of 'Find and Target Weakness', and she was smarter than most of her teachers. So far they only managed to win with superior firepower and saturating entire areas of enemies, Saturn's job, rather than actual tactics.

Of course that stopped when they got up close and personal but the scouts could always put some distance in.

But with the loss of the Senshi of Saturn they had to use multiple attacks to saturate areas, wasting energy in the process.

Still they were more powerful than their opponents, but they could never KILL them, they always ran when they looked like a loosing battle.

Uranus leaned on her sword, breathing heavily. "Damn this day can't get any worse."

To her it couldn't. Hotaru was still missing, Pluto couldn't find her, the Time Gate was starting to come together but left HUGE blanks where Crystal Tokyo was supposed to be, and worst of all the battles were harder and harder to win. To her nothing could get worse.

Enter Murphy's Law, Sub-Section Five, 'If you say it cannot get worse, inevitably it will get worse.' It was the Law of Murphy, and one that would once more be proven.

"HOTCHA!"

Today it would be proven by a three hundred year old, shrunken up, perverted master of combat. He was The Man. The Myth. The Legend. He was Happosai.

He was also attached to Uranus' chest. More accurately her breast. Her bust. Bosom. Hooters. Whatever you called them this THING was nuzzling those two large pieces of flesh like one would a long lost lover. However to Uranus, Michiru was the ONLY one that could do THAT to her.

"GET OFF!" She sung a fist at it, but it bolted around and goosed her, then jumping to a bench. The other Senshi watched on as Uranus approached the thing with a murderous glare.

"Come on sweet-thing, could you deny an old man of harmless pleasure?"

Before ANYONE blinked the gnome rushed forward, nuzzled Uranus again, glomped Neptune, squeezed Mars, goosed Mercury, grabbed Venus, groped Jupiter, and fondled Moon, before running off. The assembled girls stood in shock at first from the sheer SPEED of the demon, then at what it did to them. One by one a cry sounded.

"That DEMON!"

"ONLY MICHIRU-CHAN/HARUKA-KUN CAN DO THAT!"

"I'LL FRY HIS ASS!!"

"ONLY A CUTE GUY CAN DO THAT TO ME!"

"I'M GOING TO DEEP FREEZE HIM!"

"HE STOLE MY PANTIES!"

Everyone looked at Sailor Moon.

"I never knew that could come OFF of this outfit, but HE STOLE THEM!"

The assembled Senshi went passed the rage of a pervert defiling them. That THING run off with the Princess' undergarments. It would die. Painfully.

"KILL IT!"

Seven Sailor Senshi began the chase after Happosai, supreme pervert.

They were then joined by a space pirate, an alien princess, three goddess, a demoness, a robot with a cat's brain, a kendoist from a dorm, a tamer of digital monsters, a lightning throwing oni, a boyfriend-seeking devil hunter, various female martial artist, and the cutest scientific genius in the universe.

The race was on.

---

"Go on and try them on Hotaru-Chan."

Ranma considered it actual luck that he and Hotaru and stumbled on this little Tailor's Shop, he thought as Hotaru went into the closed room. His clothing far from fitted her, and she needed clothing of her own, as well as a sleeping bag, backpack, and other camping tools.

The night they slept in the woods was different. Ranma gave Hotaru his sleeping bag, most of his sleeping arrangements were worse than being in the woods sans sleeping bag, but Hotaru wouldn't sleep without Ranma next to her. Inside the bag. When asked why her answer was simple.

"I don't want you to be cold."

Despite protests that he would be just fine Hotaru and the 'Large Puppy Dog's Eyes' assault won out. It wasn't so bad to him though, she was warm and small, and he just wanted her close to keep her safe.

"I'm ready." Hotaru called as she stepped from the changing booth... and it took Ranma a moment to breathe again.

Hotaru choose an outfit similar to what she wore when she got to the new and strange world, but with some differences. The black tights were back, but the long-sleeved shirt was traded for a short-sleeved one and was white, not black. Over top was a black vest that hugged her body, the bottom and top buttons undone. The knee length skirt was also back, but an inch above the bottom a white stripe went around it that was two inches thick. Lastly black knee length tie-up boots finished the look. The boots had thick soles and was made of good leather to ensure durability.

Ranma summed up the look in a word. "Beautiful."

Both Ranma and Hotaru blushed, Ranma because he couldn't believe he let that slip, and Hotaru because she was never honestly called beautiful before. She looked around shyly before speaking. "Thank you Ranma. I'm happy you like it."

The outfit, and similar ones, was quickly bought. After finding a quiet inn they retired to a room were Ranma spent most of the night explaining the history and rules of The Shadow Games.

---

After recovering and finding his pack, but loosing his shirt Ryoga screamed and RAN. That girl scared him. He quickly ran around the Digger's mansion, entering and exiting several rooms, finally found the stairs, ran past the large spotted cat-woman, kept screaming, ran through the door without opening it making a lost-boy hole in said door and kept RUNNING!

Even Brittany was impressed with the speed he ran at.

Afterwards the lost curse went into overdrive, while Ryoga blamed Ranma for everything, even his lost shirt, torn off by the blonde girl.

Why he never found his clothing but ALWAYS relocated his pack was a mystery only Kami-Sama knew, but probably couldn't explain.

Ryoga kept running and set the world ablaze.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was quickly turned into The Fallen Tower of Pisa.

Police were called to a possible Terrorist attack at The Statue of Liberty as an Asian man with a heavy pack ran around screaming.

The Tour Du France was then won by Ryoga. Where he got the bicycle is another file for the 'Really Strange' folder.

Several terrorists lost a firefight with the American Army as a yellow blur ran them over.

Eventually Ryoga lost the adrenaline-fight-or-flight-well-flight- sounds-good-reflex rush and stopped to catch his breath.

Of course it was a very hostile place where he rested.

"COME BACK HERE PERVERT!"

"FRY!"

"DIE"

"GIVE ME BACK ME PANTIES!"

"KILL HIM!"

Ryoga turned to see a very bad thing.

Several angry and rather powerful members of the female gender was chasing Happosai, pervert of perverts. Between them they had energy attacks, swords, fire and lightning, ice and love chains, big heavy objects and one Ray-Gun-Of-Death.

All fired/thrown at the same time.

Happosai deftly dodged them all.

Of course that didn't stop the attacks from going in the direction they were sent. To Ryoga there was one problem.

Since Happosai moved out of the way HE was in the line of fire.

Despite the massive property destruction in Tokyo and it's wards, the resulting explosion was pretty damn impressive.

And as Ryoga sailed into the distance turning into a speck in the sky like two pokemon thieves and their cat, and said a phrase used over and over again.

"RANMA! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Unlike Team Rocket, Ryoga didn't 'blast off' as often.

But when he did he got big points for distance.

---

Author's Notes: That's all for chapter six. Yes I KNOW there wasn't any big life-or-death duel, but this was a chap to try and bring Hotaru more into the fic and start up Ryoga's side 'misadventures' which will add a few laughs now and then. The Senshi will also have some trouble with Dark Nebula's tactics, and without Saturn they won't get that lucky break to end it quickly. As for Happosai... well we ALL know about him. Unfortunately. Lastly we all know Bakura is playing spy/messenger boy, but to whom? And why? And how well will Hotaru take to dueling? And when will Ranma start finding Exodia's 'items'? So many questions, so few answers.

Next Chapter: Who is that dueling in Jokokona? Stay tuned.