[Ranma / D&D] Ryuken -

By Ketheria (ketheria_mt at hotmail.com)

Ranma AU

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With the speed common in the lands surrounding Jusenkyo, the heavy storm clouds dissapated into the harmless drifting balls of white mist scattered across a clearing sky. Thanks to the storm, the lands were refreshed with the crisp, clean scent of fresh rain and the unique tang of ozone.

Above the drifting clouds, a large form sailed upon the strengthening thermals welling up from the lands below. Dark feathers rustled and snapped as they cut through the afternoon sky. Sharp eyes pierced the distance, scanning for the tell tale motion of prey against the backdrop of the land far below. A flicker of movement among the dripping leaves of the stands of bamboo gained the seeker's attention. Like ants scurrying throught he grass, two figures darted in and out of view as they made their way towards a small valley dotted with many small pools. A tiger was chasing a wolf.

The avian's wings tucked inward, resulting in a rapid loss of altitude. After erupting through the lower clouds, mighty wings spread once more, caught the air, and halted the abrupt descent. Now, far closer to the ground, keen eyes made out additional details of the figures darting throught the trees. Two male humans came briefly into view. The smaller one, which wore the pelt of a wolf, darted across the clearing followed closely by the lumbering form of the larger, tigerskin clad man. With a sharp cry of disgust, the large avian turned away from the pair of Musk warriors and sought out another thermal to carry her back to the heights. Sharp talons clutched an ornate nine-ring broadsword to her chest as the Phoenix warrior resumed her search for the prey her had lord and master commanded her to find.

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This is a work of fanfiction. Characters of Ranma 1/2 are not mine. In fact, the characters and specific settings in Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I claim no ownership to it. Shadow World is an Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.) product for use with the RoleMaster game system or any other system to which the Game Master wants to bend the setting. I chose to bend the setting to suit this fanfiction. It is not mine either. Planescape belongs to Wizards of the Coast. It is another game setting for use with the AD&D line of games. I do not claim any ownership of it. I plan on using parts of it for this fanfiction.

"..." audible dialogue
'...' internal monologue
" ... '...' ... " audible dialogue with something stressed or quoted.

Chapter 2

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The crisp scent of a recent rainfal overlaid with the rich aroma of burning wood and the acrid tang of hot metal filled the air. The steady patter of raindrops upon the thatch roof created a soothing counterpoint to the occasional rumble of distant thunder. In the small room, a pair of wood shutters hung open, allowing the cool, moist breeze to flow through. Dim light passing though the window revelaed a figure lying upon a pad on the packed dirt floor of the otherwise empty room. Occasionally, the figure twitched and muttered in its sleep. Beyond the figure and opposite the open window, flickering light shone through the thin material of a curtain. A pair of voices carried on an agitated conversation, clearly audible through the flimsy barrier offered by the hanging cloth. The relative quiet was shattered by a high pitched shriek of disbelief from the other room.

The figure upon the floor jerked at the piercing, angry sound of the girl's cry. Eyes, glowing golden in the dim light, flew open and darted about. The voices in the other room continued their loud conversation and drew the bright gaze toward the curtain.

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"What do you mean, 'No Cure'," Genma demanded loudly, mimicking the tone of the portly man sitting across from her. She - he - winced at the shrill sound of the voice this damned curse had given him along with the other changes. "How can I go home like this? What about my wife?"

The man sitting across the table from him replied slowly, his Japanese was far from perfect, but he could be understood. "It as I say 'Mister' Custiomer. Normal Jusenkyo curse is permanent. There no cure. Hot water reverse Normal curse, but cold water change again."

"So," Genma said after a calming moment of silence. "I can be me again if I take some of that water, once it is hot, and splash it on myself?"

The guide shook his head. "Sorry, No. You no can go back. Old self gone."

The cursed elder Saotome felt a chill gathering in the pit of his stomach at those words. "B-b-but," she stammered, "y-you just said..."

"This one say 'Normal Jusenkyo Curse'," the man interrupted. He pointed a finger at Genma and continued. "You, 'Mister' Customer, no have normal curse."

'This stupid Chinaman ain't makin' any sense,' Genma thought. "I don't get it," he said aloud. "Obviously, I am cursed or I woudn't have these, these... things." he said, cupping his hands near his chest.

"'Mister' Customer," the guide sighed and shook his head. He began counting on his fingers as he listed the events of the morning, "first, you fall in Spring of Drowned White Tiger. Very tragic tale of rare white tiger that drowned in spring over one year ago. Hunters chased to Jusenkto. It wounded and drown in pool. Musk see and now use to make many tiger. Hunt for sport. Sell parts for magic and medicine. Very tragic. You, sir, have honor of being first human customer of spring. If that only spring you fall in, then you have normal curse and hot water change back to self."

"But," the girl-cursed martial artist said, his voice filling with scorn "I'm not a tiger. I am a... a girl."

"Is obvious, 'Mister' Customer." the guide agreed. "You chase young sir and knock self and young sir into Spring of Drowned Girl. Very tragic legend of young girl who drown there one thousand five hundred year ago. Now, whoever fall in spring take form of young girl," the man answered sadly.

"So, instead of changing into a tiger," Genma said slowly, his voice straining with repressed emotion, "now I change into THIS? A-a girl! when splashed with cold water?"

"Yes, Mister Customer," the man confirmed. "You very lucky."

"Lucky!" he snapped scornfully. Her mouth curled into a snarl, exposing her prominant fangs. "How is changing into a weak, useless girl, lucky?"

The guide sighed as he answered. "There over one hundred spring at Jusenkyo. All have tragedy happen there. Very few are human curse. You lucky you not cursed again in animal spring. Then you be animal forever. Now, you lucky, you can be human, even if girl."

"This is insane," the Genma grumbled. "You're tellin' me I'm stuck as - as a - a girl and that I should be thankful for it?"

"No, Mister Customer," the man replied, "you not stuck. If you no want to be girl, just use hot water."

"But, you just said that wouldn't work for me!" Genma complained. Internally, he was cursing this fool for lying to him. "Idiot, you better start making some sense."

"This one say old self gone. Hot water work. It change you to tiger," the man said. "You now tiger..."

Genma leapt to his feet and slammed his hands on the table. "What! Are you insane?" he shrieked, his voice cracking under the strain of his fury. "Y-you can't mean that! I am NOT an animal!"

"N-no Sir, you not animal." the Guide gulped, eyes widening as he stared at the furious girl and tiger cursed martial artist. He had no doubt that even now, she would easily be able to hurt him. "Just cursed in body."

Genma took several deep breaths as he calmed himself down. Even through his anger, he still felt a lump of cold ki buried deep in his gut. 'Yelling at him isn't gonna get him to answer,' he thought. 'This is unreal. It has to be a dream.' After a moment of silence from both of them, during which time his glare kept the man silent,

Genma though over what he had said so far. One thing finally caught his attention. Slowly, he sat once more, and asked his question. "You said there were more human springs. Is there a spring of drowned man?"

The native man hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yes. Two. But..."

Genma jumped up once more and rushed to the doorway. "Why didn't you say so sooner. Show me where it is," he demanded, pointing outside to the springs. The chill feeling in his gut didn't go away as the guide blanched and shook his head.

"But, sir," the man protested. "They no work for you!"

"What?" The ice in his stomach expressed surged anew as he glared at the guide and awaited his explanation.

"You twice cursed in Jusenkyo," he said, his voice sounding calmer than he looked. "Jusenkyo no will cure Jusenkyo curse. Only make worse, yes?"

"And what, in your opinion, could be worse than being a girl?" Genma asked flatly.

"If customer fall in spring, customer get cursed to become what drown in spring. Mister Customer fall in Spring of Drowned Tiger. He get tiger curse."

"You already said that!" Genma snapped. "And now I'm a girl. Why won't a spring of drowned man work?"

"You no let me finish. If customer change back and then fall in second spring, curse mix. But customer fall in in curse form, gain NEW curse. You, Mister Customer, fall in Spring of Drowned Girl as tiger. Now have second curse. If you jump in Spring of Drowned Man as tiger, girl curse mix with man curse. Become man and girl at same time. If jump in as girl, become tiger and man at same time."

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There was silence from the other room following the man's last statement. The figure's eyes narrowed as thoughts raged behind the luminescent gaze.

'Ranma. My name is Ranma Saotome. I am on a trip, training with my idiot father.' he thought. 'I remember... I remember knocking the old man into a pool, and a tiger crawling out. What happened after that?'

He closed his eyes, as he sought the elusive memory. Visions danced just out of reach as mere fragments of events. Like still pictures, he saw himself fleeing the great cat. More images danced past. Strangly, several of them seemed to be from different viewpoints. In one, he was looking up at himself as he stood upon a bamboo pole, his face ashen. In another, he saw himself fleeing from the tiger as it was following close upon his heels. In the last image, he saw himself, face twisted with agony as the tiger clung to his back, as if viewed from beneath the surface of a pool of water.

Finally, the series of images ended with the the body of a girl floating face up in a pool as blood spread out from her still form. The girl looked like she could have been his sister, if he had one.
This last vision changed as a pair of figures arose from the pool beside the girl. Both were indistict, but one was taller than the other. The taller of the two stepped up and placed a hand over the girl's heart. Color returned to the girl and her chest began moving as she began to breathe once more. At the same time, the tall figure faded away. As the first faded from view, the second leaned over and planted a kiss on the girl's forehead before dropping once more into the pool.

Ranma's eyes flew open as he bolted upright. The sudden shift in position drew his attention down to his chest, and the obvious changes the spring had wrought upon his life. She gazed upon them for a moment, before returning her attention to the other room as the conversation resumed. She wanted to hear the truth of what was going on. As she stood sliently and moved toward the door, a faint chill swept through her.

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The Jusenkyo guide observed the elder customer, whom he now knew to be named Genma Saotome, carefully as she thought over what he had said. Her face blanched when he mentioned how the curses would combine now. She shuddered after a moment, and looked back up at him. Her mouth opened and shut a couple of times as she started to say something, and apparently changed her mind. She moved back to her chair and sat down listlessly. Her expression of disgust finally was replaced by one of worry.

Pulling his pipe from his mouth, he decided she wasn't going to speak without prompting. "'Mister' Customer?"

"What a-about..." she paused and swallowed hard. "What about my son?"

'Finally,' the guide thought, 'she thinks of her child.' He answered her carefully. "No sure. He in spring long time. He bled much in spring where you claw him. Legend say very bad to bleed in spring."

"Huh? Why is that?" she asked.

The guide puffed on his pipe a few times before answering. "Legend say it let spirits of springs into body..."

"Spirits?" The former man interrupted with a snort. "What harm can spirits do to anyone?"

He stared at her for a moment through half lidded eyes. "They cause curse," he answered and smiled to himself as she winced. "Legends say," he continued, "if spirit enter body, it take place of spirit already there."

The guide gave her a moment to think that over before continuing. "But, that not all. Even if spirits no enter young sir, strength of curse is base on how long stay in spring. If customer is in cursed water for a short time, then warm water, um, like a sun-heated puddle, will change back. Longer customer in spring, warmer water must be for reversing the curse. It is said, if one bathes in spring water long enough, cursed form be permanent. Water turn to steam before hot enough to change back."

"So," she said slowly. "You are saying that my son may be stuck like that, or be possessed by the spirit of a dead girl?"

The guide nodded as he answered. "Or both. No way be sure until she wake up." He glanced at the curtain separating the two rooms. 'It is amazing she hasn't awoken with all the screaming this one has done.' he thought.

Genma shook her head fiercely, causing interesting things to happen with her hair and other body parts. "No! I can't accept that. There has to be a way to fix this." she stated. "It could... complicate things. Ranma must be a man." She looked away and, in a softer voice still loud enough for him to hear, she added. "or all my plans will be destroyed."

'So, she is still thinking of herself,' the guide thought, sadly. "'Mister' customer," he continued aloud. "May I ask question?"

Her gaze snapped back up to meet his own. She seemed to be searching for something as her gaze roamed his face briefly. "Uh, sure," she replied after a moment. "What?"

"Why you no look alike?" he asked. From what he saw before and after they were cursed, these two should not be related. The young one didn't look like Mister Customer in either form, even considering the changes wrought by the tiger curse in the older one.

The elder Saotome blinked in response to the question. "What?"

"You is taller, face different, build different," he explained. "Even with spring of tiger, no look like dau... son."

"Oh, heh-heh." Genma pushed her index finger up the bridge of her nose, "Uh, well, he always did take after his mother. Looks exactly like Nodoka did when I, err, met her."

"Ah, I see," the guide nodded. 'She is nervous about something,' he thought. Aloud, he continued, "Mister Customer very lucky. She must be very pretty woman."

"I... um, I won't ever know." she said, a curious blend of expressions crossed her face. The elder customer looked saddened and releaved at the same time.

"Oh!" the guide exclaimed. "Please forgive this one. No mean bring up tragic loss."

Genma looked at him for a moment. The puzzled look on her face hinted that he had not guessed correctly. "Wife is dead, yes?" he asked, trying to clarify his earlier statement.

"Err, no." the cursed girl replied, shaking her head. "At least, I do not think so. It has been ten years since me and the boy left on our training trip, so I don't really know." She looked away from the guide and toward the curtained off doorway leading to the room where her son was recovering. "I had hoped to return with my... our vow complete... but now, that may never come to be."

"Because of Jusenkyo?" the guide asked while he wondered what vow the cursed girl meant.

At her silent nod, he continued speaking slowly. "You still you, 'Mister' Customer. Jusenkyo no change that."

The elder Saotome's gaze returned to him as she replied. "You do not understand. I signed... me and the boy, I mean... WE signed a pact with my wife. Yes, that's it. It was in exchange for her allowing us to go on the trip."

"What is pact?" the guide asked Genma. "Why it stop you from going home now?"

"We... I swore to return with Ranma as a 'Man Among Men.' If I return Ranma to her, cursed to be a weak little girl, I... we must, b-both of us that is to say, perform seppuku."

"Se-pu-ku?" the guide said the unfamiliar word slowly and looked at the cursed girl with a questioning expression.

"Ritual suicide." she answered. Before clapping both hands over her mouth. Her eyes bugged out. "Why did I say that?" she muttered from behind her hands

He had no response for that revalation and could only stare at the cursed girl before him. Before he could think of anything to say, another voice intruded upon their conversation.

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Ranma couldn't believe her ears. She could feel the anger rising within as she flung aside the curtain between her and the object of her growing wrath.

"What the hell do you mean, 'Seppuku?'" she growled. "It's bad enough you try to kill me and drown me, but now your saying I have to kill myself because of it?" She strained her senses, trying to to get some idea of what the old fool was babbling about now.

"R-Ranma?" The silver haired girl sputtered as she lept to her feet, her eyes wide. The guide looked a bit startled as well.

Ranma could feel a strange tingling wash over her again before her senses erupted into crystal clarity. She could actually feel shock and fear rippling from the girl that, according to her statements, had once been her father. She wasn't sure how she was able to sense them, or even how she knew what they were, but it was an advantage she would put to use.

"Young one, how do you feel?" the man asked, drawing her attention away from the trembling form of her former father.

Ranma glared at him for a moment. Unlike the fear she sensed radiating from her 'father', the emotions from the guide also included genuine concern for her, so she backed off the intensity of her gaze as she replied to the older man. "Thank you for your concern, Guardian, I feel fine." The emotions she sensed from the man intensified at her words. It seemed he was even more worried than before she had answered him.

The man nodded, and continued speaking with a calm tone of voice totally at odds with the growing worry Ranma sensed from him. "I sent Plum to the Nyuchezu village for a healer to see to your injuries, young one. They should return within a day. Perhaps it would be best if you laid back down until they arrive?"

"No, thank you. As I said, I feel fine." She focused once more on the apparent teen aged girl sitting across the table from the guide. "You haven't answered my question, 'father.' What kind of sick joke are you trying to pull here?" Ranma almost missed the look of confusion on Genma's face as the older 'girl' looked back and forth between the Guide and herself. "Speak up, 'father.' This better be one of your stupid lies!"

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(incomplete 03/31/03)