Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The proper owners of Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.
Note.
Kai Names:
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade
Current Age:
* Ranma - 16yrs old
* Braxus - 17yrs old
* Banedon - 16yrs old
* Ranko - ??? (She looks 16yrs old)
Wild Horse of Kai
By Montymouse
' ' - Thought
" " - Speech
Chapter Five B - Winter Festival and Encounters
***
Sommerlund
The trees started to lose their leaves and the birds were heading south, indicating that winter was coming to settle in Sommerlund. Recently the Kai Lords had decided to allow the young Kai warriors to return back to their hometowns so they could be with their friends and family for winter. The only condition that they gave was that they should all be back for the first growth of Sommerlund (spring). The reason why the Kai Lords allowed this was that they knew that a Kai warrior would reach their highest potential and would defend the land they had vowed to protect with their lives if they know the actual reason. It wasn't the Kings or Lords of Sommerlund, but the Sommlending people themselves who relied on the protection of Kai Lords from invaders and the forces of Evil.
The entire group of young Kai warriors had begun to leave the Kai monastery to return to their hometowns. Shining Star and Dancing Hawk had left the monastery two days ago, while Wild Horse and Swift Blade (aka Ranma and Braxus) had already left in advance because they had the furthest way to go to return home to Durenor. Along the way they managed to pick up Banedon in Toran who had been allowed by his Guildmaster to go with them as they traveled to Anskavern to pick up the nearest boat to Port Bax.
The trio rode on horseback, travelling eastwards towards Anskavern. Along the way Ranma reminded Braxus of the promise he had made to Aunt Saria that if they were in town they would visit her. Judging by the sun and the distance they had already traveled, they should arrive in Anskavern by nightfall.
***
Afternoon in Anskavern
The trio finally arrived in the port of Anskavern a little earlier than expected, as Braxus knew of a shortcut that he finally remembered from his father's teaching. Ranma, Braxus and Banedon were walking down the stone-paved streets of Anskavern trying to find 'The Wayfarer Inn'. Ranma and Braxus were as usual dressed in the normal green tunic and grey Kai cloak, indicating they both held the rank of Warmarn or Journeyman. Their Kai title symbolized their achievements and training at the Kai monastery - it was a respected rank for young warriors of the Kai. Ranma had his silver bow slung over his shoulder while concealing his sword underneath his cloak. Braxus had his shortsword sheathed in its protective scabbard concealed underneath his cloak. They were all trained to hide their weapons and only unsheathe them when necessary. Banedon was walking just behind Ranma and Braxus, wearing his usual magician's attire, but it was hidden under a dark, regal blue cloak.
Everyone in Anskavern instantly recognised the clothes that the trio was wearing as they walked through the streets still trying to find the inn. Everyone that saw the trio knew they represented the élite order of the Kai and the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. Both organisations were well known and respected in all of Sommerlund.
Their skill in the Kai Discipline of Tracking was only good when they were in rural areas and in the countryside. They hadn't reached the level where they could successfully navigate through cities yet, but they were getting there.
"Now, Braxus, you do still remember the way to her inn from the last time we were here, don't you?" Ranma asked.
"Of course I do! Hey, it's not my fault there are more than forty inns in this port and... well, they all look alike, apart from the signs they hang out," Braxus replied back.
"Good, so where is it?"
'We're lost again,' Ranma thought.
"What are you two arguing about?" asked Banedon. He had been watching those two arguing again ever since they had first arrived in Anskavern.
Ranma turned around to face Banedon to answer his inquiry.
"Oh, it's nothing, Banedon. Just that the last time we were here we got lost for ages because of him," replied Ranma as he pointed to Braxus who was still trying to figure out where the inn was.
"We're not lost!" Braxus hastily shouted.
"You see," Ranma said.
"Is that it? Why didn't you tell in the first place rather than wasting our time searching the whole town for this inn? I know a better a way of tracking certain places and objects," Banedon said.
"Oh, what is that, may I ask?" asked Braxus. He had given up on finding the inn and wondered if Banedon might come up with a solution.
Banedon walked up to Braxus and placed his hand on his shoulder. Braxus was a bit confused by Banedon's actions until he explained what he was going to do.
"Now, Braxus, listen to me carefully. Concentrate and think of a image of Saria's inn."
Braxus did what Banedon was telling him and closed his eyes and started to picture the inn. As Braxus was concentrating hard on an image, Banedon started to chant a spell and a small light started to form in his hand. Once he had finished the spell, the small ball of light started to float in mid air.
"Now, Ranma, Braxus, we shall follow that pathfinder," Banedon said as his pointed to the ball of light that was floating in front of them.
"Huh!" Ranma and Braxus said at the same time. Banedon just placed his hand on his face and sighed.
"That ball of light is a magical pathfinder that I learnt; it will guide you towards Saria's inn," Banedon explained.
'For a couple of Kai Warriors, they still have a lot to learn about the art of magic,' thought Banedon.
Following the ball of light that Banedon created, they managed to find the inn in record time. Although some of the people in Anskavern were giving odd looks and glances at seeing three people chasing after a ball of light, when they saw Banedon and recognised that he was part of the magician's order, they assumed that it was probably a test or something.
The trio standing outside the Wayfarer and went in as it was getting dark. The inn was exactly as Ranma and Braxus remembered it to be the first time they had arrived in Anskavern. Looking around the inn, it wasn't particularly busy right now, as most of her customers had gone south to escape the coming winter season.
'Where is she?' thought Braxus as he looked around.
Ranma and Banedon were sitting next to the bar trying to get something to drink as they were a bit thirsty.
Braxus was about to join them at the bar when he spotted the person he was looking for out of the corner of his eye. Aunt Saria had just stepped out of the kitchen and was walking towards the reception area. She was dressed in a modest black and white dress with her blonde hair tied up in a bun. She hadn't noticed the trio standing at the reception area as she was busy handling a customer's orders as one of her waitresses had messed up on their order and they were complaining.
"Hey, Aunt Saria," Ranma called to her. She turned around and was quite surprised at seeing her favorite nephews sitting next to the bar.
She was busy at the moment, so she signaled them to wait and she would be right over in minute or so. After she had dealt with the customer, she walked over to the trio with open arms and a huge smile on her face, greeting them. She gave both Ranma and Braxus a vice-like hug, which Banedon thought, was funny but sweet.
"Ranma, Braxus, it's so good to see you again! And what brings you here to my inn, and who is this nice wizard friend?" asked Saria.
"Greetings, Miss Ryder. My name is Banedon, apprentice of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star." He introduced himself politely to her as he bowed down gently.
"Nice to meet you, Banedon. Please, there's no need to be formal, just call me Saria," Saria said.
"Of course, Saria," Banedon replied.
"Aunt Saria, we were wondering if you would like come with us, if you are not too busy?" asked Ranma. He thought it would be a nice surprise for Oriah to see her sister again.
"Hmm... I'm not really sure if I could leave the inn," Saria replied.
"Please, Auntie, it will be such a nice surprise for my mother to see you again," Braxus said to persuade Saria to come with them to Durenor.
"Why not? I've been here too long; besides, I deserve a holiday and business is slow right now. But I can't leave the inn by itself," Saria said, still unsure what to do. Then she came up with an idea.
"Hey Nats, can you come over here?" Saria called out to one her most senior staff.
"What is it, Saria?" Natalie walked over to where Saria was calling her.
"Nats, you've been here since we first started business and you are the most experienced of all my staff. What do think about me letting you run the business while I go with my nephews to see my sister?" asked Saria.
Natalie started to think about her proposal, and after a few a minutes of thinking Natalie gave her answer.
"Of course, Saria, I will gladly look after the inn! And besides, you deserve a holiday more than any of us," Natalie said.
Saria smiled and nodded.
"Then it's decided." Saria turned around to face Ranma and Braxus.
"Ranma, Braxus, I will be happy to come with you to Durenor. Just give me a few days to get prepared for the trip, okay."
"Of course, Auntie," Ranma happily replied while Braxus nodded in agreement.
"Come, please sit down as I ordered some food for all of us." Saria gestured to a table and the trio happily complied as they had been on the road for quite some time. Besides, it would be good to eat some warm and wholesome food rather than relying on dried rations and salted meat.
The next day Auntie Saria was very busy as she arranged both the transportation and supplies to get them to Durenor. At first Ranma and Braxus said they would arrange it, but Saria wouldn't take no for an answer. So the trio spent the day going shopping around Anskavern, thinking it would be a good idea to get some gift for the annual Winter Festival. Every winter the villagers held a festival to celebrate their hard work and the New Year that was coming. Ranma and Braxus had missed the last two festivals due to their Kai training. The trio stayed at Saria's inn for a couple more days until she was ready and told them the news that the next boat due for Durenor would come tomorrow.
***
Next day in Anskavern
In the docks of Anskavern a large ship was preparing to sail to Port Bax in Durenor. Beside the ship was a small group of people who had started to wave their goodbyes to the people onboard.
"Now Nats you do have all the keys don't you?" shouted Saria to Natalie who was waving her goodbye.
"Saria, stop worrying why don't ya? Everything is going to be the same when you come back!" Natalie replied back as Saria had been nagging her all day long.
"Alright then, but I expect the place to be clean and the same when I come back. Goodbye." Saria waved. Natalie and the rest of the staff waved their manager goodbye as the ship started to set sail for Durenor.
The ship had sailed halfway across the Gulf of Durenor towards Port Bax and so far nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Banedon and Braxus were on deck while Ranma was sitting near the bow of the ship as it sailed through the Kaltersee.
Over the last few days Saria had already started to take things into her own hands onboard the ship and she was practically ordering the captain on what should be done. Saria was active woman, as she couldn't stand around doing nothing, so she ordered the crew to start cleaning up the ship and other duties. The crew was scared of her when she got annoyed, and even Ranma thought that she was scary because of her aura that she sometimes had when she got angry.
Watching her every movement were Banedon and Braxus.
"Is she always like that?" whispered Banedon to Braxus.
Braxus gently nodded to Banedon's inquiry. They had both started to take pity on the poor captain who was being bossed about by Saria.
"Yep. She's a very nice lady to know overall, but she has a tendency to do things if she is bored. Still I can't believe how much baggage that woman bought with her. She even made me and Ranma carry it all!" Braxus said as he thought about the how heavy the bags and cases were that Aunt Saria wanted to carry with her to Durenor.
"Stop complaining will you? at least Aunt Saria is coming with you."
"Yeah, you're right, Banedon. Hey, what is Ranma doing over there?" Braxus pointed to Ranma who was sitting watching the open sea.
"Don't know. He's been there ever since we left Anskavern," Banedon replied.
"Should we bother him?" suggested Braxus.
"Just leave him be. If he wants to talk, he will do so in his own time."
"Okay. Hey, Banedon, why don't you tell me what happened with one of your colleagues when he tried to cast a simple illusion spell?" Braxus said to change the subject.
"Oh yes, I remember now. It wasn't funny, you know?" Banedon said as he tried to restrain himself from laughing out loud.
"Come on, Banedon, you've got to admit it was funny the first time it happened. Did you manage to reverse the spell?"
"Eventually, but the poor boy got stuck in that form for three days as the Guildmasters had never encountered such as problem and it took them a while to come up with a counter spell," Banedon said as he started to lose his composure.
"I can't remember what he turned into. How did this happen?" asked Braxus as he started to laugh quite loud.
"The poor boy did what we would call in magic terms an Oopsie. This usually happen when the spellcaster isn't concentrating enough or gets distracted. When the boy was casting the illusion spell, he was particularly distracted by nice girl that caught his eye and he messed up in his spell chanting. The Guildmaster was about to reprimand him to start concentrating when there was loud bang and a puff of smoke."
"Then what happened?"
"We had thought that he'd disappeared, but once the smoke cleared he was still there. He seemed perfectly normal until we noticed on closer examination that his hair was longer and some other things were there that aren't supposed to be there on a male person. Then it suddenly dawned on us that the boy had changed sex." Banedon joined Braxus in a laughing fit.
Everyone onboard the ship heard the laugher coming from Braxus and Banedon, but they were wondering what was so funny. Ranma's keen hearing had heard the entire conversation between Banedon and Braxus.
'Better him than me!' Ranma thought as he shuddered violently at the thought of turning into a girl.
***
Somewhere in another Dimension e.g. Rumiko Takahashi universe
A certain naïve, arrogant, gender changing, pigtailed marital artist sneezed for no apparent reason while he flew through the air courteously of Akane Airlines.
"Uncute Tomboy," he muttered to himself.
***
Ranma was sitting near the bow of the ship watching the sunset on the horizon. He had been there since they had left Anskavern, and everyone onboard decided that it would best to leave him alone for a bit. He was currently thinking how good it would be to return to the place he had called home since he first arrive in Magnamund. He was feeling a little homesick, but that would soon change, as he would be seeing how his mother and father were doing and catch up on what had been happening during his absence. Then Ranma started to think about that night in the Sommerlund forest where he had met the mysterious, magical girl, Ranko.
Someone handing him a cup of hot chocolate soon interrupted Ranma's train of thought. Looking to see whom it was, Ranma looked straight into her emerald-colored eyes. Ranma smiled at the person who had given him the cup; it was Auntie Saria.
"Hello, Ranma. What are you thinking?" asked Saria as she sat beside Ranma.
"Nothing much." Ranma looked back at the ocean.
"Really? You looked like you had something serious on your mind," Saria said as she tried to get more out of Ranma.
"It's nothing, really."
"Alright then, but you know if you've got anything on your mind, don't hesitate to ask me, okay? I'm always here you know." Saria got up and headed to the ship's galley.
"Okay, Auntie Saria, I'll keep that in mind." Ranma smiled.
"Don't stay out too late as it gets really cold at night." Ranma nodded to acknowledge Saria's advice.
'It's probably a girl,' Saria thought as she went below decks.
It took them a couple more days to finally arrive in Port Bax. The actual sea journey was a peaceful one, nothing out the ordinary happening to Ranma or his travelling companions. They had decided to hire a wagon to carry Saria's baggage. Saria and Braxus rode on the wagon while Ranma and Banedon rode beside them on their hired horses. It would take a day or so to arrive at the village and they would be just in time for the Winter Festival.
***
Somewhere in Universe 'Aon'
A certain red-haired girl was working on something on a table, obscuring anyone's view of what it was.
'Perfect,' thought Ranko.
It was at that moment that the Goddess Ishir materialized in the immediate area where Ranko was.
"Hello, Ranko. What are you doing, may I ask?" Ishir simply asked.
She was a bit curious about Ranko's recent activities. Ishir's sudden announcement caught Ranko by surprise.
"Err... Nothing, Ishir! Really, it's nothing," Ranko said as she tried to hide the thing that she had been working on behind her back, out of Ishir's sight.
Ishir leaned over to one side to see if she could get a better look behind Ranko.
"Alright, Ranko, I'll believe you," Ishir said to drop the matter.
"Ishir, what are you doing here?" asked Ranko while still hiding the item behind her.
"Huh? Oh yes, now I remember. Your goddess friends were asked me where you were."
"Who?"
"I think their names were Skuld and Tsunami (or was it Sasami?). Never mind, they were wondering if you would go with them on a outing like old times," Ishir said, finally remembering their names.
'Oh yes, I remember them now,' thought Ranko. She had been so preoccupied that she had forgotten about her two fellow goddesses.
"Thank you, Ishir. I will contact them as soon as possible," Ranko said. Ishir nodded gently and walked out of the room. Making sure that she was gone, Ranko then checked the item to see if was damaged or not.
'Good, now I wonder were he is now?' thought Ranko as she vanished into thin air.
***
It was midmorning in the village in Durenor. A woman moved between houses as she continued her healer duties. It was that time of the year where people would start to go down with the flu or the common cold due to the climate change. She has been getting quite lot of cases, and she was the only qualified healer in the village. She was dressed in white and her long brown hair was tied up like a ponytail. She was, of course, Oriah Stormgard,
She was walking back to her home after dealing with a couple of cases of flu when she noticed a group of children running past her, cheering and shouting something about strangers coming to the village. Oriah was a bit curious of what the children were yelling about so she decided to investigate. Looking down the path, she could just make out two horses and riders escorting a horse-drawn wagon as they entered the village gates.
'I wonder who they are?' Oriah thought as one of riders approached her.
As the rider came nearer, she instantly recognised the uniform of a Kai journeyman but couldn't make out the face as his hood and cloak concealed it. Normally, anyone who had never visited Sommerlund wouldn't recognise the uniform as a member of the Order of the Kai, and most people wouldn't think twice about this journeyman, but due to Oriah's worldly experience she knew whom they represented. She was wondering why they were here as members of the Kai rarely visited the village unless they were on a mission.
The rider stopped in front of her.
"Greetings, Kai warrior, what brings you to our humble village?" greeted Oriah respectfully.
"Hello, Oriah Stormgard," the cloaked journeyman said, which surprised her as she hadn't expected this Kai warrior to know her name.
The warrior then got off his horse and walked over to her.
"How did you know my name, as I don't recall giving mine, Kai warrior?" asked Oriah.
She saw the stranger pull back his hood to reveal who he was. Oriah immediately recognised the face and the pigtail.
"Hello mother." Ranma smiled brightly.
"Ra... Ranma is that you?" asked Oriah, not believing her eyes.
"Yes, it's me, mother."
In the blink of an eye, Oriah had dropped her basket and quickly rushed up to Ranma, giving him one of those hugs that only a mother can give to her son. The bone-crushing hug that Oriah gave him would have cracked a rib if it wasn't for his training and preparation at the Kai monastery.
'She's even stronger than her sister,' Ranma thought as he was trying to breathe.
"Ranma, my son, it's good to see you again. Where is your brother Braxus?" asked Oriah as she finally released her grip on him.
"Braxus is here and so is Banedon," Ranma answered.
Banedon had spotted them and got off his horse before walking over to Ranma and Oriah.
"Hello Mrs Stormgard," Banedon greeted Ranma's mother.
"Hello Banedon, it's nice to see you again. How is your training in Toran going?" Oriah said.
"Very well, thanks for asking. Oriah, may I ask you something personal?"
"Of course, what is it?"
"Are you pregnant by any chance?" Banedon's magical senses were detecting another source of life growing within her. His suspicions were confirmed as he noticed that Oriah had gained a bit of weight, but it wasn't because she was fat.
"What! Mother is this true?" Ranma asked, surprised at Banedon's question.
"Yes Ranma, Banedon, I'm four months pregnant now and I'm looking forward to having more children," Oriah said proudly. Ranma gave his mother a gentle hug while Banedon congratulated her on her pregnancy.
"Hey, Braxus, I've got some good news." Ranma ran up to Braxus, who was helping Saria get off the wagon.
"What is it, Ranma?" Braxus asked.
Ranma gave the good new to Braxus. "Our mother is pregnant." His reaction? He fainted and Ranma caught him from falling face-first on the ground.
"He took that well." Banedon commented as Ranma carried him over to nearby tree to let him recover.
Oriah walked up to Banedon to ask him why her son had just fainted. Banedon just said that he had fainted because Ranma had told him that his mother was pregnant.
'Is that it?' Oriah thought as she watched Ranma try to wake up Braxus.
"Oriah, is that you?" a voice called out from behind her.
'I'd know that voice anywhere!' Oriah thought. She turned round to see Saria standing there. She gasped in surprise as she couldn't believe whom she was seeing in front of her.
"Saria, is that you?" Oriah asked hesitantly as she moved slowly towards her.
"Of course it's me, Sis!" Saria said as she greeted her sister with open arms.
The two sisters hugged each other, reunited at last. It was such a heart-warming scene. After that, the two sisters started to walk back to the Stormgard home, catching up on what had happened while they were apart and gossip that was way overdue. Of course, Ranma and Braxus had to carry Auntie Saria's things while Banedon just followed them.
During the next few days everyone in the village learned that the Kai warriors were the Stormgard brothers, Ranma and Braxus. They also found out that Saria and Banedon had both arrived in time, so there were good reasons to start preparing for their annual Winter Festival. Oriah was understandably very happy to see her sons and her sister as she had missed them quite dearly during their Kai training and time in Sommerlund. When Jerek returned to the village and found that his sons were back, the first things he did was to challenge them both to a sparring match. Of course, both Ranma and Braxus won, but it wasn't easy as Jerek was a seasoned, experienced fighter.
Everyone in village helped out with the preparations for the festival. Saria was helping Oriah with the catering and insisted that she would do all the preparations when she found out that Oriah was pregnant. Oriah managed to persuade Saria to allow her to help out just a little, but nothing too straining.
Jerek, Braxus and Ranma were helping sort out the bonfire that would be the main centerpiece of the festival, keeping the villagers warm as they celebrated. Banedon was sorting out the night's entertainment with his magic and some fireworks. The entire village had no doubt in their minds that this festival would be the best ever.
***
Afternoon
The village was preparing for the Winter Festival and everyone was helping out. The festival would last all night long and everyone would celebrate. It would be started off with the lighting of the bonfire, which Ranma had the honour of doing. Banedon and Braxus were standing near the bonfire in the village square, wearing warm clothing as the winter was beginning to settle in Durenor.
"How are things doing?" asked Braxus on Banedon's preparations.
"Fine thanks. The fireworks display will be a sight for sore eyes."
"That's good to hear. By any chance you seen Ranma about?" asked Braxus as both Saria and his mother had told him that the festival was shortly about to begin. They wanted everyone to be present, and Oriah refused to allow it to be started until everyone was there, including Ranma.
"Hmm... The last time I saw Ranma he was walking towards the village entrance, probably going out for a walk. He said he wanted to clear his head or something, you know how busy we were preparing this festival," Banedon replied.
"Yeah, I know, but still I have to find him. Thanks anyway. See ya later." Braxus waved to Banedon and set off to find Ranma.
"See you in the afternoon," shouted Banedon as he went off to make the final adjustments.
***
Outside the Village
It was a full moon as the village waited for the Winter Festival to start. Ranma Stormgard was walking by himself, quietly thinking about things such as how his life was, and how good it was to see his mother and father. Ranma was dressed in layers of clothing to keep warm as he walked through the snow.
As he was walking, he started to feel as though someone was watching him again, just like the time when he and his brother were camping in the Sommerlund forest. This bought back memories of that red-haired girl that he had met briefly; he did wonder if that encounter was real or not.
Ranma heard the sound of a snapped twig which immediately brought him out of what he was thinking and he turned around immediately, expecting it to be something or someone - but found nothing except for the leafless trees and snow.
'I must be getting paranoid. I wonder how long I've been out here? I better hurry back; they're expecting me to start the bonfire,' Ranma thought as he noticed that he had been walking for quite some time outside the village.
He was about to head back to the village when someone tapped on his shoulder.
This took Ranma by surprised and his Marital and Kai instincts took over. He immediately turned around in a defensive stance, expecting it to be ambushed by a bunch of thugs. What he faced wasn't what he had expected as he came face to face with someone, almost touching.
"Now, now, there is no need for you to get all jumpy all of a sudden, Horsey!" the girl said as she smiled brightly.
Ranma jumped back a little.
"It's you. The girl I met in Sommerlund forest, Ranko," Ranma asked.
He relaxed a bit as he dropped his defensive stance into a more causal position. Ranma hadn't really expected anyone to sneak up behind him, not even his own brother, as he was so sure that his senses would have told him.
"Yes it's me. At least you remember me, Horsey," Ranko replied in cute voice.
It was at that moment that Ranma noticed what Ranko was currently wearing. It was a nice red and orange dress with yellow ribbons that covered her up from her neck to her feet rather than the grey cloak and hood that she wore the first time they met. What made the whole picture look out of place was the clothing that she was wearing was really inappropriate for the season as it was cold and snowing. She didn't really seem affected by the environment or the weather, as she was neither uncomfortable nor freezing.
Judging from his advanced Kai senses, he could tell that she had huge amounts of power radiating from her. He decided to ask her what she wanted and what her intentions were.
"What are you doing here?"
"To see you of course, Horsey."
"Oh. Well it's nice to see you too, Ranko," Ranma said in polite voice.
"Thank you. You're so sweet! Here, I have something for you." Ranko mysteriously pulled out a black box from nowhere that she had been working on earlier and gave it to Ranma.
"What is it?" Ranma shook the box lightly to see if he could find any clues.
"Open it."
Ranma did what Ranko said and opened the black box to reveal...
A beautifully made black Chinese silk shirt with a picture of a horse embroidered in golden thread on the left side of the shirt. The material was the highest quality of silk and Ranma was left speechless by the gift that Ranko had given him.
"It's beautiful, Ranko; but I don't have anything to give you," Ranma said, feeling a bit guilty for not giving her a gift in return.
"Don't worry about it."
"Wait, I may have something." Ranma searched in his pockets for something to give to her.
Searching thought his pockets he hoped that he had something nice to give to her. After a minute of frantically searching for something, at last he found it and gave it to her, hoping that she wouldn't be disappointed.
'Oh no, she doesn't like it,' Ranma thought as he saw her facial expression as she stared at the gift that he had given her.
"Err... I'm sorry, Ranko, for not giving you a better gift, but I promise I will..." Ranma was trying to make up an excuse.
"I love it!" Ranko suddenly jumped into Ranma arms and hugged him tightly.
"I will give you a better gift the next time and... What?! You like it?" Ranma asked nervously, as he didn't have much experience with handling the opposite gender, especially this beautiful red-haired girl hugging him.
"Of course I do! I've never received a gift from anyone before." Ranko tightened the grip on Ranma and he turned beet red as he felt her pressing against him despite his layers clothing.
'Well, apart from Ishir and some other goddesses; but never from a mortal before,' though Ranko.
The gift that Ranma gave to her was a simple, white bracelet with two doves facing each other. He had bought the gift in Anskavern and thought it would be a nice gift to give to his mother and, because it was a two-for-one offer, he bought them both, and had been wondering what to do with it until now.
Ranko eventually released her hold on Ranma and started to walk beside him as they headed towards the village. Both Ranko and Ranma were silent for moment until Ranma decided to ask about something.
"Ranko, where did you get the shirt from?" asked Ranma as Ranko looked up from the bracelet on her left wrist.
"That's for me to know and you to find out!" Ranko said. As the two were walking, Ranma noticed that Ranko didn't seem to be freezing considering what she was wearing.
"Hey Ranko aren't you cold?"
"A little bit."
'I'm not really cold as my powers are keeping me warm," Ranko thought as Ranma, trying to act like a gentleman, gave her the coat that he was wearing.
"Thank you, but Ranma, won't you be cold also?"
"Not really." Ranma was using his aura to keep him warm as they kept walking.
Ranko then stopped abruptly, which almost made Ranma fall face-first into the snow, but due to his martial arts and Kai training he maintained his balance.
"Hey Ranko, why did stop?" asked a confused Ranma, who was made even more confused as she was pointing up. Looking up he could see some sort green plant hanging in mid air.
"Ranma, it's called a mistletoe and there's quite a nice custom that is performed in your world," Ranko said as she saw the confused looked on Ranma's face.
'Obviously he hasn't clue what I am on about! Oh well, I better teach him; and besides, I'll enjoy the experience too,' thought Ranko.
"Err... Ranko what are you on about and..."
Then, suddenly, Ranko pulled Ranma's face down to her level and kissed him right on the lips. Ranma's eyes widened with surprise at her sudden actions.
'What is she doing? Hey this is starting to be enjoyable,' Ranma thought as the kiss lasted a second or so.
After the kiss, Ranko was smiling brightly while Ranma just smirked.
"Now, Ranma, when two people are under a mistletoe, it is custom that they share a kiss. Did you enjoy it?" Ranko asked.
Ranma was about to reply when he heard someone calling out to his name from behind.
"Hey Ranma!"
Ranma turned around to see his brother Braxus running up to him.
"Ranma, there you are! What are you doing out here?" Braxus said as he finally found him while trying to catch his breath having spent the last ten minutes searching for him.
Normally Braxus could find anyone in a matter of minutes due to his Kai discipline of Tracking, but couldn't find a set of footprints or signs that would indicate that Ranma was here or would lead him to where he was. It was as if someone had been preventing him from finding Ranma until now.
"Braxus, I'd like to you meet..." Ranma turned around and was about to introduce Ranko to his brother; but Ranko wasn't there, almost as if she had mysteriously vanished into thin air.
"Ranma, who are you actually talking to?" asked Braxus, as all he could see here was Ranma in the middle of path and nothing else.
'She's gone again. I do hope I see her again,' thought Ranma. He was about to turn around to answer Braxus' question when he noticed the box she had given him.
"Ranma what is that?" Braxus pointed to the box as Ranma bent down to pick up Ranko gift.
"Oh this? Just something a close friend gave me," Ranma said. Braxus nodded.
"Well, come on, Ranma, Mother told me to get you and the winter village festival is about to start," Braxus said as he started to walk ahead of him, not wanting to miss out on the fun.
"Sure, Bro," Ranma said as he gave one last glance behind as he caught up with Braxus.
"Until the next time," whispered Ranma to no one in particular as both he and Braxus quickened their pace back to the village.
"Until the next time, Horsey," Ranko whispered as she watched them go. She was perched on top of a tree far from where Ranma and Braxus were. Once they were out of sight she simply vanished.
Ranma and Braxus finally arrived at the village just in time to see everyone ready to start the annual festival in the square. Everyone in the village was present; all wanted to be part of the festival. The bonfire that was in the middle of the square was lit to keep everyone warm as the music started to play.
Banedon had eventually been persuaded by Oriah and some mothers to entertain the children for a while with his magic while they prepared for the festival. Banedon accepted as it was a special occasion and started to cast simple light and fire spells which always kept their attention, keeping them from wandering off. Everyone in the village was having a good time with the food, dancing and music available. The festival lasted all night long, and while everything outside the village was cold and harsh, inside the village there was a sense of warmth and peacefulness as everyone was content and happy.
Soon it would be time for Ranma, Braxus and Banedon to make the return trip back to Sommerlund to continue their training. Saria had decided to stay in the village and help her sister with her duties until she had the baby. Besides, it would be a good chance to get to know her sister all over again and, knowing Oriah, she would probably be trying to be the matchmaker with some handsome bachelor that she knew as Saria was still a single maiden.
End of Sidestory One.
***
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The proper owners of Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and for the Lone Wolf Series Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.
Note.
Kai Names:
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade
Current Age:
* Ranma - 16yrs old
* Braxus - 17yrs old
* Banedon - 16yrs old
* Ranko - ??? (She looks 16yrs old)
Wild Horse of Kai
By Montymouse
' ' - Thought
" " - Speech
Chapter Five B - Winter Festival and Encounters
***
Sommerlund
The trees started to lose their leaves and the birds were heading south, indicating that winter was coming to settle in Sommerlund. Recently the Kai Lords had decided to allow the young Kai warriors to return back to their hometowns so they could be with their friends and family for winter. The only condition that they gave was that they should all be back for the first growth of Sommerlund (spring). The reason why the Kai Lords allowed this was that they knew that a Kai warrior would reach their highest potential and would defend the land they had vowed to protect with their lives if they know the actual reason. It wasn't the Kings or Lords of Sommerlund, but the Sommlending people themselves who relied on the protection of Kai Lords from invaders and the forces of Evil.
The entire group of young Kai warriors had begun to leave the Kai monastery to return to their hometowns. Shining Star and Dancing Hawk had left the monastery two days ago, while Wild Horse and Swift Blade (aka Ranma and Braxus) had already left in advance because they had the furthest way to go to return home to Durenor. Along the way they managed to pick up Banedon in Toran who had been allowed by his Guildmaster to go with them as they traveled to Anskavern to pick up the nearest boat to Port Bax.
The trio rode on horseback, travelling eastwards towards Anskavern. Along the way Ranma reminded Braxus of the promise he had made to Aunt Saria that if they were in town they would visit her. Judging by the sun and the distance they had already traveled, they should arrive in Anskavern by nightfall.
***
Afternoon in Anskavern
The trio finally arrived in the port of Anskavern a little earlier than expected, as Braxus knew of a shortcut that he finally remembered from his father's teaching. Ranma, Braxus and Banedon were walking down the stone-paved streets of Anskavern trying to find 'The Wayfarer Inn'. Ranma and Braxus were as usual dressed in the normal green tunic and grey Kai cloak, indicating they both held the rank of Warmarn or Journeyman. Their Kai title symbolized their achievements and training at the Kai monastery - it was a respected rank for young warriors of the Kai. Ranma had his silver bow slung over his shoulder while concealing his sword underneath his cloak. Braxus had his shortsword sheathed in its protective scabbard concealed underneath his cloak. They were all trained to hide their weapons and only unsheathe them when necessary. Banedon was walking just behind Ranma and Braxus, wearing his usual magician's attire, but it was hidden under a dark, regal blue cloak.
Everyone in Anskavern instantly recognised the clothes that the trio was wearing as they walked through the streets still trying to find the inn. Everyone that saw the trio knew they represented the élite order of the Kai and the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. Both organisations were well known and respected in all of Sommerlund.
Their skill in the Kai Discipline of Tracking was only good when they were in rural areas and in the countryside. They hadn't reached the level where they could successfully navigate through cities yet, but they were getting there.
"Now, Braxus, you do still remember the way to her inn from the last time we were here, don't you?" Ranma asked.
"Of course I do! Hey, it's not my fault there are more than forty inns in this port and... well, they all look alike, apart from the signs they hang out," Braxus replied back.
"Good, so where is it?"
'We're lost again,' Ranma thought.
"What are you two arguing about?" asked Banedon. He had been watching those two arguing again ever since they had first arrived in Anskavern.
Ranma turned around to face Banedon to answer his inquiry.
"Oh, it's nothing, Banedon. Just that the last time we were here we got lost for ages because of him," replied Ranma as he pointed to Braxus who was still trying to figure out where the inn was.
"We're not lost!" Braxus hastily shouted.
"You see," Ranma said.
"Is that it? Why didn't you tell in the first place rather than wasting our time searching the whole town for this inn? I know a better a way of tracking certain places and objects," Banedon said.
"Oh, what is that, may I ask?" asked Braxus. He had given up on finding the inn and wondered if Banedon might come up with a solution.
Banedon walked up to Braxus and placed his hand on his shoulder. Braxus was a bit confused by Banedon's actions until he explained what he was going to do.
"Now, Braxus, listen to me carefully. Concentrate and think of a image of Saria's inn."
Braxus did what Banedon was telling him and closed his eyes and started to picture the inn. As Braxus was concentrating hard on an image, Banedon started to chant a spell and a small light started to form in his hand. Once he had finished the spell, the small ball of light started to float in mid air.
"Now, Ranma, Braxus, we shall follow that pathfinder," Banedon said as his pointed to the ball of light that was floating in front of them.
"Huh!" Ranma and Braxus said at the same time. Banedon just placed his hand on his face and sighed.
"That ball of light is a magical pathfinder that I learnt; it will guide you towards Saria's inn," Banedon explained.
'For a couple of Kai Warriors, they still have a lot to learn about the art of magic,' thought Banedon.
Following the ball of light that Banedon created, they managed to find the inn in record time. Although some of the people in Anskavern were giving odd looks and glances at seeing three people chasing after a ball of light, when they saw Banedon and recognised that he was part of the magician's order, they assumed that it was probably a test or something.
The trio standing outside the Wayfarer and went in as it was getting dark. The inn was exactly as Ranma and Braxus remembered it to be the first time they had arrived in Anskavern. Looking around the inn, it wasn't particularly busy right now, as most of her customers had gone south to escape the coming winter season.
'Where is she?' thought Braxus as he looked around.
Ranma and Banedon were sitting next to the bar trying to get something to drink as they were a bit thirsty.
Braxus was about to join them at the bar when he spotted the person he was looking for out of the corner of his eye. Aunt Saria had just stepped out of the kitchen and was walking towards the reception area. She was dressed in a modest black and white dress with her blonde hair tied up in a bun. She hadn't noticed the trio standing at the reception area as she was busy handling a customer's orders as one of her waitresses had messed up on their order and they were complaining.
"Hey, Aunt Saria," Ranma called to her. She turned around and was quite surprised at seeing her favorite nephews sitting next to the bar.
She was busy at the moment, so she signaled them to wait and she would be right over in minute or so. After she had dealt with the customer, she walked over to the trio with open arms and a huge smile on her face, greeting them. She gave both Ranma and Braxus a vice-like hug, which Banedon thought, was funny but sweet.
"Ranma, Braxus, it's so good to see you again! And what brings you here to my inn, and who is this nice wizard friend?" asked Saria.
"Greetings, Miss Ryder. My name is Banedon, apprentice of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star." He introduced himself politely to her as he bowed down gently.
"Nice to meet you, Banedon. Please, there's no need to be formal, just call me Saria," Saria said.
"Of course, Saria," Banedon replied.
"Aunt Saria, we were wondering if you would like come with us, if you are not too busy?" asked Ranma. He thought it would be a nice surprise for Oriah to see her sister again.
"Hmm... I'm not really sure if I could leave the inn," Saria replied.
"Please, Auntie, it will be such a nice surprise for my mother to see you again," Braxus said to persuade Saria to come with them to Durenor.
"Why not? I've been here too long; besides, I deserve a holiday and business is slow right now. But I can't leave the inn by itself," Saria said, still unsure what to do. Then she came up with an idea.
"Hey Nats, can you come over here?" Saria called out to one her most senior staff.
"What is it, Saria?" Natalie walked over to where Saria was calling her.
"Nats, you've been here since we first started business and you are the most experienced of all my staff. What do think about me letting you run the business while I go with my nephews to see my sister?" asked Saria.
Natalie started to think about her proposal, and after a few a minutes of thinking Natalie gave her answer.
"Of course, Saria, I will gladly look after the inn! And besides, you deserve a holiday more than any of us," Natalie said.
Saria smiled and nodded.
"Then it's decided." Saria turned around to face Ranma and Braxus.
"Ranma, Braxus, I will be happy to come with you to Durenor. Just give me a few days to get prepared for the trip, okay."
"Of course, Auntie," Ranma happily replied while Braxus nodded in agreement.
"Come, please sit down as I ordered some food for all of us." Saria gestured to a table and the trio happily complied as they had been on the road for quite some time. Besides, it would be good to eat some warm and wholesome food rather than relying on dried rations and salted meat.
The next day Auntie Saria was very busy as she arranged both the transportation and supplies to get them to Durenor. At first Ranma and Braxus said they would arrange it, but Saria wouldn't take no for an answer. So the trio spent the day going shopping around Anskavern, thinking it would be a good idea to get some gift for the annual Winter Festival. Every winter the villagers held a festival to celebrate their hard work and the New Year that was coming. Ranma and Braxus had missed the last two festivals due to their Kai training. The trio stayed at Saria's inn for a couple more days until she was ready and told them the news that the next boat due for Durenor would come tomorrow.
***
Next day in Anskavern
In the docks of Anskavern a large ship was preparing to sail to Port Bax in Durenor. Beside the ship was a small group of people who had started to wave their goodbyes to the people onboard.
"Now Nats you do have all the keys don't you?" shouted Saria to Natalie who was waving her goodbye.
"Saria, stop worrying why don't ya? Everything is going to be the same when you come back!" Natalie replied back as Saria had been nagging her all day long.
"Alright then, but I expect the place to be clean and the same when I come back. Goodbye." Saria waved. Natalie and the rest of the staff waved their manager goodbye as the ship started to set sail for Durenor.
The ship had sailed halfway across the Gulf of Durenor towards Port Bax and so far nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Banedon and Braxus were on deck while Ranma was sitting near the bow of the ship as it sailed through the Kaltersee.
Over the last few days Saria had already started to take things into her own hands onboard the ship and she was practically ordering the captain on what should be done. Saria was active woman, as she couldn't stand around doing nothing, so she ordered the crew to start cleaning up the ship and other duties. The crew was scared of her when she got annoyed, and even Ranma thought that she was scary because of her aura that she sometimes had when she got angry.
Watching her every movement were Banedon and Braxus.
"Is she always like that?" whispered Banedon to Braxus.
Braxus gently nodded to Banedon's inquiry. They had both started to take pity on the poor captain who was being bossed about by Saria.
"Yep. She's a very nice lady to know overall, but she has a tendency to do things if she is bored. Still I can't believe how much baggage that woman bought with her. She even made me and Ranma carry it all!" Braxus said as he thought about the how heavy the bags and cases were that Aunt Saria wanted to carry with her to Durenor.
"Stop complaining will you? at least Aunt Saria is coming with you."
"Yeah, you're right, Banedon. Hey, what is Ranma doing over there?" Braxus pointed to Ranma who was sitting watching the open sea.
"Don't know. He's been there ever since we left Anskavern," Banedon replied.
"Should we bother him?" suggested Braxus.
"Just leave him be. If he wants to talk, he will do so in his own time."
"Okay. Hey, Banedon, why don't you tell me what happened with one of your colleagues when he tried to cast a simple illusion spell?" Braxus said to change the subject.
"Oh yes, I remember now. It wasn't funny, you know?" Banedon said as he tried to restrain himself from laughing out loud.
"Come on, Banedon, you've got to admit it was funny the first time it happened. Did you manage to reverse the spell?"
"Eventually, but the poor boy got stuck in that form for three days as the Guildmasters had never encountered such as problem and it took them a while to come up with a counter spell," Banedon said as he started to lose his composure.
"I can't remember what he turned into. How did this happen?" asked Braxus as he started to laugh quite loud.
"The poor boy did what we would call in magic terms an Oopsie. This usually happen when the spellcaster isn't concentrating enough or gets distracted. When the boy was casting the illusion spell, he was particularly distracted by nice girl that caught his eye and he messed up in his spell chanting. The Guildmaster was about to reprimand him to start concentrating when there was loud bang and a puff of smoke."
"Then what happened?"
"We had thought that he'd disappeared, but once the smoke cleared he was still there. He seemed perfectly normal until we noticed on closer examination that his hair was longer and some other things were there that aren't supposed to be there on a male person. Then it suddenly dawned on us that the boy had changed sex." Banedon joined Braxus in a laughing fit.
Everyone onboard the ship heard the laugher coming from Braxus and Banedon, but they were wondering what was so funny. Ranma's keen hearing had heard the entire conversation between Banedon and Braxus.
'Better him than me!' Ranma thought as he shuddered violently at the thought of turning into a girl.
***
Somewhere in another Dimension e.g. Rumiko Takahashi universe
A certain naïve, arrogant, gender changing, pigtailed marital artist sneezed for no apparent reason while he flew through the air courteously of Akane Airlines.
"Uncute Tomboy," he muttered to himself.
***
Ranma was sitting near the bow of the ship watching the sunset on the horizon. He had been there since they had left Anskavern, and everyone onboard decided that it would best to leave him alone for a bit. He was currently thinking how good it would be to return to the place he had called home since he first arrive in Magnamund. He was feeling a little homesick, but that would soon change, as he would be seeing how his mother and father were doing and catch up on what had been happening during his absence. Then Ranma started to think about that night in the Sommerlund forest where he had met the mysterious, magical girl, Ranko.
Someone handing him a cup of hot chocolate soon interrupted Ranma's train of thought. Looking to see whom it was, Ranma looked straight into her emerald-colored eyes. Ranma smiled at the person who had given him the cup; it was Auntie Saria.
"Hello, Ranma. What are you thinking?" asked Saria as she sat beside Ranma.
"Nothing much." Ranma looked back at the ocean.
"Really? You looked like you had something serious on your mind," Saria said as she tried to get more out of Ranma.
"It's nothing, really."
"Alright then, but you know if you've got anything on your mind, don't hesitate to ask me, okay? I'm always here you know." Saria got up and headed to the ship's galley.
"Okay, Auntie Saria, I'll keep that in mind." Ranma smiled.
"Don't stay out too late as it gets really cold at night." Ranma nodded to acknowledge Saria's advice.
'It's probably a girl,' Saria thought as she went below decks.
It took them a couple more days to finally arrive in Port Bax. The actual sea journey was a peaceful one, nothing out the ordinary happening to Ranma or his travelling companions. They had decided to hire a wagon to carry Saria's baggage. Saria and Braxus rode on the wagon while Ranma and Banedon rode beside them on their hired horses. It would take a day or so to arrive at the village and they would be just in time for the Winter Festival.
***
Somewhere in Universe 'Aon'
A certain red-haired girl was working on something on a table, obscuring anyone's view of what it was.
'Perfect,' thought Ranko.
It was at that moment that the Goddess Ishir materialized in the immediate area where Ranko was.
"Hello, Ranko. What are you doing, may I ask?" Ishir simply asked.
She was a bit curious about Ranko's recent activities. Ishir's sudden announcement caught Ranko by surprise.
"Err... Nothing, Ishir! Really, it's nothing," Ranko said as she tried to hide the thing that she had been working on behind her back, out of Ishir's sight.
Ishir leaned over to one side to see if she could get a better look behind Ranko.
"Alright, Ranko, I'll believe you," Ishir said to drop the matter.
"Ishir, what are you doing here?" asked Ranko while still hiding the item behind her.
"Huh? Oh yes, now I remember. Your goddess friends were asked me where you were."
"Who?"
"I think their names were Skuld and Tsunami (or was it Sasami?). Never mind, they were wondering if you would go with them on a outing like old times," Ishir said, finally remembering their names.
'Oh yes, I remember them now,' thought Ranko. She had been so preoccupied that she had forgotten about her two fellow goddesses.
"Thank you, Ishir. I will contact them as soon as possible," Ranko said. Ishir nodded gently and walked out of the room. Making sure that she was gone, Ranko then checked the item to see if was damaged or not.
'Good, now I wonder were he is now?' thought Ranko as she vanished into thin air.
***
It was midmorning in the village in Durenor. A woman moved between houses as she continued her healer duties. It was that time of the year where people would start to go down with the flu or the common cold due to the climate change. She has been getting quite lot of cases, and she was the only qualified healer in the village. She was dressed in white and her long brown hair was tied up like a ponytail. She was, of course, Oriah Stormgard,
She was walking back to her home after dealing with a couple of cases of flu when she noticed a group of children running past her, cheering and shouting something about strangers coming to the village. Oriah was a bit curious of what the children were yelling about so she decided to investigate. Looking down the path, she could just make out two horses and riders escorting a horse-drawn wagon as they entered the village gates.
'I wonder who they are?' Oriah thought as one of riders approached her.
As the rider came nearer, she instantly recognised the uniform of a Kai journeyman but couldn't make out the face as his hood and cloak concealed it. Normally, anyone who had never visited Sommerlund wouldn't recognise the uniform as a member of the Order of the Kai, and most people wouldn't think twice about this journeyman, but due to Oriah's worldly experience she knew whom they represented. She was wondering why they were here as members of the Kai rarely visited the village unless they were on a mission.
The rider stopped in front of her.
"Greetings, Kai warrior, what brings you to our humble village?" greeted Oriah respectfully.
"Hello, Oriah Stormgard," the cloaked journeyman said, which surprised her as she hadn't expected this Kai warrior to know her name.
The warrior then got off his horse and walked over to her.
"How did you know my name, as I don't recall giving mine, Kai warrior?" asked Oriah.
She saw the stranger pull back his hood to reveal who he was. Oriah immediately recognised the face and the pigtail.
"Hello mother." Ranma smiled brightly.
"Ra... Ranma is that you?" asked Oriah, not believing her eyes.
"Yes, it's me, mother."
In the blink of an eye, Oriah had dropped her basket and quickly rushed up to Ranma, giving him one of those hugs that only a mother can give to her son. The bone-crushing hug that Oriah gave him would have cracked a rib if it wasn't for his training and preparation at the Kai monastery.
'She's even stronger than her sister,' Ranma thought as he was trying to breathe.
"Ranma, my son, it's good to see you again. Where is your brother Braxus?" asked Oriah as she finally released her grip on him.
"Braxus is here and so is Banedon," Ranma answered.
Banedon had spotted them and got off his horse before walking over to Ranma and Oriah.
"Hello Mrs Stormgard," Banedon greeted Ranma's mother.
"Hello Banedon, it's nice to see you again. How is your training in Toran going?" Oriah said.
"Very well, thanks for asking. Oriah, may I ask you something personal?"
"Of course, what is it?"
"Are you pregnant by any chance?" Banedon's magical senses were detecting another source of life growing within her. His suspicions were confirmed as he noticed that Oriah had gained a bit of weight, but it wasn't because she was fat.
"What! Mother is this true?" Ranma asked, surprised at Banedon's question.
"Yes Ranma, Banedon, I'm four months pregnant now and I'm looking forward to having more children," Oriah said proudly. Ranma gave his mother a gentle hug while Banedon congratulated her on her pregnancy.
"Hey, Braxus, I've got some good news." Ranma ran up to Braxus, who was helping Saria get off the wagon.
"What is it, Ranma?" Braxus asked.
Ranma gave the good new to Braxus. "Our mother is pregnant." His reaction? He fainted and Ranma caught him from falling face-first on the ground.
"He took that well." Banedon commented as Ranma carried him over to nearby tree to let him recover.
Oriah walked up to Banedon to ask him why her son had just fainted. Banedon just said that he had fainted because Ranma had told him that his mother was pregnant.
'Is that it?' Oriah thought as she watched Ranma try to wake up Braxus.
"Oriah, is that you?" a voice called out from behind her.
'I'd know that voice anywhere!' Oriah thought. She turned round to see Saria standing there. She gasped in surprise as she couldn't believe whom she was seeing in front of her.
"Saria, is that you?" Oriah asked hesitantly as she moved slowly towards her.
"Of course it's me, Sis!" Saria said as she greeted her sister with open arms.
The two sisters hugged each other, reunited at last. It was such a heart-warming scene. After that, the two sisters started to walk back to the Stormgard home, catching up on what had happened while they were apart and gossip that was way overdue. Of course, Ranma and Braxus had to carry Auntie Saria's things while Banedon just followed them.
During the next few days everyone in the village learned that the Kai warriors were the Stormgard brothers, Ranma and Braxus. They also found out that Saria and Banedon had both arrived in time, so there were good reasons to start preparing for their annual Winter Festival. Oriah was understandably very happy to see her sons and her sister as she had missed them quite dearly during their Kai training and time in Sommerlund. When Jerek returned to the village and found that his sons were back, the first things he did was to challenge them both to a sparring match. Of course, both Ranma and Braxus won, but it wasn't easy as Jerek was a seasoned, experienced fighter.
Everyone in village helped out with the preparations for the festival. Saria was helping Oriah with the catering and insisted that she would do all the preparations when she found out that Oriah was pregnant. Oriah managed to persuade Saria to allow her to help out just a little, but nothing too straining.
Jerek, Braxus and Ranma were helping sort out the bonfire that would be the main centerpiece of the festival, keeping the villagers warm as they celebrated. Banedon was sorting out the night's entertainment with his magic and some fireworks. The entire village had no doubt in their minds that this festival would be the best ever.
***
Afternoon
The village was preparing for the Winter Festival and everyone was helping out. The festival would last all night long and everyone would celebrate. It would be started off with the lighting of the bonfire, which Ranma had the honour of doing. Banedon and Braxus were standing near the bonfire in the village square, wearing warm clothing as the winter was beginning to settle in Durenor.
"How are things doing?" asked Braxus on Banedon's preparations.
"Fine thanks. The fireworks display will be a sight for sore eyes."
"That's good to hear. By any chance you seen Ranma about?" asked Braxus as both Saria and his mother had told him that the festival was shortly about to begin. They wanted everyone to be present, and Oriah refused to allow it to be started until everyone was there, including Ranma.
"Hmm... The last time I saw Ranma he was walking towards the village entrance, probably going out for a walk. He said he wanted to clear his head or something, you know how busy we were preparing this festival," Banedon replied.
"Yeah, I know, but still I have to find him. Thanks anyway. See ya later." Braxus waved to Banedon and set off to find Ranma.
"See you in the afternoon," shouted Banedon as he went off to make the final adjustments.
***
Outside the Village
It was a full moon as the village waited for the Winter Festival to start. Ranma Stormgard was walking by himself, quietly thinking about things such as how his life was, and how good it was to see his mother and father. Ranma was dressed in layers of clothing to keep warm as he walked through the snow.
As he was walking, he started to feel as though someone was watching him again, just like the time when he and his brother were camping in the Sommerlund forest. This bought back memories of that red-haired girl that he had met briefly; he did wonder if that encounter was real or not.
Ranma heard the sound of a snapped twig which immediately brought him out of what he was thinking and he turned around immediately, expecting it to be something or someone - but found nothing except for the leafless trees and snow.
'I must be getting paranoid. I wonder how long I've been out here? I better hurry back; they're expecting me to start the bonfire,' Ranma thought as he noticed that he had been walking for quite some time outside the village.
He was about to head back to the village when someone tapped on his shoulder.
This took Ranma by surprised and his Marital and Kai instincts took over. He immediately turned around in a defensive stance, expecting it to be ambushed by a bunch of thugs. What he faced wasn't what he had expected as he came face to face with someone, almost touching.
"Now, now, there is no need for you to get all jumpy all of a sudden, Horsey!" the girl said as she smiled brightly.
Ranma jumped back a little.
"It's you. The girl I met in Sommerlund forest, Ranko," Ranma asked.
He relaxed a bit as he dropped his defensive stance into a more causal position. Ranma hadn't really expected anyone to sneak up behind him, not even his own brother, as he was so sure that his senses would have told him.
"Yes it's me. At least you remember me, Horsey," Ranko replied in cute voice.
It was at that moment that Ranma noticed what Ranko was currently wearing. It was a nice red and orange dress with yellow ribbons that covered her up from her neck to her feet rather than the grey cloak and hood that she wore the first time they met. What made the whole picture look out of place was the clothing that she was wearing was really inappropriate for the season as it was cold and snowing. She didn't really seem affected by the environment or the weather, as she was neither uncomfortable nor freezing.
Judging from his advanced Kai senses, he could tell that she had huge amounts of power radiating from her. He decided to ask her what she wanted and what her intentions were.
"What are you doing here?"
"To see you of course, Horsey."
"Oh. Well it's nice to see you too, Ranko," Ranma said in polite voice.
"Thank you. You're so sweet! Here, I have something for you." Ranko mysteriously pulled out a black box from nowhere that she had been working on earlier and gave it to Ranma.
"What is it?" Ranma shook the box lightly to see if he could find any clues.
"Open it."
Ranma did what Ranko said and opened the black box to reveal...
A beautifully made black Chinese silk shirt with a picture of a horse embroidered in golden thread on the left side of the shirt. The material was the highest quality of silk and Ranma was left speechless by the gift that Ranko had given him.
"It's beautiful, Ranko; but I don't have anything to give you," Ranma said, feeling a bit guilty for not giving her a gift in return.
"Don't worry about it."
"Wait, I may have something." Ranma searched in his pockets for something to give to her.
Searching thought his pockets he hoped that he had something nice to give to her. After a minute of frantically searching for something, at last he found it and gave it to her, hoping that she wouldn't be disappointed.
'Oh no, she doesn't like it,' Ranma thought as he saw her facial expression as she stared at the gift that he had given her.
"Err... I'm sorry, Ranko, for not giving you a better gift, but I promise I will..." Ranma was trying to make up an excuse.
"I love it!" Ranko suddenly jumped into Ranma arms and hugged him tightly.
"I will give you a better gift the next time and... What?! You like it?" Ranma asked nervously, as he didn't have much experience with handling the opposite gender, especially this beautiful red-haired girl hugging him.
"Of course I do! I've never received a gift from anyone before." Ranko tightened the grip on Ranma and he turned beet red as he felt her pressing against him despite his layers clothing.
'Well, apart from Ishir and some other goddesses; but never from a mortal before,' though Ranko.
The gift that Ranma gave to her was a simple, white bracelet with two doves facing each other. He had bought the gift in Anskavern and thought it would be a nice gift to give to his mother and, because it was a two-for-one offer, he bought them both, and had been wondering what to do with it until now.
Ranko eventually released her hold on Ranma and started to walk beside him as they headed towards the village. Both Ranko and Ranma were silent for moment until Ranma decided to ask about something.
"Ranko, where did you get the shirt from?" asked Ranma as Ranko looked up from the bracelet on her left wrist.
"That's for me to know and you to find out!" Ranko said. As the two were walking, Ranma noticed that Ranko didn't seem to be freezing considering what she was wearing.
"Hey Ranko aren't you cold?"
"A little bit."
'I'm not really cold as my powers are keeping me warm," Ranko thought as Ranma, trying to act like a gentleman, gave her the coat that he was wearing.
"Thank you, but Ranma, won't you be cold also?"
"Not really." Ranma was using his aura to keep him warm as they kept walking.
Ranko then stopped abruptly, which almost made Ranma fall face-first into the snow, but due to his martial arts and Kai training he maintained his balance.
"Hey Ranko, why did stop?" asked a confused Ranma, who was made even more confused as she was pointing up. Looking up he could see some sort green plant hanging in mid air.
"Ranma, it's called a mistletoe and there's quite a nice custom that is performed in your world," Ranko said as she saw the confused looked on Ranma's face.
'Obviously he hasn't clue what I am on about! Oh well, I better teach him; and besides, I'll enjoy the experience too,' thought Ranko.
"Err... Ranko what are you on about and..."
Then, suddenly, Ranko pulled Ranma's face down to her level and kissed him right on the lips. Ranma's eyes widened with surprise at her sudden actions.
'What is she doing? Hey this is starting to be enjoyable,' Ranma thought as the kiss lasted a second or so.
After the kiss, Ranko was smiling brightly while Ranma just smirked.
"Now, Ranma, when two people are under a mistletoe, it is custom that they share a kiss. Did you enjoy it?" Ranko asked.
Ranma was about to reply when he heard someone calling out to his name from behind.
"Hey Ranma!"
Ranma turned around to see his brother Braxus running up to him.
"Ranma, there you are! What are you doing out here?" Braxus said as he finally found him while trying to catch his breath having spent the last ten minutes searching for him.
Normally Braxus could find anyone in a matter of minutes due to his Kai discipline of Tracking, but couldn't find a set of footprints or signs that would indicate that Ranma was here or would lead him to where he was. It was as if someone had been preventing him from finding Ranma until now.
"Braxus, I'd like to you meet..." Ranma turned around and was about to introduce Ranko to his brother; but Ranko wasn't there, almost as if she had mysteriously vanished into thin air.
"Ranma, who are you actually talking to?" asked Braxus, as all he could see here was Ranma in the middle of path and nothing else.
'She's gone again. I do hope I see her again,' thought Ranma. He was about to turn around to answer Braxus' question when he noticed the box she had given him.
"Ranma what is that?" Braxus pointed to the box as Ranma bent down to pick up Ranko gift.
"Oh this? Just something a close friend gave me," Ranma said. Braxus nodded.
"Well, come on, Ranma, Mother told me to get you and the winter village festival is about to start," Braxus said as he started to walk ahead of him, not wanting to miss out on the fun.
"Sure, Bro," Ranma said as he gave one last glance behind as he caught up with Braxus.
"Until the next time," whispered Ranma to no one in particular as both he and Braxus quickened their pace back to the village.
"Until the next time, Horsey," Ranko whispered as she watched them go. She was perched on top of a tree far from where Ranma and Braxus were. Once they were out of sight she simply vanished.
Ranma and Braxus finally arrived at the village just in time to see everyone ready to start the annual festival in the square. Everyone in the village was present; all wanted to be part of the festival. The bonfire that was in the middle of the square was lit to keep everyone warm as the music started to play.
Banedon had eventually been persuaded by Oriah and some mothers to entertain the children for a while with his magic while they prepared for the festival. Banedon accepted as it was a special occasion and started to cast simple light and fire spells which always kept their attention, keeping them from wandering off. Everyone in the village was having a good time with the food, dancing and music available. The festival lasted all night long, and while everything outside the village was cold and harsh, inside the village there was a sense of warmth and peacefulness as everyone was content and happy.
Soon it would be time for Ranma, Braxus and Banedon to make the return trip back to Sommerlund to continue their training. Saria had decided to stay in the village and help her sister with her duties until she had the baby. Besides, it would be a good chance to get to know her sister all over again and, knowing Oriah, she would probably be trying to be the matchmaker with some handsome bachelor that she knew as Saria was still a single maiden.
End of Sidestory One.
***