Dragoons and Martial Artists
By: PlutonianRose
Chapter 2: Returning Doesn't Come easy
Rose left almost six years ago, not telling anyone where and when she was coming back. Ranma, now a best friend of Dart, travels with the dragoons, Dart, Lavitz, Shana, Haschel, and Meru. He became a very good friend of all the dragoons and was better than Haschel in martial arts. Well, now the group of six people, were in Lohan, they were walking beside a man, they recognized as the one who gave them the jar, which helped them save Shana, was going on about a stone that could heal anything. Interested in this stone, the group leader, Dart, and Ranma walked up to the stand, then they asked,
"Could we see this marvelous stone?" The man just looked at them.
"Sure, go ahead, but you must give it back." The man answered. Ranma held the stone as in started to shine.
"No way, a dragoon spirit!" Dart exclaimed, as it shined in Ranma's hand. "How much for it?" Dart asked the businessman.
"1000g!" The man said, Dart nodded and paid the man, and Ranma put the elegant stone away.
"I can't believe it, who would think that a man who just happened to not know where he was six years ago be a dragoon?" Dart asked no one in particular. Then they watched as a woman about as old and tall as an old friend, with a dark hooded cloaked, walked out of the clinic and on her way out of town. Dart and the others quickly ran inside the clinic to ask the good doctor a question.
"Who was that?" Ranma asked.
"She told me not to tell anyone and I promised her, I'm known to keep my promises, and I will keep my promise." The doctor said. Ranma just stormed out of the door and began out of town to follow the woman who might be the woman he had fallen for six years ago. He ran to the forest leaving the others in town as he continued his search. Then he heard a voice.
"Hold still!" He heard.
"But it hurts," he heard another female voice, then he went forth to see who it was. He made rustling noises on accident, the woman stood in a flash, rapier in hand, her hood fell and Ranma went silent as he saw who stood there.
"Who goes there?" She asked.
"Ranma Saotome." Ranma stepped out of the bushes so she could see him. She just turned around and knelt back down to the girl infront of her and bandaged her leg wound.
"What do you want?" She asked, coldly, she acted as if she didn't want to see him.
"We saw you in town, Rose, we were worried that we'd never see you again. Why'd you leave in the first place?" Ranma asked.
"To settle with my past, and I not coming back to your group, you now have the six dragoons, you don't need me anymore." Rose said getting up and helping the girl to her feet and walked past him towards the town.
"I don't think Dart agrees with that Rose, he hasn't yet forgiven himself, he thinks because he was always yelling at me that that's why you left. He hasn't gone a night without crying over that." Ranma said.
"A true warrior forgets the past and cares more about the future." Rose said.
"Then that means you're not a true warrior then, huh?" Ranma asked.
"I could never be a true warrior Ranma, not with a past I have." Rose said, she transformed and flew to Lohan.
Ranma walked back to Lohan with a sad look on his face, he ran into Dart on the way in.
"Who was it?" He asked.
"Her." Ranma answered. "She said she wasn't coming back, she said that because we have the six dragoons, that we don't need her."
"How can she say something like that, she knows that we care for her, everyone of the dragoons do in their own way?" Dart said outraged at what Rose had said to Ranma.
"Well, she said, 'A true warrior forgets the past and cares more about the future.' I then said, 'Then that means you're not a true warrior then, huh?' Then she said 'I could never be a true warrior Ranma, not with a past I have.' Do you guys know anything about her past?" Ranma asked.
"No, we know nothing about her path except she went through really hard times." Dart answered.
"Well, would you like to know what she's running from?" Came a voice, familiar.
"What Lloyd, I doubt anything you'll tell us is true?" Dart asked.
"Well, I wanted to tell you about why Rose is so solitary, but why would you want to listen to me?" Lloyd said getting ready to leave.
"Wait, I need to hear this, tell us what you know." Ranma said, "But I want all truth, no lies, you lie and we kill you on the spot."
"Fine, follow me, oh, and the whole group might want to hear this, so get them if you want."
"No need, we're already here." Shana said.
"Fine, let me begin by saying that Rose is way older than you think, she over 11,000 years old, due to a choker that she wears." Lloyd began. "She was alive and was one of the dragoons in the Dragon Campaign. She is also known to many as the Black Monster, killing villages worth of people for what many believe for the worse. She has a really hard time, she lost this man named Zeig during the Dragon Campaign and five others. And the kid you saw Ranma, the five year old kid, is your daughter, yours and Rose's." Lloyd said with mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"What, me a-a-a-a k-k-kid!" Ranma nearly shouted. "But I never."
"Of course you didn't, it's a little spell I used to get her back for what she's done to me, killing my parents then trying to kill me. I simply added your DNA to her and it impregnated her, that's why she left, not to overcome her past." Lloyd said, "See ya!" He then disappeared before Ranma could kill him.
"Oh! I'm going to kill him!" Ranma yelled. Ranma was then grabbed from behind and soon found himself in the air.
"Shut up Ranma, you shall not be killing anyone today. Be glad you have a girl, she needs to see her father." The captor said.
"Rose?" Ranma asked surprised.
"In the flesh. So, surprised you're a father, well, I wouldn't be surprised, you have at least three fiancées?" Rose said. She landed in the middle of the woods; he saw a tree with a rather large hole. "You can come out Apollo, it's okay." Rose bent down as a girl, with long dark green, and a mix between blue and titanium-violet, eyes.
"Mommy, there was a man here earlier, he said he was a King, he had a cape, he was funny." Apollo said, with a soft giggle after. "He was looking for a man named Lavitz."
"Okay," Rose said. "Mommy, who's that?" Apollo asked.
"This is Ranma, your father." Rose said.
"Daddy?" Apollo questioned, Ranma hesitated than nodded.
"Ranma!" Came Dart's voice. "Ranma!"
"Go." Rose urged, then she picked up Apollo and walked behind Ranma. Ranma followed Dart's voice.
"Ranma!" He heard once again,
"Over here!" Ranma yelled back, and they were met in a clearing.
"Rose!" Dart exclaimed.
"Mommy, who all those people?" Apollo asked, Dart looked down to see Apollo hiding behind Rose's legs.
"Apollo, this is Dart, Shana, Lavitz, Haschel, and Meru. They're the dragoons." Ranma answered before Rose could get a word in.
"Cool, real dragoons!" Apollo said.
"So, Rose, you really do have a kid?" Meru asked.
"Mommy, she's annoying." Apollo said looking up to her mother.
"Well, you supposed to ignore her." Rose suggested, "You'll get used to it."
"Rose, are you willing to join the group, or are you still flying solo?" Dart asked.
"I guess I'm back." Rose said.
"Alright!" Meru shouted.
"Meru, please, I have got a headache." Rose said as her vision went blurry, she went weak in the knees and fell unconscious. Ranma caught her before she hit the ground. Dart pulled an arrowhead out of her armor.
"She's lost a lot of blood, they must have been ambushed recently," Dart said as he pointed to the clothe around her waist. "She hasn't lost to die, but she has to get that thing stitched up." Then the group ran to the hospital, the doctor didn't look surprised as he was used to this special group of people.
"So you say she's lost a lot of blood, well, I'm afraid she will have to stay here until she recovers, about a week to three weeks, at the least." The doctor said.
"Sir Lavitz Slambert, please show yourself, it's the Kings wishes!" Came a soldier's voice. Lavitz ran out the door to see what was going on.
"Yes your majesty?" Lavitz asked.
"I need to see the group of people you've been traveling with." The King ordered.
"Yes, King Albert." Lavitz then led King Albert to the dragoons. "Your majesty, King Albert." Lavitz bowed in respect, as did the others who were conscious.
"I need to speak to you on an important matter. It seems that a village has been raided by what the people said were a form of dragoon. They were all frighten, their houses were burned to the ground, I need to know if you've been past a village called Furni?" The King looked to the group for an answer.
Dart nodded, "But we didn't burn down the city, we'd never do that, we save people not kill them, unless they've committed a serious crime like threaten the world or something."
"Alright, well I believe you, thank you," Albert said walking out the door to the next city to ask.
"Wait, isn't there a new dragoon, the Void Dragoon?" Ranma asked.
"Yes, but Lloyd has helped us, we need to let him slide just this once, next time he won't be so lucky." Dart said, he then looked at Rose who was smirking at no one in particular. Then as if listening the whole time she spoke.
"There is a Chaos Dragoon, the most mysterious of all, in power and origin. No one knows where it came from, it just appeared in a child's hand one day and that child had the power." Rose explained.
"Rose, are you okay?" Ranma asked.
"Yeah, I'm just fine." She answered.
"Mommy!" Apollo said getting in Rose's lap as Rose sat up.
"So which child has the Chaos Dragoon spirit?" Dart asked, Rose flinched at the question, but she answered.
"The Dark Dragoon spirit was fused with the Chaos Dragoon spirit about two years ago," Rose looked down. "I visited Furni, with Apollo, only to find that there was another power there, a strong one, the spirit of death. Another person out there has the power over death, and the only other spirit that can counter enough to defeat is the spirit of time, combined with the spirit of night."
"So we're supposed to wait here for those two spirits just to pop out of no where?" Dart asked.
"No Dart, I have one spirit, the one of Time, all we need is the spirit of night and we have the Death Dragoon countered." Rose said as Apollo pulled out her dragoon spirit.
"What! A five year old is a dragoon?" Dart exclaimed. Rose nodded, then turned to her daughter who put it away quickly.
"But I have forbidden her to use it, all the Dragoon spirits are like homing devices to the Death Dragoon, if she uses it then the death dragoon will find her and eventually, if he does, kill her." Rose explained.
"Well, do we tell King Albert?" Lavitz asked.
"No, no one must know, the presence of this discussion and its secrets are not to be talked about in public, any one could be the Death Dragoon, even the king himself." Rose demanded and all people nodded, including the doctor.
"So what are we to do, we have no idea who the Dragoon of Death is?" Shana asked.
"Be patient, the Death Dragoon is on it's way, slowly, to Serdio, we need to keep it busy, there's too many dragoons in one spot meaning we have
to separate, in groups if Rose said as a young boy than ran into the hospital room with a creature in his arms.
"Hello, is the doctor around, I have an emergency?" The boy panicked.
"Yes, what seems to be the problem?" The doctor asked.
"My fox, she's been hurt and poisoned, I don't know what to do." The boy said.
"Well, may I see her?" The boy nodded, "Alright, you wait here, I'll be right back with her." The doctor took the injured fox from the terrified boy and left to the other room and the boy was left in the same room as the dragoons.
"So, what's your name kid?" Rose asked as she eyed him.
"Taylor." He answered. Rose looked to Apollo and Apollo nodded. Then Apollo froze time, she used her power to move her years forward, therefore making her as old as the boy, around 15 to 16 years old. Then she unfroze time and looked at the people before her, everyone, but Rose and Taylor were staring at her, jaw slightly ajar.
"You guys wouldn't happen to be dragoons, would you?" Taylor asked, putting a hand in his right pocket.
"N.."
"Yes, we are, oh Dragoon of Ice." Apollo said, looking at him. Dart stared at Apollo then glared at Rose.
"Can we trust him?" Dart whispered, Rose nodded, and smiled, Dart was shocked, but he didn't show it.
"Who's the fox?" Ranma asked.
"Oh, that's Kitsuna, my guardian since my mother passed away and my father left. She was always there for me." Taylor said keeping tears away. Shana then walked into the room the doctor disappeared into and about five minutes later came out with a sleeping fox. The doctor came out afterwards. "Kitsuna!" Taylor exclaimed. 'But how?"
"Dragoon of light, and healing." Shana answered. She let the fox down and it ran to Apollo's side, surprisingly, then it was surrounded by dark energy, and became a larger sized fox. Much like her mini self, she had two stripes on the middle of her back, black tipped ears, black- tipped tail, and red, black rimmed, eyes.
"So what dragoon spirits do you possess?" Taylor asked. Rose looked at him.
"Apollo, hide your energy level, the Dragoon of Death is close." She commanded and Apollo did that, without any trouble.
"So how are we to separate into groups?" Dart asked.
"Well, I figured we could split into two groups."
"The first group would consist of Dart, Shana, Haschel, Meru, and Lavitz. And then the rest in the other group." Apollo continued, as Rose went weak and couldn't muster enough strength to speak any longer.
"Well, that sounds alright, I guess, so Taylor is with you guys, come on." Dart said as Ranma helped Rose out of the bed and they headed for the entrance of town. They walked there in silence; once they reached there Rose spoke.
"We'll all meet in Fletz, if you guys seem to get there before us, don't look suspicious, even if we have friends there, the Death Dragoon is not our friend, and may have a sort of control over people there." They all nodded and set off.
"Mother, do you need any help, I mean I bet Kitsuna wouldn't mind if you rode her?" Apollo asked.
"No, I'm fine," Rose lied as in the next few minutes she collapsed.
"Rose!" Ranma exclaimed.
"I'm okay, I just fell, that's all." Rose said as she tried to get up, but found that she couldn't feel her legs.
"Rose, come on." Ranma said picking her up and they continued walking.
"Mother, why don't you like to show weakness?" Apollo asked.
"Because the last time I showed weakness to someone, it was to the one I loved, and he was killed later during the Dragon Campaign." Rose explained.
"Wait, you were alive during the Dragon Campaign?" Taylor asked in surprise. "Wasn't that ."
"11,000 years ago, yes it was, I'm the last remaining dragoon from that time, well it's a really long story, I mean, it will be hard to believe." Rose said.
"So, I guess, you don't want to talk about it?" Taylor inquired.
"Yeah, that pretty much says it all." Rose said, they trudged on through the forest while heading west to Tiberoa. They talked about things having to do with the situation, but soon came nightfall. Now it was time to rest for they were to travel early in the morning across the border, and the guards there were still strict on who to let through. (Night/ Camp)
"Mother, what are we going to do, if we encounter the Death Dragoon before we find the Dragoon Spirit of the Night?" Apollo asked.
"That is to be figured out if that happens." Rose said as she leaned against a tree. Apollo was soon sound asleep, as was Taylor; Ranma sat across from her meditating. Rose watched him as he concentrated; she hadn't seen someone concentrate that hard in a while, well since, Zeig.
"What are you thinking about Rose?" He asked, she was jerked out of her trance by the sudden question.
"Nothing really, just about the friends I had during the Dragon Campaign." Rose said, she looked down, ashamed of looking at him for so long, that was what had started her relationship with Zeig.
"Oh, really, it looked like you were staring at me." Ranma said from right next to her.
"And, your point is?" She asked, closing her eyes.
"I know you like me." Ranma whispered into her ear, her eyes shot open. She couldn't believe it, he had seen right through her. He leaned on the tree also, "So you surprised or something, I've known this since before we cured you. When we had gotten to the field of the Ilex Sines, Shana suggested that I pick the herb, and the book says that only a loved one can do that, I pulled it right out of the ground." Ranma said. Rose felt color rise to her face, and then out of the blue she felt lips against hers. She looked to see Ranma infront of her, his eyes closed. She looked behind him to the kids. She broke the kiss, then she cleared her throat, Ranma turned around and saw Apollo and Taylor watching them. Ranma blushed and then leaned against the tree next to her.
"What?" Taylor said as the two separated to two different trees. "Fine, next time we won't give you time to do that." Apollo elbowed him and he quickly shut his mouth. Rose looked at the two, with a death defining glare and they quickly went back to sleep. Once she was sure they were both asleep, she walked out into the woods, only to find that she was being followed by none other than, Ranma.
"Where are you going?" He said, she could feel the heat of his breath on her neck.
"The night is the only time I am alone, I usually don't stay with the group during the night, but I'm always there by dawn." Rose said looked back at him from their position. He wrapped his arms around her and she voluntarily leaned into his embrace. They stayed like that for a few minutes, then they were sitting against a tree, enjoying the moment.
"So, is there anything you want to talk about?" Ranma asked.
"Not really," Rose said as she tilted her head up in order to see him. He looked down at her. "You know I haven't been like this in over eleven thousand years.
"Well, I figured that when Lloyd told us you had lost that you had lost a man named Zeig during the Dragon Campaign." Ranma answered, then Rose looked back down, he felt one tear drop, then another. "Rose, don't cry, please."
"I can't hold it in any longer, I've lost so much in my life, so many friends." Rose said as she cried into his chest. He sat there as she let out the water. It was like an hour later when she stopped, Ranma still held her close. Ranma tilted her head up to see a tear-streaked face. He wipe away as much as he could and she smiled, then they kissed again, this time without any interruptions. Ranma moved his hands up and down her body. Her arms were around his neck, and the continued kissing. They soon fell asleep in each other's arms, not to far away from Taylor and Apollo.
The next morning Rose awoke, she woke Ranma up and they went back to the kids, where they were still sound asleep.
"Hey, Apollo, Taylor, wake up, hello!" Ranma said waving a hand over their faces. They woke up when it became annoying, and Taylor woke Kitsuna up who quickly ran to Rose's side. Rose picked up the small fox and it cuddled in her arms,
"Come on you two, it's time to go." Rose said as she put the fire out and began towards the continent border.
"Mother, do we have to leave this early, it's only dawn?" Apollo asked.
"Yes, we do, because we need to get to Fletz around the same time the others do, if not sooner." Rose said.
"Halt, no one is authorized to pass!" A soldier said, blocking the group's way.
"We are authorized to pass, we are friends of Lavitz Slambert." Rose said, the guards hesitated then they let the group through.
"Well, that was easy." Taylor said aloud.
"No it wasn't, they're sending a runner to let King Albert know that we have crossed the border by mentioning Lavitz's name." Rose said and then they saw a Serdian running in the direction of Indels Castle.
"Okay, so what are we going to tell King Albert?" Apollo asked.
"Nothing, he can't arrest us when we're in King Zoir's territory." Rose said as Kitsuna hopped from Rose's shoulder and transformed to her larger self as bandits ran from behind the rocks. "We don't have time for this." Rose said and Kitsuna caught on, she used a simple attack and it took out the bandits it one strike.
"How did you control Kitsuna, she's been mine for like, ever?" Taylor asked.
"Because, some time after the Dragon Campaign, I found her, she was near death, I helped her back to health and she followed me around for awhile, right around to the four Moon Child killing." Rose explained as Kitsuna became fox size and was back on Rose's shoulder.
"So she's almost as old as you?" Taylor asked.
"Taylor, she is a type of fox that has unlimited life, until killed, homicidally, if I hadn't saved her, then she wouldn't be here, thank god I still have some humanity left." Rose said, whispering the last comment.
"Rose, do have any other secrets you would like to share with us?" Ranma asked.
"Not right now, we're five miles from Fletz, let's see what you got Kitsuna." Rose said, the fox transformed then they all climbed onto her back and Kitsuna sped off, she was as fast as the dragoons were. They made it to Fletz in no time. Kitsuna landed and was back to her normal size and back on Rose's shoulder before anyone could stop her. Then soldiers came running from the castle to them and rushed them to the castle.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Taylor yelled as they grabbed him roughly.
"King Zoir, we have the strangers." One soldier said.
"They have just arrived." Said the other.
"Thank you, now be gone." The king said and they left. Rose was the only one standing straight up, the others we kneeling before the king. "Why don't you show respect, don't you know whom I am?" He asked.
"Yes, you are King Zoir, you have two daughters, the eldest is Emily, the youngest is Lisa, Emily should have received the Moon Dagger recently, Lisa is still yet a child in your eyes, she studies astrology with her teacher. Emily and Albert are due to get married in about a year, Lisa, in your eyes is too young to get married so you hold her back. Your majesty, I am Rose, a friend of the one's who saved Tiberoa from the bandits." King Zoir smiled, as Rose finished.
"So, you are nonetheless a dragoon?" he asked. Rose nodded and the others rose to their feet. "Ah Ranma Saotome, you were an excellent fighter last time I saw you." Ranma looked up at the King.
"We are here on business, have you seen any suspicious characters around here?" Ranma asked and Zoir shook his head apologetically. "Well thank you, we'll be on our way then." They then turned to leave; they were stopped by the guards.
"Where are you going, we have a guest who's been waiting for you?" King Zoir asked and another appeared out of nowhere.
"Well, it's been quite a long time, Rose, about what, let's say, 11,000 years." The man said.
"Kanzas." Rose muttered, as she looked at an old 'friend'. "So once again, you want to get back at me because they seemed to like me more than you."
"Pretty much, only this time, I've got more power, much more power." Kanzas said as he pulled out his dragoon spirit.
"The Death Dragoon." Rose muttered. Apollo reached for her spirit, but Rose shook her head. "No, you guys, I've now realized that this is my fight, there's no need for you to get involved." Ranma was going to protest, but decided against it, he knew women like her enough to know you can't change her mind once made up. "Alright, you guys get out of here, with the King and princesses, this could get ugly." Rose commanded and they did just that and the room was cleared out.
"So, Rose, you don't have all your little buddies here to help you, what are you going to do now?" Kanzas asked as he watched Kitsuna become a large fox, Rose just unsheathed her sword. She then brought her darkness dragoon spirit, only one of the two she had.
"Fight you with not only one," she closed hand, "but two dragoon spirits." She now had both of her dragoon spirits in her hand, there was a bright light, and there was soon a Chaos-darkness dragoon infront of him, with a huge fox to her side.
By: PlutonianRose
Chapter 2: Returning Doesn't Come easy
Rose left almost six years ago, not telling anyone where and when she was coming back. Ranma, now a best friend of Dart, travels with the dragoons, Dart, Lavitz, Shana, Haschel, and Meru. He became a very good friend of all the dragoons and was better than Haschel in martial arts. Well, now the group of six people, were in Lohan, they were walking beside a man, they recognized as the one who gave them the jar, which helped them save Shana, was going on about a stone that could heal anything. Interested in this stone, the group leader, Dart, and Ranma walked up to the stand, then they asked,
"Could we see this marvelous stone?" The man just looked at them.
"Sure, go ahead, but you must give it back." The man answered. Ranma held the stone as in started to shine.
"No way, a dragoon spirit!" Dart exclaimed, as it shined in Ranma's hand. "How much for it?" Dart asked the businessman.
"1000g!" The man said, Dart nodded and paid the man, and Ranma put the elegant stone away.
"I can't believe it, who would think that a man who just happened to not know where he was six years ago be a dragoon?" Dart asked no one in particular. Then they watched as a woman about as old and tall as an old friend, with a dark hooded cloaked, walked out of the clinic and on her way out of town. Dart and the others quickly ran inside the clinic to ask the good doctor a question.
"Who was that?" Ranma asked.
"She told me not to tell anyone and I promised her, I'm known to keep my promises, and I will keep my promise." The doctor said. Ranma just stormed out of the door and began out of town to follow the woman who might be the woman he had fallen for six years ago. He ran to the forest leaving the others in town as he continued his search. Then he heard a voice.
"Hold still!" He heard.
"But it hurts," he heard another female voice, then he went forth to see who it was. He made rustling noises on accident, the woman stood in a flash, rapier in hand, her hood fell and Ranma went silent as he saw who stood there.
"Who goes there?" She asked.
"Ranma Saotome." Ranma stepped out of the bushes so she could see him. She just turned around and knelt back down to the girl infront of her and bandaged her leg wound.
"What do you want?" She asked, coldly, she acted as if she didn't want to see him.
"We saw you in town, Rose, we were worried that we'd never see you again. Why'd you leave in the first place?" Ranma asked.
"To settle with my past, and I not coming back to your group, you now have the six dragoons, you don't need me anymore." Rose said getting up and helping the girl to her feet and walked past him towards the town.
"I don't think Dart agrees with that Rose, he hasn't yet forgiven himself, he thinks because he was always yelling at me that that's why you left. He hasn't gone a night without crying over that." Ranma said.
"A true warrior forgets the past and cares more about the future." Rose said.
"Then that means you're not a true warrior then, huh?" Ranma asked.
"I could never be a true warrior Ranma, not with a past I have." Rose said, she transformed and flew to Lohan.
Ranma walked back to Lohan with a sad look on his face, he ran into Dart on the way in.
"Who was it?" He asked.
"Her." Ranma answered. "She said she wasn't coming back, she said that because we have the six dragoons, that we don't need her."
"How can she say something like that, she knows that we care for her, everyone of the dragoons do in their own way?" Dart said outraged at what Rose had said to Ranma.
"Well, she said, 'A true warrior forgets the past and cares more about the future.' I then said, 'Then that means you're not a true warrior then, huh?' Then she said 'I could never be a true warrior Ranma, not with a past I have.' Do you guys know anything about her past?" Ranma asked.
"No, we know nothing about her path except she went through really hard times." Dart answered.
"Well, would you like to know what she's running from?" Came a voice, familiar.
"What Lloyd, I doubt anything you'll tell us is true?" Dart asked.
"Well, I wanted to tell you about why Rose is so solitary, but why would you want to listen to me?" Lloyd said getting ready to leave.
"Wait, I need to hear this, tell us what you know." Ranma said, "But I want all truth, no lies, you lie and we kill you on the spot."
"Fine, follow me, oh, and the whole group might want to hear this, so get them if you want."
"No need, we're already here." Shana said.
"Fine, let me begin by saying that Rose is way older than you think, she over 11,000 years old, due to a choker that she wears." Lloyd began. "She was alive and was one of the dragoons in the Dragon Campaign. She is also known to many as the Black Monster, killing villages worth of people for what many believe for the worse. She has a really hard time, she lost this man named Zeig during the Dragon Campaign and five others. And the kid you saw Ranma, the five year old kid, is your daughter, yours and Rose's." Lloyd said with mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"What, me a-a-a-a k-k-kid!" Ranma nearly shouted. "But I never."
"Of course you didn't, it's a little spell I used to get her back for what she's done to me, killing my parents then trying to kill me. I simply added your DNA to her and it impregnated her, that's why she left, not to overcome her past." Lloyd said, "See ya!" He then disappeared before Ranma could kill him.
"Oh! I'm going to kill him!" Ranma yelled. Ranma was then grabbed from behind and soon found himself in the air.
"Shut up Ranma, you shall not be killing anyone today. Be glad you have a girl, she needs to see her father." The captor said.
"Rose?" Ranma asked surprised.
"In the flesh. So, surprised you're a father, well, I wouldn't be surprised, you have at least three fiancées?" Rose said. She landed in the middle of the woods; he saw a tree with a rather large hole. "You can come out Apollo, it's okay." Rose bent down as a girl, with long dark green, and a mix between blue and titanium-violet, eyes.
"Mommy, there was a man here earlier, he said he was a King, he had a cape, he was funny." Apollo said, with a soft giggle after. "He was looking for a man named Lavitz."
"Okay," Rose said. "Mommy, who's that?" Apollo asked.
"This is Ranma, your father." Rose said.
"Daddy?" Apollo questioned, Ranma hesitated than nodded.
"Ranma!" Came Dart's voice. "Ranma!"
"Go." Rose urged, then she picked up Apollo and walked behind Ranma. Ranma followed Dart's voice.
"Ranma!" He heard once again,
"Over here!" Ranma yelled back, and they were met in a clearing.
"Rose!" Dart exclaimed.
"Mommy, who all those people?" Apollo asked, Dart looked down to see Apollo hiding behind Rose's legs.
"Apollo, this is Dart, Shana, Lavitz, Haschel, and Meru. They're the dragoons." Ranma answered before Rose could get a word in.
"Cool, real dragoons!" Apollo said.
"So, Rose, you really do have a kid?" Meru asked.
"Mommy, she's annoying." Apollo said looking up to her mother.
"Well, you supposed to ignore her." Rose suggested, "You'll get used to it."
"Rose, are you willing to join the group, or are you still flying solo?" Dart asked.
"I guess I'm back." Rose said.
"Alright!" Meru shouted.
"Meru, please, I have got a headache." Rose said as her vision went blurry, she went weak in the knees and fell unconscious. Ranma caught her before she hit the ground. Dart pulled an arrowhead out of her armor.
"She's lost a lot of blood, they must have been ambushed recently," Dart said as he pointed to the clothe around her waist. "She hasn't lost to die, but she has to get that thing stitched up." Then the group ran to the hospital, the doctor didn't look surprised as he was used to this special group of people.
"So you say she's lost a lot of blood, well, I'm afraid she will have to stay here until she recovers, about a week to three weeks, at the least." The doctor said.
"Sir Lavitz Slambert, please show yourself, it's the Kings wishes!" Came a soldier's voice. Lavitz ran out the door to see what was going on.
"Yes your majesty?" Lavitz asked.
"I need to see the group of people you've been traveling with." The King ordered.
"Yes, King Albert." Lavitz then led King Albert to the dragoons. "Your majesty, King Albert." Lavitz bowed in respect, as did the others who were conscious.
"I need to speak to you on an important matter. It seems that a village has been raided by what the people said were a form of dragoon. They were all frighten, their houses were burned to the ground, I need to know if you've been past a village called Furni?" The King looked to the group for an answer.
Dart nodded, "But we didn't burn down the city, we'd never do that, we save people not kill them, unless they've committed a serious crime like threaten the world or something."
"Alright, well I believe you, thank you," Albert said walking out the door to the next city to ask.
"Wait, isn't there a new dragoon, the Void Dragoon?" Ranma asked.
"Yes, but Lloyd has helped us, we need to let him slide just this once, next time he won't be so lucky." Dart said, he then looked at Rose who was smirking at no one in particular. Then as if listening the whole time she spoke.
"There is a Chaos Dragoon, the most mysterious of all, in power and origin. No one knows where it came from, it just appeared in a child's hand one day and that child had the power." Rose explained.
"Rose, are you okay?" Ranma asked.
"Yeah, I'm just fine." She answered.
"Mommy!" Apollo said getting in Rose's lap as Rose sat up.
"So which child has the Chaos Dragoon spirit?" Dart asked, Rose flinched at the question, but she answered.
"The Dark Dragoon spirit was fused with the Chaos Dragoon spirit about two years ago," Rose looked down. "I visited Furni, with Apollo, only to find that there was another power there, a strong one, the spirit of death. Another person out there has the power over death, and the only other spirit that can counter enough to defeat is the spirit of time, combined with the spirit of night."
"So we're supposed to wait here for those two spirits just to pop out of no where?" Dart asked.
"No Dart, I have one spirit, the one of Time, all we need is the spirit of night and we have the Death Dragoon countered." Rose said as Apollo pulled out her dragoon spirit.
"What! A five year old is a dragoon?" Dart exclaimed. Rose nodded, then turned to her daughter who put it away quickly.
"But I have forbidden her to use it, all the Dragoon spirits are like homing devices to the Death Dragoon, if she uses it then the death dragoon will find her and eventually, if he does, kill her." Rose explained.
"Well, do we tell King Albert?" Lavitz asked.
"No, no one must know, the presence of this discussion and its secrets are not to be talked about in public, any one could be the Death Dragoon, even the king himself." Rose demanded and all people nodded, including the doctor.
"So what are we to do, we have no idea who the Dragoon of Death is?" Shana asked.
"Be patient, the Death Dragoon is on it's way, slowly, to Serdio, we need to keep it busy, there's too many dragoons in one spot meaning we have
to separate, in groups if Rose said as a young boy than ran into the hospital room with a creature in his arms.
"Hello, is the doctor around, I have an emergency?" The boy panicked.
"Yes, what seems to be the problem?" The doctor asked.
"My fox, she's been hurt and poisoned, I don't know what to do." The boy said.
"Well, may I see her?" The boy nodded, "Alright, you wait here, I'll be right back with her." The doctor took the injured fox from the terrified boy and left to the other room and the boy was left in the same room as the dragoons.
"So, what's your name kid?" Rose asked as she eyed him.
"Taylor." He answered. Rose looked to Apollo and Apollo nodded. Then Apollo froze time, she used her power to move her years forward, therefore making her as old as the boy, around 15 to 16 years old. Then she unfroze time and looked at the people before her, everyone, but Rose and Taylor were staring at her, jaw slightly ajar.
"You guys wouldn't happen to be dragoons, would you?" Taylor asked, putting a hand in his right pocket.
"N.."
"Yes, we are, oh Dragoon of Ice." Apollo said, looking at him. Dart stared at Apollo then glared at Rose.
"Can we trust him?" Dart whispered, Rose nodded, and smiled, Dart was shocked, but he didn't show it.
"Who's the fox?" Ranma asked.
"Oh, that's Kitsuna, my guardian since my mother passed away and my father left. She was always there for me." Taylor said keeping tears away. Shana then walked into the room the doctor disappeared into and about five minutes later came out with a sleeping fox. The doctor came out afterwards. "Kitsuna!" Taylor exclaimed. 'But how?"
"Dragoon of light, and healing." Shana answered. She let the fox down and it ran to Apollo's side, surprisingly, then it was surrounded by dark energy, and became a larger sized fox. Much like her mini self, she had two stripes on the middle of her back, black tipped ears, black- tipped tail, and red, black rimmed, eyes.
"So what dragoon spirits do you possess?" Taylor asked. Rose looked at him.
"Apollo, hide your energy level, the Dragoon of Death is close." She commanded and Apollo did that, without any trouble.
"So how are we to separate into groups?" Dart asked.
"Well, I figured we could split into two groups."
"The first group would consist of Dart, Shana, Haschel, Meru, and Lavitz. And then the rest in the other group." Apollo continued, as Rose went weak and couldn't muster enough strength to speak any longer.
"Well, that sounds alright, I guess, so Taylor is with you guys, come on." Dart said as Ranma helped Rose out of the bed and they headed for the entrance of town. They walked there in silence; once they reached there Rose spoke.
"We'll all meet in Fletz, if you guys seem to get there before us, don't look suspicious, even if we have friends there, the Death Dragoon is not our friend, and may have a sort of control over people there." They all nodded and set off.
"Mother, do you need any help, I mean I bet Kitsuna wouldn't mind if you rode her?" Apollo asked.
"No, I'm fine," Rose lied as in the next few minutes she collapsed.
"Rose!" Ranma exclaimed.
"I'm okay, I just fell, that's all." Rose said as she tried to get up, but found that she couldn't feel her legs.
"Rose, come on." Ranma said picking her up and they continued walking.
"Mother, why don't you like to show weakness?" Apollo asked.
"Because the last time I showed weakness to someone, it was to the one I loved, and he was killed later during the Dragon Campaign." Rose explained.
"Wait, you were alive during the Dragon Campaign?" Taylor asked in surprise. "Wasn't that ."
"11,000 years ago, yes it was, I'm the last remaining dragoon from that time, well it's a really long story, I mean, it will be hard to believe." Rose said.
"So, I guess, you don't want to talk about it?" Taylor inquired.
"Yeah, that pretty much says it all." Rose said, they trudged on through the forest while heading west to Tiberoa. They talked about things having to do with the situation, but soon came nightfall. Now it was time to rest for they were to travel early in the morning across the border, and the guards there were still strict on who to let through. (Night/ Camp)
"Mother, what are we going to do, if we encounter the Death Dragoon before we find the Dragoon Spirit of the Night?" Apollo asked.
"That is to be figured out if that happens." Rose said as she leaned against a tree. Apollo was soon sound asleep, as was Taylor; Ranma sat across from her meditating. Rose watched him as he concentrated; she hadn't seen someone concentrate that hard in a while, well since, Zeig.
"What are you thinking about Rose?" He asked, she was jerked out of her trance by the sudden question.
"Nothing really, just about the friends I had during the Dragon Campaign." Rose said, she looked down, ashamed of looking at him for so long, that was what had started her relationship with Zeig.
"Oh, really, it looked like you were staring at me." Ranma said from right next to her.
"And, your point is?" She asked, closing her eyes.
"I know you like me." Ranma whispered into her ear, her eyes shot open. She couldn't believe it, he had seen right through her. He leaned on the tree also, "So you surprised or something, I've known this since before we cured you. When we had gotten to the field of the Ilex Sines, Shana suggested that I pick the herb, and the book says that only a loved one can do that, I pulled it right out of the ground." Ranma said. Rose felt color rise to her face, and then out of the blue she felt lips against hers. She looked to see Ranma infront of her, his eyes closed. She looked behind him to the kids. She broke the kiss, then she cleared her throat, Ranma turned around and saw Apollo and Taylor watching them. Ranma blushed and then leaned against the tree next to her.
"What?" Taylor said as the two separated to two different trees. "Fine, next time we won't give you time to do that." Apollo elbowed him and he quickly shut his mouth. Rose looked at the two, with a death defining glare and they quickly went back to sleep. Once she was sure they were both asleep, she walked out into the woods, only to find that she was being followed by none other than, Ranma.
"Where are you going?" He said, she could feel the heat of his breath on her neck.
"The night is the only time I am alone, I usually don't stay with the group during the night, but I'm always there by dawn." Rose said looked back at him from their position. He wrapped his arms around her and she voluntarily leaned into his embrace. They stayed like that for a few minutes, then they were sitting against a tree, enjoying the moment.
"So, is there anything you want to talk about?" Ranma asked.
"Not really," Rose said as she tilted her head up in order to see him. He looked down at her. "You know I haven't been like this in over eleven thousand years.
"Well, I figured that when Lloyd told us you had lost that you had lost a man named Zeig during the Dragon Campaign." Ranma answered, then Rose looked back down, he felt one tear drop, then another. "Rose, don't cry, please."
"I can't hold it in any longer, I've lost so much in my life, so many friends." Rose said as she cried into his chest. He sat there as she let out the water. It was like an hour later when she stopped, Ranma still held her close. Ranma tilted her head up to see a tear-streaked face. He wipe away as much as he could and she smiled, then they kissed again, this time without any interruptions. Ranma moved his hands up and down her body. Her arms were around his neck, and the continued kissing. They soon fell asleep in each other's arms, not to far away from Taylor and Apollo.
The next morning Rose awoke, she woke Ranma up and they went back to the kids, where they were still sound asleep.
"Hey, Apollo, Taylor, wake up, hello!" Ranma said waving a hand over their faces. They woke up when it became annoying, and Taylor woke Kitsuna up who quickly ran to Rose's side. Rose picked up the small fox and it cuddled in her arms,
"Come on you two, it's time to go." Rose said as she put the fire out and began towards the continent border.
"Mother, do we have to leave this early, it's only dawn?" Apollo asked.
"Yes, we do, because we need to get to Fletz around the same time the others do, if not sooner." Rose said.
"Halt, no one is authorized to pass!" A soldier said, blocking the group's way.
"We are authorized to pass, we are friends of Lavitz Slambert." Rose said, the guards hesitated then they let the group through.
"Well, that was easy." Taylor said aloud.
"No it wasn't, they're sending a runner to let King Albert know that we have crossed the border by mentioning Lavitz's name." Rose said and then they saw a Serdian running in the direction of Indels Castle.
"Okay, so what are we going to tell King Albert?" Apollo asked.
"Nothing, he can't arrest us when we're in King Zoir's territory." Rose said as Kitsuna hopped from Rose's shoulder and transformed to her larger self as bandits ran from behind the rocks. "We don't have time for this." Rose said and Kitsuna caught on, she used a simple attack and it took out the bandits it one strike.
"How did you control Kitsuna, she's been mine for like, ever?" Taylor asked.
"Because, some time after the Dragon Campaign, I found her, she was near death, I helped her back to health and she followed me around for awhile, right around to the four Moon Child killing." Rose explained as Kitsuna became fox size and was back on Rose's shoulder.
"So she's almost as old as you?" Taylor asked.
"Taylor, she is a type of fox that has unlimited life, until killed, homicidally, if I hadn't saved her, then she wouldn't be here, thank god I still have some humanity left." Rose said, whispering the last comment.
"Rose, do have any other secrets you would like to share with us?" Ranma asked.
"Not right now, we're five miles from Fletz, let's see what you got Kitsuna." Rose said, the fox transformed then they all climbed onto her back and Kitsuna sped off, she was as fast as the dragoons were. They made it to Fletz in no time. Kitsuna landed and was back to her normal size and back on Rose's shoulder before anyone could stop her. Then soldiers came running from the castle to them and rushed them to the castle.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Taylor yelled as they grabbed him roughly.
"King Zoir, we have the strangers." One soldier said.
"They have just arrived." Said the other.
"Thank you, now be gone." The king said and they left. Rose was the only one standing straight up, the others we kneeling before the king. "Why don't you show respect, don't you know whom I am?" He asked.
"Yes, you are King Zoir, you have two daughters, the eldest is Emily, the youngest is Lisa, Emily should have received the Moon Dagger recently, Lisa is still yet a child in your eyes, she studies astrology with her teacher. Emily and Albert are due to get married in about a year, Lisa, in your eyes is too young to get married so you hold her back. Your majesty, I am Rose, a friend of the one's who saved Tiberoa from the bandits." King Zoir smiled, as Rose finished.
"So, you are nonetheless a dragoon?" he asked. Rose nodded and the others rose to their feet. "Ah Ranma Saotome, you were an excellent fighter last time I saw you." Ranma looked up at the King.
"We are here on business, have you seen any suspicious characters around here?" Ranma asked and Zoir shook his head apologetically. "Well thank you, we'll be on our way then." They then turned to leave; they were stopped by the guards.
"Where are you going, we have a guest who's been waiting for you?" King Zoir asked and another appeared out of nowhere.
"Well, it's been quite a long time, Rose, about what, let's say, 11,000 years." The man said.
"Kanzas." Rose muttered, as she looked at an old 'friend'. "So once again, you want to get back at me because they seemed to like me more than you."
"Pretty much, only this time, I've got more power, much more power." Kanzas said as he pulled out his dragoon spirit.
"The Death Dragoon." Rose muttered. Apollo reached for her spirit, but Rose shook her head. "No, you guys, I've now realized that this is my fight, there's no need for you to get involved." Ranma was going to protest, but decided against it, he knew women like her enough to know you can't change her mind once made up. "Alright, you guys get out of here, with the King and princesses, this could get ugly." Rose commanded and they did just that and the room was cleared out.
"So, Rose, you don't have all your little buddies here to help you, what are you going to do now?" Kanzas asked as he watched Kitsuna become a large fox, Rose just unsheathed her sword. She then brought her darkness dragoon spirit, only one of the two she had.
"Fight you with not only one," she closed hand, "but two dragoon spirits." She now had both of her dragoon spirits in her hand, there was a bright light, and there was soon a Chaos-darkness dragoon infront of him, with a huge fox to her side.