The Dragon Within
Ranma Fanfic by Seras4545
A/N: Well, I'm kinda saddened by the lack of reviews. Was my last chapter that horrible? I got less reviews for ch.4 than I did for ch.1. (Sigh) Well, the story must go on. I'm rather happy with the feedback I got though. Thanks to all who reviewed, especially my fellow authors and readers who rated my skill as an Author. For those of you who didn't review, Please review this time you guys, it helps me get my chapters out quicker.
A/NC: Well, I didn't get as many reviews as I had hoped but oh well. I will be posting another story or two soon and I will try and balance them all out. Hope not too many of you are angry with the lack of updates on TCFC. Please R&R Thank You.
Well On With The Show!
Chapter 5: Dragons, Elves, and All That Comes With
Oh, Kami no... Please don't take Ranma from me. Not when we just met. Not like this. Nabiki gathered her courage and strength and hauled Ranma's badly burned body up onto her shoulder, surprised at how much the young girl weighed, not noticing that she had picked up both Ranma and the training pack she was wearing. She could feel blood from her wounds soak into her shirt and she did her best to ignore it as she began to run towards the one person who she suspected had even the slightest chance of saving Ranma.
She ignored all of Akane's questions that she threw at her and flew past her and out into the city. She ran faster than she had ever remembered running before and she marveled that she hadn't tripped and broken her neck yet.
When she started to feel the burning and aching in her muscles she pushed herself to go even faster and ignored the pain and protest in her muscles as she made record time across the ward. She finally reached a local clinic and rushed in past the waiting room and straight into the doctor's office.
She looked into the doctor's alarmed face and eyes that showed surprise. "Please, Doctor Tofu. Help her. You're the only one I could think of..." She pleaded as she fell into darkness...
Tofu caught the exhausted girl before she could cause herself or her friend any more injury. He picked the girl up off of Nabiki and gently placed her on the medical bed and quickly took stock of the situation.
The girl had burns that ranged from minor 1st degrees to life threatening 3rd degrees that showed charred flesh and bone and blood was flowing quickly from her body. In his knowledge she would have been dead if she had been taken to a normal hospital, this was far beyond the miracles of science, at least in this world. It appeared as if she had been struck by lightning, if what the patterns and severity of the burns told him was right.
Nabiki had been right to bring the girl to him, though he would have to ask her about how long she had known about his gift. He removed her outer clothing and the backpack and flinched at the amount of damage that had been done. Her entire back was completely burned off, only bones and some muscle and nerves remained and her blood loss was enormous. The backpack itself was melted and charred mess and Tofu could see a metal leaking out . That is what had allowed the lightning to strike her and had amplified it's strength and hold.
She'll have scars all over her body and would never look the same again, but if I don't stop the blood flow soon she'll die for certain. I'm not even sure I can save her but I'll give it my best.
Tofu focused his mind and delved into his powers. He had no idea where his power to heal had come from, but it had save many a person in this town before and he was determined to save the girl in front of him now.
He reached out to his patient with his power and received the informational feedback of a lifetime. Not having time to go over what he had learned about this, Ranma, he attempted to begin reconstruction on her skin and nerves and muscles. He was shocked when her body rejected his ministrations and began doing what he was going to do on it's own.
Tofu watched, fascinated, as the girl's bones regenerated themselves, her muscle and nerves knit themselves back together, and skin began to reform. He watched as the body expelled that which it deemed useless and was slightly appalled as it rejected a charred heart and lungs which were damaged beyond repair and glimpsed through the temporary holes they had made on exit that a new heart and pair of lungs were rapidly growing to replace the vital organs.
Tofu observed as the skin closed over all her wounds and sealed together seamlessly, without any sign of a scar. This is absolutely amazing. Those wounds should have left horrible scarring that went deep into muscle and nerves. What is this Ranma?
He then remembered Ranma's undressed state and he blushed slightly as he went and got a blanket and wrapped it around her. Then he sat down in a chair and thought about the situation.
Tofu tried to sort out what he had learned with his brief touch of power. He saw many things, though the memories he had helped himself to were scattered and short. One would be of a young Ranma and the monstrous training a bald man applied. Another would be of a juvenile Ranma, defeating her father in combat. Yet another would be of a training ground with pools and bamboo poles.
Tofu noticed that Ranma would be different in a way not possible in many of the memories, one time a female, the other a male. Tofu recognized the image of the training ground from a description from long ago and started sorting through his books. Finally he found an old dusty volume on mythological training grounds and magic.
He flipped through some of the pages until he found the passage he was looking for. Jusenkyo, springs of sorrow, home to some of the most potent magic in existence. It was described as a place that could bestow blessings or curses to those who trained there, though it was more of how it was taken by the receiver of the shape changing properties of one of the springs. It was speculated that the springs were either a game of the Kami, or their punishment for the arrogant humans, as no method has been discovered of curing the malady.
Tofu closed the book and looked at the young redhead now resting comfortably on the bed, breathing and sleeping peacefully. Tofu decided to delve deeper into Ranma, as the curse didn't explain the healing power of her body.
He focused his power once again and this time laid his hands on her arm to stabilize the connection. He ignored the memories for the most part, though some interested him. He went deeper and deeper and suddenly was confronted with the image of a gargantuan blue dragon, seemingly guarding a part of Ranma. Tofu's eyes widened in surprise and suddenly drew his hand back and broke the connection, holding his hand in pain as it spasmed weakly.
Ranma's body was now covered in arcs of blue lightning, it coursed along her body with a rhythm that mimicked a heartbeat. Tofu also was interested in the fact that Ranma was now hovering about an inch above the medical bed and he could see her eyes shuttling under her eyelids. Whatever was happening, was happening within Ranma and Tofu was certain it had something to do with that blue dragon.
Suddenly Ranma's eyes opened and Tofu could see power radiating from them, causing them to glow a fiery blue. Then her eyes shut and her body went limp and she fell back to the bed, the lightning extinguished.
Tofu was about to approach the girl again when she groaned and stirred. She slowly opened her eyes and Tofu saw that the energy that she had previously shown had disappeared.
She blinked several times in confusion and then groaned once again as she sat up and looked at Tofu. "Hey doc, did'ja get the license plate of that truck that hit me? I feel terrible."
Tofu was a little surprised by such a statement, then he began to laugh.
Ranma looked at him, slightly bemused. "What's so funny, doc?"
When Tofu stopped laughing he explained. "Well, it's just that I just saw the one of the most improbable things in the world and watched a girl literally pull herself back together and joke about it."
Ranma smiled, seeing the humor in such a situation. "Well, if you'll get me some hot water I'll explain the whole thing if you like."
Tofu nodded. "I'll get you the hot water, but there really isn't much need to explain. I already have a good idea of what had happened Ranma."
Ranma stiffened in surprise and gave the doctor a calculating look. "Seems you do, doc. Anyways, what is your name? Seems you already know mine."
"Oh. Excuse my rudeness, Ranma. My name is Tofu Ono. I'm the local doctor around here. Anyways, before I get you that hot water you requested, could you give me a helping hand? Nabiki pushed herself really hard to get you here and I'm afraid she did quite a bit of damage to herself."
It was then that Ranma noticed Nabiki slumped against the wall of the office, passed out. She jumped off the bed and traced a sigil in the air that removed the mess from the medical bed. Tofu blinked at such blatant use of magic in front of him but then shrugged, figuring that Ranma thought that discretion wasn't needed here right now.
Ranma then raced over to Nabiki and with tender care picked her up and placed her on the bed. She then looked to Tofu. "You don't need to worry too much doc, I gave her a gift that would regenerate her over time, but if you would give her a helping hand and accelerate the regeneration I would be grateful."
Tofu blinked in surprise for a second, wondering who this really was, then shrugged and began his work. He focused his power and put his hand on Nabiki's forehead. He didn't get as much memories from her because he was used to working with her and her sisters. He noticed that many of her muscles and ligaments were already in advanced stages of healing and that there was actually little left for him to do. He finished up the healing and then let go of his power.
Nabiki stirred then opened her eyes. When she saw Ranma her face lit up and she caught her in an unbreakable glomp.
"Oh Ranma, thank the Kami you're alive! Thank you doctor Tofu, you're a miracle worker!"
Tofu scratched the back of his head nervously. "Umm... Well I really didn't do anything. Ranma did everything herself. Seems she is much tougher than she looks."
She then let go of Ranma and punched her in the shoulder, hard. She had to admit, her punches actually hurt like hell, like a knife in the muscle.
"Ranma, you jerk! You really scared me! I thought you had died!"
Ranma was a little thrown off by her yelling, but she smiled anyways. "Sorry, Nabs. That Kuno guy caught me off guard and I had forgotten to take off that stupid pack that dad made. I totally forgot about it and it acted like a lightning rod for his lightning. That won't happen next time."
Tofu looked at Ranma, sensing a different meaning in her words than what was obvious. Wonder what she's got up her sleeves. He thought as he stared intently at the redhead. He left the two alone for awhile to talk while he heated up some water for Ranma.
As he was on his way back he heard them arguing. "... No, Ranma! I'm not going to let you get hurt by Kuno again! Just leave him alone and all will be fine. He doesn't go all out against Akane, just against all others who challenge him. He doesn't care if others get hurt or even die, even if his challenger is a girl."
Tofu looked around the corner and saw Ranma had her fists clenched in anger, though she didn't seem to be angry with Nabiki. He was a little surprised to see tiny sparks and arcs of lightning around her hands, though Nabiki didn't seem to notice.
"Don't worry Nabiki, what he did won't work on me again..." Ranma trailed off as she saw Tofu and he entered the room carrying the teapot of hot water.
Ranma smiled, then frowned in thought. "Umm doc, do have some clothes I can change into by any chance? Boys clothes preferably." Ranma told him what sizes she would need.
"Of course, I'll go get them real quick just wait here." Tofu left again and came back soon with a white shirt, blue jeans, and boxers and even a pair of tennis shoes.
"These are some American clothes I got as a present a long while back. I never had the chance to wear them and now they are too small for me. Here, they are yours." He handed them to Ranma who muttered a thanks and left quickly to get changed.
She came back in the new clothes and Nabiki admired how good she looked in them. They were a little big on her right now though as they were intended for her male side.
Tofu picked up the teapot and offered it to Ranma.
She smiled as she accepted the teapot as he offered it to her. She then poured some over her head and transformed into a tall dark haired youth right in front of his eyes. Even though Tofu had read about it, he still wasn't prepared for the shock of seeing a small busty redhead turn into the dark young man standing in front of him now.
Ranma smiled at the look of surprise. "You know, I always get that look no matter if someone knows of my curse or not." He took the teapot back to the kitchen and took some tea packets and set it to steep. He came back in and sat down in a chair with a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the clothes and water doc. It feels good to be a guy again."
Nabiki sat down next to him and leaned against his shoulder, glad to be able to be next to him after his near death experience.
"Well, is there anything you would like to know about me doc? You too Nabiki as we have plenty of time now. I don't plan on going back to school today." Then Ranma got an evil look on his face and Nabiki felt sorry for whoever he was thinking of.
"In fact, I don't plan on going to school as a girl ever again. I should probably thank Kuno for that, though I still owe him for hitting me with lightning, I might have survived it but it still hurts like hell."
Ranma proceeded to lay out his plan. "So, I come to the school tomorrow and register as a guy. Then I protect Akane from Kuno. Then I attack him for 'killing' my twin sister, not giving him time to react. What do you think?"
"Just so long as you don't kill him Ranma. Otherwise we'll be sued by his family and they have a lot of money and very good lawyers. Killing him for killing your sister won't make a difference, as there isn't any record of your sister's birth or death."
Ranma looked at Tofu who shook his head. "Sorry Ranma, if I forge those documents then I could lose my medical license. I don't want that to happen as I have prevented many medical disasters here."
Ranma nodded in understanding. "All right, so I won't kill the guy. I really didn't want to anyways. I just want to pay him back for the pain he has caused me and my family and friends. His reign of terror ends, as does his reputation as the 'Blue Thunder'."
"But what if he hits you with lightning again? I don't want to go through this again." Nabiki said with a worried frown.
Ranma was touched that she cared so much, yet they had only known each other for a day and a half. "Don't worry Nabiki. As I said, it won't work this time around. I'm immune now."
Nabiki was confused. "What do you mean you're 'immune'?" She asked.
Before Ranma could explain Tofu broke in. "I think I can explain this. Is that all right with you, Ranma?"
Ranma nodded, smiling. "Go ahead. I'd like to see where you stand on how much knowledge you have of me and what I am."
Tofu nodded his thanks. "Well, for starters Ranma is a very unique creature. On the outside he is almost completely human. His eyes hint at something else though, as does his original spirit before the bonding. Whatever it was, it was a powerful mix. Ranma would have grown to be the best martial artist and warrior of this world."
Tofu cleared his throat and Ranma got him some water. Smiling his thanks, Tofu continued. "After the bonding though, he became something not seen on any plane of existence except the afterlife for thousands of millennium. For his particular mix though, I would bet he was unique in all of existence. His potential is practically unlimited if he can find something to strain his current level of strength to increase it."
"The dragon he bonded with was not only a blue dragon, which has an immunity to lightning based attacks and energy, but that particular blue dragon was a god named Lethander."
Nabiki's mouth fell open in surprise. Ranma graciously closed it for her while thinking of what Tofu had said. So, I'm not even originally human. Yeah, now that I think of it Lethander had said something of the sort before we bonded but after that my memories of it got kinda scrambled. "I think I remember what Lethander called me, but my memory of it is kinda fuzzy. He said I was part Astral something or other."
Tofu's face lit up with recognition. "An Astral Deva! Ah, now that explains a few things. Yes, now I understand why he was so drawn to you."
Seeing confusion on both of their faces he elaborated. "Well, an Astral Deva is like an angel. Well, actually they are the origin of the legend of angels. They are the messengers of the creator and after the creator spent himself and divided into the gods of today they became the divine messengers. They possessed the strength to oppose gods and demons alike and handed out swift justice to those who opposed the balance of good and evil."
"They were agile and intelligent creatures, swift of foot and wing. They possessed huge magical powers and had an ability that all forces of good coveted and those of evil wished to be rid of. They could speak the language of creation, the language the creator itself spoke. It invoked strength and hope for those of good and spelled fear, death, and destruction for those of evil. They are the epitome of all that is good, though they have a chaotic nature."
Ranma continued to think for a bit and Nabiki was enraptured by the wealth of knowledge she was gaining because of her fiance.
Then a dark look came over Ranma's face along with what appeared to be pain. Nabiki looked at her fiance with worry. "Ranma, what's wrong?"
Ranma shook his head and the pain seemed to fade away though the dark look remained. When he spoke he seemed older, wiser, and infinitely more knowledgeable. "They were all destroyed millennium ago. The forces of evil, even the divine, rose against them and slaughtered them mercilessly. They rid themselves of the language of the creator, or so they thought. It seems that at least one escaped the fate of their race long enough to breed with another race, allowing the bloodline to continue. After the extinction of the race, forces of good and even those who are usually neutral rallied together and beat the forces of evil into submission. A tenuous balance has remained ever since."
"How horrible." Nabiki said with tears in her eyes. How could anyone do such a thing? From all accounts the angels were beautiful and radiant creatures. How could anyone bring themselves to destroy such beauty? She looked at Ranma's face and studied it. Sure, he doesn't look like any angel that she had seen but his eyes told a different story. They were a blue she had never seen in any person's eyes before. Also, now that she thought about it and focused, she could feel something different about Ranma, something that was not of this world, something powerful and not to be trifled with.
Tofu too was saddened by this story. "So, that is what happened. There hasn't been a record of how they were pushed to extinction, only of their race in general."
"How do you know so much about these things Doctor Tofu? It doesn't seem like it would be common knowledge. Come on, spill it." Nabiki said, determined to find out more about the doctor whom she thought she had known until now.
Tofu was reluctant at first, but after seeing her determined face and knowing about how she pursued knowledge he gave in. "Well, I'm actually much older than I look Nabiki. I have traveled to other planes of existence before and have gathered vast amounts of knowledge, Arcane, Divine, and otherwise all knowledge I could get my hands on."
Ranma felt a spark of interest when he mentioned traveling to other planes but it soon disappeared and Ranma was left wondering why he had felt so excited all of a sudden.
Nabiki looked at Tofu in a new light, noticing slight things about him she wouldn't have noticed before. The slight tilt in his ears, the faint arch of the brow, and his skin which was a little more fair than most she had seen other than Ranma's. She also saw age in his eyes, countless years of wisdom and knowledge.
"Sorry for asking such a rude question but just exactly how old are you, Doctor Tofu? And what are you?"
Tofu smiled brightly. "Not rude at all Nabiki. I expected as much and am more than willing to explain. I am actually around three hundred and eighty-five years old, give or take a few years. I kinda lost count a while back."
Nabiki's jaw dropped once again and Ranma didn't close it this time as his was doing the same thing.
"T-t-three h-h-hundred... How... Why do you look so young then?" Ranma managed to get out after he and Nabiki recovered. Nabiki remained deep in thought over this new discovery. Figures. Sis likes older men and she just had to pick one of the oldest men alive who doesn't seem to age. Well, maybe that is for the best. Maybe she can feel it and that is why she likes him so much more than others.
Tofu chuckled a bit, pleased with their reaction. "Well first I'll answer Nabiki's second question as it pertains to her and her sisters as well."
Nabiki perked up and looked at Tofu intently. "What do you mean it pertains to me and my sisters? What does it have to do with us?"
Tofu smiled and started his story. "Well, long ago when the planes were still connected with magical portals created by the Astral Devas to make travel easier, many beings traveled the planes freely. During this time though, half breeds were and still are considered outcasts. They were not accepted among pure societies of either side of their parentage as they had features that partake of both. So they traveled to planes were they could find a place to belong and live in contentment."
"During that time two half elves traveled to this plane along with many other half breeds. As they reached this plane they separated to find their own way in this new world. All except for the two half elves. They were close friends and traveled long together, having many adventures along the way. They soon found that humans here did not possess the talent nor potential for magic though this world is unbelievably rich with it. One of these half elven men was Illiadel, your ancestor Nabiki. The other was Chrysian, my ancestor. Along with the blood of these noble races also came the ability to perform magic and harness the powers of the divine, thereby giving birth to magic in this world."
Tofu's face became etched with sadness. "Soon after the last contingent of half breeds had traveled here the Astral Deva's were annihilated and with their destruction the gates lost their connection to the other planes and travel was cut off except for those who could use magic and had found out how to travel. I am one such person. The portal cannot be revived except by an Astral Deva with sufficient power to maintain the connection."
I'm part elven. Oh boy, this might get interesting. "So, we're part elven is what you're saying? What exactly does that mean for me and my sisters?"
"Have you ever had a problem seeing in the dark?" Nabiki shook her head. "Well, how about hearing. Have you ever noticed that you seem to be able to hear things that others can't? And also being able to see and smell things perfectly that others have trouble seeing or smelling?"
Nabiki thought back and remembered how she had heard Hiroshi conversing with Daisuke and Saiyuri had said she couldn't hear a thing and how she had seen a hawk flying in the sky and Yuka commented on how good her eyesight was, that she could barely see it as a dot in the sky. Now that she thought of it she was surprised she hadn't noticed it herself. She had senses that others did not, senses that had helped greatly with her activities to help gain money for the family.
"Now that I think of it, yeah."
Tofu nodded, having fully expected this. "Well then, I'll answer two questions at once here. Elves have an unnatural lifespan. You could call it longevity if you want. Elves can live for thousands of years, perhaps even forever as it is rumored that they are immortal beings in the sense of lifespan. They have great senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. They can see in the dark and can see the magical auras of spells. Half elves share these traits, though they seem to grow stronger over time so perhaps full blood elves have even stronger senses than us. It also gives us the ability to use all sorts of magic if we are willing to learn and to put effort into it."
"As to the aging, this will pertain to both you and your sisters as well as Ranma and most creatures that gain longevity. If you are growing up with longevity you will age to your mid to late twenties and then all aging will stop. If, however, you are not born with it and you pass your twenties then your aging will stop at whatever age you attain it at. That should solve some of your worries, eh Nabiki?"
Nabiki had indeed been worrying about how long she would live in comparison to Ranma. How she would grow old and wither away while Ranma stayed young and in perfect health because of his bonding with the dragon. She was glad to learn that they could live together for as long as they wanted, neither aging and dying before the other.
Ranma watched as tension he hadn't noticed drained out of Nabiki and she began to smile radiantly. She was really worried about that. Maybe I should have told her that I would find a way to gain longevity for her so she need not have worried. Oh well, no use worrying about it now.
Tofu smiled as he noticed Nabiki relax more comfortably against Ranma's shoulder.
"Now, before you two ask me any more questions I have two of my own to ask of Ranma."
Ranma nodded. "Go ahead. I don't have anything to hide. Not intentionally at least."
"First, why did your immunity to lightning not work the first time Kuno hit you? You shouldn't have been damaged at all."
Ranma frowned for a second, wondering if he should tell them. Then he gave in and told them as he told them he wouldn't hide anything from them intentionally and his honor would not allow him to back out.
"Well, it's kinda difficult to explain so I'll tell you the simple version. Basically, Lethander is not yet completely gone. He left something like a shadow of himself to act as a guardian of his power and knowledge. Whenever I have enough need and the guardian deems me strong enough and wise enough not to abuse such a power or the knowledge that comes with it, I will gain that knowledge or power. Basically, I have to grow into the power of the blue dragon god. I can feel that I have yet to touch even the tip of the iceberg that his powers and knowledge are. I am barely even digging in the snow above it."
Tofu nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Yes, well, that makes sense. He was the guardian of life after all. He would make sure that his power was not abused. Well then, for my second question. What exactly does Nabiki's ring do? And how did you make it?"
Nabiki payed closer attention as she was curious as to what it could do herself.
"Well, I'll answer the second part first. I didn't make the ring. The elder of the Chinese amazons, the Joketsuzoku, did. It was made with several intentions in mind. First it was used as a match maker sort of. It would determine if the one who gave the ring and the one who received it would be a match for one another. It was also made to protect the wearer and all the wearer considered their friend from evil and evil intent. That was the extent of it's original powers."
"Original powers?" Tofu asked, a look of excitement and confusion on his face.
"Yes. During my training mission with my father after the failed Neko-Ken, I had come across a strange sapphire among other jewels. I could feel power radiating from within it and how it was in sync with my own heartbeat. I told Nabiki that it amplified magic and it was the truth, just not all of it. It seems that it is a particularly rare jewel that synchronizes itself with the soul of a dragon, it's real name is Dragon's Heart. When someone wears the jewel and is a match for the dragon, it will link them and bestow a portion of the dragon's power to them. When combined with a piece of jewelry that already contains magic, it will take that magic and amplify it and build upon it. So whatever powers I gain, she will gain. That process also works in reverse, it's a partnership and the road goes both ways. Whatever powers she gains I will also gain. The powers we gain from each other will not have the same strength as the original powers, but they will still be strong. For example."
Ranma grabbed hold of Nabiki's arm and she wondered what he was going to do. She was surprised when lightning began arcing off his skin and crawled up hers. She nearly pulled away when it touched her skin but then she stopped. It didn't hurt her at all. In fact, it nearly tickled.
Ranma let the lightning fade away and smiled. "You see, Nabiki is also immune to lightning. If she concentrated she would be able to produce lightning as well, though it will be a little harder for her than it is for me. The same would be true the other way if she gained a power that I don't have and I tried to use it."
Nabiki smiled at this discovery, impatient to try it out herself. Though she was kinda ticked that Ranma had tricked her, but then shrugged it off. After all, he couldn't go telling every potential fiancee that he was part dragon now could he?
"Ranma, would this have worked for any dragon or part dragon, for any jewel?" Nabiki asked, curious as to how it worked.
Ranma shook his head. "No. Every time a Dragon is born or a part dragon, a jewel forms nearby and syncs itself to that dragon's soul. There is only one for any dragon or dragon hybrid. I have no idea how Lethander's jewel got here on this plane."
Tofu cut in again. "I can answer that. I've read about these Dragon's Hearts before. They are truly remarkable magical artifacts and many have tried to replicate them and their effects but have only been able to make pale imitations. When a dragon travels to a different plane, whether as a body or spirit, the jewel travels to that plane as well. Therefore it is available should the dragon ever need it or if a suitable bond partner finds it. They are truly amazing as they give jewelry more enchantments than they should be able to hold. Even the most high quality jewelry can only hold three enchantments at best."
Ranma scratched the back of his head. "Hmmm... well that explains that."
Tofu looked at his watch, noting how late it was. "Well you two, I think you should get back home, it is getting fairly late and I bet Kasumi will be getting worried about now."
Ranma and Nabiki looked out a window and noticed that the sun was beginning to fall towards the horizon and the sky was beginning to darken.
Nabiki immediately stood up, dragging Ranma with her. "Oh my gosh, you're right Doctor Tofu. We should get going. School has been out for a while now. I wonder why Akane hasn't visited yet?"
Ranma and Nabiki walked towards the door and Tofu stopped them. "Just a minute Ranma. I've got a suggestion. If you feel like exploring your powers and knowledge and gaining more try meditating. That should save you the pain of sudden input and should save you from the lack of reaction time."
Ranma smiled in understanding. "Thanks doc. That'll really help."
They walked out the door and then Ranma suddenly stopped and smiled.
"Ranma what are you stopping for? We need to get home quickly or Kasumi will get worried."
"Hold on, I think I can get us there really quick. Just stand close to me and hold on to my arm." She did as he said and she watched as he moved his other arm in a circle around them and runes appear in the air. She noticed that this time he didn't have to write them and was glad for it as she could see from it's complexity that it would have taken quite a long time.
When the circle was complete she felt a sudden pull and her vision blacked out for a second. She blinked and her vision returned. She was shocked to find that they were now standing in the living room of the Tendo house.
"What? How did we get here?" She asked, her brain not comprehending how they had traveled so many miles in less than a second.
Ranma chuckled. "Well, I didn't use this ability till now, but it was one of Lethander's favorites. Once you get to know a person or place well enough you can use Sokuza No Yusoo, or Instantaneous Conveyance, to take you to wherever they are. It can be quite useful."
"No kidding. This will give us tons of free time. That's really cool Ranma. Think you could teach it to me?" Nabiki asked, hopeful.
Ranma smiled. "No need. I just recently learned it so you should be able to use it as well with a little focus. Though I'll have to teach you spells I learned a while back. Those weren't transferred."
Now that Nabiki focused on it she found she could recall the spell perfectly, along with quite a few others that would be useful as well. Then she thought of something. "What will happen if I don't know the person or place well enough?"
"Nothing. The spell will fail. You'll lose a little energy because of initiating it but you'll be fine otherwise."
Nabiki let out a sigh of relief. "What about the lightning thing? How do you use that?"
"Just concentrate on it or think of something that makes you very emotional, it doesn't matter what that emotion is though. If you are getting emotional and don't want it to show up just concentrate on it and it won't. For now, just concentrate. Emotions are too hard to control and it would be useful to be able to do it at a moments notice without having to use them or having to concentrate too hard. It will get easier the more you do it."
Nabiki did as he told her and concentrated. After a while she felt a tingling sensation all over her body and she opened her eyes and say that her body was dancing with blue bolts of energy. Then she heard a gasp and saw Kasumi standing in the doorway and she immediately lost her concentration and the lightning faded away.
"Oh my! Nabiki are you all right?" She said as she ran up to Nabiki and looked her over for injuries.
"Nabiki's fine Kasumi. It's just a little trick I taught her." Ranma said, trying to calm her down.
Kasumi looked at Ranma and her skin paled as if she had seen a ghost. "Ranma-kun... You're all right! Oh thank goodness! Akane had come home saying you were very badly hurt and dying when Nabiki ran off with you. She had gone looking for you two at the hospitals but none had ever even heard of you. Where did you two go?"
Ranma sighed. "It's a long story Kasumi. Let's wait for Akane to get back and then we'll explain."
Kasumi looked a little disappointed but then her face brightened again. "All right. In the mean time would you like something to eat? I bet you're hungry because Akane said you two left your bentos at the school."
Ranma smiled. "You bet! Thanks a million Kasumi!"
Kasumi left and came back in with a tray loaded with sandwiches and some bowls of ramen. They all ate in silence and Nabiki was surprised at how much Ranma ate. He ate a good half of the food there. Nabiki was also astonished by her own appetite, she ate a very large portion of the food as well while Kasumi only ate a little. Must be because of all the running I did and being linked to Ranma. Haven't done that much running in a long time and never when carrying someone.
Soon after they were done eating and cleaning up they heard Akane come in.
"I'm home Kasumi! I couldn't find those two anywhere. I sure hope they are alright." She said in an exhausted voice. She came in the room and didn't notice Ranma and Nabiki standing off to the side.
"If she's alright she better not be doing anything to my sister or I'll..."
Ranma chose this moment to speak up. "Or you'll what, Akane? Hit me with your mallet?" He asked with a smile on his lips.
Akane turned and saw Ranma and Nabiki standing there with identical grins. "Ranma! You're all right, thank the kami! But how? I mean, you were very badly burned and now you're standing here without a scratch!"
"All right, guess Tendo-san can find out for himself and pops already knows most of it and what will happen. Let's see... Where should I begin...?"
Ranma and Nabiki proceeded to tell the tale and the story stretched late into the night...
A/N: Wow, wasn't expecting for that scene to turn into a whole chapter! Oh well, now you know much more about how this whole thing is going to work. As to the changes in D&D system and history, I intend on making the story much more original. So what do you think? Great, good, bad, worse? Please review so I can tell! Thanks for reading!
BTW: Sorry bout the late post but my heart wasn't in it so much after the lack of reviews so it took longer.
Seras Out. Till Next Time!