Disclaimer: I own neither Slayers nor Ranma 1/2. I wish, and so do a lot of other people.
I'm back, with my longest chapter to date! As of today, October 18, this story has gotten exactly 5,184 hits, which I find to be absolutely amazing. Thanks to all who have taken the time to read this story of mine. Now, without further ado, please enjoy chapter 11 of "Anything Goes Dragon Slave"!
"..." normal speech
'...' thoughts
Attacks/Spell Names
'This was a complete and total disaster,' Akane thought as she sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening. She lay on her bed in darkness, bitterly remembering what had occurred mere hours ago. 'And why did Ranma insist he never said those words at Mount Phoenix? Here I thought that maybe he really did...' She stubbornly wiped her eyes, refusing to let herself cry. 'I need to break some blocks or something to get my mind off that baka.'
The bed creaked lightly as her body left it. Akane moved toward the door, reaching out to grab it when she remembered 'Oh yeah, Lina-san and her friends are staying in the dojo. Maybe I should look to see how they're doing.' Before she could open the door even a crack, the sound of another door opening came from where Akane knew the guest bedroom to be. The door closed and footsteps seemed to move toward her room. Akane tensed, ready to defend herself if need be. The person paused just outside her room then continued on their way.
Akane waited for a minute, in case the person was still there, then exited her room. She scanned the hallway, attempting to make out where he or she had gone. Muffled noises came from the dojo's direction and Akane slinked over silently, so as not to alert anybody. She crept up to the entrance to the dojo, pressing her ear up against the thin wall.
"What?" came a seemingly surprised call. There was multiple voices, Akane figured it was the four guests.
"I said I want you guys to take me with you." Akane gasped. That was Ranma, no doubt about it. 'He wants to leave? I know he never wanted to be here in the first place, but why choose now to go?' She leaned against the wall harder, as if it would make the voices clearer.
The pigtailed martial artist swept his gaze across the faces of the four in front of him. Amelia was surprised, Lina curious, Zelgadis suspicious, and Gourry looked like he was off in his own world.
"Exactly why do you want to come with us?" Zelgadis inquired.
"A number of reasons," Ranma began. "I'm tired of the day-to-day insanity around here! You guys saw for yourselves earlier what the people around here are like. You thought Kuno, the Blue Blunder, was crazy? I've put up with him and more for almost a year now. I've got a dozen girls who want to marry me, even more who want my head on a platter, plus I have to deal with my parents who say I have to commit seppuku if I'm not a 'man among men', and a whole lot more!"
Ranma paused his monologue, trying to reign in his breathing. He continued, making sure to keep quiet. "I need a break. From my parents, fiancees, rivals-everything. Not too long, just a year or two, long enough for things to calm down."
Judging by their features, Gourry was confused and Amelia was shocked, but Lina and Zelgadis were harder to figure out. Lina seemed to be calculating something, while Zelgadis looked disinterested. After a moment's silence, Lina took the lead.
"So?" she asked. "Why should we care about you? Yes, we helped you save your girlfriend, but as I see it that was gaining a favor. Nothing more. What would we have to gain from taking you with us?" Ranma's face flushed crimson.
"She's not my girlfriend! Neither of us wanted to be engaged in the first place!" he yelled. 'Besides, she probably doesn't even care about me anymore. Not after tonight,' he thought to himself. "I'm grateful for the help back in China and I think I have a way I can pay it back. Gourry, Zelgadis, have either of you noticed a change in your strength when you're in your cursed form?" The two he addressed glanced at each other and gave Ranma a nod. "The same thing happened to me when I first got cursed. Because its a new body, it won't have the same abilities a your original body had. I can train you guys in just about any area, weapon or hand-to-hand."
"So you would train people you met a week ago, but not me?" asked a soft voice. Ranma's eyes widened and he twisted around, instantly regretting the action. Akane stood at the open door with a look on her face that drove an ice pick through his heart. "Were you planning to just disappear without a trace? Without saying goodbye? Well Ranma?" she said, closing the door behind her.
'And the plot thickens,' Lina mused, quite amused at the interruption.
"And what about the dojo?" Akane continued. "What would happen to the school? Tou-san won't teach anymore, he never taught me much of the advanced material, and do you really expect Saotome-occhan to teach?"
"I can take over when I get back, can't I?" Ranma was beginning to sweat. 'This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Then again, nothing ever happens the way its supposed to here,' he thought wryly.
"It's the TENDO dojo," she huffed. "Like it or not, you aren't the only heir to the school, but I can't do it unless you teach me. So either you stay here, or you take me with you." Ranma gaped at her.
"You uncute tomboy! I'm trying to help you!" he rebutted, causing Akane to blink in surprise. "Ever since I can here, everything has been nothing but chaos. If I leave, you can finally have that calm life you wanted. And anyway, what about high school? Unlike me, YOU actually have a chance for college." Akane was silent and he smirked, thinking he had won the upper hand.
"Exactly, I'm going to make sure you keep up with your studies. Once we get back, we can take a high school equivalency test," Akane replied, arms crossed and wearing the smirk that fell off Ranma's face. She went on, in a much quieter tone. "Ranma, that battle in China showed me that there's still so much that I need to learn about martial arts. I was helpless and you had to come rescue me, again. And even if you leave, that doesn't mean that everything will be normal again. Not everything was your fault. The Hentai Horde was here long before you arrived, and what happened at Ryugenzawa was an accident that started because of something I did years ago. So-"
"As much as I hate to interrupt this touching moment," Lina chimed in, "But we never said if we would take you along, now did we?"
"Lina-san, why not?" Amelia questioned. "The more the merrier, and I can make the two of you fellow Defenders of Justice!" The room fell silent, the two martial artists staring at the young princess. Zelgadis cleared his throat, directing their attention.
"What Amelia should have said is that the journey won't be a simple one. The place we come from is filled with Mazoku and the sort and, more likely than not, you will have to defend for your life. Are you willing to kill to protect yourself and the people around you?"
"A martial artist's duty is to defend and protect the weak," Akane replied automatically, as if reading straight from a book.
"But would you kill if that's what it came to?" Zelgadis repeated. The two looked at each other, Akane worried and Ranma unsure.
"I killed Saffron. Isn't that enough proof?"
"Not alone you didn't. Still, we get your point. Guys, what's the verdict?" Lina inquired, turning to her companions.
"I'm fine with taking them along," Gourry piped up, finally entering the conversation.
"It is only natural to help people who wish for it. I look forward to traveling with you!" Amelia said enthusiastically.
"Amelia, what about your father?" Zelgadis asked softly. "Will he allow you to stay or will you need to return immediately?" The question dampened her spirit, making her unsure.
"Why don't we just go to Saillune first and ask him?" Gourry wondered. Amelia gave a sigh of relief and smiled with gratitude.
"I take it you're okay with it Zel?" Lina addressed, receiving a slow nod. "So I guess its settled: you two can come." The pair in question visibly relaxed, when Lina spoke again. "Not so fast. There's something I almost forgot to do." Everyone looked at her, not sure what the sorceress was talking about. "Balus Rod!" she declared, a whip of light forming in her hand. In one motion, she swung the whip through the air, wrapping itself around the bottom of Ranma's legs before he could figure out what Lina was trying to accomplish. She gave the weapon a sharp tug, pulling his feet out from under his body, causing him the fall to the floor. Satisfied, the conjured weapon disappeared as fast as it had come.
"The hell was that for?" Ranma demanded to know, rubbing his sore nose. Akane on the other hand couldn't decide between being angry at the red-head or laughing at his misfortune.
"I told you back at Jusendo, when you refused to go by my brilliant plan, that I would get back at you. Just be grateful I didn't turn you into an ice sculpture like I said," Lina explained, a small amount of glee in her words.
"Anyway," Zelgadis interrupted, "I assume the two of you don't want anyone to know you have left until we're gone, am I right?" At their nods, he said, "So when do we leave and how do we do it without alerting people?" The group began to brainstorm, hoping to find the best possible plan.
"Alright, so its agreed. We'll start the plan tomorrow morning. Ranma, Akane, get your things together and have it ready. Be sure to have clothes you're comfortable traveling and fighting in," Lina ordered. The duo agreed, bade them goodnight, and left the dojo. They walked in silence, climbed the stairs and went down the hallway, stopping outside of Akane's bedroom.
"Akane, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Ranma whispered.
"Don't try to talk me out of this Ranma," Akane growled, glaring at him. He cringed slightly.
"Alright, but at least tell me you have proper travel clothes." Even in the darkness, he could see her fidget slightly.
"I'll figure something out. Don't worry about me," she replied stubbornly. with that, she slipped back into her room, leaving Ranma standing out in the hall.
"Oh my, what large appetites you have," Kasumi commented. She watched as Gourry and Lina inhaled the food before them with a speed that rivaled Ranma. Amelia ate with more dignity, though was careful to keep her food in sight and out of their hands. Zelgadis watched the routinely display, a cup of coffee in hand. "Shall I prepare some more food?"
A familiar voice called out, cutting off Lina or Gourry before they consented. "Hurry up baka or we're going to be late!"
"Try following your own advice, slowpoke!" replied Ranma as he and Akane bounded down the stairs.
"Nabiki-chan went on ahead. Would you like something to eat before you head out?" Kasumi asked calmly.
"Thanks, but no time!" Ranma yelled as they headed out the door.
"Doesh dat happen ebery day?" Lina asked past a mouthful of food.
"Not every day, but it certainly seems like it. Now then, would you like more?" Gourry started to nod, only to stop when Lina jabbed an elbow into his ribs.
"We're finished. Thank you for the delicious meal, Kasumi-san. Would you like some help with the dishes?" Amelia offered.
"No, but thank you. It's the least I can do to thank you for the help you gave Ranma-kun in China," she stated serenely as she began gathering the dirty dishes. "Do you know how long you plan to stay in Nerima?"
"We'll be leaving as soon as possible," Zelgadis explained.
"Yep. Hate to eat and run, but we've got to get going," Lina added.
"Oh, what a shame. Feel free to visit next time you're in town." The four nodded appreciatively and left for the dojo, passing by Soun and Panda-Genma playing a sort of board game.
As soon as the dojo door closed behind them, Lina went over to the window and tapped the glass panel while the other three kept watch. Akane and Ranma's faces appeared, determined looks on both. Ranma hunched his shoulders, a ghoulish expression passed over his features, and he dissappeared from view. Immediately, Akane bobbed under the window frame, coming back up a moment later. She tapped lightly at the window, mouthing "Open". Lina undid the lock and pushed the glass frame open. She blinked in surprise when Akane handed her the clothes she had worn not two minutes ago. A quick glance showed her to now be wearing a yellow-orange shirt without sleeves and short teal pants.
"I had them on under my uniform," Akane explained in a whisper. "Not much use for my uniform if I'm not going to be here for a year." Lina merely shrugged and set the clothes on the floor. Not a second later, Ranma reappeared, two bags in hand. He held out one to Akane. As soon as he saw what she was wearing, blood pooled under his cheeks and he turned away.
"You two wait there," Lina instructed. "We'll be right out." Ranma and Akane ducked back under the bottom edge of the window as Lina closed the window. "Everyone got everything?" she turned from the window, addressing her friends. At their agreement, the four bid swiftly their farewells and left the Tendo home.
The six dashed down the streets of Nerima, Ranma taking a wide lead and looking out for any fiancees or rivals, anyone who would try to stop them. The ringing of a bicycle bell brought his feet to a halt, along with Akane right behind him. The rest of the group stopped, puzzled.
"Nihao, Airen!" Lina caught a glimpse of fear pass the pig-tailed boy's face, then he swept Akane off her feet. With a cry of indignation from the navy-haired girl, Ranma leapt up to the nearest rooftop and rushed toward the horizon. Shaking her head in disbelief, Lina noticed a slip of paper stuck to her shoulder guard.
"Meet us at the ship. I'll explain there," it read, signed by Ranma at the bottom. 'When the hell did he have the time to write this?' she wondered. She balled the paper in her fist, hiding it from view, as Shampoo came crashing down to the street on a metal contraption with wheels.
"Where Airen go?" the lavender haired Amazon demanded.
"He said he was late for school and ran off," Lina said, silently hoping the fabricated excuse would work. It thankfully did, seeing as Shampoo went off in the opposite direction then Ranma left. Just as she was about to tell the others about the note, Mousse came running up to them.
"Shampoo, why did you run off like that?" he asked, grabbing onto "Shampoo's" shoulders.
"You have two seconds to let go," an angry, male voice growled at him. The Chinese boy jumped back, adjusting his glasses, to discover he had mistaken Zelgadis for Shampoo. Amelia hurriedly stepped over, attempting to keep the part-time chimera from unsheathing his sword.
"Shampoo-san ran towards the school to find Ranma-san," the princess explained, still holding her friend back. "If you would excuse us Mousse-san, we need to get back to our ship." She pulled the glaring Zelgadis away, Lina and Gourry right behind them.
"Wait just a second please. Elder Cologne wishes to see Lina before your group leaves Nerima."
"Do you know what for?" Lina inquired. The male Amazon shook his head.
"She did not say, only for Shampoo to escort you to the Nekohanten. However, seeing as Shampoo is not here, I will bring you to the cafe." The sorceress glanced back at her companions and shrugged.
"Alright, but this better not take too long. Guys, you go on ahead to the ship." Both Zelgadis and Amelia agreed, the former somewhat glad to leave. Gourry on the other hand stayed put.
"I'm coming too. You don't know what she might do," the swordsman argued.
"Suit yourself." The duo ran after Mousse, crossing several streets. Lina nearly stopped when a thought came up. "Hey Mousse, if you mistook Zel for Shampoo, how do we know you're going in the right direction?" she asked. He looked back, still in motion.
"Don't worry, I've been here for almost a year. I know the area well enough not to get lost," he called over his shoulder. He turned back to the path, only to run right into a large pole. "Who put that telephone pole there?" Mousse asked weakly, falling to the ground.
Once Lina and Gourry got him back to his feet, they soon found themselves at the doors of the Nekohanten. At one point, all three managed to get splashed by an old lady watering her plants. As soon as they stepped through the cafe doors, the elder Amazon appeared before them, hopping atop her gnarled cane.
"You're late," she stated, addressing the boy-turned-duck. "And where is Shampoo?" Mousse quacked, motioning furiously with his wings. "So, she thought she saw son-in-law and chased after him." Neko-Lina and Gourry-chan stared at the old woman incredulously.
"Nya, you can understand him?" she exclaimed.
"It's not hard once you are accustomed to it," Cologne explained briefly. "Now then, as to why you are here. My granddaughter and Duckboy here have both given accounts as to what happened at Mount Phoenix. Both reports indicate that you, Lina Inverse, had quite the hand in what occurred."
"I froze that bird-lady, who was released from my ice," Neko-Lina said, side-glancing at the glasses-wearing duck, "and I helped make Saffron blow up, even though he was reborn in the end."
"Yes, but you fail to mention that had you not subdued Kiima, my granddaughter would still be under her command, and without your healer friend, Akane Tendo would not have survived."
"Hold up, nya. Aren't Shampoo and Akane, nya, both eligible fiancees for Ranma? Wouldn't you want Akane out of the way?" Unexpectedly, Cologne sighed wearily.
"While that may be true to some extent, killing the Tendo girl would be a bad idea for everyone. Judging by his actions at Mount Phoenix and the level of strength he has reached, if anything were to happen to Akane Tendo, nobody would be safe from his anger." Cologne paused, letting her prediction hang in the still atmosphere.
'So, nya, there IS more to him than he told us on the way here,' Neko-Lina mused to herself.
"Taking everything into account, the Council of Elders and I have reached this decision."
"I'm just saying if Shampoo saw us she would think something was up!" Ranma argued.
"And I'M saying I didn't need you to carry me! I can look out for myself!" Akane yelled back. Amelia and Zelgadis looked between the conflicting martial artists, both vaguely reminded of some of Lina's past arguments.
"Oh really? Then I guess you don't need my training," Ranma retorted. Akane gritted her teeth.
"I'm not backing out of this and you can't make me."
"I sure can try." The two glared daggers at each other. The sound of a voice clearing forced them to let the matter drop. They turned to see Neko-Lina board the ship and Gourry-chan pulling the gangplank up. Ranma's gaze locked onto the feline ears on the sorceress, his body beginning to tremble from an old fear. Noticing his reaction, Neko-Lina sighed.
"Nya, I'll be right back. And when I do, nya, you'd better be ready to talk." With that, she headed off to the galley in search of hot water.
In an undisclosed location...
"Ah, Knight-sama, you wished to see me?" asked an irritating voice, the owner of which was cloaked in darkness.
"Hai," replied the other occupant, also unseen. "I trust you know the demigod Saffron?"
"The phoenix? What about him?"
"He was defeated. By mortal hands." The first's eyebrow quirked up, curious.
"And this concerns me how?" The second suppressed a sigh.
"Someone has enough power to kill a demigod, meaning the higher ups want to keep the ones responsible under watch. I want you to watch over them. I would do it myself, but I have a...previous engagement." The former nodded thoughtfully.
"Yare, yare. Exactly who am I watching over?" The latter smirked.
"There are two in particular: Ranma Saotome and Lina Inverse." The first's eyebrow's shot up in surprise before settling back down in a calculating expression. 'Another assignment with her so soon? She doesn't rest, does she?'
"I take it you can find them on your own?" the second asked. The first nodded and, with one last thought, left the physical plane.
'This is going to be amusing.'
"Alright, start talking," Lina said. Both she and Gourry had changed back, and now the five were settling down on the deck as the ship left the dock. Akane had left in a huff, saying she was going to change into something more suitable.
"Okay, do you guys remember what I told you back when we were leaving Japan?" Ranma began. All but Gourry nodded.
"You're engaged to several women because of your dad, who also made you go through training that mentally scarred you for most of your life," Lina commented.
"That pretty much sums it up," Ranma said wryly. "Anyway, Shampoo has been after my head since before I came to Nerima."
"Ano, if the two of you are engaged, then don't you mean hand?" Amelia spoke up. He shook his head.
"No, I mean my head. When we first met, I beat her in battle as a girl which, by her laws, meant that she had to kill me no matter what. Then when I got back to Japan, I beat her again, only as a guy, meaning we had to get married. So now, Shampoo will stop at nothing to win me over," the pig-tailed martial artist explained.
"Would you say the Amazons are one-minded when it comes to honor?" Lina asked suddenly. Amelia, Zelgadis, and Ranma looked at her, somewhat puzzled.
"Yeah," he answered slowly. "Honor is serious for any martial artist and their laws are centered around it."
"That explains her decision then," Lina said, nodding to herself. Seeing the looks from them, she elaborated. "I was brought to the crone's restaurant after you guys left. Apparently because of what I did in China, I'm now an honorary member of the Joketsuzoku and anyone with me will be treated as guests if we ever go back." The sorceress was given three looks of disbelief in response.
"Hey!" called out a female voice. Everyone turned towards the cabins to see Akane. Rather than the shorts and tank top, she now wore a pale yellow shirt that dropped to her knees with long, loose sleeves and a slit up to her thigh, along with matching yellow pants and boots. The cuffs and the outline of the top were navy blue, matching her hair. Ranma took a sharp breath, instantly recognizing the outfit.
"Akane, isn't that..." he trailed off.
"Yeah, the clothes from China," she answered softly. "Mousse gave them to me on the way back. He said Jusenkyo Guide wanted me to have them, as a bit of an apology for what happened. They're easy to move in, so they should be fine to train and hike in." She walked over, sitting down between Lina and Ranma. "Why don't we hear about where we're going? If we're going to be living there for more than a year, we might as well get to know some of the history," Akane offered. A collective nod came from the group, some more emphatically than others.
"Why don't you start us off Zel. I've already tried explaining it to yogurt-brain here," Lina said, jabbing a thumb at Gourry, who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Zelgadis pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to let his eye twitch.
"When our world was first created, the battle now known as the Shinma War began. The conflict was fought by the Dark Lord, Ruby Eye Shabranigdu, and the shinzoku, Flare Dragon Ceifeed, for dominance over the new world. Nearly 5000 years ago, the battle reached a conclusion when Ceifeed used the last of his power to separate Sharbranigdu into seven pieces, sealing them away, and to create four subordinates: the Dragon Kings. Somewhere along the line, Shabranigdu also made five subordinates. The shinzoku-mazoku conflict is continued by the Dragon Lords and ryuzoku fighting together against Shabranigdu's subordinates and the mazoku." Zelgadis glanced at the martial artists, gauging their reactions.
While Akane seemed to be absorbing the information, Ranma looked quite puzzled. All heads swiveled as the princess took over.
"There are four different types of magic: holy, black, white, and shamanistic. Shamanism calls upon the forces of nature and astral energies. Black magic lets a person channel the energy of mazoku for offensive purposes. Holy magic is power drawn from the shinzoku. White magic are spells used for protection, healing, and exorcism. Spells are used to manipulate magic and have two parts: Chaos words and Power words. The Chaos words are usually a declaration of the user's intent, while the Power words are the name of the spell. Spells can be cast mentally, saying them out loud makes casting easier."
By now, Ranma and Gourry had near identical expressions, as if their minds were fried from an information overload.
"How is it that we never heard of any of this before?" Akane questioned. "On the trip back from China, you all said you came from places we've never heard about. Now you say things like demons, dragons, and gods really exist. If all of this is real, why are we only just now learning about it?" Lina, Zelgadis, and Amelia looked at each other, unsure of the answer.
"I can tell you, if you really want to know," a voice sounded. Zelgadis and Lina stiffened, knowing all too well the voice's owner, and the two martial artists went on guard. Akane turned to her right, expecting to see her fiance. Instead, a purple-haired man, with his eyes closed, and drinking from a teacup sat between them. Just as she began to throw a punch at the stranger, he turned towards her. Eyes still closed, his eyebrows raised as if he were surprised, and said, "Yare, yare, you must be new to the group. I am Xellos, Trickster Priest. And you are?"
'Where did he come from and how the hell did I not notice him?' Ranma wondered suspiciously. 'Who would call himself a trickster?' Akane lowered her fist and introduced herself. "I'm Akane Tendo."
"And I'm Ranma Saotome," he said, glaring at Xellos with suspicion.
"Hey, Xellos," Gourry greeted cheerfully. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, this and that," he answered vaguely.
"You guys know him?" Ranma asked, still watching Xellos.
"Unfortunately," Zelgadis replied sourly. "He's a powerful demon who loves to mess with our heads."
"And he doesn't appear unless he wants something from us," Lina added. "So what is it this time?"
"Eh, an old friend can't visit every now and then?" A sweatdrop formed on the back of his head when a collective "no" was his answer. "Anyway," Xellos continued, clearing his throat, "I believe I have the answer to your question, Akane-san."
"Hold up," Lina said, cutting him off. "What's the catch?"
"Oh, no catch," he attempted to reassure. "As I was saying, the answer is quite simple. About one thousand years ago, during the Koma War, Shabranigdu-sama's retainers established a barrier over the peninsula where Lina-san comes from."
"We already know this. Get to the point already," Lina complained impatiently. 'I don't,' Akane and Ranma thought simultaneously.
"Hai, hai. You see, it wasn't just one barrier. It was two. The first was the prevent reinforcements from reaching the battle, while the second was put up over the rest of the continent to keep the population in one place. However, it would seem that with Hellmaster-sama and Chaos Dragon gone, the inner barrier completely broke down and the outer barrier's is malfunctioning. Now, only those with high enough bucket capacity can pass through the barrier and everyone else will just continue on their way, oblivious to the fact that there is anything there," Xellos finished, taking a sip from his teacup. For the first time since he had arrived, Xellos opened his eyes. Shivers ran up Ranma and Akane's spines as they stared at the mazoku. His piercing violet eyes gazed straight at Zelgadis for hardly a moment, then closed again.
"Zelgadis-san, you look different. Finally find your cure, did you?" he asked curiously. "Or did you have a visit to Jusenkyo?" Everyone gaped at the demon priest. Ranma leapt to his feet.
"What do you know about Jusenkyo?" he demanded. To Akane's astonishment, Xellos began floating, though he acted as if he were still seated.
"Mah, it seems I have said too much." He flew higher, teasingly out of reach, and over to Zelgadis. "I'm afraid that is..."
"Is what?" Akane asked.
"A secret," he answered, a degree of mirth in his tone. Akane and Ranma's legs gave out, whereas Lina and Zelgadis developed tic marks. Before anyone could move, Xellos's hand tilted just enough to empty the contents of the cup onto the shocked sorcerer. A smirk on his face, the trickster vanished into thin air.
The two martial artists gaped at the spot Xellos had just been, then redirected their gaze to Zelgadis. With his hood down, light was free to hit the wiry hair unhindered. Beneath the platinum purple locks they could see his pointed ears and now blue skin, covered in what looked like small rocks. The most noticeable part of the chimera were his eyes, though fairly unchanged, glaring at his gloved hands with a look of hate, sadness, and disgust.
Amelia reached out to her friend, when suddenly a female voice cried out "NARU PUNCH!" Jolted, the group looked around wildly, eyes coming to rest on a screaming figure in the sky. Everyone leapt backwards and the figure slammed onto the wooden surface.
Ranma hurried over to the body, asking, "Oi, Keitaro, you okay?" He grabbed the boy's hand and hoisted him upright. The boy had square glasses, short black hair, and a small stream of blood running down the side of his face.
"I'll be alright," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Please excuse my intrusion." With that, the boy walked over to the edge of the ship, jumped over the side, and began swimming back to shore.
"Who was that?" Amelia finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Just a guy I met a while back. We were going in the same direction and kept meeting up," Ranma answered with a pointed look towards Akane. Turning to Zelgadis, who now had his features concealed, Ranma said "I don't now what your story is, but I've had enough surprises for now. How bout we hear it after lunch?" Lina and Gourry eagerly agreed, racing off to the galley, while Zelgadis gave a small, appreciative nod.
The next two weeks whizzed by. When Zelgadis finally revealed his past to the newest members of the group, Ranma in response told him of Pantyhose Taro, thinking he was the one person who might relate to the chimera. Surprisingly, when he described Taro's cursed form, Zelgadis and Amelia gaped at him like fish, which led to a talk of what they did at Jusenkyo. Ranma couldn't remember a time when he had laughed louder than he did at the end of their tale.
As for the training, Ranma started it off by pulling out a dozen weights out of his sack: both arms and legs, enough for Akane, Gourry, and Zelgadis. For the training to stick, he said, Gourry and Zelgadis would have to stay in their cursed forms. Zel was perfectly fine with the notion, though Gourry was less than enthusiastic. He began by setting a workout called the "Gansekiken", in which Lina was more than happy to help. Gourry-chan, Zelgadis, and Akane would stand against one wall and had to dodge anything Lina, Amelia, and Ranma threw at them. Due to a lack of rocks, Lina and Amelia, who wasn't quite sure she wanted to go through with it, would create a mass of Flare Arrows as Ranma added the occasional distracting barb.
Exhausted and in pain, no matter how angry the three were at the pigtailed teen, they couldn't deny the fact that his training methods were effective. Their reflexes and speed grew steadily and were soon dodging more attacks. Of course, this prompted Lina to up the ante by attempting to catch them off guard with a Balus Rod. They were not amused.
Now, after two weeks of training, a majority of the passengers were anxious to leave the boat. Akane and Ranma looked at as many things as they could, taking in the sights of a new country. Descending the gangplank, their awe was interrupted by the sight of a man who seemed to be waiting for them at the dock. The group of six stood on guard, carefully observing the man before them.
The man looked to be in his mid-twenties with wild hair that reached halfway down his back. At first glance, his hair was midnight black, but another look showed deep green streaks amist to darkness. He wore flat shoes, similar to Ranma's, dust-gray pants, and dark green shoulder guards. A piece of cloth, connecting his shoulder guards and resting against his chest was pitch black. A golden sash wrapped around his waist, a stark contrast to the forest green shirt, with gray sleeves and black cuffs. Crimson red patterns, like claw marks, ran from his left shoulder down to the right at his sash. A cape flowed behind him, chalky-gray on one side, scarlet on the other. As if to complete the man's look, he had pointed ears, his hair tied back with a red strip of cloth, and his eyes...his eyes were emerald green pools with ruby red pupils at the center.
He slowly stepped forward, unhindered by the looks of suspicion. At five feet away, he stopped, directly in front of Lina.
"Who are you?" Lina asked calmly, breaking the silence. He glanced at each member of the group for a moment only, then finally spoke.
"My name is Kynis Heasiudrenn. Lina Inverse, I owe you my life."
Well, I would call this a successful chapter. Xellos finally makes his(brief)appearance, I got another cameo, and the Mysterious Stranger gets a name and body. And yes, to everyone who is wondering, that was not the last time Xellos will appear. Just saying. So, care to tell me what you think? Till next time. Ja ne!