WARNING: While there will be no actual 'Lemon' content contained herein, adult situations, language, violence, and acts of a sexual nature are strongly implied.
Disclaimer: The rights to 'Ranma 1/2' are owned by its creator, Rumiko Takahashi. The rights to 'Gold Digger' are owned by its creator, Fred Perry. The rights to characters from other sources, which are likely to make cameo appearances, are retained by their respective creators. This story is for entertainment purposes only and written without expectation of monetary or material profit.
Notes: While drawing primarily from the original 'Ranma 1/2' Manga series, some elements and characters from the 'Ranma 1/2' Anime series may also be utilized. This is BOTH a 'Continuation' and an 'Alternate Universe' fan-fiction in regards to the characters and events of 'Ranma 1/2' and 'Gold Digger', meaning: the characters WILL be 'Out-of-Character' to one extent or another and that canon events the reader is familiar with may or may not have been altered to a greater or lesser degree. This fan-fiction is also a 'Crossover', combining elements from the two aforementioned sources. For most of the story, we will attempt to adhere closely to canon, in regards to Fred Perry's 'Gold Digger' series, but at some point, events will diverge from canon, and concessions will have to be made for the intermingling of the two base series.
Furthermore, it is 'presumed' that the events of the 'Ranma 1/2' Manga series take place over a span of less than one year, as there is little if any, real indication of the passage of time in canon. Therefore, Ranma and Akane are still freshmen at the time this story begins, while Nabiki and Kunou are juniors.
Timeframe: Right after Battlemage Book 1, Ranma arrives in Paris, France as he was invited to the wedding of Lisette and Jean-Paul. (Gold Diggers referenced will become apparent when shown.)
WARNING: This is self-beta'd if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, please PM me with the paragraph and fix.
BATTLE MAGE
By
Ryan Slicer
(original story concept, writing and guidance)
Book Two: Journey
Part Two: Manuscripts and Undead
It was a four-hour drive from Paris to Calais across the A1 and A26 highways, Camille looked into the back seat and saw the two girls sleeping. She smiled when she saw that. 'They both look so cute. I hope that Ranma finds what she's looking for.' Camille thought as they drove around the city towards the docks. As they started to slow down in one of the more crowded sections of the city, Camille noticed that Ranma started to stir. The young Saotome was about to stretch when she noticed Yoiko leaning slightly next to her against the window. She gently nudged the young girl to wake her up and with a few pokes of her finger, the young Hibiki gently pushed the hand away. "I'm up. Are we there yet?"
"Just about, Miss Yoiko," Pierre said in English to the young girl. Yoiko nodded and looked out the window.
"It's a beautiful city," Ranma remarked to her new friends while they drove around. Yoiko nodded and continued to watch the buildings and people until Pierre found a parking place that was close enough to the ferry's dock. As Pierre, Camille, Ranma, and Yoiko stepped out of the car, they all stretched for a moment before looking around the dock. They saw the ferry waiting as they brought cars and people onboard. Just across from the ferry was a series of buildings that had people lining up.
Pierre nodded and smiled at Ranma's comment, "Most cities and towns hold this rustic look to them. But the cities near the ocean just have their own beauty."
"I'm sure you've seen your share of towns and cities, right Ranko?" Camille asked the redhead.
"I saw plenty on my journey, but then I didn't get to do any sightseeing."
"Well then take your time in London and explore the sites," Pierre said as they walked towards the building to get the tickets for the ferry. "You might find something you like."
"We will," Yoiko said as she kept a strong hold on Ranma's hand while being guided by the redhead as the two of them followed Pierre.
It only took a few minutes in line to get to the purchasing office and Pierre talked to the teller, handing him the required francs.
"This ferry will take you to Dover and from there you can take the underground to London," Pierre explained as he handed the two their tickets. "It'll take about two hours or so to get there."
"Thank you for doing this," Yoiko said to Pierre and Camille. "And thank you, Ranko, for helping me get closer to home."
"You're welcome, Yoiko," Ranma said as she continued to guide the young Hibiki as Pierre and Camille showed them the ferry they were about to take.
"Well, we hope that your journey takes you where you need to be, Ranko." Pierre said as he patted her on her shoulder, while Camille hugged the redhead after her husband stepped away to talk to Yoiko.
"You take care of yourself, Ranko." The older woman said as she held Ranma tightly. "And know that you are welcome in France at any time."
"Thank you, Camille. I know we didn't know each other for long, but I'm glad I came."
"Just remember what we talked about." Camille remarked, "Hopefully we'll see you again."
"I hope so too." Ranma quietly said back to the older woman. Yoiko was waiting for the two to finish. Ranma then walked over to Yoiko and gently took her hand. "You ready?"
"Yep." Yoiko nodded with enthusiasm as she was guided towards the ferry.
– LINE BREAK –
Ranma and Yoiko walked around the ship as it started to dock at Dover. It took them a few minutes to walk to the boarding ramp once it lowered at the dock. "Well, we're here. Ready for London?" Ranma asked Yoiko as she guided the young Hibiki to the gateway to have their passports stamped.
"Sure am," Yoiko said, her eyes wide at how they traveled to their proper destination. The city looked just as beautiful as Clovis, France, with the white wall cliffs overlooking the sea and Dover castle in the background. "I can't wait to see London and the sites there."
"Me too," Ranma replied as she handed the passport over to the official, She held onto Yoiko as she got her passport stamped as well. once the two were in the clear, Ranma asked the official where they could take the train to London.
"Down the road is the train station. You'll have to take a cab to get there. You then take the train all the way to Kings Cross station." the official answered, "That'll get you to London."
"Thank you," Yoiko said to the man before Ranma gently guided her out of the terminal and towards the pick-up and drop-off area. Once there, Ranma hailed a taxi and had the taxi drive them to the nearest train station with the blue line.
They stepped out of the taxi, looking in awe before Ranma paid the fair to the taxi driver. Ranma grabbed Yoiko's hand and guided her to the station entrance and to the many kiosks that housed the ticketing system.
"Kings Cross, right?" Yoiko questioned as they were looking for the right fare to pay.
"Yes, from there we should be able to ask around for that museum," Ranma responded as she searched the map before her finger landed on King's Cross. She looked over and found the price to be £9.20. After finding out the price to get to King's Cross. They quickly paid for the ticket and walked through the terminal to the platform.
Yoiko looked over at the redhead, contemplating if she should ask a few questions of her partner who was being very nice to her and making sure she got to her destination, or at least closer to home. "So," Yoiko started as she squeezed her new friend's hand to get her attention. "What brought you over to France?"
Ranma took a moment to think of her answer, and decided to tell the truth, from a different perspective, "Well, the bride was looking for me specifically and came to where Pop and I were staying at the time." Ranma started, "She was there specifically for me."
"For you? Did you know her very well?"
"In all honesty, I didn't even know anything about her until this last week," Ranma stated.
"For a week?" Yoiko gasped as their train rolled up to the station platform they were on. "But it seemed like you knew her parents very well." She mentioned as they began boarding the train.
Ranma gently tugged on the braid that she put her hair into nervously while she began to explain. "I actually only met her parents too right before the wedding." She said, "They and their daughter were very nice and wanted to be sure that I wouldn't stop the wedding for any reason as they were concerned that I would have known about the engagement between us."
"You were engaged to her?" Yoiko looked at the redhead as if she was joking, but the serious face that was on her new friend's face told her a different story. "You're not joking about this, are you?
"Nope," Ranm replied to her question, "This was apparently before I was born." Ranma started her response as the train jerked for a moment to start toward the next station. "But they didn't know about this." Ranma gestured to her body as Yoiko gave a soft chuckle.
"Yes, that might be a problem, not that it's anyone's decision about who you love or anything. But why did come to France?" Yoiko asked again.
"I needed to get out of a situation that was causing problems in my life. So I packed my pack and she offered me a ticket to France as compensation for disrupting my life. She was supposed to bring her Fiance with her, but he couldn't make it." Ranma said, "It seems like the perfect getaway for me to start my journey of self-discovery."
"Wow." Yoiko marveled at Ranma's decision to leave where she was and know what she wanted to do. However for Yoiko, sometimes these journeys were not planned or anything of that nature. "I wish that this curse didn't cause problems for me and my family and to be able to plan out some sort of journey or trip."
"What curse?" Ranma asked as if she didn't know about the infamous Hibiki curse.
"Well, this curse doesn't affect us until after we're around ten to eleven years old. Sometimes later," Yoiko stated, "By then, we've been given everything we need to survive in case we get lost." She gently shifted her pack that was sitting on the floor in front of her. "By the time we do that and get lost the first time, we're told that if we get stuck to ask someone for help to the nearest phone and to call home, even if no one is there."
"So by eleven you and your family start getting lost?"
"Yes, we can't even follow a map direction. We've not been able to figure out why this happens at that specific age, but we do know that Mom has always been with us since we were born. And that she doesn't get lost until we hit that age." Yoiko frowns and looks down. "It's why we call it a curse and not anything medical-related."
Ranma looks at the younger girl and gently squeezes her hand in comfort. "Maybe, someday, you can figure it out and remove that curse." She said.
"You really think that?" Yoiko said as she looked at Ranma.
"I think so."
Yoiko leaned over and gave the redhead a hug, while not as strong as her brother, Ranma did feel a few of his vertebrae crack before Yoiko pulled away. "Thank you, Ranko." Yoiko said to the redhead, "I think that I'll be able to find a way to break this curse on our family." Yoiko smiled and gave the redhead another hug.
-LINE BREAK-
"Next stop. King's Cross." The announcement spoke to the patrons in the train car that Ranma and Yoiko were in. The train began to slow down and come to a stop at the station proper, "Please exit the tram on the right side." Ranma looked out the window and saw the train slowing down as it arrived at the station. Once it had come to a stop, the doors opened and a flood of people left the tram. Both Ranma and Yoiko followed suit, having been used to this type of people traffic from the times they used the subway.
"Where to?" Yoiko said to Ranma as they weaved through the crowd, deciding to follow the large group of people going up the stairs toward the surface from underground.
"Well, first a hotel, then we can take in the sights," Ranma stated as they left the main hub of the station and out to the street.
The A5202, or Pancras Road, was lined up with cabs and personal cars near the drop-off and pick-up stations. Ranma gently tugged on the younger girl's arm, making sure to keep track of her as she walked over to the pick-up area and waived her arm above her head to hail a cab. A black fx4 hackney carriage slowed to a stop in front of the girls with a gruff-looking driver seated at the steering wheel. Ranma let go of Yoiko's hand as the driver rolled down his window.
"Ya hailed for a cab there, luv?" a gruff-sounding voice spoke to Ranma.
"I sure did."
"Where to?"
"To the nearest hotel," Ranma said as she looked over to where Yoiko was supposed to be, only to find an empty space behind her. She looked around and couldn't find the young Hibiki anywhere and attributed it to the younger girl disappearing because she moved from the spot Ranma had left her at.
"Just you then?" The taxi driver looked at Ranma and her backpack. "You can put your things in the boot and we'll be off."
Ranma shook her head and gave a soft chuckle at the fact that Yoiko truly was like her brother, "Yeah, just me." she remarked as the driver pushed the button to open the boot, or trunk, of the car. Ranma opened it up some more and put her belongings in there, making sure to keep her wallet out to pay the man, "How much for the trip?"
"The fair will let ya know, luv," The man said back to her before Ranma climbed into the back of the cab, "But general rule of thumb is about 32 pence per 2 miles."
"That's fine." Ranma said once she got comfortable. She'd have to change back into her male form before she got to the museum.
-LINE BREAK-
Ranma set her backpack down on the floor of the room she was given by the front desk. She took a moment to dig through her pack for her traditional Chinese tangs, pants, and slippers before she stepped into the bathroom, undressed from her outfit, and changed back from her current form to her male form. He took a look at himself in the mirror and nodded back to himself before dressing into the outfit he picked out. His traditional red shirt and black pants felt comforting to him as he stepped out of the bathroom. He placed his feminine clothing back into his pack, he grabbed the papers he took with him about the exhibit before leaving the room and heading back out to the main street.
The cab that he had hired had already left so he hailed a new one. This one he explained that he wanted to head to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology. It only took a few minutes to get to the museum and he stepped out of the cab before turning and paying the man the fair shown to him in the car. He stepped into the museum and saw all the different exhibits right from the front door. He looked around and spotted an information desk. He pulled out the papers from his pocket and gently set them down on the desk in front of a man wearing rimmed glasses and a tweed jacket.
"Can I help you?" the man said in a droll voice.
"Yes, can you help me find this exhibit?" Ranma asked politely to the older gentleman.
The man looked over the worn and folded papers before he saw what he was looking for. "Just down the hall and on the second door to the right." He said, pointing towards the hallway Ranma needed to be going to.
"Thank you." Ranma nodded his head to the man and picked up the papers before retreating in the direction he was given. He followed the directions and found the exhibit of display cases and wall-to-wall cabinets that contained several different types of figurines and pottery. The display cases had scrolls and fabrics that were sealed and marked with cards that showed what they were. He walked over to the display sets of scrolls and found one scroll that was similar to the one that Keitaro showed him on the papers.
"It's a wonder that someone close to my age wants to look at history." a young woman spoke up as Ranma looked over the manuscript, he looked up from his questioning look at the manuscript only to see a young brunette with a low pony-tail that lazily draped over her shoulder onto a purple button up blouse that was partially opened to show her sporting a tanktop underneath. Dark blue jeans covered her shapely legs and ended with hiking boots in dark brown leather. Ranma appreciated the view for a moment as he looked her over before focusing on her face.
"Not really into history, per se." Ranma stated, letting his pigtail go before his frustration got him about the manuscript, "Just looking for anything related to this manuscript that was translated."
"Well, if you want to know more, I could always ask my father about it." the young woman replied, "Lara Croft. And you are?"
"Ranma, Ranma Saotome."
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Saotome." Lara said as she eased her hand out for a handshake. Ranma looked at the hand for only a second before clasping her feminine one in his hand. A quick shake from both and they let go.
"Pleasure is mine, please just call me Ranma."
"Then you can call me Lara." the brunette said as she looked over the manuscript that Ranma pointed to. "Oh, this is the cat scroll." She said, not noticing the shiver that ran through Ranma's body. "It was partially translated years ago, but now we were able to open more of the scroll without damaging it and it has some really interesting things about Egyptians and their fascination with cats."
"You said that it was translated years ago." Ranma reached into his pocket and pulled out the worn manual. "Would it be something like this?" Lara looked at him finally after he held out the manual.
"Cat fist?" Lara said as she read the manuscript's cover page, "What does it mean by cat fist?"
"Supposedly, from my old man, it's supposed to be an unbeatable technique that was translated from this scroll." Ranma started as he let Lara look over the manual. She casually flipped over the pages and her eyes opened up in shock at what the manual stated.
"This isn't a technique, it's flat-out torture," Lara said before she got to the last page. "Who would even think this was a martial arts manual?"
"You'd never believe me if I told you, but I did all that." Ranma shuddered and Lara noticed his jittery disposition. "I survived, but not in a good way."
Lara's hand came up and covered her mouth as she tried desperately to see if he was joking, but his hard stormy-blue eyes showed he wasn't joking at all. "Surely he stopped when you were hurt right?"
Ranma shook his head, "No, he threw me back into that pit about six to seven times." Ranma squeezed his left hand into a fist to try and focus on something else as he began his explanation. "It is an unbeatable technique, but it makes you deathly afraid of those little fir balls." Ranma closed his eyes for a moment before he felt Lara's hand on his shoulder.
"How are you still sane?" Lara spoke out quietly, setting the manual down on the display case, "I can't believe that your father would do that to you."
"Pop is stupid, a good fighter but overall stupid when it comes to training anyone," Ranma said as he let his hand relax and moved his mind to a different topic. "So what does this scroll say now?"
Lara pulled her hand back, understanding that he was trying to get away from the topic of his father and so turned back to the display case with the scroll. "So far we've uncovered that the scroll is some sort of journal of someone watching cats, we think they're cheetahs, as they are drawn very vividly," She paused for a moment to show him the section that she was talking about. "But for some reason, the cheetah turns into a human-like hybrid of a cheetah and the rest is confusing." Lara's fingers pointed out the specifics in the recently opened section of the scroll. "I think it's a dream they had or some sort of tale about Baset or another cat god they worshiped."
Ranma looked at where she pointed to and looked just a bit further, then he saw an image of a man sitting in the middle of a bunch of cats. "What about here? What does it say?"
Lara looked at what he was pointing at and read some of the hieroglyphs around the image, "Looks like it says he was surrounded by the cheetahs and he offered them the food he caught." Lara translated, looking at Ranma as his eyes narrowed and he looked at the manual lying on the display.
"All this because of a mistranslation of these pictures?" He growled to himself, not realizing he was scaring the girl next to him. "This whole manual is just a mistranslation?" His aura appeared to be a light red as it manifested around him, causing Lara to step back from him. "I'm gonna kill my ol' man because of this," Ranma growled before looking over at Lara and seeing her scared of him. Her eyes were wide with fear. Now he knew exactly what that feeling was when Akane got very mad at him for something he didn't do. He quickly took a few deep breaths and his aura vanished from sight. "I'm very sorry, Lara. This whole trip for me was to find this manuscript and see what it really was, only to find out that what happened to me was that someone mistranslated it as a technique and not a journal."
Lara took a hesitant step closer to Ranma before, once again, placing her hand on his shoulder, gently running her hand up and down his arm to hopefully calm him as well. "It's okay. I would be upset too if something like that happened." She gave him a warm smile before turning back to the scroll, "I hope that this doesn't cause too much pain for you."
"It's alright, you didn't do anything wrong." Ranma said as he looked over the scroll with Lara, "Is there anything else you understand about this scroll?"
"Well, it does say that the man was near the present-day Serengeti when this all happened. It's why we think it's a dream or just something he saw that looked like a human cheetah." She said before looking back at Ranma, "Kind of like the American big foot."
"Yeah, that does sound like it might be a weird dream he had." Ranma gave a soft chuckle. He looked back down at the scroll, "I wonder if I can find that place. Not the first time something magical happens in my life that turns out to be true."
"Magic is only an illusion. Scientific study is the future of all our lives."
"Remind me to show you some 'magic' before I leave."
"I highly doubt.." Lara started before Ranma grabbed her shoulders and pulled her down behind the display. She was about to squawk out something before he put his hand over her mouth.
"Shh... we've got company coming," Ranma whispered into her ear, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.
Lara quietly peaked out from behind the display and almost gasped as an 'honest to God' magical portal appeared out of nowhere. She turned around to look at Ranma, but he had already disappeared. "Ranma!?" she quietly called out only to be interrupted by the sound of something stepping onto the floor. She looked over the display case once again and saw a skeleton stepping out of the portal. She gasped softly as she saw another, and then a third one leaving the portal, only for it to disappear after the third one left the inky blackness.
"Finally, we're away from that slave driver Natasha." The first skeleton said as he looked around a bit, his empty sockets where his eyes would normally be had a dark red dot in each eye that shifted around as he looked. He carried a small mace that looked like it was made out of bone and iron.
"You said it, boyo, now we can do what we want." The second one replied, this one with a crack down the middle of his skull as if it looked like his head had split open but was put back together. In his hands was a bone club that almost looked like a pickaxe. "I tell ya, I ain't never goin' back to the undead realm again if this is a good place to stay."
"I hear that there are some beauties here in the Earth realm." The third, and to Lara, the most perverted one said as he also looked around, in his hands was a small club, this one made of wood and had what looked like a large shark tooth embedded in it. "I'm ready to party hard and check out the ladies."
"As long as they have the goods then I think we can enjoy our time here." The first one said before he spotted Lara behind the display, "Well, lookie here boys, looks like we found our first beauty of the day." All three watched Lara as she backed away from them into another display. "Don't be afraid, darlin', we're not going to bite."
"Yeah, not much." The second one said in a stage whisper to the third one, who laughed at the inappropriate joke.
They started to advance towards the young brunette when Lara saw that Ranma was behind them all, appearing out of nowhere to her eyes. "I don't think the pretty lady wants you three ogling her," Ranma said before he punched the closest one, sending the perverted skeleton toward the door of the museum. The second one saw his perverted buddy fly to the door and was about to bring up his pickaxe when he was kicked to the other side of the exhibit.
Ranma turned to face the first skeleton and stepped back as the mace came down in front of him, he continued to dodge the attacks before the third skeleton got up and also started to attack Ranma with his makeshift club. Ranma ducked the first swing and kicked the first skeleton over the display, who landed next to Lara. She got up quickly and grabbed one of the scimitars on display, swinging it with all her might at the one next to her.
The second skeleton got up and started towards Ranma, only to stop as the third skeleton Ranma was fighting was grabbed by the arm and thrown into him, causing both to crash into the wall, shaking some of the exhibits. Ranma jumped over the display case with the manuscript and landed next to Lara, who was beating up the first skeleton only to be stopped by Ranma as he saw that the skeleton was shivering and looking very frightened.
"What's up with you?" Ranma stated as he pulled Lara around so she was behind him.
What neither Ranma, nor Lara, noticed was that another portal opened up, and out of it stepped a very sexy woman, her legs were covered with black leggings that rode all the way up to her hips. Her top was a black, tight, long-sleeved shirt that barely covered her breasts, leaving her mid-section open for all to see her creamy white skin. Brown hair cascaded down her back in a long ponytail
"I leave you three alone for five minutes and then you disappear to the Earth realm. What in the damned hells were you three doing?" the woman said, her voice sounding very displeased with the three skeletons. This caused both Ranma and Lara to look behind them to notice the woman standing there. Ranma shifted again, keeping Lara behind him and the four individuals in front, slowly backing towards the door for hopefully a quick escape.
"We were scoping out the Earth realm for... you to conquer." The first one said as he got up off the floor.
"Yeah, we were doing reconnaissance." Said the second one, clearly the fear was squeaking out of his voice as he spoke up.
"And checking out the beauties." The third skeleton responded, only to get his head smacked by the second one who was next to him.
This caused the woman to growl at them before she grabbed the first one and threw him into the portal behind her. The other two got the message and ran into the portal, chasing after their friend.
"I'll deal with you numbskulls later." the woman said before she looked at Ranma and Lara and nodded at them. "I'm sorry you had to deal with my minions. I have more than enough to deal with in the underworld than to conquer another realm." She mentioned to the duo before walking to the portal, she took one last glance at them, and started eyeing Ranma up and down, "Maybe I might visit you specifically handsome."
"Name's Ranma." the pig-tailed young man said as he shifted back into a defensive position, "Ranma Saotome."
"Natasha Volstov." Natasha said as she bowed her head slightly to him, as if to acknowledge what he was doing, "I'm glad to have met you," She licked her lips before stepping into the portal. "Ta ta for now." She waved her hand at the two and the portal closed behind her.
-LINE BREAK-
Ranma kept his stance up until the portal fully closed and there was no residual energy coming from the room. As he relaxed once it was clear that the portal wasn't going to open up anytime soon, he looked at the room and the damage that was caused by the fight. There wasn't that much damage to the artifacts, but the cabinets and displays were cracked along the windows. The open walls and doors had a scattered web pattern from the impacts that Ranma caused as he fought the skeletons. "Aww man. And I'm in another country." He groused, "This is going to bite into my travel funds."
Lara looked at him for a moment as she took a deep breath to calm herself down from the fight before she grabbed his hand, she opened her mouth to say something when there was a deep voice that spoke up behind them from the broken doors.
"What happened here?"
"Father?" Lara said, turning around and she let go of Ranma's hand. Ranma also turned around to face the voice and possibly the person who would blame him for the mess. The man was a good five inches taller than Ranma with brown hair and blue eyes that conveyed a serious look as he surveyed the room before his eyes focused on Lara, "There was something, a portal of some kind, and out came a few real, live moving, skeletons from it." She started, she looked at Ranma to give him a comforting smile before returning to look at her father. "My new friend, Ranma, stopped them from abducting me and doing who knows what."
Lord Richard Croft looked at the young man standing next to his daughter and frowned slightly at the damage he noticed to the exhibit. "You saved my daughter from skeletons, like in a fantasy novel?" he spoke to Ranma in a calm, yet regal manner.
Ranma knew he needed to respect this man based on his stance and speech, Ranma stood there and shifted his stance like he was taught by those JSDF marines that showed him a 'ready' stance, his feet slid together and he stood ramrod straight before speaking. "Yes Sir." He started his report back to the man's question. "Apparently they were sick of where they were and wanted to get away from Natasha Volstov. They didn't seem to like working for her."
This caused Richard Croft eyebrows to rise in astonishment, "Natasha Volstov? As in Queen of the dead and underworld Natasha?"
Ranma tilted his head slightly before nodding slightly at the question. "I think that's where she said she was from." Ranma looked to Lara, who nodded her head to acknowledge what Ranma was saying. "She came through the same portal and sent the three skeletons back to the underworld." Ranma then shivered slightly as he remembered the woman giving him a once over with her eyes in a sexual manner and not related to how he sizes up an opponent. "She then left and closed the portal behind her."
"To think that there is an actual underworld and realm of the dead." Richard nodded to himself before he looked at Lara and walked up to her and gently patted her shoulders as he checked her over. "You're not hurt, are you Lara?"
"I'm fine, Father. Ranma defeated them before this Natasha came and stopped her minions." Lara said, blushing at the attention that her father was giving her as he made sure she was alright.
"Did she say anything else at all?" Richard asked, "Like anything about conquering the world or something?"
"She said she wasn't interested in it." Ranma answered the question for Lara, "Said she was too busy with the underworld."
Richard gave a sigh of relief before standing up straight to focus on Ranma. "Thank you for protecting my daughter, and the exhibit."
"Sorry about the damage, if I need to repay it..." Ranma started before Richard placed his hand on the young Saotome's shoulder.
"That's what insurance was made for, young man," Richard gave a soft smile. "Besides, if you weren't here, something could have happened to Lara. Is there anything that I can do to repay you?"
For the first time, Ranma's jaw dropped open as he wasn't blamed for anything that he damaged during one of his fights. "I'm not sure there is anything I need, Sir." Ranma started before Lara jumped into the discussion.
"Ranma was interested in the cat scroll we have on display," Lara said as she motioned her father to the display case where she and Ranma were having their discussion about the scroll in question. Ranma followed behind as both father and daughter talked.
Ranma stood just out of sight before Richard turned and gently guided the young man to stand next to the display with them. "I think our next expedition takes us through Egypt and down towards the Serengeti," Lara stated as she looked over at Ranma on the other side of her father.
"Well, there is more about this scroll in the Egyptian Archeological Museum. I have a few contacts down there. Maybe they can provide you with more information about these scrolls." Richard said, looking over at Ranma as well, "I would like to offer you a position on this expedition as Lara's bodyguard."
"Father!" Lara cried out, "I don't need another bodyguard. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"I agree, but Montgomery can't always be with you, especially when I have him doing something for me." He said as he pointed to Ranma, "This young man can be with you as if he was a cousin of ours, making him blend in better if need be to keep you safe."
"But Father, we just recently met." Lara started, looking over at Ranma. "Not that it wasn't a pleasure to meet you before all this happened," Ranma just gave a slight smile and a nod to Lara, "But even he might have other plans after he sees the other scrolls in Egypt."
"Well, it's a good thing that your next expedition is going to Egypt anyway and the African continent," Richard replied. "That'll give him some time to get used to the job and see if he wants to stay on while giving him a chance to look at the manuscript." Lord Croft looks over at Ranma, "What do you say, young man? Does this sound like a good offer to you?"
"Sir, it sounds like something I could use. I wouldn't even know where to begin on this journey if it wasn't for people like you and your daughter." Ranma gave an honest opinion of the job in question. "When does this expedition leave?"
"I can give you a week to think about it. We still have to get the rest of the crew up to speed and prepare for it, supplies and such."
Ranma nodded and looked over at Richard, "That'll give me plenty of time to think about it, Sir."
"Wonderful. Let me know what you think." Richard handed Ranma a business card with a phone number on it. "Just call me on this number and I'll answer once you've thought about it."
"I will do that, Sir."
-LINE BREAK-
Ranma sat in his hotel room a few days later, flipping the card over and over as he thought about the expedition and the chance to go and get more information about the scroll that was at the Egyptian Archeological Museum. He knew he wouldn't get a chance like that as he wouldn't have known the next place to go. If it weren't for Lara and her father, then his whole trip would have been for nothing.
Thankfully, both of them were willing to let him come on an expedition that was headed there in the first place and he smiled at that. He flipped the card over to the phone number listed and picked up the phone next to his bed. Dialing the number, he sat there contemplating what he would need for this expedition before someone on the other end picked up the phone.
"Croft Residence." an elderly voice came from the phone's speaker.
"Hello, my name is Ranma Saotome and I was given a card with this number..."
"Understood, let me forward you to Lord Croft." the elderly voice spoke once more before he was placed on hold with comforting music. He only waited a few minutes until the phone was picked up once more and the sound of Lord Croft's voice came out of the speaker.
"Mr. Saotome. Have you called to give me your answer?"
"Yes, Mr. Croft."
"Well then, what shall it be, young man?" Richard's voice gave him a confident sound that he knew what the answer was already and wanted to confirm it with Ranma over the phone.
"I want to come with you and your expedition," Ranma told him. He was very hopeful that Richard would still allow him to join the expedition.
"Thank you for accepting, Mr. Saotome. I'm sure Lara will be thrilled to have you on the expedition." Richard replied. "I'll let her know you decided to join." Richard paused for a moment as the sound of shuffling papers echoed out. "Please meet us at the museum in two days' time, we'll pick you up and help you get sorted out with this expedition," he explained.
"Yes, sir," Ranma replied back. He looked over at his pack and wondered what else he would need for the expedition.
"Then it's settled, we'll see you in a few days." Richard said, "If you think you need anything else on this expedition, write it down and we'll get it when we pick you up."
"Yes, sir," Ranma responded once more. "Once I find what I'm looking for, I'll stay with the expedition as long as possible."
"That's reasonable. I can't keep you from your own journey." Richard replied to Ranma's request. "I just hope that it's long enough that Lara won't be disappointed in you leaving that quickly."
"I hope to stay on with the expedition for a while, Sir," Ranma spoke up. "But I don't plan on running out on you, as you've asked me to protect your daughter."
"That's good. I'm glad you decided to take the job, Mr. Saotome. We'll see you in a few days." Richard said before he hung up the phone.
Ranma looked at the phone for a minute before hanging up his end of the phone. He looked back at his pack and slapped his knees slightly. "Well, I'd better get ready." Ranma walked over to his pack and started to empty it out on the bed, checking for everything that was in there, including the scrolls that Ranma took from Genma's pack before he left. "Looks like I've got to do some shopping," Ranma said to himself before repacking everything back into the pack.
-LINE BREAK-
A few days later, Ranma had checked out of his hotel and stood in front of the museum with his pack and other items. He had changed into a pair of below-the-knee shorts and a button-up tan shirt with pockets on the chest. While comfortable with the weather they were going to experience, he shivered slightly in the London cold weather. He stood there for only a few minutes before a Wolseley 18/85s arrived. The driver, dressed in a suit and tie stepped out of the vehicle and opened the rear driver door for the passenger that he was picking up. "Mr. Saotome?" the man questioned over at Ranma.
"Yeah, that's me," Ranma said before walking towards the car. "Where do you want my pack?"
"In the boot, Mr. Saotome." It took Ranma a minute before he remembered what the boot was. He headed towards the back of the vehicle and opened the trunk of the car, sliding his pack in there and shutting the trunk once more. Ranma then slid into the car before the driver shut the door. The driver climbed into the driver-side and started the vehicle. "Is there anything else you need before we head towards the manor?"
"No, nothing else," Ranma replied as he shifted to buckle himself in. The driver nodded and pulled out onto the main road and started towards their destination.
-LINE BREAK-
The car pulled up to a manor that was just outside the city of Surrey, a daunting building that had two large front doors and looked as if it was part castle, part home. Once the driver stopped the vehicle, the driver popped open the boot from the car and got out, opening the passenger door for Ranma to get out of the car.
Ranma took in the sight and whistled at how big the manor he was facing. He stood there for a moment before the large doors opened slightly and out came a giant of a man, standing roughly nine feet tall with red hair under an explorer's hat, and a beard almost a third down his burley chest that was covered slightly with an explorer's outfit matching Ranmn's own. However, his lower half was covered in a pair of pants and low boots that covered part of his shins. The man walked up to Ranma as he was putting his pack on and stretched out his hand.
"Name's Monty, who do I have to thank for savin' the lass earlier this week?"
"Ranma Saotome," Ranma said as he took the man's hand and gripped it before they both shook their arms slightly. Ranma looked into the man's eyes and saw that this wasn't a man to mess with if you got into a fight. He could also feel something strange about this man's ki. 'This man's ki doesn't fit right.' Ranma thought before they both let go of each other's hand.
"Mighty strong grip ya' got there lad." Monty chuckled before someone stepped through the door and Ranma saw it was Lara.
"Monty, stop scaring him." Lara chided as if he was family. Lara looked at Ranma and gave him a soft smile at the fact that he was there. "Ranma, thank you for coming."
"You're welcome, Lara." Ranma shifted the pack a bit until both straps were resting properly on his shoulders, "Glad to be here."
"Well, shall we show the lad the ropes before we get ready to head out?" Monty said as they walked towards the mansion, Lara on one side of him and Monty on the other side.
"That sounds good," Ranma said as he looked up at Monty, still wondering what he felt and saw from the man.
"Alright. Let's get ya' together with the rest of the team."
-LINE BREAK-
The trio entered the study where the rest of Lara's expedition team was located. Monty stepped into the room first before Lara and Ranma entered as well. Inside was an additional four people. A young woman with blond hair that reached to her chin and was pulled back into a high ponytail. A black woman with black hair in short rope braids that was a little bit taller than Ranma, next to her is an older gentleman with glasses and blond hair, while the last person in the room was a woman of Asian descent with black hair cropped just at her shoulders, 'Just like Nabiki's hair.' Ranma thought to himself, remembering the middle Tendo sister fondly before shaking his head. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Ranma bowed slightly to the group before rising back up. "I'm Ranma Saotome."
The woman of Asian descent, with brownish-black hair, a black tanktop with a band symbol on it, and white cargo pants that look like they've seen better days with rips on her thighs and knees, returned his bow and spoke up, "My name is Sam Nashimura. Next to me is Stephany Brown," Sam pointed to the blond-haired teenager, wearing a yellow women's polo shirt and tan short-shorts, next to her on her left, "The woman next to her is Joslin Reyes," Sam once again gestured over to an African-American woman with a grey, sleeve-less hoodie, Levi jeans, and black fingerless gloves, "And last, but not least is James Whitman." Sam said while James waived from his place at the head end of the table, adjusting his glasses while wearing a zip-up, long-sleeved shirt and a cargo vest. "You're already familiar with Monty and Lara."
"We just met," Ranma said as he set his pack down with all the other small supplies that the group was going to carry. "Also there's something that I need to tell you all about me."
"What is it, Ranma?" Lara asked, looking at him with curiosity.
"Can I get a glass of cold and a glass of hot water please?"
Lara nodded and walked out of the room to call for a butler. The others looked at him for a moment before Sam spoke up. "Why a glass of cold and hot water?"
"I feel like I should show you before you all think you're going crazy," Ranma replied. The door opened up and Lara came back with a butler that was carrying two glasses of water. Ranma looked at both glasses before taking up the cold water glass and dumping it over his head. A few seconds later instead of a five-foot-five young man, there was now a four-foot-eleven young woman in their midst. Almost everyone gaped at the change, except for Monty, whose eyebrows raised slightly before he muttered something to himself.
"Jusenkyo hmm?" Monty spoke up after Ranma poured the second glass of hot water over her head and changed back into his male form.
"How did you know?" Ranma questioned as he looked at Monty.
"I've been around the world a few times and one of those trips took me to Jusenkyo."
Lara looked at Monty and then at Ranma. "I don't believe it. There's got to be some sort of explanation about it."
"I did say I was going to show you some magic didn't I?" Ranma questioned Lara with a slight grin on his face. This caused Lara to blush slightly as she looked away from him. Sam, on the other hand, looked him up and down before grabbing a glass of cold water to splash on him.
"I believe it, but I don't," Sam said as she looked down at the redhead for a moment. "Where does the mass go? Why do you shrink? And why is your hair red?" Sam burst out the questions at Ranma before she saw that the woman in front of her wiped her face with her hands to remove the extra moisture and was not amused. "I'm sorry about that, Ranma," Sam said, putting the glass down as she saw how upset the young woman was.
Ranma frowned in her female form before sighing softly, "It's not your fault. Most people do it just to confirm what they're seeing." Ranma explained before looking at Sam directly, "All I can say to your questions though is magic. I never tried to find an explanation as I was too busy dealing with what this curse does to me."
"Curse?" Lara and Stephany said at the same time.
"Jusenkyo is called the cursed springs." Monty thought he could take over the explanation. "There are over a hundred springs there, each one a spring of drowned something." This caused Lara to look at Monty before looking back at Ranma in her female form. She looked back at the butler who brought the glasses.
"Please bring back a glass of hot water. I'm sure Ranma doesn't want to be in her other form right now."
"It's alright, Lara," Ranma stated before looking at the rest of the group, "Though I would like a towel to dry off a bit."
"I'll have him bring a towel and hot water, just in case you want to change back, Ranma." Lara nodded to the butler, who bowed his head and left the room. "Now, do you want to tell us how this happened?"
"About a year ago, my ol' man and I were traveling through China to see training locations, dojos, and shrines for me to go through this training regiment." Ranma started to explain, "So my ol' man decides to have this guide take us to a training ground. The guide tried to warn us as we got to Jusenkyo. Unfortunately, we didn't listen and thought this was a traditional training ground with bamboo shoots coming out each spring." Ranma paused as the towel and glass arrived. She took the glass and poured it over herself once more, changing back into his male form. "Thank you," Ranma said to the butler, taking the towel to dry off his hair and shoulders. "So we're practicing our air-born attacks and I manage to knock him down into one of the springs. Shonmaounichuan, or the spring of drowned panda."
"Spring of drowned panda?" James said, once more taking in the sight of the change when it happened. "And let me guess, you fell into the spring of drowned girl?"
"Right in one, very tragic tale of girl who drowned 1500 years ago," Ranma said, imitating the Chinese guide's explanation of the spring. "Whoever falls in the spring comes out as a young girl." Ranma continued to dry his hair without taking it out of the pigtail.
"So you've had this curse for over a year?" Stephany asked, somewhat confused by what was happening, but knew that the simple explanation of it being magic might have helped.
"Yep, and I know exactly what happens during the usual time of the month. Mine just happens to be unique in how I get it." This caused the younger girls to blush at the mention of their period before Lara coughed to get everyone's attention.
"Now that we know what Ranma looks like in both his forms, it's now time to go over our expedition location." Lara walked over to the main table that the others were around and rolled out a map of Africa. "Our first stop is Egypt, we're detouring there to let Ranma ask a few questions of the archeologists there about the cat scroll that we had on display." The others nodded at the change of plans, "Once Ranma has his questions answered, we're taking the team down the Nile River. We'll be stopping near Kenya and Uganda for our expedition. Ranma has been told that he can stay with us until he needs to split. Our expedition shouldn't take more than a few months."
"So what's Ranma's job here?" Joslyn asked, looking at both Ranma and Lara.
"Ranma is tasked to protect me and, by extension, this team along with Monty," Lara said.
"So, I'll need to show Ranma the ropes of security."
"Not too much," Ranma said as he looked at Monty, "I've been protecting those who need protection for over a year now." He looked at Lara before nodding, "And I was able to help Lara out earlier this week."
"That may be all fine and dandy, but you also need to listen to me. When I say jump, you jump." Monty says as he pointed to Lara and the rest of the crew, "I've been doing that type of protection far longer than you have. But I'll give ya the benefit of the doubt."
Ranma gave Monty a nod to his experience as the man was older than him. However, with Ranma's limited experience, he felt he could do more than just protect people. But, he also knew when to respect his elders who gave sage advice. 'Unlike my ol' man.' Ranma thought to himself. as he looked around the room.
The others kept to themselves as they looked at Ranma with a smile before Lara coughed to get everyone's attention.
"Okay, we'll be heading to the Mediterranean coast near Egypt, making a short stop at the Archeological museum to help Ranma with his journey and heading south to our own destination in Kenya. From there we'll see if we can follow up on the lead for this." Lara said as she pulled out a book from the drawer and set it down on the main table where everyone was standing around.
"The Chalis of Anubis? Wouldn't that be in Egypt?" Ranma said as he did remember some history from school. "At least I would think it would be there."
"This is just like Christianity's holy grail. I believe some other archeologist supposedly found the grail in the 1940s, along with the Ark of the Covenant." Lara said, "Some Doctor from Indiana." she shrugged her shoulders as Monty shook his head before they looked at the book together. "We follow the clues in this book, which may lead us to the trail in Kenya." Lara flipped through the pages and pointed to a specific passage that had a few notes on the margins of the book. "This passage mentions jungles and plains, so we should be heading towards Kenya or Tanzania." She said as everyone looked at the book"
"But why Kenya or Tanzania? It could also mean Ethiopia or Somalia." Stephanie remarked.
"It could be either, but the closest thing to a jungle is Uganda or Kenya," James said as he pushed his glasses up and inspected the book. "Even if we find this location where the jungles and the plains meet, which direction would we take?" James continued before flipping the page over. "Even the notes don't show which way to go."
"Like all great treasure hunters and archeologists, once we're there we'll search and find the next clue," Monty said, looking at James for a moment, before looking at the book. "Ye'll find out why in the passage it also mentions a time reference, which is why we're going now because then we'd have to wait another year to find this place."
"Time sensitive, so a solar position to look for it?" James asked, a little confused at what Monty meant.
"Somethin' like that," Monty replied as he looked at James. "This one specifically mentions water rising. So we're looking for a lake, river, or something that has water that rises or lowers during this time frame."
"The wet season," Ranma remarked, "It's kinda like that, where the wet or dry seasons would determine the rise or fall of the water level." Ranma looked at Lara and then at James. "It could be either of them. What would the season be while we're in Africa?"
"The dry season. The rivers or lakes would possibly dry up and lower their water levels," James mentioned while Lara went and grabbed a current map of Africa. "There seems to be very few lakes and rivers near a plain of some type that is next to a jungle or two."
"Well, there's Lake Victoria or Lake Turkana. We've got a fifty-fifty chance of getting the right one. Hopefully, there's a clue or two about this as we get closer to either place." Lara said as she looked at Sam and Stephanie. "You guys don't have to come with us."
"Lara, you know that I wouldn't miss any of your expeditions," Sam said as Stephanie nodded her head in acknowledgment.
"Thank you," Lara replied as she looked at James and Joslin, "Are you two ready for this?"
"Of course we are," Joslin replied, "When do we leave?"
"In the morning. Everyone will stay here for the night. We have plenty of rooms here in the mansion. I'll have our butler, Alex, show you all to your rooms." Lara said before closing the book and taking it with her as she left the room.
"If you would all follow me." An older gentleman with greying short hair and a white mustache gestured for the group to follow him.
The group followed the older man as he guided them over to the second floor of the mansion, where the residents could sleep for the night. "Here are the general guest quarters. The three women have their quarters on the right, while the men have theirs on the left." Alex said, showing each one their available rooms. "Please make yourselves at home."
The group nodded their thanks to Alex for the escort to their rooms. Ranma hoisted his pack before entering one of the rooms on the left. Inside was a full-size bed with a deep brown nightstand, a small desk, and a chair that matched the nightstand. Ranma sat his pack on the bed gently. 'At least this is nicer than staying in a hotel.' Ranma thought to himself. 'Still, it'll be a few hours before dinner.' Ranma took a few moments to look around the room and fell back onto the bed. "Guess I have some time to practice." Ranma sat up before walking out of the room provided. He was just about to head down the stairs when he felt a hand grab his shoulder.
"How 'bout we go over some things with protecting the group." Monty's voice spoke to him.
"Sure. I was just about to find a place to practice." Ranma replied. Monty let go of the younger man's shoulder and started walking ahead of Ranma.
"After our discussion, we can get some practice in and see if there is anything we can improve upon."
"You're on." Ranma grinned, finally happy that there was someone he could spar with.
-LINE BREAK-
Alex stood at the door to the backyard as he watched Monty and Ranma practice against each other. Their fighting draws out the rest of the group who began watching and commenting about each of the fighters.
Ranma saw the jab at his right side as Monty threw his fist toward him, he lifted his right arm and blocked the blow, only to reach out himself at a specific ki cluster that he knew would put the arm out of commission. However, as he made that jab his fingers felt like they hit a steel beam, almost like the muscle group was so tight that he couldn't even reach to ki cluster. Monty grunted for a second at the jab before lashing out at Ranma with a kick to his left side. Ranma took the chance and dropped his guard for a second before he jumped up, letting the leg pass under him. This gave Ranm another opening that he could hit another ki cluster point. But like before, he hit the cluster and felt like it didn't work. 'How come these clusters aren't working?' Ranma asked himself, jumping away from the taller man. 'There's got to be a way to get them to work.'
Monty, to Ranma's surprise, was smiling, almost in a laughing sort of grin as he pressed on the offense to keep Ranma on his toes. He punched and kicked at Ranma so he could get a good hit on him, but Ranma kept dodging or jumping away from his attacks, 'He could almost pass for an Arms Master if he was from Jade.' Monty thought to himself, 'Looks like Richard got a good helper this time.' He saw Ranma dodge another attack and once more, left himself wide open with Ranma taking the strike, hitting the same areas once more. 'What is this young man doing?' Monty looked at the young man before a voice cut through their spar.
"Gentlemen. Dinner will be ready shortly." Alex called out to the two fighters. Both stopped their attacks on each other and looked over at the butler and the other expedition members. Joslyn and James gave a look at the older gentleman as he walked back into the house. Both shrugged their shoulders and put their money back into their wallets.
"I still say Monty would have won the match," James said as the two fighters came back to the mansion door.
"I think Ranma might have given Monty a run for his money," Joslyn said as she walked back into the house as well, not seeing the blush that was rising on Ranma's face before he was clapped on the back by the man walking next to him.
"You did great lad, I think you'll make a fine addition to the team." Monty said, patting Ranma's shoulder, "You did give me a fine workout there."
"Thank you, Sir," Ranma said back.
"Monty, lad. Just call me Monty like everyone else does."
"Alright, Monty." Ranma relented on that, especially since the man looked like he was old enough to be his grandfather. "Thanks for the spar though. I really needed that to loosen up."
"No worries lad, anytime you want to spar, just let me know." Monty smiled, picking up his hat from the porch table. "Now let's get cleaned up before dinner."
Ranma nodded again as he had worked up quite a sweat. Sam and Stephany, who were standing near the door as they passed gave them both a joking sign of their smelly bodies. This caused Ranma to laugh as they went up to their rooms and into their separate showers.
-LINE BREAK-
"We leave in the morning for the dock and we'll travel by boat to Cairo," Lara stated as they sat around a long table in the main dining hall. Ranma sat next to Lara, with Sam on the other side, across from them was Stephany, Joslyn, James, and Monty.
"Why by boat? Wouldn't that take longer?" Ranma asked, taking a calming bite of the food prepared for the group. Ranma started enjoying the food as he took these slow bites while listening and commenting upon the expedition.
"According to this book and what we know of the area, we'll be fine getting there," Lara said, tapping the book in between the two groups of people.
"That, and it's easier for us to take cars and trucks with us via boat than having to buy one while we're there." Richard Croft stated, looking at Ranma before putting his attention on his daughter, "And you have this all planned out, Lara?"
"Yes, Father," Lara stated, as she pointed to another book in the middle of the table, "All of our gear, traveling trails and roads. And even Ranma's side journey was taken into account." Lara flipped open the book and pointed to the schedule. "I expect us to be there for a few months because of the season. We might have even more time if we discover the place quickly."
"And you sure you have the place you're heading to?" Richard looked over at Monty.
"Aye Richard, we've narrowed it down to two places but we think Uganda and Kenya are the two locations, but we might have it down to Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana."
"Why lakes?" Richard asked, looking around at the group.
"We think, because of the dry season, the lakes will lower their water levels enough to see if there's a cave or another such location near those lakes," James said, as he picked up the journal Lara was pointing to. "It mentions that we need to find the place where plains and jungles meet. Where water flows up or down." As he summarized the book.
"I see." Richard Croft said, stroking his chin before taking a bite of his own dinner. "Looks like everything's planned out very well. Monty. I expect you to take good care of my daughter and her team."
"Of course, Richard," Monty said as they quietly ate the rest of their dinner.
'Tomorrow's going to be a busy day.' Ranma thought as he finished his dinner along with the rest of the group. He looked over and saw Lara looking at him just for a brief moment, then she looked away and finished eating the rest of her dinner. "Something the matter, Lara?"
"Nothing in particular," Lara said as she looked back at Ranma, "Just more excited about the trip, but aren't you worried about being in your girl form?"
"Why should I?" Ranma asked as he stopped eating and focused on Lara for their discussion.
"I would have thought that you'd like to be in your male form, but we're going to be on the sea for a while."
"I had to stay a girl for the better part of a month or two in China." Ranma gave her a sly grin, "I think I can stand being a girl for a few days."
"I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I even got that type of curse."
"At least I'm human. Kinda hard to not be lucky that way."
"That's right, you said your father was a panda?"
"Yep, that's right. Ol' man got hit with one of the bigger ones. I know a few who are a duck, pig, and c...cat." Ranma stuttered out before Lara placed a hand on his leg, to comfort him with his fear of felines.
"That's true. But I'm sure we can help you find what you're looking for." Lara stated with a smile. "I just hope that the original notes on it have what you're looking for."
"So do I." Ranma quietly said to himself, "So do I."