Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Rolling Mist, Morning Wind ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Rolling Mist, Morning Wind

A Ranma/Rayearth Fanfic by Adyen (senranda@yahoo.ca)

Well, here's chapter one. I don't know when I'll write a second chapter, but I'll work on it when I have time.

For the sake of the fic, I will be dropping all the `san' and `kun' etc. in speeches because they'd be confusing for a lot of readers. However, I'll still be using the Asian way of naming, which means it's last name first, then first name.

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While Saotome Ranma was not the happiest guy in the world (and he seldom is *happy* at all), right now, he felt that he was flying at the top of the world (which is not to be confused with being punted into LEO by things like fiancées or other martial artists). It's been slightly more than a month since he learnt of the Yami- and Umi-sen-ken, two forbidden schools of martial arts created by his glutton of a father, Genma. And it has been about two weeks since he's stolen the scrolls from his father's packs and replaced them with look-a-likes from the outside, but blanks in the inside.

Having used the excuse that he needed to train alone after his latest battle, he quickly read through the scrolls, but found to his dismay that it was more complicated than it first seems. By the end of the month, he learned less than half of both scrolls, but promised himself that he'll continue training in them as soon as he has the chance.

Leaving his training area before sunrise, he took the time to slowly explore the empty roads leading to Nerima, enjoying the silence of the roads. Occasionally, a flicker of light would appear, showing that there is still life in the city, even that early in the morning. By the time the sun started to rise, he had entered the Nerima ward and miraculously, no-one had tried to challenge him or got him wet with cold liquids.

As he walked towards the Tendo Dojo, he thought about what he was going to do about his fiancée(s) problem. It's obvious that none of them would answer to a simple `no', but he didn't have the heart to just leave them hanging forever. Escaping isn't much of an option, since both the Amazons and Uyko would just follow him; nor would Soun or Genma allow him to just escape from their grasps. It didn't take a genius to know that he's in trouble, and Ranma certainly isn't completely stupid. Ignorant: yes; stupid: no.

Turning a corner, he noticed some woman turning into an alleyway, carrying some bags with her. Not completely sure why someone else was shopping that early in the morning, he was about to keep moving when he suddenly noticed a bright glow of jade colored light coming from the alleyway. Alarmed and more than a bit curious, he quickly dashed to where the light was coming from, sliding to a stop just beside the wall and tipping over a few trashcans.

Looking down the alleyway, he immediately noticed the large glowing hoop that stood just larger than a normal person, pulsing with power that Ranma had never seen or felt before. In the center of the portal was the woman he had saw entering the alleyway with her head turned back to investigate the noise. When she recognized who it was, her eyes widen in surprise and she held out an arm as if to tell him to leave, but just seeing who was in the light managed to spur Ranma into action without thinking.

Like an arrow, he practically *flew* at the slowly fading figure and shrinking portal, jumping diagonally and into the portal just moments before it completely closed on him. Landing face first into the floor and sliding forwards, he crashed head first into a large stone. The last thing he heard before blacking out was a voice he knew very well saying, "Oh my!"

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When Ranma regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was that he felt stronger than he ever felt before. That realization came at the same time as a sharp pain on his head where he crashed directly into a stone slab. Ruefully thinking that his head may actually be as tough as rock, he sat up and glanced around.

"I don't think I'm in Nerima anymore." Ranma commented, firmly and meticulously destroying the urge to yell `Where am I now?!'.

The surrounding area is not the concrete and asphalt of Tokyo, but rather large and green trees that seems to open up to the clearing he's currently in. In the middle, there are eight large yet short pillars of rock placed in a circle, probably where he had first appeared.

Checking himself, he realized that his travel pack was set off to a side, leaning against one of the stone pillars. Scrambling to it, he quickly checked through his stuff and to his relief, everything of value to him was still there. He sighed and was about to pick it up when he suddenly heard a female voice saying, "Oh, Ranma. You're awake."

Upon hearing that voice, he suddenly remembered just *how* he got there. He quickly spun around, letting go of his pack and leaving it on the floor, to face the reason why he dashed through that portal.

She was dressed differently than before. Instead of wearing her normal white dress, she was wearing some sort of decorative armor with a long flowing cape. As the wind ripped through, making her long hair, tied with some sort of thin green line, and cape flutter. He could see a symbol on her cape; a symbol with a bow pointed downwards, a broadsword positioned as if it was an arrow, where the string was at where the sword connected the hilt, and with a large bird like shape spreading its wings out and upwards and above the hilt. On her shoulders, the cloak were attached by the white epaulets while behind her ears, little wings that had green gem attached to it, without any way that seems to keeps it from falling. A green and white bodice linked to a gold colored belt, which was seamlessly merged to a long skirt and petticoat that reached to her knees. A pair of long white boots, topped with a green gem of what seems to be a light topaz or some sort of transparent jade, reached down from just below her knees. On her arms were pure white gloves with a green edge to where the opening was, as well as a large gem that adorned the back of the glove on her left land.

"Kasumi?" Ranma asked incredulously and wide eyed. "So it WAS you that I saw?!"

Sighing, Tendo Kasumi walked slowly towards the young man. "How are you, Ranma?"

Looking up and down at her once more, a somewhat tongue-tied Ranma did his classic pose of scratching the back of his head with a forced laugh replied, "Eh heh heh... I'm sorry?"

Shaking her head, Kasumi moved behind the stone pillar Ranma's travel bag was and picked up two bags she was holding when she entered the portal. Walking back to the front, she found that Ranma had already picked up his own pack and was looking at her questioningly.

"It's alright, Ranma. I don't blame you, but I need you to keep this a secret for me." She said, replying to his earlier question.

"Wait... wait a sec!" Ranma exclaimed. "I still don't get what happened, and why you're in that dress."

Kasumi looked down at herself. "I guess it does look something like a dress, but I need you to promise me, on your honor as a man and a martial artist that you won't tell anything to *anyone* without my permission. Not Akane, not ANYONE at all."

Blinking a few times, Ranma looked directly at Kasumi, as if gauging if she was serious. Slowly, he nodded, saying "I promise not to tell anyone about this on my honor as a man and a martial artist... as long as you tell me what this is all about."

Sighing once again, Kasumi slowly rubbed her temples. "I guess that's the best I could expect... Fine, follow me." Without saying anything else, she started walking in a direction, not waiting for Ranma.