Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Hand Maid May Fan Fiction / Gatekeepers Fan Fiction ❯ Retake ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Retake, Chapter 3:

There were certain things that seemed to be true no matter what timeline Greylle found himself in. Call them multiversal constants for lack of a better term.

One: flying was *good*! Doing it in an B-Wing or hovercraft was good. Doing it as a dragon was even better. Okay, you couldn't go supralight or travel beyond a certain ceiling. As Kestral it would be even better, but he'd lost that Aspect. Still, the feel of air sluicing past his body, the pressure against wing surfaces as he used them for additional lift and control, the feeling of freedom and control. Beautiful.

Two: it was good to be the dragon. Someone had once said that "Dragons make good enemies, and better allies." This was so. To *be* the dragon was...

Arcing up into a stall, which was also a midair piroutte. Diving down to level off close enough to the treetops that branches snapped from the air passage. Twisting and looping through everything he'd ever seen at an airshow, and added manuevers that required a very flexible body to perform.

This? This was joy. It was contentment. It was being reborn from moment to moment in glory.

Greylle couldn't help but bugle in the pure emotion he was experiencing.

It was *damn* good to be the dragon.

He'd gotten an early start on the day, packing his bags quickly and taking a train to the station and from there up to the area Nabiki had indicated would have no disturbances or witnesses, he could practice secret techniques to his heart's content here.

Another few minutes pitching a tent that he'd gotten from a "Second Hand Sports" and throwing that thin futon of his in. It didn't take long to get a firepit ready, and it was close to a stream. Then he'd gone a little ways off and transformed.

Two hours later and he was still reveling in taking what was now his true shape. It felt as if he'd been cramped and confined in a too small suit and had suddenly taken it off. Scratching itches he had borne for so long that they hadn't really registered anymore.

Wings spread a little further and Greylle slowed in order to briefly hover. He needed to get busy. He had too much to do. He had responsibilities. He had...

Aw heck, just a little more wouldn't hurt.

Of course, that was when a few bullets started flying toward him.

His momentary surprise that someone had a gun in Japan was broken off as one hit and *stung!*

Okay, that was it. He didn't want to be here anyway. NOW he was pissed.

------

A woman grinned from where she sat in a tree branch. "Looks like its working."

"What does?"

"Oh, there you are, Urd. A Luck Balancing spell. It should swing him into good luck before it gets him into neutral luck."

Urd pointed. "Getting shot at is good luck?"

"If it were bad luck he'd have been in human form. As for the rest, watch and see."

--------

The two captives were a little nervous, being held hostage by armed and desperate types who were talking about taking liberties with the female prisoner having that sort of effect.

Hopes raised a little upon hearing gunshots. Perhaps the police had arrived?

Hopes dropped a little on hearing screams of outright terror. And was that roaring?!

The screams got even nastier and more frightening. Their final captors ran out, guns drawn, and there was a blast of cold air and a set of screams that ended in the most unsettling manner.

There was a few moments of silence, then a gaijin entered. Tall, blonde, and with the look of a fighter. That he was wearing a baseball uniform was noted as an odd detail that made absolutely no sense.

"That's what i thought," said the gaijin in English. "Hang on, i'll get you out of there."

The gaijin broke the handcuffs with his bare hands, proving that he was quite a bit stronger than he looked, and that he didn't look particularly weak to begin with.

"Uhm, do you work for me?" The male captive asked in oddly accented English.

"Nope, just a transfer student of Furinkan, Greylle Shard. Nice to meet you two. Uhm, you look kinda familiar."

The man shook his head. "I don't think we've met. You've my thanks."

The gaijin blocked the door as the two moved towards it. "You might want to shield the young lady's view. It got kinda messy. As soon as i realized they were Yakuza, and shooting at me, i kinda lost my temper. It's a problem i've got. People making death threats or trying to kill me really rub me the wrong way."

The woman captive pushed past. "We are Japanese, we are able to handle mess quite easily. It is..."

The male of the two moved to catch the woman before she fainted.

Greylle went to one of the odd ice pillars and shattered it with a punch. Then found a cellphone on the frozen body that had been inside and handed it to the male captive. "Look, you two seem like good people. These weren't. And like i said, i gotta little temper problem when there's death threats involved. You two use the phone, call those people who work for you to come pick you up."

The male captive looked about. Cars had been ripped open, with jagged pieces of metal from where the roofs had been peeled away. Bodies were lying everywhere, with dark glasses and black suits likewise shredded. There were columns and patches of ice visible too, one of which had a still twitching arm sticking out of it.

Somewhat alarming were the *claw* marks quite visible, and nearly everywhere.

"Sorry about the mess, take care."

-----------

Greylle left, got away from the site, and transformed back and began flying again. Little handguns hadn't done much other than sting against his hide. The shotgun likewise hadn't had enough penetration. If they'd had a high powered rifle...

Huh? A scream? Oh crap, what were THEY doing here. For that matter what the heck was a grizzly bear doing in Japan?!

-------

Nabiki looked up, and up, and up, and saw WHAT had just reduced the bear to little scraps of bloody fur. Silvery metal scales, long neck, big mouth full of what looked like really sharp teeth. "Gah!" She would have run but her legs were locked. Her hair was also pointing straight up and she'd turned quite pale.

Nabiki was the cold in-control Ice Queen of Furinkan. At this moment her rational mind shut down and she was effectively a small brown mammal faced by the biggest damn predator she'd ever seen.

Kasumi looked at the dragon, then down at the remains of the bear that had attacked them, then appeared to think for a moment.

Greylle was entirely unsure of what to make of this situation. He'd spotted them but hadn't been inclined to make an appearance, but seeing the two about to run into that bear had been enough.

The eldest Tendo daughter bowed. "Hello Dragon-san. My name is Kasumi Tendo. I hope you are well today."

Greylle blinked. She was kidding, right?

Nabiki continued to stare with big eyes and...

Greylle sniffed the air. Funny, he would have thought Nabiki had more self-control.

"So, Dragon-san, have you seen my sister, who was supposed to be following her boyfriend out here?"

*No Kasumi of Tendo. Only you two has this one seen.* So Akane was out here too? Just freakin' wonderful!

"...telepathy..." Nabiki might have been normally inclined towards natural shielding but had run into the sort of trouble that occurred once someone told you to not think about purple cows. Once you'd committed to try not to thinking about them, that was all you could think about.

To Greylle, an Aramarian dragon who understood almost any language due to a telepathic trick, it was like she was shouting every guilty secret in her possession. Mixed liberally with fear, discomfort, and (for whatever odd reason) greed. To his sensibilities it was sickening. Well, at least mildly nauseating. Especially as she kept picturing herself being shredded by claws and chomped on by jaws. His tastes definitely did *not* run to maiden flesh.

*Kasumi of Tendo. There is a human camp near a stream this way. Let your sister clean up there. And NO, Nabiki of Tendo. You're confusing me with the Yamato-no-Orochi. Don't be insulting.* With a furling of wings, Greylle launched himself, to better guide the two. Also to get some distance.

It was a simple camping trip. Why did it have to turn into such a mess?

Landing at his campsite was easy enough. He'd chosen it for just such a purpose. Ah, here came Nabiki and Kasumi. Well, he'd give them some privacy so Nabiki could clean up and he could transform back while well out of sight. Then he could get some answers.

His tent moved and yet another young girl stepped out and saw a big carnivore. Then saw her own sisters coming closer.

"Kasumi! Run! I'll cover your escape!" With that as a battlecry, Akane attacked.

--------

A blackhaired oriental woman listened carefully. Time to see if her preparations and Urd's little mission had taken.

--------

"Sir, a thousand apologies. If you but ask, I have a kaishaku ready and will perform seppuku immediately."

The formerly captive male made a brushing gesture. "No. Everyone gets ill every so often, and you can still barely stand. My other guards will obviously have to be checked more thoroughly as somehow these *persons* managed to infiltrate their ranks."

"Youma," pronounced another of the black-suit clad operatives. "All of them bear the mark of some dark entity that they served. I'll have to research which one."

"What of our rescuer?" The female of the captives asked.

"Greylle Shard. He was scouted out as 'gaijin tarento' by the Yoimuri Giants. Until he graduates though, he is a free agent who can't sign a contract for them. American, or so we thought, until a background check revealed something more. Heir to Martial Arts Baseball and the Seven Dragons School Of Martial Arts. Practitioner of Whatever Works Engineering, Martial Arts Housekeeping, and trained in a few dozen other very exotic and esoteric martial arts - though a master of none. Lives in a modest studio apartment, attends Furinkan Senior High School. Apparently the boyfriend of a..." The agent checked his notes. "Actually the report isn't too clear on that. Some say an 'Akane Tendo', others state he's the fiance of a 'Kasumi Tendo', others indicate that he's the lover of a 'Nabiki Tendo' and yet others indicate that he's repeatedly stated he's not anyone's boyfriend, lover, or fiance. Oh, and there were also two reports that he's involved with all three Tendo girls."

"Other than he's actually a dragon, what did your report reveal?" The former captive made a gesture at the destruction to his right.

The one who had spoken of demonic influence earlier took over. "Alien prince. Apparently there's some area in China known as the 'Lost Kingdoms' and has its roots in various cultural icons, or vice versa. A group known as Joketsuzoku represent the Tiger, the Phoenix is actually a place called Phoenix Mountain, and a group of beastmen known as the Musk were thought to represent the Dragon until recently. Actually there is a Valley Of The Dragons which was thought to be a myth. A valley in which no technology functions."

"He's not from Jurai, is he?"

"No, my Emperor. A similar group, though more isolationist. It is said that they are artificiers who build devices of great magical power." The old priest made a gesture off in the direction of the nearby dragon. "A prince of a star kingdom, commanding a hidden kingdom here on Earth. Apparently he has great healing abilities, but little control at this point, and is actually here to fight demonic entities."

"Then his interests and the interests of my nation coincide," indicated the formerly captive Emperor. He gestured towards his wife to get her attention. "It has been a most tiring day. I think we should retire for now, while I decide how best to repay this debt."

"Emperor-san! The dragon is being attacked by some girl in his own campsite!"

--------

This was embarassing, decided Greylle very very quickly.

Akane, later in the series, would prove to be formidable enough to beat on the Yamato-No-Orochi. Though this was mainly due to the weakened and starved condition of the Orochi, that it was clumiser than five cows with their tails tied together, and the fact that even with five heads the Orochi was far stupider than any of the other cast members.

"Take THIS! Haiii-ya!"

Greylle, at fifty two feet in length, was considerably less massive than the Orochi. He was also, apparently, lacking a glass jaw (let alone five of them).

"Ah-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-TA!"

After the first flying kick from his (relatively) diminuitive attacker, Greylle had simply laid down, with one foreclaw cradling his chin. He turned an obviously bored look towards Kasumi and Nabiki.

"Quick, run away! I've got him on the run!"

Letting out a loud sigh, Greylle rolled his eyes. *You know. Today really sucks wind.*

"Yah!" Akane threw one more punch, then started waving her hands around. "Owie."

*My scales are the consistency of metal, you know. As if you couldn't guess.* Greylle sent his tail around and flipped the short girl towards the stream. *Cool down. Why does everyone confuse me with the damn Orochi?! i. don't. eat. people. Well, at least on purpose.* Hmmm. That was right, he was literally an omnivore, and metals were part of his diet. He'd have to find some silverware or something, wouldn't do to get low on minerals. Part of a balanced breakfast and all that.

"Oh my," said Kasumi bowing politely. "I do hope Akane hasn't offended you. She's a very nice girl, despite being a violent maniac."(1)

"You eat people by accident?!" Nabiki was *not* reassured by this assertation in the slightest.

*i've got a little temper problem. One of the things about dragons, oh pardon me.* Greylle got up, fished Akane out of the stream, then put her face down on the ground so he could press down on her and squeeze the water out. The stream was only three feet deep, having her drown in it would be terribly mortifying. She'd never live it down. *Ahem, like i was saying, dragons are essentially elemental creatures. i'm kind of air and water. We tend to be like the weather - sometimes calm and peaceful, but also given to switching to extremes of emotion.*

"Sort of like Akane," noted Nabiki as she shrugged and started stripping. If she was gonna be eaten, she was gonna be eaten. She had given up worrying about it.

*Hey! That's not what i... i suppose there is some parallel. Damn. Errrr. Should you be doing that in front of strangers?*

"You're a dragon, a boy dragon but a dragon nonetheless, I..." Nabiki stopped when she realized the dragon had turned partially away and was *blushing*?! Also that he'd accidently ground Akane into the dirt by putting his weight on her at an inopportune time.

*Well, i'll leave you three... oh darn. Hang on. Looks like a healing spell will be needed for this girl. Who'd have thought she was delicate with *that* attitude?*

Nabiki had taken her panties and shorts into the stream to wash them when that stopped her. "Healing spell?" Dragons might be profitable, and she'd thought of several ways to sell his location, though the thought of what the dragon might *accidently* do in return was most alarming. He obviously did not have trouble tossing Akane around. Healing spells? The call of vast sums of yen if she could gain the dragon's trust or at least cooperation was staggering.

*Yeah, i think i cracked one of her ribs. i thought the slapstick effect would protect her from stuff like that. This does not bode well.*

"Oh my." Kasumi thought that blood from Akane's mouth was most definitely not a good sign.

Greylle thought about it. The words of the spell changed depending on need, so long as the patterns and symbols of magic were utilized in the correct fashion. Side effects could likely be minimized if he used the correct rhyme. Though he had the feeling that was only *part* of the answer.
*Light of healing,
wounds be sealing,
bone and flesh - reknit, renew,
send thy force entire through,
seal injuries to this warrior maid,
so her pains will quickly fade.
Cure Critical Wounds.*

Nabiki noted the dragon still wouldn't look in her direction, noted that the words had been in *English* and that Akane glowed briefly with white light.

Akane lifted her head up. "Yeah. Let that be a lesson to you. There's more of that where that came from. That is. Yeah."

"Akane. Drop it," advised Nabiki. Hmmm. An easily embarrassed dragon that spoke English. There was something familiar about it too.

Greylle decided to leave before Akane tried to attack him again. This was all terribly embarassing. And it looked like he'd have to cut the whole thing short, it certainly wasn't working out too well.

--------

Akane watched the dragon leave. She'd driven it off! Hah. She was still the best!

"Akane, how could you be so mean to that poor dragon?"

"Huh?" Akane stopped reveling in her triumph. "Hey, how'd I get out of the stream? And why are you two here anyway? And why is Nabiki washing her shorts out? And... Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?"

"Gee, Akane, I dunno. Maybe you should... Get A Clue!" Nabiki finished washing out her shorts and set them on a rock to dry. It had been a terribly stressful day so far, and it wasn't even 9am! Heck, she shouldn't even be awake yet on a Sunday!

--------

Greylle landed a good mile away from his campsite, then shifted back to human again. It felt oddly confining and weakening for a few minutes, but that faded eventually.

He started walking forward when he realized someone else was nearby. His senses cut down to near-human levels by the shapeshift, it made it difficult to pinpoint the location.

Growling, he walked all the way back to his campsite while waiting for an attack or something.

Of course, nothing happened.

"Tendo-kun, Tendo-sempai, and whoever you are," said Greylle. "Why when come here be private, is so crowded... AND Yuka and Sayuri?"

Nabiki was shivering, apparently reluctant to step out of the stream with all these people here. "AND Hiroshi, AND Daisuke, AND this is my big sister Kasumi, AND there's the baseball team, and there's Coach Kanzaki, and I'm SURE you remember Vice Principal Shinrei, oh, and I SHOULDN'T forget Hanzo and Greta!"

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Greylle considered the situation. "Nabiki, you sell location i train in secret to others?"

"Uhm, no?"

Taking a cue from all the people nodding "yes" - Greylle calmly collected Nabiki's clothes and walked to the tent. "i'm go to back to my apartment."

"...but I wanted to spar," said Akane plaintively. "You were going to teach me special techniques, right?"

Hiroshi elbowed Daisuke. "Special techniques, eh?"

Greylle was about to say no when he got this nasty impulse. "Sure. i head dojo this afternoon. Teach you special attack."

"What about Nabiki?" Kasumi glanced over at her shivering sister.

"She made the soup, now she can lie in it," said Greylle, not looking at Nabiki. That way she couldn't see the evil smirk. "Hiroshi and Daisuke can keep an eye on Nabiki and make sure she's okay. Bye."

--------

This would do it. He'd read the "Battle Dougi" story, and seen it acted out in various timelines. "Yeah, I know a special manuever from another school you could learn."

"Well, let me see it!" Akane was eager for this. A special manuever? Perfect. She could then finally show off her strength enough that some weak American would go off and leave her alone. Though she was beginning to have second thoughts about this. How often did she meet nice, polite, caring, boys?

"=It is a manuever of Ti Kwan Leep. First you must clear your spirit. Ommmmmm.=" Greylle thought this was from a comedy sketch so it was perfect for the situation. Akane had revealed in that Battle Dougi story that if Ranma had *ever* struck her, she would never have forgiven him, despite her exhortations to fight her for real. So all he had to do was use a silly martial arts trick, tag her, then he wouldn't have to worry about this and could go do *important* stuff.

Akane blinked. "Excuse me? How long do we have to do this?"

"=About an hour to cleanse the soul. Ommmmmm.=" It was odd, but Akane talking in Japanese and him talking in English seemed to work. Mostly.

"HOUR?!"

"=Maybe longer. Ommmmmm.="

"WHAT THE HECK KIND OF LAME SPECIAL ATTACK IS THIS?!"

Perfect. "I see I must demonstrate. Step closer."

Akane grinned and strode forward. "Finally some action!" Perfect.

"Special manuever of Ti Kwan Leep. Boot ta da head!" *WHAKUM!*

Akane somersaulted in midair and came down on the ground. "oooowie. You... booted me in the head!"

Greylle was a little surprised. It was just a joke special manuever based off a comedy sketch by a Quebecois group called the Frantics. It wasn't supposed to be *that* effective! Still, if things were going to go by such an obvious plotline. "You are lucky, Akane Tendo. Few students of Ti Kwan Leep learn so much of the school this quickly."

"Hey! Hey! I wasn't ready!" Akane got up and charged forward. "Come on and try that again!"

"Boot ta da head!" *SMACKUM!*

Akane bounced off the compound wall and landed on her butt. "Ow! Oh. Okay, NOW I'm ready."

"Boot ta da head!" *KER THWAK!*

"Mind if I just lie down here for a minute?"

Soun had been watching getting more and more horrified. Now he went to full demonhead mode. "YOU GAIIIJIIIN!"

"Boot ta da head!" *KRUNCH!*

Greylle smiled, seeing Soun Tendo go nighty-night instead of getting his usual way with that manuever. There was something to be said for this sensei stuff after all.

"Uhm, that's a pretty good manuever," admitted Akane as she struggled to a seated position. "Sort of a twisting snap kick but it's got a lot of (ouch) power behind it. It has the advantage of speed, and you were able to access it without a lot of startup time or making the attack obvious before you launched it."

"As my teacher would say, 'you approach wisdom' Akane." Greylle bowed, ready for the personal attacks and hatred. Or maybe she would try it on him and he could follow the original sketch a bit more.

Akane nodded a couple of times, then her eyes rolled up in their sockets and she fainted.

Greylle sighed and carried Akane in to where he could cast a Cure Light on her without anyone noticing. Sometimes being responsible sucked.

It took him a few minutes to get Akane to her bed, then position her in at least a dignified manner. Once she woke up she'd never forgive him for actually hitting her (according to the original material and what he'd seen of other timelines), he could leave and investigate these odd divination spell results. So he could be generous in giving her a send off. He was inclined towards generosity anyway.

Though seeing an expression of pain crossing the girl's face triggered the usual protective instincts and he went with something a bit stronger than Cure Light Wounds.

"Powers of light,
I call to thee,
Injuries old and new to heal,
That her health they do not steal,
Rest well warrior, battle's done,
Reward of rest you've surely won.
Healing Sleep."

Eyes closed as he cast the spell, Greylle didn't notice that his hands (one on her forehead, the other on her stomach) glowed briefly. Nor did he notice Akane scrutinizing him briefly, awake and awaiting something hentai (an excuse to come awake fully and pound the boy) when she felt the pleasant warmth and drowsiness flow into her body.

If he had an ESP spell going or had been in dragonform, her thought that he was like a young Doctor Tofu and was using a shiatsu healing technique would have been dismissed as no consequence.

Somewhere, ominous thunder swore because it realized it had missed its cue.

---------

Nabiki snuck away from the cracked-open door with as much speed as she could bring to bear with the need for absolute silence. Once safely in her room, she began shaking.

She, like Greylle, expected Akane to react to being defeated with vitriol. This would effectively destroy any relationship between the two. As far as Akane was concerned, this would be viewed as a sexual assault, reality not withstanding.

No, the Akane + Greylle budding romance had just died, Nabiki was sure of it. Akane being shown up always had the same result: resentment and anger.

Which meant that a talented baseball player who happened to need a manager was available. That wasn't a problem.

What concerned Nabiki was a softly chanted spell and glowing hands. She hadn't made out all the words, but it had been in English and she *did* speak that language. It was a major language for business after all. She'd caught enough to realize what he'd done. Either magic or a psychic technique.

The ability to put someone in a healing trance? Yes, she could profit by it. That wasn't the problem.

The problem was that she'd already witnessed a dragon earlier that day. The odd gadgets in Greylle's apartment. Now this. Her tidy little worldview was coming apart at the seams. There was only one explanation.

Greylle was from the future. Or he was an alien. Okay, make that two explanations. Three if you combined them and he was an alien from the future.

Though it was only shown briefly in the stories Greylle was familiar with, Nabiki in the vast majority of timelines was at least slightly into manga. In a few she actually wrote and drew manga, but in the majority she simply read them.

Nabiki lay back on her bed and therefore fit the past two days into a semblence of order based on those sorts of stories. Greylle was an alien from a planet where they had baseball. And the "Seven Dragon" style obviously referred to his dragon-servants. So, why was here? Obvious. Like Time Traveller Atsuko in the manga of the same name, he was here to save the human race from some great menace or disaster that would strike in the future.

The mercenary Tendo was also facing something else. She'd always equated money with power and control. In a world where she was now facing alien dragons and baseball playing psychic time travellers, a few extra yen were suddenly pitiable.

In order to get her hands on *that* kind of power, she needed to be friends (at least) with this guy. He was nice and all, but Nabiki could well imagine all sorts of nasty things that could be done to her if she tried blackmail or her usual tactics. Anywhere from psychically wiping her memories to feeding her to that dragon. Nabiki wasn't sure which she'd be less happy with.

So it was either significantly change her modus operandi, ignore what she'd learned, or get fed to a dragon. This last caused her to frown. Based on what she'd seen of the fellow, particularly how tenderly he'd carried Akane up the stairs, he wasn't *that* brutal. Erasure of memories seemed likely.

Though the sight of Akane helpless and being touched like that was turning her on. It didn't take much effort to close her eyes and imagine those strong hands touching her like that. Of being held tenderly in those arms and laid out on her bed and...

Nabiki slipped off in a light drowse before she'd realized it.

If she could have known that this was the unplanned side effect of the 'Healing Sleep' spell, she might have been alarmed.

------

Greylle passed by Nabiki's room, hearing a series of soft moans, and decided not to check on her. Considering Nabiki it could mean anything.

He *could* heal Soun. Nah.

There were better things to do.

------

"Aaaaaa!" Ranma-chan screamed and ran to the East.

"I get you," screamed Shampoo in quick pursuit.

"BReaaaguh!"

"Aaaaa!" Ranma-chan screamed and ran to the West.

"Aaaaa!" Shampoo screamed and ran likewise to the West.

The big bearlike creature with the huge mouth ambled after them. "Breaghhh! Snorlax!"

------


(1)=Thought i ought to footnote this as otherwise i'll get comments about it being OOC for Kasumi. Go check the manga. She does indeed sum up Akane's character that way.