Chapter 1: The Pools of Jusenkyou

[mancha_sama]

Breath of Fire ½
By: Dragon-sama

Ryoga catches up to Ranma a little earlier at Jusenkyou, and both gain a different curse than expected. Now with two new traveling companions, they wander the globe in search of answers, as well as the truth behind the war from long ago. A Ranma ½ x Breath of Fire 3 crossover. No pairings planned.

Key-
"...” speech
{...} mental speech
[...] panda signs
'...' thoughts
-
It was another beautiful day. The sun shone brightly over a quiet valley, reflecting off numerous pools of water and illuminating the two figures trudging along. One was a portly man, head covered with a white bandana and round glasses on his face. Behind him was a black-haired, pony-tailed boy whose sparkling gray-blue eyes looked around with interest. Both wore simple white training gi.

"Is this it, Oyaji?" the boy asked.

"Yes. This is the legendary training ground of Jusenkyou. Are you ready?" the man replied, hopping onto one of the many bamboo poles. "I won't go easy on you."

"That's the way I like it!" the boy smirked as he too leapt into the air.

"Oh no, sirs!" came a cry from nearby. The guide's words went unheeded. "Very bad you fall in!" he tried again, but gave up as the two martial artists faced off.

Genma Saotome perched on one of the poles while his son Ranma Saotome balanced a little ways away on another pole. The pools below sparkled maliciously in the sunlight.

At an unspoken signal, both leapt into the air and began to fight. Blows were exchanged mid-air, the two combatants alighting on the bamboo for only an instant before they launched themselves airborne again. The furious fight had only gone on for a minute before Ranma ducked a kick from his father and struck an opening, managing to knock Genma into one of the pools.

Landing lightly, the boy called out tauntingly, "Are we done already, Oyaji?"

Before Genma even had a chance to get out of the water, Ranma's danger sense went off. Leaping nimbly out of the way, he watched as another boy went barreling past him. 'What the--?' he thought as he jumped a few more poles away. The other boy had landed on the ground between two pools, creating a sizable crater.

"Who're you?" Ranma called out to him, getting into a ready stance atop the pole he still stood on. The boy straightened up and turned, baring his fanged teeth.

"Forgotten me already, Ranma?" the boy growled. Ranma studied him. He had on a yellow bandana and a dark blue training gi that also seemed to serve as traveling clothes. Ranma screwed up his face, trying to remember. Fangs, bandana, fangs...

"Hey! I remember you! You're Ryoga Hibiki! Long time no see, pal!" Ranma said smiling happily. Off to the side he noticed the weird guide talking with a panda, but ignored that as Ryoga leapt onto a nearby pole.

"Why did you run away from our duel?" Ryoga demanded.

"What? What do'ya mean? I waited three days before Oyaji managed to drag me away," Ranma replied, confused.

"But when I arrived on the fourth day, you had fled!" Ryoga yelled.

Ranma didn't know exactly how that was supposed to work, but he did understand one thing.

"So you want ta finish it now?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yes," was the simple reply, and Ryoga grinned. They ignored the frantic waving of the panda and the shouts of the guide and attacked.

Their rivalry started back when they first met in middle school. The 'lunch-time wars' -- also known as hungry-teenage-boys-trying-to-get-the-food-before-it-ran-out -- soon became a battlefield for the two youths. Ranma, being the faster of the two, had always been able to snatch the last piece of bread before Ryoga could. It was not without its price, as Ryoga always made Ranma's victory very difficult.

Outside of the lunchroom, though, they were almost friends. Ranma prevented the eternally lost boy from living up to his name, and Ryoga insured the juvenile delinquent actually went to class. Their rivalry evolved into actual sparring matches, most of which ended in a draw as the two boys seemed well balanced.

Now as they fought again, older and more experienced, they found that this was still true. Ranma, a master of aerial attacks, bounced from pole to pole, attacking Ryoga mercilessly. Ryoga did his own fair share of leaps but generally waited until Ranma came at him to strike out. Ryoga was slowly being worn down as Ranma got more and more hits in, but Ranma himself was slowing down having to move twice as much as the other boy.

They met in mid-air, and Ryoga took another punch from the blue-eyed boy. He grimaced briefly in pain, then berated himself silently for letting himself get hit. 'I can't lose!' he screamed at himself. 'This is my revenge! This time, I've got to win!' It was time for desperate measures. If he could just get Ranma on the ground...

The panda and the guide were now heating up a kettle full of water. Ryoga landed on one of the poles and leapt again at a just landing Ranma. Unprepared, Ranma was bowled over as Ryoga body-slammed him, and they both plummeted toward the pool below.

The panda had just restored itself to Genma and he shouted, "Ranma! Don't hit the--" but it was too late as both boys landed with a splash.

There was a moment of perfect silence. Genma was too busy seeing his life flash before his eyes as his son, his heir, his meal ticket, all his dreams of an easy retirement, vanish under the water to react. Oddly enough, there was also a katana in these visions, and that just made the fat martial artist feel even fainter.

The water frothed and bubbled, and a moment later two girls broke the surface. One had flaming red hair tied in a ponytail; the other had short blonde hair held back by a bandana. Both were screaming loudly, clutching their heads in pain.

Ranma felt like he was being ripped apart. Memories not his own flashed through his mind, there and gone in an instant. He heard another voice screaming so close by, that it seemed to be right inside his head. The pain slowly faded and he could make out the out the words of this other person.

{Damn damn damn! That wasn't supposed to happen!}

His mind raced as it cleared further from the pain.

His first thought was, 'Who said that?', but before he could voice the thought, he got a response.

{Who...Who're you? Ahh...} and the voice seemed to fade into nothing.

"Wha...?" Ranma mumbled. Realizing he was lying on the ground, he sat up. A strange girl was on her knees next to him, one hand still tangled in Ranma's shirt and the other clutching her head in pain as she peered blearily at him.

"Was that you?" the girl slurred at him, releasing his shirt to press her other hand against her temple as well.

"Wha--" he croaked, confused and trying to figure out what happened. Where was Ryoga?

"Ranma?" an uncertain voice said behind him. He turned, still not feeling right.

"What, Oyaji?" he asked upon seeing his father. But his voice sounded strange to his ears. Then the guide came up.

"Oh, I very sorry Mr. Customers, but you fall in Nyuannichuan, spring of drown girl. Very tragic tale of girl what drown there 1500 year ago."

Whatever pain lingered abruptly disappeared as both newly cursed martial artists looked down at themselves in horror, before letting out an even louder scream than before.

"Oyaji! This is all your fault! What's the big idea draggin' us to a place like this, huh?!" the red head screamed, leaping to her feet.

"Now Ranma, no need to get angry," Genma began, sweating. He had three ways of handling this potentially dangerous situation: blame it all on Ranma, which, judging by the way the girl was advancing, was not a good idea; admit he was wrong and take his punishment, which was never an option for Genma anyway; or try to slime out of blame all together. Gee, I wonder which one he chose?

"No...need...to...get...angry?!" Ranma said, spacing each word slowly as if to be sure she got them all correct.

"Uh, well, perhaps being a little angry is understandable. But you did want to become the best martial artist, didn't you boy? Well, this is a training ground. You have to expect risks," Genma said as gravely as he could.

"...You can't speak Chinese, can you Oyaji? What did you expect with such a name as Cursed Springs anyway?!" Ranma demanded, advancing a few more steps.

"Now Ranma, weren't you willing to risk your life for the sake of the Art?" Genma asked.

"My life, yes! My manhood is another thing! Look at me! I'm a girl, damn it!" Ranma shrieked, pointing at her chest for emphasis.

"Well, if you had been a better martial artist, you would never have let that boy knock you in the water in the first place," Genma said, forgetting for a moment that he was trying to calm Ranma down. Glancing at his son...daughter...whatever, he saw Ranma's eye give an involuntary twitch, and her hands curl into white-knuckled fists.

"Oyaji...DIE!!!" Ranma screamed, charging her parent. Genma needed no further incentive to leave, all too reminded of his wife and that lovely contract, and he took off sprinting. He was glad he wasn't in panda form at the moment, because he needed all the speed he could get as his heir began chasing after him.

Ryoga was sitting frozen, still trying to wrap his mind around his startling change.

As Ranma began sprinting away, his mind finally began processing again.

"I'm a...girl."

And of course came to a conclusion.

"Ranma! This is all your fault!" Ryoga screamed as she leapt to her feet and began chasing after the retreating figure. Surprisingly, Ranma seemed to hear the other and came to a stop, though Genma still ran as if all the hounds of Hell were on his heels.

Whirling to face the brown-eyed girl, Ranma said incredulously, "My fault? How is this my fault?! You knocked us into that pool!"

"You're the one who came here in the first place, after running away from our duel!" Ryoga snapped, stopping a few feet from Ranma.

"I didn't come here 'cause I wanted to! It was my idiot father who dragged me here. Besides, I waited three days for you to show up, and would still be waiting if it wasn't for stupid Oyaji!"

"What do you mean 'still'?" Ryoga asked suspiciously. "Why would you wait four days? Why wait even three?"

"'Cause it was an honor duel, 'cause you're my friend, and 'cause I never run away from fights!" Ranma said furiously.

"So what happened then if you're so high and mighty as all that?" Ryoga demanded.

Ranma looked at her feet, flushing a little, which surprised Ryoga.

"I told Oyaji I had ta wait for you 'cause it was a fight, but he was in too much of a hurry I guess. I was dead on my feet when he found me, so he just snuck up behind me and knocked me out. Next thing I know I'm on a boat to China," Ranma muttered, embarrassed.

"Really?" Ryoga asked, anger receding.

"Yeah. Why does it matter anyway? I can't go on like this!" Ranma wailed in despair, also deflating as he gestured at his-now-her body. "I'm a weak girl! No one will ever take me seriously again!"

Ryoga opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by a new voice, and both cursed boys turned their attention to the guide.

"Oh, Mr. Customers, there is reverse for curse. Did you no see father? He was panda, but now he man again. Hot water turn you back into boys," the guide explained, and poured the almost-ever-at-the-ready kettle over both girls. The change took place rapidly as both boys expanded back into their true forms.

"Oh thank god! I thought I'd be stuck like that forever!" Ranma exclaimed, patting his now flat chest just to make sure there wasn't anything extra there.

"For once Ranma, I have to agree with you," Ryoga said, almost faint with relief.

"But sirs, is only temporary cure. When next you splash with cold water, you turn girl again," the guide said. As if to confirm this, the skies began to pour, drenching the two disgruntled boys. As one they turned in the direction a certain panda-man had taken, and began chasing after the long gone figure.

"COME BACK HERE YOU STUPID PANDA!!!"

* * *

"It's really too bad your dad ran off like that," Ryoga said later that night, tossing another stick in the fire and watching the sparks rise into the air.

"Yeah. I would've liked to pound the idiot for this," Ranma agreed sullenly. "It's one of the stupidest things he's ever done so far."

"Yeah? Well, you're lucky you know where your dad is," Ryoga muttered.

"Oh? Why's that?" Ranma asked.

"Last I saw my dad was a couple years ago," Ryoga explained. "I think we were somewhere in Wyndia, judging by the windmills we saw. Anyway, he wandered off a little later and I ended up in Okinawa."

"You always did have a problem with directions," Ranma said, chuckling.

"Shut up," Ryoga snapped. Silence fell once again on the small camp, only broken by the normal nighttime sounds and the crackling of the fire

Ranma shifted slightly, casting a casual-looking glance at his surroundings. He could swear there was someone nearby watching them, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't see anyone. Worried he was only imagining things, he didn't mention it to the other boy, merely kept on his guard. Finally the silence became more than he could bear.

"You've gotten better ya know," he said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ryoga asked, glancing at the pony-tailed boy in confusion.

"I mean at martial arts. You've gotten better," Ranma explained.

"Oh, thanks. So have you. I guess your old man has some use," Ryoga said with a shrug.

"Unfortunately," Ranma agreed with a snort. He thought he heard an echo of agreement, but a quick glance around only showed Ryoga giving him a puzzled look. He gave his head a shake to clear it before addressing the other boy again. "So what're you gonna do now?"

"Do?" Ryoga asked, blinking. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, we didn't finish our fight or anything, but what are you going to do after that?" Ranma asked hesitantly. Ryoga stared at the other boy in surprise.

After a moment, though, he turned his gaze back to the fire muttering, "I guess I never really thought about that."

{I'd go after Myria,} an oddly dual voice said sullenly.

"Who?" Ryoga asked, Ranma only an instant behind him in saying, "What?" They stared at each other in confusion for a moment before Ryoga waved a dismissive hand, muttering an embarrassed, "Never mind."

After a moment, Ryoga continued hesitantly, "I don't really...care about the duel. Not after...well, not after what you said. I don't really know what to do now. It's not like I can go home. Even if I managed to get there, no one else would be home, and I'd just get lost again..." he trailed off miserably.

Ranma blinked uncertainly, then brightened. "You could come with me and Oyaji, whenever he finds us, if you want," he suggested.

"Why would I do that?" Ryoga asked, staring at Ranma in surprise.

"Well, you said you didn't know what you were gonna do, so I figured if you came with me I could keep you from getting lost, and we could spar whenever we wanted!" Ranma said enthusiastically. "Besides, I'm sick of traveling around with only Oyaji as company," he added with a grimace.

Ryoga thought about it. The thought of being able to travel with Ranma to train in the Art seemed...fun. It would be a chance to fight someone near his own skill level, making it much easier to improve. And he was sick of traveling alone...

"Sure, why not. It might be fun," Ryoga said finally, giving the other boy a slight smile. "At the very least I can 'thank' Genma for this stupid curse whenever I feel like it."

"Only if I can help," Ranma agreed with a laugh, and held out a hand. Ryoga took it gladly, sealing the bargain. Then, of course, it began to rain, leaving two soaked and sour girls.

* * *

Ryoga sighed as he lay down in his tent, thankful for the small barrier between him and the rain. It was nice having a waterproof shelter in normal times, but now it seemed more of a necessity.

'So now I travel with Ranma of all people,' he thought to himself, staring at the ceiling of his tent. Ranma had pitched his own tent nearby, so Ryoga still had his to himself. 'Who would've thought? I was acting like a real idiot before, though, chasing Ranma to China when it was my own fault.' He sighed again. 'I wonder what changed. Was it the curse? This morning I was all set on making Ranma pay, but now...I guess I'm his friend. Or rival. Whichever.'

The rain steadily drummed on the roof of the tent as he thought about the events of earlier. When it became apparent they wouldn't find Genma due to the rain, the two cursed martial artists had quickly retrieved their packs and hightailed it away from Jusenkyou. The rain had let up for a while, and they'd been able to set their camp up in the lull.

Ryoga sighed. 'Then it had to start raining again. I don't think I've seen so much water in my life,' he grumbled. More as a habit than any real fear, he cast his senses out. All he heard was the rain beating on his tent, and other, normal wild life sounds. He could sense Ranma off in his own tent, and nothing else.

He frowned, suddenly realizing the other presence that had been lurking around all afternoon was gone. Though he hadn't been able to pinpoint where it was coming from, he had felt the eyes watching him from somewhere behind him. He hadn't said anything to Ranma about it, fearing it was just his own overtaxed mind playing tricks on him.

'Still, I know I heard someone when Ranma asked me what I was going to do. Something about "Myria"... But Ranma hadn't said anything, so maybe I was imagining things,' he thought morosely, not liking the uncertainty he felt.

Sighing again, Ryoga gave up worrying about it and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep. Instead of a dulling of the senses, Ryoga felt himself become more and more aware. His body, however, felt heavy and numb. Panicking a bit, he tried to move, to sit up, only to feel an odd separation. Then the world went gray.

He abruptly realized he was standing in an empty void. Looking down at himself, Ryoga was relieved that he could still see his own body despite there being no apparent light source. Other than that he was surrounded in an unbroken nothing-ness, no way to tell up from down. He didn't have much more time to observe the gray void as it began to take on colors and shapes, becoming clearer and more solid until he finally recognized what it was: Jusenkyou.

"Wha...?"

It was Jusenkyou, but not as he remembered it. There weren't as many odd dips and valleys as before, and the vegetation looked younger and sparser. The valley was covered in a light fog, but morning didn't seem too far away. A movement caught his attention, and he saw a cloaked figure making its way across the valley via the bamboo poles.

"Hey!" Ryoga called out trying to catch the person's attention, but they just continued on, not even glancing in Ryoga's direction. He was about to follow and maybe get some answers when a voice behind him made him jump.

"She won't answer. She's not really here, you see. Just a memory."

Ryoga whirled around ready to defend himself, but stopped and stared as he realized who had spoken. His cursed form stared calmly back at him from her perch atop a small boulder. She was dressed in a smaller version of his own blue traveling gi, one that fit her better.

Pulling himself together, Ryoga shook his head. "This is one of the weirdest dreams I've ever had. I must be more stressed out than I thought. Hearing voices, and now this."

"Well, I don't really know if this is a dream or not, but I do assure you that I am quite real," his curse said firmly. "It was me you heard earlier by the fire. I didn't know you'd hear that, though." She suddenly pointed across Jusenkyou at the forgotten figure. "Look there. That's who I used to be, before I died."

The sun had risen by now, and the cloaked figure had stopped at the sudden appearance of a floating woman. The woman made Ryoga's breath catch in his throat, though he couldn't understand why. It took a moment for him to realize the two distant figures were talking, as Jusenkyou remained eerily silent. Finally, the figure his curse had indicated tugged back its hood, tossing the cloak aside to reveal a blue-haired girl.

"I was trying to find a safe place to hide from Myria," Ryoga-chan explained. "Of course, I wasn't fast enough," she added bitterly.

"Myria? I've heard that name before," Ryoga said, frowning as he tried to remember. "She was the savior or something, during some war. But I never heard that she used magic or anything. I've never heard of anyone that can use magic."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. After all, Myria wouldn't want her little dolls to hurt themselves, now would she?" Ryoga-chan muttered angrily. "But what Myria does isn't exactly magic, or at least not the kind that can be learned. She's a goddess, you see," she said with a shrug.

"...Now I know I'm dreaming. A goddess? Come on," Ryoga said in disbelief.

"It's true. A very annoying goddess, but a goddess all the same," Ryoga-chan said. "Annoying, meddlesome, self-righteous...she destroyed my entire race for no reason at all!" she snarled.

"Race? What do you mean? Aren't you human?" he asked warily.

"No, I'm of the Brood," she replied. Seeing the blank look on his face, she elaborated, "You know, a race of dragons...?"

"Dragons? I read some stories about them. I heard if you collect all the Dragon Balls, you can call this big dragon to grant...a wish...oops that was a manga," Ryoga said, blushing and rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "But I'm sure I read other stories too. I heard that dragons were all terrible, though."

"And what, exactly," she asked, scowling, "is so horrible about them?"

"Well..." he said uncertainly, "I...uh....I don't really remember, but there has to have been some reason. Wars don't start by themselves."

"Figures," she snorted. "No matter how many times I ask why, no one has a clear answer. We didn't start the stupid war..." she trailed off, staring moodily into the distance. Ryoga shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. He glanced around again.

"What is this place, anyway? Aside from Jusenkyou, that is," he asked, frowning.

"I have no idea," Ryoga-chan answered truthfully. "All I know is I fell asleep, then found myself in that gray limbo. A little later the other me showed up--"

"Wait a minute. The other you?" he interrupted.

"Ranma's cursed form. I'm not sure what happened there, but the best I can guess is that our soul, which was trapped in that pool, was split, and one half merged with each of you," she replied, sliding down off the rock to stand next to him. He was silent as he tried to digest this, so she continued. "Anyway, we found that we could control the void or whatever, and change it as we pleased. It just took a bit of concentration," she explained.

Ryoga opened his mouth to reply but was cut off as Jusenkyou darkened as if a cloud had passed over the sun, though the sky was still clear. He turned back to the forgotten figures across the valley, only to see an enormous demon towering over the girl.

"What the heck is that?!" he cried, startled.

"That's Myria. I guess it's her fighting form," she replied, staring critically at the scene.

"What did you do that for?" he asked, pointing as the girl drew a knife, cutting her palm before clenching her fist up at the Goddess. It was strange seeing all this happen in total silence, but apparently there was no sound here except for what he and his cursed form produced.

"A blood vow. I swore revenge on her. I wasn't thinking very clearly at the time," she said, blushing a little.

"I guess that's understandable," he said, watching as the girl tossed the knife away. He started a bit as lightning began crackling around her. "What's going on?" he asked, confused.

"That's a kind of trance state we enter before we can change into our draconic forms," Ryoga-chan explained. "The weaker Brood have to hold the trance longer, but you can get good enough to transform after only a second. It's an incredible rush, with your power charging around you, so we tend to hold it a longer than we need to before we change. The only problem with that is that it's easy to knock you out of the trance, so it's better if you don't need to hold it long at all."

While Ryoga-chan was explaining, the girl had released her power and was swallowed by a dome of black light. Ryoga looked on in interest as the magic cleared and the figure was revealed, but recoiled slightly in shock at the look of manic glee on the girl's face. He gave himself a shake, then went back to observing this so-called dragon. Aside from the color change and the violent mood swing, he couldn't see anything draconic about the girl. 'She actually looks like she's gone super saiya-jin... Ack no! That's a manga! A manga!'

He opened his mouth to comment on the lack of draconic features, and felt his jaw drop farther as the tiny form expanded into an enormous dragon, almost as big as its monstrous foe.

"Ah," he said weakly, "I guess you really are a dragon." Ryoga-chan scowled at him in anger.

"What, you didn't believe me?" she demanded. He blinked at her in surprise, before thinking about it.

"No," he began, "I did believe you."

"Then why...?" she asked, trailing off grumpily.

"It's just nice to have proof," he said simply.

She sighed and rolled her eyes at him, while he grinned sheepishly.

"So all Brood turn into that huge dragon?" he asked, craning his neck skyward again for a glimpse of the combatants.

"No. That's the most difficult form. Not everyone is allowed to use it," she said, shaking her head.

"Most difficult form? So you can change into other things as well?" he asked, turning surprised eyes on her.

"Yeeaah..." she said, drawing the word out uncomfortably. "But I don't really remember most of them and I...ah...forgot how to transform," she mumbled.

"Forgot? How can you forget something like that?!" he cried.

"Hey! It's not my fault!" she snapped. "You try sitting in a pool for over a thousand years, get rudely awakened by being split in two, then get fused with an absolute lunkhead--"

"Hey!"

"--and have your brain stuffed with a bunch of memories that aren't yours! It totally overtaxed my mind, so I lost a bunch of my memories and almost everything I got from you!" she finished with a huff.

"Wait a minute, fuse? My memories? What does that mean?" he asked. Seeing the look of utter confusion on his face, she calmed down.

"Well, near as I can figure, I fused with you, and the other me fused with Ranma," she explained. "I was more affected by the memory swap than you because I was almost completely re-created when you fell into the pool. Though I imagine you didn't come out completely unchanged by me either. Still, if you can come up with a better explanation let me know. I figured it all out and I'm still confused," she said with a sheepish smile. He gave a small grin back. Even if this was a dream, which he was beginning to seriously doubt, he found he liked this girl.

"Alright, let me see if I got all this straight," Ryoga said, ignoring the flashes of light coming from the still fighting figures in the sky. "You fought a goddess, died and were trapped in the spring, then were released when we fell in the pool. Right?" At her nod, he frowned in thought. "I wonder if all the springs work like that..."

"You can always ask panda-man," she teased.

"Not if I can avoid it. I don't want to know that bad," he groaned. "Okay, so you split in two, and fused with me, while the other half fused with Ranma. Makes sense. I guess."

"Oh yeah. Tons," she said sarcastically. He pointedly ignored her.

"We fell asleep, ended up in this strange place, and got front row tickets to your death," he said, ticking off each point on his fingers.

"Real sensitive there," she huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Hush. And finally, you're not even human. Does that about sum it up?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Except for the fact that you're Brood too, yeah, that sums it up nicely," she replied casually. He stared blankly at her.

"Repeat that."

"What, was that too simple? Okay, let me elaborate. You are no longer human. You have become a creature of legend, of myth, one of the powerful Brood, the race of dragons. And in your male form to boot," she said, grinning impishly as she watched his face.

Ryoga took this information as any rational person would. He FREAKED out, jaw hitting the floor, MULTIPLE face faults, oyakusoku pozus, knees all wobbly...

Once he'd collected his wits he said, "...Okay, I can live with that I guess." Now it was Ryoga-chan's turn to face fault.

"Just like that?! You find out you're not even human anymore, and that's all you have to say?" she demanded.

"Well, what good would worrying do? I can't change it, and it's probably a side effect from the spring," he replied logically. "I don't know any magic, so I couldn't cure it even if it was an ordinary curse."

"I do know magic, but I have no idea how the curse works," she said morosely. "Normally magic doesn't work like this." They were both silent for a minute, watching the fight which still raged on overhead.

"You know, I just thought of something," he said suddenly.

"What's that?"

"Well, Jusenkyou is 1500 years old, I read that in the guide," he began.

"Wait a minute. You read the guide book to Jusenkyou, and you still came?" she asked incredulously.

"Hey! I was chasing Ranma! I would have followed him to the depths of hell if I had to!" he said hotly. Ryoga-chan stared at him for a moment, then smirked.

"It sounds like you have a crush on him!" she crowed, grinning maliciously. At his look of horror, she burst out laughing.

"I do not!" he cried, waving his arms in frantic denial.

"Oh, but you chased after him with such devotion," she teased, hands clasped together sarcastically.

"It was determination!" he shrieked, voice cracking in his distress. "I hate Ranma! He's a selfish, egotistical coward who ran away from our man to man fight!"

"Man to man, eh?" she leered at him. She grinned at his panicked litany of "nonononononono," then took pity on him. "I'm just joking, Ryoga! Chill out!" When he didn't seem to be able to break out of his horrified trance, she rolled her eyes, then kicked him sharply in the shins. He yelped, but did focus on her again. "So what were you saying before? About Jusenkyou?" she prompted. He blinked a bit, before smacking a fist into his other palm.

"Oh yeah! So Jusenkyou is 1500 years old, and so is your spring. Therefore, Jusenkyou must have been created when you fought with Myria," he explained, pointing back at the fight. "See how some of your magic attacks keep flying off and hitting the ground and stuff?"

"Hmmm, I never noticed that," she mused, staring critically at the fight. "You're probably right, though." She bit her lip with a pensive frown, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Of course I'm right! It makes perfect sense. It would also explain where the clans come from," he said excitedly.

"Clans?" she asked, glancing at him in confusion. "What are they?"

"You don't know?" he said in surprise, before smacking his forehead in embarrassment. "Of course you wouldn't know about them. See, clans are...well, I guess they're kind of like you."

"How so?" Ryoga-chan asked in confusion.

"They can either change forms like you can, or they have a sort of mixed look to them. There's a clan of traders called the Manillos, and they are all half fish or something," he explained. "They are generally found on land, because that's where all the business is, but I've heard of fishermen catching some on their hooks as well."

Ryoga-chan looked horrified.

"They kill them?" she asked. He shook his head quickly.

"No no! The fishermen put coins on the end of their lines, because a Manillo is always attracted to money, so they can do business. The Manillos find some really interesting things underwater, and it's the fastest way to get one of their attention," he said as she sighed in relief. "Anyway, the point is that they only appeared about 1500 years ago."

"I see," she said, humming quietly. "I never realized...I suppose that's probably true, but that would mean tha--"

{WHAT?!?}

The two teens jumped in surprise at the loud exclamation, ears ringing slightly.

"Owww..." Ryoga-chan whined, hands over her ears as she looked around in consternation.

"That was...weird," Ryoga said, shaking his head to clear it. "Was that Ranma? He sounded really close by..."

"But they shouldn't be close by," Ryoga-chan said, hopping onto her toes as if she would magically be able to see that much better. "Wait...do you hear that?" she asked, cocking her head to the side as a distant, rhythmic beat began. They could feel the ground underneath them tremble in time to the sound.

Exchanging a glance with his curse form, Ryoga shrugged and said, "Let's go check it out, I guess." Ryoga-chan sighed, but nodded in agreement, and the two took off in the direction they thought the sound was coming from.

Elsewhere:

Ranma was having a nightmare. He had to be having a nightmare. A girl? He was now part girl? A weak little girl?! I mean, his form might have changed, but he had thought he was still Ranma Saotome. Now he learned he ACTUALLY was REALLY part...GIRL!!!! It HAD to be a nightmare.

"Stupid baka won't even listen any more," an irate Ranma-chan grumbled watching Ranma repeatedly bash his head into a nearby rock. She sighed as the rock crumbled, and Ranma turned to a new target. This was going to be a looong night.

A Short Distance Away:

"I think we're getting closer," Ryoga said, pausing as the pounding ceased for a moment, only to pick up again.

"I wonder what they're doing," Ryoga-chan muttered, stepping to one side as a blast of magic hit the ground nearby, spraying the two with flung up earth. There was a sizable crater left behind, which swiftly began to fill with water. Ryoga glanced down at the newly formed pool, then back up to the forgotten duelists in the sky.

"What would happen if one of those blasts hit us?" he asked warily.

"I'm not exactly sure," Ryoga-chan replied with a shrug. "It's just a memory, but the ground is solid enough. I suppose at worse you'd get the wind knocked out of you, and at best it would pass right through you. Of course, if that happened and the ground underneath you was destroyed, you'd probably fall into the hole..." she mused absently. Ryoga shot her an exasperated look, but she took no notice.

They continued walking for a couple minutes, and rounding a hill were greeted with an unusual sight. Ranma was pounding his head against a rock while muttering under his breath, and, judging by the piles of rubble near by, he'd been at it for a while. Ranma-chan was sitting a short distance away looking disgruntled, but brightened at the sight of the others.

"Hi! It's about time you got here!" she said, bouncing to her feet and brushing her white training gi off.

"Yeah, hi. What's his problem?" Ryoga-chan asked, jerking her thumb at Ranma.

"Oh, I got around to tellin' him that we're fused or whatever," Ranma-chan said, scowling again. "Then he freaked out, and he's been like this since."

"Is that all?" Ryoga-chan asked in mock surprise, an evil grin spreading across her face. "All that pounding going on, and here I though--" the rest of her sentence was thankfully muffled as Ryoga covered her mouth with his hand, chuckling nervously.

"That's enough out of you!" he cried frantically. Ranma-chan looked confused for a moment, but finally figured out what the other girl had been implying.

Turning as red as her hair, she spluttered, "Me? With him?! I wouldn't--I'd never--! Where did you get such a dirty mind, anyway!"

Ducking out of Ryoga's grasp, Ryoga-chan smirked saying, "Well, if you aren't thinking like I am, then I obviously got it from Ryoga! Looks like he's a closet pervert!"

"What?! I'm not--" Now it was Ryoga's turn to splutter and turn red, and both embarrassed teens glared at the laughing girl.

Meanwhile, Ranma was completely oblivious to the drama taking place next to him. He was muttering under his breath, "A weak little girl? Anything but that! Not a girl!" over and over as he continued beating his head against a rock. The poor rock finally crumbled, succumbing to the superior density of Ranma's head, and he turned to find something else to take his frustrations out on.

All three teens stared in surprise as Ranma began beating his head against Ryoga's chest.

"O--oi!" Ryoga cried, trying to push the other boy away. Ranma merely evaded the flailing limbs and continued his horrified mumblings.

Ryoga was now close enough to hear what Ranma was muttering. He frowned in annoyance, shoving at the traumatized boy again to no avail.

"Awww, how sweet!" Ryoga-chan cooed. Ranma-chan looked torn between laughter and horror, and Ryoga threw a dark look in his double's direction.

Ryoga was beginning to get mad. "Ranma, snap out of it already!" Still the other boy didn't answer. How dare Ranma ignore him! Since Ranma was still not paying attention, Ryoga decided to take more direct measures. "CUT THAT OUT ALREADY!" he shouted, accompanying his words with a punch that sent Ranma sprawling.

"Whadja do that for?" Ranma demanded, sitting up and rubbing his cheek in pain.

"Rejected by his true love. How sad..." Ryoga-chan sighed dramatically to Ranma-chan.

"Huh?" Ranma asked, staring in confusion at the flushed Ryoga and giggling girls.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Ryoga said forcefully, pointedly ignoring the giggles as he willed himself to stop blushing. Ranma had the distinct impression he'd missed something important, but forgot about it as his brain finally caught up to what his eyes were seeing.

"Ryoga! What're you doing here!" he cried in surprise.

"A bit slow on the uptake, isn't he," Ranma-chan said dryly.

"He's still in deep denial," Ryoga-chan agreed, nodding.

"Same as you, I suppose," Ryoga said to the other boy, once again ignoring the wise-cracking duo.

"What, having strange dreams that turn your world upside down until life whacks you back into reality?" Ranma asked sourly, rubbing his cheek again. "That hurt, ya know." Ryoga didn't look at all repentant.

"Well, that's for ignoring me. It's what you get for being so inattentive," he added with a smirk.

"Yeah yeah..." Ranma grumbled, climbing to his feet.

"I'm feeling distinctly unloved over here," Ranma-chan complained loudly, scowling at the pony-tailed boy. He grinned sheepishly at her.

"Sorry 'bout that. It's just that is was a bit of a shock, ya know?" he said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I always thought bein' a girl was a bad thing..."

"I can imagine," Ranma-chan said, grinning at the surprised look on his face. "Oyaji was an idiot! But we'll soon teach you better!" It had the desired effect and Ranma chuckled.

"All right! I believe ya! No need to get nasty or anything!" he cried in mock horror, hands raised to ward off the evil girl vibes.

"Looks like you knocked some sense into him," Ryoga-chan said in surprise to her male double.

"It'll be a first," he replied dryly, then grinned and ducked the punch the other boy threw at him. He danced back a few steps, then frowned thoughtfully. "You know, I just realized I don't know your guy's names," he said, embarrassed, turning back to the two girls.

"Konara," they replied in unison.

"Well that's not helpful," Ranma muttered. "You can't both be Konara. That's too confusin'." The two girls exchanged a glance.

"So what would you suggest?" Ranma-chan asked, crossing her arms. "I don't want some cutesy name or nothin' like that!"

"How about Ranko and Ryoko?" Ryoga suggested. "It uses some of your old name, and since you are our cursed forms, and look like us..." he said, trailing off with a shrug. "It's just a thought."

"...Why not? I like it," Ryoko said, mirroring his shrug.

"'kay," Ranko said, uncrossing her arms to give a tug at her red ponytail.

"Well then, now what?" Ranma asked, glancing skyward in mild interest at a particularly bright flash of magic that came from the two figures still locked in mortal combat.

"How do we get out of this place?" Ryoga asked, looking at the two girls expectantly.

"Oh, that's easy," Ryoko said. She nodded at Ranko, and the battle froze in mid strike. The scene slowly faded away, leaving the four teens in the gray void, absent of anything but themselves.

"That's not exactly what I meant," Ryoga said, sweat dropping.

"Eh?" Ryoko said, looking confused.

"I meant," he sighed, "How do we get out of here and get back to the real world?"

Dead silence.

There was one thing perfectly clear to the fanged martial artist.

"Ranma! This is all your fault!"

* * *

The next morning dawned brightly, promising a day of sunshine, heat, and dryness.

Yaright.

Still, it was sunny now, and soon two tents were illuminated in the soft light. After a few minutes, sounds could be distinguished coming from one of the tents.

Ranma stumbled out of his tent blearily, rubbing sleep from his eyes and yawning. Pausing mid-motion, he stared around in surprise before grinning and dashing over to the other tent.

"Ryoga! Hey Ryoga! Wake up man!" he cried, shaking the occupant roughly.

"What the--Ranma? What's going on?" Ryoga asked, sitting up and staring around in confusion. "You just disappear--hey! We're back!" he exclaimed, scrambling out of his tent.

"I guess we never left," Ranma said uncertainly. "Maybe we were dreaming?"

"Yeah, and we somehow both had the exact same dream," Ryoga said condescendingly as Ranma glowered.

"Well, then what do you think happened?" he challenged. Ryoga frowned, and shrugged uncomfortably.

"Maybe it was just our minds, or something," he offered shortly.

"This suggests otherwise," Ranma said, prodding his jaw gingerly. "I told you it hurt!" Ryoga smirked, still very pleased with himself. He frowned again in realization.

"Wait, what about the girls!" he cried, looking around as if he somehow expected them to magically appear.

{We're here,} Ryoko's voice said, startling both boys.

{Perhaps not in the flesh, but you had better watch what you say about us!} Ranko said mischievously.

"You're okay!" Ryoga cried, just as Ranma said, "We can talk to you here too?" The two boys glanced at each other in annoyance, and Ranko burst into giggles in their head.

{We're fine. We just woke up, and it was like last night,} Ryoko said, amused as well.

"Are we hearing your thoughts or somethin'?" Ranma asked, cocking his head to the side. It was really weird talking to someone who wasn't there.

{No...'Cause you don't wanna know what I'm thinking right now!} Ranko gasped out between giggles.

{It's like talking out loud, even though we don't have a body,} Ryoko explained. {We're kind of like passengers. We can't move your bodies, but we can talk to you.}

"Why can we hear both of you, though?" Ryoga asked, frowning.

{Dunno,} Ranko said, getting her laughter under control.

{But I do have an idea!} Ryoko said quickly. {Ryoga, back up a ways, so Ranma couldn't hear you if you whispered.} Ryoga raised an eyebrow at the other boy, but Ranma just shrugged.

"Okay then," he mumbled, backing away from the other teen. He moved back to the trees, ignoring the bemused look Ranma was sporting. "Now what?" he asked, folding his arms.

{We see if Ranma can hear me,} Ryoko whispered. {Well Ranma? Can you hear me?} Ryoga watched the other teen's face, but Ranma just stared back blankly.

"What?" Ranma asked when Ryoga continued to stare.

{Okay then. HEY RANMA! CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?} Ryoko shouted.

"Gaaah!" Ryoga cried, staggering and mostly deafened. Ranma started in surprise, then doubled up laughing.

"I hear you...loud and clear," he said in between chuckles.

{I think Ryoga did too,} Ranko giggled as the fanged boy staggered back to them.

"Ears...bleeding..." Ryoga moaned, covering his abused appendages.

{Sorry, sorry! And I don't think it's your ears that hurt, exactly,} Ryoko said sheepishly. Ryoga glared at nothing in particular, having no focus for his ire, and folded his arms in a huff. Ranma's grin faded as he realized something.

"Does this mean you guys're trapped inside us or somethin'?" he asked. He could sense the two girl's surprise at the sudden change of topic.

{Seems like it,} Ryoko said, but didn't sound too bothered by it.

"That blows my idea for a cure, then," Ryoga said, sighing.

"Cure?" Ranma asked eagerly.

"It wouldn't work, anyway," Ryoga replied, shaking his head. "Not now."

{Why?} Ranko asked impatiently. {If it's a cure, we should try it!}

"Somehow I don't think jumping into the 'Spring of Drowned Man' would help us out very much," Ryoga said dryly. Ranko gave a hum of disappointment.

{I wonder if there even is a spring of drowned man,} Ryoko mused.

"Probably. An' knowin' our luck, it would be the 'Spring of Drowned Myria Worshipper,'" Ranma drawled. The other chuckled at this.

{Imagine how crowded it would get in here,} Ryoko said in amusement.

{Well, something needs to fill up all this empty space!} Ranko teased.



"Hey!" Ranma cried indignantly as Ryoga and Ryoko laughed at the pouting boy.

{Anyway, I want to try something,} Ryoko said after a moment. {It's all well and good being heard, but being the passenger isn't what I'd call a good time.}

"So...what?" Ryoga asked, wondering what the girl was up to.

{Well, let's see if I can take control for a bit,} Ryoko replied simply. Ranma watched the other boy curiously while Ryoga frowned.

"I guess...but how do we do that?" Ryoga asked uncomfortably.

{I don't know,} Ryoko said, sounding suddenly nervous. {I'm kind of...looking out of your eyes, I guess, or I'm right behind you in your head or something. If we just switched places...maybe?} she trailed off, unsure. Ryoga wasn't sure he liked the idea of someone else in his body, but...it wasn't fair to the girls to be dragged around with no say in the matter.

"Let's try it," he said decisively, pushing aside his doubt.

"Are you sure?" Ranma asked, surprised the other boy was agreeing to easily. It wasn't that he thought it was a bad idea, but it was a very weird one.

{Yeah, we don't need to try it. I was just curious if we could,} Ryoko added hastily. Ryoga ignored them as he concentrated, then 'stepped' backwards. He felt another presence rush to fill the place he vacated.

Ranma stepped forward in alarm when Ryoga staggered forward, but the other boy straightened with a peculiar look on his face.

"That...worked," Ryoga-now-Ryoko said muzzily.

{This is very weird,} Ryoga 'said', trying to orient himself. He could see, but he couldn't sense his physical body, just his 'self'. Now he knew why Ryoko had said passenger...

"I can still hear Ryoga," Ranma said, not sure if he should be amused or disturbed that 'Ryoga' really wasn't.

{And it's really weird hearing Ryoko talk with Ryoga's voice!} Ranko huffed, while Ryoga's face grimaced in agreement.

"Okay, so we know we can share bodies. How are we going to divide the time up?" Ryoko asked, shifting uncomfortably and trying not to think about the body she was inhabiting.

{Obviously when in girls form, we take over. And vice versa,} Ranko said, amused at Ryoko's discomfort.

"That's perfect!" Ranma said enthusiastically, happy he wouldn't have to walk around as a girl anymore.

"Fine with me," Ryoga said, taking over again.

{Yeah, that works for me too,} Ryoko said relieved. {We can always switch if we really need to, after all.} Ranma opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted as his stomach let out a loud growl. Ranko giggled as he put his hand defensively over his stomach.

"Right, that settles it! First we need food!" he declared, pointing a finger at the bemused Ryoga.

"Since when is it my job to feed you?" Ryoga growled in mock anger, but had to grin at the dejected pout the other boy slumped into. His stomach took that moment to growl as well, and he sighed in defeat. "Alright! I know when I'm beat!" he said, throwing his hands up and turning to the remains of the fire.

{That's a first,} Ryoko said. {Ryoga actually admits defeat?}

"There are some fights not even a great martial artist can win," Ranma said sagely, heading for his tent and backpack. Ryoga grunted in agreement, just realizing how famished he really was.

"What are we going do now, anyway? Look for Genma or go exploring? Or stay here?" Ryoga asked, stirring up the fire from the bed of coals.

"I wouldn't go looking for Oyaji if you paid me, stayin' here makes it easier to be found, and explorin' is a lot more interesting," Ranma replied promptly, digging out some supplies. They'd need to supplement the general rations with whatever they could scrounge up, but that shouldn't be too difficult. "Besides, we can train while we travel."

"Sounds good to me," Ryoga said, nodding. He'd managed to get the fire going, and was now pulling out his camp cooking equipment. "Then let's go as soon as we're done here."

{Training, huh? Well, do you guys wanna learn how to use magic then?} Ranko asked.

"You know magic? Wait, stupid question," Ranma said, waving his free hand absently as he handed a bag of rice to Ryoga. "More like...do you remember how to use it?"

{We may have forgotten a lot, but we still know enough,} Ryoko said grumpily. {Admittedly, it would be easier to learn if we had a Master, but with a little improvising we should be able to make up some spells.}

"I dunno...a real martial artist doesn't need to know any magic tricks or anythin'..." Ranma mused, staring absently into the fire as Ryoga began preparing a simple curry.

"Don't be such a wimp," Ryoga sniped. "It's not like you'd have to use magic in a fight. I think it would be interesting."

"I ain't a wimp!" Ranma cried indignantly. "I can learn anything you can!"

"Oh yeah?" Ryoga challenged, baring his fangs at the other boy. "You think you can learn faster than me?"

{Now now boys,} Ryoko purred. {No need to fight over little old us!}

{I was just offering,} Ranko pouted. The boys backed away from each other sheepishly.

"Sorry Ranko. I guess we do want to learn," Ranma said, sighing as he stood up and stretched. "But only if we can teach you guys martial arts."

{Why's that?} Ranko asked, surprised out of her funk. {Not that I'm complainin'!}

"Well, it would look bad if we could fight one minute, then totally sucked the next," Ranma explained, wandering back to his pack. He picked up his water bottle, taking a drink as Ryoga nodded in agreement.

{I don't know whether to be insulted or not,} Ryoko said bemusedly to Ranko.

{I do! We did know how to fight, ya know!} Ranko fumed.

"Yeah, but that was sword fighting. Martial arts is more than just knowing how to use a weapon," Ryoga explained. "Do you want to learn?"

{I do!} Ryoko said quickly, cutting in before Ranko could begin ranting.

{Hmph! Well, I can always get back at you guys when I teach you magic!} Ranko said, sounding happy at the thought.

"Good," Ranma said, turning to walk back to the other boy. "Then it's decide--" he began, but cut off as he tripped on an invisible rock. He, and the still open water bottle he'd been carrying, went flying. The bottle, still half full, spilled unerringly on Ryoga.

"..."

"Um, oops?" Ranma said sheepishly, sitting up from his impressive sprawl. "I guess I'm not really awake yet."

"...Then allow me to wake you up," Ryoga growled, and upended the rest of the water over Ranma's head before giving control over to Ryoko.

"..."

* * *

It was night yet again. The embers of a dying campfire glowed softly, barely illuminating two sleeping figures. It was not raining, but one never knows, does one?

Though the two figures seemed to be sleeping, their consciences were far from it. Once again in the strange gray limbo, the four Brood teens sat discussing important matters.

"I'm telling you, I didn't touch you! You slipped by yourself into that stream! You're the one who dragged me in!"

"Yeah right! You knocked me off balance! It was only fair that you got wet too!"

...Well, matters important to them, at least.

"Hey guys, you going to argue all night, or are we going to train?" Ryoko asked of the two bickering boys.

"Train?" That stopped them cold.

"But we were training all day. Why should we train here?" Ranma asked.

"What's the matter Ranma, tired?" Ryoga challenged, smirking.

"Of course not!"

"Then you're afraid you'll lose!" Ranko shot at him.

"Hey! I'm Ranma Saotome! I ain't afraid of nothin'!" Ranma said, and immediately charged the other two.

"Ignore me, will you?" Ryoko murmured, and gathered her magic. It crackled around her fists, and she thrust one fist to the sky. "Jolt!" Three separate lightning bolts came out of nowhere to strike the brawling martial artists.

"Owie," Ranko said, sitting up from where she'd been blown. Ranma was already engaging Ryoko, so she turned her attention to the just rising Ryoga. "Frost strike!" she said, charging the startled boy, the magic glowing around her fist. When she struck him, the spell released a blast of ice, making the punch even more devastating. Ryoga staggered back a few steps, and then smirked at her.

"That was weak. C'mon, you can do better than that. Try this!" 'This' was Ryoga's foot in her gut. She went flying backwards to impact with the other two, sending all three sprawling. "Hmph. That was easy," Ryoga said, turning and brushing his hands off. He froze as three figures loomed over his head. "Uh oh."

* * *

{You guys are gettin' pretty good at magic,} Ranko complimented. They were in a fair sized clearing, taking a quick break before they began their wanderings again.

"Heh. It's not like its hard or nothin'," Ranma replied with a smirk.

"Just tiring," Ryoga said, stretching his arms above his head with a groan. "By the way, why do we have to call out the attack when we use magic?"

"Yeah," Ranma said, nodding in agreement. "It gives your opponent too much of an advantage. Even if it's a second, he still knows what you're about to do."

{It has to do with how much magic you have,} Ryoko explained. {Everyone has some magic in them, though most people don't have enough to do anything with it. Only if you practice a lot can you use magic for spells.}

{Thing is,} Ranko said, {Unless you've been using magic for years and years, or at least the specific spell, it's hard to make the magic do what you want it to do. Words are powerful, and they force your mind and your magic to do what it's supposed to.}

"Really? So in other words, the more we practice, the better we get?" Ryoga asked.

{Yep,} Ranko replied.

"Well, we should practice some more then," Ranma said, grinning evilly as he quickly gathered the now familiar power. There was a crackling of raw magic around his hand, and he slashed it at the other boy, releasing the magic. "Ice blast!"

Ice immediately formed around Ryoga's feet, and swiftly spread upwards. Before he could blink, Ryoga was completely encased in ice. A moment later, the ice shattered.

"R-R-Ranma! How d-d-dare you at-t-tack me like t-t-that!" Ryoga yelled, shivering. That had been COLD!

"Nyah! What's the matter? Can't take a bit of magic!" Ranma teased as he leapt nimbly out of reach.

Not bothering to answer, Ryoga also gathered his power. The magic crackled around his hands for a moment, and he thrust a fist into the air. "Jolt!" he cried, and a lightning bolt came out of the clear sky to strike Ranma. Smoking a bit, Ranma took his favorite stance. Ryoga, still shivering, mirrored him in his own stance. Both were grinning like idiots.

* * *

{Sleepyhead! Wake up!}

Ryoga stirred a little, pushed aside the voice and went back to sleep.

{Ryoga! Get up! Come on, times a wasting!} Ryoko shouted, failing to rouse him again. She sighed.

{Why'd the two idiots have to stay and train anyway,} Ranko complained.

{It's not all their fault. I just forgot they were in control when we fell asleep,} Ryoko replied with a shrug.

{Well, Ryoga's a little easier to wake up than Ranma, so you gotta get him up,} Ranko said grumpily.

{Only slightly,} Ryoko said with a sigh. {But still...}

The teens had realized it was almost time to wake up, but the boys had wanted to stay and practice a little longer in their dream world. So the girls had woken up, only to find that they couldn't move while the boys were in control, sleeping or no.

{Try yelling,} Ranko suggested.

{Why don't you?} Ryoko asked sourly.

{We're trying to get Ryoga up, remember?}

{Yeah yeah, I know. Fine,} Ryoko grumbled. She took a deep 'breath' and...{RYOGA!!!!}...yelled. Then 'blinked' as much as one can without a physical body. Where did the tent go? How come they were standing up? Oh, Ryoga was awake.

"You'll never beat me, Ranma!" Ryoga cried, then looked around. Ranma was still sleeping like a log. "Huh?"

{That worked,} Ranko said weakly, ears still ringing from Ryoko's yell.

"What happened?" Ryoga asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "What happened to the training ground?"

{Well, I was trying to wake you up. You guys fell asleep while in control, and remember we can't do anything unless you give us control,} Ryoko said in a tired voice.

"Oh. Right. Sorry," Ryoga said sheepishly. He eyed the still form of Ranma. "Since I'm up, I should probably get sleeping beauty up as well," he mused, grinning evilly. He began to head for the sound of rushing water, but stopped and rethought. Might as well give it a try.

"Okay, let me think. Water, water, water. Umm...all I know is ice blast," Ryoga muttered to himself, going over his spells in his mind. Then an idea came to him. "Heh heh, Ranma, prepare to get wet," he said with an evil grin.

{What are you up to?} Ryoko asked, curious.

"Hold on, I need to think," he replied. "Let's see, flare and ice blast. If I can just combine the two..." Concentrating for a minute, he decided for a name for the new spell.

"Aqua burst," he said, grinning in anticipation as he pointed his hand, palm out and crackling with magic, toward Ranma. A stream of water obediently shot toward the sleeping martial artist and...

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! COLD! Whadja do that for?!" Ranma yelled, leaping to his feet. He glared at Ryoga.

"Oh quite whining like a girl!" Ryoga shot out, then immediately regretted it.

{WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN EXACTLY!?}

"Urk! Alright! I'm sorry! Didn't mean it! It was just habit!" Ryoga said, waving his arms wildly about.

{I'll make you pay for that later,} Ryoko promised vengefully.

"Oooooo...Ryoga! I really should pound ya into the ground for that," Ranko growled angrily as Ranma gave her control.

"Ahe. Right. Sorry," Ryoga said weakly, edging away from the dripping girl. "Um, weren't we supposed to learn something today?" he asked nervously, hoping to distract them.

"{...Baka,}" the girls chorused, giving up.

"Ahe."

* * *

And so it went. By day the group would travel the wilds of China. By night, they would train in the gray limbo, which they began referring to as the 'Training Ground'. Surprisingly, any wounds they sustained in the Training Ground were transferred over to their physical bodies, as well as the benefits of the training. Despite the fact they seemed to be awake during their 'training,' their physical bodies slept. Their solitary wanderings were almost at and end, however...

End Chapter 01

-
Author's Notes: The beginning, and set up, with some changes to those who've read the original version. Honestly, Ryoko sideswiped me with her comments. *sweatdrops* That said, though my tastes in pairings have changed since I began writing this, I am still not going to put the characters into any definitive pairings. Feel free to read between the lines any way you feel like, however.