This isn't my story I am posting it for someone else.  Their email
address is at the bottom along with the story's web page.

Standard copyright stuff:

All Ranma 1/2 characters copyright Rumiko Takahashi. All hail
Takahashi-sama. (bow) (bow) (grovel)

Neo-counter productions presents

A United Appliance Film

Special effects by way too much sugar

etc, etc, key grip blah blah blah... the end.




Ranma 1/2: The Dragon King Saga.

Part one: A Taste Of Things To Come.


 It began as any normal day in the Ranmaverse. That is, a day
that would result in contusions, lacerations, and possibly a slight
case of
death if anyone from our universe were to experience it. In the Tendo
residence, things were relatively quiet. Ranma was unconscious under a

table, Akane was sulking in her room, Nabiki was figuring odds for
school the next day, Kasumi was preparing for supper, and Soun and
Genma-panda were playing shogi on the back porch. Happy was out
stealing underwear for a while, and the various fiancees/jealous
would-
be boy/girlfriends (in Tsubasa's case, both) hadn't come around for a
while. In other households, it would be a time to relax. For the
Tendo/Saotome household, it was a time to regroup.

 "Well, old friend, it certainly is a peaceful day." said Soun,
studying the shogi board.
 -You can say that again!- said Genma's sign.
 "Seems like the world is at rest, eh?"
 -Yes. What in the world is that?-
 "Eh? What? What?" Soun turned around, and scanned the
yard, readying himself to defend his home against any intruders. Ah,
what a glorious fate! To be the defender of a home! To have loved ones

who care for you, depending on you for their very survival! To be
responsible for so many precious lives! Oh, that-
 -Oops. My mistake.- Wrote Genma, having rearranged the
pieces to his liking.. -Nobody there. Never mind.-
 "Oh. Well. All right. Where were we?"
 -I believe you were about to move.-

 Later, night fell.

***WHUMP***

 It was midnight. Everyone was in bed, nursing pleasant
dreams, wounded pride, or injuries. Except...Ranma couldn't sleep. It
was too hot. Again. And his head hurt. A lot. Again. You'd think the
stupid tomboy would use something lighter once in a while, if only for

fear of straining something. He sighed, and rolled over. His mind
started
to wander, and he began to think of what might have happened if he
hadn't maybe insulted her so much. Probably wouldn't have learned to
duck nearly as well. He yawned again.
 The edges of his consciousness were just starting to blur when
he heard the scream. He identified it immediately. Akane's scream, for

some reason, was something he always recognized. And reacted to. He
was out of bed as the thought went through his head. He bolted down
the hallway to Akane's room, followed closely by Soun, Nabiki, and
Kasumi. Genma, presumably, was still sleeping. Ranma smashed the
door open, and gasped at the sight inside.

 Akane was asleep on the bed. This, in itself, was not unusual.
However, there was a great deal of broken furniture, and a strange man

standing over her, holding a green (_BAD_ sign), crystalline bottle,
which was empty (yup. definitely a bad sign.). He looked up, and
smiled.
 "Ah, good." He spoke in a smooth, rich voice. "I was hoping I
would be able to explain this to you personally. You are Ranma
Saotome, am I correct?"
 Ranma nodded, dropping into a defensive stance. "Who are
you, and what the heck have you done with Akane?"
 "Ah, yes. The sweet taste of panic. Well, I..." Here, the man
swirled his black cape over his shoulder, exposing the crimson lining
and
black armor underneath. "am the Dragon King. I reside in the Land of
Beasts, where I rule over the greatest race in the greatest realm in
existence!"
 Ranma grunted. "Big deal."
 The Dragon King gave him a sharp look. "Watch it, boy! As I
was saying... It is tradition for the Dragon King, when it comes time
for
him to pick a bride, to seek out the loved one of the greatest fighter
he
can find. I have searched high and low, and I have found that, in the
realm of fighters, you, Ranma Saotome, are unsurpassed. And now, I
have found your dear, sweet Akane."
 "What have you done to her?! You'd better talk fast pal,
'cause if you've harmed her-"
 "I haven't harmed her. At least, not precisely _harmed_,
exactly. You see, the reason I must seek out the greatest fighter is
that,
once I have found his bride, he and I must fight. To the death."
 Ranma nodded. "Fine. I'm ready."
 The Dragon King shook his head. "Tradition must be followed,
my dear boy. You see, The stakes are very high. I have given Akane a
sleeping poison that, should it not be cured within ten days, will
kill her.
She will not come to harm until that time, but, on the sunset of the
tenth
day, if I remain undefeated, she will die."
 "Hey, wait a minute! That doesn't make any sense! If she died,
how can you marry her?!"
 "Foolish child! The Land of Beasts is one beyond death! The
poison I gave her binds her soul to mine. It is that bond that draws
her
to me in ten days, to be my bride... for eternity."
 "You bastard! I'll kill you now!"
 "No you won't. You have three days to prepare a sufficient
force to overcome my army. At the sunset of the third day, a portal
will
open in this realm. Step through it into the Land of Beasts. You will
then have a week to defeat my army, and kill me. If you succeed, you
will be allowed to return, and Akane will live, hale and hearty, to a
fine
old age."
 "Right. And what stops me from killing you right now?"
 "This does." With that, the Dragon King gestured, a hole
opened beneath him, and he fell through, leaving only his mocking
laughter and the green vial, which fell on the bed. Ranma grunted, and

walked to Akane's side.
 "Don't worry, Akane. I'll get him for you. He won't get away
with this."
 "We might not have to worry." said Nabiki, picking up the vial.
 "Huh?" Ranma turned to face her.
 "Maybe Dr. Tofu can cure her. Well, either way, it can wait
until tomorrow. 'Night, all." With that, she walked out, pocketing the

vial.
 Soun, of course, was wailing in the background. "Akane! My
baby! Oh, boo hoo hoo!" etc...

 Later, the next day.

 "Well," said Tofu, walking back into the waiting area where
Ranma and Nabiki were waiting, "I'm sorry to say that I can't help
you."
 "What? Why not?"
 "Ranma, calm down. Dr. Tofu, is there anything you can do?"
 Tofu shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Not only have I never
seen this before, I haven't seen anything that looks remotely like it.

Although the effects sound like some poisons the old shoguns used in
ancient history."
 "Was there any cure for those poisons?"
 "No. That's why the shoguns used them."
 "All right. Thank you, doctor."

 They left the office and started walking back home.
 "Damn! Now I'll have to fight this guy for sure!"
 Nabiki nodded. "Do you think you can take him?"
 Ranma snorted. "That, I have no problem with. Getting past
this army of his will be the main problem. I don't know how I'll
manage
to do that."
 "So, you can beat the man, but not his army?"
 "Nabiki, it's an army! Every fighter I know put together
couldn't defeat an army!"
 "So you're just giving up?" She asked incredulously.
 "Giving up? No way! That bastard is gonna get what's coming
to him! It just that I'm not sure exactly how I'll do that."
 "It could be a problem."
 "Ah, I'll figure it out when I get to this 'Land of Beasts' he
talked about. I always do."
 "I wonder what 'Land of Beasts' means?"
 "Who knows? If it's got dragons, it probably has demons, and
werewolves, and all sorts of things."
 "Even dragons alone are a problem. Japanese and European
dragons are both nasty enemies to have."
 "European dragons?"
 "We studied them in English class. They all look like giant
Komodo dragons with wings. They breathe fire, eat maidens, kill
armored knights with a single swipe of their mighty tail... pretty
nasty."
 Ranma gulped, and turned pale. "Ah. I hadn't considered that."
 Nabiki nodded. "You usually don't. Well, I suppose I can help.
She is my sister, after all. I can talk Shampoo into going because
you'll
be in danger, right?"
 "Well, I guess..."
 "Then Mousse will come after her."
 "Yeah..."
 "And Ukyou will follow you for the same reason as Shampoo,
as well as the fact that she 'won't let her dear, sweet Ran-chan be
all
alone with that Chinese bimbo'. Correct?"
 "Well, it's a bit different than that, you know..."
 "Yeah, right. Anyway, Tsubasa will try to come, but Ukyou
will also blast him into the stratosphere before the portal opens...
Hmmm... Daddy and Mr. Saotome will come, naturally."
 "Oh, great. I just _know_ they're gonna try to get me and
Akane together. Again."
 "Akane won't be there, remember?"
 "Oh, yeah!" Ranma brightened for a second, then remembered
the _reason_ Akane wasn't going to be there. Nabiki kept talking,
oblivious to Ranma's onset of depression.
 "Okay, if you change to girl-form before the portal opens,
Kuno will come, but Kodachi will also try to kill you. Hmmm. Scratch
that, we don't need variables like those two around. How about
Ryoga?"
 "If he can find his way here, sure."
 "Good point. Tofu? Good to have a field medic."
 "I don't think Kasumi would appreciate him getting hurt.
Which, if we're fighting giant, fire-breathing, tail-swiping, clawed,
evil
dragons, is likely to happen."
 "True, I suppose. Cologne?"
 "Are you _nuts_? Ask her to help save the fiancee of the guy
she wants her great-granddaughter to marry?"
 "It was worth a shot. How about-"
 "Don't even mention Happosai." Ranma growled. Nabiki
shrugged.
 "Hey, I was just thinking out loud. Well, that's about all we
can plan for, then. I'll start making calls, shall I?"
 "Yeah, sure." Ranma's depression had returned, to the point
where Nabiki could see it. She sighed, and left Ranma to his own ends.

 Ranma waved good-bye, and continued walking home. He
stopped off at a park, and sat staring at the water, lost in the
swirling
patterns.
 *Akane... why does this always have to happen to you? Why
couldn't it happen to somebody I've never heard of, across the ocean?
Why does it always have to happen to you, so I have to rescue you, so
I
have to think about why I _want_ to rescue you? I mean, you hit me
with tables, you call me an idiot, you never even give me a kind
word...
well, almost never.*
 He looked up, and saw a happy couple walk by, arm in arm.
He turned away.
 *Dammit! Why do I care, anyway? I just have to rescue you
again, and we can get back to our lives, and you can start hitting me
with tables again...*
 He got up, and went home to sleep.

 The next morning, Ranma woke up. He lay staring at the
ceiling for a while, clearing his mind and trying to ready himself for
the
battle ahead. He realized he missed getting hit in the head with a
table.
He shook his head in exasperation, and got out of bed. He did his
morning katas, with perhaps a little more force than strictly
necessary,
and ate breakfast, with perhaps a little more force than strictly
necessary
(he broke four chopsticks). At about 3:00, he went back in the house
after looking at the fish pond for an hour. Genma noticed.
 "Getting ready, boy?"
 "Yeah. I want to make sure I don't miss my chance to get this
guy."
 "All right. I'll wait for the others to come. Call us as soon as
the portal opens."
 "All right."
 Ranma entered Akane's room, and sat down beside her
heavily. He looked around, and listened carefully, trying to make sure

no one was listening to him.
 "Akane... there's... something I've been meaning to tell you.
I've been meaning to tell you for a long time, but somehow, when I'm
about to say it, Something happens, and you get mad at me, or one of
the other girls shows up, or something... and it doesn't get said. And
it's
time I said it. Because if I don't say it now, you may never get to
hear it.
I'm not sure I can beat this guy, Akane. One on one, maybe, but he has

an army. Of dragons. So it won't be easy. It won't even be hard. It'll

be... well, _really_ hard. Maybe harder than I can manage.
 Since that guy poisoned you, I've been thinking. A lot. It's not
something I do a lot. You know, you have to rely on instincts in
battle
to stay alive, not much time for thinking. Sorta leaks into normal
life,
too. I think maybe I should think more, because I realized something.
Something that I've felt for a long time, but never had the... the
guts to
say I guess. Damn, this is hard! All right. Out with it."
 *Three... two... one...*

 Ryoga stepped into the Tendo household, holding a pack over
his back, and a bag that read "Florida oranges- hand-picked!". He
wandered into the kitchen, and found Kasumi.
 "Oh! Hello, Ryoga! How are you?"
 "I'm fine, Kasumi. And yourself?"
 "Just fine, thank you. Are you here to see Akane?"
 "Er, yes, I thought perhaps she might like me to help her train
for a while. I think I'll be in town for a while..."
 There was an awkward pause.
 "Oh! I forgot! These are for you! I picked them two days ago!"
 "Oh, thank you Ryoga! I'm sure they taste wonderful. Akane is
upstairs, with Ranma."
 "Thank you, Kasumi."
 Ryoga walked off deliberately.
 "Uh, Ryoga?"
 "Yes?"
 "The stairs are that way."
 "Oh. Right."

 Several hours later, Ranma was sitting, staring at Akane's
sleeping form, when Ryoga walked in the room.
 "Huh? Ranma? What are you doing here?"
 "What am I doing here? I live here! What are you doing here?"
 "I came to see Akane! Is that a crime?"
 "In this case, yes!"
 "Very well! Ranma, prepare to DIE!"
 Ryoga dropped his pack and faced off against Ranma. The
fight was about to commence when Ranma heard a faint sizzling noise
behind him. He turned, and a pitch-black portal opened before his
eyes.
 *The portal!* Instinctively, he jumped through. Ryoga, of
course, saw all this.
 "Ranma you coward! Face me like a man!" Ryoga jumped
through the portal after Ranma. The portal closed just as Soun and
Genma, dressed for travel like the group behind them, slammed the door

open. There was a long pause.
 Soun looked at Genma.
 Genma looked at Soun.
 "Shogi?"
 -Sounds good.-

Chapter two: Confusions and Misdemeanors

 There was a quick eternity of swirling blackness, creeping
twilight on the edges of unsanity, and several things with tentacles,
and
then they landed. Ryoga directly on top of Ranma.

 It was a pleasant day. The sun was shining, birds were
chirping, and various benign slimy things were doing whatever benign
slimy things do for fun. All of this was lost on Ranma and Ryoga,
however, as Ryoga was disoriented, and Ranma was under Ryoga.

 "Hey, you jerk! Get off!"
 "Who are you calling a jerk, Ranma? You're the one that's a
jerk!"
 "Oh yeah? And why is that, P-chan?"
 "Why, you..."
 "Hey! Are you two going to sit there all day? I have a business
to run!"
 The pair stopped in mid argument, and looked at the source of
the voice. It was a large black bear, wearing an apron on top of a
heavy
shirt and pants. Ranma and Ryoga paused for a moment to consider this.

Ranma realized that, this being the Land of the Beasts, this bear was
probably just some guy trying to make a living. Ryoga, who had not had

things explained to him, reacted rather differently.
 "Aaaaa! A bear!"
 "Yes, so I am. Was there anything you wanted, or were you
planning to move along?"
 "Aaaaa! A talking bear!"
 "I know I am. Would you like to buy some nice fresh pastries?
A berry bun, perhaps?"
 "Aaaaa! A talking bear, wearing clothes, and trying to sell me
food!"
 It was at about this point that Ryoga clued in.
 "Wait a minute... You aren't a normal bear, are you?"
 The bear shook his head and walked back inside. Ranma
sighed, and decided to enlighten Ryoga.
 "Hey, Ryoga."
 "What do you want, Ranma?"
 "Lemme explain something to you..."
 And so, Ranma related the story of Akane's poisoning, the
Dragon king's challenge, and the need to defeat the Dragon army.
 "Oh, what a terrible story! That Akane should be beset so
because of your negligence!"
 "_MY_ negligence?"
 "You didn't protect her! Oh, my dear Akane, I shall save you!
The Dragon king shall be defeated by my hand!"
 "Ryoga, you jerk! How was I supposed to protect her? I didn't
even know the Dragon king existed!"
 "That doesn't matter now! All that matters is that we save
Akane!"
 "With what army? We're strong, Ryoga, but even you and I
couldn't fight through an army of dragons."
 "Ranma! Are you giving up!"
 "No! But we have to think of a plan!"
 "Why?"
 "Nabiki always has a plan, and she always comes out on top. I
figure maybe if we had a plan, we might come out on top, too."
 "All right, how about this: We sneak past as many dragons as
we can, fight our way through rest, and defeat the Dragon king?"
 Ranma considered this for a moment.
 "Sounds good. Let's go."
 "Right!" Ryoga struck off purposefully, and turned a corner
into a wall. Ranma shook his head, grabbed Ryoga by the scruff of the
neck, and hauled him to where an old goat was sitting, enjoying the
sunlight.

 "Hey, old man!"
 "Goat!"
 "Goat, sorry. Can you tell us where to find the Dragon king?"
 "I'm 127!"
 "What?"
 "I'm 127! I'm not old! I'm venerable!"
 "Look, can you tell us where the dragon king is?!"
 "Who?"
 "THE DRAGON KING!"
 "Oh, him! He lives about a day's walk east of here!"
 "All right, thanks!"
 "Eh?"
 "THANK YOU!"
 "All right, all right. No need to shout.
muttermuttermutterautonomouscollective."

 With directions firmly in mind, and Ryoga firmly in tow,
Ranma set out.

 As it turned out, Ranma didn't have much of a fight to reach
the Dragon king's castle. In fact, he didn't have any fight. There
wasn't
a dragon to be seen for the whole trip. It would have been boring if
he
hadn't had to run around and keep Ryoga walking straight. After half a

day's walk, they bedded down for the night, then continued walking as
soon as they woke, slightly hungrier and far less tired. The constant
tension between them, usually so sharp it could cut a knife, had eased
in
their mutual goal; to save Akane. At about tea-time, they reached the
castle.
 "Hmmm," said Ranma, sagely. "This must be it."
 "Yes." Replied Ryoga. "I wonder why it's so empty?"
 "Who knows? Maybe we slipped past all the guards?"
 "Must be. Interesting doors, though."
 And interesting they were. Instead of the rampant Dragons
they had expected, or the eternal flames barring entrance, there was a

pair of large, solid oak doors, both with a raised silhouette of a
dragonfly. It was a simple design, without much detail, but beautiful
nonetheless. Ranma walked up to them, squared his shoulders, and
kicked them open. The unlocked doors slid open easily, granted them
access to the castle. They walked in, and gasped. The entire hall was
covered in an intricate frieze, filled with wild animals of all kinds,
foxes,
bears, goats, and a few dragons, but insects seemed to be the main
theme. Black flies, sandflies, moths, dragonflies, and all other kinds
of
insects were there. Throughout the picture, the dragonflies seemed to
be
winning. Ranma whistled.
 "Man, this guy sure likes bugs a lot..."
 They walked through the empty caverns, footsteps echoing in
the open air. Eventually, they found the throne room. It was amazing.
There was a balcony with a large stone wall above the main floor, and
every few feet on that wall was carved another dragonfly silhouette.
The
throne itself seemed a piddly thing, having only one, four foot long
dragonfly perching directly in the center of the top brim of the
throne.
Ranma and Ryoga examined the room in silence for a while, then Ryoga
broke the silence.
 "I don't like this, Ranma."
 "Why not?" asked Ranma, "It's beautiful!"
 "I didn't mean the walls, Ranma, I meant this smells like a
trap."
 Realization dawned on Ranma.
 "Oh. You're right. I suppose it might be, at that."
 Saying so, both dropped into defensive positions, ready for
battle. Suddenly, from a side room, came a man, holding a book and
reading half-aloud. He wasn't particularly large, or small. He had a
slightly frowning expression, as if something troubling or confusing
was
on his mind. His cloak was blue, and he had no armor on underneath.
He was halfway to the throne when he realized he wasn't alone, and
turned to look.
 "Oh, hello. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
 Ranma, thinking like he normally did (i.e. not at all),
immediately saw through the clever ruse.
 "You won't fool us into thinking you're defenseless so you can
get closer! I don't believe that this castle is really empty, is it?"
 "Well, I suppose it isn't at that. But you never answered my
question. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
 "Enough with the charade, Dragon king! Defend yourself!"
 "Wha-ooof!" Said the king, as Ranma punched him in the
stomach and he fell down. The king gasped for breath, then tried
again.
 "Look, this isn't what you think. I-whaaarg!" Ranma's elbow
rammed into his back.
 "If you don't stop this, I'm, going to be forced to take
desperate measu-Yaaarrrgh!" Ranma grabbed him, and threw him
across the room, to sit in the throne. The king gasped like a fish for
a
moment, then regained his breathing. He glared at Ranma balefully.
 "Very well. You attack me in my own home, without
provocation? Not a wise choice. Always fight a king away form his
power base. Drago-hurk!"
 Those were the last words he got out for a while, as Ranma ran
towards him, and gave him an uppercut straight to the chin just as he
finished speaking. The king slumped to the floor, and Ranma stood over

him, victorious. He looked at Ryoga, and flashed a grin and a peace
sign.
 "C'mon, Ryoga. Let's finish him."
 Ryoga smiled, and was about to form a reply, when there was a
crackling noise. Both Ranma and Ryoga froze, and their eyes got very
wide. The crackling got much louder, and the dragonfly frieze began to

move. On every square foot of the balcony wall, a dragonfly was
pulling
itself out of the stone. The smaller ones came free first, and
surrounded
the king in a hazy cloud of wings. Then the larger dragonflies came
free,
and the larger, and the larger, until at last the dragonfly that,
until
recently, _had_ been part of the throne, was in front of Ranma and
Ryoga. It was a shining silver, and it's wings were a silver haze as
it
hovered only a few feet from their faces.
 "Why have you done this thing?" It spoke, in a voice loud as a
whisper, but the two could hear clearly. "We have done no harm to you!

Why do you attack us, without provocation?"
 Ranma and Ryoga, predictably, gaped. Ranma blinked himself
out of shock first.
 "Without provocation?! You poison my- you poison Akane,
and you say I had no provocation?"
 "The Dragonfly king has done nothing to your 'Akane'! He has
not left this castle in weeks! How dare you accuse him of injuring
someone! We are peaceful race, unless provoked! And, might I add..."
Here, the dragonfly's voice took on more than a hint of malice, "You
have quite definitely provoked us!"
 The silver dragonfly suddenly flew upwards, speaking in a
louder voice.
 "Home guard! Rise up! Your king has been attacked!"

 There was a rumbling sound, and Ranma instinctively ducked
behind Ryoga, who was still in shock. The rumbling continued for a
while without any obvious negative effects, so Ranma emerged again,
blushing slightly. As he did so, The very walls of the castle, which
had
dragonflies on them as well, began shaking. This managed to wake
Ryoga up. His eyes bugged as he saw the immense dragonfly wall
sculptures began to move. Each sculpture was at least as tall as a
house,
and some in the more open areas were even larger. Ranma and Ryoga
began edging away to the door as colors appeared on the walls,
predominantly red. They stopped backing up when they realized that the

king wasn't the only one surrounded by dragonflies. The wall-
dragonflies broke free, and the air filled with a sonorous hum as they

heaved themselves aloft and started circling in the air above the
throne.
The silver dragonfly, now dwarfed by the reinforcements, spoke again.
 "Home guard! You see the creatures who struck our king!
Atta-"
 "_STOP_!" The shout, sharp as a whip-crack, stopped the
silver dragonfly dead, and several of the Home Guard began drifting
towards the balcony to sit. The cloud of dragonflies parted, and the
king, looking worse for wear, but conscious, shoved himself to his
feet.
 "My king!" shouted the silver dragonfly, and flew to bow
before the king. "My lord, forgive my impertinence, but I thought they

had killed you!"
 "They very nearly had." said the king. "But the Golds healed
me, for the most part, and I would know why they attacked before I
pronounce sentence."
 The silver bowed its head, and flew to hover above and behind
the king's shoulder. It was about this time that Ranma realized
something. Well, he may have realized it some time before, but the
dialogue and drama was a bit too thick at the time to say anything, so
he
said it now.
 "Ryoga?"
 "Yes, Ranma?"
 "I think we just made a mistake."
 "Yes, Ranma, I think you're right."
 "I don't think this guy is the Dragon king."
 "I don't think so either, Ranma."
 "I think we're in trouble."
 "Yup."
 The king sighed. "Well, that answers my question, anyway."
He shook his head. "Home Guard! return to your posts!"
 With more humming, the Home Guard flew back to their
positions on the wall, and, with a slurping sound, re-embedded
themselves. The king walked back to his throne, sat down heavily, and
gestured to Ranma and Ryoga.
 "I think I will find your story most interesting, once I have
explained who _I_ am. Boxall?"
 "Yes, lord?" The silver dragonfly that had summoned the
Home Guard replied.
 "Chairs and refreshments, if you please."
 "Yes, lord." The silver flew out of the room.
 "Now then." the king shifted position. "I, as you have probably
already guessed, am the Dragonfly king. I rule all the dragonflies
that
reside in the Land of the Beasts. You, I assume, were looking for the
more famous, or perhaps infamous, Dragon king?"
 Ranma nodded. The Dragonfly king sighed, and put his face in
his hands.
 "I thought as much. I am a minor king, with control over
comparatively little land, and not particularly powerful magics.
Useful
and subtle magics, perhaps, but not powerful. Ah, here come your
seats."
 Boxall had returned with several, slightly smaller dragonflies,
mostly blue, though there were some yellows, greens, browns, and reds
in the mix. Two carried chairs, and the rest carried food, drinks, and
the
like. There was a pause in the conversation as everything was set up,
and the various dragonflies flew to the balcony wall, and sat on top
of it,
watching with interest.
 "The dragonfly council." Said the king, noting Ranma's
interest. "They help me make decisions regarding the ruling of my
subjects, and foreign relations. They also have a keen interest in
mortals."
 "Mortals?" Ryoga asked, looking nervously up at the council,
remembering the mandibles and claws he had seen up close.
 "Yes, mortals. I see you don't know much about the Land of
the Beasts. Well, all people and animals make their beginning in your
world, the world of mortals. However, when they die, they come to the
afterlife. Now, something you must understand is this: There are far
more people who have died than those who still live. Only two or three

generations on earth remain alive at any one time, but every
generation
that has ever been is in the afterlife. So, you can see as how we
would
get a little crowded."
 Ranma and Ryoga nodded dutifully.
 "So, not everyone goes to the same place. Oh, of course all the
particularly bad people go to their various hells, full of ice, or
fire, or
loneliness, or whatever. Some go to heaven, but they usually like to
wander around a bit first. However, the majority of people simply
wander around, or set themselves up an afterlife much like the life
that
they had. Old habits are hard to break, and all that. Usually, people
find
that they like all the new experiences, and learn a few trades really
well.
Almost every one learns white healing magics after a while, because,
although they can't die anymore, they can be hurt. Some learn the
black
magics, and either become heroes or sorcerers. Others become fighters,

or bakers, or whatever they choose. But with animals, it's slightly
different.
 You see, every animal, while on earth, has a definite
personality. However, it's usually covered over with a good deal of
raw
instinct, simply to survive. When they die, they come to the Land of
the
Beasts. Here, their instincts are lowered to the level where they
realize
their own desires, and wants, and needs, and the like. So, they become

more 'human', though that isn't the most accurate term. Humans have
three alignments in each of them; Good, Neutral, and Evil. In life,
these
three are constantly battling each other, gaining and losing ground
with
each occurrence in life, sometimes affecting the personality,
sometimes
affected by it. After death, those alignments usually become more
active, stronger. A good person on earth, for instance, would become a

very good person here, and a bad one would become evil. This is not
because the Good, or Evil, or Neutral overwhelm the other alignments,
but because they have more effect. If a person was 60% good in life,
they will be 60% good in the afterlife, but it's more concentrated.
More
effect for the same amount.
 Animals don't have those. They follow their instincts on earth,
and don't have alignments here. Personality, yes, but no alignments.
So,
they need someone, not to tell them what to do, but to tell them in
which direction their appetites lie. The present Dragon king, for
instance, is Evil. There have been worse ones, but not by much. As a
result, dragons, for now, are Evil. People avoid them, they
occasionally
raze villages, etc. I, on the other hand, am more Neutral, with a
slight
leaning toward the Good. Officially, this puts me at odds with the
Dragon king, but there is a complication.
 You see, There are politics here as well as on earth. The
Dragon king is powerful, very much so in fact, and I am definitely
not.
Neither are most of my neighbors. So, none of us dare to attack him,
for
he could overwhelm one of us in days. However, he also daren't attack
any one of us without severe provocation, for if he does, each and
every
one of the minor kings would rise up against him. Together, we are
much stronger. He works as a balance against us, and we against him.
So peace, of a sort, remains. There are other times, when the Dragon
kings were good, and they acted, not as a balance, but to bring people

together. There have been times of great need in this Land, when only
our might, combined with the few major kings, was able to turn them
back.
 But I forgot the original question. I called you mortals. You
have yet to die. We kings cannot die, and our Beasts cannot leave our
realms without being sent by us. So, when they are destroyed, in fire,
or
drowning, or the like, they are basically reincarnated. Not as
anything
else, as the human reincarnation idea is to escape life, and the
Beasts are
happy the way they are. But, unless they are killed, they do not die.
I
mean to say that they are immune to aging unless they wish to be. Some

prefer to look wiser and all that.
 Now, are there any questions?"

 Ryoga had dozed off, and Ranma elbowed him awake.
 "Just one. You said you were a minor king, and that the
Dragon king was a major king. What does that mean?"
 "Ah. Well, dragons, in mythology, are grand beasts, of
immense power. Dragonflies are not. There have not, to my knowledge,
been many legends about dragonflies. So, the minor kings are ones that

are kings over everyday creatures. Dragonflies, bears, foxes, goats,
dogs, cats, etc. The major kings are ones whose Beasts are ones of
legend. Dragons, Griffins, Hydras, that sort of thing.
 One thing I should probably mention, because I know you'll
realize this eventually, is that all the kings are human, like I said
before,
to give them their alignment. But all of the kings have been born, and

raised, on earth. Some of them have died there, and shown up here
after
a while, some have been brought here, usually the major kings do that,

because only their magic is powerful enough, and some just sort of
showed up. It's the whole law of succession thing. Each race has a
different method of succession. Dragonfly kings are watched from
birth,
their lives affected somehow by dragonflies every step of the way.
When
they die, they show up here a lot sooner, and are taken in by the
present
king, to be taught. After they are taught all that the king knows, he
passes the kingship on, and leaves to wander as long as he wishes. I
do
not know the methods for any other races, for I have not ever seen or
been invited to them. But I do know a general rule. Each new king,
when he rises to the throne, has surpassed the old king in whatever
method is used for succession. With foxes, it's something to do with
scheming, or bears, with strength, or dragonflies, with knowledge, and

subtlety. The dragons, I believe, use fighting skill."
 Ranma nodded.
 "I see."
 The dragonfly king sat back in his chair, and held his glass out
for more water. Ranma and Ryoga, realizing that their glasses were
empty as well, did the same.
 "And now, suppose you tell me your story. I am curious as to
why the dragon king should summon someone like yourself to the Land
of Beasts. As far as I knew, he was a bit xenophobic."
 Ranma agreed, and began to tell his story.

 After some time, and a few questions on the part of the king,
Ranma's story was done. The Dragonfly king, for some reason, looked
very worried. Ranma noticed this, and asked him why. The Dragonfly
king did not respond for a moment, then sighed heavily.
 "Do you still have this poison vial with you?"
 Ranma nodded, and pulled it out, handing to the king. The king
looked at it for some time, with an unreadable expression on his face.

Then, his expression grew tight, and he spoke in a strained voice.
 "Boxall."
 "Yes, lord?"
 "Show our guests to their rooms. It is getting late, and we will
have much to discuss in the morning."
 "Yes, lord."
 Ranma started to interrupt. "But-" He was interrupted by
Boxall plucking on his sleeve. Ranma turned, and Boxall shook his
head, or at least waggled the front end of his body, vigorously. Ranma

opened his mouth to ask why, but Boxall lay a disconcerting hand/leg
on
his lips, and tugged on his shirt, leading him towards one of the
doors.
Ryoga followed, yawning. When they had turned several corners, Boxall
stopped, and spoke in his clear whisper again.
 "Now we may speak."
 "Why did he ask to see that vial? And why couldn't I have it
back?"
 Boxall sighed. At least, Ranma assumed it was a sigh. It may
have been a wheeze, or the buzzing of a smaller dragonfly passing by.
 "Because he recognized that vial."
 "WHAT?"
 "He has... seen that vial before. I am not allowed to speak on it
until he gives me permission. But I believe, if I know him, that he
will
explain everything at lunch tomorrow."
 "Lunch? Why not breakfast?"
 "He prefers to be up late, and is not a habitually early riser.
However, if you wish to wake early, you will be served breakfast, and
shown the grounds, if you desire."
 Ranma looked around at the drab stone walls.
 "Well, I guess..."
 "Excellent. Come with me, then."

 The following morning, Ranma and Ryoga woke earlier than
usual, ate a hearty breakfast, and toured the grounds of the castle.
It
was a bright, cheery place for the most part, with a lot of room for
aerial
maneuvering in the ceilings. The halls, though populated, seemed
lonely.
Ranma commented on this, and Boxall replied.
 "Yes, it is a bit empty these days. It wasn't like this before. The
halls used to be wonderful places, filled with lights and music,
dancing
often as not. Then, when the queen died, things just seemed to...
fade, I
suppose." Boxall looked around thoughtfully. "Yes, I think fade is a
good term. With a little effort, these halls could be made bright
again,
but they are not considered gloomy by our people by any means, and
there are few areas that we actively avoid."
 "Avoid?"
 "Yes, well." Boxall cleared his throat, or at least buzzed
harshly. "There are a few areas which are... socially taboo, you might

say. No problems with yourselves going there, of course, but for some
of us, it brings back... painful memories."
 Ryoga spoke, for the third time that morning. Like the other
times, he was terse. "What areas? I don't mean to offend, but it might

be simpler if we avoided them, too." Ranma nodded.
 "Well, let's see. Only the greens really go down to the lower
levels, but there's nothing to interest you down there anyway. Alchemy

and the like, mostly. The Grand Hall is left alone for the most part,
you'll recognize it easily. has a lot of tapestries, natural lighting
from the
windows, and a very large, covered painting on one end of the hall.
Black velvet covering."
 "What's the painting of?" Ranma asked, curious.
 "We... don't like to talk about it much, I'm afraid. It would be
best if you just left it alone."
 Ranma, rebuked, shrugged. "Fine."
 "Now, I think his majesty should be ready to receive you in the
throne room. If you'll just follow me..."
 Ranma nodded, grabbed Ryoga by the arm, and hauled him in
the right direction.

 The throne room was noisy, the upper layers of the arching
ceilings filled with the Home Guard, and the lower levels filled with
dragonflies of various sizes and colors, making it look as though a
clan
of gypsies had been thrown in the air and exploded. The council was
perched on the balcony wall yet again, and the king sat on his throne,

with several dragonflies, all about the size of Boxall, sitting on
perches
around the throne. Ranma and Ryoga walked up to him. Ranma
realized, as they approached, that there was one dragonfly of each
color.
Blue, Silver (Boxall), Red, Brown, Green, and Gold. The king noticed
them as they approached, and broke off a discussion with the green
dragonfly. He spoke to them in a tone that suggested he was
embarrassed about something.
 "Ah, you've arrived. Good. I... must apologize for last night.
Your unexpected arrival, and the misunderstanding after that, had put
me a little on edge. As well, you gave me unpleasant surprise with
your
story, which is the reason for all the activity you see here today."
He
gestured at the room. "Your seats are where they were, and if you
could
sit in them, we can get around to business."
 Ranma and Ryoga sat, slightly confused, and looked around.
Ryoga whispered to Ranma.
 "Do you think they're still angry?"
 Ranma shook his head. "Doubt it. If the king forgave us, and
Boxall acts like that's the case, I doubt any of his subjects would
attack
us."
 Ryoga looked relieved.
 "What's with you this morning, anyway? You haven't said
twenty words all morning."
 Ryoga looked miffed. "I'm just worried about Akane, that's
all. Like you should be."
 Ranma bristled. "Hey! Just because I'm not rude to everyone
doesn't mean I'm not worried!"
 "Oh yeah?"
 "Yeah!"
 "Gentlemen!"
 The pair stopped arguing, and realized they'd been shouting
into dead silence. They grinned nervously, and stammered apologies.
The king nodded, and addressed the crowd.
 "My people! It has come to my attention, through these two
mortals, that a great evil has been done, and we have facilitated it!"

 A collective gasp/buzz filled the air, and the air filled with
speculative conversation.
 "It seems that, through our political dealings with the Dragon
king, we have allowed him to kidnap and hold for ransom a young
mortal woman!"
 Ranma looked shocked, and stood bolt upright.
 "HEY! What d'you mean, you political dealings?! I thought
you said you hadn't harmed Akane!"
 The king turned to Ranma, sorrow on his face.
 "I thought I had not, and, though it was not my hand that did
it, it was my actions that allowed it."
 "What? You'd better explain yourself, or I really will kill you
this time!"
 The king held up his hands.
 "All right, all right, I was about to explain anyway." He turned
to the assembly once again. "Several days ago, the Dragon king came to

me with an offer. He told me that, in exchange for a certain item, he
would dispose of the Fly king, one of our adversaries, in a manner
that
would not spark war, and that he would be willing to split the
resulting
lands with us. Evidently, the Fly king had given him some grievous
insult, or hidden wound in the recent months. I asked him what he
needed, and consented, gambling that, if we could move fast enough
into the Fly king's lands, we could gain half or more before we met
with
the Dragon king's forces.
 Unfortunately, the Dragon king lied. He took the item that I
gave him, and used it for a different purpose. It is at this time that
I wish
to show the item to you."
 The king reached into the folds of his cloak, and drew out the
crystal vial that had contained the poison used on Akane. Ranma
frowned. The king continued.
 "In this vial, which I gave to the Dragon king, there was a
special poison, created by the Green dragonflies for... reasons, long
ago.
I learned of it when I became king, and have not, until this time, had
the
opportunity to use it. It is a special sleeping poison. It binds the
soul of
whoever takes to the soul of whoever administers it, making them a
slave in ten days. When used on a mortal, it will kill them in ten
days,
and bring them here as slaves. The effects are eternal, and only
reversible when the administer is killed, releasing the soul. The cure
will
not, unfortunately, reverse death, but only slavery.
 The Dragon king poisoned this young mortal's fiancee, and, in
the ancient tradition of the Dragon kings, issued the challenge to
defeat
him or lose his bride."
 There was dead silence. Not the beat of a wing, not a breath
disturbed the air. Ranma sensed something important was implied in the

last message, but he didn't catch it. The king continued.
 "So, I have considered helping these young mortals retrieve the
mortal girl's soul from the dragon king, through a swift, decisive,
and
possibly suicidal military action. I will not, however, make any move,

without the complete support of both the Clans and the council. I will

give you one day to consider."
 The king sat down, and nobody moved. There was a slight
rustling as wings shifted nervously, and meaningful eye contact was
made all around. Finally, the Green dragonfly near the king spoke in
the
whisper common to his people.
 "My king, I cannot speak for the others, but the Greens
support you in this endeavor."
 The Gold stepped forward. "As do we."
 "The Reds will be glad to fight for our king in this matter."
 "The Browns offer their unconditional backing."
 "The Silvers will gladly magic for you, my lord."
 "The Blues will fight with you."
 The king nodded, then looked to the balcony where the council
sat, and had been buzzing amongst themselves. "And you, my friends?
Where do you stand?"
 A blue, larger than Boxall, flew to the ground in front of the
king.
 "The council supports their king and will give as much
assistance as they can."
 The king nodded. "Then prepare for war."

 The cheer that went up could be heard by everyone within
miles.

 Later that afternoon, Ranma, Ryoga, the Dragonfly king,
Boxall and the other Clan leaders, and the council, sat in the throne
room, all with refreshments on hand. The Home Guard sat in a circle
around them, watching and waiting. The king was looking at a map of
the border between his lands and the Dragon king's.
 "All right. For the newcomers," he looked at Ranma and
Ryoga, not unkindly. "These blue dots, with the symbols beside them,
are a special type of magic. You see, dragonflies are magical
creatures.
Each Clan has their own type of magic. The Golds have healing, the
Greens have alchemy-related magics, such as transmutation and the
like.
The Reds have primarily battle magics: fire spells, lightning spells,
that
sort of thing. The browns have defensive spells, anti-poison, none,
I'm
afraid, strong enough to cure your Akane, anti-magic-attack, shields,
and so on. The blues have more esoteric powers. They do things like
divining, foreseeing, and mind control. Last, we have the silvers.
They
are... different. They manage things. Some take care of the land and
weather, some control the forests, some even live in underground
caverns. They are more rare than the others, but more powerful in some

ways. In their own domains, they are unbeatable, and outside their
domains, present a recognizable threat. They keep the land safe, and
easy to use for our people. they are more in tune with the land than
anyone else, even most of the other Beasts. They usually live much
longer than the others, as they present themselves to danger a good
deal
less. The thing they are most known for, however, are these little
blue
dots.
 Each dot on this map represents a... well, call it a
transportation node. There is a network of trees and bushes in this
land
which have been spelled by the Silvers for teleportation. It is a
difficult
and time-consuming spell, but permanent. First, a suitable plant is
selected, for size and health. Then, the Silver casts the spell on it.
After
that, any dragonfly may use that plant to teleport to any other
spelled
plant within range. There are, of course, some limitations. The
dragonfly
must be using a plant larger than itself, by about 20 times. And, the
range the teleport can reach depends on the size of the plant. So, the

smaller a dragonfly is, the more plants they can use, but they often
can
only jump a few miles at a time. The larger a dragonfly is, the fewer
plants they can use, but they more commonly make much longer jumps.
The size of trees some of the larger dragonflies use would kill
smaller
dragonflies because of the sheer power. There are about a dozen trees
in
the entire realm that can only be used by either the Home Guard or
larger, but using them, they can travel across the entire kingdom in a

day. There is a series of five trees, one here, in the center, and
four at
each corner of this square, that can only be used by one dragonfly. He
is
ancient, and has seen many kings come and go. He has fought in many
wars, and tends a forest the size of which has not been measured, but
extends in to the wild lands beyond Man's, or Beast's, knowledge."
 Ranma and Ryoga looked suitably impressed.
 "Well, let's get on with it, then. I plan to start sending the Reds
and Browns ahead of us, to create a wedge that we will use to drive
deep into the dragon king's territory."
 The king pointed at the border, then draw his finger across the
map, about half the way to the Dragon king's castle.
 "Once we reach about here, we should get stalled. We will
bring re-enforcements as quickly as we can, but still expect to be
pushed
back to our border in three days, losing terrible amounts of troops.
After
that, the Dragon king will be able to push into our land, and will
take
about another two days to reach the castle. Once there, with my army
destroyed, the Home Guard killed personally by Wyrm, the Dragon
king's advisor, a black dragon of terrible power, and the Dragon
king's
sword at my neck, I shall die, my blood spilling out on my throne,
alone
and powerless. Unless..."
 Ranma and Ryoga, staring in horror at the map and the
Dragonfly king's suicidal plans, gaped at him.
 "Unless... You, Ranma, can do two things."
 Ranma waited.
 "I have two questions to ask of you. My fate depends on
them."
 Ranma nodded.
 "The first: can you defeat Wyrm, the Black sorcerer dragon
who is thousands of years old, and who has killed every man and Beast
who has every come against him?"
 Ranma considered this.
 "We will try."
 The king nodded. "It is enough. The second: Can you kill a
man? Can you live with the knowledge that, with your own two hands,
you took a life?"
 Ranma swallowed heavily. He took a deep breath, and nodded.
"For Akane, I can."
 "Then we may succeed. I must begin the transportation of my
troops, but first I must give you my plans for you."
 The king whispered something to Boxall, who turned and
addressed the other dragonflies, then led Ranma and Ryoga out of the
throne room. He strode purposefully down the halls, making deliberate
turns, and always taking the stairs down. As he walked, he talked.
 "In two days, my troops will be ready to begin the attack.
Three days after that, they will reach the crisis point, and will
begin to
be driven back. You have five days before Akane dies from the poison.
At the sunset of the third day, if the Dragon king is not dead, she
will
die, I will die, and you will die. Likely slowly and painfully.
However,
you cannot join my army to try to drive through the Dragon king's
forces. Doing so would make you an obvious target, and you would not
likely see the end of it all. However, there is another way to reach
the
Dragon king."
 Ranma, who had been getting more and more depressed, and
was in fact thinking that he might now be able to get Ryoga to teach
him the Shishi Hokudan, perked his ears.
 "Do you remember the five giant trees I told you about? The
ones that only one Dragonfly can use?"
 Ranma nodded.
 "That dragonfly tells me that there may be more than five,
thanks to surreptitious planning and spelling on the part of some
ancient
Silvers, now long gone. His name is Ghym."
 Ranma started to smile. Ryoga gave a grim nod.
 "I am taking you to him now. The tree in the center of the land
is in the center of the castle, deep in the bowels of the earth. It
has
stopped growing, but is healthy, and will live until this castle falls
on it."
The king considered for a moment. "Maybe ever after that. But
regardless, he will be able to take you where you need to be. You will

take two jumps, the first to the border of my lands, the second deep
into
the Dragon king's lands. From there, you will fly, hopefully
undetected,
above the clouds, all the way to the Dragon king's castle. Ghym will
take you in as far as he can, and then you will have to fight your way
in.
There will likely not be many dragons there, and I will be sending you

on the third day of the battle, when the most of the Dragon king's
troops will be fighting. It will also be the day that Akane dies at
sunset.
The stakes are rather high."
 By this time, they had reached a door, which the king
unlocked, and led them through. As the entered the room beyond, they
were surprised by the quality of the air. Where outside, the air had
become stuffy and dank from lack of circulation, the air in this room
was fresh, and clean, like it smells after a rain. The air, however,
was
soon forgotten, as they saw the tree.
 It was huge. It was bigger than huge. It was immense. It had
such a sense of _bigness_ around it that you couldn't quite wrap your
mind around it. And sitting on top of the tree, dwarfed by it's
branches,
was a Silver dragonfly. It gently fanned it's wings as it looked down
on
them. Then, with a slight push, lofted itself in the air, calmly
circling the
room without beating it's wings once. It came slightly farther down
with
each revolution, until finally it landed, gracefully, before the
group. The
Dragonfly king walked up to it, and bowed at the waist.
 "Ghym. It is good to see you again."
 "My king." rumbled the Silver, in a voice like the deepest
forest, the largest cavern, the darkest twilight. "It is good to see
you as
well. How is the kingdom beyond the Silver forest?"
 "It is fine, for now."
 "You speak as if it may not be."
 "There has been... trouble."
 "Ah."
 "The Dragon king has cheated me, and used the Green
dragonfly poison on a young mortal woman, to enslave her to be his
bride. According to the ancient tradition, he has challenged this
young
man for the right to marry her. I have agreed to help them, and will
wage war on the Dragon king in two days."
 "That is not wise. The Dragon king will win."
 "That is why I would not normally dare to attack him.
However, we do have one advantage."
 "Surprise."
 "That is a tactical advantage, but not enough of one to win the
war. I am speaking of the young mortal here."
 Ghym shifted his massive weight to observe Ranma and Ryoga
more closely.
 "I see two of them."
 "The one on the left is the one of whom I speak. The one on
the right is his traveling companion, and, I am told, a fierce warrior
like
the first."
 "They look to be in their prime."
 "I am certain that they are. My plan is this-"
 "You plan for me to fly them to the castle of the Dragon king,
to battle the Dragon king himself in his own home, to kill him, break
the
sleeping poison's spell, and remove a dangerous, and provoked,
enemy."
 "Yes."
 "It is risky."
 "Life is risky. Besides, it is partially my fault."
 "And you want revenge."
 "That is part of it." The king lowered his head. "I will admit my
motives are not pure, but they are my motives, and I plan to wage this

war on any account. Will you help me?"
 There was a silence as Ghym considered. He fanned his wings
up and down, gently.
 "My king, I may die on this mission."
 "I am not telling you to do it. Only asking."
 "I know that. I am simply warning you. I will help."
 The king bowed again. "Thank you. They will come here in
five days, to be transported."
 "I will be here."
 With that, Ghym launched himself up in the air. With a roaring
sound, he flew into the tree. the roaring sound gradually faded away
to
nothing. All three humans stared at the tree, lost in thought.
Finally, the
king spoke.
 "Come. It is time for me to plan with my generals, and you
must rest as much as you can, clear your minds for the battle that
will
decide all our fates."
 They walked back in silence.

 That night, after a feast with the king and his generals, Ranma
sat in his room with Ryoga. It was well past midnight.
 "Ranma?"
 "Yeah?"
 "I can't sleep."
 "Neither can I."
 "Do you think we'll die?"
 "Everybody dies. It's just a matter of when."
 "I don't care if I die, really, but if I die, I might not be able to
save Akane."
 Ranma frowned, and was about to insult him, then closed his
mouth.
 "I mean, death is something we both face as fighters, but
Akane isn't a fighter. She can fight, but she isn't like you and me.
She
has something in her life besides training, and fighting. I don't know

what it is, but I can see it in her, sometimes. When she's training,
she
sometimes just stops for a while, and stares. I don't know what she's
thinking about, but it's important to her. When I helped her train to
defeat those girls, Natsumi and Karumi, sometimes she'd be in the
middle of a kata, and she'd just... stop. Hold her position, in the
middle
of a kick, and get this look in her eyes. Usually she'd walk back to
the
fire and stare into it for a while, then go back to training. I think
she
cried, once or twice."
 Ranma looked at the floor.
 "She's not a fighter, Ranma, she doesn't deserve this."
 Ranma flung his covers off, and walked out of the room, fully
clothed, closing the door quietly behind him. Ryoga yawned, and went
to sleep, dreaming of Akane.

 Ranma stalked the halls, not really noticing where he was
going. After some time, he realized the walls were farther apart than
normal. Looking up, he saw that he was in a huge room, twice the size
of the throne room. The walls were hung with rich, but dusty,
tapestries,
and the stone walls were flat, bare of the smallest dragonfly. This
struck
Ranma as odd. On every wall, there were always dragonflies, sleeping
in
the stone, ready to serve their king at a moment's notice, or just
resting.
Here, there wasn't even one. There were no lanterns, or candles, or
magical orbs set by the Browns to shed light. There were huge tables,
bare and simple. On one end of the hall, the entire wall was covered
in
black velvet.
 *The Grand Hall! Shit!* Ranma turned back the way he came,
then stopped. He looked behind him.
 *I wonder what's under that velvet.* He stood for a moment,
then, cautiously, approached the wall. He finally reached it, and just

stood looking at it.
 *I shouldn't look.* He reached out his hand, then dropped it.
 "It's all right."
 Ranma jumped and landed facing the other way. Behind him,
the Dragonfly king stood, smiling gently.
 "It's all right." He repeated. "I was going to open it anyway."
 Ranma nodded, then pulled the golden cord hanging beside the
velvet. Soundlessly, the velvet parted, showing a large painting of a
woman. Ranma stopped pulling the cord when he could see the edges of
the frame. He walked, behind the king, to stand in front of the
picture.
 She was raven-haired, and had a small smile. Her face was thin,
but not unpleasantly so. Her midnight blue dress flowed from her
shoulders, and covered a slight frame. She had an elven look, and a
pleasant countenance.
 "She's beautiful."
 The king nodded. "I know. Hello, love." He addressed the
painting. "It seems I've done it again." He gestured to Ranma.
 "This young man here showed up a few days ago, and told me
that his fiancee had been poisoned. I asked for details, and it turns
out
that the Dragon king cheated me out of a deal, and used some Green
dragonfly sleeping poison to do it." He smiled. "So, I'm starting a
war.
One that I can't win alone. But Ranma, here, might be able to kill the

Dragon king. He wants to try, at least. So I'm giving him a chance. My

only chance. If I fail, well, I'll be joining you, I suspect. And if I
win,
well..." The king smiled again. "We'll see what happens, shall we?"
 They stood for a moment longer. Then, the king pulled the
velvet shut again.
 "It's late, and you should rest. go to sleep Ranma. You'll be
wanting it soon enough. Good night."
 With that, the king left the room, leaving Ranma to his own
thoughts. Ranma watched the velvet sway in the breeze that started up
soon after, then went back to bed, and slept like a dead man.

 In the days that followed, The castle became more and more
empty, as larger and larger dragonflies moved to prepare for battle.
After two days, only Boxall and some few others remained to keep the
castle clean and prepare for whatever defense they might manage. On
the third day, when the battle began, Ranma took Boxall aside.
 "Boxall?"
 "Yes, Ranma?"
 "A few days, ago, I met the king in the Grand Hall."
 "Oh. Oh, dear."
 "No, it's all right. He showed me her picture."
 Boxall sighed. "Well, what's done is done, I suppose."
 "Boxall, what happened to her?"
 "The queen? Well, it's a sad story, really."
 "Tell me."
 "Very well. The king has not been the king for very long. Only
about fifteen years, actually."
 "Fifteen? He looks like he's twenty."
 "Kings in the Land of the Beasts are immortal, remember. They
usually stay in their prime. And their wives."
 "Their wives?"
 "Usually, all humans are immortal once they die, but after
centuries gain an older look, probably due to habit. Rulers, as sort
of a
trade-off for spending their afterlives guarding and ruling a kingdom,
are
granted eternal youth.
 Our king was a young scholar when he died, studying at a
place of learning simply to gain knowledge. Our king at the time was
keeping an eye on him, as he was feeling more and more bound by his
responsibilities. One day, the young man was killed in a strange
accident
when he was entertaining a young woman that he had begun to love.
When he died, he spent some time in thought, and realized that the
afterlife would be much more pleasant to him if he had a traveling
companion. So, he waited around for her. About a year after he died,
she died as well, in another accident. When she found him waiting for
her, she realized that she, too, loved him. Together, they set off to
learn
all that there was to know.
 After some time, they arrived in the Land of the Beasts, having
heard of some of our libraries. It was then that the present king
contacted them, and gave them the opportunity to learn under him. They

accepted, and later the young man became our king. When he rose to
the throne, he proposed to his companion, and she became his queen.
For five years, five happy years, our king and queen reigned in peace
and prosperity, our king ruling wise and fairly, and our queen holding

feasts and filling the castle with her joy and laughter.
 Then, something terrible happened. The Dragon king, an
arrogant man at the best of times, was visiting our court. He had an
eye
for our queen, and, at some point in the night, cornered her and tried
to
force himself on her. He was interrupted in time by our king, who was
accompanied by myself and my mentor, one Silver named Glavius.
Enraged, the king ordered Glavius to summon the Home Guard. Before
my mentor could contact them, however, the Dragon king destroyed
him with an evil spell that left his body a charred wreck, and
destroyed
his very soul. Glavius was destroyed, and a poor, small silver
dragonfly
was born on the very edges of our realm to replace him. Our king has
never had much talent for magic, but magic is not a prerequisite for
kingship among our people. He, enraged and sorrowful at his friend's
death, used the only offensive spell he knew, a powerful binding spell

taught to him before he came to our lands. With it, he captured the
Dragon king, and held him tightly. In his anger, he meant to kill him,
but
the Dragon king spelled himself a portal to the mortal world, and so
escaped. From the mortal world, he spelled himself back to his castle,

where he laid his plans. A week after the incident, before our king's
very
eyes, the queen was spelled by the Dragon king, back to the world of
mortals, where she was reborn as a child, her memory and personality
erased and written over, lost forever. Our king was lost in grief, and

took years in coming back to himself. In five years, he was himself
again, but his court was never the same. Although happiness has
regained a foothold and a place at the king's table, it has never
reaquired
it's full strength."
 Boxall fell silent, and Ranma walked back to the dinner table in
silence.

 The day before Ranma and Ryoga were to join the battle
against the Dragon king, Boxall summoned them to the throne room. As
they entered, the Home Guard began to hum their wings,  creating a
swift breeze. Boxall, sitting on the throne, spoke.
 "Ranma Saotome and Ryoga Hibiki. You have been selected
by our king to be the champions of the Dragonfly race. As such, you
are
to be granted three gifts."
 Ranma and Ryoga strode to the throne, and stood before
Boxall. Ranma looked stoic, and Ryoga looked... well, Ryoga-esque.
 "The first gift: The armor of the dragonflies."
 The main doors opened, revealing the Clan leaders, all holding
armor of some sort. Breastplates, backplates, bracers, helmets, and
leg
guards were brought forward and donned.

 Ranma, now wearing the golden armor of the dragonflies,
shone brilliantly. His golden breastplate was covered in rampant
dragonflies, as was his backplate. His bracers were covered in
intricate
whorls and patterns. His head and legs were covered by unadorned
gold. He moved with an ease that suggested the gold was not nearly as
heavy as could be expected, and perhaps had some other properties, as
well.
 Ryoga looked much the same, but in silver. His breastplate had
dragonflies is a slightly different arrangement, and his bracers had a

different style of patterning, but beyond that, they were identical.
Boxall
spoke as they were helped to attach the last straps of armor.
 "These suits of armor have been deeply spelled by all the Clans
in our race. They grant the ability to jump higher, to strike harder,
and
obviously, to withstand more blows than you normally could. They
offer little protection against physical weapons, but they make up for
it
with their true protection: magic. Only the most powerful of battle
magics may penetrate this armor.
 And now, the second gift. The Swords of Wonder."
 Another set of doors opened, and two of the Home Guard
came through, carrying two cases.
 "The record of how we came to possess these swords has been
lost to the winds of time. Suffice it to say, they are very powerful.
They
take the wielder's will and power, whether it is magical, physical, or

otherwise, and amplify and concentrate it. Spells cast through these
swords are far more powerful than the caster alone could make them,
and ordinary men, using these swords, have cleaved through stone. We
give them to you, our last chance for survival."
 The Home Guard opened the cases, and inside were two
miraculously etched longswords. The gold's blade matched the patterns
on Ranma's bracers, and the silver matched Ryoga's. They were light,
almost weightless, and shone with an unnatural light.
 "And now, the third gift, and most precious."
 Ranma and Ryoga's eyes glazed as they imagined what might
lay in store for them. Amulets of incredible power, perhaps? Floating
castles?
 "Knowledge."
 Ranma's jaw dropped, and Ryoga fell over backwards.
 "Dragons, as well as dragonflies, are magical creatures. Each
Clan, represented by their color, has a different style of magic.
Their
powers are thus:
 The Red Clan has, like the dragonflies, the primary battle
magics. They live in the Firepits, and have fire spells and strength
enhancers.
 The Purple Clan has powers of the earth. They live in deep
caverns, and can cause the very land to rebel.
 The Azure Clan is our most formidable enemy, and controls
air. They can summon storms and cause terrible winds.
 The White Clan is a strange one. As well as controlling water,
they also deal with summoning magics. They can bring the most terrible

creatures to fight you, but are, for dragons, physically weak.
 The last, and most dangerous Clan, are the Blacks. They do
not have control over any aspect of the elements, instead relying on
pure
magic, and, under the present king, dark sorcery. They cause a
twisting
of spirit, and their terrible magic feeds on the negative emotions:
fear,
anger, hate, sorrow. They are invulnerable to physical attacks, and
may
only be killed by one pure of heart.
 These are our gifts. Accept them with honor, use them with
honor."

 The entire hall filled with silence, and one by one, the
dragonflies left, or slept in the walls. Finally, the pair was alone
in the
room with Boxall. Boxall addressed them.
 "I think that there is something you should see before you go
to sleep tonight. You are our last chance, and you should know what
you are the chance for."
 He led them away from the throne, into a more secluded
corner. Ranma realized with a start that the sun had set during the
ceremony, and the only lighting in the room came from Boxall himself,
who cast an eerie glow on the walls. When they stopped, Boxall began
to cast a spell, which manifested itself in the form of a shimmering
bubble hanging from his claws. They bubble grew until it was almost as

big as Boxall, then separated itself from him, and hovered before
Ranma
and Ryoga. Boxall cast another spell, and the shimmering parted to
reveal a picture of a battlefield. It was night, and the ground was
littered
with unidentifiable forms. There was no sound, but they could see that

all was quiet. The view zoomed closer to the ground, and Ranma
recognized the forms.
 "Shit..."
 They were dragonflies. Wings torn off, tails mangled, eyes
punctured, legs gone, all were deformed in some way, and all were
burnt to a crisp. Ranma thought he recognized the size of some of the
Home Guard. The ground was covered with a fine ash, remains of the
smaller dragonflies caught in the fire spells and flaming breath of
the
Red dragons. A human form moved into view, and the dragonfly king
gazed sadly at the wreckage before entering the tent behind him.
Inside,
haggard and drawn in the pale lamplight, he plotted and planned with
his
generals. Suddenly, everyone in the tent swung to the flaps, and
ran/flew
through. They looked up into the sky, and saw a flight of dragons. The

alarm was raised, and hordes of dragonflies took off, surrendering
themselves to nearly certain death in the fires to come. Five Home
Guards attacked a Purple dragon at once, sparking an explosion in it's

belly that sent it crashing to the ground. As they detached themselves

and looked for another enemy, a Red dragon, diving from the skies
above, blew gouts of flame at them. They scattered, but three were
caught. They fell, flaming brightly, from the skies to the ground,
crashing and joining their brothers in death. The Red dragon flapped
away, and went to hunt more victims. It continued for some time,
savage, brutal battles in the air and on the ground, until finally the

dragons, their numbers less than half, broke off the attack and
retreated.
The dragonflies returned to the ground, battered and bloody, some
missing a wing, some with much less body than they had before, some
had to crash to the ground for want of legs. And the Dragonfly king
watched it all, tears in his eyes as he surveyed the ground, lit by
the
brightly burning corpses of his people. He turned away, biting his
lip,
willing the tears to go away, and the vision faded.
 "That is what our people are sacrificing. Remember that when
you fight the Dragon king. Remember what we have endured to bring
him to justice."

 Ranma and Ryoga nodded in unison, and left Boxall alone in
the throne room, to rest for what could be the last battle of the
dragonflies.

 That morning, they were woken by Boxall, and led silently
down the empty, echoing corridors, farther and farther down the
vaguely familiar passageway, until they came to the door that led to
the
tree. Boxall unlocked the door, and turned to them.
 "I regret that I must leave you here. From here, Ghym will take
you to your objective. Good luck, my friends. We all need it."
 Ryoga pushed the door open and strode through as Ranma
watched Boxall leave, tail sagging.
 *He doesn't think we can do it... even after seeing how I
defeated the Dragonfly king so easily, he still thinks I'll fail.*
 Sobered by the thought, he followed Ryoga into the room.
Once again, the freshness of the air surprised him after the stuffy
air
outside. Ghym was sitting on the ground, waiting for him. Ranma
checked to make sure his sword was still in place, and hurried to join

Ryoga. Together, they clambered onto Ghym's back, and took off.
Ranma, sitting in front, almost filled his golden pants when they flew

into the tree, as Ghym seemed to be taking the attitude that two
inches
was a good margin to miss branches by. The branches themselves were
huge, covered in moss, and in some places even had smaller trees
growing on the collected dirt. They were wide enough to build
highways on, but so beautiful that you'd cry to see it happen. Ranma
leaned forward, partly to give himself a little more headroom, and
partly
to talk to Ghym.
 "Ghym?"
 "Yes?"
 "How far is it to the Dragon king's castle?"
 "We will get there half an hour before sunset."
 "_HALF_AN_HOUR_? To defeat the Dragon king?"
 "If we had an hour, most of his Home Guard would still be
there."
 "SO?"
 "His Home Guard consists of the dragon Clan leaders, the
most powerful magicians in the Land of Beasts."
 "Oh."
 "As it is, we will probably only have to face three or four."
 "Can you defeat that many?"
 "No. But I may be able to stall them long enough for you to
kill the Dragon king, if you hurry. Now, I must ask you not to speak
to
me until we leave the tree. This part is a bit difficult."
 Ranma eased himself backwards, and prepared himself for
whatever this dragonfly considered 'difficult'. There was the sound of

rushing wind and roaring wings, a brief vision of branches flashing by
at
an incredible rate, and then...
 They burst out into the sunlight. Ghym stopped his wings, and
they coasted on the air currents in silence. Ranma and Ryoga looked
around, but there wasn't a thing near them. The castle was nowhere to
be seen, nor was anything else. Birds chirped, and the wind blew, and
the grass waved in the breeze. Ghym landed on top of the tree.
 "We'll have to wait for a moment. Jumping like that takes a bit
out of me. We have one more jump to make, and then I will fly you the
rest of the way."
 "How far have we traveled?"
 "Oh, about a week's journey, for you."
 "A _week_?"
 "It is a very large tree."
 Ranma and Ryoga considered this in silence for a while. They
watched the land around them, feeling a sense of peace neither of them

were used to. Ryoga spoke half to himself.
 "I could really get to like it here."
 "Yeah." Ranma replied.
 "Peaceful. Calm."
 "And nobody splashes us with water."
 Ghym cleared his throat.
 "Excuse me for asking, but what exactly do you find so
unpleasant about having water splashed on you? I mean, I can see it's
unpleasant, but that life should be considered idyllic without it
confuses
me."
 Ryoga cleared his throat and looked around at the tree. Ranma
spoke up for him.
 "Well, y'see, we have this curse..."
 After Ranma explained it, Ghym laughed.
 "Ah, my friends, you do not need to worry about that. Here, in
the Land of Beasts, which is beyond death, the curse is broken. You
will
not change forms when you are splashed with water here." He paused.
"Or, at least, the curse will take a slightly different effect, if it
is strong
enough to survive... Well, it does not matter. The Dragon king, as
well
as _most_ of his dragons, are averse to water. Only the White dragons
use water spells, and they do not summon water on a regular basis."
 Ranma and Ryoga grinned in relief.
 "Now then. I feel rested enough, so on we go to the Dragon
king's lands!"
 Ghym flipped his wings back, and fell straight down, which had
the expected side effect of both Ranma and Ryoga screaming and
latching on to Ghym's skin/armor. Ghym laughed loudly all the way
down.

 As they emerged from the second tree, Ghym flipped his wings
back out, and swooped back up into the sky.
 "I think I'm gonna be siiiiiick!" screamed Ryoga.
 "Ghym! Ghym! Stop!" Cried a panicked Ranma.
 "Stop? Very well..." Ghym flicked his wings again, and they
came to a dead stop in mid-air. Upside down.
 There was a loud retching sound.
 Ghym flipped back up the right way again. His voice was
continually interrupted by wheezing laughter.
 "Gods, that was funny! I haven't had the chance to do that in
ages! Oh, don't worry, you were never in any danger, but the last
person I did that to was the king, and he ordered me to never do it to

him again. I've been aching for the opportunity for years."
 Ranma looked around nervously. Ryoga groaned.
 "Are we right-side-up yet?"
 "Yes, Ryoga, we're fine. Ghym? How much longer?"
 "Well, from here on in, we fly. Or rather, I fly, and you sit back
and watch the view."
 They flew into the clouds, Ghym still laughing.

 As they flew, it began to grow dark, then dusky. Ranma kept
looking nervously at the sun, as it crept closer and closer to the
horizon.
Ghym senses his nervousness, and, as the sun was only a few inches
above the horizon, whispered.
 "We are here. Please, stay silent. I have the feeling we will
need a great deal of secrecy."
 Ranma nodded, and elbowed a green Ryoga, who also nodded,
weakly.
 "Very well. Here we go."
 Ghym stopped his wings yet again, and Ranma grunted as
Ryoga desperately clung to him, cringing. They coasted some moments
in silence. Then, for no reason Ranma could see, Ghym jerked to the
side. Nothing happened. Ghym jerked again. Ranma began to get
nervous.
 "Ghym? Is something wrong?"
 "Yes. The head of the White clan is at the base of Dragon
Mountain, and suspects that we are here. He is sending searching
spells
at us. I will have to challenge him."
 Ranma gulped.
 "What about us?"
 "As I land, get off as quickly as possible. I will issue a formal
challenge to the White leader, and that shall give you enough time to
start up the mountain. Do you understand?"
 Ranma nodded. "Yes."
 "Good."
 Soundlessly, Ghym dipped beneath the clouds, where it was
considerably darker, and he stood out more. As he did so, there was a
terrible sound from below. Ranma jumped.
 "The White leader. He sees me. But he has not attacked. I will
be able to let you off."
 Ghym circled, slowly, searching for a good spot to let them off.
He found one, and landed. He crouched low for them to slide off, and
spoke, in a voice louder than Ranma had ever heard any dragonfly use.
 "Great White dragon. I am Ghym, the Silver Mage of old days.
I am the guardian of the Silver Forest. I wish to challenge you. Will
you
accept my challenge, or will you surrender to my demands?"
 "And what," rumbled the immense shape, cloaked in shadow
just a few dozen feet away, "are your demands?"
 "I demand that you ally yourself with the Dragonfly king, and
fight against your people."
 "HA! You make unreasonable demands, little dragonfly."
 "You do not accept them, then?"
 "I do not."
 Then we must fight." Ghym turned to Ranma and Ryoga. "Go,
you two. I'll hold this one here."
 Ryoga nodded, and started jumping from stone to stone in that
manner common to Nerimians. Ranma paused before he started, as he
realized what Ghym meant by "hold this one here", then followed
Ryoga, a grim expression on his face. Both of the martial artists
marveled at their armor, for it did indeed improve their ability to
jump,
and soon they were having a competition to see who could reach the top

of the mountain first. Ghym watched them leave, then turned to face
his
adversary.

 The White dragon bellowed his challenge and heaved himself
into the air. Attacking with blinding speed, he drove himself at Ghym,

who only barely avoided the charge. Taking the initiative, Ghym flew
after the dragon, latching on to his tail and beginning a powerful
spell.
The dragon roared in anger, and flamed his own tail in an effort to
dislodge the irritant. Ghym unlatched himself and dodged away, just as

the flame passed beneath him.
 *You are crafty, old one, but I am craftier.*
 Ghym dodged a claw strike, and flew underneath the dragon.
Once there, he flipped upside down, and forced his claws deep into the

dragon's belly. The White dragon screamed in pain and plummeted
toward the earth. Ghym leapt free and flew back into the sky as the
dragon scraped his stomach on the earth to dislodge the dragonfly who
was no longer there. In rage, the dragon turned, and spotted his
enemy.
He flew upwards, slowly gaining height, until he was as high as Ghym.
He edged closer, sensing Ghym's wariness. When the time was right, he
struck.
 Whipping across the circle the two had been flying, the dragon
snapped his jaws shut where Ghym was. Or rather, where Ghym would
have been, if he had not flew backwards as soon as the dragon flinched

from his course. With his neck exposed, the dragon realized his error.

Ghym flashed forward, burying his mandibles in the bare neck. The
dragon's anger and pain could be heard even at the battlefield, where
the dragonfly army was finally being pushed back. He clawed fiercely
at
his own body, digging a claw into Ghym's side as he tried to escape
just
a little too late. Both of them retreated a little distance, wounded
and
tired.
 "So, old dragonfly, you do have some tricks."
 "I have had a long time to learn, old dragon."
 "However, they will not help you now. I grow weary of this
game. It is time to finish things."
 Ghym reared back as he realized what the White dragon
referred to.
 *Damn! I don't know if I can counter this!*
 "It is time to die, Ghym."
 The White dragon began chanting. A force shield wrapped
around his body, protecting him from physical attacks.
 #In the name of Fire...#
 Ghym, realizing he had little time, began his own spell. A
smaller force shield snapped into place around him, and his body
stilled,
channeling the tremendous energy.
 @In the name of the Silver Forest...@
 #In the name of Earth...#
 @In the name of the dragonfly race...@
 #In the name of Air...#
 @In the name of honor and nobility...@
 #In the name of Water...#
 @In the name of knowledge...@
 #In the name of Spirit...#
 @In the name of Neutrality, contender in my people's
hearts...@
 #I summon the Avatar of my race! I summon... Black
Kageiro!#
 @I summon to me the Avatar of my race! I summon... Gray
Sonada!@

 The powers of the Avatars, bound in the everlasting flow of
time, and unleashed by the greatest mages of their races, rushed from
their sources in the heavenly planes, and met at the base of the
Dragon
king's mountain. The two spells clashed, with such great power that
all
in the land of Beasts could see the battle. Black Kageiro, a Black
dragon
from the time when dragons truly ruled the earth, stood, mighty and
proud before Gray Sonada, source of all magical power for the
dragonfly race. They faced off, and struck. Their open palms met, side

by side, in a clap of thunder. They began to strain against each
other,
their powers matching each step of the way. The power grew greater,
and greater, until...
 #Your time is finished, Ghym.#
 Kageiro pushed forward, and Sonada took one step back, then
another. Kageiro's face grinned in a fierce death's-head, and Sonada's

face strained.
 @I do not think so. Sonada, unlike your Avatar of those
passed into legend, can draw on the power of those dragonflies who are

yet in the mortal plane.@
 Sonada nodded, then glowed, brighter and brighter. He
stopped retreating and began to push back. Kageiro strained, now, and
could not resist. Finally, with one last behemoth effort, Sonada
banished
Kageiro back to his home, and attacked his summoner, the White
dragon. With a final scream of rage, the White dragon disappeared in a

blazing flash of power.

 Ranma and Ryoga had continued their race through all of this,
although they did start jumping facing backwards when the Avatars
first
appeared. After they both fell off their respective rocks, they
resumed
facing forward, although they cast occasional nervous glances behind
them. Soon, they saw that they were running out of rocks to jump to.
 "Ha! The top! I'll get there first, Ranma!"
 "Wanna bet? Besides, you're still sick from Ghym's ride, aren't
you?"
 "Having solid ground under my feet does wonders for my
stomach! Prepare to be beaten! Ha!"
 With that, both martial artists launched themselves in their final
leap, and landed side by side, at the exact same time, in mirror
positions
to one another, one knee on the ground, and a fist supporting them on
the opposite corner. They held their positions for a moment, panting
heavily. Ryoga spoke first.
 "Ha! Beat you!"
 "What? What are you talking about?! I beat _you_!"
 "Why you cheat! I should've know it'd come to this Ranma. It
always does. When you know you'll lose, you either cheat or not show
up!"
 "Hey! I waited for three days for you to show up! I think I'm
cleared of responsibility in that area! In fact, I-"
 "AHEM."
 Ranma stopped in mid-rant, and he and Ryoga looked up. And
up. And a little farther up. At first, they thought perhaps some magic

had been cast, because there was no light in the direction that they
were
looking. Just black. Not normal black either. The sort of black that
makes your mind run in circles then sit in the corner, singing to
itself. A
real 'WOW that's black' black. There was a great deal of it, too. The
top wasn't a shape so much as a silhouette. Of a dragon's head. With
nasty red eyes that sort of oozed malevolence like a sponge filled
with
thick syrup. A malevolence you can really get your hands into. Not
that
you'd want to. If you tried, you'd probably have your hands bitten
off,
or be fed delicate bits of you body, or something.
 Ranma gaped. Ryoga gaped. The dragon oozed malevolence
some more. When he was done with that, he spoke.
 "I am Toth. I am the greatest sorcerer in the Land of Beasts.
All tremble before my name, and all bow before my might. I am the
destroyer of the upstart dinosaur races. I defeated the great Lathon
in
mortal battle, and his people died with his last breath. Who are you,
who
dare to challenge me?"
 Ranma stood, about to announce himself, when Ryoga grabbed
his arm. Ranma turned, bristling.
 "What now?"
 Ryoga was deadly serious. "Listen to me, Ranma. Akane is
depending on us. Her life will end when that sun sets, and we're the
only
ones who can stop that. This guy isn't the Dragon king. You need to
kill
the king himself, not his advisors and helpers."
 Ranma looked down, considering.
 "Ranma, she needs you."
 Ranma nodded, reluctantly, and ran past Toth. Toth reached
out to stop him, but Ryoga leapt, screaming, at his face, and Toth was

forced to bat him away instead. Ryoga watched Ranma escape, and
turned to face what was more than likely the greatest challenge of his

life.
 Toth, the Black dragon, the councilor of the Dragon king, and
destroyer of nations, looked down on Ryoga Hibiki, Sometime
compatriot of Ranma, secret love of Akane, and eternally lost boy.
 "Hmmmm. who are you, that challenges me?"
 "I am Ryoga! You have helped the Dragon king kidnap Akane,
and for that, you must die!"
 "I think not, little mortal. You have no idea what you are
dealing with-"
 "Enough! BAKSAITENKETSU!"
 Ryoga plunged forward, and poked his finger at the ground
before Toth's feet.
 "Wha- aaarrggh!"
 Toth, not ready for the attack, plunged downward,
unsupported by the ground beneath him. Ryoga winced as he heard the
roar of Toth's anger as the dragon clawed his way back up the sides of

the hole. Ryoga leaped back, just as Toth's claws gripped where he had

been standing, and Toth heaved himself out of the hole, landing with a

heavy *WHUMP*.
 "So... not quite the pathetic adversary I had expected. Well, it
has been centuries since anyone has dared to challenge me. This will
be
a good workout."
 Toth stretched his wings, and tripled in size. He leaned
forward, and the sun was eclipsed by the Black dragon's form. Ryoga
stepped back, getting ready for the attack he was sure would come.
 "Now, you will witness the power of the Black dragon Clan."
 Toth's eyes blazed red.
 =IN THE NAME OF THE BLACK DRAGON CLAN, I,
TOTH, CAST THIS SPELL.=
 *Shit! What's he doing?" thought Ryoga.

 =THE SPELL OF DEFEAT. -PAIN-!=

 "Ryoga?"
 Ryoga spun around. "Akane?"
 She was bound hand and foot, held in a wooden cage with
wards on every bar. Ryoga dropped his sword. It fell, and clattered on

the ground like a dropped sword.
 "Ryoga, help me... Please, help me.."
 The look on her face spoke of the pain she felt. Ryoga ran to
the cage, and reached for the lock. As he did so, the wards spat
necromantic energy, and burned his hand. Ryoga yelped in pain and
surprise, and looked at the wards more carefully.
 "Ryoga? Aren't you going to let me out?"
 "Of- of course, Akane!"
 Ryoga reached for the lock again, and gasped as the pain
returned, staying with him as he reached farther towards the lock. He
gritted his teeth as the pain increased, and increased, until.
 "AAAARRRGHHH!"
 He finally touched the lock. As he did so, the cage, with Akane
in it, vanished.
 "What? Akane!"

 =FEAR!=

 He was in a maze. He looked around, and realized that it was
at least three stories high, and who knew how wide, with curving
tunnels dug into the earth. He was in a large cavern, with multiple
branches running off from it. In the darkness, he could hear Akane's
voice, far off and indistinct. He chose the direction he thought he
should
go, and faced the wall.
 "BAKSAITENKETSU!"
 Nothing happened.
 "What? BAKSAITENKETSU!"
 Nothing happened.
 "I can't use my techniques? What kind of screwy maze is this?"
 In frustration, he punched a wall.
 "Ow! Dammit! That hurt!"
 He looked at his hand, and saw in shock that the callous he'd
built up on them wasn't there anymore. He had dishpan hands. He
realized he'd have to run through the maze to get to Akane.
 "No... I can't do it..."
 Ryoga dropped to his knees.
 "I can't do it... Akane, I..."

 =ANGER!=

 "Ryoga, you traitor." Akane, 40 feet tall appeared above him.
 "Wha- Akane!"
 "Honestly! As soon as things become a little difficult, you give
up! I can't trust you."
 "Tell 'im, Akane." Ranma appeared beside her, his arm around
her shoulder.
 "Ranma? What-"
 "Jeez, Ryoga, you're so thick! Akane loves _me_, okay? She
never loved you, never even _liked_ you."
 "What? Akane?"
 "Go away, Ryoga. I love Ranma, and I don't love you."
 "I win, Ryoga. You lose."
 "RANMAAAAAA! HOW DARE YOU!!!!!

 =HATE!=

 "I will kill you, Ranma! You stole Akane from me!
DIEEEEE!!!!!"

 =AND SO IT IS COMPLETE. YOU HAVE BEEN
DEFEATED.=

 Ryoga slumped, his hands in front of himself.

 =THE BLACK DRAGON CLAN IS VICTORIOUS.=

 A small ball of light appeared in Ryoga's hands.

 =WHAT?=

 It became larger.

 =WHAT ARE YOU DOING?=

 "Akane, I've failed you. You are Ranma's. There in nothing
left for me now."

 =THAT'S BETTER.=

 "Nothing except REVEEEENGE!
SHISHIHOKUDAAAAAAANNNNN!"

 Ryoga released his ki straight up at the giant Ranma's face.
Which was right in front of Toth's face.

 =IMPOSSIBLE! ONLY ONE OF PURE HEART CAN
DEFEAT ME! NO ONE WHO SUCCUMBS TO MY SPELL OF
DEFEAT IS PURE OF HEART!=

 The ki struck Toth full in the face. Toth staggered back. And
back. He slammed into a wall, held there by the force of the blast.
His
form faded in the light of the ki, and finally disappeared.

 =IMPossible...=

 Ryoga fell to the ground, drained. He had one thought before
he fell unconscious.

 *Akane...*

 Ranma ran through he castle, searching for something,
anything, that might lead him to the Dragon king. He found a set of
stairs, then another, all leading up. Taking this as a sign, he ran up
them
as quickly as he could.

 He could feel the time running out. Soon, the sun would set,
and Akane would die. NO! He wouldn't let that happen. He would
defeat the Dragon king, he would kill him, and then Akane would be
safe. Akane would be safe. Why did he care? After all, it wasn't like
he-
well, it wasn't as if- It wasn't-
 Ranma bolted through the last door into the dusk, sparing
himself that last thought. He skidded to a halt. He was on the roof of
the
Dragon king's castle. The view was incredible. He could see more
mountains to the East, and North. And to the West...

 The Dragon king stood, inside a series of magic circles. He was
wearing the armor Ranma had first seen him in, and the same
insufferable, arrogant grin. Ranma bared his teeth.
 "Dragon king! Now you DIE!"
 The Dragon king casually flicked his hair back, and drew his
sword.
 "That, I highly doubt. None have ever surpassed me in the
game of swords. Not even the greatest heroes of Greece, Japan, or
Spain."
 "I don't care! I _will_ kill you, one way or the other!"
 The Dragon king shrugged, and leapt out of the magic circles.
He brought his sword around in a flashing arc, and it was stopped by
Ranma's sword, brought up at the last moment.
 "Oh? You have had some training, at least. I see you also wear
the armor of the dragonflies. Impressive. But not impressive enough.
HA!"
 The Dragon king began a Kuno-like series of strikes against
Ranma, who, having practice, managed to dodge most of them. The few
that hit him barely nicked the armor. Ranma, who had not really worn
armor besides his bracers before, grinned. He _liked_ this. He decided

to take the offensive, and stabbed his sword at the Dragon king's
head.
The Dragon king blocked it.
 "Well, this is a surprise. You fight differently than anyone I
have ever encountered. With the master swordsmen, the sword is like
part of them, an extension of their will. With you, it seems to be...
added
value. Like you don't normally fight with a sword."
 Ranma nodded, incidentally ducking a swipe as he did so. "I
am the heir to the Anything-goes school of martial arts. Swords were
part of my training, but a minor part."
 "Which would explain why you are dodging more than
blocking. I see. But how do you plan to win this, a sword fight?"
 "Who says I can only use a sword?"
 With that, Ranma lashed out with blinding speed and slugged
the Dragon king with his left hand. The Dragon king staggered,
faltering
in his attack for a moment.
 "I see. Well, if you can use your fists, I see no reason not to
use my magic. Prepare yourself!"
 The Dragon king leapt backwards, holding his sword
horizontal. Ranma put the sword in a blocking position, and waited.
 "Fire... BALL!"
 A flaming orb shot from the Dragon king's sword, straight
towards Ranma. Ranma ran forward, and slashed at his with his own
sword. The orb disappeared. This only served to enrage the Dragon
king.
 "Counter my magic, will you? Ice... BEAM!"
 A stabbing light shot out from this sword, striking Ranma
squarely in the chest. Ranma was blown backwards, and skidded on the
ground for a few feet.
 "That will teach you to mess with me- huh?"
 Ranma got up, feeling his chest. He was unharmed, though ice
crystals had formed where the beam hit.
 "Ah, protection against magic as well? And you still fight.
Honestly, you mortals are such idiots. I'll tell you what. I'll let
you live,
and even see your dear, sweet Akane- occasionally- if you surrender
and
become my servant. It's a good life. Plenty of action, all the gold
you
can eat."
 "Not a chance in hell."
 "Very well." The Dragon king's expression turned ugly. "Your
death will prove the magnitude of your folly."
 Ranma started walking, then running at the Dragon king, who
jumped into his magic circles again.
 "You, Ranma Saotome, have chosen your doom. Let this be on
your own head."
 +by the spirits of the dead captured and bound here by me, i
command the air to obey me. bind my attacker.+
 Ranma hit an invisible wall, and was bound by invisible ropes.
 "What?"
 +i command the earth to obey me. open beneath the feet of my
attacker.+
 Ranma floated a few feet into the air, and the ground opened
beneath him. Flames, vicious red and orange, licked his feet.
 "You bastard! I'll kill you!"
 "Yes, so you keep saying. It isn't happening, though. Oh, look.
The sun is setting."
 It was true. Only a sliver of the sun remained above the
horizon. It was moving visibly downward. Fog started to form on the
magic circle. The Dragon king smiled an unpleasant smile.
 +and now, complete this spell. bring the soul of akane tendo to
me.+
 "NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
 Ranma screamed in rage. He struggled against the bonds that
held him. His sword was held downwards, his arms in front of him. He
desperately tried to lift his arms free, but it was no use. Struggling

beyond hope, he tried to at least raise the sword, to give one last
show
of defiance, to try to get one last blow in. The sword slipped in his
hands, and the blade twisted to face outwards. And the sword whipped
out, slicing through the bonds of air. Ranma gaped. The Dragon king's
eyes widened. Ranma desperately twisted his wrists, swinging the sword

dangerously close to his face, and clanging against the dragonfly
armor.
The bonds of air separated, and Ranma fell into the pit of flame. The
Dragon king broke into hysterics.
 "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I can't _believe_ you did
that! You have got to be the most incredibly _dumb_ kid I have ever
seen!"
 The Dragon king walked over to the side of the pit, still
laughing.
 "Gods, that was _funny_! I- huh?"
 Ranma, his face a mask of rage, was clinging to the handle of
the Sword of Wonder, which was jammed into the wall, straight out.
The Dragon king leaned over the side.
 "Interesting," He called out, "but how long can you keep that
up? The only way out is to flip backwards, pulling the sword out in
midair, and landing behind me! I doubt very much you can do that."
 Ranma grunted, then gathered himself.
 "The Anything-goes style specializes in midair maneuvering!"
 Ranma flipped backwards, pulled the sword out in midair, and
flew backwards out of the pit. He landed, not behind the Dragon king,
but on top of him. Ranma got off, and moved a few feet away. The
Dragon king stood up.
 "Right. That actually hurt. Now I'm _PISSED_!" He raised his
chin. "I will kill you, slowly and-"
 Ranma, who had been waiting for the right moment to strike,
bolted forward, and smashed the Dragon king in the jaw, which sent him

hurtling in the air. The Dragon king shook his head, and looked down
on Ranma, halting his movement as he reached his apex.
 "PREPARE TO _DIE_!"
 Ranma looked at the sun. The last sliver was still above the
horizon. He had about 10 seconds.
 *Shit!*
 He looked up at the Dragon king.

 <flashback>

"I have two questions to ask of you. My fate depends on them."
 Ranma nodded.
 "The first: can you defeat Wyrm, the Black sorcerer dragon
who is thousands of years old, and who has killed every man and Beast
who has every come against him?"
 Ranma considered this.
 "We will try."
 The king nodded. "It is enough. The second: Can you kill a
man? Can you live with the knowledge that, with your own two hands,
you took a life?"
 Ranma swallowed heavily. He took a deep breath, and nodded.
"For Akane, I can."

 <end flashback>

 Ranma spread his feet. No time for fancy speeches. Only time
for one, all-out, last-ditch effort. Only one.
 "Akane, this is for you."
 He gripped his Sword of Wonder with both hands, and
summoned his ki. Raising the sword, he pointed it straight up,
directly
towards the dragon king. Releasing all his energy in his final effort,
he
screamed.
 "HI-RYU-SHO-TEN-HHHAAAAAAA!!!!"
 The Dragon king's expression turned from arrogance to horror
as Ranma performed his ultimate technique. His form disappeared in the

blazing light.

 "Akane...."

 <flashback>

 "Ranma, I- oh!"
 Akane turned to watch the sun rise on Toma's island, she and
Ranma in the tree whose sap held Ranma's chance at becoming a whole
man again. That he had destroyed for Akane's sake. They watched the
sunrise together, and realized that, perhaps, there was more to their
relationship than they had thought....

 <flashback>

 They were dragonflies. Wings torn off, tails mangled, eyes
punctured, legs gone, all were deformed in some way, and all were
burnt to a crisp. Ranma thought he recognized the size of some of the
Home Guard. The ground was covered with a fine ash, remains of the
smaller dragonflies caught in the fire spells and flaming breath of
the
Red dragons. human form moved into view, and the dragonfly king
gazed sadly at the wreckage before entering the tent behind him.
Inside,
haggard and drawn in the pale lamplight, he plotted and planned with
his
generals. Suddenly, everyone in the tent swung to the flaps, and
ran/flew
through. They looked up into the sky, and saw a flight of dragons. The

alarm was raised, and hordes of dragonflies took off, surrendering
themselves to nearly certain death in the fires to come. Five Home
Guards attacked a Purple dragon at once, sparking an explosion in it's

belly that sent it crashing to the ground. As they detached themselves

and looked for another enemy, a Red dragon, diving from the skies
above, blew gouts of flame at them. They scattered, but three were
caught. They fell, flaming brightly, from the skies to the ground,
crashing and joining their brothers in death. The Red dragon flapped
away, and went to hunt more victims. It continued for some time,
savage, brutal battles in the air and on the ground, until finally the

dragons, their numbers less than half, broke off the attack and
retreated.
The dragonflies returned to the ground, battered and bloody, some
missing a wing, some with much less body than they had before, some
had to crash to the ground for want of legs. And the Dragonfly king
watched it all, tears in his eyes as he surveyed the ground, lit by
the
brightly burning corpses of his people. He turned away, biting his
lip,
willing the tears to go away, and the vision faded.
 "That is what our people are sacrificing. Remember that when
you fight the Dragon king. Remember what we have endured to bring
him to justice."

 <end flashback>

 The last sliver of the sun fell behind the horizon. Ranma looked
at the magic circle. The fog had finished forming, and was curling
around the perimeter. Ranma's eyes widened. This wasn't supposed to
happen, it wasn't supposed to go this way!

 The fog swept up into a dome, then dissipated. When it fell
away, it revealed Akane's form, hazy and fuzzy.

 "Ranma?"
 "Akane? No! This isn't right! I killed him! He died!"
 "I know, Ranma. I'm safe now. It's just like a dream to me
right now. As soon as I wake up, I'll be fine."
 "Are you sure, how do you know?"
 Akane shrugged. "I just... know."

 Ranma slumped. "Akane, I-"
 "Shhh, Ranma, I know. It's all right."
 Akane's form dissolved into the moonlight. Ranma smiled, and
looked around at the remains of the castle. The first stars came out,
and
Ranma noticed a piece of paper in the center of the magic circle. For
lack of anything better to do, he picked it up and read it.

 "To whom it may concern: If you are reading this, I must be
dead. I was once known as Robert Dalmoran, a man of the Atlantean
race. I was summoned to fight in mortal combat with the Dragon king, a

man from the Realm of Beasts, whose creatures have indescribably
power. I, evidently the better fighter, won. It turned out, to my
surprise,
that I had won more than my life. You see, the rules of succession for

the Dragon kings dictate that whomever shows himself to be a superior
fighter, by killing the Dragon king in one-on-one combat, becomes the
next dragon king. However, my predecessor was a man of incredible
evil power, and had managed to cast one last spell on me before he
died.
Even now, I feel it's power rushing through my veins. Thanks to this
spell, my natural bent is now toward evil. As a result, all of my new
subject, dragonkind, will be evil as well. I am unable to stop this
madness, and pray that some man may come and defeat me in combat,
to stop me, and my influence on the once-noble dragon. If you are the
one that defeated me, There is something you must do. Deep in the
bowels of the castle, there is a large crystal, which controls the
dragons.
Until the true Dragon king assumes his responsibilities by activating
the
crystal (touch it to accomplish this), the dragons will sleep. If the
Dragon king does not assume his responsibilities, then the dragons
will
sleep forever, passing into legend even in the Land of Beasts. I pray
that
a good man takes over my position."

 Ranma dropped the paper like a hot potato. Him, the new
Dragon king? Impossible! He couldn't! The Dragons were evil
creatures, would be even with a good man's influence, and he was
supposed to lead them? He was supposed to lead the most fearsome
creatures ever seen? No! Ho wouldn't cause more heartbreak, he
wouldn't allow this to happen again. He picked up the paper, and
ripped
it to shreds. As the last piece fell over the wall, he heard a noise
behind
him. He turned, and there was Ryoga, riding Ghym. Ryoga waved, and
Ranma walked back to them. His friends.

 Later...

 "So, you've killed the Dragon king, and now, for some reason,
all of the Dragons are asleep. And good riddance." The Dragonfly king
smiled, and held his glass out for yet another refill. He seemed to
have
undergone a catharsis in the past few days, become more cheery, more
fun-loving. Ranma realized it was probably that his sense of revenge
and
debt had been removed with the Dragon king's death. The Grand Hall
was being used for the first time in years, the black velvet pulled
back,
by the Dragonfly king's orders, so that 'everyone might see what
beauty
truly is'. Boxall claimed he used to say that in the early years of
his rule,
about the queen when she lived. Things were getting back to normal.

 "So, how do we get back?" Ryoga asked, for the fourth time
that night. The Dragonfly king sighed, again, and explained it, again.

 "It's very simple, Ryoga. summoning spells, and spells that
change the way things are, unless bound to an inanimate object, and
well, will unravel soon after the caster's death. So, you two should
be
returning home soon."
 "How soon?"
 "Very soon. In fact, I had better say this quickly." the king
turned to Ranma. "Listen, we had an adventure this week. A grand one.
And I see how much you love this girl-"
 "What? Hey, no way! I-"
 The king held up his hand again. "How much you love this girl,
despite your protestations. And, in return for all of my help, I ask
only
one thing."
 Ranma lifted an eyebrow.
 "When you get married, invite me to the wedding."
 Ranma blushed. "HEY! THAT'S-"
 "Fine, _IF_ it happens."
 "Well, I- uh, er... all right, fine! But it's not going to happen!"
 The king leaned back, and smiled, a small, secret smile. "We'll
see."
 Ranma blinked. "Hey, wait a minute! I thought you said you
couldn't warp people between worlds! How are you gonna get there
whe- _IF_ I call you? And how do I call you?"
 "I never said I couldn't travel between worlds. I just can't
warp mortals. Myself and my advisors may travel freely, with need.
Only to your world if we are invited, though. And you may contact me
through any dragonfly you see. Simply give them the message, and I'll
be there in about a week."
 "A week?"
 "Well, the dragonfly has to get here first, and then guide me
back, after all."
 Ranma nodded.
 "Ah." said the king. "I see your time has come. Good luck in
your endeavors, you two. And thank you."
 "Thank you." said Ranma, waving. He stood with Ryoga, as
their forms disappeared. The king watched the spot where they were for

a small time, then turned back to the party.

 -THE END-


Writer's notes:

Well, that's it. My first ever fanfic (I can sense the incoming flames

now....:). I wrote this to be a stand-alone, but if I get enough happy

emails, And drink enough mint tea, I may actually convince myself to
continue along with a series. You know I have it planned out, of
course. All that Dragon King foreshadowing wasn't for nothing. (G).
But of course I have to make sure it'll be worth it... So if you want
to read more, email me and tell me how great it was. :P

Regardless, you can send C&C to me at

tozetre@hotmail.com

or, if you got this off my website at

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/9716/

then you can use the email link there, as it'll be current to the last

update.

Okay, the concept of magic here is taken from several sources. There's

_Slayers_ anime (various vocal spell castings), the Wheel of Time
series,
(the bonds of air etc.), Orion, by Shirow Masumune (magical battles
between Avatars) and my own mind/experiences/things I read
somewhere a long time ago and never forgot (actual chants, neat magic
circles, magic unravelling after caster's death, etc.)

Yes, the scene where Ranma asked directions from the goat was an
homage to Monty Python's "King Arthur and the Holy Grail" scene
where Arthur asks for directions.

Oh, and there was a bit of foreshadowing about the Jusenkyo curse in
here somewhere. I didn't actually use it here, because I just wanted
to
lay groundwork for later. In the later stories, the curses will come
into
full play. Very full play. Oh, baby, will they ever- well, I'll just
let you
sit and stew and curse me etc...

Well, that's it. Roll credits.

Writing: the Tozetre

Spellchecking: MS Word

Guy who convinced me to expand this from a 5-pager into a (tentative)
series:
Lenny Joe

Last thing, folks:

Give me C+C or I will track you down and shave your cat. I can do
that. really.