For this and any of my other works, visit my Web Site at: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/9295 As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated. All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission. Please Enjoy! Coutuva. The Princess Bride - V1P1 ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Princess groaned painfully as the fog of unconsciousness gradually lifted from her mind. Her chest hurt, her head throbbed, and she felt weak -- almost too weak to raise her head. As her large, sapphire blue eyes blinked back to focus, she found that she was laying on a hard surface; it was cold, wet, and smelled of rotting food. Looking about her, she discovered tall constructs to either side of her, one of which she was laying against. A short distance away, past the pile that seemed to be the source of the foul odour, she could make out what looked like many people walking by, apparently unable to see her in the darkness of the shadows. Grimacing against the pain and tightness in her chest, she raised her arm and tried to sit up, only to stop with a gasp as she noticed her clothes. She wore the blouse of a commoner, and as she looked further down, saw that she also wore thin pants. That meant she was attired as a *peasant*. A shudder ran her spine as she realized what must have befallen her. After she had slipped into the Spring, someone had apparently pulled her out, stolen her clothes, valuables and weapons, then brought her to the city; likely to sell her as a wench. She counted herself fortunate that she had remained in faint, as her abductors had obviously left her for dead. However, exactly how fortunate was still a matter of question. Shaking off her shock, she tried again to rise, this time managing to move to a sit. Braced against the cold stone wall, she let her leaden arms drop and gasped for breath, valiantly ignoring the tearing pain in her chest. Finally, she gathered the courage to glance down at what she expected was a knife wound, likely a parting gift from her abductors. She found blood; a large amount, in fact, coloring the front and one arm of her red blouse a deep burgundy. Gingerly, she moved her hand to the source of the pain, expecting to find a broken blade embedded between her breasts. Instead, she found a small, round hole in her blouse -- and beneath it, a fresh scar only slightly larger. She had to check again to be certain. The results, however, were the same. "A pike...?" she mused aloud, wondering why someone would use a long weapon to kill a person incapable of attacking in return. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. "A soldier... One that has lost his dagger in battle," she hissed, recalling how her family was on the verge of war. "And a base coward," she added, distastefully. As she glowered over having been so careless as to allow herself to be taken, something else occurred to her. The blood on her clothing was still wet. Yet, as she had just discovered, her wound had healed over. Just as she absorbed that thought, however, another equally disturbing one came up. Given the place and size of the wound, it should have been fatal. Her eyes widened. Gasping again, she looked back up the lane to where she had seen the people passing, and her jaw dropped as she noticed their style of dress. Beyond them, strange, colourful banners adorned even stranger structures, bearing letters that looked familiar, but were placed wrong. A heartbeat later, she saw a large, dark-brown object move across her view, resembling a huge block with a sedan chair in front of it. As she gaped at it, the side of the sedan chair opened, and a man jumped out carrying a missive. He ran off behind the structure to her left, and disappeared from her sight. A moment later however, he reappeared, ran back to the chair and jumped in. Then, with a noise resembling many angry animals, the entire object moved away. The Princess sank back against the wall, her face draining. It was obvious she wasn't in China anymore. It was also obvious why. "Sorcery..." she breathed, crossing her arms tightly over her still-aching chest and drawing up her knees. She felt the tears come. She let them. There was nobody around to see. Finally, she forced back her tears and summoned what dignity she had left, deciding that she had to stop acting like a child and find out where she was, and from there, how to get back home -- or for that matter, if such was even still possible. Bracing her arms against the wall, she pushed up with her legs, surprised to find that the act hurt her chest hurt far less than she was expecting it to. As she steadied herself to her feet, she felt a swoon threaten to overtake her, but it passed quickly. Looking up and down the narrow, dark passage, she decided her best hope lay in heading toward the stream of people, and began to walk in their direction. Her determination quailed quickly as she began to hear those same people speaking in a tongue she did not recognize. Her brow furrowed as she realized that her task had just become considerably more difficult -- if not nigh on impossible. She stopped a few steps from the end of the passage, examining the sights before her. The people that rushed by and carried no weapons; the structures that looked unlike any she had ever seen; the large, misspelled banners -- and most especially the odd carts. They were large, colorful, bore wheels, but had no provision for hitching. And in fact, there were no horses or pack animals to be seen. A shudder ran her spine. She now knew herself to be a victim of a terrible spell; one that had transported her not only to a new country -- but perhaps even to a new *age*. She felt the tears coming again, but fought them off. Tears were a sign of weakness, and she was not weak. Setting herself, she started out into the light, her carriage that of the Princess she was. She had only managed a few steps, however, before the sound of startled exclamations brought her up short. Turning, she saw four women, all looking as if they had seen a ghost. The most disturbing thing about that, in turn, was that they were staring straight at her. She was about to tell them to show the proper respect in her presence, but stopped short as she realized that they would have no idea as to her true identity. She was, however, still upset at being gawked at. "" she snapped, glaring at them. She was amazed to see their faces fall in unison. One of them, a black-haired girl, suddenly started yelling gibberish at her, pointing to her clothes and stepping toward her, her expressions alternating between shock and anger. Beside her, a girl with long brown hair, and another with short brown hair simply covered their gaping mouths. The one with long brown hair, who sported a belt loaded with odd-shaped knives, looked very much like she might faint. Then, her eyes found the last girl, who had been standing just behind the others. Her heart leapt. Ignoring the black-haired girl in front of her, she strode right up to one sporting the purple hair, unable to believe her eyes -- or her luck. "" she asked, meeting the purple-haired girl's gaze evenly. She noted that the girl jolted, as if shocked at being addressed. "" the girl responded, fearfully. The Princess erked. "" she responded, noting how the girl paled at her statement. Before she had a chance to ask further of it, however, the Amazon gathered herself. "" she explained, waving a hand before her. "" she added, nodding. The Princess breathed a sigh of relief, but, in view of what had already occurred, opted not to reveal her title until she was more certain of her situation. "" "" the girl stammered, as the others gathered about her, looking worried and spouting more gibberish. The Amazon responded in similar gibberish, at first looking fearful, then irritated at the apparent distress of the others. "This does not bode well," she thought, fighting down the fear tightening her own stomach. She began to wish she still had her broadsword. At that moment, the Amazon quieted the others, then turned to face her, smiling nervously. "" the Amazon explained, looking worried herself. "" she responded, thinking she knew the intent of the Amazon's question, but wanted to be sure before consenting to anything. The Amazon's eyes widened. She leaned to the side, spoke something in gibberish which seemed to shock the other girls, then calmed herself and smiled once more. "" she then stated, looking assuring. The Princess frowned. She didn't like dealing with healers, least of all those that seemed fixated on the use of leeches. However, upon a moment's reflection and a reflexive brush of her hand over her wound, she felt it wise to at least consult. "" she intoned, hardening her face. The Amazon gulped audibly. "" she stammered, then seemed to relay the conversation to the others, whose reactions were similar. The Princess wasn't sure she liked everything she said becoming common knowledge, but held her objection for the sake of harmony. She needed the Amazon's help. The Amazon, having completed the translation, then turned back to her and gestured up what seemed to be a street. "" she indicated, a hint of urgency to her voice. "" she added, removing the garment. For the first time all day, the Princess found a reason to smile. "" she responded, taking the proffered garment happily. The Amazon smiled genuinely. "" she stated almost too happily, starting down the street. "" the Princess responded, dipping her head acknowledgingly as she followed. "" she stated, her face entirely serious. She noted with some interest how the Amazon fought to keep her face controlled, and wondered why. As they headed down the street, she could hear the other three girls chattering behind her, one sounding almost angry, one sounding soothing, and the other not saying much at all. She wished she could understand their prattle, as her intuition told her they were speaking about her -- and speaking fearfully; as if something was terribly wrong. Looking over at the Amazon, she noted that her face bore an expression of concern as well, which only served to unnerve her further. Her face hardened as she decided it was high time she got some answers. "" she asked, trying to keep her voice even. The Amazon erked, then looked down at her in surprise. A heartbeat later, her face softened. "" she responded, smiling. She couldn't stop herself from huffing. "" she frowned, shaking her head. "" she redirected, amazed at the idea that an Amazon would be living amoung banishees and prisoners. The Amazon looked down at her for a moment, appearing to be choosing her words carefully. "" she responded, at length. The response staggered her. "" she gasped, gaping back at the Amazon in unconcealed horror -- until her world suddenly went black. Doctor Tofuu stood beside the prostrate form on his examining table, his hand on his chin and his forehead deeply furrowed. In a chair a few feet away, Akane wrung her hands nervously. The Doctor's eyes were riveted on the discreetly exposed scar in the middle of his patient's chest. The same chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, a result of the pressure point he used to keep her asleep. After a few more moments examination, he sighed aloud, then rubbed the bridge of his nose under his glasses. "What is it? What's wrong with him, Tofuu-sensei?" Akane gasped fearfully, blinking her reddened eyes. The Doctor only looked over at her sadly. "Nothing... Nothing physical, anyway. Except for the fact that he should, by all rights, be dead," he responded, shaking his head. Akane felt her heart stop. "D-dead?" she gaped, her face ashen. "Yes. That is a bullet wound, Akane. And it goes all the way through his chest. According to the path and position, his sternum, heart, left lung and several ribs should have been compromised. It looks to have been a fairly large bullet," he speculated, clinically. Akane shuddered so deeply the chair rattled. "Bullet wound...?" she echoed, remembering a noise that she had dismissed as a backfiring car. Suddenly, she didn't feel very good. "Hai," the Doctor responded, walking around the table. "But the entry and exit wounds are already healed," he noted, coming to a stop in front of her. "I think we need to speak to Cologne," he stated, his face serious. "I think so as well," a certain dry, aged voice responded, startling them both. "I had a 'feeling' something big had happened; I see that I was correct," Cologne stated, hopping over to the table. Without hesitation, she placed her hand over the wound, then closed her eyes. Akane and Tofuu exchanged hopeful looks. A few long, heavily silent moments later, the old woman withdrew her hand. "The news is not good. But, before I tell you of it, I want the good Doctor to confirm something for me," she stated, gesturing for Tofuu to join her. Once he stood beside her, she looked into his eyes. "You know the signature of Ranma's Ki, do you not?" she asked, evenly. "I do... Why do you ask?" he responded, looking at her questioningly. "Read it," was the old woman's only reply. A frown formed on her face as she watched him do so, and when he finished and looked up at her incredulously, she shook her head sadly. "Call the family together, Akane. I must speak to my Great Granddaughter," she stated flatly, then hopped out of the room. Akane burst out in tears. Deep down in her gut, she had the feeling that her worst fear had just been realized. Within half an hour, the waiting room of the now-closed clinic was filled with worried, fearful faces, belonging to the Tendou and Saotome families, the Doctor, Ukyou and Cologne. Conspicuous by her absence was Shampoo. Finally, the Doctor stepped to the middle of the room and cleared his throat, then adjusted his glasses. "Despite the seriousness of the news, I agree with Cologne's suggestion that we should get it out of the way; there is much we have to do because of it," he began, steeling himself. "Ranma appears to have been shot -- with a large calibre handgun," he stated, pausing for the reactions. Everyone gasped, yelped in shock or simply shuddered in horror, except for Soun, who sat still, his face ashen. But, before anyone could react further, Tofuu dropped the other shoe. "But he is very much alive, and except for a pair of well-healed scars, seems perfectly fit," he stated, his face still clinical. Everyone's faces fell in disbelief. Cologne took that as her cue to deliver her prognosis. "I have also examined the boy, and what I have discovered is far more serious. To be blunt, his curse has taken him over -- totally and completely. Both the good Doctor and myself have confirmed that the Ki that occupies the body in that room is not that of Ranma Saotome," she pronounced, to which Tofuu nodded sadly. "His Ki may still be present, but if so, then it appears to have 'traded places' with the Ki of the person who drowned in the Spring," she added, lowering her face. "I can only speculate as to how and why, but at the present time, I would prefer to not," she concluded, quietly. The ramifications sobered all present. Soun, without a word, got up and left the room. Kasumi followed, dabbing at her eyes. Nodoka collapsed against her husband's side, while he sat stone-faced, tears running from his unmoving eyes. Nabiki hugged Akane. Ukyou did the same. They started to cry. Tofuu and Cologne exchanged sad, knowing glances, then left the room. Awareness came slowly, but at least a little quicker than it did the last time. She blinked her eyes clear, and immediately looked about herself, sizing up her surroundings. "A room. A small room; with a table, a few chairs -- and several doors. Not a dungeon -- then it must be the home of the healer," she thought to herself, rising easily to a sit. More easily than she thought she would, which led her to conclude that she had already been treated. Nervously, she lifted her blouse, then sighed with relief as she noted there were no sucker marks. Looking about the room again, she noted its unusual construction, which in turn reminded her of the Amazon's last words. "A new people..." she puffed, her heart sinking. She knew that such an occurrence was not one that happened overnight, reinforcing her earlier assumption. Her first instinct was fear. Her second was to fight down that fear, as it was a sign of weakness. She knew she could not show weakness in any form, as she did not yet know who she could trust, and could not afford to leave herself open. She already knew the consequences of such a foolish act. Calming herself, she forced her mind to think as clearly as it could, and tried to take stock of her position. She frowned as she came to realize how weak it truly was. She was like a child again, reduced to learning how to act and speak and dress; and totally dependant on others for that knowledge. Her frown became a scowl. She hated the thought of such fealty, having been raised and trained by her mother to be independent, proud and strong. However, she also knew that without it, she had little chance of survival. Her scowl became a determined one. She needed to find the Amazon and ask for her help. The sooner she could get this unpleasant necessity underway, the less time she would have to dwell upon her feelings about it. Leaping down from the table, she straightened her top and looked at the two doors in turn, wondering which one she should try first. Before she could decide, however, she was startled by the one behind her opening. Reflexively, she turned and went for her broadsword, only to have her hands close over empty air. By the time she realized it, the Amazon was standing in the doorway looking at her, surprise all over her face and a bundle in her hands. "" she immediately apologized, bowing. "" she countered, stepping out of her stance. "" she added, feeling her face colouring. The Amazon smiled. "" she asked, looking quite pleased. "" she responded, frowning. "" she stated, wrinkling her nose and picking at them disdainfully. As she did, she cast a look up at the Amazon, and was pleased to see her nodding. "" the girl indicated, looking as if she anticipated the event. "" she smiled, anxiously. "So how can you be so certain? I've researched the Curses too, and didn't see anything about that, Cologne," Tofuu stated, looking at the old woman over his teacup. "Simple, my dear boy. It is an entirely different legend. But, from the name she gave, and with what my Great Granddaughter tells me, I am convinced that's who she is," she replied, confidently. "So then, how did a Princess end up at Jusenkyo? She doesn't seem the type to be in need of a training ground," he countered, still a bit skeptical. "I cannot answer the why of it; perhaps you might ask her yourself. All I know is the legend, which tells of the only daughter of one of the fifth century Emperors, Liang, disappearing mysteriously. Her disappearance led to the fall of the relatively new Dynasty, as he sent his entire army in search of her. Left defenseless, he was conquered by his foes all too easily. The girl, said to be a 'comely, fire-haired maiden of marrying age', was never found," she added, looking Tofuu in the eye. "What do you think...?" she added, dryly. Tofuu frowned. "It does seem to fit," he conceded, sighing. "That only leaves the mysteries of why she's in control, and why the body is still alive. That bullet was unquestionably fatal," he noted, looking back at her expectantly. The old woman sighed. "You should be able to put it together just from that. The bullet *was* fatal; that's the entire reason her Ki was able to take over. I assume, from the look of her clothing, that 'he' fell in water just as his Ki was fading. The Curse was triggered, which, as it has always done, called up the Ki of the Princess. But, this time, her *entire* Ki was called up, likely to fill the void left by Ranma's," she explained, carefully. "As to the state of the body, I suspect the Magic of the Curse healed it; it makes sense, given how Cursed people seem to have an incredible capacity for such," she added, speculatively. Tofuu looked back at the old woman evenly. "Then I take it you believe this situation... Is permanent?" he asked, trying to remain clinical. "That, I do not know. 'Ranma' was lucky that he fell in that water. Had he not, I honestly believe we would be planning a funeral. That, in turn, gives me cause to wonder..." she responded, pausing for a moment to rub her chin thoughtfully. "This could be a temporary situation, in which Ranma's Ki is being allowed to recover, and will eventually strengthen enough to regain control. Or, they may indeed have switched places for good. Which would mean we now have Royalty in Nerima Ward," she stated, sighing sadly. "Is there any way we can be sure?" "I would have to do a more intense reading of the Ki forces in the body. But, unless that gives me some clue, then I can't say what will happen. We may have to simply wait and see," she noted, frowning. "Hmmm. I was thinking we may have been able to offer some encouragement to Ranma's family. But, without proof, we probably shouldn't say anything. It's better than giving them a false hope," Tofuu noted, lowering his gaze and sighing. "Do you think this will affect the 'change' itself?" he tagged on, raising his gaze again. "Again, I do not know. Although, I suspect we will... Shortly," she smirked, glancing in the direction of the bath. ==================================================================== END - The Princess Bride - V1P1 A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished! coutuva@vecdev.com