Suikoden One Half

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters here that belongs to Ranma 1/2. The Ranma 1/2 cast belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own the Suikoden series either. I am just using them in this fanfiction and I have no money so you would be just wasting both of our time if you try to sue me.

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For Co-writer's use

Update Status:

2-20-05

Improved a couple of things, especially beginning part.

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Prologue – The Meeting of Two Friends

In a Higher Plane of Existence -

In a dense forest area stood a structure that is older than most gods. Its appearance is nothing spectacular. To anyone who did not know of what it can do it looked like a plain old stone well. It stood above the ground about three feet and goes underground for who knows how far. Its circumference is only three feet as well. The difference it has to other wells is that the water is so high up that it is only a centimeter or two from the top of the well. Then there is the real 'power' of the well.

A small figure is currently balanced at the rim of the well, looking into the water. Normally the cat's reflection would be seen on the water. However, instead it reflects a young man wearing a red Chinese shirt and blue pants kissing a blonde girl a few years younger than him with the oddest hairstyle, two odangos. It is like watching a round television screen.

The small figure practically roared as he let out his frustration. "This is getting boring!" Toltiir, Elder God of Mischief and former God of Chaos, shouted to no one in particular as he watched one of the many timelines in the Mimir's Well. Toltiir is a cat god whose left eye is twitching in irritation. His body is trembling as he tried to hold in the irritation and anger after finding a serious problem in the timelines.

He has been going through the different timelines that involve his favorite mortal, Ranma, and he just noticed something that has been annoying him ever since he did.

Timelines can resemble one another, but are different in a lot of ways. One example is that Ranma Saotome in one timeline gets engaged to Akane Tendo, and a minute later gets smashed under the dining room table. He survives to live another day. In another one that could be right next to that timeline is where Ranma gets engaged to Akane, and a minute later gets smashed under the dining room table. However, this time he dies.

That is the beauty of timelines. If you do not like what is happening in one world you can sort of 'switch the channel' and see another world. It is a lot like watching TV. That is what has Toltiir so pissed off. "So many timelines! So many possibilities! Yet most of them resemble one another!" Yes, just like in television all the shows can be different, yet mainly the same. It is like when there are five hundred channels, but nothing to watch.

Toltiir jumped slightly when he got a response. "I agree. Most of these timelines are starting to look like one another," a blue-furred cat with wings spoke up from behind him.

Toltiir turned around ready to give a beating to whoever had surprised him. However, before he could say a word he saw who it is that has joined him. "Chaos? When did you get here?" he asked the other cat god. He has not seen him in awhile, and to gods ages could mean longer than a millennia or a hundred. "I thought you were with that Aladdin kid, showing Selen that she-cat that she shouldn't go around and try to trick you to do her dirty work for her."

Chaos shrugged, which is a weird thing for a cat to do as they shouldn't be able to, and went up to the well right next to Toltiir. He peered into the well and saw the scene Toltiir was looking at, which is now showing a blonde woman with odangos giving birth to a pink haired baby. Not that new though. "I finished that pretty quickly. I got her to save Aladdin and his friends from some evil doubles I made of him and that blue genie of his." He smiled as he remembered the look on Selen's face after she realized that she, a VILLAIN, just saved the day.

Toltiir nodded while looking at the cat as if he just grew a second head. Chaos is not exactly known for doing good deeds. It must have been something to make Mr. Mischief maker, not that he surpasses him, doing something like that. "That's...good of you. But back to the main problem." He turned his attention back to the well, which is showing the pink-haired girl, who is now a few years old, practicing a kata as her father beat up a man with almost white hair. "The Ranma timelines are beginning to all look alike. Nothing original is happening. I've got to shake things up again. You got any ideas?" With Chaos around he does not have to ask the usual people such as Loki or Bastet for ideas. Perhaps his fellow cat-god can give him something new. Just because they are gods does not mean they always come up with new things.

Chaos 'changed the channel' through several different timeline as he tried to think of an idea that would create a different Ranmaverse from the others. He put a paw on his chin thoughtfully as one came to him. "I'm more of a crossover timeline guy myself. Why not make another one?" More than half the timelines are crossovers. However, if it was a crossover not normally used…

Toltiir thought about it, but then shook his head. "Most of the crossover timelines have been done already," he said a bit tiredly. "Most of the timelines that involve Sailor Moon and the Moon Kingdom have him hooking him up with one of the Sailor Senshi or Sailor Moon herself. He is either their biggest threat or their savior or something. Either way it has been done to death. Don't get me started on the other crossovers either like the ones that have the Urd or Skuld or even sometimes Belldandy of that universe marry Ranma. I still have the bump from when Skuld hit me with her debugger hammer!" Underneath the fur on his head there is a small bump, small now because it had happened some time ago.

Chaos nodded his head. "True, true, how about the ones with the Mai character? Maybe you should do a crossover with the world with that German redhead? What's her name? Asuka, that's it."

Toltiir thought all the crossovers he knows. "There are a few worlds with Mai in it already. The one with Asuka on it are either dead or aren't going anywhere and pairings between her and Ranma are common. I don't want to do something that's already been done before. I also want something done with a lot of girls in it fighting over it. Those are usually pretty funny and not as common as it seems." Then a thought came to him. "What about something different, like the one with that time-traveling ship called Epoch and the kid named Crono?"

Chaos nodded. He saw that world when he was 'flipping through the channels. "That's not too bad. How about these worlds though?" The well now showed three different worlds, all containing magical sources called runes. On one screen showed a young man wearing a green bandanna and holding a staff. Another showed another young man with tonfar on both his arms. The third one showed three people. One is a tan-skinned young man with a knife. Another is a middle-aged man with an eye patch. The last is a silver-haired woman wearing armor.

Chaos continued speaking as he pointed at the pictures. "These worlds are barely ever used. I think the one with the tonfar wielding man has been crossed over with the Ranmaverse once, also the guy with the green bandanna but both are dead now. If anything I suggest this world." He pointed to the one with the three people on it.

Toltiir nodded as he had the well go through the world. It's a good place to put Ranma in. There are tons of people who he can interact with, making the possibilities endless. Satisfied with his choice he turned to the other cat god with an odd look. "How do you know about these worlds?"

Chaos blushed at the particular memory. "Well, when I was at Mind Hat's, my owner's sister, place when she showed me these worlds. She told me about how this one guy just invented the elevator there. He thought he was all high and mighty when he is stupid enough that instead of making a machine to pull the elevator up and down he trains four really muscular men to do it. We had a really good time laughing up a storm when SHE found me." A shudder went through the cat and his fur stood up on end as he remembered the horrible experience he went through when SHE found him.

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Flashback –

"Ooooh! You're so CUTE in that outfit kitty cat!" a small blue-haired girl said as she tied a baby nab around Chaos' neck.

End Flashback –

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"She played dress up again, didn't she?" Toltiir asked, already knowing the answer. "Magic does that with every animal god she finds."

"If she wasn't so cute I wouldn't have let her do that to me," Chaos grumbled. He muttered to himself about danged cute, overactive kids who humiliate cats like him. "Her brother is also my owner so I can't really do anything about it."

"He does have a higher ranking than we do. So what should we do after we put Ranma in?" Toltiir asked, changing the subject before his friend gets any more depressed.

Chaos turned back to the well, glad for the distraction. "It has a pretty good storyline and there are lots of cute girls in it. Hmmm, maybe he can find someone who he can fall in love with who won't beat him up all the time." Chaos said while thinking about a few of Ranma's suitors. As much as he loves seeing people getting smashed by mallets and other blunt objects he knows it can leave really bad trauma scars on the victim physically, mentally and emotionally. Akane is pretty famous in the heavens as 'Mallet-Happy Akane' and killer of lots of Ranmas in the multi-verse. She is also known as the most likely fiancée to marry Ranma and make his life either heaven or hell, depending on what universe you are looking in. (A) His other main fiancées are not much better either. While not killing him as often they too can make his life heaven or hell depending on which universe you are looking in. "How about we get him to be able to control his curse. Use this…" He scrolled around the different worlds until the well is showing a world where Ranma is leaving the Tendo Dojo. "…world's Ranma. He seems like a typical Ranma."

Toltiir gave him a catty grin. It has the usual Ranmaverse crossover aspects, but change the world he is flung in and you get chaos. "So who do we get to guide him around in that world?" he asked. Sometimes a guide in new worlds for Ranma is very beneficial.

"I know someone who needs a bit more backbone for him to meet," Chaos grinned while gesturing to the well. If the two of them meet sooner or later Ranma would then meet…the girls of this world.

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In another world -

"Why am I doing this?" a young man asked himself. Here he is traveling in a carriage on a long dusty road to the Yaza Plains that will drop him off there. The driver of the carriage paid the young man no attention as he led the horses pulling the cart. The young man in question is an indecisive, ordinary young man and the new master of an old castle called Budehuc.

He scowled bitterly as he thought of the reason why he is going to the middle of nowhere. 'It's all thanks to HIM!' he thought bitterly. He would not be here if HE had not assigned him somewhere so far away.

The young man is dressed in a light brown coat on top of a white button up shirt and dark green pants. The pant's legs rode up a little to show gray colored socks. His hair is a very light color brown and his pale yellow eyes seem to speak of something hidden deep inside. Next to him is an old sword that looks like it has not seen the light of day in years. The young man looks to be no older than sixteen years of age.

'Some father he is, sending me away as soon as he meets me. (Sigh) Why mother ever slept with him I'll never know. Probably got her drunk or something. He's not fit to be a father or husband, the bastard!' He looked out at the passing scenery with a forlorn expression. 'So why am I doing this then?' he asked himself again for the umpteenth time. 'I guess I better just live with it. Maybe something will happen there that will change my life.' He has no idea how right he is.

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Meanwhile, in another world -

Another young man is about to change his life forever, for once by his own decision instead of someone else's.

"This, young sir, is the Mirror of Chaos," the old man said to the young man. The old man is the owner of the magic shop where Kuno bought the Phoenix Egg a while back. He held up a large mirror to the young customer in front of him. The mirror is shaped like an eye with a dark metal rim. The glass gleamed as it reflected the image of the youth before it. "I don't really believe it, but the story says that whoever holds the mirror can be sent to another world. However, it works only for those who have earned it."

The young man touched the glass so gingerly that you would think he is afraid it would break if he put too much pressure on it. "So this has the power to give me a new life, right?" he softly asked the proprietor as he gazed at the mirror with a slight light of hope in his eyes. He looks to be about eighteen years old and is dressed in a red silk shirt and dark, loose pants and Kung Fu shoes. His black hair is tied in a pigtail and his deep blue eyes spoke of a deep sadness just barely hidden. A large cut a little over an hour old is on his left palm and is covered by some cloth wrappings to stop it from bleeding. In his other hand he grasped the hilt of a broken katana, the blade having been snapped off a little over halfway to the tip. It is a sword of exquisite quality and there are few things in the world that could have broken it, but break it had. The deep crimson of dried blood marred its silver sheen.

The old storeowner is a little unsettled with the young man. Usually in his dealings with this young man he is full of adventure. He has always been a happy go lucky guy. Sure the young man has hit him a couple of times, but those were forgivable since he has caused a lot of problems for him. The proprietor looked at the cut hand first before staring into his eyes, just daring him to lie. "You cut yourself with that sword, didn't you," the old man stated instead of asked.

The young man's eyes looked down at the blade, then to the old man's eyes. "Yes. I left my old life behind. I had to leave behind my blood as well to do it." The grief his eyes conveyed is enough to melt even the most cold-hearted man.

The old man did not stand a chance. He is greedy, not heartless. "Well, here is something to keep that sword from rusting." The old man pulled out a green colored sheath from behind the counter. "This should do it." He hesitated for a second before adding, "Free of charge." It is the least he could do. Never in his whole life has he met a person so deeply distraught. Having traveled around the world before settling down he had met a lot of people. None of them carried the sadness the young man before him did. It looks like his very soul is dying. Only the stubbornness to keep on living is keeping his very spirit alive.

The young man is a bit surprised, but after a moment he takes it in stride. "Thank you very much sir," the young man said as he bowed deeply from the waist. The old man became intrigued as the words and the action is foreign to the young man. In fact, from his previous encounters with the young man he was expecting him to have poor grammar and horrible manners, not the young man who speaks very well and shows respect to is elders. He watched as the young man first cleaned off the blood, then sheathed the broken sword and strapped it to his back. "So, how do I use this mirror anyway sir?" Weird as it sounds the young man seemed to be switching personalities, as if revealing a side of him the public doesn't know about. The old man brushed it off though and proceeded to tell the young man how to use the mirror.

"Hold it up to your face and ask the mirror to take you somewhere else. However, it only works for the ones that it picks to work for. I do not know how it chooses or where it would send you."

"That's good enough for me." The young man held the mirror to his face for a long time, caressing the glass and trying to steel himself for what he is about to do. There is no turning back if this does work. He closed his eyes and though about what he would be leaving behind. He thought about what has happened to him today, what he has gone through for so long. He though about the people he would be leaving behind. Finally, he spoke.

"I wish for a life where I can be the master of my own destiny. One where no one can choose my path for me and where I can finally find...happiness." He spoke from the heart, and the mirror responded.

A bright light beamed out from the glass, hitting him and making his whole body glow brightly. "Thank you," he said as a lone tear made its way down his face.

That's the last thing the old man heard before the pigtailed man vanished in the light and the mirror dropped to the floor, miraculously not breaking. Picking up the mirror the old shopkeeper looked at it as if seeing something besides the mirror. "Well my boy, I hope your new life will be better than this one." He went to put the mirror back in storage.

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"Hey driver! Slow down for a second! There's someone over there," the young man in the carriage shouted. On the right side of the road is a young man dressed in strange looking silken clothes. His hair is tied in a pigtail and strapped to his back is a sword in a shape the young man in the carriage has never seen before. The pigtailed young man is walking down the road ahead of the carriage at a sedate pace.

"If he's dangerous don't blame me," the driver said in response as he slowed down the carriage besides the silken-clothed man. It did not matter to him. It is just a job anyway and one passenger or two does not matter.

The young man in the carriage poked his head out. "Do you need a lift?" the young man asked the young traveler.

The traveler looked a bit surprised at being offered a ride, but seemed grateful anyway. "Thank you. I really appreciate it." He climbed into the carriage and sat across the good-willed young man.

"So where are you going?" the young man asked the traveler as the carriage started up again. He noticed the signs of stress on the traveler and assumed wrongly that it is because of fatigue from walking so much.

The traveler shrugged and gave a small smile at the young man across from him. "No idea. I just got here and looking for a place to stay. So where are you headed?"

The young man is surprised. Most people would at least have a destination in mind when traveling, especially in places like they are currently headed towards. It seemed as if the traveler does not care at all.

"Well, we're almost to the Yaza Plains where we'll be dropped off. I have to make my way to an old castle called Budehuc. I'm…its new master." He hesitated calling himself a master. It seemed so foreign to him that he is having a little trouble assimilating it.

The traveler's eyes widened a bit. "Wait. You mean you're going to go, by foot, to an old castle with those MONSTERS running around?" He remembered those rabbits holding axes and those fur-balls attacking him. While they were weak he can see that the young man across from him is no fighter. "Those monsters I ran into were weak, but I can tell your no fighter yourself." He eyed the way the young man moved and the sword by his side. From what he saw he would just barely be considered about the equal of those monsters he encountered. If he were attacked by a large number of them he would be in trouble.

The young man shrugged, as if saying 'don't look at me'. "That's true, but I need to get there before nightfall. I have this sword to fight with at least." He pulled out his sword from his sheath to show him the blade. The young traveler sitting in front of him took it and held it in front of him, looking it over. The young man noticed that one of the traveler's hands is wrapped by a bloodstained cloth, but guessed he got it from fighting off the monsters and did not say anything about it.

"Nice blade. Good balance, strong, durable, and also lightweight. It does need some sharpening as the edges have dulled a bit, but it's still a good sword." He may not know much about swords, but he knew enough about them since one of his rivals used to attack him sometimes with a real sword. The young traveler handed back the sword. "You haven't really trained with that sword have you?" From the clumsy way the young man took it back he can tell.

The young man looked a bit shamefaced. "Yeah, but I do know how to use it a little. This end goes into the enemy, right?" he pointed at the sharp end.

The two chuckled a little at his joke. The young traveler seemed to brighten a bit, as if getting a good idea. "Hey, since you helped me how about I go with you to the castle to return the favor?" the pigtailed man suggested if someone were to have look deeply into his eyes. They would have seen something being renew in them a light that was flickering out.

The young man thought about it for a moment before nodding his head. "Thanks. I'll take you up on your offer. By the way, I never did get your name. Mine's Thomas," he said, holding out his hand.

"Ranma. No last name." Ranma took his hand and shook it. Thomas thought that last sentence was weird, but brushed it off as it looks like he just made a new friend.

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Author's Notes

I would like to thank 'ilikesecret' / glazedlookineyes101 for co-writing and redoing my old chapters. So give him a big hand!

glazedlookineyes101/ Co-Writer's Notes (Member ID 568765, check there for the side stories)

(A) No offense to those who like Akane of course.

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