Tears of a Forgotten Yesterday

A Ranma Nibunoichi x-over

by Matthew Talbain

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma Nibunoichi nor do I own The Legend of Dragoon.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just a note for a couple of reviewers this time around:

Reaver: There were a hundred and eight races that the Tree of Life brought to seed on the planet. A dark elf, which is, by the way, an enemy in the forest of Mille Seseau, could have been anywhere in that count.

Dragon: Thanks for the vote of confidence, and I have something in mind for Genma, never fear. Though, seriously, magic powerful enough to give a Virage pause ought to knock Genma for a loop.

And for all you people thinking this is a "Ranma is God" fic, no way in Hell. At this point in time, Lina's more powerful than he is. If an attack can kill a dragon, a dragon knight would be no match whatsoever. And Ranma's not even fully-powered. So no flames on that, I have plans there, too.

On a lighter note, this chapter's timeline will skip a good amount of time into the future of Ranma's past. After this, we return to your regularly scheduled Ranma timeline from Hell.

------------Chapter Three: Taste of a New World, Taste of Pain-----------

Charle hugged Ranma tight, smiling broadly as he once again turned dinner into a show with his many feats of balance, precision, and hilarity. It was the third month in a row that Melbu had had "urgent business" he needed to take care of, leaving Charle and Lee free to take care of Syuviel and Ranma in their own fashion. For the whole time, Ranma and Syuviel had had time to heal from their many wounds and injuries from the Middle Coliseum's many contenders.

It had been eight years since Ranma had arrived in Kadessa, and to Charle, it was the happiest eight years of her life. She had helped raise the young boys, helping them and healing them when it was needed. She looked fondly upon both of them, considering them to be "her children". She only wished that she could enjoy her company with them more often, rather than just in the odd months her brother was absent. She sighed and decided to cherish what time she had. Suddenly, an idea flashed into Charle's mind, and a wicked grin lit her features.

"Rammie, dear, it's time for you to begin your historical studies for today. Lee and Syuviel have a kata I'd like to see, so I'll be along in some time. Could you start without me? I've an attendant in the library who'd be only too happy to help you."

"Sure thing, Auntie."

With that, Ranma backflipped out of his chair, corkscrewed in midair, and landed softly on the floor behind the chair, which he pushed in with his foot as he walked away. Charle clapped and smiled, turning to Syuviel and Lee and grinning broadly. Syuviel cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't have any new kata, Auntie. Why'd you tell Ranma that we do?"

At this Charle grinned even more broadly, pulling out a fan and laughing evilly behind it.

"Because, Syuviel, I needed an excuse to get little Rammie to meet another student of mine. I think it's about time for Rammie to start noticing girls. Rosie will do just the thing."

Meanwhile, upstairs in the immense library, Ranma was pulling the history texts off of a shelf when a very feminine voice chirped behind him.

"Hello. Can I help you?"

Ranma turned to face the voice, and nearly dropped his books in shock. Before him stood a young girl who nearly matched his own height of five-foot-four. Her black hair fell to completely cover her one half of her stern features, her posture one of a very strong-willed, very obstinate young girl. A smile lit his face as he held his hand out to her.

"Hi, I'm Ranma. Nice t'meetcha. Yeah, I could use some help studyin' history while Auntie Charle's busy with Syuviel an' Pops."

At this, the young woman cocked her eyebrow.

"I'm Rose."

She didn't take Ranma's proffered hand. Instead, she swept her hair back and cocked her head quickly over to the table in the corner. Ranma shrugged and tossed the books one by one into the air, catching them in a stack and balancing them on his head. He reached up and steadied them as he head for the table, idly noting that he needed a new haircut as he scratched the base of his head. He shrugged and headed over to the table with her, flipping the texts off and juggling them, setting them down one by one, all open to the page he last studied in each. Rose's eyebrow raised itself a good bit more as Ranma backflipped and corkscrewed into his chair.

"Finished?"

Ranma nodded, and Rose pulled one of the texts to her as Ranma began to scribble into a notebook he kept on him at all times. As the hours wore on, Ranma was so enraptured in the history lessons that he never realized Charle only showed up once, to bring the pair some tea and snacks. Ranma, during the whole time, paid rapt attention to the girl's explanations, and always asked intelligent questions. He didn't know why, but whenever he had his daily lessons, he always felt like sleeping, but politeness and gratitude kept him awake. At least, that was how it was in the beginning. Now, Ranma was eager to learn all he could, for something inside him told him he would unlock his past if he just found a way...

Rose was in a quandary. Outwardly, she was cold as death, answering all of Ranma's questions as best she could, and most of them were very good questions. Most people would ask why a certain emperor wanted to war with the world, while Ranma would ask why the man had such faith in his small, untrained military force. That Ranma was an excellent student was a surprise in itself, for he seemed to be aloof and lazy at first glance. But the way he moved, and the intensity of his gaze betrayed the precise, calculating mind underneath. And that was what Rose was in a tizzy over.

Ranma was a skilled fighter, she could see it in the way he walked, the way his eyes constantly scanned the whole room even while he was paying attention to maps and taking notes. She could see it in the way he'd flipped those books almost nonchalantly, as if he'd done the like his whole life. But most of all, she could tell from his eyes. His eyes had lost their innocence, something that she knew from experience only happened when you took a life to save your own.

Ranma attracted her, and the fifteen-year-old girl was afraid of that. She'd never felt an attraction to anyone before, not so strongly. Not even Zieg, a gladiator back in her block of Kadessa's coliseum district, held her attention this strongly. She looked at Ranma, who was busily scratching the dates of the various species' falls under Wingly influence. He looked so cute focusing so intently on his notebook, chewing on the end of his quill. Rose hastily looked away as she realized what she'd just thought. She began berating herself, telling herself she'd never be good enough for him. She was a cold-hearted witch, and she could see by Ranma's face that he was trustworthy and wore his heart on his sleeve. That she could tell by the strong frown on his face as he read about a period of particular violence, a period in which the Wingly Emperor at the time ordered the destruction of the entire Minintos race. It was only through tenacity, determination, and the brutal murder of said Emperor that the Minintos still existed.

She was shaken out of her reverie by the sound of Charle's heels rapidly running towards them through the hall. An instant later, the library doors slammed open, and Charle and Lee dashed through them, Syuviel close on their heels. He was carrying his spear in his hands, and his face was set. Charle had in her hands a long blue rapier, and Lee was carrying a long, thick bundle in addition to his own sword. Lee tossed the bundle towards Ranma, who caught it, while Charle handed the rapier to Rose. Ranma unwrapped his bundle to find a long, thick bastard sword. The blade was masterfully forged, and the hilt was intricately designed, though it was plain in comparison to Lee's own bastard sword. Ranma looked up in shock as he hefted the blade. He had only been learning using weighted wooden sticks, while Syuviel's spearmanship was instructed through quarterstaves with weighted tips.

"Ranma, Rose, there's something wrong. All the alarms have gone off, and explosions have been occuring on all sides of the city. One of the adult coliseums has been destroyed, one of the walls broken open. Criminals and prisoners are running everywhere through the city. They're headed this way."

Ranma looked at the blade in his hand and nodded, turning and running to a bundle in the back of the room, tucked behind a shelf. He withdrew it and opened it, nodding to Syuviel to help. His friend ran over and saw Ranma hefting a red suit of armor onto his shoulders. Syuviel directed the load, settling it lightly on Ranma's body, as Ranma pulled a gauntlet-like piece up his left arm. Syuviel connected it to the iron by several locks, sealing it tight, as Ranma pulled his hair back out of the armor. In seconds, Ranma was fully prepared for all-out battle. He bent over and tossed Syuviel a cape and a green chest piece, which Syuviel fastened onto his body. While he did this, Ranma fastened the bastard sword's scabbard to his belt, making certain his boots were on, and ran towards Charle and Lee.

"We're ready."

---------------------------

He was a marvel.

That was the best way she could put it, plain and simple. He dashed throughout the chaos, weaving a path for the followers that even they could barely follow. Still, they followed him through the screaming citizens, the panicking Winglies seldom remembering they could take to the sky as the coliseums were burst open, one by one. The streets began to fill with angry fighters, explosions still rippling through the city block by block.

She still didn't know what was causing them as she ran her rapier through the chest of a former prisoner right in front of her.

Suddenly, their guide, the marvel, the bobbing red light before the storm, suddenly stopped. The party all followed his gaze and gasped.

A huge, red dragon towered above them all, his scaly body eerily similar to a biological machine as it glared down at Ranma, its gleaming red eye glittering darkly as it locked onto the frozen young man.

You fear me, child.

Ranma started and looked around. The flames had frozen, Rose's arm was outstretched, reaching for him. Charle, too, was latched onto Lee, seemingly frozen in time. Syuviel was falling into a stance, his spear frozen in mid-heft.

You taste of the Great Dragon. Why are you here, child?

"I'm here to stop you from killing the innocent, I guess!"

I did not mean that. I mean, why are you HERE?

Ranma started again. Could he mean...?

"I...I don't know. I can't remember anything!"

...So you are the chosen one. I see. Very well.

"What? You're not going to kill these people, are you?!"

No. I grant you my power, the power of the Red-Eye Dragoon Spirit. Use my power, and judge those who are guilty...become the sword of Justice, child. Fight for the freedom of all; stop Frahma from his racist delusions, and save all Endiness!

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At various other locations throughout the city, six other men and women, including two of Ranma's companions, were visited by the blazing forms of a dragon. A half-mermaid girl named Damia was found by the Blue-Sea Dragoon Spirit. A murderous, scowling monk by the name of Kanzas was recruited, as well, from Ranma's old prison cellblock. A young girl, cowering homeless in an alley, was soothed by the presence of the White Dragoon Spirit. A Gigantos by the name of Belzac was liberated from the adult coliseum by the Golden Dragoon Spirit. Young Syuviel found himself gifted by the Jade Dragoon Spirit, and Rose herself was granted the powers of the Dark Dragoon Spirit.

Suddenly, as though a flame had been struck, time restarted for each of them, and as a unit began to move to the center of Kadessa, as though the blazing red armor of a certain young martial artist were a beacon, guiding them through the chaos and crowd to the presence of an injured, captured silver dragon...

------------------------------------

"Ranma! Ranma, watch out!"

The armored young man suddenly dodged and struck with his weapon, cleaving a charging coliseum guard in half. He barely registered that the dead man was Arknon, his old captor, before he deflected another assault. He locked weapons with his attacker and glared, finding it to be another human, a man wearing a purple robe.

"You're a good fighter, boy, but you need focus!"

The man let one of his ringed hands let go of Ranma's sword and prepared to clock him when a ringing voice sang out.

"Kanzas, stop! Look at his armor!"

The monk stopped and stared. It couldn't be...it...it was him!

"You're the captain? A boy?!"

Ranma simply stared the man down as he lowered his sword, Rose and Syuviel flanking him with their own weapons drawn. Charle whimpered slightly as she saw all three of her babies, her children armed and glowing with a magical aura that put to shame the aura of even a Wingly.

"R-Rammie...Rosie..."

Ranma looked back and smiled.

"It's alright, Momma. We'll be alright. We're...we're supposed to be here, I think..."

A rumbling echoed before them, and in the darkness, as two more figures entered the crumbling arena, a silver light suddenly became visible. It grew and grew until it encompassed them all.

"MY CHILDREN...MY KNIGHTS...MY DRAGOONS..."

It looked upon each of them, its eyes sparkling in turn, as it nodded.

They understood their mission. It was time. Melbu Frahma had to be stopped. Once...and for all.

------------------------Author's Corner----------------------------

Sorry I've been gone so long. I joined the Army a while back, and things have been hectic as hell. Hope I can get my muses back. Eventually, I hope to update all my fics. I'm even a third of the way through a new chapter of SBT!