My BAKA Gaidin

                  Wheel of Time (Crown of swords)

                           Ranma 1/2

 

Keys

*(thoughts)*

 

Chapter 3

 

             Rand the savior of the world and all that, was trying to figure out what had happened. He walked down the corridor with his usual ring of maidens and Asha'man. Their presence hadn't bothered him anymore for a while now. *Why can't anything be easy? I told those Aes Sedai what would happen if they went after the Black Tower. They never listen*

 

             His mind went back to the carrier of the message. She was an odd girl to say the least. An exotic girl would better fit Philia. *Why would anyone dye their hair green of all colors?* Rand couldn't place where Philia was from either. He mentally cursed himself for being distracted by such things as appearance.

 

             The group finally reached the room specially used for traveling. He motioned the Asha'man to open a gate. "To the Black Tower," he commanded. *Those eyes, how could anyone have purple eyes* They were big and purple that seemed to sparkle with mysterious powers.

 

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             Philia looked at Moiraine. She was not very happy, but she had learned to roll with the punches so to say. So being grounded on this world was a bit shocking, but then she wanted to have a vacation anyway.

 

             Moiraine Damodred was every bit like she had thought she would be. She was short, slender, dark haired with those penetrating eyes, and most of all Aes Sedai. Philia wondered why she had to drag the Aes Sedai with her. "So, you are to follow me... Who sent you? Wait, don't bother. What happened to you after you went through the doorway? Do you know what happened to Lanfear?" Philia knew a lot about the tale of the Dragon Reborn and his companions, but not everything. Like any other, curious minds want to know.

 

             If Moiraine was uncomfortable with someone asking questions about her past she didn't show it. "I do not know. When I woke up, I was told I was needed back and was sent to you." She spoke with a musical and also somewhat commanding voice.

 

             Philia waved away the all too obvious answers, looking in other directions. *So Moiraine is here. She has to come back anyway. Well she is back... in spirit anyway." She swung back facing Moiraine as if a moment of revelation had came to her. *It couldn't be... If Moiraine was back and I was the cause, then I am part of this line of destiny* It was either that or was purely coincidence. *How could something like destiny sneak up on me...*

 

             "It seems we are in Cairhien, it appears some time has past. How much time?" The weather was acting up from the mysterious powers of the Dark One and it should have been hard to tell if it was winter or summer, but Aes Sedai somehow knew things like this.

 

             The comment seemed to snap Philia out of her daze. "Yes yes, no need to do the old Aes Sedai bit. You are to follow me around for some time so I will tell you all you need to know. Now follow me."

 

             One moment they were there, the next they were gone.

 

                                    < OH MY! >

            

             Ranma was sitting in a cell. How a barn basement had a cell, he had no idea. Many questions filled him on what happened. The black cloaked men had been sorcerers, he knew that much, but using a barn as a base? Ranma did not know very much.

 

             He still felt Siuan's bond so she was alive. He could also feel that she was scared and angry at the same time. *Ok, so I break out rescue her and maybe defeat the boss, typical*

 

             Ranma could destroy easily the bars as they hadn't seemed to be well made or maybe just blow the wall with a chi blast, but the guards, not to mention a whole camp of sorcerers around made the rescuing part hard. He needed to think up some plan. *Why can't anything be easy these days. I have a curse, engagements, violent tomboys, some mystical bond, and now I am locked up*

 

             One of the black cloaked guards glazed over at Ranma. He was in his mid-forties with a shaggy beard and a grisly voice. "You're too young to be a warder, kid. I heard the Aes Sedai was young too, if she is one. What happened to you? Do those witches steal children now for there own pleasure or were you fool hearted enough to go running after Aes Sedai?"

 

             "I didn't ask to become one. She just showed up and said I was her warder," Ranma replied trying to figure out the why too.

 

             "I feel sorry for yea kid. You don't seem like the warder type," the guard sympathized with him. "Here's some water kid, life is never what you expect, eh." The guard turned around walking back to his post.

 

             *Bingo* Ranma looked at the water, it wasn't what he liked, but it was the best choice if he wanted to get out of this place.

 

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             Siuan was scared, who wouldn't be, being captured by these men. She was shielded and was wrapped up. At least she was in a comfortable position.

 

             She had kept her mouth wisely shut, not wanting to reveal anything bad. The fact that she was Siuan Sanche, the ex-Amyrlin Seat, was not favored with many people, especially these people. She doubted that anyone would believe such a name, but than Aes Sedai were said they could not lie even if she could. Either way it was better if she would not speak.

 

             *I must escape this place and soon* Who knew what men who could channel would do to her. The thought that men who could channel would go crazy and destroy anything around had not even registered.

 

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             Rand viewed the scene about him. Asha'man all around of course, but his sights quickly came on to Taim. He never liked the man, but that could not be helped.

 

             "What an untimely arrival my Lord Dragon or should I call you King al'Thor," Taim intoned in an arrogant voice. "Let us discuss why you have come over, over chilled wine. The heat is getting worse every day."

 

             Rand ignored all that, it was a standard Taim greeting. "I heard that Aes Sedai attacked the Black Tower." He left it at that. Taim would fill in the rest.

 

             "News travels fast," he muttered. "Greatly exaggerated my Lord Dragon. A skirmish with some Aes Sedai while a group was off near by. Three Aes Sedai were captured, but that last one did not look it and her warder even less."

 

             *Three? How could something so small...* "Three you say, how many men did you lose?" Rand was curious now.

 

             "We did not lose any. The two reds gave some small struggle. The last one... Well she was just captured," Taim answered. He seemed almost baffled if you could actually see any anything on his face. "A bit later after the other two were brought back. She has the ring, but was too young to be Aes Sedai and her warder was but a kid. She is keeping quiet."

 

             Rand listened to all this in astonishment. *Three Aes Sedai, no men lost, just captured. But then the girl said...* "Did you have any other 'skirmishes' or any men lost?" he asked with curiosity.

 

             "None," was Taim's only answer.

 

             "Show me to the Aes Sedai that is keeping quiet," Rand commanded. *How could the strange girl know that Aes Sedai had attacked if it just happened. Was she lying or was it all some secret plan* Rand grew up on a farm, but recent experience had taught him to see things not just on the surface and odd things like an odd Aes Sedai could be more than just odd.

            

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             Ranma was dumb-founded. Here was her great plan in escaping and everything went wrong. Well it didn't really go wrong, but it hadn't happened the way he expected. First she turned in her curse form and pretend a little so the unsuspecting guard would come, except no one came. After a bit of yelling and frustration she decided to blow the cell door. Then he found that the guard or rather guards as the ones around were out cold too. That was good, but the fact that she had to turn into a girl she hadn't liked.

 

             "Why can't anything go right," she muttered. Ranma was a Martial Artist, she knew how to keep her cool, but she definitely didn't look it. *She's afraid...no more than that, way more than that...damn I have to get to her fast...stupid tomboy can't cha keep it to yourself* Emotions of fear was affecting Ranma to say the least. The heir to the Anything Goes Martial Arts was, well the curse heir at the moment, was frantically looking around and constantly missing a step all the while rushing though to her destination.

 

             With all this and the sleeping guards earlier, she wasn't prepared when she stumbled out into the open with oh, say twenty or so men in black cloaks staring at her. Ranma was shocked when she realized everyone and was staring at her. Shifting in to a battle stance, she tried to spot any opening for her escape.

 

             "Hold it, hold it. Some boys here just aren't used to seeing a maiden that's all, no need for blood," a somewhat old man in his late years said all to quickly. Some cleared their throats, while the others quickly looked elsewhere.

 

             *What the...! Well better then the other way. Maiden?* Moving quickly, but still on guard for anything, Ranma went towards the near by house. It was a pretty big house, something you don't see on a farm, but when did a farm have cells and sorcerers all around.

 

             "Aiel are so odd," commented one.

 

             "Are you sure that was Aiel? She's young and...and those aren't any clothes I've seen before," added another.

 

             "She had to be a maiden, look at that fiery red hair. Besides The Lord Dragon is here," put in a third.

 

             "What a looker though, wouldn't mind having her on my lap," piped in fourth.

 

             "Would also stick a knife in your ribs. Not even the M'Hael would save you from a maiden," a fifth one lectured and chuckling at his own comment.

 

             They all started to gossip among themselves with some chuckling here and there.

 

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             Siuan was very afraid, no beyond that, she was frightened to death. As if nothing could be worse, drowning in a lake full of silverfish and in came the big kingfish himself. Rand al'Thor the Dragon Reborn just walked in and it seems he was shocked also. *No, this can't be!!* Siuan almost bit her tongue and wished she had.

 

             "You know her?" asked Taim.

 

             "I know those eyes anywhere," answered Rand. Never letting his eyes wonder off of Siuan, he continued, "It is a surprise to see you here Siuan Sanche; former Amyrlin Seat, isn't it?" There was a collective gasp and raising of eyebrows around the room.

 

             Siuan forced herself to say calm as possible, which was not very much. *I have to do something, have to get out of this... somehow*  With so much fear bottled up, she never noticed that her savior was close and getting closer.

 

             Suddenly a large 'BOOM' was heard from outside. Everyone went on the alert.

 

             "What in the light was that!" yelled Rand. In a flash Rand was running toward the origin, followed by many others.

 

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             Ranma spitted out some foul tasting water out of his mouth. *How come rescues never happen the way they were suppose to!* The now male Ranma got up from a big wooden tub of water. It had been warm enough to activate his transformation. He figured it was very weird for a tub of hot water to be outside a farm, but then everything had been weird so far.

 

             Of course the reasoning of the mysterious tub took a back seat in his line of thought. The main thing on his mind was, *WHAT WAS THAT!!??* He was just about to finish surveying the area when some loud explosion made him accidentally fall into the tub.

 

             Ranma scanned the surrounding a bit more and saw all the guards were gone. He didn't know how good a group of women were, but they had sharp weapons and faces ready to kill. Not that he couldn't defeat them, just that they would probably distract him long enough for those black cloaked sorcerers to come.

 

             Now there wasn't a guard in sight, and so he casually strolled in.

 

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             Siuan's mind for once became a blank. There was no scheming, no hidden agenda, no plans for escape, not even pondering if she should get a new dress when her old one looked like mud...struck by lightning. The rapid change in emotions from fear, across the spectrum, all the way to confused, had fried her brain. Having her brain fried, she didn't see Ranma casually walk in and give the pitiful two guards a nap.

 

             The savior, one Ranma Saotome, smiled at the easiest rescue that he could remember. There had been no crying fathers, no "halt stop right here," fights, not even a boss at the end who seems to have some weird fighting style that he must figure out to win. Of course a small part of his mind finally, after it screamed at the other parts for a while, told him that something was wrong. Siuan in front of him had not moved in the slightest and seemed 'to be out of it.'

 

             "Oi, you all right Siuan?" he said with a hint of worry in his voice, nothing. So he waved a hand in front of her face and added, "Yo, you there? Hello. Snap out of it." *Oh boy, something must be wrong with her* He could feel that she was there, but nothing else.

 

            

             *This is not good, with my luck they'll be back way to soon* Ranma considered his options which wasn't much that his Martial Arts brain can come up with. Grabbing his still frozen Aes Sedai, he bolted. He also refrained from taunting her about her weight; it was rather nice that for once it was a silent escape.

            

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             The Great Dragon Reborn was in one of his daily sour moods.

He knew that there were secret plots against him all around, but this one was more annoying than he had expected. It had him running in circles, a weird girl, an unexpected arrival, now a fake diversion. He cursed himself that he went after the first sign of trouble and with him everyone else followed; now she had escaped. *What kind of Aes Sedai plot are you playing now?*

 

             "Her warder had somehow escaped too," Taim informed. "It would seem his appearance is deceiving; even if he is young, he must be a warder. Most likely he somehow made the explosion and rescued her. There are no horses and the land is barren, they will be founded."

 

             Rand hadn't listened, as he was a step out the door by then. *I'll find you, Siuan Sanche, and get whatever you're planning out of you*

            

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             "You should've gotten horses Ranma, or at least have taken some supplies..." Siuan had finally woken up from her frozen state and oddly enough there were no more traces of what ever happened to her. She was right back to her old self or as much as Ranma could see.

 

             Inside Siuan was still scared and Ranma could sense that. *She's scared to death of something* He could also feel she was trying to hide this, but with little luck. That's why Ranma wisely hadn't argued with her.

 

             "This way, there is a bit more trees for us to hide in. Without horses they will find us fast and light, if we do get away maybe we would find something to eat to survive," Siuan rambled on as if on top of the whole situation.

 

              Inside she was scared and wanted to run as far away as she could and was all too happy when she found out her warder rescued her. *It was my fault for getting caught, but he doesn't need any encouragement or he will never learn* Lecturing Ranma was the only thing she could do to push away the fear of what the Dragon would have done to her. They weren't on the best of terms and she would figure Rand would want to skin her alive if he had the chance.

 

             They stopped when two thin lines of light appeared in front of them and than expanded into portals. Siuan hardly had time to grasp the one power before it was shielded from her.

 

             "Light, not again!" intoned Siuan as she tried to run, do anything, but she couldn't move. Fear ran again at the thought of being caught again, before something very startling happened.

 

             Ranma was glowing an eerie blue as far as Siuan could describe it. It was faint, so faint she almost couldn't see the glow, but the presence of it somehow made, felt, that Ranma became more dangerous. The Asha'man were as startled as her and maybe even more as they seemed shocked.

 

             Suddenly Ranma's glow flared into a blazing blue fire as he kicked the first Asha'man with a flying kick of amazing speed and accuracy. The second had just enough time to draw his sword before he too fell down. "Night, guys," he smirked at his two opponents. *Wonder why they didn't use their magic*

 

             More thin lines were emerging a short distance before Siuan had time to yell, "Run! This way!"

 

             "Hey, I can take them on!" Ranma shouted back, but she paid no attention to the comment and was already running. He had little choice but to follow, not because of her ordering him to, he briefly thought. *Don't want them using that holding trick again*

 

             The ground erupted between her and the Asha'man with what little of the one power Siuan could handle. *I hope that will slow them down* Then it went up ten times as the earth seemed to explode with rocks flying everywhere, steam shot out of the ground, and smoke started to cover the area.

 

             "Did ya have'ta over do it that much!" Ranma screamed as he a stream of boiling steam shot out right next to him.

 

             "I didn't do this, I couldn't have!" screamed back Siuan, as she stumbled in the cloud of smoke and trying to avoid the shards of rock. *What in the light is going on here!?* Then it got worse.

 

             Ranma's instincts reached critical when a melting hot fireball nearly took his arm off. Without a thought he leaped at his Aes Sedai, tackling her to the ground. *Ah SHIT!* Siuan unfortunately didn't have that caliber of survival instincts.

 

             "GET OFF ME BEFORE I SKIN YOU!" she yell at the top of her lungs. Had Siuan bothered to pay attention to her warder's actions she wouldn't have yelled. Another fireball came, narrowly missing the two and destroyed a piece of the already broken up land.

 

             More fireballs flew out of the thick cloud of smoke and steam, again missing its intended target. This time the accuracy was much better liked for Ranma and Siuan. They opted for a run, duck, and cover plan.

 

             Things were looking worse and worse, he had to do something. Fighting against such odds wasn't that bad, but on exploding ground, it wasn't making it any better. *Damn! Can't fight those guys with her around* Ranma would never admit he was running from a fight even when he used his 'Saotome secret technique'. Another fireball streaked pass him, he could still feel the heat grazing his skin. *Those things are hot!*

 

             It came to him, the ground shot out hot streams of steam, the fireballs flying all around, and a cloud of thick sweating smoke, it was perfect for his technique and equipped to handle a lot of opponents at once. Ranma prepared for it closing his eyes, trying to stay calm. He needed to stay calm for it to work. *Must stay calm*

 

             He briefly heard Siuan calling to him. He could feel she was afraid, worried, angered, but he pushed away, staying calm, drawing power he would need. *Calm, ignore everything around, cold, distant, I'm centered, the cold eye at the center...*

 

             "Ranma? Ranma!" Siuan called when she gasped, she even ignored a fireball flying across her. Her warder was glowing a bright hue of blue and it kept getting bigger.

 

                  "Hiryu Shoten Ha!!"

 

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             Not far from the wave of fireballs, smoke, and rocks, two figures stood watching the scene, if one can see beyond shadows over the cloud of smoke. One was cloaked in white with a hood hiding the identity; the other was a misty figure of a person long thought to be dead.

 

             "Your really quiet Moiraine-chan," a cute girl's voice spoke. "If I have you hanging around with me, let's at least have a normal conversation."

 

             The misty image of Moiraine almost seemed to smile at this, ever so slightly moving her lips. "You have not told me much, but I presume you will tell me when you're ready to." With a slight pause she continued, "You said you will not interfere with them, yet you help them escape and create this screen to hide them in."

 

             "I said I would not directly interfere with them," the figure corrected without a pause. "Besides it was sort'a my fault, heh. I was visiting this red and well I guess she went a little nuts and..."

 

             "Hiryu Shoten Ha!" was heard stopping her explanation. One could almost heard her comment "Oh dear..."

 

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             A roar of wind, rocks, and everything else flew up into a giant spiraling tornado. The technique was even more powerful than Ranma had thought. The normal use would have been safe in the eye of the tornado, but this one was far more powerful and loose pieces of rocks of various sizes had caused a slight mishap on his plan.

 

             Both, Ranma and Siuan were caught in the huge tornado now. He currently had a tight grip around Siuan trying to shelter her from flying debris. *Damn, this is too powerful*

 

             Siuan mind was strangely rational, trying to figure some way to save them. They would surely die here if something wasn't done. *What can I do? There must be some way out, traveling would be great if I had my full power. I will not die like this!*

 

             She forced her head to look at her warder and saw, felt that he was in great pain. Incoming rocks had struck him multiple times. *I must do something, must somehow get away. Traveling...I can barely make a gate big enough for a mouse. I can try to make it bigger... I would burn my self out...better then dying* She made up her mind, drawing all the one power she could, she drew more, that's when something happened. Power came rushing into her, lots of power, like she was holding on to an angreal or san'angreal.

 

             A gate had promptly opened and both flew in.

 

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             Rand walked through the scene with confusion and anger. Taim had informed him that Siuan had been found. It was a quick gate to the scene before a huge column of wind came up devouring everything. He had been far enough from the tornado, but he still felt the sheer power of it. When it finally died, pieces of the land were scattered all over with bodies in between.

 

             "There is no deaths as odd as it may sound, maybe it was your ta'veren," Taim came up to him and quickly informed. "Some had been near death, but was healed in time. Siuan Sanche and her warder were not found..." Taim was cut off as Rand swiftly walked off toward some decapitated trees and rocks.

 

             There was a body lying unconscious in the mix of the rubble, the body of Moiraine Damodred.

 

                                    < OH MY! >

 

             A SD figure clasped in a cloak of pure white, with some red decorations along the edges walks reluctantly out. SD is supposed to explain some concepts of TWOT.

            

             "I don't want to do this any more! I quit!... Please NO MORE!"

 

             The light's come on: "Helloo!"

 

             "Moiraine, real important, she did a bunch of stuff ok...OK!!?"

 

             "Taim, very sadistic S.O.B., he is the M'Hael or teacher for those men."

 

             "Aiel, if you ever see one, don't mention the word 'dance'. They like to poke people with spears, work for Rand who sometimes walks with Dawn."

 

             "Maidens of the Spear, female Aiels. Don't ever dance with them! Rand's personal bodyguard among other things."

 

             "I'm not getting paid enough for this...better renegotiate my contract next time..."