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All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

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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.



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END - The Princess Bride - V1P1        A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva

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coutuva@vecdev.com