Fantasy Beyond: Fantasia Journica PART 2 ----------------------------------------- The World Which He Is Lost ----------------------------------------- by DJGeek Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is not mine, and D&D is also not mine, but thank God for it! You can contact me about this fic in: dragonjex@juno.com Enjoy. --------------------------------------------------------- Darkness claimed Ranma. It was as almost he had become one with the void, and everything that was clear to him suddenly felt blank. Cold emptiness felt like it was enveloping around his body, trying to claim his soul. He heard whispers, fainting whispers that was barely heard. "Are you sure?" Ranma tried to call out, but he could not hear his own voice. All he could do was hear, even though he could not understand their dialect. "Is he the one?" "Can he bring about the end of the coming catastrophe that will certainly bring this realm to doom?" "I cannot be sure of that, Mithrandar, only the fates can decide." "I wonder if he is strong enough to the task." "We shall see." Then in a brief flash, Ranma was shown several visions, first of magnificent locations that he was sure he had visited before, and blurred faces of persons that he seemed to know them. Suddenly, his visions halted and came to focus on a certain image. The vision became clearer, and represent the view of grand, majestic forest that surrounded him on all sides. The Great Trees seem to be as if they were trying to reach the sky. To him, he was almost proud to capture this magnificent view, yet at the same time, humbling him. But then the vision was swept away in a tide of darkness. But out came the were three figures with familiar faces. The faces were that of Hiroshi, Katherine, and Daisuke, draped with grayish cloaks, sheltering their bodies yet leaving their heads visisble. All three of them chanted: Beyond what lies to the east, The Great Lord of Darkness cries, his return to the earth. Can this unknown champion, born of another world, yet arrived in uncertain forces, can yet take up his arms, and challenge the arriving doom? Yet alone he will be not, Companions shall join, Different their ways may be, together they serve a single cause. Are you ready to take up arms, To challenge this uncertaining doom? For a long and unexpected road it is, And this chapter is yet unwritten. After their chant was done, their figures morphed into a figurehead, all black yet metallic. But it had eyes, peircing red eyes, and it seemed to drill deep into the boy's soul. Then flames of hellish evil engulfed Ranma, and he could feel it burning. It was burning, oh-the pain! His torture resumed as he heard these words: "YOU SHALL NOT SUCCEED CHAMPION! AFTER I AM DONE CONQUERING THIS WORLD, YOUR EARTH WILL BE NEXT!" Ranma fainted, and everthing he experienced was then lost forever, into the darkness. ------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back at Nerima District of Tokyo... ------------------------------------------------------- "Ranma's gone, isn't he?" Hiroshi looked up to the concerned face of Katherine when he heard her ask that question. He put down "The Two Towers" book he was deeply involved in and thought about the question. It was weird that their friend Ranma had disappeared. Nobody has seen or heard anything out of the ordinary, but the martial artist was nowhere to be found. The Nerima District Police and Patrol searched everywhere for where he might possibly be, but no leads have been found. "I... I don't know Katherine-san. I just don't know." "I know," the concerned girl answered lightly. "But I just can feel him, like as if I can feel his presence but he is not here." "Uh... care to explain?" "Well, I don't want to be considered insane or anything, but..." "Well, do tell." "okay... it's like this; I can see him in my dreams." "Oh, okay." Hiroshi went back to his book, but was quickly interrupted by Katherine. "I'm SERIOUS!" "Okay! Okay. Now, pray tell me what does your dreams have anything about Ranma?" "It's like, I can see him, but he's somewhere else. It is as if, he's in another world. I've seen visions, the two moons, the majestic forest, the grand elder mountains, and yet there is Ranma, but he seemed different. I don't know why, but, it seem to feel that way." "So Ranma is in another world?" "I... I think so. Do I seem crazy to you?" Hiroshi thought long and hard. "Hmm... if this is Ranma we're talking about, then anything can happen. Probably, you're right about him going off to another world." "Um, so, you're not objecting this strange idea?" "Nope. Remember, this is Nerima. ANYTHING could happen." "Hmmm... I'm glad. I didn't feel like going to other districts in Tokyo. But this one seems seems to have a unique identity of its own." "I know. That's why I'm proud to be from Nerima." Both smiled in humor. Hiroshi began to ask another question. " I've got two questions more. How is it you've got this ability to 'see' in dreams, and how is Ranma different?" "Well... Ranma seemed not to be a foreigner in this other world. He looked as if he had been living there for his entire life." "How?" "When I hear him speak, it's different. It's not Japanese, but english, with a bit of the Scottish accent. Funny, huh? Ranma sounding Scottish? Unbelievable it is, but that's how I hear him. And his clothes; he wore a woven cloak and seemed to look like he was from medieval Europe." "Uh huh. Funny." "I'm serious! Do you want to hear about my gift or not!?" "DON'T worry! Of COURSE I believe you! I live in Nerima remember? Don't you ever read the Chronicle? trust me, I've seen stranger stuff than you have." "Oh. Thanks. As to how I acquired my gift, it was when I was eight years ago. I had this dream where I was mom and I got into this car accident. I could feel her pain and lonliness when nobody tried to help her." "What happened to your mother?" "She died." "Oh. Sorry." There was a brief moment of silence, then inturrupted when Mousse came into the living room. But this time, he looked different. Mousse had his hair tied to a ponytail, but his head was covered with a red cap flipped backwards. He was wearing a gray long-sleeved shirt and a red short-sleeved shirt over it that had a DJ drawn and graffiti design that consisted with the words, "PROUD TO BE HARD CORE!" His walk was in rhythm, like that of a breakdancer, and his attitude was cool and laid back. During his time here, Mousse held an extreme interest in hip-hop, and wanted to become a breakdancer and a DJ. He break-danced and learned to scratch with other fellow skilled DJs and b-boys, and made a name for himself in the hip-hop culture. As a b-boy, his name was KRaZY DucK, and as a DJ, DJ Duckping, only to commemorate his curse that was cured by Cologne. "Yo, Hiro, whaddup!?" greeted DJ Duckping as he waved his hand. "Yo Mousse. How did the tournament go?" Hiroshi. He was certainly proud that Mousse had found something he liked. "Man, I ripped their asses. I didn't know I was mad ill at that time." "Cool," agreed Katherine. "Uh what's with the sadness? Ranma is it?" asked the chinese b-boy. Both Hiroshi and Katherine nodded. "Yeah, I feel that. I miss Ranma too, I still wonder where he is right now," joined Mousse as he sulked with the group. "I know Mousse, even Dai misses him." "Yeah. Speaking of Dai, where's the dude now?" "Hanging around the arcade," answered the Japanese-Scottish girl. Mousse sat down. "I'll beat his ass in Street Fighter later. Let's talk about good times. Do you remember that prank he played on Kuno?" "Yeah, it was like this..." And the entire time was spent talking about the good old times with their pigtailed compatroit and his hair raising pranks on Kuno. Daisuke came in a little later hearing the conversation about Ranma and joined in to also discuss on Ranma's defeats to his leet skills in Counter-Strike. ------------------------------------------------- Ranma woke up to the sounds of chirping. As he woke up from his slumber he immediately brought his arms up to protect his eyes from the stinging brightness of the sunlight. Confused,he attempted to stand but barely due to the suffering aftereffects of sleep. But not being one to give up, eventually stumbled to his feet and used all his strength to stand up, only clumsily." He heard himself rustling on the grass as he stirred up, his vision blurry but finally clear to only give images of high standing trees, decorated with branches and leaves. As he took aware of his surroundings, he noticed something was different... He was NOT in Nerima anymore. The buildings streets, cars, and parks were replaced by wildgrass, boulders, and elder trees that stood high as if they were almost touching the sky. Ranma could here birds chirping and some animals howling in the air. "Ryouga," Ranma cried out softly. But he was nowhere to be seen. Ranma thought probably he was in some park, or camping trip, so he might just head back to the district. However, the lost one doubted his thoughts because being a Japanese, these trees did not seem to be native in Japan. But the wandering pigtailed martial artist went on, hoping to find any symbol of civilization nearby. As Ranma walked on, his ears and eyes notice some animals that seem to stare at him. Deer, rodent-like creatures, and wolves scurried about as if they were busy all their lives, but stopping only to notice the human's presence. The now nervous Ranma just pressed on, hoping that the denizens would do no harm. Woosh! Something flew past his ear and landed at the lower bark of a tree. Curious, the wanderer approached near the creature. But it had it's head up, and it gave him chills, for it resembled like a cat. "MEEEEEAAAAWWWWW!" "AH! CAT!" freaked Ranma. He ran for his dear life, hoping that the creature would NOT pursue, but before he could see where he was going, he crashed into another tree and blanked out. ----------------------------------------------- The dryad Eleinine walked merry in the forests of Kernsen, drinking deep the smell of fresh grass, flowers, and clear air. She was so happy and felt alive. She wished to sing a song. As Eleinine twirled to adn fro from tree to tree, she sang a tune: Elienine fair of leaves, her roots deep in precious earth, Beautiful cantilups adorn my strands, the grass, my beautiful bed. What can be more fair, a flower with most natural nectar, compare with the sweetest of wine? For it is beauty, with my home, my sweet leaves. The melody of the song brought to life dying grass and flowers, and animals flocked to her singing. Eleinine petted each one of them and gave words of blessings. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she experienced lonliness, pain, and the feeling of being lost. "Oh, what is it that can do foul to my heart?" questioned the fair dryad. She looked around for the cause of misery, and found a figure lying down on a bed of leaves and grass, near a tree. As Eilienine crept near, she saw a young man. But it wasn't like any male human she encountered. His eyes were slanted, almost elvish but not. He had raven hair, long and tied in a pigtail, a strange, blue jacket woven with unknown material, and black, loose pants. He was young and handsome, which left a blush on her cheeks, and seemed peaceful in slumber. But the dryad knew he was unconscious, for she saw blood streaming from his head and nose. "Oh young man of fair, what can do you harm?" Eleinine whispered as she proceeded to wrap her arms around the boy's head. But something happened that she did not intend. For Elienine viewed his mind and his memories. But this was the one that spoke loudest. "NO...no nonononono get away from me...." cried out the boy, covering his face in fear. "What causes you fear young one?" the dryad asked, hoping to get an answer. "M-m-m-monster.... g-g-g-go away..." "What is it? What is this monster?" "C..c..c.cat... get away, must get away..." "A cat? Why do you fear from a beautiful creature?" She viewed out his memories of the cause of that fear. Big hands gripped the boy, now young as if six years old, and threw him into a pit of darkness. "Get in there boy and learn the Nekoken! Only then, you'll be a man!" "I don't wanna POP! I don't wanna!" "Stay there!" "But pop, cats... damn cats..." And she saw him scratched and beaten by the swarming claws of starved out felines. "NO! Don't hurt him!" the fair dryad cried out in hopes of halting their misdeed. But she was sadly ignored. After the swarming faded, she saw a shaking bloody boy crying, breathing fast, and just covered himself in the darkness. Then she saw the memories of his entire life up to the point where his "friend" transported him to this world, where he had no friends and family here. Lonliness and desperation ranked above in his emotions. Elienine cried and cradled Ranma as she whispered the word of life. Air of Life, Mother of Earth, Grant the injured sanctuary, Heal his body and his soul, Give him the quest to live once more. Elienine's tears dropped and landed on the boy's lips. His body now became more relaxed and flowed with energy. She cradled him as he slept. ---------------------------------------------- Ranma woke up, finding himself in a clear grass path from the forest. His eyes swerved and caught a woven, tightned cloth bundle. He opened it and found fruit, nuts, and some kind of bread. Hungry he was, he ate his meal. He looked around once more, and saw a stone-paved road leading to what seemed to be signs of civilization. Rich farmlands blanketed the earth and people were harvesting the crops. the road path led farther to a town guarded with walls. The pigtail adventurer was now grateful that he finally found a town of some sort where he could rest and find out where he was. He now realized he was in another world or land, "thanks" to Ryouga. Having the courage once more to survive and explore, he began his way. But something caused him to stop. He felt he forgot something. Before he could start venturing, he turned to forest. "Thank you," Ranma said deeply. And that, he began his journey. PART 2 END. =================================================== Author's note =================================================== There you have it. Part 2. FINALLY. I'm thinking of starting Part 3, but remembering I've got an essay to do. SHUCKS. Well, if I have time, I'll commence on Part 2. Later.