Dragon's Bond

Chapter 6

Mirrors

The sun was shining bright over top of the city of Seyroone. Birds filled the sky as they flitted to

and fro in one large group in the distance seeming as if they were a giant swarm of bugs. Lina

sighed as she sat on the highest balcony of the castle. "This is GREAT!!!" She said as she watched

over the entire city. She then sat back on the lawn chair that she had and took a sip of her drink

while holding up a tanning mirror just above her chest. She was currently wearing a red, vertically

striped, two piece bikini and was QUITE comfortable. "Having a princess for a friend certainly

has its advantages." She said to herself. "I haven't had to use that bag of gold once."

Lina sat up and looked over the railing of the balcony, looking kind of confused. "Where the

heck has Ranma been?" She wondered. "We haven't seen him for days." She noted while staring

out into the distance. He and Amelia had been gone for three days already and all she and Gourry

had been doing was lazing around the palace, eating and going to the beach with Galnaav and

Phil. It was right in the middle of summer and she didn't have to worry about money or lodgings

at all. She shrugged and laid back down on the lawn chair. "Who cares!?!" She said as she put on

her sunglasses and continued sunning herself. "He's probably doing perfectly fine on his own."

***************

"VAN REHL!!!" Ranma placed his right hand onto the ground and a sting of ice shot out across

the earth like a blue vein towards his targets. The lizard like creatures were engulfed in a blue

glow, as it connected, and they turned into statues of solid ice. Ranma jumped up over an axe

swing immediately after and back flipped out of the way kicking the Troglodyte in the back in mid

air. The disgusting creature stumbled forward and then his daughter Crimson did a roundhouse,

sending the creature into death as the strength of the blow snapped it's scrawny yet muscular

neck.

Ranma then directed his open hands towards an incoming group of troglodytes that was headed

their way. His daughter followed his example and they both yelled in unison the name of their next

magical maneuver. "DILL BRAND!!!" The group of Troglodytes was close together so the

resulting explosion from under their feet caught them all and sent them thousands of feet in the

air, the initial explosion killing most of them just by the force.

Ranma wiped the sweat off his brow when he realized that there were more of them coming, as

well as a few knolls. "DAMN IT!" He yelled. "These things are everywhere! I don't think we're

going to be able to finish them all off before..."

"HOLD VILLAINS!!" Came a high pitched feminine voice from up above.

Ranma paled and his eyes went wide as he heard the voice ring out like the sound of his own

impending doom. "Too late Papa-san." Crimson said sullenly as she turned towards the voice.

"Oh crap! She's awake!" Ranma muttered in fear. "GOD DAMN IT I WISH THERE WAS A

SPELL THAT MADE PEOPLE TEMPORARILY DEAF!!" He yelled to the heavens before

covering his ears trying to drown out the noise by talking incoherently non-stop.

The Troglodytes and Knolls looked confused at the mighty sorcerer's behavior but they figured it

an easy kill. Their master would be pleased with them so they stalked forward to finish him off

before he could diminish their numbers any more.

Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune stood atop the tallest tree in the forest, just outside of the clearing that

Ranma and Crimson were fighting in. "I AM AMELIA WIL TESLA SEILLUNE!!" She yelled to

the creatures as more emerged from the forests surrounding the clearing. "PRINCESS OF THE

GRAND CITY OF SEILLUNE!! ON BEHALF OF THE LOVE FOR MY FIANCÉ AND THE

EVER FLOWING JUSTICE OF CIVILIZED SOCIETY I WILL PUNISH YOU!!"

Ranma clutched his head in absolute agony and fell to the ground. "SOME ONE PLEASE MAKE

THAT WOMAN STOP!!!" He pleaded. The knolls stopped in their tracks and stared at the

woman on the tree, as did the Troglodytes.

The high pitched noise was beginning to get to their heads and the monsters glared at the girl

hatefully. Amelia continued her speech as she powered up a spell slowly for, what she thought,

was dramatic effect. The smell of the disgusting Troglodytes invaded her nostrils and she nearly

wretched. "WHAT FOUL CREATURES ARE YOU THAT YOU WOULD STALK UPON MY

FRIENDS! LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS AND STEP AWAY! THE VENGEANCE OF

JUSTICE AND LOVE WILL NOT BE KIND TO ANY OF YOU DISGUSTING BEINGS!!"

She called out from her vantage point. The knolls and troglodytes began mumbling and followed

Ranma's example by covering their ears.

Amelia's noble speech continued. "HOW LONG have you stalked and preyed upon the weak!!?

HOW LONG has it been since you last bathed!!? HOW do you live such horrible lives!!?

REPENT YOUR EVIL WAYS AND JOIN THE COMMON GOAL!! THAT GOAL IS

JUSTICE!!!"

The troglodytes began to scream in pain as their temples throbbed violently and they dropped

their weapons. They ran away screaming but the knolls remained, still just covering their ears.

Amelia's noble speech continued. "But woe unto those who would befall such a tragedy to

encounter the LIKES of YOU!! JUSTICE IS THE CAUSE I STAND BY AND I WILL FIGHT

TO THE DEATH TO PRESERVE IT!!!" Amelia twirled around and the blue energy that

surrounded her circled in a spiral. She then got tears in her eyes. "I will FIGHT the GOOD

FIGHT!! I will TRAVEL to ENDLESS LENGTHS!! I will deprive myself of ALL PHYSICAL

LUXURIES!! WHY!! You ask!!! I tell you FOR JUSTICE!! AND A LOVE SO PURE... Hey

where'd everyone go?" She said confused with a blink.

True enough all that was left was Crimson and Ranma... who was rolling around on the ground

holding his ears desperately. "Make it stop! Make it stop!!" He moaned over and over like a holy

mantra.

Amelia jumped down from her perch and landed on the ground after slowing down her descent

with Levitation. She then ran over to Ranma and grabbed his shoulders. "Ranma are you okay?"

She asked shaking him out of his stupor. "Did those nasty Knolls hurt you?" She asked.

Ranma looked up to see Crimson standing there with her eyes closed. Ranma stood up and glared

at her, ignoring his wayward fiancé. "HOW CAN YOU STAND THAT HORRIBLE

RACKET!?" He screamed at his daughter.

Crimson opened her eyes and noticed her father was looking at her. "Huh?" She said. She then

pulled back her brown hair and pulled out to pieces of clothe from her ears. "I'm sorry Papa-san."

She said. The girl then then blushed. "I couldn't stand the noise so I put these in my ears." She

said holding out the little pieces of cloth.

Ranma sighed. "Never mind."

Amelia was confused and was looking to her companions for an explanation. "Ranma! What is

she talking about? What noise?"

Ranma almost got angry. But he couldn't bring himself to strike a woman, the fact that she was

also his fiancé kind of contributed to that as well. He breathed in deep through his mouth and let it

out through his nose slowly. "Amelia? We have to talk."

*****************

Ranma groaned as he sat with his daughter Crimson in a secluded room in an inn at the city of

Gobraddenov. They had just reached the city a few hours after the Troglodyte fight and Ranma

was feeling quite frustrated. Crimson was trying to comfort him but it wasn't working so well.

"This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me!" Ranma groaned.

Crimson smiled encouragingly and rubbed her father's back. "Don't worry Papa-san. Just talk to

Mama-san. I'm sure she'll understand!"

Ranma sniffed at the air dejectedly. "I'm sure that she WON'T!" He said. "From what I've seen so

far she's just a spoiled princess with the mixed personalities of Kuno, The Tick, and Sailor,

freakin, Moon! I doubt she'll even listen to what I have to say." He sighed. "And I'm ENGAGED

to her!"

Crimson felt sad. She really liked her new Mama-san. She was kind and courteous and was always

very polite. She was really dumb though when it came to matters of the battle. She would spout

speeches that were idiotic and completely inane! Crimson liked Amelia but if her father was going

to survive marriage with her, Amelia was going to have to learn a few things. "Maybe if I talked

to her she'd understand." She offered to Ranma. "She always listens to me. From what you've said

about your old family... girls in general don't really listen to you."

Ranma thought about that for a second. "Yeah I guess." He paused for a moment. "But you

listen... you're a girl."

Crimson smiled politely and turned away. "I'm the exception Daddy! I'm a dragon!"

Ranma chuckled as Crimson left the room to go talk to Amelia. "And that's supposed to make my

life seem any less strange?" He wondered out loud to himself with a chuckle, his problems

momentarily forgotten. He really loved Crimson. She was a good kid. Though, at times, Ranma

wondered why he thought of her as a kid. Crimson looked to be about the same age as he did.

Even though Ranma had filled out a lot during his stay in this fantasy world. He was taller and had

grown a little bit of stubble on his chin. His features had hardened somewhat and his ears for some

reason were pointy. He never did find out why they were like that though.

He somehow got thinking of Lina and Gourry. They seemed like good and honest people, as well

as adventurous and trustworthy. He would have liked to travel with them. He remembered

somebody saying that they used to travel with Amelia and got to thinking. "How the hell did they

put up with this?" He wondered. Maybe Lina had some sort of conditioning to major annoyances.

***

A long ways away, a woman clad all in black leather sneezed and shrugged.

***

Ranma was broken from his reverie when the door to where Crimson had went opened and

Amelia walked in. Amelia's eyes were watering and Ranma felt his heart get heavy and a lump

formed in his throat. Amelia walked towards Ranma with big puppy dog eyes. "Ranma. Is it true

what Crimson said?"

Ranma clenched his eyes and chanted a mantra in his head not to give in to the eyes. He steeled

himself and forced himself to look at her. "Yeah!" He said. "Yeah It's true." He said rather guiltily.

He couldn't stand to see a girl cry but if he was going to be able to live a semi normal life in this

new world he was going to have to stand his ground and stop being such a sucker for a pretty girl.

Ranma's thoughts were broken when Amelia rushed forward and grabbed the pigtailed sorcerer in

a tender hug, which actually felt kind of nice to him considering the kind of violent affection he

used to get from the likes of Ukyo and Shampoo. Ranma shook his head and then stared down at

his now one and only fiancé. "Oh my love! I knew we were meant to be together! I know we'll

have the most wonderful children when we get married!" Ranma looked completely mortified

with confusion.

"WHA!?!?!?!?" He questioned rather loudly. "What are you...?" Ranma looked up to the doorway

to see Crimson standing there, blushing and smiling. Ranma turned red and growled. "You are in

SO much trouble, young lady." Ranma growled.

Crimson quickly edged away from the affectionate scene and began running away. Ranma pried

Amelia away from himself and set her aside for a moment. "Can you excuse me for a moment?"

He asked before giving chase to his daughter. "WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS DID YOU SAY

TO HER!?!?!?!?" He screamed as he chased her around the inn. "HOW COULD YOU TURN

ON YOUR FATHER LIKE THIS!?!?!?"

****************

Ranma sighed the next day as he walked through the city of Gobraddenov with his daughter

Crimson and the leech of a fiancé Amelia. Ever since Crimson and Amelia had their heartfelt

"talk" She had been hanging off of him like a love struck puppy. At night she managed to crawl

into his bed and sleep with him the entire time while latched to his arm. As soon as he had woken

up she had insisted that they not have separate rooms anymore since they were engaged, she also

insisted that they change and bathe together. And every time she didn't need the use of both arms

she had at least one latched onto Ranma's. He didn't know what to do. He sighed as the trio

walked through the downtown area of the city where the Mirrors where supposed to be hidden.

Ranma shook his arm, trying to get Amelia off, but it was like his arm was coated in three layers

of crazy glue. He sighed and stopped walking. "Amelia? Can you please get off my arm?" He

asked politely but with a tinge of annoyance. Amelia looked up at him with love struck, starry

eyes. He could have sworn she was hit with some sort of drug.

"Why?" She offered from her place on her fiancé's arm. "We're engaged! We're going to be

married and live happily ever after!" Ranma stared at her with absolute disgust.

*MY GOD!!* He thought with wide eyes. *SHE'S GOTTEN WORSE!* Ranma started shaking

his arm wildly in the middle of the street. "Getitoff!Getitoff!" He panicked. But Amelia wouldn't

budge.

Ranma stepped inside a nearby public bathhouse that he had noticed earlier and Crimson, and of

course Amelia followed. "Where are we going? Papa-san?" Crimson asked as she entered the

building.

Ranma mumbled something and grumbled. "Trying to part with my parasite!" He said as he

walked over to the counter. He got three tickets and picked up a few towels. Ranma headed for

the male side and figured that Amelia would naturally dislodge herself and go with Crimson to the

girl's side.

He was wrong. Amelia came right into the male side. Ranma fumed at the doorway. "DAMN IT

AMELIA!!" He calmed down and took a short breather. "The girls side is THAT door." He said

annoyed as he pointed to where Crimson had went. Amelia blinked out of her love drugged stupor

for a moment and looked around.

"Oh I'm sorry honey."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!"

Amelia let go of Ranma and followed Crimson into the girls side after grabbing Ranma and kissing

him quickly on the lips. Ranma stood there for a moment just staring at the floor and then

growled. "She doesn't make any SENSE!!!" He stomped the rest of the way to the bath grumbling

about the same old problems.

Once he had washed himself off and gotten into the bath he was a lot more relaxed. *Ahhh!* He

thought. *Just like back home. Ranma leaned up against the side of the wall that separated the

male and female sides and then his eyes opened halfway annoyingly as a pair of petite hands

snaked around his waist and a wet naked body pressed against his. "This is not happening." He

muttered to himself.

Ranma looked down at who was holding him and frowned. It was Amelia. *What the HELL did

my daughter say to this crazy chick!?!* he thought darkly. He noticed all the of the other men

staring at him. "What the hell are you doing?" Ranma asked his wayward fiancé Amelia smiled up

at Ranma.

"I'm spending some quality time with my husband to be." She said, completely oblivious to

Ranma's embarrassment. Ranma grabbed Amelia by her arms and sat her across from him.

"Amelia what did my daughter say to you to make you act so differently?" He asked. Amelia

smiled obliviously and cuddled up to Ranma's chest.

"You big silly!" She said as she twirled a circular pattern on Ranma's skin. "You sent your

daughter to tell me about your undying love for me."

Ranma stared at the top of her head blankly. "I see." He said. Ranma tried desperately to keep a

cool and calm composure. He wasn't used to being this close to a girl, especially when naked...and

wet...and slippery. Ranma struggled to think of something other than a girl his age completely

nude and pressed up against his body. *Bunny's...NO not bunnies! Uhhh Peppermints on the

pillows... food... alcoholic beverages...warm apple pie...*

"I didn't send her to say anything like that." Ranma said honestly, his face blushing furiously.

Amelia lifted her head to Ranma's eye level. She looked in his eyes for any sign of dishonesty,

hoping that he was fibbing out of embarrassment. All she could find in them was honesty and

trust.

"What?"

Ranma nodded. "I like you and all Amelia, but, you've been acting like a mentally handicapped

super hero from a Saturday morning cartoon ever since I met you. You're trying to live your life

out like a fairy tail."

Amelia looked confused. "So you weren't confessing your undying love for me through your

daughter?" She asked.

Ranma shook his head no. "I was getting really, REALLY annoyed with the speeches that you

kept giving before every battle. They hurt my intelligence. And the way you seem so oblivious to

real life. You're just so... sooo... weird. I wanted her to tell you because I was afraid that I'd hurt

your feelings." Ranma paused and swallowed the lump in his throat then continued. "I like you but

I could never fall in love with such a two dimensional girl, no matter how long we give it to grow

 Don't hate me for it." Ranma then squinted his eyes and prepared for the worst.

Ranma opened his eyes when nothing happened. No mallet... No fist... no magical explosions.

Amelia just sat there smiling. "That's okay Ranma." She said. Ranma sighed in relief. Amelia

shifted her body off of Ranma and sat beside him. Ranma gave another sigh off relief. "I know

you're right Ranma." She said with a sigh. "I never really got out of the castle much when I was

little. Everything I learned I learned from my father. He's my role model... my hero."

Ranma felt bad about telling her off like that and slowly put an arm around her shoulders. "I like

you Amelia. You're probably one of the nicest girls I've ever met. I guess you should just look

around you at what other people do... how they talk and other stuff like that. Not everyone spouts

poetry and raves on about Justice. As some famous guy probably said at one point in time...

‘actions speak louder than words’ and I think that definitely applies to the whole fighting for

justice thing."

Amelia smiled and leaned her head on Ranma's shoulder. "I'm sorry I've been acting so weird

Ranma. It’s hard to help it sometimes though... I was raised to speak like that... Do you think that

there's still a chance that we'll fall in love and get married like was arranged?"

Ranma chuckled at that. "To be honest? I think you've got a better chance at making it to the

finish line than all my other fiances."

Amelia frowned playfully. "What other ones?" She asked.

Ranma laughed nervously and put one hand behind his head just at the base of his neck as he let

his sight wander.

*********

In another unknown dimension three teenage girls sneezed simultaneously. "That was weird." A

chestnut haired girl noted. The other two nodded in agreement.

**********

On the other side of the bathhouse Crimson smiled. *Score one for the mighty dragon girl!* she

though as she listened in on Ranma and Amelia's conversation. She then felt a tingle in her chest

where the amulet she wore sat. *Oh crap!* she thought. *Human time's over*

Ranma sighed as he leaned back with his arm around his fiancé, Amelia. *Y' know. This isn't so

bad.* Ranma thought amazed. He looked down at Amelia and smiled. *She's really cute, and

nice.* He thought. *She isn't hitting me with a mallet just because I'm naked, Isn't calling me a

pervert, and she actually listened to what I had to say and is taking it into consideration. I think I

really DO like her.* He was shocked at himself for thinking that. It wasn't like him at all. He

thought of Ukyo, Shampoo, and Akane as friends but he had never even ONCE thought that he'd

marry any of them. They were too violent and they all had their own agendas. The pigtailed

sorcerer shivered as he remembered what he had found under Akane's bed one day. Complete

accident but he was pretty distant from the girl since then... especially in his female form.

A tingling sensation triggered at the back of Ranma's skull. He had been studying martial arts

since he could walk and he had developed a fairly keen danger sense of a sort. Right now it was

warning him pretty badly. *I knew it wouldn't last.* He thought darkly as he sighed mentally.

The screams came only a moment later as a burst of magic erupted from the girls side of the

public bath house. The head of a large red dragon appeared over the wall and Ranma stood up

looking at the mythical creature. "You didn't keep track of the time again did you?" Ranma asked

as all the other people in the bath house ran away as fast as they could.

The large dragon sighed and let out a puff of smoke as she rested her head on the top of the wall.

"I'm sorry papa-san." She apologized.

Ranma shrugged. "It's no biggy. Let's just get out of here before they send out some dragon

hunters or a mage of some sort." He said turning around to find himself face to face with a

stranger who wore a large red robe with a hood, with purple trim and gemmed arm bands. Ranma

stood surprised for a moment. "Uhm... may I ask who you are?" He muttered as he stared at the

man.

The man stepped back and looked up at the dragon for a moment. He was silent and calm. His

eyes flared open a moment later and he pointed at Crimson's Dragon form with a shaky hand as he

shouted. "DON'T WORRY SIR!! DON'T WORRY MA'AM! I'LL PROTECT YOU FROM

THIS POWERFUL AND MONSTROUS DRAGON!!!"

Ranma groaned. "Oh boy... now you've done it."

The dragon hunting sorcerer stopped his tirade and looked at Ranma confused. "What's going on?

What do you mean?" He asked as a very small fireball charged up in his hand. All of a sudden a

giant paw came crashing down upon the stranger. Smashing him to the floor and putting a large

hole in it. "I'M NOT MONSTROUS!!!" Crimson screamed in her demonic sounding, angry,

dragon voice. The sorcerer slowly got up and glared at her.

"I AM ROLENTO!! CEBREDALLENOVRICHE!! IT'LL TAKE MORE THAN THAT TO

KEEP ME DOWN VILE BEAST!!!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as he stood just outside of

the deep hole made by Crimson's paw.

Crimson, Ranma and Amelia, all naked stared at the man in wonder. "I'm surprised that it didn't

keep him down. That was a hell of a hit!" Ranma said.

Crimson nodded. "Yeah every other... HEY I'M NOT A VILE BEAST!!!" She screamed at the

upstart little magic user beneath her. The man laughed and threw a fireball at Crimson before she

could hit him again.

"TAKE THIS YOU EVIL CREATURE!!!" He screamed. "THIS IS MY ULTIMATE

FINISHING ATTACK!!" The fiery orb impacted squarely with Crimson's head and exploded,

dissipating a moment later into nothing. Crimson just stood there blinking, as she looked at the

man.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" She questioned honestly not knowing the answer.

Ranma looked up at his daughter and wrapped a towel around his waist. "Yeah man. That was a

really weak fireball. I could do better in my sleep... hell I can whoop her ass with my bare hands!"

Crimson leaned down over the, now, demolished wall and glared at her father. "Someday that's

gonna change old man!" She said, completely ignoring the new guy.

Ranma stared back with a challenging smile. "Is that a threat or a challenge young lady?"

Rolento was currently gasping as he slapped both sides of his face with his hands in total shock.

"MY ULTIMATE ATTACK DIDN'T WORK!!" He screamed.

Ranma waved him off. "Get over it. You can't win all the time."

Tears began flowing from Rolento's eyes in a steady flow as he cried. "OH WHAT A HORRIBLE

TRAGEDY!! NOW MY PRECIOUS CITY WILL BE DESTROYED!!" All of a sudden Rolento

pulled out a long metal tube, with a wick at one end that was already lit. It was a homemade

rocket launcher!! "THE CITY OF GOBRADDENOV WILL NOT FALL!!!!!!!" He screamed as

he aimed it at the group.

Ranma's eyes widened as the wick quickly shortened. "WHERE THE HELL'D THAT GUY GET

A FREAKIN BAZOOKA!?!?!?!" He shouted in surprise.

Amelia rushed forward and put up a magical shield. "DEFENSE!!" she cried out as the wick burnt

out and the launcher fired. Ranma and Crimson were both too surprised to react but Amelia's

Defense shield was weaker than that of Ranma's or Crimson's and some of the explosion damage

got through.

They all screamed as the mad man kept firing over and over again, taking out most of the bath

house's floor and the bath house... and the surrounding buildings which began to crumble and fall

from underneath the traveling trio. They all screamed as the ground opened up and they fell

through a long dark hole, underground.

Ranma felt an impact and he blacked out before he could even let out a surprised shout.

**************

Ranma awoke with a groan and a throbbing pain in his head. Ranma looked around and noticed

that his daughter, in dragon form, and Amelia were sitting nearby. Both of them had worried

looks on their faces but they didn't register in Ranma mind and he held his head as he leaned back

on the dirt ground and chuckled. "Man I just had the weirdest dream!" He said, his chuckles died

though and he looked around at his surroundings. They appeared to be in a very dark cave, with

the only light source being a hole about a hundred feet up. It was a big cave but he couldn't make

out any details, he'd notice a shimmer of light in the dark every so often but it was minimal and

probably not important.

"I don't think you were dreaming Ranma." Amelia noted a little sympathetically. As she looked

down at her mostly naked fiancé, save for a towel wrapped around his waist.

Ranma groaned as he sat up. "Don't tell me that Rolentus Mahatchamalooza guy is real!" He

complained as he covered his eyes. He peeked through the cracks between his fingers and noticed

that both Amelia and Crimson were nodding. "AHH CRAP!! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT GUY

BEAT US!!!" He screamed as he jumped up and stared at the hole so high above. "That idiot was

like some sort of demented version of a Kuno, and Mouse mixed together!" He grumbled as he

turned and looked around. "Where are we!?!" He asked to no one in particullar.

Amelia was the one to answer him. "Ranma I think that we found what we came here for."

"Huh?" Ranma said intelligently.

Amelia held out her palm and closed her eyes, focusing the mana around the area through her

body and into her palm as magical energy. The light from the orb of magic was suddenly picked

up by the walls and the entire cavern was lit up. Ranma covered his eyes abruptly from the light

and then looked up. "What the...?" Ranma looked down a long passageway and noticed that it

seemed to stretch on for miles. "This looks like it's made completely out of mirrors." He said as he

looked around in amazement.

The cave was indeed a long tunnel made completely of mirrors, the ceilings, and the walls were all

mirrors and they picked up the smallest amount of light and reflected it so many times that it lit

the place up brighter than day. "I think that this is the underground cavern where we're supposed

to find the mirrors." Amelia stated.

Ranma continued to look around at the many reflections in the wall in awe with his mouth

hanging open. "Yeah... what was your first clue?"

"Are we going to go find the mirror now Papa-san?" Crimson asked her father as she looked

down the hallway.

Ranma nodded and began walking in the only direction that was possible. "Yeah... let's take it

slow though. We don't know what kind of creatures could be lurking around in this kind of

place." Crimson nodded and began to walk along with Ranma. Amelia followed shortly after and

the three were walking down the tunnels.

As the group of travelers made their way down the tunnel they walked by a particular mirror that

held a completely different reflection than a reflected vision of themselves. After the group had

passed that particular mirror a face appeared in the mirror, smirked and then came out of the

glass object. "Hmmm." Said the robed man with the gnarled wooden staff with the large ruby in it

as he watched Ranma, his daughter, and his fiancé continue on their way down the one way

tunnel. "Well, well, well! Amelia without Lina's accompaniment! And a new group of friends as

well! This could be entertaining." With that the strange man with the half length purple hair

vanished with a shimmer of dark magic.

Ranma stopped in his tracks as Amelia and Crimson, continued on ahead of him, not noticing that

he had stopped. "Stop!" Ranma called out to them quietly. Crimson and Amelia stopped in their

tracks and turned around to see Ranma staying as still as he could. He was looking around

suspiciously and then he looked to the girls questioningly. "Did you guys feel that?" he asked.

Amelia and Crimson looked around the cavern of mirrors and then back at Ranma. They didn't

feel a thing. "What is it Ranma?" Amelia asked her husband to be, slightly scared at the prospects

of what it might be.

"Shhh!" Ranma said as he put his finger to his lips and looked around. "I felt a presence... then a

dark power... then it was gone. I still feel power though... magical power." Amelia hid behind

Crimson's leg and her puppy dog eyes were full blown.

"What'll we do?" She asked looking around suspiciously at all the mirrors.

Ranma shrugged and began walking again. "It's this way." He said. Pointing down the hall

Crimson and Amelia continued walking with him. Amelia was back to holding Ranma's arm again

only this time it was in fear. The group continued to walk for about another twenty minutes

before Ranma stopped. He turned around and noticed a certain framed mirror that was on the wall

of mirrors. All the other mirrors blended together and looked like one giant blob like mirror.

Ranma walked towards the mirror and stared into it. What stared back at him shocked and

intrigued him all at the same time.

"W...What the HELL!?!" He stuttered as he looked at the mirror. He leaned forward and looked

again with squinted eyes.

"What's wrong Papa-san?" Crimson inquired as she walked towards him. She gasped at what she

saw and then Amelia walked towards the mirror as well.

"What's wrong with you two? It's just another mirror." She said as she looked into it. She then

realized what they were so entranced with and looked back and forth between the mirror and her

companions. Ranma's female half was being portrayed in the mirror, and Crimson's human form

was there instead of the dragon form which she was currently sporting. The female Ranma

reflection was bare chested because all the clothes that Ranma had on was a towel around his

waist. Amelia was confused though. She looked normal... she then blinked when she noticed

something. Her reflection was male. "AAAH!!" She screamed as she noticed this."What's going

on here?" She wondered as she stared at her doppelganger.

Ranma turned away from the mirror and continued down the cavern, which was surprisingly

warm. "Let's just find these stupid mirrors and get outta here." He said, motioning for the girls to

follow him.

"That was scary seeing myself as a man." Amelia said as she stared blankly down the reflective

tunnel." Ranma shrugged.

"You kind of get used to stuff like that after being cursed to turn into a girl all the time." He said.

"It was just wierd because I was still a guy at the time."

Ranma and the girls failed to notice the mirror start to shimmer just before three figures stepped

out of it. "We're free." One of the females noted as she stared at her hands.

The male in the group looked at himself and shrugged. “No one holds the mirror.” he said. “We

are our own masters.”

The other female turns to the mirror and smashes it with her fist. “And forever shall it be that

way.”

The other female then grabbed the male and the naked female and dragged them in the opposite

direction that Ranma and the rest had went. "We can't stick around. If our doubles ever found out

we existed... they'd come to false conclusions and attack us. I'm not taking that chance!" The

three figures then ran away together into the darkness.

***************

Ranma, Amelia, and Crimson come up to the end of the tunnel of mirrors. Where it just stopped.

“It’s a dead end.” Amelia said. “Should we head back and find another way?”

Ranma smiled as he stared at6 the wall in front of them, blocking their paths. “No. This is the

right way. Feel that Crimson?”

Crimson nods and also smiles. “Yup.”

Amelia looks at the two confusedly. “What do you feel? What’s behind the wall?”

Ranma smiled at Amelia. “One of the perks about being a master martial artist. You start to see

and sense things that other people can’t. What Crimson and I sense beyond this wall is an aura,

something that every living creature has, but few can actually see.” He said. He then turned his

gaze towards his daughter. “Crimson would you do the honors?” He asked.

Crimson nodded happily. “Yes Papa-san.” With that she extended an index claw towards the wall,

touched it while channeling her chi into it and the wall exploded outward in a hail of rock and

glass.

The three mostly naked adventurers then stepped out past the wreckage into a giant cavern with

several small buildings of grand architectural design. There was a platform in the center of the

gigantic place which was also made of mirrors. On the platform there was a red haired man who

was currently holding a mirror in his hands. The man was looking at the mirror lustfully and\

clutched it to himself as he laughed.

Ranma stared in confusion at the maniacal man standing in front of him. He was about a head

shorter than Ranma and was carrying a mirror. His hair was spiked at either side like devil

horns and he had a mad look upon his face.. "I'VE GOT THE GREAT MIRROR! NOW THE

WHOLE WORLD WILL BOW TO THE MIGHT OF MY ARMY!!" He yelled as he held up the

mirror. "This mirror has the ability to create a doppelganger of any person that looks into it and

they will be under MY control!"

Ranma rolled his eyes and shouted back, getting his attention. "Oh come ON! You don't think

we'd be down here if we didn't know what the mirror did, did you?" Ranma asked indignantly.

"We know already. It creates a duplicate of whoever looks in it but with the exact opposite

personality."

The man laughed again. "That's what you think... er... Who are you people? Where did you come

from? Why are you all naked?"

Ranma blushed slightly... "Uh the name’s Ranma. Ranma Saotome and we came from in there."

He said, pointing to the tunnel they had just come from.

"Right. Ahem... Well that's what you think RANMA!! That was the old mirror! This one creates

exact duplicates with the same abilities but with PERSONALITIES OF PURE EVIL!!" He then

began laughing again. "LOOK INTO THE MIRROR AND FEEL THE MIGHT OF MY

MINIONS!!!" He yelled.

Crimson looked confused and bent down to her father's level. "I thought they said that there was

two mirrors." She said, never taking her eyes off the man.

Ranma nodded and looked confused. "Yeah that's what I thought too."

*Hmm...* thought Amelia as she watched the man. The red haired sorcerer held out the mirror

towards the trio and a pink energy flowed from the reflective glass which showed a female

Ranma, a human Crimson and a male Amelia. Amelia's eyes snapped open in realization when she

saw that. The energy then faded and the man laughed maniacally again.

"NOW TURN AND FACE DOOM AT YOUR OWN HANDS!!!" He yelled. The doppelgangers,

which where the exact reflections that were in the mirror fell to their knees and their eyes began to

water. Each doppelganger then rushed forward and grabbed onto their counterpart's legs... crying.

The evil sorcerer's features dropped and he stared at the pathetic scene like he was going to cry.

"NO!! Not again."

Ranma growled as his female doppelganger started to beg for forgiveness. "Please Ranma! I didn't

ask to be this way. My master is confused and doesn't know what he's doing! Please forgive him!"

She said as she rubbed her head on his naked leg.

"AAAH!!" Ranma shouted as he kicked his leg trying to get her off. WATCH THOSE DAMN

HANDS!!!" He shouted as his clone got a little to close for comfort. "WHAT'S GOIN ON

HERE!!??" Ranma shouted to Amelia who's doppelganger was doing much the same thing.

Amelia shrugged. "I figured it out just a moment ago." She said.

"So tell already! HEY DON'T TOUCH ME THERE!!"

Amelia smiled. "When we saw that first mirror, the same images appeared. The female you, the

Male me, and the human Crimson." She said.

Ranma nodded and tried to get his clone off by bashing her against the wall. "Spit it out already! I

think she's trying to rape me!" He said angrily as his clone still didn't budge.

Amelia continued unfazed. "The from what he said, that mirror was supposed to make completely

evil copies... but instead it made really good ones. I think that each mirror does the opposite. One

making evil copies and one making good ones. I think that Mr. Evil man here picked the wrong

one, and the one we passed earlier was the evil mirror."

Ranma blinked as he repeatedly punched his counterpart in the face as she began kissing his chest.

"ARE YOU SURE THESE ARE THE GOOD ONES!?!?!" He screamed before kicking it away

from himself. "CRIMSON!! EMERGENCY EXIT NOW!!!!" He yelled as he jumped up onto his

dragon daughter's back. She nodded and looked towards the ceiling. Crimson breathed deep into

her lungs and then blasted a constant stream of fire at the ceiling of the large cavern. The dragon's

fire breath burnt a hole right through to the surface. Ranma held out his hand to Amelia. "Come

on Amelia!" We gotta get outta here. Amelia pushed her double away and used levitation to get

onto Crimson's back. The moment she was on, Crimson took off into the air, flying through the

hole towards the surface.

Crimson flew high into the air as was Ranma's mental command and hovered at about a couple

thousand feet. Ranma moved to a place where he could see the city below and powered up some

energy in his hands. "I'll be damned if I let those perverted clones escape into the world!" He said

as he held his hands out in the direction of the hole. "Darkness beyond twilight! Crimson beyond

the blood that flows! Buried in the sea of time! Is where your power grows. Let the fools that

stand before me be destroyed by the power that you and I possess!" Ranma flared with red

magical energy and the gauntlets that he wore glowed with immense power. "DRAGON

SLAVE!!!!!" He yelled letting the power in his hands explode forth towards the hole in the

earth... in the middle of the city.

The crimson blast of energy shot down through the hole and erupted on contact with the ground

in a insanely huge blast of magical energy. Since the blast was underground though it destroys

everything underneath the city and lifted the city into the air only to collapse into a large crater a

moment later. The entire city wasn't hit with the blast though it was all directed in the middle and

that part of Gobraddenov was in ruins.

Amelia gasped as she watched that transpire. "You killed them! You killed the doppelgangers!"

Ranma snorted in the direction of the cave of mirrors. "Yeah! Good thing too. A mad man like

that controlling a bunch of mindless and perverted minions like that would be more disastrous

than anything!"

Amelia smiled. "That was very brave Ranma." She said. Her voice changing in tone. Ranma was

confused at the sudden change and looked confused. "A gift. For my fiance... and hero!" She said

as she leaned forward and planted her lips on his.

Ranma's eyes opened in shock and he looked around with his lips still locked with the princesses.

He was half expecting there to be a mallet descending upon his cranium at any moment. He

remembered quickly that he was in a whole other dimension and calmed down somewhat. He got

to thinking about how nice Amelia's hair smelt and how nice it felt with their naked bodies pressed

against each other. That woke up Ranma as he remembered how naked they were. Ranma pulled

away from his fiance and smiled with a blush. "Heh... uhh that was...nice." He muttered as he put

his hand at the base of his neck.

Ranma sighed as he adjusted the towel around his waist and Crimson began to fly in the direction

of the inn they were last staying at. "Now what are we gonna do?" Ranma sighed as sat down on

his smirking dragon daughter's back.

"What do you mean Ranma?" Asked Amelia as she followed his example, only sitting a little more

daintily.

"Those were the only pairs of clothes that we had." He noted, referring to the clothes of theirs

that were destroyed in the bathhouse. Ranma only had the Gauntlets of Zan Sovee because he

never took them off.

Crimson smiled widely as she maneuvered through the air.. "YAY!! Now we get to go

SHOPPING!!"

Ranma groaned. "With what money?" He muttered under his breath.

TBC

**************

Author's notes: { This is still one of my favorite chapters. I always did like the cloning mirrors.

They’re actually going to play a huge part in the coming chapters of this story too, believe it or

not. Not to mention we’ve now got three evil clones running around. Well here’s hoping I’ll be

able to continue entertaining the masses. Dragon’s Bond will resume being written as soon as

these rewrites are done.}

Morden Night: mordennight@hotmail.com

http://mordennight.tripod.com