A CROSSOVER FANFIC BY Morden Night

The Saotome Blade

This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and one of my favorite movies of all time Blade. Another idea that would not escape my mind that demanded to be written down. I've always been a big vampire fan and this gives me the chance to do one about Ranma I'll probably be doing more vampire fics or originals, just because vampires are the coolest. Read it and send me any ideas you have. if you think something more could be done with the story than by all means tell me! Send comment, criticism, and of course fan art to me at: anime_morden@hotmail.com or: anime_morden@crystal-tokyo.com by the way this is my VERY FIRST FANFIC!!! so don't flame me to bad. Please?

The Saotome Blade

Disclaimer: Blade doesn't belong to me and Rnma ½ doesn't belong to me. Nuff said!

* *: Thoughts

[" "]: Chinese Language

Capital letters: Shouting or loud noises

{ }: Author's own thoughts

_ _: Stressed words

Chapter 1

The Feast of Blood Is Cut Short

Somewhere in China, just outside of a small village called Nieuchiezu, a young couple enters a tavern in the middle of the night. One of them was a young Chinese man around the age of 19 with dark black hair and grungy modern clothes that were more fit for places like America. He had lean, muscular features and was fairly tall. The girl was a pretty, innocent-looking girl, around 16 years of age, with long green hair that reached down to the small of her back. She had lovely emerald green eyes and lively facial features. Her figure was trim and fit with not an ounce of fat and her outfit snugly molded itself to her almost like a second skin. She wore a blue Chinese Pantsuit and white sandals, and had a long, silver sword sheathed at the side of her hip. The man looked down at the shorter girl with affection. ["Well Dao El, here we are."]

The girl named Dowel looked at the place her new husband had brought her to in confusion. It was just an ordinary tavern. She had visited it with her friends frequently and had not found the place to be anything special. ["Why did you bring me here, Husband? I thought that you said you were going to give me an exciting honey moon?"]

["This place is a lot more than it seems, Dao-ell my dear. And you _will_ have an exciting honeymoon... I guarantee it."] The man who was her husband replied, as the two of them sat at a pair of bar stools. After waiting a couple minutes, the bartender came over to their location while drying out a drinking glass.

["What can I get for you two young people? Anything special?"] The bartender asked. Dowel's husband spoke to the man after flashing him a medallion that he wore around his neck, which was usually covered beneath his shirt. ["I want to go to a party that I heard was going on here."]

The bartender nodded his head in understanding and pointed the two of them in the direction of the back room. ["The party's down the stairs and to the right. You can't miss it. It's a big metal door with a sign on it"] Dowel's husband nodded and followed the bartenders directions with Dowel right behind him.

Dowel brightened up considerably as she followed her new husband towards the back room. ["Ooh Shin Yo, why didn't you tell me there was a party going on? I love parties!"]

Shin Yo looked at her and showed her a flashy smile that made her melt in her shoes. ["I wanted it to be a surprise for you."]

The pair happily continued through the door and down the stairs. They soon came across a large metal door guarded by a large muscle-bound bouncer who stopped them at the entrance. The bouncer was a bald Caucasian and wore a tight black t-shirt, black jeans and dark glasses. ["No weapons allowed inside. The sword will have to stay with me, little girl."]

Dowel looked a little downcast. She never went anywhere with out her sword as it was the one most important possessions that she had. She thought for a few seconds, before deciding to at least give it up for tonight besides it was her honeymoon. It was supposed to be the best night of her life and besides she could fight without it so she handed it to the bouncer, who put it in a storage bin beside the door. The man then opened the door, allowing them entrance.

********

Back at the bar, the other patrons were all happily getting drunk at their bar stools, as the bartender refilled their glasses every now and then. After he was done refilling, he would go to cleaning out some more drinking glasses while the people continued to drink themselves into a stupor. Just then, a figure entered the building. All of the customers looked towards the newcomer and almost wet their pants at the sight of the guy. He had large black boots, tight black jeans, a black bulletproof vest, a large trench-coat and several different swords, knives, guns, and other such assorted weapons sheathed all over his body. He had a dark pair of stylish sunglasses and his hair was tied back in a short pigtail.

Some of the customers left in a hurry as they got the feeling that this guy was here to cause trouble and they did not want to get stuck in the middle of it all.

Ranma Saotome walked into the bar with his usual brand of confidence. He approached the bartender who was not afraid of how he looked at all, since he had seen lots of strange people in his days. ["Can I get you something to drink sir?"]

Ranma just looked at him blankly his emotions hidden beneath his black sunglasses. ["Where's the party?"]

The bartender looked at Ranma suspiciously for a moment before deciding whether or not this one should be let in or not. ["This is a bar, kid. We don't hold parties here."]

Ranma looked as if he understood and was about to leave when he suddenly jumped over the counter separating him and the bartender, grabbing his neck and slamming the older man into the wall dangling about a foot off of the floor. Ranma's expression changed into an angry glare as he spoke in a much more demanding voice. ["Listen you. I've traveled a long way and I have work to do. I don't have time to argue with idiot bartenders. Now I'm going to ask you just one more time. Where is the _party_!"]

The bartender struggled under Ranma's grip as it was extremely tight around his throat, like a steel vise. The stranger was incredibly strong, like a body-builder, yet he had the frame of something more like a swimmer or a runner. The bartender struggled to get his next words out. ["It's in the (urk!) back door. Down the (cough) stairs to the (urk!) right!"]

Ranma dropped the bartender to the ground and the chubby man fell to his knees trying to get his breath back. He walked away towards his destination without another word. One of the customers at the counter looked over the counter at the bartender on the floor. ["(hic) Youngins these daysh. No reashpect! (hic)"]

The bartender gave the customer an evil glare. ["(cough) Shut Up Willie!"]

Willie's response was the in the form of his head contacting with the counter with a thud as he passed out from all of the alcohol he had consumed that night.

Ranma entered the back room and headed down the stairs towards a door with a vampire sign on it. *Jackpot!* He thought with an evil smile upon seeing it. There was also a bouncer at the door, but that was of no concern to someone like him.

The bouncer looked at the newcomer and noted that he had several different weapons sheathed all over his body. ["Hey kid! No weapons inside! You'll have to leave all that with me."]

Ranma smiled his evil smile again at the bouncer and then replied. ["Sorry, but my work tools stay with me. You got a problem with that, baldy? Too bad."]

The bouncer rolled up the short sleeves of his tight black tee-shirt up. ["You just earned yourself a whole world of hurt kid! I've been looking for some shmuck like you to come along all night!"]

Ranma unsheathed one of the swords that were slung over his back. He held it down at his side and touched the tip of it to the floor. ["Wrong answer."]

**********

Dowel was surprised when she entered the room with Shin Yo. There were tons of people that were all dancing to the overly loud music being pumped from speakers that were positioned all around the room. She had never been anywhere like this. When Shin Yo had said a party, she thought it would be like back at the village with a martial arts competition, followed by music played by the village band, and a feast prepared by many different people. She had never thought it would be like this. It was an overwhelming new experience for her.

Dowel turned to tell her husband how wonderful this was, but he was gone. She looked around for him, but had a hard time locating him through the crowds. She spotted him eventually, but he was already on the other side of the dance floor.

["Shin Yo!"] She called to him as she waved to make herself stand out. Shin Yo seemed to not notice her, so she started making her way towards his general direction. It was very difficult walking through the crowd as she kept on getting pushed around and redirected in the wrong direction. The beautiful green haired Dowel was now starting to get frustrated by her lack of luck, when she bumped in to another person she turned around to give him a good punch in the head, but it was Shin Yo and she gave him a loving hug.

["Oh Husband! I thought I would never be able to make my way to you."] Dowel felt something wet at the back of her neck. She detached herself from her husband to see what it was. Reaching up with her hand to the back of her neck, she wiped the substance from her skin and brought it to her face to see. It was blood, or at least she thought it was. She brought it to her lips and tasted it. It _was_ BLOOD!

Just then more of the crimson liquid rained down from the sprinkler system and all of the people in the room seemed to get rowdier. Dowel found herself being pushed around harder than ever now. But she only had one thing on her mind right now and it was to get out of the hell hole that she was now in. Her frantic running got her pushed down onto the floor as blood continued running down her green locks and her beautiful face. She looked up to see Shin Yo looking down at her.

Dowel held up her hand to Shin Yo as she started to weep. ["Please Husband! (sob) Take me home! I don't want to be (sniff) here anymore!"] She waited for his answer, but he just stared down at her. The blood sprinklers died down and stopped and that was when he smiled. However, this wasn't the smile that Dowel was used to seeing on her husband. It was a cruel mean smile. It was a smile with fangs that were not there before.

Dowel screamed as all of the people around her bared fangs just like Shin Yo had. Then her husband leaped down on her forcefully, and bent her head to the side, exposing her neck and baring his fangs. Just as he was about to sink his enlarged canines into her flesh, there was a gun shot and Dowel felt dust crumble on top of her. The room was now silent. The Amazon girl looked towards where she saw all the others gazing at the entrance. Standing in front of the door was a man no older than she was, wearing all black with dark sunglasses and a pigtail. He was fairly tall and muscular, but not overly so. He had two swords sheathed to his back and several different weapons underneath the large black trench coat.

The vampire hunter looked up at the crowd and spoke to them in a casual voice. ['Sorry but I'm here to crash your party."] He then unsheathed his two swords which where medium-sized double-edged blades with intricate designs covering the hilts. All of the fanged people ran away in a mad rush screaming and scrambling to find an exit other than the one that the man in black blocked. Dowel could make out some of the words that the people were saying as they ran for their undead lives. They were calling the man... the Saotome Blade.

Ranma readied his trusty swords of pure silver and looked around the room at all of the vampires scrambling to get away from him. *Well I've certainly built up a reputation for myself.* He thought as he cut off the head of a vampire that got too close for his liking.

One of the vampires suddenly stopped to act tough by riling the crowd up. ["Hey! HEY! We outnumber him he can't possibly beat us all!]

Most of the vampires that were there thought about this for a second before another spoke. ["YEAH! He can't _POSSIBLY_ beat us all!"] That was the deciding phrase for the rest of them as they all yelled out a cry of agreement and rushed towards the intruder.

Ranma Saotome, the all around vampire hunter, known among the Undead Race as the Saotome Blade, smiled again as all of the blood-suckers swarmed around him and attacked him all at once. He was in action in less that a heartbeat, slicing one vampire in half then turning around to stab another through the heart with the same sword. He then spun in an arc slicing two vampires in half with one sword He did a back flip over one vampire who had tried sneaking up behind him and stabbed him through the back with one of his trusty swords.

Ranma stopped for a second to taunt the rest of them who had paused and to let the bodies he had just cut up shrivel up into black dust. The others stood back and were unsure of whether they should continue fighting.

Ranma took a stance with his swords one above his head and the other pointing to the largest group of vampires. ["Is that _ALL_ you got?"] That got the rest of the vampires riled up enough to attack him again, this time with much more numbers and skill. The Saotome Blade just smiled again as they all closed in on him like a school of piranha.

Dowel became frightened and intrigued at the same time as the vampires were all ganging up on the man in black. They outnumbered him but he was still winning. She marveled at how Ranma wove through them all with those glistening silver swords, like a dance. His form was perfect as far as Dowel could tell, and was by far more skilled than she was with a blade. He was an amazing martial artist. And he seemed to flow through their defenses as if they didn't have any. Dowel was not stupid and had figured out as soon as Shin had tried to bite her neck that they were all vampires. She also knew that Shin Yo was dead. She sighed. *I guess I'm a widow already. Then again, Shin Yo was not exactly human nor alive. * Dowel found that thought to be somewhat comforting.

The vampires backed away from Ranma again after he had taken out already more than half of them and didn't even have a single mark on him. The vampire destroyer, seeing a good opportunity, sheathed his swords and pulled out from under his trench coat what looked to be an oversized shotgun. Ranma cocked the gun and shot a vampire through the heart with what appeared to be a silver spike. The undead being flew across the room and his flesh disintegrated in the air, leaving a charred black skeleton flying towards Dowel. The bony fragments crumbled to dust as soon as it hit her. The young Amazon looked at the remains of the vampire and then picked up the silver spike that had killed it. She put it inside the front of her top, just in case.

Just then, a vampire was kicked and sent in her direction it got up and then grabbed her. Dowel eeped as the vampire grabbed her by the throat and pulled her up off the ground. He purposely kept her in front of him he slowly walked towards the exit. Ranma noticed this and was about to shoot it to when he saw he had a hostage.

["LET HER GO!!"] He said as he pointed the shotgun at the vampire.

The vampire gripped Dowel harder, making her struggle more furiously as she felt her breath being choked off. ["No! You let me leave safely or I'll kill her!"]

Ranma took his aim away from the vampire. ["Let her _GO_ now!"]

The vampire decided to press his luck. ["No! Drop the weapon!"]

Ranma was about to do as he was told when Dowel pulled out the silver spike out of her blouse and stabbed her captor through the heart.

The vampire looked down at the silver spike imbedded in his heart with utter shock. ["Oh FUCK!"]

Dowel pulled out the spike back as the vampire's flesh disintegrated and his black skeleton crumbled to dust.

Ranma smiled at Dao-ell. ["Good job! Now get out of here!"] Ranma said as he whirled around and shot another vampire that had tried to get behind him for a cheap shot.

Dao-ell shook her head. ["No I won't leave until they are all dead!"] She said as she jumped towards another vampire and stabbed it through the heart turning it into nothing more than black ash.

Ranma sighed as he unsheathed one of his swords and casually slashed another one of the vampires into ash. *There's always one like this. Oh well!*

Ranma tossed Dowel one of his smaller silver knives and she went to work cutting down vampires with Ranma. The Saotome Blade put his shotgun away and pulled out his other sword. *Hmm She's not to bad at this. Maybe, naah, she's just a girl.*

At that moment, one of the vampires knocked Dowel's weapon away and was about to bite her neck and turn her into an undead slave. When Ranma came in to punch his lights out, the vampire swung the girl in his way and she got the brunt of the blow.

Ranma pulled his hand back as a young kid would after getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. ["Oops, um ... sorry!"] He fixed his mistake and stabbed the vampire trough the heart with his blade. ["There, all better."]

The Amazon was unable to hear his apology as she was currently sprawled on the floor unconscious.

Ranma was down to three opponents as he put away his two swords and looked at them with a knowing smirk. The vampires took one look at each other and made a mad scramble for the exit.

Ranma took out three silver throwing stars and threw them towards the last of the blood-suckers. They all stabbed deep into their backs, piercing into their hearts. The final three crumbled to black dust just like all the others. He went over to Dowel's unconscious form and picked her up. After he had her prone form slung over his shoulder, he made for the entrance and paused at the door. Reaching into his belt, he took out a small cylinder of very flammable material and ignited it. He tossed it into the center of the room and made a fast exit as the cylinder suddenly exploded into flames. In less than a minute, the flames consumed the remains of the horrific battle and began spreading quickly. As Ranma made his way out, he also picked up Dowel's sword as well.

The human patrons in the floor above began smelling smoke and saw Ranma dash by with an Amazon slung over his back. The ones that could get to their feet picked up those who couldn't and staggered to escape. The bartender screamed as he saw his place of business begin to go down in flames. He too ran for his life, along with his bouncer, as he silently cursed himself for dealing with the Undead Race.

********

Ranma stood on a cliff that overlooked the flaming tavern with a look of disappointment and rage. His ultimate quarry had not been there. Toru Asahata, the vampire lord who had killed his father, and the reason that he became the Saotome Blade, had not been present . Then again, it had only been a tavern. Toru owned most of the vampire holdings in China, and it wasn't very likely that he would be caught hanging out at a party at a bar.

Ranma looked at the girl lying on the ground behind him. She was unconscious but would be around in a short while. Her sword also glistened in the moonlight after he had laid it beside her. She was a warrior, he could tell, and a pretty one at that. He had seen many brave people on his journey and some were just like this girl who refused to run away from a fight.

He sighed as he looked at the sleeping green-haired beauty. She reminded him of himself. He was once like that, when he was young. He would never give up on a fight and that was why he became who he is today. *She has potential.* He glances down at the burning building in the valley below. He wanted Toru to pay dearly for killing his father.

The Saotome Blade hated vampires and he had never once found one that was not evil. After all the years of training he had put himself through, he had grown to hate vampires more than anything in the entire world. You can imagine how devastated Ranma had been when he found out he was part vampire himself.

The Day Walker was another name that vampire race called him. Another term for him was dhampir, or a half-breed, child of a vampire and a human. Ranma had all the strengths of a vampire and none of their weaknesses. He wouldn't burn up in the sunlight, He was not allergic to garlic, and he certainly had no taint of evil. He was a half-vampire and an enemy to all those who shunned the light and drank the life-blood of the innocent..

He sensed movement from behind him and spun around to see Dowel starting to stir from her... forced nap. He walked over to help her up.

The Amazon girl woke up with an extreme pain in her jaw. She sat up and held her face in pain. *What hit me* She then remembered the Saotome Blade's fist propelling towards her. *Oh Right he did....and he knocked me unconscious.....He defeated me.*

Ranma was just bending towards her to help her up. He took her hand and she got up. ["Are you feeling okay? I'm sorry I... mphf!!!"]

The dhampir was cut off by Dowel's lips meeting his as he found himself in a warm, passionate embrace. Ranma was not used to being kissed. In fact, this was his first kiss. When Dowel broke it, he was sorry she had. It had felt good to be kissed by a beautiful girl such as this. Even if she was covered in dried blood from head to toe.

Ranma backed up a little from the pretty green haired girl. ["I... uh... heh, that was well... ah, maybe y-know I gotta go... um, lot's of work to do! Vampires to hunt, y-know!"] Ranma ran off without another word leaving Dowel behind.

Dowel ran after Ranma trying to catch up with him but he was much too fast for her. ["WAIT, WAIT PLEASE!!...husband...."> Dowel slowed down to a walk and then eventually stopped with her hands folded on her chest just above her heart. As she watched her new husband run off into the distance and sighed. Soon he was out of sight and seemingly out of her life.

***********

Ranma Saotome sat alone at the usual hideout, which was a little shack just outside of a town by the boat docks. He was currently wiping the vampire blood off one of his swords. *Well Saotome looks like you learned something new today... you're a complete failure with women!* He sighed as he put his blade in its sheath and set it beside his bed with his other weapons. He then laid down on the bed with just his pants and a pair of black socks on.

*Why can't I find Toru? How hard can it be to find one vampire? He's the biggest known vampire in China! There's got to be someone who knows where he is.* He sat in bed for a bit before the answer came to him. *Donny!* Ranma sat bolt upright in his bed *Donny! He knows all about the vampires and the human underground!*

Ranma took his vest off of a table that he had thrown it on when he got home, then grabbed his trench coat from the cheap coat rack that he had bought off of some old lady with a peg leg. He ran out the door, taking to the rooftops on his way to Donny's place.

**********

At the Amazon village of Nieuchiezu, Dowel was just returning through the gates of the village. Her friends Comb and Cassette met her when she came in. Cassette spoke first. ["How was Shin Yo, Dao El?"]

["Yeah!"] Comb seconded. ["How was he?"]

Dowel smiled at her two best friends and replied. ["He's dead."]

This was about the time that Comb and Cassette realized that their best friend was covered from head to toe in dried blood. Comb was shocked along with her friend. ["W-WHAT HAPPENED!?!"] Dowel didn't reply.

Cassette decided to speak what both she and Comb were thinking. ["You killed your _husband_ on your honeymoon?!"]

Dowel walked past them, heading in the direction of the elders' hut. ["No, _He_ did."] Both girls curiosity grew tenfold at Dowel's last comment and followed after her.

["Who's he?"]

["Was he _cute_?"]

["Did he defeat you?"]

And the questions went on, and on, and on, and on.......

*********

The bell on the door chimed as Ranma walked into the store. "Hey DONNY, where are yah?" Just after Ranma had finished saying those words, a short teenager appeared from a side door. He had blond hair tied back in a long ponytail that reached down past his shoulders. "Yeah whadda ye want Ranma? I got work to do here so hurry it up get what ye need, buy it and go. I actually got customers today."

Ranma grabbed Donny's hand in a firm hand shake. " Good to see you too, Donny. How've you been?"

Donny took his hand back from Ranma and went behind the counter to put some stuff away. "Yeah I've been good and business is getting better now-a-days, and I've been seeing this great new blonde bombshell from New York named Sabrina."

Ranma looked shocked "Whoa! No way! Really?"

Donny looked up at Ranma a little annoyed. "Actually no. Business sucks. I get about 1 customer per week as usual and I'm still seeing Cindy from down the street. So what is it you wanted? Blades, bullets, guns, throwing star or what?"

Ranma shook his head. "Actually, I wanted information and I was hoping you could help me."

Donny shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I could help you I'm basically your sidekick now-a-days so why not?" Ranma's friend leaned on his elbows facing across the counter towards the dhampir, waiting for the question.

"I need information on Toru Asahata, He's a big time Vampire lord."

Donny held up his hands in a dismissing manner. "Whoa! Ranma buddy, you're not planning on going after this guy are you? You gotta be crazy to do that! He owns almost all of the Vampire hideouts and safe houses in China and Japan. You wouldn't be able to get near that guy!"

Ranma brightened up and leaned forward. "You know where he is don't you Donny?"

The long-haired man looked like a scolding parent now. "Hey! Ranma, didn't you listen to a single word I said? We're talking about the head honcho here! The big boss! The major bad guy! You wouldn't stand a chance against him!"

Ranma was beginning to look angry at his friend. "Where is he Donny? I need to KNOW!"

The man sighed as he saw the look of determination in Ranma's eyes. "You really want this guy bad don't you?"

Ranma nodded his head in response as Donny sighed again, this time it was a big, heavy, defeated sigh and handed Ranma a sheet he pulled out from under the cash register. "He's somewhere in Japan. I don't know where he lives exactly, but this map is to some of the main locations you'd most likely find him at.

Ranma grabbed the sheet from his friend's hands. "Japan?"

Donny nodded. "Yeah, Japan! Here I'll get my stuff packed."

Ranma grabbed Donny's arm "What do you mean packed? Where do you think your going?"

Donny took his arm back and replied. "Look Ranma I'm your weapons supplier and best friend. I'm gonna go with you. I know Japan like the back of my hand inside and out and that alone will give you an edge on the vampires down there. Besides, it's not like my business or love life is going to suffer much while I'm gone, right? Do you want my help or not?" Ranma contemplated that for a minute before agreeing.

By the time the sun was up they would be on a boat headed towards Japan.

***********

Back at Nieuchiezu, Dowel stood before the Council of Elders, still covered in dried blood as she finished with her story.

["I see."] Said Cologne, who happened to be the head of the villages elders. ["So let me get this straight. Shin Yo, your husband was a vampire and he tried to turn you into one, but was stopped by a slayer in black , who killed all of the vampires, defeated you in combat, received the kiss of marriage, and ran away?"]

Dowel nodded. That was it in a nutshell. ["Yes Elder, that is correct."]

The elders all whispered to each other of the dangers of the current situation to each other, while Dowel stood there looking on in confusion. ["What should I do, Elders?"]

Cologne turned in her seat to face Dowel as did the other Elders. ["Simple child. Find your husband and bring him back to the village. The way you describe this Saotome Blade, he is sure to bring lots of strong blood into the tribe. But when you face him again you _must_ be prepared to fight off vampires. Perhaps you may be forced to become a vampire slayer yourself."]

Dao-ell stood before the Elders with a look of reluctance. Become a vampire slayer? Fight off vampires? What did she have to do to find her husband? She was about to turn and walk away but another question came to her mind. ["Elders, How will I track my husband? I am not a tracker. I am a warrior." Cologne held up her hand silencing the girl. ["I will accompany you. I need to evaluate this Saotome Blade for myself and see if he is truly worthy of our tribe and for my great-granddaughter."]

Dowel, great-granddaughter to Cologne, head matriarch, and cousin to Shampoo, greatest warrior of her generation, nodded to the Elders and left the hut with her great-grandmother following her while hopping along on her wooden staff. Cologne was about two or three feet tall with gnarled, pruned, features, which made her look like a dried up old mummy. She wore a green robe and had silver hair that was longer than she was.

Once out side the hut, Cologne and Dowel began to talk in less formal tones.

["Xian Pu will be quite jealous of you great-granddaughter. You've already had two husbands and you are only two months younger than her.]

Dowel smiled with pride. ["Yes well, even if the first husband was a vampire he was certainly good-looking. When she sees my new husband she'll have even more reason to be jealous."]

Cologne looked up at the sky with a far away expression on her face. ["Yes, well I used to catch the fancy of many good-looking young men back when I was your age. Some were a little less desirable than others, but other than the select few, I had amassed quite a lot of followers."]

Dowel looked down at the old prune that was bragging, and decided to speak without thinking. ["That's funny. I couldn't possibly even imagine any men following you around."]

This comment got her a whack upside the head by a wooden staff. ["Watch what you say to your elders, young lady!"] Dowel rubbed her head in pain and smiled. ["I apologize great-grandmother Kuh Lon. I was not thinking."]

The two of them continued on with their walk until they reached a fairly large hut, which Dowel entered, but not her relative. She paused at the door and turned back to the elder. ["Thank you for talking with me great-grandmother. I look forward to traveling with you. When will we leave?"]

Cologne patted the young girl on the leg and said "We'll leave tomorrow morning. I'll be getting you up early tomorrow so get a good nights sleep child. Oh and I certainly hope you'll take a bath and wash off that blood. You can't see your husband looking like THAT!"

Dao-ell nodded and entered the hut fully closing the door behind her leaving Cologne outside by herself. ["Children these days. Always in a rush to grow up."]

She then left the area to go to her hut to retire for the night.

{Someone of her age needs all the beauty sleep they can get and I mean ALL the sleep they can get. Ha, Ha *Smack* Ow! Sorry!}

**********

The next morning in the streets of the town that Ranma was staying at.

Donny and Ranma walked towards the docks at the waterfront. Ranma had an overly large traveling pack hanging over his right shoulder Donny had a smaller traveling pack with just some clothes and personal hygiene products. He also was dragging a case behind him full of important documents for his store and some other personally important objects. Donny was obviously struggling with his luggage where as the dhampir was treating his like a single bag of groceries.

"You sure you don't need any help with that Donny?"

Donny was now sweating profusely. "No. I'm good! I could carry this crap for miles!"

Ranma shrugged and kept walking at the same easy going pace. "Okay."

The shorter man stopped looked up at Ranma and blinked for a few seconds. "Hey Blade! I was _being_ sarcastic!!"

The vampire hunter stopped and looked at Donny with a little bit of slight annoyance. "Well why didn't you say so? Geez, what's with you and sarcasm?"

Donny sat on the ground and leaned against his carrying case, looking just as annoyed with Ranma's attitude as he was with his sarcasm, if not more. "Well at least I'm not so serious about absolutely everything! Can't you at least loosen up a bit? Come on!" Ranma turned and continued walking towards their boat. Donny scrambled to get his stuff together and catch up.

"Hey wait up, come on we got lots of time, no need to rush. Hey! Don't speed up! Wait for me! Buddy!?! WAIT!" Donny caught up with Ranma in a few minutes panting and wheezing like a dog. "Ranma, can you please take some of this (wheeze) luggage off of my (pant) back?"

Ranma smiled. "Nope."

Donny nearly facefaulted. "Come on, please? I'm asking nicely. Puh-lease?"

"No."

The two of them continued to argue all the way to the dock. When they got there they looked at the boat they were going to riding on and nearly facefaulted at the sight of that Totally Worthless Piece Of Shit. Donny set his luggage down on the ground and slumped to the ground himself in exhaustion. "Oh good lord, please tell me were not going to Japan in that piece of crap!"

Ranma pulled out a map from his pocket and read from it after unfolding it. "Sorry Donny, but I'm afraid we ARE riding on that piece of crap."

Donny grabbed the paper from Ranma and looked at it himself. He looked up at the ship and then down at the paper, and then did another double take. "Aw Maaaan! I can't believe this! THIS is all that we could afford!?! We'll be fucking lucky to cast off without sinking!"

The boat in question was just as bad as they made it out to be, if not worse. It hardly even looked like a boat. It looked like it was made out of scrap metal and anything that could be bolted together. It looked like it was made from old cars and other wrecked boats. Other than that it seemed to be covered in one hundred percent rust.

"Aaarrh. She be workin' allot better than she looks, lads!"

"AAAAAAHH!" Donny screamed as he spun around to see who had spoke those words, only to lay eyes upon what appeared to be a pirate. He had a large bushy, white beard, a corn-cob pipe a sea captains hat, a peg leg on his left leg, and a parrot on his shoulder, but the parrot looked as if it where dead because it wasn't moving. "Who the HELL are you!?!" screamed Donny in agitated surprise.

The Pirate looked slightly downcast at his mistake. "Aarrh. Sorry about that, lads. I be the Cap'n o' the FRH. That's the ship ye boys 'ave been complainin' aboot. I know it not be lookin' as pretty as them other ships but I have total confidence in 'er."

Ranma, who had been keeping silent the whole time and trying not to laugh at the dead parrot on the pirate's shoulder, stepped forward to shake the man's hand. "Hello sir, I am Ranma and this is my friend Donny. We are going to be the passengers aboard your ship, headed for Japan."

"Aaarh, it be a pleasure to meet ya, mister Ranma. I plan to make your stay aboard me ship as pleasant as possible." The captain said as he grabbed Ranma's hand into a firm shake.

Ranma began to walk towards the ship known only as the F.R.H. with his bag slung over his shoulder. Donny groaned and started to drag his stuff along, trying to catch up with Ranma who was already halfway up the ramp that lead onto the ship with the captain just ahead of him.

"So..." Ranma said to the Captain. "What exactly does FRH stand for Captain...?"

"Stinky!" The captain replied. "Cap'n Stinky's the name. An' the boat's full name is the Faithful Rusty Heap. We mostly do living cargo. People, we're just a safe ride for a cheap price. It's not as bad on the inside as it is outside. In fact it's actually quite clean.

"Somehow I just don't seem to be able to picture anything on this boat as clean." Said Donny as he finally reached the top of the deck and crumpled up in a heap on the ground while panting heavily.

Stinky looked at him funny. And then said. "Aaarh lad, you look a mite tired from carryin' that thar luggage. Why don't ye let Stinky show ya to your cabin?"

Ranma smiled and helped Donny with his luggage as Captain Stinky lead the way to the cabin they would be staying at.

**********

end chapter 1

{ Well that's the first chapter of the Saotome Blade I hope you liked it! I LOVE Vampire stuff everything about Vampires is nothing but cool!! I plan on making Dowel a major part in this story. And I introduced her early cause every one love them Amazons. And before anyone flames me Shampoo will come in later in the story. But Ukyo is going to play the biggest role out of the females in the story. I've already given way to much away about what to expect((mind you things might change))in this story, so I'll be signing off here. Remember any comments criticism and ideas are very welcome so please e-mail me and don't forget to sign my guest book.

BYE EVERRYBODY!!

Bye DrNight!