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

Parallel Lives #3:
Book One:  For Remembrance Lost

In Search of Akane

A Wheel of Time / Ranma 1 / 2  crossover, 

by John Biles

Other chapters available at
http://www.thekeep.org/~wombat/PL/


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


	Ranko stared off into the setting sun.  Finding Akane was 
going to be a lot harder than she had thought.  Even with more 
power than she had ever had on any of her past quests to find 
Akane.  She sighed and tried to figure out how they would ever 
actually find Akane's trail.  All they knew was that Akane had 
headed east with some people.  Maybe someone in the next 
village will recognize her, Ranko hoped.

	Ukyou looked up from his cooking.  "What's wrong, 
Ranchan?"

	"Nothing,"  Ranko said automatically.  Instincts acquired in 
the Tower were reasserting themselves, made stronger by the fact 
that not talking about her problems came naturally to her anyway.  
She had had only her father to confide in before she came to 
Nerima, and she knew better than to confide in him.  Every time 
she ever had, something bad had come of it.

	It wasn't manly to foist off your problems on other people, 
anyway.  I got us into this, she thought.  I'll get us out.  Living in 
the Tower, where she had to conceal even being a guy, had made 
matters worse.  She still wasn't quite sure how or why she had 
consented to go there during her previous trip to this world, 
though the warnings about accidentally killing herself without 
proper training had played a big part.  

	She had had to lie a lot and be silent about her past even 
more to get by in the Tower.  For a variety of reasons, it had been 
difficult to make friends, though she had made a few.  She had 
befriended a shy girl named Alyssa who was having a very 
difficult time of it and was constantly picked on by the other 
apprentices and treated abominably by the Accepteds and full 
Sisters.  Of course, the Accepteds and full Sisters treated everyone 
pretty abominably, but Ranma's heart had gone out to the poor girl 
and she had done her best to try to protect her.  It hadn't surprised 
Ranko very much when Alyssa 'washed out', but that was because 
Alyssa had confided to Ranko that she WANTED to be thrown 
out.  

	Ranko was one of the few people who came and said good-
bye when Alyssa left.  Alyssa had tried to convince her to come 
with her, but Ranko couldn't leave until she either reached 
Accepted status or burned out or was thrown out, and Ranko knew 
that if she wanted to find a way back home, it would almost 
certainly be in the Tower.  Two weeks later, Ranko had passed the 
test to become Accepted.  That had been a disturbing experience 
in itself, followed by some bad mistakes in Tear she made as a 
result of it.  I nearly got everyone killed because I was worried 
things would come out like in my test, she thought.

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

	Ranko stood confidently, looking at the triple-arched 
ter'angreal through which she would have to pass.  Most 
candidates were nervous at this point, but she wasn't.  Ranko had 
faced down gods and won.  At least they had claimed to be gods.  
Anyway, she wasn't afraid of anything, or at least she'd never 
admit it.  

	Four full sisters stood around the ter'angreal--a Red, a Blue, a 
Green, and a Brown.  A fifth stood by her, another blue, Sheriam, 
the Mistress of Novices.  Ranko liked her, but at the same time, 
she had been ready to get out from under Sheriam's responsibility 
for a long time.  In fact, she wanted out of the Tower as fast as 
possible, but the Amrylin had woven her in a net of reasons to not 
go that she wasn't even sure she fully understood.  In fact, she'd 
been tugged along by things beyond her control ever since she'd 
landed in this world or time, or wherever she was this time.  Next 
time, Nabiki can go throw away the cursed objects herself, Ranko 
thought.

	The red spoke.  "Whom do you bring with you, sister?"

	Sheriam replied, "One who comes as a candidate for 
Acceptance, Sister."  Their voices had a soothing musical tone to 
them, a sense of a ritual performed many times.

	It continued.  The red asked, "Is she ready?"

	"She is ready to leave behind what she was, and, passing 
through her fears, gain Acceptance."

	"Does she know her fears?"

        "She has never faced them, but now is willing."

        "Then let her face her fears."

	As she had been told to do before the ritual began, Ranko 
now stripped.  Having women see her female form naked didn't 
bother her.  What bothered her were the four cups of water being 
held by the four Aes Sedai around the ter'angreal.  She feared that 
one of them held hot water.  Or Jyusenkyo water.  Or worse.  
Ranko had had too many bad experiences with water. 

	The red sister, who Ranko thought might be named Karla, 
said, "The first time is for what was.  The way back will come but 
once.  Be steadfast."

	Ranko stepped through the portal.  The world flashed white 
around her.  

                                     *        *         *

	The way back will come but once, the voice whispered into 
Ranma's head.  Ranma blinked and shook his head.  The way back 
to what?  He stood at the top of a narrow path leading down into a 
valley in the mountains.  Mists shrouded it, but he recognized it.  
Akane, Ukyou, Ryouga, Shampoo, and Mousse were with him.  
Ryouga looked incredibly nervous.  

	Ranma couldn't blame him.  They'd hiked for months to get 
here, but Akane still didn't know about Ryouga's curse.  I'll just 
splash him, 'accidentally', Ranma thought.  That way, he won't 
have to explain why he's bothering to douse himself.  

	Shampoo said, "Shampoo be glad to get back girl body for 
all times."

	Mousse nodded.  "Then we can be married!"

	Shampoo slugged Mousse, who went flying off the 
mountainside, plunging through the mists into some unseen pool.  
SPLASH!  She then glomped onto Ranma, triggering the usual 
brawl.

	When the smoke cleared, they were all on the edge of a pool 
from which an angry wombat wearing glasses was crawling.  
Everyone crawled away from the pool, then stood up.  Akane said, 
"That was close."

	Shampoo idly shoved Ryouga in, then winked at Ranma, 
who laughed faintly.  Even better plan than mine, he thought.  
Now Ryouga has an excuse and Akane will never know he was P-
chan.  Nice plan.

	The angry bandana-wearing wombat soon surfaced and 
charged Shampoo, who scampered away laughing.  The glasses 
wearing wombat sighed and ran after both of them.  Ranma, 
Akane, and Ukyou began trudging across the valley to the guide's 
hut.

	The guide was in the process of nailing up signs to the poles.  
Ukyou cheered.  "It's about time!"  Far off, they saw two wombats 
pull Shampoo into a pool after them, and three men surfaced.  
Ranma began to run towards that pool.  

	A voice whispered, the way back will come but once.  A 
silver archway formed near him, shimmering.  No, he thought.  
All I need is just a few more minutes.  The archway began to fade.  
He looked over at the pool where Ryouga and Mousse were 
frolicking and Shampoo was trying to strangle them both, and 
sighed.  He leapt through the portal.

	Ranko was back in her girlbody.  She shuddered.  Maybe that 
wasn't so bad after all, she thought.  If I had walked out of that 
thing a guy...I'd be in trouble now.  There's probably a hidden 
clause for beating up naked men in the oaths.  

	Karla, the red sister, said, "You are washed clean of what sin 
you may have done,"  then poured a silver chalice of water over 
Ranko, who shivered, and continued, "and of those done against 
you.  You are washed clean of what crime you may have 
committed and of those committed against you.  You come to us 
washed clean and pure, in heart and soul."

	Sheriam escorted Ranko around to the second arch.  "The 
second time is for what is.  The way back will come but once.  Be 
steadfast."

	Ranko stepped through a second time.  Flash.

                                     *        *         *

       The voice came again.  The way back will come but once.  
Ranko blinked and looked around.  She stood in a huge chamber 
with a high vaulted ceiling held up by elaborately carved pillars.  
A glowing crystal sword hung in the air, apparently waiting for 
someone to take it.  A tall handsome man, more than a foot taller 
than Ranko, dressed in torn and battered clothing was staring at it.  
Like Ranko he had red hair, though his was darker than her bright 
hair.  He was confronting a second man, who was dressed in red 
and black clothing cut in the style of a lord, with a sword in his 
hands.  The outfit reminded Ranma disturbingly of her favorite 
red satin jacket and black pants, although the man had short white 
hair and looked nothing like Ranma's boy form.  "Take it, Lews 
Therin.  Take it, Kinslayer."

	The first man stared at the second.  "You put them in a cage," 
he said.  "Egwene, and Nynaeve, and Elayne.  In my dreams.  You 
kept putting them in a cage, and hurting them."

	Ranko frowned.  If the first guy was right, she was going to 
make the second man regret the day he had been born.  Even 
Nynaeve didn't deserve that.  Much.  

	The second man shrugged.  "They are less than nothing.  
Perhaps one day, when they have been trained, but not now.  I 
confess surprise that you cared enough to make them useful.  But 
you were ever a fool, ever ready to follow your heart before 
power."  He continued babbling, but Ranko ignored him.  She 
began circling around behind him.  Where am I, anyway?, Ranko 
asked herself.  And who is that red haired guy?

	"A name!"  Rand demanded.  "What is your name?"

	"Call me Be'lal."  He scowled at the redhead for no apparent 
reason.

	Ranko paled.  Be'lal was one of the Forsaken.  She didn't 
know much about them, but she knew they all made Happy look 
like Kasumi.  She grasped the Source.  Here's where we see if all 
the garbage I've had to put up with in the Tower has been worth it.  
Whoever that red haired guy is, there's no way he can fight one of 
the Forsaken.  I guess his name is Lews Therin.  That's what Be'lal 
keeps calling him.  The name tickled her mind, but she couldn't 
quite place it.  

	Be'lal spun on his heels, looking surprised.  "La..."  He 
paused.  "Who the hell are you?"

	Lews Therin looked confused as well.  He muttered 
something about Aes Sedai.

	Ranko grinned confidently.  The power was flowing through 
her and she felt ready to fight ten thousand Forsaken.  "My name 
is Ranko Sedai of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial 
Arts.  You want a fight?  Fight me."

	Be'lal stared at her for a moment, then looked at Lews Therin 
and grinned.  "One of those pathetic children who call themselves 
Aes Sedai."  He gestured and threw lightning at her.  Seconds 
later, she was landing on his head, wrapping her legs around his 
neck and falling behind him, pulling him down.  She rolled and 
flipped him over her, sending him across the room, then hurled a 
weave of spirit at him, trying to shield him, although she really 
wasn't sure how it was done.

	He sliced her weave to pieces and staggered to his feet.  
"Impressive.  But not good enough."  Fire, lightning, ice, and 
stone all exploded at Ranko, who dodged like a maniac, while 
trying to fend off his simultaneous effort to shield her.  

	Lews Therin suddenly pulled a flaming sword out of 
somewhere.  At first, Ranko thought he must be related to Akane, 
but then she realized he must be another male channeler.  "Leave 
the girl alone. I'm the one you want, Be'lal,"  he said.

	"I'm not a girl!"  Ranko shouted, then sighed when they both 
stared at her as if she was insane.  

         Be'lal gestured and a shimmering wall of glowing light cut 
the room in half, putting him and Ranko on one side and Lews 
Therin and the glowing sword on the other.  "Perhaps if you draw 
the sword you'll get through that in time to save her.  I doubt it, 
though."

	Ranko frowned.  Is the sword trapped?  I think he wants 
Lews to draw it.  She lept high, then used her skills and the power 
to change direction in mid-air to try to land behind him, so she 
could take him from the rear.

	He was good.  She found herself heading straight for his 
sword and half-shielded at the same time.  Using what little 
strength she could still draw, she shoved the sword with flows of 
air so it twisted in his hands, landed on it, and kicked Be'lal in the 
face.  He went flying into his own glowing shield, which Lews 
was trying desperately to hack through with the flaming sword.  
Pretty soon, he was going to succeed, Ranko thought.    

	Be'lal swore and got up, but Ranko was too fast for him.  She 
unleashed a hail of kicks and punches, going all out.  He was in 
too much pain to channel very well, and soon he passed out.  
There was an audible pop and the glowing shield vanished.  Lews 
walked over slowly to Ranko, watching her nervously.  "Is he 
dead?"

	"I'm too good a fighter to have to kill someone to beat them.  
So your name is Lews Therin?"

        He frowned.  "My name is Rand al'Thor."

	Ranko boggled.  "You're Egwene's boyfriend, right?  The 
guy from the Two Rivers that she and Elayne and Min and 
Nynaeve talk about all the time."  No wonder they all like him, 
Ranko thought.  Well, all of them except Nynaeve, who I don't 
think likes  anyone.  "Does she know you can channel?"  She 
looked over at the sword.  "And why did Be'lal keep trying to get 
you to draw the sword?"

	Rand laughed.  "Egwene and I have been...close for a very 
long time if that's what you mean by 'boyfriend'."  He relaxed a 
little and smiled.  "It's nice to know they think of me.  So you're a 
friend of theirs from the Tower?"

	The Tower.  The way back will come but once.  Ranko 
frowned for a moment.  "Yeah."  She paused.  "Where are we?"

	Rand stared at her for a moment.  "You don't know where 
you are?"

	"I...I can't remember how I got here.  I was in the Tower 
and..."  

	She suddenly sensed huge amounts of channeling going on.  
Ten portals opened up around the chamber and each spat forth a 
man or a woman.  Ranko could tell all of the women were 
channelers and frighteningly powerful.  Nynaeve was the only 
woman she'd ever met who she thought might be a match for any 
of them, though she herself came close, she thought.  

	Rand swore.  "Blood and Ashes.  All of them at once."  He 
ran for the sword.  

	Ranko tried to move to help cover Rand, although she still 
didn't know why he wanted the sword.  All of what at...the 
Forsaken, she realized.  

	Their leader was the most frightening looking man Ranko 
had ever seen.  He had black flaming pits for eyes and horribly 
burnt and scarred flesh.  Darkness roiled around him, and just 
looking at him scared her more than Akane's cooking.  

	Ranko instinctively tried to shield him, but three of the 
women cut her shield to ribbons, then shielded her.  One of the 
women, tall and beautiful with long dark hair, laughed.  "He will 
be mine, not yours, child.  Whoever you are."

	The men did nothing, which worried Ranko.  She stood still 
as the tall woman walked over to her.  "Hmm.  Perhaps I will give 
you to Graendal.  Would you like her, Graendal?"

	Graendal, who was short, but lushly built and quite pretty 
though unable to match the woman who now stood within 
Ranma's reach, laughed.  "I think I could find a use for her."  She 
was wearing some sort of filmy dress which was red, but now 
turned a deep orange.  

        Rand reached for the sword, but his fingers stopped an inch 
from it.  He struck at the air unsuccessfully.  The disturbing man 
with flaming pits for eyes turned to one of the women and said, 
"Semirhage.  No."

	"It's too dangerous!  What if he beats us?  We can live 
without the sword!"

	Ranko tried to muster the willpower to attack the woman 
who stood by her.  She couldn't do it.  The woman was unarmed, 
and even though Ranko knew she was evil incarnate, she couldn't 
make herself strike a girl.  Not for just shielding her.  Not unless 
the girl struck first.  

	The Forsaken all started shouting at each other, and Ranma 
laughed faintly.  Just like home, she thought.  She began to slowly 
sidle towards Rand, hoping no one would notice.  

	Suddenly a bar of white fire tracked across the room, striking 
the woman who had been contemplating giving Ranko to 
Graendal.  She winked out of existence and suddenly the shield on 
Ranko collapsed.  Ranko didn't even look to see who had done it.  
She summoned her chi, knowing they couldn't sense it coming.  
As the Forsaken began to open fire on Rand and the woman who 
had hurled the fire, Ranko faced Mr. Flames for eyes.   "MOUKO 
TAKABISHA!"  She combined every ounce of the Power she 
could draw with her own chi in a mighty blast at the horrid being, 
who blinked and vanished in the explosion, leaving only smoking 
boots behind.

	For a moment, they all stared at her and the room fell silent.  
The woman, Graendal, whispered, "The True Power.  She wields 
the True Power.  It cannot be."

	More chaos.  Bolts of lightning, fire, razors, and enough 
spirit to shield half the White Tower surged across the room.  
Rand somehow punched through whatever had blocked his first 
try and drew the sword.  Another Forsaken, this one dressed in 
what looked suspiciously like Aes Sedai garb, died by the same 
white fire of oblivion that had claimed the beautiful woman.  The 
Aes Sedai who had first wielded that power was pinned to the 
wall by one of the men, who then left her there, shielded, her 
clothing on fire.  

	Ranko hurled a second blast of mixed Power and Chi, this 
time dusting a short man clad in the garb of a lord.  The remaining 
women came after her now, keeping her physically away with Air 
and slicing her flows to pieces.  Rand was hard pressed as well, 
fighting several men at once.  

	Suddenly, a doorway flickered nearby.  A silver archway 
formed.  The way back to the Tower.  This was but a test.  Or was 
it?  Ranko hesitated.  I can't leave Rand here to fight all the 
Forsaken!  

	The archway began to gutter out.  Ranko swore loudly and 
leapt through it.  I'm sorry, Rand, she thought.  I swear I'm not 
running away!  This was my only chance.  

	Flash.  She was back in the chamber again, shuddering.  I 
killed two people, she suddenly realized.  I blew them to dust.  I 
KILLED them.  And I left Rand to die.  Egwene and Elayne are 
going to kill me.  No.  It wasn't real.  It couldn't have been real.  

	Sheriam put a kindly arm on her shoulder and whispered, 
"Only one more to go."

	Ranko gulped.  "Was it.  It wasn't...I mean...if I...uh...Nothing 
I did was real, right?"

	"We do not know.  I do not believe it is."

	Please let it be false, Ranko thought.  I don't EVER want to 
meet the Forsaken.  Anyway, the real Rand is just some farmboy.  
Why would the Forsaken want to kill him?

	Karla poured a second chalice over Ranko.   "You are 
washed clean of false pride.  You are washed clean of false 
ambition.  You come to us washed clean, in heart and soul."

	She didn't feel that way.

                                     *        *         *

	Things went differently, of course, when she actually went to 
Tear with Nynaeve, and Elayne, and Egwene, hunting the Black 
Ajah.  The others got captured while she was shopping for food, 
and only the luck of getting incredibly lost in the streets and stuck 
in the mud had saved her from their fate.  She had broken into the 
Stone with Mat and the thief-catcher, Jules or Julio, or whatever 
his name was, but then got separated from them as they fought 
their way through the Stone.  

	She recognized the vaulted chamber when she found it.  The 
Heart of the Stone, and thanks to the research she had done after 
her test, she knew what Callendor was and why it was important.  
When she saw the man, Be'lal, fighting Rand, she shuddered.  I've 
got to warn him and Moraine so they know what we're going to be 
up against.  I won't run away this time, she thought.  No matter 
what happens.  "Rand!  His friends are hiding and watching, 
waiting to pop up and kick your ass when you go for the sword!" 
she shouted, then launched herself airborne at Be'lal.  

	He leapt out of the way just in time and she crashed into 
Rand, who fell and struck his head, passing out.  Ranko swore, 
then swore again as Be'lal shielded her.  "Foolish girl.  You will 
suffer for interfering."  His voice was tight with rage.

	A plan popped into her head.  "So you think you're a great 
swordmaster, eh?  Then fight me without the power. Kick my ass.  
After all, you're one of the mighty Forsaken, eh?  Nothing to fear 
from me.  I don't even have a sword."

	He glared at her.  "I have no need to prove myself to you."

	"Oh, so you're afraid of an unarmed girl? Is  that it?  
CHICKEN!"  Ranko began making faces at him.

	Be'lal snarled and went into stupid male mode.  "You'll look 
like a plucked chicken when I'm done with you."

	He was good, Ranko had to admit, as she began to slowly 
circle the room, dodging blow after blow.  Better than Kunou, but 
he wouldn't last five minutes with me if I actually attacked him.  
If I do that, he'll wise up, though.  Slowly, Ranko spiraled towards 
the sword.  I'll pray that I'm right and he can't draw it himself.

	He could see Be'lal's battle aura, his chi flaring with rage as 
Ranko slipped away from every blow.  "Stop running and fight!"  
Be'lal shouted.

	Ranko laughed.  "You call those attacks?  A five year old 
could do better."

	The aura flared brighter.  The spiral tightened, and soon, they 
were right next to the sword.  She could see Rand was getting 
back up.  Maybe the rest of the Forsaken aren't going to come, 
Ranko thought.  Please, don't let them come, she prayed, though 
she wasn't sure who she was praying to.  Be'lal's battle aura flared 
a deep red like his coat and his flushed face.  Ranko smiled and 
unloaded a single cool punch into the heart of the aura, the final 
step of the Hiryuu Shutenha.  

	Be'lal howled in surprise as his battle aura exploded, hurling 
him skyward.  He slammed into the ceiling.  Rand bathed him in 
fire as he fell, and the flaming remnants of his corpse rained down 
in pieces.  Rand turned to Ranko and stared at her."  How... he had 
you shielded.  How did you do that?"

	"I learned to do that before I had ever even heard of the 
White Tower,"  Ranko said quietly.  "Be ready. He's got friends 
and they're gonna show up and try to kick our ass pretty quick."

	Ranko was right.  Whips of black lightning suddenly erupted 
across the room and flung her against the wall.  She reached for 
the Source, but she had been shielded again, twice as strongly as 
before.  Her whole body erupted in agony.  

        Only one being appeared, instead of ten this time.  The 
horrible man, wreathed in darkness, howling with a deep voice.  
"Twice in this life I have offered you the chance to serve me 
living."  His mouth was full of fire too.  In a very brief lucid 
moment, Ranko wondered how he could eat.  "Twice you have 
refused, and wounded me.  Now you will serve the Lord of the 
Grave in death.  Die, Lews Therin Kinslayer.  Die, Rand al'Thor.  
It is time for you to die!  I take your soul!"

	Ranko could do nothing but scream as he raised his hand and 
fired more of the strange black lightning at Rand, who was 
leaping for Callendor.  He isn't going to make it, Ranko thought.  I 
tried, but I just buggered things up.  No!  This can't happen!  I 
can't die like this.  Elayne, Egwene, I'm sorry.  Akane, Ucchan, 
Mom...I'm sorry.  

	Time seemed to slow to a crawl.  Rand was screaming, but 
he was still going, his hand beginning to close on the sword's hilt.  
Suddenly, a bar of white fire corruscated across the room, striking 
the horrible man and his darkness.  The blackness turned white, 
then faded, leaving only sparkles behind. The black lightnings 
ceased to exist and Rand's hand closed on the sword.  

	He held it aloft and Moraine stepped out from the pillar she 
had been hiding behind.  "What are you doing here, Ranko?"  She 
paused.  "And what on earth did you do to Be'lal?"

	"Showed him who's boss."  Ranko quietly passed out.

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

	Ukyou frowned.  He knew Ranma's 'Nothing' was the sort of 
nothing that really meant 'something I don't want to talk about.'  
He sighed.  I've known you for so long, Ranchan, but you still 
won't let me inside your head.  You don't let anyone know what 
you think deep inside.  "Dinner's almost ready.  Can you get some 
more fuel?  I think the fire's going to go out."

 	Ranko got up and walked over.  She opened herself to the 
Source and let it rush through her.  It was getting easier again.  At 
first, after her return, she had almost not been able to remember 
how to do it, which was strange since she had been gone less than 
a week.  It came easily now, and she guided the flows to form a 
little perpetual flame under the grill, tied the flow in place, then 
reluctantly let go of the Source.

	Ukyou started.  "Nice trick."

	Ranko smiled and held her hands near the flames.  "This cold 
is really starting to annoy me."

	"Can't you just make heat around yourself to stay warm?"

	"Using the Power all the time is dangerous, because you risk 
drawing too much power.  I did it before, but I was showing off."  
She rubbed her hands together and continued.  "There are five 
kinds of threads you weave to create various effects:  air, water, 
fire, earth, and spirit.  Aes Sedai tend to be best at air and water."  
She didn't want to mention that male channelers were best at fire 
and earth.  The fact that her strengths were largely the same as 
most female channelers bothered her, as did the fact that her male 
form, as far as she knew, couldn't channel, unless you counted her 
chi abilities.  It hinted at possibilities she really didn't like one bit.

	Probably it's just because men and women do it differently, 
she told herself.  I was trained by women, so of course I can't 
channel as a male...I really didn't get many opportunities to try.  
And...I'm probably better off this way, anyway...I don't want to go 
mad.

	Learning to open herself to the Source had been hellishly 
difficult.  It didn't come naturally to her, which had been 
reassuring and frustrating at the same time.  At least I didn't have 
the same problem as Nynaeve, she thought.  I bet Akane would be 
like that if she could channel.  Akane can't even do much with her 
chi, so she'd probably have an even harder time than I did.  I bet 
Ukyou could learn...not that I could teach her like this, with her a 
guy.  

	Ranko stared at Ukyou's chest, which was quite flat, since 
Ukyou was currently male.  Ukyou looked down at his shirt.  "Do 
I have a stain or something?"

	Ranko quirked her lips in a smile.  "No, no stain."  She 
looked down at the grill and laughed faintly.  "I bet you have  the 
only okonomiyaki grill in this universe."

	Ukyou laughed.  "I bet I have the biggest spatula in the 
universe as well."

       "I think you had the biggest one in OUR universe too."  

	Ukyou pulled dinner off the grill and spread some sauce onto 
it, then added the rabbit meat.  "Well, I guess we'll see how well 
my extra-special rabbit okonomiyaki works out."

        Ranko waited a little while for her dinner to cool.  "What 
makes it extra-special?"

	"I brought some of my best sauce with me. I don't have very 
much, but I thought we'd uh...celebrate eating rabbit for the first 
time?"  Ukyou came over and sat down by Ranko.

	Ranko got tired of waiting and decided to just munch out.  
"You've never had rabbit?"  It was very good, as always, although 
she burned her tongue a little.

 	"Nope.  I've had deer, and caribou once, and Dad took me to 
this weird place that served emu of all things, but never rabbit."  
Ukyou was a little more patient, letting his food cool off.  

	"If it moves, I've had it at some point.  Dad and I ate just 
about anything we could catch during our travels."  She shivered a 
bit.  "I really wish we'd known to bring some warmer clothing.  
She pulled the cloak they had bought in the city closer around 
herself.  "And I wish I knew what happened to my friends."

	"I'm sure they're fine, Ranchan.  They were all Aes Sedai 
right?"  Ukyou didn't know much about Aes Sedai, but from the 
casual way Ranko tossed amazing powers around, he doubted 
they were likely to be in any danger.

	Ranko laughed nervously.  "I'm sure they're fine.  We could 
really use their help."  Even if Nynaeve acts more like Akane than 
Akane does sometimes.  I hope the rest of the Blacks we were 
hunting didn't get them.  Ranko told herself to stop worrying.  

	Far away, Nynaeve sneezed and didn't know why.

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

	Kaneda stood on the walls and looked out across the 
mountains.  They were ready for winter, and the coming snows 
would protect them from any incoming armies, so he would have 
until spring to fret about what to do next.  

	I have to do something, he thought.  I can't just stay here and 
wait for an army too large for me to show up.  Maybe I should try 
to get us to Tear so we can throw in with the Dragon there.  From 
the stories I've heard, he sounds more likely to be the real Dragon 
than I am, whatever everyone here may think.  

	A voice interrupted his meandering thoughts.  "Thinking 
about the future?"  Cerise asked.  She was dressed quite warmly, 
not being a channeler like him.  

	Keeping himself warm was child's play, and good practice.  
So was practicing with his students like Cerise.  "Having any luck 
with that special maneuver yet?"  He had been trying to teach 
Cerise how to make a mallet with her chi.  It wasn't working.  It 
was the only conscious chi maneuver that Kaneda knew.  

	The whole business of trying to teach chi moves to his 
students was rather frustrating.  They couldn't grasp the concept, 
and he found it harder to explain than it should have been.  The 
men, especially, seemed to think it must have something to do 
with channeling and were afraid of it.  Cerise, however, was now 
capable of short bursts of superhuman strength.  She had more 
aptitude than the men did, or perhaps she simply wasn't afraid.  Or 
maybe it's because she's as cranky as I am, Kaneda thought, then 
laughed.

	Chi was not the One Power.  Kaneda was quite certain of 
that.  He and Alyssa had experimented, and even shielded, he 
could still tap his chi.  He had also figured out how to combine his 
chi with his channeling to duplicate one of Ryouga's special 
maneuvers:  the Breaking Point.  He could find the weak points in 
just about anything with the One Power, then shatter it with a chi-
enhanced blow.  If he could just figure out how to find the weak 
points without the One Power, he could teach the others.  

	"No.  It doesn't seem natural to me.  I don't know if I'll ever 
get the hang of it.  But, I've been watching you do that rock 
trick...and I think I've figured out how to do it."

	Kaneda smiled.  "Show me."

	They went down off the wall to the practice ground, where a 
lot of rocks were lying around by one side.  Kaneda picked up a 
fair sized one and brought it over.  "Show me."

	Cerise closed her eyes for a second, then began to glow very 
faintly.  Kaneda knew only an experienced user of chi would 
actually be able to perceive it being used.  He'd always suspected 
this, but his experiences here had proved it to him.  Her hand 
suddenly glowed a bright blue and she stabbed it down at the 
rock, which shattered into a dozen pieces as she drove her index 
finger into it.  "Like that, right?"

	They're learning so fast, Kaneda thought.  Then again, 
Ranma learns this fast.  I guess it's just a matter of dedication.  
"You'll be a master of Anything Goes Martial Arts in no time, at 
this rate."

	"I still can't beat you."  Cerise said modestly.  "You must be 
renowned as a great warrior in your homeland."  Wherever that is, 
she thought.  I still have no idea where the Lord Dragon comes 
from.

	"Actually, I was the worst fighter in the place,"  Kaneda said 
quietly.  "Well, better than most people, but I could name 
probably two dozen or more better fighters in my hometown 
alone."

	Cerise stared in silence for a moment.  "You're kidding, 
right?"

	"I'd name names, but they wouldn't mean anything to you."  
Kaneda sighed and stared off into space, thinking about them.  
Daddy, I miss you and Kasumi and Nabiki so much.  Ryouga-kun, 
I wish you were here.  I could use your smile and your fighting 
skills.  Heck, I'd be happy if Shampoo crashed through the wall of 
the Castle right now.  Images began to form around Kaneda.  It 
was a flaw he had developed of sometimes illustrating his 
thoughts.  A potentially dangerous flaw, and in his most rational 
moments, he considered it a sign of the dangers of being a 
channeller and worried about the insanity said to come from it.  

	Cerise watched quietly as Soun, Nabiki, Kasumi, Ryouga, 
and Shampoo appeared, still lives frozen in action poses.  Mousse 
and Cologne followed, then Happousai, Genma, and Ranma, all 
people Cerise had never seen.  Kunou, Kodachi, and Kouchou 
followed, then Miss Hinako, Sayuri, and Yuka.  Nodoka and 
Ukyou appeared, then Gosunkugi, Sasuke, and many others.  A 
legion of memories surrounded Cerise, clad in strange clothing, 
many of them in fighting poses, Kasumi sweeping an invisible 
floor, Nabiki holding a camera, which was totally alien to Cerise.  
Finally, she said, "Wow, these are all warriors of your town?"

	Kaneda started, and swore softly.  "Yes."  He pointed to 
Soun, then to Kasumi and Nabiki.  "My father and my sisters."  
He went around, naming people and trying to explain who they 
were without having to change too many things to fit this reality.  
Finally, he stopped by Ranma, not knowing what to say.

	"And who is this?"  Cerise asked, looking at Ranma. "Your 
brother?" 

	Kaneda laughed loud and long.  Finally, he calmed down and 
called up an image of 'Ranko'.  "They're twins.  Ranma and I used 
to fight all the time.  He didn't like ...his sister being engaged to 
me."  He sighed.  "Ranma is the greatest warrior I know who isn't 
ancient, insane, or both."

	"Better than you?"  Cerise asked.

	"Ranma could beat you, me, and all my students by himself 
with one hand cut off."  Kaneda said quietly.  "He also learns 
much faster than any of us.  He learns in hours, what takes us 
days, in days, what takes us weeks, in weeks what takes most 
people years."  Where are you, Ranma?  Are you even aalive?  
The worst possibility was that Ranma didn't care what had 
happened to him, but Kaneda couldn't quite bring himself to 
believe that.  Even if Ranma is looking for me, he's got an entire 
world to search, he thought and sighed.

	"Is he Aiel?"  Cerise asked.

	"No.  He'd eat the Aiel for breakfast."  Or at least Kaneda 
assumed he would.  If the Aiel can take Ranma, they're the 
scariest people who ever lived, he thought.  "And even if they beat 
him, he'd learn their moves and come back and trash them in the 
rematch."

	"Perhaps we should send for all your old friends,"  Cerise 
said.  "They would come to your aid, would they not?"

	Kaneda looked around at them.  "They weren't all friends.  
Some of them would come...if they knew where to find me and I 
knew how to contact them."  He sighed.  "If any of them are 
alive."

	"Why wouldn't they be alive?"

	"I was trying to go home with them when I ended up 
stranded in Tarabon.  They might all be dead...at least the ones 
who actually like me."

	Alyssa walked out onto the practice grounds and stared at all 
the people.  "What are you doing, Kaneda?"

	He sighed.  "I let my attention wander while grasping the 
Source.  Always a STUPID idea.  These are friends and enemies 
of mine from my hometown."

	Alyssa wandered through the picture 'gallery'.  She stopped 
at Soun.  "Your father."

	"You can tell?"

	"There's a family resemblance."  She moved on.  "Your 
sisters?"  She pointed at Kasumi and Nabiki.  Kaneda nodded.  
She paused in front of Ryouga and frowned faintly.

	"Is something wrong?"

	"I could have sworn I've seen this man.  He was asking one 
of the Brown sisters the way to Furinkan High School...they never 
did figure out how he got inside the Tower without going past the 
gate guards... or how he got out."

	Kaneda laughed.  "Ryouga is the ultimate lost boy."

	Alyssa stopped in front of Ranma and 'Ranko'.  "This must 
be Ranko and her brother."  She thought for a moment.  "Ranma, 
right?"

	Kaneda nodded quietly and walked over to Alyssa.  "I wish 
he was here.  We could use him."  I could use him, he thought, 
then felt guilty.  He looked over at Alyssa.  I shouldn't love a girl, 
he thought.  But I do.  I love you.  I...I don't know what I'll do if 
Ranma comes.  If he comes.

	The thought suddenly struck Kaneda as he looked at Ranma 
standing by his girl-side, a thing that could never happen in 
reality.  What if...what if Ranma has an Akane?  Maybe that's why 
he hasn't shown up...what if there's an Akane with him who thinks 
her curse is gone?  What if I'm living parallel lives in two 
different worlds...he might never learn what really happened.  He 
shuddered and Alyssa took his hand.

	She looked into his eyes with her gentle smile.  "Were you 
close friends?"

	"Ranma and I couldn't go a day without having a horrible 
fight.  The same applied to Ranko and I.  But I owe them both my 
life and my freedom a hundred times over."  He sighed.  I have so 
much power, but I have no way of telling if he's alive...


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

	Ranko sneezed as she prepared her blankets inside the tent. 
Ukyou sneezed as well a few seconds later.  "I guess someone is 
thinking about us,"  Ukyou said quietly.  

	Ranko nodded.  She wove a ward around the tent, to warn of 
any creatures of Shadow, and a weave of fire and air to keep the 
tent warm all night.  She then shucked off her cloak and crawled 
into the blankets.  Ukyou clambered in next to her, and they laid 
on their stomachs, heads turned towards each other.  "I've warded 
the tent, so try not to turn evil before sunrise,"  Ranko said, 
laughing faintly.

	Ukyou gave a mock-sigh.  "Ruin all my fun."

	They both laughed, then Ukyou turned more serious.  "Is 
there anything you can do to augment me or my skills?"  I need 
more power to keep up, he thought, then revised the thought, to be 
able to help Ranchan better.  This isn't a competition, he thought, 
but deep down, part of him was treating it as one.

	"Well, I could bond you as my warder,"  Ranko said.  
"Assuming I can remember how to do it.  I've seen it done, but 
they frown on anyone below the rank of Full Sister doing it."  She 
twisted the ring on her right hand without thinking about it.  "Not 
that I'm likely to have to worry about Tower rules, I guess."

	"What is a warder?"

	"Warders are the elite warriors who bodyguard some Aes 
Sedai.  What you get from the bond is heightened strength and 
endurance, faster healing, and you can sense how I'm doing and 
what direction I'm in."  Ranko thought about it.  "And I can sense 
you as well."  She frowned faintly.  "There's something else, but I 
can't remember what."

	"I think you should do it, Ranchan.  Those sound useful."

	Ranko nodded and sat up.  She opened herself to the Source 
again and tried to remember how it was done.  Ukyou sat up and 
watched Ranko staring at nothing.  Then suddenly, he could feel 
Ranko's presence.  It felt almost like a tiny Ranko was sitting in 
her head.  He could feel Ranma's state of mental calm, the strange 
nirvana-like state that she entered when channeling.  Ukyou 
closed his eyes and he could still sense where Ranko was.  
Physically, he felt the same, but clearly, it had worked.  "I think it 
worked, Ranchan."

	Ranko stared at Ukyou.  She let go of the Source as Ukyou's 
presence flooded into her mind.  She could sense Ukyou's 
excitement and joy, along with a few random twinges of desire.  
Suddenly, she became hyperaware of Ukyou's presence and how 
easy it would be to do something foolish.  No one would show up 
to stop them.  They could do anything, and her mind started 
conjuring up things. She stomped on the thoughts with big mental 
combat boots and tamped them away, applying her old meditative 
techniques.  

	I should have realized this would happen, she thought. If we 
can sense each other's feelings, if one of us gets horny...this could 
be bad.

	"What's wrong, Ranchan?"  Ukyou asked.  She could tell 
something was worrying Ranko.  "Is something wrong on your 
end of this?"

	"It's nothing,"  Ranko said, lying back down.  "I just had a 
mental image of some squirrel trying to cook acorn okonomiyaki 
on your grill.  I guess the inside of your head is pretty weird, eh?"

	Ukyou grabbed his pillow.  "I'll show you weird!"

	The pillow fight left Ranko too worn out to have to worry 
about doing anything naughty, and after that, they fell asleep.

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

	The first snow fall blanketed Castle Mist with a carpet of 
white that left Kaneda feeling strangely exhilarated.  I guess we'll 
have a white Christmas, Kaneda thought, then laughed.  As if I 
had any way of telling when Christmas comes.  Wait, he thought.  
It's  three days after the solstice, so I can celebrate it then.  I 
wonder if Santa Claus delivers to this universe.  He laughed again.  

	Alyssa looked over at him.  "What's so funny?"  She and he 
and Corwin were working on fixing the wagons that Corwin had 
been making.  Not that they really NEEDED wagons, but it kept 
Corwin happy.  He had been a teamster once, and apparently 
expected to take up the occupation again.  Unfortunately, knowing 
how to operate a wagon didn't mean you knew how to make one.  
Their three carpenters were busy making sure everyone's house 
wouldn't leak and fixing the ones that did, so Kaneda had decided 
to see what they could do with the Power to help.

	It was great for fixing broken things, but not so good for 
keeping all the wheels the same size.  "I don't  suppose you've 
ever heard of Santa Claus?"

	Corwin thought for a moment.  "He was a king of 
Manrethen, I think."

	Alyssa thought hard.  "I think I heard someone mention some 
ancient book they found that mentioned that name.  When I was in 
the tower, that is."  She tried to remember.  "He was some sort of 
beer maker, right?"

	"Let me tell you about Santa Claus.  I think we ought to have 
a Christmas party when Christmas comes."  It took a while to tell 
the story, especially because Kaneda started to feel ridiculous 
halfway through it.  The children of the castle, however, loved the 
story when they heard it, and Kaneda had a feeling there would be 
a lot of stockings waiting on Christmas Eve.  He decided to make 
sure there would be something in them.

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

 	Ranko finished changing into the dress.  It wasn't as warm as 
her red satin jacket and black pants, but she knew if she was going 
to impress the peasants as an Aes Sedai, she would have to look 
the part.  Certainly she didn't WANT to wear the dress, she told 
herself.  She wasn't going to show off just because she could.  

	Ukyou smiled faintly.  You can be so vain, Ranchan, she 
thought.  But you'll never admit it.  "Ready, your highness?"

	Ranko laughed.  "Time for the Aes Sedai and her warder to 
shake down the town looking for suspects."

	Everyone looked curiously at the pair that walked into their 
town.  They didn't get a lot of visitors, since they were off the 
main trade roads and close to the Amadician border.  Within a few 
seconds, they spotted the gold ring on her hand and an invisible 
bubble opened up around the pair.  No one in their right mind 
wanted more to do with an Aes Sedai than they had to.

	Ranko and Ukyou headed into the local tavern.  The barkeep 
was a bored looking old man who was busily going bald when he 
wasn't busy trying to keep his bar clean.  He looked up.  "Ah, 
greetings, noble travelers."  He then spotted the ring and paled 
slightly.  "How can I be of service?"

	Ranko walked over to the man and smiled at him, while 
Ukyou lurked nearby and tried to look scary.  She pulled out a 
picture of 'Kaneda', not thinking about the fact that it was a 
photograph and this man had never seen such a thing before.

	He stared at it in awe.  It was the most lifelike painting he 
had ever seen.  "Amazing...I...I suppose you made that with the 
power?"

	She nodded.  "Something like that.  I'm looking for this man.  
Have you seen him?"

	He nodded.  "He had some men and women with him.  I 
think the Whitecloaks were after them."  He sighed.  "With all this 
anarchy in our land, the Whitecloaks have been running amuck."  
He put down the glass he was cleaning.  "I told them this too.  I 
can't afford any trouble with them."  He was clearly scared.

	Ranko sighed.  "Which way did they go?"

	"I don't know, but..."  The man trailed off.

	Ranko cocked her head and thought for a moment.  Why 
won't he tell me?  "But what?"

	"I've heard stories of a False Dragon in the mountains, a man 
named Kaneda."  The man paused.  "The only other time I've 
heard that name was listening to this man talking to his followers.  
He looked so young, but he must have been older than he looks, I 
guess."  He looked over at Ukyou.  "Would you like a drink?"

	Ukyou nodded.  "Yes, please."

	"Is he...the same person?"  The man asked.

	"I don't know,"  Ranko said.  Surely Akane wouldn't be crazy 
enough to do that...then again, from some of the rumors I've 
heard, there's a false dragon in Tear named Rand al'Thor...and I 
seem to remember Egwene and Elayne talking about some farm 
boy by that name...and if a farm boy could declare himself the 
Dragon...  "He's one of my warders.  We were separated during a 
battle a while back and I've been looking for him."

	The man blinked.  "So you're a Green sister?"

	Ranko laughed faintly.  "Matches my dress, eh?"

	The man concluded it was appropriate for him to laugh and 
so he laughed as well.  "It's probably just a coincidence then.  
Still, this Dragon Kaneda is up in the mountains of Amadicia, 
somewhere between Amadicia and Ghealdan.  We've gotten a few 
people going through here on the way to find him.  He's 
apparently destroyed armies from both Amadicia and Ghealdan. 
Of course, the stories are probably exaggerated, although there is 
that one rumor..."  He fell silent.  Best not to make the Aes Sedai 
angry.

	"What story?"

	"There's rumors that he has an Aes Sedai lover.  Probably a 
total crock, though."  The old barkeep got nervous.  I should have 
just kept my mouth shut.

	Ranko wasn't holding anything, so nothing got broken, but 
she certainly wanted to break something as a knife of jealousy 
stabbed through her.  How could he do this to me?, she thought.  

	A few seconds later, rationality returned.  It's just a rumor, 
she thought.  Probably not true at all.  Akane would never take a 
girl for a lover.  She glanced over at Ukyou, who looked back at 
her, clearly worried.  What about you and Ucchan?, a voice in her 
head prompted.  Who are you to talk?  She stuffed the voice down 
into a mental box and locked it.  She grabbed her jealousy and 
stuffed that in another box.  I'll cross this bridge when I come to 
it.  "No Aes Sedai would take a false Dragon as a lover,"  she said 
icily.  I can't let this rumor circulate, she thought.  No one should 
be telling such lies about us.

	The man nodded nervously and got Ukyou a glass of wine.  
"Would you...like some wine?"

	"Yes."  Ranko got rip-roaring drunk that night and ended up 
sleeping on the floor because she tossed and turned too much to 
stay in the bed of the room they rented.

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

	Kaneda laid in bed, listening to rain patter against the roof.  
Alyssa was cuddled up to him, deep asleep.  He envied her ability 
to sleep anywhere, any time on the nights when he could not 
sleep.  He ran his hands through her long blonde hair, twining it 
around his fingers.  They had made love that night, and he always 
had trouble sleeping after they did.  This bothered him for two 
reasons.  One, he had always heard it was guys who passed out 
immediately after making love, but he always got insomnia, and 
she would pass out within a minute or two and not wake up until 
morning.

	The second reason was the more important one, and the one 
that was probably giving him the insomnia in the first place.  He 
always felt guilty after they made love, and he wasn't sure why, 
though there were several possibilities.  The one he considered 
most likely was that he was making love to a girl.  He'd never 
found girls attractive before he was stranded here--well, not 
sexually attractive anyway.  He'd been able to tell if a woman was 
pretty, but he hadn't wanted women the way he did now. It wasn't 
just  Alyssa.  He was starting to notice lots of women that way.  
Kaneda wasn't as homophobic as Ranma was, but it bothered him.  
Why was this happening?  Was it a side effect of being a boy?  
What if I turn back into a girl and it doesn't stop?  I wonder if 
Ranma would start liking boys if he stayed a girl for too long, he 
wondered.  Did this mean it was all a result of his body?  Kaneda 
had never really thought about sexuality before...not its origins, 
anyway.  

	Am I going to stay a boy forever?  What if I start turning 
back into a girl with hot water again?  Why am I stuck as a boy 
anyway?  Is there a girl Akane wandering around thinking she's 
cured?  What am I?  

	Kaneda's thoughts went round and round.  What if I do start 
turning back into a girl?  What's that going to do to my 
relationship with Alyssa?  I mean...I guess she could handle it if I 
was male normally...but I want to be Akane again...that's who I 
am...I think.  How would everyone here react if they knew I'm 
really a girl?

	They're all counting on me...they think I'm the Dragon, that 
I'm going to save the world.  I can't even save myself.  He looked 
down at Alyssa.  She loves me.  That's the one thing I know is 
true.  Two things actually.  I love her, he thought.  I don't know 
what I'm going to do about it, but I love her.  She's tangled me up 
and turned me inside out.  What am I going to do if Ranma shows 
up?  He'll hate me.  I don't want him to hate me...but I can't live 
my life waiting for him to show up.

	Exhaustion tried to take him away from his problems but his 
worries were too stubborn to quit.  He had a feeling of living on 
borrowed time, that he was building a house of cards with his life.  
All his worrying didn't bring him any closer to a solution.

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

	The snowfall caught Ranko and Ukyou in the mountains.  It 
didn't help that they didn't really know where they were going.  
Everyone had told them firstly that they didn't know where 
exactly to find the false Dragon Kaneda, and more importantly, 
that only a maniac would go into the mountains in winter.  

	Normally, Ranko would have agreed, knowing all about 
being trapped in the wilderness in winter, since that had been how 
she has spent far too many of the winters of her life.  However, 
she couldn't afford to wait months.  She had to find Akane as soon 
as possible.  It had already taken longer than she had hoped for.  

	Unfortunately, while the One Power was really good for 
blowing things up or making things, it wasn't much use at finding 
someone you didn't have some kind of link to or who wasn't 
channeling near you.  It was good for weather control...if you 
knew how.  Unfortunately, Ranko hadn't stayed in the Tower long 
enough to learn how.  The best she could do was to turn up the 
temperature around herself and Ukyou, so they simply got wet 
instead.  This also didn't prevent snow from building up and 
getting in the way, and waiting for the heat to melt it was far too 
slow.

	Ranko cursed.  "I hate winter."

	Ukyou nodded.  "Me too, Ranchan.  We'd better find some 
shelter and wait for this to pass."

	Ranko sighed.  "We don't have time to wait for it to pass!  
This is winter...it could be like this for months."

	Ukyou looked at the wall of white just beyond the tiny 
bubble of warm air.  "It won't snow all day every day though.  
And without any visibility, we could probably walk ten feet from 
Akane and not notice."  Assuming we find her at all...she could be 
anywhere in the mountains.

	Ranko gave up and started looking for a cave.  By chance, or 
so they thought, they found one.  It was cold, but Ranko soon 
warmed it up, and they both took off their drenched cloaks.  
Ranko made a little fire and they put the cloaks near it to dry, then 
Ukyou started working on dinner, which would have to be fairly 
meager.  They had stocked up on portable food, but without 
horses, which Ukyou didn't know how to ride and Ranko wasn't 
very good at riding, they hadn't been able to bring a lot of food 
with them.  Hunting was pretty easy when they could actually find 
anything. They'd bagged a rabbit earlier that day, and the aroma of 
roast bunny soon filled the room.  

	Ukyou shucked off his shirt as well and hung it by the fire to 
dry.  "You probably ought to take off your top too and dry it off,"  
he said, then turned his attention to cooking.

	Ranko shucked off her jacket and the damp undershirt.  
While her jacket looked good, it didn't stop water very well.  She 
laid down by the fire and started trying to think of something 
clever she could do to find Akane with the Power.

	For a while, all was silent, as Ukyou focused on cooking and 
Ranko focused on the power.  Ukyou's problems started when he 
glanced over at Ranko and noticed her bare chest.  Some part of 
his brain had been expecting this of course, since he knew she had 
taken her shirt off.  It was the thrill that ran through his body that 
took him off guard.  He suddenly felt himself getting aroused and 
blushed.  

	It's not like I haven't seen this before, he thought.  I've seen 
Ranma naked as a girl before.  Girls don't turn me on.  Ranko, 
however, was turning him on, though she seemed utterly oblivious 
to the fact.  Probably she's forgotten she's even female at the 
moment, whatever she's thinking about, Ukyou thought.  Why is 
she turning me on NOW?

	Ukyou could almost feel a mental pressure to do any of a 
variety of things that would probably be foolish at best.  I'm not 
going to seduce her, he thought.  Not when I'm a boy and she's a 
girl...if it was the other way around, it would be different.  We are 
engaged, so it doesn't matter if we did something...like that.  Of 
course, I'm really a girl, no matter what my body may look like 
right now, and he's a boy, so it wouldn't be so bad...no!  I won't!  

	The smell of rabbit starting to overcook snapped him out of 
his reverie, along with Ranko saying, "You won't what?"

	"I...uh...I won't burn the food if I can help it."

	Ranko cocked her head and stared at Ukyou.  Why is Ucchan 
acting weird?  He keeps turning his head away and won't look at 
me straight.  Do I look scary for some reason?  No way.  "You 
okay?"

	"I'm fine."

	They discussed several ideas with their dinner, and 
afterwards, Ranko put her shirt back on, which helped Ukyou 
finally overcome his state of arousal.  Finally, they decided to go 
to sleep.  They laid out their blankets and clambered between 
them together, as had become their habit.  Ukyou fell asleep faster 
than Ranko, who was still going over plans in her head.

	Ranko's trouble started when Ukyou rolled over in his sleep 
and laid an arm on her back.  The physical impact was slight; the 
sensations that began to bother her were not.  Their mere 
existence bothered her as much as the sensations themselves did.  
No guy, not even one who is really a girl, should be turning me on 
like this!  She was familiar with the sensations...the few times 
she'd had them in this form, they'd all been caused by girls, except 
for two previous occasions she'd chosen to forget.  One of them 
had been the time that Akane, after acquiring the boy-curse, had 
been hit in the head and thought he was 'Kaneda', Ranko's fiancee.  
That had been the origin of the name Akane used on the occasions 
when she needed to hide her curse.  'Ranko' and 'Kaneda' had 
come very close to having sex.  The other occasion had been 
during an accident that turned into a making out session with 
Ukyou, after which both of them had tried to never mention it 
again, since they had both terrified themselves with their own 
feelings.  

	So really, Ranko shouldn't have been as surprised as she was, 
but Ranko had always been good at hiding from truths about 
herself.  It must be because Ukyou is really a girl, she thought.  
This isn't just any guy.  This doesn't mean I find guys attractive.  
But this isn't a guy, it's Ucchan.  Ranko told herself that over and 
over again.  It didn't make the feelings go away, but it did, 
eventually, enable her to sleep, though not very well.

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

	Kaneda, Alyssa, and three men from the fort with some 
experience in cutting down trees wandered up and down the 
mountainsides through light snow, looking for a good tree to set 
up as a 'Christmas' tree in the fort.  While the three men thought 
the whole idea was kind of silly, it beat waiting around for winter 
to end.  

	Alyssa said, "This really isn't the best part of the world to go 
looking for evergreens, you know."

	Kaneda sighed.  "Well, given that I can't trick an oak tree 
into sprouting leaves again and a barren Christmas tree just isn't 
right..."

	Padan, one of the men, said, "Well, Mai claims there's some 
evergreens this way, though I've never seen any in the 
mountains."

	They moved further along the mountain trail, and reached a 
small plateau, covered with evergreens.  Padan sighed.  "I'd 
almost think that Mai planned this somehow."

	Everyone laughed.  Kaneda smiled.  We'll have a tree.  It was 
reassuring, a tiny little piece of home.  Though where we're gonna 
get decorations...

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

	Mikel, the man of the house, looked up at the young Aes 
Sedai.  At least he thought she was young.  "You're looking for 
that false Dragon?  I thought the Reds didn't have warders."

	Ranko Sedai laughed.  "I'm not a Red.  I'm a Green and we 
can have all the warders we can stand.  I'm looking for one of my 
warders.  I think this 'Kaneda' person has him."  There was 
something odd about her voice, but Mikel wasn't sure what.  She 
turned to Mikel's wife, Sarai.  "Can I have some more potatoes, 
please?"

	Sarai, who was hugely tall and unbelievably skinny, passed 
the bowl of potatoes.  "I've never cooked for an Aes Sedai before.  
I hope the food is acceptable."

	The Aes Sedai's warder, a young lad named Ukyou, said, 
"It's great cooking.  We haven't had a decent meal in weeks."  He 
and his Aes Sedai were certainly eating enough to prove the truth 
of that.  

	Arno, Mikel's little five year old son, tugged on Ranko's arm.  
"How're you gonna get your other boyfriend back from the 
Dragon?"  He stared at her with big eyes.

	Ranko said, "I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

	"I can tell you how to find those Dragonsworn lunatics, if 
you really want to go there,"  Mikel said, "But if you don't mind 
some advice, I wouldn't risk it.  He may or may not be the 
Dragon, but he's powerful.  He destroyed two entire armies with 
the Power this past fall."  He paused and bit off a hunk of his roll 
and ate it.  "I'm sure the losers exaggerated it, but I know that he's 
pretty strong in the Power, and everyone claims he has a...a 
female channeler too."  Mikel knew better than to repeat some of 
the rumors he had heard.  Maybe he is working for the 
Tower...this girl has no fear of him.  Then again, I've heard Aes 
Sedai don't know the meaning of fear.  Who can tell?  

	"You know where they are?"  Ranko asked.  Her eyes lit up.  
"I'd really appreciate the directions."

	Mikel told her, but he was certain she would regret it.  

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

	Kaneda sat and slowly molded wood with the Power.  He 
was trying to make some little toy carts and toy soldiers with the 
Power, since his whittling skills were minimal.  They had plenty 
of wood, though.  His floor was littered with warped humans, bent 
wheels, and carts that were lopsided.  He was starting to get the 
hang of it, however.  The trick was to go slowly and methodically, 
rather than to try to simply instantly mold the wood.  Making little 
images to guide his work helped as well, and fixing mistakes was 
easier as well.  He could do big messy things with the Power, but 
doing something as fine-tuned as this made him feel proud of his 
skills.  

	There was a knock on the door.  "Come in," he said.  

	Mai walked in. "How's the toy making coming along?"

	"I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. Now I just need to 
fix all my first tries."

	"May I ask you a question?"

	"You just did,"  Kaneda said.  He always wondered why 
people bothered to ask that.

	"..."

	"Go right ahead.  What's up?"

	"I just...well, I've been...What are we going to do when 
Spring comes?  Everyone's been wondering what the next move is 
going to be.  I'll follow you, whatever you decide, but..."

	"You're wondering how we'll deal with all our enemies, not 
to mention Rand Al'Thor, right?"

	Mai seemed uncertain of what to say.

	"I hope he is the Dragon.  I don't want the job...I don't know 
what to do.  I don't know how we're going to stop the Prophet plus 
the Whitecloaks.  We can't hide here forever, either.  My current 
operating plan is to move north in the spring and try to reach 
Andor.  From there, we can reach Cairhien and try to confront 
Al'Thor and find out one way or another who is the real Dragon."  
He sighed.  It was a lousy plan, but he didn't have a better one.  
This world seemed to have a lot of fate...let fate settle the issue 
between them.  "We'll need to build real wagons so we can 
transport everything.  That's one reason I'm doing this.  If I can 
make a little one, I can make a big one."

	Mai sighed.  "It will be slow going."

	"Unless I learn some way to teleport, it's the best we can do.  
If I had longer, I could build this group into a fighting force that 
could hold out forever, but I don't have longer.  I don't want to 
live here in the mountains forever, either.  We'll go and confront 
Al'Thor and let the Wheel weave as it will, I suppose.  Unless 
someone comes up with a better plan."

	Mai didn't have a better plan.  

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

	Snow covered the ruins of an armed camp.  Ranko guessed 
that the camp had been abandoned weeks or months earlier, but 
the remains of tents and abandoned crates and barrels poked up 
through the snow.  There were signs of fire as well.  No traces of 
any recent use of the One Power, though.

       Ukyou looked around, "There were a lot of people here.  
Looks like they got stomped on."

      	"They sure wanted to leave in a hurry, anyway."  Ranko 
made her way across the camp.  "We're getting really close.  If we 
press on..."

	Ukyou looked at the setting sun.  "I don't want to march 
through this after dark.  Better to sleep now, and we should get 
there in a few hours tomorrow, if that family was right.  Not that I 
can foretell the future, but..."

	Ranko suddenly cocked her head.  Her eyes seemed to glaze 
over and she barked out, "Three eyes gaze on a yellow dog.  The 
quick brown fox must jump over it.  Thus will come the day of 
destiny."  

	Ukyou jumped at the weirdness of it all.  "I...is that some 
kind of prophecy?"

	Ranko laughed.  "I had a friend in the tower who liked to 
pretend she was foretelling the future.  She would say something 
about not predicting the future, then suddenly cut loose with that 
act.  It always creeped me out."  She laughed.  "Malinda is 
probably still doing that to all the new novices.  I saw one of them 
run screaming when she said something about the shadow 
devouring all green eyed girls."

	Ukyou pretended he understood what Ranma was talking 
about.  "Well, you scared me."

	Ranko channeled a little fire and cleared away the snow near 
some of the wreckage.  "Let's make camp."

                                    *         *         *

	Mikel was quite surprised and honored to have yet another 
Aes Sedai visit him in such a short time.  In fact, it wasn't just one 
Aes Sedai, it was three.  Their names were Karla, Dora, and Else.  
Else had a warder who looked like a cleaned-up Trolloc, while 
Karla and Dora either didn't have one or were keeping theirs 
hidden.  Within three minutes of meeting them, Mikel realized it 
wouldn't surprise him if they had hidden their warders 
deliberately, just so no one could be sure if they had one or not.  

	Else, on the other hand, couldn't stop talking, and she was the 
only one who didn't make him nervous.  Well, the one who made 
him the least nervous.  "So, are we technically in Ghealdan, 
Amadicia, or Tarabon here?"  she asked.  "Or do you owe 
allegiance to no lord?"

	"I think Amadicia claims this region, but after what 
happened to that Whitecloak army, it may be a while before we 
see any more tax collectors.  We hadn't seen one in the five years 
we've lived here, anyway."  Mikel said.  

	"So this False Dragon has a sizeable army?"  Dora asked.  
"How does he feed them in this wilderness?"

	Mikel shrugged.  "Who knows.  He blew up the Whitecloaks 
with the One Power, so I heard from the stragglers.  Could just be 
him and a few dozen people, or he might have thousands of 
people in his castle.  No one knows."

	"So he does have a castle?"  Else asked.  Karla sat 
impassively and listened, staring at Sarai in a way that made her 
intensely nervous.  

	"Built with the Power, unless he's got thousands of workers 
squirreled away in there too."  Mikel said.  "I guess you've been 
sent to put him down?"

	"If practicable,"  Karla said.  "Our task is to measure his 
strength, subdue him if possible, and go get help if we cannot."

	"You really think three of you is enough?"

	Karla gave him a look that made him want to crawl under the 
table and cry.  He wouldn't make that mistake again.  

                                   *         *         *

	Ukyou woke up in the middle of the night.  He heard bells 
very faintly in the distance.  He staggered out of the tent, 
wrapping his cloak around him.  The sky was perfectly clear with 
a full moon and bright stars that gave the landscape an eerie, but 
beautiful twilight effect.  Everything was covered with a blanket 
of softly glowing white.  There was something up in the sky, 
making the bell noises, which almost seemed fainter outside the 
tent than inside it.  

	Something was circling over the camp.  It was large and 
somewhat snakey, Ukyou thought, then realized it actually looked 
more like a line of people playing 'crack the whip' on the ice or 
with rollerskates.  There were several creatures lashed together 
with ropes, pulling something.  Silently, a projectile arced 
upwards from the end of the 'whip', falling downwards towards 
Ukyou, who instinctively dodged.

	He could hear bells again, very faint, from the flying 
thing(s).  The projectile was a nicely wrapped red package tied 
with a green ribbon and a tag that said, 'Ukyou Kuonji'.  

	He stared up at the retreating object.  No way, he thought.  
Santa Claus is just a fairy tale.  Then again, I used to think curses 
were fairy tales too.  He walked over hesitantly, and picked up the 
package.  Nothing bad happened, so he took it over to the tent.  
"Ranma, wake up!  You're not going to believe this!"

	Ranma was gone.  Ukyou suddenly realized he couldn't sense 
her with his warder sense either.  Her stuff was still there, and her 
blankets were still laid out, but there weren't even footprints 
leading away through the snow.  It was as if she had never 
existed.

	"RANMA!"  Ukyou screamed, running out into the snow.  
"WHERE ARE YOU!???"

	He was back inside the tent, suddenly.  He blinked.  What 
the... Looking around, there was no Ranma in sight.  An idea 
struck him.  He walked outside and shouted, "AKANE, WHERE 
ARE YOU?"

	The world blurred around him, and he found himself inside a 
crude stone building.  There was a nice bed, and a bearskin rug on 
the floor.  A table with chairs sat in one corner, and there were 
papers on it.  He walked over and tried to look at them, but they 
flickered as he tried to read them.  They seemed to records of 
supplies, and lists of name.  One hung in his vision longer than the 
others, a map with a tiny x in one of the mountain ranges with the 
fresh scribble in Kanji, 'We are here?', and a route plotted out 
through the mountains, off to some place called 'Andor'.  

	He put down the papers.  What is this place?  Did I somehow 
wander into another world while I slept?  Maybe this is just a 
funky dream...I mean...let's face it, I thought I saw Santa Claus.  
Why are there no people?  He tried going outside and found 
himself inside a little village of clumsily built stone and wood 
buildings, inside a larger, somewhat more solid wall.  An owl 
perched on the roof of one of the buildings and looked down.  It 
hooted, then took wing and flew away.  "Hey, come back!"  

	Ukyou chased the owl, feeling vaguely silly.  Owls can't 
even talk, he thought.  "TAKE ME BACK TO RANMA!"  

	He was back in the tent.  The present was still there, so he 
opened it. Inside it was a letter, from someone named 'Sherin 
Loys Delerini'.  

	"If I am reading this, then it means that I have been reborn 
and reawakened to the talent I possessed in this life.  It also means 
that my skills were sufficient to create a messenger capable of 
lasting however long that might take."

	Ukyou stared at the letter.  This is from a past life of mine?  
No way.  Jeez, this is a crazy dream.  He read on.

	"A great disaster is coming.  While everyone argues about 
how to stop the Dark One's armies, whether Lews Therin or Latra 
Posae is right, I know it will not be enough.  I have seen my death, 
and her name is the Daughter of the Night.  She will come for me 
soon.  Perhaps I shall be lucky and slay her.  I do not know, but I 
fear the worst.  Yet I do know one thing.  All we have created, all 
we fight for, is doomed.  Yet, I know too that some shall survive.  
I have hidden away a cache of things, books, tools, and a few 
trinkets I could not bear to see destroyed.  Guided by my dreams, 
I have placed it where it will weather the cataclysm, and yet not 
be lost forever.  You will know where to find it when you finish 
this letter.  I beg you, find it.  Take it to the Dragon.  I know that 
he too will be reborn one day.  Some of the items may aid him in 
his battles, while others...I have no more time.  I hear the drums 
beating.  My doom is coming.  Pray that you never must match 
wits with one of the Forsaken.  Pray hard, my future self.  And I 
pray this will not fall into the wrong hands."  The letter was 
signed in a flowing script, 'Sherin Loys Delerini'.  

	It was his own handwriting, he suddenly realized.  He 
dropped it as an image flooded her mind, a fuzzy vision of a 
mountain.  There was a cave within the mountain, and deep within 
that, was the cache, sitting in a stasis box.  He knew the 
combination.  

	The world flickered, and suddenly, he was awake.  I did 
dream it all, he thought.  Looking over, he saw Ranko, sleeping 
peacefully and muttering something about jingle bells.  What a 
crazy dream, Ukyou thought, but the image of the mountain 
lingered in his mind.  
 
                                   *         *         *
	It was Christmas Eve.  Kaneda was nervous and didn't know 
why.  They had set up the tree and decorated it in the 'town 
square'.  Alyssa had even figured out how to make little twinkling 
perpetual lights for it.  It was beautiful in the darkness.  All the 
children of the town had put up stockings in their houses, and 
now, he and Alyssa, and Corwin, and Mai, and a few of the other 
adults were creeping around delivering presents to the houses, 
feeling quite silly in improvised Santa suits that wouldn't really 
fool anyone over age five who wasn't blind.

	I could fool Mousse, Kaneda thought.  Of course, he'd just 
mistake me for Shampoo or Ranma.  Hee slipped into little 
Alyce'shouse and put a handmade doll into her stocking.  The doll 
looked sort of like Nabiki, and sort of like Rainbo Brite and sort 
of like Scooby Doo.  Kaneda was good at the power, but he'd 
never been good at sewing, even with Alyssa helping.  She'd been 
surprised he had known anything at all about sewing.  Some jacks, 
a thimble, and some sweets went in as well.

	He tucked a few gifts into Alyce's parents' stocking as well, 
then slipped out of the house.  Alyssa emerged from the next 
house.  "I think we're done."  She smiled.  "Time for me to give 
you your present."

	Kaneda laughed and walked over to her.  "Do I get to unwrap 
it tonight or in the morning?"

	"Up to you."  They came together and kissed, slowly and 
deeply.  

	For a moment, a song about Mommy kissing Santa Claus 
burst into Kaneda's head.  He laughed and picked Alyssa up.  
"Let's go have our private party before the big one tomorrow."

      It wasn't a very long party, but it was quite enjoyable.

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

End Part 3.