The Spring Of Drowned Thief

A Fairy Tale Mixed With Horror

A day of painful training gone by for all of them. Herb joined them from time to time, but kept himself busy with what ever it was that he did. He got to know all of them pretty quickly and he approved. Late night came and an old man stopped in for a visit. It didn’t take long for every one to get acquainted with the old man, because he was a pervert. An old molesting hot head. A rather interesting reunion it was. “So remember me old man?”

“Nonsense! He died years ago and I trained his child with my martial arts style. Even if you were him, he wouldn’t be alive!”

Kyva crossed his arms at him and smiled a sinister smile. “So how’d you pull it off old man? Coming up to two hundred now aren’t ya? You’ve always had your little arcane things and I’ve always had my secrets.”

“Prove it to me then. If you are truly who you say you are, then show me that technique that I only showed you.”

Herb started pushing the two out of the room. “No one’s going to be breaking stuff in my palace! Out side and passed the walls!”

Akane followed the three out the doors and passed the walls while Kyva talked over Herb. “Fine. But be warned old man, I never was a push over and I’ve got two times the life force of any other guy out here.”

Happosia blew some smoke from his pipe and stood ready. “C’mon, I don’t have all night here. I’ve things to do and panties to raid.”

“Shut up and fight. And just so you know, I’m not doing the Hentai-ken. It’s a bullshit technique and you know it.” ‘Hentai-ken? I’ve got to see this.’ “You’re not seeing anything kiddo, just lend me some of the voodoo you do.” ‘Sure thing.’

Kyva began to glow with energy and Happosia did the same. “You’ve got quite an aura and it does feel familiar, but something’s not right. Who else is there?”

Kyva’s eyes started to glow white as his long dark coat started to serve around him. “That would be my grandson, and we’re both gonna kick your ass, so get ready.”

Happosia may have been a skirt-chasing pervert, but he was master for a reason and he knew when to take an opponent seriously. “Care to take the first move?”

“Sure.” Kyva launched himself at inhumane speeds and struck immediately with an ax-kick. He didn’t even let up there and came in with a flurry assault of punches all around Happosia.

Happosia dodged most of the hit and managed to take a step back. “My, you’re quite good, however I still don’t believe a word of your tale.”

“Want me to turn up the heat? C’mon kid! Let’s get that voodoo working double time.” ‘Sure, but I’m gonna have to take over.’ Kyva’s form shifted into Ranma’s original and the red Chinese shirt he wore almost tore off as he turned up the volume.

Ranma mumbled to himself and soon little balls of light started to surround him. Happosia watch to his joy as the grandson of someone he taught used magic in a masterful way. “Magic. Quite a feat my boy, I haven’t met too many people who could use it at your age.”

“Feel like giving up?”

“Not until you show me what you’re made of. If you are the person I think you are then you should hold the rights to my school of martial arts.”

“Your call old timer. This is for groping Kasumi you dirty old fart!” Ranma spread his arms out quickly and he started levitating right in his spot. The orbs of light surrounding him shot off towards Happosia and started laying a fiery assault upon him. Ranma moved his hands to guide the balls in every which way. Happosia couldn’t block anything and soon he was on the ground rolling to put out the flames on his back.

“Ahh! Stop! Stop!” Ranma extinguished the flames with a wave of his hand and dropped back down to earth.

Akane went over to him and gave Ranma a glare. “You didn’t have to do that you know…”

“Sure I did. He’s faking it right now.”

Happosia had tears in his eyes as he looked up at Akane. “He’s just a bully beating on an old man. He should be ashamed!”

“I wouldn’t get to close to him…” He said with a lazy air of all knowing.

“But he’s-. AHH!” Happosia took that moment to plant himself between Akane’s breasts and give a loving squeeze.

“Sweet-o!”

She punched him off and got beside Ranma. “Fire that pervert up!”

“With pleasure.”


Happosia was now laying on a bed with his head wrapped in bandage and Ranma sitting beside him on a chair. “So that’s how it is… I’m sorry you had to come back with such dire circumstances.”

Ranma’s body shrugged but it was Kyva’s voice. “Beggars can’t be choosers. You told me that remember?”

“Yes, I remember quite clearly… So two share one body… I’ve only heard rumors of this sort of thing happening before.”

“Shit happens old man. I feel kinda bad for the kid though. I screwed him up pretty good when it happened.” ‘It’s not entirely your fault. I was pretty screwed up before you came along.’

“I suppose I can’t understand fully what it is you are going through, however I will agree to help an old pupil and an old friend.”

“Not sure if there’s a whole lot you can do old man. I just needed something that I thought you might have. I wasn’t expecting you to be buried out in the middle of nowhere under some rock. I don’t suppose you still have that old perfume called Siren’s Breath, would you?”

Happosia crossed his arms and thought it out. “I can’t say I do. After I was buried, those two half wit pupils of mine took most of my stuff and probably pawned it for food.”

Kyva’s eyes rolled back for a second and Ranma’s voice came through. “Damn. I knew my old man would have done something.”

Happosia had begun to grow use to the change in voice and knew who spoke. “Ah, Ranma. Why is it you needed it? It was just a powerful sleeping drug.”

“Yeah, I know, but I need it for some personal issues.”

He crossed his arms and gave Ranma a look. “Come on, I wasn’t born yesterday you know. Tell what you really need it for.”

Ranma tapped his foot a couple times and relaxed. “To be honest, it’s for something kind of greedy. I’ve read that not only was it a powerful sleeping drug, but it kept the sweetest dreams present. I fell in love with a girl…”

Happosia smiled as he listened. “I think I see where this is going boy.”

“Look… I have so many skeletons in my closet that they haunt me ever time I try to sleep. I’ve committed things that only a monster would do. Things I could never bring myself to tell her, and because of that I can’t sleep unless I’m with her. You know that feeling don’t you? I’ve heard about you from the old guy in me.”

Happosia nodded as he agreed with Ranma. “I know that feeling all too well my boy. I was in love once, but due to my ways of life I’ve missed a lot of that feeling. Tell me boy… If I were to actually have this little bottle, what would you do with it? Would you use it only on yourself?”

“Who else would I use it on?” Ranma asked almost mockingly.

“Ranma my boy, there are always precautions to take before dealing with such an elixir. Things that you can’t find in a book. The perfume of Siren can’t be used by just anybody, you know?”

Ranma’s eyes rolled again and Kyva’s voice came out. “Look old man, I know you’ve got it stashed somewhere. The kid has got insomnia and we’ve got to keep him as far away from his girl as we can. Those guys can influence him and Jack almost did her in last night. Do this for me, as a final favor.”

Happosia bowed his head. “Ok… I’ll tell you where it is… But I’m warning you now. If misused the effects can be catastrophic. Those sweet dreams can easily turn into the most horrible nightmare. Unless you do as I tell you, you cannot use it.”

‘Nice lie.’ “Thanks.”


Hours later Ranma sat on his bed alone in the dark with an empty chair across from him. He whispered softy to himself. “Ok, we’ve got the Phoenix crest, the Pendant of Dragons, and Siren’s Whisper. We’ve got every thing we need.”

Inside Ranma’s mind Kyva was pacing. “About time. We can finally split. Think we’ll still have the psychic contact?”

“Yeah, we should, I think, but at least we get our own bodies.”

“This is true. I still feel bad about the old man though. I didn’t want to lie to him.”

“It’s easier this way.”

“I know. Let’s get started shall we?”

Ranma laid the objects out on the chair in front of him and spoke softly. Through his words a glow came upon his hands an emitted a gentle light that just barely lit the room in light blue. A slight gust came through the room and Ranma’s body seemed to start pulling away from itself and into the chair in front of him. The figure in the chair started to become solid and after a few more words Kyva sat in front of Ranma with his eyes closed. The light died down and the two sat in the dark. Then the deep voice of Kyva came. “Hmm. Clothes would have been great.”

“I am so glad I can’t see you right now…”

“As am I kid. Well, I’m gonna save every one the shock and just sleep on the roof tonight. I’ll grab me some clothes before you see me tomorrow morning. I’ll leave Siren’s Whisper here for ya to deal with. Good night kid.”

“Thanks.” ‘Can ya hear me?’ “Yup. Good night old guy.”

When Kyva left Ranma stood up with a half smile on his face and a bottle of perfume in his hand. He found a corner of the room behind his bed and sat down with his back to the wall and looking out the window. He held the bottle tight, but that all he did with it, and just stared out the window. ‘You’re gonna go nuts if you don’t take some kid.’ “Mind your own goddamn business. I’m not risking it again.” ‘How about I just stay up tonight? I’ll make sure nothing happens, okay? No Jack, no Marry, no Russian, and no Aces. You weren’t nearly as crabby today and a hell of a lot more focused.’

Ranma rolled it around in his head for a bit and eventually held the bottle close to his face. “If I wake up and they’re dead, I’m coming for you first old man.” ‘Who else would there be?’ “Please don’t say that…” ‘Bad joke. If you’re really feeling that scared, how about spending the night with your boyfriend?’

Ranma’s eye twitched and the bottle was moved from his face. “I sense sarcasm…” ‘I never said I was happy with your life choices.’ “You’re one to talk…”

Kyva was on his back lying on the roof with a new pair of pants on, and with a sour look on his face. “Cheeky little bastard… Look as much as I don’t like it, the suggestion was kinda true. He’s a tough guy, a bit of a light sleeper, if anything were wrong and I didn’t catch it first then he would. This way you’re away from Akane, still close to someone you like, and under generally safe circumstances.” ‘If I go will you shut up?’ “Yes.” ‘Ok.’ Ranma got up and walked out of his room with a small bottle still in his hand.


Ranma walked down the empty hallway towards Ryouga’s room. His head hurt a little from the spell, but he shook it off as he walked. After a few more moment he started feeling weak, and missed a step in his pace. Soon he started feeling cold and went down to his knees. He finally realized that the spell had nothing to do with his sudden fatigue. He started breathing heavily as he tried to fight off urges he wanted gone. He broke out into a cold sweat and started to open a small rift in space with his hands. ‘I can’t stop ya anymore kid. I can’t take over your body any more. You’re on your own now.’ “No… Just help me one more time… I don’t want to go back to the way I was…” ‘If that’s true then why are you reaching for it? Just let em’ go.’ Ranma started pulling his hand out of the rift and his body trembled. “It’s harder then that… It’s starts so subtle, and then the urge just erupts…” ‘Well if you really want to jam a needle into yourself that badly then be my guest, but just remember what’s going to happen. You’re going to endanger them, yourself, and as I’ve noticed you tend to puke every time after you get stuck with a needle. All I’m seeing are negatives right now. Escaping reality isn’t worth it.’

Ranma closed the small rift and held his fist tightly. “You know that’s a load of crap…” ‘Yeah, I guess so, but still. You bitched at me when I smoked, but morphine and heroine are just fine and dandy? You’ve gotta practice what you preach.’ “I hate it when you’re right…”

Ranma lifted himself off the ground and kept going towards Ryouga’s room. “Just have to sleep… And I’ll be fine…” ‘Well move your ass then.’ Ranma picked up the step and got to Ryouga’s door.

Instinct made him look down to see light and he saw it, so he knocked lightly three times. He heard Ryouga stepping towards the door and then it opened. Ryouga took a look at Ranma and said, “Hey… You look… uhh… What’s wrong?”

Ranma made his best effort to not say something stupid. “Just a bad thought, that’s all… Listen… Can I spend the night in here? I just need someone else in a room with me. And his snoring is keeping me awake.”

“He can snore…?”

“We just figured out how to split apart. We’re kind of enjoying the freedom right now.”

“Oh… Uhh…Sure you can come in.”

“Thanks.”


Ryouga sat at a desk writing in a little journal as Ranma leaned against the wall in a corner again. “You keep a diary?”

“Umm, more like a listings of where I’ve been and what it looks likes. It helps a little bit with traveling.” Ryouga twiddled around in his book a little more when Ranma finally broke the silence.

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on sleeping in the same bed with you looking like this.”

Ryouga stopped abruptly and froze. “Huh?”

“You’re trying to figure out how to offer me the bed without feeling uncomfortable.”

“H-how did you know…?”

“Your pen isn’t even touching the paper.”

“Oh…”

“As strange as it may be I’m not here for funny business. I’m actually looking for a full night sleep. I got one yesterday for the first time in about a month and I want another.”

“I’m sorry.”

Ranma got confused with the response and had to ask. “For what?”

Ryouga scratched his head and tried o word it out. “I guess it shouldn’t bother me what you look like. I get confused sometimes and it takes me a while to make sense of things.”

“I wasn’t trying to guilt trip you. I was just telling you not to worry.”

Ryouga closed his book and rubbed his head. “Yeah, I know, but it still shouldn’t bother me…”

“You’re too hard on yourself. You’re just acting normal that’s all. I do have a habit of complicating things.”

“That’s not you fault though…”

Ranma shrugged. “Well it isn’t yours either. Look I came in here because I need your help. I going to be honest here, so please listen.”

“O-ok.”

“I found out that I can’t sleep unless I’m with either you or Akane. It’s messed up I know, but as soon as I found that out I also found out that I have sort of a weakness in my sleep, I knew right away that I can’t be with either of you without one of you being in danger.”

“I don’t get it.”

Ranma went quiet for a few seconds as a built up the courage to spill the beans. “Last night I almost killed Akane…”

“What!?”

“Jack got to me and made me move against my will last night. I can feel it when I’m awake, now that it’s happened, but now… I can’t do anything about it when I’m asleep. Tonight I’m going to take a sleeping drug, it’s pretty much going to paralyze my entire body for close to nine hours, but just in case it fails, I need some one to snap me out of it if I go crazy. It doesn’t take much, just a quick shout or a punch and I’ll be back, but I need someone to be there.”

Ok… But if you go… crazy, then how will I know?”

“I’ll be moving.” Ranma held up the bottle for Ryouga to see. “This stuff will knock me out cold and all my muscles will go limp. The only way I’ll be able to move is if some one else does it for me. Can you help me?”

“Of course.”


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(Authors Note: I guess when I get a big ‘Fuck You’ from the bottom of someone’s heart, it means I’ve screwed up. Maybe it’s too late to keep working on this story. Hell, it’s been over a year since I’ve updated it. For what it’s worth I apologize. I just wanted to become a better writer before I went on any further with this one and in that I became fixated on my GTA: Nerima fic. Also I believed that no one read this one anymore so I just let it collect dust. I’ll start making this one regular again and all chapters after this one are going to be written with hopefully more of a flow to them. I think I’ve grown in my writing since the last update so maybe the next chapter will seem more mature. This is the half-chapter I never got around to releasing, so hopefully you still remember the story. Again, I’m sorry I let you down.)