Waters Under Earth

Waters Under Earth

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Alan Harnum 
-harnums@thekeep.org
-harnums@hotmail.com (old/backup)

All Ranma characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, first
published by Shogakukan in Japan and brought over to North
America by Viz Communications.

Waters Under Earth at Transpacific Fanfiction:  
http://www.humbug.org.au/~wendigo/transp.html
http://users.ev1.net/~adina/shrines2/fanfics.html

Vignette One : The Raven and the Dragon

     The pig-tailed boy slumped forward and lay on his side on
the ground before the vast underground lake, shining silver in
the light the dragon had made when she came.  Behind him, the
dark-haired woman in the green robes was already asleep, as was
the white-haired one with the wings.

     The dragon turned her liquid, luminous green eyes upwards in
a half-successful attempt to look at the raven now perching atop
her head, nestled slightly within the silver mane streaming from
between her curved ivory horns as if it were a nest.

     (It has been too long since I was truly awake), she said
softly in her true voice to the raven.

     (It was necessary,) the raven said in his true voice.  (It
was a part of the price paid.)

     (I was a monster,) said the dragon.  (Time and time again
the heroes came to slay me.  Time and time again I devoured them,
and time and time again they slew me.  Yet I came to live again,
and those I slew did not.)

     (Sometimes the best place for the light to hide is in the
dark,) the raven said.  (And sometimes the best place for the
dark to hide is within the light.)

     (We learned that too well,) the dragon lamented.  

     (Too well,) the raven agreed.

     (I slew many,) the dragon said.  (There is blood on my
hands.)

     (But many you saved,) the raven interjected.  (Your waters
cured wounds temporarily by themselves.  Those who had the
knowledge used them to make powerful magics.  And the moss that
grew upon your body healed all wounds short of death.  Rest
assured the balance was maintained.)

     (I was a sword with two edges,) the dragon said.

     (All things are, I think,) said the raven.  (To some
degree.)

     Together, the two turned their eyes, shining green and
depthless black, upon the three mortal beings upon the rocky
shores of the lake.

     (Such potential,) said the dragon.

     (Because you gave it to them,) said the raven.

     (It was hard,) the dragon said.  (But I could not allow it
to go further.)

     (The first stone always has to bear the most weight,) said
the raven.

     (But it is the ones atop it that bear the brunt of blows,)
the dragon said sadly.

     (So long a time,) the raven said, an ancient memory of
sorrow in his voice.  (So many shadows, so many masks, so many
guises.)

     (This one has been waiting so long,) said the dragon.

     (A seed of vengeance planted in the world's infancy,) said
the raven.  (To blossom and bear bitter fruit down through the
ages.  The roots become tangled and seem separate, but at their
centre that first terrible planting.)

     (I shall take them down now,) the dragon said, looking down
upon the three who slept upon her shores.

     (And I have messages to bear,) said the raven.

     (Fly safe and true, thought,) said the dragon.

     (Forever may your waters flow, my lady,) said the raven.

     And then they took their leave of each other.