"Begging the royal pardon," said one of the knights, "why isn't the Queen of the Sidhe here?"
"She seeks the solution to thine request," answered Endymion. "Know ye that it is not an easy boon to grant else it would already have been done."
"The UnSidhe seek to walk the Earth again, milord. The magic that allows them to withstand the touch of cold iron is now within your grasp."
"I know this, Knight Pluto," said a slightly testy Endymion. "Know this, that I can indeed stretch that supply of magic and send you all across to the Mortal Plane - but you would last less than a day before your fae natures would snap you back to our prison here."
The knights stirred at that, uncomfortable with the term for all its accuracy.
"Myself and thy Queen would not be able to take direct part, this magic would be insufficient for either of us," said Endymion. "Yet the Queen did see a method to lengthen thy stay. Indeed, perhaps indefinitely. And grant another boon that has been asked of Us."
"What is that, milord?" asked Knight Venus.
"The answer lies in symbolism and contagion and it is your boon that lies at the heart of it," answered Endymion. "The two major principals of magic, and of how to accomplish this necessary thing. Behold." An image globe lit up.
"A human? Male, mid adolescence?" Venus licked her lips. "Mine?"
"Possibly. He is travelling through China on a training journey. The closer he is to you, the more you will be able to remain in his world. We have checked and his fate is tangled within the threads of all of you. Using this, you will be able to escape this dimensional prison for longer periods. Win his heart, perhaps being his friend will be enough, and you will at last be free." Endymion nodded at the group. "The Queen be using the Spell Of Invaded Dreams to smooth your way. Twill not be easy, however."
"The stories and legends of his world will not paint a flattering picture of us," acknowledged Uranus Knight.
"Truth," said Endymion. "Neptune, thy question?"
"What 'boon' didst Venus seek?" Neptune asked.
"Our prison is a pocket plane a half-day's travel across. We are all that remain. Need ye to ask?" Endymion leaned back. "Venus seeks a male mate, a lover. This boy may well fit the task. Though this was also requested of Us by Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, and Moon."
"Wow," said Mars.
"Remember though that when you face the UnSidhe remember that not all of them follow that path of their own will. Go now, ride the borders, and await the summons."
Ranma dreamt that night, his first night in China on his way to some training ground his father wanted to visit, of a girl with a kind smile. An unusual dream for him as this was hardly the nightmare he usually faced.
Even more surprising, when he woke, his bedroll was shared by a warm body who smiled at him. It was:
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(Posted Thu, 22 Jan 2004 13:36)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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