Eternal Sleep

-Chiba Hiro

(I do not own Ranma ½, or any of its content. It all belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.)

… … …

Chapter 1: An Eternal Deep Sleep

'Flying…'

"Ranma…"

'My body feels like it's growing heavier…'

"Ranma!"

'Why do I feel like I'm moving fast, but the world seems to move slowly around me?'

'How did I get here?'

"Ranma!"

The voice seemed to pierce through her foggy mind. She looked down, and saw the one thing she could not bear to leave behind, Akane Tendo. Her name was Ranma Saotome, and she is the heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and she was actually a 'he.' Currently, she's stuck as is, but she was feeling too tired and heavy to even care.

Time seemed to go by slowly, and Ranma barely registered the fact that she was free falling. How did she get there?

'Right, now I remember…'

-Flashback-

Ranma was standing on one side of Jusendo Valley, facing the leader of the Phoenix tribe, Saffron, on the other. 'He' was currently locked in his cursed form, but 'he' was still good enough to hold Saffron back. The battle had been waging for the longest time, and neither would give up at this point.

Both fighters locked eyes with each other. Their battle auras erupted from within their weakened cores. Their energies locked with each other, and intertwined into a brightly colored twister.

Before they knew it, time stood still for them and they leapt off the ledges to launch their final blows. Ranma prepared a powerful aura punch, but Saffron, however, had other plans at the moment. His hand glowed with an energy that Ranma wasn't familiar with. In fact, it was the first time she saw such energy in a ball of ki. What is that? It can't be ki!

When the two met, Ranma released the aura punch, but that gave the opportunity for Saffron to move out of the way slightly. Then something interesting happened; Saffron reached Ranma, and stopped his arm before Ranma's chest. Saffron released whatever energy he held, and both fighters were immersed in its light.

Before Ranma could react, however, Saffron kicked Ranma square in the chest, and sent her traveling a good five hundred meters in the opposite direction (A/N: Think of Sora from Kingdom Hearts when he flew through the sky backwards.), and afterwards, Saffron fell into the ravine below.

Ranma struggled with trying to disperse whatever spell Saffron placed on her, but she found it extremely hard. Not only was she falling fast, but she was also getting weaker the longer she spent trying to fight it. Before he knew it, his memory faded fast, and his vision started blacking out.

'What is this? It feels like I'm getting weaker, and really tired for some reason…I didn't fatigue that fast, did I?'

-End of Flashback-

'Flying like this, it almost feels comforting…'

'I feel like anything is possible, and I just wanna keep going like this forever…'

'Almost as if I'm…falling into a dream…a big dream…'

"Ranma!"

That snapped her thoughts back to reality, she turned her head toward the speaker, and there she was, Akane and company. They were practically racing toward her flying form, desperate to catch her before she crashed into something.

'She's still alive…thank goodness.'

Ranma could no longer fight it, and she fought her growing fatigue until the very end, it was a valiant effort. That was when she closed her eyes, and let gravity take effect. The darkness claimed her whole, and she fell into it, never to get back into the light.

"Ranma!" they all shouted at the same time.

Ryoga and Mousse were the fastest ones, and they launched themselves out to the redheaded pigtailed girl flying at them. They didn't know that if someone flies at 35 mph for five hundred meters toward you, you could get killed, but not these two, they didn't even know the first meaning of the phrase 'too painful, even in death'.

They caught Ranma's limp form, and slid a few meters backwards because she flew from a great height and distance. When they finally stopped, they lowered Ranma's body to the ground. Everyone was so relieved to see Ranma back alive, but they failed to notice her lack of response for few minutes.

"Hey, we were so worried about you, idiot! What were you thinking, going to Saffron by yourself?" Ukyo was the first to lecture her.

No response.

"Boy, you had us worried, but we're glad you're safe from harm!" Genma exclaimed, and he embraced Soun Tendo, his companion. No response again.

"I hate you for making us worry! Especially Akane!" Ryoga exclaimed. Nothing.

"You dare make Shampoo worry! You bastard!" Mousse accused, talking to a boulder instead of Ranma. Still, she made no response.

"Ah! Airen safe! Shampoo very worried!" Shampoo commented. Nothing again.

"Alright, Ranma, are you just gonna lay there! Wake up for Perry's sake! You have some nerve to…" Akane started.

"Wait!" Cologne interrupted. "Something strange is going on. Look, don't you all find it strange that Ranma was flying backwards at that speed?"

"So what? Maybe he decided to make a flashy entrance? Although, the flying backwards part was a bit much." Akane suggested.

Cologne pressed a hand to Ranma's forehead, and closed her unusually big eyes to concentrate. Strange, there are traces of her energy, but there's something else…Cologne thought. Just then, Cologne's eyes snapped open in shock! Could it be!

"The 'thousand year phoenix chi' has left its mark around Ranma's body!" Cologne shouted out. "And, this spell…it's 'that' spell!"

"Hey! Do you mind explaining all this! Why did you say 'thousand year phoenix chi'?" Akane asked.

"I have not seen, nor felt such energy before, but I definitely know it's that very same chi and spell." Cologne observed.

"You keep saying 'that spell', but what is 'the spell'?" Akane growled.

"The 'Eternal Sleep' spell…" Cologne nearly whispered it out, as if the words held venom in it.

"Eternal Sleep spell?" Everyone repeated.

"Must I always explain these things to you people? The name says it all. Eternal Sleep means eternal sleep." Cologne sighed.

"Let me simplify it; the 'Eternal Sleep' spell is a strong spell that sends its victim into a state of eternal slumber. Simply put, the victim falls into a deep sleep that he or she cannot reawaken from…until the Spellcaster releases it. Ranma has fallen victim to this spell. It's true horrors have not been revealed until now."

"Oh! You mean the spell is like Snow White? Or Sleeping Beauty?" Akane suggested.

"Yes, like Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty." Cologne confirmed.

"Then, that means you have to kiss Ranma to wake him up, right?" Ryoga asked.

"Then we will not offer anyone to kiss him, then." Mousse said, shuddering at the thought of Shampoo (and Akane) kissing their hated rival!

"Except that kissing is not a necessity. This is where it gets complicated, when you place the 'Eternal Sleep' spell upon a victim, they fall into a state of deep sleep, possibly for eternity, but that's where the caster comes in. The caster is the only one who can revive the victim. I think this is the work of Saffron!" Cologne explained, cue dramatic lightning effect.

"Then, what are we waiting for? Let's find Saffron and make him undo the spell!" Akane said.

"That is impossible." Cologne said.

"Why not?" they all asked at the exact same time.

"Ranma needs to be woken up as fast as possible! He cannot be sleeping when he marries Akane and inherits the dojo!" Genma exclaimed, Soun nodded in agreement.

"There's a problem, however. Saffron is no longer alive." Cologne said. "I sensed his energy disappearing. His energy is almost as vast as Ranma's, and I sensed it dissipating, meaning his passing."

"If he's dead, then what are we going to do about it?" Genma asked.

"I have an idea. Ryoga, Mousse, take Ranma with you. We need regroup, and meet elsewhere. There is something I must tell you." Cologne announced.

"But, why can't we do it here?" Ryoga asked.

"Do you honestly like the idea of staying in total darkness as we discuss Ranma's circumstances?"

Ryoga stared at the dimming sky, and understood what Cologne was trying to get at. He looked back at her, realization in his eyes. They could never get things done in the dark, and if someone were to spy on you, you'd never hear the end of it. It's as they say, 'it's better to be safe than sorry.'

"Uh, no." Ryoga answered.

… … …

Cologne picked a cabin that had been previously used somewhere in the mountains to discuss their predicament. They huddled around in a circle, waiting for Cologne to start explaining things.

"First or all, it is a matter of who cast the spell. Saffron cast this spell, but it has a unique energy signature. It certainly is not energy that humans can use. It reeks of ancient phoenix chi, and by the looks of it, Saffron probably had to use what was left of his energy to do it!" Cologne explained.

"But, the question is, what are we going to do?" Akane asked.

"Under normal circumstances, we can find the Spellcaster and demand him to waken Ranma, but Saffron used a strange energy, and now that he's dead, we can only search for a powerful cure." Cologne answered.

"Do we have any leads at all?" Ukyo asked.

"Yes, legend states that The Temple of Origins' power can reawaken the eternal sleeper. The power hidden in its walls can nullify the energy around Ranma, and wake him up." Cologne speculated.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Ukyo decided.

"Hold on. I said it was only a legend." Cologne said.

Ukyo hung her head low, ashamed at believing in something that might reawaken Ranma, if it exists.

"However, we have evidence that states otherwise. There is a path to the Temple of Origins, and no one has set foot in it since it was first built. I thought it to be legend only, but the altar of that temple still remains."

"Where?"

"In the Middle Kingdom of China. I know that it was said to have been built there." Cologne answered.

They were relieved to hear that there was hope for Ranma still. They only learned about the spell now, but things are about to take a drastic change for the worse. Cologne was the one that had to change things for them.

"However, if we do not find the temple, and reawaken him on time, then he will surely die." Cologne warned, pointing to Ranma's still form. "He has, at the most, a week-and-a-half before he 'croaks'. Better make your peace in that time."

'Gasp!'

… … …

A/N: Hey everyone! Merry Christmas! I decided to start another story for Ranma in order to boost my ratings. Also, I do not own any reference to Kingdom Hearts, if I happen to mention it in here! So, here's my gift to you, a new story! Hope you guys enjoy it! I will post more chapters soon enough! So please rate, comment, and review! Thanks!