Sword and Sorcery
Prologue

by D.Fire
phongb9@idt.net

	Ten Years Ago.

	A young girl and a young boy, both about age six,
sit, leaning against the opposite sides of a 10-foot-wide
tree trunk.  Both are initially unconscious, but the boy
begins to stir.  The boy wears a brown and yellow outfit. 
He has a rough-cut haircut and sports a yellow bandanna
dotted with black across his brow.  Groaning a bit, he
brings himself to full wakefulness.

	"<Groan> Itai ... what the heck happened?  Where am
I?" he asks, but he really doesn't expect an answer. 
After another moment or two of disorientation, he finally
glances around.  "This doesn't look like Japan."  As soon
a he asks the question aloud, a frown crosses his face. 
"Japan?  What's that?"

	Using a long-ingrained habit, he shouts, "Ranma, this
is all your fault!"  Just as quickly, he answers himself
with a "Who's Ranma?"  Sitting back down, he takes a
moment to ponder.  "Who am I for that matter?"

	Getting once more to his feet, Ryouga Hibiki, eternal
lost boy, stumbles into the forest, getting promptly lost.

	Five minutes later, an old man strides into the
forest clearing surrounding the humongous tree.  Quickly
circling the old tree, he spots the girl leaning against
the trunk, still unconscious.  Walking up to her, he bends
down and gives her a cursory once-over.  The girl has red
hair in a tightly-wound pigtail style.  She wears black
pants and has on a red, Chinese-style shirt.  Other than
being asleep, the old man can find nothing wrong with her.
He lifts the cherubic figure into his arms.

	Going once more around the tree, he mutters, "I could
have sworn the prophecy spoke of two of you.  Where's the
other one?"  Shrugging, he continues, "Oh well, maybe I
misread it."

	Turning back from whence he came, he walks out of the
clearing.