'Heart Of The Dragon'
                                           A Ranma ½  Kenshin Crossover
                                              Chap (1)

A small group of travelers crested the last ridge to stand over looking a valley dotted with many springs large and small. With one or more bamboo poles sticking out of the center of each, standing up strait like silent sentinels in the gloom.

"I can't believe we're lost AGAIN Kenshin!" Sanoske complained  for what must have been the fifth time in the last hour. Looking up at the descending sun he squinted his eyes gazing at the last golden rays disappearing behind the distant mountains.
"And it's getting dark..." Karou added waking up behind the two men. Her kimono rippling in the evening breeze.

Kenshin sighed as he brushed his wild bangs out of his eyes where they had been blown by a playful wind. "That's a true statement Karou-Dono, that it is. It seems we may be camping hear tonight indeed it does." Kenshin looked back over his shoulder and smiled at his companions, his lavender eyes seeming to glow in the dieing light.

"Aw...Man!" Yahiko wined from the back of the party "And I was hoping to be sleeping in a nice Inn tonight...looks like another dirt bed! Who's great idea was it to come to China again?" Yahiko scratched the back of his head with one hand and looked around with a board expression.

Karou fumed, her Blue eyes narrowing in anger. She grabbed Yahiko by the collar of his shirt "NOW YOU LISTEN HERE YAHIKO!" She shouted at the young boy " I won this trip FREE!"
Little stars and flowers appear around her as she gets a dreamy look " A free trip to the scenic Chinese countryside..."
Karou snaps out of her dream world and gives Yahiko another good shake " I don't HAVE to take you along you know! I JUST DECIDED TO BE GENOROIUS SO STOP BEING SUCH AN UNGREATFULL BRAT!"
Yahiko glared at Karou "WHO WOULD WANT' TA THANK SUCH AN UGLY OLD HAG LIKE YOU?" Yahiko put on his best sneer knowing that the comment would get a great reaction out of his teacher. Karou's eyes narrowed ever farther as her face turned an angry shade of red.
The air crackled around the two combatants as impending doom started to descend. Kenshin quickly separated the two waving his hands back and forth " Ma ma, You two! Lets just set up camp and settle down for dinner."  With a big grin on his face Kenshin gently removed Karou's fingers from Yahiko's shirt and moved Yahiko a few feet away.
( It's going to be a LOOOOOOONNGGG night) He thought shaking his head ruefully.
 
Karou smiled at Kenshin  "That's a great idea Kenshin, I'll go start dinner while you guy set up camp!"

All of the men collectively swettdroped as Panicked looks begin to cross their faces.

 Sanoske looked like he was choking . It was bad enough that he was stuck out here in the middle of nowhere,  for yet ANOTHER night after wandering around all day in the summer heat! There was NO way that he was going to sit down and eat Karou's cooking on top of all that! NO WAY! He loved Jo-Chan dearly but her cooking was damn near toxic!

"Er...Karou...maybe you should let Kenshin do the cooking tonight!....Um I mean you must be tired  after walking around all day...Heh heh heh" Sanoske splurged out desperately. He put one hand behind his head nervously and tried to look as sincere as possible hoping she would buy it.

Karou gave the bigger man a deceptively sweet smile "That's very sweet of you Sanoske, worrying about me and all! But it's no problem really I want to cook!" 
Yahiko folded his arms across his chest hotly "Well there's NO WAY I am going to EAT anything YOU cook KAROU! I want to LIVE to see that SENIC Chinese resort!"
Yahiko laughed at his  own joke only to be cut of suddenly by Karou's FIST pounding in the top of his skull. 

Glaring back and forth between the two men she growled "So THATS what you really think hu! Well then you can just starve!......At lest KENSHIN likes my cooking, don't you Kenshin?" Karou looked expectantly at the short redhead.
"Erm...You have gotten allot better with your cooking Karou-Dono..that you have. But perhaps I SHOULD cook dinner just this once....I OROOOOOOO! Kenshin stopped suddenly as Karou's Suitcase was forcibly planed into his face at am incredible speed. 

Kenshin saw the blow coming  and felt all of his muscles tense in reaction to the attack. He forcibly pushed the reaction to retaliate that the many years as the Battosi had made second nature to him and used all his self-control to do NOTHING. Turning his head slightly to avoid a possible broken nose Kenshin allowed the bag to hit him square on. Thus sending him flying through the air and over the ledge into the valley bellow. His last coherent thought was that Karou hit him allot harder that he though she could!

"OH MY GOSH KENSHIN!" Karou screamed panicked as she watched Kenshin's form disappear into the valley bellow. Running to the ledge she bent down in the dirt headless of her Kimono and searched for any sign of the Rorouni.

"Come on we've got to see if he's ok!" Yahiko shouted and started down the side of the ridge followed closely behind by sano and Karou. They made good time to the bottom avoiding the many rocks half hidden on the steep winding path. The three of the skidded to a stop at the bottom as they reached the edge of the valley. The three looked around their eyes scanning  for kenshin's form in the fading light of the sunset.

"I don't see him!" Karou said with an edge of panic in her voice. ( What If I really hurt him what if he was k..ki...) No she mustn't think like that shaking her head wildly she looked franticly around the valley running recklessly past one spring to the other.

" Karou! Watch where you're going!" Sanoske shouted after he fleeing form. Looking around the valley Sano's eye widened as he remembered something he as heard about a valley like this in China...he thinks it was called.....Jusakio...and if this WAS Jusakio than that means!......
 " KAROU be careful don't get any of the water from the springs on you!" Sanoske ran after her doing his best to avoid the many springs that dotted the valley.


Karou looked around with despar..she couldn't find him ANYWERE! Just as she was about to give up hope she spotted a form floating face first  in one of the smaller springs...red hair floating around his still form  gently swaying on the waters surface.
"KKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSSSSHIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNN!"