The Narrow Road
Chapter One
"Akane... why are you crying?" Ranma asked. The picture of her crying filled his mind.
"If I don't change back to a man and go back..."
"I have to go back..." Ranma realized. And she stood once again to face the dragonic fighter formally known as Herb.
Herb was most definantly surprised that this man-turned-woman had managed to rise to his feet yet again.
"You don't know when to quit..." He sighed.
"There must be something... some technique that can defeat you..." Ranma stated as she readied herself for his next attack.
"I see your mouth won't quit either..." Herb smirked. "This has gone on long enough!"
A massive ball of ki was launched at Ranma.
"Damnit, I can't block this one." Ranma muttered as the blast flew closer. She set her feet and hoped it wouldn't be as strong as it seemed.
It seemed to come in slow motion. It was even stronger then she had anticipated. Her senses went dry at the raw power contained within the ball that was now an inch from colliding with her.
And when it finally hit, she flew through the air backwards and was imbedded inside an enourmous rock, only to fall out and land in a crumpled heap on the dirt.
"Damn..." She thought as her vision began to fade. Her distorted view of the dirt and grime she was covered in gave her the feeling that she would not win this fight.
"Ranma!" Came the cry. It sounded far off but she could make out the distant figure of Ryoga.
"Ranma catch!" Ryoga cried.
Ranma saw the Open Water Kettle as it flew through the air. With renewed vigor she stood yet again. "Ryoga! Mousse!" She cried. 'They changed back!'
She saw the kettle as it sailed toward her. She soon realized that it was an over throw and she ran as fast as she could to intercept it.
"I got it!" She cried as she dived.
"I won't let you!" Came another cry from her almost forgotten opponent.
Caught in mid dive, she saw all to late that the blast was aimed, not for her, but for the kettle itself.
The kettle burst into thousands of tiny pieces and disintegrated before her eyes.
Time seemed to stop as her hopes of returning to her masculine state were destroyed. She stared at the remains as they fell into her open hands.
She landed and fell to her knees, staring at the specs of tiny rock that soiled her palms.
"No..." She whispered.
She clenched her fists together, crushing the remaining specs into nothing more than atoms.
"No..." She muttered again. Tears came to her eyes once again. "No... Akane..."
Behind her Ryoga and Mousse had engaged her opponent, and were losing horribly. They ended imbedded in the same rock that she herself had been thrown into.
"You are all going to die for this. You have annoyed me for the last time!" He cried. He fired yet another devastating, Ryu Sei Hisho.
As it neared Ryoga and Mousse they braced themselves for the ki blast that would take both their lives. When suddenly a figured appeared between the blast and themselves.
The blast instantly disapated.
"My Ryu Sei Hisho!" Thought Herb. "She destroyed it with her aura alone!"
An enourmous aura of a mixture of hatred and depression surged around Ranma. The wind picked up and began to swirl around the girl, who stood in front of Ryoga and Mousse, hovering a few inches above the ground. The clouds grew dark and lightning flashed all across the sky.
"Herb, Dragon Prince of the Musk tribe of China." Ranma stated clearly, her head lowered, hair covering her eyes. "You are the first person I have ever used an aura of hatred against. You have stripped me of everything I hold dear... I can never love my fiancee the way a man should, now... "
"I will not hold back." Ranma finished, hair still hung over her eyes.
She faded from view.
"Can you find me? Herb?" her voice echoed everywhere. The thunder struck only after she spoke.
"What is...? What is this?" Herb thought.
Suddenly from behind him came a sound. It was a technique title.
"Hiryuu Unari." Came the name. And along with it came an enourmous ki blast. The mixture of red hatred and green depression pummeled Herb into and through the mountain itself. He flew onward into the ground on the opposite side of the mountain.
"This... is... insane..." Herb thought as he was smashed between the rock of the inner mountain and the ki blast, whos power would not dissapate. Then he exited the opposite side of the mountain and slammed into the ground below.
Ranma hovered above his crater. Her face was still covered in the shadow of her hair. She reached into the crater and picked the prince up by his neck.
She hovered higher until his feet could no longer touch the ground.
"Why?" She cried.
Herb stood slowly and readied himself. Perhaps this girl had more to dish out then he expected.
"WHY!" She cried again.
She charge him hoping to catch him off guard but it failed. He dodged her punches a few times before she got angry and threw a simple grab, catching the clothing on his chest. She found it to be increadibly strong and easy to grip.
With that she threw him bodily into the mountain once again. And once agian he slammed through it appearing on the other side.
Having made it to the other side of the mountain, Herb continued flying untill he crash landed against another rock. Seconds later he felt a brutal uppercut from Ranma, who once again had managed to move fast enough that it seemed like she could teleport.
"WHY DAMN YOU! WHY?" Ranma cried again, finally revealing her tear covered eyes.
Herb landed on top of the mountain near where Ranma had first shot her ki blast.
She began to beat his unmoving body mercilessly. She didn't stop until she was certain he wasn't going to move.
"To die at the hands of one so powerful... honor will be with me, the last of the Musk tribe... Ranma... you will bear the burden of it's power now..." Herb thought. As he slipped into unconciousness he pulled a small circular jewel from his pocket and held it firmly in his hand.
Ranma hovered above Herb again.
"I.. win..." Ranma stated.
With her victory claimed, the aura of hatred that had provided so much power and speed died, and she feinted.
She awoke some time later, though how long exactly she was not sure, held by a pair of strong arms. Her body ached with pain but it wasn't quite as much as she had expected. The worst pain came from the front of her body in general, where Herb's Ryu Sei Hisho had exploded against her.
"I'm sorry, Ranma." Was the first thing she heard. "If.. if only we'd arrived sooner..."
She was covered in bandages on her forhead, and arms. Her neck had a large x bandages across it and her entire torso and chest was strapped. Ryoga had been holding her, finishing wrapping the last bandage around her left shoulder. She didn't know how he had managed to wrap her breasts but she knew Ryoga was the last person who would want to take advantage of her.
"Ryoga... Thanks... for trying." Ranma replied. She began to rise. She winced a little and tried to shrug off the pain and stand anyway but Ryoga held her head onto the pillow she lay on. It was mousse's.
She simply lay for a moment, looking out at the sunlit sky from the inside of the enourmous tent.
"How long... have I been out?" She asked, never moving her head.
"Two days." Ryoga replied.
"And we are still here near Horaisan?" Ranma asked.
"Yeah..." Ryoga replied. "We weren't sure if you would... you know. Want to.. uh.. go home."
"Home..." Ranma replied. "No... I need find a way... a way to turn back into a man. I have to find a way... I... I.."
Her eyes started to well up with all the pressure and pain she had gone through. Once again... cursed to live with this unwanted body... For the first time since Ranma was six, she let herself cry.
Ryoga embraced her, having no other idea of what to do.
He knew Ranma was a man... But... She seemed so vulnerable to him. Nothing like the Ranma he knew. He had no idea what to do... so he simply held her, the same way he would hold a girl, were she crying. She wasn't loud and the worst thing she did was snivel on his shoulder.
Besides... Ryoga knew he himself had cried before. Why should Ranma not be allowed to?
Suddenly she flew back from him.
"Sniff Never... ever sniff tell anyone! Sniff About that..!" She demanded, while wiping her red eyes.
Ryoga thought of all the blackmail he could commit. All the torture he could inflict upon his most hated rival... and then he rememberd something.
"Mousse Ryoga... Go on, you change back! The two of you have to return to being men...!" Even when they had knocked her out and planned on leaving her to rot in her girl form and to fight Herb alone, simply taking the ladle. Even after their betrayal, Ranma still fought on their behalf, for their cure... How could he blackmail someone so selfless? How could he even still call Ranma an enemy anymore?"
"Ranma... on my honor as a martial artist. I swear I won't tell." Ryoga promised.
Ranma sniffed again... ".. Thanks.. sniff"
She cleared hers eyes quickly but they were still red and they were definantly blood shot.
"Ryoga... what happened to Herb?" She asked.
"Herb.. Herb is dead Ranma. When I looked at him... I found this in his hand." He replied holding up a tiny pale jewel. "Here.. you can have it."
"A Jewel?" She asked. She took it and pocketed it, uncaring of it's beauty. She had more important things to worry about.
"He's... dead?" Ranma asked.
"Yeah... he was crushed... you were... you were increadible Ranma." Ryoga replied.
"Increadible... INCREADIBLE! I KILLED SOMEONE! I "LOST CONTROL" and KILLED SOMEONE! How is that increadible? I can't even call myself a martial artist anymore! What if.. what if I lose it again? What if it becomes a habit? If I lose control like... like..." She cried. She turned away from him and lay on the pillow facing the other end of the tent.
"Ryoga... go home.. and tell them... tell them I'll be back someday, when I've gotten my cure." Ranma said.
"No, I'm staying with you until your cured Ranma." Ryoga replied.
"That goes for me as well, Saotome. Perhaps your not quite as much of a dishonorable coward as I had thought." Mousse said as he entered the tent.
"You guys.. you... your really gonna stay with me? But.. why?"
Ryoga stood.
"Get some more sleep Ranma. We leave at noon." Ryoga said.
He exited the tent, along with Mousse.
"They... they are... really gonna help me? Hmm... they didnt' want to help me last time... they just wanted the Ladle." Ranma thought. She lay down and began to contemplate what it was that had changed Ryoga and Mousse's attitudes toward her.
A while later she stood. Her bones were busting from the effort but she couldn't stand it. She exited the tent and searched for Mousse and Ryoga.
"So... are we really going to help Ranma find a cure?" Mousse asked once they were out of ear shot of the ten.
"I am... She sacrificed her manhood for us even after we left her unconcious after getting the ladle... If it had locked our human forms like we had thought it would, we... we would have left her to fight on her own. What martial artist does that? I'll help him. Even if it does make my skin crawl... Damnit. Even in saving me from my locked curse he still manages to ruin my life! Ranma Saotome this is ALL YOUR FAULT!" Ryoga stated, though it didn't seem to have quite the... effort that it usually had.
"Hmm... well, you have a point, for helping him I mean. But after he's back to normal, it's even, therefore, anything goes." Mousse stated.
"Agreed."
"So... any ideas on where we should go first?" Ryoga asked.
"Yeah... I do actually. That waterfall, where the kettle was in the first place. I think that we could possibly find something there." Mousse said.
"Hmm. Well it's worth it to give it a shot." Ryoga replied.
They never noticed the figure, hiding behind the bushes, that hobbled back in the direction of their tent.
"Wake up Ranma! It's time to go." Ryoga yelled almost cheerfully.
Ranma was awake and fully dressed above the bandages. She sat in the middle of the room meditating. Something she did once every now and then when she was in a very bad mood or state of mind.
Her eyes opened quickly.
"Allright. Lets go." She said, her tone, determined and ready.
They fixed the tent into Ryoga's pack and began to leave.
"So where are we going?" Ranma asked suddenly, "Did you think of anywhere?"
"Yeah actually. Mousse did." Ryoga said pointing to him.
"I was thinking perhaps we should go to the place where we found the kettle. Perhaps the water that came from it is still hot capable of changing your form back?" Mousse said.
"Allright." Ranma said, not getting her hopes up.
They arrived shortly, Mousse leading the way.
They looked into the water that had come from the spout atop the cliff.
"Wow.. it looks alot deeper then I originally thought." Mousse commented.
"Well... might as well give it a shot Ranma." Ryoga said to her.
"Might as well. If this works then... I was gettin' all worked up over nuthin... heh." Ranma said.
"Well dive in then." Ryoga commanded.
Ranma nodded and dived.
Upon entering the water she felt nothing. Her dive propelled her further downward and still she felt no tingling sensation that came whenever she changed forms.
But suddenly something happened. A stranged light came from her right pocket. She pulled out the shining object and looked as the jewel she had been given glowed brightly in her hand.
And, without her ever noticing, ten or fifteen dark hands appeared from the depths of the spring.
"What the hell?" She thought. They grabbed her and dragged her downward.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?" She cried.
She began to air quickly as she was dragged further and further underneath the water.
"Ryoga, Mousse! What did you? what... wha...?" were her last thoughts before she, once again, lost conciousness. The last thing she saw, was a duck and a pig, desperatly trying to reach her.
"RANMA!" Mousse and Ryoga cried. Or at least tried to cry but couldn't as they were underwater and in inhuman forms.
They watched as evil looking hands dragged her deeper into the watery depths below.
She awoke slowly. As her eyes opened she realized that she had been sleeping sitting up on a wooden bench. She was riding in the back of a moving wagon. She coughed a little and began to arouse herself.
"Oh look! The new one is finally awake!" A deep loud voice shouted, hurting her ears.
"Good! I was thinking she might not be awake in time for us to sell her! We have a deadline to make! We have to get to the boat in three days or less!" Another voice, this one more old and angry.
"Hey... who're you! Where the hell am I?" She asked.
"Hah hah hah! You are on your way to the slave trade in Tokyo wench! Now settle and keep quiet! Or do you want to attract the demons outside?" Asked the deep voice.
Upon inspection of her person, she found that, while still properly bandaged and aparently completely dry, her hands were shackled to the wall of the wagon holding her arms above her head. Upon inspection of the wagon, she found that it was enourmous. It was a gigantic carrige covered by walls on all sides. It appeared to be late in the night and there were about fourty other women in with her. They were mostly asleep or strangly silent.
"What is this? Whats going on?" She asked.
"Shh!" One of the girls said. "Don't make them angry, fool!"
"Who?" She asked.
"Be Quiet!" She demanded lowering her voice to a whisper. "The men of course! Do you want to be raped?"
"Wha...!" She gasped.
"Hey! Shut up back there!" The deep voice called again.
"Idiot! After having been rescued from that spring you were stuck in you should be greatful! Normally they would have just left you to drown! Don't anger them by being rude!"
"THEY'RE THE ONES BEING RUDE! WHY ARE MY HANDS TIED TO A WAGON!" She demanded.
"DIDN'T I JUST SAY SHUT UP!" The male voice called again. "LAST WARNING!"
"Slave trade.. Raped... what... what.. am I in a different time?" Ranma thought.
She was silent for a moment.
"Hey," She whispered. "What is the date?"
"What? What's a date?" The girl replied.
"Um... the day.. calander? You know?" Ranma asked hoping to get a decent reply. The girls accent was a little bit off for a normal Japanesse person.
"Oh... March nineteenth." She said.
"The same day it should be..." Ranma thought.
"No.. no I mean what year?" She asked again.
The girl looked at her skeptically. "Year?"
"GRR! What... what.. Oh.. how do I put this... When is it!" She cried.
"OK! THATS IT! WHO DID IT?" The man asked, finally walking into the back.
All the women instantly shuddered.
"You? Hey! It's the new one!" He shouted up to his companion.
"Well teach her to remain quiet! My ears can't take her infernal yelling! She's a slave and should know her place!" The reply came back.
Ranma's eyes narrowed.
"Oh so THAT'S how it is, eh?" She thought.
"Allright. We saved your life since one of em back here died and we had a spare spot. So... I suppose you should learn better manners wench!" The man cried. Suddenly he grabbed her arms
"Hmph... You picked the wrong guy to mess with." Ranma replied darkly.
Her sickly green aura burst around her. The shackles busted off the wall banging the man in his forehead.
"What the?" He cried backing up. "She's a demon!" He cried as he scrambled away."
She stood as her aura simmered to a low light surrounding her body.
"I honestly don't think it is right to sell people as slaves." She said in a low evil sounding tone.
She reached for the woman who had spoken with her's shackle. It instantly busted and fell to the bench. And then all the shackles broke. Some of them fell and hit the women the held on their heads but none were severely injured. They all grasped their arms in sweet joy at their fortune. They were free!
"Where is the spring? The spring you found me in!" Ranma demanded from the man she now stood before.
He was too afraid to answer and feinted. Her aura died down.
"Ok... do you know where the spring that they found me in is?" Ranma asked.
"No... it's, it was far back that way..." She replied.
"Well. Thats where I have to go then." Ranma said.
"Ugh... slaves aren't sold in Japan... and haven't been for like... five hundred years, Right? And now I have no idea how I got here... how I can get home." She thought.
The women left the carrage and walked out into what was definantly a town.
"Thank you so much! For freeing us miss demon! We.. we can never thank you enough!" One of the girls shouted as they entered the village.
"Demon?" Ranma thought. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS PLACE?" She cried.
She followed them into the village, hoping to find a place to sleep for the night.
One or two of the women she had freed, were apparently from the village. They had offered the rest of the girls a place to stay until they could collect the money to return to their own homes
Ranma walked up to the door of the house slowly. She knocked.
The woman whom he had spoken with on the wagon answered.
"Oh... It's you. Yes? I thought good demon's prefered to stay away from humans?" She asked. "Do you need something?"
"Uh.. I'm not... well... that is... can... I stay here too?" She asked.
"Of course! You did save me from slavery after all!" She cried excitedly.
"Um... what is your name?" Ranma asked.
"I am Utoso Subaki. And you?" She replied.
"I'm Ranma Saotome. Thank you for your hospitality." Ranma replied bowing low
"You said that... that it's... the Muromachi Period?" She asked.
"Hai." she awnsered. She was unsure of why the girl was so confused at this. It was as if she didn't even recognize the time.
"Well.. I really must be going... thanks.. thanks alot for the place to stay... nd' the food." Ranma added. She turned and began to walk up the path.
"It wasn't a problem at all! Goodbye! And thank you once again for saving my daughter!" The woman known as Mrs. Subaki cried after her.
"Thank's again for letting me stay!" Ranma replied.
The pack on her back was full of supplies and her destination was to the north.
She returned to the path and began to walk back from the way she had come. She had no idea how far from Mount Horaisan she had gone. And also, having had no map when she had found Horaisan by following Herb, she had no idea where she could find it. All she knew was that it was this way. And that if she could find mount Horaisan, she could find the spring and return home.
Suddenly, she reached into her pocket. The jewel that she had gotten from Ryoga. The jewel that she asumed brought her to this time.
"Rrrr. I'll find a way back home." She swore.
As the sun began to rise she continued walking.
"INUYASHA, SIT BOY!" Kagome cried.
"Hah hah mut! I don't supose you know why she just told you to sit do you?" Koga sneered.
"Koga, Stop fighting with Inuyasha!" Kagome cried.
"Ee! Well I was... uh.. This stupid dog here started it!" Koga replied.
"Oh will you to give it a rest all...rea.. dy.." Kagome trailed off. She suddenly sensed something. It was a shikon shard.
"The shikon jewel.." She said as she looked down the path.
"What?" Koga cried.
"Another shard!" Inuyasha exclaimed.
"Calm down you two!" Miroku said suddenly. "Let her tell us."
"No... no it's not a shard." Kagome said. She seemed a little bit, dejected.
"It's.. It's a shikon jewel. A COMPLETE Shikon jewel!" She exclaimed.
"WHAT!" Her companions replied in unison.
"Kagome, you know that the Shikon Jewel is not complete yet! We still have at least three shards! And Naraku has most of the rest so how could there be a complete one?" Shippo asked.
"I.. don't know. But I am certain... I'm and definantly certain that there is a complete shikon jewel... right down that path." She pointed.
Suddenly a lone figure appeared. She walked at a steady tempo.. she seemed to be in an abnormally dreary mood. Her head hung low but her eyes still looking forward.
A chill went down Inuyasha's back at the sight of her. This was no ordinary girl.
It had been two months since she arrived in this, backwater world.
She had gone through many interesting, however, pointless adventures. The most frightening had occurred on the second day of being in this world. The day she had left the Subaki home.
But mainly shehad become somewhat of an excorsist. She had found that demons were apparently very common in the feudal era. She had killed large number of demons and attracted quite a few nicknames doing so... Douzo-kijo being the most common for humans... but for the most part she had simply threatened to take the life of the demons and they had, usually, relented and given in to her demands... such as leaving villages alone.
She had also, however, become sad and lonely... she still constantly sought out the spring near mount Horaisan. But the mountain had not yet been given a name in this time. So all she could do was hope she could find a place that would match the scenery. She dived into every spring she found. And none had been successful.
Then one day, while she continued her journey, she felt an enourmous dark aura pass over her head. It was a demon of immeasurable power. But then, almost as it came to appear directly above her, it vanished.
"What the hell was that?" She thought.
It was of no importance to her of course, so she ignored it and continued on her way.
A few days later she stood in a clear spring, bathing herself with some soap that she had collected from the last villaged she had visited.
"Akane... I"m still coming for you. Don't forget me..." She thought. She looked down into the water. She saw the faded awkward reflection of her face that the water gave off and sighed.
"It's been so long... since i've seen even a hint of civilization... hmm... this time doesn't even have decent mirrors- HUH!" She thought.
"Mirror... the... the Nanban Mirror! That would be much easier to find then this damn spring!" She cried.
"YATTA!" she cried. She finally had a plan. The Nanban mirror was in happosai's possesion when she had first found it. And Happosai had acquired it... well. Hopefully it had been created allready. At least it was another chances. People had never even heard of the name Horaisan.
And so she finished her bath, and continued on the path, almost happily, walking at a steady tempo, hoping to reach the next village soon.
It had been three months.
She had visited many villages but she had finally come across some information about someone who might know something about the Nanban mirror!
... It was a start.
Suddenly she caught sight of a small group of people. From their auras, she could tell that a few were demons and a few were humans. She readied herself but showed no outward signs of changing. They seemed quite powerful.
End Chapter.