Sha-Rela
Episode 1, Little Boy Lost
Author's Notes: Don't look at me. Too much Cowboy Bebop can do things to your head. The first chapter's pretty short, but the others will get longer and we will see more characters.
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi! Yeah! Some situations are like Cowboy Bebop so I have to say that isn't mine. A lot of references to that series also.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They say there's a place in the galaxy somewhere. A place hidden off, just at the corner of the Universe among the stars. A place where the lost ones go to find their spirits or to drink their full of troubles. The music's always lazy and slow there and the people are all smiles. This place was that of the angels and of the demons of the world. Everyone was welcome, but only the truly desperate and indifferent could find this little piece of heaven...and this little piece of hell.
So, look into the sky sometime and maybe you'll see it, tucked away somewhere.
Maybe you'll see Sha-Rela.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[A television screen turns on. It's a really old tape, kinda faded and off-color. We see the front of a blue dress over a puffy white blouse. There are giggles and then the figure backs up. When the camera clears up again, we see the whole surrounding image. It's in a green park. There are three kids standing in front of the screen. Two girls and a boy. The children are around four to five years old. They seem pretty happy enough. The red-headed girl with the pig-tail in the middle are obviously holding the other two children to her by the waist. To the left of her is a little boy with black hair tied in a pig-tail, also. They seem quiet alike. Twins, maybe? To her right is another girl, the one that had been standing in front of the camera. She has short, blue hair and a cute face. They're all cute children.]
"Hi, I'm..." the red-haired girl giggles and so do the other two. She tries again.
"Hi, I'm-" this time the blue-haired kid giggles and the red-haired one joins in. She elbows the blue-haired one lightly in the stomach.
"Stop it, Akane-chan," she laughs. "You're making me laugh. I can't do this if you make me laugh!"
"Yeah, tomboy, shut up," the boy says and the blue-haired girl immediately stops laughing. She bends forward to face the boy.
"What did you say?" she asked angrily. The red-haired girl pushes Akane's face back so she could no longer see the boy.
"Come on, guys. Stop it." The red-haired girl scolds slightly and murmurs of `I'm sorry' were heard. The girl turns back to the camera.
"Okay, I'm Ranko Saotome..." she waits a few seconds, but when nothing happens, she elbows the boy.
"And I'm Ranma Saotome," the boy says.
"He's my brother," Ranko whispers to the camera. She turns to Akane.
"Oh! And I'm Akane Tendo..." the blue-haired girl waits a few moments and then whispers to the camera, "I'm the best friend."
"And the fiancee," Ranko whispers.
"Ranko!" Akane gives an indignant shout, but only gets an innocent smile in return.
"We're sending this out to our future selves."
"Yeah, so that you would remember us," Akane piped in.
All three turn to the camera and expressions of seriousness take their faces.
"We want to ask you, our future selves, a very important question," the red-haired girl said.
Both girls turn to the pig-tailed boy. He raises his large, blue-gray eyes to the camera and whispers, "Have you found Sha-Rela yet?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ship glides through the area of Space 9 with grace and ease. It's odd to think how this hunk of junk could move through anywhere with ease, but it does. It's an old ship from way back when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth...or at least it seems like it. All would be silent if it wasn't for the occasional sounds of coughing the ship would go through. After these coughing spells, a cloud of smoke would emit from the engine and all would be quiet again. Inside the ship, only two living beings were detected...a black-haired, pig-tailed boy and a rather large, balding man.
The boy, who looks around sixteen, is sitting in front of a small t.v. on a table. He's sitting in meditation-style, but was actually watching the screen with a rather dopey-looking expression on his face. Two people in cowboy suits come onto the screen. The show's a posting place for Bounty Hunters.
"Okay, cowgeroos," the blond girl on the screen says sweetly. "Have ewe got a treat for you." She gives a shot with her fake gun and the picture of a small, black piglet comes onto the screen. It has a distinctive yellow-and-black bandanna around it's neck.
"This little piglet right here is named Charlotte," she says. "Yes, sir, he's given a full name and everything. He was raised in some sort of lab up west in the Interval 65 section and has escaped. Now, his owners want him back. The bounty on this one is pretty great. 65,000 dungerees. You heard that? 65, 000 for this little piglet, but watch out now, hunters. They say he's a smart little piggy." The screen gets turned off and the boy gets a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Hey Pops," Ranma calls out.
The balding man pokes his head through the kitchen doorway.
"Hm?"
"What do you think about this bounty on the pig?" he asks the man.
"How much did they say it was?" the man asked.
"65, 000 dungerees," Ranma answered. The man's eyes widen considerably.
"Then, what are we doing lazing around here? Let's go get this little pig, boy," the man said as he left the kitchen and headed toward the controls.
"Yeah," Ranma gave a hollow laugh. "It's about time we had a decent meal."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The streetlights are on in Yuma, the city capital of the planet Yuranis. A figure in a hooded cloak moved stealthily through the night into an alleyway. She has a bundle clutched close to her. The bundle gives a squeal in the alleyway and she shushes it.
"Shh," the figure in the hood says to the bundle. "Do you want them to hear us?"
"Too late, little girl," a voice says. The figure looks up to see three burly looking guys in the alleyway with her. They all look pretty mean and the one in the middle had a vein popping out of the corner of his head.
"Give us the pig and we won't hurt you," the middle guy with the popping vein commanded. The figure gave a little laugh herself.
"Why should I do that?" she asked.
If it was possible, the guy's face got even uglier.
"Because if you don't," he said. "We'll just have to finish you off and get the pig ourselves."
All three of the men pull out guns and start shooting. Bullets fly everywhere and the girl just managed to give a squeak before moving quickly to dodge the bullets. As she moved, she pulled out what appeared to be a small, wooden mallet and started flinging it this way and that quickly. It took the three men quite awhile to realize that her little hammer was actually deflecting the bullets back to them. It didn't take long before the three got hit and were on the floor.
The hooded figure walked over and the bundle in her arm opened to reveal a squealing, black pig.
"If I had wanted to give P-chan back, I would have collected the bounty myself," she said to the three unconscious men as though this explained everything. Soon, approaching sounds of sirens were heard. The girl gave one final look at the three men before turning to leave. It really was sad how pathetic some of the other bounty hunters were today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma and Genma stood in front of a little hut. They were on the desert of some planet and there seemed to be no living life except for that of themselves and the man inside the hut. All that could be seen for miles were sand dunes and red rocks. In the sky, three blazing suns beat down on them and the planet.
"Explain to me, again, old man," Ranma asked as he scrunched up his face. "Why are we here?"
"They say he has a third eye and can see things. Since we don't have any leads to find this pig, I thought he could help us," was Genma's reply. "Now, go in, son."
"Why don't you go in and ask him the questions?" came the ever defensive question.
"Because he wants you. Now go!" with that, Genma pushed the pig-tailed boy into the flap of the hut.
The first thing that hit Ranma when he entered the hut was the smell. It smelled of medicine and weed and too many plants and herbs. There wasn't that much light and surprisingly, not that much smoke either. Trinkets and odd plants hung from the wall and the boy had to duck his head not to hit things hanging from the ceiling. Ranma walked over to a side of the hut where a skinny, old man was sitting with closed eyes.
"Um, hey," he said when he neared the man. "I was wondering if you could help me."
"Yes, yes, I can help you," the man said quickly, but he did not open his eyes. "You have many problems, boy. Many, many problems."
Ranma gave a little snort.
"Don't we all have problems, old man?"
"Yes, and you are no different. Your problems...they center around a girl. Women bring trouble for you, my boy," the old man said as he started to rock back and forth.
Ranma's eyes grew tired and sad.
"Women bring trouble to all men, old man. You should know that in your old age. Women are trouble."
"Ah. You are right. Women are trouble...but you seek trouble, my boy. You seek a girl. Not just any woman. You seek a girl. A red-haired girl with dark blue eyes like crystals and the sea. It has been very long. Who is she? You search for her and yet you do not know who she is," the old man said. The pig-tailed boy's eyes had widened slightly and he tried to scrutinize the elder for a second.
"The past haunts you, old man. Everyone knows that. The past haunts you and it haunts me-"
The old man waved his arms and interrupted Ranma, "But you do not know the past! You do not know your past! That is why you search for this girl with the red-hair. You dream of her and you know she means something to you, but you do not know what. You think you love her."
"What is love, old man? I don't believe in the word," the boy laughed.
"Don't lie to me! You do believe in the word. But listen to me, boy, you are searching for the wrong one. Do not search for the red-haired one. She will not bring you this piece and this love that you seek. Searching for her will only bring you pain. Do not search for Ranko. She is the wrong one."
Ranma's eyes hardened and so did his chin. What does this old man know? He lives in a hut in the middle of nowhere with his drugs and his herbs. What does he know?
The old man stops rocking and gives a sigh. He slowly opens his eyes. They are yellow and red.
"I know many things, boy," he says softly. "I wish I do not...but I know many things. But you did not come here to listen to my advice. Young people these days. You came here for the information on the bounty. Yes...yes...I'll give you information on the bounty. You need to find this bounty...it is very important to you and your much sought after peace, my boy. The bounty is now in Yuma, on Yuranis. It is with a girl. You will find it, but you will not collect the money, my boy. Go now...go and leave me in peace...but do not forget what I told you. Ranko is not the one that you seek. It is the other one. It is the other girl."
"What other gi-" the boy started to say but the old man's eyes had already closed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma walked out of the flap, his thoughts whirling.
"So?" Genma asked. "What did he say?"
The boy looked up and for once, he looked like a boy to Genma.
"He said we'll find the piglet in Yuma," Ranma answered.
"That's it?" the balding man asked, trying to see into the boy. He failed. Ranma turned towards the sky...and then the ship.
"The rest doesn't matter. He was just a babbling old man."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The girl looked over her shoulder, back at the two people with the photos in their hands. It was more bounty hunters searching for P-chan. This time it was an old man with a bald head and a boy with black hair tied into a pig-tail. The man she dismissed, but there was something about that boy. Something so utterly familiar. She knew she should just skip out of Yuma and move on with P-chan, but she couldn't. So, as a result, the girl had been tailing these two on Yuma for two days now. So far, they haven't been any closer to finding P-chan then any of the others. They didn't even know she was following them. Amateurs.
The girl turned her head around and started to walk away from the two. She made it a few feet before something cold and metal connected with the back of her neck. She fell down unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It sure is lighted, wherever I am, the girl thought as her eyes started to open. She moved her eyes around to fully take in the place. She was in a living room of some kind, apprently handcuffed down to a four-legged chair. Suddenly, a face popped into her field of vision. It was that pig-tailed boy from before! He was giving her this dopey-eyed, questioning look.
"Who are you? Let me go!" she demanded.
He looked at her for awhile before asking, "Why were you following us?"
The girl jutted out her chin in stubborness. She wasn't going to tell any of them anything.
"I wasn't following anyone," she denied.
"Don't lie. We know you've been following us ever since we got on the planet. What do you know about the pig, girl?" She finally noticed the man off to the side of the boy.
The boy was looking at her in a way that was making her feel nervous now. Goodness, were his eyes actually gray?
"What's your name, tomboy?" he asked.
"I'm not a tomboy!" came the reflexive reply. There was silence as the two teens looked at each other. What had just happened? Something...something in a memory. The boy's eyes clouded over as he backed up.
"My name is Akane...Akane Tendo," the girl said.
"I'm Ranma," the boy said. They both looked at each other. Akane stared at the boy's black pigt-tail...there was something so familiar about that pig-tail. Ranma looked at the girl's short, blue hair. There was something so familiar about that hair.
"And I'm Genma. Now can we move on? Where's the pig, girl?" And the moment was lost. Ranma shook his head and his eyes fell back under guard as he gave a half-grin. The blue-haired girl couldn't help but feel a sense of lost over that.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said again as she looked out the window. They were in space. She was so far away from P-chan. Poor, little P-chan...lost and alone. She couldn't let them find him, but she first needed to get her ship.
"Fine!" Genma said as he threw his arms up in the air and left the room. Ranma started to leave, but then thought better of it. He turned around and stared into the girl's brown eyes.
"What are you?" he asked softly, the old man's words from before ringing in his ears.
She thought to tell him the truth. To tell him 'I don't know, could you tell me?'...but she didn't...because she didn't know this boy...and she didn't trust him,
So instead she said, "I'm just a lost, little kid." Akane had turned towards the window, but she still heard his next words...whispered close to her ear.
"So am I."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Akane waited until the boy left before testing the handcuffs. Damn! They were secure. Oh well, she always had a backup. Looking around to make sure no one was looking, the girl raised her left foot along her right leg until she reached a small remote control tied to a garter-like thing around her leg.
"Sorry, boys," she sang as she pressed the button with her leg and looked out the window. "But my ride's on it's way."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma laid back on the stairs, trying to catch some peanuts in his mouth when he heard the sound of the air vent door being let out. Oh shit! He sat up with a start and looked out the window just in time to see the girl get into her ship. Once safely inside her own ship, Akane took off the air helmet and looked back at him. She smiled and waved before bending down to pick something up. It was the pig!
"Say bye, P-chan," she laughed as she waved one of the pig's feet at him. Then, her smile faded somewhat and she put the pig down.
The girl looked back towards Ranma and gave a half-grin.
"Bye-bye, Saotome, hope you find yourself soon," she said softly before turning away and steering the ship off into space.
That was why she didn't see his lips say, "Good-bye, tomboy."
As Ranma watched the ship steer away, he thought about what the old man had said, 'She's not the one you're looking for...it's the other one...the other girl...'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Women are trouble...men love to go looking for trouble...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes: Okay, this was my break story. Now, back to work.