"Over here."
Ranma walked along a strangely lit stone path. It seemed to progress into infinity in every direction. He followed the voice.
"No, this way."
Turning, he went in the direction he was being called, running to try and get there faster.
"Up here, Dummy."
He looked up. His female form leaped out of a tree that hadn't been there a moment ago. He backed up.
She smiled. "There's no need to be afraid. Nothing can hurt you in your own mind."
Ranma glanced around. "My own mind, huh?" He chuckled. "Explains why it's so empty here."
She laughed. "Self-depreciating humor...maybe you are growing up, after all."
Ranma looked at her. "But that doesn't explain you."
"Sure it does. Think about it for a bit. There's all this space, use it for something."
Ranma thought. "Well...last time you were seperate from me, you were my light side because of the Tiger Talisman...is it something like that?"
She nodded. "Very good. Yes, it is something like that. You see...after that event, you realized that you couldn't grow up healthy having an adult mind in a child's body...even if it was an immature one. So you used the magic of the tiger to seperate yourself internally. You are the child who never got the chance to grow up right. I am the adult perspective that will give you guidance without corrupting you. Since I'm no longer chained by the preconceptions you were saddled with, I can see things much clearer. Since you are no longer saddled with me, you can live much more freely."
Ranma blinked for a time. "Oh." He thought about this. "THis means I don't have access to my chi techniques like the Chestnut Fist, the Hiryu Shoten Ha, and the Moko Takabisha any more, right?"
She laughed. "Bingo! Got it in one! YOu are good at this thinking when you put your mind to it. But now, it is time to wake up."
The last two words seemed to be in Jade's voice...
"Ranma, wake up." Jade was nudging him gently. "Uncle wants you to help him with inventory. I tried to tell him to let you sleep, but he was insistent. You know how he can get."
Ranma blinked a few times. "I'm up, I'm up." He sat up. "Yeah...I know how Uncle can be...why inventory?" His mind raced. "Shendu! He's back, posessing Valmont, and he stole a book, didn't he?"
Jade nodded. "Got it in one, Ranma." She helped him to his feet. "I would suggest getting cleaned up, but..."
"Ranma!" Uncle shouted. "Come help with inventory!"
"Coming!" Ranma shouted. Turning to Jade, he smiled. "Thanks." He ran to help.
Later, when Jade's "backup" reached the shop, Ranma got out just as Uncle was asking, "If he is not a burglar, then why is he wearing a mask?"
"Because he's Lucha Libre," Ranma said, rushing out. "You know, Uncle, Mexican Wrestling. They never remove their masks, it's a matter of honor. The mask is their identity more than their own face."
"Si," El Toro confirmed. "Jade said in her call you were in need of assistance?" Then Tohru stepped out. "You! Dark Hand enemy!"
Ranma wasn't about to let them fight each other, though. "No, wait! He's reformed, he's a friend now!" Since El Toro was plainly blinded by his charge, Ranma settled for the magic solution, and levitated him off the ground.
"Wha...what magic is this?" El Toro demanded.
"Mine. I learned to mimic the magic of the Talismans. Now listen! Tohru terminated his employment with the Dark Hand some months back. He's worked here ever since."
Tohru nodded. "Ranma speaks the truth."
El Toro glanced around nervously. "Sorry."
When Viper showed up as well, Jackie was rather displeased with Jade's enthusiasm. WHile they were arguing, Ranma went to help Uncle with the inventory. He knew how this would go. As soon as they learned which book was stolen, Uncle and Jackie would head off, leaving Tohru with instructions to tend the shop and watch Jade. Jade would head off with the rest of the team, forcing Tohru to go with, leaving someone else - probably Captain Black, given his new interest in magic - to tend the shop. Ranma figured he'd tag along, to try and keep Jade out of trouble.
-You just don't want Paco being to close to Jade without you there,- his adult voice said in his mind.
*Do not,* he responded.
-Come on, admit it. The way they argue like that makes you jealous.-
*I am not jealous,*he snarled in his mind.
-Are too.-
*Am not.*
-Are, too.-
*Am not!*
His internal debate was interrupted by the discovery of which book was missing. The events he had predicted followed exactly as predicted.
Once they were in Tibet, however, exhaustion began to creep up on him. He had never travelled well, as he had tended to get airsick. He hadn't realised that every time they had flown since he had acquired the Horse technique that he had subconciously been using it to eliminate the air sickness. By the time they landed he was fast asleep. TOhru carried him to where they were staying.
Ranma was rudely awakened - along with Jade and Paco - when a bed was thrown through their wall. When they saw that the Dark Hand thugs had the Talismans still, there were a variety of reactions.
Jade said, "Woah."
Paco stared.
Ranma suddenly clutched his head and screamed. There was something nearby...something that pulled at his chi...
"Ranma!" Jade shouted, running to his side.
As the fight went on, Ranma's scream awoke Shendu. He headed out with the thugs after the artifact.
Ranma, meanwhile, suddenly seized Jade's arm. "We have to go," he said urgently. "I know what Valmont is after...and we have to get there first!"
Jade nodded. "Should be no problem," Jade said. "After all, a little Rabbit speed from you, and-"
"I can't use my magic this close to it! I don't know why."
Jade looked shocked. "Then we'd better run." Picking Ranma up on her back, she gestured to Paco to follow. "Just tell me where to go."
They got there just ahead of the Dark Hand. The walls seemed to react to Ranma's presence, and slid open. They came upon the Panku box. "That's it?" Jade asked. "That's what Shendu is after?"
"We can't...let him get a hold of it!" Ranma clutched his head. The presence of the box pulled at his chi in ways he didn't know how to handle.
Then the Dark hand arrived. Jade tried to make a quick getaway with the box, but was caught by levitation. "Exterminate the pests," Shendu ordered. "Permanently."
Ranma's eyes flew open. They glowed blue. "NO!" he shouted. Blue lightning sparked from his body, and he lunged. The force of his lunge tumbled Fin and Chao, and he then flew bodily into Valmont. Shendu screamed in pain as the blue lightning tore even at his spirit inside Valmont.
Right at that point, the others arrived. Shendu sent Ranma flying with a quick blast of magic, and the fight began in earnest. Ranma, unfortunately, was completely expended, and the presence of the box still caused him pain. Shendu had noticed, however, that the box had reacted to Ranma's blue lightning chi, and had growled in frustration.
In the end, the J Team recovered the Talismans...but the Dark Hand got away with the Panku box. When they learned what it was for, they understood just how badly they had messed up. Jade helped Ranma to his feet.
On the flight home, while Ranma recuperated, Jade talked with Uncle. "Uncle...why did Ranma's chi react to the box? And why did the box react to him?"
Uncle gasped, and pulled out a book. It was the one Ranma had given him, the book of Prophecy. He turned to the page that had concerned him. "It begins to make sense now..."
"What? What does it say?"
"See this part?" Uncle asked, pointing to four lines written in a different script from the rest. "The text is in the written form of a language as old as time itself...one that has not been spoken since before the dawn of known language!"
Jade gasped. She knew her myths. "YOu mean what was spoken before mankind built the Tower of Babel?"
Uncle nodded. "I have managed to translate it. It is a prophecy, one I had been concerned about, since I am pretty sure it relates to Ranma."
"What does it say?" Jade was eager to hear about this.
"I am getting to that!" Uncle said testily. "Ahem:
"One of Magic, One of Might,
Stands alone against the night,
Chosen's Chosen, by Birthright,
Wield's the Sword, Immortal Knight."
Jade blinked for a time. "Okay...what does it mean?"
"I have no idea!" Uncle shouted. He gestured. "This chapter is over 14 pages long, and the entirety of it is dedicated to attempting to explain the prophecy and it's implications! I haven't translated it yet!"
"Why? I mean, it seems pretty straight forward."
"That's what makes it so difficult! The word I read as 'Sword'? It literally translates as, 'That which wounds,' so depending on usage, can mean sword, magic, light, power, weapon...or even Truth! And in this usage, it could mean any or all of them!"
"Woah. That's...pretty hard to wrap my head around. But you said it was starting to make sense?"
"This prophecy was given by Lu Donbin, the immortal who sealed Shendu, after the demons were sealed and the Panku box forged. I believe this means that the prophecy - and Ranma - has something to do with a continuation of the Immortal legend."
"Woah." Jade looked back at Ranma. "Pretty heavy responsibility for such a little guy."
"You will need to help him as much as possible, Jade. He has great power, and could easily stray to a dark path."
"Don't worry, Uncle!" Jade said with confidence she didn't feel. "I won't let him."
"I knew I could count on you, Jade! Just don't tell him of the Prophecy! He isn't ready for it yet."
Jade nodded, then went over to tend to Ranma.