AN: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! You've all been really supportive! Next few chapters are complete and are going to be up in a matter of hours. Hope you like! Keep on R-ing and R-ing. ^^
"Ooh." Ranma moans. "Ow..." It felt like she had slept on something the wrong way. She opens her eyes and finds in fact she has. Her left arm is bent behind her and pinned between the tree trunk and her back. Carefully she frees it and hisses. Her wrist throbs with pain, undoubtidly broken. She sits up cradling it and looks about. It has stopped raining, and by absence of light, she guessed it was night. Her eyes follow a trail of broken branches and disturbed dirt up the side of the ravine, where she had fallen hours earlier. "Ryoga?" No sign of him.
A bush rustles near Ranma and she starts. "Ryoga? Is that you?"
Four armed amazons step from cover.
"Eh, heh-heh..." Ranma backs away nervously. "Any of you speak Japanese?"
They force the her to her feet with their spear points. "Guess not. See a pig maybe?"
"Move." One says simply, and the young martial artist finds herself being prodded along ahead of them.
The amazon village wasn't the same one Ranma and her father had visited before. It was larger, clear cut, and pock marked by giant bonfires. She wonders if they are any friendlier than Shampoo's villagers, as she is forced into a hut near the center of camp. A pink haired amazon enters with her.
"Do -you- speak Japanese?"
No response.
'I know I'm no walking dictionary, but I think I can get something across..'"Me, Ranma." She points at herself, then points at the other girl. "You?"
"Lim Lao."
"Not sure whether that's a name or a curse..." The young martial artist sighs.
In through the door steps another woman with long blue hair, wearing a long cerimonial dress, and carrying another one in her arms. "I am Rin Shu." She bows. "Village chief."
"Ranma Saotome. What am I doing here?"
"My sisters found you in our woods. It is customary to bring all lost travelors here."
"At spear point?"
Rin Shu blushes. "Well, also a tradition that we enjoy at times. I appologize. And so, insist you stay for our cerimony. Afterwards, I will personally accompany you out of the forest."
Ranma looks down at her muddied tank top, and feels terribly guilty. 'Ryoga is out there somewhere, lost and probably naked, and I'm here getting the royal treatment....then again, what -am- I to do?'
"It is only one meal." Rin Shu hands her the dress. "Only one."
"Okay. Thanks."
"Best wishes."
"But, what's the cerimony?"
"Coming of age, for one of our girls. She joins the ranks after tonight. You will sit with Ku Li, she will translate. Now I leave for preparations." The chief snaps her fingers, and both she and Lim Lao leave.
Ranma looks at the dress. "Damn."
The bonfires are burning high, lighting the entire camp with dancing light beneath the night sky as Ranma is led by Ku Li to the many banquet tables set up at the village center. There are near two hundred scantly clad Amazons in company all of who regard her little. She sits with her pink haired escort.
"Have no worry. I will translate."
"How do you and Rin Shu know Japanese?"
"We both study in Japan for months. She is my cousin."
All seats quickly fill. Everyone waits in silence as the chief and a younger Amazon make their way to the largest fire beside the longest table -the one Ranma sits at. They stop and face their audience. Rin Shu speaks first. "Tonight So Pu is here to pledge her heart to our ways and to raise her own spear."
Everyone cheers.
"So Pu, do you swear your loyalties to us until pain of death or disgrace?"
"Yes."
"Then raise your spear and make your offering."
Ranma looks up from tying and untying her dress' waist sash. "Offering?"
Two masked amazon women step forward and offer a wriggling burlap bag. So Pu takes it and pulls from it-
"FUCK! P-chan!!"
"Ooh." Ranma moans. "Ow..." It felt like she had slept on something the wrong way. She opens her eyes and finds in fact she has. Her left arm is bent behind her and pinned between the tree trunk and her back. Carefully she frees it and hisses. Her wrist throbs with pain, undoubtidly broken. She sits up cradling it and looks about. It has stopped raining, and by absence of light, she guessed it was night. Her eyes follow a trail of broken branches and disturbed dirt up the side of the ravine, where she had fallen hours earlier. "Ryoga?" No sign of him.
A bush rustles near Ranma and she starts. "Ryoga? Is that you?"
Four armed amazons step from cover.
"Eh, heh-heh..." Ranma backs away nervously. "Any of you speak Japanese?"
They force the her to her feet with their spear points. "Guess not. See a pig maybe?"
"Move." One says simply, and the young martial artist finds herself being prodded along ahead of them.
The amazon village wasn't the same one Ranma and her father had visited before. It was larger, clear cut, and pock marked by giant bonfires. She wonders if they are any friendlier than Shampoo's villagers, as she is forced into a hut near the center of camp. A pink haired amazon enters with her.
"Do -you- speak Japanese?"
No response.
'I know I'm no walking dictionary, but I think I can get something across..'"Me, Ranma." She points at herself, then points at the other girl. "You?"
"Lim Lao."
"Not sure whether that's a name or a curse..." The young martial artist sighs.
In through the door steps another woman with long blue hair, wearing a long cerimonial dress, and carrying another one in her arms. "I am Rin Shu." She bows. "Village chief."
"Ranma Saotome. What am I doing here?"
"My sisters found you in our woods. It is customary to bring all lost travelors here."
"At spear point?"
Rin Shu blushes. "Well, also a tradition that we enjoy at times. I appologize. And so, insist you stay for our cerimony. Afterwards, I will personally accompany you out of the forest."
Ranma looks down at her muddied tank top, and feels terribly guilty. 'Ryoga is out there somewhere, lost and probably naked, and I'm here getting the royal treatment....then again, what -am- I to do?'
"It is only one meal." Rin Shu hands her the dress. "Only one."
"Okay. Thanks."
"Best wishes."
"But, what's the cerimony?"
"Coming of age, for one of our girls. She joins the ranks after tonight. You will sit with Ku Li, she will translate. Now I leave for preparations." The chief snaps her fingers, and both she and Lim Lao leave.
Ranma looks at the dress. "Damn."
The bonfires are burning high, lighting the entire camp with dancing light beneath the night sky as Ranma is led by Ku Li to the many banquet tables set up at the village center. There are near two hundred scantly clad Amazons in company all of who regard her little. She sits with her pink haired escort.
"Have no worry. I will translate."
"How do you and Rin Shu know Japanese?"
"We both study in Japan for months. She is my cousin."
All seats quickly fill. Everyone waits in silence as the chief and a younger Amazon make their way to the largest fire beside the longest table -the one Ranma sits at. They stop and face their audience. Rin Shu speaks first. "Tonight So Pu is here to pledge her heart to our ways and to raise her own spear."
Everyone cheers.
"So Pu, do you swear your loyalties to us until pain of death or disgrace?"
"Yes."
"Then raise your spear and make your offering."
Ranma looks up from tying and untying her dress' waist sash. "Offering?"
Two masked amazon women step forward and offer a wriggling burlap bag. So Pu takes it and pulls from it-
"FUCK! P-chan!!"