It was just so cold, so empty. He couldn't bear it anymore. He had to try to get out of this place, to get back to her. Nothing could stand in his way now, he would return to her.
He had promised.
Chapter 2:
Ranma glanced up at the night sky and frowned at the moon. For the past month it hadn't left his thoughts, not really. Constantly he'd been thinking to himself, trying to find some way to get to the moon and find this mythical item that may or may not exist, and may or may not cure him.
And unless Kuno could be persuaded to fund a trip to the moon, it didn't look like it was gonna happen.
He sighed and jumped onto the dojo roof to lie down and stare at the moon. A whole month, and for some reason he couldn't get that fantastic story out of his mind. He wasn't even sure why he believed the girl and her crazy story. Could they really believe she'd been a teenager decades ago?
And yet, for some reason, Ranma did believe her. He could almost see the weird old man with the deformed looking fingers as he granted a young girl her wish as almost a joke, just for laughs.
AFter a long time, maybe hours, Ranma once more sighed and stood. He'd had a rough time at school being so distracted with thoughts of the moon. He snorted. Nabiki would love it, his head was in the clouds.
The heat was unbearable, the pain immense. He could hear his servants crying out in pain at the pressure. With gritted teeth and a frustrated snarl he bore it. He had to return.
The dust rag wasn't nearly interesting enough to maintain someone's attention for more than a moment. Some would have found it odd that Inaho hadn't looked up from it for more than three hours now. Of course, her thoughts weren't odd the cloth, no matter where her gaze currently rested.
How could she bear it any longer? She would make an attempt on her own life, but she was nearly certain it wouldn't succeed. Besides, she was too frightened.
She jerked her bitter gaze from the cloth and bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. Immortality was supposed to be fun, carefree, enlightening. It wasn't supposed to drive her into hiding for fear of showing her face to 'normal' people. She didn't smile anymore, not truly. It felt so empty, like she was tricking people into thinking she was normal, like them.
The closest thing she'd had to a true smile was when those Japanese people had shown up. They weren't 'normal' either. It helped, a little, knowing they were different from regular people too. When had they been here? Last week? Last year? Inaho couldn't remember. Days blended together when they had no end.
Her eyes refocused and she realized she was still staring at the same smudge on a grandfather clock that had attracted her attention some time ago. Her hand came up and began wiping mechanically at it as the television droned on and on. She didn't really watch it anymore, but she liked a little noise in the background. The silence of her life was the worst part, really.
Maybe she should take a little trip, have a change in scenery. When was the last time she left town? Five, ten years ago? Once again, she couldn't remember.
Her eyes fell on the card tacked to the wall by the telephone. It didn't move, of course, but it seemed to draw her in hypnotically until she couldn't concentrate on anything else.
She looked back to the smudge and removed the last traces of it with a final swipe. Why would they want to hear from her anyway? Like they would want to hear from some strange, crazy girl like her. Maybe they weren't 'normal', but the led decently normal lives. They could be seen in public and have friends. They went to school and could hold jobs.
Her eyes fell on the card again. She couldn't read the text from here, but she knew what it said. Tendo Training Hall, Nabiki Tendo. There was an address and phone number from a place called Nerima. She knew those, too. It was a ward in Tokyo, and the long distance charges would be outrageous. Not really financially sound, actually, to call them up just to chat.
She looked back at the clock, not really seeing anything as she was deep in thought. Of course, if she was going to take a trip, Japan was as good as any place. And at least she knew the language. It's not like she'd have to learn Russian or French or something.
She glanced sideways at the card, and she could just drop by for a visit. Yes, ask kindly if they had found their cure. She just happened to be in the area, she'd tell them. She smiled very slightly at her reflection. Yes, that would do.
After all, it was just something to do until He returned to her. And He would return to her. He had promised.
"Ranma take Shampoo on date?"
He rolled his eyes and sighed as he shifted the weight of the grocery bag on his hip. "Shampoo, we already talked about this. I married Akane, remember?"
She pouted, deep in thought as she walked along beside him silently for a moment. "Ranma divorce violent girl?"
He merely looked at her for a moment as he continued down the sidewalk. She seemed miffed and gave an insulted 'hmph' before crossing her arms across her chest.
His expression softened a moment later and he turned to glance at her once more, "Shampoo, why don't you just give in and marry Mousse? I know you won't settle for someone who isn't a pretty good fighter at least, and at least he understands your culture."
She had the grace to look insulted for a moment and he continued before she could interrupt. "I mean heck, at least he loves you ya know. And I'm pretty sure you like him too. If he could beat you in a fight, I bet you wouldn't hesitate to marry him, would you?"
She looked away and remained silent for a moment before turning a falsely bright smile to him, "Shampoo finish deliveries now. Bye bye Airen!"
He waved with his free hand and watched her spring off. Shaking his head he turned the corner onto his street, smiling at the sight of the compound's gates. His and Akane's. Maybe they'd have children soon, and they could pass on their knowledge as well as the dojo.
He wrinkled his nose in distaste, but no arranged marraiges. That was an easy agreement for the two of them to make. Their children would marry whoever they wanted.
He knew Akane's classes would have ended for the day within the last half hour, and she'd probably be taking a bath. He wouldn't have dinner finished by the time she was out, but he'd have it well enough on its way that she wouldn't get upset if he turned down any offers for help. He set the grocery bag on the kitchen counter and stepped into the hall to hit the button on the answering machine.
*Hey guys," the machine droned in Nabiki's voice, "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to cancel on our dinner plans again. I got that internship and they're shipping me out tomorrow night. I'll drop by in the morning. See ya!*
There was a beep and Ranma smiled, wondering when the girl would ever decide she'd had enough years of college.
*Um, hello, Nabiki Tendo? My name is Inaho, we met some time ago when you came to my store in Shanghai. Uh, I'm in the area and was hoping to drop by and check up on your search. Well, if it isn't too much trouble, I'll visit you this evening. I guess you might not be there, but it's worth a try I suppose. Um, goodbye.*
The machine beeped again and a third message from one of the students began to play, something about missing class some time or something. Ranma paused it and stared at the flashing digital three. Inaho. He remembered her if only because her story had been almost as odd as his own. The redhead Chinese girl who claimed to be immortal. It had been, what, five years ago?
"Huh." With a shrug he listened to the message from the student, writing it down on a post-it note to help him remember when he started class the next day.
He began dinner with a bemused expression. Why would she drop by? How had she found them? He remembered the card Nabiki had given the girl. She'd asked about Nabiki in the message, so that made sense. But why now? With a shrug he realized that at least they could either prove or disprove her immortality claim. In five years, she surely would have aged at least some.
As he finished dinner, he couldn't help but feel odd knowing that he didn't really care if she was immortal or not. It didn't really affect him either way, and he certainly wouldn't want to live forever . . . except that would be a lot of training time.
"What are you so deep in thought over?"
He looked up and smiled at Akane, "Hey Akane, remember that trip we took to China to see that magical shopkeeper Nabiki had heard about?" At his wife's nod he continued, "She left a message on the machine. Apparently she's in town and she's gonna drop by."
"What? That's . . . odd. I'd forgotten all about the whole thing."
She glanced around and picked up a dish to carry to the table. Ranma grabbed a few things as well and followed, "Yeah, out of the blue she calls. I wonder when she'll stop by?"
Akane sat down at the table with a troubled expression, "I hope nothing's wrong. She seemed so . . . distant, and troubled."
Ranma shrugged and started to eat, thoughts of the strange foreign girl quickly leaving him altogether as he downed the food.
"Now what?" The boy crossed his arms over his chest and glared at a pile of cloth on the ground crumpled around a picket fence.
The girl beside him bit her lip for a moment before answering, "I don't know! Maybe we should just find--"
"What are you kids doing in my yard? Move along!"
The boy looked up at the man with a disgruntled expression before sighing and gathering up the cloth bundle on the ground. Making a knot in the black cloth, the two children set off down the road.
He had promised.
Chapter 2:
Ranma glanced up at the night sky and frowned at the moon. For the past month it hadn't left his thoughts, not really. Constantly he'd been thinking to himself, trying to find some way to get to the moon and find this mythical item that may or may not exist, and may or may not cure him.
And unless Kuno could be persuaded to fund a trip to the moon, it didn't look like it was gonna happen.
He sighed and jumped onto the dojo roof to lie down and stare at the moon. A whole month, and for some reason he couldn't get that fantastic story out of his mind. He wasn't even sure why he believed the girl and her crazy story. Could they really believe she'd been a teenager decades ago?
And yet, for some reason, Ranma did believe her. He could almost see the weird old man with the deformed looking fingers as he granted a young girl her wish as almost a joke, just for laughs.
AFter a long time, maybe hours, Ranma once more sighed and stood. He'd had a rough time at school being so distracted with thoughts of the moon. He snorted. Nabiki would love it, his head was in the clouds.
The heat was unbearable, the pain immense. He could hear his servants crying out in pain at the pressure. With gritted teeth and a frustrated snarl he bore it. He had to return.
The dust rag wasn't nearly interesting enough to maintain someone's attention for more than a moment. Some would have found it odd that Inaho hadn't looked up from it for more than three hours now. Of course, her thoughts weren't odd the cloth, no matter where her gaze currently rested.
How could she bear it any longer? She would make an attempt on her own life, but she was nearly certain it wouldn't succeed. Besides, she was too frightened.
She jerked her bitter gaze from the cloth and bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. Immortality was supposed to be fun, carefree, enlightening. It wasn't supposed to drive her into hiding for fear of showing her face to 'normal' people. She didn't smile anymore, not truly. It felt so empty, like she was tricking people into thinking she was normal, like them.
The closest thing she'd had to a true smile was when those Japanese people had shown up. They weren't 'normal' either. It helped, a little, knowing they were different from regular people too. When had they been here? Last week? Last year? Inaho couldn't remember. Days blended together when they had no end.
Her eyes refocused and she realized she was still staring at the same smudge on a grandfather clock that had attracted her attention some time ago. Her hand came up and began wiping mechanically at it as the television droned on and on. She didn't really watch it anymore, but she liked a little noise in the background. The silence of her life was the worst part, really.
Maybe she should take a little trip, have a change in scenery. When was the last time she left town? Five, ten years ago? Once again, she couldn't remember.
Her eyes fell on the card tacked to the wall by the telephone. It didn't move, of course, but it seemed to draw her in hypnotically until she couldn't concentrate on anything else.
She looked back to the smudge and removed the last traces of it with a final swipe. Why would they want to hear from her anyway? Like they would want to hear from some strange, crazy girl like her. Maybe they weren't 'normal', but the led decently normal lives. They could be seen in public and have friends. They went to school and could hold jobs.
Her eyes fell on the card again. She couldn't read the text from here, but she knew what it said. Tendo Training Hall, Nabiki Tendo. There was an address and phone number from a place called Nerima. She knew those, too. It was a ward in Tokyo, and the long distance charges would be outrageous. Not really financially sound, actually, to call them up just to chat.
She looked back at the clock, not really seeing anything as she was deep in thought. Of course, if she was going to take a trip, Japan was as good as any place. And at least she knew the language. It's not like she'd have to learn Russian or French or something.
She glanced sideways at the card, and she could just drop by for a visit. Yes, ask kindly if they had found their cure. She just happened to be in the area, she'd tell them. She smiled very slightly at her reflection. Yes, that would do.
After all, it was just something to do until He returned to her. And He would return to her. He had promised.
"Ranma take Shampoo on date?"
He rolled his eyes and sighed as he shifted the weight of the grocery bag on his hip. "Shampoo, we already talked about this. I married Akane, remember?"
She pouted, deep in thought as she walked along beside him silently for a moment. "Ranma divorce violent girl?"
He merely looked at her for a moment as he continued down the sidewalk. She seemed miffed and gave an insulted 'hmph' before crossing her arms across her chest.
His expression softened a moment later and he turned to glance at her once more, "Shampoo, why don't you just give in and marry Mousse? I know you won't settle for someone who isn't a pretty good fighter at least, and at least he understands your culture."
She had the grace to look insulted for a moment and he continued before she could interrupt. "I mean heck, at least he loves you ya know. And I'm pretty sure you like him too. If he could beat you in a fight, I bet you wouldn't hesitate to marry him, would you?"
She looked away and remained silent for a moment before turning a falsely bright smile to him, "Shampoo finish deliveries now. Bye bye Airen!"
He waved with his free hand and watched her spring off. Shaking his head he turned the corner onto his street, smiling at the sight of the compound's gates. His and Akane's. Maybe they'd have children soon, and they could pass on their knowledge as well as the dojo.
He wrinkled his nose in distaste, but no arranged marraiges. That was an easy agreement for the two of them to make. Their children would marry whoever they wanted.
He knew Akane's classes would have ended for the day within the last half hour, and she'd probably be taking a bath. He wouldn't have dinner finished by the time she was out, but he'd have it well enough on its way that she wouldn't get upset if he turned down any offers for help. He set the grocery bag on the kitchen counter and stepped into the hall to hit the button on the answering machine.
*Hey guys," the machine droned in Nabiki's voice, "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to cancel on our dinner plans again. I got that internship and they're shipping me out tomorrow night. I'll drop by in the morning. See ya!*
There was a beep and Ranma smiled, wondering when the girl would ever decide she'd had enough years of college.
*Um, hello, Nabiki Tendo? My name is Inaho, we met some time ago when you came to my store in Shanghai. Uh, I'm in the area and was hoping to drop by and check up on your search. Well, if it isn't too much trouble, I'll visit you this evening. I guess you might not be there, but it's worth a try I suppose. Um, goodbye.*
The machine beeped again and a third message from one of the students began to play, something about missing class some time or something. Ranma paused it and stared at the flashing digital three. Inaho. He remembered her if only because her story had been almost as odd as his own. The redhead Chinese girl who claimed to be immortal. It had been, what, five years ago?
"Huh." With a shrug he listened to the message from the student, writing it down on a post-it note to help him remember when he started class the next day.
He began dinner with a bemused expression. Why would she drop by? How had she found them? He remembered the card Nabiki had given the girl. She'd asked about Nabiki in the message, so that made sense. But why now? With a shrug he realized that at least they could either prove or disprove her immortality claim. In five years, she surely would have aged at least some.
As he finished dinner, he couldn't help but feel odd knowing that he didn't really care if she was immortal or not. It didn't really affect him either way, and he certainly wouldn't want to live forever . . . except that would be a lot of training time.
"What are you so deep in thought over?"
He looked up and smiled at Akane, "Hey Akane, remember that trip we took to China to see that magical shopkeeper Nabiki had heard about?" At his wife's nod he continued, "She left a message on the machine. Apparently she's in town and she's gonna drop by."
"What? That's . . . odd. I'd forgotten all about the whole thing."
She glanced around and picked up a dish to carry to the table. Ranma grabbed a few things as well and followed, "Yeah, out of the blue she calls. I wonder when she'll stop by?"
Akane sat down at the table with a troubled expression, "I hope nothing's wrong. She seemed so . . . distant, and troubled."
Ranma shrugged and started to eat, thoughts of the strange foreign girl quickly leaving him altogether as he downed the food.
"Now what?" The boy crossed his arms over his chest and glared at a pile of cloth on the ground crumpled around a picket fence.
The girl beside him bit her lip for a moment before answering, "I don't know! Maybe we should just find--"
"What are you kids doing in my yard? Move along!"
The boy looked up at the man with a disgruntled expression before sighing and gathering up the cloth bundle on the ground. Making a knot in the black cloth, the two children set off down the road.