Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or anything related to it (unfortunately); it belongs to Takahashi-sama. I do, however, own Sabriel, so if you even THINK of using her character without my permission, I'll sic Ryouga-kun on you. So… yeah. *TRUMPET FANFARE* *takes out wireless microphone from nowhere* LET THE SHOW CONTINUE!!! ^_^ V
A/N: Once again, as a reminder… Italics for thoughts, foreign words, or book titles, ALL CAPS for shouting, bold for emphasis on speech.
The Sabriel Series, Part I: Enter SabrielChapter Two
Somewhere in Okinawa, Japan, Ryouga Hibiki is trudging along in the jungle. Once again, Ryouga's impeccably horrible sense of direction had gotten him lost. He growled.
"Saotome, I swear to you, when I get back to Nermia, I will CRUSH YOU!!" screamed Ryouga. He raised his fists and shook them in the air, as if Ranma was actually there. Unfortunately, as he did so, a rumble echoed through the dense jungle, followed by the gentle pitter-patter of rain.
"Oh no, not again!" said Ryouga. He sighed as he quickly opened his incredibly heavy red parasol. "Why is it that everytime I'm out somewhere, it rains?!"
Keeping sure that he was completely out of range of the rain, Ryouga continued on his quest back to Nermia. Suddenly, Ryouga felt as if there was someone watching him. He could feel the back of his neck starting to prickle, so he stopped and looked around while keeping underneath his umbrella, but saw no one. Ryouga scoffed and shook his head a little.
"Hmph. I must be losing it after pursuing Ranma's destruction for so long… I think I'm starting to see things. Or getting paranoid, at least. Honestly, thinking that there would be someone out here watching me." He smirks and continues along his way.
~*~*~
A cloaked and mysterious figure adjusted her hood as she watched Ryouga walk away and smiled. Little do you know, my dear Ryouga. Little do you know… she thinks with an evil smile as she gracefully and stealthily jumps from the tree branch she was standing on to the ground. Using the incredibly humongous trees and jungle-foliage as her cover, the cloaked figure follows Ryouga, subtly keeping him from going astray in the wrong direction.
First, I have to get you back to Nermia, and then I shall reveal myself. Well, to a point, anyway…she thinks as she creeps through the forest. I'll be damned if I don't get this job done. Besides, Nodoka-sama would probably have my head if I failed. I swear, her and that damned katana of hers…The figure shuddered as she continued on her way. I don't even want to think about that. Best to concentrate about the task at hand. For now, all I have to do is keep Ryouga on the right trail back to Nermia. Speaking of which, where is Ryouga?
She looked around her, peering about the trees through the fog and rain. Suddenly, she heard a rustling of leaves. Immediately, she was in a fighting stance and her guard was up. Her eyes darted about looking for anything that moved, even in the slightest. Then she saw it. Something black… and strangely small.
What the hell is that thing? She thought as her muscles in her lean, agile body tensed up. Whatever it was, it was advancing. Quickly. I'd better do something... but what?
She racked her mind for something, anything. Unexpectedly, all of her senses, her body, and her mind screamed at her as one with one simple, although derogatory message: GET OUT OF THE WAY, STUPID!! So, she jumped. Her cloak flew part way open, revealing her somewhat baggy steel blue capris, which ended about 2 to 3 inches below her knees, and were bound with a black ribbon just below her knees on both legs. She looked down, and saw a small, black and partly yellow blur race by underneath her.
What the-? Waitaminute…She arched a brow as she landed, her cloak swirling around her gently. Was that who I thought that was? She started to run after the object, confused and yet intrigued. Surely it couldn't be… but what if it is? She finally caught up with it, after jumping from tree to tree for a while, her cloak billowing behind her, and the rain slapping against her face. In fact, she even had gotten a few feet ahead of it. She hopped off the tree branch and dropped down, landing directly in front of the object of interest. With a squeal, it tried to turn tail and run the other way, but the girl's martial arts skills had given her speed as well as strength. Her hand was barely visible as she grabbed it by the yellow-and-black bandana around its neck and lifted it up into the air. It was rather difficult to hold it still, since it was squirming so much. She looked at it and smirked.
"Ah. So it is you. I had thought as much. Honestly, Ryouga, you are impossible." The small black pig's eyes widened as it stopped squirming. With a somewhat evil smile, the mysterious figure goes over to a near-by tree and hung P-chan onto a tree branch by his bandana. "Now then, don't you go anywhere! I'll be right back…" she said as she re-adjusted her hood. She walked off to get Ryouga's pack, and came back five minutes later. She checked the tree branch to see if he had escaped. But as much as he was struggling, poor P-chan couldn't wrench himself free.
The girl smirked as she watched P-chan squirm and squeal in protest. She patted him gently on the head and scratched behind his ears. The little black pig stopped squealing and calmed down. The girl smiled down at him and said, "Don't worry. I'm not gonna eat you. I know who you are, but I'm not going to tell anyone. Not anyone who doesn't know already, anyway."
She set the pack down effortlessly, (even though it was incredibly heavy) took out a kettle, and a canteen, and picked up some twigs and branches from around her. She used a simple fire spell after setting up a small campfire circle, took out a camping grill out of Ryouga's pack, and put it and the kettle (which she found out was already filled with water) over the fire.
"There. That should be boiling in about 5 or so minutes." She said after casting a small shield spell over the area of the fire and leaning against the tree that P-chan was hung on. She looked over at him and saw that the little black pig's eyes were bulging open with surprise.
"Bwee… " It said in a small little pig voice. The mysterious girl smirked under her hood and scoffed.
"Feh. What? Surprised about my strength and the ability to carry your little pack over there?" She jerked her thumb at the backpack lying over by the fire. "Or are you amazed at my ability to use magic?"
P-chan looked at her with an amazed but scared expression on his face. He looked at her face and tried to see what it looked like underneath the shadows. The girl noticed this, and in return, flicked P-chan in the nose gently and wagged a finger in his face.
"No no, P-chan. No-one sees who I am until I reveal myself. But don't worry your adorable little head about that. You won't be in suspense for long."
Poor P-chan blushed almost scarlet after he heard the compliment. The two waited in silence for the water to boil, each deep in their own thoughts. When the water started to boil, the mysterious girl disengaged her magic and took the kettle off the grill.
Her mouth twitched slightly as she picked it up with her bare hands, but she reminded herself that she had felt pain much worse than this, and carried it over to where P-chan was stuck. She cast a slightly advanced spell on the tree to make it grow a sort of overhang, and proceeded to pour the now scalding hot water on P-chan, who instantly turned back into Ryouga.
The sudden weight change took its toll on the branch he was previously hung on and it snapped, causing Ryouga to land with a soft THUMP! Ryouga was dazed only for a moment, but then he noticed some strange noises coming from the mysterious hooded girl who just changed him back to his original form. He looked up at her and noticed a slight tinge of pink under the shadows on her face.
Is she blushing? What for? And what are those noises coming from her? Ryouga wondered. Then he observed something else. It was very cold. Ryouga turned his head to look at the ground when he suddenly realized why he felt so cold.
"HOLY HELL!!" he shouted and whipped around to the other side of the tree while trying desperately to cover himself. The girl finally burst out laughing and leaned against the tree to hold herself up, while poor Ryouga blushed furiously. Ryouga growled.
"Why the hell didn't you say something?!"
"I was trying not to!" she said between giggles. She smiled amusedly to herself and called to him, "Do you want me to get you some clothes?"
Ryouga glared at her. With a smirk, she said slyly, "I'll just take that as a yes, hm?" Ryouga just growled in response. The girl cleared her throat, and with a small smile, went to his pack and looked through it.
After finding some rather odd things mixed around with normal camping supplies (firewood, waterproof matches, a can of Spam dip, a small machete), she found some clothes. Picking them up, she walked back over to the tree and leaned against it, handing the clothes over around the tree.
"Here ya go, Ryouga. Will these do?" she said with a honeyed sly voice and a small smirk. Ryouga growled and his right eye twitched slightly in response. He grabbed them roughly, snatching them right out of her hand.
"Give me those!! Are you insane?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
She just chuckled quietly and smiled. She sighed a bit and leaned with her back against the tree and gently closed her luminous midnight-blue, almost black eyes, listening to the rain and being thankful that she had created the overhang above her. She was sure that Ryouga was grateful as well, although he didn't say anything about it. She sighs. Typical. She crossed her arms by lightly grasping her elbows, and rested one foot flat against the tree. Her mouth twitched vaguely as her annoyance started to grow.
"Ryouga! Are you done yet?! It doesn't take that long to put on a shirt and pants! What the hell is taking you so damn long?!"
Ryouga walked out casually, his hands in his pockets.
To be continued…