Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The
original plot of the children's story Peter Pan belongs to JM Barrie.
Please review this story! It's been a long time since I thought to make a fanfic on any anime, so I hope you enjoy this...
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"Hook," Peter Pan said as the three of them lay on the cloud and stared at the ship in the distance. He was looking through a foldable telescope.
"Who?" Akane Tendou asked. She grabbed his telescope and looked through the lens. She saw the large wooden ship with a mermaid carving at the bowsprit. The sails were up, and the small crew of about four seemed to be busy scurrying about. Her gaze went to the lower right part of the ship, and saw that a man with long black curls and a red suit was looking straight at her with his own telescope.
Akane drew back in surprise. Ranma Saotome, who'd been leaning back on the cloud with his head on his arms, didn't seem very much interested.
"Look out!" Peter suddenly shouted, and he pushed Akane away from him, towards Ranma. Ranma's neck snapped in her direction in surprise. A split second later, a cannonball came hurtling through the cloud, coming through the place where Akane had been earlier.
The force of the impact blew much of the cloud away, and Akane as well. She went flying off into the sky. She heard Ranma shout out her name, but she'd lost sight of him.
Ranma started to jump off the cloud to catch Akane. His foot started to use the cloud as leverage...But the soft cottony substance gave way under his foot before he could leave. He stumbled, and fell. His hand grabbed the only shred of cloud that he could hold on to. Peter seemed unconcerned about Ranma.
"Go check on Akane," he said quickly to Tink, who was (as always) just beside him. He looked down on Ranma.
"Just think happy thoughts," he said seriously. He put a hand up in a wave. "And leave Hook to me!"
And just like that, Peter hurtled himself through the air and was on his way to the boat. Several more cannonballs were launched at him, but he dodged them all with amazing speed. Hook was glowering at Peter by the time he neared the sails.
"You can't even aim properly!" He was screaming at his crew. "He's there-no there! Oh just give that to me!"
Peter grinned mischievously as Hook stomped behind the cannon and aimed directly at Peter. Peter in turn flew directly behind the lower-main topsail. Like a dumb codfish, Hook readjusted his aim. The crew didn't dare speak. Hook fired in rage, and Peter shot away from the ship. There was general silence as the cannonball hit its mark. Hook stared at the splintered mainmast, which was now falling onto the foremast. Then he whirled on his crew.
"You fools!" he shrieked. "It's all your fault!"
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Ranma looked down and saw the tiny island, which lay several miles below him. He considered just letting go of the cloud, but before he could do anything, the cloud bit broke off from the bigger part of the cloud. Ranma fell through the air straight towards the ocean surrounding the island.
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Tink was pointing to the small cluster of trees. There. There. Akane Tendou nodded to show that she understood. She started to float towards the cluster. Tink flew in ahead to warn the Lost Friends not to shoot or do anything stupid.
"It's a large yellow bird," said the young woman holding the telescope. She was wearing a straight cut blue suit, very similar to the school uniform for males in the Furinkan High School. Her long brown hair came to a point just below her waist. A strap held a large spatula across her back.
"Ukyoe," came the whiny voice of another girl. "Let me see through it." The one who'd just spoken was another young woman of Eastern origin, wearing something that was strikingly similar to that of the Chinese costumes back on Earth.
"Okay," Ukyoe said, handing the telescope to the Shampooe. Shampooe looked through the telescope at the bird; floating nearer...It certainly was a ghastly bird. Suddenly her vision was overcome by a bright yellow glare. Shampooe drew back, startled. For a moment, the Lost Friends stared at the bright yellow person before them.
"Tink!" Shampooe said, breaking the silence. "Get away from me!" Shampooe started waving her hand in the air in the same manner a person would to get rid of a fly.
"Why does Tink always have to be around us?" came the complaint of the small twins, Yine and Yange. They were miniature replicas of Shampooe.
"Oh, look! The bird is coming nearer!" Ukyoe said, pointing to the sky. Sure enough, the yellow bird was coming closer, flapping her wings awkwardly. Alarmed, Tink paused in her buzzing around.
"Moussee," Shampooe said to the young man beside her. "Shoot the bird down, will you?"
"Sure thing!" Moussee readied his supply of barnacles and chains. 'Yes, anything for you, Shampooe,' he thought. Tink started buzzing around very furiously. She waved her arms and flapped her fairy dust all over the place. She flew right in front of Moussee's horrible vision and shook her head vigorously. No. No.
"Oh for goodness sakes," Shampooe said in an annoyed manner as she grabbed Tink and threw the fairy to some far point in the forest. Moussee took careful aim; fired...The bird moved a little to the left...and was hit. All five Lost Friends cheered as the bird flapped her wings and raised her arms. Then the bird started to fall.
The Lost Friends gave a hoot of pleasure.
They ran across the path to the clearing where they were sure the bird had landed. And sure enough, there she was in the center. The thick foliage had broken her fall. They could only stare at the human shape on the ground.
"That's not a bird..." Yine started.
"It's a girl," Yange continued. The five of them came close and huddled closer together to the broken figure. Her body was curled in a loose curve, as if she'd managed to somehow land on her feet and then collapse.
The side of her left arm bled profusely. Moussee's little barnacle ball lay accusingly beside the bloody wound. Shampooe leaned in even closer to look at the wound. She looked concerned for a moment.
"Moussee, your aim was off," Shampooe said. She pointed to Akane's forehead. "This is where you should have hit!"
"Sorry Shampooe, sorry Shampooe," was all Moussee could say.
"Don't you guys have any heart?" Ukyoe suddenly asked. She nudged Shampooe and Moussee aside, none too gently, and took a look at the wound. Ukyoe grimaced. It was bleeding still, and they were going to have to stop the bleeding before it got worse. The girl was already starting to pale.
Ignoring the stares of her other companions, Ukyoe set to work.
In a matter of seconds, her crude work was done.
"Well, that's something," Shampooe said, wrinkling her nose. Ukyoe started to open her mouth to speak, when suddenly a familiar voice said from behind:
"I know what happened to Cinderella!"
Shampooe shot him a glare from over her shoulder. Peter hovered some feet away from them, smiling happily. Ukyoe continued tending to the wound. What was with Peter and Cinderella? Why'd he always have to drop from the sky all of a sudden?
"I've brought you she who is to tell us stories!" Peter exclaimed, promptly losing his first thought to tell them what happened to Cinderella. He started hopping towards the Lost Friends and their little huddle, all the while bursting with joy.
"She is pretty! She is amazing! She is-"
"Bleeding to death," Ukyoe said grimly. Peter had come close enough to see that Akane was on the grassy area, a wound on her right arm bleeding. It had been covered with a tree leaf, and chains were wound around her arm and pajamas to hold the leaf in place.
"Bring her to the hideaway," Peter said decisively. He and Mousee lifted Akane up, grunting at the weight. She was heavier than they'd thought. They moved towards the large tree.
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"Great," Ranma muttered as he wandered through the thick forest. He was soaking wet, girl form. He was still wearing what he been wearing to sleep. The sleeveless undershirt and bright yellow shorts clung to his skin. It was a blessing that the climate was hot and humid. His thoughts were filled with concern for Akane. Ranma was grim.
Ranma came across a clearing, and he stopped to consider his surroundings. Tropical trees and lush foliage all around surrounded him. There was no sign of a path at all. Ranma shifted his gaze to the far end of the clearing, and was surprised to see a tacky yellow tent held up. Ranma approached it cautiously.
When he came nearer, he saw that a large copper kettle was heating merrily on a fire before the tent. With grim determination, Ranma approached quietly. He kept his body out of sight from the opening in the tent. When he reached close enough, he reached out slowly...
His fingers curled around the black handle of the kettle...
"Who goes there?!" A young man's voice suddenly came. It came from the opening of the tent. Ranma heard someone start to get out. With lightning speed, Ranma grabbed the kettle and poured the hot water all over himself. A young man appeared before Ranma's crouching form.
"Who are you?" The young man asked. He had back hair and brown eyes. A yellow bandanna kept some hair out of his forehead. He had a yellow tunic, dark green pants for traveling. He bore a striking resemblance to someone Ranma knew back at the dojo...
"Ranma Saotome," Ranma said. "Ryoga, what are you doing here?"
Ranma got up from his position and was surprised to see Ryoga stiffen and raise his arms in alarm. Puzzled, Ranma raised his arms to show that he was not going to fight.
"I'm Ryogae," the young man said. He relaxed. He started to head towards the tent entrance again.
"What are you doing, camping in the middle of nowhere?" Ranma asked. Ryogae turned, looking indignant.
"I got lost," he said resentfully. "I can't find the tree-house. Peter gave me a map, but... It's all wrong!"
'I'll bet,' Ranma thought. He was reminded yet again of Ryoga Hibiki.
"Do you mean Peter Pan? Let me see the map."
Ryogae immediately fished a map out of his pocket and handed it to Ranma. Ranma felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand. It was a map drawn in a childish fashion so that even the most inexperienced travelers could find their way. There was the clearing where they were standing in at the moment. Great bold letters wrote: 'A FOREST CLEARING.'
"We're standing here," Ryogae said helpfully. He pointed to a shaded area marked: 'SHORELINE.' Ranma bristled in annoyance. They were clearly not on the shore.
"Come on, Ryogae," Ranma said. "I have to talk to Peter Pan as soon as possible."
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As soon as Ryogae had pulled the straps of his backpack over his shoulders, Ranma set off running with amazing speed. If Ryogae were anything like Ryoga, then he'd be able to keep up with Ranma's pace. Sure enough, Ryogae followed steadily behind. He was even shouting at Ranma in the same manner familiar to Ranma.
"Ranmaaaaa! Where are you taking my map?! Get back here!"
Within a several minutes, Ranma had reached the entrance of the hideout. The hideout was a large tree, larger even than a maple tree. The leaves and branches forked into an umbrella all around the tree, providing a shade. Seconds later, Ryogae came up to him. Like Ranma, he hadn't even broken a sweat.
"It's here," Ryogae said, seemingly in shock. He ran his hand over the tree trunk.
"How do you get in?" Ranma asked impatiently. His arms were lightly covered with cuts he'd taken from waving away branches.
Rygoae didn't answer, but pulled on a vine that was thicker and lighter colored than the other random vines hanging around. When Ranma looked, he saw that it was actually a thick rope twisted in such a way that it resembled a vine. A large root lifted up in the air, so Ranma had to step back. Then he braced himself and dived right in.
"This can't be right," Ukyoe said anxiously. The strip of cloth hung loosely from the wound. Akane, breathing lightly but conscious, looked away in pain as Ukyoe pressed the cloth with her palm. Akane was lying on Ukyoe's bed. Shampooe sat on the bed beside her, looking on more with curiosity than concern. Moussee and the twins were cooking food.
It was a large underground cave. There were six normal sized makeshift beds, made from animal skin on a raised platform of hard, packed dirt. They lined the right side of the cave. A large bed was on the farthest side, still made with the same animal skin and packed earth, but two skins instead of one were placed side by side. On the left side, there was a bonfire and some pots and pans.
"Akane!" Ranma saw her as soon as he came out of the opening.
Six pairs of eyes turned to him when he came in. They shifted to Ryogae when Ryogae entered.
"Got lost again, Ryogae?" Peter asked jokingly. He'd been lounging on his large bed like a king. He held the boyish confidence that death was non- existent in the world, and that Akane was going to be all right for sure. "Everyone, that's Ranma."
He pointed to Ranma using his four fingers. Ranma went straight away to where Akane and a young woman was tending to him. Ranma took one look at the ghastly wound and Akane's pasty face and felt his jaw go slack.
"Here," he said, jumping to action. He practically shoved the young woman away and took a look at the wound.
"Do you have more of these?" Ranma asked the young woman sharply. He didn't mean for the words to come out so severely. Though the young woman looked displeased, she set off right away.
The other young woman sitting on the bed opposite to him was staring at him. Ranma looked up and recognized the same adoring expression of Shampoo back in Japan. The young woman smiled brightly at him.
"I'm Shampooe," she said.
"Get me some water," Ranma said. Shampooe didn't like being bossed around, but she went to get it anyway from the makeshift kitchen. Akane shifted her gaze to look at him.
"Ranma," Akane whispered. She stared at his pale face and tried to give a small smile. He barely veiled concern made her look away from his gaze.
'Hold my hand,' she thought to say. But she was not too tired to feel embarrassed or indignant, though she did want was a reassuring presence. Ukyoe hadn't been very calming at all.
Ranma had been pressing her wound with both palms to stop the bleeding. The fact that the applied pressure was making her grimace made him feel better. She was still aware enough to feel pain.
Akane raised her right arm slightly. Ranma grabbed her right hand automatically, and was taken aback at the cool feel. Akane gripped his hand as if it were the only source of security she had left. Somehow, she was comforted. His familiar presence was what she needed most at the moment.
"Here they are," Ukyoe said, appearing at Ranma's side. He took the cloth strips. They were made of shredded clothing that had been washed previously.
"Here's your water," Shampooe said, appearing before the bed.
Ranma set to work on her arm.
Ryogae, who'd just finished washing his face, came up to the bed. If a person could make someone as headstrong as Ranma anxious with worry, then he wanted to know whom it was. When he looked at the limp body on the hard bed, he was surprised. He took in the pale face, which looked away in pain as Ranma wrapped the cloth strips especially taut around the wound. She didn't seem so extraordinary.
Ryogae could tell the two girls near him were impressed with the new visitor. With his left hand, he held the girl's hand, and with the right, he dressed the wound. He held the other end of the strip in his teeth. He did it all without breaking a sweat or looking like he was having a hard time.
Ryogae let his gaze shift back to the girl. She had a fair complexion and hazel eyes. Her thick shiny black hair reached a point just below her ears. Ryogae felt his heart skip a beat, and then he told himself that he was being ridiculous.
"Her ankle's twisted," Ryogae pointed out, suddenly noticing. The girl's right foot was swollen at the ankle. Ryogae had treated enough of his own twisted ankles to know what it looked like. For the first time, the girl noticed him. Her eyes flickered over him, and gave him a look of recognition though they'd never met each other.
"She landed on her feet when she fell," Shampooe said helpfully.
"Do something about it," Ranma said through his gritted teeth to Ryogae. "You know how, don't you?"
Ryogae nodded. Ukyoe looked on with interest as Ryogae gripped the girl's ankle. Without blinking, he gave a sharp twist none too gently.
Akane gritted her teeth and practically felt the enamel cracking at their bases. Her grip on Ranma's hand tightened. As a reflex to the sudden pain, her body made to shift to the left side of the bed. Ranma's iron grip kept her upper body in place, and Ryogae's iron grip on her right ankle kept her from giving him a kick in the face.
Akane felt like a laboratory project. The circulation in her left arm was being cut off, and her right ankle felt like someone had just broken the bone. On top of that, the two guys' grips were preventing her from moving. There was a burning feeling in her ankle. She wanted to shake it away, but every time her foot moved even a little, the burning feeling intensified. Akane shut her eyes tightly before anyone would see the sudden stinging tears.
"Geez, can't you be more gentle?" Ukyoe demanded as she looked at the Akane in concern. The girl had closed her eyes to prevent them from seeing her watery eyes, but she'd seen it. They'd all seen it.
Ryogae took some of the strips from Ukyoe and began wrapping them around the girl's ankle. He was mildly surprised when he looked up and saw Ranma glowering at him.
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Peter and the Lost Friends stood in a line. Across them a few feet away, Akane and Ranma stood. Akane was balancing herself on a long sturdy branch. Her right foot was wrapped tightly.
"Moussee," said the guy with long hair and spiral glasses.
"Shampooe," said the girl of Eastern descent.
"Ukyoe," said the tomboyish one with long brown hair and a spatula.
"Yine and Yange," said the two little twins simultaneously.
"Ryogae," said the one with the spotted bandanna.
"Peter Pan," said the boy with the yeti costume.
Akane and Ranma introduced themselves. They were both trying to hide their surprise at the astounding resemblance between these people and the people they knew in Japan. Peter clapped his hands delightedly.
"I'm glad to see you're alright," he told Akane. Akane smiled at him. Ranma held his annoyance in check. All Peter had done was lounge on his bed with the firm, ungrounded belief that Akane was going to be all right.
They sat in a huge circle around a bonfire. It was already nighttime. The clearing was very large. All around them, the forest trees grew tall. Shampooe was all over Ranma. She had taken to calling him Ranma-chan. Ukyoe, clearly jealous, was also calling him Ranma-chan every single second.
They were both vying for his attention by cooking pancakes and Chinese food and leaning in close to him. Ranma was more concerned about the sparks shooting from Akane.
Akane was with Peter and Ryogae, telling them stories about modern day Japan and what it was like to live there. Ryogae listened intently, clearly smitten by her.
Moussee and the twin girls were having fun on their own, dancing around the bonfire and belting out songs. It was a lovely first evening together as friends, and Peter prided himself as the leader, though nobody seemed to respect him as more than just a boy.
Akane and Ranma slept with only a bear skin each from them and the ground. The Lost Friends seemed to accept them completely without reservation, as if they'd been friends all their life.
Late that night, long after the last ember in the underground fireplace had died down, Akane lay on the bear hide with her arms at her sides, staring at the darkness. It was completely black in the cave, as no moonlight could even hope to find its way in. The lanterns had all died down long time ago.
She was thinking about her family in the Tendou dojo. Maybe she'd never see them again. At the moment, that realization didn't seem so bad. She was quite fascinated where she was. She knew that Ranma was somewhere to her right. The fact that he was with her in Everland made a huge difference in her attitude.
From her right, Ranma was staring straight up as well. His arms rested behind his head. For some reason he couldn't sleep. He vaguely heard Akane shift on her makeshift bed as she tried to find a more comfortable position.
Akane was trying to sleep. But a guilty thought troubled her. Her thoughts kept going back to Ranma. Her eyes softened in the dark.
"Ranma?" she suddenly whispered, turning her head slightly. 'He's sleeping,' Akane thought wearily. She continued to stare straight up. For a moment, she was tempted to wake him up just to say what she wanted to.
"What?" Ranma whispered back so suddenly Akane gave a small jolt. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly she lost her nerve. Instead, she went for the first thought that came to her mind. She hesitated first as she thought.
"Thanks for your work on my arm," she said quickly.
Ranma made a grunt of recognition for her thanks. He wanted to ask her what was really on his mind. Her hesitation had given her away. But he didn't ask, and she didn't continue. He continued looking up in the darkness.
Akane continued staring up, disliking herself for not saying what she'd meant to. After several minutes, she finally worked up her nerve.
"Hey, Ranma," she said quietly. She made her voice deliberately low. If Ranma hadn't heard, then it would be enough for her to tell herself that at least she'd tried. She glanced to the darkness at her right. A few moments passed.
"What?" Ranma said quietly back, imitating the lowness of her voice. Akane looked back at the ceiling as Ranma waited for her to answer.
"Hey, Ranma," Akane said again. "Sorry you had to end up here in Everland because of me. I know you'd rather have stayed back at the dojo...Peter can arrange a fairy guide for you to go back..."
Akane paused to listen if Ranma would reply. When he didn't, she went on.
"I," she continued very softly, "can take care of myself. So if you want to return, then don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."
"No, you can't," Ranma said before he could stop himself. There was deafening silence after that. Ranma started to sweat, sensing the argument before it actually began.
"Yes I can," Akane huffed, her voice starting to rise. "I don't need you here!"
"Don't think I'm here because of you," Ranma said, his voice still low. He was hoping she'd take the cue and lower her own voice.
"Then go!" Akane hissed at him in the dark. She stuck out her tongue: "Bleh."
"Go back to the dojo and leave me alone!"
Ranma felt his annoyance start to bubble over.
"You're not cute at all!"
"Pervert!"
With that she fell back into her bed and he fell back into his. They spent the rest of the night in silence.
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END CHAPTER TWO
PLEASE REVIEW MY WORK AFTER EVERY CHAPTER IF POSSIBLE SO THAT I CAN IMPROVE IT. IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO ME IF YOU'D TAKE TIME TO COMMENT ON MY WORK. YOU CAN ALSO E-MAIL ME PERSONALLY IF YOU WANT...
AT: tsinoyeyesyahoo.com
Please review this story! It's been a long time since I thought to make a fanfic on any anime, so I hope you enjoy this...
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"Hook," Peter Pan said as the three of them lay on the cloud and stared at the ship in the distance. He was looking through a foldable telescope.
"Who?" Akane Tendou asked. She grabbed his telescope and looked through the lens. She saw the large wooden ship with a mermaid carving at the bowsprit. The sails were up, and the small crew of about four seemed to be busy scurrying about. Her gaze went to the lower right part of the ship, and saw that a man with long black curls and a red suit was looking straight at her with his own telescope.
Akane drew back in surprise. Ranma Saotome, who'd been leaning back on the cloud with his head on his arms, didn't seem very much interested.
"Look out!" Peter suddenly shouted, and he pushed Akane away from him, towards Ranma. Ranma's neck snapped in her direction in surprise. A split second later, a cannonball came hurtling through the cloud, coming through the place where Akane had been earlier.
The force of the impact blew much of the cloud away, and Akane as well. She went flying off into the sky. She heard Ranma shout out her name, but she'd lost sight of him.
Ranma started to jump off the cloud to catch Akane. His foot started to use the cloud as leverage...But the soft cottony substance gave way under his foot before he could leave. He stumbled, and fell. His hand grabbed the only shred of cloud that he could hold on to. Peter seemed unconcerned about Ranma.
"Go check on Akane," he said quickly to Tink, who was (as always) just beside him. He looked down on Ranma.
"Just think happy thoughts," he said seriously. He put a hand up in a wave. "And leave Hook to me!"
And just like that, Peter hurtled himself through the air and was on his way to the boat. Several more cannonballs were launched at him, but he dodged them all with amazing speed. Hook was glowering at Peter by the time he neared the sails.
"You can't even aim properly!" He was screaming at his crew. "He's there-no there! Oh just give that to me!"
Peter grinned mischievously as Hook stomped behind the cannon and aimed directly at Peter. Peter in turn flew directly behind the lower-main topsail. Like a dumb codfish, Hook readjusted his aim. The crew didn't dare speak. Hook fired in rage, and Peter shot away from the ship. There was general silence as the cannonball hit its mark. Hook stared at the splintered mainmast, which was now falling onto the foremast. Then he whirled on his crew.
"You fools!" he shrieked. "It's all your fault!"
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Ranma looked down and saw the tiny island, which lay several miles below him. He considered just letting go of the cloud, but before he could do anything, the cloud bit broke off from the bigger part of the cloud. Ranma fell through the air straight towards the ocean surrounding the island.
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Tink was pointing to the small cluster of trees. There. There. Akane Tendou nodded to show that she understood. She started to float towards the cluster. Tink flew in ahead to warn the Lost Friends not to shoot or do anything stupid.
"It's a large yellow bird," said the young woman holding the telescope. She was wearing a straight cut blue suit, very similar to the school uniform for males in the Furinkan High School. Her long brown hair came to a point just below her waist. A strap held a large spatula across her back.
"Ukyoe," came the whiny voice of another girl. "Let me see through it." The one who'd just spoken was another young woman of Eastern origin, wearing something that was strikingly similar to that of the Chinese costumes back on Earth.
"Okay," Ukyoe said, handing the telescope to the Shampooe. Shampooe looked through the telescope at the bird; floating nearer...It certainly was a ghastly bird. Suddenly her vision was overcome by a bright yellow glare. Shampooe drew back, startled. For a moment, the Lost Friends stared at the bright yellow person before them.
"Tink!" Shampooe said, breaking the silence. "Get away from me!" Shampooe started waving her hand in the air in the same manner a person would to get rid of a fly.
"Why does Tink always have to be around us?" came the complaint of the small twins, Yine and Yange. They were miniature replicas of Shampooe.
"Oh, look! The bird is coming nearer!" Ukyoe said, pointing to the sky. Sure enough, the yellow bird was coming closer, flapping her wings awkwardly. Alarmed, Tink paused in her buzzing around.
"Moussee," Shampooe said to the young man beside her. "Shoot the bird down, will you?"
"Sure thing!" Moussee readied his supply of barnacles and chains. 'Yes, anything for you, Shampooe,' he thought. Tink started buzzing around very furiously. She waved her arms and flapped her fairy dust all over the place. She flew right in front of Moussee's horrible vision and shook her head vigorously. No. No.
"Oh for goodness sakes," Shampooe said in an annoyed manner as she grabbed Tink and threw the fairy to some far point in the forest. Moussee took careful aim; fired...The bird moved a little to the left...and was hit. All five Lost Friends cheered as the bird flapped her wings and raised her arms. Then the bird started to fall.
The Lost Friends gave a hoot of pleasure.
They ran across the path to the clearing where they were sure the bird had landed. And sure enough, there she was in the center. The thick foliage had broken her fall. They could only stare at the human shape on the ground.
"That's not a bird..." Yine started.
"It's a girl," Yange continued. The five of them came close and huddled closer together to the broken figure. Her body was curled in a loose curve, as if she'd managed to somehow land on her feet and then collapse.
The side of her left arm bled profusely. Moussee's little barnacle ball lay accusingly beside the bloody wound. Shampooe leaned in even closer to look at the wound. She looked concerned for a moment.
"Moussee, your aim was off," Shampooe said. She pointed to Akane's forehead. "This is where you should have hit!"
"Sorry Shampooe, sorry Shampooe," was all Moussee could say.
"Don't you guys have any heart?" Ukyoe suddenly asked. She nudged Shampooe and Moussee aside, none too gently, and took a look at the wound. Ukyoe grimaced. It was bleeding still, and they were going to have to stop the bleeding before it got worse. The girl was already starting to pale.
Ignoring the stares of her other companions, Ukyoe set to work.
In a matter of seconds, her crude work was done.
"Well, that's something," Shampooe said, wrinkling her nose. Ukyoe started to open her mouth to speak, when suddenly a familiar voice said from behind:
"I know what happened to Cinderella!"
Shampooe shot him a glare from over her shoulder. Peter hovered some feet away from them, smiling happily. Ukyoe continued tending to the wound. What was with Peter and Cinderella? Why'd he always have to drop from the sky all of a sudden?
"I've brought you she who is to tell us stories!" Peter exclaimed, promptly losing his first thought to tell them what happened to Cinderella. He started hopping towards the Lost Friends and their little huddle, all the while bursting with joy.
"She is pretty! She is amazing! She is-"
"Bleeding to death," Ukyoe said grimly. Peter had come close enough to see that Akane was on the grassy area, a wound on her right arm bleeding. It had been covered with a tree leaf, and chains were wound around her arm and pajamas to hold the leaf in place.
"Bring her to the hideaway," Peter said decisively. He and Mousee lifted Akane up, grunting at the weight. She was heavier than they'd thought. They moved towards the large tree.
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"Great," Ranma muttered as he wandered through the thick forest. He was soaking wet, girl form. He was still wearing what he been wearing to sleep. The sleeveless undershirt and bright yellow shorts clung to his skin. It was a blessing that the climate was hot and humid. His thoughts were filled with concern for Akane. Ranma was grim.
Ranma came across a clearing, and he stopped to consider his surroundings. Tropical trees and lush foliage all around surrounded him. There was no sign of a path at all. Ranma shifted his gaze to the far end of the clearing, and was surprised to see a tacky yellow tent held up. Ranma approached it cautiously.
When he came nearer, he saw that a large copper kettle was heating merrily on a fire before the tent. With grim determination, Ranma approached quietly. He kept his body out of sight from the opening in the tent. When he reached close enough, he reached out slowly...
His fingers curled around the black handle of the kettle...
"Who goes there?!" A young man's voice suddenly came. It came from the opening of the tent. Ranma heard someone start to get out. With lightning speed, Ranma grabbed the kettle and poured the hot water all over himself. A young man appeared before Ranma's crouching form.
"Who are you?" The young man asked. He had back hair and brown eyes. A yellow bandanna kept some hair out of his forehead. He had a yellow tunic, dark green pants for traveling. He bore a striking resemblance to someone Ranma knew back at the dojo...
"Ranma Saotome," Ranma said. "Ryoga, what are you doing here?"
Ranma got up from his position and was surprised to see Ryoga stiffen and raise his arms in alarm. Puzzled, Ranma raised his arms to show that he was not going to fight.
"I'm Ryogae," the young man said. He relaxed. He started to head towards the tent entrance again.
"What are you doing, camping in the middle of nowhere?" Ranma asked. Ryogae turned, looking indignant.
"I got lost," he said resentfully. "I can't find the tree-house. Peter gave me a map, but... It's all wrong!"
'I'll bet,' Ranma thought. He was reminded yet again of Ryoga Hibiki.
"Do you mean Peter Pan? Let me see the map."
Ryogae immediately fished a map out of his pocket and handed it to Ranma. Ranma felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand. It was a map drawn in a childish fashion so that even the most inexperienced travelers could find their way. There was the clearing where they were standing in at the moment. Great bold letters wrote: 'A FOREST CLEARING.'
"We're standing here," Ryogae said helpfully. He pointed to a shaded area marked: 'SHORELINE.' Ranma bristled in annoyance. They were clearly not on the shore.
"Come on, Ryogae," Ranma said. "I have to talk to Peter Pan as soon as possible."
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As soon as Ryogae had pulled the straps of his backpack over his shoulders, Ranma set off running with amazing speed. If Ryogae were anything like Ryoga, then he'd be able to keep up with Ranma's pace. Sure enough, Ryogae followed steadily behind. He was even shouting at Ranma in the same manner familiar to Ranma.
"Ranmaaaaa! Where are you taking my map?! Get back here!"
Within a several minutes, Ranma had reached the entrance of the hideout. The hideout was a large tree, larger even than a maple tree. The leaves and branches forked into an umbrella all around the tree, providing a shade. Seconds later, Ryogae came up to him. Like Ranma, he hadn't even broken a sweat.
"It's here," Ryogae said, seemingly in shock. He ran his hand over the tree trunk.
"How do you get in?" Ranma asked impatiently. His arms were lightly covered with cuts he'd taken from waving away branches.
Rygoae didn't answer, but pulled on a vine that was thicker and lighter colored than the other random vines hanging around. When Ranma looked, he saw that it was actually a thick rope twisted in such a way that it resembled a vine. A large root lifted up in the air, so Ranma had to step back. Then he braced himself and dived right in.
"This can't be right," Ukyoe said anxiously. The strip of cloth hung loosely from the wound. Akane, breathing lightly but conscious, looked away in pain as Ukyoe pressed the cloth with her palm. Akane was lying on Ukyoe's bed. Shampooe sat on the bed beside her, looking on more with curiosity than concern. Moussee and the twins were cooking food.
It was a large underground cave. There were six normal sized makeshift beds, made from animal skin on a raised platform of hard, packed dirt. They lined the right side of the cave. A large bed was on the farthest side, still made with the same animal skin and packed earth, but two skins instead of one were placed side by side. On the left side, there was a bonfire and some pots and pans.
"Akane!" Ranma saw her as soon as he came out of the opening.
Six pairs of eyes turned to him when he came in. They shifted to Ryogae when Ryogae entered.
"Got lost again, Ryogae?" Peter asked jokingly. He'd been lounging on his large bed like a king. He held the boyish confidence that death was non- existent in the world, and that Akane was going to be all right for sure. "Everyone, that's Ranma."
He pointed to Ranma using his four fingers. Ranma went straight away to where Akane and a young woman was tending to him. Ranma took one look at the ghastly wound and Akane's pasty face and felt his jaw go slack.
"Here," he said, jumping to action. He practically shoved the young woman away and took a look at the wound.
"Do you have more of these?" Ranma asked the young woman sharply. He didn't mean for the words to come out so severely. Though the young woman looked displeased, she set off right away.
The other young woman sitting on the bed opposite to him was staring at him. Ranma looked up and recognized the same adoring expression of Shampoo back in Japan. The young woman smiled brightly at him.
"I'm Shampooe," she said.
"Get me some water," Ranma said. Shampooe didn't like being bossed around, but she went to get it anyway from the makeshift kitchen. Akane shifted her gaze to look at him.
"Ranma," Akane whispered. She stared at his pale face and tried to give a small smile. He barely veiled concern made her look away from his gaze.
'Hold my hand,' she thought to say. But she was not too tired to feel embarrassed or indignant, though she did want was a reassuring presence. Ukyoe hadn't been very calming at all.
Ranma had been pressing her wound with both palms to stop the bleeding. The fact that the applied pressure was making her grimace made him feel better. She was still aware enough to feel pain.
Akane raised her right arm slightly. Ranma grabbed her right hand automatically, and was taken aback at the cool feel. Akane gripped his hand as if it were the only source of security she had left. Somehow, she was comforted. His familiar presence was what she needed most at the moment.
"Here they are," Ukyoe said, appearing at Ranma's side. He took the cloth strips. They were made of shredded clothing that had been washed previously.
"Here's your water," Shampooe said, appearing before the bed.
Ranma set to work on her arm.
Ryogae, who'd just finished washing his face, came up to the bed. If a person could make someone as headstrong as Ranma anxious with worry, then he wanted to know whom it was. When he looked at the limp body on the hard bed, he was surprised. He took in the pale face, which looked away in pain as Ranma wrapped the cloth strips especially taut around the wound. She didn't seem so extraordinary.
Ryogae could tell the two girls near him were impressed with the new visitor. With his left hand, he held the girl's hand, and with the right, he dressed the wound. He held the other end of the strip in his teeth. He did it all without breaking a sweat or looking like he was having a hard time.
Ryogae let his gaze shift back to the girl. She had a fair complexion and hazel eyes. Her thick shiny black hair reached a point just below her ears. Ryogae felt his heart skip a beat, and then he told himself that he was being ridiculous.
"Her ankle's twisted," Ryogae pointed out, suddenly noticing. The girl's right foot was swollen at the ankle. Ryogae had treated enough of his own twisted ankles to know what it looked like. For the first time, the girl noticed him. Her eyes flickered over him, and gave him a look of recognition though they'd never met each other.
"She landed on her feet when she fell," Shampooe said helpfully.
"Do something about it," Ranma said through his gritted teeth to Ryogae. "You know how, don't you?"
Ryogae nodded. Ukyoe looked on with interest as Ryogae gripped the girl's ankle. Without blinking, he gave a sharp twist none too gently.
Akane gritted her teeth and practically felt the enamel cracking at their bases. Her grip on Ranma's hand tightened. As a reflex to the sudden pain, her body made to shift to the left side of the bed. Ranma's iron grip kept her upper body in place, and Ryogae's iron grip on her right ankle kept her from giving him a kick in the face.
Akane felt like a laboratory project. The circulation in her left arm was being cut off, and her right ankle felt like someone had just broken the bone. On top of that, the two guys' grips were preventing her from moving. There was a burning feeling in her ankle. She wanted to shake it away, but every time her foot moved even a little, the burning feeling intensified. Akane shut her eyes tightly before anyone would see the sudden stinging tears.
"Geez, can't you be more gentle?" Ukyoe demanded as she looked at the Akane in concern. The girl had closed her eyes to prevent them from seeing her watery eyes, but she'd seen it. They'd all seen it.
Ryogae took some of the strips from Ukyoe and began wrapping them around the girl's ankle. He was mildly surprised when he looked up and saw Ranma glowering at him.
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Peter and the Lost Friends stood in a line. Across them a few feet away, Akane and Ranma stood. Akane was balancing herself on a long sturdy branch. Her right foot was wrapped tightly.
"Moussee," said the guy with long hair and spiral glasses.
"Shampooe," said the girl of Eastern descent.
"Ukyoe," said the tomboyish one with long brown hair and a spatula.
"Yine and Yange," said the two little twins simultaneously.
"Ryogae," said the one with the spotted bandanna.
"Peter Pan," said the boy with the yeti costume.
Akane and Ranma introduced themselves. They were both trying to hide their surprise at the astounding resemblance between these people and the people they knew in Japan. Peter clapped his hands delightedly.
"I'm glad to see you're alright," he told Akane. Akane smiled at him. Ranma held his annoyance in check. All Peter had done was lounge on his bed with the firm, ungrounded belief that Akane was going to be all right.
They sat in a huge circle around a bonfire. It was already nighttime. The clearing was very large. All around them, the forest trees grew tall. Shampooe was all over Ranma. She had taken to calling him Ranma-chan. Ukyoe, clearly jealous, was also calling him Ranma-chan every single second.
They were both vying for his attention by cooking pancakes and Chinese food and leaning in close to him. Ranma was more concerned about the sparks shooting from Akane.
Akane was with Peter and Ryogae, telling them stories about modern day Japan and what it was like to live there. Ryogae listened intently, clearly smitten by her.
Moussee and the twin girls were having fun on their own, dancing around the bonfire and belting out songs. It was a lovely first evening together as friends, and Peter prided himself as the leader, though nobody seemed to respect him as more than just a boy.
Akane and Ranma slept with only a bear skin each from them and the ground. The Lost Friends seemed to accept them completely without reservation, as if they'd been friends all their life.
Late that night, long after the last ember in the underground fireplace had died down, Akane lay on the bear hide with her arms at her sides, staring at the darkness. It was completely black in the cave, as no moonlight could even hope to find its way in. The lanterns had all died down long time ago.
She was thinking about her family in the Tendou dojo. Maybe she'd never see them again. At the moment, that realization didn't seem so bad. She was quite fascinated where she was. She knew that Ranma was somewhere to her right. The fact that he was with her in Everland made a huge difference in her attitude.
From her right, Ranma was staring straight up as well. His arms rested behind his head. For some reason he couldn't sleep. He vaguely heard Akane shift on her makeshift bed as she tried to find a more comfortable position.
Akane was trying to sleep. But a guilty thought troubled her. Her thoughts kept going back to Ranma. Her eyes softened in the dark.
"Ranma?" she suddenly whispered, turning her head slightly. 'He's sleeping,' Akane thought wearily. She continued to stare straight up. For a moment, she was tempted to wake him up just to say what she wanted to.
"What?" Ranma whispered back so suddenly Akane gave a small jolt. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly she lost her nerve. Instead, she went for the first thought that came to her mind. She hesitated first as she thought.
"Thanks for your work on my arm," she said quickly.
Ranma made a grunt of recognition for her thanks. He wanted to ask her what was really on his mind. Her hesitation had given her away. But he didn't ask, and she didn't continue. He continued looking up in the darkness.
Akane continued staring up, disliking herself for not saying what she'd meant to. After several minutes, she finally worked up her nerve.
"Hey, Ranma," she said quietly. She made her voice deliberately low. If Ranma hadn't heard, then it would be enough for her to tell herself that at least she'd tried. She glanced to the darkness at her right. A few moments passed.
"What?" Ranma said quietly back, imitating the lowness of her voice. Akane looked back at the ceiling as Ranma waited for her to answer.
"Hey, Ranma," Akane said again. "Sorry you had to end up here in Everland because of me. I know you'd rather have stayed back at the dojo...Peter can arrange a fairy guide for you to go back..."
Akane paused to listen if Ranma would reply. When he didn't, she went on.
"I," she continued very softly, "can take care of myself. So if you want to return, then don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."
"No, you can't," Ranma said before he could stop himself. There was deafening silence after that. Ranma started to sweat, sensing the argument before it actually began.
"Yes I can," Akane huffed, her voice starting to rise. "I don't need you here!"
"Don't think I'm here because of you," Ranma said, his voice still low. He was hoping she'd take the cue and lower her own voice.
"Then go!" Akane hissed at him in the dark. She stuck out her tongue: "Bleh."
"Go back to the dojo and leave me alone!"
Ranma felt his annoyance start to bubble over.
"You're not cute at all!"
"Pervert!"
With that she fell back into her bed and he fell back into his. They spent the rest of the night in silence.
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END CHAPTER TWO
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