Author's rantings: Chapter three now. Keeping the quality consistent is actually pretty hard! I respect those who can more now. Reviews are welcome as always, really! they keep me going! A few answers to some questions: Inuyasha could not tell that Ranma had not met Kagome because they were in Kagome's room, which has her scent all over it. Souta uses the suffix niichan because I interpret him as a very trusting boy, and Ranma is similar enough to Inuyasha that he may do it subconsciously. Lastly, Inuyasha loses his powers on the night of the new moon, i.e. when it isn't visible. Thank you to everybody who has reviewed! They've been very helpful.
Ranma looked over challengingly at the dog-eared figure, moving into a defensive stance. "I don't know what kind of problems you've got with me, but I don't back down from challenges."
The other person snorted, "Call it what you want, I don't much care." With that, the figure rushed at Ranma.
Ranma flipped over his opponent, executing a sweep kick upon landing. However, his foot met thin air - when he looked up he saw the other bore down on him with the sword. Instinctively, Ranma did a backwards flip, moving out of the sword's swiping range so that the sword also met only the air.
"You're pretty good, for a human." The dog-man said, sending prickles down Ranma's neck at the implication.
However, Ranma's ego would not admit fear, "Likewise." he grunted out.
This time, Ranma initiated the attack, springing up into the air and kicking downwards. His opponent leapt to the side and tried to chop of his head in an aimed attack. Immediately dropping to the floor to dodge the blade, Ranma followed with a backwards summersault kick. The other slipped away, the kick missing his head by an inch.
The two fought for a few more minutes, ducking and weaving, never managing to score a hit on the other.
"Shoot, too bad I can't let loose. This guy's dangerous but I can't destroy the house after only staying here for so long." Ranma thought as he dodged another vertical swipe at his shoulder and leapt back to prepare for his next move. "Guess I'll have to resort to this." Ranma leapt at his enemy fist cocked by his side. For a brief second, he realized that the dog-person had also leapt at him, his yellow eyes crackling with energy and the sword sheathed by his side. In some unidentifiable way, it almost seemed like he was looking at a mirror.
"Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!"
"Sankon Tetsusou!"
Ranma felt the satisfying pulse of his fists hitting against flesh at the same time he felt pain cut across his chest. He quickly leapt backwards, but the pain caused him to land on his back. Looking over, Ranma saw that he had knocked his enemy to the other end of the roof.
Ranma's wound was not too deep, but it was disturbing that it had caused some blood to seep out. "That thing has got claws!" he realized. Ranma stood up, readying himself to continue the fight while the other person did likewise.
"Hello, who's up there?" Startled, Ranma looked towards where the voice had come from. It was Souta's voice coming from his sister's room. Briefly, Ranma guiltily realized he must have been making a lot of noise fighting somebody who he now wasn't sure was a burglar. However, he reasoned, it was that dog eared weirdo who had busted in unannounced. Looking at the dog-eared person, Ranma was surprised to see him clenching his fist in anguish.
"Hey." Ranma looked up, startled that his opponent had talked to him again, "You said you haven't seen Kagome?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Ranma said in exasperation.
"That's the truth?"
"How many times do I have to say it?"
"If I find out you've been lying," The dog-person threatened, "Inuyasha is a name that you will dread for the rest of your life."
Ranma snorted, "Like I would ever be frightened by the likes of you!" When he looked up however, he saw that the other person had already rushed off the building.
"Hello?" Souta's voice came out again. Ranma quickly bounded towards the window, wounds allowing. Once above the window, Ranma leaned forwards until he was hanging upside down, face to face with Souta.
"Boo!"
Startled, Souta took a few steps back, "Ranma-niichan! What were you doing on the roof?"
Flipping back into the room Ranma announced, "Stopping some weirdo who had snuck into our room." At Souta's questioning face, he answered, "I think he was called Inuyasha, he thought that I had done something to your sister or something."
Souta's eyes widened, eyes turning to Ranma's wound, "You had a fight with Inuyasha?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"And he came to fetch Kagome?" There was some wonder in Souta's voice, but there was a heavy overtone of worry.
Puzzled, Ranma answered, "I don't know what he came to do, but he seemed pretty serious."
Souta bolted out of the room and rushed downstairs, "I'll get the first aid kit for you later!"
"Hey!" Ranma followed him, puzzled, what are you doing?" Souta did not answer and instead ran out of the house, heading for the well house. "That's where that Inuyasha character went," Ranma thought to himself, "won't that be dangerous for Souta?"
Inside the well, Souta was shouting down the well, "Inu-no-oniichan! What's happened to Kagome?"
Ranma stood at the doorway, confused, "Souta seems to think that that guy is safe, maybe I should believe him. But why is he shouting down the well?" So wondering, Ranma voiced his thoughts.
"Inuyasha is down there." Souta replied, before shouting down again.
"Bah! I'll go get him," Ranma said, leaping down into the well "curse him for making you worry!"
"But only-" Souta started as Ranma disappeared, but stopped when a bright light flashed from inside the well, "Inuyasha and Kagome can go through that?"
***
Ranma landed at the bottom of the well and looked around him, "Ouch, this is making my wounds worse!" he muttered. The bottom of the well, was like what he would have expected from an empty well - there were no secret passages or hidden caverns. "Was Souta lying to me?" he wondered. Sighing, Ranma leapt up the well.
Around the well was a small patch of grass surrounded by a forest. It looked absolutely nothing like what Ranma remembered and Souta was no where in sight. "What just happened?" he wondered.
Ranma walked aimlessly forward, ducking under and stepping over the shrubbery and foliage. He was sure that this was somewhere that he had never been before, "the place can't suddenly change shape can it?" Ranma muttered to himself. Soon, he had arrived to what he recognized as the Go-Shimboku tree.
"Or maybe it can." Ranma thought, "Just where am I?"
Jumping up onto the top of the tree, Ranma peered around, using the superior height of the Go-Shimboku. In the distance, Ranma could almost make out village and started to tree hop towards it. However, his claw wound was starting to become unbearable, so Ranma decided to get some rest and wait for his wounds to heal a little first. "Maybe this is a dream and I'll wake up soon." he reasoned, as he laid his head upon the trunk, stretching out onto a sturdy branch, "it sure is as confusing as one." Soon, from a combination of Ranma's fatigue from fighting and the lull of the crickets chirping, Ranma had closed his eyes and fallen into a deep sleep.
***
Ranma awoke to the sound of birds singing. Rubbing his eyes, Ranma stood up before almost falling off the tree branch that he had been sleeping on. Quickly, he grabbed onto the branch until he was hanging by one arm. "So I guess it wasn't a dream." Ranma sighed, as he let go of the branch. Once on the ground, Ranma started out in the direction where he had seen the village in the previous night. His wound had mostly healed, thanks to his high metabolism and instead, Ranma was worrying more about his stomach.
"Hungry…" Ranma complained to himself, "I really should not have missed dinner yesterday. Hopefully there'll be some food in that village.
Ranma arrived at the village after a short walk. Around him were many people, mostly woman who were housework chores while in the distance, Ranma could make out rice paddy fields where some people worked.
"I'm not in Tokyo am I?" Ranma wondered out loud. Beside him, a woman who was passing by looked up at him.
"Tokyo? I've only heard of one other person refer to a place like that." the woman commented, "Where did you come from?"
"Errr… I just came out of a well, I swear, that's the truth!"
"I suggest you go see Kaede-sama, her hut is just over there." The woman pointed at a nearby house, apparently not bothered by Ranma's explanation, "She might give you some answers."
Ranma thanked the woman before going up to the house and knocking on the door. The door opened, and Ranma was greeted by an old woman wearing priestess clothing.
"Who is it?"
"Ah… something strange has happened to me and somebody told me that I could ask you for help?" Ranma said nervously.
The old woman looked at Ranma closely, "You wear the cloths of a noble, have you had some misfortune?"
Ranma chuckled uneasily, "No, actually I'm not a noble, just a regular guy." It was only a part lie, Ranma thought, "So, do you know what's happened to Tokyo?"
"Tokyo? I think Kagome mentioned that place… are you from her time?"
"Her time?" Ranma asked uncertainly, "what time?"
"Right now is the feudal era of Japan." The priestess told him, "Please, come in. I am Kaede, the village priestess. Who might you be?"
"Saotome Ranma," Ranma answered, following the old woman into the hut, "Sorry, but did you say that it's the feudal era?"
"That is correct, you came out of a well did you not?"
"Yeah, I did…" Ranma sat down on the floor opposite where Kaede had already sat, "how do I go back?"
"The well again, I suppose, though Inuyasha is the only person that I know who can go through it at will."
"Hey! That's the guy who I was following! It's cause of him that I ended up here." Ranma commented.
Kaede narrowed her eyes, "Strange, he and Kagome did not pass by here yesterday."
"Well, I guess that's not my concern anymore, so I just have to jump in the well again and I'll get back to my time?" Ranma asked. At the priestess's uncertain nod, Ranma prepared to thank her and leave, when Souta's worried face forced itself into his mind. "Darn," he thought, "I promised I'd get Inuyasha and shake some answers out of him, what a jerk." Ranma thought. "Do you have any idea where Inuyasha is?" Ranma asked Kaede.
"I'm sorry, Inuyasha and Kagome were traveling north of here last time I heard from them, but it has been a while now – I haven't seen them for many days."
Sighing, Ranma thanked the old priestess and turned to leave when his stomach growled. Cackling loudly in a way that reminded Ranma of Cologne, Kaede told him to sit down while she spooned some congee for him to eat. "No need to pay me," she said, "it's what I would do for the next traveler who goes through this village." In a darker undertone, she continued, "And you can tell me what has happened with Kagome and Inuyasha." Deeply grateful, Ranma followed her orders, mouth drooling in anticipation for some food at last.
Ranma looked over challengingly at the dog-eared figure, moving into a defensive stance. "I don't know what kind of problems you've got with me, but I don't back down from challenges."
The other person snorted, "Call it what you want, I don't much care." With that, the figure rushed at Ranma.
Ranma flipped over his opponent, executing a sweep kick upon landing. However, his foot met thin air - when he looked up he saw the other bore down on him with the sword. Instinctively, Ranma did a backwards flip, moving out of the sword's swiping range so that the sword also met only the air.
"You're pretty good, for a human." The dog-man said, sending prickles down Ranma's neck at the implication.
However, Ranma's ego would not admit fear, "Likewise." he grunted out.
This time, Ranma initiated the attack, springing up into the air and kicking downwards. His opponent leapt to the side and tried to chop of his head in an aimed attack. Immediately dropping to the floor to dodge the blade, Ranma followed with a backwards summersault kick. The other slipped away, the kick missing his head by an inch.
The two fought for a few more minutes, ducking and weaving, never managing to score a hit on the other.
"Shoot, too bad I can't let loose. This guy's dangerous but I can't destroy the house after only staying here for so long." Ranma thought as he dodged another vertical swipe at his shoulder and leapt back to prepare for his next move. "Guess I'll have to resort to this." Ranma leapt at his enemy fist cocked by his side. For a brief second, he realized that the dog-person had also leapt at him, his yellow eyes crackling with energy and the sword sheathed by his side. In some unidentifiable way, it almost seemed like he was looking at a mirror.
"Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!"
"Sankon Tetsusou!"
Ranma felt the satisfying pulse of his fists hitting against flesh at the same time he felt pain cut across his chest. He quickly leapt backwards, but the pain caused him to land on his back. Looking over, Ranma saw that he had knocked his enemy to the other end of the roof.
Ranma's wound was not too deep, but it was disturbing that it had caused some blood to seep out. "That thing has got claws!" he realized. Ranma stood up, readying himself to continue the fight while the other person did likewise.
"Hello, who's up there?" Startled, Ranma looked towards where the voice had come from. It was Souta's voice coming from his sister's room. Briefly, Ranma guiltily realized he must have been making a lot of noise fighting somebody who he now wasn't sure was a burglar. However, he reasoned, it was that dog eared weirdo who had busted in unannounced. Looking at the dog-eared person, Ranma was surprised to see him clenching his fist in anguish.
"Hey." Ranma looked up, startled that his opponent had talked to him again, "You said you haven't seen Kagome?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Ranma said in exasperation.
"That's the truth?"
"How many times do I have to say it?"
"If I find out you've been lying," The dog-person threatened, "Inuyasha is a name that you will dread for the rest of your life."
Ranma snorted, "Like I would ever be frightened by the likes of you!" When he looked up however, he saw that the other person had already rushed off the building.
"Hello?" Souta's voice came out again. Ranma quickly bounded towards the window, wounds allowing. Once above the window, Ranma leaned forwards until he was hanging upside down, face to face with Souta.
"Boo!"
Startled, Souta took a few steps back, "Ranma-niichan! What were you doing on the roof?"
Flipping back into the room Ranma announced, "Stopping some weirdo who had snuck into our room." At Souta's questioning face, he answered, "I think he was called Inuyasha, he thought that I had done something to your sister or something."
Souta's eyes widened, eyes turning to Ranma's wound, "You had a fight with Inuyasha?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"And he came to fetch Kagome?" There was some wonder in Souta's voice, but there was a heavy overtone of worry.
Puzzled, Ranma answered, "I don't know what he came to do, but he seemed pretty serious."
Souta bolted out of the room and rushed downstairs, "I'll get the first aid kit for you later!"
"Hey!" Ranma followed him, puzzled, what are you doing?" Souta did not answer and instead ran out of the house, heading for the well house. "That's where that Inuyasha character went," Ranma thought to himself, "won't that be dangerous for Souta?"
Inside the well, Souta was shouting down the well, "Inu-no-oniichan! What's happened to Kagome?"
Ranma stood at the doorway, confused, "Souta seems to think that that guy is safe, maybe I should believe him. But why is he shouting down the well?" So wondering, Ranma voiced his thoughts.
"Inuyasha is down there." Souta replied, before shouting down again.
"Bah! I'll go get him," Ranma said, leaping down into the well "curse him for making you worry!"
"But only-" Souta started as Ranma disappeared, but stopped when a bright light flashed from inside the well, "Inuyasha and Kagome can go through that?"
***
Ranma landed at the bottom of the well and looked around him, "Ouch, this is making my wounds worse!" he muttered. The bottom of the well, was like what he would have expected from an empty well - there were no secret passages or hidden caverns. "Was Souta lying to me?" he wondered. Sighing, Ranma leapt up the well.
Around the well was a small patch of grass surrounded by a forest. It looked absolutely nothing like what Ranma remembered and Souta was no where in sight. "What just happened?" he wondered.
Ranma walked aimlessly forward, ducking under and stepping over the shrubbery and foliage. He was sure that this was somewhere that he had never been before, "the place can't suddenly change shape can it?" Ranma muttered to himself. Soon, he had arrived to what he recognized as the Go-Shimboku tree.
"Or maybe it can." Ranma thought, "Just where am I?"
Jumping up onto the top of the tree, Ranma peered around, using the superior height of the Go-Shimboku. In the distance, Ranma could almost make out village and started to tree hop towards it. However, his claw wound was starting to become unbearable, so Ranma decided to get some rest and wait for his wounds to heal a little first. "Maybe this is a dream and I'll wake up soon." he reasoned, as he laid his head upon the trunk, stretching out onto a sturdy branch, "it sure is as confusing as one." Soon, from a combination of Ranma's fatigue from fighting and the lull of the crickets chirping, Ranma had closed his eyes and fallen into a deep sleep.
***
Ranma awoke to the sound of birds singing. Rubbing his eyes, Ranma stood up before almost falling off the tree branch that he had been sleeping on. Quickly, he grabbed onto the branch until he was hanging by one arm. "So I guess it wasn't a dream." Ranma sighed, as he let go of the branch. Once on the ground, Ranma started out in the direction where he had seen the village in the previous night. His wound had mostly healed, thanks to his high metabolism and instead, Ranma was worrying more about his stomach.
"Hungry…" Ranma complained to himself, "I really should not have missed dinner yesterday. Hopefully there'll be some food in that village.
Ranma arrived at the village after a short walk. Around him were many people, mostly woman who were housework chores while in the distance, Ranma could make out rice paddy fields where some people worked.
"I'm not in Tokyo am I?" Ranma wondered out loud. Beside him, a woman who was passing by looked up at him.
"Tokyo? I've only heard of one other person refer to a place like that." the woman commented, "Where did you come from?"
"Errr… I just came out of a well, I swear, that's the truth!"
"I suggest you go see Kaede-sama, her hut is just over there." The woman pointed at a nearby house, apparently not bothered by Ranma's explanation, "She might give you some answers."
Ranma thanked the woman before going up to the house and knocking on the door. The door opened, and Ranma was greeted by an old woman wearing priestess clothing.
"Who is it?"
"Ah… something strange has happened to me and somebody told me that I could ask you for help?" Ranma said nervously.
The old woman looked at Ranma closely, "You wear the cloths of a noble, have you had some misfortune?"
Ranma chuckled uneasily, "No, actually I'm not a noble, just a regular guy." It was only a part lie, Ranma thought, "So, do you know what's happened to Tokyo?"
"Tokyo? I think Kagome mentioned that place… are you from her time?"
"Her time?" Ranma asked uncertainly, "what time?"
"Right now is the feudal era of Japan." The priestess told him, "Please, come in. I am Kaede, the village priestess. Who might you be?"
"Saotome Ranma," Ranma answered, following the old woman into the hut, "Sorry, but did you say that it's the feudal era?"
"That is correct, you came out of a well did you not?"
"Yeah, I did…" Ranma sat down on the floor opposite where Kaede had already sat, "how do I go back?"
"The well again, I suppose, though Inuyasha is the only person that I know who can go through it at will."
"Hey! That's the guy who I was following! It's cause of him that I ended up here." Ranma commented.
Kaede narrowed her eyes, "Strange, he and Kagome did not pass by here yesterday."
"Well, I guess that's not my concern anymore, so I just have to jump in the well again and I'll get back to my time?" Ranma asked. At the priestess's uncertain nod, Ranma prepared to thank her and leave, when Souta's worried face forced itself into his mind. "Darn," he thought, "I promised I'd get Inuyasha and shake some answers out of him, what a jerk." Ranma thought. "Do you have any idea where Inuyasha is?" Ranma asked Kaede.
"I'm sorry, Inuyasha and Kagome were traveling north of here last time I heard from them, but it has been a while now – I haven't seen them for many days."
Sighing, Ranma thanked the old priestess and turned to leave when his stomach growled. Cackling loudly in a way that reminded Ranma of Cologne, Kaede told him to sit down while she spooned some congee for him to eat. "No need to pay me," she said, "it's what I would do for the next traveler who goes through this village." In a darker undertone, she continued, "And you can tell me what has happened with Kagome and Inuyasha." Deeply grateful, Ranma followed her orders, mouth drooling in anticipation for some food at last.