Kuno stood in meditation in his room just for that purpose at the family mansion. A lance and a halberd lined the wall behind him. "So he still reigns an enigma. He silks and sulks, but sooner or later he shall have to expose himself. And when that happens, Ranma's little lackey shall become dust." Kuno smiled, remembering the insults dealt to him on Wednesday and Thursday. Today that would change. Tatewaki brushed off his hakama and proceeded to his bedchamber.
Tatewaki had arrived at school at a ludicrously early time. There was of course, early kendo club practice. One disciple had sparred using a foil and another with saber so that Kuno could talk of the strategy involved when fighting someone with a differing sword type. Most of the club loved the temporary change. Now Tatewaki stood waiting for either of his possible antagonists, whether he should have orange or black hair made no difference—both were to be considered an enemy. The giant clock several blocks away chimed eight times. Kuno opened his eyes, resting upon his bokken's hilt. Footsteps sounded. "Halt, Zahn. If you think that you can best Tatewaki Kuno, the champion of the Furinkan Kendo Club, you are mistaken." He laughed softly to himself. A feminine voice answered, "Excuse me? Upperclassman Kuno, I need to talk to you." Kuno looked to see a girl about his age—no, slightly younger, with long black hair, green eyes, and a look of displeasure on her face. "Yes?" "I'm Yamane Hiroko of sophomore class F. I want you to leave the exchange student alone." "What? Why would I want to leave him alone? The ally of my enemy is also my enemy." Hiroko stepped forward slightly. "Because, he's in a new country, unfamiliar surroundings, a strange language, and you go out of your way to traumatize him!" Kuno frowned. "I do not follow your reasoning." Hiroko shook her head, running her hands through her hair. "I'm a member of the student council. I also wanted to tell you that I could suggest the dissolution of the kendo club, since several members have complained on your threats and destruction of school property. Harassing Leif would be just another point I could suggest." Kuno's face grew slightly pale as his eyes grew wide, then cinched almost to lines. "Insolent wench! You dare suggest blackmail against the like of me?" Hiroko rolled her eyes playfully. "Um, yes."
Leif's Friday had gone much like the day before. Other students avoided him; his teachers never asked about what had happened. He sat alone underneath the oak tree at lunch, with only Hiroko daring to converse with him. "I was just wondering if—." Leif interrupted her, speaking darkly. "You need to find something other to do than bother me. Why can't you leave me alone?" Hiroko smirked. "You need to lighten up! Don't be so sulky! Who cares if the school hates your guts?" Leif grimaced in pain. "So you're becoming an outcast for just a faulty reason? You're a fool." Hiroko pointed her right index finger at him. "And you are an even bigger fool. By hiding, you just give the school more reason to hate you." Leif sighed. "There you go, relaxing is the first step!" Leif's tone grew more annoyed. "You don't tire of this, do you?" "I won't stop until you cheer yourself up." "Then I guess you'll be following me back to the U.S. after this term, then?" Hiroko rolled her eyes and reached into her schoolbag/purse, took out a paper slip and handed it to him. "Here. There's a really good action flick that came out last Friday, and I was going with my friends to go see it this afternoon." Leif flipped the ticket through his hands. He got up and grabbed his staff. "Do you want to come?" Leif coldly answered, "No" as he ripped the ticket in half and dropped it in her hands. He walked away as a confused and slightly sad Hiroko sunk to the ground. As he neared the steps, a black-haired and very average-looking boy stopped him. "You know, that wasn't very nice to Hiroko-chan." Leif edged by him. "Please get out of my way. Who are you?" "Miyagi Shiro, Class F." Leif raised his right eyebrow. "But Shiro—thanks for talking to me." A small smile came across Leif's face as he walked off. Shiro blinked.
Leif was sprinting home. "Leif, wait!" Akane ran to catch up with him. Leif answered, a bit annoyed. "What?" "Why are you going so fast?" "I've got homework." Akane frowned. "So? So do I. I was wondering if you'd like to—." Leif interrupted, never bothering to look her in the eye. "It's college level calculus. I don't have time for 'social activities' this evening." Akane fumed. "You know, you can be worse than Ranma sometimes!" Leif had disappeared.
Leif ran up the stairs to his room without so much as a thought. Kasumi beamed and offered greetings. "Welcome home, Le—." She was stopped by a "slam" that almost shook the house. "Oh dear." The front door unhinged. Ranma, in his favorite red shirt, walked in, followed by Akane. "So, where's Leif? I was hoping to spar with him, you know, staff to staff?" Akane sighed. "Don't bother. He's too busy with calculus." Ranma shrugged and walked around to the backyard. There was a person there, resting against the outer wall, without a backpack or umbrella. "Ryoga, what are you doing here?" No answer. "Excuse me?" The man looked up. "It is Ryoga, but something's different about him." Ryoga stepped forward, laughed, and uttered, "I've finally found you, Marcellus." Ranma blinked a few times. "Marcellus? Who's Marcellus?" Ryoga pointed at him. "Mark my words. I'll have revenge for what you did to me, eleven years ago." Ryoga turned, jumped over the fence and disappeared. Ranma stood a bit spellbound before reversing to see Kasumi. "It's nice that Ryoga stopped by. What did he need?" "He didn't need anything. He called me 'Marcellus'. Do you know someone named Marcellus?" Kasumi shook her head. "No." Ranma frowned slightly. "I guess I can find out."
Ranma first stopped the Hibiki residence. The door was unlocked, so he checked the house. "He's not in the kitchen or the living room. Maybe upstairs?" He carefully pressed the handle to Ryoga's room. "Hey Ryoga? You there?" Wind blew from the open window across the room as the trademark umbrella and backpack leaned against the bed. The only light on was that from the smallish desk lamp. Ranma walked the desk, only stopping to trip over the tanuki statue next to the bed. On the desk was a bandana. Ranma picked it up and examined it. Its design consisted of black squares on a yellow field, and the more surprising aspect was the fact that there was only one bandana. "Isn't this what Ryoga normally wears? That's what was different! He was wearing a different bandana!"
On the way home, Ranma walked through Shakuji Park, relaxed. The last boats on the lake were taking their time. A muttered "Why?" broke his thoughts. "Excuse me?" He looked to see a man, head in his hands, on one of the park benches. He was wearing a red bandana with streaks of white, slightly faded. He looked up at Ranma. "Is that Ryoga?" Ryoga, tearful, and sobbing, addressed him. "Why, Marcellus? Why did you abandon me eleven years ago? I asked about those two-wheeled machines people ride and their metal carriages. Then I found out what…what year it was!" He got up, and pointed at Ranma. "Because of you, Constance has been dead for centuries! I don't even know who I am anymore. What language am I even speaking? I don't know! I found my house, but it's not mine!" Ranma stood puzzled, seeing Ryoga both babbling and crying. "Ryoga, is your head screwed on too tight? You're not making any sense." Ryoga grew more upset and pressed one hand on his forehead. "Don't call me that!" His tears stopped. "If…I'm here, and you're here, Marcellus, then maybe Constance is also…" He turned away, and starting running away. "Please, I can't lose you again! Ahh! Geeze, that's cold. What kind of contraption is that, anyway?" Ranma stood spellbound as Ryoga turned the corner, not because he ran into the sprinkler but because he stayed human. He blinked. "All right. Something is definitely wrong with him."
Ranma ran home. He was genuinely worried…about a person who hated his guts and wanted to kill him. Running around the last corner before the Tendo home, he managed to run into a large cart with a loud thud. A thickly accented Japanese voice asked, "Are you alright, son?" An older middle-aged yet determinate looking gentleman came from the front of the cart that he had apparently been wheeling along behind him. He was tall, moderately built with grey hair, a grandfatherly face, and was wearing a simple white headband. Ranma brushed himself and answered, "Yah, I think so." The man smiled slightly. "You wouldn't happen to know the way to the residence of one Soun Tendo, now would you?" "Yeah, that's where I'm going, old man." The man chuckled. "Lead on, my son. Lead on." Ranma walked onward, before finally asking the man a question. "Hey old man. Can I ask your name?" The man smiled. "Ulrich Schlüter. And you, my boy?" "Ranma. Ranma Saotome." Ulrich smiled. "I've heard much of you. Not lately, of course, but I know of your exploits. I'm sure you make the school proud." Ranma, befuddled, answered, "Um, yeah." By this time they reached the gate to the Tendo household. Ranma opened, and held it open. "Thank you."
Ranma opened the front door, and was greeted by Soun. "Mr. Tendo this is—." Soun, oblivious, cut him off. "Uli? Uli Schlüter?" "The one and only." "Well, it's been ages! Please, come inside." He then yelled into the house. "Kasumi! Could you please get some tea? An old friend has come to visit." Uli set his down his cart and walked up the steps, Ranma following. They walked to the living room and sat down. "So, Uli. It's been a while. Why are you half-way around the world for?" He thought for a moment, stroking his clean-shaven face. "I was originally just going to visit. However, on my way here, I ran into a bit of a problem." Kasumi walked into to the room, carrying a tray with teacups and a small kettle. Uli got up and looked at her. "Soun, is this your oldest? Little Kasumi, hm? My, she's really grown up." Soun looked at his daughter. "Dear, do you remember Uli Schlüter? He's an old friend of mine and Genma's." "I think so. I don't really know." Uli smiled. "She looks just like her mother, huh? Speaking of which, Soun, where is your wife?" Soun looked down at the table, a tear manifesting itself. He calmly started talking. "She's dead, Uli." Uli's face cinched slightly in pain. "Sorry. It has been too long." Soun noticed Ranma, leaning against the wall. "Ranma, please go get your father for me." "Sure."
Leif was finishing his last problem as Nabiki opened the door. The lead in his mechanical pencil snapped as he heard the sound. "Hey, Zahn. There's a guest downstairs. You might want to go and meet him." Leif sighed. "Sure." He walked downstairs and saw that he was the last one to join the group. "And this Leif Zahn. He's an exchange student living with us. Leif, this is Ulrich Schlüter." "How do you do, sir?" "Fine, thank you." Leif took his seat as Uli went back to addressing Genma. "So Genma, have you seen…you know…him?" "The master? No, not for a long time, nor do I hope to see him again." Uli gave a sigh of relief. "Now, Saotome, about what I was here for. On my way here, I ran into some trouble with a wild boar. Apparently I was disturbing her territory. A moderately tall young man with dark hair came out of the woods and fought it off for me. I thanked him, and saw that he wore a bandana as a headband. Since that cart I brought contains my collection of famous headgear and helmets, I wanted to thank him by giving him something of mine. "May I give you a new headband, son?" Ryoga looked at him. "Sure, I guess." Uli opened the cart and removed a dozen similar bandanas. "This one looks…interesting." Ryoga took a bandana of blended white and red. Uli continued. "Unfortunately, the one he took was the one I had sworn never to give out. It was the Cursèd Band of Peregrine." Akane looked at Uli. "So, this bandana's cursed?" He nodded. "Very much so. It's a long story, but I can tell it to you, if you wish." Ranma spoke up. "Sure, why not?"
"The story begins in the year 1529 by Western Calendars. The Ottoman Turks were marching through Europe at an incredible rate, and were almost in what is now Austria. Two young men of eighteen years, both of the bourgeois, were living in the Kingdom of Styria in a town outside of Graz. Peregrine and Marcellus had been lifelong friends and each wore a red and white headband as a symbol of their mutual friendship." "So, what do you think, Marcellus, should I do it?" Marcellus looked back at his friend. "Of course. You've known Constance long enough. You should go to her father." Peregrine walked out the door. "What was I doing again?" Marcellus rolled his eyes. "Proposing?" "Oh, right. Until I hear from you again, friend." "Constance's father agreed, but they decided to enlist their services to mercenaries serving with the Viennese army. "You want to be what! That's insane." Marcellus conversed back to his commander. "I know riflemen aren't taken prisoner, but the Turk don't take prisoners anyway. We both have used firearms more than most of your soldiers." "During the siege, Peregrine was knocked unconscious while serving with Marcellus. He woke up… in an Ottoman slave caravan destined for Asia Minor. "Curse you Marcellus! Why? Why did you sell me out?"
Peregrine escaped a decade later and one year later, arrived at Constance's home in Styria. "Marcellus! It's so good to see you. We all thought you were dead!" A small boy walked up from around her dress. "Mother, who's this man?" Peregrine stood in shock, eyes fluttering, jaw dropped. "Why this is Uncle Peregrine. He was on a long, long trip and now he's back home." Marcellus came out from a back room. "My word…Peregrine! You're back! But how did you?" Peregrine's shock turned slowly to disgust as he cinched down his eyebrows. "No thanks to you…why did you betray eleven years ago? Why did take Constance from me?" In rage, Peregrine grabbed a tall unlit oil lamp and drew it as a weapon. The boy approached him and tugged on his ragged shirt. "Please uncle. Why are you doing this?" "Tears appeared in Peregrine's eyes as he dropped the oil lamp and ran out the door. Some say he went to Britain or the Orient, but all legends of him have him never finding peace for himself and continuing to errantly wander even after his death."
Uli finished his story as most of the Tendo household stood spellbound. Nabiki and Akane looked saddened, and Kasumi was sniffling tears. "Mister Schlüter, that's…horrible. Why…did you tell us that?" Only Leif seem unfazed. "I found that headband inside the chest of an abandoned family castle in Romania. I believe that that the Cursèd Band was the headband Peregrine wore. I fear that unless it can be taken off that young man I gave it to, terrible things will happen." Ranma got up. "I know who you're talking about. Ryoga Hibiki. I guess I'll have to stop him." He glumly sighed as Uli turned to Leif. "Leif, you wouldn't happen to be the son of one Harold Zahn, would you?" Leif looked momentarily confused and then determined. "He's my…dad, why?" Uli got up, walked outside to his cart and returned with a small forest-colored velveteen rectangular box. Back inside the living room, he handed it to Leif. "Give this to…a friend. Do you understand?" Leif answered, "I do."
Ryoga wasn't in Shakuji Park, as Ranma had first suspected. "Ah man, I hope he doesn't start wandering around again, or otherwise this'll get really annoying." Akane frowned as she sat on one of the benches. "How can you say that? This is something to joke about." Ranma glared back. "Why'ja you have to tag along?" "Because, stupid, I might be able to help." Ranma rested his arms behind his head. "Sure, whatever. So, do you have ideas where Ryoga might be?" Akane thought for a moment. "What about home? If he's lost and confused, then wouldn't that make sense?"
Ryoga or rather Peregrine stood in his room at the Hibiki residence staring at a small framed photo of him. "This man. I'm him, I guess. I know who he is…but…I mean I remember my own death…and then being lonely…and then being here." He glanced at the bandana lying on the desk. "Then I'm wearing my old one, I guess." Peregrine slowly started to lift the bandana off his head. A sharp cold chill of pain racked him. The more he removed it, the more disorientated he felt. Short of breath, he replaced it. "So that's why I'm here, huh? This bandana?" He heard the door open downstairs. A voice came from below. "Hey Ryoga! Will you come here for a sec? We need that bandana you're wearing!" Ryoga went over to his window and opened it. Without hesitation, he jumped out, landing gracefully outside the house in an alleyway. "This body's really good at this sort of thing." He then crept towards the front of the house.
"Did you hear something, Ranma?" Akane looked at him as they stood in the living room. "Yeah, it sounded like…" The sound of running footsteps emanated from in front of the house. Ranma finished his statement. "…a window opening." He ran out the door, Akane following. Ryoga was running down the street opposite the house. After skillfully dodging a bicyclist and twisting around several pedestrians, he came across a T-intersection. He twisted right, running up the wall momentarily then jumping off. Ranma followed him on the fence top while Akane followed behind on the sidewalk at a walking pace. After running another hundred yards, he ran into a dead end. Ryoga might have simply leapt across the houses, but Peregrine thought his vertical jump was confined to a couple of feet. "Ryoga, come on, stop." He looked around to see Ranma five yards away from him. "So, you're not Marcellus, are you…" Ryoga touched his forehead the word he was looking for materialized. "…Ranma Saotome. Why do you wish me to wander namelessly again forever?" Ranma looked at him, folding his arms across his chest. "Because you just happen to be messing around with the body of my friend, that's why." Peregrine grinned. "I can see inside his memories, you know. You're not his friend." Ranma scowled. "If you're not going to take that off, I'll have to take it off for you." He went into his standard fighting stance as Peregrine awkwardly mustered a boxing stance. Ranma swung first with a mild right hook. Ryoga ducked down and to his right, and then came back with an unusually right jab. Ranma easily blocked it, and used his left hand to deliver a hard uppercut that knocked the wind out of Ryoga. "Please, I don't want to do this." Peregrine grimaced, spat and let loose a series of quick punches. Ranma easily dodged them, sliding back and swaying to the rhythm. When Ryoga paused, Ranma back flipped, kicking Ryoga in the process.
Peregrine stood in Ryoga's form, staggering backwards because of the kick. He muttered under his breath. "I need…a weapon." He didn't have Ryoga's umbrella with him, but a flash of inspiration surged through him. He took off the small navy web belt and snapped it into a long blade. When Ranma lunged forth again, Ryoga blocked with both hands on the belt, easily stopping the blow. Ryoga then started a series of quick diagonal slashes that caught the pigtailed youth by surprise. After pausing to catch his breath, Ranma just barely dodged enough to avoid being skewered as Ryoga executed a sudden lunge. Ranma got back up, and decided to go on the offensive. "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ryoga slinked backward and swiftly jumped over Ranma, slashing his back open while he was turned around. Ranma coughed, and just as Ryoga was about to sunder his neck, he saw Akane. He quivered slightly, and then recognized his beloved. "Constance, it's you!" He unhinged and replaced his belt and grasped Akane's wrist. "Please Peregrine, I'm not Constance. My name is Akane Tendo." Unfazed, he smiled and replied, "You simply don't remember, that's all." As Ranma started to get back up, Ryoga picked Akane up and started to run off with her. Ranma quickly followed in pursuit. "Ryoga, you moron! She's not who you're lookin' for! You have two sets of memories, and you're getting confused!" Ryoga answered back, appropriately. "Damn you, Marcellus! Don't tell me what I can do!" Ryoga jumped over one of the hedges that led to Shakuji Park.
In the early dusk, Ranma found Ryoga and Akane on one of the benches. "Listen Ryoga, Peregrine, I don't care. But you're seriously messing around with my friend's body and I just can't allow that." Peregrine stood up. "Listen Marcellus. You ruined my life once. Why can't you allow me happiness in another form?" Akane got up and grabbed his arm. "Please, Ryoga stop!" She reached for the bandana atop his head. He stopped her, his eyes now visibly glowing an ethereal red. "Constance, if you don't remember, I can make Akane got up and grabbed his arm. "Please, Ryoga stop!" She reached for the bandana atop his head. He stopped her, his eyes now visibly glowing an ethereal red. "Constance, if you don't remember, I can make you remember." Akane stood stunned as her demeanor softened and her eyes shone a light blue. "Peregrine, please, it's me. Won't you please stop?" Ranma, horrified, starting weeping. "You…bastard! What the hell have you done…to Akane?" Ranma rushed towards Ryoga, placing all of his energy into a single blow. It never connected as Ryoga simply held out his hand; a beam of red energy materialized and knocked Ranma back several yards. Constance tugged on Peregrine's arms. "Peregrine, stop. Don't hurt that man any more." "Please, Ranma, allow me to help you." A voice came from inside Ranma's head, but it was not his own. "Great, this is the best time for me to being hearing voices inside my head." The voice continued in a calm tone. "No, please. I'm Marcellus of Graz. I can help you." Ranma, fighting to stay awake and to listen answered, "How?" "I just need to borrow your body for a minute. It won't hurt or anything." "I guess you—." Ranma stood up, filled with determination. A voice spoke, but it was not that of Ranma's. "It's been a while, Peregrine." Peregrine cocked his head and then addressed Constance. "Please, stand back. We need to finish this." Marcellus laughed weakly. "Please Peregrine; just allow me to explain what I tried to tell you so long ago." Images flashed through Peregrine's eyes as his old friend and enemy spoke.
"At the Battle of Vienna, our commander decided to move our group directly out of the walls into the range of a much larger Turkish force. As his lieutenant, I argued against it, so secretly gestured to some of the Turk we fought, who then moved behind us and knocked us out." "The caravan?" Marcellus continued. "One of our comrades managed to drag me back to our lines, but you were captured. I later found that our commander had sold out to the Ottomans and in exchange for land, for he had intended to sell off his mercenaries as slaves. After we finished repelling the Turks, I took to horseback on one of the few remaining horses. I caught up with him a week later, and I used a captured Turkish saber to sever his head. I woke up another man sleeping at the camp and forced out of him the direction of the caravan. I returned to the nearest town to find that most of our regiment had followed me. The next morning, armed with sword and arquebus, we set off in pursuit of the slave caravan." A vision of Peregrine in chains walking across Eastern Europe came to the lost one's eyes.
"We caught up with the caravan and attacked. We managed to release all our friends, except evidently the leader of the caravan had taken you and hid during our raid." Peregrine remembered being shoved behind a low ridge. "While the rest of the group returned, since I was the new leader of the riflemen, went along with the new second-in-command and another officer pursed the slaver. A hundred miles later, they turned back. I spent the next five years of my life tracking you down, from Europe to Russia to Asia Minor to Arabia. I never found you. I returned home to find Constance's failing ailing of consumption, and her family's coffers had been severely drained. Constance's father asked me to marry her, if for nothing else but to support her. We did just that, and when you arrived six years later, I was surprised and gladdened, but you ran off before I could tell you, and we both in lived in anguish from then on." Peregrine stood humbled, crying intensely. "You did that for me? You never stole Constance?" Constance smiled at him. "No, Peregrine, he never did. Now, can we leave here and leave this people be?" With Marcellus smiling at him, Peregrine answered, "Sure. Let's go." In a flash of light, Ryoga, Ranma, and Akane fell to the ground limp. The Cursèd Band rotted quickly to dust and blew away in the evening breeze. Ranma got up. "Man, I was going after Ryoga, and how'd I end up here?" Ryoga and Akane soon came to. "Ryoga, you okay?" It was funny, seeing him without his bandana on. "Yeah, I think so. I remember being in the woods, but now I feel relaxed, almost happy. Why, would you think was wrong with me?" "Nothing." Unbeknown to the trio, an old man stood across the park, having watched the entire thing. He got up, smiled, and as he walked back to the Tendo household, spoke to himself. "My lost ancestor has now… been found."
