Author's Note: A lot of people really want me to continue this… I'm overwhelmed… Sorry if I'm a bit late in updating it. The holiday season caught up with me. Oh, and I'm changing the genre yet again! Since there will be lots of different stuff in the later chapters, I'm making it general/supernatural. Is that okay? Pls. continue to read and review! Anyway, here's the fourth installment of…
Lycanthrope ½: The New and Better (?) Curse
Chapter 4: The Unexpected Choice, Ranma Cracks Up, and To Nerima and Back Again!
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of this excellent anime series. So there!
When we last left our pigtailed gender-changing martial artist…
"So…" said Kobold as he entered the room. It had already been a week since Ranma had landed there. Kobold had told him that if he refused their offer, they would let him stay until his feet had healed, and then he would be sent back, with no memory of what had occurred. "How are your feet doing?" asked Kobold.
"Ok, I guess. I can move my toes a little bit." Ranma winced as pain shot up his leg. "By the way, Kobold, I've come to a decision."
"You have? Very well. What is it?" said Kobold.
"Well…" Ranma took a deep breath. "I have decided to… well… I choose neither."
"What?" said Kobold, "What do you mean by that?"
"Well, you see, I don't want to return to Nerima… but I don't think I'm ready for the responsibilities that being a werewolf brings." Answered Ranma.
"So, if you do not wish to return, and you do not wish to be a werewolf-"
"Yet." Said Ranma.
"If you do not wish to be a werewolf yet, then what do you want?" said Kobold.
"I wish to live in peace somewhere… you know, make a fresh start. I'd like to travel when my feet are healed. You know, see the world…" said Ranma.
"You mean, you want to get as far away as possible from the people in Nerima." Said Kobold with a knowing look.
"Ummm… yeah. That's about it." Said Ranma sheepishly.
"Man, those guys must be scary, if you're THAT scared of them." Said Kobold.
"H-Hey! I'm not scared of them! It's just that having 3 girls chasing you around, each trying to get you married to her, an uncute tomboy for a fiancée who whacks you with a mallet all the time and a stupid, stick-waving idiot, a nearly blind Chinese duck-boy, and a crazy fanged boy all trying to kill you, add that to the various monsters, demons, perverts, pandas, gods, and meat-bun men, well…. It kinda gets on the nerves."
"Oh. Okay. Well, I can understand why you want to get away from them all. However, should you travel, and then decide that you want to be a werewolf, it will be hard for you to find this place, what with the enchantments and all. So, I suggest a hermit's life in the cabin right over the next ridge. That way, we can keep a close eye on you, you don't have to be worried about those Nerima people, and you can practice the Art all you want. I'll even send a sparring partner if you want one."
"Okay…"
"And don't worry. You'll always have friends here. Just don't go out during a full moon. Some guys from the pack tend to wander…and the full moon just drives 'em crazy, you know? Coz that's the only time they get full control over their powers. Other nights they're under my command, so there's no worry."
"Yeah. No problem."
"And if you do decide to be one of us, or if you ever get in trouble, we'll know how and where to find you." Said Kobold as he got up and left. "You know, I don't mind tellin' you that I was a bit disappointed with your answer. But if that's what you want…" Kobold closed the door behind him.
"Okay… I get to spar with werewolves…Great!" said Ranma. As he was pondering on what kind of moves he could expect to be facing, and what he could do to counter it, the door opened and Chloe walked in. She sat down beside Ranma and laid a hand on his foot. Ranma stiffened. A week with Chloe, and he still wasn't used to her touching him. Usually the touch of a girl meant trouble for Ranma back in Nerima. (You can see how bad his case has become…) Kobold had assigned Chloe to be Ranma's nurse (sort of… according to the rumors, Chloe had supposedly forced Kobold to make her Ranma's nurse…)
"Hey, Ranma! How's the foot today? Better?" said Chloe as she massaged his feet.
"Yeah… A little bit… I think that I'll be able toaaAAAAAAAUGHHHH! Easy there… That hurt. I'm tough, but not that tough. AUGHHHH! I said EASY! Man!" said Ranma as he continued to wince at the pain.
"Heh heh heh… I thought you were gonna be a man among men…" Chloe said teasingly. "Here you are screaming your head off over a broken foot."
"Ha ha ha. Very funny Chloe…" Ranma had been telling Chloe about life back at Nerima. He found it somewhat… relaxing to have someone listen to him for a change… He looked at Chloe, who was massaging his foot. She was pretty, he thought, maybe even beautiful. He gazed at her, spellbound. Chloe noticed him looking, smiled to herself, and…
Crack
"EEEEOOOOOWWWWWWW! What did you do that fooooooOOOOOOOHHH! OW!"
Crack
"YEOWCH! OUCH OUCH OUCH OUAaaaah…." Ranma sighed contentedly, before…
Crick Crack Crick
"OW!"
Now, let us see how things are turning out back at good ol' Nerima. With Ranma gone for a far longer period than he had ever been before, his fiancées (Read: Ukyo and Shampoo), as well as the newly formed AGSNSILWR (Association of Girls Secretly and Not-so-Secretly In Love With Ranma) were starting to worry. Many of them believed that it was Akane's fault, and a lynching party had in fact been organized and would have succeeded were it not for the efforts of Nabiki and Kasumi Tendo who, though admirers of Ranma themselves, were not in favor of a mob of women hanging their little sister ("The rope might get dirty."-Kasumi Tendo "Daddy might cut my allowance."- Nabiki Tendo) Even so, the most of the girls were worried sick about what had happened to Ranma, so they decided to meet and discuss the situation.
9:00 AM, AGSNSILWR Headquarters, Kuno Estate
"Are we all here?" asked Chairperson Kasumi Tendo. "Right. Now, we begin the very first AGSNSILWR meeting. Most of you here are rivals, and/or want to kill each other. However, we are forced to cooperate with one another seeing as how my sister Akane-"
"KILL HER!"
"FRY THE BH!"
"HANG HER!"
"QUIET!" A shout from Kasumi silenced the girls. "As I was saying, seeing as how my sister Akane has apparently sent Ranma to a place too far off to come back quickly, I believe we must find a way to contact him and see if he's alright."
"YEAH!"
"That's what we should do!"
"I hate to be a buzzkill, but, how are we gonna do that?' A query from Nabiki once again shut them up.
"Ehem. I believe I have an answer to that." Kodachi Kuno spoke up. "I took the liberty of planting a homing device on my Ranma a couple of days before that peasant girl sent him to God knows where. Sasuke!"
The trusty ninja servant came forward. In his hands was a remote control.
"Turn on the screen." Ordered Kodachi.
"Yes, Mistress." Sasuke complied and pressed a button. A screen popped out of the floor and turned on. A small red blip labeled "Ranma-sama" was flashing in a forest in…
"RUSSIA? WHAT THE HECK IS HE DOING IN RUSSIA?" screamed Kodachi.
"Woah. Guess Akane hit him harder than we thought…" said Nabiki.
"I must get there. Ranma could be lying in the forest, half-conscious, moaning my name…" said Kodachi.
Back to Ranma…
"Uhhhh….Ohhhhh….That part right there. Yeah… That's it… Mmmmm yeah…. Harder…harder…not that hard, not that HARD! OW! Yeesh…" said Ranma as Chloe continued to massage his feet. "How long will it take for me to completely heal?"
"Umm… You'll probably be fully healed in two to three days. Then I'll take you to your cabin, where you can train. Kobold says you'll be training with me and Jigo."
"Who's Jigo?' asked Ranma.
Author's Note: Well that ends chapter 4. I am SO sorry that it took so long. Anyway, you'll find out who Jigo is, and the moves he's going to be doin' next chapter. Once again, read and review. There's gonna be a fight scene in the next chapter. Don't worry, nothing too bloody… Well, see you in Chapter Five: The Sparring Partner and whatever happened to the Boy with the Fangs. Bye for now! Mr. Mushroom has left the building…