Ranko reeled, deep inside of her mind the ethereal locks that kept the two combating personas at bay broke down as she slipped into the changing waters. Inside of the small girls mind the battle raged on again.
"What's happening?" Ranko's persona watched dejectedly as the walls of their reality altered and shifted into a gross abomination of sinkholes and ridges. A familiar body appeared from the ether.
"Jusenkyo, eh?" Ranma chuckled slightly, "Is this your first time experiencing a total shift of matter and space?"
"Please stop it!" Begged the small girl as the walls of reality began closing at the center, tapering off to form a bottleneck at the middle, "She's not ready for anything like this!"
"She better be, these curses are generally unforgiving," Ranma stared at the closing hole in reality "But, you know, there are worse things that could happen to a person, later."
Ranma lifted his leg through the hole and brought the rest of his body through the disappearing seal.
"Where are you going!" The small girl was still trying to push the walls of reality back into place as she saw Ranma step through, "I need your help maintaining this place!"
"No offense, but restraining myself to the background isn't usually my 'thing'," The Ranma persona called through the disappearing hole, "No matter what it is I'll at least have body to call my own. This has been a terrible experience for me, later."
The Ranma persona waved as the hole closed, separating he two realities. Ranma settled back as he felt something new to a Jusenkyo curse. The two realities separated, free floating in a white expanse the ethereal locks split like a disease cell. Ranma chuckled slightly at this as he slipped into the ether.
Shampoo was mental; she raced down the mountainside, using only her bare hands to support her as she descended straight to the still rippling pool. Shampoo ran towards the pool at full tilt, leaping over a series of the more dangerous pools and towards the one that had motion breaking the surface.
Shampoo heard the sounds of crying and whimpering at the edge as she raced. Closing her eyes until her body couldn't take the curiosity anymore she opened them.
Two small girls sat at the edge of the pool, one shivering naked and the other wearing tatters from where the other was ripped out. The one in tattered clothes was crying profusely and hadn't even noticed Shampoo while the other sat and looked over its body in disgust.
"Shampoo." The naked Ranma spoke, "Where the hell are we?"
Akane watched her I.V. drip slowly through its tube and into her arm. It had been 2 weeks since Ranma disappeared and the super soba did nothing to increase her healing rate. From all their attempt's to interrogate Ryoga, the only thing they had found was that he went into an almost feral rage when he regained human form. Akane and Nodoka had resigned to letting him cool down. As such Akane had plenty of free time.
"Hmm, no books, no T.V. let's see. I got it!
See that pretty girl in the mirror there,
Who can that attractive girl be, such a pretty face, such a pretty smile,
I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and gay!"
Across the hall from her a man contemplated suicide because that song would stay with him the rest of his life.
Shampoo
"Aiya Airen." Shampoo propped up the two small girls in her arms, covering them with her coat, she pinched the child's cheek "Is so cute!"
"Shampoo." The second redhead spoke, "I'm over here."
"Shampoo knew that." Shampoo stopped in mid switch-pinch when Ranma's battle aura flared, "Fine, be that way. Which spring Airen fall into?"
Ranma blinked twice, she hadn't even thought about that, what with all the body splitting and all. She twisted her head to look over Shampoo's shoulder and read the sign out loud.
"shuanshonniichuan- The spring of drown twins"
MARCO
"Any two's?"
"You sunk my battleship."
Akane had gotten bored at the hospital and had been spending her alone time with her blinding pain by making games out of existing games. She was currently playing battle fish with Kasumi and Nabiki.
"As polite as I try to be Akane, I have to say this is by far the stupidest game I've ever seen, and I endured father's charades."
"That's true; I've never understood why he always asks us to play it using foam cutouts. It really eliminates the purpose of guessing."
"I think it's because he has such a hard time reading between the lines, like when I use sarcasm, he never detects it."
Nabiki blinked twice, "When, exactly, Kasumi do you use sarcasm?"
"Oh, whenever one of the men make a stupid statement or action. Don't tell me you never got it either. B4
"Go fish. That was sarcasm? I thought you were just a ditz."
"How could you say that!" Kasumi shuffled her cards and shook her ships, "I have an excellent mind, I'm just helpful and cheery is all."
"Than why do I keep schooling you at these games if you're so smart?"
Kasumi glanced at the rule sheet before making her next move, "Just because Akane makes insane games and expects us to know exactly how to play them doesn't make me a ditz. C6."
"Hmm, you hit two at once, what happens now Akane?"
"MULTIBALL!" Akane chucked a large jar of marbles onto the board than jump/hopped out of the room on her good leg. Kasumi and Nabiki sat, heads tilted at the door.
"See, that's why I don't want you in the room when Dr. Tofu gives her painkillers."
POLO
"Is good fit for honored customer's sister?" The guide of Jusenkyo lifted up both of Ranma's arms and let the drop back down before moving to Ranko, "Is good thing I kept my daughters old clothes."
"Is very kind sir." Shampoo gave a slight nudge to Ranko's back.
"Thank you for the clothes mister. They're nice." Both of the girls turned to stare at Ranma after waiting for a minute.
"What?" Ranma questioned looking back and forth between them, then towards the Jusenkyo Guide, realization hitting "Oh, come on. You know it don't think any of this is…whatever 'Thank you for the clothes mister. They're nice'"
"Is no problem honored customer." Apparently they don't get sarcasm in china, because Shampoo and the guide both seemed pleased by this. It was at that moment that the guide switched subjects.
"Going back to Amazon village I guess?" His hands tugged at the material on Ranko's arm, "Getting things ready for new child is always hassle."
"Shampoo… making small detour before village." Shampoo glanced out the window to make sure no one was coming before responding to the guide again, "Does Jusenkyo guide know of other enchanted grounds?"
"Nothing more safe then Jusenkyo." Motioning to Ranma and Ranko, "And Jusenkyo not very safe."
"Shampoo know, what guide tell Shampoo 'family' about the forest of time?"
"If honored customer wants to hang upside down by her entails, is fine. But might consider not scarring young children."
"Wait." Ranma interjected, shooting her hand up, "I know somebody who went there and came out fine."
"Friend of honored sister must be young, I right?"
"No- wait, I guess he was when he left."
"There you go. The priests of the mushroom temple love children. They merely send them from the forest."
"Like children, eh?" Ranma stroked her chin before crackling madly.
"CUTE!" Shampoo glomped onto the small redhead and shook her body wildly.
Akane
"Am I getting closer?"
Nabiki swung her bat wildly, missing the colorful ball of streamers by a half foot. Akane dropped it down then raised it again.
"Almost sis." Akane moved her wheelchair back and forth quickly as she placed weight on her good arm, "Get the prize for us."
Nabiki pulled back and swung, smashing the piñata and spraying it's payload across the room, "Is my frilly blue one in there?"
Hundreds of bra's floated to the ground and a mangled, albeit colorful, Happosai still tied to the roof made a silent vow to not come back to this particular hospital.
Babysitter!
Ranma, Ranko, and Shampoo hid behind a bush and waited for the changing of the guard before they attempted to break through into the mushroom forest.
"Airen certain about this?" Shampoo tugged at Ranma's arm, "Could not be safe."
"S'okay Shampoo!" Ranko piped in, ready to run, "Ranma's little, but he's still strong! We'll be okay."
"She's right Shampoo. I'm not as strong as before, but I can handle some old priests. And besides, they like kids remember; if we get caught we'll play the 'little lost children' card."
Shampoo nodded quietly than glanced out the bushes, an older man, about 50ish, dressed with a modest white shirt and brown pants glanced back toward the temple with a yawn and laid back against a tree. Closing his eyes slowly then yawning again as he pulled out a large straw hat.
"Now!" Shampoo grabbed the belt of both of the girl's pants and threw them over the treetop and the sleeping guard.
Ranko began squealing with fright as she fell into the canopy of trees. Ranma shifted her weight and threw her arms around Ranko as they fell through the leaves, Ranma's legs grabbing a random branch.
"Thanks niisan."
"No problem. Good thing we're both so light or the branch would never hol-" CRACK, "Dammit."
The twin girls smashed into the ground, Ranko landing gently on top of Ranma (gently is how you define it.). Ranma got up after swirly eying for a minute. Ranko had forgotten her twins' ordeal after a half minute and began looking for some flowers.
"Switch to looking for mushrooms Ranko." Ranma shook her head and began foraging. For a supposed 'mushroom' forest, there wasn't anything there that had both the right size and shape for the aging mushroom she wanted. Ranma dug around in a sparse bush for a second before her small eyes caught a large mushroom growing near a small stream. She excitedly ran for it and as her hand closed around it a large pair of wizened hands grabbed the cap.
"At last!" the two people cried out together, "A 16 cm mushroom!"
"What!" The old man stared down at the small girl dangling from his hands and tried to shake her off, "get off little one; this isn't food for you."
"I'm not little and I saw it first!" Ranma pulled her body up and tried to take a chunk out of the mushroom before the old man flipped the prize out of both of their hands. Both of them watched it land and began scrambling over each other for it, "I need it to be my age!"
"I've been searching for a forgotten mushroom of this size for months! I'm technically the oldest person at the temple currently. I deserve it more than some punk kid!"
"Bite me old bastard!"
"Ranma said a bad word!" Ranko called out sing song, "He's gonna get it."
"Stay out of this Ranko!" Ranma and the mushroom priest rolled of each other and stood in battle stance. The old man was dressed similar to the guard, but holding a walking stick in his hands and with a tattoo of a fiery bird on his right hand. His wooden stick held out in front of him like a sword he matched Ranma's chestnut fist stance.
"My name is Genmaru, elder priest of the mushroom temple and true owner of those mushrooms you and your sister have been cultivating. Give them back and I will give you safe passage out of this forest."
"That'll be hard after it's eaten. Won't it?"
"Child, you have no idea who you are challenging. Stop this foolishness and give me that mushroom!"
Ranma lowered her arms and dashed, head on towards the mushroom Priest Genmaru. Thrusting herself into the air she brought her arms in the collapsed form of the umisen-ken, her aura disappearing from sight. Genmaru chuckled slightly as he brought his cane down in a slanted slash through the air, fast, but to Ranma's training the sword was moving awkwardly slow.
Catapulting herself from a nearby tree she opened up into an uppercut, just as the cane finished sweeping. Ranma's clothes and skin tore from the shear air pressure of the swing and bounced along the ground to her sister's feet. Ranma couldn't stop tears from falling, "Shit! It h-hurts so much l-like this."
"You see the folly of challenging me now; I'm far too powerful an opponent for someone like you. I claim my prize." The priest walked towards the 16cm mushroom as he heard a shrill yell.
"We aren't done yet!" Ranma stood with her aura blazing, the sleeve of her left arm torn off and tears sliding down her small face, "I need that mushroom!"
"You're more of a warrior than I expected for someone so young. Fine, I won't hold back." The priest brought back his cane and ran full tilt at the pair, one long sustained slash as he raced down the field. He passed the pair as he saw Ranma bring Ranko to the ground and shield her with her body. The razor wind streaked by and hundreds of tiny razor slashes ripped up Ranma's back and clothes as she cried out, tears falling quicker now.
"You have one last chance, take it and you can go alive."
Ranma stood up; she wiped her eyes with her sleeve and smiled slightly, "Giving up would feel good right now, wouldn't it? I wouldn't have to deal with all the fiancée's or problems in my life, but I can't. As strange and as messed up as my life is, I love it. And I won't let you, a Pig-transformed freak, or anyone stop me from reaching the final destination of my life, the point I've worked so hard to see!"
"Touching, anything else to say?"
"Yes. First your heart goes Thu-bump."
The priest felt his chest pound as Ranma said the words
"Then comes the swoosh." Ranma watched as the old man disappeared into his clothes, a boy of 5 draped in his shirt left standing there. Then motioning to Ranko as she pulled five small mushrooms out of her pocket "you really shouldn't run with your mouth open, you might swallow something."
Genmaru chuckled slightly as he hefted his oversized cane, "Looks like I got a reason to fight for that 'shroom now. Let's finish this."
Ranma nodded quickly as she resumed the umisen-ken pose. She began running at subsonic speeds around the boy, his weapon still aloft in the air. Quick motion to his rear caused him to bring the sword back in reflex motion; his cane snapped a rock in two as Ranma materialized in front of him.
"You really shouldn't bring the sword back for such a long swing." Ranma jumped forward as the cane crossed back wildly, feeling the air pressure bite at her face as she was blown back. Ranma's face didn't streak with tears but crossed with a mixture of confusion and wonder as she sat back on the ground, "I want to see that again."
Ranma didn't give Genmaru time to respond as she leapt into the air, bringing her hands to make a ball of energy as she threw her ki at the Priest. Genmaru grunted slightly as he swung his sword. A bright rip cut through the energy as the sword touched it, followed by a series of tiny razor cuts along the surface of the blast as the mokotakabisha absorbed the blow. Ranma began to smile, than snicker as she fell to the ground in front of her twin.
"A single powerful swash going awkwardly slow, followed by one hundred blows so fast the eye alone can't catch them, creating the illusion of a single, sweeping blast. That's what your attack is, and now I know how to beat it."
Genmaru whistled sharply as he leaned on/against his cane. A thoughtful look crossing his face.
"You do good work. But you are a bigger fool than I thought if you still nurture the thought that you can still beat me. I've been training this attack for 200 years. There's nothing it can't stop."
"We'll see." Ranma brought her hands together in a thinking pose. Her mind brought back to all that had happened, how Akane had made love to Ryoga; how she had betrayed him after all he had done for her! Red ki collected under her feet and built to a massive wall around her. The raw force of it raising her up and propelling her small body into the air until it was above the mushroom priest, "Ultimate technique: Shi shi Hokodan revised- Lions wailing blade!"
The mass of red ki solidified around Ranma in a ball as she spoke her final thought, "Lets see how well wood cuts through month's of tortured thoughts!"
Genmaru's eyes opened wide in anticipation as he brought his sword up in a wide arc. The air pressure bounded off the ball as it fell, the rotation speed pushing the sharp air out of the way as it descended quickly. Genmaru bounced out of the way as the spinning ball of red struck the ground and continued eating straight in. Genmaru Lifted his cane only to have it fall back down. His younger body not having the muscle strength to do his advanced sword technique many more times he raised the cane onto his shoulder and ran. He hefted the cane with his remaining strength as he slashed into the ki.
Ranma woke up with her sister and a teenaged boy nursing a wound on her head.
"What happened?" she said meekly, "Who won?"
"Technically." The teenaged boy said, "That would be me. But you showed some real strength out there. You're free to come back here any time, under the blessing of Head Priest Genmaru."
"I-I still lost muh-my only chance to be…"
"Don't start crying now. This isn't the time for depression, more for celebration than anything. If my cane wasn't made out of blessed 500 year old mahogany I wouldn't have been able to cut that ki at all. So I give you a gift."
Ranma looked at the boy, "What?"
Ranko produced a basket full of small mushrooms, "I helped your sister pick a little something for you too take with you, if you store them in a warm moist place they should be 16 cm before you know it."
"I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll run the hell away for the moment, I think our fight alerted some of the more angry guards."
Ranma and Ranko were carried from that forest by Genmaru after Ranko explained that they had no sense of direction. Shampoo thanked the priest profusely after seeing the mushrooms. Ranma nearly fell asleep exhausted in her arms as she muttered a final phrase into her ear, "C'mon Airen, we go home."