A Third Chance at Life
A Picnic and More of Kikyo's Past
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma or Inuyasha, they are the property of Rumiko Takashi and some companies I can't remember, I also do not own Shadow Hearts, I am making no money of this work.
Author's Notes: Sorry about the shortness of the last chapter and the screw up of putting Sakura in instead of Megumi as the torturer, apparently I shouldn't write while sick and in a hurry, so technically I shouldn't be writing now either but eh. I fixed a few other typos in the last chapter as well, but the wrong name was the biggest thing that I saw. Thank you Xtor49 for pointing out a few of the typos, and thank you everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate you taking the time to do so. As always reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated and if you see any typos feel free to point them out.
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"Is everyone ready to go?" Kasumi asked sweetly.
"I'm ready." Nabiki said as she slipped a cell phone into the back pocket of her shorts.
"Good to go." Ranma smiled as he lifted a pack with all the stuff the Tendo sisters wanted to take with them.
'Looks like we get to be the pack mule today.' Ranma laughed in his mind.
'Seriously why do girls in this time need to bring so much stuff everywhere they go?' Kikyo thought in confusion.
'I don't think it's they have to, it's just they can so why not be prepared sorta thing.'
'I guess, it just seems pointless to me.'
'Yeah, but it keeps them happy and keeping Akane happy keeps me on the ground.'
'True, that girl is…strange.'
'Eh I've met worse.'
"I'm ready to." Akane smiled brightly before turning a glare at the fathers, "I better not see either of you anywhere near us today. Is that clear." Akane growled as her hand twitched as if wishing it held a large mallet at that moment.
"Crystal." A panda Genma signs said after he had been transformed by the tears being expelled by Soun.
"Wah, my baby hates me and has been abusing me." Soun wailed, "Next thing you know she'll be making me eat her cooking as well."
Akane twitched, opened her mouth to speak, closed her mouth without saying anything, twitched again, and then socked her father in the jaw dropping the crybaby.
"Feeling better?" Ranma asked nervously.
"Much." Akane replied as she smiled and skipped out the door.
'Make that very strange.'
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'Akane's acting weird, she's beaten the crap out of daddy and the idiot panda multiple times in the last weak, but hasn't hit Ranma even once that I know about. They have both cut back on the insults as well, I wonder if it has something to do with the project, or maybe Akane knows about Ranma healing her friend's mother. Either way it's a change in the Nerima dynamic, now I need to figure out if it's permanent or temporary and find the best way to make money from it… I think I should observe a bit longer before any decisions are made.' Nabiki thought to herself.
'Ranma's acting different too, but with him I know at least the main reasons as to why. None of his rivals or fiancees have been showing up either. Both the Kunos have been unusually quiet, Kuno still gets smacked around by Ranma a bit, but he hasn't been attacking as much lately. With Mousse my associates found out he's been locked in a cage the past week for annoying Cologne, that means she's been short staffed so Shampoo's probably to busy to visit. Ukyo has been seeing him at all the group meetings so it's not to surprising to see she hasn't been coming over. Ryoga's probably lost again.' Nabiki mused.
"Nabiki, you okay?" Ranma asked as he walked next to her.
"I'm fine Ranma, Why do you ask?" Nabiki queried.
"Well you just seemed lost in thought I guess." Ranma shrugged.
'More observant as well.' Nabiki filed the information away. "Thinking about some of the things in town and how they'll affect the profit margin." Nabiki said.
"Maybe you should use today as a break, just relax. You and Kasumi could both use one." Ranma said.
"And you couldn't?" Nabiki grinned.
"Oh I could use a break as well, which is what I plan on using today as." Ranma smiled back.
"Well, you won't get any problems coming from me today, so let's hope everyone else you know agrees." Nabiki said.
"Yeah I would hate to have the day ruined, because one of my rivals decided to attack me."
"Hey you two." Akane called from up front where she was speaking with Kasumi, "We're here."
"No really? We would have never guessed it if you hadn't told us." Nabiki said sarcastically earning her a glare from Akane.
"Now now, let's all get along it's such a nice day and perfect for a picnic and it's been so long since I've been on one." Kasumi said a bit wistfully, "So can we all get along today please."
"Sure thing, Kasumi." Nabiki smiled, "Anything you want."
Knock Knock, Ranma rapped on Yuna's door.
"Hey Ranma, I see everyone decided to come along." Yuka smiled as she greeted in Ranma and the Tendo sisters. "Mom's still getting ready, Sayuri's already here, and Ukyo called to say she and Konatsu will be here soon."
"Has your mom ever met Konatsu?" Ranma asked.
"Not that I know of, but I already explained that he's a guy who dresses in woman's clothing." Yuka said.
"Okay good, I know Konatsu gets annoyed having to constantly tell guys that he's not a girl when they hit on him, and I would hate for him to have to explain it to Yuna." Ranma stated.
"Bet you know how annoying that can be from personal experience, huh." Yuka grinned.
"More times then I would care to admit." Ranma grimaced.
"Hahahaha." Nabiki and Yuka laughed in unison.
"Ranma, Akane." Sayuri shouted happily as she threw her arms around both squeezing them into a hug, unfortunately for Nabiki she was standing between Ranma and Akane and got dragged into it as well.
'Wha- what the hell' Nabiki thought. "Can you let go of me now." Nabiki blushed from the middle of the three wedged in between Ranma and Sayuri's chest.
"Um oops sorry." Sayuri blushed as well, causing Yuka and Kasumi to giggle.
"It's fine." Nabiki said shakily. 'Sure wasn't expecting that.'
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"You ready to go Konatsu?" Ukyo asked.
"Yes Lady Ukyo, but are you sure you want me to come with, I don't do well in social situations." Konatsu frowned.
"You'll be fine, you do fine as a waiter or waitress you decide and everyone there is pretty accepting. Besides your one of my best friends and I don't ever hang out with you outside of work, so come on." Ukyo responded.
"If you truly wish it, then it is my pleasure to go with." Konatsu said.
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Knock Knock. "That must be Ukyo I'll go get the door." Yuka said. "Hello Ukyo, come on in.
"Hey sugar, how you doing." Ukyo smiled as she walked in followed by an apprehensive Konatsu.
"Hey Ukyo," Ranma spoke, "Konatsu how you doin?"
"I am fine today how are you?" Konatsu replied.
"I'm doin good, oh and the girl who let you in is Yuka and this is Sayuri." Ranma said as he gestured to the girl who was currently wedged between him and Kasumi on the couch.
"Nice to meet you." Yuka and Sayuri said at the same time.
"It is nice to meet the two of you as well." Konatsu said and looked a little less nervous.
"Hello, you must be Ukyo's friend Konatsu, I'm glad you could join us." Yuna smiled as she walked into the room.
"Thank you for allowing me to accompany you." Konatsu bowed.
"The more the merrier, so let's all get going I'm sure at least one person is hungry." Yuna grinned as Ranma's stomach chose that moment to growl.
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"It's a beautiful place isn't it" Yuna smiled as she surveyed the park.
"Yes it's also very well maintained." Kasumi responded as she looked and saw not a single piece of litter in sight.
"Yes it is and we have to make sure we keep it that way and clean up any mess we make while we are here." Yuna said.
"I'll go set down the blankets." Ranma stated as he took the blankets and began laying them out.
"He's in a hurry to eat." Ukyo giggled.
"I'll pull out the food then." Yuka said as she unloaded a huge supply of sandwiches, cakes, and pies from the basket she had with her.
'That's a lot of food, how did she fit it all into one basket.' Nabiki wondered.
"I hope you don't mind, but I brought food as well." Kasumi smiled as she held up a basket the same size as Yuna's and unloaded just as much food.
'What the? Did they by those baskets from Mary Poppins.' Nabiki thought.
"Well dig in everyone." Yuna said causing Ranma to jump over and grab a sandwich that was demolished ten seconds later.
Everyone made small talk as they ate and Ranma was trying to decide who's food was better, Kasumi's or Yuna's, but ultimately called it a draw as he said both made their food heavenly, which caused both to blush at the compliment.
"I'm gonna go for a run around the park, does any one mind or want to come with.
"How can you move right now I'm so stuffed." Akane mumbled.
"That was really good chocolate cake." Nabiki murmured as she laid back.
"I believe I'm just going to rest here for a while, but in a bit I'll go on a run with you." Ukyo smiled as she rubbed her stomach.
Sayuri was snoring on Yuka's shoulder, "Heh I don't think I'm going anywhere for awhile."
"Why don't you go ahead Ranma I figured we would spend most of the day here after all so why don't you go ahead and run around then meet back here in about an hour by then the food should be digested enough for us to move again." Yuna said.
"Okay, I won't be far though so if you need anything just give a shout." Ranma said before he jogged off giving the girls the perfect chance to ogle his rear, to which all the girls currently awake took advantage of.
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'Hey Ranma, would you like to hear the rest of my story now.' Kikyo asked as Ranma was jumping from tree to tree.
'Yes I would, but only if you wish to talk about it.' Ranma thought back
'I would, but I did some things in my second life I'm not very proud of and I don't want you to think poorly of me because of them.' Kikyo thought worriedly.
'Kikyo, I've done some things I'm not proud of either, yet you still consider me a friend. You'll still be my friend and I won't think any less of you if that's what you're worryin about. Everyone makes mistakes, especially me.'
'haha' Kikyo gave a small laugh, 'thanks Ranma, I stopped when I told you how I had died. Well now I'll tell you the rest. I was resurrected fifty years after my death by the witch Urusuwei when she stole my ashes and graveyard soil, she made me a body of clay so I could help her find the shards of the Shikon no Tama. However my soul had already been reborn and she couldn't bring me back until she got it or I was nothing more then a lifeless shell.'
'I thought the Shikon no Tama was burned with your body.'
'It was, but in this time or a time near it, I'm not sure of the date. My soul was reborn in the form of a girl named Kagome Higurashi, and coincidentally she lived near where I lived just there was a few hundred years difference in time. I'm not sure of all the details as it wasn't her I was interested in when I talked to my sister, but there is a dry well called the Bone Eater's well, anytime a demon was slain we through it's body in the well and it would be gone come morning. This well still exists in this time and one day a demoness named Mistress Centipede jumped from the well and dragged her inside. Now this was very strange as I had slain Mistress Centipede back in my first life. This Kagome had somehow managed to break my binding spell over Inuyasha while being attacked by Mistress Centipede and he saved her. Then my little sister who was very old by this point placed a necklace around Inuyasha so Kagome could subdue with a single word, she chose Osuwari since he was half dog demon.'
'That's gotta be way insulting.'
'Anyway the jewel came back with Kagome and in a battle with a demon it was shattered and the shards flew across Japan. It was into Kagome my soul had been resurrected and when she came with Kaede and Inuyasha to retrieve my ashes, Urusuwei sucked her soul out and put it into me and I then killed Urusuwei and then tried to kill Inuyasha since I still believed he betrayed me. But somehow that girl re-awoke and managed to call all but a few pieces of her soul back. I was near dead when a soul collector one of Urusuwei's creations came upon me and pushed the soul of a dead person into me.'
'From then until my death I would draw energy from the souls of the dead before I released them to make their journey to the underworld. My body was made from clay and it held no warmth my emotions went cold, but the energy I drew on from the souls would influence me, I don't believe I did anything truly evil, but I did do things that were incredibly cruel at times and other times I would become more empathetic then I ever was on my own.' Kikyo continued to tell her story to Ranma to the point of her death.
'A piece of my soul was saved by that little soul collector and for what seemed like forever I lived in a state of darkness not truly aware of what I was, until you saved me.'
'I'm rather happy that little soul collector saved you, you deserve another chance because your second life didn't let you feel.'
'Thank you for listening to my story Ranma and not judging me for the things I did.'
'That was a very messed up situation and you were trying to do everything on your own, but despite having made mistakes you were still a good person.' Ranma thought '…How well can you feel in my mind.'
'The sensations are hazy, but I can feel more know then I could when I was made of clay.'
'I want you to take control of our body.'
'I what, why?'
'I want to see if you can and if it changes how you feel things.' Ranma thought right before the branch he was jumping from broke and he ended up falling in a puddle turning into a girl.
'…oops' Ranma thought 'Seriously though I want you to try and take control, I trust you to give it back.'
'Alright, I'll try.' Kikyo thought.
Ranma relaxed his mind and he felt the control of his body shift to the other soul in his body and as he did so he felt his body change like it did when his curse activated, but it felt more …distant was the only word that came to mind. Then he felt his eyes open on their own, but again it felt like a distant sensation. His head turned on Kikyo's command and looked into the puddle he fell in recently and rather then see his girl form in the reflection he saw a pretty Raven haired girl staring back in his clothes.
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Well there's the chapter, Sorry there's nothing about Meg or Vlad in this chapter. Read and review. Oh and the reason I used Osuwari instead of sit boy, is because it was once explained to me that Osuwari is actually a dog command for sit, which makes more sense on why it works as a subduing command.
