I landed in icy cold water, as expected. My body shifted in a slightly unfamiliar way, and when I surfaced a blob of magical water hit me from nowhere. I glanced around to see if I could nab the Locking Ladle that had supposedly just splashed me, but it was nowhere in sight.
[Quest Alert! Take ALL the things!]
[Quest Alert! Learn ALL the things!]
[Quest Alert! Break the lock on your curse!]
[Quest Alert! Break your curse early!]
[Quest Alert! Personally defeat Saffron after his ascension!]
"The drawback said someone hit you with water from the ladle, not that I would put it right next to you to steal right away," Washu snickered in my head. A vaguely familiar form was crawling out of a spring about fifteen meters away, and I sighed theatrically before pulling myself out of the water and checking to make sure I hadn't left anything behind. Nope. All here. I let my now-red hair down and stored the dragon whisker in my inventory, then made sure my magical gear was all equipped.
'Now,' I thought, 'it's time to start exploiting the ever-living shit out of things.'
The Guide watched dumbfounded as I conjured barrel after barrel and emptied every single spring in Jusenkyou into my inventory, complete with labels. [Observe] was wonderful. When I approached him he looked like he'd never seen a mage in his life, which I thought was quite silly. The Amazons had magic users, right? Speaking of.
"Hello. I'm afraid I was interrupted mid-spell and my teleport was thrown off-target," I said. "Could you tell me which way the Amazon Village is?" It was very strange hearing myself speaking in two languages at once.
"I- you look just like the last person who fell in that spring! How is this possible?" I glanced at Ember, who was not-so-subtly checking out what was down her/his pants and rolled my eyes. This would be a wonderful journey of self discovery, I was sure.
"Given what I was able to glean from examining the magic, it could be coincidence or it could be resonance of some sort. Does the curse not normally produce identical results?" I asked as I idly applied size-adjusting enchantments to my clothing and equipment, then Ember's. That was much more comfortable, but I was going to need some support. The ogre panties were actually more comfortable now.
The guide looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head to indicate the cursed forms were not usually identical. I think. He might have been trying to shake away the crazy. After that he pretty much ignored all the magic I did, and took me and Ember directly to the village. He did warn us that he'd just returned from escorting someone else who had caused quite a stir and looked exactly like me, but I assured him it would be fine with confidence I only kind of felt.
As we walked I asked him about the names and circumstances of the previous visitors and he confirmed that they were both Japanese men and had signed the guest registry as Saotome Ranma and Saotome Genma. Since I hadn't entered the normal way I guessed Ember and I weren't on the registry, but it was possible Washu had put us there. Either way it wouldn't really matter. Guinevere landed on my shoulder and the guide jumped again with a curse. I glance up at her and cast an [Illusion] to make her look like a falcon. My gloves and bracers already kind of fit that image if you squinted...and imagined the gloves had fingers.
The scenery was truly beautiful, and Washu was spot on with saying I'd pick up the language quickly. It would take time and a lot of use, but not the decades it might have taken me before the Jump-Chain. Maybe a few months, at most. The guards at the gate seemed both incredulous and slightly hostile to see me, but I walked up to them confidently and asked if I could speak to an Elder or other leader. They exchanged looks, and one ran into the village proper. As I'd hoped, a shrivelled old woman named Ku Lon using a gnarled cane like a pogo stick came back with the guard, but I hadn't anticipated her caution. Her eyes kept straying to Guinevere too.
"Greetings. May I know your name and title, honored elder?"
"I am Ku Lon: Elder, Councilwoman, and Matriarch of the Chinese Amazons. You look like someone who fled for their life not an hour past, yet I cannot sense you at all. Your companions and attire are also different. Who and what are you?"
Oh. Right. I adjusted my aura to show what I'd observed from my fellow Tai Chi students from The Gamer in addition to a sizeable pool of mana, and she twitched.
"I am a mage by the name of Wren Black, Matriarch Ku Lon. I have been displaced here, possibly due to an interrupted teleportation. Myself and my sister wound up in the cursed springs not far from here. I seem to be unable to change back, but her curse looks slightly different than mine. She may be able to return to her original form." Just to make sure, I conjured some warm water over Ember's head. She sputtered and turned back into an adult form of her Harry Potter body. "I suppose I should go by Wrin again, since I'm a woman at the moment."
Ku Lon's eyes widened at my casual mention of teleportation, and she twitched when I conjured the water with barely a look at Ember. The guide suddenly seemed to remember something and started patting his pockets, then pulled out a large envelope addressed to me.
"Perhaps my displacement was not accidental after all, if someone knew to send you such a thing," I muttered as I opened it, revealing Japanese citizenship papers and passports for myself and Ember. A shake of the bag also revealed a pair of plane tickets back to Tokyo from Seoul.
"Washu, are these legitimate?" I sent to my benefactor.
"Yeah. It was no trouble, and the Jump Document didn't specify whether they were real or not," Washu sent back.
"Definitely purposeful meddling," I continued. "But to what end? And why do I look like whoever it was that fled your people?"
"I don't know, stranger. But you say you fell in a spring to take this form? Did the one before you do the same, or was she the one who imprinted the spring?" Ku Lon asked. I looked at the guide, and he answered for me.
"The customer was a young man before the curse, and his father turned into a panda. I tried to warn them! I tried to explain when we got here! Nobody ever listens to me! The young man thought he was challenged for the food!" Ku Lon looked troubled for a moment, then turned back to me. I completely ignored the Jusenkyou Guide's breakdown, which probably only made it worse.
"Would you mind waiting over there for a bit? I need to speak to the council and go track down my great grand-daughter. I will need you and the Guide to present evidence. Please do not draw any weapons or move far from this spot. I do not want my people attacking a mage unprovoked, and they might if you're unguarded or appear hostile." I nodded and she instructed a pair of young women to stand with us.
The women were fun to talk to, but when they got to talking about why Ranma was being chased it lead into a discussion of their laws. I asked if there was a book or something and they sent someone for a copy, but when I looked it over...it wasn't promising. There were plenty of ways out of just about every situation, but only if the council ruled in your favor and you were a member of the tribe. You also couldn't do anything phenomenally stupid or you lost a lot of wiggle room. Shampoo was very close to that line. Wait...ok, I had to try that.
I asked if I could speak in Ranma's favor, and while it took some persuading they sent off a messenger. I'd assumed I'd have to approach as some sort of supplicant, so when Ku Lon led four other elderly women to me I was a bit surprised. She looked both irritated and hopeful, while the others just looked tired and a little angry.
"What do you have to say, outsider? We were coming to talk to you and the Jusenkyou guide anyway, but you seem to have some sort of idea of how to handle this. With the book in your hands I've some small hope it's workable, because we haven't come up with anything satisfactory yet." I nodded and cautiously began.
"Yes Matriarch, Elders, I believe I might. From reading over your laws it seems that Xian Pu is mostly in a bind because the cursed young man defeated her as an outsider. From his perspective he had to participate because he'd accidentally taken the prize for the winner, and from yours he fought Xian Pu on the challenge log after she defeated the last challenger. Could a case not be made then, that he was actually fighting to join the tribe itself by participating in the tournament?" Ku Lon and the Elders exchanged doubtful looks, so I went ahead and proposed my second idea.
"He seems to be quite skilled for one so young if he could defeat your young champion, and inducting him as a foreign ambassador or even merely an ally of the tribe lessens the severity of the breach and allows you to attempt to bring him in by marriage later. At the very least you could exchange teachings and receive some of the training techniques used to bring him to such a level so young. Your people are formidable from what I can see, but knowledge is power. Swear him to secrecy or to keep anything you teach him in his own family line and you gain much while giving up little." They looked a bit more positive now, but still unsure, so I laid my final card on the table.
"If nothing else, it could be argued that Xian Pu merely kissed him in the wrong place, and is now pursuing her future husband. Whether he agrees to be an ally or a husband, the tribe gains and the loss of honor is minimized. We would just need to convince Xian Pu herself of the facts. As an extra incentive, since I am on a ten year journey I could aid you in tracking him down for some teaching of my own. I would then make the boy my apprentice and ally with you myself for the time being, allowing him and perhaps one other to learn the way my sister and I will soon overcome the Jusenkyou curses we've acquired. Whoever learned your techniques would then swear not to teach them to anyone in this world outside of the tribe or their immediate family, who would be made to swear the same."
That got their attention. A brief demonstration of Ember's ability to shift to a nine-tailed fox, an arctic fox, then to a copy of her cursed form and back had them all chattering amongst themselves about how the whole thing could work. Acquiring the ability to overcome the curses for the tribe would be invaluable, and more than worth teaching myself and/or Ranma Amazon techniques and treating us as allies to the tribe. They didn't ask about the water aspect of the curse and I didn't mention it. Ember would be free of that part of the curse as soon as I had enough to time spam [Remove Curse] on her for a while.
A black piglet with a yellow bandanna and several obvious curses wandered past, so I scooped him up and began feeding him apple slices from my inventory. From memory this was Hibiki Ryoga. His life wasn't exactly great in the series, and while he didn't handle it well I somehow doubted I would have either given the circumstances. Where was his equipment, anyway? Scrying allowed me to locate it near a minor landslide at the lip of Jusenkyou valley. I dedicated a thread of thought to summoning his things and storing them in my inventory while I studied the magic on him. The Jusenkyou curse was obvious now that I'd seen a couple of them, but the other two were mind-affecting.
One or both were probably responsible for his horrible sense of direction. The other might be...anger and depression? Really? Ryoga did not need an emo/rage curse! Deciding to keep him with me until we were at least back in Japan, I whispered reassurances to him and turned my attention to what I could do with my idle thought processes. I'd been told my curse couldn't be cured while I was locked, but failure was actually useful for someone with the Gamer power. I started several additional threads attempting [Remove Curse], [Dispel], and [Shapeshift] to grind experience in those skills. Failure messages started piling up, and I moved them to the far end of my peripheral vision. When they came I'd move the skill level up messages there too. Ku Lon cleared her throat to catch my attention.
"Yes Matriarch? I apologize, but my mind was occupied examining the curses on this poor fellow," I said indicating Ryoga. She nodded understandingly with a look of pity at the piglet, and addressed me.
"As an ally of the tribe I believe you should call me Ku Lon or Elder. We have accepted your proposal and your aide, and will teach you in return for your aid resolving this situation and knowledge of how to overcome Jusenkyou." I smiled widely at this and made the oath I'd outlined earlier, Ember doing the same. The women seemed pleased. "Elder, should we not reach Xian Pu as quickly as possible? I can teleport myself and whatever party you wish to intercept her. We can then gather information on the young man and either go to him directly or intercept him at his destination."
Ku Lon nodded and leaped off, shouting for Mu Tsu to pack his things. Apparently Xian Pu wasn't completely off the hook if the Elder was bringing along her stalker / would-be-paramour. I conjured a large but simple mirror and began scrying for Xian Pu using it as a prop to display the images. The remaining Elders and several tribespeople looked on with interest as she moved through the forest, tracking her prey. The Jusenkyou guide quietly sulked for a few minutes, then left. Nobody paid him any mind.
Ku Lon returned quickly with a white-robed young man in tow. I indicated they should step in close to myself and Ember, and when they did I teleported us all about five meters in front of Xian Pu. She crashed into me of course, and we went down in a tangle of limbs and curses. Ryoga in piglet form went flying, but Ember caught him gently. Guinevere was laughing at me, I was sure of it. She'd dodged the girl's inadvertent tackle and landed on a nearby branch.
When Xian Pu tried to murder me with a sword and only broke the sword, her surprise was enough for Ku Lon to step in and explain the situation. Their whispered conversation about not angering mages who could probably fry them with a look was amusing. When the subject came around to the actual hunt for Ranma they started arguing loudly, so I sat down and started to educate Ember about the few things she'd need to know as a male hygiene-wise. Mu Tsu stayed well back from the conversation, scanning the forest for threats.
I knew I was going to get the reverse, and I wasn't looking forward to the talk or any demonstrations that might prove necessary. Ryoga was passed back to me, and was looking back and forth between myself and Ember with wide eyes. I murmured reassurances that I wouldn't allow him to be hurt while he was with me, and I could swear his little piggy eyes widened and he started crying a little. I assumed that was in joy. Then Ember started explaining things I'd need to know as a female. I did my best to remain stoic.
Much of what she said I knew from having been married to a lovely lady, but it'd never been this...personal. Ryoga buried his head in my armpit to try and block out the conversation, and when we took a break Ku Lon and Xian Pu had finished their conversation and were trying to look like they hadn't been eavesdropping. It wasn't working. This was going to be distinctly not-fun, and I knew it. Mu Tsu's face was a little red, but he continued to act as a lookout. I cleared my throat and tried to ignore my own red face, then grabbed the mirror I'd conjured earlier from my inventory.
Scrying for Ranma wasn't terribly difficult given my familiarity with the series and knowledge of approximately where he was. The scene I found showed him and his father sharing a kettle to turn back to their birth forms and I almost burst out laughing at the expression Xian Pu's face. She was eyeing Ranma like a particularly appetizing steak. Ku Lon and Mu Tsu both looked resigned, with the latter also a little angry. Genma spoke up while they cleared away the remains of the fire they'd used to heat the kettle, saying they'd be returning to Japan to meet an old friend in Nerima. The Amazons exchanged looks, then Ku Lon nodded and turned address me. Ryoga twitched in my arms, probably in fury or something.
A little additional scrying helped me locate the airport in Seoul and an out-of-the-way place to teleport to get there. Either the Amazons themselves would get tickets with me or I'd return mine and teleport us all to Japan. The latter turned out not to be necessary, as Ku Lon had called ahead to purchase tickets. I hadn't even been aware the village had a phone, but the odd satellite dish attached the the roof of several homes probably should have been a clue.
We entered the airport and were waived through security because apparently Ku Lon had some sort of diplomatic credentials. That was great, considering the fact Mu Tsu was probably carrying a ton or two of weapons hidden in ki space and I had no idea if they'd set off the metal detectors. Boarding didn't take long, despite Ryoga remaining cuddled up in my arms. I'd cast a variant of the Harry Potter notice-me-not spell I was working on turning into a someone-else's-problem effect over him to avoid questions. The flight itself was only a couple of hours, so we touched down in Tokyo with plenty of daylight remaining and almost two weeks ahead of the Saotome duo.
'Welcome to a decade of insanity,' I thought to myself with a small smile as we left the airport. Washu had arranged for my ID to reflect my cursed form and I was now Kuro Rin in their records. Wrin Black, in other words. Ember was Kuro Ember, and listed as my sibling again. Given that she looked a lot like my sixteen year old body from The Gamer and I looked like a half-Irish half-Japanese girl we stood out a bit. I was guessing we were half-siblings in any records that might exist, but wasn't sure there would be any more than was necessary to pass a quick inspection given that we'd chosen drop-in backgrounds.
Tokyo was crowded. Really crowded, at least near the airport. It felt like being back in Seoul, which was the most crowded place I'd been so far. It took a little while to find a place to scry for the Tendo Dojo, but once I had a secluded location to focus from I found it very quickly. The Amazons didn't question it, and I knew from prior knowledge that they had room for guests and a dojo. They could also use the money, if Nabiki's habits and Soun's apparent unemployment were considered. We teleported to an alley about a block away and walked to the dojo itself, then knocked on the front door. A beautiful brown-haired young woman with a serene smile answered. This could only be Tendou Kasumi.
"Hello? May I help you?" She asked. I handed Ryoga to Ember and bowed slightly, my hands held together in front of me.
"I hope so, miss. We're new in town and looking to rent long-term room and board. This place was recommended to us, since we didn't want to say in a hotel." The girl looked a bit taken aback, and closed the gate after murmuring that she needed to talk to her father. Ku Lon looked distinctly unimpressed, and Ember was chuckling at me.
"Don't make me find a way to lock that curse, little sister," I warned playfully, and she stuck out her (currently his) tongue. Thankfully nobody was around to witness our strangeness except the Amazons themselves, who were used to ignoring our banter after two hours on a plane, and Ryoga who'd fallen asleep. Guinevere had taken one look at the airport and discretely flamed away when the Amazons weren't looking, then somehow managed to find us again after we landed and was now watching from the top of a nearby home.
My enhanced hearing picked up Kasumi explaining the situation to a man, which was probably her father Tendo Soun. He seemed inclined to turn us away and recommend a few other places to stay when another female voice popped in and started lecturing them both about family finances and how expensive it was maintaining a property in Tokyo. Kasumi apologized, citing surprise at a group of five people appearing from nowhere and the shrivelled appearance of the terribly old woman in our group. That set Soun off about how they couldn't possibly turn us away without at least allowing us a chance to rest and providing refreshment. He sent Nabiki, the owner of the new female voice, off to fetch Akane. Footsteps approached the gate, one set familiar from before and the other heavier.
I exchanged a wry glance with Ku Lon, who also seemed to have heard the conversation. She looked a lot more amused than she did offended. When the gate opened again to reveal Kasumi and a mustachioed man in a dark grey gi, we smiled politely and pretended we hadn't heard a thing. He greeted us enthusiastically and invited us in for tea while we discussed the option of room and board, though he did say there were better places around to seek such things. When he asked who recommended the place I shrugged as if to say I hadn't asked for a name. His mustache twitched, but I was not adept at reading mustache twitches so I had no idea if that was good or bad. Ku Lon, Xian Pu, and Mu Tsu had brought their own house slippers, and I surreptitiously conjured some for myself and Ember.
Seated at the low table were two young women, one wearing a soft yellow gi and the other in casual clothes. Kasumi disappeared into the kitchen, and the young woman in casual clothes eyed us speculatively. I was wearing high quality clothing with unusual gloves, boots, bracers, and a golden watch. Ember wore the same quality clothing as I did, and the Amazons were all dressed in silks. She started negotiations immediately after we were seated, saying they had three rooms available and they'd cost us 200,000 yen per month each before food. I smiled, reached into my bag, and conjured a pouch of pure gold coins then dropped it on the table in front of her.
Soun looked annoyed at Nabiki, then intrigued by the pouch. Nabiki picked it up, opened it, and dropped it in shock to show the coins inside. Everyone at the table barring myself and Ember stared in shock, leaving me to break the silence.
"The pouch contains thirty twenty-four-karat gold coins, each weighing exactly three ounces. At current market price (I'd read a newspaper on the plane, and it had the current exchange rates listed) it is worth approximately 4,400,000 yen. That should cover our stay for seven years or more at the price you ask, though I doubt all of us will stay that long." I said this glancing at the Amazons, who I was sure wouldn't want to take any more of my help than was necessary given they'd pay for it eventually. The younger set were staring at me like I'd gone mad, and Ku Lon looked like she might be going into cardiac arrest. "Will that be sufficient to pay for five years and food? If one or more of us decides to leave early or stay later we can re-negotiate of course."
Nabiki moved like a snake, her hand grabbing the gold and making it disappear under the table so quickly I thought she might have pulled a muscle or something. She was nodding rapidly with stupid grin on her face, and Soun had gone kind of glassy-eyed. Kasumi, who'd just returned from the kitchen carrying a selection of tea and finger foods, merely stared. Akane looking happy but resigned, which meant their financial troubles had probably been worse than I expected.
"YES!" Soun practically shouted. "Yes, that will be more than enough for five years. Kasumi dear, please bring those refreshments over here while we discuss the rules of the house for your stay."
The tea was good, but the finger-food was great. I had no idea what most of it was, but it was delicious. My contributions to the house rules were that there be absolutely no cats allowed, that we as guests would have access to the dojo when nobody else was using it, that the door to the bath have a lock installed if there wasn't one already, and that people who wanted to smoke do so outside. Soun seemed reluctant to agree to the last one, but caved when Nabiki jingled the coin pouch under the table. The Tendos asked that we abstain from fighting in the house and respect the privacy of the residents and the laws of the land. When I pressed for details to ensure I didn't accidentally offend anyone they detailed a list of what I assumed were standard Japanese etiquette rules. The "no fighting in the house" rule Nabiki insisted on with a look at Akane prompted me to ask about magic.
"Magic?" Soun asked as the daughters scoffed and adopted doubtful looks. "You practice?"
I simply nodded and conjured a transparent force barrier around the table. A bit of prodding and poking convinced the skeptics it was real, then I dropped it and they inspected the space again. Soun asked for a moment to talk to his daughters alone, then took them to the kitchen and had a whispered conversation in which he revealed that he'd known magic was real because his master had practiced it.
He and his training partner had encountered it numerous times in the past, and it could be very dangerous or very helpful depending on the whim and competency of the user. The fact I hadn't needed any sort of incantation, motion, or spell component to enact the barrier indicated I was very competent and they should be very wary. Nabiki remarked that it also explained where the gold came from, if I was someone who went about going on grand adventures and hoarding treasure. Her voice had an undertone of lust in it, but I was pretty sure it was about the gold rather than the strange young woman at the dining room table doing magic.
Kasumi brought up the topic of safety around such a dangerous individual and Soun assured her that he was a good judge of character and I would be a well-behaved guest. I desperately tried to hold back a snort when he said he was a good judge of character, but had to pass it off as a sneeze when I failed. They murmured back and forth about the money for a bit, then came to the conclusion that they'd see how it worked out and be as polite as possible. Ku Lon and I both smiled as soon as we heard that.
When the Tendo family returned to the table the Amazons informed them they would endeavor find their own place in the near future, so I negotiated for the remainder of the money to cover me and Ember in separate bedrooms for the next ten years if that happened. Nabiki said she'd type up an agreement, and it was settled. We were shown to our rooms to unpack and told when dinner would be available.
-
The evening meal was spectacular. I read and signed the agreement Nabiki had typed up, the entire family looked very happy, and Soun happily sipped some kind of beer. He kept patting at the pack of cigarettes in his pocket, but went outside to smoke when he actually partook. Akane asked about what martial arts I practiced, and I told her I was near-mastery level in Tai Chi, Taekkyeon, and Taekwondo. That dragged the Amazons into the conversation and they ended up describing a bit of Amazon Wu-Shu and how their village functioned.
Soun and Akane brought the Tendo branch of Anything Goes Martial Arts into the conversation, and Ku Lon suddenly looked much more interested. She'd known the founder of the Anything Goes school after all, though she didn't say it.
It was when Ember spilled a bit of tea on herself and reverted to female form that things got interesting. The Amazons were barely fazed, but the Tendo family was shocked. They'd seen me demonstrate a barrier, but I hadn't demonstrated the curse or any sort of shape-changing ability to them. Deciding to treat this as normal and hopefully influence the rest of the room to do the same, I addressed my adopted sister.
"How does it feel to be back in your natural form, sister? Is there any discomfort or change to your magic?" Ember shook her head and cycled from the human adult form she'd taken in Harry Potter to her child form, then went through arctic fox and ninetails before settling on a copy of her cursed form. My eye twitched. That was cheating, and that meant I'd have to do the same at the first opportunity.
"No, brother. I'm able to change my shape again when the curse is inactive as expected and nothing else seems different." I nodded, and since I'd been reminded glanced over at the popup windows indicating the progress of my efforts to grind [Dispel], [Shapeshift], and [Remove Curse]. I'd hit level 103 with [Dispel], which surprised me as I'd thought all skills evolved at level 100. Going through the remainder of the notifications indicated that [Shapeshift] was now level sixty-eight and [Remove Curse] was approaching 100. I cleared the notifications and looked back at Ember.
"I am still unable to change, but making progress. It is disconcerting being locked to one form again. I'm glad hot water works for you, at least. I will need to take a trip tomorrow to track down some things that might help us return to full capability."
Ember nodded at that, not knowing a whole lot about Ranma except that it was among my favorite series and trusting that I knew what I was talking about. Akane was gaping like a fish, her worldview knocked on its head as she tried to come to grips with the both of us evidently not being one gender or the other. She sputtered a bit, but finally managed to get out a question.
"What? How? And how are you ok with this!?" I looked at the girl with sympathy and tried to sound serious while inside I couldn't stop giggling.
"Miss Tendo, as practitioners of magic we both gained the ability to change our shape years ago. Transformation is a difficult art, and we were recently cursed in China. Ember is still able to transform, but she has not yet overcome the hot and cold water triggers. My case seems to be somewhat more severe, but if my trip goes well that will not be a problem. Both of our cursed forms are human and we already had the ability to be whatever gender we wished, so this is more an inconvenience than anything else. I do wish I looked at least a better fraction of my proper age, though. Even twenty would be nice, but sixteen leaves the hormones in flux and causes all sorts of awkwardness."
Emotions warred on her face. Shock, disgust, awe, and pity were all there. The other Tendos were much the same, but with more control over their expressions. Soun narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, then seemed to remember something.
"You were cursed at the legendary training grounds of Jusenkyou? I'd heard the tales, but thought they were myth until now." I nodded in reply.
"Oh, they are very real. My guest here," I indicated the piglet, "is actually affected by a similar curse. When we're settled in I'll return him to human form and remove what curses I can. I'm afraid they're quite permanent unless you have the talent needed to circumvent them, which can take decades of practice. Even then I've actually been working to reverse mine since before we arrived, and every attempt teaches me something. It's going to take some time." Akane looked startled, and apparently hadn't noticed the piglet. Had I forgotten to remove the notice-me-not? I corrected my mistake and looked back the the family.
Soun looked saddened by the news at least one person was cursed permanently, but accepted my explanation. When he asked why I hadn't simply bought a home in the area I explained that Ember and I would only be staying ten years to learn from the local talent and possibly train an apprentice or two, and that the Amazons had business with someone coming to this area to had received a curse identical to my own.
-
Ryoga looked up at me pitifully when I brought him into the furo, explaining it was time to change him back. I conjured a stream of warm water, and he grew to a muscular sixteen year old in front of me. He did his best to cover himself, but his clothing and equipment was still in my inventory. I withdrew them and handed him the clothes he'd been wearing when he was cursed. Since he'd heard my explanations and seen my magic first hand, he simply took them dressed as quickly as he could.
"So...what now? You're some kind of witch...err...wizard, right? You can remove at least some of the curses I'm under? And maybe teach me to overcome the last?"
"That's right. I prefer the term mage, but calling me a witch in this form is not entirely inaccurate. It has negative connotations that I don't appreciate, but it's not completely wrong either. You seem to be under two mind affecting curses in addition to the one you acquire at Jusenkyou. One of them seems to have a primitive teleportation spell added to it. Those I can remove. As far as teaching you to overcome the shapechange...how long are you willing to remain my apprentice? I will only be in this world for ten years, and it may take you longer to learn. It's also a magical discipline, and would take time from your martial training." Ryoga paled at that, then slowly replied.
"That's depressing, but does explain my sense of direction. My father had it too, and when they married he said my mother started doing the same thing a year later. I haven't seen either of them in...five years now, I think? As for training… whatever you want me to do, I'll do it. Anything to never turn into a piglet again." I studied him intently, nodding along as he spoke. He looked a little embarrassed at the scrutiny and started to fidget.
"You will see and feel a warm silvery light. Removing that particular curse will be more difficult than I anticipated if it affects the entire family, and we'll need to figure out a way to remove it from your parents as well to ensure it doesn't keep reasserting itself and passing through generations. Since these affect your mind you may want to sit down." He nodded and sat cross-legged on the floor, then I started the process. The moment the [Holy] light touched him he looked like he'd forgotten something, but after fighting the Jusenkyou curse enforced by Washu for days breaking a family curse was practically child's play. His expression cleared and he put a hand to his head as if dizzy.
"That was...it felt really weird. It's all gone now, except for Jusenkyou?"
"Yes. And I can help you with that even if you can't overcome it yet. Being a piglet must be dangerous, but I can enchant your bandanna to help with that."
Ryoga stared at me blankly, then reached up to untie the bandanna around his forehead and inspect it closely.
"This is a family heirloom. Please make sure you don't break the enchantments already there. My grandfather got it from a traveling salesman who said he was out of towels, but always having a bandanna might do in a pinch."
I nodded solemnly and took it from his hand. It looked a lot like the one in my inventory magically-speaking, but mine was a solid dark purple where his was yellow with odd black spots. I added a selective aversion charm courtesy of the Potter-verse to prevent people and animals from trying to eat him, an enchantment I hoped would store his clothing and equipment when he changed then return them when he changed back, and complemented it with a selective barrier to it that would react only to things that might threaten the wearer's well-being.
I wouldn't have been able to do this before Hogwarts, since I'd been thinking of magic mostly like science. Really it was all about power, intent, and knowledge in that order. If I already knew how to do what I wanted I needed less intent and power, but if I didn't I could substitute that lack of understanding with extra power. Such was the case with intent-based spells. I was learning them slowly by studying how the magic settled down when I forced it to work with power, but it would take time.
Ryoga took the bandanna back when I offered it, re-tied it, and told me he was in my debt and would return as soon as he'd heard from his parents. I handed him his backpack and umbrella, which got a raised eyebrow since it was weighted with lead. Ryoga Hibiki walked off into the night with a contemplative look on his face, headed for once in his life straight where he wanted to go: home.