I do not know what I said or if I did something wrong but I was hit once more with Akane mallet, what every it was must have made her really mad as I flew for a while before coming down for a very hard landing that broke my leg. It was not my first broken leg by far but it just so happened this break was so bad I could not reline it myself and would need treatment for a hospital. "Oh my girl are you alright?" was asked startling my out of my dark thoughts.
"I could use some help" I told the old man I was shocked when he walked over and picked me up. I was not the lightest person around. It did not take him long to reach a inn an old lady was sitting on the porch drinking tea.
"I shall call the Doctor, place her in the den dear." the lady said as she stood and walked into the house, the man carrying me did just that. I tried not to hiss in pain but my leg was killing me but do so anyway.
"Sorry about that" the man said as his wife came in to the room. She patted my arm I whence as she touched a wounded I got from training the other day. They both tried to make my comfy, soon a man who was clearly a doctor came rushing into the room. He rushed the old man out of the room and asked the old lady to help him. They gave me something to drink to helped with pain and made me sleepy while they worked on my leg. When I came to I was in another room in a very soft bed, my leg was in a cast that I would be forced to remover by father when I returned. While I was asleep, my clothing must have been changed, the old lady was sitting in a chair next to the bed.
"I am happy your awake dear, you have been out for almost two days now. You must be starveling let me go tell my husband to fix you something to eat while we talk. I have some questions for you about the curses you hold." she said I blinked not knowing what to say or even ask how she knew. She return shortly and patted my hand, "Now dear tell my about you life as I know I would never understand just how you came to be cursed without knowing your life. I do not know why but I told her of my life and how I was treated by those in it. While I was tell my story the man how had found and carried my to the inn came in with a tray with some of the best tasting food I had every had. I finished my story on just how I came in to their care as I ate.
"It is all clear to me now, but I have some questions for you. If I could cure you of your Jusenkyo curse would you trust me to do so?" she asked
"You took my in a called a doctor to heal me, you have earned my trust." I told her.
"I like that answer, I know of two cures I can make only one at this time, one locks you in your curse form the other split's the body of the cursed one with a un-cursed body and one with a cursed body." she said what she said was to good to be true, I could be free of my female half, than thoughts of others with worse curses than myself and who they came to have them.
"Can you make the one that lock me in my cursed form, I know someone else the needs the other." I said, she smiled at me and nodded as her husband left the room with the tray. "It will take at least a week you rest and get better. We will talk of the Neko-jin at a late date, there are calls I must make." she said for some odd reason I smiled and did as she said.
I was shocked at what the old woman said as she left the room, I had so many questions how did she know I was cursed, mostly I wanted to know how she knew of the Neko-jin. I would ask the questions later right know I just wanted some sleep. Pops had been doing night training for almost two weeks now and I was still forced to get up in the morning and attend school. Why I went as I happened to be doing poorly, I never had enough time to study and the books where hard to read. Book learn was never on the tops of Pops list and the only other time I had been in school was the short time I went to school with Ryoga.
I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew the old lady was back with a cup. "Here drink this, but before you do you do know there is no going back." She said
"I am not that sure, but there are a few things I do know. One being I could not live with myself if I took the other cure. I have a friend who is cursed to take the form of a small piglet, the only reason he is curse is because he followed me. I could never force him to live out his life in that form. The second thing is I do not want to go back, after I am well enough to leave and have repaid your kindness I will find my place in the world." I said as I drink what she had given me. I had never been in so much pain in my life time, and I had a very painfully life.
"You did not pass out from the pain." the old lady said, I knew she had sat by my bed while her cure took affect. "I am sorry for the life you have lived before coming here, try and sleep now we shall talk more in the morning." she said before covering me and left the room turning out the lights as she went.
I had been living with the elderly couple for about three weeks now, they had told the people from town I was their granddaughter who had come to live with them to finish my training. When I had learned the old lady who had told me to call her Granny was an Amazon, I was worried at first then sadden by the news she told me next. The girl who had drown in the spring my curse had taken its from form was her grandmother little sister. She had told me not to feel bad, as springs with no form kill the first thing that fall into them. That must have been how a duck could drowned. I was not surprised that no one from the Tendo family or my own had come looking for me yet.
They had taking me shopping when the doctor had told them I could walk for a short time on crutches. I had never really liked girl clothing before, but Granny had shown me that some outfits could be tasteful and still show off what a pretty girl I was. With the new close I had been talked into getting a new hair style. When the hair dresser had asked me how I would like my hair done, I had told her I had now clue, Gramps sujested for her to do the latest fashion. That was our first mistake with her and our last. I had ended up with my hair trimed just below my chin and with silver and some gold highlights. She had said is would my have hair shine and ring out my eyes.
The inn had very little quest at this time, Granny's husband said it would pick up closer to spring. I had taking to calling him Gramps. My thoughts one days like this when I was not metataiting to reach my inner cat. Often turned to Ryoga, I had yet to think of a way to contact him and tell him of the cure. Sometimes I wish he would turn up here like he did in Nemira.
"Miss could you tell me the way to town." was asked from the front gate. I looked up and smile, standing there was just the person I wanted to see.
"Sure, but first why don't you come and have some tea with me?" I asked I could tell he was nevius did not not realize who I was. From the way he blushed he must not have.
"I wish I could but I need to get to town to find and ask some questions I am looking for my friend Ranma he might be in these parts" he said he was looking for me and had called me friedn I felt bad for not telling him who I was when I saw him.
"Why are you looking for him?" I asked
"I know him and he would have returned home by now but every one at his house says he is fine and just taking his time. But he would have returned by now so he must be hurt or something." Ryoga said
"Your right about that Ryoga" I told him he jst blinked than jumped the gate and moved closer to me.
"Ranma, what happened to you?" he asked taking a good look at me.
"Akane hit me with that mallet of hers for some reason. I broke my leg in two places when I landed and was knocked unconcesses for a good while. The old man the runs this in along with his wife he found me and carried my back her. They called a doctor to fix my leg and make sure nothing else was broken as I had a nasty lump and a cut on my head where she hit me. But I am happy to here that someone was worried about me, but I have some great news." I told him as he sat down on the porch next to the chair I was in.
"Why did she hit you?" he asked
"I don't know I asked her if she made the cookies, they where good, I was trying to be nice for her I know how she feels about her cooking and she does he best but it never turns out the way it should. Her oldest sister had been giving her lessons so I thought she had made then I only wanted to tell her how well she did and she hit me for it." I told him.
"That explains how you ended up here and what happened to your leg but why are you still a girl?" he asked
"I am going to be a girl the rest of my life, the lady here knew of a cure and she had enough to make two. One that would lock a person in their curse and another that would sperite the curse into its own body in the form the curse takes. I have a curse that's not to bad beening stuck as but you and the rest change in to animals. I have sent a letter off to Taro and he will be here in a weeks time. I was going to send him out to find you but you showed up. So what do you say want to stop turning into a piglet?" I asked
"Just what does this cure cost?" he asked
"She never told me but I am going to stay around here and help anyway I can." I told him as I stood only to fall sideway. He stopped me from hitting the proch floor.
"Thank I am still getting us to this crutches." I told him
"With the way you and you day train I one would think you would be an expert on them." he said
"Before I lived in the Tendo house I have never been to see a doctor." I told him, his faceual expression was enough to know he would not be asking me questions. I watched over Ryoga as the medcine took effect. It took more time for him than it did me, Granny said it was because a new body had to be made.
"You never said it was that painful" Ryoga said as he made to sit up. I held him down and handed him a cup.
"Drink this and rest." I said, he did as I told him. I turned to the little piglet that was slowly walking around the room. "Now what will we do with you?" I asked, it only snorted at me. I picked it up and shoved it in my shirt so I could walk out of the room, I left the door open as I would return soon.
"Granny its over, I brought you the piglet so you can make sure it is over." I said handing the little guy over.
"Did that boy have another curse?" she asked
"He was always getting lost" I told her.
"Then we best get a leash for this little guy and make sure the fince does not have any holes in it. When I said it removed all curses into a new body I meant all curses." She said
"He be glade to here that I knew he hated getting lost all the time." I told her before walking out of the room. It was a week later when Taro showed up, the guy had it ruff been cursed from the time he was born. He might have liked his curse but hated his name and I knew how to get Happosai to change it all for the price of him giving up that power. Granny had told me the once the curse where cureed the spings would dry up and no one would have to worry about them any more.
"Are you the one that sent me the letter saying you had a way to make Happosai change my name I will give him a list with three names on it Kaito, Dai and Yuudai and tell him to pick one of those will be your new name if you give up your curse form." I said from my spot on the porch.
"Only after he changes my name." He said
"After I get him to agree to do so you will take the cure and he will retrun with you to tell your village of your name change." I said
"If that is how it must be." he said as he turned to walk away.
"You might as well wait I had word he will be here in two days time, you can stay here at the inn. You could pay for your room or stay for free if you do some work to help us get ready for the sping rush." I said. He helped out when asked, never mending the fence so I could let the newly named whitey walk around the yard unleashed.
As I had told him Happosai had showed up two days later.
"Hello Grand Master Happosai, for give me for not bowing but with my leg hurt as it is, it makes bow hard." I said
"Ranma my girl you are forgiven, in your letter you wished to talk of honor." Happosai said sometimes he was a dirty old leach but when honor was involed he became a different man.
"I go by Nari now. Some years ago you helped a woman give birth and bathed the child their laws allowed you to name him. The name you choose is a slite on his honor and he can not become a man till his name is changed. Please pick one of these names for him and return to his village with him to tell the elders of the change." I said handing him the list of names.
"The boys honor is at risk, than I shall talk to the elders and change the boys name." he said, Taro walked out followed by Granny he would wait out his cure in the woods as his beast must be put down after it is lifted. "Now tell me why you have not returned home and are still a girl?" he asked
I told him how I came to be here and what the lady had told my she had enough to make on value of locking cure but could only make two vales of splitting cure.
"Why did you want to marry that girl in the first place?" he asked
"The only choose I made was which Tendo girl I had to marry as Pops and Suon wanted to unit the schools." I told him
"Tell me of your life and leave nothing out" He said his tone made me follow his orders and I could tell he was angey by the time I had finished.
"Nari they are not Masters of the school, I am still the Master and I think I shall pass the title along to you. Your life has proven that you understand the true meaning of the school. To with stand what life deals you, when your leg is healed I will return and test you. It shall teach those to a lesson to lose the school witch they never had in the first place." he said.
"That is nice to know that other care about this child, come you may rest here till it is time to return to Taro's village and have his name changed." Gramps said before picking up Happosai bag and walking in the house. I could tell Happosai was shock to have been walked up on.
"He and his wife are both Amazon's" I told him to make him feel better. Three weeks had past from the time Taro and Happosai had left, I had just returned from town and appointment with the doctor so that he could look at my leg. It had been 8 weeks almost and the breaks had been clean and set nicely but when I had first asked just how long I would be in the cast I had been told 10 - 24 weeks then would need to build mussle back. I was drinking nastey tasteing shakes that Granny made to help prevent a lot of lost.
"Still sitting around I see" was said from the dining room doorway. I could tell who it was from how they sounded.
"Ryoga you came back why?" I asked
"To repay them and you a guess." he said just as a two toned dog came in the house carrying whitey, along with seavel puppies. "Ranma"
"Nari, I go by Nari now." I told him before he could get to far into what he was going to say.
"Ah, Nari this is Cheakers and her children. I have yet to name them, but could not leave them at home so I hope it is alright?" he asked it was a little late to ask but as the saying goes it is better to ask forgiveness than premision.
"I think they will be fine so long as they do not make a mess, Whitey comes in the house and sleeps in a little bed in my room." I told him, he blushed at the tought it must have given him.
"So what has been going on here?" he asked as he sat his pack down and his dog let whittey go.
"Happosai came by and Taro dropped into. Happosai changed his name to Dai Taro, he said to call him up when I was healed and he would name me heir to his school as nether Suon or Genma are Masters of the school so I never had to marry that girl unless I wanted to. I am thinking of writeing my mother and telling her the turth, well some of it she might still kill me if she knew the whole truth." I said
"I think I will stay around for that, I have to ask what do you plan to do. Are you going to stay here or go some place else?" He asked
"After my leg heals and Happosai names me heir, I am going to spend a year in the amazon villege training. Did you know most of the people in this town have ties to the tribe in Japan. This town is a Japan sister tribe of the one in China, they have helped me with making up my history and did you know school could be so fun. They are helping he with what all I missed out one. I need glasses to read that is why it was so hard for me to read before." I said ryoga laughed at what I told him.
"Do not take my laughter wrong I have never seen you this ecited about something besides fighting." he told me.
"I never had a chance to before, theyt say if I keep doing what I am I should be above my grade level come next year." I told him.
"You know they will come and look for you at some point and make you life hell." he said
"Ah, but they are looking for Ranma Sotome, not Nari Zu the granddaughter of the japan amazons. Ranma died when he laded they have faked his death, even going as far to file the death as murder. Ryoga she could have killed me, I might have one day and I would never be allowed to defind myself from her as Genma would have beaten for doing so." I told him.
"I know I might regret this later on what can I do to help?" he asked
I smile at him, " I told the sheriff who you knew some of what went on he said to talk to him the next time you where in town. I can not tell you what to tell him but just answer what he asks you with the truth." I told him.
He went to town a fews days after getting settled in and did not return till dark. I could tell he want to ask me something but held back. I knew what it was, when the elderly cuple first found me and took me in and got my leg fixed I had been give something for the pain. I was use to pain but not the medice for it so it nocked me out for almost a day. The doctor had been worried I might have had inturnal injerys and took me to locial hospital.
Where a full body exam was done including x-rays of my body. It shown just how many bones I had broken in my life time and just how well they had healed. The damage done to my body was anther reason I was going to the Amazon. There were healers that could fix it, they where sickened at the scars I had from learning Neko-jin. Granny wanted blood when she learned just how I had learned it. Yes it was a turn art but I was never to go in a pit with starveing cats.
Ryoga had been here for a month now and from the way he talked he was staying on to help with the inn. He liked it here too, the townfolks where nice and there were a weekly fighting matches every weekend and a spring and summer turnament.
As of right now both Ryoga and myself where in town, I had a morning doctor appointment, where he told me my cast could be removed in another week. Maybe Granny's shakes where not that bad. Ryoga was talking to the sheiff about picking up a shift before meeting me for lunch. I looked up when I heard yelling, I was shocked to see who it was. It seems the Tendo family and my so called father had final desided to look into why I had not returned. Anika was yelling at her father that when she found that pervert just how she would teach him a lesson. I went back to my book and tea, they where no longer my problem.
"Just what do you think you are doing sitting around reading boy. You where do home weeks ago." was said right before my book was removed from my hands.
"I think you have me mixed up with someone else sir. Please return my book?" I said holding out my hand for it. He did not hand it back but tossed it in the street, by now other where looking at us. I could not reach it and due to the fact my crutches had been pushed out of reach by them as well I could not walk with out them.
"Would one of you ladies be so kind as to hand me my book, I need to finish stuying for a test." I said, Kasumi moved to get my book as Genma took a swing at me. I did not let him hit me. I pushed my self away from the table and out of the chair. I could walk with out the crutches but moving fast was out of the question. It was the waitress Li who knocked him out before he could do more harm.
"Thanks Li-chan" I said as she walked over to me and held me up. She was just walking me to a chair when a shot rang out. Everyone looked to where the sheiff was standing, then to where he was pointing his gun. I wanted to laugh he has shot Anake, the mallet she had pulled from who knows where was laying in the street as she cluched her bleeding arm.
"What give you the right to shot my child" Suon yelled
"She had a mallt raised to hit someone I did my job, just as it is my job to take her in for questioning." Sheirff Lei said
"She was only teaching that boy a lesson" Suon said pointing to me. I blinked I was about to say he was mistaking when Ryoga walked up.
"Sheriff Lei remember when I talked to you a month ago, that is the girl I was telling you about." he said as he sat down next to me.
Lei glared at Akane, before moving to cuff her and telling her she was under assiest for attempted assault with a deadly weapon and murder. That got everyone of the tendo's yelling. Sheriff Lei told him they could come to the station to talk there before asking me if I want to press charges on the man who attacked me. I told him I did and he called for back up to bring the man in.
"Her is your book." Kasumi said
"Thanks I am Nari, this is Li and this nice gentalmen here is Ryoga." I said
"Long time no see Kasumi." Ryoga said
"you two know each other?" I asked playing my part.
"Yes when I was in her home town she would let me stay in her family's home" he said.