Life is a road, and I wanna keep going on…
Ranma's burns had healed with and Inuyasha-like speed and she was in traveling condition within days, but some odd things happened during those days…
XXXXXXX
Starting when the rest of the gang returned…
Ranma had been laying and dozing on her futon in the hut, which she had earlier discovered belonged to an old woman named Keade, when voices approached. One was familiar and the other two were new.
"So no sign of him in the north?" Kagome's voice asked, sounding anxious for some reason.
"No… " Another female voice answered morosely.
"I'm sorry Sango-chan, but don't lose hope! We'll find Kohaku-kun, safe-and-sound" Kagome's cheerful voice was not a bit forced, Kagome could do that, Ranma'd discovered. She'd do anything to cheer someone's day, even Inuyasha, who she was constantly fighting with.
"Yes," A male voice this time, they were very close now. "It is a certainty. Now lady Kagome, has anything else happened during our absence?" He finished his question as they entered and saw Ranma, who was now sitting up.
Before anyone could blink a man was kneeling in front of her with violet eyes and bluish black hair.
"My, and who could this young lady be?" He snatched up one of her hands and asked before she could answer. "Will you do me the honor of bearing my child?"
"Uh, I don't think that would work very well, seeing as, I've been told, I used to be a boy." Was the first sensible answer that came to mind.
It was then a large boomerang bashed down on the guy's head and the ominous words rang out.
"You heard her Miroku…" Ranma felt a shiver run down her back at the pure terror the women's look produced in Miroku as he answered meekly.
"O-of course Sango." Before retreating.
"Your friends?" Ranma quirked an eyebrow at the embarrassed Kagome.
"Yep…"
This was when Ryoga decided to enter with Inuyasha. They were both sweaty and were holding their respective weapons, they'd probably been sparring.
"You guys back already?" Inuyasha greeted the rest of his group.
"Yes, obviously." Sango answered in a tight voice while still glaring at Miroku.
"O-kay then." Inuyasha made a wise decision and backed away from the angry demon slayer.
Ryoga went over and plopped down on the edge of the futon and asked. "Friends of theirs?" while inclining his head toward the shard hunters.
"Yep, watch out though. The guy's a perv." Everyone in the room jumped when Ryoga put two and two together and burst out laughing.
"Who's this?" Miroku noticed the new person in the hut and peered curiously at Ryoga.
"Ryoga Hibiki." Ryoga couldn't hold back chuckles as he looked at the poor monk.
Kagome seemed to realize something and asked.
"Were you joking earlier, about the 'used to be a boy' thing Ranma?" Ranma squirmed a little when everyone turned to look at first Kagome, then the red-head herself.
"Well, no. It's true I did used to be a guy. Right Ryoga?" Ranma mercilessly turned the spotlight on her companion, who acted just as uncomfortable in it.
"Yes, it was a curse. Ranma was a guy who turned into a girl when he got hit with cold water and turned back with hot water. That was before he got stuck in this form and lost his memory."
Ranma, who still hadn't gotten a full explanation, adopted a skeptical look along with everyone else.
"Do ya got any proof?" Inuyasha called from the doorway. Ryoga, offended, decided to show them his proof.
"Start some water boiling please?" He asked Kagome politely, which she began to do by using a bin full of water in one corner of the hut. When she finished filling a pot full and had set it on the fire, Ryoga walked over to the same bin and to everyone's surprise, jumped in.
More surprising, however, was when, instead of a wet boy, a soaked black piglet swam to the edge and jumped out. The bandana around its neck confirmed its identity.
"Ryoga…" Ranma said, "That was so… cool!" She dived forward and grabbed Ryoga by his bandanna before giving him a full grin.
"Now you're a cute li'l pig!" Ryoga bweeed back at her and wiggled to be put down. Instead Ranma turned him around and said to the rest of the group.
"This is way more than proof." She said, and Kagome nodded mutely.
"He's gotta be a demon or somethin'" Inuyasha muttered under his breath.
"Inuyasha! You know that's not true! He doesn't have a demonic aura." Kagome yelled at him.
"Well I say there's no other way he could be a pig right now!" He yelled right back.
"He said he had a curse! You're so insensitive!"
"There they go again." A child's voice can from beside Ranma, and both she and Ryoga turned to see a really small kid sitting licking a candy pop.
He had red hair tied up in a blue bow and was wearing a fur vest over his clothes. Stranger still, he had a fox tail and feet.
"So this is usual?" Ranma got over the weirdness quickly as usual.
"Yep, but don't get them wrong. They love each other." Ranma's eyebrows went up in disbelief, but the kid just shrugged before getting up and holding out a hand.
"I'm Shippo; you shake my hand now and say your name." Ranma did as he said awkwardly and Shippo giggled.
"Isn't that weird? Kagome taught me it; she said it's from another land in the future. It's how they say hello." He gave her a smile and looked at Ryoga.
"This is the guy who turned into a pig, what's his name?"
"Ryoga." Ranma answered while Ryoga bweeed.
Shippo squatted down and looked the little pig in the eye. "Your sooo lucky, I wish I could do transformations that well. I just can't seem to get my tail to change with the rest of me." He sighed like this was a big disappointment.
"So Shippo," Ranma asked, "What is up with the tail?"
"I'm a fox demon!" The kid answered but before he could go on a loud shout interrupted from across the room.
"Inuyasha SIT!!!!" Immediately the dog-boy went plummeting face first into the ground. Shippo went to go tease him and the others acted like this was usual while Kagome stormed out of the hut.
"Well, look what we've got ourselves into." Ranma half-smiled down at Ryoga and he nodded in return.