A New Challenge
-Chiba Hiro
*Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of its content, it all belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.*
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Chapter 5: The First Task
"Ranma, now that you have answered to all our questions, you must complete this next step of ours." The Joketsuzoku elder explained.
"So, what do I have to do, old man?" Ranma asked.
"I am not old! I am an elder chief!" the elder exclaimed.
Being an elder is the same as being old though, Ranma thought. "Anyway, just tell me what I need to do in order to work for you." Ranma said, shrugging the elder's exclamation aside.
"Alright, Ranma, we want you to go through three tasks for us to prove your worth. Your first task was to answer all our questions, and you did, now you must go through the official first task." He said.
"What's in it for me?" Ranma asked.
"You must find special items within Jusenkyo. You have a time limit, a map, and a list of items to search for." The elder explained further.
"Why do I need to find things?" Ranma asked.
"It gives you an insight of the valley, and you'll get to know the valley through and through after all. If you're going to be a guardian, a guardian should know the layout of the land he is guarding, right?" the elder said.
"I guess you're right." Ranma agreed. "So, when does my task start?" Ranma asked.
"It starts as soon as we hand you the list, the map, and your time limit. If you are unable to complete the task once the time limit is over, you will be deemed unworthy of the position. Now, I will give you the list of things you must find." The elder said, and handed Ranma a rolled up piece of parchment.
"Great, so where's the map?" Ranma asked.
The first chairman handed him a map of Jusenkyo, and Ranma took it without further questioning.
"You'll be doing this by yourself, so don't ask anyone for help. This map is all you will need." The first chairman explained.
"So, what's my limit?" Ranma asked.
"The Jusenkyo grounds are your limited boundaries, and you must find everything on these grounds. We will not accept anything that's not from within these grounds." The second chairman explained this time.
"But, how will you know?" Ranma asked.
"We have sensors located on each of the exits, and entrances, and we will know immediately that you have left and reentered the grounds. So, that explains everything." The second chairman answered.
"And, what's my time limit?" Ranma asked.
"You have the maximum of five days to find those things, and bring them all here in one piece. Are we clear on this?" the third chairman said.
"Yeah, I get it. Well, wish me luck!" Ranma exclaimed, and dashed out of the council's tent.
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Ranma dashed out of the tent so fast that Cologne, who was leaning on a post was startled by the speeding Ranma. Once she realized this, Cologne sped up to join him.
Once they were at equal speeds, Cologne started questioning him. "So, how'd it go, Ranma?" she asked.
"Oh, I've been asked a bunch of questions, and now I've been sent on a time limited scavenger hunt." Ranma explained all in one sentence.
"You will need help?" Cologne asked.
"No, I got this on my own, thank you. Besides, I'll get busted if I let anyone help me with finding these things." Ranma said.
"Oh, I see. But, may I see what you must find?" Cologne asked.
Ranma unrolled the parchment, and saw that the list was written in Chinese. "Damn, this thing's written in Chinese! I can't read what's on this!" Ranma swore.
"Oh, may I at least read it for you?" Cologne volunteered.
"Why not? You're the Chinese expert, right?" Ranma said, and handed Cologne the parchment, and they stopped running and paused to wait for Cologne to read the first item.
"The first item to be found is a bird of paradise shrub's leaf." Cologne translated.
"Oh, but how the heck am I supposed to know what a bird of paradise shrub's leaf looks like? And where I find one?" Ranma asked ironically.
"Oh, they seem to have put a picture of what the leaf should look like, and what type of environment it would be found best in!" Cologne exclaimed.
"What? Where?" Ranma asked, and Cologne pointed out the crudely drawn bird of paradise leaf to the left of the Chinese text.
"Oh, I must've missed that." Ranma shrugged, and patted his head innocently.
"Where would I find one?" Ranma asked.
"It says that you can easily find one in an Amazon forest setting better." Cologne translated.
"Amazon? But we're nowhere near an Amazon-like forest!" Ranma exclaimed, and clutched his head in a failed attempt to act frustrated.
"Relax. Check the map to see if there is one." Cologne suggested, and Ranma checked the map. Oddly enough, there was an Amazon that bordered Jusenkyo and the Joketsuzoku village.
"Amazing! They planned out everything!" Ranma exclaimed. "Come on! Let's go get this bird of paradise leaf!"
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Three hours passed, and they have been wandering around aimlessly trying to look for the bird of paradise's leaf.
"Um, are you sure you're reading that map correct? It feels like we've been walking around aimlessly." Cologne said, and stopped for a moment to rest.
Ranma was studying the map deeply, and had a strained look on his face as he buried his face closer to the map, and then fell on his back to lie down on the ground.
"Ah! Damn it! I can't make heads or tails of this darn map! It looks like a piece of cake to read landmarks, but without a key, there's no way I'd know where I'm going! And all these roads look so similar it's making me lose track of where we first started! I can't believe I agreed to this, and it's already been more than three hours and we haven't even found this Amazon forest!" Ranma shouted out in frustrated, and spread eagle on the ground to relieve himself of the stress.
"Why don't you let me look at the map?" Cologne suggested.
"Good luck!" Ranma shouted, and handed her the map in utter defeat.
Cologne checked the map, and turned the map around, and what do you know, the map's key was also in Chinese. I guess the dimwit must've mistaken the key for something else, Cologne thought. Then, she shook Ranma's shoulders, and pulled him to his feet.
"Guess what, this map does have a key!" Cologne exclaimed. "It's just in Chinese also!"
"What is this, assume that Ranma Saotome knows Chinese day?" Ranma exclaimed sarcastically. "Honestly!"
"Follow me!" Cologne said, and he followed her down the path that she had taken.
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An hour later, they reached the edge of a forest, and Cologne looked up from the map. "Well, we're here." She said, and Ranma stopped to pant.
"Damn, it's almost sundown, and the leaves are gonna look same in the dark!" Ranma exclaimed as they watched the sun going closer to the horizon.
"That's okay. We can always camp out here, and look for the leaf first thing tomorrow." Cologne suggested.
"Are you kidding me? We don't have a tomorrow, if we keep wandering like this, at this rate, it's gonna take months to finally find all the things on that stupid list! We didn't even find one item today!" Ranma complained.
"I thought you were made of more than such lame excuses. This just means that you have to use your intelligence more." Cologne lectured, and Ranma stretched out his arms.
"At any rate, I'd better go search for this stupid leaf before we turn it. Cologne, can I trust you to make dinner for us. If I wanna get that job, and keep my promise to Akane, I have to get that leaf and complete this task! So will you do it?" Ranma asked.
"Sure." Cologne said, and Ranma disappeared into the forest with that unbelievable speed of his.
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It took over an hour to set up camp by herself, but she was just getting ready for dinner when a figure rustled through the forest, and Cologne turned to see who it was, and assumed it was Ranma.
"Are you done searching, Ranma?" Cologne asked, and took a better look at the figure that emerged from behind a bush.
A second later, the person moved into the light, and it was revealed to be the infamous yellow and black striped bandana clad boy named Ryoga Hibiki. "Oh, sorry. Did I startle you by coming here, miss? I think you might've mistaken me for somebody else, miss." He said, and put a hand behind his head in an awkward, but innocent-looking gesture.
"Ryoga, what are you doing here?" Cologne asked.
"Uh, excuse me, but how do you know my name, miss? I don't think we've met before, have we?" Ryoga asked.
I guess it's futile to say that I'm the shriveled up, old hag that helped him with the breaking point technique, huh? I guess I'll tell him who I am later, she thought
"Oh, sorry, but my name is Ku Lon." Cologne introduced herself using her Chinese name instead of the name that everyone is used to calling her by this point.
"Uh, Ryoga Hibiki is my name. But, I think you figured out my name by just seeing me?" Ryoga said.
"Uh, I think it's just coincidence since I have a brother with the same name, and similar looking face like yours, so it's a common mistake." Cologne lied.
"Oh, really?" Ryoga bought it.
"So, why are you here?" Cologne asked.
"I would ask you the same thing, but I think I was lured here by the scent of food cooking." Ryoga said.
Just then, the thought of her food cooking returned to her, and she looked to see that the food was nearly ready.
"Oh dear, it is ready! Well, since you're here then, why don't you come and eat with me, I think I might've made a lot more than I thought tonight." Cologne said, and she led him to the inside of the camp circle.
Ryoga instantly noticed that there were two tents pitched up, and then he turned back to 'Ku Lon' to see that she was preparing his bowl, and he accepted it with ease.
"Thank you." He said.
"No need to thank me, but I think that one look at you, you must be starving by the way you look, Ryoga. I take it that you're traveling alone?" Cologne asked.
"Uh, now that you mentioned it. I do travel around a lot, Ku Lon, but I seemed to have come here with a friend." Ryoga said, and started playing with his food with the fork.
"Really, who is your friend?" Cologne asked.
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call him a friend, but let's just say we came here because we heard a certain rival of ours has come here, and we figured that we would follow him here. I was half expecting to find that person here, but when I saw your camp from a while back there, I thought I might have mistaken it to be 'his' camp, and I apparently charged ahead without thinking." Ryoga explained.
"Oh, I see. Did you travel very far?" Cologne asked.
"Yes, actually, I come from Japan, and my rival also comes from Japan, and when we heard he's coming here, we rushed over here." Ryoga said.
"Where is your friend by the way?" Cologne asked.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about him-" Ryoga said, but someone interrupted him.
"Oh really? How could you leave me behind, you buffoon? I had the map and everything!" the voice shouted, and he emerged from behind them, and they were surprised that it was the long haired, glasses wearing geek known as Mousse.
"How could you forget about me since I was the one who brought you here?" Mousse shouted, and that made Cologne wince at the fierce note behind Mousse's voice.
"I thought we were accomplices, but no! You had to run off, and just when we were so close, I...huh? And, Ryoga, why are you eating dinner with a random girl, huh?" Mousse asked, noticing for the first time that Cologne was there too.
"She's not random! It just happens to be a girl who gladly offered me dinner! You gotta problem with that, Mousse?" Ryoga challenged.
"Well, it's bad enough that you're eating with a strange girl out here..." Mousse paused before continuing. "...without me, of course!" Mousse finished on an unpredictable note.
"I'm sorry to eat and run, miss, but can I eat here too?" Mousse asked unexpectedly.
Cologne had an exaggerated sweat drop moment, and just shrugged it off. "Uh, of course, Mousse. That's your name, right?"
"Yes, my name is Mousse! I'm sorry for not introducing myself properly! Please forgive me!" Mousse shouted, and bowed.
Cologne gave a slight chuckle, but she introduced herself anyway. "My name is Ku Lon. It's nice to meet an accomplice of Ryoga's. Please come sit with us and eat. There's plenty for everybody." She said finally.
Ryoga and Mousse blushed at the comment, and Mousse agreed to sit with them, but he sat next to Cologne, and was about to make a move on her, but stopped. No, I mustn't! It would be immoral if I were to flirt with some random girl I hardly even know! And what would she think of it anyway? Mousse thought, and shrugged it off. I cannot allow myself to fall in love with two beautiful women! But, something about this girl in particular has me thinking if they're related or not. They do have similar hair colors, they look to be around the same height, and I'm thinking she's one of the locals, so maybe she's a relative of Shampoo's! But I can't just go off with a relative of Shampoo's! What would she think? Mousse thought.
"Um, Mousse, your dinner is ready." Cologne said, and snapped Mousse out of his thoughts.
"Oh, I'm sorry, please excuse me! I was thinking of something else right now!" Mousse exclaimed and took the bowl from Cologne's hand. "Thanks for the food!" he exclaimed, and they all started eating.
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A while later, the rustling in the trees came similarly, and Ranma emerged from them. He was dirty all over, and his face was smeared with so much dust and dirt that he was hardly even recognizable had he not have a pigtail to go with it. In his hand was the bird of paradise leaf.
"I'm back! Sorry it took so long!" he exclaimed, and noticed that Cologne was eating with Mousse and Ryoga.
When they finally noticed him, their eyes widened, and they dropped their eating utensils, and got into fighting stances.
"Why are you here?" Ranma demanded.
"We'd like to know the same thing, Ranma!" Mousse and Ryoga shouted in unison.
"Why'd you follow me all the way here? Come here to fight me, have you? Very well, I'm ready!" Ranma challenged them, and got into a fighting stance himself, and he still held onto the bird of paradise leaf.
"Boys, would you please not fight here when there's still food here." Cologne stopped them, and they immediately stopped.
"Sorry." They said in unison, and sat down.
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"So, that's why you're here." Ryoga and Mousse said in unison after Cologne told them of how she and Ranma met (it's obviously a lie), and they immediately believed her, and she told them how she was told to find him for the guardian's position in Jusenkyo, and they immediately became shocked.
"So, your mission is to find someone strong enough to protect more people from obtaining Jusenkyo curses?" Ryoga said.
"Yup." Ranma said.
"But that doesn't explain why you're out here in the first place." Mousse said.
"Yeah, I think I'll let you know soon enough, but tell me why you guys are here. I'm guessing that you chased me all the way here so you can be done with me forever, huh?" Ranma guessed.
Ryoga and Mousse exchanged glances, and they turned back to Ranma and then nodded.
"I knew it." Ranma said with an all knowing sigh that said that he knew them all too well. "I guess I've been around you long enough to tell everything about you. You always leave this predictable sign behind you that says 'I will chase Ranma Saotome down to the ends of the earth, and finish him off once and for all, and then I'll claim the woman who rightfully belongs to me and me alone.'" Ranma said in a superior tone, but Ryoga and Mousse had to agree with him, even though they didn't appear to like it.
"Anyway, I wanna know how you got here, and when and where you heard I'd be coming here." Ranma said.
"Well, to be honest, Shampoo told me that you'd be coming here with her Great-grandma, and I assumed that she'd be here." Mousse admitted.
"Well, that's her over here." Ranma said, gesturing to the teen version of Cologne.
Idiot Son-in-law, Cologne thought. Mousse was going through his mind, and tried to put two and two together, and then realized something.
"Ah! I was even thinking about flirting with her! I can't believe my own mistake!" Mousse shouted in dramatic irony, and proceeded to bang his head on the tree behind him as self-punishment.
"So, you're the same Old Ghoul from before?" Ryoga asked.
"Yes." Cologne said and pushed the 'Old Ghoul' nickname aside, and decided to let them refer to her as 'Old Ghoul' for when she returned to her real form.
"So, how did you get like this?" Ryoga asked.
"I used a charm to revert back to an age where I experienced my strongest form of power. In this case, as I've said over a thousand times, I was at my strongest form when I was eighteen, and the charm allowed me to transform into this earlier age. My appearance, strength, and endurance are the only things that change. My knowledge, personality, and other such things are the only things that remain the same. Even though I look and feel younger, I'm still a shriveled up Old Ghoul on the inside!" Cologne explained with a little enthusiasm.
"Wow, this is the first time I've actually heard you call yourself 'Old Ghoul.'" Ranma commented.
"Well, when you hear yourself being called a name, you begin to believe that you are what you are, and I think it was time I faced the facts." Cologne said.
"So, how long does that form last?" Ryoga asked.
"Until I tear my skin off." Cologne said.
They all pictured Cologne to literally tear her skin off, and become 'the Old Ghoul' once again. "Ugh!" they all shouted in unison.
"Well, that's enough about me for now! So, why don't you become guardians too?" Cologne suggested.
Mousse and Ryoga exchanged glances, and they turned back to Cologne. "Uh, what do you mean by 'guardians'?" Ryoga asked.
"You will guard Jusenkyo's curses from affecting more human beings, of course!" Cologne said.
"Hey, I thought I was the only one perfect enough for the job!" Ranma exclaimed.
"You are, but why not have a little competition to see who is the most worthy of being the Jusenkyo guardian?" Cologne suggested.
The three exchanged glances, and smirks appeared on their faces as they realized that if one of them became a guardian, and he'd be called the number one martial artist in the world, or so they thought.
"Why not!" they shouted in agreement.
"Then it's settled. You are to complete this one task, and we'll see who the worthy one is, and whoever wins two out of three, wins." Cologne initiated the competition, and they all agreed to it.
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A/N: Well, what do you think of this chapter? I thought that it was time that I included a little more competition to the story, and maybe include the two most renowned of all of Ranma's rivals, and I thought Hey! Why not put Ryoga and Mousse into this story too? I thought it was interesting to imagine, and I hoped you guys think it's a good idea too. So please rate, comment, and review this chapter! Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!