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 7: First Day on the Job
The next day was Monday, the martial artists were in for a rude awakening as the Joketsuzoku woke them up with a loud bang on a rather large gong he had took with him. The gong had been so loud that the birds from the forest a mile or so away could hear it, and if that was not enough, Ranma was the only one who missed the loud bang.
"How can that damned Ranma sleep through something as loud as that?" Ryoga shouted above the gong's constant vibrations. He glared at the peacefully sleeping pigtailed teen, and he and Mousse tried wake him up as best he could.
The gong appeared not to be loud enough for the martial artists, so Mousse tried using a megaphone that he happened to conceal beneath his robes, and held it into Ranma's ear and ordered for him to wake up. Still, the martial artist slept through it.
The Lost Boy tried shaking the bed, but Ranma peacefully slept through it as well. They both resorted to using the loudest things they could find in the cottage, but Ranma did not even stir.
"Damn, he's even more stubborn in his sleep than you are, Ryoga." Mousse commented.
"As much as I hated that comment, I find myself agreeing with it. Still, Ranma's a martial artist, if he wasn't able to hear all that and still not wake up, he must be dead, or something." Ryoga said.
"No, I can still hear him breathing." Mousse said.
"Unconscious, maybe?" Ryoga suggested.
Mousse checked Ranma, and Mousse proved him wrong. "Nope, he's definitely not unconscious." Mousse said.
"Then what do we do? Work's gonna start in an hour. Should we just leave him?" Ryoga contemplated.
"That's a good idea." Mousse agreed, and the two did not even attempt to tiptoe out of the cabin, but before they could reach the door knob, Ranma sat up with a half-asleep expression on his face, and jumped out of bed to stop them.
"And, just where do you think you're going?" Ranma asked, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Woah, that was fast." Mousse and Ryoga said together at the same time.
"Thought you could leave me behind, do ya? I think you'd better think again!" Ranma exclaimed in his half-asleep state, and tackled both boys to the ground, and sat on top of them as well.
"We're sorry!" Mousse apologized. "It was all my idea! You wouldn't wake up, so we thought we could leave you behind!"
"Well, you failed!" Ranma snapped, and removed something from his ears. They were earplugs!
"What? You had earplugs the whole time?" Ryoga asked.
"Yeah, but one of them came off, and I sensed you guys leaving. I may have had earplugs on, but I still sense your ki-levels." Ranma said, fully awake.
"That's great and all, but would you mind getting off of us. Please!" Mousse exclaimed.
"Sorry." Ranma said, and let them breathe for a while.
"Anyway, I don't think we should go to work without having to eat first. Or did you guys forget about food?" Ranma said.
Mousse and Ryoga exchanged looks, and their stomachs started to grumble, which they were in a vain attempt to hide their starving stomachs.
"I thought we could rough it out by catching our food, so I thought breakfast would come our way, and we could hunt for it." Mousse said.
"Uh huh, yeah, I'm not convinced." Ranma said, and went to the refrigerator to check on their food supply.
"Well, whadda ya know! This fridge has everything we might need for food! Now, why don't you wait on the table while I go cook us some grub, okay?" Ranma smiled cheerfully, and put on an apron he found in one of the kitchen drawers.
Mousse and Ryoga situated themselves on the dining table, and witnessed their new co-worker cook breakfast for them.
"Wow, that's unexpected." Mousse said.
"Yeah, who would've thought that Ranma would be this nice? Still, I wish it were Akane cooking the meal, then I would be in heaven!" Ryoga exclaimed his last remark, and went into a daydream of Akane feeding him some of her homemade cooking.
"I wish Shampoo were here cooking for me. I too would be in heaven!" Mousse put in, and went into a daydream himself.
But, before they could go any further with their daydreams, Ranma interrupted them by putting a plate of omelets, three pancakes, and three slices of toast on the table, and gave them a glare which they fainted to.
"Well, excuse me for being nice to you! I thought I'd do this because I'd save the trouble of going on a hunt for food! Maybe I should eat all this by myself! Then we'll see how much you'll miss Akane and Shampoo's cooking!" Ranma shouted, and sat down on the remaining chair, still glaring at them.
Gulp. They had not seen Ranma act like that before, and with something as trivial as cooking breakfast for one's comrades.
Ranma's eye sparkled, and a smirk appeared on his face. "Well, are you gonna eat some? Or are you watch me eat the breakfast I so kindly made for all three of us!" Ranma tested.
They gulped, and then pushed some omelets, a pancake, and toast onto their plates. They all ate in a flash, and Ranma was left with the cleaning.
"Ah! That was delicious! Don't you think?" Ranma asked as he collected their plates to wash.
"Uh..." they sounded, and their faces showed complete despair as they ate Ranma's devilishly good breakfast!
I never thought that Ranma could cook this good! Ryoga thought as he shuddered at the thought that Ranma cooked a thousand times better than Akane!
I never thought that Ranma could cook at the same level as Shampoo! Mousse thought as he shuddered at the thought that Ranma was equally matched with his beloved Shampoo!
"No!" they both shouted in unison as they came to the same conclusion.
Ranma was startled by their sudden yell, and turned to see that Mousse and Ryoga stood as still as statues.
"Huh, what's up, guys? You need anything?" Ranma asked, and the two just shook their heads stiffly in reply.
"I thought so." Ranma said as he finished with the last of the dishes, and then he removed the apron around his waist.
"Let's go."
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"Alright, your duties are to attend to your jobs as strictly as possible. I want you to stand guard at the entrances that I appoint you to, and you will stay on guard until one of us relieves you of your post, and then you are done for the day. I hope you have eaten a big breakfast, for I shall not send anyone to relieve you until noon. After lunch, you will go back to your stations, and you will not be relieved until sundown. Is that clear?" the Joketsuzoku elder explained.
"I will be here to observe your work in the event you don't know what to expect." He said, and finished his explanation. "Are there any questions, whatsoever?"
"I do. What are we supposed to do if we do get a visitor?" Ranma asked.
"We rarely have visitors, so I suggest that you ask for their names, ages, where they come from, and why they have come here." The elder explained.
"But, isn't that prying?" Ryoga asked. "And, what if I get lost?"
"It isn't until you are certain that he/she means no harm." He said. "And, Cologne will be helping you, just as long as you stay with her. You'll be seeing each other as soon as possible."
"One last question. What if we have to go to the bathroom?" Mousse asked.
"Just turn to the nearest bush, or tree and do your business, and whatever the cost, do not wander off from your posts, you are to watch and make sure no one else falls into the springs. Understand?"
"Yes!" they shouted back.
"Good, now Mousse, you are stand guard from the main entrance to the lower grounds. Patrol it as you se fit. Ryoga, you are to stand on patrol on the middle grounds which will be between Mousse and Ranma's areas. Ranma, you will take the high ground which is at the end of the valley."
"Furthermore, I will tell you that each of the springs in the lower grounds are mild cursed springs, the middle grounds are higher but not too threatening, and the high grounds are where the more dangerous and more threatening cursed springs lie." He said as he laid out a map to show them their stations, and left them.
"Alright, good luck, guys!" Ranma exclaimed, and they dispersed.
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Mousse made it to his station, and stayed directly under the gate. This is gonna be a boring day, he thought, and leaned against the gate post, and sat there.
Just then, two kids, a boy and a girl, were playing ball, and were a little close. He watched them intently, and began thinking to the first time when he and Shampoo had played ball with him. That was the first, and last time she played ball with him. After that, Cologne told her to quit playing ball and start training. She was a Joketsuzoku Amazon after all, and that left Mousse to play by himself.
He snapped back to reality when the boy threw the ball a little too hard, and it sailed over the girl's head, and she tripped backward when she attempted to catch it. The ball hurtled in Mousse's direction, and Mousse had to think quickly. He jumped from his sitting position, and caught the ball. He helped the little girl up, and checked her for wounds, but she only had a minor bleeding on her hand, still, she cried.
Mousse thought of what to do, then he took a band-aid from his endless supply of concealed items, and wrapped it around the girl's bleeding hand.
"You must be more careful about playing around here. It's really dangerous." Mousse said (in Mandarin) to the young girl, and used a handkerchief to clean her of the dust.
"Thanks, Mister." She replied.
"And, you, young man! You better be careful with her! Girls are very fragile, and if you're not careful, something worse could've happen to her! You're lucky it was just some dust, and rocks! If you're friends with her, then it's your job to protect her from things like that! I thought that boys your age would have better control over the ball!" Mousse lectured, and knelt down to the confused boy. Mousse smiled, and patted his head.
"Okay? No more playing like that." Mousse said, and handed the boy the ball.
"Okay, mister. Thanks." The boy said.
"Now, run along now. Your parents must be worried about you." Mousse lectured, and the two ran off together.
"Kids." Mousse said, and returned to his post.
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Meanwhile, Ryoga was attempting to go to the middle grounds, but he ended up at the forest's edge, and he studied the map harder. Damn, I'm nowhere near the middle grounds! Where's Cologne when I need her? He thought, but just as he thought about her, Cologne appeared in her younger form again, and flipped off a branch, and landed in front of him. Ryoga was startled, and fell on his butt as Cologne landed nearly five inches away from his face!
"Is there anything wrong? I was told to be your guide, and make sure you don't run off and get lost." Cologne said, and helped Ryoga up to his feet.
"Let's go to your post." She said, and Ryoga followed Cologne.
They made it to Ryoga's post, and a woman who looked amazingly like Akane, but older, sat near the edge of a spring.
She looked to be pregnant, and about to give birth. She was obviously in pain, and who was Ryoga Hibiki if he didn't even attempt to help her.
Ryoga went up to the woman, and knelt beside her with Cologne watching from three meters away.
"Um, miss, this is a very dangerous place to be right now, you shouldn't be here at all." Ryoga said, and the woman looked at him with a pained expression.
"Uh...I'm...about to...give birth. Can you help me?" the woman asked (in Mandarin, of course).
"Sorry, I don't understand." Ryoga replied in Japanese, because he did not understand a word of Mandarin.
"Let me handle it." Cologne said, and appeared next to the woman in three seconds flat.
Cologne exchanged words with the woman, and Cologne told Ryoga to go to his post, and turn around so he would not see anything, and Ryoga did not argue as the woman who looked like an older Akane, gave a painful yelp, and Ryoga immediately did what he was told.
The entire time the process was happening, Ryoga kept hearing hard, and long breaths, and groans, yet Ryoga chose to ignore them, and kept his focus on what was in front of him.
After what seemed like an excruciating amount of time, Cologne relieved Ryoga, and told him to see something. Ryoga did not argue, and Cologne led him to where the woman was, and the woman turned around, and cradled her newborn in her arms.
The woman muttered something in Chinese, to which Cologne safely translated it into 'It's a boy.'
The boy let out a wail of crying, and the woman said something again.
"She said 'Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, but my name is Ai Teng, and I would like you to name my son.'" Cologne said.
"She wants me to name her son?" Ryoga asked.
"Yes, she says she'll give you three hours to come up with a name to call her son." Cologne said.
"Alright. Ms. Teng, I'll come up with the best name you'll be proud of! Maybe Akane will praise me for naming her son!" Ryoga said, but Cologne said something to the woman, which involved the name 'Akane', and the two giggled.
"Hey, what're you two talking about?" Ryoga asked, confused as to why the two were giggling.
"Nothing."
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In the midst of all this happening, Ranma went to the high grounds of Jusenkyo, and he found the elevation to be highly exerting. Damn, it's too high to be called a valley, I can barely breathe normally! He thought, and stood at his position.
But, before he could get the lay of the land, someone was attempting a sneak attack on him from behind, but he intercepted it by flipping the unfortunate attacker around, and pulling the stranger's arm behind his back, and almost twisting it.
The man let out a yelp, and shouted something in the strange tongue which Ranma had neither head nor tails of.
"What's this guy trying to say?" Ranma asked in his own familiar language, when the stranger heard Ranma speak in Japanese, he immediately started yelling in Japanese as well, most of it included 'Let me go!' or 'My arm's gonna break!'
"You want me to let you go? Why should I do that when you were planning on attacking me? Why shouldn't I break your arm on the spot so I could teach you a lesson on how not to attack a man with his back turned?" Ranma threatened, and twisted the man's arm a notch further, but it did not break.
"I thought you were harmless! I was only trying to look for food! When I saw how healthy you looked, I wanted to..." the man started, but Ranma interrupted.
"Let me guess, you wanted a meal from me? That's why you attacked me? But, I don't have anything with me." Ranma pointed out. "So, what makes it the excuse that you're only looking for food? Unless, you were planning on eating me."
"No! I would never dream of eating another human being! I just wanted you to help me, but I never wanted to attack!" he pleaded as Ranma tightened his grip on the man's arm, preparing to completely twist the arm if it went any further.
"But, I sensed your aura, and your aura had the intent of murder and lust. Why should I believe you when you had the aura of criminal intent?" Ranma asked.
"No, but I seriously do need help!" he pleaded for the last, time and was preparing for the pigtailed martial artist to completely tear his arm clean off his shoulders, but the grip lightened, and he let go altogether.
The man turned to Ranma, and held his arm in a cradle for he was not expecting to be left without a serious injury. He stood up slowly, and Ranma also faced him, and he crossed his arms over his chest as he did so. Ranma circled the man more than five times, and then contemplated on something.
"Your aura completely lets off a distinguished intent of sincerity and truth. If that happened, I have no other choice but to believe you. So, I'm letting you off for now, and tell me exactly what you want from me. Maybe I might consider cooking you up something that may help you." Ranma said as his expression held a cold grin, and eyes like ice.
"I still don't trust you, but after I hear your explanation, I'll agree, but if you don't spill the beans right now, I'll tear that arm clean off your shoulders!" Ranma threatened.
The man believed it, and he took a seat on a boulder, and Ranma sat on a boulder opposite from this stranger, listening to his story.
"Well, first of all, my name is Rong Shen Teng, and I need help." Rong Shen Teng said. "Call me Mr. Teng." He said.
"Well, Mr. Teng, tell me everything. From the beginning." Ranma initiated.
The man began going through his life story, and then he went up to telling about his wife who was dreadfully hungry a few hours ago, how he had little money, and their house being away, and to top it off, his wife was pregnant with his son.
"And, I left her to wait for me until I could find food. But, I could not find anything in this barren land with nothing but springs." He said.
"I see. But, what are you and your wife doing here anyway? You could've gone to the village of Amazons, or Joketsuzoku. It's the only place of civilization that's within a mile's walk from here. Why didn't you go there? Or could it be...that you want something from here?" Ranma concluded, and his eyes narrowed into a locking gaze that held the man's gaze in a frozen state of fear and confusion.
"It's because...I never knew." He said.
"Why are you and your wife here? That's my primary question?" Ranma interrogated further.
"I...heard a rumor that said this place had magical water, and that I could help my wife give a quick, non-painful, delivery. That's why we're here." He said.
"Then consider this, Jusenkyo is famous for it's magical waters, but it will not grant her a safe, quick, or non-painful delivery. In fact, these springs are so magical that they are said to be cursed, and once you land in one, you're cursed for life, and you never want to have a child who's born in here. It's only a matter of time before some dumb person gives birth, and decides to wash their newborn baby in the closest possible spring. That would prove to be troublesome, huh?" Ranma said, all the while holding a smirk on his face.
The man's eyes widened, and then he considered what this young man had been saying this entire time. He was about to put his wife and future son into a deep pit!
He shouted something in Mandarin, and stood up straight like a bullet. He swore under his breath, and thanked Ranma for helping him realize his mistake, and he ran down the high ground.
Ranma, with his lightning-fast speed, caught up with Mr. Teng. "I'll help you look for your wife! After all, we wouldn't want her waiting forever, right?" Ranma said, and Mr. Teng agreed.
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A/N: Well, that's a wrap for this chapter, and I think you all know how the chapter will end when the man gets to his wife. His baby is born, he's surprised to see that his son had not been cursed, thankfully, and Ryoga was still pressing on for the right name for the baby, and now I want you guys, after reading this, to put down a name you think Ryoga should give the baby, and if I approve it in time, I'll put it as his decision in the next chapter! or maybe not. Please rate, comment, and review! Thanks for reading!