Chapter 7: A Fool's Bargain~
Ryoga turned and gave Ranma a dark look, right about the time that Dr. Tofu was making Link lay back down.
"I think...I'm gonna go off and do..something...really evil." Ryoga said, and smiled grimly, and pushed Ranma out of his way, walking towards the door.
Ranma and Akane exchanged a look, and then started to follow him.
"Will he be alright, Dr. Tofu?" Akane asked, meaning Link.
"Kasumi and I will look after him." he replied, very happy to be left alone with Kasumi.
With a nod, Akane began to follow Ranma.
Ranma had a feeling in the pit of his gut that something really, really bad was about to happen. When_
"COME CLEAN ,YOU SORRY OLD FOOL!" they heard Ryoga shout, in a back alley of the village. They heard a loud smashing sound, and a barrel of fish breaking into bits.
Ranma made Akane lean back so she wouldn't be seen, and then very carefully he leaned around the corner.
To see that Ryoga had cornered Genma in the alley,and had dropped a whole stack of crates on him, to get him to sit still for even only just a minute, and listen to him.
"What was that bargain you made with that old Hurdy Gurdy player a few nights back?! I saw you,you fat ,stupid panda!"
"Acck! It's my dad! I knew it!" Ranma whispered ,harshly.
"What?" Akane asked, eyes gone wide.
"My dad...Screwed up...Big time!" Ranma leaned around the corner, and suddenly had enough hiding. He leaped into the middle of the alley, striking a fighting pose in case Ryoga tried to attack him.
"What the heck did ya do now, Dad?!" he cried, his face contorting in suspicious anger since he might already know.
"I...I..I.."
"SPIT IT OUT YOUR FURRY BUTTED FREAK!" Ryoga shouted, raising a fish as if to pummel Genma with it. The cold water on the fish, would turn Genma into a Panda if it touched him.
"I traded an engagement ring to the Hurdy Gurdy player on the outskirts of the village, for a map to untold riches I could find through his maze. I didn't bother to read the terms and agreements on the map. But I did promise him the hand of Tendo Soun's eldest daughter, as long as he remembered the ring. It was a magic one, Cologne found,...and meant to give to Kasumi...on her 21st birthday."
"Oh MY GOD!" Ryoga shouted. "Did you, did you know about that star blessing thing that Soun was talking about? Did you know about it before or after you made the deal?"
"BEFORE! But he was so small. I knew between the four of us,you, me, Ranma and Soun, that we could take him for sure. Kasumi has nothing to worry about!"
"Talk about stupid! What if that man was one of the witches Soun was talking about in disguise?" Ranma cried, outraged.
Suddenly there was a low, ominous sound of horns, and a glaringly hot wave of fire.
"Link! Link the Wolf Slave of Farore!" cried a harsh voice. "Show me your face!"
Link leaped into the center of the village, drawing out his bow.
"I swear on my bones, by the soul of Nayru! You will not harm the girl! But you can take me instead!" he cried, staggering , wounded terribly already.
Akane gasped, suddenly madly angry, "GENMA ,YOU JERK! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"
Ranma could feel Zelda's thoughts inside of him. Each half of him knew what they were going to have to do...