Author Note: Sorry about the slight delay my beta reader had much going on but I believe between TimberlineWolf and myself we have prepared this chapter for launch this fine day and we hope you enjoy our work!
With all that said on with the show! -Zeltronica
H.K. Chapter: 4
Another month had passed as Ranma, with the help of her six armed follower, was just finishing the last touches on repairing Chiaki's shrine with the salvaged materials. With a sigh, Ranma stepped up, a fox mask twirling on her index finger.
With a flip and a catch, she placed it upon the altar before bringing her hands together, clapping twice. As her pipe floated out the side of her mouth, Ranma bowed reverently in a silent prayer to Inari Ōkami.
'I never really believed in this stuff 'fore meeting Chiaki, but it's the best I can do for the shrine she held so dear to her heart.' She inwardly thought to herself.
As she opened her eyes; Ranma thought she saw the mask glowing for the barest of moments before it went back to normal. She blinked owlishly, unsure if what she saw was real or not. 'Am I seeing things? Was that some kind of thank you?' She thought with wonderment.
Dismissing Tetrex as they were done for the day, Ranma went back to her other long-term project. Reproducing the energy-gathering effect of her favorite little pipe.
Over the past week or so, Ranma had been taking some time to more thoroughly examine the pipe and how it did what it did, and she felt she finally had a decent grasp on it. Taking a slow deep drag, Ranma once more focused her senses on the end of the bowl.
Her eyes closed, Ranma 'watched' as the reishi in the air seemingly funneled in at will, as if it was just a bunch of schoolkids mobbing the ice cream vendor, before concentrating itself within the stem. By the time it reached her lips, it was practically vapor; cool and soothing.
With a light frown, Ranma brought up her free hand and concentrated on trying to recreate the pull, that draw, that attracted the reishi towards it. Attempting first to actively pull the energy in, mentally equating it to drawing in a net full of fish on a boat.
At first, there seemed to be some success. Ranma could clearly feel the ambient energy being pulled toward her open palm. However, that didn't last. After only a minute the amount of energy required to maintain and continue the draw became exponentially high. After another five, Ranma ceased her attempts with a sigh.
'Yeah, that's not working. I could prolly do it if I kept at it for another hour, but by that point why bother? The exertion needed doesn't seem worth the yield I'd get if I continued on. Alright next try. Pulling doesn't work, so what about sucking?'
Taking another drag on her pipe to center herself as she walked, eyes still closed, Ranma tried once more. This time, Ranma tried to imagine her palm as a gaping maw, its endless hunger sucking everything in and devouring it.
This attempt was vastly more successful, though not really how Ranma wanted. Oh, the ambient reishi was sucked into her hand alright. The issue was she wasn't so sure how to make the effect on an item.
'Still, I've more'r'less that down. Wonder what else I can do with it?'
A brush at the edge of her notice brought her attention toward her silent companion. Out of sight but not out of range, it seemed the obligate hexaped had taken his downtime to do some more sculpting. While Ranma still didn't know much about the guy, he never spoke after all, she noted he seemed to have quite the creative streak and was constantly making sculptures and statuettes that he left all over the place.
This time though, seemed a bit different. Instead of another fine statue that Ranma was trying valiantly to deny was her (and failing), the guy had created what seemed like a pile of crystals, not dissimilar to the one she still had from that forest she'd arrived in. What startled her was that he actually started eating them!
Taken aback, Ranma was forcefully reminded that while she had no need to eat, the same could not be said for him. With a small frown, Ranma made her way over to him.
How long had it been? He had forgotten. He only knew the rictus agony within. But he would endure. He had to. For Her. Perhaps this, would sate him?
'Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!' It tasted as bad as it felt. Sharp... Electric... But it filled him. The whispers faded. So he continued.
"Hey?" Her voice rang out. What had brought Her to him? He got up expectantly, awaiting whatever task She assigned. She glided over to him, eyes closed, Her Sacred tool to her frowning lips.
Had he done wrong? Did she deem him no longer worthy of Her gaze?
She gestured imperiously towards his meager pile. "May I?" she inquired. He was in shock. She would stoop so low? Belittle Herself so?! Still, if that was Her command.
He backed away, and let Her partake. He could always make more.
As she examined it, Her eyes still closed, He realized anew, the depth of his Lady. She did not deem him unworthy of Her eyes, She simply had no need of them! Such was Her sight that even the void of the blind became a tapestry of wonders!
'Crunch'
Broken from his maudlin thoughts, he looked on in shame at His Lady's look of scorn at what She held. Still, She swallowed, before confronting him.
"How long have you been eating this?" He could not answer. The words died in his throat. But he didn't need to. Her disappointment was clear.
"I'm sorry."
Again he stood in shock. Her? Apologize? To him?! What madness was this?
"I forgot you aren't like me. You still need to eat, to hunt. But you've stayed with me since we got here." And She smiled at him. Her gaze, sightless it may have been, seemed to pierce his very being, and suffuse it with warmth.
"Go. Hunt." Immediately he shook his head, violently. He could not leave! She needed him here! He would not abandon Her so!
Her frown ceased any further attempts to dismiss Her words. "I'm going on a journey soon. A place you can't follow. I shall not have you starve yourself like this!" She crushed what remained in Her grasp like it was his own arguments given form.
Ashamed at his own failings, yet at the same time, buoyed by Her concern, he could only drop into a bow of obeisance.
With a huff of irritation at the subservient attitude, yet knowing that denying it would do absolutely nothing to stop it, even if she'd tried, Ranma grabbed another of the guy's rock snacks and wandered back off.
'Can't believe he's been eating this stuff all this time. It's been at least a couple months!' She re-centered herself with another drag on her pipe and tried to think up a solution.
'Still, it does bring up a pretty big point. If I'm gonna start collecting strays like him, we're gonna need something to feed 'em all.' Tapping her chin with the crystal in hand, a thought occurred to her. 'Hmmm, what if...'
Tucking the 'snack' in her sleeve, Ranma once more began the process of gathering reishi. Unfortunately, all she did was absorb whatever she was drawing in. However, she noticed something odd around the crystal dust she still had clinging to her hand. Apparently, the particles acted almost like little reishi magnets. Giving her palm a kind of, fuzzy halo effect around the intended collecting point.
"That's it! I can't just hoover it all up! It need to collect on somethin'!"
Excitedly, she lifted her hand back up as she concentrated on pulling out a tiny bit of her power and, polarizing it. Grinning, Ranma watched as a small ball of blackish purple energy appeared, hovering just above her skin as she looked into it. As she did, she was suddenly immersed in the memory of Chiaki doing much the same before devouring it.
With this vision, Ranma proceeded to bring the energy to her lips and gobble it down like so much oversized boba, feeling energized by doing so. 'Huh. So that's what reishi tastes like?' She inwardly thought as she considered possibilities of the nourishment and how it could be improved upon and cultivated.
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The next day, Ranma decided on her next course of action. Drawing her zanpakuto, she slashed open the air before her. Turning to the ever-present Tetrex, Ranma gave him a waned smile.
"I'll be back later. Remember to go hunt, okay?" So saying, she wasted no more time plunging into the black abyss.
It didn't take long before she arrived at the exit, though whatever it was she was expecting, it certainly wasn't to be immediately immersed in water!
Peering around, Ranma saw a multitude of poles of some kind in the murky water. Pushing off the muddy bottom with ease, she broke through the watery surface to find those poles she'd seen were actually bamboo. In fact, peering around, Ranma found herself surrounded by springs sprouting bamboo poles.
"Jusenkyo?" she questioned aloud as she swam to shore, clambering out of the muddy water, she looked up to see a sign written in Mandarin "Nyannīchuan? Spring of Drowned Girl?"
Confused about how she'd ended up here of all places, Ranma pondered a moment as she dried herself with a quick burst of reiryoku. Fluffing her hair to make sure she got all the water junk out of it, she brought her fist to her hand with a 'pon!' of realization. Of course! She must've been transported to the same location the Temple in Hueco Mundo would have been located in the living world.
With a huff of nostalgia, Ranma proceeded to walk the familiar path that would take her out of the valley as she decided she would journey to Japan. Unfortunately, she forgot she had yet to clean out her pipe ahead of time. Not a pleasant surprise.
Eventually, she arrived at a field of rice paddies. Judging by how far they reached, she could only assume there was likely a farmhouse somewhere nearby.
Ranma's pleasant mood was unfortunately shattered as the scream of a young child tore through the air. Suddenly alert, sapphire orbs darted around as she took in a sharp breath, ears twitching to discover the source before it was too late. Thankfully the kid was still well enough to loose another scream, allowing her to get a more accurate pinpoint of their location.
Immediately sprinting into action, it wasn't long at all till Ranma arrived. And she was not at all pleased to find a large monstrous-looking Hollow chasing a young girl around in the field. Despite the direness of the situation, Ranma found herself somewhat impressed. The kid actually seemed to be making some headway in escaping.
Unfortunately, it seemed she couldn't escape simple bad luck. Tripping over some debris, the kid tumbled down into the water, her clothing getting soaked and her now mud-stained face highlighting the tears falling down her cheeks. As she scrambled to get back up as the monster was charging her she rolled over lifting her forearm as if to block the attack in a futile gesture to stave off death.
Scared as she was, it took her a moment to realize the attack never came. As she opened her eyes, She was greeted with the sight of a crimson-haired miko interposing between herself and the monstrous creature, "Really?! Pickin' on a kid!? You're just pathetic!" she taunted before blurring forward with a battle cry, "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"
Jack hammering the creature with thousands of blows, Ranma made sure to avoid the creature's mask. Her goal wasn't to destroy the creature after all, merely send it packing back to Hueco Mundo. Thankfully, she'd gotten used to her new baseline and was able to hold back enough to just throw it back with a howl of pain.
Now looking like it had a brand new hollow hole, the creature turned tail and ran away a portal opening up as it left. No way was it hungry enough for this shit!
Ranma turned to examine the little girl, bringing her pipe to her lips to cool down from the battle high. The girl had short, straight, black hair, and wore a white red silk blouse, and a pair of purple trousers with red flower print. Her eyes were a warm shade of auburn. 'Huh, cute kid.' Ranma creased her brow slightly at that. 'Now where had that thought come from?'
Lowering her arm, the girl peered cautiously up at her crimson-haired savior, before her expression grew panicked once more. The woman had a mask just like that monster! Terrified she'd just traded one horror for a worse one, she desperately started to scramble away.
Ranma quirked a brow at the kid's antics. 'Huh! She can actually see me! That's different, but then she could see that hollow chasing her too.' Ranma mused.
"Easy there, Chiquita, easy. I ain't gonna hurt ya." Ranma called softly to the girl, not quite understanding why the girl was trying to run away. It wasn't till she went to scratch at the left fang framing her face did she give a mental facepalm. Of course, the kid'd be scared of her if she simply connected the dots.
Shaking her head, the girl cried out, "Y-you're one of those things! *hic* St-Stay away from me! Don't hurt me! *sniiiff*" A perfectly reasonable response all things considered, given the circumstances.
'Oh? she speaks Japanese!' Frowning, Ranma put that thought out of her mind, as she noticed the bloody (and muddy) gash going up the girl's shin. Making her way toward the girl, who was now backed against the opposite embankment, Ranma paid no mind as her bare feet tread the surface of the water, leaving silent ripples in her wake.
In a voice she didn't even realize she could make, Ranma softly reassures the kid. "Oi, chiquita~, hush now. I ain't gonna hurt ya. Yeah, I'm one of them, kinda. But I promise, I ain't gonna eat ya. I saved you after all, didn't I?" she inquired of the girl with a gentle, motherly smile. Not that Ranma realized that last part.
Slightly calmer, but still weary of the masked lady, the kid countered, "You just saved me because you wanted to eat me yourself! You won't fool me." She declared with all the confidence a nine-year-old could possess, her finger pointing accusingly at Ranma's nose.
Going cross-eyed at the offending finger, Ranma smirked knowingly as the little girl did her best to stifle a giggle at how silly the redhead looked. Capitalizing on the brief distraction, Ranma blew a puff of mist in her face as she placed her hand over the injury. The appendage glowed a faint green as she did.
Coughing away the frosty air, the girl squeaked in fear, clenching her eyes shut as she felt the cool grasp on her stinging leg. Sure she was about to lose the limb entirely, she shouted, "Get away! You're hurting me!"
With a bemused chuckle, Ranma tilted her head in a cutely, inquiring, "Oh? Am I now?" Her smile was teasing as she trailed her glowing hand down the wounded leg.
After a few moments passed, and her leg seemingly not torn off, the girl finally opened her eyes a smidgen, daring a look back at her injured leg. Eyes widening in wonder, she watched as her wounded leg not only rapidly healing in the wake of the green glow, but also left completely clean of all the mud and paddy muck it had covered in! Actually, it kind of felt, really nice.
She watched as her crimson-haired savior finally finished just above the ankle. The stinging pain from before now down to a dull throb, her ankle especially, though it wasn't so bad sitting in the cool water. Seemed, as amazing as this lady was, she couldn't fix everything. Well, nice as the redhead seemed, she wasn't going to try pushing her luck for more magic healing.
"Sugoi! That was amazing, miss! Arigato." still in disbelief, her Mama's lessons on manners took over, her expression one of both wonder and relief.
Ranma gave the kid a pat on the head saying, "It's an old trick I learned a while back. Used to use on my own injuries before... Well, that doesn't matter now. Let's get you home, eh?" Ranma gave the girl a kind smile as she stood up and made a show of looking around, taking a sniff as she did. "I may have driven that pendejo off for now, but it'll likely be back for you later."
She paused briefly, examining the kid with a practiced eye, "Think ya can stand, Chiquita?" she asked idly, spinning her pipe in hand lazily as she did.
Frowning, the kid crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. "My name is not 'Chickeena'! It's Shen Fang! Hmph!" it seemed Fang had finally decided Ranma wasn't actually going to eat her or anything after all. 'But where the heck did she get Chickeena from?'
Ranma just shrugged and asked again with a teasing grin, "A'right, "Shen Fang", think ya can stand up?'
Fang gave Ranma a death glare (or at least a nine-year-old's best effort) for the very audible air quotes, before looking down at her feet and giving it a try. Almost immediately, however, Fang felt a searing pain in her ankle as she collapsed back on the embankment. Clearly, it was more hurt than she'd thought, probably because she was still almost knee-deep in cold water.
Ranma, having rather expected this, was quick to catch the kid before she took yet another bath. "Right then." Swooping her up out of the water with an 'Up ya get!', Ranma positioned her up on her shoulders.
"There ya go kiddo! Now you just point the way, I'll get you home." Ranma looked up at her with a Cheshire grin.
Rubbing her eyes and nose with her sleeve, Fang let out a happy giggle. Sure, this lady wasn't as tall as her Mama, but it was always fun to be up high like this. Looking around, Fang grabbed hold of the weird horns on the redhead's mask, she turned her toward home and cheered "That way!"
Chuckling, Ranma headed off, thinking that at least the stupid mask on her head had some use to it.
'Kid must have a lot of spiritual energy, to be able to interact with me.' She thought idly as she took a drag on her pipe before idly Twirling it around her fingers like a baton, Ranma remembered how she'd come by it and realized maybe it wasn't the girl that allowed this interaction but her own willpower and abilities. Looking back, she'd always been able to manipulate solid objects, so why would humans be much different?
Ranma snickered as she remembered to pranks she'd pulled on Nabiki before she left.
"Hmm?" The girl questioned.
Ranma waved her off, "Nothin'. Just rememberin' a funny joke I pulled on a friend."
"What was it? Oh! My house is that way!" she once more turned Ranma's head to the east with her 'handlebars'.
Laughing, she headed onward, "Hai, hai. Well, my friend had a habit of eating while she was working. An' she was always super focused on whatever it was she was doin' at the time. So, I snuck up and snagged a piece o' her snack! After three days, she just assumed she was eating more than before and started eating bigger portions!"
As Ranma and Fang laughed at Nabiki's plight, Ranma was suddenly reminded of one of the few genuinely good memories of his childhood with Genma. The four-year-old Ranma sitting upon his Pop's shoulders as they ran through the trees and laughed at some joke Genma had told.
As her laughter calmed down with the warm memory, asked a question that'd been bugging her for a bit, "Say yer Japanese is pretty good. Where did you learn it?"
Fang's mood dropped a little at the reminder. "Uhn. Mama. She came here from Japan after she married Daddy. He, he was a traveling merchant." she answered with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I see," Ranma replies in a near whisper.
Silence then reigned for a while until halfway through the trip the girl inquired of her, "Ne, why do you wear a mask on of top your head?" Fang emphasized her point by wobbling said mask side to side, perforce taking Ranma's head with it.
With a snort of derision, she figured there was no harm in answering. "Cause the dumb thing's stuck there, kiddo. I woke up with the damn thing on. 'Course, I tried takin' off a couple o' times, but it hurts like you wouldn't believe, so I quit trying." Ranma's casual reply left some things out obviously, the kid didn't need to know all the details, and she felt there were certain things the living shouldn't know.
As Ranma continued on, kicking aside a fallen log in their path, she considered the implications of her unwanted headgear. 'Still, it's a wonder I can even remember my name! Not to mention the rest of who I am. By all rights, this mask outta be hidin' my original self. Then again, Chiaki mentioned some guy, maybe this was his doing?'
Not that Ranma wasn't grateful for it, she much rather have all her memories than forget who she was.
"Huh? So, Are you human? Or were you a kitty in your past life? " Fang asked innocently, playing with Ranma's ears by way of demonstration. Completely unprepared for the sudden mention of the feline banes of her existence, Ranma was unable to hide the shiver that ran up her spine.
Shuddering, Ranma bit her bottom lip with a fang, her ears twitching as they attempted to escape the kid's hands. Oddly, the sensation was rather pleasant and helped to soothe her nerves enough to answer.
"Nah, I ain't a c-cat," 'curse you traitorous tongue!'"That would be too cruel a joke, even fer me. An' stop playin' with those! They ain't toys!" Ranma scolded mock angrily as she swiped at the kid's hands.
"Why would that be mean? Do they scare you, too?" Fang inquired. Sadly, Ranma failed to hear that last bit.
Ranma suddenly realized that shooing her hands away miiight have been a teensy mistake. Now that she was no longer distracted by that nice feeling, the fear took full center stage once more. Violently shaking her head, Ranma nearly threw Fang off with the force of her denial. "NO! O-of Course Not! Ab-so-lutely no way am I afraid of no c-c-caa~t... why would you assume someone like me could be scared of those beasts?" She winced as the word 'cat' got physically caught in her throat while she was saying it.
"...me too," Fang replies her voice was so quiet, that Ranma was certain she wasn't supposed to hear it. However, Shen Fang carried on before she could respond, her tone chipper once more.
"By the way, Not-a-Cat-Lady, what's your name?"
"R-" Ranma almost spilled her name without thinking, but something stopped her. 'Wait, I probably shouldn't use my real name here, people probly still remember it from Herb and Saffron. Can't use Ranko either, just as recognizable.'
"Ryo-ko. Ryoko mokougami." 'Okay, I just went with the next name I could think of, but why the hell was it Ryoga's name!?'
'Ryoko' cleared her throat and changed the subject. "Ahem. So, Shen Fang, what were you doing out here so far from home?"
"I was out playing silly! And I'm not too far, my family owns all these rice paddies." Fang by this point was just happy to have made a new friend. Grumbling, she continued, "Mama's being a big old meanie and never lets me out to play in the fields." she bounced a bit on Ranma's shoulders, happy once more. "So I snuck off to play while she was busy!" Fang announced proudly through her giggles.
While normally Ranma would be all for rebelling against your parents to go have fun outside, this time that weird feeling she'd been having since meeting the kid made her take the more (ugh) adult side.
Shaking her head in disappointment, she said, "So, your Mom is probably worried sick looking for you, right now?"
Slightly sullen now, but always willing to argue her point, Fang pressed on.
"Yeah, I guess. But she never lets me have fun in the fields! I mean come on! It's so beautiful out here, just look at these massive fields! Kids are meant to play outside! Not sit cooped up in a house or school all day! Don't you think?" Fang peered down and around to see her new friend's reaction."
Ranma gave a detached sigh as she let out another puff of mist. "Maybe, maybe not. I didn't really have much of a childhood. Still, if I hadn't shown up today, you would've been that monsters dinner. And I bet yer Mom'd probably blame herself for not protecting you."
"...oh..."
Ranma let the silence stew for a few moments. She hated making girls sad, but something told her this was the right thing to do. "Look, I know it must suck sometimes, but your Mom's just tryin' her best to look out for ya. Maybe listen to her a little more after this, eh?"
She did her best to lighten the mood, tilting her head sideways to grin up at the kid on her shoulders. It seemed to work.
A couple of minutes later, Ranma was thinking somberly of her own mother, 'I wonder if Mom was worried about me? We never really did talk about it before... Oh well, no use moping about it now. I doubt our paths will ever cross again after all. She'll be heading down a better path than mine, I'm sure.'
Fang spoke up, "Mama says I am special like she is...That it's the reason those things want to eat us. But she's so strong, and can actually fight back! The only thing I can do is see dead people, like you. It's not a power. It's a curse."
Ranma stopped at the girl's dejected words. "Trust me kiddo, you'll know it when you've been cursed or not. And ya know, seeing dead people ain't so strange." At Fang's noise of consternation, she continued. "Yeah. Back before I died there tons o' ghost's and spirits and whatnot popping up all the time! And most o' the folks could see 'em just fine!" she turned back to smile at the little girl.
"Seeing spirits ain't what makes ya special, kiddo. It's what you can learn to do with it that does. Ya said yer mom's pretty strong? Has she started training you up yet? I noticed you were actually doing fairly well, keeping away from that pendejo earlier, before ya tripped that is." Ranma took a deep drag on her pipe, trying to look all wise and sagely like Cologne usually did when saying something profound.
She thought she pulled it off pretty well.
Fang made a disgruntled face. "She makes me do calligraphy practice all the time. And then tells me it's nap time, and get angry when I fall asleep!" she lets go of Ranma's horns to throw her hands in the air, only to nearly fall off as she over-balanced!
Giggling up a storm, Ranma caught the kid by the good ankle and waited till she had hold of the 'handlebars' again before she continued, "Yeah, calligraphy's pretty boring, not gonna argue on that! But you can do some pretty amazing stuff with it! There's a whole branch of Martial Arts Calligraphy! A friend of mine me-... er, told me about some old hermit in the mountains who could make you unbeatable with just a silly doodle!"
Fang's eyes were shining now. "Woah! Really?!" She leaned sideways again, barely hanging on as she hung on Ranma's every word.
Chuckling, Ranma affirmed. "Yup!" popping her 'P' as she continued. "And I kinda doubt yer Mom's telling ya to 'take a nap' when she get mad at ya for fallin' asleep, is she" she gave the girl a knowing look.
"Well, what else am I supposed to do when she tells me to sit still, breathe deep, and close my eyes? That's what you do at nap time!" Fang complained, while a little whiny, did make sense to Ranma.
"She's actually trying to teach you how to Meditate. Not that I really blame you for thinking nap time. I did too when I started learning." Ranma just waited a bit to let that sink in and hoped the kid took the bait.
Grumpy, but interested, Fang got tired of waiting. "So what's the difference?" She kicked her legs to get her steed to get moving again.
Grinning Ranma obliged. "See, meditation's this thing people do for a bunch of stuff. Some folks use it to keep a cool head, others as a way to relax. Martial Artists, on the other hand, use it to get in tune with themselves and work through any problems they might be facing in the Art. It's kinda like falling asleep, except you ain't. Yer just focusing all attention inwards on what your body's doin', an' letting your mind just kinda flow how it wants to. For most, it's the first step in learning ki or spirit manipulation."
Ranma demonstrated by blowing out a large cloud of mist and using her reiryoku to mold it into a twisting, ethereal lung.
Nearly speechless as she reached out, only for the phantasmal dragon to dance around her arm without touching it, before washing over her face in a cooling breeze.
"You mean... Could, could I learn to do that?"
With a soft smile, Ranma reached up and gently tousled the girl's hair. "Sure, maybe someday kiddo. If you work hard at it."
"I'm glad I met you Ryoko-nee-san... Your nice, unlike all the others that come around."
With a wistful sigh and a wry grin, 'Ryoko' shrugged her shoulders saying, "I dunno about that... Anyways let's get you home Shen Fang. Come on, I'll help you learn to meditate on the way there."
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Eventually, Ranma arrived at a flat plot of land in a clearing. Within, stood a small cottage, its walls painted yellow with red accents. As she scanned the area with her sapphire orbs she took care to walk the stone pathway out of respect.
With the kid still 'meditating' on her shoulders (Ranma wasn't actually sure if Fang was really asleep or not, which she took as a good sign), Ranma had been relying solely on her senses to finish the last third of the journey. Which meant she noticed immediately when the feeling in the air changed.
'Gyahh! This feels so itchy!' Ranma thought with mild irritation as, the moment she entered the clearing, it felt as if her body had become covered in tiny, crawling, stinging insects. It was almost as bad as the time her Pops decided to train her against Ryoga's Bakusai Tenkestu by throwing bee hives at her. It took some effort to fight off the urge to itch.
Her slitted eyes darted back and forth, before narrowing on what appeared to be a talisman of some type. With a sniff of the air, Ranma correctly identified it as the source of the feeling. A ward of some kind against spirits such as herself.
"AACHOOOOO!" Then next moment the silence was broken by the overpowering sneeze.
"Huh!? Wuzzat?! Yes, Mama! I'm Doing the thing!"
Rubbing her nose as she absently caught the girl before she could fall in her flailing, Ranma grinned to herself. "We're here kiddo!"
"O-ohh..." Shaking her head to get some feeling back, Fang glanced around, puzzled. "Already? Did...Did I fall asleep? I, don't think I did?" Though the question was obviously rhetorical, Ranma still felt it deserved an answer.
"Not sure really. Ya weren't snorin', and you were pretty stable up there. Did ya have any dreams?"
Ranma noted the rapid approach of a respectable ki signature from the opposite end of the property.
"nNoo? At least, I don't think it was a dream. I didn't really see anything, but I could, I don't know, feel you underneath me. If that makes sense?"
Ranma gave an impressed whistle. "Whoow! That's pretty impressive, Fang-Chan. You must have a natural knack for sensing spiritual energies!" Turning slightly to the side, she interrupted whatever Fang might have been about to say.
"So, tell me kiddo, what's your Mom like?" Ranma inquired as she awaited who she assumed to be Shen Fang's mother.
Stretching, she answered without a care, "Well, she's pretty nice for the most part. She prides herself on being a Fangshi. She says we come from a long line of spirit and demon hunters. She can be a little kooky though. She's got this weird obsession with guys' exercise tapes. She follows along, but she's always does this weird little giggle when she watches them." she shudders at the memory.
Ranma sweat drops at that particular of info. On a hunch, she, quietly, does her best impression of what Happosai might sound like as a young girl.
Startled, Fang jerks her head backward to stare her in the eyes. "That! That's it! That's the laugh!"
With a sardonic chuckle, Ranma drops her head back down, easily ignoring the kid's attempt to keep her head still.
"Yeah, I thought so. Sorry kiddo, but you'll have to figure out that little tidbit on adults as you grow up. You will, eventually."
'Still, the irony of a 'dark' spirit carrying a little spirit hunter home to her mother. Guess even death' can't change some things Ranma thought to herself before she began to laugh hysterically.
It was at this sight that she felt the arrival of Shen Fang's mother. Ignoring the girl's protests about what was so funny, Ranma simply quieted down and examined the woman.
At first glance, she was a rather plain, but still athletically attractive woman. With amber eyes, standing at five-foot-two inches tall Ranma estimated her to be in her late thirties. Her long raven hair was much like her daughters, though hers was adorned with several crimson-white feathers and capped in a beaded beanie. She wore a simple sturdy outfit of a cool blue blouse and baby-blue skirt with woven sandals.
As the worried mother dropped her gaze from her daughter down to Ranma's, it was clear to see the moment she spotted the mask atop her skull. As was evident when wide eyes narrowed, she drew and popped the cork on a vial, before dousing its contents all over the calmly smoking redhead.
Said dripping redhead merely stared at her deadpan as she exhaled a sizable cloud of...mist?
"That was ru-"
"Release Shen Fang this instant you foul spirit! Or I'll set you ablaze and reduce you to cinders!" Inwardly shocked, but undeterred, the woman shouted as she retrieved another vile. Slashing out with its contents, she left a clean white line, four feet long on the ground between them.
Peering down her nose, Ranma hid a grimace with her pipe as she observed with distaste what appeared to be salt. Taking a small sniff confirmed it, no hiding that smell, nor the growing, familiar feeling she always got when dealing with Hikaru Gosunkugi, the self-proclaimed 'Voodoo Priest'.
Glancing back up at the Fangshi Warrior, Ranma idly asked, "Is the salt supposed to keep me from getting to you?" her tone was dry as the desert, as she noted how she could easily step around it in two steps.
Taking pride in the strength of her family techniques, the woman planted her fists to hips and taunted, "Just try it! I dare you!" No way this simple yokai could get past her family's special Spirit Barrier.
Arching an eyebrow at the woman, Ranma breathed out another cloud of mist at the barrier in a tired sigh. It blocked it. Actually curious as to the strength, Ranma cautiously took a step forward. Only to hop back slightly with a surprised "EEP!" (she would forever deny that she made such a sound) as her foot caught fire!
The woman watched as the spirit that held her daughter on its shoulders, and wouldn't that be a serious discussion for later, hopped backward without the hint of a stumble, her face that of genuine surprise, rather than pain. Her confident grin became somewhat forced as the Crimson-haired spirit idly shook the fire off her toes, leaving nothing but perfect, if slightly reddened, skin.
It wasn't until the yokai reached out and touched it, that she began to sweat. Dragging her perfectly manicured claws along the barrier like the surface of a pond, she pulled a ripple of iridescent fire across as she took two dainty steps to the side... And casually walked around it.
Taking her hand off the barrier, Ranma smiled sweetly at the now pale, sweating woman, as she wiggled her fingers in a cheery wave. The fire still dancing on her digits.
'Mierda! That actually stung at first. Thankfully coating my hands in reiatsu blunts it, even if, I couldn't easily step around it.'
Deciding she'd had enough fun at this point, Ranma reached up with her free hand and hoisted Fang off her shoulders. Setting the kid down gently, she kicked herself mentally for not continuing to heal the kid during their little walk.
Wincing slightly at the pain in her leg, Fang kept hold of Ryoko's supporting side as she tried to explain to her mother, "Mama, she isn't like the others. She helped me get home 'cause I got hurt."
Now seeing how muddy her daughter was, and the fact that apparently, this yokai was more 'Dark' than 'Evil', the girl's mother easily put two and two together. (Ranma was relieved when said answer did not, in fact, come to five)
"Fang! You stupid girl! You went to play in the fields again, didn't you? How many times must I tell you it's far too dangerous for you to be off on your own like that?" Ranma could only watch as Fang received her well-deserved scolding. Though, "Not only that! Because of your recklessness, you've brought this aberration to our home!" the woman had apparently grown rather comfortable around Ranma in her fear-charged anger.
She suddenly closed her eyes, shuddering as a chill mist was blown in her face.
"Again. Rude"
The cold, pointed comment brought her attention back to the Crimson Spirit. While the woman's expression hadn't really changed from its calm demeanor, it was plainly evident in her sapphire, cat-like slits that she was... annoyed, as she continued puffing her pipe.
However, Fang interrupts, "Yes Mama. I'm sorry I went without permission. But you hardly ever let me play outside like all the other kids! And if it wasn't for Ryoko-nee-san here, I would be spirit food right now!"
Even Ranma was surprised at how vocal Fang was in her defense.
"And even if had gotten away, I would still be stuck bleeding in the fields for, something... else..to eat."
Now, Ranma may have been as dense as some of Akane's attempts at "cooking", but even she saw something was up there. She wouldn't pry, of course, but still.
Rapidly losing her anger in the face of her daughter's defense, and particularly the last bit, she swooped the girl up in her arms. Looking back up to her daughter's savior, she bent down in a formal bow.
"Gomenasai. I am truly grateful to you for bringing Fang home safely. But this is very unusual. Spirits such as yourself are typically beings of pure evil and heartless monsters. I hope you can bring yourself to forgive a mother worried for her child."
Letting a resigned sigh escape her lips Ranma, simply shrugged, "I can't really deny that... Though, for the record, not all of us are evil. I sure ain't. Most of us are more mindless beasts than heartless monsters." 'No need to tell her how accurate that 'heartless' bit really is.'
With a light chuckle and a Cheshire grin, she waved off the apology, "Don't worry, I've got much bigger fish to fry. I'm just a humble kitsune, I'm just trying to get by."
"Fair point, but I'm still not ready to take your word for it." The Demon Hunter replies, still wary of this 'kitsune'. Shen Fang, however, had decided she'd had enough of her Mama being silly, as she squirmed out of her mother's arms. Hiding a wince of pain, she smiled and hobbled back to her new friend.
"Come on Ryoko-nee-san, I'll make us some tea." Putting words to action, she grabbed Ryoko by the hand and started dragging her to the front door.
Ranma noted with some amusement how Fang dragged her directly past the salt line, and the surprised look of her mother when she did not spontaneously combust.
"Wait, what? How did you get past my barrier?" She hurried after the pair. Ranma merely shrugged, blowing a stream of mist as she looked over her shoulder.
"Your barrier is good. but only as far as the line you created extends. Impressive, but kinda pointless outside a bottleneck. Those wards you got though, those're good enough to keep most Hollows at bay."
Perplexed by the crimson-haired girl's words, "Wait, what do you mean by Most Hollows? What is a Hollow? How can it work on some, but not all?"
Wincing slightly at her slip-up, Ranma figured she could at least give her the absolute basics.
"Most of what you think of as Yokai or Evil Spirits, are actually the corrupted souls of the deceased. Those who are unable to pass on peacefully usually give in to their sorrow and loneliness." Tapping her mask in a demonstration, Ranma adds, "They seal away their humanity within these masks to protect themselves from the pain. Unfortunately, that also tends to make them little more than beasts savages."
Smiling slightly as she caught Fang from tripping, "As for the other? Well, while most you'll see are like that, some of us grew past it." Looking back as the mother closed the door behind them, Ranma flashed a fanged grin.
"I'm what's called an Arrancar," Ranma made sure to concentrate, so as to not get the name wrong again. "Your wards are good for the lower levels, but really only irritate my skin. Not too sure if there is anything tougher, but hey. There's always a bigger fish. Even in the spirit world."
"Interesting. Most spirits I meet usually are certainly mindless." The hunter replied as she watched her daughter usher the Arrancar into a seat. Taking a seat opposite her, she maintained a careful watch on Fang as she limped about the kitchen preparing the tea. It seemed she'd finally taken the injury in stride.
Turning back to their unusual guest, she asked genially, "My apologies. I never introduced myself. My name is Kuwashima Gao. My daughter, she calls you Ryoko. But I'm guessing that's probably not your real name, is it? May I ask who you were in life?"
"Who was I in life?" Ranma parroted, dumbstruck. She really hadn't expected to be asked that particular question. Nor called out on her fake name so soon.
Chuckling as she scratched at her broken fang, Ranma tried to brush the question aside. "Oh, nobody too important really. I did go by Ryoko once, but Mokougami is my name as a Hollow."
Trying to hide her unease at Kuwashima's narrowed gaze, Ranma looked about the interior of the home. It was about what you'd expect from a family of rice farmers living in the mountains. Though Ranma noted many of the items were actually quite nice quality, reminding her of the late father's trade as a merchant.
Most notable, however, was the extremely large boomerang hanging on the wall. Roughly five feet long, it appeared to be made out of bone. And while Ranma could tell it was quite old, the feeling it gave her almost made her want to hide under her bed! Seriously, that thing was scary!
Thankfully it seemed Kuwashima was too busy in her own head to notice her guest's reaction to the ancestral weapon. "Nobody important huh? Fair enough, I suppose." Looking out the window, she observed a nightingale as it alighted on the sill.
"That hair of yours reminds of a local... well it's not really old enough to be a legend, I suppose. Feels like one though."
"What legend, Mama?" Shen Fang interjected, having finally arrived with the tea. Smiling, she thanked her daughter, before continuing her story.
"The story goes, several years ago, there was this insane boy, or maybe a girl. An undefeatable, prodigy Martial Artist. Somehow or another, they ended up at the center of several hornet nests among the Three Tribes." She went on to summarize a few of Ranma's, more notable, interactions with the Amazons, Musk, Phoenix people."
Turning to Shen Fang, who was listening with rapt attention, she pointed off into the distance. "She even defeated Emperor Herb, back when he was still the prince! In fact, she's the one who, in a fight against the Phoenix King, Lord Saffron, destroyed the top of Phoenix Mountain, and flooded the valley."
"Wooah!" Fang had stars in her eyes by the end of the tale. Giving her daughter a sidelong smirk as she set her tea down, Kuwashima teased, "Before you get too excited, Shen Fang. I believe you've forgotten something?" She crooked an eyebrow as she gestured at the table.
It took a moment, but Fang was soon hurrying back to the kitchen with a cry of, "The Snacks!"
Chuckling, she turned back to their guest, whose expression had grown somewhat rueful.
"Yeah, figured folks'd still remember me around here." Ranma gave the mother a toothy grin. "Didn't expect to be outed quite that quickly though."
Covering her return grin with her teacup, Kuwashima replied, "Don't worry. Your secrets safe with me. I've got much bigger fish to fry." Ranma could only laugh as she had her own words thrown back at her before both women fell into amicable silence.
"Wait. So, so you're the one who defeated both the Phoenix God and Emperor Herb!? But why are there stories with you as a boy?'" Fang broke the quiet, with no small amount of growing hero worship.
Sadly, it seemed that the hunter's attempt at secrecy was for naught. She had underestimated her daughter's speed.
Grimacing, Ranma waved off Kuwashima's wince of apology. Taking a calming drag on her pipe, Ranma let it all out in a weary sigh. "Might as well." Turning back to the kid, she gave a wane smile.
"You know how Jusenkyo works, right kiddo?" At Fang's nod, she went on. "Well, I was actually born a guy. And I would have stayed that way, except my Fat Panda Padre dragged me out there. Without either of us knowin' a single lick o' Chinese!" Ranma growled. Though the wound had faded, the pain still lingered. Still, she got into the storytelling flow.
"So there we are, not knowing any of the language, and my Fat Padre decides it's a grand idea to ignore the Guide and jump right into training." Ranma breathes another cloud of mist, unconsciously molding it into the scene of events as she becomes more animated.
"It started out fairly simple, it wasn't all that difficult. We'd hopped up onto the poles, exchanged a few blows back and forth. About a minute in I scored a good hit in! Knocked Pop outta the air an' into the pools below. Only, he didn't pop back up right away." By this time Ranma had simply tethered her pipe in place so as to keep the mist up whilst also keeping her hands free.
Shen Fang had crawled into her mother's lap, the both of them now entranced by the animated way she moved. Even sitting, she moved with astounding grace and purpose. Kuwashima was put in mind of a time in her childhood when she'd visited an old temple of Inari and attended a storytelling session with the head priestess.
"It was almost a minute after he fell that he resurfaced. Only, he wasn't the same dumb, fat, bald, old man that fell in." Ranma gave a grin. "Oh, he was still fat, and he was still old dumb, that's for sure! But bald? Not so much." The mist shifted revealing to her audience just what her father had become.
"Imagine my surprise when instead of my dumb Old Man, out splashes a panda of all things, wearing my Pops gi, and glasses danglin' from its ear!" Ranma let out a boisterous laugh. "'Course I hardly believed the Guide when he told me I'd thrown my Old Man into Shonmaonichuan," Fang and her mother had to stifle a laugh as Ranma shifted her voice to the Guide's.
"That one Spring of Drown Panda. Very tragic story of panda who drown here, two thousand year ago! Legend say, whoever fall in spring, take body of panda!"
"Now, of course, being turned into panda did absolutely Nothin' to make my Old Man any smarter. He didn't even notice he'd changed! He just kept comin' at me. 'Course I was still kinda in shock at the time, so he managed to get a lucky hit in, an' sends me flying."
The scene in the mist showed Ranma fighting back, if a bit clumsily, against his cluelessly aggressive opponent. It wasn't long before the two listeners had to hold in their small gasps as their stalwart protagonist was felled by a mighty blow. Falling to the dreaded waters below!
Not one to keep them in suspense too long, Ranma continued in a hushed tone.
"As soon as my everything was under the water, my body froze. It was like I'd been frozen in ice, only warmer! And that was when I felt it... Suddenly, everything was just little bigger. My arms were thinner, and I my loose-fitting gi was straining at my chest. Next thing I know, my heads popping outta the water, and I'm hearing the Guide again..."
"Oh too bad. You fall in Nannichuan. Spring of Drowned Girl. Very tragic legend of young girl, who drown in spring one thousand, five-hundred year ago!" The Guide shifts into a teasing tone. "Now whoever fall in spring, take a body of a young girl. Hehe"
The last thing the duo saw in the mist, was a young, red-haired girl, without the mask, splashing to the surface and loosing a cry of dismay as she opened her gi to reveal her new, unwanted, bounty.
Ranma trailed off at the end, a faint smile on her face as an odd wave of nostalgia hit her. 'Man. Those were some wild times." She was broken from her thoughts as mother and daughter began clapping at her performance, which made her chuckle self-consciously before responding with a bow.
Taking a sip of her cooling tea, Ranma concluded. "So, yeah. That's why there's stories of me as a guy and a girl. Unfortunately, the curse stuck ta me when I died."
"Off the record, while it's true I beat that lizard, Herb, he did technically win the first time we fought. It was the Rematch I won."
Kuwashima stared at the crimson-haired arrancar, tilting her head skeptically. "Your admission runs counter to my knowledge. From what I've heard, you were never defeated."
Ranma gave a giggling Fang a conspiratorial wink. "As I said, 'Off the Record.'" She finished off her tea and she stared into her cup.
'I'd've never admitted that before. but I guess it does feel kinda good to be honest with one's self. (...)'
"While it's true I beat every opponent that came my way, it's not like I never lost a fight. I think it's a bit more accurate to say I never stayed defeated, rather than say I was 'Undefeated'. Honestly, Herb was definitely stronger than me in life. He only really lost due to a freak accident and the fight was never finished. We actually called a draw 'cause I saved his life rather than let him fall to his death."
She looked to a random direction, somehow sure that's where the Dragon Prince would be. "I'm kinda shocked everyone thinks I won that fight. Woulda thought he'd claim a 'magnanimous victory' of some hooey like that." She drifted into silence as she pulled on her pipe.
"What about now? Who do you think would win now? If you had a rematch with Emperor Herb?" Kuwashima asked.
The Cheshire grin she received had far too many points. "Oh, me. Obviously." The amount of sheer confidence the spirit exuded in that one word was staggering. But Kuwashima had an eye for detail, and the slight twitches in her tail didn't quite seem to agree with that.
Looking to change the subject, Ranma casually reached over and collected one of the slightly cloudy animal figures. "Is this sculpture quartz?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes, they are. I make quartz sculptures that are also spirit wards for my business. Though it's been...difficult, to acquire, since Shen Fang's father..." She paused, squeezing her daughter lightly as she gave Ranma an odd glance. "passed away."
'Okay, yeah. Definitely, something going on there... Bah! Whatever, it's not my business. Although~'
Ranma nodded. "Not bad. But it seems like the protections they offer are kinda weak. My guess is bad materials." Pulling her best 'Nice Nabiki', Ranma threw her pitch. "Perhaps you'd be interested in something, Higher Quality?"
Taken aback at the sudden shift in demeanor, Kuwashima had to remind herself that certain spirits were known to be tricksters by trade. Such as the 'kitsune' her guest professed herself to be. (she still had doubts about that)
"Oh? And where would you be able to acquire such quality material? This is the highest quality to be found around here?"
Ranma grinned and closed one eye, her remaining one narrowing into a diamond slit as she wagged her finger. "Ah, now That! Is a Secret!"
Kuwashima huffed in amusement 'Most definitely a trickster, this one'
"And just what, exactly, will these supplies cost me?"
"Ohhh, nothing too serious." Kami, mouths were not designed to stretch that wide! "Mostly just a place to crash if I need it. I might ask you ta pick up few things, here and there..."
Ranma blew a stream of mist onto the table, smiling as Fang began moving the tableware around to change the patterns it made.
"As an added bonus, I'll help beef up your wards around here." She shifted her gaze from daughter to mother, the message clear. "Whaddya think?"
Kuwashima gave the hollow a calculating look, reminding Ranma that this woman was no stranger to business herself.
Finally, she gave a huff. "I think I'd need to see what I'm buying before I can really entertain such a decision." 'If she really is THE Saotome, her honor is without question, according to the stories. If I can, I would be a fool not to have her help protecting Shen Fang.'
Suddenly thankful she'd kept the guy's 'Snack', Ranma produced the chunk of crystal she'd taken from Tetrex and handed it over for inspection.
Retrieving her jeweler's lens from the next room, Kuwashima performed the most stringent examination she could. While the form was certainly of no natural origin, she could find neither fault nor flaw in its structure. Beyond that, her finely tuned senses could even pick up a significant amount of power already present!
Kuwashima was certain beyond any doubt, this would produce wards of staggering potential. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see a smiling yokai, looking every bit the cat that ate the cream.
Slowly, eyes almost glowing in the dimming light of the evening, the woman with hair the color of fire and blood held out her hand. "So... Do we have a deal?"
She stared at that hand. She grew up on stories teaching the folly of trusting demons and yokai. But at the same time... She glanced at her daughter, then back to the hand. With a deep fortifying breath, she prayed she was making the right decision.
Ranma wasn't too sure what had made her do it, but the moment their hands clasped something seemed to just 'click' within her. Like she had flipped the last switch needed to start... something. 'Whatever it is can wait till later.'
Grinning. Ranma was about to pull her hand back when the Hunter tightened her grip, her voice, iron, "It might sound pushy of me, But beyond improving our wards, you will deal with any, others, of your kind that might show up while you're here, yes?"
She looked the woman dead in the eye. "You have my word as a martial artist." Dead or not. Ranma Saotome kept her word
"Then We Have a Deal."
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Ranma stayed a couple of days with the Gao family, beefing up the main wards as promised before she bid them farewell.
Not in any particular hurry, Ranma took her time getting to the coast in a 'leisurely jog'. After a few days, she arrived at the port city of Shanghai., and entertained herself by watching the ships in dock.
She found it rather easy to get around since people could not see her and, in general, would simply pass right through her. As long as she tried not to physically interact with them, that is. It took an hour or so of getting used to being among so many people again, but the old habits were a little tough to break.
Deciding to continue her 'leisure' trip, she thought to actually use a boat to get back to Japan this time. It took a few minutes, but Ranma eventually found her way to the dock master's office. Chuckling to herself at the thought of once having to sneak in under the cover of darkness, Ranma simply waltzed right through the wall! It was a happy accident from earlier in the day that she found she could do that!
"Ha! Eat Shit, Old Man!" Ranma declared, with an, equally, shit-eating grin.
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It took everything Nodoka had not to drop the plate she was washing, as her musings were interrupted by a sudden alarming noise. Rushing to the living room, she was met with the sight of 'Mr. Panda', looking around blearily, rubbing his nose as he sat in a sunbeam.
Upon noticing the woman, he pulled a sign out of nowhere which simply read [ Excuse me ], before laying back on his side and continuing his nap.
Shaking her head in exasperation, Nodoka went back to doing the dishes.
"Maybe we should go see Doctor Tofu and Kasumi? He's been sneezing so much these past few days."
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Ranma was pleasantly surprised to find nobody was inside, as it certainly made her goal much easier. With an ease she couldn't recall, she began to peruse the paperwork strewn about on the desk. Checking through the various ships and cargoes, it thankfully wasn't long before she found one on course to her desired destination.
Chewing a bit on her pipe stem, a habit left over from her school days, she gave a satisfied huff as she read it over, "Ah! There we go, Yokohama! Let's see... Dock twenty-three...'da-da-da-' leaves aaat~ Noon!"
Glancing over at the oversized clock on the wall, the time reads [11:25].
'blink...blink, blink' "HIJO DE MIERDA!" Not bothering to tidy up in what little time she had to find her boat, Ranma simply opened the nearest window and dashed out.
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Dock Master Wong was exhausted. After spending all afternoon dealing with that fiasco with the crane, Tsum Tin wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse.
"Amitabha. At least no one was actually injured, thank Buddha for miracles. " Sadly, he still needed to file the reports and hand over the office to the next shift. "Who is suspiciously late... Again."
Doing his best to rub the fatigue out of his eyes as he unlocked the office door, only to see that, someone, had left the window wide open... The window that was Never to be left open, because of the mess the wind would make...
Exactly like the mess currently on his desk.
Flopping on his chair, he could only laugh as he remembered a joke some American sailor had made upon hearing his name.
"Maybe there really is 'Something Wrong' with my name!"
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Despite the short window she had, Ranma was still confident she could make it onto the ship in time. After all, she'd made sure to get a rough idea of where stuff was while searching for the office.
As she was making her way over the rooftops and loading cranes, Ranma froze, her ear twitching. Something wasn't right. There was a metallic creaking, she could hear it faintly from her left.
Quickly making her way over, she came to the scene of an operator 'showing off' his skills with the magnetic loader. And while she could admit, the pace he was moving and the dexterity he showed was actually pretty impressive. The only issue was, someone screwed the pooch when making sure the damn thing was safe to use!
Ranma watched as, on the apex of his return swing, whatever it was that held the thing level and secure failed. Unprepared for the sudden shift of momentum, the operator was unable to compensate in time, before the magnet head's remaining cable snapped like an old rubber band. Launching the thing in an arc, not unlike a bowling ball, as it began rolling away.
Already making her way to stop the thing from killing anyone, Ranma was gratified that at least the workers in the area were being safe enough to not be in immediate danger. It was everyone down lane that had her worried.
Desperate to find a way to get the civilians at least aware of the danger, Ranma remembered her fight with that impostor Ryo. Grinning now that she had a plan, Ranma gathered her reiastu into her throat and bellowed.
"Get outta the Way!"
Alighting on the rolling death wheel, she decided on how best to mitigate the damages. Sure she could easily punt the thing, but that would just cause more damage '(also kinda boring)'. Besides, people could see it coming now, and they were getting to safety...mostly.
'Why the hells do people think running straight away from rolling doom is gonna work?'
It was at this point that she realized, she was driving the thing right now. Just back-stepping to stay on it, was actually rolling the thing more! 'OOOh! I can steer this!' A burst of laughter escaped at the thought.
Spying a nice empty area not much further, Ranma let out an almost childlike giggle as she started swerving around.
"Da Da Dum Dum, Da Da Dum Dum
~"Da Da Dum Dum, Da Da Da Da!
~"Da Da Dum Dum, La Da Dum Dum
~"La Da Dum Dum La De Ta!"
Ranma barely even heard the screams of terror around her, she was just having too much fun! And wouldn't you know it! That empty spot she was aiming at just happened to be her dock! Laughing in joy, she kicked off just so, so as to unbalance her toy into a perfect topple.
Spinning through the air in a feat of acrobatics, she alighted on her boat in a 10/10 two-point landing.
"Mommy! Daddy! Did ya see that!? Did ya see?!" Looking over to her side, Ranma saw a couple at the rail watching the would-be disaster on the pier, while at their knees were their sons (kids looked about five-ish) who were staring at her slack-jawed in amazement.
Tommy was having the time of his life. Sure he missed his friends, but when his Daddy told them he had an 'Inven-taters Clown-fence', he wasn't expecting a vacation to China! 'Chucky wouldn't like it anyway, he hates Clowns.'
He and Dil had even made some friends! A couple of three-year-olds named Ming Ming and Sung Sung. They showed them around the city while his Daddy was at his 'Clown-fence'.
Sadly their time in China was over, but Daddy said they still had a few days, so now they were going to Japan on a boat! The last time he'd been this excited was that trip to Paris!
They were all on the deck of the boat when all the noise started. Naturally, he and Dill went to investigate! Dragging their parents over to the railing, they peeked through the holes in the wall to see some lady with reeally big sleeves dancing around everyone on a big wheel! That looked so Fun! And she was singing, so it must have been!
And when she flew over onto their boat and did a bunch of twirls and flips? Tommy'd never seen something so amazing!
"Mommy! Daddy! Did ya see that?! Did ya see?!" Clearly, Dil thought so too.
"Yes. That was really dangerous! I hope nobody got hurt! Good thing we were already on the ship, huh Didi?"
Ignoring his Mommy's answer Tommy looked up at his Daddy in confusion. Danger? That was just some lady having fun! She was even avoiding the people down there. A light giggle dragged his and Dil's attention back.
Looking back at the Flying Lady, they saw her give them a wink and put a finger to her lips with a smile. "Shhh. I'm invisible! They can't see me. Just you two."
Smirking, she blew out a Huge cloud at them. It was kinda chilly. As they rubbed their eyes they heard her laughing again, and the sound of something tinkling on the floor.
When they could see again, the Flying Lady was Totally Gone! As Tommy looked around, Dil spotted something shiny on the floor.
"Wooah! Tommy look!" Crouching down, Dil picked up two shiny crystals. They looked kinda like Nines or Sixes, but really fat.
"Cool!" Tommy took one from Dil. They felt kinda warm.
"Have fun you two" The brothers suddenly felt like someone was rubbing their heads.
Spinning around, the two found naught but their parents, though Tommy thought he saw the slightest bit of mist fading in the wind.
This was Totally the best vacation ever!
Ranma chuckled to herself as she left the two boys. Apparently, some kids just had a knack for seeing ghosts. Who Knew?
Deciding she'd had enough fun for now, she phased into the ship for the cargo hold. Perfect place for a nap while they sailed. It took her a few minutes, but she made her way down eventually.
Breathing in, Ranma's attention was pulled to something in the far corner. Sitting in the far corner was apparently where the crew kept their trash and recycling. But what really caught her eye was the pallet box half full of cardboard. And there was a perfect beam of sun from the window above shining right in it!
"I suppose a nap wouldn't hurt." Ranma wasn't even really thinking as she automatically hopped in and curled up to enjoy the sun.
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In the Nekohanten, within the Nerima ward, a certain stick-hopping Elder sat by the window. Puffing on her pipe, she observed the storm as it rolled in, the lightning crisscrossing the skies to the latent accompaniment of thunder that boomed for miles around.
"What a dreadful-looking storm this way blows." She croaked as a charge in the air made the hairs on the back of her neck stand out. It was a sign. A sign that chaos could spin out of control at any moment.
It was nostalgic really.
She hadn't felt such tension in the air since her former son-in-law was alive and well at the Tendo Dojo. Unfortunately, the marriage between her Great-granddaughter and Son-in-Law never came to fruition. Poor Shampoo was devastated when news came that the boy was killed, saving a stranger he didn't even know.
It was so like him though, and spoke volumes for the boy's character. A true Martial Artist, willing to risk life and limb to save someone weaker than himself. Though, like many a hero before him, it caught up to him in the end. She only hoped he found more peace in death than he ever did in life.
The clanking of a tray against the table served a pleasant break from her thoughts, as her great-grandaughter set about filling them both cups of tea. As she watched the young woman, Cologne noted how she'd grown from that girl who first left China.
Having grown just a bit more, she now stood at 5'2", and though she had lost some of it during a fire mishap a few years back, she once more had her signature lavender hair to frame her chocolate eyes. Her figure, already many a boy's dream, had only grown more ample, as displayed in her casual pink Chinese blouse, and loose-fitting purple silk pants.
"The Weatherman said the storm will hang around until eight in the morning." The lavender-haired woman responds in her home tongue.
"Sounds about right."Cologne nodded.
"Great Grandmother, do you feel it?" Shampoo gives her a look, to which her great-grandmother can only chuckle wearily
"Oh yes, Child. Rather hard to miss such an Ominous energy in the air. Let us hope this passes without incident."
'After all,' Cologne thinks to herself, 'We've lost our main bulwark against such tides.'
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It was nearing the end of business hours for Old Daisuke and his trusty Ramen Cart. Dressed in his traditional vendor' outfit, he hummed a little tune to himself as he readjusted his goggles. They might not do much to help his receding hairline, but he never really feels right without them.
"Hmm, probably ain't gonna have many more customers tonight." Glancing out the overhang at the sky above, he sees the telltale signs of the oncoming storm. "Maybe I should call it early?" he bent down to take stock of what ingredients he had left.
Distracted as he was with the weather and trade, he was completely unaware of the crimson-haired woman who appeared out of thin air and sat in front of the counter.
She said nothing merely watching him, her eyes en-shadowed in the maw of her skull mask and crimson bangs.
Old Daisuke paused, the feeling of being watched making his hair stand on end. Turning, he glanced up and nearly jumping in fright at the sight of the woman sitting at his counter.
"Ahhh! Eh, Evenin' Miss! Didn't hear ya come in!" He rubbed his head where he'd bumped it and stood fully. "Not as young as I used to be I guess. You been there long? What can I getcha?" He set his hands to the ready as took in this late customer.
'Temple robes? A priestess?.. She a cos-player, or the real deal? Hard to tell with that mask. Strange people these days.'
His guest waved off his concern, "I been here for a cool minute. Just thought I'd let you finish what you were doing. Is it too late to order something?"
Old Daisuke laughed, "It's never too late for Ramen! Especially for such a beautiful young Lady as yourself. Though I'll admit, you are a bit oddly dressed." Never hurts to offer a compliment, after all.
She peered down at her attire and seemed almost surprised to be wearing it.
"Miss?"
"Hmm? Oh, nothing. I just forgot I was still wearing this." She gave an embarrassed chuckle as she scratched the long fang of her mask. "I'll take whatever you recommend in the largest bowl you got Mister." The grin she gives him is absolutely adorable. Fortunately, she's far too young for him, so he's safe from Miyako's wrath.
"Coming right up!" Old Daisuke said as he set to it, working his craft to make the best dish he could. He truly loved his work.
Glancing up over the cooktop he made some small talk, "So, what Shrine are you from? I don't think I've seen any with that kind of mask before. Is it a Temple devoted to a Shingami?"
Focused on his cooking, he missed the stifled laugh of his guest. "Not exactly. Well, the shrine I live in is actually quite far from here. As for what kind of Kami? Well, you were close. The Kami I serve is a Kitsune."
"Really now? Good on ya! I grew up on my Granpa's shrine myself. Not many folks these days really believe in the old ways anymore. It's refreshing to see a young woman like you who's still passionate about the old ways. Perhaps there's still hope for the next generations to come." The Old Man proclaimed as he placed a steaming bowl of Ramen on the counter in front of the crimson-haired priestess.
"By the way, why are you wearing cat ears? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to wear fox ears?"
Her blush of embarrassment as she tucked in her head was rather cute on her. Actually, it reminded him of their granddaughter. 'Hmmm, It's almost that time of year. We should go visit little Orihime soon. I wonder what she's been up to lately?.'
"Ahem, I, eh, wore them for a cosplay event is all." She gives him a gimlet eye. "A Miko can still enjoy such liberties, yes?"
"Fair point Miss!" Old Daisuke laughed as she said a prayer for her meal before digging in.
"Can't say I blame ya really. We all need hobbies. My wife an' I recently got into these Tamagachi things. Almost as needy as actual kids!" He gives a deep laugh as he flicks the little blue keychain hanging from the beam.
A few minutes later, Old Daisuke turned to speak some more to the lovely young woman, only to find an empty stall. He glanced around, but he found no trace of her, it was as if she had just vanished into thin air. The only evidence she'd even been there was a bowl and the exact amount of cash laid out on the counter.
Grinning to himself, Old Daisuke began packing up shop.
'Wonder how Miyako'll react to a spirit in my cart?'
Ranma peered back at the Yatai, listening to the cook sing a little diddy while he packed up.
Looking forward, she continued on. She was finally starting to get used to this new existence. Having the ability to interact with humans or not at will was quite useful.
'I wonder if this is why so many ghost sightings happen?' She pondered as she thought back to a show she and her former fiance had watched.
At the time, Ranma had thought the show pretty stupid since by that time they had dealt with plenty of ghosts and the like. But Akane had demanded they watch it together. 'Not that I really blame her. She was so scared I couldn't pry her off my arm.'
She wondered what all her old friends and family were up to right now. 'Meh, I'm sure they're all in bed sleeping...Unless they work night shift at least."
With a sniff, Ranma froze. 'Eh? Yare Yare, what could That be?'
Shifting slightly, Ranma changed directions from Nerima to its neighboring district. Karakura.
Notes: I would like to thank you for reading this edition of my newest story I hope you liked what you read if you wish to leave a review feel free if not no worries thanks for reading and see you next time!