7. TWO RETURNS, ONE DEPARTURE
"No luck ?"
"No luck."
"Gosh, we have to find her !"
"Of course we do. But God knows where she could be !"
"I badly hope Ryoga will be able to find her…!"
"Same here, but as I pointed out, in case she manages to shake him off – I mean, if she doesn't want him to catch her, talk to her, bring her back – then he will lose track of her… and how will he get back here, with his incredibly poor sense of direction ? He will end up lost, and while Soraya must remain our priority, as Cologne said, we still would have two problems instead of only one !"
"I know, I know…"
Akane and Nabiki entered the house, walked to the living room and sat around the table, relieved to finally take a break, the second daughter pouring a glass of water for each of them.
The two sisters had been walking around the neighbourhood since the day before, looking for the Red Pigtail and the Lost Boy, but their search had proved fruitless. They had finally gone back home and just met in the yard, with the youngest asking the second eldest about her search.
And indeed, no luck for any of them : Soraya and Ryoga were nowhere to be found… of course, could we add, since this was alas expected, after their fast "roof run" away from the Tendo's.
"In fact, as we speak, they might well be on the other side of town : they left yesterday afternoon, and it will soon be 24 hours, which leaves them plenty of time to get away to a distant neighbourhood, who knows…" pointed out Nabiki with an upset pout.
"But what can we do then ?"
"Continue searching, hope that either our fathers or Ryoga get luckier than us, pray that Ryoga didn't lose track of Soraya, dearly wish that she hasn't gone very far… and of course, that Cologne can in the meantime find a cure to that curse, somewhere in one of her dusty grimoires…"
The deep sigh that left Akane's mouth said it all : that was a lot to hope for, many "maybe's" that all had to find a positive outcome for their dark sky to really clear up…
The anguished fiancée went upstairs to check on Ranma, and as she sat by his side, after checking his slow pulse, mentally recited a prayer… for him, Soraya, Ryoga, all of them.
(…)
He had been running and jumping, jumping and running, trying as hard as he could to reduce the gap between them, but she was definitely too nimble, too swift… and too light for him.
All those muscles he had gained over the years had certainly made him more powerful, more enduring, in a word : stronger… but they alas had also made him heavier and therefore less rapid, while she was not only very strong but also quicker in her moves and reactions.
Nevertheless, he managed to get a closer to her… but that's just at this precise moment that the tile he had set the foot on slipped away, and what should have only been a very brief contact with the rooftop stretched in time as the tile remained like stuck to his foot, while his leg traced an upward arc of a circle in the air and his body, turning upside down, abruptly sank for the incoming crash…
…and yet no : he managed to put his hands on the roof and push himself up, the jump allowing him to position himself correctly to land the right way.
He was pleased and relieved to have avoided a painful impact with the tiles, but also slightly discouraged, as he could see that she had vanished.
He could tell she wasn't too far away for him to spot her, no : he squinted his eyes and saw no movement anywhere in the distance, and she couldn't have gone very far in the few seconds of his misadventure. Impossible.
And yet she was nowhere to be seen.
Which meant…
She got off the rooftops ! She jumped down right when I had that stupid accident, as if she had sensed it was the perfect time to disappear ! Just my luck…
But as he observed cautiously the houses ahead, he got the certainty he knew where she was when she had chosen to jump back into the streets, and he hurried to the roof in question, then paused for a moment, wondering on which side she had jumped…
… when he caught side of a small flattened portion of lawn, there, down to his left.
As if someone had just landed there…
He got down and, spotting an old man nearby, he asked him :
"Did you see a red-haired girl with a pigtail jump down from the roof here ?"
The elder nodded : "I did, and she started running right after landing there. She turned left, in that direction."
He was pointing towards the river nearby.
The "old" Ryoga would certainly have turned right instead, but he had accomplished a long and hard work on his sense of direction, and although he still got lost at times, it was far less frequent than before. His body was slowly learning how to go the correct way when indicated the correct way to follow, or when his eyes caught the direction that an arrow was pointing to. It would still take the boy some efforts to really move around without problem, but he had substantially improved in orientating himself.
Please don't get me lost again… please… Ranma and Soraya NEED ME ! Please take me to the good direction ! he mentally begged his body.
And the latter, as if somehow sensing that this was crucial, followed the correct path, and each time he asked and was swas told in which direction a certain pigtailed redhead had run to, that body of his managed to remain on the right track… thankfully enough…
(…)
Shadows had grown quite long when he found her.
The petite teen was training in a fenced wasteland, by the river : she was moving extremely fast, throwing punches and kicks in the air, at some invisible enemy, and continuously let out screams of rage and frustration as she violently cast her limbs this way and that way, jumping, mowing, sending an uppercut, launching a myriad of rapid kicks, dodging, somersaulting, bouncing away several times to suddenly dash forward and deliver a powerful punch followed by a forearm blow.
Hidden behind a trunk, he observed her with round eyes, as if hypnotized.
She really gave all she had, as if she was fighting a real enemy. Perhaps she imagined it as Ranma… or Cologne… or maybe even Kay and Os, although it was Ranma who had fought them. But, technically, as she was still inside of him at that time, she had somehow also seen them and it amounted to the same thing: she had to know what they looked like.
And all the time she was practising against some invisible enemy, she gave out loud screams, in which a mix of anger and frustration was palpable… which made Ryoga even more sorry for her.
After a long time, Soraya collapsed in the grass, sprawled in all four directions, panting heavily after such an intense training session.
Then she rolled on the side, with her back to him, and, after a couple of minutes, he could see her shoulders move spasmodically and heard a faint sound that left no doubt.
Oh no ! She's crying… She must think it's all her fault, that energy theft… She considers herself guilty, but she's a victim as well, it's all against her will.
Leaving his hideout, he walked as silently as he could in her direction.
But no matter how stealthily he moved, she still perceived his presence and, fast as lightning, turned her defenceless lying body into a crouching alert one, with frown and gritted teeth.
She had expected a possible thug trying to catch her by surprise, but as soon as she saw Ryoga, the redhead felt relief wash over her and relaxed some, allowing herself to plop back on the grass.
"What do you want, Ryoga ?" she said in a deep sigh.
s
"Make sure you are okay, comfort you, convince you that you didn't do anything wrong and that nobody hates you… and hopefully help you and Ranma get along better with each other !" he replied in complete honesty.
She wiped her eyes and stared at him in silence, as he kindly waited for her to pull herself together.
Part of her acknowledged he was a good, generous guy, and was grateful for his help, his caring for her… but another part of her had difficulty understand his reasons to support her.
"Why do you want to help me anyway ? I mean, just like my male side, I've been pretty mean to you in the past… I've played tricks on you, I've used my good looks to deceive you, send you on wrong tracks… I've made fun of you and been very rough to you on many occasions. So why, Ryoga ? Why do you care to help someone who has behaved that bad to you ?"
His lips slightly curved into a small smile.
"The red-haired beauty I've been spending time with for the past weeks has not been mean with me. Not even once. So why wouldn't I want to help her, mmmh ?"
His smile widened.
And it was such a pleasant sight that she couldn't help smiling back.
"You're a good person, Ryoga. Actually better than Ranma, to be honest… but please don't repeat him that !" Then she gave a small smile and concluded : "And thanks for calling me 'beauty'. I'm not sure I am, but I'm still flattered, and… you look pretty good yourself."
Realizing he hadn't paid attention earlier, and that he had let out something personal, he felt his face heat up, as it had suddenly gained a new colour…
"Oh… uh… yeah, I… uh…"
He looked away and she naturally couldn't help chuckling at his embarrassment.
"Anayway, Soraya… I want you to feel better, but I also need to do something for Ranma. He has been getting very weak, and we must find a way to cancel that curse. But I'm not going back to him unless you're with me. I won't let you alone. And I think you shouldn't remain away from Ranma."
She made a face.
"He may be my male side, but he can be such a pain, you know… It was never easy living with him… for all of us !"
"I know, I know…" he admitted with a sigh "…but he's not a bad sort, deep inside. His age is part of what causes his temper and rude behaviour, but he's also a good guy. And besides, two halves of the same person should definitely not be separated, away from each other… don't you think ?"
She pondered this for a moment then reluctantly agreed.
"And I think you'll be happier with me… uh, with us !" he awkwardly told her.
Her smile reappeared.
"I'm sure I'll be…"
He could sense the kindness of that smile, and tell she felt at ease with him… which sparked a happy light in his heart and mind.
He then turned to look behind him, and started inspecting their surroundings, before turning back to Soraya.
"Hum… sorry, but where do we come from again ?" he asked as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
"You're too much, you know that ?" she replied, sniggering, yet felling genuinely happy in his company. "Come on, I'll bring us back home…"
And she grabbed his hand, ready to take off to the rooftops with him…
(…)
Ranma's condition had stabilized after Soraya's departure, and when Akane had let Cologne know about such encouraging news, the Amazon matriarch had told her that the reason was clearly related to the redhead's absence, implying that the boy's energy couldn't be transferred to her if she was not physically present in the immediate surroundings of her male counterpart. If she was absent, he kept his energy within himself and stopped weakening.
"It's obvious that the energy transfer works if both energy sources are in each other's presence !" she had said, before adding : "And that is fortunate, since it would be a real catastrophe if Soraya could continue absorbing Ranma's energy even when being distant from him. But in case she comes back, she will have to stay away from him, to avoid absorbing more energy from him, and this until I find a way to reverse or cancel the curse : he mustn't get any weaker ! And you will have to make her understand we need her to remain away from him until then !"
And she had resumed checking one of her books to find some information about energy transfer. She was certain it would be in that precise book and wasted no time, as there was an obvious urgency in finding a cure to the curse : the life of her "son-in-law" was at stake, no less !
"She has to find a solution ! She has to !" complained Genma as he silently cried by the side of his son's weak body.
"Do not worry, dear uncle Genma. I'm sure that the learned Cologne will come back here with a solution." Kasumi gently tried to comfort him.
"Yeah, it's only a matter of –"
But Nabiki never got to finish her sentence, as they heard the front door being opened, down the stairs.
Akane immediately got up and, leaving Ranma's room, she hurried downstairs.
"Cologne ?" she called out.
"Eh no, you lost ! It's only us…" replied an all too-famous juvenile voice that all easily identified.
"Ah, Soraya is back !" announced Soun. "And hopefully with Ryoga !"
Things had improved, but the most important was still expected, courtesy of Cologne's help.
And speaking of Cologne…
"What ?! What did she say ?!" an indignant Soraya screamed.
"She said Ranma's energy level remained stable while you were away, while it had decreased when you were around. It means that the energy transfer between you two occurs only when you are in each other's presence… which is why she kindly asked you to remain at large for a while, until she can find a way to cancel or revert the curse. That way, you won't absorb his energy again."
The pigtailed girl didn't reply but merely crossed her arms while a pout altered her face.
"It's just for some time, you know. And it's the only thing to do right now, so…" pleaded the third Tendo.
The redhead's lips slightly moved in a way indicating doubt, but no word followed.
But the petite female turned to the left when she felt a hand on her left shoulder.
"It's for the best, Soraya. I'm sorry you have to endure this, but if there's nothing else we can do… And anyway, I'll stay with you until you can safely return here, and support you through all this."
Her blue eyes stared back at the brown ones, and after a deep sigh, she hesitantly gave a weak smile.
"Thanks, Ryoga. I appreciate. And… I guess I don't have a choice here. Let's hope that Cologne –"
"Children !"
The old voice made them turn around, and sure enough, the aforementioned one was there, heading their way.
With Shampoo.
Soraya vaguely frowned as she noticed the latter, but given that she felt tired about the whole situation (notably the awareness of her adverse effect on Ranma), she chose to remain silent about it.
Cologne still caught her slight frown and tensed, expecting a sharp remark, but as nothing came (surprisingly), she relaxed and turned her attention to Akane, her privileged interlocutor since her last visit.
"Sorry for calling you children, I know you know longer are. But old habits die hard… Now, I have very good news : I have found a way to revert the curse ! The formula is in this book."
She pointed at the book that Shampoo had been holding in her left hand until then and that she was now presenting to the others.
"Really ?" asked Akane, her voice literally dripping with the dearest hope.
Cologne simply nodded.
"Let's not waste any time then !" exclaimed Nabiki, who was halfway downstairs.
Most of them started upstairs, but…
"You're not coming ?"
They all turned to see Ryoga staring at Soraya, the only one who hadn't moved from her spot.
"Well… Akane said I shouldn't stay around Ranma, because of that damn energy absorption, so…"
"That was true before, but no longer now." Cologne explained, a hand raised in the typical 'stop' gesture. "And in fact, you must come, as I will need you to manage the spell reversing the curse. Please come along."
Ryoga looked back at Soraya and waited for her reaction, his stare a comforting and caring one.
She noticed the movement of his head in her direction and stared back at him.
Please come with us… trust Cologne… you can help Ranma, Soraya ! his eyes silently said.
A small smile very briefly lit up her features and she followed the group, the Lost Boy right behind her.
(…)
"Soraya, please put your hands on Ranma's chest…" started Cologne.
The redhead did as she was told.
"…and repeat my words : ARIXTRA NOVEN…"
"ARIXTRA NOVEN…"
"BETIL KOGGEH OMOTTOSY."
"BETIL KOGGEH OMOTTOSY."
Two halos of blue light suddenly appeared around Soraya's hands, and some warmth started spreading from these, which made Soraya jolt.
"It's starting to heat up !" she screamed, hesitating about removing her hands.
"Do not take your hands away from his chest ! You must maintain the contact with him !" immediately instructed Cologne.
Soraya once again obeyed…
…and…
…she felt her temperature sink and her body slightly weaken gradually, her vigor decrease bit by bit…
…and then, the two halos shifted to orange.
"Remove your hands, now !" almost screamed the long-grey-haired Amazon.
The petite girl immediately took them off and watched as the orange spots slowly lost colour and eventually vanished from Ranma's chest.
"You did a great job, Soraya !" congratulated Cologne. "Thank you for your help !"
The fiery one looked at the wise one and, seeing the old smile on her wrinkled face, returned a young smile of gratitude.
"Thank you, actually…" she replied on a gentle tone that the family wasn't accustomed to at all.
The venerable lady simply nodded and her focus shifted to Ranma, with Soraya's eyes soon following in that direction.
The heir of the Anything Goes Martial Arts School moaned, then slowly opened his eyes, and ended up looking around him.
"You're all here…" he muttered.
Then his eyes opened more and more, he sat up and swiftly inhaled, his gaze lost in the vague.
" I feel… much better ! Just like before, actually !" he exclaimed with a victorious smile.
"You back, Airen ! You back !" yelled Shampoo as she jumped to his neck.
Noticing Akane's and Soraya's growls, Ranma gently "unhooked" the purple-haired Amazon from his neck.
"Hum… sorry, Shampoo, but better not do this…" he calmly told her with visible unease, after nervous glances at both irate females glaring at the seductive Chinese girl… who frowned bak at them.
"Hum, anyway, you can thank Cologne and Soraya, Ranma-kun, coz if you're back, you owe it all to them !" Nabiki informed him.
The boy's gaze slowly turned to his female counterpart.
"You… accepted to help me ? To help cure me ? Despite all the hard times we had together ?" he asked her incredulously.
A genuine smile stretched her lips.
"I'm not that bad, you know…"
And, maybe for the first time since their encounter, he smiled back at her.
(…)
"Here is the magical formula to reverse and rebalance energy flows between individuals" Cologne told them all as she handed "Son-in-law" a small piece of paper bearing five words.
"We will need it again ?" asked the pigtailed boy after glancing at the spell.
The old eyes gained a serious expression.
"The fact is that the curse is not removed, only temporarily countered. You will have to use that formula whenever you get too weak, Ranma. But to have it cancelled… that's another story. I haven't found anything else about energy imbalance in my books up to now, so I shall continue to search through my books. If I can't find anything, I will have to ask some of my other fellows elders for help, advice, info. And I dearly hope they will be able to help, if it comes down to that."
"My dear Cologne, I have no words to express you my gratitude for saving my son !" Genma said, hanging his head and joining hands above it, tears of joy rolling down his cheeks.
The Matriarch smiled but raised a finger.
"He is not fully saved yet. I must find a way to completely stop the curse. This spell is only a temporary remedy. But I'm confident a solution will come up at some point."
There was another of those brief silences.
"Thank you to Soraya as well, for agreeing to help ! We wouldn't have made it without you !" pointed out Ryoga, with a smile at the redhead, who returned it.
"Yes, thank you so much, Soraya ! You've been a precious help !" Akane warmly told her.
"Actually…" started the Red Pigtail before pausing, and taking a deep breath, she continued : "…I owed it to Ranma. I had always considered him as rude aggressive, notably with ladies, but not only, and his lack of manners and respect had angered me to no end. But now that I almost caused his death, I feel sorry for being… somewhat harsh and unfair to him. He's not a bad sort, and can be pretty cool… when he wants to."
She looked at her "brother", who had just raised a brow (WTF, Sis' ?!), and after sticking out her tongue at him with a playful wink in bonus, she pursued her sincere speech :
"And I also want to apologize to you, Cologne, for being mean to you last time, and also thank you wholeheartedly for saving that crazy dude who can be annoying… but also nice, and is a good guy after all. So, thank you !"
She slightly bowed at the elder.
"Thank you, but it's ok, no need to apologize. You're still young and fiery, and you shall gain experience, maturity and wisdom over the years. Besides, you were doing it for generous reasons : to protect Ranma's and Akane's couple, without any particular interest for you, and while I deeply regret that you can't be indeed my Son-in-law, Ranma, I also realize that what matters in the end are people's feelings and attraction, and not traditions or family will. And if you two really, sincerely love each other, then I don't have the right to force you otherwise. Nobody has the right to."
Shampoo made an outraged face.
"But Greatgrandmother, that's –"
A raised hand stopped her.
"His feelings is what matters the most. Nothing is above this. I'm deeply sorry for you, my dear, but we can't go against that, or else we would become unfair. You will have to learn to live with it, I'm afraid…"
Shampoo felt her eyes overflow and, after a long, last look at the one she loved, she turned around and ran away, the sound of her sobbing echoing through the house until she had left it.
"Poor Shampoo…" whispered Kasumi, visibly moved.
Cologne sighed, a long tired sigh.
"Life is also like that. We all regret it, but in the end… we only have to deal with it."
(…)
It was a beautiful day and Nabiki had proposed to go out and enjoy ice-creams in the park.
"My treat ! To celebrate Ranma-kun's return among us, could we say ! So, who wanna come ?" she had told them all.
Both fathers had to repair the roof, who had been damaged during a recent storm, and when Ranma and Ryoga had proposed their help :
"No, no, you youth can go enjoy a relaxing time together. And anyway you need to rest, Ranma, so no work for you these days !" had replied Soun.
Kasumi had errands to run, but Nabiki persuaded her to postpone them and accompany the group to the park… and the eldest sister had finally accepted.
Therefore, the three Tendo's, the two Saotome's and Ryoga had arrived to the park in mid afternoon, eaten ice-creams and were currently lounging by the lake, where small wooden boats wandered aimlessly, with couples chatting and laughing together in them.
"How do you feel, Ranma ?" asked Akane.
"Much better, but Cologne told us the energy transfer would resume and I would start getting weaker again after a while… but then we can use that magic formula she taught us, and it will stabilize our energies again, for a moment… until she can find a definitive spell to free us from that damn curse !" he answered.
There was no reply to that and they all looked around to see and enjoy the beauty of this day and the positive energy it created inside people, cheering them up, taking their minds off their everyday mundane concerns and showing them that the existence and the world could be worth it, that not everything was dark.
"Maybe I shouldn't have come with you…" said Soraya after a few minutes, feeling sheepish "…because if I don't stay away from you; Ranma –"
"No !" Ranma cut her. "We're not leaving you out ! You're not an outcast, you're part of the family !"
"Even if I may have been somewhat harsh to you since we met ?" she reminded him.
He paused… then said in a sigh : "Yes, even if. And it seems you're getting better now, so… keep it up, okay ?"
The redhead's face showed hope and gratitude at that.
"Anyway, it's all the fault of Os and Kay in the first place ! I wish I could find those bastards !" exclaimed the Black Pigtail as he balled his right fist. "Those bloody siblings… If I had them in front of me right now -"
"Yes, what would you do then ?"
They all jolted at that smooth voice, that ironic tone, and instantly turned around.
There, on the top of the fountain nearby, a stranger with long black and grey hair was sitting crisscross applesauce, observing the group of friends through his narrowed ruby eyes, a large mocking smirk stretching his thin lips. He was clad in a kind of two-coloured armor and cape, both black and red (the colours of hell… thought Akane).
"You !" growled Ranma.
"Me." simply replied the man.
"That's one of the siblings, right ?" asked Ryoga, fists now clenched.
"It's…Os, right ? The boy is Os ?" inquired Nabiki.
The stranger uncrossed his legs and stood up in a flash, then slowly bowed.
"At your service !" he said on a polite yet visibly ironic tone, before continuing just as ironically : "So, Saotome, how do you like your new curse ? You can now remain in your male form… but of course, there's a price to pay. And this lil' ball of energy is here to ensure you pay the price !"
As he uttered the last sentence, he jerked his chin in Soraya's direction.
The redhead briskly jumped to her feet and glared at their common enemy.
"You're the one who freed me from Ranma's body… but also made me suck up his energy, against my own will ! You used me to get your revenge on him ! He could have died because of you, and I'll never forgive you that !" she yelled.
He slowly chuckled and jumped off the fountain, crossing his arms as he elegantly landed a few feet from them.
"And… you intend to make me pay ? To avenge your big brother, lil' sister ? How cute…"
The Red Pigtail didn't need more : she let out a fierce scream of rage, her war cry, and flung herself at the demon who was belittling her, her teeth and fists clenched to the max !
"Soraya !" Ryoga called out on an almost panicked tone, extending his arm in her direction.
But the smallest girl of the family was blinded by fury and didn't hear him… or perhaps she did yet chose not to pay attention, her focus solely on that bastard whose despising rictus she would wipe out !
The red-haired female delivered punches and kicks at an impressive speed, sparing no effort to try to hit Os, but he was just as prompt in parrying as she was in attacking.
She performed a sidekick ? He moved aside.
Cast a punch to his face ? He blocked it.
Tried to mow him down ? He deftly jumped.
Threw a front kick ? He bent back.
Soraya became enraged as each of her blows failed, and her wrath altered her accuracy.
At one point, she got so impatient that she swung her arm too early and missed him more markedly, and as she fell past him. Os watched her crash on the floor, sneering, then lifted his fist.
The latter got encased in a green flame, and taking more momentum to strike, the devilish being delivered his punch to the defenceless girl ready to get back up…
…or rather tried to, since there was a huge collision right before the green-lit fist reached the braided female : Ryoga had launched himself at Os with all his power and properly swept away the demon, who got carried away and crashed a little ahead in the grass.
"Ryoga !" exclaimed Soraya with a clearly pleased expression, relief, gratitude and happiness all mixed into one single feeling.
He briefly and gently smiled at her before turning his attention to their foe, who was already getting back to his feet.
"Don't you dare touch her, monster !" he threatened the grey-haired creature.
The latter's face twisted into an ugly, evil smile.
"Then… I'll touch YOU !"
And Os cast his arms in direction of Ryoga.
The same crimson-like ribbons that had wrapped around Ranma in the park – and almost strangled him – emerged from his arms and swiftly flew to the Lost Boy.
The latter did his best to avoid the thin red "snakes" that not only aimed at him, but followed his every move, chasing him like some homing device. But he might well jump away from the threat, he couldn't sustain the ongoing effort of the continuous moving around…
…and what was bound to happen did happen eventually : one ribbon closed around one of his wrists, and time for him to try to cut it, all the other ribbons had instantly wrapped around his other limbs… and finally around his throat !
"Aaaaaaah !" he moaned as that last ribbon tightened on and on, as he fought to severe it.
"Say goodbye to life, Kid !" cruelly exclaimed Os.
But he then received, from behind, a powerful sidekick right into his head and couldn't keep his balance.
As Soraya's foot touched the ground, she used that contact to quickly launch herself at their enemy, but Os had been prompt enough to parry her incoming attack, and at one point hit her with his green-engulfed fist.
She tottered, fighting to keep standing, yet after a few attempts to remain still, she saw the world spin around just as vertigo filled her head, and she collapsed heavily.
Meanwhile, the ribbons had got loose around Ryoga, as Os had temporarily lost control over them, and the Bandana Boy raised his right arm, closed his eyes, and his hand started shining bright.
Then he held it flat and, reopening his eyes, he started moving it all around him.
The ribbons all got cut, as if that shining hand had become as sharp as a long-honed blade.
The vile creature, noticing that his adversary had freed himself, rushed at him, but Ryoga dodged and landed by the redhead, whom he grabbed and gently held against him.
"Are you alright, Soraya ?"
"Dizzy… all dizzy… my… oh, my head… spinning… and spinning…"
"He'll pay for that !" the muscular teenager told her, slightly and briefly hugging her before raising his incensed gaze to a sneering Os.
"Oh, how movi- AAAH !"
He didn't get to finish his sentence, as a powerful kick had just hit him square in the middle of the back, making him stumble forward.
He turned around to find a furious Ranma standing there.
"Leave us alone !"
Os snorted and raised his hands, ready to cast a new attack, yet Ryoga's roundkick, coming from the back, sent him fast forward, in direction of Ranma, who crouched and sent an uppercut right on the foe's chin.
The latter was sent flying backwards, heavily crashing right after.
The Black Pigtail smirked, but…
"RANMA !"
It was Akane.
But turning around is never done quickly enough when a danger is about to strike, it seems…
A fist engulfed in blue smashed into the boy's cheek, briefly knocking him out.
"You liked it the first time, eh ? So here's some more !" viciously exclaimed Kay as she stood up straight and evilly grinned at her target.
The three Tendo's, who had observed the battle in silence, were now staring at the new fighter.
"Who's that ?" asked a perplexed Kasumi.
"I think it's… Kay." Akane replied. "Yes, I'm almost certain it's that name."
It didn't take too long for Ranma to get back up, but…
"Look ! His body ! It's getting blue !" exclaimed Nabiki, goggling.
And indeed, the boy's body was gradually getting blue, that colour slowly spreading from the impact on the cheek down to his chest, and always lower.
"And here's the chef's surprise !" bellowed Kay, as she menacingly rushed at Ranma.
But the edge of a huge metal weapon hit her tummy pretty hard, from the side, and the devilish sister collapsed with a cry of pain.
The massive weapon was actually a giant spatula, whose owner took back in her hands, holding it firmly, ready for the next round.
"THAT was the chef's surprise, Baby ! And don't steal my line again !" warned the newcomer with a decided smile and a no less decided frown.
"Ukyo !" Akane exclaimed with relief.
The okonomiyaki specialist slowly stepped backward without taking her eyes off Kay, who was still clutching her belly, and she gently kneeled by Ranma, who had been forced to sit down.
"What's the matter, Ran-Chan ? What's that blue all over you ?"
"I…Ice… She… hit me… with… an icy… fist…"
"If need be, I can carry you on my back, time for the spell to wear off."
"It… doesn't… last… too long… just… a few… more… minutes…"
Someone stopped by their side, and both looked up to find Ryoga, who was carrying Soraya in his arms.
"Will you be okay, Ranma ?" asked his former rival.
The pigtailed boy simply nodded.
"Be careful !" warned Nabiki, pointing behind them.
Os was now back on his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
"You're not doing too bad, for youngsters…" he told them in a somewhat disdainful tone. "Even my dear sis' couldn't do much against you…"
"Get lost, Bro !" Kay said in a pained voice as she stood back up with difficulty, a hand still over her abdomen. "I always have to come save your ass. I was just unlucky this time, that bitch caught me by surprise !"
Her thumb was pointing to the side, at a livid Ukyo.
"I don't see any bitch other than you, here…" retorted the chef with a killer look.
"SAY THAT AGAIN ?!" exploded Kay.
"You heard me…" slowly, threateningly replied the blue-clad cook as her grip tightened on the handle of the spatula, teeth clenched as well, then she raised her voice : "And anyway, who the hell are you and what do you want ?!"
No sound but the wind*.
** This is the title of an Editors' song that I love, a very moving piano ballad that was made famous by a video shot at Werchter's festival. Any Editors fans round here ?
There was a short moment of defiance between both females, no one uttering a word as they glared at each other.
"Ryoga, please put me down. I feel better now." Soraya gently told her saviour.
He stared at her, uncertainty haunting his features.
"Are you sure ?"
"Yes, the dizziness is gone and I feel almost back to normal. Just slightly tired, but only slightly."
His lips moved in a somewhat unconvinced expression, but after observing her some more, he eventually gave a small smile.
"Ok then… if you're sure."
"I am. And thank you, Ryoga."
She returned the smile.
"It seems that almost everybody is in battle condition. Saotome will soon be as well." Os said as he gave a panoramic look and saw them all taking fighting stances at the siblings.
"What ? You wanna retreat from those… kids ?" spat Kay.
He turned to stare at her.
"Maybe we've underestimated them. Maybe they're stronger than we think."
"Mmmmpf… And maybe the fierce brother I knew is turning into a wuss, who knows…"
"I'm not a pushover, Sis' ! But…" His eyes returned to the group of teenagers and narrowed evilly. "… but I think we can have more fun… in another place."
His thin lips stretched into a cruel smile, and as she caught his drift, her own mouth smiled no less devilishly.
"Ok, Softie, let's get the hell outta here and wait for them over there…"
His smile vanished, jaw tightening.
"I'm not a softie."
Then, turning to the "kids" :
"We'll be waiting for you in a place that Saotome knows all too well… far away from here… but not that far either…"
Os jumped and landed next to Kay, who extended her arm to her left.
A dark grey whirlpool appeared and both hopped straight into it, before the magical gateway disappeared just as quickly.
Ukyo lowered her spatula and kneeled again beside Ranma.
"How is it going, Ran-Chan ?"
"Better now… but I still feel cold… in my chest…"
The three Tendo's had approached the group of fighters.
"How are you, Ranma ?" immediately asked Akane.
"I'm okay…"
"Ranma-kun, do you know what place Os was referring to ?" asked Nabiki. "He said you knew the place pretty well and that it was far from here, but not too far…"
He remained silent for many seconds.. and then…
"I have an idea…"
(…)
They were all gathered in the living room of the Tendo residence, even Ukyo (who wanted to make sure that her Ran-Chan was definitely out of the woods) when Cologne showed up, alone this time, with an old parchment rolled in her left hand.
s
They told her what had happened and the venerable elder knowingly nodded.
"I think I know what place those evil siblings were referring to…"
Without a word, she glanced at Ranma, silently inviting him to share his guess.
He took a deep breath.
"Jusenkyo ?"
She smiled.
"You're not only a very talented fighter, Ranma, you're also a clever boy. And from what I noticed, you're getting more clever as years pass by. But in fact, the correct place is not the springs of Jusenkyo,"
They were now staring at her expectantly, eager to hear of the right location.
"In my efforts to try and find a solution to that unwanted energy absorption between you two…" she looked at both Pigtails "…I got in touch with an old friend, who told me about one of his old friends who might have some useful info. It turned out that this second friend had in his possession this parchment…" she raised the ancient paper roll, in her right hand "…which tells of a centenary construction, the Dawn Temple, located on Mount Nettōhen*, itself situated behind Jusenkyo springs."
* Nettōhen… doesn't that sound familiar to you ? Yup, it was under the name RANMA ½ NETTōHEN that the reboot of the show was broadcasted, and it ranges from episode 19 to 161 (143 episodes, spanning seasons 2 to 7). A little wink of mine to the show we all love !
She paused in order to let them take in all those elements, and possibly answer their questions, if they had any.
And indeed…
"That's where we can find someone who might be able to cancel that curse ?" asked Soraya, hope shining in her blue orbs.
"Yes, that's the place where the problem might be solved. Wise elders live there, and it appears they would still hold a few magical formulas… and notably one about energy control. They should still have it, at least."
"Mmmmh…"
They all turned to Nabiki, who held her chin by her hand, clearly lost in thought.
"I'm sorry, Cologne, but the way you put it all together sounded… uncertain : 'the problem might be solved', 'they would still hold…', 'they should still have it…' That seems hypothetic, as if there was no guarantee about it. No offense intended, but…"
The second sister left her sentence unfinished, unsure how she should conclude it.
"No offense taken…" replied the Amazon matriarch "…all the more since you are right about it : I used those moderating words because I can't be absolutely sure that these elders still have the counter-spell related to that particular energy issue, and if they do, that it will be definitely efficient and solve the problem once and for all. The chances are good… but not entirely devoid of doubt. You will have to travel to that place and check for yourselves if the magic is still present and can counter the spell."
The heavy silence that followed hinted well enough to the guardedness of all people gathered in the rooms.
"That means… it could theoretically be a failure ?" asked Soun.
"My son would remain affected by that energy problem ?" added Genma.
Cologne closed her eyes, then soberly answered :
"The risk exists."
Another silence.
"And we mustn't forget that Kay and Os will throw spanners in our works." Akane reminded all those present at the park. "Remember what they said right before leaving ?"
"Oh yes, I sure do : 'We'll be waiting for you…' …uh, at that place, I think. But I clearly remember the waiting part ! They're preparing a trap for us !" Ukyo told her.
Soraya suddenly got to her feet and slammed a fist into her other open hand.
"And we'll do what they want us to : go there, find the place… but the only change in plan will be that they'll expect us to fall in their trap, and we won't ! Then we'll get rid of them, one way or another !"
Ranma jumped up as well.
"We may not have agreed on many things lately, but I sure as hell agree with –"
Then he looked away, at the opposite wall, and blinked quickly, a few times.
"Ranma ?" (Akane)
"Ran-Chan ?" (Ukyo)
"Ranma-kun ?" (Nabiki)
"I… I think…"
He briskly plopped back in his spot, under the acute stare of Cologne.
"You're feeling weak again, right ?" she inquired.
He slowly turned his head to her.
"Yeah… a bit…"
"The battle must have tired you, but I also think that the energy absorption, which is still at work, is starting to take its toll. Not so much now, but it will worsen over time."
She looked at Soraya.
"You will need to perform the same operation as before : put your hands on his chest, recite the magic words and wait until the halo around your hands changes from blue to orange. I've given you a paper with the magical formula."
The redhead nodded, then looked around and addressed all of them :
"We need experienced fighters for this journey, as there may be other enemies to battle, aside from Kay and Os. I assume you're coming, Akane ?"
"Of course !"
The blue eyes stopped on another girl.
"Ucchan ?"
"Count me in !"
Then on a certain boy.
"Ryoga ?"
"Definitely !"
"Then it'settled. Five martial arts specialists, ready to fight until their last breath !" exclaimed Soraya.
"We'll give it all !" added Ranma.
Soun cleared his throat.
"Genma and me could join too…"
But Akane shook her head.
"We don't want to expose you, and beside, you must look after Kasumi and Nabiki."
"Hum… I wish I could let Shampoo go with you…" Cologne hesitantly said "… but I don't think I'll be able to run the restaurant with Mousse only… I'm sorry…"
"It's okay, I'm sure the five of us have very good chances !" Soraya reacted.
And if Shampoo comes, who knows what shenanigans she could come up with, or what quarrels she could start with Akane and Ukyo regarding Ranma…
"I wish you the best of luck. You'll need it, now more than ever…" the Amazon matriarch told them.
"Thanks !" replied Ranma, before looking away and, clenching his fist, as well as smiling menacingly, he said aloud : "Kay, Os, here we come !"
(…)
(…)
Hello guys !
Sorry for the long wait !
No writer's block nor lack of inspiration, mind you, no real difficulty to craft this up, but simply a cruel LACK OF TIME ! I've had a lot on my plate in July, and during the first August week, hence the delay in finishing this part here.
In case you were wondering about the chappy's title, it refers to the returns of Soraya (back home) and Os + Kay (in Nerima). The departure, as for itself, seems quite straightforward, right ?
I apologize about the fight sequence. As you easily can tell, while some writers have a "knack" for battle descriptions, it's obviously not my forte. I wished I had made the fight last longer, but I knew there was still plenty to write, and I dreaded that the chapter would have ended up "overblown", length-wise (i.e. too long), hence my making the fight much shorter than you guys would have liked it to be. I'm much better at feelings and emotions, at relationships, at thoughts or doubts or joys expressed by the characters (be it inwardly or outwardly), therefore all the psychological side, rather than the physical side (action). But we all have our Achille's heels, right ? ;)
So yeah, about the plot here… Soraya is still unwillingly sucking away Ranma's energy, courtesy of that goddamn curse, and the only way to cancel the latter is for our friends to go visit a temple located… very close to Jusenkyo cursed springs. I wanted to make our heroes travel to the very origins of RANMA ½, which is basically where the manga and anime started, somehow… well, they both start in Nerima, Japan, alright, but the recent background of the manga/anime's beginning actually originates in Jusenkyo, China, so I guess we can say the plot's foundations lay in that precise location.
The relationship between both "Saotome siblings" improved, and Ranma doesn't speak ill of Soraya despite her (involuntary) negative effect, he's not mad at her for the "parasitic" energy theft… and that's because he knows she has no control over it and is used by Os and Kay, against her very will. He's a victim, but so is she… and their similar burden is what enables the cooling down of their relationship. Which is a welcome positive point in the story. Now will it last ? Will they bicker or tease each other again during the journey ? We'll see… ;P
And now is time for us to leave Nerima, leave Tokyo, leave Japan, and travel along with our friends. And obviously be supportive of them in every hardship they might encounter.
Oh, and did you notice how I made Os appear on top of the fountain, like the first time ? That dude sure loves fountains ! XD
A massive thanxxxx for all of those who read, follow, like, comment, and a special gratitude message to FloweringFangirlEliza, who decided to follow both this story and myself… as well as my previous story ERA SU R E. But, dear Eliza, if you read this : you needn't follow ERA SU R E, as it's already finished. No more is coming. You can instead favorite if, if you'd like. ;)
Ok, over 8'000 words… time to stop, no ? Sorry for the length, eh eh… ^^
Take care, be happy, enjoy life ! Catch you someday (hopefully not too far away from now) !
? Léo !