22. DANGERFIELD
"HERE I COME, RAN-CHAN !"
The giant bird was right above Ranma when Shampoo had heard that sentence.
She knew who 'Ran-Chan' was and who called him that way.
So when she turned around and looked down, she knew she'd find Ukyo running in direction of…
"AIREN !" she shouted when she spotted the lying body of her former fiancé. (well, technically, their former fiancé, since the chef was also meant to marry him after all…)
And wasting no time, the purple-haired Amazon jumped off the bird !
"SHAMPOO !" yelled Mousse, as he had turned around when she had shouted and therefore seen her leave. And since he wanted to protect her, more than anyone else… he also dropped to the ground and hurried to her !
Ukyo arrived at Ranma's body almost at the same time Shampoo landed close to him. Both hurried to the fallen teenager who was now halfway up, one of his knees on the ground while the other was already bent to push himself back up.
"Airen, are y-"
"WATCH OUT !" warned Ukyo as she jumped forward and shattered a tentacle that was venturing towards Ranma.
The brunette held her spatula up, ready to strike again… and indeed, new water arms were already heading their way.
Ranma was now standing again and Shampoo was asking him how he was, once again calling him 'airen'.
"Shampoo, I'm… I'm really sorry, but I'm no longer your airen, remember ? I wish I could, but… uh…"
She felt troubled, and was well aware that she had called him 'airen' because she had difficulty letting go, giving up on him.
"Shampoo knows. Is only habit. Excuse me."
"Hey guys ! Sorry to interrupt your little moment, but I can't hold back all of these shits, so in case you wanna lend a hand…" Ukyo exclaimed.
"Yeah, here I come !" the Black Pigtail replied… but right then, a tentacle that had sneaked unnoticed the other way around caught him and enveloped his face to suffocate him.
But before the young Amazon had the chance to intervene, a giant blast destroyed the attacking appendage and, continuing its course, went to hit directly the body of the water monster !
Turning the other way, Ranma and Shampoo saw Soraya in the typical offensive stance, with her legs bent and her open hands joined by the wrists and directed at them… or rather at the tentacle that had just disappeared.
Ranma smiled when he saw the "cup" formed by his sister's hands.
"Mōko Takabisha, right?"
"You bet !" she energetically replied as she lowered her hands and quickly joined them, before adding : "Let's help Ucchan !"
"Ah, finally !" ironically exclaimed the Spatula Girl. "Thanks, Soraya ! Much appreciated !"
The redhead couldn't help smirking at her male half before returning to the fray.
"Pffff, show- off ! Wait until I'm there !" he grumbled, before telling Shampoo to come along and fight too.
Meanwhile, Akane was doing her best to get rid of the incoming tentacles, which were now always more numerous, coming from several directions, attacking from the rear and dangerously threatening their group of fighters.
She delivered another powerful kick and a water arm disintegrated, but others were already looming not far behind.
Now that the path was free, she closed the space there still was between her fiancé and her and took a good look at him.
He was doing his best, but that "best" wasn't his usual top level, and upon checking his face, she could easily make out tell-tale signs that worried her.
He's tired… really tired, I can see it… he's not as fast as usual, and his eyes are half-closed… but how come he feels so tired since –
She was abruptly pulled from her thoughts when an appendage hit her right in the face.
"AAAAH !"
She heavily fell, and Ranma, who was nearby, heard her and, as he turned in her direction, his half-lidded eyes opened wide when he saw her on the ground, with one of those things around her face, visibly trying to asphyxiate her, as she helplessly attempted to break free.
The Black Pigtail launched a Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken and the dozens of rapid fists easily cut the huge tentacle, whose final segment instantly lost its inner life and became plane water that fell to the ground.
Akane coughed a few times but quickly felt a pressure around shoulders.
Ranma was there, his arm around her, asking her how she felt.
"All wet, but I'm okay. I got pretty scared though : I couldn't get rid of that water, and if it had lasted longer… but thank you, Ranma ! I owe you my life !"
"You owe me nothing. Or maybe just love."
He smiled, a tired smile, and leaned forward to kiss her.
She felt delighted, of course, enjoying that sweet interlude, but once they had pulled away…
"Ranma, you are tired. Very tired and- RANMA !"
A larger tentacle had reached him from behind and wrapped around his waist, easily lifting him.
"Damn monster !" he angrily spat as he focused his energy to deliver a powerful punch.
But just as he was about to bring his fist forward, he felt a resistance… and wetness.
Looking behind, he saw that another water appendage had imprisoned his fist, preventing him from efficiently striking with full force.
"RANMA !" shouted Akane, staring at her poor fiancé, before catching sight of an incoming enemy that forced her to fight again.
"What the hell… ?!"
He wanted to free his hand but the water moved along his arm, neutralizing it completely, so he had to try to use his left fist instead.
He delivered a hard punch but it wasn't violent enough to get rid of his foe.
Dammit, normally that would work ! Am I that tired that my strength is getting insufficient ?
Then he heard a loud impact and the water holding him by the waist collapsed… but he remained held by the other tentacle (the one that got his arm).
He noticed that Shampoo was down there, her chui raised, and he guessed that she had smashed them with full force into the water holding him, easily shattering it.
But before he could actually thank her, he suddenly fell but didn't dare to look up to understand : his priority was to make sure he landed safely !
Once he was back down, he checked out in the direction the second tentacle had come from… and sure enough, Ukyo was there, the handle of her spatula resting on her shoulder.
"You cut it ? The one that was holding my arm ?" he asked her.
"Yup. My baby here meant business…" she said while presenting her spatula "…and when it does…"
A knowing smirk appeared on her lips.
Shampoo had joined them.
"Well, thanks Ucchan and thanks Shampo ! I owe you one !"
"Bah, don't mention it !" replied the brown-haired cook.
"Is normal to help dear one !" added the purple-haired cook.
They suddenly saw Mousse jump backwards and landing close to them.
"You okay, Mousse ?" his Neko-Hanten colleague asked him.
"Not that bad, but these things keep growing back ! You destroy one and a new one replaces it !" he half-screamed at them while taking care of his umpteenth opponent.
"Tell me about it ! It's an endless battle !" said a voice behind them.
Turning around, they saw Soraya who mowed another water length… but then the cut water splashed her.
"CRAP !" she yelled, then jumped and landed with all the others gathered there, and upon noticing the weary expression of her "brother", she cringed : "Oh Man, I recharged you just this morning, so how come you already look so exhausted ?!"
"Perhaps the effect of the curse has accelerated and he's getting worn out always faster now…?" Ukyo suggested.
"GUYS !"
They looked to the right to see Akane run to them, dodging two tentacles.
"Akane !" Ranma exclaimed, but as he was ready to dash forward, Soraya appeared by his side and put a defending arm in front of him.
"You're too tired. Get some rest, I'll go."
"But –"
"No but's ! You stay here and rest, period !"
And with that definitive statement, the Red Pigtail hurried to help her friend in need.
The Black Pigtail had had the impression that she had spoken as if she was the big sister and him the little brother, and that he had to obey her. The old Ranma would have protested, but the new Ranma didn't, as he knew she actually cared a lot for him and his health…
(…)
Ryoga held the horses' reins tightly in his hand and watched the battle from afar.
The horses were actually facing away from the battlefield, following a good idea of Ukyo's : if the beasts didn't see the potentially frightening elements – the monster, but also the heroes' attacks – then they were less likely to get scared and gallop away. They could still turn their heads to look at the fight, but for some reason, they didn't… as if they somehow sensed that it wouldn't be good for them.
Ryoga didn't like what he saw : his friends being held in check by the massive water creature, whose extensions relentlessly attacked them and continuously grew back, reducing their efforts to nothing.
And the worst part was not witnessing their vain attempts, which was already terrible : no, the worst part was being powerless himself, unable to help them. He was a fierce fighter, used to battling and helping the others battle… and here, in this case, he was stuck there, away from the battlefield, condemned to watch…and not help !
Well, technically, he could go and help them, but… that meant leaving the horses unattended and hoping they wouldn't move. And in case they got badly frightened and ran away… or rather galloped away, then… he would be guilty of letting go the only transportation means for possibly miles around. And would never forgive himself.
No, he had to remain there, no matter what ! Ukyo had asked him to, and stressed out the importance of keeping the horses. He couldn't fail her. He couldn't fail them. Anything but disappoint his dear friends. And what would So say ? She would be the most disappointed of all, and the sheer thought of it…
NO, he had to fulfill his mission… but damn, how frustrating it was to witness his friends in great difficulty and being unable to lend a hand ! More particularly when his girlfriend was in a delicate situation.
Sorry I can't be there, guys ! Sorry, So ! But courage ! You're gonna make it ! I know you will !
(…)
They were now all gathered at the same spot now, forming a circle, each of them looking in a different direction as they were now surrounded by tentacles that slowly grew towards them, ready to attack.
Some of them – Soraya, Ranma, Akane - could also see the main mass of water, the one from which the tentacles came, slowly progress in their direction, preceded by many appendages that not only grew straightforward in direction of our heroes, but also from the sides of the creature… and the latter tried to attack our heroes from the side or the rear… in fact, from all possible angles.
And that's pretty much why the young martial artists had to cover every angle, to make sure they wouldn't get caught by surprise by those stealthy water enemies.
The tentacles suddenly came to a halt…
… and after a bunch of seconds, they all rushed forward !
They fought bravely, with as much determination and energy as possible… except for Ranma, who couldn't rival with the tentacles : they were too fast for him and he was too slow for them, because of his worsening exhaustion. And often got hit by those things, while he didn't destroy as many as the top-condition Ranma would have.
Akane, Ucchan and Shampoo all screamed his name in turn, when each of them noticed how badly beaten he got, and all got anxious for him.
But he waved it off each time : "Ill be ok, don't worry. Forget about me, keep fighting !"
And of course, they did, since they had to… but you can't just forget about the man you love or loved, the one who is or was your fiancé, and also your childhood friend. Some bonds can never be forgotten.
"Hold on, Bro' !" Soraya told him. "When this shit is over, I'll rechar- AAAAAAAH !"
The immense body of water had abruptly moved forward fast… too fast for such a huge organism, and it had ended up imprisoning all of them inside of it !
Shampoo and Mousse instantly transformed into cat and duck, a "fate" that was spared to Ryoga and was perhaps the only positive effect of his absence on the battlefield.
Floating inside the water prison, the four humans and the two animals struggled to find a way out, attempting to swim to the edge of the creature.
But the immense water blob began moving around rapidly, which prevented its preys to reach said edge and made them whirl around in the water instead, losing their bearings as the creature kept moving this way and that way.
It finally stopped, and some of them felt dizzy, but as soon as they tried again, the monster resumed its messy movements around the battlefield, and they couldn't reach the edge of the monster and get out of it.
But time quickly passed and oxygen was now cruelly lacking…
Soraya and Ukyo were doing their best to keep air inside their saturated lungs while trying to escape, but alas in vain…
They could all sense their end coming…
… when suddenly they heard a scream outside the blob…
… and then the enormous foe burst !
Water gushed in all directions, and soon the ground was all wet around our friends.
The creature was dead.
Soraya stared at a familiar figure standing a few meters away.
"Cologne ?!" she exclaimed.
She noticed that the elder was holding something black in her hand.
"We'll discuss later. For the time being, we have to resuscitate the ones who passed out !" she instructed.
(…)
Once they were all awake, they kept shivering : not only were they all wet, but a harsh wind had begun blowing, and they could easily tell the cause of it as they spotted the dark clouds that were now closer to them.
"W-we must ch-change c-clothes !" Akane stuttered, rubbing her folded arms energetically to chase away the cold.
"Y-Yeah…" agreed Soraya, whose teeth were chattering.
"But where can we change ?" wondered Ucchan, who wasn't as much affected by the cold as her friends.
Mousse, now back to human, like Shampoo, felt in his sleeves then pulled a grey metallic box with a red switch in its center.
He pressed it and…
"This f-fantastic !" marveled Shampoo as she shivered.
"B-Beats m-me !" confirmed Soraya, squeezing her arms with her hands as tightly as possible.
The box had opened and expanded, several panels had appeared, unfolded, assembled upward to create…
"A fitting room !" exclaimed Ukyo, who could hardly believe her eyes.
And indeed, the result of this incredibly complex operation was a flat-pack fitting room !
"You really have a bit of everything in your sleeves, Mousse…" a baffled Cologne commented with a raised brow.
"Hammerspace* rules !" he proudly exclaimed, before pulling a set of towels from said sleeves and finally motioning towards the entrance of the fitting room. "So, who wants to go first ?"
* Hammerspace is a fictive dimension from which cartoon characters make items appear, such as mallets, matches and such. You can check on Wikipedia for more info (I won't put the link here since FF tends to erase internet links…)
As they started changing, they heard the sound of incoming hooves and saw Ryoga arrive, pulling the reins behind him, with both horses obediently following.
"Guys, are you alr-" He had looked around quickly and added : "Hey, where's Soraya ?!"
"In here, Ryo. I'm changing, my clothes got wet. All our clothes did…" replied the redhead from the improvised fitting room.
"Ah, uh, okay…" Then his focus returned to the rest of the team. "Uh… Look, I'm sorry I couldn't help, I really am ! But I was asked to watch the horses and avoid them to flee in case they got scared. And I felt so frustrated being unable to help you… I hate to see my friends in a bad situation and me being forced to watch…"
Ukyo stood up, walked to him and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Ryoga, you don't need to justify yourself or apologize : you couldn't come to help and it's okay, really. But you helped us in your own way : by keeping our mounts safe, so that we can continue our journey, and for that, I wholeheartedly thank you !"
Her smile widened and she slightly leaned her head forward in a grateful and respectful gesture.
Soraya came out of the fitting room, told Akane she could go in… and was soon hugging Ryoga with a content smile !
"Well, your female half is definitely more affectionate than you, Ranma…" remarked Cologne with a sly smile.
"Yeah… love turned my female side into a softie…" he replied, and got a tongue stuck out (Soraya) and eyes rolled (Ryoga) in return.
Then, as the Bandana Boy noticed the Amazon matriarch chuckling, the famous metaphorical bulb lit up in his head.
"By the way, Cologne…" he began, and this drew her attention at him "…I saw you jump off the giant bird and land on the water monster… and shortly afterwards, the creature exploded in all directions ! What spell did you use for such a powerful effect ?"
The sly smile was back on her face, actually even slyer this time.
"No spell, in fact, but a magical item: this !" she replied, and pulled the artifact from inside her sleeves, in the typical Mousse fashion.
They all gazed at the small black column topped by an open eye, marveling at the symbol itself but also at its colour, as this was the darkest black they all had ever seen.
"This was given to me by my dear friend Hayao, a few days ago. He said he didn't need it anymore and wanted to offer it to you, in readiness for your journey, but since you had already left, he gave it to me instead… and I figured out we might have to use it at some point in your quest. Now, I'll tell you what it is."
She quickly glanced at each of them in turn, holding back for a brief moment to tease their curiosity, ensure their entire focus and give her explanation more weight and dramatic effect.
"We could call this a 'weakener' because it deprives its victim of all his or her powers. Basically, you make this eye, on top (she pointed at it), touch someone, you scream the word "Shawach !" and the target instantly gets drained of all powers. In this case, after I touched the water creature and screamed the magical word, it didn't simply weaken but actually disintegrated… or rather lost all shape to turn back to ordinary water. So, as you can see, it's very potent and has very conclusive results !"
"We use this to beat evil brother and sister !" exclaimed Shampoo.
"Yes, that would be a great asset against them !" added Mousse.
Cologne watched them, then turned back to the others and met Ukyo's stare.
"That's what you brought this artifact here for, right ? To use it against Os and Kay, and thus defeat them once and for all ?" asked the leader of The Five.
The sly smile turned somewhat nasty as the old eyes narrowed.
"Precisely…" she whispered in an almost threatening tone that foretold nothing good for the hellish siblings…
(…)
Ranma got recharged once again by Soraya, but not completely : the redhead had remarked that the charging time was way longer now, and the others also wondered about this.
"Strange… it usually takes less time…" noted the pigtailed girl as she kept her hands on his chest.
"Yes, you're right… Why is it longer now ?" asked Akane, to no one in particular.
"I wonder if the curse isn't worsening…" Ukyo explained, sharing her personal worry about it, before turning to Cologne : "I assume nothing can be done about this. I mean, you don't have any spell that could help, perhaps ?"
But the venerable elder shook her head.
"I had already checked in my spell book, after your departure from Nerima, but honestly, I didn't find anything that relates to this specific and peculiar curse. I'm sorry."
"Is okay, we help Ranma best we can !" a determined Shampoo exclaimed.
Suddenly, the pigtailed boy grabbed one of the pigtailed girl's wrists, and as she quickly turned to him, surprised, she saw him glance at him seriously.
"Thanks, "Sister", but you'll have to stop recharging me : we can't waste time for this. The storm is coming to us. We must get back on the road and hurry the hell up !"
"But Ranma…" she started to protest, yet he shook his head.
"No, it's your turn to do as I say, this time. I'm telling you it's ok. I should be fine. The most urgent is that we hurry away and reach a town for shelter.
Akane appeared distressed at this.
"Ranma, it's your health ! You mustn't ignore it, you can't be careless ! You have to regain your energy !" she half-screamed half-begged.
He smiled at her, a tired yet comforting smile.
"I know you worry for me, but I'll be okay, Akane. Trust me, I will."
She observed it, visibly unsure.
"Ranma…" she whispered, and squeezed his hand very tightly.
He squeezed back and, bringing both hands to his face, he kissed hers.
"I love you, Akane, and I will live on… for you."
She wiped a tear and gently replied : "I love you too and want you safe."
Soraya stared at them with intensity, fascinated by the sheer power, the real magic of love. And she felt happy, very happy for her male half… and Akane, of course.
"Let's not waste time. I'll go as I am, and perhaps I can last until we find a shelter. But right now, we must go : the storm's coming, time is running out and our safety must be the priority."
He focused his gaze on Ukyo and Cologne, the natural leaders of their team, waiting for their approval.
"I'm proud of you, Ran-Chan : you're courageous and generous, putting our common safety first, and your own condition behind. Yes, I'm proud of you, and you're right !"
Cologne didn't utter anything but merely nodded solemnly, showing that she agreed not only with Ranma but also with Ukyo.
But both women regretted the issue affecting him and making him unable to fully recover, yet realizing that he was right after all : they had to continue as soon and as quickly as possible… and the sooner the better !
(…)
The dark clouds had closed in now.
Not close enough that the storm was over them, as it was still remote… but if the wind kept pushing the clouds in the team's direction, they would get caught in it real soon.
As there was some kind of urgency, the riders had been forced to make the horses trot, in order to progress faster, but even like that, our heroes had the impression that it still wasn't fast enough.
"We should gallop !" proposed Ryoga, but realized only after that he had little experience, and therefore mastery, of horses… yet he still felt they weren't moving fast enough !
"We could try, but you have to know how to stop your horse ! I will explain you !" replied Ukyo, and so did she.
"Ok, that doesn't sound too complicated… I should manage !" he told her after her explanation, and he sounded rather confident.
Soraya hesitated to intervene, dreading that it might be taken the wrong way, but she eventually decided to utter out loud what was on her mind :
"Uh, Love… I know you feel capable of doing it, but… in case you're not completely sure, I can lead the horse for some time, if that's okay with you."
His turn to hesitate.
"Hum, no, don't worry, I think I'll manage…" he finally replied, partly because he wanted to prove he could do it (he had his own pride after all).
Not willing to hurt his feelings by questioning his "riding ability", she didn't insist and simply went for : "Alright, as you wish. But in case you'd like to switch later on, just know I'll be there for you."
"Thanks, So. I appreciate, and I'm always there for you too."
Leaning forward, she whispered into his ear :
"I know… and I love that… I love you…"
Both of her arms were wrapped around his body as they rode, but in that moment, her gloved hands ceased holding on to him and, pressing on his fleece jacket, began caressing his chest in the most sensuous manner.
In fact, it was a gesture of tenderness and nothing else, but he couldn't help interpreting it as a sign of desire, of arousal, and this made him gulp and heat up.
She gently laid her head on is back and resumed hugging him the usual way. Her beautiful eyes closed and her lips arched upwards.
Love is such an incredible feeling… I'll never get tired of it !
(…)
"Wait ! Ran-Chan already had to run after us, when we galloped earlier, pursued by that monster… I think he shouldn't be the one to run again, and I think it's time to switch anyway. Let's stop for a moment and make the change !" Ucchan decided.
Both horses came to a halt and the brunette told Ranma why they had stopped.
He replied that he felt fine and could walk on, but the chef wouldn't hear it, and Akane also insisted that he got some rest.
He shrugged and sighed.
Damn, be it Soraya, Ucchan or Akane, women sure have an iron will and can be as stubborn as Ryoga and me…
"So who wants to walk and leave her or his place to Ran-Chan on the horse ?" asked Ukyo as she looked at SoRyo, but the question was also directed at the third Tendo sitting behind her.
"I'll do it !" immediately proposed the latter.
"No, I will !" countered Ryoga. "Ranma is my friend and I'll help him !"
That really moved the Black Pigtail, all the more since he knew all too well that the old Ryoga would have done nothing for him, whom he hated back then. But times changes, friendship (and love) making a big difference in the end.
"No ! You stay here, I'll go !" Soraya objected behind him. "I can move very fast and should be able to keep up with the horses !"
"But you recharged Ranma not so long ago, so I know you must feel tired. You have to rest."
She bit her lip. He was right. She hadn't realized how tired she was until he had mentioned that… but now that he had, she suddenly fully perceived how weary she actually was.
And had to admit he was right.
"I wish I could let you stay up here, comfortable and all… but I think you have a point here : I'm not at the top of my game right now, so… I guess I'll have to accept. And sorry I can't take your place."
He turned around, as much as he could, and gave her a loving kiss.
"Needless apologize : you're the one who needs to rest here…" he sweetly told her, and got off the horse.
Then, turning to his former rival :
"Time to go join your female self, Ranma !"
"Yup. And thanks for sacrificing yourself for me, Ryoga !"
The other raised a brow, but kept an amused smile.
"Sacrificing myself ? Nah, just taking turn walking, just as we decided."
Ranma considered teasing him… but he didn't do that anymore, or not so much at least : that was the past Ranma who acted that way. He had become much more respectful of his once fierce rival, and thus lost the habit of making fun of him or tricking him. He sometimes still did… but then, he could be sure that a certain redhead would be prompt to defend the man she loved and would lash out at him !
Once Ranma was in the saddle, in front of Soraya, he couldn't help turning around and joking : "Sorry for taking the place of Prince Charming, Sister ! Do you still accept me anyway ?"
Snorting, she replied just as teasingly : "It's not like I have the choice, eh ! Beggars can't be choosers, right ?"
Then the redhead turned to their friends… and saw them all staring at Ranma and her !
"What ?" she innocently asked. "I was only kidding, it wasn't mean or anything !"
Ranma's face also expressed surprise at their insistent gazes.
"It's not that !" Akane replied to Soraya. "It's just strange to see both of you sitting together."
"What do you mean exactly ?" asked her fiancé, still puzzled.
"I think that what Akane means…" explained Ukyo "… is that it's very unusual to see the male AND female halves of Ranma Saotome reunited at the very same spot, like now. It's kind of peculiar because all the previous years, there was either a black-haired-pigtailed boy OR a red-haired-pigtailed girl, only one of the two… and today, not only are you both present but you are also located in the same place, on the same horse, and will be riding together ! Both halves of the same person !"
Then, half-turning to the third Tendo : "That's what you meant, Akane, right ? And that's what you also think, eh, Ryoga ?"
Both confirmed it to Ukyo then all resumed staring at the Pigtails.
"Ok, ok, got it ! Now stop staring at us like we were some weird animals or stuff !" an half-amused Ranma scolded them.
"For once, I have to agree with my bro' : the staring's getting creepy, guys…" added Soraya.
Ukyo and Akane burst out laughing, with Ryoga laughing up his sleeve.
(…)
The horses were now galloping and the giant bird's speed had also increased, to keep up with the mounts.
Our heroes had their eyes set on the horizon and felt that the situation was now rapidly deteriorating : indeed, the clouds' colours had changed from a "medium-dark grey" to a deep-dark grey , not far from black…
…and the clouds were now approaching faster, pushed by a gusty wind that also showed a weather worsening (the wind had got more violent in the past hour).
"Perhaps we should have stopped in that small town after all…" Akane exclaimed.
Although this didn't seem to be addressed to anyone in particular, it was in fact aimed at two people : Ranma and Ukyo.
The first one had proposed the team to continue galloping when they had seen said small town to their right, arguing that they could most certainly outpace the storm if they continued at that same speed.
The second one had expressed doubts and had asked the opinions of the others, and both Ryoga and Soraya had agreed to Ranma's proposal (they were relatively hot-headed after all, although they had "calmed down" over time), while Akane's input had been more cautious, with her feeling kinda doubtful yet not excluding they could make it to the next town if they kept speeding up.
Seeing that the majority was in favour of continuing, Ukyo had finally decided to listen to Ranma, and the team had moved forward.
But the horses couldn't possibly maintain the same hectic rhythm for so long.
And the clouds, moving faster than ever had arrived in the vicinity of the adventurers, more threatening than ever…
Suddenly, a deep, low rumble rose from the dark mass above and echoed across the plain.
Since the clouds were so close from the riders and their mounts, this frightened everybody, humans like animals… but the latter even more !
Both horses moved aside and shook their heads, as if trying to get rid of something. One could clearly see they were startled by that sudden din above them.
"THE HORSES ARE ON THE VERGE OF PANICKING ! WE MUST HURRY THE FUCK UP AND GET AWAY FROM HERE, BUT FIRST MANAGE TO CONTROL THEM : IF THEY DON'T OBEY, WE WON'T GO ANYWHERE !" The Five's leader yelled on top of her voice.
The chef was someone very polite and never cursed, so hearing her use a swear word for once was astonishing… and hinted enough to the emotions and feelings she was prey to in this dire situation !
Ranma and her had to pull the reins until the beasts decided to obey, still moving their heads this way and that way.
They front riders then made them resume trotting, and they could progress for a moment, Ranma and Ucchan getting ready to make them gallop again… but then the thunder returned and made the horses neigh and start galloping before humans could actually make them.
That wasn't so bad after all, given that they had to hurry away from there… but since the beasts were in a state of panic, one had to be very cautious in the current situation ! And so :
"SORAYA, AKANE, YOU MUST KEEP A TIGHT GRIP AROUND RANMA AND ME ! IF THE HORSES PANIC TOO MUCH, THEY MIGHT REAR UP OR RUN EVEN FASTER, MAKING YOU FALL ! PLEASE HOLD FIRMLY TO US, AS FIRMLY AS YOU CAN : THAT WILL AVOID YOU TO FALL !" Ukyo hollered to both "back riders"
The "race" continued for a while, the thunder keeping the horses on the run… but then the most frightening of all took place : a flash of lightning !
Both the brisk light and its powerful sound scared the horses to the extreme… and what Ukyo dreaded and had just mentioned did occur : the horses reared up, neighing wildly, their adrenaline level reaching its peak !
"DAMN !" screamed the chef. "HOLD ON GUYS !"
Akane yelled behind her, desperately tightening her grip around the brunette's waist, and Soraya did the same… minus the scream (she was a tough one after all and wasn't easily impressed), but plus the gritting of her teeth !
"FUCK !" raged Ranma, as he did his best to keep the control of his mount.
Another flash of lightning appeared, but some distance ahead, thank God, and that frightened the horses less.
But a few minutes later, another one tore the dark sky right behind them…
…and the two beasts took off like rockets, barreling madly on the road !
And this time, their hectic pace was even faster than earlier, as they were even more frightened !
Ukyo and Ranma struggled to stop them, but the terrified animals had become uncontrollable and wouldn't react even to the strongest pulling of the reins…
The usually collected and sensible brunette had a hard time keeping her cool, for once.
Shit ! They won't stop ! Perhaps I should…
Suddenly, they all heard someone call out, somewhere behind them and upward, and when they turned around (even the riders did), all could see a large white bird hovering a short distance above and behind them… but shaken every now and then by the violent wind threatening to cast it away for good.
But no, it wasn't a bird, it was…
"MOUSSE ? COLOGNE ?" Soraya screamed.
And indeed, the white bird was in fact Mousse's pristine outfit : the boy was holding some kind of metallic structure that made him resemble a kite, with said structure tied to the giant bird by a rope, and his arms were extended in opposite directions while his legs were stretched together at the back, making him appear like some giant cross… and perched on his back, leaning towards the horses, was Cologne, whose long hair was continuously shaken in various directions by the gusty wind.
"Lower, Mousse !" ordered the elder, and he inclined his body so that he would gradually get lower, soon finding himself above Ukyo's horse, but he still had a hard time to do it because of the continuous gusts.
But that's when the situation complicated even more, with the heavenly vault opening its locks and raindrops starting to crash heavily in the darkened and windswept plain !
Cologne knew what it meant : now that rain was coming into the picture, there wouldn't be much time left before Mousse turned into a duck and thus provoked her fall. So the Amazon matriarch wasted no time and dropped from Mousse's back onto Ukyo's horse, landing right in front of the chef.
"Cologne ! What…?" started the cook, but the old woman didn't answer and hopped directly onto the horse's head with an impressive accuracy and balance.
Then she lay down and placed both forefingers on the horse's temples, then closed her eyes and muttered something in Chinese.
Instantly, the horse's pace slowed down, shifting from galloping to trotting.
"How did you do that ?" asked Ucchan.
"Later, child !" exclaimed Cologne. "Now to the other one !"
Ranma's horse had actually started running a bit later than Ukyo's, and had therefore remained behind all this time, but it was now about to pass Ukyo's horse by.
The rain was now falling rapidly, and Mousse had disappeared from view, most certainly turned into a duck, and wondering whether Shampoo wasn't a purple cat by now. As for Soraya, she dreaded that Ryoga might also have been transformed back to piglet.
"Throw me at the other horse ! Quick !" ordered Cologne.
Ukyo got surprised… but Ranma's horse was now passing hers by, so she grabbed the tiny woman and hurled her, with all her strength and as much precision as possible, at the other mount.
Ranma saw the movement of Cologne's body in his direction and managed to catch the small elder when she was about to pass right above his head.
"Cologne, what a-"
"Later, Ranma !" she swiftly cut and, hopping on the second animal's head, she did the same thing as before, the tips of her forefingers against the horse's temple, her mandarin words entering the horse's ears… and the mount suddenly slowed down back to trot… and shortly after to walk.
"How did you do that ?" asked a bewildered Soraya, as the elder returned in front of Ranma.
She smiled mysteriously.
"I could tell you now, but I guess we should wait until all are here, that way I won't have to repeat myself. And besides, I think that this driving rain has turned some of our friends into their cursed forms… perhaps even all three of them, so let's go help them !"
(…)
The wise woman was right : all three of them had been transformed !
The short-sighted young man had become a speccy white duck, courtesy of the wind, whose violence had made the boy's structure whirl around… and said boy had got all wet from the heavy rain !
The purple-haired Amazon had got directly drenched by the rain and the purple-furred cat wearing tiny bells had shaken itself some time ago and was now waiting for a kind soul to revert her to human.
As for Ryoga, while running like crazy, he had opened up his umbrella when the "downpour" had started, but a vicious gust had destabilized him and exposed his body to the fatal drops. The black piglet had been forced to remain with his backpack and umbrella, both of them* being too heavy to be swept away by the violent wind.
* You probably remember when Akane tried to lift Ryoga's umbrella, during Ranma's first encounter with the Lost Boy… and she barely managed to move it, with her getting astonished at Ryoga managing to hold that heavy item with one single hand ! Well, you can see here again a proof of the umbrella's impressive weight, that actually allowed it to remain on the ground and not be carried away by the wind.
What then happened is that Mousse took off and flew upward to reach the giant bird while Cologne climbed up the rope that connected the latter to the metallic structure used by boy to float down.
Once aboard, she pulled out some oilcloth and secured it to the top of the bird, in six different spots. Now protected by this, The duck and cat didn't have to fear the rain anymore and the old Amazon could use the kettle and portable stove they had ready in a bag to heat up some water from a bottle, which she then poured it over the white duck and purple cat, giving them back their original bodies.
She had guessed that these three items - kettle, stove and water bottle - would come in handy while travelling with two youngsters that could turn into animals at just any time…
As for Ryoga, both horses retraced their steps for a few minutes to see P-Chan nestled against the backpack, with the umbrella fortunately close-by, its heavy weight an asset against the strength of the wild wind.
"My poor Ryo, come here, I'll keep you warm !" Soraya said, her who was really cold from all that rain that had soaked her beautiful red hair, and she squeezed him against her generous chest, making him blush… but enjoy it a lot !
"We must transform him back !" exclaimed Akane.
Ukyo didn't say anything, appearing thoughtful, but then she made some kind of pout.
"I wish we could do that, but… as you can see, the rain is not stopping. How will we protect him ? I mean, even his umbrella couldn't save him : see, it's open on the ground. I guess it must be that damn gusty wind that managed to catch him by surprise ! So if even the umbrella doesn't work, how will we protect Ryoga from the rain, and therefore from his curse ?"
They remained thoughtful, and then…
"Perhaps we could leave him in piglet form and make him travel in the giant bird ? There's hardly enough room for a fourth person, but for a piglet, there should be…" proposed Akane.
"But… why should he have to stay that way ?! And why put him away ?!" complained Soraya, clearly not ready to let her boyfriend get separated from her.
"Come on, it's for his own good !" Ranma chimed in.
But he received an irate stare in return.
"You don't care, you ! He's not the one you love, after all… but suppose it was Akane in that case : would you easily let her go ?" she angrily told him.
He didn't know what to reply. And found himself forced to admit that she was right : he wouldn't let his fiancée get away from him that easily.
Ukyo removed her long hair from her face (Damn wind !) and put a hand on the redhead's shoulder.
"If we can't protect him down here, he might be safer up there : Cologne told us she could extend an oilcloth above the bird, like some kind of roof that would protect them all. But he will have to remain in this small body, because his human body wouldn't fit in that tight space : as Akane pointed out, there's room for at most three people in that bird…" explained Ukyo, before watching intently Soraya, waiting for her decision.
She let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine, fine, but I still think it's unfair…" the pigtailed girl complained.
"Soraya, we don't have any other option to protect him, and even his umbrella wasn't sufficient. Trust us, it's for the best… but I also wish, just like you, that he could turn back to human !" Akane advocated.
The braided female sighed, but this time with sadness, not upset, and bringing P-Chan to her face, she kissed his snout.
"I'm sorry, Ryo…" she sadly said, and he softly grunted at her, his eyes also showing sadness.
A moment later, after using the same rope as before to have P-Chan pulled up to the bird, they all resumed their progression.
And although Ranma tried to comfort Soraya, telling us that her boyfriend would be safe and warm up there, under the oilcloth, she still felt sad and upset… but what could she do ?
(…)
For some reason, the horses remained calm this time, when they galloped, and although thunder and flashes of lightning still echoed around and briefly lit up the sky here and there, they still didn't panic and didn't start dashing forward, like before.
It was as if Cologne had hypnotized them in such a way that they were forced to stay calm, no matter what.
Ah, we haven't heard Cologne's explanation about what she did to the horses… we must not forget to ask her again later… thought the pigtailed boy.
The rain lost its intensity after a while, but didn't fully surrender, and the wind remained just as violent.
They were soaked, they were tired, they had had their fill for the day and wanted nothing more than a shower, food and drink, and a warm, comfortable bed.
After what seemed like an eternity, the road split into a fork, and after Ukyo had checked the map, they turned right and finally got to a small town named Guanzang, located not far from said fork.
They were so relieved to finally arrive in a new populated area, after that long troublesome leg in the vast deserted plain…
The first thing they did was find an accommodation; the second : turn P-Chan back into Ryoga; the third : take showers; the fourth : eat and drink as much as they could (they were very hungry and thirsty, that evening, more than they had ever been during their journey).
During dinner, Cologne explained them that, on both sides of a head, be it a human or an animal head, were sensitive spots known as "tension spots", and by pressing them firmly and reciting an old spell, one could not only calm down the panicked one, but also make sure that calmness remained inside the organism for some time. And that was why the horses hadn't got frightened by the loud noises or blinding lights of the flashes afterwards.
And the fifth thing that our heroes did was go to bed as soon as they could, for a much needed restful night, because most of all were really exhausted, Cologne being naturally the exception : her long life and enduring nature had pushed back her limits and it took much more nowadays to make her tired.
Even Soraya and Ryoga were so damn tired that they didn't had the courage to spend some sweet time together that evening : resting was really their only priority, for once…
…and boy, did they all need sleep after that tiresome and troublesome horse trip !
(…)
(…)
And… CUT !
PHiew, PHinally PHinished, PHolks ! (yeah, I'm high again, as you can C… ! ;P)
Anyway, the title of this one, DANGERFIELD, refers to the many dangers our heroes had to deal with between Xian de Huangyuan and Guanzang : the water creature chasing them, then trying to drown them, the flashes of lightning scaring the horses, the wind making Ryoga and Mousse lose their balance and get exposed to their weakness (water), and finally the rain turning three of them into animals. With all those hazards, one after the other, I find it logical to nickname that part "Dangerfield", and indeed, it's perhaps the leg of their journey where they had to face the most dangers in a row…
You have noticed how I compared some characters – Ranma and Ryoga – to their old selfs… Well, that was to show how their nature and behaviour had changed and actually improved over time : from enemies, they became friends, and are now close friends, no longer willing to kill or hurt the other, but instead ready to help him, for friendship's sake. A proof that people can change… for the best, not always for the worst ! ;)
An anecdote : "Dangerfield" happens to be the family name of Fyfe, the singer and rhythm guitarist of a band I love, Guillemots, and I advise you guys to listen to their works. You'll see, they're pretty cool ! :D
I had to struggle with the second part – the storm part – and didn't find it easy to wrap it up, but thank God, I managed to find a way out… or rather onward, and I hope the result isn't too bad. It's funny how some chapters are globally well negotiated… but at some point, for God knows what reason, you're suddenly stalling and have to fight your way out of it to finish the whole thing. Pretty unpleasant, but life can be like that, alas…
Oh, another anecdote : when Soraya sadly says "I'm sorry, Ryo", it reminded me that she says almost the same thing (actually "I'm sorry, Ryoga") in chapter 8 of my first RANMA story, "The Tide is Turning". It wasn't a "wink" to that previous story of mine, but a mere coincidence.
And a third anecdote : the few things related to horses here are based on my past experience, as I used to ride horses, back in the 80's (yeah, long time ago, I know… ' ), and it did bring back some memories… which is always a good thing, considering that I'm a nostalgic person, especially regarding anything's that's childhood-related.
Ok, time to write this up, I guess, since we're reaching 8'000 words again… The usual thanxxxx go to the usual people, gratitude galore, and thanxxxx also to those favouriting or following old fics of mine ! Special thanks to Tezuma, who just favorited this story, which is one of the best gifts an author can get ! :))))
TaKare and be as happy as you can possibly be !
Catch ya round next corner !
&% Léo %&