A FEATHER IN THE WIND 01-13
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Chapters :
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
Standard Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 characters and situations are copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi, and are not my property. I'm just borrowing them to write an enjoyable fiction. This work is copyrighted to the author, and in no way is it to be sold, altered, or just plain old renamed. This work is by a fan for fans for free!
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 1
As the morning light creeped up the eastern horizon, piercing battle cries shattered the peace. This however was normal in this neighborhood, for this is the Tendo dojo, and the morning training sessions of the Saotomes' has long since been ignored by the rest of the neighborhood.
"Come on Ranma!! You can do better than that!" Genma yelled as he smoothly blocked a punch.
"Grrr.. Try this!" Ranma ducked low and tried a leg sweep.
"Hah! Try again boy!" Genma taunted again as he jumped over the attack. As this battle raged on, a different battle was being waged... in the kitchen.
"More flour right?"
"That's salt Akane. No, that bag there, that's right!" Kasumi gently tries to train her younger sister in the fine art of cooking. Kasumi's seemingly impenetrable calm was visibly strained as Akane enthusiastically grabbed at random ingredients.
Akane and Kasumi both looked out the window as they heard a splash.
"Looks like Ranma is going to need some hot water soon." Kasumi smiled and turned to put the kettle on.
"That idiot, he should be better than that by now," Akane muttered to herself as she continued to try to make breakfast, "Kasumi, are you sure you don't add soy sauce to this?" she muttered absently as she dumped half a bottle into her concoction.
"Now your dead old man!" Ranma-chan yelled as she leapt from the pond and continued to attack her father in a frenzy.
"Remember your focus Ranma! If changing into a girl causes you to lose focus, maybe we should start tomorrow's session with you as a girl" Genma grinned at the look of anger his 'son' showed, then slowly faded into a calm expression as she reformed into a proper stance again. "That's better boy! Now, lets break for breakfast!" As he started to walk into the dojo, he felt two small hands grab his doji and hurl him into the pond.
"Maybe you should focus some more pops" Ranmachan gloated as her father resurfaced as a giant panda.
"Growrf" was about all he could manage as he climbed out of the pond.
"Mr. Saotome, Ranma! Breakfast is ready!" Kasumi called from just inside the house. "I've also got some hot water for you two!" She smiled sweetly at them as she held up a kettle.
After Ranma and Genma had changed back and dried off, they gathered around the table for breakfast. Nabiki and Mr. Tendo joined them a few seconds later, Nabiki still looking only half awake, but she quickly woke when she noticed the food siting in front of her.
"Hey Kasumi, who made breakfast this morning?" she asked with a bit of dread starting to creep in as she continued looking at the ...food.
"Well," Kasumi smiled "I did make most of it, but Akane made some of the dishes"
"Oh great, pick and choose your poison" Ranma groaned as he looked at the dishes.
"Watch it Ranma, I tried really hard to make this so you had better eat it and like it!" Akane glared from her seat as Ranma eyeballed the food, trying to pick out something that he thought Akane didn't make. "Are you gonna eat it or not?" Akane practically screamed at them. At the sound of her voice, everyone grabbed some food at random, not daring to pick and choose. Ranma looked at the substance at the end of his chopsticks warily and took a bite.
Almost immediately his eyes watered and his gut twisted into knots. Akane glared at him balefully as she slugged him.
"Come on Ranma! It can't be that bad!" The hit bowled him over. He opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out. He clutched at his throat desperately. Akane scowled at him again. "I thought I told you to stop hamming it up!"
"Oh my! He's choking!" Kasumi half screamed. Akane fell backwards as Genma leapt over the table and repeatedly slammed on Ranma's back.
"Breathe boy! Dammit, breathe!" he bellowed. Ranma's face started to turn blue, and Genma swore under his breath as he gave one more mighty hit to his son's back. Ranma frantically grabbed for a glass of water. Kasumi gently closed his hand around it and helped him drink. There was an aganized second of silence before Ranma gasped quite audibly before he collapsed in a heap. Only the rise and fall of his chest prevented further panic.
Akane looked stunned at his prone form for a full minute before she crawled over to where Ranma lay still.
"Are you okay? Ranma?" Ranma squinted and saw that it was Akane that was kneeling next to him. 'She's concerned? How long was I not breathing?' he thought, but all he could manage was a nod.
"Good one Akane," Nabiki deadpanned, "It's a good thing we let Ranma take the first bite."
"Nabiki, that wasn't very nice" Kasumi scolded her sister, "Akane tried very hard this morning to make a good breakfast"
"Son, are you all right?" Mr. Tendo spoke for the first time that morning, the only response he got was a kind of strangled groan. "Akane, help me get him to his room." Without waiting for a response from his daughter he started lifting one side of the barely conscious Ranma. Akane blinked a couple of times, and then moved to help her father.
'What did I mess up on it this time?' Akane thought, 'I thought I did everything right... That idiot, why does he always have to overreact like this, I mean it can't be that bad, can it?' They dragged Ranma into his room, and laid him down on the futon. Kasumi came in a few minutes later with a small basin and a washcloth. As she gently placed the cloth over his forehead, Mr. Tendo quietly left the room. Akane stood there trying to figure out what she did wrong with the recipe.
"Don't worry Akane, Ranma will be just fine," Kasumi completely misread the expression on Akane's face.
"It's not like that!" Akane snapped, but her face suddenly softened. 'What if he doesn't recover from this? Oh what do I care anyways, that insensitive jerk.' Despite her own thought, tears welled up in her eyes. Akane looked over at Ranma again and sighed. "Umm Kasumi?"
"Yes Akane?"
"I... I'll take care of him. Really, it's my fault," she sighed, "You better go and make breakfast for everyone else." Akane knelt next to Ranma's still form, not watching her sister leave, or even noticing that she had shut the door behind her. All that was apparent in her world right now was Ranma's still form, the tears running down her cheeks, and the guilt racing through her mind. 'I should have tasted it first, I should.....' A million things that she could have done differently raced through her head. She had cooked for him before, and somehow something always went wrong. But all the other times, Ranma was at least awake and moving about, now he just lay there, still and pale, just barely breathing.
"Ranma," Akane barely whispered, "I wish that just this once you would pop open one of your eyes and call me un-cute, or a tomboy, anything just let me know your alive...."
"Tomboy." Ranma croaked out as he opened one eye and looked for Akane. Akane's face suddenly went bright red, and she looked down at the floor.
"You were awake?"
"Not really," he gasped "the only thing I heard was that you wanted me to call you a tomboy or something" Akane smiled a little bit at this, "I just wish you'd learn how to cook and quick, another meal like this will be my last..." he flinched as Akane's aura sprang into a blinding glare.
"Ranma you jerk!" Akane screamed as she slapped him. She then looked at Ranma before she rearranged him on his futon and put the washcloth back on his forehead.
"Huh, what happened? Akane?" Ranma stuttered into silence as he slowly realized that this would be a good time to keep his mouth shut.
Out in the hallway, Kasumi smiled and ushered two old men away from the door. "Let them be Father, just let them be." She gently scolded them. Neither one of them had the heart to ignore that gentle admonishment.
Several days later, an advertisement showed up in the newspaper.
"Look! A fair! This is great!" Mr. Tendo gushed, "You'll take good care of my daughter at the fair won't you son?" Mr. Tendo glared at Ranma.
"Aww come on... Why do I gotta take her to some dumb fair?" Ranma objected, oblivious to the bright blue battle aura that was starting to form around Akane.
"You will take her to the fair Ranma!" Mr. Tendo yelled, changing into his demon-head mode, startling Ranma and breaking Akane out of her battle aura, "She is your fiancee, this fair is a perfect opportunity for you two to go out and have some fun, and maybe, just maybe not fight!" his face alone was enough to discourage even Ranma from talking back. "Now, do you understand, son?" Ranma's only response was to nod his head.
"You'll do fine boy!" Genma said as he moved pieces to his favor on the board, "After all, it's up to you to carry on the Saotome School of Anything goes martial arts!"
"All right all ready! I'll go I'll go!" Ranma held his hands up in surrender to this. Akane was too stunned to even react when her sisters suddenly stormed her.
"What'll you wear?" "I should trim your hair a bit to make it look nicer.." "What an opportunity! You'll have so much fun" "Maybe the black kimono with the flower?" "No the....." Ranma stared after them as they hustled Akane upstairs, still talking excitedly. He sighed to himself. Why couldn't anyone make a fuss over him, without trying to marry him? Just a little depressed by that, he vowed to himself to really try to get along with Akane while they were at the fair.
When it came time to go to the fair, Ranma and Akane hurried away from their parents. The last minute paternal advice as to the best spot for couples to be alone had caused both of them to blush furiously.
"Geez you'd think they'd mind their own business" Ranma grumbled as he walked next to Akane. He was wearing a dark blue yukata, with a very detailed red dragon on the back and deep red scrollwork embroidered around the edges. Akane was wearing a black kimono with a bright yellow sunflower on it. Ranma recognized it as the one that she wore at the Doll inn.
Ranma may have been grumbling at their parents, but inside he was smiling. 'Wow, I'm glad she chose that one, it sure makes her look so cute! If only she could be like this all the time....' Akane, for her part was pleased that they got a chance to be alone. 'Now if only he'll keep his big mouth shut, we might actually have a good time.'
Once they reached the fair, Ranma and Akane wandered around for while, and then they started to play the games. Ranma won several large fluffy dolls for Akane at the ball throw, and was actually a little embarrassed at the way she hugged them all and squealed with girlish delight. 'Man she sure can be cute when she's not angry...' Ranma thought. The more they wandered the fair, the more they began to enjoy each other's company.
"Akane, we're running a tad low on cash," Ranma spoke as he poked around in his coin purse for any more change, "We might have to leave soon."
"No way!" Akane grinned, "I've still got all my money remember? You don't have to pay for everything you know."
"I just thought, well uh..." Ranma was at a loss for words, he never expected that they could get through a trip to the fair without getting splashed, or having multiple fiancees or rivals showing up. A chill ran down his spine, and he looked nervously around, expecting to see Ryouga charging him or something.
"What's the matter Ranma? Cat got your tongue?" Akane grinned viscously at Ranma as he shivered.
"Geez Akane, don't kid around like that," he muttered something else under his breath.
"What was that Ranma? I couldn't hear you?"
"Stupid Tomboy" was Ranma's unthinking response. To his surprise, Akane didn't hit him, in fact she wasn't paying any attention to him at all. Grateful for small miracles, he relaxed, and then tried to see what she was looking at. "Hey Akane, whatcha looking at?"
"Look over there, What's that?" Akane pointed to a crowd gathered around a tent in a dark corner of the fair. The tent seemed out of place at the fair, but the crowd around it suggested something special.
"Dunno, want to find out, Akane?" Ranma said as he tried to read the sign from where he was, relieved at the same time that she hadn't heard him.
"Sure, who knows, it could be something fun!" Akane smiled and started walking towards the booth. They both were shocked when they could finally read the sign.
"The world's only earthbound angel?!?" Akane read in surprise.
"Aw come on Akane, it's probably just some doll that you hafta look through a little hole to see." Ranma shrugged, "There's no such thing as angels anyways...."
"Right, and there's no way to change from a boy to a girl with just water either." Akane shot back. Ranma looked hurt for a second and then just turned back towards the counter. There was a considerable line, and as they waited they over heard snippets of conversation, mostly centered around whether or not the 'angel' was real or not.
"Come one come all, see a real live angel!" A positively evil looking man yelled to the crowd, "It's only 300 yen fer a couple, she's shy so only two at a time!" The man waved a cane at the crowd as he took money from the next couple. The man had a scar running down one cheek, a black eye patch and what looks like some sort rash along his neck and up the other side of his face. Whenever he smiled, he showed gapped yellow teeth. All in all, he appeared to be the sum total of the worst in human life. He gleefully took money from each couple and stuffed it into a locked box, and practically pushed them into the tent with a brusque wave of his cane.
"Come, come see the angel! Feel her mighty presence!" he droned on and on, his voice sounding an awful lot like gravel being poured across a washboard. Ranma and Akane tried to ignore his rambling speech and his horrid appearance and tried to think of more pleasant things. They were trying so hard to ignore him, that when it came time for them to pay to get in, they almost didn't give him any money. A quick poke from the man's cane made Ranma react instantly, he knocked the man's cane out of his hands, caught it, and held the end against the man's throat.
"Don't ever poke at me again, got it?" Ranma growled at him as he passed him the money. The startled man just looked at him and sweated. Ranma grunted at him and walked into the small, brightly colored tent, still grumbling about it when Akane's gasp made him pay attention to what was in the tent.
A beautiful young girl was sitting on something, they couldn't tell what because of the huge white wedding style dress completely surrounded it. The lacy white material practically glowed in the dim light of the tent, and embroidered patterns of flowers could be seen. She had large emerald green eyes and extremely long red hair that cascaded down her bare back with an indeterminable amount on the ground. Ranma and Akane didn't notice any of this, all they could see were the huge, deep purple wings that merged with her back seamlessly. She wasn't paying any attention to them, and sighed as she shifted her wings to what may have been a more comfortable position.
"Wow... Are those real? Are you really an angel?" Akane gasped as she walked towards her, the 'angel' started and looked at Akane and gave her a wan smile.
"Yes they're real," The girl flapped her wings a few times, causing Akane's hair to swirl, and the dust on the floor whirled into tiny dust devils. Akane gaped a little, but Ranma was skeptical. Ranma looked closely at her face, and noticed some faded bruises that were mostly covered by makeup. He felt his fists clench involuntarily.
"If you're an angel, why don't you just fly off or something, instead of being miserable here? I mean that guy don't look like he's the type that earned heavenly favor." 'Not to mention he's beating the crap out of you!' his angry thoughts seared through whatever enjoyment he had of that evening. Now he had a powerful urge to hurt someone.
"Hey you in there, move along quickly!" The man shouted from behind his counter. Ranma turned and walked towards the man, cracking his knuckles, who paled a bit and quieted down. 'Heh, one wrong move dirtbag and you'll be wishing I'd just up and kill you....'
Feather noticed this and smiled a genuine smile. She leaned forward to whisper to Akane, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I'm not really an angel, just a poor girl who can't leave.." she started to look hopeful as she pleaded with Akane using her expressively large eyes.
"That's sad, why can't you leave? Too poor? The guy's you father, what?" Akane asked, realizing that the girl was miserable here. Giving another empty smile, she lifted the dress and revealed that her leg was chained to a large iron ball. "Ranma!" Akane hissed, "Get over here!" she beckoned to him, and started to get angry when he didn't move quickly. "Hurry up stupid!! This is important!!"
"I was just glaring at that guy again, seems he wanted to get us out of here when you started talkin' with her." Ranma grinned, "I think he's still a little scared of me, now watcha want?"
"Can you break this?" Akane asked pointing to the leg iron. Ranma looked over the cuff, and then tested the chain.
"Piece of cake Akane, I'm surprised you didn't try first, after all you're such a mac...." He was silenced by a firm application of Akane's fist.
"Shut up you jerk, fine then...." Akane knelt down and with a brief shout, she chopped at the chain. A couple of the links on the chain shattered from the blow. The girl quickly stood up and hugged Akane.
"You don't know how many times I've wished I could do that, but I've been so weak for so long, I just couldn't......oof!" Her breath exploded out of her.
"Worry about that later, we gotta get out of here!" Ranma yelled as he grabbed both girls around the waist and started to run... fast. Akane struggled for a second until she head the loudest noise she had ever heard, which was followed by a meaty THWOCK.
"What was that?" Akane screamed as she shook her head, trying to clear the bells out of her ears.
"That was a gun, I ain't crazy enough to tangle with that guy with you two around, a stray shot could ruin my life without ever hitting me...." Ranma ground out as he ran, ignoring the pain in his leg so he failed to notice Akane's blush.
'Man, Akane's gonna have a fit when she notices how close that bullet came to hitting her...' More shots rang out, but from a fading distance, and a few whizzed past their ears. "Akane can you see him?"
"No, wait there he is, he's searching the bushes, he doesn't see us right now." Akane said after a short pause to look around.
"Good, we're ducking in here" Ranma suddenly turned right, and then turned left, right into an empty looking house. "I hate to break in, but we need a place to hide, what the?!?" Ranma was startled to discover that the door was unlocked. "Lucky break, it's open" was all he said before he pushed the girls inside and, after glancing around outside again, shut and locked the door.
"Hey who's there?" a familiar voice shouted. Akane looked up in surprise and shock.
"Ryouga! Leave the lights off, It's me and Ranma!" Akane yelled. Unnoticed behind her, Ranma slumped to the ground.
'Why would Akane want me to leave the lights off? Oh well, it's amazing enough that I made it home, but now Akane shows up minutes after I do?!? It must be fate!' Ryouga continued in those happy thoughts until he realized something, Akane had sounded scared. The gears turned in his mind, 'Akane needs me!' was the only conclusion he reached, and amazingly, the lost boy made it to his front door in a matter of minutes.
"Akane What's wrong?" he practically shouted, then he noticed the blood that soaked her kimono, "Akane are you hurt?" Ryouga was next to her in an instant, looking for injuries, or obvious tears in her kimono.
"I'm not hurt Ryouga..." Akane started to talk, but she choked on her words.
"Excuse me, but I don't think he's doing that good right now.." the winged girl interrupted, as she pointed to the unconscious Ranma.
"RANMA!!!!" Akane scream practically shook the house "I must call Dr. Tofu, Ryouga! Stop the bleeding, please you got to help! He's your friend!" she dashed out of the room, trying desperately to remember where she saw a phone from last time she was there. Ryouga looked mad for a second, then turned to Ranma. 'If he dies, then Akane will be mine, but where is the honor in that? He got hurt helping Akane, and I should be the one to send him to the gates of hell, without the help of some base coward who hides behind a gun!' Ryouga pulled the cloth of the yukata away from the wound and methodically ripped the material into strips. 'My bandannas aren't long enough to make a tourniquet for his leg, but this'll do the trick...' Ryouga quickly twisted the strips tight and noted when the bleeding stopped. Absently he noted that there was an exit wound.
"Akane I've stopped the bleeding, but he's lost a lot of blood, and there's two holes in his leg." Ryouga shouted over his shoulder, "Tell the doc to hurry" 'After all, I still need to kill him in a duel of honor.. WHAT THE?' Ryouga had finally noticed the girl standing nearby, looking altogether frightened. That wasn't what startled him though, what had were the wings that were coming out of her back. "Who the hell are you!" Ryouga shouted, jumping up and backwards, slamming into the wall, denting it slightly.
"My names Feather, please I'll tell you more later, he needs help!" she was practically in tears as she said this, as Akane entered the foyer.
"We saved her from this guy who forgot that slavery is illegal. He was using her as an attraction in a freak show." Akane ground her teeth in anger as she returned from calling Dr. Tofu, "This same guy is also the one that shot Ran.." Akane bit off her words as someone knocked at the door. She looked at it apprehensively...' What if he followed a trail of Ranma's blood here? What'll we do?' Then she noticed that Ryouga was already opening the door. "No!" she screamed!
"Aha! There ya are!" The evil looking man grinned as he pointed his handgun directly at Akane, "Now Feather, be a good girl and come back with me, or your friends are all gonna die!" He fired a shot that trimmed a bit of hair from Akane's head. Akane screamed in terror as Ryouga charged the man. The man pointed the gun at Ryouga, and was about to shoot, when suddenly Ranma grabbed his ankle and pulled him off balance. The gun went off, but it missed Ryouga cleanly whose aura suddenly started glowing a bright yellow.
"You dare to shoot at Ryouga Hibiki, and Akane?!? SHI-SHI-HOKKODAN!!!!" Ryouga yelled as he released his chi at the man. The chi-blast hit the man squarely in the chest and threw him backwards and dropped him onto the lawn, out cold. "Akane you ok?" Ryouga turned to her, all she did was nod.
"Good going man!" Ranma spoke weakly from the floor where he was slowly pushing himself into a sitting position, "but you better go tie him up, he might wake up soon and he'll be waving that gun around again." Ryouga almost objected, but he went outside and tied the man up with quite a few bandannas.
"Heh, I tied them all really tight, so he's going to be real uncomfortable when he wakes up." Ryouga grinned maliciously when he returned.
Dr. Tofu showed up shortly after that, along with the police. While he was examining Ranma, the police asked everyone questions about what had happened. Akane told them about how they found out about Feather being enslaved and used as a freak show exhibit, and what they did about freeing her. She also told them about the frightening chase through the streets with a wounded Ranma carrying both of them to hopeful safety. Feather recounted her tale of slavery and abuse at his hands, how he wouldn't even feed her half the time, and insisted on only giving her the leftovers from his meals. About how he beat her if they had a slow day, and many other things. Ryouga told them what little he knew about what happened, and couldn't keep a look of rage off his face when he heard everything that had happened to her.
"Akane, Ryouga?" Dr. Tofu said after the police carted off their unwanted guest, "It looks like Ranma will be just fine, it was only a flesh wound, but he lost a lot of blood, so he still needs to go to a hospital for a transfusion."
Akane couldn't take any more, and just broke down crying in Dr. Tofu's arms. Ryouga went in search of the phone so he could call the Tendo's and tell them what happened, and he promptly went into the closet. An ambulance came and took Ranma to the hospital. Akane stayed behind, she couldn't bear to even look at Ranma as he was right then. She seemed frozen in place, tears running silently down her cheeks. 'His face looked just like it did after breakfast the other day...My cooking is as bad as getting shot!' was the only thought in her mind at the moment, and she couldn't get rid of the image of Ranma laying on the floor, his life slowly ebbing out of his body, pooling in a dark red circle around him. Ryouga chose this moment to find his way out of the closet. He decided to forget about the phone, and just try to get Akane and her new friend back to the dojo. An idea struck him like a bolt of lightning.
"Dr. Tofu! I need to get her and Feather over to the Tendo Dojo right away!" Ryouga looked a little sheepish, "But I need you to lead me there....I don't think I could find the way there before next month..." he looked down and fidgeted a little bit. Dr. Tofu laughed a bit, and nodded. Ryouga absently put his pack on his back and picked up Akane, "Feather, we're going to Akane's house, you'd better come along," Ryouga did a double take, because now he couldn't see any wings on the redhead. "How in the?!?"
"Oh, my wings?" She said as she pointed to her back, "I can make them come and go as I please. It makes sleeping on my back a heck of a lot easier don't you think?" she tried to smile, but couldn't.
Dr. Tofu led them straight to the dojo, and excused himself at the gate.
"I'd love to come in, but it's late and I shouldn't impose. Besides, I need to go check on Ranma at the hospital," He waved as he left. Ryouga looked over at Feather, and saw that she was practically dead on her feet.
"Come on, a few more steps and we'll be there" He tried to encourage her with a smile, but with Akane being unresponsive in his arms, and the general look of gloom of the small group, he sighed and led them into the dojo. Amazingly enough, he didn't even stray off course in the slightest.
"Oh my! Ryouga please come in! Where's Ranma at?" Kasumi greeted them at the door, "And who's our guest?" she added as Feather stepped from behind Ryouga.
"Please ma'am, my name is Feather, and I'm sorry to be the cause of all this...trouble." Feather barely spoke loud enough to be heard.
"What happened to Akane?" Kasumi gasped as she noticed that Akane was still crying in Ryouga's arms.
"Let's just get her to bed, and then I'll explain everything." Kasumi couldn't keep her patented smile for long once she saw that everyone was splattered with blood.
"No, take her to the bathroom and I'll clean her up, you'd better tell father about this." Ryouga nodded and followed Kasumi into the bathroom. He put Akane down as gently as he could, and then tried to find the living room again. After wandering the house for a few minutes, he found the living room just as Feather was finishing her tale for rest of the Tendos and Genma.
".....and that's what happened, I'm so sorry for being a trouble." Feather was kneeling in front of Mr. Tendo, who was wailing at the injury to his son in law, and how Akane was lost in her own world.
"Cheer up Tendo," Genma whispered into his ear, "An experience like that is sure to make them closer, after all, Ranma tried to take that bullet for Akane...."
"So, what your saying is that for the last ten years that guy has had you chained to a chair, and charged admission for each one that wanted to see you?" Nabiki asked. When Feather nodded, Nabiki smiled dangerously. "Why don't you sue him for all the money he made off of you? Ten years worth would be a fortune, and it would get you on your feet. I can arrange for a good, but affordable lawyer... for a fee of course." Nabiki's eyes changed to yen signs when she thought of exactly how much she could make from this. Nabiki was mildly surprised when Feather prostrated her self before her, and spoke.
"I would appreciate it, your generosity is overwhelming,"
"Don't mention it, we'll negotiate the percentage later."
"Umm, shouldn't we go and see how Ranma's doing?" Ryouga surprised everybody, including himself, by saying. "I mean, he does need to know if Akane made it home safe, and Kasumi's taking good care of her.." Ryouga stopped talking, embarrassed, and wondering why he felt the need to visit Ranma.
"I'll stay here to help with Akane," Nabiki said, "After all, Kasumi can't carry Akane by herself." The others nodded, while Mr. Tendo just continued to wail. Genma and Ryouga ushered Mr. Tendo out the door, while Feather followed nervously. Nabiki looked thoughtful, 'Hmmm, looks like things are going to get even more interesting around here. I wonder if Feather is going to fall for Ranma just like every other girl that comes to this town....' At this point, Kasumi called for someone, breaking her chain of thought. 'Better go see what she needs.' Nabiki thought as she stood up.
Somewhere on the way to the hospital, Mr. Tendo stopped crying. When they reached the hospital, they had to wade through a host of reporters, all of which wanted interviews with the family of the young man who single-handedly took down a slaver. Ryouga tried to fend them off with a fierce look, then he settled for just pushing them out of the way. 'Don't these people have anything better to do than to harass people trying to visit someone in the hospital?' Ryouga thought as he pushed another photographer over. Suddenly, most of them broke through. "Hey, where's Feather?" Ryouga said looking around at the group.
"There she is! She's being swamped by those reporters!" Genma said, pointing to a knot of reporters. A red ponytail could barely be seen over the horde. Ryouga jumped into their midst, surprising them into backing up a step.
"Come on Feather, we're getting out of this mess," Ryouga scooped her up in his arms and jumped over towards the door. He set her down again, and they proceeded to follow Genma and Mr. Tendo into the hospital. Inside, they ran into sporadic groups of reporters in the hallways that slowed their progress. Eventually they reached Ranma's room, and gratefully closed the door against yet another group.
"Well boy, you don't look dead yet." Genma grinned at Ranma, who was sitting up in bed.
"Yeah well, Akane's cooking is great compared to all this." Ranma looked sourly at his father, "Speaking of which, where is she?"
"Kasumi and Nabiki are taking care of her. She's a bit shaken up by what happened," Mr. Tendo was inwardly pleased that Ranma was looking for Akane. "How are you doing son? I understand you got shot, are you all right?"
"Yeah, the doc says that it was a really minor wound, barely took any stitches. Lost a lot of blood though 'cause I was running as fast as I could carrying Akane and that winged girl.... oh hi there," Ranma looked just a tad nervous when he noticed Feather was in the room. "Didn't see you there. Name's Ranma Saotome, what's yours?" 'Geez, I hope she doesn't decide to go for me, I have enough fiancees as is!' he thought inwardly.
"My names Feather, and I'm terribly sorry that you got shot trying to get me out of there...." Ranma's curt wave cut her off.
"Don't mention it, I can't stand it when people pick on those weaker than themselves. If he didn't have that gun, or you and Akane weren't there, I would have beaten that sorry fool to a pulp!"
Right after Ranma finished saying this, a doctor entered the room. "Mr. Saotome?" He asked Genma. When he nodded, the doctor continued, "Your son received a minor flesh wound in his thigh. It's not bad, and he has full use of his leg right now. He shouldn't strain himself by running, jumping, or fighting with anyone right now, as the amount of blood he lost was considerable. He will have a healthy appetite for a few days, as his body will need more materials to produce replacement blood. Bring him back in about two weeks to get the stitches out, or you could take him to Dr. Tofu to take care of that." The doctor turned some forms towards Genma, "These are the discharge papers, we need your signature as his legal guardian to release him. As for the bill, the police department decided to pay that, ostensibly as a favor to you and the brave young man. Personally, I think they are doing it for some good publicity." Genma signed the papers, greatly relieved that someone else was footing the bill for this one.
"Well Ranma, looks like your getting out of here quickly," Ryouga said while he leaned against a wall.
"Hey Ryouga, thanks for your help back there," Ranma said as he started to get out of the bed.
"I....It was nothin'... really..." Ryouga stammered while he rubbed the back of his head self consciously. Ranma was handed a cane by the doctor, and instructed on how to clean the stitches along with other advice on what he shouldn't be doing while his leg healed. It wasn't long before they were wading through the reporters again. This time they pressed in so tight, Ryouga and Feather got separated from the others.
"Get out of my way!!" Ryouga roared at them. A few paled and backed up, but more pressed in, all asking questions. "Let's get out of here!" Ryouga grabbed her hand and worked his way through the crowd. They found themselves back at the entrance to the hospital. "How'd we get back to the door?"
"I don't know, I was following you," Feather said, trying to fight the weariness that was starting to overcome her. Ryouga spotted a clear spot in the crowd and made his way into the streets, still holding onto Feather's hand. Once they were away from the crowd, Ryouga proceeded to try and find the way. Feather, on the other hand, was slowly blacking out.
"Ryouga!" she panted as they made another turn, "I can't keep up anymore," black spots were swirling in front of her eyes. Blackness overcame her suddenly, the last thing she saw was the concerned expression on Ryouga's face.
Ryouga was silently cursing himself. He was lost again, and now he had an unconscious girl on his hands... one with splatters of blood all over her dress. If he ran into any kind of authority, they may ask awkward questions. Ryouga rummaged around in his pack until he found his traveling cloak. He wrapped Feather in the cloak, to keep her warm, and to cover the blood stains on her dress. He picked her up and carried her away into the darkness, not realizing that he was no longer in Tokyo...
Meanwhile at the Tendo dojo, Akane had finally fallen into a fitful sleep. Kasumi sat by her bedside in concern, while Nabiki had sought her own bed some time ago. Kasumi was worried about Akane, it just wasn't like her to get so upset whenever Ranma got hurt. She rose silently and headed for the kitchen to make some tea. 'The others should be back soon, they might want some tea when they get back' She tried to keep herself uninvolved with Ranma and Akane's love life, other than a gentle nudge now and then. But it was obvious to her for the longest time that they loved each other, just too stubborn to admit it to each other. What Akane was going through just cemented that belief into Kasumi's mind. Even so, it was interference from others that seemed to make them distance themselves. Each hid behind a wall of pride, but when push came to shove, they were there for each other.
A loud noise distracted Kasumi from her reverie. Poking her head out of the kitchen she saw that the others had made it back, with Ranma.
"Welcome home everybody! I'm happy to see that your out of the hospital Ranma!" Kasumi smiled again, then looked about, "What happened to Ryouga, and Feather?" she asked.
Genma grunted as he sat down, "It looks like he got lost again in that crowd of reporters, Feather was with him last time I saw them. By the time we got free of them, I couldn't spot either of them anymore," Ranma winced at his fathers words, "I hope that she can take care of herself, if she's following Ryouga, it may be months before we see her again."
"Oh my," was all Kasumi could come up with.
"If she's still with Ryouga, she'll be perfectly safe," Ranma said as he started to limp towards his room, "He may be a jerk most of the time, but he knows what's right and wrong. He'll make sure she's all right, even if it kills him. Especially since he'll know that it's because of his sense of direction that she is lost as well." Ranma said goodnight to everyone, then made his way towards his room. His leg was aching by the time he finished climbing the stairs, however he was set on not asking for help from anyone at this point. Ranma peeked into Akane's room briefly, just to make sure she was asleep, before he continued on to his bed. Gratefully he collapsed on his futon, and quickly fell asleep.
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 2
The stars shone brightly as a silhouette trudged along a dirt road. Tied atop his pack was a limp figure, but he showed no sign of strain from carrying the extra load. In the distance behind him, the lights of Tokyo splayed across the land, totally unnoticed. Walking tirelessly, he searched for a place he would like to call home, the Tendo dojo. After walking for several hours, he stopped and walked off to one side of the path. Gently he removed his pack, and the girl from his back, then proceeded to set up camp. After he had pitched his tent, he moved the girl inside and started a fire. The flickering flames revealed Ryouga's face. He pulled various supplies out of his pack, and set about making a small meal.
Morning at the Tendo dojo was quiet. Ranma had woken up early, and was all set to practice with his father again when a sharp pain in his leg reminded him that he shouldn't be pushing himself.
"Ow... Geez that smarts" He complained about his leg as he limped towards the bathroom. As he passed Akane's room he peeked in and saw that Akane was still asleep, but looked more like she had been crying all night.
'Was she actually worried?' Ranma thought as he silently crept into the room and pulled the chair away from the desk. He sat and watched Akane as she slept. As he watched, he failed to notice that Kasumi had peeked into the room, saw him watching over Akane, smile, and then close the door.
Akane was having a nightmare. It seemed that she was running from something, but it was gaining on her. Then Ranma appeared and turned to face the beast, but it tore him to pieces. In her dream Akane screamed and charged after her pursuer, but stopped dead in her tracks. She saw an evil version of herself, splattered with Ranma's blood. The evil Akane slowly started walking towards her and grinned, revealing blood stained teeth and fangs. She reached towards the fear-paralyzed Akane and opened her mouth wide as if to take a bite. Screaming, Akane sat bolt upright in her bed, sweating heavily.
"Akane are you OK?" Ranma had leapt up from the chair, ignoring the pain, and was next to her in a flash. "Man, you look terrible! Didja have a nightmare or something?" Akane looked blankly at Ranma for a second. Suddenly tears welled up in her eyes, and she grabbed Ranma in a bear hug. Hiding her face in his shoulder, she cried.
"Ah.. Akane? You OK? You're freaking me out Akane..." Ranma awkwardly tried to comfort Akane. Akane said something unintelligible inbetween her sobs.
The door burst open, startling Ranma. He looked behind him and saw that Mr. Tendo was standing in the door, with Kasumi, Nabiki and Genma behind him.
"What's going on son? What did you make my little girl cry?" Mr. Tendo was starting to go into Demon head mode.
"Yah! No way Mr. Tendo!! She just woke up and started crying, I have no idea why." Ranma waved one hand at Mr. Tendo as if to fend him off. Akane blearily lifted her head from Ranma's shoulder and weakly smiled at her father.
"It's OK daddy," she dashed the tears from her eyes with her fists, and smiled, "I'm just really glad that Ranma's OK."
"Huh? Uh, you mean that Akane?" Ranma was startled. 'She WAS worried about me... Now what do I do?' Ranma froze, not knowing how to respond to this at all. Akane nodded at him and looked out the window.
"That's my boy! Looking out for your fiancee like that, you make your father proud!" Genma beamed.
"Well now son, when should we have the ceremony?" Mr. Tendo asked, smiling hugely.
"Daaad!" Akane looked angrily at her father, "I didn't say I wanted to marry him yet!" she fumed. Ranma was still in brain lock from Akane's confession, and just looked stupidly at Mr. Tendo.
"Come on Akane, what else can he actually do for you, you want him to get himself killed trying to protect you without being able to claim you as his wife?" Nabiki asked. Akane was stung by her sister's words, and a vision of Ranma being torn apart in her dream haunted her. Tears started welling up in her eyes again. This brought Ranma out of lock.
"Hey don't start crying again OK? No one here likes it when you cry, it just doesn't become you. Smile, it really brightens a room up when you smile." Ranma tried comforting Akane, "Will you smile for me Akane?" He asked softly, blushing to the roots of his hair. Akane looked into his eyes and saw only worry and concern for her there. She wiped her eyes and tried to smile. "There you go Akane! I'm going to leave the room so you can get dressed OK? I think Kasumi has breakfast ready, right Kasumi?" He looked over at the eldest Tendo girl.
"Why yes, breakfast is ready. Why don't you all come downstairs now?" She smiled and turned to leave. At the mention of breakfast, Genma practically dashed away from the door. Nabiki left as well, grumbling about how it was really too early for anything. Ranma disentangled himself from Akane gently, and hobbled towards the door.
"Ranma!" Akane called out. He froze, then looked over his shoulder.
"What?"
"Thanks, for being here for this morning.." Akane blushed as she stammered. Ranma blushed again as well.
"Uh yeah, no problem right? I'll see you at breakfast." He left, and Mr. Tendo followed him out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Akane looked around her room and sighed. 'That dream was way too real' She thought, as she got dressed for the day. When she got down to the table, she noticed that Ranma was already eating. Actually inhaling the food may have been a better description.
"The doctor said he needed to eat a lot to regain his strength Akane" Kasumi said as she filled a bowl with miso for Akane. Akane bit her tongue to keep from saying anything about it, and just concentrated on her food.
"Any sign of Ryouga, or Feather?" Akane asked after breakfast. Ranma shook his head.
"Naw, but I'm sure they're OK. I mean, Ryouga is always out and about on his own right? And he did have his pack with him, so they have food and shelter. But they could be almost anywhere right now."
"I hope your right Ranma," Akane looked worried, "It's just that, well Feather hasn't been out for so long, and she's probably just as lost as Ryouga out there."
"They'll be fine" Ranma said. Ranma started to say something else to Akane, but he was interrupted by Shampoo bursting through a wall and glomping on him causing an involuntary cry of pain.
"Nihao Ranma! You famous now yes?" Shampoo said as she continued to hug him tightly.
"Shampoo! Get off my leg!" Ranma practically screamed. Akane was starting to burn with her battle aura. Shampoo leapt off to one side of Ranma, and sat there.
"Shampoo sorry, now tell Shampoo all about what happen. News man say you no talk to them for TV." Shampoo ignored Akane's presence entirely, making her even more furious. Ranma was looking confused.
"How did you know it was me anyways? I took pains to stay off camera."
"Shampoo know when husband do something. They say that man who rescue girl no want be on TV, or even talk about it, but they catch glimpse of you fighting your way through crowd to get home." Shampoo smiled widely as she pointed at Genma, "Him stand out like sore thumb in crowd!"
Ranma groaned and put his hands in his face. "I'm going back to bed." He said as he struggled to get up. Shampoo looked hurt, but said nothing. Akane calmed down a little bit and her face visibly softened as Ranma struggled up the stairs.
"Shampoo no like seeing husband hurt, he seem half way here." Shampoo said softly to Akane.
"I know what you mean." Akane's answer startled Shampoo. She had been expecting some sort of insult towards Ranma, but Akane's soft-spoken answer seemed to be heart felt. Shampoo opened her mouth to say something, but it died on her lips as Ukyou walked in from the hallway.
"Akane! I heard the news, where's Ran-chan?" Ukyou sat down next to Akane. Akane pointed upstairs, not willing to talk at the moment. "Oh, he's asleep? Tell me what happened Akane! I know you were there with him, were either of you hurt? I only heard a little bit about it on the radio...Akane what's wrong?" Ukyou was concerned, because it seemed her words were upsetting Akane pretty badly, and she seemed to be close to tears. Akane's mouth moved, but no words made it past her closed throat. Ukyou leaned closer, indicating that she didn't hear. Akane swallowed hard, and then tried again.
"He got shot. He took the bullet for me and then ran carrying me and Feather. He almost bled to death." Ukyou and Shampoo's faces went white while tears were running freely from Akane's eyes. "When we stumbled into Ryouga's house, he collapsed from the blood loss, and he just lay there bleeding, a big, red, pool... of his blood, he wasn't moving, I...." at this point Akane had broken down, and was crying too hard to keep talking. Ukyou did her best to try and comfort her friend.
'I may be competing for Ran-chan with her, but she needs a friend right now, not a rival.' Ukyou thought as she hugged the crying girl. Shampoo sat there nervously. She wasn't exactly friends with Akane, but they weren't deadly enemies either. She simply watched as Ukyou gently coaxed Akane back up to her room, where she could cry in private. Shampoo just smiled.
'This is good chance for Shampoo to nurse Ranma back to health!' She thought to herself. She practically leapt up the stairs, and was inside Ranma's room in a flash, but there was no Ranma.
"Aiyaah! Where Ranma?" She asked no-one in particular. Shampoo nearly jumped out of her skin when Kasumi spoke from behind her.
"Ranma said he was heading out for a little fresh air and quiet." Kasumi smiled that disarming smile of hers. 'Aiyaah!! How she move so quiet?' Shampoo thought.
Kasumi smiled as Shampoo ran out of the house and leapt over the wall to go looking for Ranma. She turned and finished walking down the hall to Akane's room. Inside, she handed a tray of snacks to Ukyou who, with Ranma's help, continued to try and coax Akane into calming down. Kasumi smiled and spoke.
"Shampoo just left, she's looking for a ghost right now." Ukyou and Ranma turned and looked at Kasumi in alarm.
"What ghost?" They asked in unison.
"Why that ghost of Ranma who went out on a walk of course!" Kasumi smiled, while Ukyou and Ranma burst out laughing. When a third laugh joined them, they stopped and turned to Akane. She was dashing the last of her tears from her eyes, and was laughing merrily at the little joke Kasumi had played on Shampoo. "Glad to see your feeling better Akane!" Kasumi said cheerfully as she left the room.
"One of these days I'm going to have to learn how she knows exactly how to say just the right thing at the right time." Ranma said, while Akane and Ukyou nodded in silent agreement. Then they all turned and talked about what had happened, but it was mostly Ranma talking. Later that night, Ukyou bid them goodnight, and went back to her restaurant.
Early the next morning, Ryouga was waking up at his campsite. He teased the fire back to life, and started to warm up some travel rations for breakfast. 'I guess I'd better wake up Feather, she's been asleep since that night, and she really needs to eat.' He suited thought to action, and opened up the tent. Inside, he saw that Feather was still sleeping soundly, and now that the makeup was wiped off her face from two days of travel tied to his back, he could see the bruises that she had spoken of. He reached towards her and shook her shoulder a bit.
"Hey, wake up, I've got some food cooking outside." He got no response. Ryouga raised his voice a little, and shook a little harder, "Come on wake up already!" Feather stirred a little, and opened one eye.
"Hmmmm...?"
"It's time to get up Feather, I uh, have some food ready outside." Ryouga rubbed the back of his head self consciously.
"Mmmm, OK." She closed her eye for a second, then both eyes opened wide and she looked at Ryouga. "I'm not dreaming right? I'm free, right?" She lunged out of the sleeping bag and grabbed the front of Ryouga's shirt. "Tell me I'm not dreaming! Please!" Ryouga shrank back a little from the almost teary face thrust into his.
"Uh, yeah that's right! Ranma and I beat the crap out of that guy for you, and your free now. I uh..." Ryouga was looking into her eyes. 'I didn't know someone's eyes could get that big, or that green!' he thought, "Anyways, I made some breakfast OK?"
"Oh, OK. Um, do you have any spare clothes I could borrow? These are really dirty." She gestured towards the blood stained dress.
"Oh, yeah sure! Just a sec." Ryouga ducked out of the tent and started rummaging through his pack. Feather had started struggling out of the dress when he reentered.
"Here's my spare.. uuurrk!!!" Ryouga fell backwards with a nosebleed at the sight of Feather's bra covered chest. He recovered and turned quickly, "Hhhhere!!" He held out a set of clothes towards Feather while he had his back turned to her, his other hand busy pinching his nose in an effort to stop the flow of blood. Feather giggled at how shy he was. 'Now that's something you don't see anymore. A young man who doesn't gawk or grope...' She took the offered clothing.
"Thanks, I'll get changed now and I'll be right out." Feather gently pushed Ryouga out of the tent. The clothes fit her loosely, fortunately there were drawstrings and a belt, along with two cords. Feather shrugged and set about tying the cords around her calves like she had seen what Ryouga did with them. She then joined Ryouga at the fire.
"They fit pretty well, thanks Ryouga," she smiled at him, "But do you have a spare bandanna or two? I can't find anything to tie my hair back with..." She gaped a little as he casually ripped two bandanna's off his head and handed them to her.
"Will those do?" He blushed a little as he asked her.
"How many bandannas are you wearing anyway?" She stammered as she tied her hair into a pony tail and tied one of the bandanna's around her forehead to keep her bangs out of her eyes. Except for her really long hair, she could have been confused for Ryouga after falling into the Nyannichuan.
"Oh, I always have all that I need," Ryouga tried intensely to just finish cooking the food. 'You're in love with Akane remember? You don't need to go and fall for some other girl right now, you still have a chance idiot!' He thought to himself. He scooped some of the food from the pot into a travel mug and handed it to Feather. "It's not the greatest, but it will keep you fed." He served himself while Feather sniffed delicately at the food.
"What's in it?" She asked.
"Dried vegetables, along with some strips of salted meat that I boiled to make a soup. Sorry, but I don't have any rice with me." Ryouga explained between bites of his food. Feather sniffed the food again, and then ate a little.
"This isn't that bad at all Ryouga. I was expecting a less gamy taste from the meat though, what kind of meat is it anyways?" She asked as she continued to eat the surprisingly tasty food.
"Rabbit." was his only response. Feather spat out what was in her mouth.
"Eww... Rabbit?!? You cooked a rabbit?"
"It's not that bad, beats the heck out of pork. It's leaner for one thing," 'and the other reason you'll never hear from me willingly anyways!' "Besides, I can't afford dried beef, and fish doesn't keep as long." Feather looked appraisingly at the mug again, and sighed.
"Sorry Ryouga, I guess I've been in the city too long, and never even considered rabbit as food before." She continued to eat.
"When you've traveled as much as I have, you learn a bit about unconventional foods." Ryouga shrugged, and turned back to his soup.
As soon they had finished eating they began to break camp. Rather, Ryouga was breaking camp, as Feather had no clue as to what to do to help. While Ryouga was working, Feather looked around, and could barely see Tokyo off in the distance. 'Odd, you'd think he would've headed straight back to where Akane and Ranma live. Or did those reporters chase us all the way out here?'
"Feather! It's time to go." Ryouga called out, looking about for her. He spotted her nearby, standing on the top of a hill. He shouldered his pack and walked up to her. "Is something wrong?" He asked.
"Isn't that Tokyo over there?" She asked, pointing towards the distant city.
"Uh, I think so... We should go and find out."
"You mean you don't know?!?" Feather exclaimed.
"Hey I was running around in the dark the night you passed out, trying to get away from those reporters!" He practically shouted back. "It's been a whole day since then, and I've been trying to find my way back!" Feather cringed away from him, as if she was expecting a blow. Ryouga noticed, and immediately softened his tone. "I mean, look, um... Hey I'm not going to hit you! Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you OK?" Ryouga started to fidget a little.
"Oh, never mind, let's just head back there OK?" Without another word, they started to trudge off towards the city. Occasionally, Ryouga would start to stray off course, and Feather would grab his arm, worried that he was distracted by something and was going to leave her alone out there. After the tenth time this happened, Feather decided it was time to ask him something.
"Ryouga, do you hate me or something?" her sudden question stopped Ryouga in his tracks.
"No of course not!! What makes you say something like that?" He asked, wondering why she seemed so intent about it.
"It's just that, every now and then, you start to wander off, as if you wanted to leave me out here or something." Feather looked down at the ground, grateful that her hair hid her blushing face. She thought she was starting to like the rough cut young man in front of her, and wasn't sure about what to do.
"Oh, it's just that, well, I have a hard time getting where I want to go sometimes.." Ryouga stammered, not quite willing to admit that he had absolutely no sense of direction.
"You mean... You have a bad sense of direction?"
"Well, yeah, basically." Ryouga looked away for a second, a wistful look on his face.
"I'll bet you get lonely wandering around Japan don't you?" Feather felt sorry for the lost boy. She understood now why he had grabbed his pack before they had left his house.
"Well, yeah, I do get lonely. After I get lonely, I get depressed. Fate was cruel to curse me with this sense of direction. I can't even attend school regularly like this." He looked at Feather again. "You must understand how it feels, not having control of where you are going don't you?" His eyes were intensely pleading for understanding.
"Yeah, I know what you mean." She leaned forward on her toes and kissed Ryouga on the cheek. He froze in shock, a small trickle of blood running down from his nose. "Right now we need to get back, everyone must be worried about us by now."
They walked together in silence for a long time. Clouds were starting to gather, and it looked like it was going to rain. Ryouga noticed the change in the weather with apprehension. He looked desperately about for shelter, and realized that they were at the edge of a forest, but there were no buildings in sight.
"Looks like we better pitch camp a little early Feather, I think it's going to rain in a bit. I don't want to... er, you to catch a cold." Feather looked at Ryouga, and wondered why he was sweating all of a sudden.
"OK, maybe you could teach me a bit about camping while we're at it. I mean, I have no idea how to do any of it, and I want to be able to help." Ryouga nodded absently as he explained, and demonstrated how to pitch a tent. He was just in time, the first droplets of rain were staring to fall, and he rushed inside the tent.
Feather followed and fastened the tent flap closed. They sat in silence and listened to the rain beat down on the canvas tent. It's dull rhythm quickly lulled Feather to sleep. 'I think I better slow down a little, she just isn't used to this...' Ryouga thought as he looked at Feather's exhausted form.
After the rain had stopped they peeked out of the tent, and then broke camp and trudged into the woods. Feather was too busy trying to keep them on track to notice anything, but Ryouga seemed to sense someone, or several people trying to follow them. He kept his eyes roving the underbrush, and his senses were on overdrive trying to locate their pursuers. Before he could figure out exactly where they were, four fairly burly men jumped out of the bushes around them. Feather gave a startled cry and jumped back to hold onto Ryouga's arm.
"Let go!" He whispered to her urgently. Feather swallowed hard, but let go of his arm.
"All right boy, give us the girl and ya won't be hurt," one man sneered as he approached the young travelers. "All we want is the girl, and we'll let you run home, in one piece. If you don't see it that way, well..." He flipped out a switchblade, and the others followed suit by pulling out knives of various sizes. Ryouga sized them up and judged their approximate skill. He was not impressed at all. He dropped his pack and pulled his umbrella from it's place atop it.
"Sorry fellahs," He grinned wolfishly, "But I can't let you do that." He said simply before whipping his umbrella around to connect with the head of the sneering man. The blow sent the man reeling sideways into a tree, where he lay crumpled. Ryouga spun and threw his umbrella like a spear at the next closest man and it smashed him in the chest, knocking him off his feet. The third man sprang towards Ryouga, trying to stab him, but his wrist was caught in a vise like grip. Startled, the bandit looked at Ryouga's hand as he started to squeeze. The sound of snapping bone crackled through the air, a split second before the man screamed in agony. Ryouga dropped him and turned towards the last one. With a determined expression, the last man dropped into a basic karate stance. Ryouga adopted a similar stance and waited. The bandit attacked with what looked like an impressive flurry of kicks and punches, however, after Ryouga dodged a few and blocked a couple of them he decided it was time to end it. Ryouga smashed through the bandit's defenses with a single, open palm strike to his chest, followed by several quick kicks to his head, followed by a fierce one into his gut. As the man leaned forward from the blow, Ryouga grabbed him around the neck and threw him into a tree. He collapsed and did not stir again. A few of the men were getting back up at this point, so Ryouga turned to them.
"I'm a little irritated right now, who wants to help me work it off?" Ryouga bared his fangs as he picked up a nearby rock and broke it to gravel in one hand. The bandits didn't even bother grabbing their fallen comrades, they just ran. Feather was still standing next to Ryouga's pack. She was amazed at how easily Ryouga beat up those men. Once they were back on their way, Feather turned to Ryouga.
"Where did you learn how to do that?" She asked.
"Oh, I picked a lot of it up on the road, and from fighting with Ranma all the time." Ryouga shrugged. "I've been training for a long time now, and I'm still nowhere near reaching mastery. Someday though, I may become a master of martial arts, but my style is fairly unique, as it draws the most brutal moves from more than twenty styles, and uses some unusual weapons," he gestured at his umbrella, "So, I think I'm starting a new school of martial arts right now. But I know my skill is not great enough for me to claim a mastery. Besides, until I can beat Ranma, I have no right to start my own school."
Feather looked at him, and saw that he was holding his left fist clenched and raised. "That's cool Ryouga, but can I ask you a favor?" Ryouga looked over his shoulder at Feather, "Could you teach me?"
Ryouga stopped in his tracks. Feather walked around to stand in front of him. "Well?" She asked eagerly, "I want to be able to defend myself from now on! Please, will you teach me?" She put on her cutest face, hoping that it would make him cave in to her request. Ryouga looked down at her face, and saw her lower lip start to quiver a little. He melted like a snowball in a blast furnace.
"Ah, heh OK sure." Ryouga stammered out nervously. Feather squealed with delight and glomped onto Ryouga, causing him to almost pass out. "Ah uhm.. First things first though, a little strength training.." Ryouga suggested, and to his relief, she disentangled herself from him.
"OK, what do I do first?" Ryouga pulled his umbrella out from it's retaining straps, and held it out to Feather.
"Carry this for a while." He said simply. Feather strode forward and tried to take the umbrella. When she thought she had it, Ryouga let go, and the weight of the umbrella dropped her onto her backside.
"Hey that's no fair! You could've warned me that it's made of lead!" Feather yelled at Ryouga as she struggled to get up. Ryouga watched as she slowly stood up, umbrella wrapped tightly in her arms. Ryouga repositioned the umbrella so that it was cradled in the crook of her arms. He stepped away from her while she strained to keep her arms from collapsing from the deceptive weight of the umbrella. "OK, now what?" she puffed out.
"Now we walk." Ryouga said, as he turned to walk into the forest.
"Not that way Ryouga! Tokyo is this way! Honestly, he can beat up people with the greatest of ease, but can't find his way home." She muttered to herself as she once again took the lead. After a short time, Feather's arms went numb and she dropped the umbrella. Ryouga turned at the noise and smiled at her.
"Now we do push ups." Ryouga dropped and did about thirty push ups while still wearing his pack. "Do as many as you can without going to your knees Feather." After only a few pushups, she collapsed into the dirt. "Now do as many as you can from your knees." Ryouga prodded a bit to get her moving again. This time she did a few more before collapsing. "OK Feather, now we are going to do sit-ups..." For most of the day, Ryouga had Feather doing calisthenics, and other exercise to start training her in martial arts. He then showed her some of the basic moves.
By the time night fell, Feather was completely exhausted. They had only done some basic moves and stances, but Ryouga was encouraging her like she was trying to master a difficult technique. When Ryouga called it quits for the night, Feather collapsed against a tree, and watched as he tirelessly set up the camp. 'How does he just keep on going like that?' she thought, 'He fights a battle, carries all this insanely heavy stuff, and matches me exercise for exercise, and still moves easily at the end of the day'
"Just how strong are you Ryouga?" Feather asked as Ryouga casually picked up a rather large rock to make room for the tent.
"Um, I'm not sure." He dropped the rock, and rubbed the back of his head, "But I did tear a telephone pole out of the ground once." Feather was shocked into silence at that, and Ryouga continued to set up camp.
They stayed at that spot for several days. While foraging for food, Feather came across a stream and offered to clean their clothes. Ryouga hid in the tent while Feather strode around the woods nymph-like, to attend to cleaning the clothes, and herself. She did pop her wings out of her back, and used them as a kind of cloak. It didn't do much for keeping her warm, but it did do a lot for her modesty. Once the clothes were dry again, Ryouga continued to train Feather in martial arts. She was clumsy and slow at first, but as she gained confidence, her form improved. Even if she was still no match for most martial artists, she could probably hold her own against an unskilled opponent. By the end of the week, their food supply was running low, and Feather said she desperately needed a good long, hot bath. They closed up the camp, and started to run for what they thought was Tokyo. Little did they know, they were approaching Osaka...
Three weeks had passed, and there was still no sign of Ryouga or Feather at the Tendo dojo. Akane and Ranma were sparring in the dojo itself. Ranma's leg had healed quickly, and he had had Dr. Tofu remove the stitches a few days ago, and now it seemed that his leg was fully healed. Ranma was jumping around the inside of the dojo like some kind of insane grasshopper, while Akane was trying her best to keep up, and maybe get a hit in, but he was just too fast.
After a little while, they stopped. Sitting on the steps to the dojo, they heard the sound of impending doom. Bicycle bells. Suddenly very nervous, Ranma was looking around, but he saw nothing. Then they heard the bell again. Ranma jumped forward suddenly and rolled across the lawn. In the place he had just vacated, Shampoo had landed with her bike.
"Nihao Ranma!" She jumped off her bike, and ran towards Ranma, "Ranma, you take Shampoo on date, yes? Leg all better now, so show Shampoo good time yes?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him.
"Aw come on Shampoo, you know I'm not interested," Ranma said while backing up, holding up his hands, trying his best to ward her off, and hoping that Akane wouldn't blow her top.
"Wo ai ni!" Shampoo said as she glomped tightly onto Ranma.
"Come on Shampoo, get offa me!" Ranma saw Akane approaching angrily, "No wait Akane! It's not what it looks like, she just keeps grabbing onto me! I swear I didn't do nothing!" He tries desperately to pull away from Shampoo, to no avail. He sweats nervously as he watches Akane slowly summon her mallet from hammer-space, and heft it with a wicked looking scowl.
"Will you stop doing that!!" She screams as she flattens Ranma with her mallet. And, almost as an afterthought, she tried to flatten Shampoo as well, but the amazon had jumped clear.
"What you do that for? Shampoo only want to be with husband! Him all better now, so Shampoo want have date with him! Violent girl have problem hmmmm?" Shampoo closed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Akane. When she opened her eyes she realized she had made a mistake. All she could see was the heavy end of the hammer coming towards her too hard and too fast to avoid. "Aiyaaa!!!!" Shampoo screamed as Akane's swing sent Shampoo flying into the distance. "Hmmph, serves you right!" Akane said to Shampoo's quickly disappearing form.
Catlike, Shampoo twisted in midair, and landed on her feet. 'How Akane get good all of sudden?' Shampoo wondered to herself as she started walking towards the Nekohanten. She was so lost in her thoughts, she turned a corner and ran into someone. "Oh! Shampoo so sorry, didn't see you... Ryouga?!?" Shampoo's eyes had practically bugged out of her head when she thought she had run into a female version of Ryouga. "When you fall in Nyannichuan? Shampoo thought you fall in spring of drown black piglet?"
"Ah, I'm sorry, I think there's been a mistake, you see I'm not Ryouga." Feather giggled at the look on Shampoo's face. "I'm his student, Feather" She bowed politely to Shampoo, who was still too stunned to react. "As for the clothes, well I didn't have anything presentable, so he loaned these to me."
"But you have Ryouga pack, and umbrella. Where Ryouga at?"
Feather held up a little black pig that had a resigned look on his face. "Right here, an old woman splashed him on our way, and I haven't gotten him any hot water yet." Feather giggled as she hugged P-chan to her chest, causing a slight nosebleed. Feather had found out about Ryouga's curse along their "Training journey" and found it quite amusing. Plus P-chan was just too cute!
"Aiyaah, you girl Ranma rescue while back?" Feather nodded, "You no look like you have wings.." Shampoo crossed her arms skeptically, "You sure wings not prop bad man glue on back? Shampoo no fool." Feather giggled as she put down Ryouga's pack.
"Here, I'll show you..." Feather arched her back for effect, and was satisfied by the shocked expression on Shampoo's face when her deep purple wings shot out of her back. Fortunately, she was wearing Ryouga's sleeveless muscle shirt, and it's neck was large enough to become basically backless. Of course, Feather had carefully used the belt to secure it that way.
"Aiyah! That neat trick, where you learn to do that?" Shampoo asked, amazed. Feather blushed and looked away.
"I'd rather not talk about it, OK?" She said in a low tone. "It's not something I like to think about." Trying to change the subject, Feather looked back at Shampoo, "Anyway, could you tell me how to get to the Tendo dojo from here? I'm still a little lost from running around with Ryouga for so long." Her stomach chose this moment to complain about being empty. Feather looked embarrassed while Shampoo giggled.
"Why not you come to Nekohanten with Shampoo? Feed you good food in exchange for talk about what happen to you recently!" Shampoo said smiling, "Maybe tell Shampoo whole story yes?"
"Well, maybe. No pork OK?" Feather said while P-chan nodded vigorously. This made Shampoo giggle.
"No pork, Shampoo promise!" She said as she turned to lead Feather to the Nekohanten. "Shampoo also think it good idea to drop pig in bath. Keep great-grandmother from trying to cook him again." Shampoo giggled at the memory. Feather giggled as well. It did not take them long to reach the Nekohanten. When Shampoo opened the door, they noticed that it was empty, save a shriveled old woman that appeared to be sitting on the counter.
"Great-grandmother, I home!" Shampoo called out. "Shampoo also bring girl that Husband rescue, and Ryouga. They hungry, so Shampoo invite them for dinner!" Cologne looked over at Feather appraisingly. Feather flushed a little at the scrutiny the old woman gave her, so she tried to cover it up by bowing.
"It's an honor to meet you, ancient one." Feather said as she bowed. Cologne chuckled a little.
"Seems she knows her manners, oh but where's mine? Come in and have a seat." She gestured with her ever present staff towards a chair near the counter.
"Um, could I get some hot water for Ryouga? He feels a-lot better being human during meals"
"Certainly child. Shampoo!" She commanded, "Go fetch the kettle, and a towel."
"Yes great-grandmother" Shampoo scurried off to obey the order.
"Now young lady, what's your name?" Cologne puffed at her pipe briefly, "And please, tell me your story." Feather started to recount her tale to Cologne. During the story, Shampoo returned with a kettle for Ryouga. After he had changed back, he scrambled into his clothes as quickly as possible. When Feather was about halfway done, Shampoo returned from the kitchen with some Dim-sum and rice. Feather stopped talking to wolf down the food.
"Ah, that was delicious!" Feather exclaimed after clearing her plate. Ryouga only nodded his agreement, as he was still eating. Feather finished telling her story to Cologne over some tea.
"So, Ryouga took it upon himself to train you," Feather nodded, her eyes shining, "How good have you gotten so far?" Cologne looked at Feather appraisingly. Feather blushed at the scrutiny, but she still answered.
"I've gotten a lot better since we started. Ryouga doesn't chide me for messing up my kata anymore, and I'm a lot more flexible. Not to mention stronger."
"In other words, you feel your still a rank beginner."
"That's rather blunt, but yes. I'm nowhere near as good as Ryouga right now," She perked up a little, "But I'm a fast learner!"
"Care to have me appraise your skill? I'd like to see just how well a once-time student of mine can train someone." Without waiting for an answer, Cologne hopped out the back on her staff. Feather followed, with Ryouga and Shampoo close behind. Feather absently wondered exactly how good such an old woman could be as she made her way to the backyard.
Feather and Cologne faced off in the yard, and Feather decided she would need to stretch a little before the match. After a few stretches, Feather faced Cologne and bowed. Cologne merely raised an eyebrow. This irritated Feather a little, as she dropped into an offensive stance. Feather tried to sweep the staff out from under the old woman, and was surprised when her opponent was no longer there. Cologne landed on the back of Feather's head, and hopped away.
"Why you!" Feather turned quickly to face her opponent, the back of her head smarting from the blow. Feather tried to fake a low kick, in order to lure her opponent into a punch, but Cologne merely sweeped her feet out from under her. Feather rolled backwards and stood quickly, looking for a follow up blow.
"Don't overbalance like that," Cologne admonished, "You left yourself wide open." Feather rushed the old woman, and tried to hit her with a rapid series of punches. Cologne's staff became a blur, and every single blow was blocked. Cologne popped up right in the face of her opponent and tapped her forehead with her staff. Feather flew backwards, and looked as if she would smash into the wall. However, she snapped her wings out and used them to brake, and flip over to land on her feet. Just as quick as she had brought them out, she had dismissed them. Cologne raised an eyebrow at this.
"Interesting, you could use those to a possible advantage, but would rather fight on what you think are even terms." Feather merely nodded, as she was starting to breath heavily. Cologne launched herself at Feather, and attacked rapidly with her staff. Feather tried desperately to dodge all the blows, but was not doing that well. Cologne slammed Feather to the ground with her staff. With a quick roll, Feather was behind the old woman, and she attempted a desperate attack. Cologne didn't even turn around, but she blocked or dodged all of the attacks. Feather took a few steps back, and collapsed to her knees in defeat.
"Well now, you didn't to that badly," Cologne said, hopping over to the exhausted girl. Ryouga had also stood and moved next to Feather.
"Didn't do that bad?!?" Feather practically shouted, "I didn't even come close to hitting you, and you say not bad?"
"Considering you've been training for less than a month, and having never trained before in your life, I must say that you have gained a fair amount of skill in such a short time!" Her tone was sharp, and Feather looked up from the ground. "You have potential, but you are way too slow! Your little trick with your wings proved that you are capable of thinking quickly, now you need to apply that to your body as well." Feather nodded slowly, the blood still roaring in her ears from the first blow. Cologne turned to Ryouga, "Not bad Ryouga, not bad at all. Have her come back here in another month or so, and I'll see how well she is making progress," Ryouga gaped at Cologne for a second, as if he couldn't believe she had complimented him on his teaching. "You may want to have her train under Ranma for a bit of work on her speed. Her basic forms are spot on, but they don't seem to be coming naturally to her. Don't be afraid to push her to her limits!" Ryouga nodded, "Now, why don't we go in and freshen up. I'm afraid you don't smell that ladylike right now Feather." Feather blushed fiercely as she stood and went inside.
About an hour or so later, Ryouga and Feather strode away from the Nekohanten. After they had walked a few blocks, Feather spoke, "So, you actually trained under her for a while?"
Ryouga nodded, "It was rigorous training for a technique known as Bauksai-tenketsu, or the breaking point. It was a difficult technique to learn, and even after going through that training, Ranma still beat me."
"You really have a grudge against Ranma huh? You two seemed to get along fine that night..." Feather looked thoughtful as they continued walking.
"Ranma has been the source of limitless suffering to me, first he ran out on his duel to China, then he knocked me into Jusenkyo, and even that wasn't enough for him! Now he stands between me and Akane!" Ryouga clenched his teeth. "But even after all that, I'm beginning to think that I fight with Ranma because he's the only other one around that is around my level of ability" Ryouga looked towards the sky, "You know, when we were in junior high, he used to lead me back and forth from school. That was the only time in my life I felt even close to being like other normal guys" Ryouga closed his eyes to better see his memories. "But the solitude after he left was too much to bear, and not only that, but we didn't have our fight."
"What about your parents? Weren't they around for you?" Feather asked with some concern in her voice. Ryouga sadly shook his head.
"They get lost just as easily as I do. I was lucky to see them once or twice a month. I haven't seen my father in over a year now, and just about the same for mom." Ryouga opened his eyes and looked forward with determination. "That hasn't hurt as much since I met Akane. Before I met her, I was sure that no girl would ever look my way. They used to always laugh at me because I got lost, but Akane has never laughed at me for that..."
"Man, the way you keep going on and on about Akane you'd think you had a crush on her" Feather laughed at this, but was silenced by the desperate look on Ryouga's face. "Aww Ryouga, don't take it so hard" She stopped Ryouga. They were standing on a grassy hillside, overlooking Furinkan High. A gentle breeze blew, causing Feather's red locks to swirl around her. "There is at least one other girl out there that thinks you're a great guy" she said as she looked him in the eye.
"Huh? Who? I don't know anyone else who thinks like that about me." Ryouga asked, startled, and starting to get nervous.
Feather leaned forward and hugged Ryouga, "You big dummy, I'm talking about me" She hugged him tightly and kissed him on the lips, and at the same time, pinched his nose so he wouldn't bleed all over her. Ryouga didn't get a nosebleed, but he did promptly faint. "Dummy" Feather whispered again as she sat down next to his crumpled form to watch the sunset.
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 3
As the sun set upon the horizon, Feather sat next to an unconscious Ryouga. She leaned back, enjoying the simple beauty of the sunset. Eventually, Ryouga regained consciousness again, and they set out to find their goal, the Tendo Dojo.
"We're in the right town," Ryouga said as they started out, "if our luck holds, we will be standing on the Tendo's doorstep before nightfall."
"What makes you say that? I'm not sure exactly of where we are."
"You see that school?" Ryouga pointed at Furinkan High, when Feather nodded he continued, "That's the school Akane goes to. The path between that school and the Tendo dojo is marked by signs of battle." He rubbed the back of his head, "I don't hold back whenever I fight Ranma, and he has other enemies that attack him on a regular basis as well. Ranma has a tendency to leave them imbedded in walls, so all we have to do is follow the damage and we can't lose!" Ryouga looked impressed with himself. Feather snorted and crossed her arms.
"And how, pray tell, do we decide which way to go from the gate?" Feather asked, with just a touch of sarcasm in her voice. Ryouga made a guttural noise and jerked forward a little. He looked sheepishly over at Feather and put his hand to the back of his head.
"I guess we'll flip a coin, we'll have a fifty fifty shot anyways." Feathers face started to turn red with anger, then suddenly she laughed. Ryouga started to laugh with her as they headed towards the front gates to the school. Neither of them noticed a black-cloaked man following them. The man spoke briefly into a walkie-talkie, and turned to continue his surveillance. A small embroidered patch of a viper encircling a blade could be seen on his shirt.
When Ryouga and Feather reached the gate, they stopped and flipped a coin. They turned to the left and started to run. After only running for a few minutes, they saw what looked like a body print in a wall. Ryouga grinned hugely. "Judging by the shape of that hole, Mousse decided to attack Ranma today." Feather was panting when she replied.
"How do you know it was today?"
"Simple, with all the fights going on, construction companies have gotten real efficient. The holes from today's fight will be filled in by morning." And as if to prove Ryouga's point, a pickup pulled up to the hole and two men jumped out. One of them started to gather the pieces of the wall, while the other started to mix concrete. Feather gaped at how quickly and quietly they worked.
"That's amazing!" She gasped out. She was hurting from her fight with Cologne, but she didn't want to admit it to Ryouga. But her muscles complained constantly about their use, and her breath was getting short. Suddenly she tripped, and it looked to her like she was going to smash headfirst into a pole. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable contact.... but it never came. She opened her eyes and looked around. Ryouga, without even breaking stride, had picked her up and was still running. She was so out of breath that she wasn't even able to thank him, so instead she just wrapped her arms around his neck and relaxed.
"I knew it!" Ryouga shouted as he turned a corner, following some broken chains. Up ahead was the Dojo, and the gates were open with Mr. Tendo sweeping in front. At Ryouga's shout, Mr. Tendo looked their way, and Feather waved to him. He waited for the teenagers to stop in front of him to speak.
"Well now, Hello Ryouga, I'm glad to see you made it back. Looks like you and Feather had a good time on your little trip." Mr. Tendo said as Ryouga put Feather back on her feet. He winked at Ryouga before he turned and called into the house, "Kasumi! We have guests for dinner!"
"Yes Father!" Was Kasumi's only response.
"I hope we're not to much of a bother.." Feather started to say, but was interrupted by Mr. Tendo putting an arm around her shoulders and leading them in.
"Nonsense! We really want to know more about you, and now that you're here, you can tell us" He grinned hugely, "We've been worried about you since that night, the only one who wasn't was Ranma. He kept saying that there was no way Ryouga was going to let you get hurt. I'm glad to see that his faith in his friend was well placed" Mr. Tendo was practically blabbering as he led them into the dining room. Nabiki was sitting there reading a stock report. She looked up as they entered the room.
"Well well well, look what daddy found!" She smiled a little, "Don't you too just look so cute together." Feather blushed, and Ryouga looked fairly uncomfortable as they sat down at the table. "Don't spare me the details, tell me what happened" Feather gently punched Ryouga in the arm. He looked startled for a second, then he started to talk.
"After Feather had passed out, I carried her as I ran from those reporters. She didn't wake up again until a day later. By then, I was outside Osaka. After she woke up, I loaned her my spare clothes, and we walked into the city...." Ryouga continued relating their tale as the rest of the Tendos and the Saotomes filtered into the room and listened intently. When he was finished, Ranma smirked a bit.
"What did I tell you?" Ranma grinned at Akane, "Like I said, he's just too pig headed to have let anything happen to her," Ryouga glared at him for a second, but subsided when he realized that this was just Ranma's way of complimenting him. Ranma looked at Feather, "So, Ryouga's started to train you huh?" Feather nodded and Ranma grinned. "How good have you gotten?"
"Ranma!" Akane glared at him, "She's only been training for a month! Don't be too harsh on her, even if Ryouga is a great teacher." She thought back to when Ryouga had trained her for the rhythmic gymnastics tournament, and more recently, helping to train her for her rematch with Natsume and Kanumi.
"I'm still not that great," Feather said softly, "But Shampoo's great-grandmother said I had potential," Feather brightened at this. "She did say something about how my form didn't seem to be coming naturally to me, though." Feather looked thoughtful, as did Ranma and Ryouga. Suddenly Ranma snapped his fingers.
"Of course! Feather, show me the stances that Ryouga first taught you..." Feather stood and demonstrated. Ranma nodded, "Yeah, those stances are well suited to someone who uses a lot of strength in every strike. What may work better for you would be..." Ranma stood and showed Feather a slightly different stance, showing her to roll forward on her toes a little, and flex her knees just a bit differently. "There, is that a lot easier?" he asked as Feather tried the stance he had just demonstrated for her.
"Wow! This feels a whole lot more natural!" Feather exclaimed. Ryouga looked at Ranma with a hateful glare. Ranma noticed this and started to sweat.
"Not that the stance Ryouga taught you was bad," Ranma stammered out, "It's just that he didn't seem to realize that you are a lot lighter. You should still be able to execute the same moves from that stance, just try and do them a little faster. You may be surprised at the results!" Ranma sat down, and Ryouga leaned next to him to whisper.
"How did you know that stance was going to work better for her?" He practically hissed into Ranma's ear.
"Simple," Ranma replied, "I have to use a different stance when I'm a girl 'cus my balance is different. Even Akane could've told you that that stance pulls a girl off balance." Ryouga looked stupefied.
"How come I didn't run into that kind of problem whenever I helped train Akane?" Ryouga asked.
"She already knew her stances stupid."
"What did you call me?" Ryouga started to steam at the casual way Ranma insulted him.
"What are you two whispering about?" Akane asked as she leaned towards them, curious.
"N n nnothing Akane!" Ryouga stammered, abruptly sitting up straight. Ryouga continued to look excessively nervous while Akane was looking his way.
"What's the matter P-chan? Can't admit you learned something from me?" Ranma taunted. He backed up a little when Ryouga bared his teeth and then lunged for him.
"You're dead Saotome!" he yelled as he threw Ranma out into the yard.
"Cut it out both of you!" Akane practically yelled as she scrambled to get up and separate the two "friends". Akane was about to rush into the melee, when the two suddenly stopped fighting, and just stood looking at each other. Confused, Akane went to stand next to Ryouga.
"What happened?" She asked him. When Ryouga didn't answer, Akane looked at him in concern. She noticed that he was staring rather intently, but not in hatred at Ranma. She followed his gaze and smiled a little. At the far side of the lawn, Feather had been standing, watching the fight with a faint look of disapproval. Akane walked quickly over to Feather. When she got close, she could see a bit of a tear forming in the corner of the redheads eye. "Come on Feather, you look like you need some rest," Akane said, gently trying to guide the girl inside.
"But Ranma and Ryouga," Feather started to say, but was interrupted by Akane.
"Neither of them will admit it, but they're good friends. I think they fight like this to keep their edge. They are both really proud, and had started out as rivals," Akane smiled at the shorter girl, "But with everything they have been through, they have become friends, and they seem to show it to each other by demonstrating his skill... on each other." Feather giggled at Akane's viewpoint. Especially since she heard the battle restart after they had left.
"My interfering has also become part of the game they play. I try to stop them, and it spurs them on even more." she giggled at that. "Come on Feather, you can tell me about your wings while they work out..." Akane didn't notice Feather getting very nervous.
'It's not like I don't want to tell her,' Feather thought, 'But I can't remember anything before last year!' Feather continued to think about how she would get around telling Akane about her past, unawares of the man watching the dojo from the tree.
A while later, Ranma and Ryouga were sitting in the dojo, utterly exhausted, and both a bit bruised. Their clothes were torn, and each felt pain in their ribs as they tried to breath.
"It's not over yet Saotome!" Ryouga stood, albeit unsteadily.
"That's right, pig boy!" Ranma also stood, and he was grinning widely, "We haven't gotten each other wet yet!"
"Ha! You're not getting me this time Ranma!" Ryouga grinned as he hefted a fire pail. Ranma grinned and revealed a water pistol. The air between them was thick with the tension, and neither of them moved. A single bead of sweat fell off of Ranma's chin as he suddenly raised the water gun and squeezed the trigger. Seeing the motion, Ryouga hurled the contents of the bucket at Ranma, and did his best to dodge the thin stream of water Ranma was sending his way. With a loud splash, a pig and a girl looked at each other from different sides of the dojo, then the girl collapsed laughing, while P-chan did a piggish equivalent.
Only a few seconds later, they were both young men again, thanks to a steaming kettle, thoughtfully left behind by the eldest of the Tendo sisters.
"Whoo! I haven't had that much fun since, oh, I'd say that little trip to Togenkyo!" Ranma laughed out. Ryouga merely grinned as he squeezed out his shirt. "Practicing with Feather sure has improved you since the last time pig-boy!"
"Heh, and I suppose that you don't think that not being able to fight for almost a month didn't hurt your abilities? You've gotten soft Ranma! Your chestnut fist was slower than usual!" Ryouga beamed at Ranma.
"Hah yourself Ryouga!" Ranma replied, still grinning ear to ear, "Your baksai tenketsu took a whole second to work, and even then the rock barely shattered. What's wrong? Lose your focus? Maybe you left it with your sense of direction!" Ryouga glared at Ranma, who returned the look. After a few seconds of mock anger, they both collapsed laughing again.
"It's good to have you back around Ryouga! I needed a distraction so badly," he rolled his eyes a bit, "Shampoo has redoubled her efforts since that night, Kodachi is as crazy as ever, and Akane's had to fight off Kuno at almost every street corner." Ryouga grunted a bit at the news.
"What about Ukyou?" He asked.
"That's the funny part Ryouga," Ranma scratched his head, "Every time she comes over, I think she's going to glomp onto me, but instead, she just seems to want to help Akane get through what happened. Of course, she would still bring over a 'get well' okonomiaki every day. But like I said, she's just been helping to keep Shampoo and Kodachi offa me, and Kuno and anyone else offa Akane. Ever since she came over the day after I got shot, she's been like that, even now when my leg is fully healed, she's still acting like that." Ranma shook his head, then looked out at the darkening sky. "It's kinda nice, and Akane seems to enjoy having Ukyou as a friend, but what will happen when I tell Ukyou that I don't want to marry her..."
Ranma and Ryouga face-faulted as Genma and Mr. Tendo came out of nowhere and crowded around Ranma.
"Is it true son?" Mr. Tendo asked, tears in his eyes, "You really want to marry my Akane that badly?" Ranma squirmed within their grip.
"Hey waitaminnit! That ain't what I said! Who said I wanted to marry that un-cute tomboy anyways!" Ranma yelled as he struggled. Mr. Tendo wailed and grabbed Ranma's shoulders while bowing his head. Genma moved next to his son with his fist raised angrily.
"Is this how you show your gratitude boy? This marriage goes beyond personal wants and desires!" He yelled in his sons ears. Ryouga stood, unnoticed. "It's about carrying on the anything goes school of martial arts!"
"Oh yeah?!? Well Akane and I think our feelings have an awful lot going into this pop!" Ranma yelled as Ryouga took a step forward.
"Put aside your anger! Akane is such a sweet young girl! You should be proud to have her as a fiancee, and you would be even more proud to have her as your wife!" Genma countered, knowing his son's true feelings for Akane, and was using them against his son. Ryouga's battle aura flared.
"She can't cook, she's violent, stubborn as a mule, twice as strong!" Ranma fled behind the cover of the insults. Out of the corner of his eye, Ranma noticed a green glare. Glancing over, he noticed Ryouga was approaching them angrily.
"Wait Ryouga!" Ranma starts to panic, since it looked like Ryouga was getting ready to do a full shi shi hokkkodan. Ryouga seemingly ignored Ranma's shout and charged them. Seeing an uncontrollable Ryouga approaching them rapidly, Genma and Mr. Tendo scrambled to get out of the way. Ryouga ignored them as he flying tackled Ranma into the yard. Before Ranma could recover, Ryouga had grabbed the back of his shirt and jumped over the wall and dragged him down the street.
"Whoa Ryouga! Slow down man!" Ranma desperately twisted around, trying to get Ryouga to release his grip. Suddenly, Ryouga stopec and let go of Ranma's shirt. They were at the bank of the river next to the bridge. Ranma stood and looked at Ryouga. "Ryouga, what's gotten into you?" Ryouga looked wistfully up at the now dark sky.
"Ranma, I, I think I'm starting to get over Akane."
"WHAT?!?!" Ranma yelled as he face faulted. Ryouga turned and looked at the ground.
"When your father and Mr. Tendo were talking about you marrying Akane, I didn't get the same kind of pain in my heart. It was almost as if," Ryouga paused as he looked up, "It felt more like that happy-sad feeling you get when you see a sister or brother married I think." Ryouga suddenly grabbed Ranma's shoulders. "Be good to Akane Ranma. I, I don't think I'll be getting in your way anymore." Ranma just looked at him in shock. Ryouga sighed and sat down. "Your objections to Akane still wound me Ranma, but, they don't infuriate my like they used too." Ranma's mind was still reeling from the implications behind Ryouga's words. He sat down next to Ryouga.
"What made you change your mind?"
"I think it started when you dragged Akane and Feather into my house. The way Akane looked at you while you were passed out, her cry of despair when she realized that you were badly hurt, the way she was locked in her mind after you were taken to the hospital. She loves you Ranma," Ryouga looked over at his rival/friend, a sad look on his face, "Don't make her wait too long, I might kill you for that." Ranma started to object, but didn't say anything when he saw the expression on Ryouga's face. They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Ranma spoke.
"So, what are you going to do now Ryouga? If you think you're over Akane, are you going to try and find your way home?" Ryouga shrugged.
"I thought about that, but it's fun watching you squirm around your fiancees. Also, our fights are making us stronger." Ranma nodded.
"Yeah, like when you figured out the shi-shi hokkudan, I figured out the mouko takabisha. And you seem to be stronger and stronger each time we fight. Your one guy who keeps me on my toes!"
"And someday Ranma, I will defeat you! But this time, it won't be about Akane. It will be about our skills!" Ryouga took on a determined expression.
"Hah! That'll be the day!" Ranma laughed, "The day you defeat me in a fair fight is the day I'll kiss Kuno!" Ryouga gagged at Ranma's remark, but then he grinned.
"I hope you don't take those words to heart Ranma." Ranma looked at the stars again.
"So, you and Feather making plans yet?" Ranma asked nonchalantly.
"What do you mean, plans?" Ryouga asked, his heart suddenly aching.
"I saw how you look at her man. It's the same look you used to give to Akane. I just figured that since you two were out training together for a month, she might also be feeling something for you.."
"If only I was that lucky Ranma." Ryouga sighed. "She seems to be haunting my dreams now, but, I can't get it together enough to ask her out or anything. When I look in those eyes of hers I...." Ryouga stops, embarrassed.
"I know what you mean. I get the same way whenever Akane smiles at me. Not that smile when she's about to clobber me, but that smile she has whenever I do the right thing." Ranma started to fiddle with the grass. "But, before I can say anything to her, either pops or Mr. Tendo show up out of nowhere, and they try to force us." The grass he's playing with was forcefully ripped out of the ground. "And then we close up again. I get so tired of it all, that I want to grab Akane and run for the horizon, maybe getting lost somewhere and then we would be able to actually talk without being idiots." Ryouga looked at his friend in sympathy. Then he stood up.
"It's late Ranma, you want to lead me back to the dojo? I kinda want a warm bed tonight." As if to punctuate his words, the wind started to blow, chilling them both. Ranma stood without a word and led Ryouga down the streets of Nerima. When they where about halfway back, Ranma spoke.
"Hey, does she know?"
"Know what Ranma?" Ryouga asked, confused. Ranma rolled his eyes.
"About P-chan. Does she know that your the pig." Ryouga nodded.
"She found out about two weeks ago. She thinks it's cute, and doesn't seem to mind at all," Ryouga flushed a bit at the memory.......
They were running alongside a highway, side by side. A recent rainstorm had left puddles alongside the road. Ryouga was dodging the puddles, and encouraging Feather to leap over them, rather than go around.
"Think of it as training. If you can jump over the puddles without landing in any of them, you will have made an improvement." Ryouga demonstrated by jumping over a particularly large one with apparent ease. Feather tried to jump over, but when she saw she was going to land a bit short, she snapped her wings out and flew to where Ryouga was standing.
"Don't take the easy way out Feather!" Ryouga chided her, "If you don't make the jump, you get wet. If you make it, you stay dry." Downcast, Feather walked around the puddle, and then backed up a few paces to get a running start. She swallowed hard and then started to run. She jumped right at the edge of the puddle, and it looked like she would make it. However, she came up about half a foot short, splashing water all over the place.
"Oh, Ryouga! I'm sorry did I get you wet?" Feather looked all over, but the only sign of Ryouga was his pack, and some rumpled clothes. Then something under the clothes started to move. Curious, Feather leaned closer, and was greeted by the sight of a small black pig wriggling free of the clothes.
"How cute!" She exclaimed as she picked the pig up out of Ryouga's clothes. She hugged it tightly to her chest, and was rewarded with a gusher of blood coming from the pig's snout. "Hey! What's the matter with you pig? And why do you have Ryouga's bandanna.... Bandanna? Nosebleed? Ryouga?!?!?" Feather looked at the pig again, and it looked like the pig nodded ever so slightly. The pig squealed a little, and rubbed the side of his head with one hoof.
"How on earth?" Feather was confused. The pig wriggled in her arms, trying to get free. Feather put the pig down and kneeled in front of it. "Well, are you Ryouga or aren't you?" The pig responded by scratching the words 'hot water' in the dirt.
"You are Ryouga!" Feather exclaimed, as Pchan nodded vigorously. "And I guess you mean by writing hot water, that that's what it takes to turn you back!" P-chan nodded even more vigorously. Feather frantically dug through Ryouga's pack, looking for the 'camping man's helper'(TM) and a pot or anything to heat water in. In short order, she had dug out the mini stove, a pot, and had scooped up some rain water to be heated. Not knowing how hot it needed to be, she had boiled the water.
"Here you go!" She said cheerfully as she tossed the pot full of boiling water on Ryouga.
"OWW!! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT!" Ryouga danced around in pain from the scalding water, but avoided the cold water like the plague. Feather blushed as she watched a naked Ryouga dance around. Suddenly Ryouga stopped, and he looked over at Feather as he belatedly tried to cover himself. His face, and a good portion of his chest turned red as he fell face first onto the ground.
"That was a good one Ryouga!" Ranma laughed at his story. Ryouga got red faced with his anger.
"Shut up Ranma! That isn't something to laugh about!" Ryouga yelled.
"But it's so funny! I mean you, teaching someone to jump, over cold water, knowing that if they fail, you would become P-chan!" Ranma continued to laugh.
"I said shut up!" Ryouga retorted with quite a bit of anger in his voice "It ain't funny at all!"
They continued on to the dojo, Ryouga was still fuming a bit, and Ranma was chuckling at him. The star filled night was so peaceful, they felt like nothing could go wrong now. Kasumi greeted them at the gate.
"Why hello you two." Kasumi greeted them cheerfully, "Your just in time for dinner, why don't you go and freshen up a bit." Kasumi smiled at them, and then went into the kitchen to start serving the food. Feather and the rest of the Tendos were already at the table when Ranma and Ryouga sat down. Feather was looking distinctly uncomfortable, but as soon as Ryouga was in sight, she visibly relaxed. Akane caught Ranma's eye and winked. Soon, everyone was too busy eating the delicious meal set before them to do anything else. After the meal, the two fathers retired to their usual spot to play shogi, while Feather offered to help clean up afterwards. Kasumi gently, but firmly, told her that guests should not have to help in the kitchen. Ranma, Ryouga, Feather, and Akane sat around the living room. Akane was telling the bandanna clad duo about what happened around the dojo for the last month. Akane carefully omitted about how she was so worried about Ranma that she had lost sleep over him.
"Feather," Akane asked, "How come you keep avoiding the subject when I ask you about your past?" Akane gazed at the suddenly nervous girl. Feather fidgeted for a few minutes, trying to think of a way around that topic. "Well?" Akane urged gently. Feather stopped fidgeting, and just bowed her head. Ryouga looked worried as he shook Feather's shoulder.
"Hey! You OK?" he asked. Feather's head snapped up, her eyes full of tears.
"I don't remember okay?!?" she screeched as she quickly stood and left the room. Outside, a man made a triumphant report into his walkie talkie, and he stealthily left. Inside, three young martial artists looked at each other, and then dashed after Feather.
"Wait Feather!" Ranma called out, "We couldn't have known! Come back here!" Feather ignored him as she quickly threw her shoes on and ran out the door. "I said come back here!" Ranma and Ryouga gave quick chase, promptly leaving Akane behind.
"Honestly," Akane grumbled to herself as she started walking back to the dojo, "You'd think she would stick around, huh?" Akane noticed a figure fleeing the wall near the dojo, trying to stay lost in the shadows. Akane blinked and she couldn't see it any more. "Probably just Happosai up to his usual tricks again." She mumbled as she reentered the dojo.
Feather ran. She ran from Ranma, Ryouga, and most importantly, she ran from that blank in her memory. Her tear filled eyes clouded her vision, and occasionally, she'd stumble, only to try and run longer. 'Further, faster, longer, tougher' her sensei's words haunted her as she ran. She never noticed when her loose shoes came off, until she tried to cross some gravel. She sat down in place and cried. She tried blocking out the rest of the world, locked in her own misery at not knowing who she really was. Try as hard as she might, the first thing she remembered clearly is working as a fake angel in a carnival side-show. She originally told them about being like that for ten years in hopes that they wouldn't ask any more questions about that. She was wrong.
Ranma and Ryouga heard a girl crying ahead of them, and they sped up. When they turned a corner, they were able to see Feather sitting on the ground crying her eyes out. Both of the young men stopped in their tracks, not sure about what to do. Ranma broke out of brain freeze first and walked up to Feather.
"Hey, come on, stop crying." He tried to comfort her, "We don't care that you don't remember anything, just come on back to the dojo OK?" Ranma looked intently at Feather, and she turned on him rather suddenly.
"You have no idea what's going on do you?" She screamed, "I can't remember anything past about a year ago! I don't even know who my parents are! I'm cursed like this now. You have no idea what it's like to be cursed! Ryouga maybe, but you have no way of knowing how much it hurts to be different, so different that people would pay money just to see you for a minute or two. Or so alone! You at least still have you're parents! I can't even remember them!" She punctuates each sentence by advancing on Ranma angrily. Ranma backed away from her, then looked over at Ryouga.
"I guess there's only one way to make her feel a bit better about this, eh P-chan?" Ranma said softly, with a note of resignation.
"Ranma, you don't mean...." Ryouga started to say, and stopped when Ranma nodded. "I hope your right Ranma." Ryouga looked around for a second, and then picked up a discarded cup. It still had some water in it from a previous rainfall. "Sorry about the dirty water Ranma." Ryouga said simply as he poured the water over Ranma's head. Feather's eyes just about bugged out of her head as she watched Ranma change suddenly from a well muscled young man, to a much shorter, bouncy red-headed girl.
"Wha wha, how, how did you do that?" Feather's brain went into shock. Ranma-chan grinned a little at that.
"You know all about Ryouga and you're asking how? I've been cursed, much as he has, and it has made my life difficult. I know about what it's like to be used by others for profit. There're a few people that have paid money just to see me for a moment or two. I'm definitely different from everyone else, and it's been so long since I've been able to be with my mom as her son, it tears me apart every time she comes over." Ranma-chan walked forward and put her hands on the other girls shoulders. "I know only too well what it's like to be cursed. As for the memory, you can talk to Akane about that, she would understand a lot better than most people." Ryouga walked up to the other two, and put in his piece.
"You see Feather, we can relate to what you're going through. Both of us have had no choice about some things that have happened to us. Can you imagine waking up on a dinner platter?" Feather looked agape at Ryouga who nodded. "More people than I can count have tried to cook me, but I survive, and I learn from it. You need to be strong, and I think we can help."
"What should I do?" Feather was still sniffling a bit, but allowed the others to start guiding her back to the dojo.
"Well, I think Dr. Tofu might like to take a look at you," Ranma-chan said, "He's dealt with memory problems before. He's great, as long as Kasumi ain't around." Ranma-chan shuddered at the thought.
"What happens when Kasumi is around the doctor?" Feather inquired, curious about Ranma's reaction. Ranma shruged a bit.
"The poor guy's so much in love with Kasumi that he goes nuts when she's around. It's dangerous to be near him when he's like that." Ranma-chan said, and they continued walking on to the dojo in silence. When they reached the dojo, they saw that Akane was waiting for them at the gate.
"Sure took your time getting back," She commented acidly. Ryouga and Feather looked sheepish, but Ranma-chan was defiant.
"So we took a little while, so what? It's not my fault that you're too slow to keep up." Akane fumed, then she grinned maliciously.
"Is that right? Then I guess I won't warn you." Akane entered the house in a huff.
"Geez, what's her problem?" Ranma-chan muttered as they walked inside. Right as Ranma-chan kicked off her shoes, a motherly, and yet frightening voice hailed her.
"Ranko, it's nice to see you again!" Ranma's mother, Nodoka, walked around the corner.
"Auntie Saotome!" Ranma-chan tried desperately to keep her heart from stopping. 'So this is what Akane meant about warning me...' "I'm really glad I could see you again!" Ranma-chan meant it. Even if she couldn't reveal her true identity to her mother, she still wanted to be as close to her as possible. "You missed Ranma again, he went with his father on another training trip."
"Oh, Akane-chan already told me. I was hoping to catch them while Ranma's leg was still healing. I saw what happened on the news, but I was visiting with my parents and couldn't just leave. I was so proud of my son, when the reporters said he had taken a bullet to keep Akane-chan from getting hurt." Ranma-chan's heart almost broke when she heard that. Feather almost said something, but Ryouga clamped his hand over her mouth. Feather struggled to move his hand, but he was way too strong for her. She even tried biting him, but he showed no sign of pain.
"Ryouga-kun! I thought you would be training with my son. What are you doing here?"
"I, um, I have to stay here and help get Feather back on her feet, yeah that's it." Ryouga stammered out nervously. Nodoka just nodded, and looked intently at Feather.
"Aren't you the girl my son rescued a while back?" Nodoka leaned forward to look a little closer at Feather. Ryouga moved his hand to Feather's shoulder. Feather spared Ryouga a withering glance, but then smiled to Nodoka.
"Hi, my name is Feather, it's a pleasure to meet Ranma's mother! You must be so proud to have a son like that!"
"I am, but sometimes it seems like his father has been trying to avoid me.." Nodoka sighed. "So, have you found your parents yet?"
"It's been so long, I can't even remember them." Feather said softly. Nodoka looked shocked, then tried to comfort the girl.
"That's awful! You poor thing..." Nodoka moved and embraced the girl, "What do you plan on doing now?"
"Ryouga has started to train me in martial arts, and Ranma said that he wanted to help before he left again. I was thinking about looking for a place to stay for a while, maybe start going to school again." Nodoka nodded at her, "But I don't want to go anywhere without Ryouga. The news may not have said anything about it, but Ranma never would have made it without his help." Ryouga blushed and stammered something unintelligible when Nodoka gave him a startled look.
"You helped my son, Ryouga? That was very kind of you." Ryouga just rubbed the back of his head self consciously, and laughed a bit.
"He's been keeping an eye on me for the last month now, so I feel perfectly safe around him." Feather giggled, and at that sound, both Ranma and Ryouga relaxed. They knew she wasn't going to run off again that night.
They all went to sleep shortly after that. Feather bunked with Akane, while Ryouga opted to stay in the same room as Mr. Tendo.
The next morning, Feather felt like she had been run over by a train. Her muscles, unused to the amount of exercise she did the previous day, were all complaining. She did her best not to let it show, but the others noticed quickly.
"Aren't we a bit sore this morning." Nabiki remarked as she passed Feather in the hallway dressed in her school uniform. Feather just gave Nabiki the look of the long suffering, and continued to shuffle towards the breakfast table. Once there, she practically collapsed into her spot at the table.
"Oh my, Feather are you sore this morning?" Kasumi asked as she dished out a portion of food for her. Feather sighed. 'So much for trying to hide it from these people.'
"Yeah, I guess I overdid it yesterday." Feather began to eat, ignoring the morning argument between Akane and Ranma. She was in too much personal pain to notice them.
"Maybe you should have Akane and Ranko drop you off at Dr. Tofu's and have him take a look at you." Kasumi said cheerfully. Nodoka nodded from where she sat.
"That's a good idea Kasumi, I'd take her there myself, but I have to leave again."
"So soon? Can't you stay just a bit longer?" Ranko stopped arguing with Akane long enough to look pleadingly at her mother. She ignored the panicked looks a certain panda was giving her.
"I'm sorry Ranko, but I really have to be going. I'll be back again to try and catch Ranma and Genma here." Ryouga looked up from his food.
"I'll go with you Feather, you don't look like you'd be able to keep up with their morning scramble." Feather looked gratefully at Ryouga.
"Thanks Ryouga, It's always nice to have a friend along." Ryouga blushed and fidgeted with his chopsticks, absently breaking them.
After breakfast, they scurried off to Dr. Tofu's, Ryouga ended up carrying Feather so that she could keep up. They managed to arrive at Dr. Tofu's office without incident.
"Good morning Akane, Ranma," Dr. Tofu greeted them at the door. "How's your leg this morning Ranma?"
"Good morning Dr. Tofu, my leg is as good as new, but I do need a bit of hot water, and could you see a friend of ours?" Ranma-chan said.
"Of course Ranma, you better hurry on to school, you don't want to be late again this morning." He advised as he handed them a kettle he kept handy for Ranma. Dr. Tofu looked over at Feather and Ryouga. "Why hello there you two, what can I do for you this morning?" He asked them pleasantly.
"I think she could use something for sore muscles doctor," Ryouga said, "She's not in the same kind of shape Ranma and I are in and she's trying to train just as hard." Ryouga shrugged.
"Come on in and I'll take a look at you." Dr. Tofu gestured for them to enter.
Once inside, Dr. Tofu examined Feather carefully, then applied a salve that he said was a muscle relaxant. He then proceeded to give her a massage to help loosen her tense muscles. When he was done with the massage, Feather decided to ask him about her memories.
"Doctor, I need to ask you something."
"Go ahead," He said without looking away from the papers he was filling out.
"I seem to have lost all of my memories starting a year ago. I can clearly remember back to a certain point, but after that, it's a huge blank. Do you think you can help?" Dr. Tofu gestured for her to sit in a chair, and he looked over her scalp, as if he could see her memories as objects. When he was done looking at her head, he gazed deeply into her eyes, and asked her to follow his finger with her eyes. Feather's heart was pounding in her chest, and she almost screamed just to break the awful silence that had crept into the room, when he spoke.
"Someone did something to block your memories. They didn't leave any of the usual tell tale signs, but there is definitely something blocking your memory. Unfortunately, unless we can figure out exactly what was done, I am unable to reverse it. All I can do is touch a shiatsu spot that's supposed to aid a failing memory." He gestured for her to stand, and then traced his finger along her side so gently, she thought she was going to break down laughing. Then he poked his finger into a spot close to the bottom rib.
"There, that might be able to help. It won't be apparent right away, but things may start coming back to you." Dr. Tofu said gently as he started leading her to the door.
"Thank you Doctor," Feather said as they reached the waiting room. Ryouga was sitting there, absently cracking walnuts between his fingers to amuse an old woman who was also there. When Ryouga noticed that they had come out, he stood and walked over to Feather. They continued walking out to the sidewalk.
"You need to take it easy for today, you strained a bit past your limits yesterday. You should stretch and do your kata, that should keep you from getting stiff again. Try and avoid getting into any fights today ok?" Dr. Tofu said as they were starting to walk away.
"Yes doctor." Feather said as they made their way down the street. They started walking slowly, and then Feather looked around. "Umm Ryouga?"
"Yeah?"
"Where are we?" Feather asked looking around at the different stores and vendors that seemed to surround them.
"What are you asking me for? How should I know?" Ryouga replied in a bit of a huff.
"Great, just great. Lost again, and this time you don't have your pack with you." Ryouga looked around for someone who might be able to tell them how to get back to the dojo, when he saw a sign.
"Perfect, now all we need to do is wait till school gets out." Ryouga said with confidence as he strode up to a restaurant that appeared to be closed.
"What makes you so sure of that Ryouga?" Feather asked as she came up to stand next to him. "This place is locked up tight, what makes you think there's someone here that'll help us out?"
"This is Ukyou's restaurant, and she'll be glad to help us when she gets out of school." Ryouga replied, sitting down next to the door.
"But what if someone comes along and tries to bother us?" Feather asked worriedly. Ryouga grinned viscously as he spoke.
"Then I get to vent a little bit." Feather looked a bit shocked. "What's wrong? I'm just a little upset that were lost, that's all. It's not like I'm going to kill anyone." Seemingly mollified, Feather sat down next to Ryouga. She leaned her head on Ryouga's shoulder, and quickly fell asleep. Ryouga was vigilant, and did his best not to disturb Feather no matter what happened. The day seemed to drag on for Ryouga, and he was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable when he noticed something. The sky had gotten dark and it was starting to look like rain. Almost in a panic he stood, picked up Feather, and moved them under the awning at the front of Ucchans. He set Feather down next to a mailbox, and he leaned against it.
"If it's not one thing, it's another." Ryouga grumbled, drumming his fingers along the side of the box. "I wonder when Ukyou allowed this mailbox to be put here, right in front of her door. Oh well, makes a good leaning post."
Inside the mailbox, Tsubasa Kuranai was doing his level best to avoid revealing himself early. He was laying in wait for his dear, dear Ukyou, and nothing was going to stop him this time. Not even some guy who seemed to be purposely doing everything he could to annoy the heck out of him.
A few minutes later, the rain started to fall, and Ryouga was glad that the awning was out. He continued to drum his fingers against the mailbox in irritation at the wait. Suddenly losing his patience, Tsubasa popped out of the mailbox and confronted the jerk who was annoying him.
"Now look here you..... uh oh." Tsubasa had started to wag a finger at he offender, but then he realized he was facing off against Ryouga Hibiki, one of the strongest fighters in Nerima. "Eh, umm.. Hi there Ryouga. What's up?" Tsubasa giggled a little, fully into his cute girl act now. Ryouga glared at him, and Tsubasa tried his best to look even cuter. Ryouga looked down and started to chuckle.
"Still after Ukyou, Kuranai?" Ryouga asked, nonchalantly tossing the remains of the mailbox away.
"You know how it is, with unrequited love and all that. I take it you wanted me out of my disguise so you could talk to me is that it?" Tsubasa hadn't even noticed Feather's happily asleep form yet.
"I need someone to take me back to the Tendo dojo. I have a friend I'm taking care of, and she really needs to get back there." Ryouga gestured at Feather, and when Tsubasa started to get all starry eyed, Ryouga menaced him with his umbrella. "Don't even think about it." He snarled at the cross dresser.
"Don't hurt me!" Tsubasa cringed a little, then spoke "Okay, I'll lead you back to the Tendos, but if I miss seeing my dear Ukyou because of you, I'll find a way to make you pay."
Ryouga didn't bother responding to that, he merely picked up Feather, set his umbrella and waited for Tsubasa do lead him onwards. Tsubasa procured an umbrella from somewhere and began to skip around in the rain, leading Ryouga back to the dojo. Just as they left, a black cloaked man stepped out of an alley, and started to follow them.
Akane, Ukyou, and Ranma-chan were hurrying to the dojo, the rain, having changed Ranma back into a girl, was already putting Ranma in a bad mood. It didn't help much that Kuno had accosted him, claiming that he had ensorcelled his pigtailed goddess away from him yet again.
"Why did if hafta rain today?" Ranma-chan complained.
"Don't worry about it too much Ran-chan," Ukyou said cheerfully, "After all, your mother may still be there right now." Ranma-chan grumbled a bit, but inwardly agreed with his friend.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't have to if it wasn't for that stupid promise pop made." Ranma-chan fell silent after that, as they were approaching the dojo. Once they were inside, Ranma-chan noticed an unusually large potted plant that wasn't there before. She smirked to herself and waited for the inevitable. As Ukyou tried to pass the plant, it abruptly sprouted arms that hugged her tightly, and Tsubasa's head popped out of the plant as well.
"Oh my dear Ukyou! I would you hold you like this forever!" he sighed. Ukyou's face went through several stages of surprise, fear, then anger.
"Tsubasa." She said with deceptive calm as she reached for her mega-spatula, "Let go of me!!" Ukyou screamed as she slammed Tsubasa into the next town. Akane whistled as she followed Tsubasa's flight.
"I don't think I've ever seen you hit him so far Ukyou," Akane commented. Ukyou was still shaking in rage when they entered the living room with Ranma-chan and Akane. They were a bit surprised to see that Ryouga was sitting on the floor, with Feather resting her head on his lap. He held a single finger up to his lips, and then turned his attention back to the girl in his lap. Ranma ducked into the kitchen for some hot water, and when he came back out, Akane was kneeling next to Ryouga.
"Where's everyone else?" Akane asked quietly.
"Genma and Mr. Tendo went out somewhere, Kasumi went shopping, Mrs. Saotome left about an hour ago. I haven't seen Nabiki yet." As he spoke, Feather stirred a little, then slowly sat up. She stretched her arms and yawned, then opened her eyes.
"Oh, good morning you guys" She said a bit sleepily. Akane and Ukyou giggled a little, while Ranma outright laughed. "What's so funny?" She asked.
"It's afternoon now silly" Akane said, a hint of amusement still in her voice. She would have said something else, but there was a popping noise and a tranquilizer dart hit her. She collapsed as the powerful drug took effect. Ryouga leapt to his feet as more darts flew in. Feather was struck next, and she keeled over again. Ranma was dodging the darts as he tried to figure out who was after them. Ryouga had pulled his umbrella out to use as a shield. Ukyou tried to block the darts with her spatula, but one got past her defenses, and she too collapsed. Seeing that they were getting nowhere fast, Ranma faked getting hit with a dart, and fell in such a way that he could quickly get up and fight. Ryouga continued to block them with his umbrella for a few seconds, until he realized what Ranma was up to. A moment after Ryouga faked his fall, about ten men in black cloaks entered the dojo.
"You three grab the girls," One of the men spoke, gesturing towards the fallen girls, "I want you and you to tie the boys up, the boss don't want any boys. The rest of ya get rid of the evidence." As the men started to move towards the fallen girls, Ranma and Ryouga sprang up and attacked. Ranma opened up with an uppercut to the man closest to him, while Ryouga threw one of them into the others. The dart guns were out again in a flash, and Ranma was hit with five tranks at once. He shook his head blearily, and proceeded to kick another one through a wall. Ryouga was hit with three, but he was in a rage, and the drugs were not affecting him at all.
"These guys are monsters!" One of the men cried, as Ryouga grabbed the front of his shirt and threw him out of the dojo, ignoring the numerous darts that were sticking in him. Ranma was feeling them, but was determined to fight off these men. He felt his heart sink, however, when another twenty of the cloaked men entered the dojo, and concentrated on knocking out Ryouga. When Ryouga finally fell to the tranks, they turned their attention on Ranma. During the fight, a few of the men were slowly dragging Akane, Ukyou and Feather away. Ranma went into a rage, and attacked the men closest to him with a ki charged kick, and then turned on another few with the kachuu tenshinn amaguriken. He didn't even bother to call out his strikes, he just pulverized anyone who got close to him. Unfortunately, the number of tranks in him were starting to wear on him, and he couldn't dodge them as well. Completely blinded by the tranks, Ranma grabbed the closest thing to him, one of the cloaked men. The cloth tore as Ranma fell heavily to the ground, looking more like a human pin cushion than anything else. His last conscious thought was of Akane, and firmly gripped in his hand was a scrap of cloth, emblazoned with the sign of the Viper and the Blade...
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 4
Darkness, a foul taste in the mouth. Akane felt like she had been thrown into a dryer as she started to wake up. Her head was pounding, and her hands were tied uncomfortably behind her back. She tried to listen, to see if her captors were there, but was greeted by silence. Cautiously, she barely cracked open an eye. The room was dark, but she could barely make out someone that appeared to be Ukyou in front of her. She worked her way into a sitting position, and was reminded that her head hurt. She looked around, and saw quite a few others in the darkness, most of them just staring idly at the newcomers. 'It's like they've lost their will to escape...' Akane thought to herself. A dull roar startled her, and the room suddenly jerked. Akane fell back onto her side as she realized that they were in a tractor-trailer. While she was struggling to sit up again, Ukyou started to groan.
"Ukyou, you ok?" She asked in a whisper.
"I feel like roadkill" Ukyou grumbled. She tried struggling with her bonds, but they were bound too tight. "What's going on Akane?" Ukyou asked as she sat up.
"I'm not sure, but there's a lot of people in here." Startled, Ukyou looked around, and let out a low whistle.
"And I thought Toma had an odd way of inviting people over to his place." Ukyou said, trying to keep a sense of humor. Akane forced out a chuckle, and then started looking around. "What are you looking for Akane?"
"I'm looking for Feather, if they got us, I'm sure they got her as well." Abruptly, the trailer pitched, throwing its unwilling occupants around like ragdolls. None of the other girls complained, but Akane and Ukyou were steaming. "When I get my hands on the guy whose driving this thing..." Akane started to say menacingly, when she heard a stream of curses that would make a sailor blanch.
"That.." Ukyou starts to say.
"That sounds like Feather, come on!" Akane and Ukyou made their way closer to the front of the trailer, having to work their way around several sprawled out girls. When they got to the front, they found Feather. She didn't just have her hands tied behind her back, they had also tied her ankles together, and had a rope going from her wrists to her ankles.
"Oh my...." Akane paused, then she knelt next to her, "Are you all right?" she asked, but Feather just growled.
"She's been hog-tied, and from the looks of things still out cold. I wonder if she was really the one who was cursing." Ukyou said, as she tried to maneuver herself to try and untie Feather's ankles. "You try and get her hands free." Ukyou grunted as she worked on the ropes. Akane repositioned herself, and added her efforts to untying her friend.
After a few minutes, Ukyou had managed to untie Feather's ankles.
"I'm done here. How's it going with her hands?" Ukyou asked. Akane sighed.
"Not good, these ropes are tight." The trailer hit another bump, sending them sprawling. Akane skidded into one of the other girls, and when she went to apologize, she gasped.
"Ukyou! Take a look at this!" Akane said, a look of horror on her face.
"What is it Akane?"
"Look at her!" Akane nodded towards the girl. Ukyou peers closely at the girl, then backed away making a gagging sound. Akane nodded. "She's not tied up, and her eyes look empty. These guys are playing with mind control."
"Why are they doing this?" Ukyou wondered aloud, as she absently tried to struggle with her bonds again.
Back at the dojo, all hell was breaking loose. When the rest of the Tendos got home, they discovered the wreckage and Ranma and Ryouga turned into pincushions, Mr. Tendo lost it. He was in full gusher mode and Nabiki had to move him outside to prevent any water damage. Kasumi and Genma had started to pluck the tranks out of the two boys when Shampoo had busted through a wall, followed by Mousse. While Genma tried to keep them at bay, Kasumi was stuck with pulling the darts out by herself.
"Oh my, who could have done this to them?" Kasumi asked out loud, and was gratified by the sudden silence around her. Shampoo knelt next to Kasumi.
"Maybe Shampoo can help yes?" She asked, unusually meek. Kasumi smiled.
"That would be very nice of you. Here," Kasumi handed her a cloth that had been soaked in alcohol, "wipe off the spot where each dart was after it's pulled out." Kasumi and Shampoo bent to their task, while Genma tried fruitlessly to calm a hysterical Soun.
"Why Ranma hit with so many dart?" Shampoo pondered as she pulled yet another dart out of Ranma's chest.
"We don't really know Shampoo, when we came home we found them like this." Kasumi said softly as she pulled a dart out of Ryouga. Shampoo continued working for a few seconds, until she let out a gasp.
"What is it Shampoo?" Kasumi asked as Shampoo gingerly pulled a tattered scrap of cloth out of Ranma's limp hand.
"Shampoo found something." Shampoo examined the cloth carefully, and she narrowed her eyes when she saw the embroidered patch. "Is scrap of cloth with patch on it. Shampoo no recognize pattern, but maybe great-grandmother would." Shampoo looked at the cloth again, then over at Mousse. "Mousse!" She called. Mousse sprang to his feet, ran over, and knelt before Kasumi.
"Yes Shampoo?" He asked. He felt a sharp hit on the back of his head, and he put his glasses on and turned around. Shampoo scowled at him as she spoke.
"Shampoo need Mousse go get great-grandmother. Tell great-grandmother about what found here, and show her this." Shampoo held the cloth out to Mousse, who took it and nodded.
"Anything for you Shampoo!" He said as he leapt to his feet and sprinted for the Nekohanten. Shampoo turned back to the task of tending Ranma.
"So Shampoo," Nabiki drawled, "why are you so nervous about that cloth?" Shampoo looked at her, irritated.
"Shampoo never finish helping Ranma if keep getting interrupted." she said flatly and turned back to her work. Nabiki, not satisfied with that answer, sat and stared at Shampoo hoping to distract her enough to get her to talk. Shampoo remained focused, however, until the last dart was pulled from Ranma and Ryouga and bandages applied.
"Let me ask you again, what was the big deal about the patch on that cloth?" Nabiki asked again, a bit of a scowl on her face this time. Shampoo opened her mouth to give a scathing remark, when an ancient voice interrupted her.
"It is the crest of the Viper clan." Cologne said, after seemingly materializing next to Nabiki. Nabiki, nonplussed by her entrance, turned to the old woman in interest. "They are a clan of assassins, who pride themselves in being able to use others to do the dirty work. Regular members of the clan are little more than caretakers." She paused to puff at her pipe, "The true horror behind their clan is the manipulation they practice to get their assassins. Through certain herbs and pressure points, they are able to literally mind control their intended 'trainee'." Kasumi gave a little gasp at this, and Mr. Tendo wailed even more.
"Their going to make daddy's little girl into a killer!!!" He wailed. Genma leaned forward in interest.
"So, they control their assassins, and if they get caught, there is no real way to trace them back to the clan is there?" he sat cross-legged, and crossed his arms. Cologne nodded.
"Yes, it works very well. Their assassins have absolutely no memories left to them, and the treatment takes quite a bit of time to wear off. Until they do, they're very susceptible to suggestion, and will do just about anything they are told." The old woman smirked. "If it were that easy, son in law would have been in China with us long ago. But, with out a mind, the strongest warrior on earth becomes a baby, and that's not how we do things." Shampoo looked over at her greatgrandmother, a look of worry on her face.
"If them makes others do killing by taking their minds away, how we fight them? And how we keep same from happening to us?" Shampoo asked. Cologne turned to her and cackled.
"Easy child. Don't let them hit any pressure points. I will show you where they would be most likely to strike." Cologne looked thoughtfully at the pile of darts. "Maybe I can do something about those as well." Ranma started to stir a bit, and the room fell silent. After a minute had passed, Ranma had opened his eyes, and started to brood. Shampoo glomped onto him.
"Shampoo happy to see husband awake!" She let go of him quickly, when she realized he wasn't responding to her at all. "What wrong, Ranma?" She asked, looking at him in concern. She was distracted by the sudden green glow that sprang from around Ryouga. Everyone, save Ranma, stared at Ryouga as he slowly stood, green energy from his building depression and anger swirling around him. He growled as he looked around the room, the aura around him building. Then, it dissipated, and Ryouga sank back to the floor. Ranma lifted his head.
"Those guys are dead when I catch up with them!" Ranma said, clenching his teeth against the tempest in his head, and the nausea in his gut. Ryouga's head snapped around.
"Not without me, I have something for them as well!" Ryouga said viscously, the intended violence practically dripping from his tones. Cologne chuckled.
"Well, it appears sleeping beauties are awake." She then told them about the viper clan.
"Ok, so they control the minds of their assassins, and like to use poisoned darts, they can't be that tough." Ranma remarked, but there was something gnawing at his gut. Ryouga looked thoughtful for a second, and turned to Cologne.
"Any ideas as to where they're hiding?" he asked. Cologne nodded.
"One of their 'training camps' is not that far away. It's on the peak of one of the closer mountains. The face of the mountain has been purposely scarred, in order to scare off tourists." Cologne gazed at them with a serious expression on her face. "Finding them isn't the hard part, it's getting out alive. Once the 'trainee' has been under the influence of the clan, they stop feeling pain. They will continue to attack till they're dead, or you are." Ranma swallowed nervously.
"Ok, whatever." He mumbled, when the feeling in his gut suddenly became clear. He looked up at Cologne in alarm. "How long does it take for them to get someone under their control?" At his statement, every eye turned to Cologne, anxious for the answer.
"I don't know." Everyone collapsed at her words. Ranma sprang to his feet and raised his fist into the air.
"Then what are we waiting for! We need to go now and rescue Akane and the others!" Ryouga stood next to Ranma.
"Let's go Ranma! Those vipers need their fangs broken!" Ranma nodded at Ryouga's words, and then turned to the others in the room.
"So who is with me?" He yelled, raising a clenched fist into the air to emphasize his point. Shampoo glomped onto him.
"Shampoo go with Ranma anywhere!" she squealed as she hugged him tightly. Mousse stood as well.
"I would follow Shampoo through the gates of hell and back, so I shall also go." Mr. Tendo's tears threatened to flood the house.
"The loyalty! The friendship! This is youth!" He cried out, "Akane is so lucky to have such good friends!" In a startling change, Mr. Tendo calmed down, and took the Tendo family sword from it's place. "I shall go with you son, and whet my families sword with the blood of those who would dare hurt my little girl." Ranma stared at him in shock, while he turned to Genma. "You're coming too, right Saotome?" Genma looked at his friend, and merely nodded.
"Aren't we the great crusaders," Nabiki remarked, absently noting the sound of someone barefooted rapidly approaching. Ranma rubbed the back of his head.
"Uh, yeah well.... Let's go get em!" He said, flustered by Nabiki's comment. As he turned to lead the way out of the dojo, Kuno burst into the room.
"I, the great Tatewaki Kuno, would be most grievously offended if this were to transpire without me in attendance. I, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, offer my assistance in this, the most noble of quests." Kuno announced to those assembled. Ranma's jaw worked uselessly, as it was too busy becoming aquainted with the floor, so Ryouga spoke.
"And just how did you know what was going on?" Ryouga asked, a bit suspiciously. Kuno looked to one side, and casually swept some hair out of his eyes.
"My good Sasuke informed me as to what had transpired. It is to my regret that the message I had him carry went undelivered, as the foul brethren of the devil himself were already spiriting away Akane Tendo. He also spoke of the possibility that the fiends had the pig-tailed girl as well, so I made haste to offer my blade into the service of this noble mission." Kuno brandished his bokken, and took on a noble pose. "Let us be off on our quest!" Ryouga put his hand to his face, Shampoo giggled, and Ranma shrugged.
"He's got a point," Ranma said, "Let's go!" Ranma started running in the general direction of the mountains. Ranma, Ryouga, Shampoo, Kuno, and Mousse disappeared in a large cloud of dust. When it settled, a dumbfounded Soun and Genma were left standing in the doorway.
"Tendo, do you have any idea where they were headed?" Genma asked.
"Not a clue Saotome. Not a clue."
Ukyou gave one more frustrated tug at the ropes tying Akane's wrists, and was gratified to feel them suddenly go slack.
"Alright Ukyou!" Akane shouted, "Now, let's get you untied" Akane worked on Ukyou's bonds as the trailer bounced along the road. While Akane struggled with the ropes, Ukyou looked at the other occupants, she could see at least five others by the light of the single, dim lamp. Ukyou was freaked again by the blank stares the girls were wearing. The silence that they maintained, despite the jolts from the trailer and the overall unpleasantness of the journey, was beyond human. Ukyou craned her neck impatiently to look at Akane.
"Hurry up Akane! I don't want to be tied up when this thing stops." Ukyou hissed. Akane didn't respond, but rather concentrated harder upon the knots. A few seconds later, Ukyou was free, and they finished untying Feather.
"When do you think she'll wake up?" Akane asked as she gently held Feather's head in her lap.
"Dunno, but I'm all for busting out of this thing, and making a break for it." Ukyou fitted words to action, as she stood and walked to the back of the trailer. She started examining the doors in the back.
"You think we can bust out Ukyou?" Akane asked as she tried fruitlessly to wake Feather up. Akane was thanked for her effort by a light slap on her hands, and a groan from Feather. Akane had to smile a little, 'It's progress at least'
Ukyou strained against the door, and the metal screeched it's complaint. 'Where's that jackass Ryouga when you need his bull strength!' Ukyou thought to herself as she started to kick at the door. She wasn't expecting the door to suddenly bust outwards, and she certainly wasn't expecting to be thrown out when the truck started up a steep incline. Ukyou screamed as she started to fly out the back of the truck. Desperate, she grabbed at the door as she went past. Her fingers barely caught the metal cross bar, and she could feel it starting to cut into her hand. With a tremendous effort, she managed to get her other hand onto the cross bar, and hook one of her feet onto the lower lip of the door. The blood and wind roared in her ears, and she felt like she was going to faint, but one look at the road rushing by beneath her gave her enough adrenaline to stay conscious.
"Ukyou!!!" Akane screamed as she rushed to the back to try and help Ukyou back into the truck. Akane knelt on her knees and reached out with one hand, "Grab my hand Ukyou!!" she called out desperately. Ukyou reached, but missed by a few inches. Encourage by how close it was, Akane leaned out a little further and reached again. Unfortunately, the truck hit another bump, causing the door to swing outwards, and Akane found her face in the cold metal of the trailer, and her legs and waist were leaning out the back of the trailer. "Akane!! Hold on!" Ukyou reached for Akane, knowing that perched on the door was infinitely safer. With both doors being open, there was nowhere for her to grab, and she was slowly slipping out. Akane managed to get her feet onto the bumper, and was starting to catch her breath, when she lost her grip. Time seemed to slow down, Akane would later swear that she had been able to see every pebble, every crevice, and every tire mark on that stretch of road. The only thing Akane could see was the pavement below her, and the feel of the wind rushing past seemed to stop for a while. Then every thing started moving full speed again, and she opened her mouth to scream.....
And a slim hand darted out of the truck, grabbed her blouse, and yanked her back into the truck. Feather looked at Akane, worried.
"You ok?" She asked, but Akane was shaking, and couldn't seem to be able to talk. Akane pointed out towards Ukyou, and Feather realized that she needed help as well.
"Good save Feather!" Ukyou cheered, and then winced. The cross bar had finally cut her hand, and a small trickle of blood could be seen. Feather looked critically out to where Ukyou was, and pushed her hair out of her face. Suddenly, Feather grabbed a lock of her hair, and looked at it critically. She then untied the bandanna that held her hair in a ponytail, and she tied a thick knot at the end. Ukyou looked at her exasperated, "This is no time to be playing with your hair Feather!" Feather finished tying the knot and nodded to herself.
"Just shut up and catch my hair when I toss it to you!" she yelled as she threw her long hair toward Ukyou. It took several tries, but Ukyou did catch her hair. Feather then pulled as hard as she could, and slowly the door began to close. When Ukyou was a foot or so away, Feather let go of her hair and grabbed Ukyou off of the door. Over balanced, they fell backwards into the truck.
"Feather," Ukyou gasped, "If anyone ever tries to make you cut your hair short, I'll beat them into a bloody pulp!" Ukyou hugged Feather in relief. They sat there for a few minutes, gathering the strength to try and leave the truck without getting hurt.
"Feather," Akane asked, "Do you think you can fly us out?"
"I'm not sure," she shook her head, "I should be able to slow us down enough to be able to tumble safely." Right after Feather said this, the truck lurched to a stop, the doors banging noisily closed.
"Too late.." Ukyou said. They could hear shouting outside, and the running of many booted feet. The doors were forcefully opened and a large man, dressed in a deep blue suit, entered the truck. Two smaller men that were wearing dark cloaks, flanked him. The man held a cane that had a chrome skull on the top, and the girls could also see a pistol in a holster low on his hip.
"So, these are our new recruits?" He asked the man on his right. The cloaked man snapped to attention and answered.
"Yes sir, one of them is also the stolen one."
"STOLEN?!?!?" Akane yelled, her battle aura flaring as she angrily stood up. "What do you mean stolen? We're not property you jerk!" The man's face got flushed with anger, and he swung his cane at Akane's face as he yelled at her.
"Shut yer mouth!" He sneered in contempt. He was utterly stunned when Akane grabbed the cane, and used the momentum of his swing to fling him into the wall. He created a large dent, and he sunk to the floor, all sense knocked out of him. The two cloaked men pulled out trank guns and took aim, ready to shoot if they approached. Akane froze, not wanting to be tranked again. Ukyou and Feather stood up, and moved next to Akane. Akane was about to ask the cloaked man what he meant by stolen, when a stern voice could be heard from outside.
"What on earth is going on in there?" One of the cloaked men replied, without taking his eyes off of the girls.
"Unusual resistance sir." He called out. They could hear a hurried conversation, and then the man outside replied.
"I'm coming in." A second later, a tall, graying man entered the truck, and the cloaked man who had spoken earlier snapped to attention and saluted. The man was wearing the same style of suit, but he had several odd looking devices on his shoulder. He looked around the inside of the truck, and raised his eyebrow when he saw the other man slumped against the wall. He turned towards the cloaked man who saluted and spoke. "Report"
"Sir, Lieutenant Yama had begun his inspection, and one of them took offence to the terms used to indicate that the stolen one was one of them. When Lieutenant Yama attacked her with his cane, she threw him into the wall sir." The gray man nodded.
"Take the others to the reception area, I'll deal with these three personally." The cloaked man saluted, and he and his partner moved all the other girls out of the truck. Akane got an angry look on her face, and she took a step towards the man.
"Ok, just what the heck is going on here? And just who are you and what do you want from us?"
"My name is Ryuutsu Maruyama, and I am one of the elders of the Viper clan." He gave a slight bow to the girls. Flustered, they bowed back, more out of habit than respect for the man. Akane was not satisfied with his answer so far.
"We really don't care who you are, we want to go home!" Akane yelled. Ryuutsu grinned, baring his teeth a little, as he looked at Feather.
"But one of you is home now." He said calmly, as he smiled a warm smile at them, "Welcome home Feather."
"Hhh how... how did you know my name?" Feather stammered. He chuckled at her.
"I should know, I named you."
Ranma and the others were impatiently riding in a train. Mousse was occupying himself with sharpening his weapons, while Ranma and Ryouga quietly discussed the different ways they would take apart the people that attacked them and took away what was the most important things in their lives. Shampoo and her great grandmother were speaking quietly in Chinese, and Kuno was meditating, and doing his best to ignore the 'common rabble' that he was surrounded by. Most of the other passengers were watching them nervously, half expecting them to just go nuts and tear the train to pieces.
"About how long till we get there?" Ranma asked during a pause in his conversation. Cologne looked out the window at the scenery rushing by.
"I'd say we'd reach the station in about an hour, and then it's a long hike up the mountain." She said calmly. Ryouga looked at her angrily.
"How can you be so calm about this? Our friends are in grave danger, and you're calmer than... than Kasumi!" Ryouga glared at the old woman, the anger he felt was showing clearly on his features.
"It's no use to wear ourselves out worrying about something we cannot change right now, so relax, and save your strength for what we are about to do." Cologne said without looking away from the window. Ryouga glared at her for a second, and then leaned back in his seat rather forcefully. With a loud crack, the seat back snapped and Ryouga ended up sprawled backwards. Without his usual jibes, Ranma helped Ryouga sit up. Ryouga muttered his thanks, and glared around, daring someone to laugh at him.
"Relax man," Ranma said, "We'll get them back. It's only a short time from now till we get there. Once we're on the mountain, then we can let loose." Ryouga looked at him angrily for a second, then visibly relaxed.
"Shampoo anxious too," she commented while she casually cracked some walnuts to munch on. "No want violent tomboy or winged girl to lose soul." Cologne chuckled, and looked seriously at them.
"It's been many years since the last time I tangled with the Viper clan, so we will have to be on our toes." They nodded at her words, "Their methods may be different now. If they didn't adapt to their surroundings, they would have perished a long time ago. I think that we would want to approach the compound with great caution, and learn everything we can about them before we strike." Ryouga got angry again.
"Why can't we just go in and beat them all up?" Ranma nodded in agreement with his friends word. Cologne glared at them for a second before she responded.
"They have the girls in there, and they are using more advanced technology. Remember how they beat you before?" Ranma and Ryouga winced at the reminder. "We need to be cautious when we approach, lest we all fall victim to the same tactics." They all fell silent for a while, and when they felt the train start to slow down, they all anxiously stood and moved towards the door. The second the door was open wide enough, Ranma and Ryouga forced it open the rest of the way, and rushed away from the train. Or they tried to. Before they had gone more than two steps, they both suffered from a severe application of Cologne's staff.
"Slow down you two, remember what I said while we were on the train? We need to begin exercising caution now." They started to stand, glaring at the gnarled old woman.
"Old ghoul" Ranma muttered under his breath. He got another whack on the back of his head for his trouble. Grumbling, Ranma and Ryouga let Cologne lead the way from the station. Shampoo and Mousse followed closely behind.
They began their long hike up the side of the mountain, and were surprised.
"I thought you said they scarred the side of the mountain, to scare off tourists...." Ranma said as he gazed at the tall trees and lush foliage.
"If this is scarred, I'd love to see what you call a beautiful retreat" Ryouga commented as he shifted his pack slightly.
"Didn't I say that they may have adapted to the changing times?" Cologne glared at the teenagers that surrounded her, "They obviously found a better way to avoid curious eyes." Kuno grunted, and then he struck a dramatic pose.
"These fiends of hell shall not go unpunished by my righteous wrath! They shall fall like the quivering vermin that they are before the might of Tatewaki Kuno, and I shall rescue my beloved Akane Tendo!" He would have continued, but Ranma had backhanded him.
"Will you shut up already?!?" Ranma hissed, "We don't need you to give away our position with your posturing" Kuno looked like he was about to speak again when Cologne rapped the back of his head. Kuno whirled on the old woman, and was rewarded with another knock on his skull. Surprisingly, he took the hint and remained silent. Ryouga glared at Kuno before starting off again.
Several hours passed, and the thick forest started to lighten. Cologne motioned for Shampoo to search ahead. The purple tressed amazon nodded, and moved forward swiftly. The rest of the group waited anxiously, and were startled when they heard the distinctive pop of a tranquilizer gun. Mousse rushed ahead, ignoring the warning glare from the others. All he was concerned with was that Shampoo may be in danger. Silently, Mousse perched in a tree and looked out into a wide clearing. Pushing his glasses back down over his eyes, he was able to make out two uniformed men carrying an unconscious Shampoo through a gated fence. The fence was tall, and had barbed wire strung across the top. Furious, Mousse examined the defenses that he could see. He saw several cameras, a lot of barbed wire, and a two story brick building that at once struck him as huge, and foreboding. Taking note of the patrol patterns, he regretfully turned to return to the rest of the group. 'Patience my dear Shampoo' He thought to himself, 'I will rescue you from those fiends!!'
When Mousse returned, they could see his rage stamped on his face. He motioned for them to huddle, and he spoke quietly and quickly.
"They got Shampoo, near as I can tell either she was careless, or she let them take her so that she could get inside. She may think that her ability to turn into a cat will enable her to escape. I don't think that is possible..." Mousse carefully outlined the defenses he could see, and those that he suspected as well.
"This is a grim situation, we cannot afford to lose any more members of our team." Cologne spoke softly, but her tone was enough to drive her point home. "There is a shiatsu spot that should enable you to resist their tranquilizers, but it is risky."
"How risky ghoul?" Ranma asked quietly.
"If you are not hit by a dart, you will be unable to sleep for three or four days. That is enough to drive a man mad." Ryouga cleared his throat before he spoke.
"It's risky, but we have no choice. If they manage to mind-control Shampoo, we will be at a serious disadvantage." Ranma and Mousse nodded, while Kuno looked on with his attitude of haughty superiority. "They may not be able to fight very well, but she can. Not to mention she was the key to our most dangerous weapon..." Ryouga trailed off, and looked meaningfully at the now nervous Ranma.
"You don't mean....?" Ranma asked and shuddered when Ryouga nodded gravely. Kuno chose this point to speak.
"The men on patrol are likely to be alert after the fair Shampoo appeared at their gates. Methinks it wise to wait until they become inattentive at their posts. We should strike during the darkened hours to facilitate their unwise inattention." Ranma looked at Kuno in shock.
"You're scaring me Kuno, that actually made sense."
"Then be wise, Saotome, and heed mine advice. It would ill benefit Akane Tendo should we attack in haste, as Shampoo did, and become imprisoned as well." Cologne nodded.
"Get some sleep now." She said, "I will keep watch while you gain the energy you'll need for tonight." Ryouga was starting to protest when the old woman poked the side of his neck with her staff. Ryouga collapsed, snoring into the soft dirt. "Anyone else need help getting some sleep?" She asked. Ranma swallowed hard and nodded.
"I don't think I'll be able to without help." Nodding grimly, Cologne tapped Ranma's sleep spot, and he too collapsed. Kuno and Mousse tried to get to sleep on their own, and only after a while did they manage to drift off. Cologne carefully covered them all with some large branches, and disappeared into the trees. She gazed out over the small group and sighed. It was all to similar to when the Viper clan had stolen her own daughter many years past. The guilt she felt over the long past incident welled up again. She was unable to rescue her daughter, and her husband had died in the attempt. Thankfully, she had escaped, and was plotting her revenge when she discovered her daughter, unharmed, just outside her tent. When she had asked her daughter what happened, all she could say was;
"The little man helped me"
Cologne shook herself out of her memories. 'Happy, why can't you be here to help this time?'
"You WHAT?!?!" Feather screamed, totally confused. The man simply looked at her and repeated himself.
"I named you. Sixteen years ago, when you first showed up." Ryuutsu motioned for them to follow him as he left the truck. Stunned, the confused girls followed him. He walked swiftly, ignoring the assembled ranks of men and women, and entered a massive brick building. Once inside, he started to show them around.
"A long time ago, I was the head of a research project, code named Raven. The purpose of project Raven was to learn if teleportation was feasible." He abruptly turned and started down a narrow flight of stairs. Akane leaned her head over the railing, and couldn't see the ground. She gulped nervously, and followed. "After many failures, and many unfortunate deaths of volunteers, it was decided that we would try and take something inanimate from where it was located. We reasoned that it would help us gain a better understanding of our would be teleportation device without any other deaths. We were wrong."
The old man stumbled, but quickly righted himself. The girls were too shocked to fully believe Ryuutsu's story, but the sincerity of his words was half convincing them that he was speaking the truth. "When we made our first attempt at moving some rocks, they appeared to have been moved without any changes. However, when we tried to move them, it became apparent that they had changed. Underneath a thin film of dirt we discovered that the device had changed it to a crystalline structure. We were undaunted as we studied the results and moved on, heartened by the first partial success of project Raven, or we thought it was the first success."
"What we discovered later still haunts my memory. We had tried to figure out what had happened to the people that had disappeared during some of the previous tests. Using the data from those tests, and a new, stolen processor, we attempted to fetch our people." He started to look sick. "We got them back, partially. I'll never forget the bloody mess that appeared on the platform. Other than the fact that they looked torn limb from limb, it was definitely our people. Unable to determine if someone did that to them, or the machine was an open debate that raged for days. At the end of the debate, it was determined that we would use the machine to pick up whatever happened to be at the same coordinates that we found... the bodies at." He shook his head. Ukyou absently noticed that they were nearing the bottom floor.
"That day forever marked our lives here. We got our answers, and something more." They had reached the bottom floor, and there was a pair of massive steel doors chained shut. Akane gasped when she noticed what looked like a fist shaped protrusion from one of the doors. That alone wasn't what shocked Akane and the others. It was the size of the impression that scared them. Ryuutsu looked at the doors, and calmly removed the chains. When he pulled the doors open, the girls screamed. In a liquid filled tube, a monstrosity hung motionless. It looked vaguely humanoid, but the long head and foot long claws quickly dispelled that notion immediately. The thing was covered in what looked like large scales, and they could easily see holes where heavy weaponry had pierced it's chest.
"What is that thing?" Ukyou screamed as Ryuutsu calmly waited. When the room was silent again, Ryuutsu continued.
"We're not sure what it is, but that and two other beings were brought with it. One was a man of great strength, and the other was a woman in hard labor. That thing killed the man after a long battle that destroyed most of this lab," He waved one arm over towards the wreckage, "and killed many of our men. It wasn't until we were able to get the heavy weapons out were we able to stop it. The woman... didn't survive. She died during childbirth, and we had to cut the babe from her stomach. The child we saved was you Feather." He paused to let this information sink in. "Even though the wings were quite apparent on your mother, we didn't even think twice about it at the time. After this had happened, we closed the lab and ceased work on project Raven. I had become your father, and would have raised you if it weren't for that traitor." Feather looked at him in shock, not comprehending what he was saying. Akane and Ukyou were not in much better shape.
"You, you mean, that thing.. killed my parents?" Ryuutsu nodded at her words, "And, your project is the reason I have my wings?" he shrugged.
"I'm not certain about that. It's possible that you would have had them naturally, but that is a slim possibility. We never got a chance to speak with your mother, or your father." He could see tears starting to form in her eyes, so he quickly continued. "Unfortunately, one of our trainers decided that he wanted out of the clan, and he took you and ran, likely because he knew we wouldn't be able to shoot at him while he had you in his arms. It's been fourteen years since he escaped, and now he's finally facing his punishment. For stealing away your childhood, and then making money off of you for all those years while we vainly searched for you. We never suspected he would join a roving carnival, or to use his techniques to make your will more pliable to him during that time." Ryuutsu gently guided Feather towards a door. The others followed quickly, not wanting to leave Feather alone. When Ryuutsu opened the door, he revealed a fair-sized room that looked like an apartment. Ryuutsu looked at the girls with a faint smile.
"Welcome to my home. I'm afraid it's rather spartan, but please, make yourselves comfortable." He gestured towards the couch. After they were seated, he pulled a chair up and sat down. "Now, do you have anything you want to ask of me?" After a moment of silence, Ukyou spoke up.
"Now that you mention it, why did you send your goon squad to capture her, and why did they take all of us?" Ukyou asked angrily, but calmed a little when they saw his shocked expression.
"They did what?" Ryuutsu yelled, springing to his feet. When Ukyou explained to him their method of capture, his reddened face, and the veins sticking out of his forehead from suppressed rage gratified her. Ryuutsu stormed from the room, and could be heard yelling over some kind of intercom. A moment later he returned, looking much calmer, and had a satisfied look on his face.
"What's going on?" Akane asked. Ryuutsu looked apologetic.
"I must apologize greatly for the way you were treated. I had not made myself clear when I told them to invite you and your friends here so that I could see how you had grown, and meet the kind of people whose company you enjoyed. They thought that I meant to recruit you and your friends into the clans line of work."
"What kind of work is that?" Feather asked, very curious.
"Information and elimination." Ryuutsu looked at their dumbfounded looks, and he clarified himself. "Spying and assassination." That got a reaction. The girls on the couch immediately looked at him with fear in their eyes. He spent until after nightfall attempting to allay their fears, as he explained the clan's methods of remaining undetected, despite capture.
"Let me get this straight, your trainers manipulate the recruits chi to make them forget about the clan and the mission if they are caught, and then they remember everything if they make it back here?" Akane exclaimed. When Ryuutsu nodded, Feather shot another question at him.
"So how come my memory is swiss cheese?" Ryuutsu looked at her sadly.
"The traitor used the technique on you constantly for years. We only use it right before or after a mission. It hasn't been used in the other methods since my great grandfathers day. Ever since a small man came and devastated this camp to get a young recruit back. The clan used to use more severe methods of recruitment than we do now." They looked at him in disbelief, "Now we only recruit by approaching those dissatisfied with their lives, and give them a choice. The tranks are taken as a precaution against a violent response. Some of the other elders are in favor of the more extreme method, but I have been holding them at bay. We.." He was interrupted by a fax machine beeping loudly, and it spat out several sheets of paper. Ryuutsu excused himself and started to read the papers. He frowned, and then put them down before he started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Akane asked. Ryuutsu did not stop laughing for a few minutes.
"That was the report from the assault team that picked you up. They claim that two young men had violently disagreed with their methods, and basically hospitalized more than half of a thirty man team before succumbing to more than fifty tranks in each." Akane and the others traded a knowing look while Ryuutsu continued, "I'm not inclined to believe them," he paused at the serious expression that his guests wore, "Or should I reconsider my position?" Akane nodded gravely.
"Ranma and Ryouga are two of the best martial artists in the world. More likely than not, they are on their way here to 'rescue' us from you. I think we need to..." Akane was cut off by a loud klaxon. Ryuutsu looked at them and sighed.
"Too late."
"Wake up, Son-in-law!" Cologne poked at the comatose form at her feet. Slowly, Ranma was roused from his enforced sleep.
"What time is it, ghoul?" He muttered as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The ancient amazon chuckled.
"It is starting to get dark, and the others are already getting prepared." She gestured towards where Ryouga was going through a kata, and Mousse was carefully going through his weapons. Ranma nodded and stood. He began to go through his kata, letting the flowing forms help him regain his focus. Absently, he noted that Ryouga's kata flowed with fierce, restrained power, and the usually angry face showed an inner calm Ranma had never expected to see. 'I guess it shows how seriously he takes the art' Ranma thought as he moved as smooth as running water through a kick, 'It must be how he keeps his depression from overtaking him, by finding his focus'
Once darkness covered the earth, the small group gathered around the old woman to discuss strategy. After a hushed conversation, Cologne tapped their hyper-activity pressure point, and they melted into the woods. When they reached the compound, Mousse disabled the cameras with a few well thrown knives. Silently, they rushed an unwary patrol. A few fierce blows, and the half-asleep guards were fully asleep. Using keys they found on one of them, Ranma unlocked the gate. Occasionally, Mousse would throw a knife, disabling more cameras.
"It won't be long before they realize something is wrong." Ranma said after they had ambushed another patrol. Kuno nodded.
"Dally not, my comrades, for it would be our deaths to be caught in the open." Ryouga looked towards the building.
"We don't have time to find the door, let's make one!" He said as he padded towards the building, like a tiger on the hunt. The others followed swiftly, and when they reached the building, Ryouga boosted Ranma up to peek through a window. When Ranma looked inside, he gasped.
"What do you see Ranma?" Mousse asked urgently. Ranma hopped down off of Ryouga's shoulders.
"Shampoo is in there, and it looks like their torturing her." Mousse's face went red with rage, and Ryouga struck the wall with one finger, crying out his special technique.
"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!!"
Shampoo was not happy. The tree branch she had crouched on to observe the camp had broken, and she had been an easy target when she lay stunned on the ground. She awakened to find herself in a prison-like room, tied tightly to a chair. Once they had noticed that she was awake, a burly man had entered the cell, and proceeded to interrogate her. Now she was being treated roughly by the man, who was speaking way too rapidly in Japanese for her to understand in her recently awakened condition.
She lifted her head and winced at the bright light placed right in front of her. Her captor said something else, and when she didn't respond, she got a fierce slap from the man. Shampoo feigned unconsciousness to avoid being hit more. She heard the man talking, but still couldn't make out the words. Her cheek stung from where the man had slapped her, and she could feel the other bumps and bruises she had gotten earlier in his interrogation. Something warm was running down her face, and Shampoo resisted the urge to spit her own blood out of her mouth. The man grabbed her hair and roughly yanked upwards, causing Shampoo to cry out involuntarily. She opened her eyes again, and this time the light wasn't there. Instead she could see a man in a blue uniform, with what looked like surgical tools on a table beside him. She suppressed a scream as she realized what he intended to do with those implements. 'Ranma!! Mousse!!! Ryouga!! Hurry up and get me out of here!' She thought frantically as he picked up a curved and spiked implement from the tray and brought it close to her face. Shampoo closed her eyes in resignation and waited for the question, and the inevitable pain afterwards.
The pain never came. Right after the man had barked his question again, the wall behind him exploded. He was thrown from his feet, and the chair Shampoo was in fell over backwards at the force of the blast. Shampoo heard familiar voices, and the sounds of a hurried battle. With a sickening crunch, the room was silent again. Shampoo felt the chair being righted, and someone cutting the ropes that bound her. She blearily opened her eyes, and was greeting with the sight of a furious, but relieved, Mousse cutting her bonds. Without the ropes holding her upright, she fell forward into his arms.
"My god, Shampoo! Are you alright?" Mousse asked her in Chinese. Shampoo tried to respond, but a lump in her throat prevented her from speaking. Mousse gathered her up in his arms and strode back out through the hole, despite her weak protests. "Don't worry Shampoo, I'll get you out of here." Mousse said again, and he quickly leaped over the fence. Shampoo heard several quick impacts, and a grunt of pain from Mousse. Ignoring the tranks that now stuck in his back, Mousse quickly moved deeper into the forest. More of the darts struck home, but he continued on. Akane, Ukyou and Feather were running down a corridor, desperately running from the other members of the Viper clan. Ryuutsu had bought them some time, but at the cost of his life. The guards had gunned him down on the orders of the man they had seen in the truck. What they hadn't seen, was the toppled, but now empty, glass tube. Nor did they hear the shrieks of pain from the guards who were foolish enough to face the monstrosity who was running loose. Leaving death and destruction in it's wake, the thing made it's way out of the building, killing all it encountered. Moving swiftly, it disappeared into the woods.
Some time later, Mousse and Shampoo were resting near a tree. Shampoo was carefully removing the darts from Mousse's back. The soft moonlight illuminated the pair, and a gentle brook bubbled nearby.
"Mousse, you no have to do that." She said softly.
"There was no way I was going to leave you in there to be tortured and mutilated by that fiend." Mousse grunted as she removed another dart. Shampoo was glad that he was unable to see the tears falling from her eyes. She bent to her task again, unawares of the form creeping up behind her. Mousse saw it, however, and stood quickly.
"Mousse! What you doing?" Shampoo said, dashing the tears from her eyes. She noticed Mousse was tensed for a fight, and she followed his gaze. What she saw made her blood run cold, and she screamed. The moonlight didn't seem to be able to penetrate the dark aura that surrounded the monstrosity before them. The misshapen form lunged for them, knocking Mousse away, his blood spattering onto Shampoo. Too weak to run, Shampoo stared up at the monstrosity standing over her. She gaped at the large holes in it's chest area, and the forked tongue that lapped the blood off of it's talons. She saw it raise an impossibly long arm, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the final blow. She heard a sickening tearing sound, a scream of pain, and then a bellow of outrage, suddenly cut off. There was a heavy thud, and a gurgling sound. Shampoo opened her eyes and saw a very bloody Mousse standing over her, a large scimitar covered with some sort of yellow ichor held in his hands. She also saw the severed arm of the beast, and it's decapitated corpse lying nearby. Mousse snarled at it.
"No one hurts my Shampoo and gets away with it." He walked over and stabbed his scimitar deep into the corpse. When he turned back to Shampoo, she stifled a gasp. His robes had been torn open, and his bare chest had three very long, bloody tears in it. He staggered towards her.
"I beat it for you Shampoo..." He managed to say before he collapsed.
"MOUSSE!!!!"
Opening a door, the girls dashed through it and slammed it shut behind them. Gasping for breath, they looked into the room, and froze. Standing before them was a tall man, wielding a sword.
"Welcome, I never expected you to just run in here, but now we don't have to look for you." He grinned maliciously at them. The girls trembled where they stood, not believing their bad luck. The man started to laugh, blood-lust gleaming in his remaining eye, and started to swing his sword in rapid strokes. Dodging the best they could, the girls scattered. Akane's school dress was severely shortened, and a small cut appeared on her leg. Ukyou was dodging the best she could, wishing she had her spatula with her. Ukyou's clothes were partially shredded from the near misses, and it looked like she was wearing little more than a halter top and a pair of cut offs. Feather was faring no better than the others, as she frantically dodged the deadly sword. The yellow tank top was now ending just below her breasts, and scraps of her pants were still held in place by the cords around her calves, looking like absurd leg warmers.
Ukyou misjudged one swing, and got hit on the side of her head by the flat of the blade. The force of the blow caused her to lose her balance, and she fell, hitting her head on the hard floor knocking her unconscious.
"Hahahahahaha!! What's the matter? Can't you do more than just dodge?" He laughed maniacally as he swung his sword again and again. Suddenly the door burst open, and a dramatic figure burst through.
"Hold thou honorless dog!" Kuno yelled, holding not his bokken, but a real katana. The swordsman stopped and contemplated this new adversary.
"Go away whelp, before I hurt you." And he swung his sword to emphasize his point. Kuno calmly blocked the attack and yelled at the girls.
"Escape while I defeat this wretch. I will see to it that the fair Ukyou is safe from this hound of hell" Kuno glared at the swordsman as the girls squeezed behind him through the door. Once the girls were clear, Kuno advanced.
"You have this one opportunity to surrender before the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High. Be quick in deciding, for my patience is thin." The swordsman laughed at Kuno.
"Me, surrender to the likes of you? I shall spit upon your grave!" The swordsman lunged forward, intent on dismembering the arrogant boy before him. Kuno smiled briefly before he raised his katana.
"And so the hounds of hell bark furiously," Block slash and counter, opening a slight wound upon the swordsman's chest, "But mine eyes see a toothless cur barking loudly to hide his insecurity, and weakness."
"Shut up!" Their blades locked in between them, and Kuno looked into his enemies eye and smiled.
"A coward dies many deaths before his true death. Mayhap I shall deliver you unto that oblivion before long. I shall defeat you, and then I shall decide whether or not I shall take your pitiful head as a gift to mine beloved."
"I said shut UP!!!" He swung his sword furiously, but Kuno blocked every strike. The clash of steel upon steel echoed down the empty corridor.
"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" Ryouga roared as he broke through another wall. He and Ranma had split up to search for the girls more effectively. A dart or two protruded from him, but he was unaffected thanks to Cologne tapping some hyper-activity shiatsu spot.
"Akane! Feather! Ukyou!" He called out as he moved cautiously down a hallway. A lone member of the Viper clan attempted to tackle Ryouga, but was kicked back down the hallway, where he crumpled. Ryouga forcefully opened every door he came across, and occasionally fought with some guards. He heard someone running rapidly down the hall, along with what sounded like a large bird flying. Ducking into a doorway, Ryouga peered out, ready to get a surprise attack in. Hearing that the runner was almost right in front of the door, Ryouga jumped out ready to slam the individual into oblivion.
"Eeeeeeekk!!! Ryouga, don't scare me like that!!!" Akane screamed, and then pounded on the startled Ryouga's chest. Feather was hovering nearby, her wings moving rapidly. She landed quickly and hugged Ryouga fiercely.
"It's about time you showed up!" Feather said, starting to cry into his chest. Akane backed up a step with a faint smile. Ryouga was quickly turning red.
"Ah, Feather, we still have to get out of here, remember? And where's Ukyou?" Feather stopped sniffling for a second as she told him about the swordsman, and Kuno's timely rescue.
"Great, let's find Ranma and get out of here." Ryouga said, and started walking back the way he came. Akane ran a bit to catch up.
"How are we going to find Ranma?" Akane asked as she stepped through one of Ryouga's impromptu doors, and then she looked around her in shock. There were piles of unconscious guards littered across the room. Ryouga grinned.
"Simple, we follow the trail of destruction." They broke into a run, while Feather opted to fly down the hallway. It wasn't long before they could hear sounds from a viscous battle, and a familiar voice could be heard over the bedlam.
"Where's Akane you bastards!" Akane's heart jumped in her chest when she heard Ranma's voice. Akane started to run towards the noise, when someone crashed through the door just in front of her. The individual slammed into the wall on the opposite end of the hall, and went limp. Akane rushed towards the door and peeked in, vaguely aware of Ryouga and Feather moving up behind her. Akane gasped at the sight before her. Ranma was moving through the room at a dizzying pace, dealing out punishment wherever he went. His shirt was shredded, and his fists were covered in blood. Anxious, Akane looked harder and realized that the blood that covered his fists were the result of the now toothless, broken nosed men that lay scattered about unconscious. When the last of the guards fell, Akane gave a shout.
"Ranma!!!" She ran into the room, and just as he turned around, she glomped onto him, Shampoolike, and then fiercely kissed him. Ranma's brain suffered from shutdown, but he managed to stay standing and hug her back.
"Hi Akane, sorry I'm late." He grinned after Akane broke off the kiss. Feather cheered from the door.
"Go for it you two! Wooo hooo! Look at that hot couple!" Akane and Ranma separated, thoroughly embarrassed, but happy at the same time. Ryouga strode into the room, and clapped Ranma on the shoulder.
"Nice work Ranma, Mousse got Shampoo out right after we split up, and Kuno is probably getting Ukyou out right now. I think it's time to go home." Ranma grinned.
"This wasn't so tough..." Ranma started to say, before a wall exploded, revealing two men, one holding a spear, the other was twirling nunchuks. "Then again... Akane! Feather! Get out of here while we take care of these guys!" Ranma yelled, dropping back into his stance. Ryouga started to twirl his bandannas in preparation for the attack. Before the girls could react, Ranma and Ryouga launched themselves towards the men. Ranma attacked the one with the nunchuks, while Ryouga threw his bandannas at the spear wielder.
Ranma's opponent dodged Ranma's initial attack, and slammed his nunchuks into Ranma's back. Ranma arched in pain, but spun kicked the man in the face, knocking him backwards. Ranma didn't stop there, he closed rapidly and unleashed the full power of the chestnut fist. The dazed man lashed out with a kick, that Ranma gleefully dodged, and countered with a roundhouse that sent the man flying. Ranma gaped as the man stood up and rushed to the attack again, still silent. Ranma grabbed the man's arm, yanked him off balance, and delivered a chop to the back of the neck. The man slammed into the ground, but stood again to continue the attack. 'Is this guy human?' Ranma thought as he danced the deadly dance with his foe.
Ryouga had missed with his bandannas, and closed in with his opponent. The enraged man swiped his spear towards Ryouga, and was shocked when Ryouga grabbed it one handed, and then lifted the man into the air and slammed him back down. The spear shattered from the impact, and Ryouga moved in closer. Ryouga was slightly startled at how much faster he was moving, 'Must be that shiatsu point the old ghoul hit..' He thought absently as he blocked a kick. Ryouga attacked with a fierce combination of punches and kicks, and ended in a headbutt. His opponent flew away from him into the wall, and groggily stood up. Ryouga grinned a bit, and then charged the man. Ryouga tackled him, and punched him in the throat while the rolled, and then he abruptly stopped the roll, and used the momentum to fling his enemy into the wall again. When the man stood again, he remembered Colognes words in the dojo 'Once they are under the influence of the clan, they stop feeling pain. The only way they stop attacking is if they're dead. Or you are.' The thought of dying in battle fighting someone not quite human anymore depressed Ryouga. Following that chain of thought, the idea that he and Ranma might not be able to get the girls out alive depressed him further. Also, the thought that he'd never see Feather's smiling face again threw him into the deepest pit of despair.
"I. Will. Not. Let. That. Happen." Ryouga ground out as green energy flowed around him like a cyclone. The force of his aura kept his opponent at bay. Ranma spared a glance away from his battle, to see that Ryouga was getting ready to do a full shi shi hokoudan, and that the terrified girls were still watching from the door.
"Run!!" Ranma yelled at them, and was gratified to see them run off down the hallway. Ranma got an idea for a devastating combination.
"Ryouga, release the shi shi hokoudan when I tell you too." Ryouga nodded slowly, a single tear running down his cheek. Ranma got ready for his combination strike.
"NOW!" Ranma yelled, and Ryouga released the pent up energy of a full shi shi hokoudan, while Ranma simultaneously jumped up behind Ryouga and called out his attack.
"Hiryu shoten ha revised, horizontal depression cyclone strike!!" Ranma released his blast, and it sucked in the tremendous power of the full shi shi hokoudan. The cyclone of energy was charged further by Ryouga's strike, and it streaked towards their opponents. Ranma didn't wait to see the result of the attack, he grabbed Ryouga by his shirt and ran for cover.
Akane and Feather heard a massive explosion behind them, and turned around. Billows of smoke and green flame licked from the shattered doorway, obscuring all sight.
"Ranma!!!" Akane screamed and fell to her knee's.
"Ryouga!!" Feather duplicated Akane's performance, and knelt beside her stricken friend. She quickly grabbed Akane, and hugged her fiercely, crying. Akane felt like she was about to cry as well, when she noticed something.
"Feather, look!"
Two silhouettes could be seen in the smoke, and they were slowly approaching. The girls stood up and got ready for trouble. Slowly, the figures gained definition as they neared the edge of the smoke. Akane slowly started to smile. The figures broke through the edge of billowing smoke, and revealed a battered pair of weary fighters. Ranma and Ryouga walked with weary movements towards the girls. Akane was smiling widely now, and a shout got her attention from a different hall. Down that hallway, Kuno and Ukyou strode towards them, too tired to run. Akane and Feather were both smiling hugely at this point, and waited for their friends to reach them. They had a quick reunion inside the destroyed hall. After a few quick hugs, Ranma spoke up. Everyone relished his words.
"Let's go home."
Wearily, they left the compound, and walked towards their agreed meeting place. The moonlight only increased the beauty of the surrounding forest, and their spirits were lifted by the sight. They weren't prepared for the sight that greeted them at the rendezvous. Shampoo was still trying to bandage up a badly wounded Mousse, who appeared to be out cold. Cologne was nearby looking at the monstrosity that nearly killed the young amazons. The other girls gasped, recognizing the thing that was contained in the basement of the building. When they got closer, it was apparent that Shampoo had been crying heavily, and she didn't get up to glomp onto Ranma. She looked up and smiled slightly.
"Nihau, Ranma. Shampoo glad to see you got everyone else out." Her voice cracked, and she turned back to bandaging Mousse.
"What happened Shampoo?" Ranma asked, stunned that she was staying by Mousse's side. Not that he minded, but he was concerned about the sheer mass of blood that covered the area. The other girls looked at the thing Mousse had killed, and shivered. It was still moving, but the scimitar in it's back prevented it from getting up. The remaining arm was trying to reach the weapon, but failing.
"I never thought I'd see one of these again." Cologne said as she pogoed over to the battle weary group. "A damned creature, formed from malice and cursed souls who died from treachery, and were never buried. We must burn the remains to prevent it from freeing itself again."
As they built a pyre around the thing, Shampoo related to the rest of the group what had happened. She burst into tears again when she told them how Mousse had taken the deathblow meant for her, and then defeated the thing.
"Shampoo no know what to do now. Shampoo must marry Ranma, but now Shampoo in debt of honor to Mousse. Great-grandmother, what Shampoo do now?" She looked pleadingly over to the ancient woman, who was calmly lighting the fire. Without turning, the shriveled leader of the Amazons spoke.
"These circumstances are dire, and I must send a letter to the rest of the council for advice in this matter. Until I get a response from them, you will continue to pursue Ranma, but be more mindful of Mousse, child. I fear the next few months will be difficult for you, but keep this in mind. Mousse has proven himself as a man today. He has killed in your defense, and that cannot be ignored. It would not be dishonorable for you to wed him." Cologne's words struck Shampoo to the core. She bent over Mousse's still form and cried. The ancient amazon turned to the rest of the group. "We depart in the morning, after the fire has gone out. This place is still dangerous, so I will watch tonight." Kuno stood and lifted his katana.
"I shall keep watch by your side, ancient one, as the great Tatewaki Kuno was not wounded during this skirmish. I would be honored if I could guard the beautiful Akane Tendo, and the lovely Feather whom I am much pleased to have made acquaintance with." The others were too tired to object to his speech, and settled in for the remainder of the night.
The morning came all too quickly for the weary group, and after insuring that the fire was out, and nothing remained of the creature, they started back down the mountain. Once on the train for Nerima, they all slept again, too weary to even talk about their individual fights. It wasn't until they were back in Nerima, with Mousse in a hospital, Shampoo at his side, and the rest trudged into the Tendo Dojo. Feather looked over the old wooden house, and the neatly kept lawn. 'I'm home now, and nothing is going to change that.' She thought cheerfully as she joined in the quickly growing victory party.
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 5
Happy sounds filled the night air around the Tendo Dojo. Weary but exultant warriors had burst upon the dojo, startling Kasumi. Akane rushed forward to hug her eldest sister.
"Kasumi! I'm so glad to see you again!" Akane practically cried into her sister's shoulder. Kasumi gently returned the hug.
"I'm glad to see you home and safe Akane." Kasumi spoke softly. Mr. Tendo had heard Akane's shout and rushed into the room.
"My little girl! You're home safe and sound! Come here and give daddy a hug!" Mr. Tendo nearly drowned Akane with his tears.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Nabiki said as she walked into the room. Everyone looked at her blankly. "Tell us what happened! I want to know all the details." Nabiki sat at the table and folded her hands under her chin.
Everyone started talking at once it seemed, and Nabiki couldn't make sense of their excited babbling
"Please people! One at a time!" Nabiki shouted over the noise, bringing a temporary silence. "That's better. Akane, why don't you start off." Nabiki leaned back to listen. Before Akane could speak, the door slid open, revealing a heavily bandaged Mousse that was leaning on Shampoo for support. Mousse's face was pale and drawn, but he continued on despite his pain, and Shampoo's objections.
"Mousse! I thought we had left you in the hospital!" Ranma exclaimed.
"You had, but I checked myself out after they stitched the wounds. I refuse to be locked in there any longer than necessary." Mousse spoke in obvious pain. To his credit, he was doing his best not to lean heavily on Shampoo. Shampoo leveled a glare at Mousse.
"Stupid duck boy! Should go back to hospital and rest. Be very bad if change...." Shampoo let her words trail off in an attempt to chastise Mousse into returning. He shook his head.
"I will heal faster if I am always in your radiant presence. I would shrivel in that hospital, locked away from your beauty." Mousse spoke calmly. Shampoo continued to glare at him for a second before she hesitantly hugged him around his neck.
"Shampoo no want to see you become cripple. No push self, is ok?" Mousse would have assaulted the very gates of Hell if Shampoo had asked him to at that point. Ryouga walked up to them and patted them both on the back.
"Well then, now that that is settled, why don't you two come in and celebrate!" Ryouga flashed his teeth with a grin. "It ain't often we all get together to celebrate rather than fight!"
"I have some cookies I baked for everyone!" Kasumi said as she glided into the room carrying a tray laden with cookies.
Everyone sat about the room and good natured bragging and banter was the order of the evening. After everyone had told their personal tale, Kuno stood in the center of the room and rapped his sheathed sword on the floor for attention.
"My comrades, it is well that we enjoy this most glorious victory. The god of victory has smiled upon us, and yet, we have cause for remorse. Lest we be ungrateful to he who fell protecting the lovely Akane Tendo, let us observe a moment of silence for a man of honor amongst brigands. Our deepest respect for the man who only wanted to see his daughter again, and died protecting her right to choose the path of life on which she shall travel. Let us honor Ryuutsu Maruyama with a moment of silence, and may his soul travel gently to the next plane." Kuno bowed his head, and all in the room did the same. Feather started to cry softly, her sobs piercing the silence. After a minute had passed, Kuno returned to where he was seated.
"It is well to grieve the passing of an honorable man. Let us look upon his sacrifice as an example, and take pride in knowing that thanks to him, we are all sitting here tonight." Kuno said softly, and then he sat.
In an attempt to lighten the mood, Akane got sodas for everyone.
"A toast to Mousse!" All eyes turned to Akane, who was holding an open bottle of coke. "He defeated something truly evil, and probably saved all of our lives, and nearly lost his own in doing so!" All present raised their cokes towards Mousse, even Shampoo reluctantly raised her bottle for a quick tap with Mousse's. Tears flowed freely from Mousse as he spoke.
"I don't deserve this friends." He said quietly. "I just didn't want that thing to hurt Shampoo."
"Nonsense Mousse!" Ryouga said. "You know you deserve it, that thing must've mangled fifty or more of those guys, and you downed it with one blow!" He raised his bottle high. "This Coke's for you!" Everyone laughed. Mr. Tendo and Genma raised beer steins towards Mousse and then drained them in one gulp. Kasumi refilled them quickly, and moved through the room serving everyone else with soda or tea.
Slowly, the party wound down. Mr. Tendo and Genma were almost comatose from all the drinking, and Feather had long since fallen asleep in Ryouga's lap. Mousse seemed to be half dead as well, Shampoo was struggling to keep him upright.
"Mousse! No lean that way! Maybe Mousse want go back to hospital and get strapped to bed?" Shampoo snapped, and Mousse sat bolt upright. Shampoo stood. "Come Mousse, we go now. Shampoo see Ranma tomorrow yes?" Mousse stood with much help from Shampoo. Shampoo gently worked her way under one of Mousse's arms, and lent support.
"Shampoo, I.." Mousse was interrupted by one of Shampoo's fingers on his lips.
"Hush Mousse, no spoil evening now." Shampoo led an overjoyed Mousse out into the night. Ranma and Ryouga traded glances and a wink.
Kuno stood and looked about.
"As much as I enjoy the company of the fair Akane Tendo, I should depart for mine own domicile." Kuno bowed towards Mr. Tendo. "I thank you sir for extending your hospitality till this late hour." Kuno then strode out the door and into the night. Ukyou was the next to rise.
"It is getting late. I'll see you later Ranchan!" Ukyou waved cheerfully as she took her leave. Kasumi saw the chef out the door, and then turned on her sisters.
"Akane, Nabiki, I want you two to go get yourselves cleaned up." When they started to protest Kasumi held up one hand. " I know you want to stay up all night, but there is school tomorrow, and I want you to be able to study hard." Kasumi smiled at them. "I'll be sending the boys to the bath after you get out, so don't feel like they are being treated special." Kasumi shooed her sisters out of the room, and then herded the fathers away as well. The room was empty, save for Ranma and Ryouga, who still had a sleeping Feather in his lap. They spoke quietly about the events that had recently transpired.
"After that, I don't think we'll be seeing much of those guys again," Ranma spoke with confidence, "After all, we trashed them pretty badly."
"Yeah, but remember we only trashed one of their compounds, they may have several others, and might want revenge..." Ryouga muttered darkly, involuntarily clenching his fist at the thought.
"Let them try," Ranma said as he looked out towards the pond. A single Koi leapt from the pond, its scales glittered in the moonlight.
At the devastated compound of the Viper clan, an old man in a wheel chair surveyed the damage. The recovering survivors of the assault wearily went about burying those that were mauled to death by the creature, and tended to the most serious injuries. Several teams of medics were kept on constant rotation, treating the men mostly for broken limbs and nasty bruises.
The old man sighed. With a weak gesture, he summoned one of the bloodied survivors to him.
"What happened here?" He wheezed. The battered man spoke slowly, as if he had trouble breathing. The man had a patch over one eye, and his cheekbones were prominent. His black hair was matted by blood and mud, and it was apparent that he was still bleeding from several small cuts. He told the old man all about the assault at night, Lt. Yama's betrayal of Ryuutsu, and the terror that was unleashed. The old man nodded, then spoke again.
"Have the wills of the deceased been found yet?" The survivor nodded. "Bring them to me so that I may insure that they are carried out to the best of our abilities." As the bloodied man turned to leave, the old man grabbed his arm. "Bring me Ryuutsu's first. He was an old friend of mine, and I would see him resting peacefully by carrying out his final wishes." The bloodied man left, and one of the old man's personal guards approached.
"Sir, we found what appeared to be a funeral pyre in the woods. In it we discovered what appeared to be the bones of the creature that escaped." The old man nodded, waiting for more information. The guard swallowed hard. "We also recently gained entry into the basement level. The carnage was.... Awful. I have organized a funeral detail to see that the remains are properly buried. Among the dead, we have been able to identify very few of them." The old man raised a bushy eyebrow.
"Most were mauled badly, and the corpses seem to be suffering from some sort of fast rot." The guard handed a short list to the old man. "That is the list of those we have positively identified, in order of rank." The guard turned on his heel and left. The old man looked at the list, and right at the top of the list was Ryuutsu's name. The man with the eye-patch that he had sent to fetch the wills of the known dead returned. After handing the old man a folder, he handed him a neatly folded piece of paper.
"These are all the wills that could be found sir, Ryuutsu's will is the separate one." After the man had left, the aged man carefully opened Ryuutsu's will.
Early the next morning, all present at the compound gathered to hear the old man speak to them.
"I have reached a decision. All of you will be transferred to the compound of your choice, as this one is badly compromised and must be abandoned. Any of you who wish to leave the clan are advised that all memory of the clan shall be erased, and you will be set up with a new identity, and a new life. Remember, we care for our own, and that includes those that were stolen from us. Death wandered freely here, and we shall pay tribute to those that fell, and curse the name of the one that brought down wrath upon us. By his treachery, Yama caused many to die, and his name shall forever be struck from the annals of our history. " The old man paused for a second to let his words sink in.
"The old ways of kidnapping our recruits shall never be revived. The devastation here shows what happens when we are not cautious in these times. There are those among us who longed for the old days. They now remember what happened many years ago when we raided an amazon village in China for a recruit or two. That time as well a whole compound was destroyed. We must not let history repeat itself again, learn from this experience, and guard against it ever happening again." The assembled members of the clan all seemed to start talking at once, some shouting questions, others just talking to each other. The old man waited for them to calm down before he spoke again.
"I have a special mission for a single volunteer. No danger should be involved, but a journey must be made to deliver a package. Ryuutsu left in his will instructions that a package is to be delivered upon his demise. It is our duty to honor his wishes." The old man eyeballed the crowd. "I want someone fit to travel to see me before nightfall. One final note, this site shall be destroyed utterly, and a shrine shall be built here, to honor those that fell here. All graves shall be properly marked, and we shall find some worthy monks to inhabit the shrine. As it is said, it shall be done." The old man turned from the crowd and rolled into his pavilion to await his messenger. Shortly, the man with the eye-patch entered the pavilion.
"Sir?" He spoke hesitantly.
"Yes, you may speak."
"I volunteer for the journey, sir. I discussed it with my comrades, and they felt that they were needed here. Also, I am the most fit to travel, despite my injuries." The old man looked at him again.
"What is your name young man?"
"Ryuunosuke Maruyama, sir."
Ranma woke with stiff muscles the next morning. Yawning hugely, he kicked at Ryouga who was snoring nearby.
"Wake up pig-boy!" Ranma said as he started getting ready for school. Ryouga woke and growled at Ranma. Ranma grinned at his surly friend.
"Man, you have one ugly mug to wake up to you know." Ranma joked as Ryouga growled again while he dug a fresh set of clothes out of his pack.
"You aren't much better Ranma." Ryouga grumbled, "But I'm sure a splash of cold water will fix that problem." Ranma flinched involuntarily, then turned on Ryouga.
"Don't even joke about that man!" Ryouga laughed as a flustered Ranma finished getting changed. "Hey Ryouga, you gonna head back to your place or what?" Ranma asked suddenly.
"Dunno. I was thinking about it, but Feather still needs a lot of training, and she looks to me like a sensei. I guess I could set up camp in the vacant lot..." Ranma snorted.
"Better get Feather to get you in the morning, or it'll take you a week to find the dojo again. Either that or camp in the yard. I don't think Mr. Tendo would be too pleased to have you moving in, heck I'm feeling a tad uncomfortable about living here." Ranma looked out the window. "I feel bad about mooching off the Tendo's, but somehow I think they want me to stay, even Akane." Ryouga put his hand on his friends shoulder.
"I'm behind you one hundred percent now Ranma, as long as you plan on making Akane happy." Ryouga tightened his grip. "You will make her happy won't you?" Ryouga growled at Ranma, who slipped out of the iron grip.
"What about what I want?" Ranma asked, a touch angry. "Why should I marry that uncute, sexless tomboy?" Ryouga steamed at Ranma's words, but he leaned on the wall and grinned.
"Are you sure you want to say that Ranma?" Ranma drew a blank until Ryouga pointed behind him. Ranma turned with a feeling of certain doom, and saw Akane behind him, mallet in hand, ready to pound.
"Good point!" Ranma said as he dodged Akane and ran for the breakfast table. Akane flung her mallet after Ranma, and grinned with satisfaction when she saw the mallet imbed itself into Ranma's skull.
"Serves him right." Akane muttered, then she turned to Ryouga and smiled, "Good morning Ryouga, did you sleep well?"
"Good morning Akane, yeah I slept pretty well I think, yeah I did didn't I?" Ryouga rubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously. Akane smiled at him again, and then left for the breakfast table. Ryouga sighed. 'Maybe I'm not completely over her....' He thought as he followed Akane to the table. Ranma and Genma were already wolfing down the food, and Mr. Tendo was reading the morning paper. Nabiki was calmly eating next to Kasumi, but Feather was nowhere to be seen.
"Is Feather awake yet?" Ryouga asked as he took his seat, nodding thanks to Kasumi when she passed him a bowl.
"No, the poor girl was so exhausted after last night that I told her to sleep herself out this morning." Kasumi said. Ryouga nodded and proceeded to eat his breakfast.
Immediately after breakfast, Akane and Ranma dashed for school while Nabiki left in a more leisurely fashion. Ryouga didn't move from his place at the table, not knowing what to do. Mr. Tendo lowered his paper.
"Ryouga, I've noticed that you've become much calmer recently. Have you and Ranma finally settled that grudge?" Ryouga flinched at Mr. Tendo's wording.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. We did kinda come to an agreement I think." Mr. Tendo nodded.
"Good, you have no idea how expensive your fights had become. The damage you two can cause during a fight is considerable." Ryouga squirmed a bit. "But now that you two are friends, we can all breathe a little easier."
"Were we really that bad?" Ryouga asked in a small voice.
"Uh huh. At one point we had to depend on Kodachi's infatuation with Ranma to keep us fed." Ryouga shrank further into himself and started to shake a little. Ryouga slowly stood.
"Mr. Tendo, could I use your phone? I need to call home." Mr. Tendo nodded and pointed towards the phone.
"Be my guest." Ryouga walked stiffly over to the phone and dialed. Ryouga tapped his foot while he waited for the answering machine to pick up.
>Hello?< Ryouga's feet slipped out from under him when he heard his father's voice over the phone.
>Dad? Boy I'm glad I caught you at home!<
>Ryouga my boy! How have you been? You eating right?< Ryouga laughed as the usual flood of questions washed over him. Ryouga spent the next few minutes catching up on the news with his father.
>Umm, Dad? I got a favor to ask you.< Ryouga asked tenatively
>Go ahead son, you know I'd do everything I can to help.<
>Well, you see, I'm kinda staying with the Tendo's right now, and I was wondering if you could send me some money to help with the food and all? It'll really help out here.< Ryouga pleaded with his father. He tensed when he didn't hear anything on the other end of the line for a minute before his father responded.
>Son, I got a better idea. Give me the address for the dojo, and I will send you a checkbook. I'm going to set you up with a checking account, and give you basically an allowance. Should've done this with you long ago, but the need hadn't arisen.< He chuckled for a minute.
>Uh, sure Dad, no problem.< Ryouga could barely contain himself. He told his father the address for the dojo, and said goodbye. He looked back over at Mr. Tendo.
"Hey Mr. Tendo. My Dad said he's going to hook me up with some money, so I'll be helping pay for the food, and maybe help pay for some of the old damages." Mr. Tendo dropped his newspaper and dashed over to Ryouga. Mr. Tendo grasped Ryouga's shoulders firmly.
"You'd do that?" Mr. Tendo asked in a hopeful voice. When Ryouga nodded hesitantly, Mr. Tendo started to wail. "Such an honorable gesture! Ryouga, you are always welcome at our table!" Ryouga tried to pull away.
"Um, thanks Mr. Tendo, could you let go now?" Ryouga looked at the fountains coming out of Mr. Tendo's eyes with apprehension. Mr. Tendo continued to wail, and Ryouga used his considerable strength to pull away. Ryouga decided it was high time he went through his morning kata, and stepped out into the yard. Ryouga let his mind clear as he flowed through the motions, letting the dancelike exercise take over.
Feather woke slowly as a warm beam of sunshine embraced her face. She sat up in the futon and stretched, working some kinks out of her muscles. She stood and walked over to the window. Gazing out into the yard, she saw Ryouga flowing through his kata. Feather marveled at how fluid his motions seemed, not at all what people expect if they knew Ryouga a bit better. The oft times angry and depressed young man struck people as a person with no grace. Feather quickly dressed in a gi she had borrowed from Akane and rushed downstairs to join Ryouga in his morning exercise.
When she got outside she attempted to mimic his motions, but she failed miserably as he started moving through more complex combinations. Feather sighed and proceeded to do the basic kata she knew well. Her long, red hair swirled like liquid fire around her as she concentrated on the kata.
Ryouga noticed Feather going through the kata, and stopped doing his own to call out spot corrections in her form.
"Don't overextend like that, it could cause you to lose your balance." Feather didn't respond, but went through the kick again. "Good. Try to relax, and let the motions flow by themselves." Ryouga watched her with a critical eye for a few minutes before he spoke again.
"Finish your kata and we'll work a bit more on your kicks."
Once they were inside the dojo, Ryouga thoroughly went through all the different kicks in great detail, demonstrating each one several times before coaching her. By the time Ranma and Akane had made it home from school, Feather was exhausted. Akane peeked into the dojo to see how she was doing.
"Hi Feather! How was your training today?" Akane asked when Feather walked over to her and slumped to the floor.
"Hard. I don't know how he does it. He must be doing each exercise or attack three or four times more than I am, and he barely broke a sweat! Here I am, totally exhausted, and the rock over there is sparring with Ranma like we didn't do anything all day!" Feather pouted. Akane concealed a smile behind her hand.
"He has been training for a long time Feather, and he almost constantly travels, so he's got more stamina than most people." Feather snorted.
"More stamina than an ox you mean. Oh well, I guess I'm just mad at myself for not being able to keep up." Akane giggled.
"You get used to it. I've had a hard time dealing with the fact that Ranma is so much better than I am. It just ticks me off when he forgets that I'm skilled as well." Akane patted Feather on the shoulder before heading inside to do her homework.
That evening, while the while they were eating dinner, someone knocked at the door. Kasumi stood quickly.
"We have visitors, I'll go see who it is." She walked towards the door. She opened it and smiled at the man standing there, despite his bedraggled appearance and the eye-patch. He was carrying a fairly large case, and appeared to be around twenty five or so.
"Why hello there, what can I do for you?"
"I'm sorry for bothering you so late miss, but does Feather live here?" The man spoke softly, and sounded very tired.
"Yes, she does live here, why don't you come inside and I'll get you some tea." Kasumi opened the door wider to let the man inside. She led the man to the main room, where the others where still eating. Before anyone could react, the man bowed to them.
"Good evening, my name is Ryuunosuke, and I am an emissary from the Viper clan." Everyone at the table started, and Ranma and Ryouga jumped to their feet. Feather was too stunned to even move. "I have been sent to carry out the will of one of our elders that died in the most unfortunate incident that occurred several days ago." After these words, Ryouga tensed even further.
"And just what was his will?" Ryouga asked suspiciously. Ryuunosuke gestured towards the case he was carrying.
"To deliver this to Feather, and to tell you all that if you ever need the clans help, the means to contact us are in the case. You are honorary members by decree of the ancient elder, and are to be treated with respect by the entire clan." Ryuunosuke set the case down, and popped the latches. He then stepped away from the case, and looked at Feather. Feather swallowed hard, and moved towards the case. She gasped when she opened it. Inside the case there was a photo album, a leather bound book, what looked like a small jewelry chest, and money, lots of it. She looked at Ryuunosuke with her surprise evident on her face.
"This is.. unbelievable..." Feather stammered as she opened the jewelry case. Inside, there were several expensive looking rings, a necklace or two, a pair of jewel encrusted bracers, and a full neck choker that had a very large emerald set into the clasp. "I, I don't know what to say..." Feather trailed off, and looked up at the smiling Ryuunosuke.
"It was my father's wish that you get mother's jewelry, as well as that photo album. The money was my idea, and the book describes how we may be contacted. I'm sorry I wasn't able to grow up with you as your brother." Feather gaped at him, while Nabiki came to a conclusion.
"Your Ryuutsu Maruyama's son aren't you?" Nabiki stated more than asked. He nodded.
"I didn't know what kind of esteem you held my father in, so I kept silent about that. I would have understood if you had attacked when I first said that I was part of the clan." He grinned at Ranma. "It wouldn't have been the fist time I was beaten into the ground by you." Ranma rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Um.. sorry about that, I was a bit mad at the time." Ranma laughed a bit about that, and Ryuunosuke joined him.
"I was just trying to protect my wife, she's pregnant with our first child, and I didn't want her getting hurt." Ryuunosuke admitted. "Fortunately, she wasn't hurt, and she's due soon, so I must take my leave of you and hurry to our new home." Ryuunosuke bowed again, and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Feather cried out as she hurriedly stood. Ryuunosuke turned back towards her. Feather bowed to him.
"Thank you for bringing this, and I hope to see you again soon." Ryuunosuke smiled at her words.
"I'll be sure to visit sometime with my wife and child. See you later my friends." Ryuunosuke left the dojo, a huge smile on his face. Inside, Feather was gaping at the money in the case. Ryouga sat down next to Feather. Feather looked up and gazed over at Mr. Tendo.
"I think I could afford to get my own place with this," Feather spoke quietly.
"Your more than welcome to stay with us" Mr. Tendo said, "But if you feel you need your own place, we'll do everything we can to help you get started." Feather gave the startled Mr. Tendo a hug.
"Thanks for everything Mr. Tendo......" Feather was at a loss for words, her emotions choking her. Nabiki, eyeballing the money, cleared her throat.
"That may be a lot of money, but ongoing expenses will eat it up fairly quickly. Unless you get a steady source of income, it will break you to move out." Feather looked abashed, and Ryouga spoke.
"My father was supposed to start up a checking account for me, and he told me that if I needed more to leave a message on his machine." Nabiki raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh? And just how much is he giving you?" When Ryouga told her, Nabiki's eyes widened. "He can afford to give you THAT much every month?" Nabiki started to calculate in her head what kind of place he could afford, based on the figure that Ryouga's father was giving him each month. Ryouga blushed a little.
"I kinda asked him for some money to give Mr. Tendo in return for his hospitality." Nabiki nodded, then she grinned.
"For a small fee, I can tell you how you can get your own place, and have plenty leftover to handle any and all of the bills that may come up."
"What kind of fee?" Ryouga asked
"Oh, I'd say a 20,000 yen fee should just about cover it...." Nabiki grinned evilly, that is until she found herself being menaced by Ryouga. Nabiki suddenly realized that she didn't have anything on Ryouga that would cause him to back off.. "Did I say 20,000? I meant 2,000 yen." Nabiki laughed nervously. Ryouga settled down and dug 2,000 yen out of his pocket. "Thanks for the business. Your solution is simple. Become roommates." The chaos that resulted in the room rivaled a riot.
After everyone had calmed down (slightly) Nabiki continued her explanation.
"I merely meant that if you two shared an apartment, you would be able to afford it without working for about three or four years without any outside income. You needn't sleep in the same room, but it is the most economical option for you." Nabiki said trying to further calm down the tempest before her.
Feather looked around desperately. She didn't object to staying near Ryouga, but she had absolutely no idea about what to do about getting an apartment. She was just starting to get used to living free again, and the thought of moving out was overwhelming. Ryouga had passed out, an over active imagination coupled with his shyness had overloaded him. Ranma and Akane seemed to be slightly furious at the attempted matchmaking. Mr. Tendo looked thoughtful though, Genma did as well. Everyone looked as though they were going to speak again when Feather spoke up herself.
"Well, I'm going to bed, we can talk about this in the morning!" She struggled for a second with Ryouga's unconscious form, and then carried him upstairs. She dropped him off in Ranma's room, and she went over to Akane's room and promptly went to sleep. Downstairs, Mr. Tendo closed up the case, and took it with him to hide in his underwear drawer. 'If there's one place on earth the master wouldn't look for something, it's in a man's underwear drawer!' He grinned to himself as he settled in for the night. Genma was thinking furiously about possibilities.
'Feather's an orphan, so she needs someone to care for her, she wants to learn martial arts, and she has money! Maybe I should adopt her into the family and train her as well. Ryouga's not bad, but the Anything Goes school could always use more dedicated students....' Grinning at these thoughts, he quietly retired. Ranma and Akane angrily confronted Nabiki.
"Are you trying to pair those two up?" Akane asked her sister.
"Yeah no kidding," Ranma said, "They're doing just fine without you butting in." Nabiki was nonplussed by their accusations.
"Did it ever occur to you two that when I told them that rooming together was their only chance, was a ploy to get her to stay here?" Ranma and Akane drew a blank look, "Feather needs a family right now, and being in an apartment by herself would devastate her." Comprehension came slowly to Akane, however Ranma remained clueless.
"I see, so Feather stays here, and she starts making a normal life for herself. Then, whenever she runs into something she doesn't know how to deal with, we step in like her family would, and help her out... Nabiki you're a genius!" Akane reasoned, a smile growing on her face. Ranma finally understood.
"I get it, but what would your dad say Nabiki? He's already raised three girls, do you think he'll want to take responsibility for another one?"
"Already taken into account, my soon to be brother in law. You see, it appears that your father is starting to get ideas about adopting Feather into your family. He was unusually quiet this evening, and that means he's up to something. If he does actually do that, she will literally have her family, ready made with brother, sister, and the family pet." Nabiki smirked at the expression on Ranma's face. Akane looked thoughtful for a second and then asked her own question.
"What about Ryouga? She's become so attached to him, that if he wanted to move into an apartment, she would go with him." Nabiki smiled greatly.
"If she stays, she'll want her own room right?" The others nodded, "They have more than enough to have two or three rooms added and still have plenty left-over. With the money Ryouga's father is giving him, he would be able to afford to pay rent, and that will help keep food in the pantry." Nabiki grinned evilly, "I know just the contractor to call in to add the rooms. He would have them in, and seeming like they've always been there in less than a week."
"Nabiki, you've thought of everything!" Akane said as she hugged her sister.
"I know, someone here has to." Nabiki said.
The next morning, Ryouga woke slowly. He was thoroughly enjoying the sensation of waking up in a warm futon, a slight autumn chill in the air around him, and delicious scents teasing at his nose. He thought back to the few times his whole family had been in his house at the same time. Smiling, he closed his eyes again, and drifted back through his memories... Only to be jolted wide awake by the sounds of a furious battle going on outside.
"What on earth?" He yelled as he quickly jumped out of the futon to see what was going on. He rushed down the stairs and looked out in the garden. There he saw the Saotomes going through their usual morning practice. Suddenly he remembered where he was, and why he had passed out the night before. He blushed slightly as he cast his gaze over towards the gate, and saw Feather and Akane were returning from a jog. Ryouga relaxed and walked into the kitchen. Kasumi was there, working busily on breakfast. She noticed his entry, and smiled at him.
"Good morning Ryouga, sleep well last night?"
"Yeah, best sleep I've had in ages." Ryouga's stomach growled. Kasumi giggled at the suddenly blushing martial artist.
"Breakfast will be on in a minute or two Ryouga, why don't you sit down at the table." Ryouga nodded, and turned to leave. A Large drop of sweat suddenly formed on Kasumi's face. "Um, Ryouga?" She said, "The table is over there."
"Oh, thanks Kasumi."
Out in the yard, Ranma was attacking Genma with a fierce series of kicks. Genma had deftly blocked them, and stepped forward to take advantage of an apparent opening. Ranma surprised him when he rolled between Genma's legs, grabbing them in passing, and dropped his father on his face.
"What's the matter old man? You shoulda seen that one a mile away." Ranma gloated over his fallen father, not noticing a hand snaking towards his leg. Genma quickly grabbed Ranma's ankle, and forcefully pulled him off balance. While Ranma was off balance, Genma sprung to his feet and kicked Ranma solidly in the ribs. Ranma flew backwards and landed in the pond. There was a resounding crack when his head hit one of the rocks.
"That's what you get for not paying attention boy!" It was Genma's turn to gloat. He turned pale when he saw Ranma-chan float back to the surface, face down in the water. Akane rushed into the pond, screaming Ranma's name.
"NO! Not again!" Akane wailed as she pulled Ranma's limp form out of the pond. Ryouga walked over to see if his friend needed any help.
"What do you mean, 'not again'?" Ryouga asked. Akane quickly explained about Ranma's previous personality switch. Ryouga stared at her for a second, then burst out laughing. Akane's anger started to boil, as she glared at Ryouga.
"And just what are you laughing at?" She growled. Ryouga stifled another laugh.
"I, heh heh heh, could imagine Ranma running around a shopping mall with you..." Ryouga broke into helpless laughter again. Feather pulled him away before Akane could throw him into the pond.
Some time later, Ranma-chan slowly woke up. Her head was still throbbing, and she groaned as she sat up.
"Are you awake Ranko?" Kasumi asked quietly. Ranma-chan looked at her suddenly.
"Kasumi?" Ranma-chan asked in an unusually sweet voice. Kasumi nodded, and then proceeded to gently clean the back of Ranma-chan's head. Ranmachan hissed as the alcohol soaked cloth touched the raw skin.
"I'm sorry, did that sting?" Kasumi tried to be even gentler, but she didn't pause from her task. "Auntie Saotome showed up while you were still knocked out. Mr. Panda barely jumped into the pond before she saw him. Kuno is here as well, he wanted to talk to Akane." Ranma looked at Kasumi confused.
"Why would Mr. Panda be afraid of Auntie Saotome?" She asked, Kasumi stopped cleaning the wound, and looked Ranma-chan in the eye.
"Tell me, what is the last thing you remember?" Kasumi asked, a slight bit of urgency in her usually calm voice. Ranma-chan looked puzzled for a second, then she grabbed the back of her head again and groaned. When she looked up, her expression was clear.
"Are you ok Ranko?" Kasumi asked. She looked visibly relieved when she saw a normal grin show up on Ranma-chan's face.
"Yeah, the back of my head hurts, but I remember who I am." Kasumi smiled again, and gracefully stood.
"I should be getting started on lunch now, you should rest for a couple of minutes before you come down." Kasumi silently closed the door behind her. Ranma-chan lay back down on the futon with a sigh. She was grateful for the gentle help from the eldest of the Tendo girls, and she would do serious bodily harm to anyone who dared to hurt Kasumi.
'Waitaminute!' Ranma-chan thought as she sat bolt upright, 'Mom's here, I may not be able to see her as her son, but I'll be damned if I'm not going to spend time with her.' Ranma-chan hurried out of the room, and started to walk down the stairs. She had taken maybe two steps down when a wave of dizziness hit. She grabbed desperately for the stair rail, but missed it. As she started to fall, she idly wondered how much it was going to hurt.
"Whoa there," Ryouga had come out of one of the rooms just in time to see Ranma start to fall. He hurried towards the top of the stairs and quickly grabbed Ranma-chan and pulled her back to the top of the steps. Normally, this would not have been a problem. In fact, it should have been a good thing, but several coincidences played together to turn the worst light on things. One of Ryouga's hands happened to have landed, in an unfortunate area, and Kuno had witnessed this, and jumped to conclusions.
"Ryouga you fiend! How dare you take advantage of the pigtailed one so, I shall smite thee!" Kuno yelled as he charged. Ryouga for his part, had finally realized where his hand had ended up, and was paralyzed, blood streaming from his nose. Ranma-chan was too dizzy to even realize what was happening, and was basically limp in Ryouga's arms. Luckily, Ryouga's survival instinct kicked in just in time for him to dodge a slash from Kuno. Not wanting to leave a weakened Ranma with Kuno, he shifted his grip slightly and raced down the stairs and outside.
"Coward! Stand your ground and fight me!" Kuno roared as he gave chase. Feather had heard the commotion, and ran to see what was going on. Akane was too busy in the kitchen with Nodoka to even bother with what was going on. All Feather saw was Ryouga, blood all over his face and shirt and carrying an unconscious Ranma-chan, being chased by an angry Kuno waving his bokken in the air. Feather snapped her wings out, tearing the back of the T-shirt she was wearing to shreds, and flew to help Ryouga. She flew over Kuno, and landed in front of him and assumed a ready stance while she dismissed her wings.
"Kuno, I challenge you!" She yelled, hoping she would be able do delay Kuno just long enough for Ryouga to get away. Kuno came to a stop in front of her.
"A challenge? Very well, I shall face thee, and should you win, I shall allow you to date with me!" He raised his bokken in a salute to her. "And should I win, I shall date with thee!" He yelled as he slashed quickly. Feather jumped up and forward, landing on Kuno's shoulders. She reached for his head to do a neck throw, but Kuno ducked his shoulders, and took a quick step forward. Feather tumbled to the ground, shaken. Kuno turned around and started to slash at her prone form.
"Surrender, lest I harm thy beautiful skin in my eagerness for victory!" Kuno pressed his advantage, but Feather rolled backwards and flipped away. She landed and faced off against Kuno again. After a few tense moments, she raced towards Kuno, and landed several punches on his face, and a kick in his gut. Kuno bent forward from the kick, but he slapped his bokken across the back of Feather's knee. Feather buckled, and Kuno was about claim victory when, instead of falling, she bent over backwards, performed a handstand and twisted, her legs spread. Both of her feet hit Kuno in the chin before she was forced to roll away again. When she stood , she saw that he was stunned by the blows. She ran towards him and landed a fierce roundhouse on the side of his head. Kuno flew sideways into a tree and lay still. Feather put her hands on her knees and panted. She wasn't expecting to win, but fortune had smiled on her. Exhausted, she sat down, not noticing that Kuno was starting to rise again.
When Ryouga noticed that Kuno wasn't chasing him anymore, he slowed to a stop and put a struggling Ranma-chan down.
"What do you think you're doing idiot?" Ranmachan yelled at Ryouga. Ryouga looked at her and grinned.
"Would you rather have Kuno hugging you to death when you're too weak to stop him?" Ryouga asked. Ranma-chan immediately calmed down, then noticed something.
"Hey Ryouga, what's with all the blood?" Ryouga blushed fiercely and turned away. He mumbled something incoherent. Ranma-chan walked next to him. "What? I didn't hear you there man. Speak up." Ryouga turned his head away and spoke again.
"I uh, you know, kinda grabbed uh your chest when you started to fall." Ryouga couldn't look at Ranma, he was too embarrassed. Ranma-chan started to laugh at Ryouga.
"Don't worry about it man, you were just trying to help right? Just don't make a habit of it..." Ranma-chan trailed off menacingly, then laughed at Ryouga's expression. Ryouga joined in a few seconds later. Then Ryouga looked around confused.
"Ummm, Ranma?"
"Yeah?"
"Where are we?" Ryouga continued looking around, a lost expression covered his face. Ranmachan sighed as she covered her face with her hand.
"We're maybe a block from the dojo, come on." Ranma-chan said as she grabbed Ryouga roughly by the arm and dragged him in the right direction. After walking for a minute, they saw Feather fighting off Kuno as he ran after her with a bouquet of roses. After being kicked away by Feather, Kuno noticed Ranma-chan.
"Oh my pigtailed goddess! How my heart hast longed for thee!" Kuno declared as he ran swiftly towards his 'love'. Ranma-chan started backing away, knowing that she was in no shape to try and fight Kuno off. Ryouga interfered with Kuno's advance with a solidly swung umbrella strike, sending Kuno towards the horizon.
"Jerk" Ryouga muttered as he walked towards Feather. "Hey, you ok Feather?" She didn't respond, and was breathing heavily. Ryouga noticed the tears on the back of Feather's T-shirt, not to mention her smooth skin underneath. He managed to contain his nosebleed and turned away. Ranmachan walked up and knelt next to Feather.
"Heh, welcome to the club Feather." Feather looked at her quizzically.
"What club?" She asked.
"Why the G.C.B.K. of course." Ranma-chan started to snicker a bit. Feather looked confused, so Ranma-chan continued. "The girls chased by Kuno club. You will be our newest inductee. Whether or not you'll be a permanent member is yet to be seen." Feather giggled at Ranma-chan for a while, and was still giggling once they returned to the dojo. Akane and Nodoka were coming out of the kitchen when they showed up. Ranma-chan winced a little as she realized what was going on.
"Akane, did you cook dinner tonight?" Ranmachan's voice trembled in apprehension. Akane glared at Ranma-chan.
"Right! And I made plenty for everybody, so be sure to eat up!" Ryouga started to look slightly panicked, while Feather looked around her in confusion.
"What's the big deal? I'm sure Akane cooked us something nice, so let's go eat." Feather said cheerfully as she walked to Akane's room to get a new shirt. Ranma-chan walked up to Nodoka.
"Auntie Saotome? Is, is it safe?" Ranma-chan asked, a worried tone in her voice.
"Now Ranko, I'm not going to spoil dinner for you by telling you what it tastes like. Now be a good girl and help Akane and I set the table ok?" Nodoka moved back into the kitchen, a worried Ranma-chan behind her.
Once every body was around the table, Akane and Nodoka brought out the.... food. Everyone at the table, save Kasumi and Feather, shivered at the sight. The dish appeared to be a lumpy mass of ingredients, what appeared to be some kind of vegetable stuck out at odd angles. Despite its appearance, Nodoka didn't hesitate in putting it onto the table.
"Akane worked very hard on tonight's dinner. She was a great help in the kitchen, and I must say she has gotten a lot better." Nodoka said as she sat down. Akane served the food, and sat back to see the reactions. Nodoka confidently took the first bite, and showed no adverse reaction. Encouraged by this, Ryouga grabbed his chopsticks and took some of the unidentifiable dish. He carefully ate some, and his eyes went wide. He was frozen in shock, as Ranma-chan was looking with a little trepidation at her plate. Nodoka discreetly elbowed Ranma-chan, and she took a bite and started to chew. She looked thoughtful as she chewed slowly. Feather didn't know what the big deal was, so she just ate it without any hesitation. 'A little bland, but it's alright I guess' She thought as she ate. Ranma-chan finished her first bite and smiled.
"Way to go Akane! This is actually edible, maybe even a little tasty." Ranma-chan finished off her plate and held it out for seconds. Akane blushed as she filled up Ranma-chan's plate again.
"That's very nice of you to say that Ranko, Akane poured her heart into making this. It's too bad Ranma wasn't here to taste this meal. Next time, we'll work more on appearance Akane." Nodoka said, a slightly wistful smile on her face. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by Mr. Tendo crying wildly.
"My little girl is cured! She can cook at last!" Mr. Tendo wailed, his tears spraying everywhere.
"Daddy please! I'm glad you liked it and all, but you're overreacting!" Akane tried in vain to get her father to stop crying. Ryouga was still in a state of shock, unmoved and still holding his chopsticks in his mouth. Soon, there wasn't any food left on the table, and Akane and Feather started to clean up the table, insisting that Kasumi take the night off. Nodoka had gone into a different room to talk with Mr. Tendo, and Ryouga was wandering the house. Ranma-chan leaned back and was picking at her teeth with a toothpick.
"Ranko? Do you mind helping Akane out with the dishes? I want to talk with Feather for a minute." Nodoka said as she walked back into the room, holding a piece of paper tightly. Ranma-chan nodded and took the dishes out of a startled Feather's hands.
"You wash, I'll rinse ok?" Ranma-chan was heard to be saying as they vanished into the kitchen. Nodoka and Feather sat down at the edge of the porch, staring out at the pond.
"Feather, I found a letter from my husband this morning. He explained to me that you are an orphan, and how he would like you to become the daughter we never had." Nodoka smiled gently at Feather, "I've spoken with Mr. Tendo, and he feels that it's a great idea, and doesn't mind if you stay here. What I want to know is what you want to do. If you don't want to be part of our family, I'll understand. If you do, you have the choice of staying here, or coming home with me." Feather looked at Nodoka, tears starting to form in her eyes. Feather tried to talk, but no words could make it past the tightness in her throat. Feather hugged Nodoka and cried into her shoulder. Nodoka gently hugged Feather back and looked up at the starry sky.
"It's ok Feather, I understand." She whispered.
"It's not that," Feather said in between sobs, "It's just, this will be the first family I can remember being in!"
Quite a while later, Feather made her way towards the bath. she was reeling a little from how much had happened. After Feather had stopped crying, Nodoka had told her that she would be starting school the next day. When Ryouga found out, he declared that he would go as well. Akane and her sisters had raided their closets, looking for an old or shrunken uniform for Feather to wear. Kasumi had found a sailor suit style uniform in the back of her closet. When Feather tried it on, the hem of the skirt was on the floor, while the blouse itself was fairly tight. Kasumi and Feather giggled about it while they made the necessary alterations. 'It's amazing how quickly Kasumi altered that uniform. I didn't think it would be ready until morning' Feather shut the door and shrugged out of her clothes. She hummed a little tune to herself as she cleaned herself, and then set about the task of cleaning her hair. A dark blur by the window caught her attention for a second, but when she didn't see anything else, she shrugged and started to rinse off.
Feather gratefully sank into the hot bath, gritting her teeth slightly as the water lapped over the small scrapes and bruises on her arms. She leaned back and closed her eyes, her red hair floating around her like a scarlet aura. She didn't notice two beady eyes open up in a darker corner of the bathroom, and she definitely didn't hear it's silent footsteps. It crept slowly but surely towards the unsuspecting girl, and rubbed its tiny hands together in anticipation. Suddenly it leapt for it's goal, and Feather opened her eyes to see a shriveled old man in a ninja outfit in mid-leap headed straight for her. She screamed as the world's most feared pervert latched onto her.
"Hiya sweetie! Haven't seen you around here before, so I decided to say hi." Happosai chuckled as Feather tried in vain to dislodge him.
"Get offa me you pervert!" She screamed as she tried using a brush handle like a crowbar. Happosai didn't loosen his grip at all.
"Now why should I do that? I'm perfectly comfortable where I am! Ahh, how sweet!" Happosai buried his face into her chest, totally ignoring her efforts to dislodge him.
Ranma-chan and Akane burst into the bathroom, and immediately tried to pull Happosai off.
"Leggo ya old freak!" Ranma-chan growled as she pulled. With an evil grin, Ranma-chan grabbed the old man's ear and started to twist. Happosai went from chuckling to screaming in pain in an instant, and turned to fight with Ranma-chan. As he let go, Feather jumped back, and Akane swung her hammer of doom. Happosai nimbly dodged to one side and stood with his back to the door.
"Ranma! You should treat your master with more respect than that! I will punish you!"
"When did you become my master, freak?" Ranmachan taunted. Happosai's battle aura flared, causing Ranma-chan and the others to back up a step. Ranma-chan got ready to attack, then relaxed.
"What's the matter Ranma? Giving up?" Happosai asked, and then was infuriated when Ranmachan didn't answer, in fact she seemed to be ignoring him completely. "I will make you pay for stealing an old man's happiness!" Happosai ranted as he summoned his aura to leap into battle..... and was stopped short by a crushing grip.
"And just what do you think your doing?" Ryouga growled, his face a mask of absolute rage. Happosai writhed in the vise like grip.
"Insolent boy! I will not forgive this outrage!" Happosai shouted. Ryouga ignored his struggles, and slammed the lech into the floor face first, destroying the tile.
"Ditto, freak." Ryouga snarled as he threw the withered old man out of the window. When he turned to see if Feather was all right, he made an inarticulate noise and his nose bled as he saw that Feather was naked. He quickly turned away and started to stammer apologies. Feather grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself.
"It's ok Ryouga. Who was that old freak?" Feather asked, still looking angry. Akane started to explain to Feather about Happosai while Ryouga and Ranma-chan discreetly left the bathroom. Ranma-chan was shaking her head.
"Oh man, why did that freak have to show up again?" Ranma-chan muttered. Ryouga growled deep in his throat. Ranma-chan glanced at Ryouga, and saw that his aura was flaring. "Calm down man! The freak's gone for now, so save your strength for the next time." Ryouga stopped glowing, and looked down at Ranma-chan.
"You seem awfully calm about this." Ryouga said. Ranma-chan shrugged.
"Been dealing with the freak longer. Kinda gotten used to fighting with him. Also, you're around, and that makes it a lot easier to beat him up." Ryouga shrugged, and walked away from his friend to set up his tent in the yard. He wouldn't survive the blood loss if he tried to stay in Ranma's room that night, as Nodoka was staying in the guest room.
Early the next morning, Ranma-chan crept into the yard to awaken Ryouga.
"Hey, stupid! Wake up, we gotta get ready for school." Ranma-chan shook Ryouga forcefully. Ryouga stirred, then sat up. He mumbled something and laid back down. Frustrated, Ranma-chan punched Ryouga in the gut. Ryouga woke instantly and grabbed Ranma-chan's throat.
"What was that for?" Ryouga said loudly. Ranma-chan struggled against the chokehold for a second, then Ryouga loosened his grip.
"Come on, we have to get ready for school. We need to get you and Feather registered, and I need to get some hot water on the way there." Ranmachan choked for a minute after Ryouga let go. Ranma-chan hurried out of the tent while Ryouga got into a clean set of clothes. Once he was dressed, Ryouga broke down his tent and packed his backpack with practiced ease. Kasumi appeared on the porch.
"Breakfast is ready Ryouga, hurry or you'll be late!" She called out to him. Ryouga shouldered his pack and walked into the house. Everyone else was already eating, so he joined them and ate quickly. He glanced at Feather, and decided she looked good in the school uniform. She had her hair in a ponytail, tied with the bandanna he had given her shortly after they met, and she was also wearing the choker with the emerald on it. Ryouga blushed when he realized that he was staring, and went back to stuffing himself. As they were leaving, Nodoka, Kasumi and Mr. Tendo wished Feather luck on her first day, and saw them out to the gate.
After a quick stop at Dr. Tofu's for some hot water, they made their way towards Furinkan High School. Upon entering the gates, Feather could swear that everyone was staring at her. She looked around the schoolyard, and saw that many of the boys were leering at her, and more than a few of the girls were sighing after Ryouga. Suddenly nervous, she grabbed Ryouga's arm, looking for support. Ryouga had noticed the stares, but had gone into a state of bliss when Feather grabbed his arm, so he missed the hateful stares that many of the male students were sending his way. Feather saw the envious looks that the girls were sending her way, so she tightened her grip.
"Hey Ranma!" Hiroshi and Daisuke sauntered up to him. "Who's the new girl, and why is she hanging all over Ryouga like that?" Hiroshi asked. "Man is she hot!" Daisuke was practically drooling. Ranma frowned at his friends.
"Her name is Feather, and she's my sister, so be nice to her." Hiroshi and Daisuke gaped at him for a minute. Daisuke's jaw worked uselessly, while Hiroshi grabbed Ranma's shoulders.
"Wait just a second! You told us earlier that you were an only child, and now you have a sister? What's going on Ranma?" Ranma grinned at their shocked expressions.
"Well, Feather's an orphan, and my folks decided to adopt her. She's been through a lot, and I recommend, for your health, that you be, polite, around her." Ranma cracked his knuckles. Hiroshi paled a bit at the veiled threat, then he grinned.
"I gotcha, we'll be perfect gentlemen. I'll just have to be suave and sophisticated....." His voice trailed off as he and Daisuke walked off. Akane glared at Ranma.
"Why did you threaten them Ranma? Those two are harmless." She asked, with a slight edge to her tone. Ranma laughed.
"It was for their own good. Ryouga would beat them into a pulp without a second thought if he believed they were bugging Feather at all. At least now they have a chance to avoid a bad beating." Ranma grinned maliciously, "Besides, I always wanted to do the 'over-protective big brother' routine. It's kinda fun." Akane giggled for a second at that and Ranma shrugged. "Also, Feather seems to be more shy than Ryouga. Think about it, new girl, unattached as far as anybody can see, the guys are gonna go nuts when they see her." Akane nodded, remembering fighting off hordes every morning.
"Ok, you've got a point Ranma." Akane caught a glimpse of Ukyou, and waved. "Hey Ukyou! Over here!" Akane waved vigorously. Ukyou spotted Akane, and made her way over to them.
"Morning Ran-chan, Akane! I thought I saw Feather and Ryouga in the yard a minute ago, are they going to school now?" Ukyou said as she started walking next to Ranma. Ranma nodded.
"Yeah, they're going to be in our class too. Mom and Mr. Tendo pulled some strings and old favors to get them into our class. Mom also decided to adopt Feather into the family, so she's my sister now." Ukyou smiled.
"That's great Ran-chan! Maybe you all would like to come by the restaurant after school to celebrate."
"We'll see what happens, ok Ucchan?" Ranma said, hoping to avoid sounding too enthusiastic about it. He glanced at Akane out of the corner of his eye, hoping that she would remain calm. Akane was smiling, and proceeded to talk with Ukyou about little things. Ranma heaved a silent sigh of relief. 'Heh, looks like Ukyou and Akane are getting to be good friends. That'll make my life easier.' Ranma thought as he walked behind the two girls. They arrived in class at that point and sat at their desks. Miss Hinako practically skipped to the front of the classroom when the bell rang.
"Good morning all you good boys and girls! Today we have two new students, so everybody be really nice to them ok?" She giggled as she waved for the new students to come in. "This is Ryouga Hibiki and Feather Saotome!" The entire class started whispering. Miss Hinako gave the class a stern glance, and it was quiet again. Ryouga was uncomfortably rubbing the back of his head, and Feather was plain overwhelmed. "Mr. Hibiki has been travelling for sooo long now, so everyone be really nice to him ok?" She giggled and then frowned at Feather. "Miss Saotome! Why don't you have the right uniform on?" Feather sweated for a minute, and then she spoke.
"Um, this is my uniform from my old school. I haven't had a chance to get a new one yet, since I found out I was going to be transferring here last night." Feather wasn't exactly lying, just leaving out a ton of details. Miss Hinako considered this for a minute, then smiled.
"Ok! Just as long as you have the right uniform by next week young lady. Now, let's see where you're going to sit." Miss Hinako made quite a show of looking for seats. "I know! Miss Saotome, why don't you sit next to your brother, and Mister Hibiki, you sit over there in the back. I know you two will be good students, won't you!" Ryouga nodded vigorously as he took his seat, while Feather just sat with an amused expression on her face.
During the first break, a crowd of boys formed around Feather's desk. Startled, she looked at the boys in confusion.
"So, are you really Ranma's sister?" One of the boys asked her. When she nodded, another one spoke up.
"You into martial arts too?"
"A little" Feather was starting to feel trapped, as the boys pressed in closer. Only Hiroshi and Daisuke stood back a little, remembering what Ranma had told them earlier.
"You wanna go out for tea sometime?" A different boy asked, and was immediately pounded into the ground by the other boys. Then they all started asking questions at once, and Feather started to shrink into her seat.
"Hey! Back off ya jerks! You're scaring her!" Ranma yelled as he started to toss them away rather forcefully. Ryouga had started to get out of his seat to help, then sat back and grinned. After the first two had been thrown, the rest backed off quickly. Feather looked at Ranma with a great amount of relief. "A little curiosity is fine, but you're pushing it. I expect all of you to behave around my sister, got it?" Ranma growled. The boys nodded a hasty affirmative, then promptly started arguing about who would get to talk to her first. While the rest of the boys were arguing, Hiroshi made his move.
"Hi there, my name's Hiroshi. If you need anything, and I do mean anything, you just let me know ok?" He smiled his best smile, and winked. Feather smiled at him a bit timidly. The bell rang again, and Hiroshi looked at the clock in disgust. "Darn... Hey I'll talk to you later ok?" He said as he quickly returned to his desk. Class seemed to fly by for Feather as she tried to soak up all the knowledge she could.
When lunch time came around, Feather snagged Ryouga before he could wander off, and they went outside with their lunches. Once outside Feather was besieged again by many of the boys from her class. Ryouga tried glaring at them to scare them off, but the boys were ignoring him. The boys pressed in tighter and managed to separate Feather from Ryouga. Ryouga looked around, desperately trying to spot Feather in the crowd. When he couldn't see her, he started pushing his way through the crowd. He tossed the boys around like rag dolls as he steadily advanced, his anger clearly showing on his face. He burst out of the crowd and found himself at the wood line. He looked all around, but he couldn't see the school anywhere. Ryouga yelled his frustration into the sky and started to wreck havoc on the crowd of boys again. Unfortunately, he was being led away by the boys he was attacking. After a minute or two the boys scattered, leaving Ryouga alone in the woods. Ryouga growled and started running, hopefully towards the school.
Feather was beginning to panic. The boys were pressing in on her, and all of them were talking at once, asking questions on one sort or another. She couldn't see Ryouga anymore, and the boys had totally surrounded her.
"GO AWAY!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Feather yelled, and tried to push her way through the crowd. Some of the boys made room for her, but more often than not, they tried to press in. Scared out of her wits, Feather sat in place and started to hug her knees. Silently, she started to cry.
"Oh man, you guys made her cry!" One of the boys said. Another one turned on him.
"What do you mean 'you guys'? You're here with us ain't ya?"
"Boy is she cute when she's crying."
"Hey! Let me through! I gotta comfort her..."
"Yeah right, like I'll let you through to her!"
The crowd of boys continued to argue, not a single one of them noticed Hiroshi and Daisuke slip away from the crowd. What they did notice was a most noble figure that addressed them.
"What is the meaning of this rabble? Tell me lest you feel the wrath of Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!" Well, at least _he_ thought he was a most noble figure. Many of the boys fled from Kuno, still fearing the senior. Kuno frowned, and brought one of the fleeing boys up short.
"Tell me cur, what is the meaning of this?" Kuno asked in a low, menacing voice. The boy swallowed hard, and glanced back towards the crowd.
"Ah, upperclassman Kuno... Uh well you see...." he stammered.
"Out with it fool! What is going on here?"
"Um, you see, there's this new girl in class, and we wanted to know a bit more about her, so we are asking her a few questions." Kuno raised an eyebrow.
"You call this," He gestured towards the crowd with his bokken, "Asking her a few questions? Doubtless you're curiosity is steeped in base lusts, and you and your despicable friends have her cornered. Ah the tragedy! Fair maiden! I, Tatewaki Kuno, shall defend your honor from these miscreants!" Kuno yelled as he charged into the crowd, swinging his bokken swiftly. It was over in a moment, and Kuno stood alone. The rest of the young men had either scattered, or been roughly flung away by the force of Kuno's blows. Kuno regarded the fallen boys with a contemptuous glare. Then his gaze fell upon Feather, still hugging her knees. Kuno rushed towards her.
"Ah! If I had but known that thy presence would grace these hallowed halls of learning, I wound have sought thee out earlier." Feather didn't respond to his presence. Slightly disgruntled by the lack of reaction, Kuno moved closer. "Do not fear any longer, for I have scattered these curs to the winds. Mayhap you would be able to find comfort in mine embrace! Come! Leap into my arms, and let us be off!" Kuno spread his arms wide, hoping for some sort of reaction. Feather still didn't move. Kuno was getting worried, as lunch was almost over. He finished closing the distance between him and Feather, and stabbed his bokken into the ground.
"Come, fair Feather. It is nearly time for us to return into these hallowed halls of learning. Allow me to lend mine incredible strength to you, and assist you to thy class. Tell me, which class is yours?" Feather made several inarticulate noises, but made no effort to stand. Kuno made a decision and pulled his bokken out of the ground and stuck it into his belt. He then gathered Feather into his arms, and made his way into the nurse's office.
Back in Ranma and Akane's class, there was a small-scale riot going on. Ranma had most of the boys in the class cowering in a corner.
"What did you say you guys did?" Ranma growled. He was flanked by Akane and Ukyou, both of them glaring at the cowering boys, while Hiroshi and Daisuke stood a bit behind him with smug looks on their faces. One of the young men swallowed hard.
"We... We tried to ask Feather a few questions." Ranma glared at him. Ranma would have pursued the matter further, but Miss Hinako came back into the classroom.
"Hi everyone! Did you have a good lunch? I know I did!" She enthused. The students rushed back to their seats. Miss Hinako looked the class over, and frowned. "What happened to Miss Saotome and Mr. Hibiki?" Ranma stood at his desk.
"Miss Hinako, I gotta go find them! Let me go look for them!" Miss Hinako considered this for a minute, then nodded.
"Hurry and come back Mr. Saotome, or I'll count you as cutting class!" Ranma rushed out of the room. Akane and Ukyou exchanged worried glances before facing front.
Ranma raced down the hallway, hoping that Feather and Ryouga had gotten lost on their way to class. As he ran by the nurse's office, he skidded to a stop and peeked in. In one of the beds was Feather, and Kuno was sitting next to the bed. Ranma ran into the nurses office. Kuno stood quickly, and readied his bokken.
"Hold Saotome! I will not allow you to practice your foul sorceries upon this fair maiden!" Kuno snarled at his sworn foe. Ranma glared at him.
"Give it a rest Kuno. Miss Hinako sent me looking for her. She's late for class." Kuno didn't budge.
"You will address me as upperclassman. As you can see, she is in no condition to return to her class. She was weeping in the yard when I found her. She is so frail, like her namesake, and yet, she has a strength that makes my heart soar upon the skies, carefree in the wind when I am but near her. I.." Kuno broke off when he saw Ranma shaking in rage, his aura flaring abruptly.
"When I find the bastard that made her cry, I'm going make him regret it." Ranma ground out from between clenched teeth. Kuno regarded Ranma warily, half expecting him to lash out.
"Saotome, state your intentions towards Feather, as I would not see her in thrall to your evil ways." Ranma's aura suddenly stopped flaring, and he started laughing at Kuno. "I fail to see the humor in my question Saotome. Explain yourself and your relationship with her!"
"Kuno you moron, Feather's my sister!" Ranma laughed even harder when Kuno's jaw dropped. Kuno recovered quickly.
"I see, although I do find it unusual that an honorless cur like you would defend your sister. Very well Saotome, I will allow you to awaken her for her classes." Kuno lowered his bokken and stepped aside. Ranma walked up to the bed and gently shook Feather's shoulder.
"Hey, wake up. It's time for class." Ranma said quietly. Feather stirred and looked up at Ranma with teary eyes. She started crying again, and Ranma hugged her awkwardly.
"Ranma! I was scared! They had surrounded me, and led Ryouga off somewhere. Then they kept pressing in tighter and tighter. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and there was no room..." Feather sobbed into Ranma's shoulder and hugged him tightly. Kuno stood silent for a change, and felt a longing in his heart.
'I would be the one she opens her heart to...' Kuno thought as he watched Ranma try to comfort her. 'It's seems I must now seek the approval of her brother to date with her, and yet I must defeat him to free Akane Tendo and the pigtailed girl from his lecherous ways. Ah, the course of true love is never easy. I must contemplate how I must proceed.' Lost in thought, Kuno was unawares of Ranma leading a sniffling Feather from the infirmary.
When Ranma returned to class with the teary eyed Feather, Miss Hinako stopped her class and glared at Feather.
"And just why are you so late you naughty girl? Happo five yen..." She never finished, as Ranma became a blur of motion and snatched the coin away from her.
"Hold on teach! She got scared from being in a new school, and was in the nurses office." Ranma returned the five yen piece to Miss Hinako. "It ain't her fault fer being late, so don't go and drain her ok?" Ranma left a startled Miss Hinako and took Feather to her seat. Miss Hinako stared at them, and then she frowned.
"Where is Mr. Hibiki?" Ranma shrugged.
"I couldn't find him, he probably got lost."
Somewhere near the coast, Ryouga wandered into what he thought was a restaurant. He stopped just inside the doors when he noticed that the room was full of sailors just sitting down for lunch.
"Excuse me, but which way is it to Tokyo?" Ryouga managed to ask before the sailors tackled him. A while later, Ryouga found himself painting the side of the cabin. 'Great, I'm stuck on this boat going who knows where, all because they think I stowed away on purpose. At least they don't have me painting the side of the boat...' Ryouga continued to paint, wallowing in his misery as the ship continued on its course away from Japan.
After school let out, Feather went in search of Ryouga. Ranma was getting worried, hoping that Feather wouldn't get lost looking for Ryouga. Akane noticed the look on his face.
"What's wrong Ranma?" She asked.
"I'm just worried about Feather. She's out looking for Ryouga right now, but he could be just about anywhere. I'm hoping she doesn't get herself lost looking for that idiot."
"Don't worry so much Ranma. After all, doesn't Ryouga always find his way back to the dojo eventually? All we have to do is convince Feather to wait here for him. I'll cook dinner tonight to help her stop worrying." Akane scowled as Ranma flinched. "Now what Ranma?"
"Not much, I just hope it's like what you cooked last night rather than that toxic sludge you usually come up with." Akane seethed at the remark.
"You had better at least try it! Besides, I can cook now, remember?"
"Yeah yeah, I'm hoping that it wasn't a fluke. Come to think of it, didn't Mom keep you in line the whole time?" Ranma was oblivious to the rising battle aura coming from Akane.
"Ranma! You will eat tonight's dinner and like it!" Akane had grabbed her hammer from mallet space and pounded Ranma with it for a while. After she had pulverized Ranma, Akane stalked towards the dojo. Ranma was twitching a little, and he was groaning.
"Stupid tomboy." He muttered. Akane turned around and stuck her tongue out at him.
"I heard that pervert!" Akane made another face at Ranma before running into the dojo.
Ranma painfully stood, and walked into the dojo, muttering to himself. Just as he stepped through the door, Happosai confronted him. Ranma grunted at the old man, and tried to go around him. Happosai moved in front of him.
"Not so fast my boy, I have some questions for you." Ranma glared at the old pervert.
"What do ya want freak?" Ranma kept his guard up.
"That girl who was here last night. Who was she? Is she going to be here much more? She's just my type you know, long hair, big eyes...." Happi jumped up and grabbed the front of Ranma's shirt. "You gotta tell me! You gotta!" Happosai pulled on Ranma's shirt while he got big puppy dog eyes.
"Geez lighten up freak! Her name's Feather. You better leave her alone if you know what's good for you." Ranma grabbed Happi by his collar and held him eye to eye. Happosai chuckled in anticipation. "I said you'll leave her alone freak!" Ranma yelled as he threw Happosai into a wall. Unhurt, Happosai bounced to his feet. Ranma tried to kick him, but Happi just bounced away, laughing his head off. Ranma kicked his shoes off just as the door open again. A downcast Feather trudged in. Ranma got a worried look on his face.
"Hey Feather, any sign of Ryouga?" Feather merely shook her head as she took off her shoes. "He'll show up sooner or later, so don't look so down 'k?" Feather looked up and gave a weak smile before heading into the house. Ranma shrugged his shoulders and followed her into living room. Mr. Tendo and Genma were playing shoji in one corner, while Nabiki was going through some stock reports. Akane was sitting at the table fuming a little.
"Kasumi wouldn't let you in the kitchen huh?" Ranma smirked. Akane glared at him.
"If you must know, yes. She said she had been working on a special dinner to celebrate Feather's first day at school." Ranma sat down next to her.
"That's too bad. I was kinda looking forward to eating some edible food that you cooked. It's a nice change." Akane blushed fiercely at his words, and a tenative smile grew on her face.
"You, you mean it Ranma?" Akane barely whispered.
"Sure I do Akane. Now I don't have to worry about fighting your cooking off." Ranma grinned, but Akane started to lose her temper again. Before she could launch Ranma into orbit, Feather sat next to her and leaned on her shoulder.
"I don't know what to do Akane, Ryouga's been missing since lunch and I'm getting worried." Akane looked startled for a second, and then smiled at her friend.
"Don't worry Feather. He's been travelling on his own for years and he gets where he's going.... eventually. He'll be back by next week." Kasumi stuck her head out of the kitchen.
"I'm sorry everyone, but it looks like dinner won't be ready for a couple of hours. Akane, why don't you take Feather out shopping for a while, it might cheer her up a bit." Akane nodded. As the girls got ready to leave, Ranma started to tag along, but Kasumi snagged him by the collar.
"I could use some help in the kitchen Ranma, I have a lot of vegetables that need to be sliced." Kasumi smiled and led Ranma in to the kitchen, not giving him a chance to object. "Oh yes, would you keep Happosai out of the kitchen as well? He keeps trying to snitch some of the meat while it's cooking." Ranma grinned and cracked his knuckles.
"Sure thing Kasumi. I'll keep the freak out of your way."
At the local mall, Feather was going from store to store with a gleeful expression on her face. Akane smiled as her friend became more and more excited. Feather tried on dress after dress, but she couldn't find one she liked. She stepped out of the dressing room wearing a black evening dress that was low cut and backless.
"What do you think Akane? Is it me or what?" Feather giggled as she posed in front of the mirror. The saleswoman smiled.
"That looks very elegant on you."
"I don't know Feather. Isn't that kind of dress the type you wear to those really snobbish parties?" Akane snickered while Feather frowned a bit, and ducked back into the dressing room. A couple of minutes later she came out again in a pale blue sun dress, and the blouse was once again backless.
"How about this one Akane? Isn't it just the cutest thing?" Akane smiled
"I like that one Feather, why don't you get it." Feather ducked back into the dressing room again. When she came back out, she had many dresses draped over one arm, and only a few on the other. She held the smaller amount out to the saleswoman.
"I'll take these."
"Here, why don't you give me the ones you didn't want. I'll put them back on the racks for you." Feather paid for the dresses, and the saleswoman carefully hung the selected dresses on a hanger and wrapped them in paper. She deftly tied a knot at the bottom of the bag, then handed Feather her purchases.
"Thank you for shopping, and we hope to see you again soon!" The saleswoman gave a slight bow as Feather and Akane left the store giggling. As they started walking home, Feather gazed at the darkening sky.
"Maybe the world is not such a dark and lonely place" She whispered to herself. Akane and Feather walked giggling and talking into the evening.
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 6
Ryouga set down the last crate from the ship he had unwittingly boarded. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he turned towards the captain of the small freighter.
"That's the last of 'em. Anything else you need done?" The grizzled sea-man looked at Ryouga with a hint of amusement.
"Aye, but not fer ya ta be doin'. Tha rest of me men are gettin paid 'n hitting the town. Like as not they be drinking their dinner. Ya got yer passage, now git 'fore I get to whipping at you." Ryouga merely chuckled at the man as he shouldered his pack. Ryouga turned his back and began walking down the pier.
He considered himself lucky. He managed to avoid getting wet during his unwanted voyage, and he recognized the port they stopped at. At least he thought he knew it. The simple wooden piers were cramped with boxes and nets full of fish. People pushed and shoved at each other in a frenzy along the pier. Ryouga sighed to himself as he realized that it looked just like every other dock he had seen. Ryouga nimbly wove through the crowds, wanting only to return to the dojo. It wasn't until he was stopped by an officious sounding man did he realize exactly how far away he was. The man waved some papers in Ryouga's face, and asked something quickly in Chinese.
"I'm sorry, I don't speak Chinese very well. Do you know Japanese perhaps?" Ryouga asked with a resigned tone in his voice. He had seen this type of man before. Customs inspectors were all alike in all countries. Ryouga felt that these men wanted to do nothing more than torment travelers with trivial problems, until they were bribed to shut up.
"Ah, yes well I do speak Japanese fairly well. I need to see your passport, and inspect your belongings before allowing you to exit the port." The man said stiffly, giving the impression that he had better things to do. Ryouga grinned toothily at him and pulled his pack off.
"Just a moment, it's in here." Ryouga slipped his umbrella out of its place. "Here, hold this a sec will ya?" Ryouga casually flipped the umbrella around and aimed the handle towards the customs agent. The man sneered and pulled at the handle, intending to throw it into the water when Ryouga let go. Ryouga purposely gave the umbrella a light push when he let go. The man fell on his back, and the Ryouga continued to rummage through his pack, ignoring the man who was pinned underneath the crushing weight of his umbrella.
"Ah, here it is." Ryouga held up his well stamped passport. The customs agent wheezed a bit as Ryouga held it in front of his face. Ryouga grinned. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" Ryouga inquired politely as he picked his umbrella up. The customs agent scrambled to his feet and scowled at Ryouga's passport for a second then stamped it.
"I still need to inspect your bag and inventory it to insure that you are not a smuggler. This will only take a second." The man rummaged through Ryouga's pack, writing down all of its contents. When he was done, he handed Ryouga a carbon copy of the inventory.
"Be sure to have that with you when you leave so that proper duties may be assessed. Enjoy your stay in China Mr. Hibiki." He stiffly bowed before he moved on to another hapless crewman. Ryouga shrugged his pack on and started walking. On his way off the pier, he glanced to his left and noticed a passenger liner letting off its passengers. Ryouga scowled at the pavilion where those passengers dealt with customs. Ryouga snorted and walked away from the sea-port. He stoically ignored the merchants calling out to sell their wares, and he ran quickly when he stumbled across the red light district. He caught tantalizing glimpses of scantily clad women, beckoning him into the shadows. Ryouga held his nose as he ran, as much to keep the blood in as keeping the odor of societies' filth out of his nose. He was tempted, but an image of an upset Feather drove him on.
It was not long before Ryouga found himself deep in the wilderness, with no trails in sight. He breathed the clean air with a sigh of relief. Here was his ultimate chance to get rid of his curse for good! Ryouga ploughed forward, intent on finding a guide that would take him straight to Jusenkyo, where he would say goodbye to the pig forever. Ryouga started humming an old traveling tune to himself as he walked. He had heard it years before, and the song seemed to help the miles pass quickly. He could not remember the words anymore, but the tune itself seemed to be burned into his memory. This time as he walked, for the first time since he had met Akane he did not imagine her by his side. His imagination provided him with a different travelling partner this time.
Ryouga stopped in his tracks when he thought he had heard something. Ryouga looked about, straining his senses for any sign of another presence around him. Ryouga narrowed his eyes as he peered into the underbrush. There was dead silence all around him. Ryouga slowly pulled his umbrella off his pack, and readied himself for a fight, be it an animal or human. Snapping his umbrella open, Ryouga gave the bushes another look over. He cautiously started moving forward again, still tensed for conflict. A feeling of unease continued to gnaw at his gut, but Ryouga didn't flee. He pressed onward ready for whatever it was that was making him nervous.
Ryouga whirled and flung his umbrella when he heard a loud crashing noise from the bushes to his right. The umbrella cut through the bushes like a chain saw, revealed a wild dog that was foaming at the mouth. Ryouga frowned as the maddened animal charged him. The dog leapt for his throat, but Ryouga dodged to one side and punched the side of its head, causing it to fly sideways into a tree. When it didn't get up, Ryouga retrieved his umbrella and put it back onto his pack and started walking again. The rabid dog slowly stood, shook its head a little, and then charged Ryouga's back. It leapt for it's goal, Ryouga's unturned back reflected evilly in it's bloodshot eyes.
Ryouga felt the beast's hot breath on the back of his neck and started to turn just as he heard a gunshot. Ryouga finished turning and whipped his umbrella out in one smooth motion. He saw the dog's bloody carcass, torn in half by the high power rifle that a cloaked figure was slowly lowering.
"Thanks, that mutt almost got me." Ryouga pointed his umbrella towards the ground, hoping that it would be seen as a non-threatening gesture. The cloaked figure said nothing, but unloaded the rifle and pointed the barrel towards the ground in the same manner. Ryouga felt relief flood his system. He knew he was good, but he never had much reason to dodge bullets before.
"Well met stranger. Welcome to my neck of the woods." The voice was rich and soft, causing Ryouga to face-fault. The figure pulled back the hood and revealed a fairly pretty woman with short black hair. "Uh, yeah. Hi there." Ryouga stammered nervously as he put his umbrella away.
"You're a long way from the closest village. Where might you be headed?" The woman asked, giving Ryouga a suspicious look.
"I'm looking for Jusenkyo. It's supposed to be close to some mountains if I remember..." Ryouga trailed off when he noticed the look of shocked surprise on the woman's face.
"Jusenkyo?!? That place actually exists?" She said, amazed. Ryouga nodded mutely. "You can't be serious. No-one goes near where it's supposed to be because of the amazons. You don't look like you'd be able to deal with those women." Ryouga snorted his amusement.
"I have fought things that would make your blood run cold. I can handle myself." The disbelieving look the woman shot his way almost made Ryouga mad. Instead, he casually picked up a rock and shattered it in his fist. The woman's eyes widened at his feat of strength.
"Very well, suit yourself." She said as she disappeared back into the underbrush. Ryouga shrugged and continued on his way, hoping to chance across Jusenkyo.
---------------------------------------------
"Come on Feather," Akane spoke firmly to her friend, "Just because Ryouga got lost is no reason for you to stop going to school. You are going with us this morning, no matter what!" Akane put her hands on her hips to emphasize her point. Feather looked up at Akane with a sheepish look on her face.
"Um, sorry I mentioned it?" Feather pleaded as she started to get ready for school. Akane giggled a bit and helped Feather get ready.
"Don't worry about it. Besides, I'm sure Ryouga will find his way back soon, he always does." Akane tried to soothe Feather's nerves. Ever since Ryouga had gotten lost, Feather had gotten more and more timid around people, not to mention depressed.
Akane sighed to herself. She didn't like seeing anyone she considered a friend depressed, and not being able to help. Lost in her own thoughts, she walked with Feather and Ranma to school. Akane started when she heard Feather's gasp, and Ranma's muttered curse. When she saw what awaited them at school, she began to scowl. Kuno was standing before the gates, two bouquets of red roses in his hands. In a calm and collected manner he approached the trio.
"Akane Tendo, your beauty this morn surpasses all mine expectations." He held one of the bouquets out to Akane. "Please accept this token of my affection, yet they pale in comparison to thy loveliness." Startled by his calm approach, Akane accepted the flowers, speechless.
"What are you up to Kuno?" Ranma demands as he drops into a loose stance. Kuno blithely ignores Ranma, and turns his attention towards Feather.
"Feather Saotome, you have a grace and beauty unable to be described, much as one is unable to explain why a sunset can bear such beauty." Kuno holds the other bouquet out to a fiercely blushing Feather. "Please accept these roses, for they symbolize our feelings." Kuno presses the bouquet into Feather's numb fingers and turns away from them before he starts to walk away. A few steps are taken before he looks over his shoulder.
"Ranma Saotome, I would meet with you after our classes our done, we have much to discuss."
"Any time, anywhere Kuno!" Ranma snarls.
"You shall address me as upperclassman, knave. I shall expect to see you in the second field, alone." Kuno then walks into the school, leaving two very embarrassed girls and one very angry Ranma.
"I can't believe that Kuno!" Ranma seethes as they walk into the school. "I mean, giving you those flowers right in front of me! He has some nerve!" Ranma is so busy thinking of all the different ways he could hurt Kuno, that he missed Akane's blush. 'I can't believe it, he's jealous!' Akane thought to herself as she walked automatically. Feather was silent as they made their way towards class. She knew that she had to go to class, but the attention she received reminded her a bit of when she was the main attraction for a side show. Feather shivered at the memory, and did her best to steel herself for class.
'Focus, find your center and relax. Do not suppress your emotions, for they are your strength, rather let them guide you towards your center.' Feather remembered one of the meditation lessons that Ryouga told her a while back, and she exhaled slowly, trying desperately to find her center. Feather ignored the students around her and closed her eyes, breathing in long, even breaths. Shortly she felt calm enough to continue, and she opened her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of several boys from a different class standing in front of her leering.
"Hey babe," one of them tried to sound suave, obviously the leader of the little group. The boy was of medium height, and wore wire framed glasses. "What d'ya say about cutting class with us and havin' some fun?" The rest of the group chuckled behind him. Feather smiled sweetly at him, and put her hand on his cheek.
"That's nice, but don't you think your teacher might have something to say about that?" Feather turned his head, and he stiffened. The boys, confused at the other boy's reaction, looked around, and grew very apprehensive when they noticed their teacher standing behind them.
"Uh, yeah, he would. Heh heh, just joking around right?" The bespectacled boy laughed nervously. The teacher cleared his throat and frowned. "Um, maybe after school huh? My name is Toshi, you wanna go out for some tea later?" He said in a serious tone.
"I'll think about it. Right now, we have to get to class. Later!" Feather waved cheerfully at the boys as the teacher started to chastise them for even thinking about cutting class. Feather practically skipped into the classroom and sat down. As she started to get her books out, she noticed the class was unnaturally silent. Quickly Feather looked up, and she started so hard she fell over her chair backwards. Standing in front of her desk was a man with a very loud Hawaiian shirt, a garland or two draped around his neck, and what looked like a small palm tree planted on the top of his head.
"WHO THE HECK ARE YOU!!" Feather screamed from her prone position on the floor. The odd looking man grinned toothily.
"Da big Kahuna. Yous in the wrong uniform girl, tha's a demerit." He loomed over her, "An' dat hair, it's way too long, yous need da bowl cut!" He brandished an oversized pair of scissors, and he laughed as he started to open and close them slowly. Feather screamed and tried to scramble away from the mutant Hawaiian when she heard the distinctive sound of metal striking flesh. Feather looked back, and saw that Principal Kuno was having a disagreement with Ukyou's spatula, more specifically, they were both trying to occupy the same space at the same time. Ukyou moved to stand between the principal and Feather.
"If you want to try and cut her hair, you'll have to go through me pal." Ukyou stated, and continued to threaten him with her mega spatula.
"Hey! I thought you gave up on those stupid haircut rules ages ago!" Ranma demanded as he strode towards them. He kept a wary eye on the principal as he helped Feather to her feet.
"She got more hair dan da whole class put tagetha! She needs a good clippin', da health standards and all." He grinned and lunged for Feather with the hair clippers again. Ukyou tried to hit him again, but he dodged out of the way. Ranma leapt into the fray with a snap kick that sent the principal flying for the chalkboard. Principal Kuno stood slowly, and reached into his shirt.
"Yous tha real delinquents here, yous all getting da big Kahuna really mad." He growled as he pulled a pineapple from his shirt and threw it at Ukyou. She sliced it in half, and a green cloud of smoke exploded out from it. Coughing and gagging, Ukyou and Ranma stumbled away from the smoke. Grinning victoriously, the principal advanced on Feather, clippers in hand.
"Give up wahine, da hair don't hurt none when it's cut!" Feather backed up towards a window, and she struggled to open it. With a yell, Principal Kuno charged her, at the same time, Feather managed to throw open the window and leapt out. As soon as she was clear of the window, Feather snapped her wings out, hopelessly ruining the back of her blouse, and flew a short distance away from the window. Principal Kuno gaped when he saw the wings, but he continued to run. He leapt out the window and grabbed for her legs. Feather wasn't ready for him to perform such a reckless act, and didn't dodge. Principal Kuno managed to grab one foot, and he looked up, reaching for her hair with his free hand. Feather turned red with rage and embarrassment.
"You PERVERT!" Feather yelled as she tried to kick him off. When that failed, she started to rapidly fly in loops and speed dives, trying to get him to let go. The elder Kuno grabbed her leg with his other hand and held on for dear life. The students in the classroom gathered around the window to watch the aerial show.
"Hey Ranma, what's with your sister's wings?" Hiroshi asked the still coughing Ranma. One of the other boys grabbed Ranma's collar and shook a little.
"Don't tell me you let her get cursed as well?" The boy yelled in Ranma's face. Ranma stopped coughing and glared at him. Realizing that he had made a bad mistake, the boy let go of Ranma's shirt and backed up a step, sweating nervously. Ranma merely brushed off his shirt and turned back to the window.
"It ain't my place to tell you. If she wants to talk about it, that's up to her." Ranma said as he watched Feather do a low pass over the trees, still trying to knock Principal Kuno off of her. He then turned back to the rest of the class.
"And I do mean IF." Ranma trailed off menacingly and cracked his knuckles noisily to make his point perfectly clear. After he was certain they understood, he went back to watching the aerial display.
Feather hovered for a second to catch her breath, and she felt a light tug at her hair. She looked down, and saw the demented Hawaiian wannabe trying to cut at her hair while she was resting. With a yell of pure rage, she flew full speed for the window to the classroom. The students inside scattered when they saw an enraged Feather flying right towards them, her now unbound hair giving her a wild look. Maybe a meter away from the window, Feather tucked her wings, and depended upon her momentum to carry her through. She shot through the window, and unfurled her wings and flapped them a few times to stop. Principal Kuno wasn't nearly as fortunate, as he had slammed into the wall just below the window frame. The shock of the impact caused him to lose his grip on Feather's ankle, and he slowly slid down the wall.
Feather was breathing heavily, her fists clenched tightly at her sides, as she stalked over to the window and slammed it shut. When she turned around, she noticed the stares from the rest of the people in the class. Most of the boys were staring in slack jawed amazement, and a few of the girls had taken to whispering in the back of the classroom. The anger Feather was feeling fled as embarrassment came forth, then it hit her. The whispering in the class triggered something deep within her, and her head suddenly felt like it was full of wool. Feather looked at her shoes, letting her loose hair hide her blush, and the tears that threatened to stream down her face. She stood like that for a few minutes, listening to the whispers that danced back and forth in the classroom like fireflies in the night, until she felt a hand gently placed on her shoulder. Startled, Feather looked up and saw that Ranma was standing in front of her with a very worried expression on his face.
"You ok Feather?" Ranma asked quietly. Feather suddenly hugged Ranma fiercely, and started to cry into his chest. Rather loudly at that. Even though he was startled by her sudden outburst, Ranma hugged her the best he could, and tried to comfort her. Absently, he noticed that the whispering had stopped, so he glanced around the room. Not one of the students was watching the scene unfold before them, rather they were staring at the door. Ranma shifted his gaze and stiffened. Standing in the doorway, her little hands on her hips, was a frowning Miss Hinako.
"Mr. Saotome! Just what is going on in here? You had better have a very good explanation for this!" She wagged her finger at him as she entered the room. Ranma's mouth worked wordlessly, and Feather continued to cry into his chest. Miss Hinako stopped a few feet in front of them and stood expectantly. Ranma looked around desperately for some help, then he looked at Miss Hinako with a sheepish grin.
"Uh, g'morning Miss Hinako. Well you see, the principal kinda scared Feather, and she's a bit worked up over a few other things, yeah that's it." Ranma swallowed nervously. Miss Hinako appeared to consider that for a minute, then she smiled.
"Okay, but its time for class so everyone take your seats!" While Miss Hinako bounced to the front, Ranma coaxed Feather into sitting in her seat. Feather sat and folded her wings around her like a cloak, like she was trying to hide herself from the class. Akane and Ukyou cast worried glances towards Feather before paying attention to class.
Feather's heart was not in the class that morning. She could swear she heard the whispers shooting back and forth through the class, and feel the stares she was sure were aimed at her. Just when she thought that she would be unable to stand it anymore, the bell rang, signaling the first break. Feather bolted from the class, and she ran for the roof.
"What's with Feather this morning?" Ranma asked Akane. Akane shot a hard glance at him.
"It's just.... Well, you wouldn't understand Ranma."
"What d'ya mean I wouldn't understand?" Ranma started to frown. Akane ignored him and whispered something to Ukyou, who nodded and left the class. Ranma spoke up again, "Hey Akane, what do you mean I wouldn't understand?"
"Ranma, it's a little hard to explain." Akane sighed. "You see, I think Feather is getting really depressed, and all that staring must've scared her." Ranma's face went dark, and a scowl formed on his face. Akane nodded at his reaction. "I don't know if you noticed or not, but she's been really sensitive about her wings, and when the class was whispering and staring at her this morning, she must have been reminded of what that jerk did to her." Ranma opened his mouth to say something, but Akane firmly placed her hand over his mouth. "Let me finish! Right now she needs someone to confide in, and it's a lot easier for a girl to talk to a girl. That's why I had Ukyou follow her." Akane pulled her hand away from Ranma's mouth. Ranma was still scowling.
"Ok, so what your saying is this, Feather freaked out because what happened this morning was kinda like what that jerk was doing, and she needs someone she can pour her heart out to, right?" Akane looked dumbfounded at Ranma.
"You DO understand, don't you Ranma?" Akane's voice was filled with shock.
"Yeah, kinda. I do know that talking about stuff that upsets you can help. I'm not a complete jerk you know." Ranma grinned at Akane's expression. "Not that I'd ever need to confide in anyone. After all, I can handle anything life throws at me!"
"Right, what about Jusenkyo Ranma? You don't seem to handle that one too well." Ranma stiffened.
"I don't want to talk about it." Ranma turned away.
"I thought you just said you understood." Akane crossed her arms.
"I do, but I just don't want to talk about it. It just ain't right for a guy to do that kind of stuff." Akane scoffed.
"Sure Ranma. Whatever you say." Akane walked away to talk with some of her friends. Ranma watched her leave, his expression inscrutable. Time passed slowly for him, his worry for Feather warring with something he didn't really want to deal with. Ranma gritted his teeth and sat at his desk. He was so occupied with his thoughts, he failed to notice Akane walk up behind him.
"What's up with you Ranma? You look like you're stressing out." Akane asked, a hint of concern in her voice. Ranma turned towards Akane with a serious look on his face. "You know what Akane?"
"What is it Ranma?"
"I've been thinkin' about how you said Feather needed to talk to someone, and well, you have a point." Akane looked confused.
"Just what are you getting at Ranma?"
"If um, you know, I do ever need to talk, I'll um, see you're," Ranma mumbled something under his breath. Akane cocked her head and leaned towards him.
"What was that last part Ranma? I didn't quite catch that." Ranma mumbled again, then he straightened up.
"That is, if I ever need to, you know, um, talk and stuff, I'd talk to..." He swallowed hard, and the last word he spoke was barely a whisper, "you"
Akane blushed redder that Ranma's shirt, and looked around to see if anyone over heard their little discussion. When she saw that no-one was paying attention, she faced a blushing Ranma.
"Thank you Ranma. I.... I feel the same way." Both of them were at a loss for words at this point, their emotions at odds with their pride.
Ukyou was following Feather at a fair distance. She was trying desperately to keep her in sight, but it seemed that Feather had the energy of a demon. Ukyou had to sprint just to keep her in sight. ' Just how far does she plan on running?' Ukyou thought as she ran. Feather quickly turned a corner, and Ukyou had to step up the pace to try and catch up. When Ukyou turned the corner, Feather was nowhere in sight.
"Great, now where did she go?" Ukyou muttered as she looked around. She noticed the door to the stairs was still open, so she took a chance and ran up the stairs. As she ran, she heard a door slam open, like it was kicked very hard. Ukyou strained to run faster. When she reached top of the stairs, Ukyou saw that the door had been forcibly kicked open, judging by the footprint denting it. Ukyou stopped running for a second to compose herself, and then walked out onto the roof.
"Feather?" Ukyou called out when she didn't see her anywhere. There was no answer to her call, so Ukyou started walking around looking for her friend. She walked around the roof for a while before she spotted Feather sitting on the top of the clock tower. Feather's hair was tossing lightly in the wind, but she seemed to be staring off into the distance. Ukyou jumped onto the tower, and walked quietly over to Feather.
"Hey kiddo, you feeling alright?" Ukyou asked as she sat down. Feather started a little, and looked at Ukyou with haunted eyes.
"Ukyou," Feather's voice was barely a whisper, and even then it cracked a little. Ukyou got a very concerned look on her face and leaned towards Feather.
"Feather, you gotta talk to me, what's bugging you?"
"I, I remember." Feather said before looking out over the schoolyard again.
"Remember?" Ukyou asked, puzzled. "Remember what?"
"I remember my childhood now. I remember what he was like before the booze, before the side show, when he was a good man, when all he wanted was the best for me...." Feather trailed off for a second until she felt Ukyou's arms encircling her in a hug.
"The first thing I can remember about him was that he was sitting across a table from me, smiling as he watched me eat, but not eating himself. He was sacrificing himself and his life so I could have a normal childhood at that time. He used to find ways of getting me whatever I wanted, probably stealing, and making sure I was happy. I guess you could say he was spoiling me." Feather wiped a single tear from her eye before she continued.
"Then, he started to drink. At fist he'd yell a little, then he'd be all apologetic. Later he was drunk all the time. We had less and less food to eat. This was when I as about fourteen or so." Feather started crying, so Ukyou hugged Feather and murmured comforting sounds, at least she hoped they were comforting.
"It's okay Feather, let it out, then continue. You need to talk about this." After some time, Feather managed to stop crying.
"Then, then he started the sideshow act. At first it was a game to me, I'd wear a pretty dress and makeup, and pretend to be an angel for anyone who paid. I'd smile and wave at the people, and quote little snippets and psalms from the Bible, and sometimes act like I was blessing them. He seemed happy for a while, but the extra money meant more booze, and then...... then..." Feather barely mouthed the words, but Ukyou understood, and a cold weight settled in her stomach, "Then the beatings began."
Feather stopped talking and pulled the shoulder of her blouse down just enough to reveal a faint scar on her back, just a little above where her left wing would have been. Ukyou gasped as she examined the scar. The line was very faint, but still easily visible.
"That happened the first time, he had thrown me into the shelves and it cut fairly deep. He insisted to the doctor that looked at it that I had fallen off of a slide, and had used his memory techniques to insure I said the same thing. Since then, he would be careful to not be that obvious, or he would just alter my memory to suit him. I tried running away several times, but he would always find me, or a well meaning policeman would bring me back. Then the beatings would be worse." Ukyou was speechless. How could she come up with something to say that would help?
"Whenever he had a bad day, or when the show didn't do that well, he would take out his frustration on me." Feather looked up at the sky. "I'm grateful for one thing though," Ukyou looked at Feather sharply.
'What could she possibly be grateful to that guy for?' Ukyou thought.
"What's that Feather?" She heard herself say, despite her turmoiled thoughts. Feather looked at Ukyou, and she knew that Feather had heard an undertone of disbelief.
"He never molested me. I'll be forever grateful that he didn't do that." They sat up there for some time in silence. Ukyou found herself unable to come up with something to say, so she lent Feather her silent support.
The bell rang, startling them both.
"Oh No!" Feather yelled as she scrambled to her feet, "We missed the rest of the morning classes! Miss Hinako's gonna kill us!" Ukyou stood quickly, but she wasn't as panicked as Feather.
"Don't sweat it Feather, we'll just have to weather a reprimand after lunch. Come on, let's go find Ran-chan." With that, Ukyou led Feather back down the stairs in a search for Ranma.
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Ryouga stared in disbelief at the sight before him. Against all odds, he had found Jusenkyo. The waters of sorrow had never made anyone as happy, or had looked quite that beautiful in the eyes of any that had beheld it. Ryouga practically dashed for the springs, but pulled up just short of one of them.
'Wait a sec,' he thought as he looked at his reflection in the still water, 'How do I know which one to jump into?' Ryouga's mood darkened as he saw no sign of the guide, or anybody else for that matter. He started walking among the springs, looking for any clue as to the one he sought.
Hours past as Ryouga walked around. Frustrated, he sat heavily next to one that was frighteningly familiar. He peered at it closely, then shuddered when he realized that he had sat down next to the spring of drowned black piglet. It was calm and serene, oblivious to the pain and suffering that it had caused him when it had touched his life. Ryouga fought the urge to destroy it on the spot with a Shi Shi Houkoudan, wondering what would happen if he got splashed with the water for a second time.
"DAMMIT! How can I be so close, yet so far from a cure!" Ryouga yelled to the sky. Ryouga looked at the ground in front of him in despair, and paused. There, in a patch of dirt was a set of hoof-prints. Ryouga bent closer and examined the dirt around the pool. There were several sets of hoof prints leading away from the water. He almost laughed out loud when he realized how simple it would be to find a spring that had human footprints leading from it.
Ryouga set about his search with renewed vigor. He walked from pool to pool, searching for one that had the right kind of tracks. After several hours, he finally found one that had human footprints leading from it. He noted that they mostly were accompanied by hand and knee prints as well. In fact, there were a lot of booted prints around as well.
'Now the question is, what kind of person fell in?' As Ryouga pondered that thought, the western sky had begun to decorate itself with the brilliant colors of sunset. Ryouga watched the sunset as he struggled to decide, jump in now and take whatever human form goes with it, or wait for the guide to show up and tell him. Ryouga put his pack down and sat upon it, facing away from the spring.
"Tomorrow sees undone, what happens not today. Indecision brings delays, days lost lamenting lost days." Ryouga said to himself, then smiled, remembering the last time he had uttered those words in the cave of lost love. "Might as well!" He shouted as he jumped into the spring in front of him. The spring behind him glinted almost maliciously in the ruddy light. Suddenly he felt his body wrack with pain, like he was being flayed alive. 'I can take any suffering, any pain to be rid of the pig!!' Ryouga thought fiercely, trying to block out the pain. He wanted to scream from the agony, but dared not. The water felt like it was burning his very soul, and he would swear later that the water had burned off all of his skin during his ordeal. Ryouga struggled to break free of the water's embrace, his lungs burning with desire for the sweet air above. With a loud gasp, Ryouga broke the surface. In a pain maddened state, he ran off, fortunate only that he got tangled in the straps to his pack. He ran off into the night, his pack gouging a trail into the turf behind him......
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When Feather and Ukyou rejoined Ranma and Akane for lunch, a large number of their classmates converged on them, asking questions about Feather's wings. Ranma moved in front of the girls.
"Stop it!" He yelled at the top of his voice. The sudden silence that covered the area was sudden and complete. "Why don't you all mind your business and go away!" Ranma yelled. His classmates began to argue with him, and the girls took the opportunity to disappear into a storage shed to eat lunch in peace.
"What about Ranma?" Feather asked when Akane slid the door shut.
"Oh, don't worry about him, he'll be just fine. When they notice we're not around, they'll split up looking for us, and Ranma will come and find us." Akane said as she unwrapped her bento.
"How will he know to look in here?" Feather inquired as she got ready to eat her lunch. Akane smiled.
"This is the shed he always ducks into when he's been splashed." She moved aside a couple of boxes to reveal a mini stove and a kettle. "Think of it as a kind of a safe spot for us. For some reason, no-one ever thinks of looking in here." Feather giggled, and started to eat her lunch. Akane glanced at Ukyou, who gave her an 'I'll tell you later' look.
The girls talked about little things for a few minutes before a sudden gust of wind blew past them. They turned around and saw Ranma perched on the window sill.
"Finally lost those jerks." Ranma said as he jumped down. Ranma slumped against some boxes, and absently accepted the lunch that Akane held out for him.
They finished eating, talking only occasionally about mundane things. Ukyou and Feather were scolded when they returned to class, but they took it in stride and managed to get through the rest of the school day without incident.
As they were packing their books after class was over, Ranma held his bag out to Akane.
"What's this for Ranma?" Akane asked. Ranma shrugged, but continued to hold out his bag.
"Could ya take this back to the dojo? I gotta deal with Kuno's challenge remember?" Ranma's tone was that of the long suffering.
"Oh, well don't take too long beating him up Ranma, I'm cooking dinner tonight." Akane announced with a huge smile. Ranma nearly jumped away from the mere notion of Akane cooking, until he remembered what the last meal tasted like.
"Uh, sure I guess. As long as it turns out like last time, right? Well, good luck with dinner Akane, I gotta run!" Ranma sprinted out of the door, heading towards something he was sure he could handle. Akane fumed a little.
"I swear, he didn't have to make it sound like I'm still having trouble. The last dinner I made turned out just fine!" Ukyou looked at Akane with light interest.
"Oh, so you finally learned how to cook Akane? Boy, that's going to make it even harder for Ran-chan to choose." Ukyou said just a little flippantly.
"What's that supposed to mean Ukyou?" Akane asked, a small frown forming. Ukyou smiled as they started to make their way out of the school.
"Well, everyone knows that we are Ran-chan's only real choices for marriage. I mean, Kodachi's plain crazy and Shampoo's only real claim is those stupid laws, but we were both engaged by our parents to Ran-chan. That makes us kinda like friendly rivals, right Akane?" Akane seemed to be angry for a second, then realized that Ukyou was right.
"We can be civil about this Ukyou, you're the only one of the fiancee's that ever takes Ranma's feelings into consideration when you do something. Besides, I haven't forgotten all that you did for us when Ranma was hurt." Ukyou grimaced a little at the memory.
"Hmmph! It wasn't like I had a choice, you were devastated, and unable to fend off Kuno, and Ran-chan was too hurt to resist Shampoo or Kodachi. The way I see it, I was the only one who didn't try and take advantage of the situation to get closer to Ran-chan." Akane laughed a little.
"You want to come over for dinner Ukyou? Since we're friendly rivals as you put it." Akane smiled sweetly. Ukyou blanched, remembering the last time she ate Akane's cooking.
"Uh, I gotta take care of the restaurant, so maybe next time ok?" Ukyou started to edge away, then practically ran for her place, waving back at Akane and Feather.
"Really, she could have at least offered to try it. Oh well, come on Feather!" Akane broke into a run, "I want to get an early start on dinner!" They ran the rest of the way to the dojo, laughing and giggling.
Ranma stood alone in the second field, mentally preparing himself for what he was sure was going to be a fight.
"Hark and well met Saotome." Ranma spun on his heel to face Kuno.
"What do you want Kuno?" Ranma asked, but was ready to dodge any attack. Kuno frowned.
"You will address me as upperclassman. Nevertheless, I find myself in a quandary Saotome. I would date your sister, but honor requires that I obtain the permission of her older brother, you Saotome. I am unused to dealing with you on this level, so I will be frank. What must I do to curry your favor, and obtain permission to date with Feather?" Kuno stabbed his bokken into the soft earth, and sat next to it. "Mind you, I will do nothing that would be a stain upon my honor, but I will do what is necessary." Ranma was speechless for a minute.
"Hold up Kuno, when have you ever sought permission from the families of the girls that you chase?" Ranma asked as he sat down across from Kuno.
"The honorable Mr. Tendo never objected to my wooing of the sweet Akane, and the Pigtailed Girl has no family that I could discover. It is my experience that the elder brother is oft times the one whose permission must be obtained. For it is with the heir of the family that such a responsibility falls, and thus I find myself here speaking with you, though I would rather be seeking out my loves." Kuno leveled his gaze upon Ranma, and waited.
"Um, well, I guess I should ask you to give up on Akane and your Pigtailed Girl if you wanna date with Feather. More importantly, find out how Feather feels about you. She might already have someone in mind." Ranma thought of how she acted around Ryouga, and frowned. "In fact, I'm sure there's someone she already likes."
"How unfortunate. I will endeavor to discover her true feelings on the matter, and learn the truth. And yet, I find my heart divided upon my loves. I'll take my leave of you now Saotome, and I shall ponder what we have discussed this afternoon." Kuno stood, bowed to Ranma, and left. Ranma sat there for a while, then slowly made his way back to the dojo.
On the way, he heard a familiar cry.
"Where on earth am I now!!" Ranma grinned, and proceeded to track down Ryouga. Ranma jumped over a wall, and saw Ryouga asking directions from a store keeper.
"Hey Ryouga! It's been what, more than a month now?" Ranma yelled in way of greeting, and ran up to his friend.
"Ranma! I've been to Jusenkyo!"
"Well duh Ryouga, that's why you change." Ranma said sarcastically, not realizing the importance of Ryouga's statement. Ryouga hit Ranma upside the head, and yelled in his ear.
"No you idiot! I've been there again!" Ranma grabbed Ryouga's shirt.
"No kidding! You brought me back some nannichuan didn't you Ryouga old pal! I knew you'd wander back there one of these days!" Ranma practically danced around Ryouga. When Ryouga didn't say anything right away, Ranma stopped dancing around.
"Wait a sec, don't tell me you fell in a different one by mistake?"
Ryouga's almost imperceptible nod, while only a very slight movement, managed to destroy Ranma's hopes. Suddenly, they looked like the two most miserable people on earth.
"I couldn't find the guide anywhere, so I thought I could figure out which one was the nannichuan on my own. I checked the banks of a lot of those springs, looking for human footprints leading out from it." Ryouga spoke like he was already dead. "I finally found one close to sunset almost a week ago. Rather than take the chance of getting lost, I jumped in. The pain was.... almost unbearable. When I finally broke the surface, the pain had driven me mad, and I ran, I think. When I came to my senses, I had somehow gotten into the cargo hold of an airplane. I thought I was extraordinarily lucky, since I was human at the time, I was myself!" Ranma patted Ryouga on the back.
"At least your free of the pig! Even if you fell in the spring of drowned pervert, it's gotta be better than being a pig." Ryouga gave a little half smile, then sank in depression again.
"Come on Ranma, let's go get something to drink."
"No problem, that place over there has a soda machine..." Ryouga shook his head.
"No, I mean a real drink. I don't care if we have to raid Kuno's wine cellar, but I really could use a drink!"
"You drink Ryouga? I thought you only drank water since your on the road all the time." Ranma sounded a little shocked, but led Ryouga towards a nearby bar.
"I've been to Germany a few times. It's a lot easier to get beer than water. Some people think it's funny to give some poor lost kid a beer, but I can handle the stuff." Ryouga spoke quietly as they walked into one of the more disreputable bars in town. The broken doorframe should have been the first hint, but the two depressed martial artists trudged in anyways.
Inside was a mess. Broken chairs and tables were piled in one corner, and tough looking bikers lounged around the bar. Loud heavy metal music was blaring, and there were more than a few passed out, or knocked out people around. Ranma and Ryouga ignored this, and walked straight to the bar.
"Get us a bottle of the strongest stuff you got." Ryouga growled as he sat on a patched stool. The bartender gave Ryouga a once over, and crossed his arms.
"Sorry son, we don't serve minors here," No sooner had the words left his mouth had Ryouga grabbed the front of the man's shirt and dragged him halfway across the bar. Ryouga spoke in a dangerously low voice, looking straight into the now frightened bartender's eyes.
"I said, a bottle of the strongest stuff you got. I'm too tired to argue with you, and would just as soon toss you out and get it myself," The bartender nodded vigorously, and Ryouga let go. The bartender produced two shot glasses, and poured them both some whiskey.
"Thanks. Leave the bottle." Ryouga said tersely, and knocked his drink back quickly.
"You've done this before, haven't you Ryouga?" Ranma said before he sipped his, and nearly choked on it. Ryouga slapped him on the back hard.
"Slam it down, don't sip on it, and yeah, I've hit a couple of bars before. That was right after my first trip to Jusenkyo." Ryouga poured himself another drink, and downed that one as soon as he had finished pouring. Ranma poured himself another and kicked it back the way he saw Ryouga drink it, his pride not letting him have less to drink than Ryouga. The bartender gave them a concerned look.
"Um, you two seem worked up by something, need to talk about it?" The bartender hoped that they would start blabbing away about whatever bothered them, and then leave.
"No, you wouldn't understand." Ryouga said flatly.
"Try me." The bartender grinned, and refilled Ryouga's glass for him.
"Picture this if you will, think of what it means to be one of the best fighters in the world, able to shatter a rock with one finger, and then poof. You can't fight anymore. Then poof again, your back to the way you were. Imagine this happening several times a day. Now think of what happens when you finally find a cure, and botch it up because you were too impatient to wait for the guy to come along and tell you which cure to take. I took the wrong cure, and at the same time, was unable to bring back a cure for my friend, who suffers from the same problem." Ryouga said, then drank another shot. The bartender turned to Ranma.
"Ok, howzabout you?"
"I'm the friend he was talking about." Ranma said flatly, and took another drink himself.
"Well, sounds to me that you two need to go out and get the right cure, as you put it." The bartender said with a smug look on his face.
"Ain't that easy." Ranma said, still trying to match Ryouga drink for drink, "You see, the cure is in China, and we don't have enough money to go there." Ranma took another shot. Ryouga nodded his head, and downed another. One of the bikers had overheard them, and shambled over.
"Yous two don't look none to tough. I think I can handle either of ya." Ranma and Ryouga looked at each other.
"You want to take him Ryouga? I don't have as much anger to work out of my system." Ranma said. Ryouga grinned and nodded as he slid off of the stool.
"Your move." Ryouga said noncommittally. The biker's face flushed, and he charged with a roar. Ryouga calmly sidestepped, kneed the man in the gut, and flattened him on the ground with a palm strike between his shoulder blades. The man tried to get up, put Ryouga calmly placed his foot on the man's back.
"I don't feel like seriously hurting you. Go back to your drink, 'k?" Ryouga said, a bit of boredom in his voice. When he continued to struggle, Ryouga demonstrated what he meant by hurt, by punching straight into the floor, burying his arm up to the elbow in solid concrete. The man flinched since Ryouga's fist impacted the floor mere inches away from his nose. The man's eyes went wide when Ryouga pulled his arm out, and there was no sign of injury whatsoever. Ryouga turned back to his seat, and the biker crawled away, doing his best to avoid being noticed by the drinking martial artists.
Some time later, a thoroughly drunk pair staggered from the bar. The bottle and their pockets had run dry, and it was time to find their way home.
Akane was upset. Ranma had not come home yet, and her dinner was getting cold. She had worked on it since she got home, and the food looked like it was really good. When the sky began to darken, Akane stood up.
"Go ahead and eat you guys, I'm going to look for Ranma." She announced.
"Atta girl Akane! You make you father so proud, looking after your fiancee like that!" Mr. Tendo said happily while Genma-panda grunted and nodded, reaching for the food. Akane did her best to ignore them, and started walking towards the door when she heard a loud crash, and slurred curses.
"Oh my! What language! Akane, would you be a dear and chase off those drunks please?" Kasumi said, one hand held delicately up to her mouth.
"Sure thing Kasumi! I feel the need to vent a bit anyway." Akane cracked her knuckles and walked out to the gate. As she got closer to the gate, she could almost understand what the drunks were wailing about, but she prepared to face them, ready for anything.
Well, just about anything. She jumped backwards when the gate opened violently, and just about tore a vocal cord with her yell of surprise.
"RANMA?!???!! RYOUGA?!?!?!"
Her shout summoned the rest of the household. There, staggering in the yard was a very drunk pair. They were clinging to each other for support.
"Hiyash Akane! We's home," Ranma announced with a stupid grin. After Ranma's greeting, Akane stormed around the side of the house. Ryouga muttered something under his breath. Ranma turned his head. "Yeah, thatsh a true sshhamesh, wanderin' ta Jasenko and notsh findin' tha shpring." Ryouga raised his head.
"Itsh not my falt. I shlipped in and ... woomph, I blacksh out. We curshed folksh stick tagatha right Ranma?" Ryouga's voice was very slurred, but his pleading tone was enough to make all of the Tendos feel sorry for him.
"Poor Ryouga!" Kasumi said to Nabiki, "Now he has a curse. I wonder which spring he fell into?"
"I'll lay you a bet that he turns into some small, weak animal Kasumi," Nabiki said, "It's the most annoying thing that could happen to a strong boy like Ryouga. I say a hundred yen is good," Kasumi looked at her sister strangely, the produced a list.
"Ok Nabiki, your hundred yen against doing all the shopping for a week,"
"Deal sis,"
Feather tried to drag the boys into the house, and get them to stop yelling. Exasperated, Feather backed up from them and put her hands on her hips.
"Honestly, what has gotten into you two?" Feather scowled at them before she turned to look for Akane. "Hey Akane, you going to help me get these two inside?" Feather called out. Akane returned with a running garden hose in hand.
"No problem. This ought to at least get Ranma to shut up." Feather reached for the hose, a yell of warning somehow lodged in her throat as Akane turned the hose on them. The cold spray of water managed to silence everyone in the yard. Feather couldn't look. Ryouga had confessed to her about what he had done as P-chan as an explanation as to why she couldn't tell Akane. Everyone else in the yard was in shock. Instead of changing just Ranma, Ryouga changed had as well. His fangs grew , and his face grew longer. Gray fur sprouted over every inch of his body as he lurched forward onto all fours. In the blink of an eye, Ryouga had transformed into a very large wolf. The only real clue that it was still Ryouga was the bandanna that somehow remained loosely tied around his thick neck. He looked about as irritated as a wolf could get.
"R, Ryouga?" Akane said as the hose slid out of her numb fingers. Ryouga merely whined as he rolled onto his side in the growing mud puddle. Nabiki, scowled, and held her hand out to Kasumi.
"Might as well give me the list, I'm going shopping after school tomorrow." As Nabiki spoke, Feather turned to look, and did not have to fake any kind of astonishment.
"Ryouga! What happened!" Feather screamed as she ran over to him, and hugged him around the neck, burying her face into the amazingly soft fur. Ryouga twisted a little and nudged at Feather with his muzzle. The touch of his cold nose made her let go of his neck. No sooner had she done that then he started to lick her face.
"Ah! Hee hee hee, stop it Ryouga!" Feather giggled as she tried to fend him off laughingly. Then seriously pushed him away as she smelled his breath.
"Phew! Ryouga look that way, your breath reeks!" She turned her face away from Ryouga and watched Akane stalk over to Ranma, who swept her into a tight embrace.
"Ranma! Let go of me right now!" Akane struggled uselessly against Ranma-chan's strong arms.
"Why? I shink I'll fall if I let go.." Ranmachan let go however, and then passed out. Akane caught her limp form, and with an exasperated sigh, dragged Ranma-chan into the house. Ryouga's tongue lolled out in the wolfish equivalent of a laugh.
"Ryouga, come on, let's get you inside." Feather stood held a hand out, expecting Ryouga to follow. Instead, Ryouga whined a little as he finally passed out. Feather sighed as she tried to pick him up. She half carried, half dragged Ryouga's sodden form into the dojo. She saw where Akane had dumped Ranma-chan off, and dropped her burden right next to the now snoring Ranma-chan. Akane walked back into the dojo with a pail of water and a couple of washrags.
"Here, let's clean them up a bit, then get to bed ourselves." Akane offered one of the rags to Feather, who accepted, and proceeded to try and wash all of the mud and grime off of Ryouga. Akane started to clean Ranma-chan up, pausing only to kick their fathers out of the room.
"I really don't need them going on about how fiancees look after each other right now." Akane wrung out her rag, and dipped it in the bucket. "I wonder if Ryouga's curse was why they went and got drunk. As long as I've known them, they haven't willingly gotten drunk."
"I hope they'll be ok Akane. They both seemed rather bummed out, and after you splashed them, they were getting hysterical." Feather pulled a particularly large clump of mud out of his fur, "Look on the bright side, he's housebroken." Akane giggled at Feather's observation, and finished cleaning Ranma-chan off.
"There, Ranma's all cleaned up. How's Ryouga coming?" Akane asked. Feather shrugged.
"He's as clean as possible without a good hot bath, and a lot of soap." Akane and Feather left the empty bucket in the dojo, and closed the door.
Feather looked back at the door and sighed. As she made her way back towards Akane's room, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Ryouga.
"To be so close, yet so far. It's almost as if the world really is out to get him." Feather sighed as she made her way up the stairs. Ryouga may be back, but she was certain that his new curse was only going to make things more.... interesting.
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 7
Feather walked slowly up the stairs, as if a great weight was upon her shoulders. Halfway up the stairs she stopped and looked back towards the dojo itself, a sad look on her face. She steeled herself and walked the rest of the way towards her room. Akane was already sleeping peacefully in her bed, so Feather silently changed into her nightclothes and settled into her futon to try and get some sleep.
Sleep did not come easily for her though. Each time she thought she was about to fall asleep, her mind would meld the image of Ryouga with the drunkard. Each time she would sit upright in her bed, her breath coming in ragged gasps. ' They are not the same!!' Her mind screamed her defiance, but cold logic seemed to seep in every time. >Both of them started out as good men didn't they? Then they began to drink. How long untill Ryouga becomes as mean as the other?< With a half-strangled sob, Feather resolutely buried her face in her pillow and tried to get some sleep.
Bright sunlight filtered through the cracks in the shutters the next morning. Ranma-chan half stirred, groaned, then rolled over. Suddenly her face felt very warm, like it was stuck into a fur coat. Ranma-chan sat up quickly in surprise, and instantly regretted the motion. Her stomach tossed and turned, causing her face to turn an interesting shade of green and her head suddenly felt like it had been crushed. Ranma-chan swallowed hard to avoid being sick, and squinted against the light.
"Man, my head hurts!" Ranma-chan groaned as she looked around the room. She wasn't surprised to find herself in the dojo, but she was surprised to find what looked to her to be an oversized dog next to her. Ranma-chan backed away, not sure of what to think.
"Let's see," Ranma-chan started to go over what had happened the day before, "I found Ryouga, and he said he had been to Jusenkyo. Then we got roaring drunk, and staggered back to the dojo. I guess I passed out after Akane spayed us with the hose," Ranma-chan glanced over at the wolf. "Ryouga, it has to be," She said to herself.
Slowly, Ranma-chan moved on her hands and knees towards the slumbering wolf. It did not take her very long to spot Ryouga's bandanna tied around the thick, shaggy neck. Awkwardly, Ranma-chan patted Ryouga-okami's shoulder.
"Sorry man. I know it wasn't what you were looking for, but it's better than nothing right?" Ryouga growled a little, indicating that he was awake. It was quite a struggle for Ryouga to gain his feet--between his hangover, and not being used to his new form it was nearly impossible. Ranma-chan steadied him the best he could.
"Easy man, I'll go find Kasumi and get us some hot water, maybe some food too," Ryouga sat back on his haunches as Ranma-chan slowly made her way towards the house. Inside, he found that the normal morning hustle had long since subsided.
"Kasumi? Are you around?" Ranma-chan called out, wincing against the volume of her own voice. Kasumi walked out of the kitchen, kettle in hand. Apparently she was ready for them.
"Good morning Ranma. How do you feel this morning?" Kasumi looked and sounded concerned. Ranma-chan was grateful for Kasumi's calm and quiet demeanor.
"My head hurts, and everything sounds like it's being shouted in my ear. My gut feels like I ate the worst of Akane's cooking for a week," Kasumi nodded in sympathy.
"I'm sure poor Ryouga is in no better shape. Let's change him back and see about getting you two feeling better," Kasumi walked briskly towards the dojo, kettle in hand. Ranma-chan was a little upset that Kasumi hadn't changed her back then and there, so she stumbled after Kasumi eagerly awaiting her return to normality. Once they were in the dojo, Kasumi gingerly poured the hot water onto Ryouga-okami. As with Genma's transformation, Ryouga's had somehow taken his clothes with him.
"Thanks Kasumi. You wouldn't believe how little a wolf can handle alcohol," Ryouga said as he stood up. Kasumi smiled, but delicately wrinkled her nose.
"Off to the bath with you two! I don't want you to make yourselves sick with your own stench," Kasumi started herding them towards the bathroom. Ranma-chan opened her mouth to protest, but Kasumi wouldn't hear of it. One stern look from her made Ranma-chan all but run for the bathroom.
"I'll have some food ready for you when you get out!" Kasumi called after the retreating pair. Kasumi watched until they disappeared around the corner then she simply got a mop from the corner and dried the floor with two deft strokes. She turned towards the kitchen with a resigned look on her face.
"Kasumi's being real bossy today isn't she?" Ryouga asked while he soaked in the furu with Ranma.
"Yeah, but she has every right to. After all, we both staggered in late last night, ruining whatever was planned for the evening, and to top it off we were drunk. I'll bet Akane is real mad. She cooked dinner last night, and I think it went to waste," He bowed his head. Ryouga looked up at the ceiling.
"I'm better off than I was, I don't turn into something eaten in more places than not. I still have to be careful though, a lot of people have an irrational fear of wolves." Ranma nodded.
"Yeah, but now you never have to worry about becoming PChan ever again." Ranma grinned ear to ear, "You want to go out for a pork okonomiaki at Ucchan's later?" Ryouga looked queasy for a second, but then he smiled hugely.
"Sure. Maybe pork chops after that!" Laughing, the two of them climbed out of the tub, their appetites sparked. Once they were in the changing room, they found clean clothes neatly laid out for them.
"She really looks out for everyone, doesn't she?" Ryouga stated more than asked as they changed. Ranma nodded in response. "Does anyone ever really show how much they appreciate her?" Ranma stopped dead cold at those words. Ice ran down his spine as he realized exactly how much responsibility had been placed on those slender shoulders.
"I think it's time to make sure people do Ryouga, starting with us," Ranma said evenly. "You're right, Kasumi does so much for so little in return. The only time she ain't cleanin' is when she's too sick to get out of bed, and even then we have to practically hold her down," Ranma's face settled into a mask of determination, and Ryouga nodded at his friends words.
They made their way towards the kitchen, ready to take over whatever chores that needed to be done. When they reached the kitchen they stopped dead in their tracks, disbelief plain on their faces. Pots and pans were everywhere; spilled food littered the floor and stained the walls. Utensils were scattered about, and in the middle of the storm of disarray was Kasumi, calmly doing her best to clean up.
"Uh, Kasumi?" Ranma asked hesitantly. Kasumi looked up at them and smiled.
"Hello Ranma, Ryouga. Give me a minute and I'll have something ready for you to eat," Her calm acceptance of the mess nearly made Ranma mad, but it drove Ryouga to fury. With a great amount of control, Ryouga forced down the rage before he spoke.
"That's not why we came to the kitchen Kasumi. We... We want to help you clean this up," Ranma nodded firmly to emphasize that desire. Kasumi's hand shot up to her mouth.
"Oh my, you can't! You're guests, guests shouldn't have to help out around the house!" Kasumi's protests went unheeded as they proceeded to pick up around the kitchen.
"I'll clean the dishes Ryouga. Paws wouldn't do much good there, and I stay human with hot or cold water." Ryouga nodded and quickly gathered the scattered dishes. Kasumi tried again to stop them, but Ryouga stopped her.
"Kasumi, you have done more for us than anyone can possibly imagine. Let us clean up this mess while you relax for a while," Kasumi gave a small frown, but Ryouga spoke before she could. "And if I catch you trying to vacuum or clean anything else, I'll dunk you in the pond myself!" He then turned back to the mess and proceeded to clean to spilled food off of the floor and walls.
Kasumi never moved from where she stood. On occasion she would correct them as to where something went, but other than that did nothing. In short order, the kitchen was immaculate once again. Ranma and Ryouga looked at each other with satisfaction.
"Ok Kasumi, what happened in there? I've never seen the kitchen that bad, even when Akane was first trying to cook." Ranma asked bluntly, his eyes promising pain to whoever caused it.
"Well, I found it like that this morning. I thought that one of you had tried to get a snack during the night, but when I checked, neither of you had moved." Kasumi tried to sound convincing but she could not, not with two pairs of steely eyes on her. Kasumi sighed; she never had been very good at lying.
"I don't know for certain, but I think either Akane or Feather got a little upset when they tried to make breakfast this morning. When I came in, both of them were staring at the mess." Kasumi finally confessed. The boys looked at each other and frowned.
"Kasumi," Ranma said after a short time, "If you ever need help with anything, and I do mean anything, you let me or Ryouga know. We'll do anything we can to help you out," Kasumi seemed to ignore the statement, and briskly started to cook some food.
"Akane and Feather are at school. You two slept very soundly. Why don't you go sit down while I make you some soup," Kasumi remarked lightly. Ranma and Ryouga retreated from the kitchen and settled down at the table.
"I missed school on my first day back didn't I?" Ryouga slumped his shoulders as he realized how much homework he'd have to do to catch up. Ranma patted him on the shoulder.
"Cheer up man, Akane and Feather will be happy to help you out," Ranma grinned.
"What about you?"
"I'll be right next to you catching up as well." Ranma seemed a bit embarrassed; "My grades aren't exactly the greatest." They chuckled at that, then groaned from the sudden pain that lanced through their skulls.
"Remind me never to go drinking with you again." Ranma groaned as he clutched at his still throbbing head. Ryouga grunted as he laid his head on the table. It only took a moment for Ryouga to fall back asleep.
With Ryouga tuned out, Ranma turned to watch the Koi pond, hoping that the serenity that it produced would help calm his headache. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the old tree and caused small ripples to play across the water's surface. He let his mind wander, losing himself in the calm scene before him. 'No wonder Mr. Tendo loves to watch the pond, it's so relaxing' For a moment, one fleeting second, Ranma had found peace.
All thoughts of peace and quiet fled when Kasumi announced that lunch was ready. Seemingly out of nowhere, Genma materialized and moved quickly to his spot at the table. Soun followed at a more leisurely pace. Genma's sudden arrival roused Ryouga, who muttered dark imprecations at Genma.
"Well boy, you looked like something the cat dragged in last night!" Genma laughed loudly to the boys' discomfort. "What happened to you boy?" Ranma glared at his father.
"Look pop, I'm in no mood to talk about it. Just leave me alone 'k?" Ranma growled, his headache back full force. Genma opened his mouth to say something else, but found a dishrag shoved into his mouth. Everyone at the table looked at Kasumi in shock.
"That's quite enough Mr. Saotome!" Kasumi's normally gentle voice quite suddenly had steel in it. An eerie silence held sway before Kasumi continued.
"Ranma-kun is not feeling well, but he and Ryouga-kun insisted on helping with the kitchen, so they have done more than enough to deserve a quiet meal." Kasumi gave him a hard look before she spoke again in her normal voice. "Now, do we understand each other?" Genma nodded fervently, still too shocked to pull the rag from his mouth.
Lunch was eaten in silence after that. Once everyone was done the boys traded a glance, and proceeded to clear the table. Kasumi didn't protest, but merely picked up a share of the dishes. Genma and Soun gaped as they watched. After the table was cleared, the fathers decided that a good game of shoji would take their minds off of things.
"Maybe things will be a bit quieter back in the dojo," Ranma said as he washed dishes. Ryouga nodded his agreement, and they retreated there once the work was done. Ryouga retrieved his sleeping bag from his pack and opened it up fully. Ranma shot him a questioning look.
"It'll be more comfortable to sit on this than just the floor," Ryouga explained as he sat heavily. Ranma sat next to him and they looked out at the garden in silence.
Hours passed as the boys drifted in and out of sleep, but it did not seem like it had been a long time before they heard the girls returning from school. Ranma and Ryouga stood and went to meet up with them. As they approached the dining room they could hear a lively conversation, but when they entered dead silence was there to greet them.
Akane looked nervous about something and Feather's face was blank. Ryouga swallowed nervously and put his hand behind his head.
"Um, hi. About last night..." he started, but let his words trail off as Feather turned and fled upstairs. Ryouga glanced around. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked. Akane glanced up the stairs before she spoke.
"She's been acting really weird today. This morning she went crazy in the kitchen when I mentioned what happened last night, and she's been tense all day." She spoke softly so that Feather would not hear her. Ranma shrugged.
"Ok, maybe she's just as dangerous in the kitchen as you are!" Ranma smirked at his own wit, and Akane scowled at him.
"Watch it Ranma!" Akane spoke with rising anger, "I'm still pretty upset that you missed out on dinner last night,"
"Heck, couldn't have been that special," Ranma commented, "I mean it woulda been what? Your second meal that wasn't poisonous?" Akane's scowl grew, but she managed to restrain herself.
"I think maybe you two did something that upset her last night. It's bad enough that the principal terrorized her, then the fact that everybody at school knows about her wings now, and finally you two coming home drunk last night! Heck I'm pretty stressed out by all of that!"
"Um, so what's the big deal? So what if we came home drunk once? It's not like we're trying to hurt her or anything," Ranma said as he crossed his arms. Something in Akane's mind almost audibly snapped.
"What's the big deal?!?! I'll tell you what the big deal is! You're an insensitive jerk and a complete idiot! She looks up to you and Ryouga like you were idols, and you destroyed her perception of you two. Mine as well. I never thought either of you would go and get drunk just for the sake of getting drunk!" While Ranma stammered, trying to come up with a reply, Akane turned on Ryouga so suddenly he backed up a step.
"And you! Do you have any idea how much Feather worried about you when you wandered off? She searched for you for three days! It took all I had just to get her to go to school!" Akane stomped forward as she made each point. Not being used to being on the receiving end of Akane's temper, Ryouga backed up nervously until his back was against the wall.
"I didn't mean to wander off..." Ryouga said meekly. His words did not seem to calm Akane down at all.
"I know you don't mean to wander off Ryouga, but that does not excuse what you did!" Akane turned and climbed the stairs, leaving a pair of very confused young men.
"Hey Ranma, you think she's upset?"
"Upset is not the word," Ranma muttered as he motioned for Ryouga to follow him. "Look Ryouga, sometimes the best thing to do when something like this happens is to back off for a bit. Akane seems to calm down faster if I'm not around," Ryouga looked dubious, but followed him anyway.
"You sure about that Ranma? The problem is here, so we should stay here," Ryouga crossed his arms to emphasize his point. Ranma gave him a hard look.
"Let me say that again. You wanna be here while the girls are still really mad, and just might decide to take it out on us?" Ryouga remembered suddenly about that time Akane had hit him; right after the accident that cut her hair. He shivered involuntarily at the memory.
"Ok you have a point, but where will we eat dinner? I don't have that much money on me, and I know how you eat!" Ranma grinned.
"Way ahead of you man! We'll just head over to Ucchan's and get some of that pork okonomiaki we were talking about earlier," Ryouga nodded and grabbed his pack out of habit, and followed Ranma through town.
Ucchan's was empty when they arrived, save Ukyou. She was cheerfully wiping the counter when they came in. She looked up and smiled.
"Hello Ran-chan! Hi there Ryouga, what brings both of you here? Akane cooking again tonight?" She heated up the grill while the boys grabbed a pair of stools at the counter.
"Naw, at least I don't think so. Feather was real worked up about something, giving Ryouga a real cold shoulder." Ranma grimaced a little, thinking of the mess Feather had made in the kitchen. "She didn't even say hi to him when she got back from school."
"Speaking of school, why weren't you there Ran-chan? Akane wouldn't say exactly why you didn't show." Ukyou started pouring some batter out onto the grill. "Two deluxes right?"
"Two pork okonomiaki please," Ranma elbowed Ryouga a little, "Ryouga and I didn't go to school cause we were... not feeling that well this morning." Ukyou leveled a steady gaze at them.
"Define not feeling well." Ranma glanced nervously around, as if he didn't really want to say. Ryouga wasn't as nervous though.
"We were hungover. After Ranma found me last night, I made him take me to a bar to get dr....OW!" Before he could finish talking, Ukyou had whipped her huge spatula off of her back and hit Ryouga on the top his head, very hard. Blows from a sledgehammer were kinder than this. Ryouga only looked mildly annoyed though.
"You jackass!" Ukyou screamed, "Do you have any idea what Feather's been through?" Ryouga shook his head mutely, wondering why Ukyou seemed to be crying and screaming mad at once. Tears streamed from her eyes as she repeatedly pounded on Ryouga. Ranma edged away carefully, not wanting to get hit for his involvement. Ukyou was so mad, she was starting to shake.
The repeated blows stunned Ryouga and the stool he was sitting on finally broke. As he tumbled backwards, Ukyou knelt behind the counter and wept into her hands. Ranma vaulted over the counter to see if Ukyou was all right.
"Ucchan! What's wrong with you?" He exclaimed and tried to comfort her. Unfortunately, Ukyou was quite beyond the reach of reason and she threw Ranma across the restaurant. Ranma landed hard on a table, splintering it. He lay there for a second stunned, until he smelled smoke. As he jumped up, he saw that Ryouga was already trying to put out a fire on the grill. Ryouga grabbed one of Ukyou's spatulas and flipped a chunk of charcoaled batter into the sink. Ranma dashed over to the sink and ran water over the still smoldering chunk. When Ranma looked back, he saw that Ryouga was ignoring the heat of the grill and the grease fire that was blazing across it's surface, and was scraping all of the grease and burnt batter into a pan.
Ranma snatched up a tablecloth and smothered the fire. Luckily the tablecloth didn't catch, and that too was thrown into the sink. Ranma then knelt next to Ukyou again.
"Hey Ucchan, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to calm down a bit. You almost let your restaurant burn," Ranma remained tense for whatever reaction would come next from her. Ukyou continued to cry for a while, and the guys were starting to get real nervous before she finally stopped.
"Hey Ukyou, what happened anyway? It must have been pretty bad for you to react like that," Ryouga said standing just out of her reach. Ukyou slowly stood up and looked over towards the still slightly smoking grill.
"Give me a sec to clean this up, and then I'll explain."
A short while later, Ukyou had finished cleaning up the grill and was starting to cook some okonomiaki for them. "Ok you two, I'll tell you what's going on," Ukyou said evenly, still apparently not very happy with them.
"That guy that used to keep her, he was a mean drunk. He used to beat her after drinking a lot. She has _scars_ from that, not just emotional ones. She has a long scar on her left shoulder and maybe others that she didn't show me." Ukyou paused to tend to the food for a second. "He used to spend most of their money on booze, and he still hit her if anything didn't go his way. That's why she's been acting different around you, she's remembering slowly what happened to her in the past and it's tearing her up." She served them the okonomiaki at that point. Ranma let out a low whistle.
"So that's it. I didn't know what you were talking about yesterday, and I didn't think to ask you about it." Ranma said between bites. Ryouga hesitantly ate his; his revulsion to pork was fading slowly. Ukyou seemed to calm down a little more, and just started to enjoy having her Ran-chan there.
"So why did you guys feel the need to get drunk? It must've been something awful that happened," Ukyou asked when they had finished eating. Ryouga swallowed nervously before he spoke.
"I kinda messed up getting Ranma a cure, and ended up with a curse myself,"
"Poor thing! Tell me what happened," Ukyou leaned over the counter, interested in what Ryouga was about to say.
"Well, I stumbled into Jusenkyo about a week ago, but I couldn't find the guide anywhere. So I decided to try and find the nannichuan without his help," he thought for a second about how he should edit his story, and then continued.
"I basically looked around for human footprints coming out of a spring. I did find one but when I took off my pack to get a bottle out, I fell into the spring behind me. The transformation was... painful. The pain drove me insane, and apparently I ran without stopping for quite some time. When I came out of it, I was in the cargo hold of a plane thankfully human. Luckily, the plane landed in Tokyo and Ranma found me shortly after that," Ryouga paused to sip some water.
"I was really depressed when I saw Ranma, 'cause I had to tell him that I had a cure in hand and lost it. After that I had him take me to a bar and we both got roaring drunk," Ryouga hung his head, depressed again by his bad luck. Ukyou reached across the bar to pat him on the shoulder.
"There there hon, can't be all that bad. What do you turn into, by the way?" Ukyou sounded very curious. Ryouga looked up and grinned, baring his fangs a little.
"A wolf. I turn into a fairly large wolf," Ryouga said with no emotion in his voice.
"Could be worse sugar,"
"That's true I guess. I don't turn into something small and helpless like some people, and I don't have to worry about Kuno chasing me down whenever it rains," He shot a glance at Ranma, "I guess you could say it coulda been worse. It does make catching my dinner that much easier, and I can track my way back to wherever I camped by smell,"
Ranma chuckled a little at Ryouga's deadpan description his new curse. Ukyou giggled as well, but she really didn't know the true reason behind Ryouga's statements.
Evening turned into night, and the boys slowly made their way back to the dojo. Neither of them spoke, they did not have to. They knew that pair of angry young women were there, and who on earth knew what would set them off next.
It was fully dark when they passed the gates to the dojo. Ranma guided Ryouga into the dojo, and with a silent salute left for his room. Ryouga was deep in thought as he prepared his sleeping bag. Despite knowing what made Feather angry at him, he was unable to come up with a suitable way to get her to forgive him. Cursing his stupidity, Ryouga stared at the ceiling while sleep and the answer to his problem eluded him.
Morning did not bring any answers to the lost boy. The cries of the Saotomes sparring roused him from his slumber. Habit urged him to pack his rucksack and sling it over his shoulder. As he finished waking up, he noticed female battle cries coming from the yard. His curiosity piqued, Ryouga followed the voices into the yard.
He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him. Akane and Feather were sparing on the lawn while Genma and Ranma fought over the pond. Feather was being hard pressed by a vicious pattern of punches and kicks from Akane. More than once Ryouga noted when and where Akane penetrated her defenses. He smiled to himself in pride when Feather caught Akane's arm and used her momentum in a hip throw. Feather didn't let up there as she took her turn on the attack. Akane smoothly blocked or dodged the strikes though.
Ryouga gasped when Feather whipped her hair around to tag Akane on her side. A whip-like crack could be heard from the blow. Akane winced, but did not falter when she took advantage of the opening the move left.
The girls broke smoothly when Kasumi called out that breakfast was ready. Ryouga snapped out of his half trance to dash for the table. He barely noticed when Ranma and Genma fell into the pond.
The usual breakfast argument started up between Ranmachan and Akane, but Ryouga didn't notice. He was too deep in his thoughts. About the only thing he noticed was the fact that Feather was making a point to ignore him. He decided to say something to her. He spoke to Feather during a lull in Ranma-chan and Akane's argument.
"I guess it's about time for you to go back to Cologne again. She did want to keep track of how much you're improving," Ranma-chan nearly choked.
"The old ghoul wants to see her progress? Why?"
Ryouga shook his head. "I don't really know myself, but she said something along the lines about how well a one time student of hers could teach. Maybe it's about how a student represents the teacher or something like that."
"That makes a little sense. After all, she did teach you the bakusai tenketsu, maybe she thinks you're her student full time now," Ryouga shuddered.
"I hope not. I'm not too fond of her training techniques," Feather didn't reply, but she did seem to be looking forward to seeing Cologne after school. The rest of breakfast passed peacefully, and after Ranma had changed back they ran off for school.
When they could see the clock tower, they realized that they were early for a change. Slowing to a walk, they approached the school. Just inside the gates Kuno was waiting for them.
"Greetings on this fair morn' to the beauticious Tendo Akane, and the angelic Saotome Feather! How I yearn for you both! Come, leap into my arms!" He cried out as they approached.
"Give it a rest Kuno," Akane sighed as she continued towards the school. Kuno might have continued, if he was given the chance, but he was being held back by Ranma and Ryouga.
"Release me curs or feel the wrath of the Blue Thunder!" He yelled.
"Chill out Kuno. Today is not a good day for this," Ryouga said with a trace of irritation in his voice. Surprisingly, Kuno ceased trying to chase the girls the rest of the way into the school.
"'Tis the wandering warrior Ryouga. Why is this day not a good one to court my loves? Neither rain nor snow shall stay me from seeking the hands of those I love. Truly, such a task is too stern for me to delay,"
"Look you moron, we're finally early and I'm not going to let you make us all late again!" Ranma snapped.
"Very well Saotome. I shall proceed to my own class then. Perhaps after school," Kuno walked away.
Despite his parting words, Kuno did not show up again after school. The small group made their way towards the Nekohanten; the girls were talking excitedly about something that had caught their interest and the guys were generally ignored. The cold shoulder was almost more than Ryouga could stand.
They weren't expecting to see the Nekohanten closed down. It didn't quite look deserted, but business was obviously not being held.
"That's odd. This place usually has a crowd." Ranma noted as they approached. "Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing Shampoo for the last week or so," Akane frowned a little. She had noticed, and secretly celebrated the amazon's absence. Feather walked up and knocked on the door. Several minutes passed before they heard the lock turn and the door slowly slid open.
"So sorry, Nekohanten closed for... Ranma! So happy to see you," She did not seem overly enthusiastic though. She appeared to be disheveled, and obviously had not gotten very much sleep.
"What's wrong Shampoo? You're a mess!" Ranma said with a note of concern in his voice. Akane frowned again, but said nothing. Shampoo passed a weary hand across her eyes, brushing some stray locks of hair away.
"Come inside, Shampoo tell you what happening then," She stood aside from the door to let them pass then she closed and locked the door. Ranma and the others sat at one of the dusty tables.
"What's going on? As many times as I've wandered here the door's been open," Ryouga said. Shampoo sat with them wearily.
"Mousse get very sick from fight with beast. The wounds get infected and he get high fever. Great Grandmother doing what she can to keep fever down, but it not look good. Shampoo been busy helping," Feather hugged Shampoo in an attempt to comfort her.
"I thought you didn't like Mousse Shampoo." Akane spoke quietly.
"If Mousse dies from those wounds, Shampoo will be honor bound to follow him into the grave. Such are the laws of our tribe." Everyone turned to look as Cologne revealed herself at the end of the hall. She hopped to join them at the table.
"The gashes in his chest are oozing Shampoo. Go and drain them again," She dismissed her great granddaughter with a wave of her withered hand. Once Shampoo had gone upstairs, Cologne turned her gaze to the youths gathered at the table.
"What brings you all here?"
"We were bringing Feather by to show you her progress, but now I think that we want to do what we can to help," Ranma placed his hands on the table.
"That is kind of you. Perhaps you could help us care for him."
Feather nodded her agreement and started up the stairs after Shampoo to try and lend a hand.
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 8
Mousse lay upon his bed; barely aware of the unusually gentle care Shampoo gave him. The fever kept him delirious most of the time, and the few times he was lucid Cologne was the only one around. He knew he was dying.
Feather nearly choked when she entered the room where they were keeping Mousse. The room reeked of rotting flesh, despite the fact that the room was cleaned often and thoroughly.
"What's causing that smell?" She asked as she held her nose. Shampoo gently pulled aside some of the bandages, revealing three parallel gashes running in a diagonal across Mousse's chest. She gestured towards one of the scabs that appeared to have blistered.
"Is wounds. They cause him flesh to rot," Shampoo sighed as she heated a needle over a candle flame. "Get hot rag from basket over there," She pointed at a wire basket that was suspended in boiling water. As Feather gingerly pulled the towel out of the water, Shampoo expertly lanced the blistering scabs. Sickly green puss oozed out from each point that was lanced. Shampoo made a curt gesture, and Feather handed Shampoo the towel. Shampoo slapped it onto his chest.
Feather winced at Mousse's sudden scream, but Shampoo showed no outward reaction. Shampoo purposefully worked the towel around his chest, and then carefully removed it and placed it into a plastic bag. The towel had changed from a pristine white to the same shade of green as what was leaking out of the blisters, and even appeared to be falling apart.
"That stuff is pretty nasty," was the only thing Feather could say. Shampoo nodded.
"It eating him. Like mummies curse, it eat him skin. Shampoo no know way to stop infection. Great Grandmother spend many night researching, look for cure,"
Downstairs Cologne, Ranma, Ryouga and Akane were still at the table talking.
"Ok ghoul, those cuts that thing gave Mousse got infected with something that's eating his skin?" Ranma asked.
"Yes son-in-law, that's it exactly. It's about all we can do to keep him alive right now," The old woman sighed "The only cure I found is the mythical 'Water of Life'. But that's only an old legend," She stopped when she saw the expressions on their faces. "Or is it?"
"It's real, but the water isn't the right cure," Akane said, a slightly pained expression grew on her face, "The water will heal him, temporarily. What we need to get is the moss off of the Yamato no Orochi's nose. You see, that moss is what makes the water of life, and that makes it at least ten times as potent."
"And here I thought it was only a legend. How far away is it?" Cologne asked, hope rising again.
"It's in some place called Ryugenzowa. Takes a little while to get close to by train, and from there it's a healthy walk to the village, and a trip into the woods to get to the Orochi's lair," Ranma supplied.
"That thing's gonna be tough to get to. Didn't you have to change into a girl to distract it for a while Ranma?" Ryouga grinned a little at Ranma's reaction. "Maybe that would be enough again--after all, it is just a stupid beast," They fell silent again, thinking about what they could do to get the moss off of the Orochi's nose.
"Hey Ranma, wasn't it Akane's whistle that made that thing go back to its lair and sleep?" Ryouga asked after a few moments.
"Yeah, come to think of it, it was. Maybe she'll let us borrow it," Ryouga shook his head.
"Actually she'll probably want to come along. After all, I'm sure she wants to see how Shinnosuke's doing," Ryouga dug his elbow into Ranma's ribs a bit.
"Shut up man! I won't let her get near... I mean risk... arrgh! You know what I mean!" Ranma looked flustered.
"Hey! Don't talk about me like I wasn't right here you guys!" Akane yelled, "Of course I'm going along! I helped get that moss before, and I'll do it again!"
"Come on Akane, you know you'd rather not fight that thing again, it almost ate you last time, remember?" Ranma tried again to convince her to stay behind. While Ranma and Akane were 'discussing' whether or not she could go, Feather and Shampoo came down the stairs.
"Great Grandmother, Shampoo drain wounds again. Him scream very loud this time."
"I have good news child. We have found a cure for the infection, and we are preparing to go after it," Cologne glanced over at the still arguing Ranma and Akane, "Just as soon as we decide who is going, and who is not."
"Shampoo go!" Cologne shook her head.
"No. I need you here to help me keep Mousse alive just a little while longer. I have confidence that son-in-law and whomever else goes will be able to bring back the moss."
"I'll go," Feather said softly. Surprisingly, her soft words managed to silence Ranma and Akane.
"No way! There is no way I can just let you go on this one! Heck, even Akane can still beat you!" Ranma yelled. Feather cringed back just a little, but she straightened back up.
"I'm going, and there's nothing you can say that will stop me! Come on big brother, I can help!" Feather unleashed her most dangerous weapons; the hurt puppy dog look and the slightly quivering lower lip. Ranma backed up a step.
"I, uh, I mean, you know, it's dangerous and stuff. I just don't want ya to get hurt or nothin'..." Ranma stammered as Feather continued her assault.
"Please," Her most plaintive tone caused Ranma's head to droop in defeat.
"Oh all right. I guess you could go,"
"Thanks big brother!" Feather gave him a hug and then backed off. Akane laughed a little.
"Well then, I guess if Feather's going it's A-OK for me to go as well!" Ranma turned on her.
"What do ya mean by that?!? Who said that you could go?"
"Come off it Ranma. If you'll let your 'little sister' go, and you even admitted that I'm better than she is, you have to let me go," Cologne chuckled.
"She does have a point there son-in-law. Besides, I think you'll need all the help you can get," Cologne looked thoughtful, "I feel that it would be best if you started out immediately. The longer you wait to leave, the less chance Mousse has of surviving."
"Shampoo wish luck! Ranma, no get hurt ok?" Shampoo glomped onto Ranma.
"No sweat Shampoo, we'll be back before you know it!" Ranma tried in vain to disentangle himself from the amazon. Feather stifled a giggle as she watched Akane grab Ranma by his pigtail and yank him out of Shampoo's grip.
"Come on 'Romeo', we've got to pack," Akane growled as she dragged Ranma away. Feather faced Cologne and gave a slight bow.
"We'll be back soon, and maybe then I'll be able to train with you again," Cologne chuckled.
"Take care of yourself child, and make sure you come back in one piece."
Feather hurried back to the dojo with Ryouga following close behind. Neither of them spoke on the way. When they reached the dojo, Feather dashed upstairs to pack. Ryouga looked around a little before he spied a note.
[[Hi everyone. We all went out for dinner tonight with the town council. There is food for you in the fridge.
Love,
Kasumi]]
"That will make leaving easier," Ryouga said to himself as he sat on the porch to look up at the sky. The sun was just starting to set, and the clouds in the sky shone in brilliant reds.
"Why does it seem like just when I think things are going to work out, something always comes up?" He said to himself. Just as he managed to get comfortable, Akane came crashing down the stairs with her backpack.
"Hi there Ryouga! Stay here with the bags, I gotta leave a note for everyone; not to mention grab some food," Akane dropped her pack next to Ryouga and dashed into the kitchen. Ryouga shrugged a little, and went back to watching the sunset.
Ranma was coming down the stairs when he saw Ryouga seemingly staring off into space. He also noticed that Ryouga was sitting next to two backpacks. A wicked grin was plastered on Ranma's face as he threw his pack at Ryouga. Ranma was only mildly disappointed to see that Ryouga merely caught the pack and laid it next to the others.
"Good catch man, I thought you had spaced out again," Ranma quipped as he finished coming down the stairs.
"How dare you Ranma! I was enjoying that sunset! You'll pay for that!" Ryouga snarled as he stood. Ranma just got a bigger grin.
"Let me guess, you wanna spar a little before we go. Fine by me man, let's go!" Ranma launched himself at Ryouga with a kick. Ryouga smoothly blocked the kick and countered with a punch.
'This is something I understand, this is something I can deal with' Ryouga thought to himself as he fought with Ranma. Ryouga was where he was the most comfortable, in the middle of a fight with someone he knew was around his own level.
Ryouga grunted as Ranma managed to kick him solidly in the gut. He grabbed Ranma's foot and twisted hard. Ranma lost his footing, but lashed out a mean kick with his other leg catching Ryouga in the jaw. Ryouga staggered back a step from the blow, and fell into the pond.
"That was a good one Ryouga," Ranma said to the still rippling water of the pond. Ryouga-okami poked his head out of the water and growled. "Oh knock it off Ryouga. Just stay put while I get you some hot water," Ranma laughed as he walked into the house. Ryouga-okami clambered out of the pond and shook his coat dry. He felt strange though. He shook his head, thinking that the feeling was from the last kick Ranma gave him, but it did not go away. Ryouga-okami looked up at the sky, and he could make out the moon against the darkening sky. It was still quite full and had an eerie yellow tinge. Ryouga-okami decided that it was just the desire to howl at the moon that his cursed form had. Before he did anything though, Ranma returned with the hot water and a slightly upset Akane was with him.
"Honestly Ranma! Fighting with Ryouga like that just before we leave. Are you trying to wear each other out?"
"Naw, Ryouga was getting bored waiting for us to get ready to go, and a little sparring to pass the time was perfect. Wouldn't you say so Ryouga?" Ranma said as he poured the hot water onto Ryouga. Ryouga wiped his wet hair out of his eyes.
"Yeah, just to pass the time, that's it. Yeah," Ryouga laughed a little while rubbing the back of his head. Akane snorted and hefted her pack.
"Come on Feather! We're all ready to go down here!" Akane yelled up.
"I'm coming!" Feather said as she vaulted over the rail and dashed down the stairs to where the others were waiting. "Ok, we can go now," She said as she stopped in front of the others. Ryouga nearly had a nosebleed when he saw what she was wearing. Something that resembled a bright yellow halter-top graced her torso and it's front opened to reveal quite a bit of cleavage. It contrast, she was wearing the same style of dark green trousers that Ryouga wore, right down to the leather straps that encircled her calves.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to wear something like that?" Ranma asked with a slightly pained voice. Feather frowned.
"What? Don't you like it?" She twirled a little to show off the fact that it was backless. Her hair followed her motion in a snake like manner. As she did, Ranma noticed something.
"Hey! Hold up a sec Feather," Feather blinked and stopped. Ranma moved behind her, placing one hand on her shoulder and gently pushed aside her hair. Ranma scowled when he saw the scar on her back.
"What is it Ranma?" Akane asked, but Ranma would not answer her directly.
"Damn it, so that's what Ukyou was talking about!" Feather paled when he said that, and Ryouga moved so that he could see, and let loose a curse.
"She, she told you?" Feather's voice seemed small and weak then. She pulled away from Ranma and turned to face him. "She did tell you didn't she!" Feather suddenly screamed. Ranma flinched back from her, somehow feeling afraid. It was laughable, Ranma Saotome, one of the premier martial artists in the world was being cowed by a girl that was nearly a foot shorter than him that still had trouble with some of her katas.
"Why does my life have to be on parade!" She screamed again, turning hysterical. The others didn't know what to say and that seemed to upset her even more. "Can't I have just ONE thing private about my life? Can't I have one little secret? DO YOU HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ME!" Feather charged at Ranma as she screamed, and it looked like she was going to try and gouge out his eyes. Ranma stood as paralyzed as a deer caught in the headlights of a car.
Ryouga roughly knocked Ranma out of the way with his shoulder, and received a cut just below his left eye from Feather's nails for his troubles. Feather didn't seem to notice that her target had changed as she proceeded to pound on his chest. Her blows didn't faze Ryouga, but he encircled her shoulders in a tenative hug. Feather squirmed for a minute to get free, but Ryouga's arms wouldn't budge. Then she suddenly stopped trying to escape, and just clutched to his chest crying.
Ranma picked himself off of the floor and walked over to Akane.
"What's gotten into her?" Ranma asked while he rubbed the back of his head.
"Masculine insensitivity probably," Akane quipped, Ranma scowled at her words.
"Oh yeah? Maybe you forgot but she's my sister now! Maybe a tomboy like you wouldn't understand, but I got a right to know about things like that!"
"What did you say? How's a pervert like you got a right to know anything!"
"What I'm sayin' is this, If I ever get ahold of that guy again, he'll pay for everything he's done tenfold! Don't you get it? It's our duty to protect people weaker than ourselves, and it looks like all of us failed in that big time!" Akane was taken back by his words.
"What, what do you mean Ranma? Just what did Ukyou say happened to her?" Ranma's face held a serious expression.
"If we had found out about what was happening earlier, she might not be an emotional wreck right now!" He gestured towards Feather, who was still crying into Ryouga's chest, "Hell, not even the old freak would have put up with something like that!" Ranma lapsed into silence and Akane could not think of a way to respond to that. She still wanted to know what had happened, but she decided that now wasn't the time to ask. Maybe the next time she saw Ukyou...
They stood there, the silence penetrated only by Feather's sobs.
"Uhm, Feather?" Ryouga said gently after a while, "Don't you think we ought to be leaving now? Mousse can't hold out forever," She didn't seem to react to his words. Ryouga sighed to himself before he steeled himself for what he was about to say. "Do you want someone to die just because you can't pull yourself out of your past! You gotta buck up and drive on, it's the way of a true martial artist!" Ryouga spoke harshly. Feather jerked away suddenly, stung by his words. When Ryouga saw her hurt expression and her teary eyes, he felt as if he had tried to gut himself.
"You know, Ryouga's got a point. If we hang around here, there's a good chance Mousse will die before we can get back with the moss. We need to move it," Ranma said. Akane placed a hand on Feather's shoulder.
"We know you're in pain from everything that's happened to you, but it's something you have to learn to put behind you," Akane said, "I'm sure Ryouga was just trying to get you to stop crying. He didn't do it very tactfully though..." Akane shot Ryouga a glare, and he had the good grace to look embarrassed. Feather dashed her tears with the back of her hand.
"Ok, let's go," She didn't sound quite as enthusiastic as she did earlier.
The train did not stop anywhere even close to Ryugenzowa, so they had to hike for two days. It was well into the night before they reached Ryugenzowa, and they ended up camping just outside the village. Early the next morning, they proceeded deep into the forest.
"Do you know where we are going?" Feather asked as she stared at a giant koala. Akane nodded. "We need to talk to Shinnosuke and his grandfather before we face the Orochi. I gave the whistle back to them before we left last time,"
"Oh,"
A short time later, they where confronted by a giant duck billed platypus. Ryouga pulled out his umbrella and tensed for battle before Akane grabbed his shoulder.
"Look, over there," She said. As she said this, a blur seemed to come out of nowhere and attack the animal. With one sharp blow, the platypus was knocked unconscious. Shinnosuke landed easily in front of them.
"What are you doing here? This forest isn't safe. You'd better go home," he said with barely any expression in his voice, as if he said this a hundred times a day.
"Um, Shinnosuke? We came here to see you. Don't you remember us?" Akane said. Shinnosuke took a step forward to look closer, when the ground beneath him gave way and a pile of rocks fell onto his head, knocking him out.
"Are you sure this is the guy we needed to talk to?" Feather asked nervously. Akane nodded.
"Yeah, strange as it may seem we do need his help," Ryouga fished him out of the rubble.
"I'm beginning to understand why he has such a terrible memory..." Ryouga said as he effortlessly slung the boy across his back, "You remember the way Akane?" She nodded and they started off again, blithely ignoring the huge animals that roamed the forest. When they reached the small hut they let themselves inside.
"Who's there? Is that you Shin-boy?" Shinnosuke's grandfather asked when they opened the door.
"Hello again!" Akane said cheerfully. At the sound of her voice, the old man sat up and looked over at them. Akane smiled at him while Ryouga dropped off Shinnosuke.
"Akane? Why have you come back? You know how dangerous this forest can be,"
"We had to. A friend of ours is dying, and we need to get the moss from the Orochi to help him," the old man sighed at her words.
"I fear there is little hope for your friend. You see, almost all of the moss was used up saving Shinnosuke's life. I fear you came here for nothing," Feather exploded at the old man.
"Came here for nothing?!? Listen old man, you said that _almost_ all the moss was used, what about the rest?"
"I do not believe the Orochi will be rising from his lake any time soon. Unless he does, there is no way to get the moss from him,"
"Why can't we just swim down there and wake him up?" She asked stubbornly.
"That would be like entering the lion's den! Even if you do manage to wake it, how do you plan on getting the moss without getting eaten?"
"Heh, I think you’re getting as forgetful as Shinnosuke over there. We did it before, we'll do it again!" Ranma said confidently. The old man considered this.
"You may have a point. Regardless, you must be tired from your journey. Please, rest here."
Shinnosuke groaned as he sat up. He looked at the assembled group, and then at a name that had been scrawled onto a wall.
"A...Akane?"
"You remember now?" Akane said.
"What are you doing back here? This forest isn't safe for you!" He said, springing to his feet. Ryouga snorted.
"Yeah, no kidding. Maybe we'll get attacked by a giant squirrel," Ryouga said sarcastically. Akane elbowed him in the ribs.
"Will you cut it out! Shinnosuke, we came back to get some more of the moss from the Orochi,"
"Oh, ok. By the way, what's an Orochi?" Everyone in the room facefaulted.
"Forget it, I'm going to sleep," Ranma yawned as he unrolled his sleeping bag. Akane slapped the back of his head.
"Not yet you idiot! We haven't had dinner yet!"
"Yeah, but who's cooking it?" Ranma asked just a little sarcastically. Akane almost turned red with anger.
"Are you trying to imply something?" Akane asked angrily. Before they could start fighting, Feather stepped between them.
"Save it for the Orochi! I'll cook tonight!" That being said, Feather turned towards the pot and started to cook supper.
"Uh, hey Ryouga," Ranma whispered, "She know how to cook?" Ryouga shrugged.
"Dunno. I did most of the cooking when we were traveling together. I think she knows a little bit," Ranma heaved a sigh of relief.
"At least it'll be edible, and there's no way it'll be as bad as Akane's worst,"
"I heard that Ranma!" Akane scowled at him. Ranma warded off her gaze with his hands.
"Hey! I just meant that you've come a long way!" Akane's look softened.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Now we don't have to worry about dyin' if we eat your cooking. It ain't the greatest, but..." He stopped when he saw Akane was getting mad again. fortunately for Ranma, Feather turned away from the pot and held out a pair of filled bowls.
"Supper is ready," she said cheerfully. Ranma took his portion and sniffed at it carefully.
"Looks normal..." He said quietly, "Aw, what the heck, here goes," He started to eat. Feather was watching him carefully for his reaction. Ranma looked up and saw that everyone was watching him intently.
"What're you guys looking at? Eat up, or I'll eat your share!" Ranma finished his bowl and put it down. The others were just getting started on theirs. After a few minutes they all finished eating.
"That was pretty good Feather, what was it?" Akane asked. Feather blushed a little at the compliment. Ryouga smiled and leaned against a wall.
"She used a recipe for stew that I taught her," He said with a hint of pride in his voice. Ranma glanced over at him.
"What kind of stew?" Ryouga just grinned a little at Ranma's question, baring his fangs. "Come on man, what kinda stew was it?"
"Rabbit stew," Feather answered. Akane and Ranma fell over.
"Rabbit?!?" Akane practically shrieked, "you mean we just ate rabbit?" Akane suddenly didn't feel too good.
"Come on, Akane. You admitted that it was pretty good. I can't cook it quite as good as Ryouga, but it turned out alright,"
"Next time you cook, don't tell us what's in it, ok?" Ranma said. Feather giggled at him and nodded. They all went to sleep shortly afterwards.
The next day dawned bright, but cold. Feather shivered as they all set out. Ranma noticed and smirked.
"Told ya,"
"Shut up Ranma! It's bad enough I'm freezing, but your comments are making things worse," Feather snapped at him. Ryouga stopped and rummaged around in his pack for a second before he pulled out his travelling cloak. He walked up behind Feather and draped it over her shoulders.
"H h here. It's not much, but it should help keep you warm I think, yeah warm," Ryouga stammered. Feather reached for the cloak and pulled it tightly around herself.
"Thanks Ryouga, that's really sweet of you," Feather smiled at him. Ryouga would have gone to pieces then and there, but Ranma firmly pushed him on.
"Will you get moving wolf-boy? We got a dragon to fight and a blind duck to save," Ryouga growled at him, but said nothing. Shinnosuke looked on with a faint smile. It was close to noon before they arrived outside of the Orochi's lair. The area was still devastated from the last time the Orochi was loose, and the air was still bitterly cold.
"Ok guys, here's what we're gonna do," Ranma announced as they stood looking at the spring, "Akane, Feather and I are gonna distract that thing. Feather, I need you to fly around just out of its reach, be careful, it's fast," Feather nodded, and she handed the cloak back to Ryouga as her wings shot out of her back. Akane noticed that they seemed to grow from a very small size rather than emerge fully formed. Shinnosuke on the other hand fell over backwards when he saw them.
"What's the matter?" Feather asked him as she extended her wings fully in a stretch. Shinnosuke's mouth worked wordlessly as Ranma ignored him and continued.
"Akane, you and I are going to keep it confused. If we can get it's necks tied into a few knots, it'll make life much easier for us. Ryouga, I need you and Shinnosuke to try and snag the moss, also lend a hand if any of us get caught. If things look desperate, use the whistle," Ryouga nodded grimly as he yanked Shinnosuke to his feet. Ranma walked to the edge of the spring.
"I'm gonna try and wake this thing up now, wish me luck,"
"Be careful Ranma," Akane said softly as he, now a she dived under the surface.
Ranma-chan swam swiftly through the clear water, seeking the Orochi. 'Where is that blasted thing?' she thought as she placed her hand on a rock. Ranma-chan searched around for almost a minute before she kicked off of a rock to surface for air, at least she thought it was a rock. The spot she had kicked off from opened, revealing a gigantic eye...
The group at the shore was waiting anxiously for Ranma-chan to surface. When she surfaced Akane shouted out.
"Did you find it?" Ranma-chan shook her head.
"No, it's weird. You wouldn't think something that big could hide so well," Almost right after she spoke the ground seemed to shake. Ranma-chan yelped and swam like crazy for the shore. As she clambered out, the Orochi rose slowly out of the spring. Water cascaded down in sheets as it stretched its necks out towards the sky. Feather gasped.
"That thing's huge!"
"Spread out! Keep its attention divided!" Ryouga yelled as he charged the beast. Ryouga's yell galvanized them into action. Ranma and Akane started leaping about the Orochi's heads causing it to turn several of its heads about to track them. Feather took to the air and buzzed another one of its heads before she flitted out of its reach. Or so she thought. She barely managed to dodge the snapping jaws and she tried to fly a little higher but the tongue from another head managed to snag her. She screamed in terror as she looked down the throat of the monster. Ryouga looked up when he heard her scream.
"Feather!!" He roared as he leapt across the necks, trying to get closer to where she was. Ranma-chan and Akane could only spare a glance before the remaining heads tried to eat them. Shinnosuke followed Ryouga across the Orochi's necks. The head that had Feather roared as it got ready to chomp down. That was all the time Ryouga needed. Ryouga leapt into its mouth and began to wrestle with its tongue.
"It's no good! I can't get it loose!" Ryouga yelled. Feather struggled uselessly in its grip. The Orochi tried to bite down on her, but Ryouga managed to pull her out of the way just in time. The Orochi roared again in frustration. Shinnosuke landed on top of the head and he tried to knock it out with his broom. He landed blow after blow upon the Orochi's head, but none of them had any effect other than to make the Orochi toss that head about in an attempt to dislodge him.
"You'd better hurry Ryouga! I can't hang on up here forever!" He yelled as he grabbed the mane with one hand, and continued to wield the broom with the other. Ryouga barely heard this, but on an instinctive level he understood. Ryouga grabbed the part of the tongue that had wrapped around Feather and tried again to get it loose. His hands slipped loose again, unable to keep a grip on the slimy tongue. Ryouga growled as he grabbed his belt. He snapped it out and infused it with his ki. He started to hack at the Orochi's tongue with it. Blood spurted from the wounds he inflicted and the Orochi roared in pain, spitting out the two of them. Feather managed to prevent a bad fall by flying, but Ryouga wasn't as lucky. He smashed into the ground leaving a man shaped crater.
"Ryouga!" Feather screamed as she flew down to investigate.
"I'm fine, just stay outta that things reach!" Ryouga yelled as he climbed out of the hole.
Ranma-chan and Akane stood next to each other on one of the heads.
"It seems tougher this time," Akane said as she tried to catch her breath.
"Yeah. We gotta think of something and fast!" They leapt in opposite directions as two more of the heads charged them. Those three heads collided and knocked themselves out.
"Alright! Three down, and too damn many to go!" Ranma-chan cheered a little as she dodged another head. Akane nimbly landed on the back of another head and simply waited. Sure enough two of the remaining heads came after her. Akane grinned as she jumped out of the way at the last second. There was another hollow thud as those heads collided and collapsed.
"Yes!" Akane raised a fist in victory.
"It ain't over yet! Look!" Ranma-chan pointed at the last of the small heads. Shinnosuke was clinging precariously as he continued to try and knock it out with his broom. Feather was flying circles around it, keeping it distracted. Ryouga was climbing up the mane, his umbrella tucked into the back of his shirt.
"Can't we do anything to help?" Akane asked.
"You should catch your breath Akane. That moss stuff is on it's main head, we're gonna need all our strength and speed to get it," Ranma-chan said. They kept a wary watch on the other heads as the others battled the last one. Ryouga had managed to reach the thing's head, and he gave it a solid whack with his umbrella. Several scales shattered from the blow.
"There! Hit the bare spot!" Shinnosuke yelled as he hit the bare skin with his broom. The Orochi snapped its head around, dislodging Shinnosuke. Feather tucked her wings and made a speed dive for him. She managed to catch him just before he hit the ground.
"Are you ok?" She asked as she set him down.
"Yeah, tha..." he was cut off by the sight of the Orochi charging down at them, Ryouga yelling warnings as he continued to pound on it's head in vain. Shinnosuke yelped in surprise, then grabbed Feather and jumped out of the way. The head smashed into the ground, sending up a huge dust cloud. Ranma-chan and Akane ran up to where Shinnosuke and Feather were.
"Are you guys ok?" Akane asked while Ranma-chan helped them to their feet.
"Yeah, I think so..." Feather said right before she fainted. Ranma-chan caught her and laid her on the ground gently before sinking to her knees. Akane noticed something and picked it up while Shinnosuke was looking around slightly confused.
"Hey, where's, what's his name?" Ranma-chan looked up with a frown.
"Don't tell me he went and got lost!" She groaned. Akane shot her a hard look.
"Lay off Ranma! I'm sure he's just shook up a little," As if on cue, there was a tremendous cracking sound before Ryouga strode out of the dust cloud holding his umbrella in one hand, and one of the Orochi's horns in the other. They gaped at the sight.
"Ryouga! Why on earth did you break off that horn?" Akane asked as she rushed to see if he was ok. Ryouga shrugged.
"After the Orochi plowed its head into the ground, I ended up caught under this horn. I had to break it off to get free," He hefted it a little, "You know, this thing is even heavier than my umbrella. I wonder if I could carve a handle into it..." Ryouga stopped as the ground began to shake.
"Worry about that later!" Ranma-chan yelled, "Here comes the main one!" Ranma-chan hastily moved a still unconscious Feather behind a boulder before regrouping with the others. Shinnosuke gripped his broom tighter as the massive head-like body emerged from the spring. A tiny amount of the moss was left in the snout.
"Remember, we can't take all of it," Akane said, "We gotta leave some there, or it'll never grow back!" The others nodded and they charged the Orochi in unison. It devolved to pure chaos from there. The other heads had awakened, and they had redoubled their efforts to eat the girls. One of the heads moved in behind Akane.
"Oh no you don't!" Ryouga yelled as he jumped towards it brandishing the horn. The Orochi paid him no heed until he hit its head with the horn. It collapsed dazed from the blow.
"Incredible!" Ryouga said as he looked at the horn again, "I was hoping to only distract it..."
"Shut up and fight the thing stupid! You can be impressed later!" Ranma-chan yelled. Ryouga grinned evilly as he attacked then, unconsciously working with Ranma-chan to pull the bulk of the heads away from Akane. Shinnosuke threaded his way through the twisting necks, leaping and dodging, moving closer and closer to his goal. The small patch of moss glittered in the afternoon light, and Shinnosuke bided his time, waiting for an opening.
Akane leapt from neck to neck doing her best to dodge the ravenous heads. She misjudged a landing and toppled into the spring.
"AKANE!" Ryouga roared as he leapt in after her. Three of the Orochi's heads surged into the water as well.
"No you idiot! You'll just change into a wolf!" Ranma-chan yelled as she tried in vain to get over to the spring, but it seemed like the Orochi knew that and did it's best to get in her way.
Shinnosuke took advantage of its distraction and leapt for the moss. With an expert swipe of his broom he snagged about half of what was left.
"Got it!" he yelled. He kicked off of the Orochi's nose and dodged a stream of fire it breathed at him.
"Blow the whistle!" Ranma-chan screamed as she finally managed to dive into the water after Akane. Shinnosuke nodded and reached into his jacket for the whistle only to find... nothing.
"Ahh! Now what am I gonna do?" He yelled as he dodged the furious Orochi's attacks.
Ranma-chan swam rapidly underwater, seeking her fiancee. As she swam, she noticed that three of the Orochi's heads were dangling unconscious, and what looked like, claw marks marring the scales. Not bothering to stop she swam on in search of Akane. Ranma-chan started to feel like she needed air before she noticed a familiar looking pair of legs dangling in the water. Ranma-chan swam upwards rapidly, and found herself in a small air pocket. Akane was there, clinging desperately to a stalactite.
"Akane! Are you ok?" Ranma-chan's voice was tinged with worry. Akane looked back at her with fearful eyes.
"Ranma, Ryouga is... he's..." Tears welled up in her eyes.
"What's wrong with Ryouga? Hey Akane snap out of it? What's wrong?" Ranma-chan grabbed the stalactite and tried to hug Akane at the same time.
"He's... he's a monster!" Akane wailed as she buried her head into Ranma-chan's shoulder.
Shinnosuke was running for his life. The Orochi was doing everything it could to kill him. He was forced to dodge streams of fire again and again. Finally he collapsed from exhaustion. He looked up in horror as one of the Orochi's heads opened its mouth to breathe fiery death upon him. Shinnosuke squeezed his eyes shut and threw the broom over towards to boulder that Ranma-chan had hidden Feather behind. 'At least my sacrifice will not be in vain. They will have the moss for their friend...' He waited for the searing fire, but it never came. He opened his eyes to see a gray/green blur shooting past the Orochi faster than his eyes could trace. Every time the blur passed one of the Orochi's heads, a set of claw marks would appear with a spurt of blood. Severed scales fell like rain as the blur made one more pass before it landed in front of Shinnosuke in a defensive stance.
Shinnosuke's mouth gaped open. He saw a humanoid shape in front of him wearing tattered green pants tied securely around the calves and a mostly shredded yellow sweater. A bushy gray tail swished back and forth in agitation. It had gray fur peeking through where the cloth had torn, and the furs on its arms were slick with blood. It's hands ended with viscious looking claws that still dripped blood from its attacks on the Orochi. He couldn't see its head from his position on the ground.
"Are you all right?" the thing growled. Shinnosuke couldn't close his mouth or form any kind of speech. The thing turned around and Shinnosuke almost screamed. Its face seemed to be a combination of a wolf and a humans. It had a short muzzle, and its green eyes seemed to be burning with anger. Gray furred ears peeked out of a mass of unruly blond hair held back by a black and yellow bandanna. Shinnosuke blinked a few times, but he could swear that the sweater didn't seem to be fitting correctly. It was almost as if...
"What's wrong with you Shinnosuke?" It asked suddenly, "It's me, Ryouga!"
"R..Ryouga? What happened to you?"
"What do you mean, what happened to me?" Ryouga looked down and stiffened. With an inarticulate howl, Ryouga spun and charged the Orochi again. Shinnosuke crawled towards the broom, and after he had snagged it he ducked behind the boulder. He knew better than to try and help now, he was too weak.
"Whoa, hold on Akane," Ranma-chan said, "I know Ryouga can seem really scary when he's mad, but he's no monster!" Akane glared at her.
"Don't you think I know that?!? Or at least, that's how it was... Something happened to him when he dove in after me. I saw him change into a wolf, and he still swam after me. I was expecting to see you though..." She shoots Ranma-chan another glare.
"Hey, I got here as soon as I could. The Orochi don't let up you know!"
"The Orochi! Oh my god I almost forgot! We gotta get back to the surface Ranma!" Ranma-chan looked confused.
"I told Shinnosuke to blow the whistle before I dived under. The Orochi should be asleep by now,"
"He doesn't have the whistle!" Akane held the small bit of horn in front of Ranma-chan's face, "I picked this up right after they knocked out the seventh head! We gotta get up there and help!" Ranma-chan gaped at the whistle for a second, and then nodded grimly.
"Take a deep breath Akane, and hold on tight!" Akane grabbed Ranma-chan around the chest. Ranma-chan blushed fiercely.
"Umm, could you move your hands just a little lower Akane? That's really distracting you know..." Akane blushed as well and shifted her grip. They took a deep breath and plunged under the water. Ranma-chan swam rapidly past the thrashing form of the Orochi. She noticed great clouds of blood stained the once clear water.
Ranma-chan and Akane gasped when they broke the surface of the spring. They quickly made their way towards the shoreline. Once they were out of the water, they looked around to see how the fight was going. What they saw made them gape in astonishment.
The Orochi looked like it needed some serious help. A lot of its scales had been torn off, and they littered the landscape. Patches of blood stained the earth, and the broken off horn was stabbed into the ground nearby. The Orochi appeared to be trying to catch something that was leaping about like crazy. Akane couldn't make out what it was, but Ranma-chan's trained eye picked out what it was and gasped.
"I don't believe it!" She gasped.
"What Ranma?"" Akane asked as she fumbled with the whistle, since the water on her skin and the cold air was making her shiver uncontrollably.
"It kinda looks like Ryouga got stuck halfway between wolf and human,” Ranma-chan rushed to help Ryouga. Akane managed to hold the whistle in her shivering hands, and she blew into it as hard as she could. All motion seemed to stop on the battlefield. Huge teardrops formed in the Orochi's eyes as it retreated into the spring. Ranma-chan stopped in her tracks as Ryouga landed next to her. Or at least she thought it was Ryouga.
"Is that you Ryouga?" She asked. The furry, lupine face seemed to look sad.
"Yeah Ranma, it's me," Ryouga said sadly. Ranma-chan looked at Ryouga carefully. 'Even if he is in that weird form, his voice shouldn't have that pitch...'
"Hey Ryouga, I think maybe you've got..." Ryouga didn't let her finish.
"Don't say it! It might just be the fur ok!" Ranma-chan sniggered.
"Oh come on, it can't be that bad. Why don't you want to know for certain what happened to you?" Ranma-chan grinned. Ryouga looked resigned for a minute before pulling at the collar of the sweater. Ryouga looked down into the shirt, and his gray fur turned white. Ryouga collapsed into a crumpled heap. Ranma-chan placed her hands on her hips.
"Figures. I bet Ryouga weighs a ton like this. At least he ain't a cat.." Ranma-chan wrestled with the inert body for a minute, before she gave up with an exasperated shout.
Meanwhile, Akane had run over to where they had left Feather. She found Feather was still out of it, and Shinnosuke was leaning against the rock, the broom head carefully detached from the pole. He was gently scraping the moss into a small jar.
"Shinnosuke! You got the moss!" Akane exclaimed as she knelt next to them. He nodded weakly.
"Your friend, Ryouga, he's... he's..." Akane place a finger on his lips.
"Shhh. I know, I saw him too. Come on, let's head back for your place," Akane picked Feather up easily and walked out to where Ranma-chan and Ryouga were. She saw Ranma hastily trying to heat some water over a small fire.
"Ranma! Shinnosuke got the moss!" She called out before she got a good look at Ryouga. "Is Ryouga ok?"
"She's pretty shocked right now. I'm tryin' to heat up some water so I can carry her back,"
"Don't you mean him?" Akane said confused. Ranma-chan shook her head.
"No, his cursed form is female. We just assumed it was male," Ranma-chan turned back to the fallen Ryouga, "When Ryouga realized that, she kinda passed out," Akane set Feather down gently and kneeled next to Ranma-chan. Shinnosuke was using his broom handle as a walking stick as he approached them. He didn't sit down but rather stood there, leaning heavily on the handle.
Ranma-chan decided that the kettle was hot enough, and poured it over her self and Ryouga. Ryouga woke up from the hot water splashing over him. He shot to his feet and danced around in pain.
"Oww! Hot! Hot!"
"Sorry bout that man," Ranma said as he stood up. Ryouga stopped dancing around and he looked at his hands.
"Normal again," he whispered.
"Yeah, but how'd you get stuck halfway like that Ryouga? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a werewolf," Ryouga looked stricken.
"A werewolf?" He muttered. He looked at his friends with haunted eyes. 'A werewolf... That would explain a lot' he thought.
"I, I dunno. I remember getting very angry at the Orochi when it tried to eat Akane again. That's when it happened. I was angry, really angry. I felt a pain, and before I knew it I thought I was human again. I hit the Orochi a few times I think, before I grabbed Akane and dragged her to what I thought was the surface," Ryouga shook his head. "It was just a little air pocket, so I left her there. I thought she looked scared because of the Orochi, not me," he rubbed the back of his head a little before continuing, "I found my way out of the pool, and saw that thing trying to roast Shinnosuke. I leapt at it again and again, striking at it with my open hands, err, claws. It wasn't until I asked him if he was ok that I realized what had happened. After that I was taking out my anger on the Orochi," Ryouga finished as he examined the rents in his clothes. Ranma let out a low whistle.
"Well, be that as it may, we gotta get this moss back to Mousse!" Akane said. The others nodded, and they set out after Ryouga had picked Feather up.
After leaving Shinnosuke with his grandfather, they set out for the closest train station. Light banter passed between Akane and Ranma with Feather joining in occasionally as they hiked. Ryouga kept to himself though. He couldn't believe his bad luck. 'How could this happen to me? Not only do I turn into a werewolf, it has to be a female one!' Ryouga squeezed his eyes shut, counting on his ears to keep him close to the others.
When they reached the station, they found Cologne there waiting for them.
"Yo, old ghoul! We got the moss!" Ranma held up the small earthenware jar. Cologne nodded.
"We must hurry son-in-law! Shampoo exhausted herself trying to care for the boy, and I was forced to leave her and Mousse with Dr. Tofu. We have no time to waste!" She pogoed into the engine of the train and the young martial artists followed her. Cologne approached the engineer of the train.
"You! How long would it take to reach Nerima without making any stops?" She asked harshly.
"'Bout eight hours or so at top speed granny, less if we don't have too much weight to haul," he said with a shrug.
"Just get this train moving, now!" Cologne poked at the man with her staff. The man jumped a little.
"But only the engine and the caboose are attached right now, didn't you say we were supposed to be picking up a very important cargo for the Nekohanten? Where is it?" he asked. Ranma held up the jar.
"It's right here man, let's get going," The engineer shrugged again as he grabbed a headset. He spoke rapidly into it for a minute. He listened carefully for the reply and then said two more words before hanging up the headset. He turned to face the group.
"We'll be getting underway in about half an hour. Got a slow mover comin' 'cross the switches right now,"
"Slow mover?" Ryouga asked in confusion.
"Freight train slowing' down to stop at the station. Takes'm forever to stop and it jams the switches up right nice. Don't you worry none though, we'll be movin' at a right nice clip just as soon as he's outta tha way. Heck, with no cars, we might even make it in six hours!" he grinned at them before he started to go over a few things, "I got a small place ta sleep an' relax set aside over there. Why don't you go on over there and rest a bit while I get this crate ready ta roll. While your in there, see if my partner's sleepin'," He waved them towards a door in the back of the engine. They decided to humor the engineer and they retired to the room he indicated.
The inside of the room was a mess. Dirty clothes were strewn about, and empty food wrappers littered the floor. There were two dingy yellow sofas and a small TV though. On one of the couches a fat man was snoring away. Cologne poked him awake with her staff. He sat up bleary eyed and looked over the group. When he spied Feather, he immediately jumped off of the couch and sidled up to her.
"Hiya sweetie! What's a beauty like you doing travelling with a crone like that?" He leered at her until Cologne rapped him on the head with her staff.
"Leave her be and go help get this train underway," Cologne said in a stern voice. The fat man shrugged.
"Can't blame me fer trying," He muttered as he walked out the door. Ryouga resisted the impulse to kick him in the rear as he left. Ranma closed the door.
"Well now, how did it go?" Cologne asked as they settled onto the couches, "Why don't you tell me what happened?" They took turns bringing Cologne up to date on what was going on. They absently noticed when the train started to move, but they weren't prepared for the sudden burst of speed that tossed them to the back of the room. Cologne was the only one that was not in a heap. She exited the room to confront the engineer.
"I know I said to hurry, but you could have warned us sonny!"
"Sorry 'bout that ma'am, but I wasn't expectin' the old girl to shake a leg like that," Cologne looked slightly confused at the slang the man used. The fat one cleared his throat.
"He means he didn't know that the train would accelerate so quickly without a load. He just threw the throttle wide open without thinking," Cologne chuckled.
"If this is any indication of your driving, warn us when we're about to stop," Cologne returned to the back.
"Now, where were we..." She said before settling in to listen to their tale some more. She stopped them when they reached the part about Ryouga's transformation.
"Hold on! I thought Ryouga had fallen into the spring of drowned..." She didn't finish because Ryouga interrupted her loudly.
"I know I know! I thought I had fallen into the spring of drowned wolf myself!" While Ryouga was yelling and waving his arms, Ranma whispered to Cologne.
"Don't mention the pig-thing around Akane," Cologne raised an eyebrow, "It's a matter of a debt of honor, just let it drop ok?"
"Fine son-in-law. Calm down Ryouga, I was startled, that's all. So you say when you got angry while in your cursed form you changed?" Ryouga nodded as he settled back into his seat. Cologne seemed to consider this.
"All the legends about werewolves say that they are driven by the phases of the moon. Perhaps once this full moon passes, we'll be able to see the last part of your transformation," Ryouga swallowed hard.
"Last part?" He asked weakly.
"Of course. As a werewolf, you would have three forms. That of a full wolf, the mixture of wolf and human that you experienced earlier, and fully human," Cologne seemed to smile in amusement, "They said that you had certain, attributes while you were in that state. I'd say you fell into the spring of drowned female werewolf," Ryouga looked stricken. Akane giggled a little.
"Hey Ryouga, remember when you said that I shouldn't have been whining about my misery with such an adorable figure?" Ranma laughed, "Now you're in the same boat! Let's see what you say when the moon ain't full!" Ranma fell out of his seat laughing while Ryouga seethed.
"Knock it off Ranma! I don't recall you reacting too well to your curse!" Akane snapped. Ranma managed to stop laughing.
"Sorry man, but the irony was just too funny!" Ryouga continued to seethe about the indignity in silence while the others finished telling the tale to the old woman.
"It ain't much, but it was all we could grab," Ranma showed the moss to Cologne.
"It will have to suffice. We should rest now, it will still take several hours to get back home," The others nodded at this, and made themselves as comfortable as they could get. They watched a few bad TV shows before they turned it off and tried to sleep. Soon, only Cologne was awake. She stared out the window at the quickly passing landscape.
"I can only hope we'll be in time, for Shampoo's sake," she spoke softly to herself. She sensed that one of them was awake and moving, so she did not jump when she felt a gentle hand placed on her shoulder.
"Don't worry," Feather said, "We'll get there. If we give up on our hopes and dreams, that is the moment they are out of our reach,"
"That's an awfully wise statement from one as young as you are," Cologne said mildly.
"Ryouga said that to me once shortly after he had started to train me, and I was starting to lose hope that I'd ever get my katas right," She smiled at the memory. Cologne chuckled.
"Ryouga is a fine martial artist, and a good teacher. He has the patience to train, and the ability to push them to their limits," Cologne looked out the window again. "Not everyone has the drive or skill it takes to master the techniques that he knows. And considering how depressed the boy is most of the time, it's just as well he has an outlet for that," Feather looked confused at her statement.
"What do you mean?"
"Depressed people often turn self destructive. Ryouga's spirit is too strong for that, so he found purpose for himself through martial arts,"
"Wow, I didn't know he got depressed that easily," Cologne turned back to Feather.
"He used to wander alone. He hasn't seen his parents in years, and he has never had what anyone could call a normal life. Beneath the layers of depression and self loathing lays a heart of gold and glass," Cologne turned and walked towards the door.
"Cologne?"
"I'm going to find out how far away we are. Stay put," And with that, she slipped through the door and it closed silently behind her. Feather shrugged and tried to go back to sleep. 'How can I stay mad at someone like Ryouga?' She thought to herself, thinking back to how he had fought the Orochi to save her, and then how he had selflessly dived into the spring after Akane when Ranma couldn't get over there. 'Maybe, maybe I can forgive him.'
A short hour later, they pulled into the Nerima station. Cologne paid the engineer as the rest of the group dashed for Dr. Tofu's clinic. Cologne caught up to them easily. When they reached the clinic, they noticed that the lights were still on.
"Good, it's not too late!" Cologne said as they went inside. Dr. Tofu greeted them inside.
"Welcome back. That's a truly insidious infection he has. It's taken all my skill, but I've kept him alive," He looked as if he hadn't slept in several days. There were huge pouches beneath his eyes, and his hair was in disarray.
"Son-in-law, give me the moss," Cologne held out one of her hands imperiously. Ranma gave her the jar, and followed her into the room where Mousse lay. Dr. Tofu carefully removed the bandages that covered the boy's chest.
"Drain them doctor. We do not have much of the moss, and the less it has to do, the better," Cologne commanded. Dr. Tofu nodded and he fetched several needles and a hot washcloth. As he performed the procedure, Mousse only let out a slight whimper. When he was done, he carefully disposed of the towel.
Cologne jumped onto the bed next to Mousse and carefully spread the moss over the wounds. The effects were immediately apparent. The puckered and festering scabs were replaced by unbroken, healthy looking skin, although scars did remain. Mousse's breathing eased, and color returned to his face.
"It worked!" Akane let loose the breath she wasn't aware that she had been holding. Similar gasps from the others indicated that they too had been holding their breath.
"Yes, it seems that the infection is gone," Cologne peered into the jar, "And we have just a little bit of the moss left, just in case," She handed the jar to Dr. Tofu, "Keep good care of this Doctor," He nodded and placed it on the top shelf. As he let go of the jar, Cologne poked a spot on his neck, and the good doctor crumpled.
"What d'ya think you're doing ghoul!" Ranma yelled as he dropped into an aggressive stance. Cologne just gave him a hard stare.
"He needs to sleep. He probably would have tried to monitor Mousse for the rest of the night if I had let him," She gestured at Dr. Tofu's snoozing form. "Put him on that bed over there, I'll keep an eye on both of them until he wakes up," Ryouga easily maneuvered the Doctor onto the other bed, and then followed the others out into the night.
"Well, at least the stuff worked," Ranma said as they walked back to the dojo.
"Hey, didn't the old woman say that she left Shampoo with Dr. Tofu as well?" Akane asked suddenly.
"Hey, come to think of it, she did. I wonder where Shampoo is?" Ranma said.
"Who knows, but knowing Shampoo she's somewhere where she'll know the minute you make it back Ranma," Ryouga added. Feather giggled.
"I'll bet she's at the dojo waiting for you," Feather nudged Ranma in the ribs. Ranma affected a bored expression.
"Who cares? I just want a hot bath and a good meal," Ranma yawned hugely, "And a soft bed too. That would be nice," Ranma looked up at the moon, despite the fact that it was mostly obscured by the clouds. "Hey Ryouga, you think the moon's still full?" Ryouga glanced up and shrugged.
"Dunno. The clouds are getting a little thick," He said with just a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Let's just get back to the dojo, ok?" Ranma chuckled a little.
When the tired group reached the dojo, there was a small party waiting for them. Shampoo and Genma were waiting at the gate. Apparently, Cologne had called from Tofu's clinic. Genma motioned to Ryouga.
"We need to have a man to man talk Ryouga," he said evenly. They walked over to the old tree.
"Shampoo so happy to see you Ranma!" Shampoo squealed in delight as she threw herself at him. Ranma just hung his head and waited for Akane to hit him. Akane merely turned up her nose.
"Hmmph, have fun you two, I'm going inside," with that, Akane stormed into the house, only to be mobbed by her overenthusiastic father.
"Akane! My little girl is home again!" He sobbed as he buried his face into her shoulder.
"Daaad! Come on, I'm fine. Ranma and Ryouga were there the whole time, so calm down!" Kasumi and Nabiki walked up to their sister.
"Welcome home Akane!" Kasumi sounded as cheerful as ever, but Akane could see the worry lines on her face.
"Kasumi, you didn't worry that much did you?" Akane asked. Nabiki answered for her sister.
"No, she's just been staying up every night taking care of a sick amazon. Shampoo was dumped on us by Dr. Tofu. He said he couldn't split his attention between patients,"
"So that's it," Akane spoke softly. When Akane looked closer, she noticed that Kasumi definitely looked tired. A sudden yawn reminded Akane that she too was tired.
"Let go Dad, I want to go to bed," Soun reluctantly let go of his daughter.
Outside, Ryouga was facing an angry looking Genma.
"Look Ryouga, I know you can handle yourself in a fight, but did you have to take Feather with you?"
"She wanted to go! Who am I to stop her, especially since she convinced Ranma to let her go," Ryouga snapped, not wanting to deal with the man in front of him. Genma looked furious.
"That's no excuse boy! Since you're her teacher right now, you should have known that her skills are not up to the antics you get involved in! I've half a mind to...." His words trailed off as Ryouga grabbed the front of his gi and thrust his face in front of Genma's.
"Shut up will you! I don't have to listen to this from you! I ain't Ranma you know!" Genma paled a little, "And like I said, she wanted to go, and she ain't hurt, so BACK OFF!" Ryouga finished his sentence with a yell, and dropped the stunned Genma to the ground. Ryouga stalked into the dojo muttering. Feather giggled as she approached her 'father'.
"Well Dad, how'd the man to man talk with Ryouga go?" Genma assumed a serious expression.
"We were all worried about you, you know. You shouldn't have run off like that. I'd expect that kind of thing from Ranma, but not you," Genma stood and raised one fist, "Where have I gone wrong? I know you haven't been in the family very long, but already you break your father's heart," he hung his head, "Feather, I want you to go to your room now, and think about what you've done," Feather looked at him and giggled. Genma's head snapped up. "And just why are you giggling like that?"
"I don't have my own room, remember?" Genma shook his head.
"We had some contractors add a few rooms while you were gone. Kasumi and I have already moved your stuff into your new room," Feather impulsively gave him a hug.
"You're the greatest Dad!" She exclaimed happily. When she disengaged herself from him to rush up to her new room, he didn't move a muscle.
Feather looked around her new room with excitement shining in her eyes. The walls were bare, and there was very little furniture, but it was her room.
"What else could I ask for?" She said to herself as she began to unpack.
"Whatd'ya mean this ain't my room anymore pops?" Ranma yelled at his father. Genma held up one hand as he spoke.
"We added a few rooms boy. You and Ryouga will be sharing a room down the hall. It's only fitting that I remain in this one, since all of your things have been moved into the new room," Ranma stormed angrily down the hall with Ryouga in tow, looking at the new portion at the end. There were three new doors; one had a small wooden duck that had Feather written on it in English, the one across the hall opened into a fairly spacious room, with all of his stuff piled in a corner.
"Great, the old man just tossed everything in here," Ranma muttered as he started to dig through the pile for the futon. Ryouga dropped his pack and helped Ranma uncover the futon.
"I'll just use my sleeping bag if there isn't another one," Ryouga said. Ranma let out a cry of triumph as he pulled the futon from the bottom of the pile.
"We'll just have to get you to use some of that money your dad is sending ya to get you one," Ranma said as he gathered his bath things, "Come on, let's get cleaned up before we turn in," Ryouga nodded and he followed Ranma to the bathroom.
The next morning it was pouring rain. Ryouga looked outside in disgust as they ate breakfast.
"What a way to start the day," he muttered. Ranma chuckled.
"Hey, at least there ain't school today. Come on, let's hit the dojo after breakfast and practice a bit," Akane smiled.
"That actually sounds like a good idea Ranma," Akane spoke cheerfully.
"Yeah, that's a great idea big brother!" Feather giggled at the look on Ranma's face.
"I meant, uh you know, maybe Ryouga and I could...Aw forget it. C'mon, let's help Kasumi clean up, and then we'll go practice," Ryouga let a small smile creep onto his face. He could get used to the usual morning banter as a participant, rather than as Akane's errant pet pig.
"Why don't you go ahead and practice," Kasumi said, "I can handle the dishes by myself," she waved off their protests and gathered the dishes quickly. The four of them retreated to the dojo after about a half-hour. Akane and Feather were in almost identical yellow gi, while Ranma and Ryouga wore their usual attire. Without a word, they started to go through their katas. Akane and Ranma appeared to move in unison, moving with unspeakable grace through each motion. Ryouga and Feather were going through a different kata, but despite both of them performing the same motions, it was quickly obvious that Feather was far behind him. After they had finished their katas, Ranma spoke up.
"Ok, who wants to spar first?" Akane and Feather raised their hands simultaneously. Ranma grinned at them as he and Ryouga retreated to one side of the dojo. He called out the ritual for the bout.
"Face mat! Bow! Face opponent! Bow!" He waited for them to finish bowing before he yelled, "FIGHT!"
Immediately the two girls dropped into an aggressive stance. Akane opened up with a flurry of kicks. Feather managed to block them, and tried to counter with a series of punches. Akane smoothly slipped past the punches, grabbed Feather's gi and performed a kick throw. Feather twisted mid air and landed on her feet. As she did, Akane was already rushing to where she landed. Feather tried to kick Akane as she approached, but Akane ducked down and swept Feather's other leg out from under her. Ranma raised his right hand.
"Point!"
Akane grinned as Feather hastily stood. Akane pressed her advantage by immediately throwing a punch. Feather grabbed her wrist and smoothly executed a hip throw that left Akane gasping for breath. Ranma raised his left hand.
"Point!"
Akane stood, and then waited for Feather's attack. She wasn't disappointed. Feather attacked hard, trying a combination of kicks and punches. Akane practically danced around her opponent. Ranma smiled a little.
"Hey Ryouga, this fight look even slightly familiar to you?"
"Shut up and pay attention Ranma!" Ryouga growled.
The combatants on the floor stood a few feet apart, catching their breath and sizing each other up. Akane knew she had a higher level of skill, but Feather had inherited the same kind of tenacity in a fight as Ryouga, and she was just amateur enough to be totally unpredictable.
Feather was worried. She couldn't think of anything to break through Akane's defenses. She thought she had been really lucky to catch Akane off guard with that one throw. Without warning, the girls charged each other again. They leapt at each other with air shattering shouts, and seemingly collided in midair. For a second, they seemed to be suspended in air, their feet outstretched in kicks, and their hands held in a blocking pose. The moment ended and the two girls landed. As they did, Feather clutched at her stomach and collapsed. Ranma raised his right hand.
"Point and match! Face opponent and bow!" Feather rose shakily to her feet and bowed to Akane. Akane returned the bow before she walked over to Feather.
"That was a good match Feather!" Feather nodded and they walked over to where the boys were kneeling. Once they were seated, Ranma and Ryouga began to critique their fight.
"Akane, you were really sloppy with that punch," Ranma berated her, "Anyone could have caught it and thrown you. You need to practice your execution and don't let momentary victories make you lose your focus," Akane lowered her head. She knew she had messed up there, but he didn't have to rub it in like that! "On the other hand," Akane picked her head up as Ranma continued, "You have gotten a lot better with your kicks and your blocks. I'm impressed with the fact that you've successfully learned how to block a midair attack without ruining your own," Akane practically beamed at the praise.
"Don't let this worry you Feather!" Ryouga was saying to his downcast student, "Akane is a skilled martial artist in her own right. You did very well for your first refereed bout. You really need to work on your kicks though. You're holding each kick like you were posing. You need to execute and return to your stance quickly. Posing loses fights! I am pleased to see that you've learned how to land on your feet after being thrown, and your throw was done perfectly, keep up the good work!" Feather leaned against the wall after Ryouga finished his lecture. He then faced Ranma.
"Are you ready Ranma?" Ryouga asked. Ranma nodded.
"Let's show'em how it's done!" Akane took the role of referee.
"Face mat! Bow! Face opponent! Bow!" Akane called out. when the boys were ready, she dropped her arm, "Fight!"
No sooner had she spoken than the boys were exchanging blows. They rapidly exchanged punches and kicks, neither of them giving a single inch. Without warning, Ranma crouched low and tried to kick Ryouga's feet out from under him. Ryouga flipped over Ranma, grabbed his head in passing, and threw Ranma into the far wall. Akane raised her left hand.
"Point!"
Ranma growled as he got to his feet.
"Good one Ryouga."
"Thanks."
"Your move," Ranma grinned as Ryouga charged. Ryouga lashed out with a vicious kick when he got close to Ranma. Ranma casually jumped up and landed on Ryouga's outstretched leg before trying to kick the lost boy in the face. Ryouga grabbed Ranma's foot mere inches away from his face. He spun and threw Ranma at the wall again. This time, Ranma rebounded off of the wall and returned with a kick too fast for Ryouga to block. Ryouga made a grunting noise as he backed up a step from the blow. Akane raised her right hand.
"Point!"
They didn't waste words this time. The blows they exchanged came too rapidly for the girls to see properly. Akane wasn't worried though, she knew that if one of them scored a hit, they would stop and admit their defeat. Ranma and Ryouga latched their fists together and snarled at each other.
"Not bad wolf-boy!"
"Ditto, Ranko!"
They broke apart, and then returned to the rapid exchange of punches and kicks. They were so engrossed in their battle that they didn't notice how close to the door they had gotten. With a startled yell, they fell outside into the rain. Akane stifled a giggle when she heard the loud complaints Ranma-chan aired. Akane stopped giggling when she heard an unfamiliar female voice answer Ranma-chan. Akane and Feather rushed to the door and looked out into the rain. Sitting next to Ranma-chan was a blond haired girl that had the same expression of disgust on her face. Akane was about to ask who it was when she noticed that the girl was wearing the same clothes Ryouga was during the fight. Ranma-chan looked up at Akane's expression, and then cast her gaze over to Ryouga-chan.
"I guess the moon ain't full anymore, eh Ryouga?"
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 9
Ryouga-chan sat unmoving in the rain as the others gathered around her in concern.
"C'mon man, you're freaking me out," Ranma-chan said, as Ryouga-chan did not seem to react to them. Akane shivered a little.
"Let's get her inside for now, Ranma," Akane said. Ranma-chan shrugged and tried to drag Ryouga-chan into the dojo, but she stood on her own and walked stiffly into the dojo. She absently picked up her ruck and turned back towards the door. Her movements seemed to be slow and careful as she pulled her ruck on and cinched the straps.
"Where are you going Ryouga?" Akane sounded worried, but Ryouga-chan ignored her as she pulled out her umbrella and slowly opened it.
"Ryouga? Hey! Are you listening to us?" Ranma-chan waved her hand in front of Ryouga-chan's face. She showed absolutely no reaction as she walked outside. Once she was a few steps from the door, she leapt over the fence.
"Damn it Ryouga! Come back here!" Ranma-chan yelled as she leapt over the fence after her. Akane and Feather also gave chase.
Ryouga-chan ran at a dizzying pace, turning in random directions at corners, and sometimes just smashing through the walls. Eventually, Akane and Feather fell behind, and shortly they lost sight of the 'boys'.
"I didn't think Ryouga could run so fast!" Akane gasped out. Feather shook her head.
"I didn't think so either. He never ran that fast when I was with him. Now what do we do?"
"Head back to the dojo I guess," Akane said as she looked down the street that Ryouga-chan had sprinted down. "There isn't much point in running after them now." Feather nodded. As they walked, they noticed they were in a less prosperous part of town.
"I don't like this Akane," Feather murmured quietly.
"Don't worry, we're getting close to Ucchan's now, so we'll be able to get out of the rain. We only have about ten more blocks to go." Akane straightened her shoulders as she started to walk. Feather jogged a few steps to catch up.
"Ten blocks? How far did we run anyway?"
"I'd say we're about three kilometers away from the dojo."
"I thought we ran further than that."
"It was all those turns we took," they lapsed into silence as they continued to walk. Feather kept glancing about nervously, half expecting someone to try and jump them. Akane was not worried and she walked with a confident air. The few other people out in the rain seemed more interested in getting where they were going than two young women in gi.
Ryouga-chan was running blindly. She didn't care if she got lost and stayed lost. Whenever she reached a barrier, she either turned, or destroyed it. Fortunately for the rest of the town, she usually turned. Her tears melded with the rain, disguising the fact that she had even cried at all. Ranma-chan was doing her best to keep up, but the rubble from the walls that Ryouga-chan destroyed kept slowing her down, and it was not much longer before she lost sight of her.
"Damn it!" Ranma-chan swore as she looked around and noticed that the girls were nowhere in sight. She started to walk back the way she came, and then stopped and looked back over her shoulder.
"Good luck Ryouga, I hope you find what you need," she said softly before walking off in the general direction of the dojo.
Akane and Feather were shivering by the time they reached the Ucchan's. When they slid open the door, they saw that Ukyou still had quite a few customers. Ukyou still noticed them, however, and called out to them.
"Hi there you two! Have a seat, and I'll be right there!" The girls made their way over to an empty table and sat down. After a few minutes, Ukyou came over to where they were seated.
"What can I do for you today?" Ukyou smiled at them.
"We really could use a place to dry off Ukyou, we're really soaked to the bone," Akane said.
"Sure thing hon, my place is upstairs, why don't you two take a bath and warm up ok?" Ukyou showed them to the stairs before she turned back to dealing with her customers.
Akane started to draw the bath while Feather wrung out their wet clothes. Akane spared a quick glance over at Feather, and easily noticed the scar. 'I'll have to ask her about that sometime,' she thought. After a quick rinse off, they sank into the furo with a grateful sigh.
"I hope Ryouga's ok," Feather said as they let the hot water soak warmth back into them. Akane smiled reassuringly.
"I'm sure Ranma will bring him back. I thought I saw him gaining before we pooped out." They soaked in silence for a few minutes.
"Hey Akane, what do you think about Ranma?" Feather asked suddenly. Akane started a bit at the redhead's question.
"What makes you ask that?"
"Well, you two are supposed to be engaged, and I've seen you two get along really well sometimes." Feather paused to twirl a lock of her hair. "Then you two are arguing again. I guess I'm just trying to figure you two out."
"How do I feel about Ranma? He's such an insensitive jerk, and he's always insulting me. But then, sometimes, he can be so sweet, and no matter what he says he'll always at least try my cooking," Akane paused when she saw the huge smile on Feather's face, "What?"
"Oh, nothing," Feather continued to smile.
"Since we're talking about sensitive subjects, what's with that scar on your back? Ranma won't tell me what Ukyou said to him," Feather's smile faded, "I just want to be able to help." Akane said gently as Feather sighed.
"I, I don't want to talk about it. Ask Ukyou if you have to, but please don't make me think about it." Feather looked away as she spoke. Akane leaned back as they lapsed into silence.
After a good long soak, the girls climbed out of the furo and donned some bathrobes that had been laid out for them.
"Our gi are still wet Akane," Feather called out as she felt the damp cloth between her fingers.
"I guess we'll just have to stay up here for a while. I'm sure Ukyou would get mad if we walked into her restaurant wearing her bathrobes!" The girls giggled for a couple of minutes as they imagined what the customers' reactions would have been.
As the last breakfast customer left the Ucchan's, Ranma-chan trudged through the door. Ukyou smiled warmly as she bounced over to her fiancee.
"Hiya Ranchan! What can I do for you today?" Ukyou sounded as cheerful as ever. Ranma-chan wiped some water off of her face.
"Hi Ucchan, I could really use a towel. I got soaked
chasin' after Ryouga." Ukyou looked a little startled as she ducked behind the counter to fetch a towel.
"What's wrong with Ryouga?" Ranma-chan shrugged as Ukyou passed her the towel.
"He kinda freaked out. I guess he wasn't prepared for how much of a shock it is to change like that."
"I thought he was dealing with turning into a wolf fairly well," Ukyou sounded confused, "So why did he flip out today?" Ranma-chan snapped her fingers.
"That's right, you haven't heard yet. We kinda had to run to Ryugenzowa to get a cure for an infection Mousse got. Well, while we were there we found out that Ryouga doesn't turn into any old wolf."
"No?"
"Yeah, he turns into a werewolf. That isn't what fazed him though, what got to him was the fact that he turns into as female werewolf." Ukyou looked shocked.
"He does?" Her face turned comical shortly before she burst out laughing, "And he always gave you such a hard time about your curse!" Ranma-chan scratched the back of her head.
"Yeah, well..."
"Wait a sec," Ukyou stopped laughing and a thoughtful look grew on her face, "How does the whole werewolf thing work? Is he a wolf until a full moon, and then he goes nuts?"
"Naw. Near as we can tell, when it's a full moon he turns into a wolf, the rest of the time he's a girl; except for something that turns him into that weird looking mix between them."
"So that's why he freaked today. The last night of the full moon was a day or two ago, and today was the first time he turned into a girl!"
"You got it! The jerk was moving like a zombie; you know all slow and deliberate. He went and got his pack, and then took off! Went and leapt over the wall and then ran like crazy. I lost track of 'm just a little while ago." Ranma-chan started to vigorously dry her hair as Ukyou proceeded to clean her counter.
"Oh yeah, Feather and Akane are upstairs. They came by here a while back soaked to the bone and worn out. I told them to take a bath and warm up." Ranma-chan grunted her acknowledgement.
It was nearly evening before Ryouga-chan stopped running. She looked around with a confused expression on her face.
"Now where am I? How did I get here?" She mumbled to herself as she looked at the rural town she was in. It looked vaguely familiar. 'Why do I think I should know this place?' She mused as she started to look around for someone to ask directions from, but with it still raining there were not very many people out and about, and they disappeared indoors before Ryouga-chan could catch up with them. Another glance at the hauntingly familiar buildings only elicited a shrug from her. 'I guess if you've seen one rural town, you've seen them all, right?'
She decided to look for somewhere to dry off, maybe get some hot water to be normal again. It didn't seem like any of the buildings she was near were more than simple homes, so she walked along the dirt road hoping to find an inn or restaurant just to get out of the rain.
After wandering aimlessly in the town for an hour, she finally found a general store.
"Good enough," she shrugged as she stepped inside. The interior of the store was small and had a down home feeling to it. The shelves were little more than shipping crates nailed together, and all of the price signs were neatly hand written and tacked in odd places. The shelves contained all of the little things you might need to run a household or a farm. There was even a plow sitting in the corner.
"Hello?" Ryouga-chan asked tenatively as she looked around for the proprietor.
"Just a second!" a rusty voice called from somewhere in the back of the store. Ryouga-chan stood patiently until an old man peeked around a doorframe.
"Hi there sweetie, what can I do fer ya?" he asked while giving a toothy grin.
"I was wondering if you could tell me where I can find a place to sleep?" The old man rubbed at his chin.
"Well, tha tavern's got a few rooms. I was about ta head over there and git me a drink, I could show ya tha way iffen you can wait a sec. You don't mind waiting, do ya sweetie?" Ryouga-chan smiled in relief.
"I can wait." The old man chuckled as he walked back to the counter and finished making a few entries into a large ledger.
"It'll be a sec. Gotta get finished up with tha books before I go," He peered at her, "Be a dear and turn tha sign around?" Ryouga-chan nodded and turned the cardboard sign around in the window. When she turned around, she found herself face to face with the old man. She yelped and fell over backwards. The old man chuckled again as he offered a hand to help her up.
"Sorry 'bout that. Didn't mean to startle ya, don't ya worry none I'm harmless." Ryouga-chan struggled to her feet.
"That's all right, I just thought it would take you longer to finish up. Lead the way." She opened her umbrella and held it over the man as he locked the door. As they walked down the road, the old man prattled on about little day to day things.
The tavern was a two story wooden building with a column of smoke coming from the chimney, indicating that there was a cheery fire inside. The storekeeper held open the door for Ryouga-chan, who was a little flustered at the attention the old man was giving her.
Inside, it seemed more like an oversized living room than a tavern. There was a bar on the far wall, and around the fireplace there were several couches with small tables in front of them. The tables had various game boards on them, everything from checkers to go. A few of the games were occupied by men of various ages cheerfully talking and smoking as they played.
In one corner, a child no older than twelve was playing a cheerful tune on a piano. Scattered around the rest of the room were small tables. Upon the walls were old paintings with ornate wooden frames right next to old tools and lengths of rope. The peculiar odor of hickory and tobacco smoke lingered in the air.
"This is a tavern?" Ryouga-chan asked unbelievingly. The old man laughed at her comment.
"Were ya expectin' to see one of those seedy bars you find in tha city?"
"Well, not really. I just haven't ever seen a place quite like this." She scratched the back of her head nervously. The old man cackled again, and gently pushed her inside. A rather stout man behind the bar waved at them.
"Hey there Ryuichiro, who's the cutie with you?" The man spoke loudly, and was grinning wickedly at Ryouga-chan. Ryuichiro claimed a stool, and sat on it with apparent relief.
"She says she's lookin' fer a place ta spend tha night, and I think she means alone Kwang," He cackled as he gave Kwang a broad wink. Ryouga-chan looked flustered at their exchange, and the barkeep noticed this.
"Now now, don't get yourself worked up. We're just two old friends digging at each other over something that happened a long time ago." He waved at a chalkboard behind him, "All of my prices are right there, and if you don't have enough cash I'm sure I can find an odd job or two for you to work for your room."
"Thanks," Ryouga-chan said as she dug her wallet out. She pulled out several bills and handed them to Kwang, "Is that enough for dinner and the room?" He grinned broadly at her.
"More than enough sweetie! Why don't you take a seat, and I'll get ye some food." Ryouga-chan nodded and walked to the nearest table. She dropped her ruck before sinking into the chair with a sigh. She didn't realize how tired she was until she had sat down. It didn't take very long for her to drift into a deep sleep.
The barkeep chuckled to himself as he watched her fall asleep in the chair. He gestured to the old man.
"Come on, let's let her rest while we play a game of shoji."
"Hah, you ain't gonna win this one!" Ryuichiro cackled as he rose and followed his friend over to the couches.
At the opposite side of the room, a burly man sat glaring around the room and drinking straight from a bottle of whiskey. The waitresses avoided even looking in his direction, and the unfortunate ones that he waved down or called over could not escape without a pat on the butt from him. He had the kind of huge muscles people get when all they do all day long is carry heavy sacks around or digging ditches. Unfortunately for him, his face was twisted and scarred from an accident involving some wild dogs. Now no girl would even spare him a second glance. This had soured him greatly towards women. To top off his sorrows, he had just lost his job for making improper advances towards his employer's daughter.
He growled to himself as he took another pull from the bottle, hoping to drown his sorrows in the strong drink. He looked around the room again, hoping for a miracle, but all he saw was the same old crowd. Then he spied Ryouga-chan snoozing peacefully away, oblivious to the world. He took a quick pull from the bottle to gather his courage before he approached her. When he reached her table, he noticed how her soaked shirt clung to her skin. His drunken mind slowly pondered the situation. Here was a girl that was a stranger in town, probably drunk, and would not be missed by a companion. He looked about the room and saw that no one was paying attention to him.
With a drunken smile, he picked up her ruck and slung it over his shoulder before he gathered her into his arms. Ryouga-chan only shifted slightly in her sleep. The man swaggered towards the stairs and managed to get upstairs and out of sight before anyone spotted him. He moved into one of the guestrooms and barred the door before setting Ryouga-chan onto the bed. He stood there looking at her for a minute, drinking in the sight of her. He then moved into a position over her, slipped a hand into her shirt and began to kiss her deeply...
Ryouga-chan's pleasant dream of a sunny day and a picnic with her friends turned suddenly into a nightmare. Her friends disappeared, and the blanket they were sitting on morphed into a gigantic python. Without warning, it was wrapping itself around her, moving in and out of her clothes. Her skin crawled as the cold scales slid smoothly across her skin. She struggled against the coils, but they only tightened around her. The snakes massive head moved to look her in the eye, it's tongue darting in and out of her mouth. Disgusted, she tried to turn her head, but the snake merely move a coil to hold her head in place. With a sudden move, the snake lunged to take her head into its mouth...
Ryouga-chan's eyes opened to a different type of nightmare. What she had dreamt was a snakes coils was actually the man moving his hands over her body, and the man was kissing her. Her eyes burned with an inner rage as she head butted the man. His head snapped back, but he remained conscious. He slapped her hard enough to stun her momentarily.
"Learn your place woman!" he snapped. Ryouga-chan kicked him solidly in the chest, but he didn't move. He laughed at her efforts.
"Horses have kicked me in the chest for years! You ain't gonna hurt me that way!" he chuckled as he moved to restrain her again. She struggled against him, but laccked the proper leverage to do more than slow him down. Panic rose quickly, and was replaced just as fast by rage.
An inarticulate growl sounded from Ryouga-chan's throat as fur quickly grew across her body. Her once slender arms suddenly grew to massive proportions, and her face elongated into a muzzle. The fangs that once served to make her look cute grew in length. Her delicate looking hands became vicious looking claws. To top off the transformation, two furry ears popped out of her head above her bandanna.
The man gaped at Ryouga-lupine until she backhanded him. To his surprise, he flew to one side and crashed into the wall. He struggled to his feet as Ryouga-lupine gathered herself into a crouch, her bushy tail swishing back and forth in agitation.
"What the hell are you?" The man asked a split second before Ryouga-lupine pounced him with a feral cry.
All the patrons in the tavern stopped cold when they heard a tremendous crash from upstairs. The old storekeeper glanced over to where they had left Ryouga-chan. He cursed when he saw that the table was empty and a quick glance around the room verified that the blond girl was not in the crowd. Screams of pain from upstairs galvanized the people into motion. They rushed up the stairs and gathered around the door that the farm hand had gone through.
As they approached the door, it exploded into a thousand splintered pieces as the farm hand crashed through it and lay there screaming. His body was covered with small scratches and several large bruises. As they were gaping at him, they heard something smash through the window. The barkeep ran into the room to survey the damage.
The mattress had a huge rent in it, exposing the springs. The rest of the furniture had been smashed. The glass window was broken and it had one shutter hanging limply by a single hinge. As the barkeep approached the window, the hinge gave way and the shutter clattered to the ground below. He peered out a window and barely caught a glimpse of a red bamboo umbrella with what looked like a bushy gray tail peeking out from under it before it disappeared around the corner.
Several of the waitresses were trying to help the farm hand, but he had curled into a fetal position and was gibbering in fear. They rolled him over to see if there were any more cuts on him, and what they saw made them scream in terror. There were three bloody gashes going from his forehead to his chin, his eye had been reduced to a bloody mass and his ear looked like it was halfway cut off.
"My lord..." one of the men there breathed.
Ryouga-lupine was sprinting through the forest, not daring to look back. The air was cold, but her fur kept her warm, even though the rain had soaked her despite the umbrella. 'Gotta get away before they see me!' Ryougalupine thought. Eventually, she stumbled and fell. She rolled into a crouching position and looked around, eyes and ears straining for any signs of pursuit or danger. Sensing nothing, Ryouga-lupine relaxed and took in her surroundings.
She was in a small clearing with several large rocks scattered about. A quick glance confirmed that she had tripped over a fire pit with rocks around it in a rough circle.
"Son of a... I'm back at the place where I started to train Feather." Heartened a little by this discovery, she broke out her tent and quickly set it up. Just as Ryougalupine finished tying the last line, the rain ceased. She glared up into the night sky and shook a clawed fist.
"Figures you'd wait till I was done getting shelter!!" She shouted before she pulled a towel from inside the ruck, dried off and retired for the night, burying herself in the sleeping bag.
Ryouga-lupine woke sometime the next morning, thanks to someone poking at her with a pitchfork. She reacted instantly by snapping the end of the pitchfork off and kicking her unwanted visitor in the stomach. The person that had poked at Ryouga-lupine gasped in shock and surprise as they fell out of the tent. Ryouga-lupine burst from the tent only to see an unconscious young woman, still grasping the broken haft of the pitchfork.
"Just great," Ryouga-lupine sighed to herself as she started to build a small fire. Once the fire was started, she pulled her sleeping bag out of the tent and draped it over her unconscious visitor. As she did so, she noticed that the girl's black hair was interrupted at the temples by a pink stripe on either side. She turned and started to heat some water over the fire.
'I think I'm going to need this fast..' Ryougalupine glanced back at the girl, ready to bolt if she woke before the water was warm enough. After what seemed like an eternity the water was hot enough and she dumped the water over herself quickly.
"That's more like it!" Ryouga exclaimed as he tapped his shoulder a few times with his fist.
A crashing noise in the bushes caused him to stop congratulating himself and drop into a ready stance. He strained his ears for any other noises, and was rewarded by another crash behind him. Ryouga spun on his heel and came nose to snout with the biggest pig he'd ever seen! He instinctively leapt back a short distance and gaped at the pig. The pig squealed angrily and charged Ryouga.
"Gyaah!" Ryouga dodged the pig's attack and grabbed his umbrella. The pig trampled his tent as it turned to attack him again. Ryouga snarled at it and kicked it in the head followed by a crushing blow from his umbrella. The pig snorted at him and started to charge.
"Leave off you hard headed beast!" Ryouga yelled as he headbutted the pig. The pig's eyes glazed over and collapsed. Ryouga snorted as he grabbed his ruck and left, forgetting about the girl under his sleeping bag.
Akari Unryuu woke with a splitting headache. She groaned as she sat up, clutching at the sleeping bag that she was under. 'Sleeping bag?' She thought as she blinked her eyes into focus. What she saw stunned her.
The clearing had bits and pieces of the tent she was investigating all over and her prize pig, Katsunishiki, was plopped onto one side.
"Katsunishiki!" She cried out as she scrambled over to the fallen pig, "Are you alright?" she asked the pig gently as she lifted its huge head onto her lap. She glanced about and noticed that there was no sign of whomever was in the tent. She sighed.
"All I wanted was to find out if they wanted to have breakfast at the farm, and if it was a boy maybe have him fight Katsunishiki..." She looked at the sleeping bag, "I guess they felt bad about hitting me, and put their sleeping bag over me because they were worried I'd catch cold; but Katsunishiki must've scared them off." She stood with a determined expression on her face.
"I'll find you! I'll never forget your kindness of heart nor your strength!" She declared to the sky. Somewhere in the distance, Ryouga sneezed.
A few days later, classes were just about to start at Furinkan High when Ranma, Akane and Feather dashed into the classroom.
"Hurry up and sit down!" Ukyou hissed at them, "Someone said that Miss Hinako is in a bad mood this morning." Ranma snickered.
"I wonder why?" Ukyou shot a startled look at her fiancee.
"What happened Ran-chan?"
"Oh, nothing..." Ranma trailed off when Miss Hinako walked into the room. The diminutive teacher was covered from head to toe in mud. She tried to smile for the class while the class tried to hold back their laughter.
"Good morning class! I just want to remind all of you to stay away from the mud puddles! They're deeper than they look..." The class couldn't take it anymore when they realized that she knew that from personal experience and they burst into laughter. Miss Hinako frowned at the class, causing an instant silence.
"Ok, that's better. This mornings class will be a self study period, so study hard boys and girls!" Miss Hinako waved as she left the room. The students waited a minute before to be sure she was gone before letting out a cheer. The teens quickly formed groups and started talking or playing cards, very little studying was actually done. Several of the girls in the class, including Akane, Feather and Ukyou, were giggling as they read a tabloid. Ukyou frowned as she read one.
"Hey, check this one out... 'Man mauled by werewolf girl-friend, lost his eye in battle' hmm..." Under the headline was a picture of an obviously fake werewolf, and a man with one side of his face covered in bloody bandages. Ukyou shot a glance at Akane and Feather before she continued, "It says here that this guy was ending a fun date with his girlfriend when they noticed that a full moon was rising. He said she started to growl low in her throat at him and started to grow fur. Less than a second later, she was a combination of a wolf and a woman and doing her best to bite him. He claims to have fended her off with a silver belt buckle," Ukyou snorted, "Can you girls believe this stuff?"
"Ooh, it sounds scary!" Kameko faked a trembly voice before she started to giggle uncontrollably. While the girls were still giggling over that, Ranma walked over with a newspaper.
"Hey, check this out," Ranma plopped the paper over the tabloid, "Check out what happened to this dude from a village near Osaka." Ranma pointed to a small article, "It says here that this guy apparently tried to force himself on a girl that was passing through town but she was like a kunnoichi or something. Says here that she slashed him in the face with some metal claws. Check out the police drawing of her." Ranma pointed to a rough sketch of a girl. Despite the vagueness of the sketch, it was easily recognizable to Akane and Feather.
"Oh my word!" Feather exclaimed as she snatched the paper out of his hands. She frantically read the whole article. Kameko looked over Feather's shoulder and let out her own gasp of surprise.
"Check this out! Look at this picture of the guy in the paper, and this one here in our tabloid," she moved the pictures side by side, and they saw it was the same photo. Ranma ran a quick eye over the tabloid story. Feather sat mutely in her chair, seemingly staring at the wall.
Akane watched Feather with growing worry. She thought that the red headed girl might get a little rash. Her fears were realized when Feather stood suddenly, startling the others, and snatched the page that had the police sketch of Ryouga-chan.
"Ranma, tell the teacher I had to go," Feather said as she sprinted for the window. Ranma made a grab for her, but the desks slowed him enough to allow Feather to jump out the window and into the branches of the tree.
"Feather! Where are you going?" Akane yelled as Ranma leapt out the window after his sister. There was no response other than the tree branches shaking violently as Ranma tried desperately to prevent Feather from running off. Autumn leaves exploded violently as Ranma and Feather leapt straight into the air. Feather snapped her wings out causing her to slow down just enough for Ranma to grab onto her foot. Feather flapped her wings rapidly to make up for his weight.
"Damn it Feather, think about this for a minute! This is Ryouga we're talking about here, he could be anywhere by now!" Ranma shouted as Feather gained altitude and started to fly in the general direction of Osaka.
"Yes, he could be anywhere, or he could be hurt badly. We don't know exactly how much that guy was able to do before Ryouga was able to change." Feather reached down for Ranma's hand. Ranma gave her a blank look. "Come on dummy, as long as you're with me, you can help. But you can't do that if you accidentally let go of my leg!" Ranma grimaced at her a little before his face fell into a resigned expression.
"Fine, how do you want to do this? I uh, I'm not sure how I should hold on..." She yanked him till they were almost face to face.
"Just wrap your arms around my shoulders. I'll loop my arms under yours."
"Can't we just walk?" He asked a little plaintively as he looked down. Feather shook her head.
"We can move a lot faster this way. Look around Ranma." Ranma looked down and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He looked around rapidly.
"I don't see a sign of Tokyo! Nothing but woods, this is incredible!" Ranma exclaimed. Feather laughed at Ranma's excitement.
"Did you think they were just for show?" She had a faint frown, "I found out fast I could fly last time I went looking for Ryouga."
"Pretty useful at that," Ranma said quietly as he looked at the rapidly moving countryside. "Head for Osaka first. Sometimes it takes him a week just to get out of town."
"Right!" she flapped her wings harder in excitement. Ranma shook his head a little.
"Save your strength, we'll need it to get back to the dojo tonight," Ranma cautioned.
"We're not going back until we find him!"
"Without any supplies and such a pitiful amount of money between us that we can barely afford one meal, maybe two? Come on, let's be realistic here, we need supplies and we have nothing to get them with." Feather slowed to hover in the air.
"I uh... I guess I wasn't thinking..." Feather said sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it. Let's head back to the dojo, ok? Ryouga'll be just fine." Ranma said reassuringly. Feather slowly circled around to make their way back to the dojo. She did not fly as rapidly though.
Ryouga cursed that huge pig for the umpteenth time as he wove together branches to make a lean-to. Time and time again a branch would snap out of the weave to hit Ryouga in the face, and each time that happened Ryouga would walk a few steps away from his task to keep himself from destroying it. With a growl of determination, Ryouga tied the branch that kept snapping out into the weave with a small bit of red string.
"That'll hold you down!" He grinned triumphantly at the stubborn branch. He continued on his task, and absently kept watch on the errant branch. The branch would wiggle and shift within the constraints of the string. Then, with an audible snap, the branch broke from the strain. Ryouga snorted at the branch and then he paused. He looked over at the red string that was slowly unraveling itself from the branches. The string was held up partially by the wind, and almost seemed to be weeping. Apparently making a decision, he untangled the string from the weave, removed the broken bit of branch and wrapped the red string around the top of the piece of wood securely. He rummaged through his ruck until he found a ball of twine, and he took about an arm length from the ball. He then tied the twine to the red string and held his impromptu amulet before his eyes.
"This branch is what my life is like, always fighting the inevitable it seems," Ryouga ran his callused thumb over the rough piece of wood, "Will I be broken too, like this wood?" he muttered under his breath before he slipped the twine over his head and then continued on his work. He used the twine to carefully tie leaves together and lashed them onto his weave of branches. A short time later, he huddled underneath the lean-to wrapped tightly in his travel cloak.
"How could I have forgotten that I put my sleeping bag over that girl?" His teeth chattered as he mumbled to himself. He grunted as he pulled the cloak tighter around himself and tried to get to sleep. He had barely closed his eyes when he heard a crashing noise. Ryouga sat up sharply, his eyes and ears straining for any other sign of disturbance. Less than a minute later he heard another crashing noise from a short distance away. Ryouga tensed, ready for anything... Or he thought he was ready for anything.
A tremendously huge pig burst out of the bushes in front of him. Ryouga yelled in surprise and dove for his umbrella. He snatched it and stood protectively in front of his lean-to.
"Oh no you don't you oversized porker!" He growled, "You ain't wrecking this one!" The pig snorted at him, and he heard a feminine giggle. He shifted his gaze and could now make out a young woman riding the back of the pig.
"I'm sorry about your tent, sir," she said as she slid off the back off the pig, "And I wanted to return this to you." She took a step forward, and the moonlight played across her face. Ryouga's eyes widened in recognition.
"You! You're the one that poked me with a pitchfork a couple of days ago, right before that pig trampled my tent!" Ryouga snarled at the pig. Akari took a step back, sensing the hostility in the air. Katsunishiki snorted at him and charged. Ryouga danced out of the pig's way and grabbed its curly tail.
"You ain't wrecking this one swine!" Ryouga yelled as he pulled. The pig grunted and turned to face the lost boy. The gargantuan pig reared back to trample his opponent. It let out a startled squeal when Ryouga leaped between its legs to grapple with it directly. Ryouga grunted with the exertion of lifting the pig over his head before he slammed it to the ground. The ground trembled slightly from the impact, causing Akari to lose her balance.
"That'll teach you pig." Ryouga growled at it before he turned back towards his lean-to. Akari rushed up to him.
"That was amazing! Here," she handed him his sleeping bag and a small note, "Come Katsunishiki, let's go," The pig did not move, "Katsunishiki?" she asked softly as she gingerly walked over to the giant pig. Ryouga dropped his sleeping bag under the lean-to and walked over to where Akari was kneeling next to the pig.
"What's wrong?" he asked. She faced him with a forlorn look.
"I think Katsunishiki might be hurt..." Ryouga almost said something derogatory about the pig, but stopped himself before he totally put his foot in his mouth and bit down hard. Instead he carefully looked the pig over and noted it's shallow breathing. Akari jumped into action as well, and began to examine the pig.
"I think he just got the wind knocked out of him," Ryouga said finally, "I can't find anything obvious." Akari peeked over the other side of the pig.
"I think you're right. I guess he's never been hit that hard before." Ryouga looked up at her.
"What was that all about anyway? It seems like every time I see this pig, it tries to kill me. What is it, an attack pig?" Akari giggled at him.
"He's a sumo pig," Ryouga gave her a blank stare, "They're fighting pigs. The biggest and the best have come from my family's farm for generations. I'm Akari Unryuu." She held a hand out to Ryouga.
"Ryouga Hibiki," he gently shook her hand, "Uhm, look. I'm sorry I beat up your ride home. Why don't you rest here tonight, and I'll take you home tomorrow ok?" Akari looked startled.
"Oh. I guess that would be ok," Akari looked a little flustered.
"I'll keep watch for a while." Ryouga walked over to a rock and sat upon it. Akari smiled at him and settled into the sleeping bag for the night.
Early the next morning, Akari was rudely awakened by Ryouga. He was roughly shaking her shoulder and yelling.
"We have to go! Now!" He yelled. She could hear Katsunishiki squealing in panic, and could smell smoke.
"What, what's going on?" She asked blearily. Ryouga quickly picked her up and started to run, the pig right behind him.
"Looks like a forest fire started last night," He nodded his head towards a red glow in the early dawn sky, "It's too early for sunrise, and I smell smoke." Akari grabbed around his neck in fright.
"What can we do? If there is a fire, it'll overtake us before we get clear of the woods!"
"I'll figure something out!" Ryouga said as he leapt over a gully, "I have no intention of dying here!" Akari looked behind them and saw that smoke was obscuring the sky behind them. The early morning chill was slowly giving way to the heat from the fire.
He ran headlong through the woods, holding Akari with one arm and fiercely smacking branches out of his way with the other. They could hear the crackle of the fire now. Akari watched as her prize pig thundered up behind them.
"Katsunishiki! Find water! Water!" She screamed. The pig grunted and charged ahead of Ryouga. "Follow Katsunishiki Ryouga! He'll find us a river or a lake to take refuge in from the fire!" Ryouga nodded and changed course to follow the pig. Flights of birds took off as they passed, startled by their passing.
Akari glanced behind them and swallowed hard.
"Uhm, Ryouga?"
"What?"
"Can you run any faster? That fire is catching up with us..." Ryouga spared a glance. Ryouga muttered a curse and started to run faster.
Katsunishiki crashed through a thicket almost ten meters in front of them and disappeared from sight with a startled squeal. Ryouga gritted his teeth and ran as fast as he could while he pulled his umbrella off of the top of his pack.
"Hang on tight!" he said as he ran through the thicket, ignoring the branches that clung at him or whipped his face. Akari buried her face in his shoulder and clung to him with all her strength. Suddenly they burst out of the thicket and were two paces away from a cliff. With a resounding yell, he leapt off of the cliff...
Fire fighters tramped through the charred remains of the forest later that morning. They were looking for any signs of campers that might have been in the area. Several of them were talking as they searched.
"Good thing we had that rain not that long ago, this coulda been worse."
"No kidding. It made it to the cliff before we were able to contain it." They walked a little further in silence when they came across a partially melted kettle. One of them looked around a little and saw the remains of a small fire pit.
"Damn. Looks like there were campers here."
"This ain't the area where it started is it?" The other shook his head.
"Naw, it started almost a kilometer from here." They rummaged through the ashes, looking for anything else. One of them stopped digging through the ashes and held up a partially burnt sleeping bag. He turned it slightly and read aloud the tag that was on it.
"'Property of Ryouga Hibiki. If found, please return to the Tendo Dojo.' Crap, looks like this guy left in a hurry." A younger firefighter spoke up then. "Maybe he made it to safety..." A veteran shook his head. "The only way he could've escaped was to run like a madman to the cliff and jump off. Unless this guy was a cliff diver or had a parachute, I don't think he made it." They hung their heads a little before the veteran fireman spoke up again.
"Ok guys, you know the drill." He held out a fistful of straws, "Shortest one informs the next of kin..."
Ranma, Akane and Feather were on their way home from school when they noticed a firefighter, still in soot stained clothes, gathering the courage to knock on the gate. He was holding a black plastic bag and had a dejected look on his face. Akane approached the man.
"Can I help you sir?" She asked evenly. The firefighter turned towards her.
"Is this the Tendo Dojo?" Akane nodded, "I, uh, I'm here to... Damn I hate this..." Akane gave him a curious look.
"Hate what?" She asked. He didn't answer directly, instead he opened the plastic bag and pulled out a burnt sleeping bag and handed it to Akane.
"Did you hear about the forest fire this morning?" Akane nodded, "We found that in the ashes. I'm sorry." He bowed to her. Ranma and Feather stood on either side of Akane as she turned the sleeping bag over in her hands and saw the label. The reaction was instantaneous. Akane sank to her knees and began to cry while Feather pushed her way past them and dashed into the dojo.
"Aww man," Ranma said as he crouched next to Akane, "Come on, let's get you inside..." Once Akane was on her way into the dojo. Ranma turned to face the firefighter.
"Any sign of, you know... Uhm, did you find any real proof that he died?"
"Well, the only way he could have escaped was to sprint through the woods and jump off a cliff and survive landing in the lake below. We hadn't found anything when I came out here, and they were making their way around the cliff to see if he did make it there and jumped. Right now, he's been declared missing. We'll continue searching until we find something." Ranma nodded.
"Let us know if you find anything alright?" The fireman nodded as he turned to leave. Ranma sighed and walked into the dojo to try and calm down the girls.
Akane was sitting in the living room, crying onto Kasumi's shoulder. Kasumi looked up as he entered with an expression that seemed to scream 'What's going on here?' Ranma sat down next to Akane before he spoke.
"Some fireman was just here sayin' they think Ryouga might've died in a forest fire. They haven't found a body, and he's been declared missing."
"Oh my, maybe you should go help look for him, Ranma," Kasumi said softly. Ranma looked a little aghast at her words.
"What? Why? The firemen are already looking, how would that help?"
"They don't know Ryouga as well as you do. They don't know about his... problem." Ranma's eyes opened wide.
"Your right Kasumi, and he wouldn't tell them even if they did find'em. I'll go tell Feather and pack to go." Akane dashed her tears with the back of her fist.
"You mean he might be alive?" Ranma nodded.
"I'll find him one way or another," he said as he dashed upstairs. Once up there, he tapped gently on Feather's door. When there was no answer, he opened it quickly and dashed into the room. Feather was laying on her bed staring at the ceiling. He could see the tracks of her tears as he approached the bed.
"What do you want Ranma?" she asked in a dead voice. He sat on the bed next to her.
"You ran off before the fireman could finish explaining," he said gently, "There's a chance that Ryouga is still alive, and I'm going to go look for him." Feather sat up quickly.
"I'm going with you!" she declared, but Ranma shook his head.
"No, I need you to stay here. Trust me on this, ok sis?" She looked like she was about to argue with him, but Ranma held up a hand. "This ain't going to be easy, and I really need you to be here for Akane." Feather nodded mutely at his words before she embraced him fiercely.
"Be careful Ranma." Ranma stood and left the room quietly. Feather laid back down on the bed, a faint spark of hope was all that kept her from crying again. She uttered a silent prayer that Ryouga would be just fine.
A pair of mud covered figures lay close to the shore of the lake. Katsunishiki nudged one of them with his snout a few times before a giggle erupted.
"I'm ok Katsunishiki!" Akari laughed as she hugged the great pig around its neck. She then looked over to where Ryouga still lay in the soft mud.
"Ryouga? Are you all right?" She crawled over to kneel next to him. She tried to pull the ruck off, but lacked the strength. She gestured to the pig, and it grabbed the ruck in its teeth and pulled while Akari freed Ryouga's arms from the pack. She turned Ryouga over and embraced him fiercely.
"I thought I was going to die back there! Thank you so much!" She said gratefully. She paused, however, when she noticed something didn't feel quite right. She separated from Ryouga and held her shoulders.
"Who...Who are you?" she asked the mud-covered girl in front of her.
"I'm Ryouga Hibiki, sorry 'bout this..." she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. Akari's jaw dropped and she leaned to take a closer look. Ryouga-chan wiped some of the mud off of her face and managed a weak smile.
"Ryouga? What happened to you? Can you change back? Are you really a girl?" Ryouga-chan held up a hand to ward off the questions.
"Whoa! Why don't we get cleaned up, and I'll tell you then ok?" Akari nodded mutely and they waded back into the lake.
Quite a while later, they had a fire going, and were trying to dry out Ryouga-chan's spare clothes. She told Akari her story as she worked on building another lean-to. Akari was huddled against Katsunishiki next to the fire.
"That's quite a story Ryouga," Akari said when Ryougachan finished talking. The blond girl nodded and bent to her task. Akari glanced up when she heard a helicopter go overhead, but thought nothing of it. Once Ryouga-chan was done with the lean-to, she rummaged through her pack and found her tin mug.
"What's that for?" Akari asked.
"I can't find my kettle, and I want to change back," she replied as she placed the cup next to the fire and poured water from a canteen into it. As soon as the water was warm enough, she dumped it over herself and sighed with relief.
"That's so neat Ryouga!" Ryouga looked embarrassed at her excitement.
"Yeah, well it ain't that much fun for me..." He let his words trail off when he heard something. Akari noticed and looked around. A few seconds later they heard some people yelling and more crashing through the bushes. Ryouga grabbed his umbrella and tensed. A minute later a group of firemen burst upon their camp. While two of them rushed over to where Akari and Ryouga were, the last one spoke into a walkie-talkie.
"We think we found them."
Ranma was just preparing to leave the dojo when the phone rang. Kasumi broke away from the farewells to answer it.
"Hello Tendo Dojo, may I help you?" She asked sweetly. She nodded a few times as she spoke over the phone. Less than a minute later, she had hung up the phone and walked out to where Ranma and the others were.
"You can put your things away Ranma," He looked at her with a blank expression.
"What do you mean Kasumi?"
"That was from the fire department. They found Ryouga and a friend of his, and they are bringing them here. Isn't that sweet of them?" Ranma fell over backwards at the news. Feather suddenly wore a bright smile.
"They found him? How long until they bring him home? Is he alright?" Kasumi laughed as the flood of questions washed over her when the rest of the family found their voices.
"He's fine, and they are going to bring them here once they get done making sure they are ok." Nabiki got a thoughtful look on her face.
"You keep saying 'they' Kasumi. Who's with Ryouga?"
"I'm not sure. A friend of Ryouga's I think." Ranma threw his hands up in the air.
"Who cares! The important thing is that he's ok, right?" Akane nodded.
"Right!"
They settled into the living room to wait. Time seemed to pass slowly as they stared at each other in silence. After a short time, Soun and Genma started to play shoji. Soon, everyone was watching the game with feigned interest.
"You should move that piece there Uncle Saotome," Nabiki pointed to a piece. Genma nodded gravely and moved the piece. Soun glared at Nabiki.
"What do you have against your father Nabiki?"
"Oh nothing..." Nabiki smiled at her father.
"I'm going to start fixing dinner," Kasumi announced as she stood. Soun nodded absently as he considered his next move. With a grand flourish, he took the piece that Nabiki had advised Genma to move.
"There! That will teach you!" he crowed with delight over his victory. Nabiki shook her head.
"You might as well concede Daddy, he'll win in ten turns."
"Have faith in your father, Nabiki," Soun said seriously. Nabiki hid a small smile behind her hand as she watched the two men cheat against each other outrageously.
Akane, Feather and Ranma had taken to watching the television when they heard a knock on the door.
"I'll get it!" Feather yelled as she leapt to her feet and ran for the door. Akane and Ranma were right behind her. Feather yanked the door open and looked outside, before she fell backwards with a startled shout. Sitting on the doorstep was the biggest pig she had ever seen. Ranma came around the corner, and when he saw the pig he let out a low whistle.
"Whoa! Hey P-chan, you've gotten a little fat!" He started to laugh before Akane hit him on the back of his head.
"That's not P-chan you idiot!" she snarled before she walked up to the door, "Hello?"
"Akane! Hi there!" Ryouga said cheerfully as he stepped around the pig. Akari stepped into sight as well.
"Ryouga! Glad to see you're ok." Akane said cheerfully before she turned to yell into the house, "Ryouga's back!" Akari stepped back nervously as Feather and Ranma rushed out to greet Ryouga.
"Hey man, glad you ain't dead!" Ranma chuckled.
"Shut up, Ranma!" Ryouga said in a mock serious tone. Feather just stood there smiling happily, waiting for Ryouga to say something.
"Who is that with you?" Akane said as she noticed Akari. Akari stepped forward and gave a little bow.
"Hi, my name is Akari Unryuu, and I'm Ryouga's fiancee!"
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 10
There was a stunned silence following Akari's announcement.
"F-fiancee?" Feather managed to stammer out. Akari frowned a little.
"Well, actually I should say I want to be his fiancee. Not only did he save my life, he was able to defeat Katsunishiki!" She beamed another smile at Ryouga.
"Katsunishiki? Who's that?" Ranma asked just a little puzzled. Akari giggled at him while Ryouga jerked a thumb towards the gigantic pig.
"This is Katsunishiki. Stupid thing trampled my tent, and then tried to destroy my lean-to when they found me."
"Hey! He's not dumb Ryouga! Pigs are very smart." Akari retorted before her eyes went dreamy again. "And you're as smart as a pig, strong as a pig, kind as a pig..." At each reference Ryouga seemed to twitch a little until he pulled away and dashed into the house. Akari held a hand up to her mouth.
"Did I say something wrong?" She asked quietly.
"I dunno, maybe he just doesn't like pigs," Ranma shrugged as he spoke.
"Doesn't like pigs? I wonder what he has against them. After all, they are such wonderful animals!" Akari patted Katsunishiki's side before she nimbly climbed onto his back.
"I should head back to the farm now. The other pigs must be getting very lonely by now." She waved cheerfully as Katsunishiki trotted off.
"Odd girl," Akane noted, "Cute, kind, and open, but definitely odd." Feather crossed her arms.
"I'm not impressed with her at all." Feather crossed her arms and stared after the girl as she left.
"Don't tell me you're jealous of her, Feather." Ranma shot her a wicked looking grin.
"What do you mean jealous? Who's jealous?" she said indignantly while he chuckled at her.
"You know sis, maybe you've been hanging around Akane too much. You're starting to sound just like her!" Feather spun on him and stuck out her tongue. Akane looked enraged.
"What did you say? I can't believe you just said that!" Akane yelled.
"You don't believe me? Ask either of your sisters if you haven't said it before!"
"Ranma, you jerk!" Akane screamed as she kicked him over the wall. Feather coughed a little, bringing her attention back to the redhead.
"Well Akane, why don't we go and practice a little before dinner?"
"Sure, why not?" Akane said as they walked into the dojo.
Ryouga dropped his pack at the door after he took off his shoes, muttering under his breath a little about pig obsessed girls. Still distracted, he walked straight to the kitchen. Kasumi was humming happily as she stirred some vegetables into a pan.
"Why hello Ryouga, welcome back!" Kasumi said cheerfully without looking over her shoulder to see who it was.
"Hi Kasumi, how'd you know it was me?"
She pointed at a jar on the counter. "I saw your reflection in that jar, how was your trip?" He grunted as he sat down against the wall.
"It was a trip, that's really about all I can say about it."
"Oh, the fireman on the phone mentioned a friend of yours was coming with you, are they staying for dinner?" Ryouga shook his head.
"I dunno. I kinda left Akari talking to Ranma and Akane out front. She kept comparing me to a pig, so I came inside." Kasumi shook her head a little, mildly amused by the lost boy.
"Why don't you sit down at the table, dinner is almost ready." She smiled at him as he practically leapt to his feet and walked quickly to the table.
Akane was watching Feather practice her forms and calling out spot corrections when Nabiki walked into the dojo.
"Hey you two, Kasumi says that dinner is ready." Feather stopped practicing and dashed for the house.
"Come on Akane! Race you there!"
"No fair! You got a head start!" Akane scrambled to her feet and ran after her. By the time they had reached the table, everyone else had already seated themselves. Ryouga glanced up shyly at Feather, but she didn't seem to notice since she was busy chatting with Akane. Ryouga ignored the good-natured banter at the table and just enjoyed the excellent food in front of him.
"Hey Ryouga, what'd that guy do to you?" Ranma asked later that evening as they sat up against the old tree in the yard. Ryouga looked up with a slightly confused expression.
"What guy?" He asked. Ranma rolled his eyes a little.
"You know, that guy whose face you tore up."
"How'd you find out about that?" Ryouga sounded startled.
"It was in a newspaper. So tell us what really happened!" Ryouga shook his head.
"I don't want to talk about it." Ranma scooted closer to where Ryouga was sitting.
"Come on man, what happened?"
"I said I don't want to talk about it!" Ryouga snarled and tried to backhand Ranma. Ranma dodged the blow gleefully and proceeded to continually badger Ryouga about what had actually happened. Akane stifled a giggle as she watched Ranma practically dance around Ryouga trying to get him to talk.
"I'm going to go take a bath, Akane," Feather said as she started to walk into the house, "Let me know if he ever says anything." Akane nodded and continued to watch the boys. Eventually, Ryouga leapt onto the roof. Ranma followed swiftly, but was surprised when he saw that Ryouga was waiting for him on the roof.
"You gonna answer me now man?" Ryouga shook his head.
"No! Just leave me alone about it right now ok!"
"Geez, you'd think that guy did something really terrible to you..." His words trailed off when he noticed Ryouga's aura flare suddenly, and die out just as quickly. Ryouga took a few moments to collect himself.
"You might be the one person here that would understand, but I still don't want to talk about it. Just leave me alone Ranma." Ryouga dropped off of the roof and proceeded to walk towards the gate.
"Hey Ryouga, the house is over here!" Ranma called after him. Ryouga spun on his heel, quite red in the face as he stalked into the house. Ranma remained on the roof, staring up at the sky.
"Aw man, I just knew this wouldn't be easy."
Ryouga wandered the halls of the Tendo home seeking solace, but only finding empty hallways. He leaned heavily on a door and began to fidget with the small piece of wood he had taken from the lean-to. The small piece of wood seemed to be the only thing that brought him comfort.
'Why is this happening to me?' he thought dejectedly, 'I thought Ranma was supposed to be the one who has these kinds of problems' he sighed as he thought to himself, rolling the wood between his fingers. Not even the happy humming sounds he could hear through the door penetrated his dark mood.
Feather was humming happily to herself as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror. She had a towel wrapped carelessly about her as she methodically brushed the tangles out of her hair. With a flourish she ran the brush through the entire length of her hair one last time and placed it upon the counter. She glanced critically at the brush.
'Odd, no matter how often I brush it, not a single strand comes away with the brush.' She thought idly as she struck poses before the mirror, holding her hair different ways. Finally, she settled onto a stool and began to braid her hair. The task of braiding her hair took more than an hour, but since no one had knocked on the door she wasn't very concerned about hogging the bathroom. She tied the bandanna in a bow at the end of the braid. She bounced in front of the mirror to see how she looked. She nearly collapsed giggling.
"I look almost just like that one girl from Rayearth, what's her name? Hikaru!" She giggled again as she posed a few more times. A frown crossed her features, and she waggled her finger at her reflection.
"Will you let that pig farmer beat you?" She shook her head, her pigtail moving snakelike behind her. "Good!" She giggled at herself again as she tucked the towel a little tighter about herself and moved to open the door.
The moment she twisted the doorknob the door was flung open by Ryouga's weight. Ryouga twisted in the direction he was falling, shock evident on his face. Feather tried to back up a step, but she got tangled with him and they fell heavily to the floor. Feather's breath was knocked out of her and Ryouga passed out with a nosebleed that soaked his shirt and the towel when he realized just what his face was nestled between.
Feather struggled to get Ryouga's limp form off of her, but she was still tired from working out with Akane and only succeeded in kicking the door shut again. She stopped struggling and lifted his head from her cleavage and pinched his nose for him.
"Ryouga you big dummy, why'd you have to pass out on top of me?" She sighed to herself. As she lay there, she mentally kicked herself for not realizing sooner that all she had to do was sit up. She gently let go of his head and used her elbows to help her prop up into a sitting position. The towel she had wrapped herself slipped off, making it easier for her to get out from under him. Once she had squirmed free, she retrieved another towel to wrap around herself.
"You really are a pain sometimes, you know that don't you Ryouga?" She asked the comatose boy as she rolled him over and rested his head on her lap. She felt anger at his intrusion well up, but she quelled it almost immeadiatly. It's difficult to stay mad at someone who passed out from seeing you! She gently cleaned the blood off of his face with a washcloth as she waited for him to wake up. Once she was done cleaning his face, she leaned against the wall and waited. Time passed slowly for her, and eventually she fell asleep, his head still cradled gently in her lap.
Some time later, Ryouga's eyes fluttered open. The light blinded him for a second before he could focus on Feather's peacefully sleeping face. He lay there for a few minutes before sat up suddenly and looked around, trying to figure out what had happened.
"Ok, I was leaning on the door, she opened the door and I fell on her. Oh yeah, my face ended up... b-bbetween her, her, her..."
"Breasts?" Feather finished for him. Ryouga jumped as he looked over his shoulder at the kneeling Feather. She cocked her head at him and smiled. Ryouga's turned a deep crimson as he twiddled his fingers in front of him.
"Ah! Uhm, look I can explain! I didn't mean to, I mean, uhm, I'm sorry!" Ryouga bowed towards Feather, who giggled at him.
"Come on Ryouga, it was an accident right? Besides, there was no real harm done." She stood gracefully, her pigtail swung gently at her ankles. Ryouga's brain threatened to shut down again, so he backed towards the door.
"I'd better be leaving now, yes leaving, that's such a good idea isn't it? Bye now!" Ryouga rushed out the door. Feather stared at the door for a minute after Ryouga left.
"I wonder why he was leaning on the door anyways. Oh Ryouga, you're so helpless." She said to herself as she straightened up the bathroom. She retreated to her room once she was done. She closed her door she sat heavily on her bed and glared about.
"He didn't have to rush off like that. Why didn't he offer to help clean up the bathroom?" She fumed about that for a while before trying to get some sleep.
Ryouga had managed to find his way into his room without getting lost on the way. He sat down against one of the walls and put his hand over his chest. His fingers sought the small piece of wood. 'Is it impossible for me to be able to talk to a girl I have feelings for? If only it was simpler, I don't know what to think anymore! She really is cute though, and very forgiving,' He cast his mind back to the blissful moments he spent cradled in her lap before his own nervousness took over. His thoughts betrayed themselves on his face in the form of a blush.
"Whoa! If I didn't know better, I'd say you just ran into one of the girls in the bathroom!" Ryouga jumped up, startled at the accuracy in Ranma's statement. Ranma was leaning on the doorframe with a smug grin on his face. He walked over to where Ryouga was.
"Geez man, do you always have to bleed all over the place when you get excited?" He plucked a little at his friend's bloodstained shirt.
"So I'm a little more shy than you are." He crossed his arms in an attempt to cover the stain. Ranma snorted at his comment.
"A little? You call getting a nosebleed and passing out every time you see a hint of flesh a little more shy?"
"Shut up Ranma!"
"Hey, truth hurts man," Ranma laughed at the flustered boy in front of him, "So, who'd ya walk in on?"
"Who said I walked in on anyone!"
"Your shirt and your face are yelling loud and clear." If it were possible, Ryouga would've blushed even harder. A small frown grew on Ranma's face.
"You didn't walk in on Akane did you?" Ryouga flung his hands up in front of him as if to ward off the question.
"It wasn't like that at all! I was leaning on a door, minding my own business when suddenly the door opened and I fell inside. I kinda landed on Feather and passed out." Ranma laughed for quite some time after Ryouga finished his confession.
"It ain't that funny Ranma!" he snarled. Ranma merely clutched at his gut while he staggered from the room, still laughing his head off. Ryouga muttered to himself as he stretched out on the floor, not even bothering to retrieve his sleeping bag from his pack.
Late that night, a pair of shrouded figures crept across the roof of the dojo. One by one they peeked through every window.
"Did we find them this time?" the shorter of the two asked in a hushed voice. The taller one shook its head before pulling off the mask. A woman with short black hair was revealed.
"It's hard to say Moiri, but I did see one male that resembled an associate of the target," She rubbed her chin a little before she continued, "Keep watch on this place. Should you see anyone who matches the description I gave you, contact me at once!"
"As you wish my lady." he bowed low to her before he faded into the shadows. The woman sighed.
"I will never get over how you seem to fade away like that."
"'Tis a rare talent I have," his disembodied voice replied, "But it is no more spectacular than any other ninja trick." She waved a hand in the general direction that Moiri disappeared to.
"Just remember, we came for reconnaissance, not killing. I know that's a difficult concept for you, but trust me on this."
"It shall be as you command. If the situation is as grave as you fear, we may have to...accelerate the plan." The woman sat lightly on the roof and sighed.
"I can only hope I'm not too late."
"Wake up Ranma my boy! Time to train!" Ryouga was startled out of his sleep as Genma roared at his son. Ranma didn't even acknowledge his father's shout.
"Don't you think you could wake him just a little more quietly?" Ryouga grumbled as he stretched a few kinks out. Genma shrugged at the befanged boy.
"Not much wakes him up." He said flatly before he grabbed Ranma by the shoulders and shook him vigorously. "Wake up boy!"
Ranma blearily opened his eyes and yawned in his father's face.
"G'mornin' pop. I'll be out in a minute." Genma released him and stood.
"Hurry it up boy, we don't have all morning!" He barked out as he left the room. Ryouga watched as Ranma stretched leisurely, then in a burst of motion he was changed into clean clothes and dashing down the hallway. Ryouga blinked a few times in astonishment.
"That was quick," he remarked as he got himself ready for the day. Out of curiosity, Ryouga tried to make his way to the yard to watch the Saotomes train. After walking into a storage closet, Kasumi's room and the bathroom, he managed to find the living room. Akane and Feather raced down the stairs and found Ryouga staring outside.
"Good morning Ryouga! Sleep well?" Akane said cheerfully. The two girls were dressed in gi. He smiled shyly at Feather, who gave him a warm smile in return. She had left her hair in the long pigtail.
"We were just on our way to train a little before breakfast, want to join us?" Ryouga rubbed the back of his head a little.
"Uh, sure, why not?" With a grateful smile, Akane led the way into the dojo. Ryouga found himself spending the next hour or so coaching the girls, and watching them spar. He allowed himself to feel a small amount of pride as he watched.
'Feather sure has come a long way since I began to train her,' he thought to himself as he noted their form for a critique after they had finished, 'but she does have a long way to go. Well, she is a fast learner at least.'
A while later they headed off for school. Ranma continued to badger Ryouga as to what had happened during his trip, but refrained from mentioning the man Ryouga had fought. When they reached the school, they heard a very familiar, but still frightening laugh.
"OHHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! My darling Ranma! It is I, Kodachi Kuno, here to be your dutiful wife by bringing you lunch." Kodachi held a bento in front of her and bowed her head. The bento was neatly wrapped in a handkerchief that was embroidered with a black rose.
"Uh, gee thanks Kodachi, but I already have a lunch, see?" He held out the lunch that Kasumi had made for him that morning.
"But such a small lunch would hardly be enough for a man such as yourself. Here, take this lunch I prepared for you with all my heart and allow it to nourish you through the day!" Kodachi placed the bento she had on top of the one in Ranma's hand. Ranma's face fell.
"Great, thanks." He spoke with absolutely no enthusiasm. Kodachi looked up at his face with adoring eyes. Akane started to steam where she stood next to Ranma. Feather nudged her elbow into his ribs.
"Never could turn down food, could you?" She asked. Kodachi turned quickly and noticed Feather for the first time. A quick look of surprise crossed her face before her features settled into a slight scowl.
"So pigtailed one, you finally confront me in front of my darling Ranma." She reached into her blouse and pulled out her ribbon, "And you make light of my gift for my darling Ranma! You wicked, wicked girl! I, Kodachi the Black Rose, shall punish you before his very eyes!" Feather had a very confused expression, which only seemed to infuriate Kodachi.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." Feather shrugged. Kodachi seemed to explode with her anger.
"So, you feign ignorance do you? Allow my ribbon to remind you!" She lashed out with her ribbon, which Feather barely managed to dodge. She dashed for the tree line with Kodachi in hot pursuit.
"Whoa, Kodachi hold up!" Ranma yelled as he handed the lunches to Akane, "Get back here!" Ranma sprinted after them. Ryouga also gave chase, leaving a startled Akane behind.
"Who is that wacko?" Feather gasped out as she leapt into a tree and waited for her opponent, doing her best to hide amongst the brown leaves. She watched in silence as Kodachi slowed to a walk and glance about, twirling her ribbon idly.
"Pigtailed girl! You cannot hide from me forever, I shall find you and punish you!" Kodachi called out in a mocking tone as she turned her back on Feather's position.
'Now!' Feather launched herself out of the tree with a fierce kick. Kodachi spun around and did the splits, allowing Feather to pass harmlessly over her head. Feather landed softly and spun on her heel to face Kodachi.
"What do you want?" she asked Kodachi gracefully rose. Kodachi cocked her head to one side.
"Why, I want you to release my darling Ranma from your evil grasp!"
"What do you mean, 'evil grasp'???" Feather shouted as Kodachi attacked again. Feather was doing her best to dodge, but her skirt kept getting tangled in her legs. The ribbon slapped across her arms, leaving slight cuts.
"Ohohohohoh! First blood is mine, deary!" Kodachi laughed heartily as she attacked again. Feather winced as she tried to dodge the gymnast's attacks, but still got hit.
'This skirt is just getting my way!' She thought as she dove out of the way of another attack. Feather's hand closed on a small rock and she hurled it at Kodachi. The momentary distraction of dodging the rock was all the time she needed to leap into the trees again.
"Had enough so soon?" Kodachi taunted as she leapt into the trees, "I'm just getting started!" Feather ignored her taunts and quickly undid the buttons on the waistband of her skirt.
"So there you are harridan!" Kodachi leapt to a branch across from Feather. "Did you think you could escape the wrath of the Black Rose so easily?"
"Nope, but I figured I needed to take care of something!" Feather smiled sweetly. Kodachi seethed at her impertinence.
"Now you shall pay for mocking me!" Kodachi lashed out with her ribbon. Feather leapt straight up, leaving her skirt behind and revealing a pair of black biker shorts. Kodachi's whiplike ribbon wrapped around the skirt. As Kodachi tried to pull the ribbon back, Feather grabbed the skirt with both hands and dropped out of the tree. The sudden jerk on the ribbon yanked it out of Kodachi's hand.
"So," Feather called up into the tree, "Just how good are you without your little toys?" She snapped the ribbons handle effortlessly.
"Foolish girl!" Kodachi taunted as she flipped out of the tree, "I am the rising young star of High School rhythmic gymnastics, and that means total control of an arsenal of weapons!" She reached behind her back and pulled out two clubs, "I have no intention of losing to a girl that leaps out of her skirt at a moments notice." She gave an insinuating smile, "But, I guess it comes naturally to gutter trash like your self, ohohohohoh...oww!" Kodachi reeled back from a snap kick Feather had delivered to her chin while she was laughing. Feather didn't wait for Kodachi to recover and attacked as quickly as she could. Despite being stunned a little from her kick, Kodachi smoothly blocked her attacks. Feather gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her skirt. She spun into a roundhouse, which Kodachi easily ducked, but received a stinging slap from the skirt Feather swung as a follow up. The battle raged on between the two girls, neither daring to give any ground.
"What do you mean you lost them?!?!" Ryouga cried out as he grabbed the front of Ranma's shirt. Ranma brushed his hands away and looked about.
"I mean just what I said, I can't figure out where they got off to."
"We have to find them, Ranma! Feather just isn't good enough to beat Kodachi! Besides, she fights dirty," Ryouga scowled. Ranma put a hand on his shoulder and was about to speak when they heard faint strains of hysterical laughter. No words were exchanged as they dashed towards the source.
"Enough of this, now the real fight begins!" Kodachi spun low and swept Feather's feet out from under her. Before she could hit the ground, Kodachi had grabbed her pigtail and wrapped it around her throat. Kodachi sat on Feather's back and pulled on the braid.
"Ohohohhoho! So, your vanity will be your undoing. What a fitting end for you!" She began to laugh hysterically at Feather's struggles.
Feather's eyesight began to dim and there was a dull roaring in her ears. She couldn't hear Kodachi's laughter anymore, but she counted that as a small blessing. She continued to struggle in vain to loosen the stranglehold. Just when she thought she was going to pass out, she felt the weight lifted from her back, and gentle hands helping her to sit up and unwinding her hair from around her throat.
"Methinks it wise for thee to stay and rest. I shall deal with my twisted sister." Feather's eyes snapped open and focused on Kuno's stern features.
"Brother dear! You dare stand between me and my vengeance?" Kodachi seethed as she rubbed her arm where Kuno had shoulder checked her. Kuno stood and leveled his bokken at her.
"And what, pray tell, hast the fair Feather done to earn thy wrath? I daresay that by attacking her without provocation shalt harden Saotome's heart against thee. For in truth, you have attacked his sister and had I not interceded, I doubt he would have been as merciful, let alone what I would have done had thy madness not been checked." Kodachi's lower lip quivered.
"She's not the pigtailed one?" she asked in a small voice. Kuno shook his head.
"I daresay you overlooked the obvious in your haste for vengeance. I admit readily 'tis rare to see red hair, and rarer still to see it bound into a pigtail. Thusly, I may be able to forgive your actions. However, the pigtailed girl's hair hast never grown to such luxuriant lengths, and her eyes are comparable to flawless sapphires whilst Feather's eyes beckon mine thoughts towards the purest emeralds." As Kuno finished speaking, Ranma and Ryouga burst through the bushes.
"Feather! Are you all right?" Ranma asked as he dashed to her side. She nodded weakly and tried to force out a smile. Ryouga scowled as he advanced on Kodachi cracking his knuckles noisily, bringing to mind the unpleasant sound of breaking bones.
"Girl or not, you're lucky you didn't seriously hurt her." he said through clenched teeth. Ryouga stopped short when Kuno thrust his bokken in front of him.
"Stay thy wrath Hibiki, for such hasty actions shalt bring dishonor upon yourself. Let her wallow in the knowledge that she brought suffering to an innocent soul, and in the same action pushed Saotome's heart away from hers." Ryouga shot a glare at the swordsman before he retrieved Feather's skirt from where it had fallen.
"Maybe you're right Kuno, but thanks to your sister, we're all late." Ryouga glanced over to where Feather still clutched at her throat. Ranma was next to her with a worried expression on his face. Kuno looked over as well and frowned.
"Methinks the fragile Feather will require the assistance of someone more skilled in the arts of medicine than these hallowed halls can provide. Dare I to suggest that we avoid our instructors and seek aid for her?" Ryouga nodded at his words and walked over to Ranma to relay the suggestion. Ranma nodded his agreement immediately and quickly picked Feather up despite her weak protestations that she was fine. As they began to leave, Kodachi ran after them.
"Ranma darling wait!" Ranma looked over his shoulder and scowled.
"I have nothing to say to you." His words were like ice. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at his now turned back.
"Go to your classes sister," Kuno admonished her, "and mayhap let some of the wisdom of thine instructors seep into your twisted mind." He also turned his back on her. She sank to her knees as she watched them walk off.
"What have I done?" She wailed into her hands untill she could no longer see them. Once they were gone, she stood.
"So, another pawn has entered the game, and made a fool of me in front of Ranma. We shall see who gets the last laugh, Feather dear. You won't get be able to keep me away from my darling Ranma!" She laughed insanely as she leapt into the trees.
Dr. Tofu was just sitting down for a cup of tea when Ranma and the others walked into his office.
"Good morning Ranma, what can I do for you?" he said as he placed his teacup on the table and stood.
"'Morning Doctor, Kodachi nearly strangled her a little while ago, and she still can't say anything." Ranma practically spat Kodachi's name out. Dr. Tofu gestured towards the examining room.
"Take her in there, I'll be right with you." He gave one wistful look at his tea before he followed them in. He shooed the worried boys back into the waiting room before he turned his attention to Feather's throat. After a brief examination he applied an ointment to her throat and wrapped a layer of gauze around her neck.
"Your throat is bruised, but there is nothing serious," he stated calmly as he tied off the gauze, "You should continue to wear the gauze until tomorrow night. Your voice should be back before too long, so I don't think you have to worry about croaking out every word." She smiled her appreciation for the care. She hopped off the bed and sought out the young men that brought her. She found them waiting quietly for her outside.
"There she is! How's the throat?" Ranma asked with a quick grin. Feather frowned a little and pointed at the bandage. "It's not bad is it?" She shook her head and smiled for them.
"It is well that your wounds are not of a more serious nature," Kuno glanced at the other two boys there, "Well?"
"Well what, Kuno?" Ryouga snapped.
"I am unfamiliar with the activities of those who fail to appear for their classes. I was hoping that perhaps you two could enlighten me on what our activities should be." Ranma shook his head.
"I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be cutting class with Kuno. C'mon, let's see what's going on down at the market."
"I find it as odd as you, Saotome. However, I liken not to the idea of standing in the halls again."
The odd group made their way into the heart of Nerima's marketplace. Kuno glanced about and sniffed in disdain.
"It is difficult to believe that there is an activity suitable for us in this locale." Ranma shrugged at his words.
"You never know what kinds of little contests shop owners are running to promote their stores. You can win some cool stuff if you try enough," He glanced to his right and saw a crowd gathered around a music store, "Hey, I'll bet something's happening there! Let's go check it out." Ranma led the way as they elbowed their way through the crowd. Once they were through they saw a sign proudly proclaiming 'WIN CONCERT TICKETS FOR YOU AND THREE OF YOUR FRIENDS! DETAILS INSIDE!' Underneath the bold print there was a concert poster.
"Huh, just some concert tickets," Ranma sounded a little disappointed. Kuno shook his head.
"More likely than not, this concert will be another atrocity against the classical works."
"Never been to a concert or anything. I think I'll give it a try." Ryouga declared while Feather nodded her head in agreement. They moved inside the store to find out what they had to do to win. Inside a girl wearing a very tight black shirt and spandex pants greeted them.
"Welcome to Over the Wall Music, we have more than one thousand titles in stock. My name is Mia, how may I help you?" She smiled widely at them.
"We saw your sign out front and we were wondering what we had to do to win." Ryouga said. Mia's smile broadened.
"It's a very simple game, but do you think you're up to it?" she began to explain the rules as she led them towards the back. "The object of this game is to keep yourself from laughing for five minutes."
"Aww, come on! How hard can that be?" Ranma asked. Mia raised an eyebrow.
"We've been having this contest for two weeks now and not one person has come out of that room without laughing. Are you ready?" She opened a door that led to a darkened room, "Who's first?" Ranma stepped up with confidence.
"This'll be too easy!" He remarked as he stepped into the room. Mia closed the door and winked at the others. Almost immediately they heard Ranma howling with laughter. Mia opened the door and dragged a hysterical Ranma out of the room.
"I'm sorry, you lost. Anyone else?" Ryouga volunteered next, but he left the room in much the same condition. Kuno raised an eyebrow.
"I find myself most curious as to what contains such humor as to bring them to their knees with laughter. However, since I have no interest in this concert, I shall wait until they are coherent enough to speak," He gestured for Feather to enter the room, "Mayhap the comedic genius inside might lift your mood?" She shrugged and entered the room.
As Mia shut the door behind Feather, the room became pitch black before lights came on. In the middle of the room there was a tall, skinny man in a sumo outfit going through sumo warm ups. Above him was a sign proudly proclaiming 'Setay, the Skinny Sumo!' Feather took a few steps toward him when she noticed his saddened expression.
"What's wrong? You don't look very happy." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. Setay stopped his warm-ups and gave her a curious look.
"Why should I look happy? All I ever wanted to become was a sumo wrestler, but look at me!" he gestured at his prominent ribs, "No matter how much I eat, I stay skinny as a rail!"
"That's terrible," Feather felt sorry for the man in front of her, "Then why are you doing this?" He shrugged.
"A sumo coach said that if so much as one person didn't laugh at my dream, he would show me how to gain the weight I needed to become a true sumo at last!" He clenched his fist in front of him as tears began to run from his eyes, "For weeks I have stayed in this room, doing all the proper exercises, and all the people who saw me laughed at my dream. They all thought it was some kind of a joke, but each laugh was another blow. But now, thanks to you, I will become a sumo, and I will be one of the greatest! Thank you so much for not laughing, it means so much to me!" Feather waved at him as she left the room.
"And we have a winner!" Mia proclaimed as Feather left the room without so much as a giggle, "Congratulations, you have won four tickets for the Revae concert this Saturday! Your seats will be in the fourth row, have fun at the concert!"
"Uhm, thanks." Feather croaked out as Mia bowed to her. Mia handed her the tickets and waved as they left the store.
"Hey Feather, how'd you manage to keep yourself from laughing when you saw that guy?" Ranma asked as they walked away from the store, "I mean, you know, a skinny guy trying to imitate a sumo wrestler is hilarious."
"Think about it Ranma. That was kinda like a freak show." Ranma had to lean towards her to hear the quiet words she spoke.
"You've got a point. Well, now that you have the tickets what're you going to do with them?"
"I guess I'll give two of the tickets to a certain couple I know of, and I'll take Ryouga with me."
"You mean, you really don't mind if I go with you?" Ryouga blushed as he stared at his feet, nervously twiddling his fingers.
"Of course I don't mind if you come along. It'll be fun!" Feather giggled despite herself as she looked at the flyer that came with the tickets.
"It says here that this band has a very unusual stage show, sometimes having some people break through a false wall and fight on stage while they are playing!" Ranma grabbed at the flyer.
"Lemme see that!" He read through it once Feather relinquished it to him.
"I find it difficult to believe that you would pick the wandering warrior known as Ryouga Hibiki over myself to accompany you to this concert." Kuno sniffed.
"And who was it that said that this concert would be an atrocity against the classical works?" Ranma dug his elbow into Kuno's ribs. Kuno scowled.
"Since it is so, the audience of this group will be less than cultured. Who better than myself to protect the delicate Feather's virtue from those ravening masses than the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High?"
"Look, I already decided that I'm going to take Ryouga with me. If you want to go Kuno, you can buy a ticket yourself. I'm giving these to people that really can't afford them." Feather frowned at him, her voice barely a whisper. Kuno straightened noticeably and bowed to her.
"Forgive me for questioning your generosity. Sasuke!" He called over his shoulder. The small ninja leapt out of a nearby garbage can and knelt next to Kuno, a banana peel sitting atop his head like some absurd hat.
"Yes master?"
"You will acquire for me a ticket in the fourth row for the Revae concert this Saturday eve. Make haste man, for surely such an item shall be difficult to find." Sasuke nodded.
"It shall be done Master!" Sasuke bowed his head, dropping the banana peel, before dashing down the street. Kuno swept a stray lock of hair out of his eyes.
"There, now I shall be able to accompany you as well."
"Whatever Kuno. Let's go get something to eat, I'm getting hungry." Ranma shrugged.
"We didn't have breakfast that long ago Ranma!" Feather exclaimed and then clutched at her throat. It still hurt her to talk above a whisper.
"Yeah, well, can you guys think of anything better to do?" When the others shook their heads, Ranma stepped off in the direction of the closest restaurant.
"Then let's go eat!" The others followed him, arguing a little about which restaurant they would go to. None of them noticed a shadow detach itself from the wall and follow them...
Close to midafternoon Ranma, Ryouga and Feather made their way to the dojo. Akane was waiting for them at the gate.
"I should have known you would cut out of class after Kodachi attacked this morning." She had a small, disapproving frown.
"Wait a second Akane! Feather's throat got bruised pretty bad so we took her to see Dr. Tofu." Ranma rapidly explained. While Ranma was doing his best to calm down Akane, Feather pulled the tickets out of her pocket. She waited a minute for their conversation to subside before she spoke up.
"Here. I won these tickets today and I want you two to have them," she whispered as she handed each of them a ticket, "It's this Saturday evening, it'd make me really happy to see you two there." Akane took the ticket and glanced at it.
"Revae? Never heard of them, oh well. Thanks Feather, this should be fun as long as the idiot here behaves himself."
"Idiot?!? What do you mean idiot?" Ranma exclaimed. The two of them took to arguing as they made their way into the house. Feather sighed as she watched them go. Ryouga crossed his arms and snorted.
"Huh, figures they would take to arguing almost immediately."
"Yeah, but one can hope right?" He snorted again in answer. Feather rubbed at her throat before she started for the door. They had only taken a few steps when they heard someone speaking to them.
"Excuse me, but perhaps you could help me with a little problem I'm having." They turned to see a fairly pretty woman with short black hair standing a few steps away from them. Her eyes were a hard gray and she was wearing a black jumpsuit. The only contrast to be seen was a bright red sash she wore about her thin waist. Ryouga's jaw dropped in amazement when he realized that he knew her.
"You! You're the one that kept that dog from taking a chunk outta me in China!" Feather gave him a quick glance before returning her attention to the woman. She bowed a little to the pair.
"Indeed. I am called Naoli."
"Ryouga Hibiki."
"Feather Saotome."
Naoli's face remained a carefully studied neutral. "Ryouga, there are people that are seeking you out. I don't believe their intentions are...friendly."
"Uh, ok." He looked startled a second before he frowned. "Why did you think it was so important that you came here from China looking for me?" Naoli shrugged.
"A few short days after I met you, stories of a madman running through villages caught my attention. When I reached one of them, the residents were repairing their houses from what looked to me like a wild boar had gone through. The people there explained that a young man had run into their town, crashed through a wall into someone's, kitchen, and left a trail of destruction behind him as he ran through the village." Ryouga looked startled.
"I don't remember any of that..." Naoli ignored what he said and continued.
"They said he was in a crazed state, and ran recklessly forward through any obstacle, including a cult's shrine outside the village. From what I understand, a few members of that cult have traced you here and seek revenge for interrupting something." Ryouga scowled.
"Let them come, I'll just explain to them what happened and..." He trailed off when he saw Naoli shake her head.
"They have already attacked several people that match your description. They don't bother to confirm the identity, they just attack." A dark look crossed her face, "I know you found Jusenkyo, and got yourself a curse but I need to know one detail. Which spring did you fall in?" Her eyes narrowed as he clutched a little at the collar of his shirt.
"I uhm, I really don't want to say..."
"Why not?" Naoli pressed him for an answer until Feather stepped between them.
"Enough! Can't you see that he doesn't really want to tell you?" She snapped at the raven-haired woman, ignoring the pain in her throat. "We're grateful for the warning and all, but we don't really know you. People have their own little secrets they wish to keep." Naoli backed up a step from Feather's outburst, her eyes wide with surprise.
"You can't be..." She shook her head a little and then shrugged before the teenagers. "Very well, I will leave you now. We shall meet again." With a jaunty wave she walked off. Feather looked up at Ryouga with just a hint of confusion evident on her face.
"Any idea why she looked like she had seen a ghost when I spoke up for you?" She asked. Ryouga shook his head numbly, not really knowing what to say. "Oh well, let's go get dinner."
The next morning brought with it cold air and gusting winds. Many of the girls on their way to school were forced to hold their skirts down as they walked.
"Why can't we just sew some lead into the bottom of these things?" Feather grumbled as she pushed her skirt down for the twentieth time that morning. Her hair was still bound into the long pigtail and she had decided to wear the choker with the emerald on it to hide the bruises on her throat.
"And make them look totally limp all the time? We just have to suffer a little once in a while to make ourselves look better." Akane sighed. Ranma let out a bark of laughter from where he was strolling on the fence.
"Looks to me like you don't suffer quite enough Akane, after all, you are still such a tomboy." Akane stuck her tongue out at Ranma, who replied in kind. Feather looked on with an air of amused tolerance, but Ryouga didn't look so amused. With a casual backhand, he knocked Ranma off of the fence and into the canal.
"Hey!" She yelled as her head broke the surface of the water, "What'd ya go and do that for?"
"You should treat Akane with more respect!" He yelled down at the spluttering, and now shivering Ranmachan.
"It's all right Ryouga, you don't have to defend me like that." Akane tried to placate a still seething Ryouga. Ranma-chan had managed to clamber out of the canal and back onto the fence.
"Geez, you overreact to the littlest things, don't ya?" She pouted a little before she sneezed. "Now I might catch a cold thanks to you." Ryouga smirked and crossed his arms.
"I don't think you have much to worry about Ranma, after all, idiots don't catch cold."
"I believed that too until Kuno came down with one, and tried to give it to me." Ryouga looked shocked for a second, and then began to laugh heartily. He dropped his pack and rummaged in it for a second before he tossed a thermos at Ranma-chan.
"Here. I keep that for emergencies." Ranma-chan eagerly opened it and poured some over her head. As soon as the change took effect, Ryouga threw a towel at him.
"Thanks man. Maybe I should start carrying around supplies like that..." Ryouga snorted.
"And lose that lightning quick reaction to danger of yours? Get real Ranma. You couldn't possibly take the same kind of hits I can. You stick to being fast, and I'll stick to being the tougher one." Ranma shugged as he finished drying his hair.
"Yeah well," he was stopped short by the sounding of the bell, indicating that they were about to be late, "Aww man! Now we're going to have to stand in the hall again."
"We should be used to it by now." Feather sounded slightly amused, but she did break into a run with the others.
Upon reaching the gate, they found Kuno waiting for them.
"Make haste! The final bell hast not yet sang this morn, and we would do well to tarry not!" He called out to them.
"Why haven't you gone to your class?" Feather asked just a little breathlessly as they entered the building. Kuno held the door for them as he responded.
"I felt it was important to inform you that my good Sasuke hast succeeded in gaining me tickets to the concert this Saturday eve, and I would like to walk with you and your guests to the show."
"Couldn't you have just waited for lunch Kuno?" Ranma was just a little irritated.
"I felt that the news might, in some small way, bring some cheer to her on this dreary morning."
"Thanks Kuno, but you need to get to class now." Feather shooed him off before ducking into her classroom. Seconds after they slipped through the door the bell rang, signaling the start of their classes. Ukyou smirked at them as they took their seats.
"Cutting it just a little fine this morning Ranchan?" He grunted as he sat down, ignoring her comment. He glanced around the room briefly, and frowned a little when he didn't see their diminutive teacher. A few minutes passed, and their teacher still did not show. Gradually, the class relaxed and began to talk back and forth. Just as the students had gotten fully relaxed, Miss Hinako burst into the room. She was struggling with a large stack of loose paper that threatened to topple at any moment.
"Good morning boys and girls!" She dropped the papers on her desk and faced the class with a smile. "I'm so sorry for being late this morning, but I had all these papers to grade!" A nervous chuckle ran through the classroom. She glanced around the room and frowned at them.
"I was not very happy with some of the test scores, and I want those of you who didn't do that good to do a retest!" A collective groan punctuated her statement. She ignored them and proceeded to hand out the papers.
"Man, I can't believe I have to make up that stupid test," Ranma complained come lunch time. "Who really needs to know that stuff anyways?"
"Stop complaining Ranma. It's not the end of the world, it just means you're going to have to spend a little more time studying tonight." Akane tapped him on the shoulder, telling him to scoot over so she could sit down.
"Who the heck really needs geometry anyways?" he continued to grouse. Feather shook her head at his complaining.
"Just think of it as a challenge to overcome so you don't have to go to school anymore Ranma. I'm sure you can do it if you just put your mind to it." Ranma grimaced at the thought of trying to tackle the practice problems he was sure that Akane would throw at him. He glanced at the still silent Ryouga.
"What about you man? You gotta retake that test as well?" Ryouga shook his head.
"I squeaked by. I don't have to take it again, but Miss Hinako 'recommended' that I do it anyway." He was idly playing with his amulet as he spoke. Ranma noticed, and decided to ask him about it.
"Hey Ryouga, what's with that chunk of wood?"
"Don't worry about it."
"C'mon man, what's so special about that thing? It ain't much more than a broken branch, so there has to be some kinda story behind it." Ryouga sighed and proceeded with the story.
"...The way it was constantly straining against the rest of the weave, and then finally breaking made me think about how I've been acting lately." He sighed as he looked at the small piece of wood. Akane patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't look so down Ryouga, we're all here to help you."
"Thanks Akane," he stammered.
Saturday seemed to loom in the distance as they toiled through the school week. It was a relief for them when it finally came time for them to get ready for the concert. The guys were ready to go in only a few minutes, since they wore their ordinary clothes. They found themselves waiting for quite some time while the girls tried to decide on what they would wear.
"What's taking them so long?" Ryouga grumbled under his breath. Ranma shrugged.
"Who knows? It's not like we're gonna be the ones on stage anyway." Nabiki snorted as she walked past them.
"You have no idea what appearances mean to a woman, do you?" she asked with a slightly acid tone. Ryouga shook his head as he plucked as his yellow sweater.
"Not a thing."
"Nope, I just want them to hurry up a bit." Ranma added.
"For a suitable fee," Nabiki gained a speculative look as she spoke, "I could find out if they have even made up their minds yet. What do you say?"
"What kind of fee?" Ranma looked just a tad suspicious.
"I think five hundered yen should cover it." Her smile was a little predatory as the two young men dug into coin purses for the money. "Nice doing business with you." She gave them a slightly mocking half bow and walked up the stairs.
"I hope that was worth it," Ranma grumbled as he run is finger around the inside of his coin purse, "I want to have a little money on me."
"I should have enough for drinks and stuff." Ryouga replied.
A short time later Nabiki returned, a smile barely cracking her facade of businesslike manner.
"They will be ready in a few minutes. They were almost done when I checked on them, they are deciding on their accessories now." She reported and then retreated to a different room before they could ask her anything else.
"Should we be worried?" Ryouga asked.
"I wouldn't be. After all, they can't really do anything to embarrass us with the clothes they wear." Ranma shrugged as he sat on the floor. A few minutes later, Kuno announced himself.
"Greetings unto you Hibiki, Saotome." Kuno said grandly as he swept into the room. Ranma waved absently.
"Whither Akane Tendo and Feather Saotome?" Kuno asked as he glanced about the room, "I had thought that they would be ready and waiting by now."
"They're still getting ready," Ryouga snorted, "They have been at it for at least an hour."
"Truly, females are wont to insure that a passing gaze would stop upon them, and marvel at their beauty."
"Why can't you just say they like to look pretty?" Ranma complained. Kuno glared at him, but didn't respond. With their store of small talk exhausted, the three young men sat about the living room and waited in silence.
Quite some time later, the girls appeared at the head of the stairs.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Akane said as she started down the stairs, not noticing that Feather ducked back around the corner. She was wearing a light blue sleeveless chinese shirt and the loose pants much in the same style as Ranma's. It matched nicely with Ranma's red shirt. She smirked a little at him before she walked up to him. "Close your mouth before you catch a fly Ranma." His jaw clamped shut.
"Methinks you have been in the presence of this sorcerer too long Akane Tendo. Thy mode of dress is becoming remarkably simular." Kuno spoke in a disapproving tone.
"Do you want me to go back upstairs and try to find something else to wear?" Akane asked in her sweetest tone.
"NO! I mean, uh, you look great right now Akane!" Ranma blurted out. Kuno shot him a hate filled glare, but held his peace.
"Thanks Ranma," Akane glanced over her shoulder, "Come on Feather! It's ok, they won't laugh at you!" She almost sounded weary, as if she had been having the same arguement for a while.
"I," she peeked a little around the corner, saw them looking up expectantly and ducked back around the corner, "I think it's a little too tight Akane." Akane put her hands on her hips.
"It's too late now, if we don't leave soon we'll be late! Besides, you're the one that wanted to wear it!" A few tense seconds later, Feather stepped around the corner. There was an audible thunk as Ryouga's jaw hit the floor. She was wearing a very tight, emerald green chinese dress. The silk seemed to cling to every curve, every inch of her body. Her hair had been carefully brushed out, and now sported several lengths of beads holding her hair in expansive folds. As she started down the stairs, it became apparant that there was a slit running from the hem almost to the waist on the left side, showing a great deal of leg as she took each step. There was a pattern in a darker green, but the play of the light made it difficult to identify.
The young men at the bottom of the stairs were struck speecheless. Feather raised her head to look at them, blushed and turned to retreat back to her room. They saw now that the dress was backless as well. Akane moved swiftly and grabbed her arm.
"Come on Feather! It looks great on you, right guys?" She asked sharply. Ranma nodded vigourously while Ryouga continued to stare in slack jawed amazement. Kuno however, was not as silent in his agreement.
"Such beauty is a rare sight, and I, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, would feel quite honored if I would be but allowed to accompany you to the concert." Feather raised one hand to her mouth.
"Oh no! The concert! We're gonna be late if we don't hurry!" She dashed for the door dragging Ryouga behind her. The rest of the group ran after them, trying to keep them in sight.
"Slow down Feather!" Ranma yelled, "We have plenty of time." Feather slowed and then stopped, allowing the others to catch up before starting out again.
"Sorry, I guess I got excited." She apologized sheepishly. Ranma grinned evily.
"That's ok, but Kuno here just about went crazy when he saw you start to run. That slit makes you show a lot of leg when you run!"
Feather blushed to the roots of her hair as she unconsciously held the slit closed with one hand.
After a brisk walk, they found the concert hall. The building itself looked more like a converted warehouse, but the sign out front proudly declared its business in bright neon. Kuno wore a mask of disgust as he looked at the outside of the building.
"Methinks the facade of this establishment bespeaks of the conditions inside." He crossed his arms and looked away from the building.
"Can't be that bad..." Ranma said as he looked about, "Actually, it does look kinda run down, don't it?"
"I've seen worse," Ryouga took a step forward, "Come on, maybe it's just the outside that's beat up." He led the others inside... or rather he tried too. After a few steps Feather grabbed his arm and firmly steered him towards the door.
Ryouga's confidence in the place was vindicated as soon as they entered. They found themselves in a cozy waiting room, where a man in a suit was taking tickets at the far end. The only thing that seemed out of place were the two bruisers that flanked the man.
"Wow, this sure is different from what I expected looking at the outside." Akane commented as they approached the head of the line. The man taking the tickets smiled at her as he handed back their stubs. They filed past the refreshment stands and down a narrow, twisting hallway before they reached the auditorium. The vaulted ceiling was unadorned and had steel catwalks going back and forth between banks of lights. The seats themselves, however, appeared to be quite comfortable. The walls were bare, but tastefully painted with murals of what looked like rock bands performing.
"Perhaps I had judged in haste. Truly the outer shell fell unpleaseing upon the eye, but inside there are comforts aplenty." Kuno said as he took a seat between Akane and Feather. Ranma scowled at him, but sat next to Akane. Ryouga took his place next to Feather, and they waited for the show to begin.
Slowly, the auditorium filled up. There was a buzzing kind of excitement in the air, and a dull undercurrent of hushed conversation seemed to hover at the edge of consciousness. Finally, after what seemed to be an impossibly long wait, the curtain rose revealing the band. A raucous cheer greeted them. The lead singer was wearing an oversized kimono, and she waved vigourously to the crowd.
"Hello everybody!!" The crowd responded with a cheer, "We are going to have a good time tonight!" The audience cheered once again as she turned her back to them. The band started to play what sounded to be a traditional song.
"I must confess," Kuno murmured to them, "this is not what I expected, and I am most pleasantly surprised." Just as he finished speaking, the band suddenly cut loose with electric guitars screaming to the rumbling boom of a drum beat. Kuno sat back in his seat hard and stared wide eyed as the singer pranced about the stage, still in her kimono, practidally screaming out the lyrics.
"You were saying, Kuno?" Ranma quipped before Akane hushed him.
"Quiet! I want to hear the music," she hissed at him. Ranma subsided and leaned back into his seat to watch the show.
The band played song after song. Sometimes staying with a traditional format, other times heavy metal or a crazy mix of the two. The audience cheered outrageously, sometimes singing along with the songs. After a while the band took a break, and people started to hurry to the refreshment stands.
"Hey," Ryouga had to practically shout to be heard over the crowd noise, "Anyone else want a drink?" Ranma stood.
"I'll help ya man. You'd just get lost on the way back." Ryouga glared at him before allowing himself to be led away. Kuno remained in his seat.
"Fear not these uncultured masses, for the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High is here to watch over you." He tried to impress the girls with a dramatic pose, but couldn't get the right kind of effect from his seat.
Ranma and Ryouga waited impatiently through the long lines. They were only halfway through the line when they heard the music start up again.
"Oh great," Ryouga grumbled, "We're missing the show."
"Yeah."
"I was just starting to enjoy it." Ranma smirked at his friend.
"You were enjoying sitting next to Feather with that dress she's wearing weren't you?" Ryouga's face turned a deep red. "See? I knew it!" Ranma said with a great deal of amusement in his voice.
"Shut up Ranma!" Ryouga growled. Ranma laughed off the implied threat and concentrated on waiting out the line.
Just before they made it to the counter, a pair of men came up to them and spoke rapidly to each other in chinese. Ryouga looked warily at them. The men wore what appeared to be robes of some sort, and had a decidedly hostile appearance. Ryouga remembered the warning Naoli had given him and tensed. After the men had apparently agreed on something they turned to face Ryouga.
"You pay for what you do!" one yelled as he attacked with a kick.
"What on earth?" Ranma exclaimed as he dodged a sloppy blow from the other one. "What's with these guys?" The man gaped with astonishment, and his attacks became more skilled.
"Not sure," Ryouga replied as he threw his attacker into the far wall. The bystanders pressed in on them, eager to see the fight close up.
"We need more room, Ryouga!" Ranma hissed as they briefly came side to side.
"Right! Bakusai Tenketsu!" He jabbed a finger into the concrete floor. It exploded sending chunks of the floor everywhere. They stood facing off with their assailants in the middle of the crater while the crowd backed off a respectable distance. As they sized each other up again, the bottom of the crater collapsed, dropping all of them into a basement. The music from the concert was echoing eerily along the poorly lit walls. Different props and assorted junk lined the walls.
"Come on, Ryouga, let's try to find a way out of here."
"Why not jump back through the hole?" Ryouga asked as he looked up, and blanched. Rebar that had been broken somewhat free from the blast now cris-crossed the opening, thier jagged ends pointing slightly downward.
"You die!" one of the chinese men lunged at Ryouga while he was distracted. The blow hit home, but Ryouga didn't react. He turned to the man in disgust.
"You know, that felt like a baby's kick," he spoke in an infuriatingly calm voice. The man backed a step away as if to reconsider his attack, then attacked again in a flurry of kicks and punches. Ryouga blocked the attack and pressed his own, but the man was too swift for him. Out of the corner of one eye, he noticed that Ranma was similarly engaged with the other one. The battle in the basement raged on.
"What's taking them so long?" Akane muttered between songs. Feather shrugged, causing quite an interesting effect on her dress.
"Who knows, maybe they had the bad luck of getting into a slow line."
"Fear not for their whereabouts, for like a bad coin, they always seem to show up."
"That's not very reassuring Kuno." Akane said flatly.
Despite the combined skill of Ranma and Ryouga, the two men continued their attack, using the darkness to their advantage every chance they got. Ranma realized this and beckoned for Ryouga to follow him. They broke into a run down a corridor and rapidly climbed a ladder. They saw a small door off to one side, and the music seemed to be very loud at this point.
"Maybe that door leads into the auditorium!" Ranma yelled into Ryouga's ear. Ryouga nodded and forced the door open. Inside the room was several very tough looking men. They were startled by their sudden appearance.
"Who are you guys?" One of them asked. Before either of them could answer, Ryouga toppled forward as one of their pursuers kicked him in the back. Ranma spun kicked him into a wall.
"No time!" Ranma exclaimed as he turned to face the other chinese man. Ryouga had gained his feet and was grappling with his opponant. The men that were in the room stared blankly at the ferocity before them.
The band struck up another song to a resounding cheer from the crowd.
"What are they so excited about?" Akane yelled to Feather, "They usually don't cheer this loud to one of the traditional ones." Feather was caught up with the excitement and was jumping up and down and cheering like crazy with the rest of them. Several of the guys in the next row had stopped cheering to watch Feather strain her dress even more with her bouncing. One of them tried to reach out at her, but his hand got slapped firmly by Kuno's bokken.
"Keep thy hands to thyself. I will not suffer you to lay your hands upon her." Kuno growled.
"Hey man, chill out!" The guy protested, "If she didn't want the attention, why'd she dress like that?"
"I dare not to fathom her line of thought, but I shall defend her from you." The man quailed from Kuno as he brandished his bokken. Kuno redirected his attention to the stage. While the lead singer stood and sang in place, there appeared to be a young girl with two ponytails prancing about the stage, and every now and then she would jump a little and cry out one or two words, that the crowd enthusiastically replied.
Ryouga growled savagely as he placed another kick into the man's gut. The music had gotten deafening, and so it became pointless to try and yell a warning to each other. Ranma tried though, when his opponent turned from him and lunged for Ryouga. There was a momentary pause in the music and Ryouga heard the tail end of Ranma's warning. He turned and grabbed the man by his shirt and tried to slam him against the wall. The wall exploded outwards at their merest touch, and the band picked the music up again, this time in a fast heavy metal beat. Ryouga had just enough time to register that he was on the stage before his attacker was upon him again. Ranma rushed through the hole to help, not noticing the audience cheering as he lit into one of the Chinese men.
"It's Ranma and Ryouga!" Akane screamed. Kuno rose from his seat and looked towards the stage.
"Astounding. Mayhap the management noticed them discussing something in their usual fashion, and recommended that they take over for a more spectacular show." Feather frowned when she noticed several bloody scrapes on them, and let loose with a cheer when she saw Ryouga kick the teeth out of one of the men's mouth.
"Looks like a real fight to me!" Feather said.
Almost unconsciously, Ranma started to fight in time with the music. He growled to himself when he realized that he was slipping into a pattern, and broke that pattern with a fierce uppercut. The man's head snapped back and he went limp. Exhilarated by the music and the combat, he went through a series of complex kicks and punches over his fallen opponent. The cheering of the crowd egged him to even more extravagant displays.
"Show off!" Akane yelled at him, knowing that she couldn't possibly be heard over the roar of the crowd.
Ryouga dodged what appeared to be a wild punch, but got snagged into a bear hug. The music built into a crescendo as he headbutted the man, and as he broke free from his grip he unleashed a savage set of punches. The man reeled from the blows, and Ryouga slammed both fists down on his shoulders just as the music stopped. The man fell face first onto the stage unconscious. Ryouga looked out into the crowd, took a bow with Ranma and dragged their unconscious victims back through the hole in the wall.
"I wonder what these guys' problem was." Ranma grunted as he dropped his unconscious burden. Ryouga plopped the other man on top of him.
"I'm not certain, but I think they think I ruined a ceremony or something."
"Whatever. Hey you," Ranma turned to one of the men that had been gaping at their fight, "What's the best way back to the audience. The man he addressed pointed down a hallway and gave a few directions. Ranma nodded and sprinted down the hall with Ryouga at his heels. They almost ran over a man in a suit at the end of the hallway.
"That was stupendous!" He gushed as they approached. "We could use you two in our act!"
"Uh, that's ok man. That wasn't supposed to get onto stage." Ranma rubbed the back of his head.
"But it did, and I want you two in our act." He started to rattle off terms to far into business jargon for either of them to understand. When he held a contract and a pen out, Ryouga almost signed automatically but Ranma grabbed his wrist.
"I'll tell you what man. I got a friend that can understand that junk you were spouting at us a second ago. Why don't we run those terms by her and see what she says ok?" The man didn't seem to like getting put off, and he left in a huff.
"It sounded good." Ryouga said.
"Yeah well, when Nabiki starts talking like that at me, it's usually time to either leave, or just give up. Come on, let's get to our seats."
The break from the music was slightly longer this time, and shortly before the band started to play again, Ranma and Ryouga rejoined with the others in the fourth row.
"And just why were you two fighting up there?" Akane asked sweetly as she allowed Ryouga to squeeze past her.
"Some dorks decided they wanted to fight us, and somehow we ended up there." Ranma shrugged. Feather gave Ryouga an intense look, and he responded with an almost imperceptable nod.
"We really gave them a beating, so I don't think they'll be bothering us again." Ryouga said as the music started again.
"Is this really the last we'll see of those guys?" Feather asked before the music got too loud for them to continue talking.
It was well after dark when they left the concert hall and made their way home. Kuno left for his home once they had reached the Tendo house. Ryouga looked up at the clear night sky and thought about what had happened.
"Some things don't add up," he said to Feather later that evening. "Those guys seemed to know exactly what I looked like without a photo or anything."
"You're worrying a little too much over nothing," Feather admonished him as she pulled the strings of beads from her hair, "We have no evidence that Naoli sent them. Besides, why would she do something like that?" Ryouga shrugged.
"I'm not sure, maybe to gain our confidence or something."
"There's still the question of why she would do something like that." She carefully placed the beads into a small wooden box and proceeded to undo the clasps to her dress. Ryouga gasped and turned around quickly. She looked up and saw his turned back.
"Shoot, I'm sorry Ryouga, I wasn't thinking. Could you wait outside for a second?" He nodded vigorously and retreated through her door. She changed quickly into a nightgown and let Ryouga back in.
"I'm not sure why, it's just a feeling I have. Something about the way she acted when we saw her the other day just rubbed me wrong. I didn't think about it earlier, but I think her questioning me was just some way to keep us off balance, maybe even make us think she knows less than she really does." He paced the room as he spoke, his steps thumping time as he spoke.
"We'll just have to keep our eyes open. Are we going to tell Ranma?"
"No. He'll go overboard if he ever sees Naoli. We need to find out what her motives are before we can do anything to counter her. Ranma wouldn't wait to find out." A wry grin spread across his face, "Then again, I would've done the same thing if you hadn't convinced me to step in here and talk with you." He grimaced at the memory. Feather nodded and sat on her bed.
"Well, there's not much we can do about it tonight. You'd better go get some sleep." Ryouga nodded and opened the door. "Oh, and Ryouga?"
"Yes?" He paused at the door.
"Remember, your room is straight across the hall." She smiled at his stricken expression before he closed the door. She killed the lights and lay down on her bed, considering what had happened.
"Why can't I just have a little peace and quiet in my life?" She asked no one in particular as she drifted off to sleep.
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 11
A bruised and battered Chinese man spoke into a public phone while another one glared at the few people out late that night. The one on the phone winced at some particularly loud exclamations and tried to respond. Resolutely, he hung up the phone.
"Well?" The one that had not been on the phone asked in Chinese.
"We are to return home, this mission is a failure." He shrugged and started walking down the street. The other one jogged a few steps to catch up.
"How can one attempt turn into mission failure?"
"We didn't perform enough observations on our target's guardian, or his companion. Our agency does not want to risk another attempt that may result in our capture. The boss doesn't want to cause an...incident over this."
"Are we still getting paid?"
"Right now I'm more worried about...," he trailed off as a black sedan pulled up next to them and stopped. The passenger door opened and a soft voice bid them to enter.
"We no trust you!" One spoke angrily in Japanese. The person inside the sedan laughed.
"If I wanted you two dead, you would be dead already. My employer wishes to discuss a business proposition with you." The two men shrugged and got into the car. Inside, they found a short man dressed in a black suit in the driver's seat.
"Gentlemen, I am known as Moiri," he identified himself.
"Ping I am."
"Chun am called."
Moiri winced, "I don't suppose you could drop the ignorant foreigner act could you? All that talking in the third person gets on my nerves." Ping and Chun looked at each other, abashed.
"You could tell?" Ping asked.
"It's not too difficult if you know what to look for."
The rest of the drive was spent in silence. Chun tried glancing out the window from time to time to see where they where headed, but the tint of the window and the dark of night kept him from seeing anything clearly. Eventually, they got out of the sedan inside of a mostly empty warehouse. There was a single desk in the center with a high-backed chair facing away from them. Ping and Chun glanced nervously at each other.
"Welcome to my temporary office." The chair turned, revealing Naoli. "I trust the summons wasn't too inconvenient."
"What do you want?" Ping asked suspiciously. Naoli smiled and placed her hands on the desk.
"I want the two of you to take a vacation. I'm sure your agency is quite unhappy with you for failing in your mission, and probably will not be willing to have failures in their service." She gave the two suddenly nervous men a smile. They conferred quietly for a moment before turning back to face her.
"How do you know so much about this?" Ping asked, his anxiety clear in his voice.
"I have my own sources. You really should have watched Mr. Hibiki a little more before you decided to try and eliminate him."
"We could have taken him...," Chun started to speak, but Ping cut him off with an abrupt gesture.
"I see. We did underestimate his skill, not to mention the skill of his companion. How do you propose we avoid our own people?"
"That's entirely up to you, but should you attempt to contact them again, I will have to take steps. It's a long shot, but I think you might have enough intelligence for that much at least." She leaned back in her chair and gazed at them with half closed eyes.
Chun turned red in the face and reached into his robe. His hand flashed as he threw a brace of knives that glinted in the dim light. With a blur of motion Naoli had leapt clear of the chair, leaving the knives to imbed harmlessly into the back. Chun looked up just in time to see Naoli's foot descending. Ping cursed and backed up as Naoli engaged his partner. Moiri seemingly materialized next to him.
"I recommend against you trying to help your friend." Moiri spoke quietly, but Ping could feel the sharp steel of the katana against his throat making his point quite clear. In the meantime, Chun was backing up slowly against Naoli's furious assault. Her kicks were neither the fastest, nor the most skillful, but it was all he could do to block the attacks. Naoli muttered a silent thanks to Ryouga, she knew that if he wasn't hurt she wouldn't stand a chance. Finally he crumpled, howling with pain as Naoli had kicked the side of his knee.
"I see you have a lack of common sense," Naoli said coldly. "Remember what I told you two. If you get on the wrong ship or plane, don't expect to arrive alive. I'm sure there's a small island somewhere that will suit you." She turned her back on them and walked to the desk and sat on it. She reached into a drawer and grabbed a briefcase. She looked at it briefly before she tossed it negligently at Ping's feet.
"You'll find adequate compensation in there. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind."
Ping gathered his partner and fled the building. Moiri moved to stand near Naoli.
"We don't have the manpower to carry out that kind of threat, my Lady."
"I know that, but they don't. A good bluff is almost as good as having the people. I just don't want them to be able to make a detailed report." She held a finger up.
"When they disappear, I will be sending the Chinese agency they work for a little letter telling them that they plan on selling information about them to another power, the United States maybe. That should keep them out of our way. After all, we do need the target, and maybe Mr. Hibiki in good health. Our employers haven't made their minds up on him yet."
"Clever, for one so young." Moiri almost smiled. Naoli beamed a brilliant smile at him.
"Thanks!"
"But, it was rash of you to fight him like that. You should know your skill better than that!" Moiri's usually emotionless voice took on an edge of reproval.
"I knew Ryouga had hurt him. Besides, it'll teach him to ignore friendly advice."
Morning brought very little with it to be cheerful about. Gray clouds covered the sky, and the wind blew almost constantly. Ryouga looked out the window and growled.
"Figures it'd be miserable out there."
"Yeah, whatever man. C'mon, I don't feel like practicing with my old man." Ranma half dragged Ryouga out to the yard. They faced off for a few seconds before they launched themselves at each other. Ryouga remained almost immobile against Ranma's lightning quick assault, but his answering attacks were gleefully dodged. Ryouga snarled at Ranma and tried to move faster. All that really did was make his moves sloppy, and Ranma took advantage of each lapse.
"C'mon man, can't you focus better than that?" he taunted.
"Shut up!" Ryouga snarled and tried for a roundhouse kick. Ranma ducked the kick and punched Ryouga in the stomach. Ryouga half smiled at him.
"You should know better than that Ranma!" he said as he grabbed his wrist and threw him to the ground. Ranma sprang instantly to his feet and was forced to block some rapid punches, moving him back a few paces. Ryouga pressed his attack trying to force Ranma into the pond. Just when it seemed Ranma was going to fall in, he caught one of Ryouga's punches and threw him into the pond.
"Still way too slow Ryouga!" Ranma squatted at the edge of the pond and gloated at Ryouga-chan. She looked downcast at the water for a minute before grabbing the front of Ranma's shirt with an iron grip. A quick tug later, Ranma-chan was spluttering in the cold water as well.
"Hey! What didja go and do that for?" Ranma-chan glowered at Ryouga-chan.
"You were the one sloppy enough to stay within my reach!" she countered. As they sat in the water glaring at each other, Akane came outside wearing a white T-shirt and a short gray skirt.
"Come inside you two! Breakfast is almost ready and you need to dry off!" She waited on the porch with a pair of towels for the soaked martial artists. "Honestly, can't you train without getting wet?"
"Does not look like it, does it Ryouga?" Ranma-chan spoke with no emotion in her voice.
"Not at all." Ryouga-chan spoke in much the same monotone. Akane looked at them warily.
"What gives?"
"We go. Internal chronometer indicates it is past time to obtain sustenance." Ranma-chan now spoke in a robotic voice and moved jerkily. Ryouga-chan's face twitched, as if she were suppressing a grin.
"Roger roger." she spoke in the same kind of voice and took two steps before Akane threw the both of them back into the pond with a shout.
"I can't believe you!" She shouted before she stormed inside. They looked at each other, still neck deep in the cold water.
"I thought she would find that funny." Ryouga-chan said as she shook some water out of her hair.
"Who can ever tell with that un-cute tomboy?" Ranmachan grumbled. Akane stuck her head out the door.
"I heard that Ranma!" she stuck her tongue out and closed her eyes, making a face at her fiancee. She opened them again in surprise when she felt someone grab her tongue between two fingers.
"Gee Akane," Feather said mildly as she pulled a little on her friend's tongue, "Your tongue seems to be loose this morning."
"Heeh ho oh my hongue!" Akane's eyebrows furrowed angrily. Feather cocked her head innocently.
"What was that? I couldn't understand a word you said." she squeezed Akane's tongue a little harder. Akane's eyes narrowed a split second before she grabbed her wrist and gave it a deft twist. Feather cried out in surprise as Akane flung her towards the pond as well. She snapped her wings out and hovered, her feet just above Ranma-chan and Ryougachan.
"Nice throw Akane, but throws don't work that good on me!" She stuck her tongue out at a steaming Akane. Ranmachan and Ryouga-chan looked at each other for a moment before they each grabbed a leg and pulled her in.
"Hey!!!" Feather screamed as she surfaced in the pond. Akane just about collapsed on the porch laughing, while Ranma-chan and Ryouga-chan gave each other a high five over Feather's head.
"If that's how you're going to be...," she sniffed at them before she climbed out of the cold water. When she shook her wings to dry them, it caused a spray of water that got Akane wet.
"You did that on purpose didn't you?" Akane yelled as she stomped towards Feather. Feather gave her the most innocent look she could.
"Who, me?" she asked right before she wrapped Akane up in a hug, encircling her wet wings around the startled girl as well.
"Hey! That's cold!" Akane shouted as she struggled in the red-haired girl's grip before she started laughing as Feather's wings tickled her bare legs.
"Hee hee hee, stop it! Your wings are tickling me!" she managed to gasp out.
"Oh, you mean these wings?" Feather asked with a vicious grin as she purposely drew her wingtips across the back of Akane's knees. Ranma-chan and Ryouga-chan's eyes went wide as Feather's wings moved away from Akane.
Feather was practically holding Akane up with a tight hug, who had perhaps unconsciously wrapped her arms below her waist. Their legs had gotten tangled as Akane had tried to kick her legs away from being tickled. They were pressed tightly together and Akane's squirming made it appear that she was rubbing up and down against Feather's body. Her white T-shirt was quite wet now and it clung to her skin. Both of the girls were laughing uncontrollably. Ryougachan's nose began to bleed and she slowly sank under the water while Ranma-chan just stared wide-eyed.
"Whoa! You two really don't want to know what that looks like from over here!" Ranma-chan smirked at them. Akane was out of breath from laughing too much to reply. Feather looked over towards the pond and scowled.
"Knock it off, big brother!" she glanced around quizzically, "Hey, what happened to Ryouga?" She asked. Ranma-chan's head whipped around a few times until she spotted the semi-conscious Ryouga-chan under water. She reached under and pulled the blonde from the water.
"Guess he couldn't handle it!" Ranma-chan joked as she dragged her friend into the house. The girls looked at each other.
"I guess that did kinda look, well, bad didn't it?" Feather giggled behind a hand. Akane gave her an exasperated look.
"It's your fault for grabbing onto me like that!" Akane mock scolded her as she held the T-shirt away from her skin, "Now I have to go change before breakfast!"
"I'm sure Ranma appreciated the view!" Feather gave her a sly glance, and then laughed when Akane blushed.
"I, he, we, oh never mind!" She stormed into the house. Feather shook her wings a few more times, trying to get the last of the water off of them. She sighed as she tried to retract into her back again and couldn't.
"Must be because they're wet." she muttered to herself as she went inside to change as well. She folded her wings around herself like a cloak.
Feather was aware of the stares when she approached the table. She stared at the table as she sat down, twitching her dress a little to cover her legs.
"Feather," Soun asked after a moment, "why didn't you, you know...," he gestured towards his back, groping for a way to convey his meaning. Feather looked up at him with a little bit of a grimace.
"I can't seem to do that when they're wet for some reason."
Genma reached over and ran his hand down one of them. "Feels dry to me."
"They're damp, I can still feel the water." She twitched her wing away from his hand before she attacked the food on her plate. Ryouga gave her a look that conveyed his sympathy before he began eating as well.
"Oh my, that doesn't look very comfortable," Kasumi said when she saw how often Feather had to shift her wings to keep them off the floor. Feather shrugged.
"I'm more or less used to it."
"Whoa yeah! Now there's a sweet sight for me!" Happosai yelled as he bounded into the room and attached himself to Feather's chest. She jumped straight up, overturning the table onto Soun.
"He's spry this morning," Nabiki frowned as she mentally figured out how much it would cost to replace the dishes that had been broken.
"Grandfather Happosai!" Kasumi said in a sharp voice, causing all motion in the room to stop. "I thought you had agreed that mealtimes would not be affected by your training!" Everyone but Happosai face-faulted at her words.
"Training?!?" Ryouga managed to squeak out once he got his jaw off the floor. "You call that training?"
Happosai had a hurt look on his face when he dropped off of Feather and walked a few paces towards Kasumi.
"Kasumi, you don't mean...," he whimpered a little as Kasumi slowly nodded. He turned around with a totally dejected look on his face, scuffing his toe like a scolded schoolboy.
"Hey Kasumi," Ranma spoke as he righted the table, "What kinda deal did you pull with him? I didn't think anything could stop him."
"It's simple Ranma," Kasumi giggled, "I told him that if he totally interrupted a meal, I wouldn't make him another meal that day. Or, if he ruined dinner, nothing for the entire next day."
"Wow," Akane laughed, "and all you get out of it is peaceful meal times."
Happosai turned and glared around the room. "You better not be laughing at me! I won't tolerate it!"
"Come off it freak." Ranma squatted in front of the shriveled master, "We all know Kasumi's word is law when it comes to the food in this place. Don't go and try to blame us for what you did!"
"Why shouldn't I? It always worked with your Fathers. Besides, I'm still your master." He crossed his arms and turned to walk away while Ranma was fuming, only to run into Ryouga's legs. "And what do you want?" he asked indignantly. Ryouga bent over picked the old man up by the collar of his shirt.
"Why don't we get a few things perfectly clear, old man," he growled, "I am not your student, my father was never your student. I have none of the so-called obligations you like to hold over their heads." Ryouga grinned evilly at him. "So don't expect me to go bowing and scraping for you at any time, 'cause you won't get it from me."
"Anything else you want to throw in my face while you're at it, boy?" Happosai sneered at him; "Because you aren't likely get another chance to speak to me this way."
"No, but I'll let you know if I think of something." Ryouga said as he dropped the old man unceremoniously.
"I should teach you a lesson in respect boy!"
"Bring it on!" Ryouga snarled as he dropped into a ready stance. Happosai snorted.
"You ain't worth half my effort boyo! Besides," he brushed a bit of dirt off his doji, "Kasumi's mad enough at me as is. See ya!" Happi laughed as he hopped off. Ryouga stood seething and staring in the direction Happosai had left in. Feather put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't let him get to you, ok?" she said softly. Ryouga glanced at her before stalking upstairs without saying a word. Feather's wings drooped noticeably as she watched him disappear upstairs. She walked outside and out the gate. Akane followed her out the gate, but when she looked around, the redhead was gone. A moment later, Ryouga came back down the stairs.
"Uhm... I can't find the bathroom..." Embarrassment was evident in his voice.
"C'mon man. It's this way." Ranma chuckled as he led the lost boy down the hall.
Feather watched the gate from around the corner until Akane had gone back inside. She wanted to be alone so that she could sort out her own feelings. The dank and cloudy morning seemed to fit her mood perfectly.
"Why am I so depressed now? Nothing major happened this morning, right?" she asked herself as she walked. Unable to answer her own question, she walked with her head hung until she came across a small playground. There were several small children playing on the swings and the jungle gym while two mothers sat on a bench, keeping a benevolent watch on them as they talked. Feather smiled as the carefree laughter became infectious. She sat down on another bench and folded her wings about her to help ward off the cool morning air.
The innocent play of the children seemed to cheer her up, until she tried to remember the last time she had played like that. Unable to recall such happy moments, she sighed and stood to leave. As she walked away, she glanced once over her shoulder at the laughing children, sighed, then walked quickly away.
"Having regrets Feather?" Feather spun at the voice and found Naoli standing slightly behind her.
"Naoli! Don't sneak up on me like that!" She put one hand over her rapidly beating heart. Naoli gave her a quick smile.
"Sorry. I didn't expect to see you out this early alone."
"What do you mean by that?" Feather asked as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Naoli put her hands in her pockets and looked up as she replied.
"Oh nothing." She brought her gaze back to Feather. "I understand there was a bit of excitement last night at the concert you went to."
"Excitement? Oh, that." Feather snorted. "They didn't seem to be that much of a problem for Ranma and Ryouga." She started walking again and Naoli fell in beside her.
"It made the evening news. They didn't say who was involved, but with the level of destruction they showed on TV it almost had to involve Ryouga." Naoli laughed, "A lot of people thought it was just part of that bands' act too, that's the real kicker!"
Feather flashed her a smile, but didn't say anything. They walked for quite a while in silence before Feather stopped. Naoli took two more steps before she stopped and turned to face Feather.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Naoli, I want to ask you something. What's your interest in Ryouga?" Feather asked with a serious look on her face. Naoli grinned as she took a step towards Feather.
"Oho! You're the jealous type aren't you?"
"What do you mean jealous? Who's jealous?" Feather sputtered as her face turned a pretty shade of red. Naoli laughed and put her hands on her hips.
"I should've known you'd be the jealous type with those green eyes of yours."
"What do my eyes have to do with anything?" Feather's face was now red with anger rather than embarrassment. Naoli looked at her with mock amazement.
"Don't tell me you've never heard that old saying."
"What old saying?"
"That one about jealousy being a green eyed monster!" Naoli laughed as she dodged a sudden swing from Feather.
"So, I'm a monster am I?" she scowled at Naoli before she began to chase her in earnest. Naoli laughed at Feather's futile attempts to grab her as she ran. Suddenly she couldn't hear any footsteps behind her. Naoli turned around, expecting to see Feather standing a few paces behind her, but saw nothing. She spun around again when she felt a gust of wind right behind her. Feather landed with a muffled thump and her wings blurred a little as they retracted into her back.
"Still plan on running?" Feather asked with an amused smirk.
"Are you still going to try and get me?"
"Maybe."
"Then maybe I'll have to try running again!" Naoli crossed her arms and half turned as if she was about to dash off again. Feather laughed and took a step forward and reached out for Naoli when someone jumped off of the wall secured Feather's arm behind her back and held a knife against her throat. Feather let out a startled cry and stiffened when she felt the knife touch her skin.
"Chun! Why haven't you left the country yet!" Naoli snarled at the Chinese man.
"Ha! Ping might've taken your so called advise, but I intend to complete our mission!" he pressed his knife a little against Feather's throat, "And there's nothing you can do to stop me now!" Naoli scowled at him and decided to try and stall for time.
"Just how do you think you can escape? She'll just fly off if you loosen your grip in the slightest." Naoli held her arms wide and took a slight step forward.
"Back off!" Chun yelled before he lowered his voice again. "I don't really want to be forced to kill her, but it's an option!" His scowl slowly turned into a half smile. "Then again, why don't you come closer? I'm sure that my employer will be just as happy to see her dead."
"What do you want from me?" Feather said, her fear evident in her voice.
"There are people that are very interested in your wings. I was hired to bring you back alive, preferably." Chun grinned, revealing gaps in his teeth evidence of his fight with Ryouga. "Now, be a good girl and bring your wings out. Slowly, I don't think it be wise to try and shove me away right now."
Feather swallowed hard and shook her head a little.
"I can't, not with you holding my arm that high." Chun scowled at her words and twisted her arm a little harder, eliciting a small cry of pain.
"Don't try to lie to me! Do it now!" he yelled in her ear. Feather concentrated, trying to figure out something she had been doing instinctively. She held her breath for a second and then slowly, her wings emerged from her back. Naoli watched in wonder as she saw Feather's wings slowly grow out of her back, feathers sprouting from the fleshy portions at an astounding rate. What had taken a split second before took an agonizing five minutes. Several times during the process Feather gasped in pain due to her shoulder being twisted back by Chun.
"That's a good girl." He let go of her arm and put a crushing grip on close to the base of her left wing. Feather screamed in pain as he twisted it cruelly. The color drained from her face and she nearly passed out from the pain.
"Bastard! Let go of her!" Naoli yelled as she leapt at him. Chun snarled and pulled Feather in front of him. Naoli barely managed to stop her charge before she ran headfirst into Feather.
"Don't be reckless!" he spat as he hit Naoli in the forehead with the handle of his knife. She fell back, stunned from the blow. Chun brought the knife against Feather's throat again.
"Move!" He hissed at her as he yanked her roughly toward the corner.
Things seemed to be quiet at the Tendo dojo. Ranma and Ryouga were in their room, quietly looking at a book of some sort. Ryouga fidgeted nervously as he flipped the page.
"Are you sure this is the best source of information? I mean, are you sure this will help?" Ryouga asked nervously. Ranma nodded sagely.
"Know thy enemy, and know thyself. Pops spouts that all the time, but this really might help you out. I know it helped me come a little closer to dealing with things." He pointed imperiously at the page. "Now read it!"
"Are you sure a book like this will help me? I mean, this whole book reads like, well, a lecture."
"Hey, you wanted to know how I got on better terms with my curse!" Ranma snatched up the book and held the cover in Ryouga's face.
"'How to be a Woman, a girls' guide to womanhood?'" Ryouga read angrily, "You actually read this?!?!" Ryouga grabbed Ranma's shirt. Ranma looked at Ryouga sternly before he started laughing uncontrollably.
"You set me up for that didn't you Ranma!" Ryouga angrily threw him across the room. Ranma was still laughing when he landed in a heap.
"The... hee hee, look on your face!" Ranma continued to laugh while Ryouga steamed until there was a soft knock on the door.
"Yeah?" Ryouga asked as he stood to answer the door. The door opened before he could reach it. Akari bounced in happily.
"Hi Ryouga, did you miss me?" she asked as she gave him a hug. Ryouga however, blushed and stared off into space, sending Ranma into another laughing fit.
"What's wrong with Ryouga?" she asked as she struggled to get his attention.
"Nothing more than terminal shyness I'd say." Ranma said seriously before he reached over and pinched Ryouga's cheek a bit. "Ain't it too cwuuute?"
Ryouga recovered from his light-headedness instantly and grabbed the offending hand.
"And just what is too cute?" Ryouga glared at Ranma.
"Uhm, Ryouga? What's wrong?" Akari asked quietly. Ryouga immediately stood stock-still and took in the scene around him. Akari was still hugging him, and he had Ranma's hand in a death grip, and the book...
"Oh no!" He dove out of Akari's arms and snatched the book from where it lay on the floor and promptly held it behind his back.
"What's that Ryouga?" she asked, a small smile on her face. "What is it? Lemme see!" Ranma stepped back and laughed as Ryouga desperately dodged Akari's attempts to see what it was he was trying desperately to hide.
"Well, looks like you have some company Ryouga, I guess I'd better go." Ranma smirked at the panicked look on his face before he left the room. He hadn't gone more than two steps past the door when he was clobbered in the back of the head. He spun around, but all he saw was the door to the room closing and the book on the floor. Ranma shrugged and tossed the book into Akane's room.
"Maybe that thing will have more use than just getting a rise outta Ryouga..." he mused as he turned to make his way downstairs.
Feather was sweating nervously as they walked down the streets of Nerima. As they turned another corner, she recognized Dr. Tofu's office. She saw him talking with one of his elderly patients just outside the door, when he suddenly ducked back inside. Feather watched out of the corner of her eye and saw him pick up a phone and dial rapidly. She muttered a silent prayer that he was calling the Dojo.
Dr. Tofu was chatting with one of his regulars outside when he saw Feather and a man he did not recognize turn the corner. His eyes narrowed when he saw that the man's knuckles had turned white from the force of the grip he was keeping on her wing.
"I'm sorry Mr. Yamata, but I'm afraid there is something I must do now," he said in way of apology before he ducked inside and quickly dialed the phone.
"Tendo Dojo," Akane's voice said pleasantly through the receiver.
"Akane, this is Dr. Tofu. Get Ranma and Ryouga to the clinic as fast as you can! Someone is trying to kidnap Feather!"
"We'll be right there!" He heard Akane drop the phone and her rapid footsteps away. He hung up the phone and looked out the window to see how far down the street they had gotten, and tried to come up with a way to stall the man.
"We'll be right there!" Akane dropped the phone and dashed upstairs. She slammed into Ranma's chest at the top of the stairs.
"Whoa! Hey, watch it you klutz!" Ranma said as they landed in a tangle.
"Never mind that Ranma!" Akane yelled as she got to her feet and started dragging Ranma down the hall, "We have to get Ryouga and get down to Dr. Tofu's now!"
"Hey, what's going on?" Ranma asked as Akane threw open the door to Ranma and Ryouga's room. Akari jumped in fright and Ryouga's head snapped around to face the door at the noise.
"What the...?" Ryouga started before Akane grabbed his arm as well.
"We must get to Dr. Tofu's right away! Something's happened to Feather!" she practically yelled.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Ryouga snarled, and the three martial artists sprinted away, leaving a confused Akari behind.
"What?" Akari stared at the speed of their departure. She ran as fast as she could to try and catch up with them, but by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, there was no sign of them.
"Oh my, Akari, what's going on?" Kasumi asked as she stepped out of the kitchen.
"Something happened to someone called Feather," Akari shrugged, "Do you know who that is?"
"Feather is Ranma's sister. Oh, I hope nothing bad happened to her..." Kasumi fidgeted worriedly for a minute before she returned to the kitchen. Akari sighed and settled down in the living room to watch TV.
Dr. Tofu had started to step outside when he saw a woman in a black jumpsuit stagger around the corner and then moved to confront the man with Feather. She apparently started an argument with him. Dr. Tofu watched from around the edge of one of the pillars that marked the gate to his office as the argument raged on. A glance at his watch told him that the argument had lasted for nearly ten minutes.
'Just a few more minutes, and the cavalry will be here!' He thought to himself. His slight smile faded when the woman apparently threw some sort of insult that infuriated the man. He couldn't hear what was said, but he could see the anger on the man's face as he threw Feather into the wall and knocked the woman out with two powerful punches and then kicked her in the ribs a few times for good measure. Dr. Tofu cursed under his breath, knowing that his devotion to the healing arts left him unprepared for this kind of confrontation.
Feather shook the cobwebs out of her head just in time to see Chun knock Naoli to the ground. She dashed forward and delivered a kick to the small of his back. When he turned to face her, she kicked him in the jaw, knocking him back a few steps. Feather seized the opportunity and scooped Naoli into her arms and took off, intent on flying back to the dojo. She had gotten maybe two meters off the ground when she felt something wrap around her ankles and was jerked to a stop. She looked down and saw that Chun had used his belt like a whip in a last ditch effort to keep her from escaping. An evil grin spread over Chun's face when he saw that Feather wasn't strong enough to fly with his weight as well.
"What's the matter? Not strong enough to get away?" he sneered as he pulled harder. Feather began to fly rapidly in different directions in an attempt to get him to lose his grip. Chun was amazed at how much effort it took to keep a hold on the belt, if she wasn't already weighed down with Naoli, she would have pulled him off the ground immediately.
It was a stalemate; the first to weaken and fall would be defeated. As the minutes drug on, the overcast morning turned into rain. Chun grinned viciously when he saw that Feather was tiring faster.
"What's the matter? Getting a little tired?" He taunted. She stuck her tongue out at him in response. Without warning, something flew out of the rain and severed the belt before it embedded itself into the wall.
"What the...?" Chun cursed as he fell over. When he got up, he saw Feather fly into a second story window of a clinic across the street. As he moved to intercept her again, he found himself blocked by three angry girls. He paused to look at them. The first had short black hair and was wearing a jacket and a mid length skirt. The next one had bright red hair bound into a pigtail and was wearing Chinese clothes. The last one had shaggy blond hair and had a yellow sweater and green pants bound around the calves.
"Who are you three supposed to be? The Nerima musketeers?" He laughed as he tried to push his way past them. When he couldn't he tried to slap Akane.
"Wrong move pal!" Ranma-chan yelled as she kicked his arm away from Akane. Chun howled as he backed away, clutching at his arm. Ryouga-chan growled deep in her throat as she leapt for a kick. Her foot slammed into his chest with the force of a sledgehammer, knocking the breath out of him.
"Right, it's my turn!" Akane said as she went through a punch kick combo, ending with a foot sweep. Chun crashed into the concrete with all the grace of a dropped rag doll.
"Who are you people?" he asked as he struggled to stand. Ryouga-chan crouched in front of him.
"We're the people that will make your life hell if you ever come back here." Barely contained fury flavored her voice and twisted her features. Chun spat blood in her face.
"Oh, hell!" Ranma-chan cursed when he saw Chun spit in her friend's face. Sure enough, Ryouga-chan went through her transformation and proceeded to thoroughly thrash the hapless Chun. After a few seconds, Ranma-chan moved to stop her.
"Hey, that's enough!" she yelled as she grabbed onto Ryouga-lupine's shoulder. Ryouga-lupine looked over her shoulder at Ranma-chan before she dropped the now unconscious Chun.
"Come on, I saw Feather fly into Dr. Tofu's, let's see how she's doing," Akane said when she walked over to them, "Besides, your gonna draw a crowd if you keep changing like that." Ryouga-lupine managed to look embarrassed through the fur before she shifted back into her girl form. Well, almost all the way back. Her ears remained tufted wolves ears, and a large bushy tail peeked out of her trousers. Akane covered her mouth and giggled when Ranma-chan leaned around Ryougachan and tugged at her tail.
"Ranma! Stop pulling my tail!" Ryouga-chan snarled as she batted her hands away, her tail swishing in agitation.
"Ok, ok! Geez, lighten up." Ranma-chan snorted as she turned to walk into Dr. Tofu's.
When they got inside the clinic, they found Feather leaning against the wall, holding a bag of ice near the base of her left wing.
"Are you ok Feather?" Akane asked as she took the ice from her and held it on her wing.
"Yeah, I'll be just fine as soon as you ease up on that ice!" Feather winced.
"Sorry." Akane stopped pressing as hard on the ice pack.
"I only have a few bruises, the worst one is where he grabbed my wing and twisted it," she gave them a pained look, "You have any idea how much that hurts?"
"Not really," Ranma-chan shrugged, "but I can imagine. Who was that girl you carried in here anyway?"
"Oh, that was Naoli," Feather shrugged, "That creep knocked her out and kicked her in the ribs a few times. Dr Tofu is wrapping her ribs up right now."
"What'd she ever do to him? She's basically harmless without that rifle of hers." Ryouga-chan shrugged. Feather looked over at her and collapsed laughing. "What?" Ryougachan asked, her ears going flat against her head, sending Feather into another fit of laughter. Ryouga-chan threw her hands in the air in disgust before she plopped onto the couch and began to wring the rainwater out of her tail.
"How'd that happen?" Feather asked when she finally stopped laughing. Ryouga-chan scowled for a second before she responded.
"Dunno. Ranma managed to make me feel really embarrassed while I was a werewolf," she looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, "I'm still not totally sure how this curse works."
"Getting back on track," Akane said as she firmly reapplied the ice to Feather's wing, "Where exactly did Naoli fit into all this?"
"We're not really sure," Feather looked thoughtful, "The first time we saw her she was warning us about those two guys that attacked Ranma and Ryouga at the concert. But, she told us that they were cultists that were angry with Ryouga for breaking up a ceremony or something. When she was confronting that guy today, I found out that they were really trying to get Ryouga out of the way so they could kidnap me and she knew it!"
"I just knew she wasn't really telling us everything," Ryouga-chan muttered, "That story about the cultists didn't really sit all that well with me. Something just didn't sound right about her getting so concerned about me that she'd come here from China just to give me a little warning."
"Sounds to me like she's got some explainin' to do!" Ranma-chan said as she crossed her arms and leaned against a wall. Akane nodded.
"Right, but she did slow that jerk down long enough for us to catch up. She can't be all bad." Akane pointed out. At this point, Dr. Tofu walked into the waiting room and closed the door behind him.
"How is she Doc?" Ryouga-chan asked as she stood.
"Oh, she'll be just fine. She only has a few bruises. I wrapped her ribs merely as a precaution. You can go in and see her now if you want." Dr. Tofu opened the door for them. Ryouga-chan was the first one through the door, but the room was empty.
"What the... She's gone!" she exclaimed. A quick glance around revealed only a scrap of paper on the bed where Naoli should have been. Ranma-chan scooped up the note and read it aloud.
"Hey there, as you can see, I had to run. I will be seeing you all again soon. Thanks for fixing me up Doctor. It's signed Naoli," Ranma-chan scowled at the window, "What I'd like to find out is how she closed the window behind her."
"Who cares?" Feather shrugged, "I just want to go home now."
"Sounds good. See you later Doc!" Ranma-chan said as she led the others out.
Naoli winced as Moiri re-wrapped her ribs with dry gauze. He chuckled at her as he finished up.
"Well now, you've had an exciting morning. Who nearly broke your ribs?" he asked with a dry tone.
"Chun. He decided he wanted to try and make a grab for Feather without any help. He almost succeeded too," Naoli said as she put on a loose fitting sweater. Moiri shook his head in disgust.
"And you could not defeat him again? He should have been little trouble."
"He had a knife to Feather's throat, and kept pulling her in the way. The best I could do was stall him in front of Dr. Tofu's office while he called up Ryouga and his friends." Naoli snapped. In a flash, Moiri had grabbed her collar and pulled her down so that her eyes were level with his.
"Remember this, you may be in charge of business aspect, but I am still your master. Do not lose your patience around me girl, you might make me regret ever getting you away from that gang and teaching you to be a mercenary ninja instead of a petty thief." His voice was cold and level as he spoke. After holding her gaze for a few minutes, he released her. Naoli looked shocked before she knelt in front of him.
"I'm sorry master. It will not happen again," she said seriously. Moiri glared at her until a smile broke out on his face. He cupped her chin in his hand.
"Don't be making promises you know you can't keep girl. It hurts your reputation."
"Come in and dry off, you must be freezing," Kasumi said as she met them at the door with an armload of towels, "Ryouga, your friend Akari is still here."
Ryouga-chan smacked her forehead while Ranma-chan laughed at her. Ryouga-chan turned and growled at her.
"Don't even start Ranma!" she warned. Ranma-chan just kept on laughing as she left for the furo.
"I'm gonna take a bath and warm up. You comin' Ryouga, or are you gonna stay a girl all day?" Ranma-chan taunted as she raced down the hallway, Ryouga-chan in close pursuit. Akari walked into the foyer with a dazed expression.
"I thought I just saw Ryouga as a girl with a tail running down the hall after a red haired girl saying something about a bath." Akari looked at the other girls for an exclamation.
"Don't look at me, I'm not even going to try and explain those two anymore." Akane shrugged.
"Just one of the minor pieces of insanity that keep us sane around here." Feather quipped as she started to work on drying her wings with a towel. Akari stared hard at her until Feather looked up in alarm.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing, it's just that, well, you have... you know... wings," Akari stammered, not really believing her eyes. Feather looked at the ceiling in resignation.
"Yes, I have wings."
"Uhm... By any chance would you happen to be an angel?" Akari asked excitedly as she clasped her hands in front of her.
"I AM NOT AN ANGEL!!!" Feather screamed in her face before she dashed to her room. Akari's hair was blasted back by the force of the yell. Akane winced when she heard the door slam shut.
"What did I say?" Akari asked innocently. Akane sighed as she led the pig-farmer back to the living room.
"It's a kinda long story, but the short of it is that her last guardian was using her as a sideshow attraction," she said softly, "He claimed she was an angel and kept her chained to a stool. Ranma and I saved her when we found out. If you want to know anything else, you'll have to ask her after she's calmed down."
"I can't really blame her for being upset with a question like that," Akari sighed, "I bet she hates me now."
"It's hard to figure her out sometimes." Akane shrugged.
Feather glared at her closed door for a while before she felt she was calm enough to go back and apologize to Akari for screaming in her face.
"She must think I'm really mean now...," she sighed to herself as she opened the door. When she reached the top of the stairs she found herself struggling with a sudden bout of nervousness. Steeling herself for what she was sure would end up a screaming match, she started to descend. When she reached the living room, she saw that Ranma and Ryouga had finished their bath and were chatting with Akari and Akane over some tea. Ranma patted the spot next to him.
"Sit down Feather and grab some tea. I'll bet your feeling a ton better now that you've had a chance to calm down, right?" Ranma emphasized the last few words causing Feather to blink in confusion.
"Calm down?" She asked blankly.
"Yeah, calm down. Getting attacked this morning really did a job on your temper, didn't it?" Akane gave her a hard stare. Feather looked blankly at her for a second before comprehension set in. She smiled apologetically at them as she sat next to Ranma.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry about earlier Akari, I was still upset at that guy." Feather blushed while Akari waved off her apology.
"It's not really your fault. Besides, it was a dumb question, wasn't it?" She giggled. Feather vowed to herself to be nice to the pig-farmer, despite the fact that she was hanging all over Ryouga. Ryouga, on the other hand, was doing his best just to stay halfway conscious. The conversation drifted around him unnoticed until Akari started to compare him to pigs again. The badly underrated fuse that held his temper in check burned out. Ryouga stood suddenly and he leveled a glare at Akari.
"I. Hate. Pigs!" he ground out before he stomped away from the living room. Akari looked abashed at his statement.
"He hates pigs? Why?" she asked in a small voice.
"I'm not sure," Akane looked thoughtful, "but speaking of pigs, I haven't seen my little P-chan anywhere for a really long time now." Ranma bit down on his tongue hard to keep from telling her the truth about P-chan.
"Gee Akane, the little porker gets lost so much I'm surprised he didn't disappear for good earlier," he said nonchalantly as he leaned against the table.
"We're talking about P-chan, not Ryouga you know!" Akane snapped at him. He waved at her lazily.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Ryouga ain't P-chan. You gotta admit though, it's the longest he's been gone. Not really much you can do about it." He yawned. Akane glared at him until Feather spoke up.
"I hate saying this Akane, but Ranma might just be right. After all, I've never seen your P-chan and I moved in a while ago." Akane sighed at her words.
"I, I just hope he's happy wherever he is. He was one smart little piglet." Akane sighed, elsewhere in the house Ryouga sneezed. Conversation died off at that point, and Akari decided to depart. Once she was out of the door, she looked up to sky and made her vow.
"By the next time I see you Ryouga, I'll be able to hate pigs for you!"
Afternoon found Ryouga and Feather facing off in the dojo while Ranma relaxed off to one side.
"Ok Feather, come at me," Ryouga said calmly as he took up his stance. Feather nodded and rushed in with a kick that he deftly blocked. Ranma yawned as he watched them spar.
'How basic can you get?' he thought to himself as Feather went through a three-strike combo that Ryouga easily dodged. Ryouga began to attack Feather, and the resulting display made Ranma sit up straight and take notice. 'He's not pulling his punches! He'll break her in half when he hits!' Ranma thought frantically as he half stood.
"Hey! Go easy Ryouga!" he blurted out. Distracted by Ranma, Feather didn't see Ryouga's next strike until it was an inch from her face. With a startled cry she bent over backwards so far that she almost looked like she was folded in half. She placed her hands on the floor and brought her legs up quickly in an attempt to kick Ryouga. He dodged out of the way as she finished her impromptu handstand. He turned and glared at Ranma.
"What do you think you're doing, distracting her like that!" His eyes never left Ranma, but he continued to block Feather's attacks.
"You're not pulling your punches Ryouga! You could kill her with one hit!" Ranma exclaimed, "I know first hand how powerful those punches of yours are. She hasn't a chance of being able to deal with the same kind of damage we can." He crossed his arms. Feather stopped attacking Ryouga and gave Ranma a confused stare.
"I can handle it Ranma. I'm tougher than I look, you know."
"Maybe, but so is Ryouga. Look, just be careful ok? I don't want to see you get hurt while training."
"I know what I'm doing Ranma," Ryouga sounded a little exasperated, "She's already fast enough to dodge or block the kind of blows I'm throwing her way. If I coddle her too much, she won't be ready for any real fights." Ranma looked ready to disagree with him but said nothing. As they went back to their training, Ranma watched with a jaundiced eye. Even though Ryouga was putting his usual amount of strength into the punches and kicks he sent her way, he wasn't even putting half the speed into them that he could. Ranma nodded his understanding and relaxed. When one of the blows landed, Feather rolled with them, sometimes literally, only to get back up and try again. He found a grudging admiration for her tenacity.
"Winged girl get better quickly." Ranma nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Shampoo speak from almost right next to him.
"When did you get here Shampoo!" he said as he turned to face her while clutching at his chest.
"Just minute ago. Saw lost boy and winged girl training, so watched. She very flexible. Shampoo no know if can bend like that." She pointed towards where Feather was dodging by going into positions that would make a contortionist wince. As they were talking Mousse staggered in.
"Saotome," he said by way of greeting before he slumped against the wall.
"Geez, you don't look so good Mousse." Ranma crouched next to the master of hidden weapons. Mousse gave him a weak smile.
"Thanks to you. I'm still recovering from the infection, but that won't take too much longer."
"Is good! Shampoo go on date with Ranma to say thanks!" she squealed as she glomped onto him.
"No way!" Ranma half yelled as he struggled to get free, "Besides, I wasn't the only one who helped get the moss."
"Shampoo...," Mousse sniffled from where he sat, too weak to punish Ranma or even pursue his beloved Shampoo. It had taken all of his strength just to make it to the dojo, and his precious reserves were dwindling fast. To his surprise, Shampoo let go of Ranma and knelt in front of him.
"What Mousse want now?" She asked diffidently. Ranma stared in shock, only barely noticing that Ryouga and Feather had stopped training to watch. Tears streamed out from under Mousses' glasses.
"You, you actually listened to me..." he managed to say before he passed out. Shampoo sighed as she splashed him with water from the fire pail and gathered up his robes.
"Duck boy not know how weak he is now. Maybe date tomorrow Ranma?" Shampoo waved cheerily as she carried Mousse back to the Nekohanten.
"You catch all that?" Feather asked after the amazon had left.
"Yeah, and I'm not totally sure I believe it," Ranma shook his head, "She's didn't call him stupid or anything."
"Weird. Well, I think that's enough training for today Feather." Ryouga said as he tried to go into the house. Ranma followed him out to the storage shed.
"You know, that's the shed Ryouga."
"Shut up Ranma, just shut up."
Dinnertime rolled around, and it found everyone staring at the meal that Akane had prepared. It looked great, it even smelled good but survival instincts prevented most of them from eating right away. Akane smiled at them as she placed the last dish on the table.
"Well, come on everyone! I made plenty for everyone!"
"Looks great Akane," Ranma said as he poked at his plate, "but is it really safe?" Akane scowled at him.
"Of course it's safe! Why wouldn't it be?" Akane snapped.
"Maybe all those times we've suffered at the hands of your cooking," Nabiki quipped. Akane glared at her sister who merely looked the other way.
"I think it looks great!" Feather said as she gathered some with her chopsticks. Everyone else at the table stared at her as she took the first bite. Her eyes widened in shock as she placed her chopstick back onto the table.
"Uhmm... urp... excuse me!" she managed to get out as she dashed from the table. Ranma winced when he heard her being noisily sick in the bathroom.
"Hey, I'm gonna go see how Feather's doin'," he declared as he dashed away from the table. Akane shrugged and took a bite, only to spit it out again almost immediately.
"That's funny, I wonder what went wrong this time?" she asked no one in particular before she hung her head. "Why can't I cook the same way I did when Auntie Nodoka helped me?" She sniffled. Kasumi moved to comfort her.
"It's ok Akane, we know you tried hard to make this meal look good."
"That's just it Kasumi! I can make food that either looks good or tastes good! Why can't I get it to balance out!" Akane cried into her sister's shoulder for a while. When she looked up, she saw that the table had been cleared while she was crying. A glance into the kitchen found Ryouga dashing about, tending several pots and pans. A pang of guilt hit home when she saw how efficiently he tended each dish. He noticed her at the door and waved.
"Hi Akane. I'll take care of dinner tonight, so relax ok?" He spun and stirred one of the pots noisily and turned to face her again. Akane could only stare.
'Even Ryouga's a better cook than me...,' she thought to herself. Ryouga saw that she wasn't going anywhere so he turned his attention back to the food. A couple of minutes later, Ranma appeared at the door next to Akane.
"Yo, Ryouga! You need any help?" Ranma called out. Ryouga glanced up.
"Naw. How's Feather doing?"
"Alright, I guess. She's not green anymore, and was asking how something that toxic could look so good," Ranma laughed. Akane scowled at him before she hit him in the back of the head.
"I'm right here you idiot! Why didn't you even try it?" she yelled at him.
"Hey, you gotta admit that junk really messed Feather up. I ain't gonna die tryin' everything you cook!" He sweated when he saw that Akane was only getting angrier. "And I had such hopes for tonight's dinner." Akane looked at him startled.
"You did?"
"Yeah, I was kinda hoping that Kasumi'd make some sukiyaki..." he trailed off when he saw Akane's aura flare.
"Ranma you jerk!" she screamed as she chased him through the house intent on pounding him. Ranma ran ahead of her, dodging around furniture and eventually diving out the door. Akane dashed after him, picking up a practice sword on the way.
"Come back here Ranma!"
"Nyaahh! Come get me!" he taunted as he hung upside down from one of the tree branches. Akane swung the shinai at him relentlessly, but he casually dodged each attack by swinging to a side. "Whoa, getting closer!" he laughed as he dodged another swing. Akane snarled something unintelligible, as she swung again, not at Ranma, but the branch his legs were wrapped around. The branch snapped and he fell to the ground with a thump and Akane began hitting him repeatedly with the shinai.
"Oww! Stop it Akane! Help!" Ranma yelped as he tried to regain his footing.
"Serves you right Ranma!" Akane glared at him before she stomped back into the house, the shinai over her shoulder. Ranma slowly sat up and rubbed his head.
"Uncute tomboy," he muttered only to get the shinai thrown at him!
"I heard that Ranma!" Akane yelled before she disappeared inside the house.
"Is it safe now?" Ranma glanced up when he heard a voice drift down from the higher branches. He glanced up and waved at Feather.
"Yeah, I got the anger out of her." Feather dropped out of the tree and landed with an almost inaudible thump. Ranma shook his head in amazement.
"You know, I can never get over how quietly you land." He said as he stood.
"Ryouga taught me how to land quietly. He said it was useful when you're hunting." She shrugged.
"Whatever." Ranma walked into the house.
The early morning quiet was broken when Genma burst into Feather's room and roughly shook her awake.
"Up and at 'em girl!" he yelled, "Time to start training!" Feather did the only sensible thing a girl could do in her situation. She screamed. That brought Ranma and Ryouga charging into the room, trampling Genma on their way in.
"Hey, what's going on Feather? Is it the old freak again?" Ranma asked as he looked around the room, trying to spot the old lech. Feather shook her head.
"No, Dad surprised me this morning. He wanted to train me." She said. Ranma looked under his feet at his father.
"Would you kindly get off me now boy?" Genma said acidly before he threw Ranma and Ryouga out the window. He stood and dusted off his gi only to be knocked down again as Soun rushed in with Akane right on his heels.
"What's going on?" He asked as he stood on his old friend.
"I'll explain that as soon as you get off me Tendo!" Genma growled from his position on the floor. Soun stepped to one side and helped Genma to his feet.
"Now," Soun asked as he crossed his arms, "What on earth is going on in here?"
"I was merely waking her up the same way I wake up Ranma to train. I guess she's a lighter sleeper." Genma laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Excuse me," Feather said sweetly as she stood up and clutched a large fluffy pillow, "but would you kindly GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" she yelled as she slammed them repeatedly with the pillow. They retreated quickly into the hallway and closed the door behind them.
"And I thought I was bad in the morning," Akane muttered as she left for the bath.
Ranma-chan and Ryouga-chan were muttering to themselves as they closed the door to the changing room.
"He just had to throw us into the pond first thing, didn't he?" Ryouga-chan growled as she took off her shirt and tossed it negligently into the hamper. Ranma-chan muttered her agreement as the two finished getting ready for the bath. With a sigh, they sank into the hot water. The sudden change in their mass caused the furo to overflow a little.
"What's gotten into your father?" Ryouga asked. Ranma shrugged.
"I guess he really sees Feather as part of the family now, so he's trying to train her like he trained me."
"If he pulls a stunt like that again, I'm going to have myself a panda skin rug!" Ryouga growled. Ranma only shook his head a little as he relaxed.
Akane glared at the little sign on the door that proclaimed that the bath was in use. She tapped on the door only to have it open slightly. 'I guess the door wasn't closed all the way, which means the bath is really empty.' She thought to herself as she stepped into the changing room. As she started to unbutton her pajamas, the sliding door that separated the bath from the changing room slid open a little and Ranma's head peeked around.
"Hello? I thought I heard a knock on the... door," He paled when he saw Akane, "Oh boy...," he swallowed hard. Akane held he pajama top closed with one hand and grabbed the laundry basket with the other.
"You PERVERT!" She screamed as she flung the hamper at him. Ranma scrambled to dodge the projectile, falling on his rump and flinging the door open as he did so. Ryouga sunk deeper into the bath, his face a deep crimson as Akane stormed into the bath to continue to berate Ranma.
"Wait, Akane!" Ranma protested as he quickly wrapped a towel around his waist, "It ain't all that bad, right? Besides, you walked in on us!"
"What do you mean us?" Akane glowered as she glanced around the bath, "I don't see anyone else here!" Ranma glanced over to the furo.
"Aw, man! You made him sink!" He reached into the tub and yanked Ryouga out by his hair.
"Ah, hi Akane," he waved meekly, "can we finish our bath now?" Akane stared at him in shock for a second before she flung the clothes hamper at them again and stalked out of the room.
"You know, I think she's upset." Ryouga muttered, one corner of the hamper embedded in his cheek.
"You ain't kiddin'," Ranma muttered, a little out of breath from the hamper hitting him in the gut.
In the yard, Genma faced off against Feather over the pond.
"Ok Feather. The Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts specializes in mid-air attacks," he grinned at her, "Therefore, you would do well to pay attention. Don't try to fly until I tell you to. Are you ready?" She nodded before she launched herself at him. Genma's grin never left his face as he leapt to meet her. He traded a few kicks with her and sighed as she sailed into the tree branches from his last kick.
"Can't you do better than that girl?" he taunted from one of the stones by the pond. "Or do you not want to learn?" Feather shouted angrily as she dove towards him. Again, he leapt to meet her and this time she fell ungracefully into the pond. Genma shook his head, trying to figure out what was going wrong when Feather leapt out of the pond with a kick that landed in his midsection. He smiled at her.
"That's the spirit!" He chuckled as he backed up from the blow. He leapt to the other side of the pond before he leapt at her. Feather leapt to meet him and instead of kicking she grabbed his outstretched leg and climbed up his body before jumping off his shoulders. Genma landed with little difficulty and looked up to see where she had jumped to. He rolled out of the way as she came down in the spot he was in a moment before.
"Get back here Pop!" She snarled as she leapt after him again. Genma chuckled as he met her in the air and sent her into the pond again. This time, she couldn't drag herself out so he helped her out onto the lawn.
"Not bad at all Feather, not bad at all."
"What do you mean, 'not bad'?" she asked grumpily as she wrung the water out of her hair.
"You're doing fine for such a beginner. Continue training with Ryouga in the afternoon, and I will train you in the morning. We'll have you up to snuff in no time at all!" He laughed heartily and slapped her on the back, bowling her over. Feather struggled to her feet and was about to attack him again when she heard a polite clapping. She turned and saw Naoli sitting on the wall.
"Well done! It's such a rare opportunity to see such a master of the art train!" She complimented as she slid off of the wall and walked over to them. Genma pushed his glasses up on his nose.
"And who might you be miss? I don't recall ever seeing you before...," he asked as he tried desperately to remember if he had ever promised his son to a girl that looked like her.
"I'm Naoli, and I have a message for you. A corporation hired me to find your daughter and offer a job."
"What kind of job?" Genma asked as he hushed Feather with one hand. Naoli smiled a little.
"They wish to learn a little more about her wings through polite observation."
"Define polite." Feather broke in.
"X-rays, a CAT scan, a little blood work and an examination. In return, there is a handsome amount of money they are willing to pay and my continued operation to keep other less, reputable, organizations from harming her." Naoli noted the glint in Genma's eyes when she mentioned the money. Feather hit the palm of one hand.
"So that's what Chun was talking about. He was a thug that was hired to kidnap me for the same kind of research. I thought you said that they were cultists after Ryouga?" Her eyes narrowed as she watched for any kind of reaction to her words.
"I did not wish to alarm you or Ryouga. They had been told to kill him because they thought he was your only family," Naoli said quickly.
"Sold!" Genma said as he eagerly shook Naoli's hand, "When does she start?"
"She could start today if she wishes. They want her to stay in the lab for a week and will take care of tutoring her. After that, they will call if she is needed to come in again." Naoli said thoughtfully as she crossed her arms. Genma turned quickly on Feather.
"You will go today, won't you Feather? You don't want to disappoint your Father do you?" He grabbed her shoulders in his excitement.
"Can Ryouga come along?" Feather asked quickly, "I'd feel better about it if he did."
"Of course," Naoli said as she celebrated inside her mind, "He's more than welcome to come with you."
"It's settled then. I'll go get the boy while you pack up Feather!" Genma dashed into the house gleefully. Feather crossed her arms as she watched him go.
"Ok, now what's really going on?" she asked suspiciously.
"It's exactly as I told you. A few tests and you will be going back to your normal life." Naoli said patiently. Feather looked dubious, but nodded anyway.
"Fine. I'm going to go dry off and pack." Feather walked into the house. Naoli followed her as far as the dining room. Kasumi walked out of the kitchen with a steaming platter of food.
"Oh my, a visitor. How are you this morning?" She managed a half bow while still holding the platter. Naoli returned the bow.
"I'm fine. That really smells wonderful," she said hopefully.
"Your welcome to stay with us for breakfast if you have the time," Kasumi said sweetly as she set the platter on the table.
"I would be delighted." Naoli sat at the table and waited patiently.
It wasn't long before everyone was gathered around the table and Genma was excitedly explaining the deal he had just struck. Nabiki leaned forward in interest.
"So, how much money is it worth for a human guinea pig? I happen to know someone who can withstand the most toxic foods you could imagine."
"Nabiki!" Akane glared at her sister who stuck her tongue out in response.
"Don't worry. All the tests they wish to do are harmless." Naoli reassured them again before everyone started eating. After breakfast, everyone said their farewells to Feather and Ryouga as they got into a cab that Naoli had called.
"Don't forget to call!" Kasumi said as she hugged Feather.
"I won't," Feather promised.
"Don't get lost there Ryouga, and keep an eye on Feather." Ranma said as he shook Ryouga's hand.
"We'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to her." Ryouga broke the handshake and climbed into the backseat of the cab. Feather quickly finished her farewells and climbed in next to him. Akane suppressed a giggle as Ranma dropped Ryouga's pack and umbrella into the trunk of the car and the suspension sagged noticeably. Naoli climbed into the front seat and directed the driver. Kasumi continued to wave until the cab was out of sight.
Several hours passed during their ride until the cab stopped at what looked like a small farm in the middle of nowhere. Everyone climbed out of the cab and gathered their luggage.
"Doesn't look much like a research place." Ryouga commented as he slung his pack on.
"There's a limousine that is supposed to meet us here. For security reasons, the cab couldn't go directly there," Naoli said as she paid the driver. A few minutes after the cab left, a stretched limousine with heavily tinted windows pulled up. Naoli opened the door for them and followed them inside.
"Wow, I've never been in a limo before!" Feather said excitedly. Ryouga nodded as he looked around the plush interior with wide eyes.
"I think you can get used to such comforts while you are with us," Naoli said as she got a glass of water from the small wet bar. As the limousine started to move, Feather looked out the window and watched the countryside roll by. Ryouga settled into the seat and took a nap to ease the boring ride.
"So, do you work for these people all the time?" Feather asked Naoli after several hours. Naoli shook her head.
"No, actually I'm a mercenary they hired to protect and contact you with their offer. They didn't want to use one of their own for security reasons."
"Oh."
After a seemingly endless ride, the Limousine stopped outside a large building that was surrounded by a tall chainlink fence. Several guards could be seen patrolling the yard and several more were by the door. One opened the door to the limousine for them.
"Welcome to Fukuzai Enterprises, Ms. Feather!" the guard exclaimed as Feather climbed out of the limo.
"Uhm, thanks," she said, unused to the kind of deference the guards were showing her.
"Follow me please," the guard stated before he walked towards the building. The doors opened for them automatically, and Ryouga could not fully repress a shudder when he saw what was inside. The lobby of the building had numerous fountains, some large, some small. There was even one that would send arcs of water through the air over the walkways into small rings.
"That's beautiful!" Feather exclaimed when she saw them. The guard smiled at her.
"Our employees like to come here to relax. The sound of running water is naturally soothing to most people."
"Definitely not all," Ryouga muttered under his breath as they walked over to an elevator that was open and waiting for them. The guard pushed a button and the elevator descended.
"The living quarters are in the above ground rooms," the guard explained, "but the meeting rooms and the laboratories are all under ground."
"No wonder this place is called 'Hidden' Enterprises," Feather said as the door opened. The guard led them down a short hallway into a waiting room.
"Please, wait here while I announce you to the board," he said before he left through a large pair of carved oak doors.
"This doesn't feel right," Ryouga muttered under his breath to Feather, "Something is going to happen."
"I'm nervous too Ryouga, but you're worrying over nothing," she breathed back. Ryouga would have said more, but the doors opened wide and the guard beckoned for them to enter. Inside the room there was a massive wooden table, its polished surface gleamed in the light. Five older looking men sat along one side of the table with several papers in front of them.
"Ah, Feather. It is so good to see you. I'm glad you were able to make it here in one piece, it makes the tests so much easier," one of them spoke with a raspy voice. Feather looked at him with wide eyes until another one stood and berated the first.
"Stop scaring the poor girl!" the first old man raised his hands in disgust and turned away. The second one bowed to them.
"I must apologize, our esteemed president has a slight problem with choosing his words. My name is Tsukabe and I am the head of the research division that will be taking a look at you."
"Thanks, I think." Feather held one hand over her rapidly beating heart.
"Who is the young man who accompanies you?" Tsukabe asked with mild interest.
"I am Ryouga Hibiki, a good friend of hers," Ryouga said as he narrowed his eyes. 'Something is definitely wrong here,' he thought when he saw the delighted expressions on the board members.
"Excellent, excellent. Everyone is here. Please, follow this good man. I'm sure your journey has wearied you." Tsukabe indicated another uniformed guard.
"If you would follow me, I will guide you to the reception area." The hulking guard's voice rumbled as he led them down the hall to the elevator. It sank a few floors before opening again. A wall of noise assailed their ears when the doors opened. Various clangs, shouts and the hum of heavy machinery filled the air. They took a few steps out of the elevator and gazed down into the pit. Feather gasped in astonishment. There, being worked on by a small army of technicians, was a replica of the machine that Project Raven was trying to produce. Feather spun on the guard.
"What's going on here?" She demanded.
"That is for the techies to figure out. This way to the reception area." He motioned for them to follow. Ryouga loosened his umbrella atop his pack before he followed. Naoli gazed at them quizzically, not understanding Feather's reaction to the machine.
The guard led them up to a desk where a pale man in a lab coat sat working on a computer. He cleared his throat to get the other man's attention.
"Feather Saotome and Ryouga Hibiki for processing," the guard said dully.
"Ah, yes. We have been expecting you. This way please." He stood from the desk and led them down a long hallway and into a room roughly the size of a stadium.
"I thought we were supposed to go to the reception area," Feather said, her voice echoing through the gigantic room. Ryouga glanced up and saw that there was quite a distance to the ceiling. The man in the labcoat shook his head.
"This is the reception area. It's been emptied out to aid us in our research involving your wings. Let me show you how to get to your room." He walked over to a polished metal door. As he approached, it opened to reveal another elevator.
"This elevator goes expressly to your rooms," the man in the labcoat said as he led them in. Once they had packed themselves into the elevator, the door shut and it rapidly brought them above ground. When the doors opened again, it revealed a living room environment. There was furniture, but no decorations.
"Welcome to your new home for the time being. Through that door is a kitchen and over there is where you will find the bedroom. The washcloset is through that door," he pointed out each feature as he guided them through the suite. "Anything else you need, all you have to do is pick up the phone. The operator will handle any other questions." He retreated into the elevator and the door shut behind him, leaving Ryouga and Feather alone in the suite. Ryouga looked at the area around the elevator and swore.
"What is it Ryouga?" Feather asked as she dropped her suitcase.
"We're trapped! There's no controls for this elevator," he snarled. Feather shrugged.
"You could always rip the doors open with your bare hands if you really need to get outside, or just break the windows," She walked over to a large bay window and gazed outside, "You can see the ocean from here!" she giggled excitedly. Ryouga grumbled to himself as he hit his fist against the wall. The metallic clang confirmed his suspicions that they were being held, and there was no way for him to break them out.
"I'll bet the glass is bulletproof or something." He muttered as he dropped his pack.
Deep within the complex, Tsukabe and a few other researchers watched their every move on a monitor.
"Take notes. I want a control pad installed in the room ASAP. We don't need him destroying the suite because he perceives that he's trapped," he said sharply. An aide jotted it down and made a phone call.
"Also, make sure their escort is always armed with a tranquilizer gun and the elephant tranquilizer we recently developed. That should be enough to stop him." He fiddled with the viewpoints and shook his head. "And remove the cameras from the bathroom and bedroom, you perverts."
Ryouga stared at the king-size bed in the bedroom for a long time before he resolutely retrieved his sleeping bag from his pack and unrolled it on the living room floor. Just as he finished doing that, the elevator door opened and several men in jumpsuits carrying toolboxes exited.
"Who in the?" Ryouga asked, startled as the men quickly spread out and started to do seemingly minor maintenance on the room.
"Maintenance team. We're installing a manual control pad for your elevator, since you don't have the badges. We're also fixing the bathroom sink and the closet door in the bedroom," one of them said as he pulled out a power tool and cut a square hole in the wall by the elevator.
"Bathroom sink?" Ryouga said in confusion, "But Feather's..." He trailed off when he saw one of the maintenance team fleeing from the short hallway that led to the bathroom. Cries of pervert and various thrown bath articles chased him out. "In there," he concluded. He walked over to the man that had walked in on Feather and cold cocked him.
"That's for walking in on her," he growled, "Anyone else want to invade her privacy?" The shaking heads and sudden interest in their work was answer enough for him. Ryouga settled down into his sleeping bag and promptly fell asleep, despite the noise.
The next morning found Ryouga and Feather sparring in the stadium sized room. After a short time they stopped and bowed to each other. The sudden applause that came from the gathered researchers startled them.
"Bravo! Bravo! What a performance!" one of the researchers said as he approached them, "Now, if we could get down to business. Feather, if you would please follow me." He walked towards the far end of the stadium. Ryouga moved to follow, but a guard got in his way.
"I'm sorry, but you can't go in there." He said.
"Like hell!" Ryouga snapped as he effortlessly pushed the guard aside. As Ryouga started to stomp towards where Feather was, the guard drew a tranquilizer gun and fired at his back. Feather spun when she heard the noise in time to see Ryouga collapse with a stunned look on his face. Naoli dashed up to the fallen boy and knelt beside him.
"What did you do to him?" Naoli demanded of the guard.
"Tranquilized him," the guard said simply. Naoli glared at him as Feather cradled Ryouga's limp form in her lap.
"Well now, this is a little earlier than expected," Tsukabe said as he entered the massive room, "The rules to this game are very simple Miss Feather. Either you cooperate with my team and tell us everything you know about the Viper clan's project Raven, or you and Mr. Hibiki will die. It's up to you."
"You said you wouldn't hurt them," Naoli said as she stood up. Tsukabe regarded her with a cold look.
"I haven't hurt them, yet," he glanced at his personal guard, "Kill her, just to prove to our little specimen that we are more than willing to follow through." Tsukabe turned his back on Naoli. The guard took aim with his rifle, only to be distracted by an angry violet aura that suddenly sprang up around Feather. As quick as it came, it went out, but the distraction was enough for Naoli to knock out the guard with a flying kick and dash for the exit.
"Get Ranma and the others!" Feather yelled after her. She didn't struggle when the researcher grabbed her by the arms and lifted her up.
"She will never make it out alive." Tsukabe chuckled as they dragged Feather into the lab. A few carried a comatose Ryouga into a stone cell and dumped him inside.
Naoli ran for her life, knocking techs and equipment over in her wake. She felt a hand grab the back of her jumpsuit, but she ignored it. The fabric ripped easily, revealing part of a tattoo that covered her back. With a quick spin kick she knocked out the offender and took his security badge. With it she opened a door and ducked inside. It was a small meeting room with another door on the far side. Her eyes scanned the room until she found an air vent she could crawl in. She frantically yanked at the grate, ripping it out. She then used the badge to unlock the door. She pushed it wide open and then ducked into the vent, pulling the grate into place behind her. With a small roll of tape produced from one of her pockets, she taped the grate into place and began crawling away when she heard the pursuit dash through the room.
"Damn, and double damn!" Tsukabe cursed as he listened to the radio reports of his guards. Not one had seen any sign of the mercenary girl for several hours. He glanced at the camera that covered the cell that Ryouga and Feather shared. Feather was now wearing one of those flimsy hospital gowns and was gently cradling a still unconscious Ryouga's head in her lap. He allowed a small smile, he still had the girl. According to the informant he had in the Viper Clan, she was the only one successfully transported who still survived. Whether or not her wings were a result of the teleportation were yet to be seen. Unknown to him, Naoli was watching him from the vent and debating on whether or not she should kill him now. She decided against it and crawled on, determined to escape.
It was night before Naoli broke out of the ventilation system on the roof of the complex. Wasting no time, she ran to the nearest edge and peered over. The lawn was well lit, and guards with dogs patrolled in regular patterns. She smiled at their stupidity and pulled a coil of cord and a pair of special gloves from another pocket in her jumpsuit. She tied the cord to an antenna and tossed it over the side. After donning the gloves, she slid down the cord and dashed for some bushes. There she waited patiently for the patrol to pass. Once they were out of sight, she dashed for the fence. A shout and gunfire rightfully inspired her to run faster. She leapt onto the fence and grabbed the barbed wire with one gloved hand before she flipped over. She landed running and disappeared into the darkness.
She was breathing hard as she approached a cliff overlooking the sea. She could hear the shouts of the men who pursued her. She reached the edge and stood with her back to the ocean, waiting. She could make out a small group of men with flashlights approaching quickly.
"Ok, that's far enough," one said as he got close within shouting distance, "That was a merry little run you gave us, but now your trapped. Give up and we'll make your death quick!"
"I don't think so." Naoli smiled sardonically at them as she took a step back over the edge of the cliff. A meter down she landed on a small ledge. She quickly climbed down the rock face and positioned herself under the ledge. She clung to the rock until she could no longer hear the voices of her pursuers. Then she climbed the rest of the way down the cliff to the rough rocks and surf below. Hidden in the rocks was scuba gear she had left there in case of just this kind of emergency. She had barely shed her jumpsuit when she saw the searchlight from a helicopter and heard the angry thrashing of its rotor. Ignoring the wetsuit, she grabbed the airtank and dove into the ocean. She regretted it instantly in the icy water, but she swam on.
When Naoli climbed out of the water at a small fishing village, she was nearly frozen. She shivered violently in the night air as she ran past closed businesses. She smiled despite herself, though, when she found the small hotel. She knocked on one of the doors and was gratified to see the shocked face of a businessman before she knocked him out. A while later she left, warm and dressed in a suit that was a size or two too large and began the long walk to the next town. She figured that by the time she got there, the trains would be running again.
Tsukabe smirked as he approached the prisoners' cell. "Well now, are we having a pleasant stay?" He asked sarcastically.
"Go away." Feather snapped before she turned her attention to the still unconscious Ryouga.
"Tsk tsk, such manners. I just thought I'd tell you that that troublesome Naoli is dead, and your friend, Ranma was it? Will never know of your predicament. I suggest you cooperate before you force us to kill him too," he grinned maliciously as he turned to walk away, "Sleep well, it's a long day tomorrow." Once he was gone, Feather began to cry. She had walked right into their trap and now it seemed to her that there was little to no hope of escape or rescue.
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 12
Feather woke from a fitful sleep and shivered. The cell she and Ryouga shared was cold and damp. She stood slowly and stretched before she tried to rub some warmth back into her arms.
"Geez, it's freezing in here," she muttered as she started pacing back and forth. The flimsy hospital gown she had on did very little in the way of keeping her warm. For a moment, she was tempted to pop her wings out and wrap them around herself, but decided against it. Ryouga was still knocked out, whether he was still under the affects of the tranquilizer or asleep, she couldn't tell. After what seemed like an eternity, Ryouga finally stirred.
"Man," he groaned as he sat up, "I feel like I did during the Bakusai tenketsu training."
"Ryouga! You're finally awake!" Feather cried out as she knelt next to him. He turned towards her groggily, his eyes did not quite focus on her.
"Feather? What happened? Last thing I remember is pushing a guard out of the way so that I could go with you."
She sniffled a little as she recanted what had happened the day before. "They shot you in the back with some sort of tranquilizer. After they got you, Tsukabe ordered one of the guards to kill Naoli because she objected to how they were treating us. Naoli ran, but they say she's dead. They killed her, and they'll kill us too if we don't do what they want!" She buried her face in his shoulder and began to cry.
"We'll figure something out." Ryouga said quietly as he gently hugged her, suppressing his giddiness at her close proximity. He finally glanced around the cell and burst out laughing, causing Feather to give him a sharp look.
"What?" She asked irritably as she pulled away from him. ' He's cracked!' She thought to herself. After a minute Ryouga stopped laughing.
"These guys really don't know that much about me!" He waved his arms excitedly before he whispered in her ear. "Remember, I can break rocks with the touch of my finger, cement too. Maybe if I practiced I could use the baksai tenketsu on metal." His grin threatened to split his face. Feather looked at him blankly for a second until realization struck.
"Ryouga, I could kiss you!" She exclaimed happily. His faced turned a bright crimson at the thought.
"Now now, we haven't decided if we're going to breed you or not, at least not yet." They turned and saw a smiling Tsukabe and a few of his scientists walking down the corridor. Feather's face turned a bright red from embarrassment, while Ryouga was now red with rage rather than embarrassment.
"You even think about touching her like that and I'll kill you!" He snarled as he grabbed the bars, his anger burning away the lingering effects of the tranquilizer, but he still couldn't gather the focus necessary to do the baksai tenketsu. Tsukabe waggled his finger in Ryouga's face.
"Such a rude boy," he admonished, "But, you're in no position to make threats of any kind. After all, you're in there, and I'm out here. What are you gonna do about that?" Tsukabe slammed his briefcase against Ryouga's fingers, expecting to seriously hurt him. All he succeeded in doing was making Ryouga mad.
"Why don't you step in here and let's see how brave you really are?" Ryouga snarled at him. Tsukabe shook his head.
"Temper, temper." he admonished.
"Sir, I must object to how you are treating them!" One of the scientists moved to stand between Tsukabe and the cell. "How do you expect to learn anything if you take the subjects out of a properly controlled environment?" Tsukabe gave the man a cold look. The scientist quailed for a second before he stood straight again.
"Scowl all you want sir," another scientist spoke up, "but I must agree. This is intolerable, not to mention extremely inconvenient to our research." A general murmur arose from the rest of the group. Feather glanced at Ryouga and gave him a wink before she began to cough and hack.
"Feather!" Ryouga cried out in concern and then spun to glare at Tsukabe. "This is all your fault!" he snarled.
Tsukabe gave him a derisive look. "How could her getting sick possibly be my fault?"
"You idiot!" Ryouga yelled as his arm flashed between the bars to snag Tsukabe's tie, "You put a girl like her in this cold, damp dungeon with nothing but that hospital gown on and you expect her not to get sick?" Ryouga yanked hard on the tie, bouncing Tsukabe off the bars. Several of the scientists applauded as the older man sunk to the floor.
"Are you guys going to let us out of here or what?" Ryouga asked bluntly while Feather shivered. One of the scientists chuckled.
"Not until an escort has arrived."
"Why not now?"
The scientist shook his head. "You seem to have forgotten. We all watched you two practice yesterday, not to mention your little display with Tsukabe just a moment ago. I have no doubt that you could easily beat us up and run off, so let's just say I'd rather be safe than sorry, we really can't let such prime specimens run off now can we?" He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and punched a few numbers.
"Hello, security? I need an escort for our guests back to their regular chambers. Yes. No, Tsukabe is not authorizing this. He has no authority in this matter! Fine!" The man sighed as he slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"What's going on?" Feather asked.
"Our security chief wants to come down here and 'assess the situation' as he calls it." he shrugged. A few minutes later, the sound of several booted feet echoed down the corridor. One of the scientists moved down the corridor to speak with them. After a hushed conversation, the security chief moved to where Feather could see him. Feather fell over backwards in shock.
"You!" she squeaked as she pointed at the man. Ryouga looked dumbly between Feather and the man.
"You know this guy?" He asked.
"Ah, so you do remember. It is so nice to see you again Feather. I've been regretting letting you go." Yama said with a smile as he tilted his hat back with a thumb.
Somewhere on a country road, Naoli hugged herself to try and stay warm as she trudged wearily along.
"Stupid trains," she muttered through chattering teeth, "Why did they have to de-rail right at the town that was closest? I don't have any time to waste!" She stuck her thumb out towards a passing car, but all she got was a face full of cold water kicked up by the tires. She sneezed and walked onwards, hoping that someone would give her a ride. She glanced idly at a car that was heading in the other direction before she faced forward again. A few seconds later she heard screeching tires. She spun around and saw that the car had made a sharp U turn and was coming for her now. She ran away from the highway and towards the forest. She heard the car drive off the road and the adrenaline rush gave her the speed to reach the woodline. Shouting behind her let her know she was now being pursued on foot. With cat-like grace, she climbed into a tree with thick foliage and waited.
A short time later, three men stopped under the tree and talked softly. They were wearing Fukuzai security uniforms. One of them stayed at the base of the tree while the other two split up and began to search the bushes. The one standing at the base of the tree pulled out a cell-phone and began to talk. Naoli jumped out of the tree and landed a flying elbow at the base of the man's neck, rendering him unconscious.
"Hey! Stop!" One of the other security men said as he pulled his gun and fired off a warning shot. Naoli dived through the bushes and rolled down a hill into a stream. She quickly broke off a reed and used it for a breathing tube as she clung to the bottom of the stream.
"Now where'd she go?" One of the men asked as he stood at the top of the rise.
"Great, we lost her." The other one sighed. "The boss ain't going to be too happy when he finds out she's still alive."
"Yeah, but I kinda feel sorry for Tsukabe," the first one said as he turned to pick up his fallen companion.
"Why?"
"'Cause he's been messing up lately. This might just be the last straw. Call in a report." They walked back to their car, unawares of Naoli climbing out of the stream.
The first class was about to begin at Furinkan high when Ranma and Akane dashed into their homeroom. Ukyou flashed them a thumbs up as they hurriedly took their seats. Ukyou watched the door for a second or two, expecting Ryouga and Feather to dash in next, but they never showed. She leaned over to whisper to Akane.
"Hey, where's Ryouga and Feather? If they don't show up soon, they're gonna be late!"
"Uncle Saotome made some kinda deal where they would get some private tutoring for two weeks or so." Akane whispered back right as the bell rang. Ukyou looked like she had more questions, but they had to wait until after class.
Lunch time found Ranma, Akane and Ukyou sitting with their desks moved together.
"So," Ukyou said between bites of her lunch, "What kind of deal did Genma make to get those two some private tutoring?"
"Some scientific group wanted to learn more about Feather's wings, and they offered to tutor her and protect her from other, less scrupulous people. Ryouga went along to keep her company." Akane offered. Ukyou frowned just a little bit.
"That's it? They just want to learn about her wings?" she asked unbelieving. Ranma nodded.
"Yeah. The weird part is this mercenary chick has been keeping an eye on Ryouga since he made that little side trip to China," he shrugged, "there was also these two goons that that tried to kill us at the concert Saturday."
"Wow, I wonder what they wanted?" Ukyou wondered.
"They wanted to get Ryouga out of the way, they thought for some reason he was Feather's only relative. They were sent by some people in China that wanted to learn about her wings too, and they didn't care to get her to cooperate willingly." Akane shuddered as she talked about it.
"What's wrong, Hon?" Ukyou asked, concerned.
"I don't know, I just got this really weird feeling about this..." Akane shook her head. "It's probably nothing." She tried to shake off the feeling, but for some reason it lingered, souring her appetite for lunch.
A cold wind howled through the streets of Nerima as school let out. Akane shivered as she and Ranma made their way back to the dojo.
"It's getting colder out here!" Akane shivered as a particularly strong gust of wind blew by.
"This ain't that bad." He quipped from the top of the fence. Akane glared at him before kicking the fence. Ranma struggled to stay on the fence.
"Whoa! Hey! What're you so mad about you tomboy?" He yelled at her as he continued to try and keep his balance. Akane scowled as she whapped him off the fence with her book bag. Ranma yelled a strangled curse just before he hit the water in the canal.
"What'd you go and that for?" Ranma-chan yelled as she broke the surface of the water. Akane stuck her tongue out.
"Maybe you should just swim home if it's so warm!" Akane leaned on the fence as she yelled down at Ranma-chan.
"You are so uncute!" Ranma-chan shouted as she scrambled out of the water, only to shiver violently when the wind picked up again. Akane smirked at her discomfort.
"Feeling the cold a little more, Ranma?" she asked in an overly sweet tone.
"Aww, just shut up Akane." Ranma-chan muttered as she wrung her shirt out a little before dashing for the Dojo.
"Hey! Wait up!" Akane yelled after her. Ranma-chan slowed slightly and let Akane catch up before pulling away again. Akane grit her teeth and ran as fast as she could. Ranma-chan looked back and waggled her tongue at Akane.
"Come on Akane! Can't you run any faste... Oof!" Her breath was knocked out of her as she collided with what appeared to be a businessman, sending both of them tumbling.
"Ranma! You really should watch where you're going!" Akane scolded her as she moved to help the person Ranma-chan bowled over. "I'm terribly sorry about that." Akane let out a startled gasp when she saw that it was... "Naoli?"
"A, ka, ne?" Naoli asked confusedly as she looked at Ranma-chan.
"Whoa! You don't look so hot, what happened?" Ranmachan asked as she helped Naoli to her feet. "Geez, your hands are like ice!"
"C-c-c-cold." Naoli said through chattering teeth as she shivered in the harsh wind.
"Come on, Ranma! We gotta get back to the dojo where it's warm!" Akane said as she picked Naoli up. Ranma-chan nodded and followed her mad dash back to the dojo.
Kasumi smiled at her father as she brought out the last kotatsu. "Here you go Father," she said sweetly as she twitched the last wrinkle out of the quilt.
"Ah, thank you Kasumi dear. It is getting colder, isn't it?" Soun laughed as he slipped his legs under the quilt. Genma picked up the game board and followed suit.
"Yes Tendo, it is getting colder. Nothing like the chill of a winters night to make one seek a warm companion..." Genma trailed off and winked.
"Of course Saotome! Our bickering children will grow together as the weather gets colder, shared warmth and all that."
"And our schools will finally be united!" Genma grasped his friend's hands.
"We must succeed! Saotome!" Tears began to leak from Soun's eyes.
"Tendo!" Genma exclaimed. They looked at each other for a second before they sprang to their feet, inadvertently knocking over the table and scattering the game pieces across the floor.
"Right! Now for operation 'Chilly rooms, warm Fiancee' to begin! We cannot fail!" They yelled in unison.
"Oh my..." Kasumi held one hand to her mouth to conceal her smile. She knew where this was headed, and knew it was doomed to fail like all of their other plans. It would be amusing to watch their antics though. The two men dashed upstairs and sounds of comforters and blankets being gathered up were clearly heard downstairs. Kasumi righted the table and picked up the game pieces before she gathered her skirt and walked quickly upstairs. Soun was just coming out of Akane's room with a large bundle of blankets when she turned down the hallway.
"Father, what are you doing with all of Akane's blankets?" She asked innocently, "Do they need to be cleaned?"
"Ah, yes! Cleaning! What a wonderful idea Kasumi! Here!" He handed her the blankets. "Take your time cleaning them!" He dashed off to some other part of the house leaving Kasumi to ponder whether or not she should just put them back. A call from downstairs solved that dilemma for her.
"Kasumi! We need some blankets fast!" Akane yelled as she and Ranma-chan brought a shivering Naoli into the house. Kasumi ran down the stairs and dropped the blankets when she saw Naoli.
"Akane! What's wrong with her?" Kasumi asked. Akane wrapped one of the blankets around Naoli.
"We kinda ran into her on our way home from school. She's really cold." Akane said.
"Yeah, her hands felt like frozen fish!" Ranma-chan quipped. Kasumi knelt and placed her hand on Naoli's cheek for a second.
"Ranma, help me get her upstairs to Akane's room." she commanded. Ranma-chan easily scooped Naoli into her arms and dashed upstairs. Kasumi and Akane gathered up the blankets and followed. They entered Akane's room just as Ranma-chan was putting Naoli down on the bed.
"Ranma, be a dear and guard the door for a few minutes, Akane and I have to get these wet clothes off of her." Kasumi said as she shooed Ranma-chan out. Once Ranma-chan was out of the room, the girls carefully stripped Naoli out of her wet clothes. "Poor dear must be half frozen."
"Oh wow! Look at this tattoo, Kasumi!" Akane gasped. Covering most of Naoli's back was an intricate tattoo of a western style dragon rolling playfully on it's back. The colors and art were so vivid it almost seemed alive. Entranced, Akane found herself tracing her finger along the dragon's 'back', half expecting it to squirm and look at her.
"Never mind the tattoo Akane, and tell Ranma to make some tea, but not too hot ok?" Kasumi said as she finished wrapping Naoli in several blankets. Akane shrugged and passed the request to Ranma through the door. A few minutes passed and Ranma-chan returned with a teakettle and a cup.
"Here ya go." Ranma-chan handed the cup to Kasumi, who held it against Naoli's lips.
"Drink this, it will help warm you back up." She urged her to drink slowly. Carefully, as if she wasn't sure she could move her arms, Naoli took the cup from Kasumi and began to drink.
"Must find Ranma..." Naoli muttered before Kasumi hushed her.
"Shh... Don't talk. Wait until your better." She soothed as she refilled the cup.
"What the heck are you doing here?" Feather asked as she stared at Yama in shock. Yama grinned at her and shook his head.
"Isn't it obvious?" he snorted, "I've always worked for Fukuzai." He unholstered a pistol and took aim at Ryouga. "Now, you stay put, boy. Feather is going to come with us. We'll be back for you once Feather is settled in the lab." Ryouga snarled at him, but stood his ground. He felt that he only had to wait a few more minutes before he could get the focus he needed for the Baksai Tenketsu. One of the security guards opened the cell and roughly yanked Feather from the floor.
"That hurt!" She cried out as she nailed him in the jaw with an uppercut. The guard snarled, and moved as if to hit her with the back of his hand when Feather kneed him in the groin. Feather crossed her arms and stepped over the ashen faced man as he writhed in agony on the floor. Yama shook his head as the remaining two guards pulled their fallen companion out of the cell.
"Oh well. Time enough to teach you the proper respect, I guess." He closed and locked the cell door as one of the other guards secured Feather's arms behind her back with a pair of handcuffs. With a jaunty wave to Ryouga, Yama led Feather and the guards out of the prison block, leaving the scientists to ask Ryouga some questions.
"Well now, why don't you tell us about yourself Mr. Hibiki? We really don't know too much about you, and we need to do something to fill the time before they come for you."
"What you did back there was totally unnecessary, you know." Yama said evenly as the elevator door closed and they began to move up.
"Maybe, but I felt a lot better by doing that, traitor!" Feather spat. Yama spun on her and landed a stinging slap on her cheek. Feather recoiled, but returned her gaze to his angry face with a look of defiance.
"Watch your tongue, or I'll rip it out of your head!" he snapped. Feather glared at him and fought to hold back the tears.
"What kind of man guns down his superior merely because he felt belittled by a reprimand?" Feather grumbled. Yama's eyebrow shot up, and then he began to laugh.
"You don't understand it do you?" He chuckled, "I was a spy inside the Viper clan the whole time! The charade you saw in the basement created the confusion that enabled me to steal all of the plans for the machine, not to mention a few very critical components and other documents. In particular, all of their records concerning you and your parents." He frowned a little at this point. "It was also supposed to deliver you right into our hands at the same time, but your friends managed to defeat all of my allies."
"You mean, those goons that tranked us at the dojo worked for you?" Feather asked.
"Not really. There were quite a few dissidents there. I used them to accomplish my goals. It really is too bad Maruyama was killed. We could have used his expertise here, but like I said, I was using dissidents. Once I turned them loose there was no reeling them back in." The door to the elevator opened at this point and he pushed a stunned Feather out. She stumbled forward a few steps before she regained her balance. She spun to face Yama, acutely aware of how little that hospital gown really covered.
"You... You..." She stammered, her face starting to turn red with rage. Yama looked at her with a curious look and raised one eyebrow.
"You _BASTARD_!" She screamed as she launched a roundhouse kick at his smug face. Her foot connected solidly with his cheekbone and sent him sprawling to the floor. The other two guards moved to restrain her while Yama struggled to his feet. Feather continued to scowl at him as blood dripped from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Once he finally gained his feet, he stalked towards her with murder in his eyes. He grabbed her ponytail and yanked her off of her feet and held her level with his eyes.
"If you ever..." he trailed off when he saw her pupils shrink down to tiny points, despite the dimness of the corridor. Feather began to scream in unspeakable terror and thrashed in his grip. Yama dropped her like a hot iron and she collapsed bonelessly on the floor as she suffered from a severe flashback...
It was during one of the infrequent times when Feather's so called guardian, Nobuso, would rent a room in the basement of an office building and allow her to go to school. She was thirteen at the time. After school had let out one day, a few of the girls in her class had tried to convince her to go shopping with them.
"Come on Feather, don't be such a stick in the mud!" One of the girls, Takiko, scolded her.
"But, I don't have any money with me." Feather protested mildly, her head hung in shame.
Another one of the girls put her hands on her hips and scowled a little, "You don't have to buy anything, you know. Just come with us and have a little fun!"
"Yeah! Besides, I don't think I've ever seen you smile since you came to our school." Takiko held a finger to her cheek in thought and looked up at the sky. "Nope, never seen you smile. So come on and have a little fun and maybe we'll see how pretty you are when you smile! Give me a hand, Kagumi!" She grabbed Feather's hand and started pulling while Kagumi pushed her shoulders.
"Ok! Ok! I'll go with you!" Feather gave a half smile walked willing with them towards the shopping district.
The time seemed to fly by as the girls moved from store to store looking at everything. At one boutique, Feather got the nerve up to try on a very adult looking party dress. The other two girls giggled outrageously as a red faced Feather ducked into the changing room. A few minutes later, Feather stepped out of the changing room, and the other girls gasped.
"Oh, wow Feather! That dress looks so gorgeous on you!"
"You really think so?" Feather asked as she posed this way or that in front of a mirror.
"Backless too, how shameless!" The other girl mock scolded her before all three fell into giggling again. Feather sighed as she returned to the changing room and took the dress off and reluctantly put her uniform back on.
"What's wrong Feather? Didn't you like it?" The first girl asked. Feather hung her head.
"I don't have any money, remember?"
"No problem, right Takiko?"
"Right! We'll buy it for you!"
"You mean it?" Feather asked, hope beginning to fill her voice.
"Sure, but on one condition! We'll buy dresses as well and we'll all go and get some glamour photos done!" Kagumi said as she strode confidently towards the racks to find something for herself. Feather and Takiko giggled as they decided on dresses, paid for them, and tried to find one of those glamour photo places. After a fruitless search, they gave up.
"Oh well. There's always later. We'll see you at school tomorrow!" Takiko waved as they boarded their train. Feather practically danced her way back to the basement rooms that she lived in.
As soon as she opened the door, she was roughly grabbed by the front of her blouse and thrown into the middle of the room. With a shriek of surprise she tried desperately to keep her balance, but failed.
"Where tha heck have you been!" Nobuso yelled as he slammed the door. "It's been hours since school let out, and I told you to always come straight home!"
Feather stood and looked at him defiantly, "I went shopping with some friends after school. Nothing to get worked up about."
Nobuso didn't bother yelling, he grabbed her hair and lifted her up to eye level. "If you ever disrespect me like that again, you will regret it." The stench of alcohol on his breath made Feather cough. He seemed to notice the dress she had on for the first time.
"Is this what you made me worry for? A dress?" he howled, "A _dress_?" he hauled her about by her hair, slamming her into walls and furniture with bone shaking force. "You spent an obscene amount of money on some stupid dress you'll outgrow in a month or two, money that could have put better food on the table!" Each word was punctuated with blows to her chest and shoulders.
"My friends paid for it!" Feather cried out her defense. Nobuso ignored her and threw her into another wall by her hair.
"Not good enough, you lying little wretch!"
"I'm sorry!" Feather wailed as she grabbed his wrist in a vain attempt to get him to release her hair.
"Still not good enough!" He yelled as he stood on a chair and tied her hair to one of the overhanging pipes. Once that was done, he gagged her and tied her hands behind her back. He hopped down from the chair and proceeded to rip the dress off of her. She tried kicking at him, but she had no leverage and could do little more than tap him. After a minute, she was left hanging there by her hair in her bra and panties, sobbing softly through her gag.
"There. You be quiet tonight and maybe I'll let you go to school in the morning." he said before he killed the lights and sprawled out on the futon to sleep. Every now and then he would throw an empty bottle of booze at her, whether or not she actually made any noise.
The next morning, he let her down from her hanging position by cutting off the hair that was tied to the pipe. He untied her hands and roughly kicked her shoulder so she rolled onto her back.
"Get changed and get your sorry butt to school!" he yelled and leveled a kick at her stomach. Tears streamed from her eyes as she staggered behind her partition to get into clean clothes. She swore to herself that she would defiantly run away once she got to school. As she tried to leave the room, he grabbed her arm.
"Almost forgot," he mumbled as he expertly jabbed various pressure points, suppressing her memory of the dress, the cruelty of the night before and her conscious will. "You're too damn willful for your own good."
Feather writhed on the floor as she relived that night over and over again in her mind. Yama and the two guards stared at her wide-eyed.
"What'd you do to her?" One of the guards asked.
Yama spun on him, "You saw everything I did! Now get downstairs and get those scientists up here, maybe they know what's going on!" he yelled. The guards hesitated until Yama yelled again. "Move it you sorry screwballs! Get down there now!" As they dashed away, Yama crouched next to Feather.
"I don't know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours, but I hope for your sake you snap out of it soon."
The two guards ran up to where the scientists were still trying to question a reticent Ryouga.
"You guys better come up to the lab now!" One of the guards half yelled as he ran up to them, "That Feather girl is having some sort of fit and we need you up there!" The scientists scrambled to their feet and Ryouga grabbed the bars to his cell.
"Hey! What's going on!" he yelled at their retreating backs. Tsukabe snarled at him.
"You'll stay put if you know what's good for you. We'll tell you what we think you need to know!" And with that parting shot, he ran to catch up with the scientists.
Ryouga snarled and jabbed the floor several times, calling out his strike. "Baksai Tenketsu!" The stone floor exploded, but instead of just freeing the bars, the whole floor of the cell gave way, dropping him into another tunnel. Ryouga shook his head and looked around. The tunnel was cement braced by wooden beams. A glance up showed that he had fallen too far to jump back up, even if the bars of his cell hadn't fallen into a criss-crossed mess over the opening.
"Now where on Earth am I?" He asked as he started down the dark tunnel. Along the walls at various points there appeared to be piping, electrical conduits and valves. Glass pipes containing some oddly colored liquids adorned another wall further along.
"What's with this stuff?" he wondered as he tried to read the labeling. "Minds Eye? Lightwater? Blood of mine enemies? What kind of stupid names are those?" Ryouga shrugged as he inadvertently started back the way he had come from. After roughly a half hour of wandering in the dim tunnels, Ryouga punched one of the walls in frustration. To his surprise, the floor began to shake rather violently.
"Earthquake!" He yelled as he threw himself onto the ground as bits of dirt fell from the ceiling and the pipes jumped violently about. One snapped off and began spraying steam about the tunnel. Ryouga yelped and scrambled to his feet to ran headlong down the tunnel. He turned a corner and ripped open an air-vent and began to climb up inside of it.
"This thing's gotta lead somewhere. If I keep going up, I can't lose!" He said triumphantly to himself as he relentlessly climbed the vent.
The scientists burst out of the elevator behind Yama and ran as fast as they could towards the prone Feather.
"What happened?" One of them asked.
"I picked her up by her hair to yell at her for kicking me in the face when she freaked out!" Yama said as he moved out of the way. One of the scientists muttered a curse.
"Damn. You, go get a sedative from medical! Yama, undo those cuffs. You two restrain her if necessary." He ordered briskly. Tsukabe opened his mouth to object, but Yama was in his face immediately and tossed the keys to the cuffs to one of the guards.
"I'm sorry, sir," Yama drawled the last part, making it more of an insult, "but you have been relieved from your position as head of this project. The higher ups were very unhappy to hear about how you have handled things. You screwed things up for the last time when you didn't insure that that Naoli woman was killed." He gave the shorter man a shove that sent him sprawling.
"How dare you!" Tsukabe gasped as he looked up at the chief of security. "Do you have any idea how much weight my opinion carries with the Board? You'll lose your job for this!" Tsukabe ranted. Yama looked at one of his men and nodded. The guard nodded back grimly and raised his assault rifle.
"So sorry Tsukabe, but you're being terminated." Yama turned his back and lit a cigarette as several bursts of automatic rifle fire thundered behind him. Silence reigned in the corridor, save for the clinking of spent brass against the tile.
"That takes care of that." Yama turned back to the scientists, "Now, what's wrong with her?"
One of the scientists looked up, "From the looks of it, she appears to be suffering from a recurrent recollection of some traumatic experience. My hypothesis is that certain external stimuli triggered a latent memory thread."
"Try that again in layman's terms." Yama shook his head in confusion.
"OK, something happened that triggered a bad memory, kind of like shell shock. Something to do with being picked up by her hair and a dress judging by her mutterings." He replied as one of the other scientists administered the sedative. Her tremors ceased almost immediately, and the haunted look on her face smoothed out. Cautiously, they moved her onto a stretcher and moved her to a different part of the lab.
"Take care of that, would you?" Yama said to one of the guards as he motioned towards Tsukabe's body. As the guard bent to pick up the corpse, the floor began to shake. Several alarms rang as people scrambled to check varied equipment. As the quake subsided, Yama yelled for a report.
"Sir, all of the equipment was protected by the shock absorbers. Minor structural damage was detected in two of the sub levels."
"Where, exactly?" Yama asked. The guard swallowed nervously before he spoke.
"Specifically, Hibiki's cell has collapsed. It's odd considering none of the other cells show any signs of dam..." he was cut of abruptly when Yama shoved him aside and headed for the stairs.
"Have a rescue team down there on the double, and remind them to use the stairs until the engineers have double checked the elevators. We don't want to have another group caught in an elevator crying for their mothers."
"We're going to pull him out?"
"Or look for his remains. Not a word of this to the girl." Yama snapped.
"What should we tell her when she wakes up?"
"Just tell her we're keeping them separated for the time being, now move!"
Moiri was worried as he took up his nightly perch on the roof of the dojo. He hadn't heard anything from Naoli since the day before yesterday. He noted that there seemed to be more activity than usual inside, judging by the muted conversations. Curiosity got the better of him, and he leapt to the ground and moved under the house to listen. He smiled to himself as the conversation became clear.
"...So, they betrayed you and the others at the same time?" A female voice asked. Moiri thought for a second before he identified the voice as Akane's.
"When I get my hands on those bastards, they're gonna pay! You comin' pop?" Ranma sounded angry. Moiri started to wonder just what had happened.
"Of course. We shall show them their folly." Genma declared. The floor creaked slightly as he stood.
"Wait! You need to be careful! They didn't hesitate in trying to kill me, who knows how they'd react if you try to storm in there." Moiri nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Naoli's voice. He did push the tatami up and jump out of the floor when he heard her voice though. He ignored the surprised and shocked expressions as he walked up to Naoli.
"I think you had best start from the beginning again, me girl. I believe I missed part of this." He said calmly as he sat down in front of her. He noticed that she was wrapped up in blankets, and paler than usual.
"Who the heck are you?" Ranma loomed over the short ninja, "And why tha heck were you spyin' on us?"
"Calm down Ranma!" Naoli snapped. "This is Master Moiri. He's been keeping watch over you and the Tendos while I was to keep an eye on Ryouga and Feather." Naoli explained.
"Quite. Now, why don't you tell me what the hell's going on here girl!" Moiri sounded impatient.
After Naoli explained what had happened again, Moiri began to pace back and forth, deep in thought.
"I hate to admit it, but we are going to need some help on this one." Moiri said after a long time.
"Yeah, but who?" Ranma asked.
"Hey, didn't someone from the Viper clan give Feather a book with information on how to contact them?" Akane asked. Soun hit one fist into his palm.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" He stood and ran to his room. He returned a moment later with the case he had hidden in the back of his underwear drawer. "Here we go." He opened the case and pulled out the leather bound book that was inside. Everyone else gathered around him as he opened the book and began to read.
"Well, what's it say Mr. Tendo?" Ranma asked impatiently. Soun closed the book and looked up at the ceiling before he spoke.
"It's a method of hiding the true meaning of a message inside an otherwise harmless conversation. By using certain key words and phrases, we can let someone in one of their fronts know of the situation and they will send someone here."
"What do we do if they don't seem to understand what's going on?" Akane asked.
Soun held one finger up. "I... Haven't read that far yet." he admitted. Everyone else facefaulted.
"Gimme that!" Ranma snatched the book from Soun's hands and started reading. "This is too easy! I got it covered." He declared as he closed the book. He stood and walked quickly to the phone and consulted the book for the number before dialing.
'Hello, Nerima pets, may I help you?' A pleasant sounding woman answered.
"May I speak with the manager please?" Ranma asked. He waited patiently on hold until the manager picked up.
'May I help you?' The person on the other end of the line sounded bored. Ranma smiled to himself as he checked the book for his line.
'This'll be quite a wake up call for him!' He thought to himself before he spoke. "Yes, I'm interested in a pet snake, maybe a viper. Do you have any?"
'I'm sorry, but we do not have any poisonous snakes. Vipers are much too dangerous to be a pet.' The voice on the other end of the line had a sudden intensity to it.
"Ah, that's too bad," Ranma paused to turn the page in the book, "I guess it might be too rough on my fine, feathered friends."
'Undoubtedly. Perhaps we can interest you in some other service?'
"There is no doubt of that, I definitely need your help. May I have directions to your store so that I may speak to you in person?" Ranma closed the book and pretended to write down the directions.
'Anything else sir?'
"Yeah, how long would it take to get there?"
'About thirty minutes. Have a nice day.' Ranma hung up the phone and returned to the living room.
"How did it go, Ranma?" Kasumi asked as he sat down.
"The guy I talked to let me know that someone would be here in about a half hour." Ranma said as he tossed the book back into the case.
"How did they know where to come?" Akane asked before she took a sip of tea.
"Must be part of that so called code of theirs. Something in my comments must have told the guy that Feather was in need of their help." Ranma laid back with his hands behind his head. "I guess all we can do now is wait."
"Don't you ever worry about anything?" Akane sounded exasperated.
Ranma snorted and turned onto his side. "Of course I worry 'bout stuff. But there ain't much point in getting worked up over something we can't help." Akane glared at him for a second before she turned away in a huff.
"So, what are you doing instead of worrying?" She asked.
"I'm thinking of how many different ways I can hurt those guys." He replied without hesitation.
"You'll need to be very careful, Ranma." Naoli said quietly. "They have automatic weapons, and they aren't afraid to use them."
"You can handle them boy!" Genma laughed from where he sat. "After all, only cowards hide behind guns."
Ranma looked over his shoulder at his father. "Your still coming along? I thought you'd be cowering down the hall as a panda by now."
"Have some faith in your father, boy!" Genma roared as he stood. He clenched his fist to his chest. "It wounds me to think that my only son would think so poorly of his own father."
"Right, like I can forget about all those times you chickened out and ran for the hills while I got stuck dealing with the old freak, that crazy sword guy and I forgot how many others!" Ranma glared at Genma before turning away. "Face it pop, ya ain't given me much reason ta have any faith in ya." Genma shook in rage as Ranma calmly walked outside and leapt onto the roof.
"You really shouldn't let yourself get worked up like that, Mr. Saotome. You're not as young as you used to be." Kasumi smiled at him in an attempt to get him to calm down.
"Besides, we don't need you and Ranma to be going toe to toe right now. Save it for those guys that are keeping Feather and Ryouga captive." Soun laid a hand on his old friend's shoulder. Unnoticed, Akane slipped out of the room.
Ranma was laying on the roof and gazing up at the darkening sky. He didn't want to admit it to anyone, but he was worried about Feather. He figured Ryouga could take care of himself, and was tough enough to take just about anything that those people could dish out. Although he knew that Ryouga had been toughening her up physically, he was concerned about how she was going to be reacting.
"Damn! We never shoulda let her go.." He muttered to himself. He didn't move when he heard the thump of a ladder against the side of the house. A few seconds later Akane climbed onto the roof.
"Hey there." Ranma said without moving.
"Ranma," Akane started as she kneeled next to him, "You are worried, aren't you?"
Ranma looked away before he answered. "Yeah, I am." He sat up and looked at Akane, his concern evident on his face. "I'm worried about how much all this is going to mess up her head. You remember how much she wigged out in class when everyone found out about her wings?" He waited for Akane to acknowledge that before he continued. "Who knows how much more those guys are going to mess with her before we get a chance to get her out of there."
"Ranma..." Akane tentatively reached for him, "We'll get there in time, I hope."
"Akane, I..." He trailed off, trying to come up with a way to say what he wanted to say without making her mad at him.
"What is it Ranma?"
"Akane, I, I want you stay home for this one." He saw Akane starting to get mad, so he held a hand up to stall her. "I ain't tryin' to say that you can't take care of yourself, but I don't want nothin' to happen to you! These guys are playing for keeps! You heard what they did to Ryouga and Naoli, what do you think would happen if one of these guys managed to get their hands on you?" He paused to let that sink in. "I don't want anyone else tagging along on this one either. I don't want to worry about anyone on this."
"Ranma, I... I want to help!" Akane looked like she was ready to cry.
"I know, but I don't want to see you hurt. Let's see what the guys from the Viper clan say before we talk about this any more, ok?" He looked down, unwilling to face her right then. Akane scooted a little closer to his side and put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.
"Don't do anything stupid, ok?" she whispered as she leaned against him. They sat that way for sometime, with neither of them saying a word until Kasumi called for them to come inside.
"Ranma! Akane! Come inside, we have a visitor!" Kasumi said from the porch. Ranma gathered Akane into his arms and leapt down from the roof before she could protest. Inside the house, a rather thin looking man was sitting with his back to the outside and was rummaging through a briefcase. When Ranma and Akane stepped into the house, the man stopped looking through his briefcase and turned to look at them.
"Ah, there you are Ranma, I was beginning to worry." Ryuunusuke nodded towards them.
"Hey, I remember you! You're the guy that came here and gave Feather that case right after we trashed that place!" Ranma said as he pointed at Ryuunusuke. Ryuunusuke smiled at him and adjusted his eye patch.
"Yes, and I wish we could have met again under more pleasant circumstances. Now, we have a lot to discuss. We were aware of Fukuzai convincing Feather to allow their scientists to study her unique condition and..." he was unable to finish because Ranma had him by the collar and was lifting him off of the floor.
"You mean you knew about this?!? And you didn't do nothing?" He yelled.
"Ranma! Stop it, this isn't helping!" Akane yelled, grabbing at his hands in a futile attempt to break his grip. Ranma looked at her, his anger still evident on his face, but he released Ryuunusuke's collar.
"Anyway," Ryuunusuke said as he sat back down, "We did nothing since it is her life. Our spies inside their compound let us know when they had become, shall we say, inhospitable. We were waiting for your call, since we had already come up with a plan to get her and Ryouga out." He pulled several sheets of paper and a photograph from his briefcase and laid them on the table. The photograph showed a rather young looking Chinese woman.
"Her name is Shi Zhining, a specialist in obscure Chinese cultures that Fukuzai summoned not very long ago. We have, convinced, her to go elsewhere on a vacation while we send in someone who resembles her and has enough knowledge of her work to make them believe the charade. She usually travels with a bodyguard, but the identity and appearance of the bodyguard are malleable other than the fact that the bodyguard is always a female." Ryuunusuke placed a picture of a woman wearing ninja garb from head to toe on the table.
"So, you want some of us to take their places and go in there after them?" Akane asked. Ryuunusuke nodded.
"All of our best undercover operatives are either in the middle of missions, or still recovering in a hospital from an... unfortunate building collapse." He sighed as he reclosed his briefcase. "I'm sorry, but the best we could do was set up a way for two people to get in."
"Wouldn't it be dangerous for someone to try and act like Zhining-san who doesn't know very much about what she does?" Kasumi asked as she poured some tea for him.
"Very much so." Ryuunusuke nodded as he took the tea. Akane stared hard at the picture for a few minutes before she put it back on the table.
"I think I can do it." Akane said.
"Are you nuts?!" Ranma screamed as he leapt to his feet. He towered over Akane with his fists clenched.
Akane rose to her feet as well. "Why shouldn't I do it? I happen to good at acting and besides," she gave a sly grin and nudged him in the ribs, "I'll have the best body guard a girl to ask for, right?" Ranma glared at her for a moment before shrugging.
"Yeah, you are pretty good at acting." He conceded.
"Well then, all we need to do is find someone who knows about obscure Chinese cultures to brief you." Ryuunusuke said as he sipped his tea.
"Wouldn't Shampoo's great grandmother know a lot about that kind of thing?" Soun asked.
"Indeed, that old woman constantly talks about her three thousand years of Chinese history." Genma agreed.
"I'll call the Nekohanten." Kasumi said as she stood. There was a tense silence in the living room after Kasumi left to make the call.
"Akane," Ranma broke the silence, "Are you sure that you can do this?"
Akane glared at Ranma. "Of course I can do it!" She half yelled.
"Now now Akane," Soun tried to soothe his daughter, "There's no need to fight each other! You two need to be working together at a finer level than you two have ever done before!"
"That's right!" Genma said as he rose to his feet. "Feather and Ryouga's lives are in the balance and the two of you are the only ones that can possibly save them! Ranma! Akane!" He struck a particularly noble pose, "The future of the School of Anything Goes Martial arts is at stake! Well, maybe not, but you two still need to stop fighting like this!" When Genma finished his ranting, he found that Ranma and Akane were busy poring over surveillance photos and blueprints with Ryuunosuke, totally ignoring him. His noble pose melted away like wax under the flame of a welding torch.
"Check it out! They got this huge room in the third basement!" Ranma pointed to one of the pages. "I wonder what they need that kind of space for?"
"That was supposed to be a reception area, but they emptied it out to give them the room they needed to test Feather's flying ability." Naoli pointed out. "That's one of the most likely places to find her. And here," she picked up a different sheet, "is where you'll probably find Ryouga."
"It kinda looks like a dungeon." Akane said.
"It is a dungeon."
"What?!" Akane yelled, "Why would they throw him in there?"
"He got a little, violent, when they refused to let him accompany Feather to one of their tests." Naoli looked down as she spoke. "I had to run at that point, they would have shot me then and there if Feather hadn't distracted them somehow."
Ryuunosuke rubbed his chin. "Hmm... If they are separated, this could be extremely difficult. It's too bad there's no way we could sneak in more than two of you."
"Maybe there is a way." Everyone at the table practically jumped out of their skin when Cologne seemed to appear at the table with them.
"Hey! What hole did you crawl out of you old ghoul!" Ranma shouted. Cologne gave him a hard look and whacked him on the head with her staff. Shampoo and Mousse walked in a moment later.
"Ranma! Shampoo come to help!" She rushed to where Ranma had fallen and glomped onto him.
"Kasumi told us what had happened. I may hate your guts Ranma, but I do owe you and Ryouga my life." Mousse declared to Naoli.
"Excuse me, but who are you?" Naoli asked as she pulled the blankets a little tighter around herself.
Mousse lowered his glasses over his eyes. "I'm sorry miss, I thought you were Ran... OOF!!!" Mousse was sent sprawling by a jump kick from Moiri.
"Back up boyo. What an idiot." Moiri shook his head. Cologne noticed the ninja and began laughing. Moiri spun on her. "And what are you laughing... at?" His tirade trailed off as he finally recognized the old woman.
"Still playing the watcher Moiri? Or have you been trying to train a replacement?" Cologne asked with a small amount of amusement in her voice.
"Cologne! I never thought I'd see your shriveled face again. How many years has it been?" He asked with a smile.
"Watcher? What the heck are you talking about?" Akane asked.
"Never mind that for now. Come with me Akane, I have to get you ready for your part in this." She motioned for the Tendo girl to follow her into a different room.
"Ok, how the heck do you two think ya can help us get Ryouga and Feather outta that place?" Ranma asked after Cologne had left with Akane.
"That simple Ranma! Mousse and Shampoo can hide in luggage."
"Wouldn't it be difficult to explain why you're carrying luggage that large?" Ryuunosuke asked while shaking his head.
"You needn't worry about that. We will deal with that when the time comes." Mousse said as he sat down at the table.
"Great, now all we need is that old freak to sh...mmph!" Ranma was cut off by Shampoo clamping a hand over his mouth.
"No mention old pervert. Him show up at worse time," she said seriously. A few seconds passed in silence before Shampoo screamed in rage. The aforementioned pervert was glomping her chest and chuckling lightly.
"How sweet of you to call for me my dear Shampoo!" Happosai said as he rubbed his head between her breasts.
"How dare you cling to my darling Shampoo like that! You'll pay you old freak!" Mousse yelled as he leapt to the attack. Unfortunately, he attacked Ranma by mistake.
"The freak's over there, moron!" Ranma yelled as he kicked Mousse to the far end of the room. Shampoo finally pulled herself together enough to slam an elbow into Happosai's head, knocking him to the floor.
"Stay away from Shampoo!" she shrieked as she crossed her arms over her chest and backed away from the old man.
Happosai bounced to his feet immediately. "That wasn't very nice of you, Shampoo. I thought you of all people would be more kind to your elders," he brushed some dust from his clothes. "Now, where was I?" He said as he glanced about the room. "I know! Why don't I go find that sweet Feather girl!"
"No can do gramps, she ain't around right now," Ranma said as he crossed his arms.
"What!" Happosai screamed. He jumped up to Ranma and clung to his shirt, his eyes getting huge and watery. "Don't tell me she left before I could give her something to remember me by! Where is she, boy! Where! Tell me right now if you know what's good for you! I haven't even seen what kind of bra she likes to wear yet!"
"Get offa me!" Ranma flung the old man into a wall. "If ya gotta know, we were just getting ready to go and get her, and we ... Hey! That's it!" Ranma slapped a fist into his palm. "Hey gramps, how would like to help us rescue Feather?"
Happosai bounced up to the table, a skeptical look on his face. "What? You're saying you want my help? What's in it for me?"
Ranma gave him a thumbs up and a wink. "Why, you'll get a chance to grab all the panties and bras you want from this one place without me gettin' in your way. What d'ya say, gramps?"
"You mean it? You really mean it?" The little pervert clasped his hands to his face while his eyes got huge again.
"Sure I mean it. We need someone to help with a distraction, and I can't think of a better one than you running rampant. I'll even throw in a bonus, all the women in that place, except for Akane, Feather, Shampoo and well, you know, are fair game."
"Aiyah! Why Shampoo not think of that? Airen very smart," Shampoo said.
"That takes all the fun out of it!" Happosai declared as he turned his back to Ranma. "What good is it to finally be undisturbed if I can't cop a feel on sweet Akane, or grope a little on the glorious Shampoo?"
"Come on, ya old goat! I thought you wanted to help?" Ranma growled.
"I do, but what else is in it for me?" He looked over his shoulder.
Shampoo sighed before she spoke. "Shampoo make great sacrifice and give Happy all bra she own after we back. Is ok?"
"But Shampoo! You don't...Oof!" Mousse was silenced by the firm application of Shampoo's elbow in his gut.
"Well, it's not as much fun as stealing them, but I guess it's ok." The old man leered at Shampoo a little before he turned to look at Ranma. "What do you want me to do there?"
"Just what you do best, but only when I tell ya, ok?" Ranma smirked.
"OK!" Happosai and Ranma shook hands over it.
"Why Shampoo get bad feeling?"
Feather stirred slightly before waking up in a hospital style bed. It only took a few seconds for her to realize that she was strapped to the bed.
"Hey! There anyone around?" She yelled as struggled futilely with her bonds. She felt a hand placed gently on her shoulder and quickly turned her head.
"How are you doing now?" A middle aged female doctor asked her. "You gave us quite a scare there for a while," she soothed as she undid Feather's restraints. "From what I understand, something happened that caused a flashback. Do you want to talk about it?" She asked gently as she sat on the side of the bed. Feather looked at her blankly for a second as she rubbed her wrists. Suddenly, she grabbed her head and leaned forward as she remembered. She felt comforting hands around her shoulders, so she leaned into the woman and began to cry.
On the other side of a one way mirror, two scientists were busily taking notes on Feather's reaction and the conversation she was beginning to have with the psychologist in the room with her.
"Hmm, abducted at young age, abused and forced to work in a side show," the first said with no emotion in his voice.
"Pity the man who abducted her regularly used mind controlling techniques on her. Her psych eval is starting to show a real emotional mess," the second stated as he reviewed the file on Nobuso.
"On the contrary, it's probably kept her as mentally intact as she is. The memories seem more like nightmares to her." They lapsed into silence again as they changed tapes in the video cameras.
"How long until we can begin the physical examination? I would like to compare her current physiology with the reports on her mother's autopsy we acquired from the Viper clan," Another scientist said as she entered the room. The first scientist looked up at her.
"It will probably be another hour or two. We are almost finished with the psyche evaluation."
"Oh?" The female one asked as she took a seat. "What does it look like so far?"
"Well, she suffers from repeated repressed trauma due to the mind control techniques used by Nobuso during her formative years. However, due to that, she shows very little in the way of the normal symptoms of an abused child. She seems sociable, even cheerful most of the time. She displays a remarkable amount of confidence, but is given to extreme mood swings."
The female scientist raised an eyebrow. "Are you certain there is no physiological reasons for her mood swings? A few of my associates suffer from that during their time."
The second scientist shook his head. "No, during the brief exam after her seizure, it was determined that she is not currently menstruating."
"Anyway," the first scientist coughed to regain their attention, "She does have a fear of being crowded by people, understandable given her background."
"Look, there's one of her mood swings right now!" The scientists watched with interest as Feather exploded at the psychiatrist.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T SEE HIM?!?" She screamed as she stood and got into the face of the older woman.
"Calm down, we are merely keeping you separated until we can be assured that the both of you will co-operate with us."
"The hell with you!" Feather slammed the woman onto the bed and dashed for the door. Two side kicks took the door off the hinges.
"Damn it! Security! Exam room three on the double!" The first scientist yelled into an intercom. Outside in the hall, Feather was running for her life, knocking over anyone unfortunate enough to get in her way. She turned a corner and found the elevators. She punched the buttons and waited nervously.
"Come on, come on!" She said to herself as she paused to knock down an unfortunate janitor that tried to grab her arm. She spun around when one of the elevators dinged. When the doors opened, a group of security guards poured out. She didn't flinch, but opened up with roundhouse kick that leveled the first guard and knocked the men into a pile. She didn't stop there, and she mercilessly attacked any that managed to regain their feet.
"Where's Ryouga?" Feather screamed as she kicked one in the ribs. "Where?" Unnoticed behind her, another elevator opened and allowed another group of guards to attack her from behind. She struggled violently in their grip, but was quickly overwhelmed. One of the guards that Feather had attacked was being helped to his feet.
"She sure can hit hard for a girl."
The next morning, a cold gray light illuminated the front of the building as a black sedan slowed to a stop. The man in the driver's seat looked back at his passengers.
"OK, remember your roles and you'll get out of here alive." His passengers, Ranma-chan and Akane nodded. Akane was wearing a tan business suit with a knee length skirt. She made a last minute adjustment on the wig she was wearing and took a quick peek in her compact to check on the makeup that made her appear older. Ranma-chan looked every bit a kunnoichi, she had even persuaded Mousse to loan her a sword and some throwing knives to complete the look. A muffled mew and a rather indignant quack revealed that Shampoo and Mousse had heard and understood, but Ranma-chan involuntarily jumped at the sound. They heard nothing from the bag Happosai was hiding in, or at least the one they thought he was hiding in.
"Don't do that Shampoo!" Ranma-chan complained, her voice shaky. "It's bad enough that I know your close, don't make it worse!" Shampoo mewed again, causing Ranma-chan to squirm to the far side of the car. Akane sighed as she moved her slightly oversized purse to the side furthest from Ranmachan.
"Ok, take a minute to compose yourself. Grit your teeth if you have too, but for Kami's sake, don't freak out in there Ranma!"
Ranma gave her a sloppy salute and proceeded to grit her teeth. The resulting twist of her features gave her a no nonsense look that bordered on the psychotic.
"Here goes," The driver muttered as he got out of the car and opened the door for Akane. She exited with as much dignity and grace as she could muster. Ranma-chan exited with more alarcity and gathered the luggage, taking special care with the bag that contained Mousse. Akane haughtily regarded several men wearing suits as they approached in the grey morning light.
"Ah, Zhining-san, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," one of the men said as he bowed to Akane, "The portrait on your last book doesn't do you credit, you are much more beautiful in person."
"You are quite the flatter, aren't you?" Akane smiled at him, "But you have me at a disadvantage, might I have your name?"
"Of course, I am Yama, chief of security. Let me escort you to the room we have prepared for you." He moved to take her arm, but he found his wrist in an iron grip. His startled gaze fell upon Ranma-chan's masked face shaking almost imperceptibly, her blue eyes icy. Akane slowly turned her head to look at her bodyguard and nodded. Ranma-chan released her grip and bowed.
"Please forgive my bodyguard, she can be a little overprotective sometimes." Akane said apologetically. Yama merely nodded as he rubbed his wrist and turned to lead them into the building. They gazed upon the fountains with mixed feelings. Akane gazed with appreciation upon the fountains, while Ranma-chan shuddered a little internally.
"Your letter requesting my advice was unclear as to exactly what you wanted to know about. You know I don't normally do consulting without knowing what I'm dealing with," Akane spoke with an under tone of irritation in her voice. Ranma-chan silently admired how well Akane was acting out her part. Yama looked a little uncomfortable, but he dismissed the other men. Ranma-chan squinted just a little when they only moved a few meters away. She almost sighed with relief when they turned away and began to talk amongst themselves.
"The truth of the matter is this. We have found a young woman who has several unusual characteristics. You see, she has wings." Yama nodded at the feigned look of shock Akane gave him. Akane glanced at Ranma, who nudged one of the bags she was carrying. Akane moved to block Yama's view of Ranma and diverted his attention with a question.
"And you somehow think there might be an answer to her condition within my knowledge of the more, obscure, cultures in China?" She sneaked a peek out of the corner of her eye and saw Happosai slip out of the bag and literally disappear into the milling crowd of employees.
"Exactly. The pictures we have of her mother shows Chinese facial features, but the fact that her hands and feet were taloned, along with her wings baffle us."
Akane did not have to feign surprise at this information. "What about the Father?" She asked.
"We have determined through DNA testing of his remains, as well as photographs of his general appearance, that he was of Scottish origin. There is something that puzzles us greatly though. There is a rather distinct difference in his skeletal structure from that of an average man."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, either he was a throwback, or he was roughly three hundred years old."
"Interesting." Akane stifled a yawn. "If you would show us to our quarters, I would like to freshen up from my journey."
"Of course. I must inform the board of your arrival." Yama bowed to her again and then barked a few orders to one of his men. The guard gestured for them to follow and turned to lead them down one of the many corridors. Yama retreated at a much quicker pace. They turned a corner and were out of sight just before one of the vents above the fountains gave way.
Ryouga shook himself awake and ignored the grumbling sound that emanated from his stomach. He had wandered the airvents until he had fallen asleep the day before. He started moving again and sighed as he came to another junction in the air-vents. There seemed to be no end to them.
"Are these vents, or some kind of sick maze?" He muttered as he continued to climb upward into the building. He followed a turn to his left and the vent got abruptly smaller. Ryouga grunted as he squeezed his way through. A glimmer of light up ahead caught his attention.
"Anything's gotta be better than crawling around in here!" He said as he redoubled his efforts. The metal of the vent creaked and groaned from the strain of supporting his weight. After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to reach the vent. He peered down through the vent and saw Yama with two women he didn't recognize. One of them was dressed in a tan business suit and appeared to be listening intently to what Yama was saying. The other appeared to be a kunnoichi carrying several bags. One of the bags opened on it's own, and a shriveled form popped out that Ryouga could recognize easily.
"Happosai! That means that those two must be here looking for Feather! But who?" He watched as the woman in the suit kept Yama's attention as Happosai slipped away unnoticed. After a few moments, the small group headed off down one of the corridors. Ryouga's ears perked up as he heard a slight creaking noise. Hastily, he gathered himself to back down the vent.
Unfortunately, the brackets holding the venting in place broke before he could back away from the grate. With a yell, he broke free of the venting just in time to see one of the large fountains in the lobby rushing towards him. He hit with a tremendous splash and the people in the lobby gathered around the fountain, talking excitedly amongst themselves. A few seconds later, Ryouga-chan emerged from the water holding her head.
"Ow... Man my head hurts," she complained and closed her eyes in an effort to clear the spots from her vision. Her eyes snapped open again when she felt someone pulling her from the water.
"Hey! Are you all right?" A man in a suit asked as he finished pulling her from the water. "That was quite a fall, lucky for you this fountain is deep."
'Lucky, he says.' Ryouga-chan thought sourly to herself. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shook up."
"What were you doing up there? I thought maintenance had finished upgrading the vents..." Another person asked.
Ryouga-chan laughed nervously. "I was... I was inspecting the upgrades, yeah. Had to crawl around inside to check all the seams. Well, I'll be going now..." Ryouga-chan started to stand, but was held back by the man in a suit.
"Just lie still until medical gets here and makes sure you aren't injured," he said, concern in his voice. Ryougachan groaned internally, but lay back all the way before springing to her feet and dashing off down a random corridor, ignoring the surprised shouts behind her.
"Alright, now which way?" she muttered as she looked at all the doors lining the walls. After following the corridor for a while, she heard what sounded like some sort of pursuit. In a panic, she ducked through a door and slammed it shut. She put an ear to the door and listened until the sound of her pursuers faded away.
"Uhm, excuse me?" A female voice asked. Ryouga-chan slowly turned around to face the person that spoke to her, and jumped backwards into the door when she saw she was being addressed by a woman wrapped in a towel. A panicked glance around the room confirmed that she was in a locker room of some sort, and there were women in various stages of undress all around her. The women let out a startled gasp as a pair of furry ears popped out of Ryouga-chan's hair as her face turned completely red, right before her eyes rolled back into her head and she slid down the wall in a faint.
Inside the cavernous reception area, several scientists made a few final adjustments to their equipment. Just as they finished, Feather was escorted over to them by a security team. She was now dressed in a form fitting jumpsuit, and the only skin exposed besides her head was her back.
"Now what? And what's with this crazy outfit?" Feather demanded as one of the scientists secured a belt with several boxes attached to it around her waist. He ignored her and began running electrode patches from the boxes to several points on her head and other cords to different points on the jumpsuit.
"OK, bring up the EKG and EEG," he gave a thumbs up to the man seated with the equipment. Several displays flickered to life and showed several distinctive waveforms.
"Heart rate showing normal, bringing up temperature display." Another screen glowed as he spoke. "Temperature display normal, bringing up the displacement and density mapping." A holographic projection of a wireframe version of Feather appeared above one of the tables.
"Wow!" Feather exclaimed as she moved to take a closer look at it, curiosity overriding her apprehension. She noticed that it mimicked her actions exactly. "How are you doing this?"
One of the scientists looked up from a clipboard he was writing on. "The jumpsuit your wearing is filled with sensors. It allows us to create this holographic representation. OK, bring up the musculature overlay." As he finished talking, the hologram Feather was peering at shifted slightly and blurred before it came back into focus. This time, it didn't appear as a wire frame, but instead showed her muscle structure. She giggled as she posed a little and flexed her biceps and watched the little hologram do the same thing.
"This is cool!" she smiled and walked over to look at the other monitors. Each one had a different display showing some sort of statistic on how her body was currently running. The scientist with the clipboard cleared his throat to get her attention.
"OK, we have started recording, extend your wings please," he gestured at her with the clipboard. Feather crossed her arms and shook her head.
"No way! I don't want to," she said angrily, her earlier wariness returning full force.
The man with the clipboard sighed. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Guards, escort her back to her quarters and execute Mr. Hibiki immediately."
"WHAT?!?" Feather screamed as one of the guards moved to restrain her.
"It's very simple, either you co-operate, or we will kill your friend. Now, will you extend your wings for us?" He asked with a tone of boredom. With a resigned sigh, Feather did as she was told.
Inside a large, wood paneled room, a group of twelve old men impassively listened to Yama speak to them about the current situation.
One of the board members glared at Yama after he had finished his report. "Are you sure there was no trace of his body in the wreckage?"
Yama nodded solemnly. "Yes sir, we didn't even find a speck of blood. We suspect that he's running loose in the building, or managed to escape entirely through the ventilation."
"How can you be sure he used the air-vents?"
"One of the main shafts was ripped open on the maintenance level. We are not sure exactly how he did it, but the evidence remains that he's somewhere in the vents," Yama glared at the newest member of the board. He stood stiffly at attention as they conferred amongst themselves.
"Increase the security patrols, and let it be known that we want him alive. We must find out how he was able to survive such incredible odds." The chairman said shortly to Yama and gave him a peremptory gesture of dismissal. Yama gritted his teeth as he bowed and backed out of the room. He silently swore to himself that someday he would be the one giving the orders, and then things would change. Oh, how they would change! He laughed out loud as he closed the door behind him.
Ryouga-chan heard what seemed to be a faint buzzing noise as she slowly regained consciousness. The buzzing clarified into women talking, an occasion bass rumble indicated that there were men there as well. She tried to move slightly, but found with little surprise that she was restrained somehow. Carefully, she cracked one eye open. She was still in the locker room, and several of the women were talking to security guards. Her hands were bound with plastic cable ties, and she surmised that her feet were probably similarly bound. Slowly, she tested the strength of the ties and discovered with some surprise that they had absolutely no give to them. She re-closed her eye and began to try and figure out how to get away. If only she could shift into wolf form and make good use of the flexibility and powerful jaws! She tried concentrating on the previous times she had shifted to wolf form thanks to cold water. She imagined the feeling of fur sprouting, the not quite uncomfortable feeling of her bones twisting and compressing.
Her eyes snapped open when she felt the familiar tingle that heralded a change. In a split second she found herself in wolf form. Not one to waste such an opportunity, Ryouga-okami quickly bit off the plastic ties and scrambled to her feet ignoring the startled shouts from the other people in the room. She turned and gave them a wolfish equivalent of a grin; she could smell the fear in the air. The room was heavy with that sharp reek. With a powerful leap, Ryouga-okami slammed her furry shoulder into one of the guards' chest, knocking him off is feet. After landing on top of him, she snarled and bounded from his chest into the showers. Fortunately, there were no women in there showering as Ryouga-okami pawed at the valves. One of the guards burst into the shower just after Ryouga-okami had managed to turn on the hot water.
"Surprise!" Ryouga snarled before he delivered a rockshattering blow that knocked the man out.
Ryouga peeked out of the showers and saw that the locker room was now deserted save the unconscious guards. A quick peek into the hall confirmed that it was empty. He dashed down the deserted hallway in search of Feather.
Akane and Ranma-chan looked about the apartment the guards showed them to with feigned looks of boredom. The opulence of the apartment was staggering. There was deep carpeting on the floors, and the furo was luxurious and spacious.
"This should be adequate. Please leave us." Akane spoke in that haughty tone to their escort.
"They're gone. Sounds like they left two guards at the door though. Perfect." Ranma-chan said from where she was listening through the door. Akane nodded and rummaged through her bags until she came across her gi and a lab coat.
"Ok, I'm going to get changed."
"Sure... Just don't take too long. The old perv should be running wild in about an hour, and we wanna try and be close to where they have Feather when he does." Ranma-chan grumbled as she struggled out of the kunnoichi outfit and changed into a Fukuzai guard uniform after applying a splash of warm water from a thermos. He bundled up the kunnoichi outfit and tapped on the door to the bathroom.
"I got the other outfit ready. I'm gonna leave it at the door." He waited until he heard an affirmation before he moved away. He opened the bag that Mousse was concealed in and doused the duck with the rest of the warm water in the thermos.
"Alright duck-boy, you know the deal. Get into that other guard uniform pronto!"
"I know what to do Saotome!"
"Then shut up and do it! I'm gonna take out the guards at the door."
Ranma moved to the door and swiftly opened it. The two guards standing in the hall barely had the chance to realize something was wrong before Ranma had knocked their heads together with a hollow sounding thud. He dragged the inert men back into the room where he and a now clothed Mousse tied them up and took their weapons and radios.
"OK, Akane," Ranma grunted as he hefted the rifle with a look of disgust, "We're all set. Whenever you and Shampoo are ready, we'll do this."
Akane opened the door to the bathroom and she and Shampoo stepped out. Shampoo was now dressed in the Kunnoichi uniform and was tucking the last of her purple hair into the back of her hood.
"Shampoo ready," She glanced over at Akane and frowned, "Shampoo think violent girl need adjust pants. Shampoo see pants from under lab coat."
Akane blushed slightly as she opened the lab coat, revealing her gi, to look at legs.
"Ok, what do you suggest?" She asked, a slight edge to her voice.
Shampoo glanced up in thought before she moved with blinding speed to cut the legs off of her gi, leaving Akane in a pair of very short shorts.
"HEY!" Akane screeched, "What did you go and do that for?"
"Now violent girl show much leg, distract stupid mens while fighting." Shampoo shrugged as she pulled her mask on to conceal a grin. Akane continued to scowl as she re-buttoned her lab coat. Ranma and Mousse stepped into the hallway and took up the positions that the guards had once held. Akane spent a few extra seconds touching up her makeup before she picked up the phone.
"Switchboard," A bored sounding voice answered.
"This is Shi Zhining. I am ready to begin, why don't you send an escort up here?" Akane said in her most haughty tone.
"Right away Ms. Zhining."
Akane hung up the phone and waited. Shampoo began to pace a little bit, her impatience clearly visible on her face despite the mask.
"Remember Shampoo, don't say a word and try to look as intimidating as Ranma." Akane chided.
"Shampoo no like this. Have bad feeling something go very wrong." Shampoo replied just before there was a polite knock on the door.
"Yes?" Akane asked through the door.
"Chief Yama is here to see you."
Akane opened the door and gave a curt nod to Yama. "Good, we can get started. May I see the subject?"
Yama chuckled a bit as he answered. "Not right away, she is undergoing certain tests at the moment, but I can show you all of the data regarding her parents."
"By all means then, lead the way." She gave peremptory gesture to him. Yama bristled a bit, but turned to walk down the corridor. Ranma and Mousse surreptitiously fell into the back of the group. After walking a ways, Yama turned down a side hallway that abruptly dead-ended in front of an elevator.
"This is the only elevator that leads directly to the research level," he explained as he punched in a code, "I must ask that you keep a reign on your curiosity until we are in the data room." He glanced at the faces of his guests and stared a little.
"What's wrong?" Akane asked, her nervousness almost audible in her voice.
"Your bodyguard... her eyes used to be blue and she's taller," Yama said as he drew his gun. "Ok, Ms. impostor, where is the real Zhining?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Akane almost screamed.
"Don't lie to me girl! Men! Detain them!" Yama barked. Ranma and Mousse exchanged glances and moved to restrain Akane and Shampoo, but at the last second turned and attacked Yama. Mousse disarmed the startled man while Ranma landed a solid sidekick into his stomach. Yama flew back from the blow into the elevator door. Ranma yanked Yama to his feet.
"Ok, jerk! One chance! Where is my sister?" He growled.
"Who are you talking about?" Yama asked, stunned.
Ranma slammed him into a wall. "I'll ask again, where is Feather?"
Yama's eyes suddenly widened as he realized whom he was facing. "Ranma Saotome! I should have known you would try something..."
Ranma shifted his grip into a pain hold. Yama let out an involuntary cry of pain as Ranma applied pressure on the elbow joint. "I will ask you nicely only one more time before I start breaking bones," His voice seemed to drip with malice and implied violence causing Akane and Shampoo to back up a step, "Where is she?"
Yama chuckled as the elevator doors opened. "She's down there, but you'll never get out alive!"
"We'll see about that!" Ranma said as he knocked Yama out with a sound blow to the back of his head. They crowded into the elevator and punched a button labeled 'Lab'.
"Airen scary when angry." Shampoo stated as the elevator started moving.
"No kidding," Akane shivered as she spoke.
"Never mind that, we need to find Feather quick. Who knows how long that guy will be out cold, and the freak is supposed to be doing his stuff right about," he paused as alarms began to wail, startling the others, "Now. When we get to the lab Akane, you and Shampoo will go one way, Mousse and I will go another."
"Shampoo want go with Airen!"
"Humph! Go with that hussy for all I care."
"But Shampoo! I want to go with you!"
Ranma shook his head as the others fell to arguing again. He tried to interrupt a few times, but he was being ignored. Finally, he took in a deep breath before he bellowed.
"SHUT UP! We already had this out at the Dojo! Akane and Shampoo still look like Zhining and her bodyguard while Mousse and I look like guards. We gotta split up to make it easier to find them, or for them to find us! And we only have a little while before Yama wakes up and blows our cover, so let's make the most of it!" The elevator stopped and its doors opened soon after he finished speaking.
"Let's go!" Mousse cried as he dashed out of the elevator with Ranma fast on his heels. Akane and Shampoo walked down the hallway at a more sedate pace, generally ignoring the alarms. After a few minutes, they ran into a man wearing a black business suit.
"Excuse me," Akane paused to read his security badge, "Quincy. Our escort ran off when the alarms started ringing. Could you show us to the records room?"
The man drew himself up into a haughty posture. "Of course. It is down that hallway, third door on the left."
Akane bowed to the man and gestured to Shampoo to follow her. Quincy watched them leave and raised an eyebrow. 'They shouldn't be so calm in this racket... Something is wrong.' He thought to himself as he pulled out a radio.
Happosai leered from the shadows at the few women roaming the halls. He glanced at an antique pocket watch and frowned. Two minutes remained before the time when Ranma said he could indulge himself. Swiftly and silently, he stole from shadow to shadow, seeking prime prey. He worked his way deep into the bowels of the building. Soon, he heard what sounded like laughter and giggling.
"Ah! Jackpot!" He chuckled to himself as he glanced at his watch again. It was time. He ran up to the set of double doors that the laughter seemed to be coming from and kicked them open.
"Swee..." He trailed off as he looked at the barracks for the guards. "Uh oh. Don't mind me boys! I just got turned around in this place. I'm the new janitor!" He quickly pulled out a battered cap and plopped it on his head. "If you'd kindly direct me to the ladies locker room so I can get started?"
The men in the room looked at each other blankly for a second.
"You hear anything about a new janitor?"
"Naw, but they never tell us nothin'," another shrugged, "Go down the hallway to the right, and then turn left at the third junction. Go down that hallway to the fifth door on the left. Can't miss it!"
"Thanks boys!" Happosai bounded away, leaving one of his happodaikairin behind. The guards looked at it blankly for a minute before it exploded. Happosai practically danced down the hallway. One woman was unfortunate enough open the door to the room she was in.
"Sweeto! Hiya toots! I don't think we've met." He leered as he latched onto the surprised woman. She let out a screech of pure terror and flailed ineffectually at the old pervert. Happosai dropped to the ground and dashed off.
"It's too bad, she was almost middle aged. There has to be some sweet young thing around here somewhere..."
He ran through the halls to where the guards had told him of the women's locker room. When he got there, all he found where male guards searching for something, or someone. He dashed around another corner and sighed.
"I don't believe it... There doesn't seem to be any sweet young things around..." He wandered the halls and occasionally found a middle aged woman or two and the odd old hag. Disgusted, the ancient pervert dashed down a set of stairs. Alarms were now ringing throughout the building, drowning his already silent movements with the din. Eventually, he sat in a corner and sulked, disappointed at the lack of even mildly cute girls. Disappointment slowly morphed into depression that quickly changed to rage.
"Ranma..." He growled before standing, "You'll pay for tricking an old man like that!"
Somewhere else in the compound, Ranma sneezed as he and Mousse finished changing out of their guard uniforms and into their more familiar clothes.
"Don't get sick on me, Saotome." Mousse said lightly as he cut another door off its hinges.
"Shut up man! Come on, we gotta move... That reception area is just ahead! We'll probably find Feather there!" Ranma said as he turned to look at the master of hidden weapons. Ranma tensed when he saw Mousse pull out a few egg bombs.
"Duck!" Mousse yelled as he threw them. Ranma became one with the floor as the bombs went off behind him. Ranma sprang to his feet and was in Mousse's face in an instant.
"What'd ya go and do that for?"
Mousse merely pointed to the knocked out figure of a guard, an automatic rifle still clutched in his hands. Ranma laughed and rubbed the back of his head.
"Oh, heh. Uhm, thanks."
"You saved my life before, now I am that much closer to repaying that debt." Mousse said simply before stepping over the unconscious man. Ranma shrugged and followed, a lot more alertly than he had before. The building seemed to shake from time to time, causing them to look at the ceiling in apprehension.
"I hope this place don't just collapse on us." Ranma said as he peeked around a corner before waving Mousse forward.
"Let's do what we came here to do and get out of here!" Mousse grumbled
"Ranma!" Happosai yelled as he burst through a door on the other end of the hall, "You tricked me! Now you'll pay!" His battle aura flared to life as he leapt forward to attack.
"What tha heck are you talking about you old freak?!?" Ranma shouted as he dodged.
"You said that this place was full of pretty girls! I've only found old hags in this place." Happosai snarled before he attacked again.
Mousse backed up a few steps and watched as the old pervert and Ranma began to fight it out in the hallway. After a few minutes of fighting, Mousse pulled a small handful of dark black spheres from his sleeve and threw it into the midst of the fight. The spheres exploded into a chokingly thick roiling black smoke. Mousse ran into the smoke and grabbed the first person he came into contact with.
"Come on Ranma! We don't have time for this!" He yelled as he ran down the hallway.
"Who're you calling Ranma?" Happosai asked from under Mousse's arm. Mousse held him out where he could see him and gave a startled shout.
"You're not Ranma!"
Happosai swiftly hit the Chinese boy upside his head, knocking him out.
"Of course not. Now, where are you Ranma?" Happosai yelled as he turned to face the cloud of smoke. He waited a moment for the smoke to clear, but there was still no sign of Ranma.
"Huh? Where did he go?" He asked as he turned around. Mousse was nowhere in sight either, but there was a scribbled note where the boy had been. Happosai picked up the note and glared at it.
'Hey freak, we don't got time for this. Let's discuss this once we get Feather and Ryouga outta this place. I'm sure there is at least one babe hanging out in this place. Go bug her for a while or something.'
Happosai crumpled the note in his fist.
"You are making me angry, Ranma!" He howled. He spun when he heard the door behind him open. When he saw who had opened the door, his eyes got huge and doe-like before he leapt, yelling out, "Hello nurse!"
The young nurses' screams of terror and outrage echoed throughout the hallway.
Ryouga nearly jumped out of his skin when the alarms started going off. Guards seemed to flood into the corridor and they pulled out what looked like clubs. Ryouga smirked as he flowed into them with all the power and fury of a barrel of high explosives. A few of their attacks hit home, but Ryouga ignored their weak attacks. Suddenly, his back arched with pain as an electric shock jolted through his system. He collapsed onto the floor, his still form smoking slightly.
"And I thought that cute chick hit hard." One of the bruised men said as he approached Ryouga cautiously. With a roar, Ryouga leapt back to his feet and loosed a roundhouse kick that snapped a few ribs on one unfortunate guard.
"That actually hurt. Now you'll pay!" He yelled as he tore into their midst once again, but much more wary of their stun batons. They did manage to get a hit or two in, but now that Ryouga was ready for the shock, he was able to grit his teeth and remain conscious. A few seconds later, the guards were scattered about the hall, knocked out by his furious assault.
"Jerks." Ryouga muttered as he clutched his side and panted to regain his breath. The shocks had hurt him more than he had expected, and he would need to be much more careful from now on. After he had regained his breath he continued down the corridor, bits of his charred shirt flaking away. After Ryouga had left, a few of the guards slowly struggled to their feet.
"What did you have your shocker set to?"
"The max! It should have stopped his heart!"
"He ain't human!"
Several interns followed Feather with video cameras as she flew about the cavernous room. She snorted to herself when she saw that they were panting to try and keep up with her high-speed maneuvers. With a derisive little laugh, she picked up the speed a bit.
"Astounding, isn't it?" One of the two scientists at the console said to the other. "Using what we know about birds, she shouldn't even be able to get off the ground."
"True enough, but just given individual characteristics, a bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly either. That's why we are collecting all this data, to try and explain this phenomena," he glanced up at the interns futily trying to keep up with Feather, "One would think that they would have figured out that all they have to do is stand at a few points around the room and follow her with the cameras the best they can." They shared a few laughs before turning their attention back to the displays.
The piercing wail of the alarms caused the interns to tumble to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs, while Feather capitalized on the distraction. She made a speed dive towards one of the exits, folded her wings at the last moment and flipped over to make a flying kick into the chest of one of the men guarding the door. His startled companion turned to shoot her with a tranquilizer, but he received a chop to his throat for his trouble. As Feather dashed off down the corridor, the scientists looked back to their console.
"Astounding," one murmured as he took note of the readings associated with her most recent feat, "Keep the recorders going, we're still picking up the signal from the transmitter."
"The readings we'll get from her combat with our guards will prove to be most valuable."
"Do we report it to them?"
They looked at each other for a second...
"Nah..."
"This not feel right," Shampoo muttered, "Stupid mens following us now."
Akane nodded, "I see them, Shampoo. There's the records room, let's knock these bozos out and see if there's anything in there about Feather." She stopped at the door to the record room and turned to face the guards that had followed them. "Can I help you?" she asked with an acid tone.
"That depends on whether or not you want to answer my questions." Quincy said as he moved from behind the guards.
"I don't think so." Akane answered coldly.
"Very well, we'll do this the hard way then." Quincy snapped his fingers and two of the burly guards approached them. Akane ripped the lab coat off and threw it in the face of one of them before attacking while Shampoo simply kicked her opponent in the face. Quincy gaped a little, but motioned the rest of the guards forward. The fight was short and brutal. Despite their superior numbers, the guards were unable to lay a finger on either of the girls. Akane and Shampoo turned angry glares on the now frightened Quincy. His briefcase fell from numb fingers as Shampoo grabbed his collar and yanked him towards her.
"Now, listen Shampoo! Where winged girl? Shampoo get very angry if no tell!"
"I... I don't know!" Quincy stammered, visibly sweating.
"That not right! Try again!" Shampoo yelled in his face.
"Honest! I don't know! I'm with a different branch! You must believe me!"
"Fine then." Akane growled as she pulled off the wig. "You can help us get all the files in this room that have anything to do with Feather. She motioned towards the door and Shampoo promptly kicked it in. Once inside, she roughly shoved the man towards the file cabinets.
"Get papers now, or else Shampoo make big mess..." She trailed off as she drew the sword strapped to her back. Quincy gulped audibly and tried to open one of the cabinets.
"It's locked!" He exclaimed.
"Shampoo have key!" She shoved him aside and made a precise cut with her sword. The lock fell away from the cabinet. "Now get papers!"
After only a few moments of searching, he pulled out a fairly thick file. Shampoo nodded as she took the file and then promptly hit him in the head with the hilt of her sword.
"I got his briefcase." Akane said as she dumped the contents out, "We can put that in here."
"Disguises no work long." Shampoo commented as they left.
"I just hope they worked long enough."
Ranma dragged an unconscious Mousse into a closet and shut the door. A quick glance around showed he was in a storage closet of some sort, the shelves stacked with sacks. Ranma turned the light off so it wouldn't betray their presence there. A soft glow came from an emergency lamp, barely enough to see.
"Come on man, how long you planning on restin'?" he asked, irritably. The only response he got was a bit of a snore. Ranma sighed, and then began slapping him. He stopped after a while when he noticed there was no effect.
"What's it gonna take to wake you up, huh? I ain't gonna splash ya, and I sure as heck ain't gonna start yellin'." He sat in thought for several minutes, listening to the guards running out in the hallway, the alarms having long been silenced. An idea slowly formed, and he got a wild grin before he leaned close to Mousse's ear and whispered.
"Shampoo's in danger."
The reaction was instantaneous. Mouse had leapt to his feet, his sleeves bristling with weapons. Ranma ducked to avoid the blades that tore into the sacks. A small trickle of something granular began to seep out.
"Where? Where?" Mousse asked as he looked about rapidly, his weapons continuing to tear into the sacks on the shelves until one burst and dumped rice all over the floor..
"Oh, I'm sure she's in a bit of danger wherever she's at." Ranma replied nonchalantly as he got to his feet and shook the rice from his hair. Mousse seemed to deflate as the weapons disappeared back into his sleeves.
"Come on, we gotta find..." Ranma trailed off as the door opened and someone threw themself into the closet with them and then slammed the door shut.
"Hey!" Ranma barked as he groped for the light switch. He found the switch and flicked it on to reveal that it was Feather that had joined them in the closet.
"Feather!" Ranma cried out as he grabbed her shoulders, "You're all right! Where's Ryouga? And just what tha heck are you wearin'?" he asked as he looked at the skintight black jumpsuit with the wires running throughout it.
Feather looked at Ranma for a second before crushing him in a hug and bawling uncontrollably. Ranma gave the look of death to a snickering Mousse and proceeded to try and calm Feather down.
Ryouga smashed through a door to find himself in the cavernous reception area. The scientists and interns were still gazing at the readings from the console in amazement, and didn't seem to notice his dramatic entrance. He shrugged and walked up to them, noting the holograms, but not paying much attention to them.
"Hey guys, wanna tell me what you're doing?" he asked in a menacing tone.
One of the interns looked at him. "Get lost, bozo!"
Ryouga gave him an irritated look before he snagged the young man's collar and pulled him to within a few centimeters of his face.
"Tell me what you're doin' before I get really mad!"
As the intern stammered and struggled futily, one of the scientists spoke up.
"We are currently recording the physiological effects of combat conditions on our subject."
"And just who is your subject?"
"Oh, the girl... What's her name again? Feather. We are still getting readings from the sensor suit we had her wear, so when she decided to try and escape we merely let her."
"Can you tell where she is now?" Ryouga ignored the intern that struggled futily in his grip.
"Let's see... Ah. She is in the first basement, sector four."
Ryouga nodded and turned to the intern in his grip. "Ok you, take me to the room you guys gave to Feather and I when we first got here."
Ryouga glanced around the suite that he and Feather had shared that first night. With a negligent shove, he sent the intern sprawling to the floor.
"Stay put while I get my stuff," Ryouga growled as he began stuffing his and belongings into his pack. The intern scrambled back to his feet and dived into the elevator. Ryouga glanced over his shoulder and threw his umbrella at the same time. It imbedded into the floor of the elevator, blocking the doors open.
"Thanks for holding the door." Ryouga smirked as he regarded all the luggage Feather brought with her. 'No way am I gonna be able to fit all that in this.' He thought to himself as he began to stuff as much of Feather's clothes as possible into his pack. He had to hold his nose to keep it from bleeding as he transferred her underwear. He glanced around to make sure he got everything important when he saw it.
There, on the nightstand, was the choker with the large emerald that Feather always seemed to be wearing. With a stupid looking grin on his face, he stuffed it into the pack before closing it. 'I wonder what kind of look will be on her face when I give it back to her...' He mused and almost slipped into a daydream before he shook himself out of it.
"I gotta find her first!" He shouted as he began looking for the elevator again. After a few side trips, he found it again. The intern was passed out on the floor, and a pungent reek exuded from him. Ryouga scowled as he pulled his umbrella out of the floor with the screech of protesting metal accompanying the action.
"Akane! You keep up or Shampoo leave behind!" She yelled over her shoulder as the two girls dashed around another corner.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Akane muttered to herself as she sprinted to catch up with the purple haired amazon. They burst through another door to find a group of about ten people armed with what looked to them like clubs or tools. Akane leapt into their midst and attacked. Shampoo merely leaned against a wall and watched. She raised her eyebrow in surprise when no more than a few seconds later all of Akane's victims were out cold.
"Violent girl not so bad against groups," Shampoo said with a touch of begrudged respect in her voice.
"It would have been nice if you had helped!" Akane snapped.
"No time! Winged girl need help too much to waste time with stupid talking!" Shampoo replied as she dashed off.
"Hey! Wait up!" Akane practically screamed as she sprinted to keep up with the amazon girl. Shampoo kicked open another door, and was momentarily blinded by a bright light from the other side of the door. Akane caught up with her just then, and she too paused and looked with wide mouthed horror at what was before them.
In the center of a pit like area, there stood an exact replica of the teleportation device that she had seen in the basement of the Viper Clan's compound. Scientists and techs seemed tiny compared to the overall bulk of the device. Several armed guards were among them, but they hadn't noticed the girls yet.
"Now I understand!" Akane said as she pulled Shampoo back through the door, "They really wanted Feather because they know she's the only one left alive that had gone through one of those things. They want to know if stuff like her wings are a side effect of that thing."
"Aiyaah, that scary thought. Shampoo think we close to where bad men keep Feather though. Look map, Akane, Shampoo want know how close we are."
Akane nodded and set down the briefcase as she unfolded a small copy of the blueprint. "Ok, the room we're looking for is on the other side of this one," She pointed across the pit to a darkened corridor, "and the elevator down to where they're probably keeping Ryouga is right around the corner. Let's get Ryouga first, then we can come back up and get Feather."
The two girls ducked back through the door and moved along the terrace until they were in front of the elevator doors. Akane pushed impatiently at the buttons, irritated at the delay. Shampoo glanced around and then let out a sudden gasp.
"What?" Akane asked, turning her attention from the elevator. Shampoo was staring at a spot on the floor with a look of disgust on her face. Akane followed her gaze and gasped as well. The floor was riddled with holes and a long, bloody smear ran across the floor to another area. Some attempt had been made to mop it up, but they didn't appear to have had much luck with the dried blood. What was really disturbing where the number of shoe prints that tracked away from it, as if the people walking through it had no concern for what had happened there.
"You don't think...?" Akane trailed off as a commotion broke out down in the pit where the machine stood in monolithic silence. They rushed to the rail and looked over. Below them, they saw Ranma, Mousse and Feather engaging a large group of security guards. One of the guards raised his rifle, only to have it shoved down by a scientist with a few angry words and frantic gestures. The guard said something in reply and drew what looked like a club from his belt. Arcs of electricity played across its tip as he advanced on the melee.
"How do we get down there?" Akane asked aloud. She looked around and saw a cross beam that ended at a column that was near the fight.
"Come on Shampoo, follow me!" Akane yelled as she dashed over to the cross beam and clambered on top of it.
Ryouga snarled as he smashed another wall out of his way. He glanced around and saw that he was in some sort of storage room. Boxes were stacked neatly in rows from floor to ceiling. He heard noises from the other side of the door. He walked over and opened the door a crack and peeked out. He saw Ranma, Mousse and Feather in a fight with a group of guards, all of them wielding the same stun batons they had used on him earlier. Without a second thought, Ryouga burst out and attacked with a flying kick into the closest of the guards.
"Watch out for those clubs! They're electrified!" Ryouga yelled as he pressed the advantage of surprise.
"Nice to see you too, Ryouga!" Ranma quipped as he swept the feet out from under his opponent.
"We gotta get outta here before we get overwhelmed!" Feather screamed as she planted her foot in one man's groin, folding him neatly around her foot. Suddenly, guards began pouring out of doors all over the room. Leading them in was a battered Yama who carried a very large rifle.
"Give it up, Saotome. It's over." He snarled.
"Like hell it is!" Ranma shouted back.
"Suit yourself," Yama raised the sniper rifle and took aim at a distracted Ranma.
"No!" Akane screamed and she threw herself from the crossbeam she and Shampoo were crawling across straight at the unsuspecting Yama. She crashed into his shoulders, causing the gun to jerk upwards and go off. The bullet ricocheted wildly about the vaulted ceiling, forcing Shampoo to leap from the crossbeam, and smashed into a pipe. The pipe exploded from the impact, spraying frigid water over a surprised Shampoo before slowing to a trickle.
"Shampoo!" Mousse cried out as he used his opponent as a springboard and leapt to catch the disoriented Shampoo-neko.
"Get her some hot water and fast!" Akane yelled before she turned her attention back to the fight just in time to get hit in the stomach by Yama's rifle butt.
"That's it, you're gonna be the first one to die!" Yama snarled over the gasping form of Akane. She looked up in time to see the barrel of the rifle in front of her face, looking a lot more like a howitzer at that point. With speed that she didn't know she had in her, Akane's foot lashed upwards and struck the rifle from his hands.
"Not yet, jerk!" She yelled as she scrambled to her feet and attacked, using the briefcase much like how she used her book bag during her old fights back at Furinkan High. Yama didn't stand a chance against the cold fury that infused Akane. He had only managed to block one blow before she had slammed the briefcase on top of his head and then promptly kicked him into the air. Despite his surprise at his sudden flight, he managed to grab onto a pipe where he dangled. Akane smirked and waded into the mass of guards, leaving broken bodies in her wake.
"You know," Ranma commented to Ryouga as they watched her go to work, "I'd forgotten just how good she is fighting against groups."
"Could you fight a group that easily?" Ryouga asked as he casually threw a few bandannas into the fray.
"Nah. Pops concentrated on training me to fight one on one, but it's nothing I couldn't learn in a day or two."
"Go Akane, go!" Feather cheered as she clambered up a platform to attack a few guards that were trying to get a clean shot at Akane with their rifles. She grinned ferally as she attacked.
"Hey now, don't forget about us!" She said cheerfully as she knocked them both out. She regretted those words a few seconds later when the platform she was on was practically swarmed under with guards.
Mousse pulled back behind some equipment racks and produced a thermos to pour over Shampoo.
"Shampoo thank. Now turn back so Shampoo can get dressed," She said acidly to the gaping Mousse. Reluctantly, he turned his back and she struggled back into the kunnoichi outfit.
"Whenever you are ready my darling Shampoo!" Mousse said over his shoulder. She shuddered despite herself, and remembering her great grandmother's words, bit back the retort she normally would have given him.
"Shampoo ready," She muttered as she leapt onto the top of the racks and surveyed the room. The others had all claimed the high ground of a platform near the monolith like machine, and were keeping their area clear. Shampoo looked up then and noticed a few guards taking up positions along the terrace and bringing rifles to bear.
"Come on, Mousse!" She cried out, pointing at the guards on the upper level. Mousse threw a grappling hook onto the railing and climbed up quickly with Shampoo right behind him. They attacked without a word, just as happy throwing them over the railing as a clean knockout.
"This is getting messy," Akane noted to Ranma during a slight lull in the fight, "We can't get to one of the doors, and they can't get up here."
"A stalemate," Ryouga growled, "at least until one of us wears out. There's just too damn many of them."
"I can fly us out one at a time," Feather suggested.
"No way! That would leave who ever's left here at a big disadvantage. I ain't leaving anyone behind!" Ranma slashed his hand through the air as if cutting that idea off. He looked up to where Shampoo and Mousse were. "Shampoo, Mousse! Get out of here! If we ain't out of here within two hours, go to plan B!" He shouted. He didn't like the idea of waiting for the Viper clan to marshal its forces for an all out assault, but he knew it may be their only chance.
"Here they come again!" Akane cried out as another group formed up to attack.
Yama had a good spot to watch the fight from, seeing as how he was holding onto a pipe for dear life. After a few minutes of watching, he realized that unless his men were allowed to shoot, they were going to lose. It seemed that all of the kids were martial arts experts, even that Feather girl, though it was obvious that she was not as skilled as her rescuers. He turned his head when he heard screams from a different direction and saw Shampoo and Mousse knocking more of his men off the balcony in their haste to follow Ranma's bellowed order. One of the men tried to grab onto the same pipe as Yama, but failed to get a solid enough grip. The resulting vibrations caused his grip to slip. He fell with a curse onto a panel, smashing it entirely, and lay there motionless.
The lights in the room dimmed noticeably, and a high pitched whine seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"What is that noise?" Feather asked as she covered her ears. She gaped as the area in the center of the platform was engulfed in a multicolored ball of light. Electricity arced across the platform and dissipated harmlessly into poles set up at regular intervals. Mousse and Shampoo paused to gape at the spectacle below.
"Aiyaah! Is light dangerous?"
"I don't know, but Ranma is awfully close to it..."
Ranma took a sidelong glance at the ball of light that was pulsating not even a meter away. His eyes bulged a bit when he say pictures of different places appear to hover deep within the sphere, only to be replaced by a different scene a split second later. He began to move away when he felt an almost imperceptible pull from it. Suddenly, gale force winds started pushing him into the sphere. With a yelp, he tried to jump away, but the winds caught him and he hung motionless in the air for a split second.
"Ranma! Hold on!" Ryouga yelled as he grabbed his hand. Ryouga stamped his feet into the floor and grasped Ranma's other hand before leaning against the winds howling through the room. He was dimly aware of Akane and Feather grabbing onto him around the torso and pressed tightly to his back. The force of the winds swirling through the chamber was flinging about anything not bolted down. Yama's limp form was lifted from where it lay and was flung across the room and disappeared into the sphere.
"I can't hold on much longer!" Ryouga yelled to be heard over the winds and the booming discharge of electricity into grounding rods all around him.
"Don't you dare let go, Ryouga!" Akane yelled as Ranma struggled to get his feet back onto the ground.
"I'm losing you!" Ryouga gasped as one of Ranma's hands was pulled from his grip.
"Damn it! Let me go and save the girls!"
"No way Ranma!" Ryouga snarled, "I ain't giving up!"
"That thing is getting bigger!" Feather screamed. Ranma glanced behind him and swore. The multicolored ball of light was slowly getting larger and now was only a centimeter or two away from his dangling feet.
Without warning, Feather lost her grip on Ryouga and was quickly being pulled in. Ranma managed to grab her around the stomach with his free arm, but the force of him catching her caused Ryouga to lose his footing. With a superhuman effort, Ryouga twisted and dug his fingers into the metal floor. Unfortunately, the winds were too strong and his fingers slowly gouged through the metal. Ryouga winced as he felt his fingers being cut before he finally lost his grip and the four of them tumbled into the ball of light with a shout of surprise. Just as quickly as the winds had come up, they died off. The ball of swirling lights disappeared, revealing a small crater in the platform, mute evidence that it was once there. The only sign of the martial artists who were on the platform was four bloody furrows ripped into the metal...
***
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 13
It was a peaceful sunset over a scenic, forest covered mountainside. The tall pine trees bowed and whipped violently when the wind suddenly blew with hurricane force. Some few trees broke under the merciless pounding of air as a glowing disk spiraled in being a few feet above the ground. Blue energy swirled and crackled with almost deafening reports as the disk forcibly ejected four tangled forms. They left a deep trench in the soft dirt upon impact and just as suddenly as it came, the disk disappeared leaving no evidence that it was ever there other than four people lying in a trench.
Slowly, one of the mud caked figures struggled to his feet and looked about. With a tired sigh, Ranma bent to try and wake the others. After a few minutes, Akane stirred awake.
"Where are we, Ranma?" She asked as she rose to her feet and tried in vain to wipe the mud from her face.
"I dunno. In the woods I guess."
Akane glared at him, "That's obvious you idiot!
"I don't know! The mountains I think!" Ranma snapped as he tried to wake Ryouga.
Akane shot his back another dirty look before she tried to wake Feather.
"Geez, look at his hand!" Ranma exclaimed as he turned the lost boy over. Akane looked over and gasped. Ryouga's left hand had several deep looking cuts and blood flowed freely from the lacerations.
"I hope it's not too bad..."
"Bad enough." Ranma growled and continued to shake Ryouga's shoulder.
A short time later, the four of them were gathered around a small campfire. Feather was carefully bandaging the cuts on Ryouga's hand, using what little water they had sparingly to clean the wound.
"We're in trouble," Ranma said as he tossed a small chunk of wood into the fire. "We don't know where we are, we ain't got too much food and even less water."
"I have about two weeks of travel rations in my pack, and I know how to hunt," Ryouga grunted as Feather tied off the bandage.
"Two weeks for one person," Akane reminded him, "that'll only last a few days between the four of us."
"I'm sure Ranma is as good at hunting as Ryouga, so all we need to do is find a stream or something," Feather sighed. "Ryouga managed to get a lot of my clothes. Akane can fit into those and I'm sure Ranma can fit into Ryouga's spares."
"What else do we have, other than this briefcase of papers?" Akane asked.
Ranma rummaged through Ryouga's pack a little before he responded. "Ok, one fair sized tent, two canteens of water, a camp stove with four full tanks of propane, survival knife, fishing line and hook, some rope, a lantern, matches, one sleeping bag, two wool blankets and several changes of clothes for both Ryouga and Feather and a fair amount of dried foods and rice."
"Not quite, Ranma." Ryouga shook his head; "There's two ponchos, a cloak, goggles, a collapsible spade, a bottle of oil for the lantern and toiletries in the outside pockets. There's also some miscellaneous stuff in there." He snapped his fingers. "That reminds me..." He got up and rummaged through one of the outside pockets of his pack for a moment before he turned to Feather.
"You kinda forgot this back there," He said shyly as he held out the choker to Feather. She squealed with delight as she jumped to her feet and took the choker from his hands.
"Oh, thank you Ryouga! You're a sweetheart, you know that?" She smiled as Ryouga blushed.
"OK, enough of that, you two," Ranma said firmly, "We gotta find some water. I don't know about you, but being covered in mud ain't exactly comfortable."
Feather pouted at him and plopped back down on the ground, "Spoilsport."
"I don't think he's trying to be mean intentionally," Akane glared at Ranma for a moment. "But he does have a point. One thing we need desperately is water."
"I know, I know..." Feather sulked for a minute before she leapt to her feet, "I'll go look for water then!"
"How? It's dark out right now..." Akane tried to protest, but Feather had already snapped her wings out and was leaping into the air. "Impulsive, isn't she?" Akane commented as she watched Feather disappear over the treetops.
"Yeah, but there may still be enough light out for her to see. Let's build up the fire so that it's easier for her to find us again." Ranma said as he tossed a few sticks into the fire.
About an hour later, Feather returned with a happy smile.
"Hey guys! I found a lake that's not too far off!" She enthused as the rest wearily found their feet.
"How can you possibly have so much energy?" Akane grumbled.
"I'm just happy! Come on! I'll show you where the lake's at!"
"Just a sec," Ryouga said as he scooped dirt and mud over their fire, "We can go just as soon as I'm sure that fire is out. One forest fire is one too many for me."
They trudged off into the woods in the direction Feather indicated. The trees seemed to loom out of the darkness at them and more than once Akane and Feather almost screamed with fright at the sound of some animal. The hours dragged on and finally, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, they spotted the lake.
"Ok, next time you say it's a short ways off, I'm going to sleep first," Ranma grumbled as he collapsed on the soft turf. Akane hauled him back to his feet by one arm.
"First things first, Ranma! You and Ryouga pitch the tent while Feather and I get cleaned up." She ordered as she shoved the tent into his gut. Ranma glared at her, but said nothing as the two girls practically sprinted for the lake. "See if you can find some dry wood and get a fire going... that water's gotta be cold. I'll get the tent pitched," Ryouga grunted as he took the tent from Ranma's hands.
Ranma nodded and headed a little ways back into the woods. Ryouga pitched the tent and dug a fire pit a small distance away from the front of the tent. He looked around a little and found a few logs that he drug over to the fire pit for a makeshift bench. By the time Ranma had returned with a double armload of firewood, Ryouga had made a camp that seemed fairly permanent.
"That was quick," Ranma smirked as he dropped the wood.
Ryouga grinned at him. "Practice. Since I've been camping out the bulk of my life, it comes as second nature to me. Let's get that fire going before the girls come back."
Akane and Feather looked at the shimmering lakeshore with undisguised longing. With a laugh, the two shed their clothes and jumped in.
"Yow!" Akane half screamed before she began to shiver, "This water is cold!"
"Yeah, let's hurry and get back to the camp." Feather said as she began to try and rinse the mud and dirt out of her hair.
After hurried washing, the two girls began to clean their clothes. The sun's continued rising finally burned the last of the fog from the lake, and they could clearly see the far side. Feather looked across the lake and frowned.
"Hey, Akane,"
"What?"
Feather pointed across the lake, "What do you see over there?"
Akane shrugged, "Trees?"
"Trees that still have their leaves! I thought all the leaves had already fallen from that old tree out back of the dojo!"
Akane squinted again across the lake. "I think you're right. Let's worry about that later and just get back to camp, I'm freezing out here!"
Ranma and Ryouga had a fairly large fire going by the time the girls returned. Feather had wrapped her wings around the two of them, as much for modesty as for warmth. Their wet clothes were slung over a stout branch that Akane was carrying. Ryouga held his nose and looked away.
"Take one of the blankets with you," Akane said through chattering teeth, "That Lake is practically freezing. Don't forget to wash your clothes while you are at it!"
"Yeah, yeah. Come on Ryouga, let's get this over with so we can get some rest."
Ranma-chan glared at the steely gray clouds that had moved across the sun as she and Ryouga-chan struggled to get all of the mud out of their clothes.
"Looks like we got a storm moving in."
"Yeah. Let's hurry up, I'm cold enough as it is."
"Can't ya just change into that weird lookin' wolf thingie? I bet that fur would keep ya warm."
Ryouga-chan shrugged. "I suppose I could if I knew how. I did manage to go into my wolf form by concentrating while we were in that place."
Ranma-chan grunted something and held up her shirt. "That's as clean as it'll get. Why don't ya try changing into a wolf and I'll carry the clothes back?"
"You just don't want to share the blanket..." Ryouga-chan trailed off as she stared across the lake.
"What is it?"
Ryouga-chan pointed, "That storm's coming in awfully fast."
Ranma-chan swore as she wrapped the blanket around herself and gathered up their wet clothes. "Try changin' into a wolf or somethin'. Lesse if it wasn't just a fluke and then let's get outta here."
Ryouga-chan nodded and then concentrated on how it felt to change into her wolf form. After nearly a minute of concentrating, fur began to sprout all over her body. The shifting of her bones was visible under her skin for a few moments before the fur suddenly thickened and the changes to the rest of her body became more apparent.
"That was weird," Ranma-chan shuddered once the transformation was complete. "You changed in slow motion."
Ryouga-okami growled and limped towards the woods.
"Hey! The camp's this way!"
When the oddly matched pair made it back to the campsite, Akane and Feather were struggling to string up a line for their clothes and stretch one of the ponchos over it to protect the damp clothes from the impending storm.
"Ranma! Perfect timing, take this line to that tree over there, will you?" Feather pointed and handed her the line in one motion before dashing over to where Akane was mangling a corner of the poncho.
"Whose idea was this?" Ranma-chan asked as she quickly tied the line off onto the tree and stepped back to look at the haphazard setup.
"Akane's. She wanted our clothes to actually dry sometime this week."
Ranma-chan shook her head. "Gimme a sec to get dressed and I'll help you guys."
"This is hopeless!" Akane shouted after the poncho fell to the ground again.
Ranma-chan shook her head. "Look Akane, why don't you and Feather warm up by the fire and let me handle it?"
"But I want to help!" Akane protested right before sneezing violently a few times.
"That does it, Akane! You and Feather are going to go sit by the fire right now! I ain't gonna let you get sick on us out here." Ranma-chan half shouted.
"But..."
"No buts Akane!"
"Come on Akane, let's get you warmed up." Feather grabbed her arm and firmly steered her over to the fire. Ranma-chan tossed a blanket over their shoulders and went to work on fixing their improvised clothesline. The wind picked up a little and snow began to fall softly about them in small, almost sleet like flakes.
"Ain't that just perfect," Ranma-chan muttered to herself.
Feather shivered and huddled as close to the fire as she dared without pulling the blanket away from Akane. Ranma-chan squinted up at the gently falling snow and muttered a soft curse when it changed suddenly to freezing rain. Ranma-chan glared at Ryouga-okami for a moment.
"You know, it must be nice to suddenly get a weather-proof coat whenever it rains..." Ranma-chan said as she tied off the last line for the small cover over their still damp, but clean, clothes. Ryouga-okami growled softly before pushing the girls into the tent with her head.
"Ok, ok Ryouga! I'm going already!" Feather smiled a bit as she and Akane entered the tent. Ranma-chan and Ryouga-okami followed them in and closed the tent flap.
"We can't stay here forever, you know." Akane grumbled as they listened to the steady pounding of the sleet on the canvas tent.
"True enough, but we won't get far if we get sick from walking around in the rain." Feather countered as she began to braid her hair.
Akane watched her braid for a few minutes. "How long does it take?"
"What?"
"Your hair. How long does it take to put it into a braid?"
"About an hour, maybe almost two I guess," She shrugged.
"Wow. And I thought my hair was a pain to deal with when it got past my shoulders."
Feather shrugged as Akane popped the latches on the briefcase she had been carrying around.
"What's in there?" Feather asked curiously.
"This," she handed a fairly thick file to Feather with a conspirital wink. "That has all the data they've collected on you. A girl should try and keep her measurements a secret after all."
Feather blushed as she took the file and started to leaf through it. "Hey!" She gave Akane an accusatory look," This has nothing to do with me!"
"What?"
"It looks like plans for that room we were in when we got shot out here," Feather hummed as she looked through it. Akane blinked before she rummaged through the briefcase some more.
"Oh, here's your file. Let's keep them in here, it seems to be waterproof," Akane took the files and closed the briefcase.
Ranma-chan cleared her throat to get their attention. "I think what we need to do is get ourselves rested up, and then worry about how we're gonna get home."
"But we don't know where we are!"
"If we run around in the rain or at night, we still won't know! Look, I know your tired and all, so you and Feather can share the sleeping bag, I'll use one of the blankets. What about you, Ryouga? Ryouga?" Ranma-chan looked over at the large, gray wolf. Ryouga-okami appeared to be fast asleep already, curled into a tight little ball with her tail lightly covering her nose.
"I guess that answers that."
"Oh yeah, when we were at the lake, I noticed something." Feather spoke up.
"What is it?" Ranma-chan asked wearily as she began to wrap herself into the blanket. Feather told her about the trees on the other side of the lake.
"Huh, that's weird. Who knows where we are now..." Ranma-chan grumbled. "Let's just get some sleep and worry about it tomorrow."
When they woke up again late that afternoon, the sleet had changed to large flakes of snow. Ranma-chan poked through Ryouga's pack and pulled out a few strips of dried meat that were carefully wrapped in wax paper.
"Ok, once we get the fire going again we can make some soup outta these."
Akane looked appraisingly at the small strips of meat. "That's not going to make much of a meal. Maybe I could find a way to liven it up..." She glared at the looks of horror and winced a little at the sudden whine of pain from Ryouga-okami. "What?!?!" She demanded.
"Is that safe?" Ranma-chan asked while protectively holding on to the dried meat.
"Are you sure Akane? Wouldn't it be better to try and stretch what little food what have rather than trying to have lively meals all the time?" Feather tried to ask diplomatically.
"Are you trying to tell me that I still can't cook?!?" Akane bristled at the perceived insult.
"Not at all, Akane." Feather soothed, "It's just that, well, you are still learning, and learning involves the occasional mistake right?" Feather waited for Akane to nod in agreement before continuing, "Well, right now we don't have enough food to afford any mistakes."
Akane looked angry for several minutes before visibly deflating. "Oh all right, you do have a point. I just want to do something, I'm not useless."
"I'm sure you can get us some more firewood. We're also gonna need water from the lake and other stuff as we go along," Ranma-chan waved it off, "Ya ain't gonna have time to be useless, not with everything that needs to be done around a camp." Ranma-chan looked over at Ryouga-okami.
"Hey, you think you could try and change into your girl form? It's gonna be a while till we got hot water and I could use a hand."
Ryouga-okami growled sullenly and looked up. Just as Akane and Feather thought that nothing was going to happen, Ryouga-okami's form suddenly started to shift. A few seconds later, Ryouga-chan was sitting in from of them and snatching at a blanket to cover herself.
"You know, that's hard to do." She said quietly as she drew the blanket about her shoulders. "Really? That looked weird, kinda like one of those time lapse photos." Akane commented.
Ryouga-chan shuddered. "I could feel my bones shift when I did that. It wasn't painful, just weird."
Akane and Feather left the tent in search of dry firewood while Ryouga-chan got dressed. Ranmachan smirked in amusement when he saw that Ryougachan was deliberately keeping her eyes closed and was muttering something under her breath the whole time.
A short time later found them gathered around their fire eating fairly bland soup and discussing what they would do next.
"We need to figure out where we are so we can get home," Akane grumbled.
"How are we going to do that?" Ranma-chan asked. "I ain't seeing anybody else around, so we can't ask around."
"I did see some power lines south of here, they should lead to a village or something. We should head there first."
"First thing in the morning, then." Ryougachan hissed a little as she held her bowl in her injured hand. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm still worn out from yesterday."
"No argument there," Ranma-chan said as she spooned out another bowl, "You know, we could train as we go." She looked around and saw the blank looks on the girls' faces. "Come on, you know, train in the Art as we travel. Let's take advantage of the fact that we're away from school."
"Aren't we low enough on food without straining ourselves?" Akane asked.
Ryouga-chan shook her head. "It shouldn't take us more than a day or two to reach a village. Even if they don't have a phone there, we can either buy or work for the supplies we need."
"Sounds like you've done that before."
"Yeah, well," Ryouga-chan scratched the back of her head, "I have gone sightseeing a lot."
"Don't ya mean gotten lost a lot?" Ranma-chan asked.
"Shut up, Ranma! It's not my fault all those maps were wrong!" Ryouga-chan growled.
"The maps were wrong?" Ranma-chan asked innocently, "Then why exactly were you trying to use a map of Kyoto in the middle of downtown Tokyo?"
"Oh, leave him alone, Ranma!" Akane snapped. "You know you shouldn't tease Ryouga like that."
"I like the idea of training as we go along! I learned so much from Ryouga when we first trained together." Feather said happily between sips of her soup. "We didn't have much more food than we have right now as well."
"We'll see... It's a bit harder to live off of the land at this time of year. We really need as many supplies as we can carry from that village, even if..."
"Even if you have to follow your father's example and steal, beg or promise your first born off in marriage to get all the food your greedy gut can hold?" Ryouga-chan said just a little snidely.
"Look you..." Ranma-chan gave a laughing Ryouga-chan a dark look, "I was gonna say even if we gotta work as waitresses for a while."
"Here, Ryouga, let me take another look at that hand of yours." Feather beckoned her over. She carefully unwrapped the cloth and peered at the cuts underneath. "Hmm... These are looking better. You did say you can still use all your fingers without a problem, right?"
Ryouga-chan nodded.
"We'll just have to keep your hand clean then. Try not to change into a wolf too often, 'kay?"
"Uhm... Sure..." Ryouga-chan started to twiddle her fingers, incidentally mangling a spoon.
"Hey! Watch it ya jerk!" Ranma-chan yelped as she snatched the spoon and tried to straighten it out, "We ain't got much in the way of utensils."
Ryouga-chan looked up in embarrassment, only to look startled a moment later when her wolf ears and tail popped out. Akane and Feather merely stared for a moment while Ranma-chan collapsed laughing.
"The, hee hee, look on your face!" She howled with laughter. Slowly, the rest of them joined in laughing, including Ryouga-chan.
"I wonder why that happened." Akane asked Feather much later as they were preparing to go back to sleep.
"Why what happened?" Feather yawned.
"Ryouga's ears. Why'd they change like that all of a sudden?"
"Search me." Feather shrugged, "A Jusenkyo curse is weird enough by itself, but a curse within a curse? Who knows how it works."
"Yeah. I guess your right there," Akane smiled, "Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
Ryouga woke them up before dawn the next morning, much to their complaint.
"Come on, Ryouga, lemme get some more sleep." Feather grumbled as Ryouga forced her and Akane to sit up.
"Sorry, but we want to try and make it to a village today," Ryouga said firmly, "So we need to get an early start."
"We're moving, we're moving." Akane muttered as Ryouga turned his attention to Ranma. Any semblance of courtesy he might have been showing went straight out the window as Ryouga simply grabbed Ranma's feet and dragged him out of the tent and into the snow.
"YOW!! Geez, Ryouga, what'd you go and do that for?" Ranma yelled as he hurriedly brushed the snow off of himself before it had a chance to melt and effect the change.
Ryouga shrugged and gave him a toothy grin. "Fastest way I could think of to get your lazy behind out of bed."
Ranma grumbled a little before Akane and Feather emerged from the tent, each of them wearing several layers of clothes. Ranma ducked into the tent to get changed while the rest of them got to work on building the fire.
"It's kinda cold out here this morning, isn't it?" Feather said as she poked at the fire with a stick.
"Sure is," Akane agreed, "I just wish Ryouga had grabbed more of your warm clothes."
"Sorry, I was in a bit of a hurry." Ryouga apologized.
Ranma emerged from the tent wearing some of Ryouga's clothes, although he had purposely avoided tying the cords around his calves.
"Ok, what's for breakfast?" he asked.
"Dry rations, Ranma. We wanna get going as soon as we can." Ryouga replied as he divvied out the food.
"Well, after we eat, we'll break camp and set out towards those power lines." Ranma spoke between bites, "Feather, be ready to fly and scout a bit. We'll want to know which way to go."
Feather blushed a little, "Uhm, well..."
"What's wrong?"
"I can't find my halter."
"So?"
"So, what will I wear while I'm flying?"
Ranma gave her a blank stare while Ryouga struggled to stay conscious.
"Uhm... Your bra I guess, unless we can get that jumpsuit dried out." Ranma said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Let's see if it's still wet." Akane said as she walked over to where they had their clothes hanging up. She felt the material for a moment before pulling it off of the line. "It feels fairly dry, what do you think, Feather?"
Feather felt the material and nodded. "Feels dry to me. That means the other clothes should be dry as well."
"That and you won't be flying around in just your bra." Ranma cracked. This time, Ryouga did pass out while Feather stuck her tongue out at Ranma.
As they began to break camp, Feather ducked into the tent to put the jumpsuit on underneath her other clothes. They had finished breaking camp shortly after sunrise and they headed off to the south. They reached the power lines fairly quickly, and continued in a southeasterly direction. As they walked, Ranma and Ryouga would drill the girls on new moves and insisted on jumping from tree to tree as much as possible. On occasion, Feather would fly above the tree line to see if there was a village in sight. After one such flight, Feather landed with a huge grin.
"Good news! We are headed straight for a small village!"
"That's good to know," Akane smiled, "At least we picked the right direction."
Ranma nudged Ryouga in the ribs, "I told ya this was the way to go."
"Oh shut up!" Ryouga growled.
When it was finally time to stop for lunch, Akane and Feather collapsed underneath a tree and leaned against the rough bark.
"I'm beat." Akane groaned.
"You and me both."
"You guys can't be tired yet!" Ranma teased, "We've barely been training for half of the day."
"Leave them alone, Ranma, and go get some firewood. It'd be a good idea to warm up a bit before we press on." Ryouga growled as he set down his pack.
"Why do I hafta?"
"Because I'm getting the food out, and the girls are too tired."
"In other words, you don't want to get lost, eh wolf-boy?"
"Just go!"
Ranma chuckled as he walked a bit further back into the woods. Ryouga snarled at his back and turned his attention back to the rapidly dwindling supplies in his pack.
"Just how much food do we have left, Ryouga?" Akane asked.
"If it was just me, I'd say I had enough for a little more than a week. At the rate the four of us are eating, it may last another two days," he replied.
"I hope we get to a village before then. I hate being hungry," Feather said softly as she leaned a bit more onto Akane's shoulder and began to softly snore.
Akane gave her a brief look and smiled gently. "I guess she's more worn out than we thought. The last few days have been really rough for you two, hasn't it?"
Ryouga nodded. "Yeah. I think it got to Feather more than me, since they had me drugged for half the time. She won't talk about what happened, but I get the feeling that they triggered another unpleasant memory."
"What makes you think that?"
"Right after they took her from the cell we were sharing, a guard came running back for the scientists yelling something about Feather having a fit," Ryouga stared for a second as Ranma-chan returned with a small amount of firewood. "What happened to you?"
Ranma-chan shrugged, "Some slush fell off a tree and got me. Don't bother waiting on water to heat up for me, I'll be fine."
"Ok. Anyway, I escaped from my cell right after that and ended up wandering around the guts of that building and crawling through the vents until you guys showed up. Things may have happened a little differently if you had ended up talking in that lobby for another minute or two."
"Oh? How come?" Ranma-chan asked as she helped get the fire started.
"The vent gave way out from under me," Ryouga shrugged, "I landed in the fountain and the people in the lobby seemed to think I was part of the maintenance crew."
"Heh, saved by your curse, huh?" Ranma chortled, "It's happened to me a time or two."
Ryouga merely grunted before gently waking up Feather and passed out the cold food.
"We're better off taking just a short break," Ryouga said, "I think we could all agree that we want to be in that village tonight or early tomorrow." Everyone else nodded in agreement.
They didn't linger too long after eating before putting out the fire and walking on. After another hour of walking, they found a dirt road that appeared to lead to the village.
"This is a stroke of luck!" Feather laughed after she got back from flying along the road, "If we run, we could be in that village before it gets dark!"
"Sounds good to me." Ranma-chan grinned, "The only question if whether or not you two have enough energy left."
"I'll be fine, Ranma." Akane said.
"I could just fly most of the way, and then run in with the rest of you once we're close." Feather said. Ranma-chan frowned when she heard the exhaustion creeping into her voice.
"Stay on the ground. I think all this low flying's been wearing you out more than you think."
"But..."
"Don't argue with him, Feather. You look exhausted, I'll carry you for as long as necessary." Ryouga said firmly.
Feather shook her head. "I'm not _that_ tired. Let's get going," she said with a fair amount of annoyance in her voice.
"Fine, just don't push yourself too hard." Ranma-chan said before she started running.
They ran down the road at a good pace for almost two hours before Feather began to fall behind. Ranma-chan called a halt and circled back to where Feather was gasping for breath.
"I told you not to push yourself too hard." She said gently as she offered her shoulder for support.
"I'll... be... ok. Just give... me a... second to... catch... my breath." She gasped out.
"You ok, Feather?" Akane asked when they had regrouped.
"I'll be ok... I'm just winded."
Ryouga grunted as he adjusted his pack. "How much longer do you think you can run at this pace, Akane?"
"A while, I think," she looked thoughtful, "Several more hours at least."
"Ok, when you get tired let us know, Akane," Ryouga said as he picked Feather up, "We'll keep running until then."
Twilight was beginning to settle in when they reached the outskirts of the village. Ryouga put Feather back on her feet and looked around.
"Looks like a small farming or logging town to me," Ranma-chan said as she led the way.
"If you say so, Ranma," Akane said as she looked around the quaint village.
"Let's look around and see if there's someplace that's willing to put us up for the night." Feather said and then looked up at Ryouga, who was looking around with a frown on his face. "What's wrong, Ryouga?"
"This place looks familiar."
"You say that about everywhere, Ryouga." Ranma-chan chided.
"Shut up, Ranma! I'm serious! This place looks really familiar." Ryouga half yelled.
"Well now, y'all came back again!" a villager greeted Ryouga. He peered closely at them all before he chuckled. "Looks like you brought all your friends this time!"
"Ah, well... I guess you could say that..." Ryouga said nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Excuse me," Akane said. "But is there any kind of work we could do around here? We've been on the road a long time, and we're low on food and money."
"Y'all came at the right time!" He laughed. "We's need a goodly amount of strong backs to be helpin with the last of the harvestin' and loading up the trucks."
"Sounds good..." Ranma-chan smirked until the villager shook his head. "What?"
"The boss won't hear of pretty young things like yerselves to be workin' in the fields! I'm sure we's can find somethin' else fer ya to do."
Ranma-chan glared at him for a moment before she chuckled. "I'll bet we're all stronger than you think."
"We're martial artists," Akane announced proudly.
"I reckon you are. Still, ya gotta consider how the other hands would feel if a tiny thing like you were to be doin' more work than 'em. They'd get mighty riled up, and I'm sure you don't wanna fight all of 'em just fer that."
Akane and Feather sighed while Ranma-chan dashed out of town.
"Where's she goin'?"
"Maybe she went to see how far behind her brother is," Feather said evasively.
"Two strong backs would be a mighty big help, seein' as how we just lost a few hands that volunteered to help fight that forest fire last week over near Osaka. That was a bad one."
"Last week?" Ryouga asked intently.
"Yeah, tho' it be a bit closer to two or three days ago. They say that it almost took out the Unryuu farm. Our boys came back mighty burnt, but they'll be ok next year. They was sayin' that Old Man Unryuu was in a fit until he learned that his granddaughter Akari was just fine."
"Is there an inn or something here?" Feather asked as Ranma came trotting back up to them, apparently having found some hot water. "We all really need a bath."
"Well, it ain't fancy or nothin', but you can't miss it. Biggest building in this here village, other than the temple up the ways," He pointed to a two-story building down the road. "You just go in there and tell 'em that you two young men wanna help in the fields, and they'll hook you up with a room or two and dinner. After that, you'll have to pay, but you'll be getting paid daily after workin' the fields," He stopped and gave Ryouga a lopsided grin. "Unless, a course, another boar comes chargin' out of them there woods and you stop it like ya did the last one."
Ryouga rubbed the back of his head nervously as Ranma thanked the villager and they made their way towards the inn.
"Rampaging boar?" Feather asked as they walked slowly towards the inn.
"It's a long story..." Ryouga sighed as yet another villager shouted a greeting from the rooftop he was repairing.
"Looks like your pretty popular around here," Akane said.
Ryouga chuckled nervously as he opened the door to the inn. Inside, there was a number of tables being attended to by a lone, rather harried looking waitress. When she approached their small group, Ranma gave her his most charming smile.
"Hi, we were told to come here and let you know that we want to help in the fields," Ranma said.
"Y'all got good timing then," The waitress smiled as she led them to a table. "Usually we don't need no outside help, but what with that fire burning a few of our boys as they helped to fight it... Nevermind. I'll bring y'all the same dinner all the hired hands get on the first night and hook you up with a room. I'll call the farmers, they'll be here in the mornin' to pick you boys up."
"Sounds good to us," Ryouga said.
"Waitress!" A man at one of the other tables called. The waitress waved at him to quiet down before she turned back to them.
"I'll be back with your food in a moment," She said before she hurried off.
"Seems busy in here," Feather commented.
"One waitress," Akane said. "She's probably really overworked in here."
After dinner, they led to an upstairs room. The furniture seemed antique, and there were two fairly large western style beds laying out. They sat in a tight circle on the floor and spoke in low tones.
"This is really weird." Ryouga said, "That forest fire happened close to three weeks ago, and everyone is talking about it like it happened only a few days ago."
"Yeah. When we were at that lake, I noticed that the trees on the far side of the lake still had a lot of their leaves. We didn't see that right away because we were in a pine forest." Feather added.
"So what do we do about it?" Akane asked, "We know where we are now, and it shouldn't take us more than three days to get back home." She leaned back a little with a worried look on her face. "I don't know about you, but I'm not thrilled with the idea of seeing myself right now."
"Then we stay here in the mountains and train," Ranma said, "We have about two weeks or so before we disappeared, and since it's probably not a good idea to go home, so we might as well stay around here and train."
"And what will Feather and I do while you two are in the fields?" Akane asked.
"Well..." Ranma drawled with an evil looking smirk.
"How did we get stuck doing this?" Feather asked as she attempted for the twentieth time to pull the very short skirt of the waitress uniform lower the next morning.
"How should I know?" Akane grumbled as she passed by carrying a tray of drinks, "But at least these people are cheerful and tip well."
"In these getups, how can they not be cheerful?!?" Feather gestured at what she was wearing. The dress had wide blue stripes on it and was very low cut around the neckline, showing off a fair bit of cleavage. The skirt was ruffled and very short. A light blue apron covered the front of the dress and it was tied in the back in a huge bow. Feather's hair was tied into two wavy ponytails that reached to her ankles. The almost petulant look she had almost made Akane drop the tray from laughing too hard.
"Just get to table eight, they're waiting to order." Akane urged before she hurried to her table with a cheerful smile on the outside, but silently fuming on the inside. When Ranma had made the suggestion the night before, it had seemed reasonable. After all, the more money they earned during their stay, meant that if they could afford train tickets once they leave.
Akane's smile was rather fixed in place by the time the lunch crowd came in from the fields. She had heard from the head waitress that a lot of these men were not the usual help they had in the fields. Invariably, they were dirty, crude and just this side of rude. Akane found herself looking for Ranma and Ryouga to come in with them, but remembered that they had used what little money they had on hand to buy a bag lunch.
"Waitress!" One of the men yelled as he plopped down into a chair in Akane's section. Akane shoved her thoughts to one side as she hurried to his table and pulled out her pad and pencil.
"What can I get for ya, hon?" She dutifully repeated the phrase she was told to use when taking orders.
"I could use a little cheesecake," the man leered up at her.
"Cheesecake?" Akane asked in confusion. "That's not on the menu."
"Sure it is. It's right here," the man continued to leer as he reached up under Akane's dress to pat her on the rear. Akane's smile turned into a look of pure rage.
"Pervert!" Akane screamed as she grabbed the offending hand and tossed the man towards the door. Feather opened the door and smiled at the startled man.
"Please, come again soon!" She waved at him as he passed before firmly closing the door. The other people eating applauded loudly as Akane and Feather returned to serving them. For some strange reason, Akane felt a lot better after that.
That evening, they gathered in one of the outlying fields. Akane and Feather glared as Ranma and Ryouga approached.
"What was the big idea of having us get into those embarrassing uniforms and work as waitresses?" Akane demanded.
Ranma and Ryouga looked at each other for a moment before replying.
"Well, you two are the girls here..." Ranma started.
"There's two more just a splash away..." Akane said acidly.
"Now hold on a second!" Ranma snapped, "Fer one thing, I had enough of waitressing for the old ghoul. Fer another, Ryouga and I are makin' a heck of a lot more doin' heavy liftin' and stuff!" Ranma stomped angrily forward as she made each point. Akane stood her ground; chin lifted defiantly, but Feather slowly edged her way behind Akane.
"Even if there was nothing to be done in the fields, there's no way I could have safely done that. What would have happened if I had spilled hot coffee on myself?" Ryouga sighed. "Also, I never would have been able to find the tables."
Akane looked startled at his admission. 'Wow, admitting that must have been a real hit at his pride! I guess I better lay off him for now...' She thought. "Ok, Ryouga, you're off the hook. That still doesn't excuse Ranma," She finished with a glare at Ranma.
"I thought I already explained why! Let's just forget about it for now and get to training while there's still some light left!" Ranma waved his arms in the air as he shouted.
Ryouga shook his head and sighed. "I think I know what you're getting at, Akane, but Ranma's right, we are running out of light. Feather's not ready for blind fighting yet." He turned to Feather and smiled a little, "I want you to work with Ranma on your speed until we get back to the dojo. Akane, since you already know a good deal, I will be coaching you," he gestured with his still bandaged hand, "Until this heals up, that's going to be about the limit I can do."
"Does it still hurt?" Feather asked quietly.
Ryouga shrugged. "A little. It should be healed up in a day or two. Let's get started."
It was well after dark before they made it back to the inn. Akane was practically glowing with pride; she had managed to learn every single one of the new moves that Ryouga had demonstrated. Feather trudged along behind her, more tired than anything else. Ranma had put her through almost every speed drill he could think of that evening. It seemed to her that the session was never going to end. The non-stop speed training left no muscle untouched, and apparently no tree in the area undisturbed by their rapid maneuvers.
"I feel like I'm dead." Feather said as she collapsed across the bed. Akane snickered at her.
"Oh, come on. It can't be that bad," she shook her head a bit. "Just wait until the boys are done with their bath and you can get a nice long soak."
"Why did they take the bath first anyway?"
"Something about not wanting to rush us or something," Akane shrugged.
"Whatever. Didn't Ranma say something about an early morning workout as well?"
"I think so..." Akane frowned a little, "He may be pushing you too hard though."
"I don't mind," Feather smiled and sat up. "Ever since I've started training in the Art, I've had so much more energy. It's a great feeling."
"We should stretch some more until the boys get done. We don't want you to cramp up after all."
The next two weeks seemed to pass in a blur. Early in the morning they would jog out to a more remote location and train for several hours before sprinting back for a quick bath. They would then spend the day working their various jobs before training again in the evening. At the end of the second week, they pooled their money and purchased the supplies they needed for the trip back.
"OK, let's go home!" Ranma said cheerfully as he led the way out of the small village.
Ranma and Ryouga continued to train the girls after they had left the village and nearing the end of their second day on the road, Ranma and Feather faced off for a sparring match.
"Ok Feather, do your best! I ain't going to go easy on ya, but I ain't gonna overwhelm you either!" Ranma smirked as he took up his stance.
"You can do it!" Akane cheered from her seat at the edge of the clearing.
"Remember your training!" Ryouga admonished from where he stood before he lowered his arm in a chopping motion, "Fight!"
Feather leapt at Ranma with a kick that he blocked easily. They began to trade blows in earnest then, Feather going all out while it was obvious to Ryouga that Ranma was holding back considerably.
"Wow, she didn't move that quick when we started out almost a month ago." Akane breathed.
Ryouga nodded. "Ranma's been pretty focused on improving her speed. He hasn't tried training her in the Amaguriken yet, but she is getting faster."
As they watched, another figure appeared out of the woods on the opposite side of the clearing. The young man dropped his pack with a disgusted snort and sat on it to watch. Akane glanced his way and saw that he was of strictly average height and build. A steely gray seemed to be his favorite color, since he was dressed entirely in that color. His jacket had a patch with a geometric shape only vaguely resembling a yin yang on the left shoulder.
"Hey Ryouga, check out that guy over there," Akane pointed to the young man. Ryouga gave him a glance before he turned his attention back to the sparring match in front of him.
Ranma smirked at Feather, as it became more and more obvious that she was getting frustrated. He half considered something spectacular to end the match, but then decided that it would be better if he just swept her feet out from under her. He suited thought to action when Feather tried an ill-timed ax kick. She tumbled to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs, but was unable to get up thanks to Ranma sitting on her back.
The sound of half hearted clapping reached them, and they looked over at the young man at the edge of the clearing.
"Very nice..." His voice practically dripped with sarcasm, "That was probably the most pathetic display of martial arts I've ever seen. Maybe you should give up with the little fighting act pal, you would make less of a fool of yourself." With those words, he hefted his pack and turned to leave. Ranma got off of Feather's back and helped her up.
"Geez, what a jer..." his words trailed off when he saw the devastated look on her face, and the tears flowing down her cheeks while she sobbed silently. Anger rushed to the fore and his battle aura sprang up around him.
"Hey, you! Why don't you come back here and say that to my face, ya jerk!" Ranma shouted as he walked in front of Feather.
"Ranma, you don't have to do this..." Feather tried to reason with him.
"Like hell I don't!" He snarled back. "Why don't you bring your attitude with ya! I'm gonna wipe that smirk offa your face!" he yelled at the stranger.
"Why should I bother? You suck pal, plain and simple. That light show ain't impressive at all," he stifled a yawn.
"I'm Ranma Saotome of the Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and I challenge you!"
"Very well, I'll show you what a perfect martial artist can do," he lazily dropped his pack and approached Ranma with a strut, "You'll rue the day you crossed paths with Tsin."
"Ain't no such thing as a perfect martial artist!" Ranma growled as he took up his stance and waited. Tsin smirked again and attacked with a few lazy looking kicks that Ranma easily dodged before he got in so close; their noses were almost touching.
"If this is what you call perfect," Ranma said as he sent Tsin sprawling with an elbow to his cheek, "Then I'm beyond perfect."
Tsin got to his feet and wiped a bit of blood from his lip in disgust. "I underestimated you, that won't happen again."
"Bring it on!"
Tsin smirked again and attacked his punches and kicks showing no sign of laziness or condescension now. Ranma dodged them just as easily and tapped him on the cheek a few times.
"Too slow man, too slow! Boy, even Akane is faster than you!" Ranma taunted.
"Shut up and pay attention, Ranma!" Akane yelled from the sidelines.
Tsin began to scowl and with a sudden burst of speed that caught Ranma by surprise, he landed a few kicks on his chest. He tried to press his advantage by jumping at Ranma only to be met mid-air by the pigtailed martial artist.
"Bad move!" Ranma yelled before he kicked a startled Tsin in the face and then twisted around fully to do a mid air roundhouse to his temple. When they came down, Ranma landed lightly on his feet his hands in his pockets while Tsin performed a perfect face-plant.
"Had enough, pal?" Ranma asked as he looked casually over his shoulder at the other boy.
"I haven't even begun to fight!"
"I noticed."
Tsin's gray battle aura finally sprung into life around him.
"I'm not impressed with the little light show, pal," Ranma taunted. Tsin merely smirked and rushed forward. Ranma dropped back into his stance as he closed in. With a piercing cry, Tsin's aura flared into a blinding flash, forcing Ranma to cover his eyes. He felt a kick connect on his un-guarded stomach, doubling him over. A split second later, Tsin kneed him in the chest and brought both his fists down on his back in a crushing blow. Ranma's breath whooshed out of him and he collapsed, only to roll away from a follow up ax kick.
"The Blinder and Pile Driver Punch combination," Tsin smirked, "how'd you like that, amateur?"
"I'll show you amateur!" Ranma snarled as he rushed towards him again and casually blocked the kick sent his way.
"Kachuu Tensin Amaguriken!" Ranma yelled as he unleashed a furious assault of punches. Tsin tried desperately to block or dodge, but the punches seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. He was thrown backward from the force of the blows and landed flat on his back. Tsin struggled to his feet and glared at Ranma.
"Fine then, you force me to unleash my ultimate attack! Tankit Duxen!" A ball of swirling gray and black energy raced from his palms at Ranma.
"Mouko Takabishi!"
The two spheres of energy met in the space between the dueling martial artists and exploded in a dazzling display of light and energy. Ranma didn't wait for it to die down, but rushed through the middle of it and clashed with a shocked Tsin. When the light died down, the others were able to see a victorious Ranma standing over the beaten form of Tsin.
"That's what ya get, jerk!" Ranma said as he stormed over to where the others were waiting. "Don't you worry about what that guy said. You're improving a lot!" Ranma said to Feather, "There are still a lot of things you've got to learn, but that will come with time."
Feather nodded once, a confident gleam back in her eye.
"That's the spirit!" Ranma patted her on the shoulder, "So, shall we pick up your training where we left off?"
"So that's it," Tsin's weak voice interrupted, "You were training her. I guess I must apologize to you both for interrupting the training."
"You got that right!" Ranma snapped.
"Ranma..." Feather admonished him.
"Still, I thought I had perfected my art."
"Ain't no way the Art can be perfected!" Ranma turned to glare at him. "The Art continues to grow and change as new techniques are made. Anyone who thinks that they have perfected their art are simply too lazy to put forth that extra bit of effort to learn something new. They are the ones that get stagnant and will never become a true martial artist!"
Tsin looked taken aback for a moment before he nodded. "I see. Then I must be on my way then, it seems that I must continue my own training." And without so much as a wave, he turned and limped off into the woods.
"Do you think he'll learn from what you told him?" Akane asked.
"Who knows and who cares?" Ranma snorted, "Let's just worry about ourselves for now."
The mood in the Tendo Dojo was somber as Shampoo and Mousse finished telling everyone gathered there what they had seen towards the end of their disastrous assault. Soun had been taken outside due to his wailing drowning out the soft, hesitant words coming from Shampoo.
"There's still a chance they are alive," Ryuunosuke said as he sipped at his tea.
"What are you talking about?" Naoli snapped. "No-one knows what happened to them when they went through that... that thing!"
"I think that that is his point," Moiri said as the diminutive ninja master began pacing up and down the table. "You said that they were trying to build some kind of transportation device, boy?" he asked Ryuunosuke.
"Yes, they had stolen the plans from my organization."
"Then that means they could be anywhere by now," Nabiki said.
"Oh dear, and they don't have their winter coats with them," Kasumi lamented as she looked outside at the gently falling snow.
"I'll contact my people and tell them to keep a look out for them," Ryuunosuke said as he stood. "We..." His voice trailed off as they heard the front door open and then shut.
"We're home!" Akane's weary voice announced.
No one in the room moved for a split second before Shampoo leapt down the hallway.
"Airen! You is home! Shampoo so happy!" She said gleefully as she bounced down the hall and disappeared around the corner.
"My little girl! She's home!" Soun yelled as he ran down the hall after her.
"Shampoo!" Mousse called after her, tears running out from under his glasses. "You said..." he broke off and blushed as he looked guiltily at the curious people in the room.
"What did she say, Mousse?" Cologne asked as she snickered. "I'm sure we'd all just love to know."
"Ah, nothing," He said as he sat back down.
As they entered the living room, Kasumi gasped in shock. All of their clothes were ragged and dirty, like they had been wearing the same clothes for almost a month, rather than the day or two that they were supposedly missing. Akane and Feather's hair were disheveled and in much need of a thorough washing.
"C'mon Shampoo, let go!" Ranma complained as he tried to get her to release him.
"Shampoo not ever want to let Airen go again!" she purred.
"That's enough for tonight, Shampoo. Come, we must see to the store before opening tomorrow," Cologne said as she led the amazons from the Tendo home.
"You must be very tired," Kasumi said firmly as she hugged Akane in greeting. "But I insist that you all take a bath first!"
"What? No welcome home?" Ranma quipped. Akane elbowed him in the gut almost absently.
"Welcome home Akane, Ranma, Ryouga, Feather," Kasumi smiled before she held up a stack of towels. "Now go take a bath, all of you."
"Uhhh... You don't mean at once, do you?" Ryouga asked in a very small voice as he turned a very bright red.
To everyone's surprise, Kasumi gave him an arch little smile and winked. "If that works for you..."
Ryouga immediately started backing away as Ranma and Akane started giving her shocked looks.
"Kasumi? Are you all right?" Akane asked.
Kasumi giggled a bit. "Of course I'm all right, Akane. Now why don't you and Feather go take your bath now. I'll send the boys to the bathroom we had put in upstairs a while back."
"Gee Akane, did you forget about that?" Nabiki said with a smile.
Akane blushed a little in embarrassment before she walked off with Feather right behind her.
"Hey, where's pop?" Ranma asked as he looked around.
"Genma has been staying out late every night running around town looking for you," Kasumi said softly. "He usually gets back very late, and he leaves shortly after breakfast every morning."
"Wow..." Ranma said, wide eyed. "I had no idea he was gonna be like that. C'mon, Ryouga. Let's get cleaned up."
"Just a sec!" Ryouga said as he dug around in his pack for a minute before pulling out a slightly battered briefcase and handed it to a startled Ryuunosuke.
"What's this?" he asked.
"It's got the only copy of the plans for that machine in it that Akane apparently found," Ryouga said with a grin. "Don't lose them this time."
It was almost midnight when Genma Saotome stumbled into the Tendo Dojo that night. He was still wracking his brains trying to figure out how he could explain to his wife that he allowed not only their son, but their newly adopted daughter to get themselves killed. He hadn't given up all hope, however. He had spent the entire day running from train station to train station, hoping that they would come in on one of the trains. The previous day, he had watched the major roads into Tokyo.
"I'll find you, my son," he swore as he walked into the house. "I'll pack my bags tonight and leave in the morning to find you!"
"No need for that," Soun said as he walked out of the kitchen with two beer steins. He handed one to Genma as they sat at the table.
"But Ranma is out there, and I need to find him!" Genma exclaimed.
"They came home today," Soun said softly. "A little rough looking and tired, but they are all home safe now."
"My friend," Genma said, his voice thick with emotion as he raised his stein.
"Our schools will be joined!" Soun said as he clinked his stein against Genma's and they drank to their good fortune.
"Knock it off! Some of us are trying to sleep!" Naoli snapped as she flung a shoe at Genma.
"Tell me again why she's still here?" Genma asked in a low voice, ignoring the shoe that bounced off his baldhead.
"She had a case of hypothermia," Soun whispered. "Dr. Tofu thought it would be better if she stayed here where it's warm for a week or so to recover." He paused and gave Genma an odd look. "At least she's paying full rent."
Genma coughed a few times uncomfortably before he stood and retired to his room. Soun grinned as he drained his beer before he too sought his bed.
Once they were gone, Naoli smiled to herself, stood, and walked over to the window, her lithe form covered only by a pale blue negligee. She sighed slightly to herself as she watched the snowflakes continue to fall.
"I wonder what it would have been like to have a loving family like this?" She asked herself softly. Outside, the snow continued to fall in a continual display of the purity in nature, oblivious and uncaring of mankind.
The next morning found Ranma, Ryouga, Akane and Feather dashing towards Furinkan High.
"You know," Ranma grumbled as he ran along the fence, a rather ratty looking scarf around his neck. "We coulda stayed away another day and arrived here on Sunday. You were the one that didn't want to spend even one more night camped on the roadside."
"I forgot that this was the week we had to come in on Saturday, ok!" Akane countered. She smiled to herself, pleased to see that Ranma was wearing the scarf she had knitted for him last Christmas.
"I just hope that Kuno don't slow us down today," Ryouga said.
Feather merely smiled to herself as she ran with them. More than any crazy adventure, this was where she wanted to be; amongst friends, family and the occasional annoying idiot.
End Chapter 13
Author's notes: Yes, I know, it's short. I'm sorry. After the severe case of writer's block that I fought on this chapter for months, I decided to cut a lot of what had been written out. Once I had done that, things became very clear on where I needed to go with this chapter. I adjusted and re-wrote certain parts, and wrote quite a bit more elsewhere. Chapter 14 is fully planned out, and shouldn't take as long to finish.
Sneak preview of chapter 14:
"Pigtailed girls! I challenge you!" Kodatchi screamed as she leapt towards Ranma-chan and Feather.
"Do you want to, or should I?" Feather asked with a smile.
"Go ahead," Ranma-chan said as she idly stepped aside and let Kodatchi fly past. "You could use the practice."
"Alright, Kodatchi. I accept your challenge!" Feather said as she fell into her stance, her own pigtail swaying in the stiff breeze.
"I had not intended to fight either of you today, but merely sought to issue my challenge," Kodatchi said as she waved a flyer in front of them. "I would defeat you both in this!"
"This..." Feather said as she grabbed the flyer.
"This is outrageous!" Ranma-chan finished as she read the flyer. "You want us to compete in that?"
"Oh my," Feather blushed as she took in all the implications of competing in...
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