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?"