Chapter Three: Guests at the Nekohanten: The Entrance of Herb

Ranma walked right past the giant hole in the concrete wall without giving it much thought – at first. When it sunk in, her turned back and looked at it curiously. Who… I know Ryouga didn’t do that…

He was about to leave, since whoever had done it was obviously long gone, when he spotted a familiar object on the ground. A black schoolbag of popular style, with a tiny stuffed animal hooked into the latch. That’s Akane’s bag… He picked it up and started running back home. Did Akane get attacked? Man, whoever did that was pretty strong…

He rounded a corner and came upon another unusual sight. It was Mousse, pinned to the wall by his robes with dozens of tiny throwing knives and sobbing something about Shampoo. Ranma started removing the knives, but Mousse didn’t even seem to notice until he fell heavily to the ground.

“Hey, what happened to you, duck-boy?”

Mousse squinted up at Ranma, then remembered and lowered his glasses from his forehead to his eyes. “A boy assaulted me…”

“You’re saying some kid did this to you?” Ranma asked incredulously. Mousse wasn’t the best fighter but Ranma would have thought he could beat a child…

“I never realized you were such a pathetic weakling, Mousse,” someone commented from behind Ranma.

“Ryouga?” Ranma turned to see that indeed, it was the Tendo’s newest houseguest. “What are you doing here?”

“Akane hasn’t come back yet,” she explained, “So Kasumi sent me out to look for her.”

“Akane hasn’t come back yet?”

“She must have been taken as well,” Mousse interrupted.

“Taken?!”

“That boy… his speed was inhuman. I could barely see his movements… and to make my defeat even more humiliating, he took Shampoo!”

“Shampoo was kidnapped?” Ranma and Ryouga exclaimed in unison.

“So that’s what’s happened to Akane,” Ranma mused. He showed them the bag. “I found this by a huge hole in a wall… whoever kidnapped her must have been pretty strong.”

Mousse went on, “The boy left with Shampoo, talking quite casually with her. They went to the Nekohanten.”

Ranma and Ryouga both sweatdropped.  Not much of a kidnapping…

“Let’s get going, then…”

***

Akane was a little annoyed. A hurricane is also a little breezy, but she was, indeed, annoyed. She hadn’t been doing anything, just hurrying home because Kasumi had asked her for a favor that afternoon, when all of a sudden this ‘Lime’ kid bashes a hole through the wall next to her and stutteringly asks her if she’s a woman. Then he added injury to insult, crying about how this was his first time ever meeting a woman, and then announcing that he was going to touch her… that earned him a bashing with the trusty ol’ mallet that he just brushed off as if it were nothing, and proceeded to sling her over his shoulder and carry her to the Nekohanten, kicking and protesting the entire way. What an undignified kidnapping, she thought angrily. She wasn’t unused to the concept but this was the first time it had ever happened to her in such an embarrassing manner. Upon their arrival at the café, the boy said something about wanting to have tea when she was suddenly snatched away by a cloaked figure and tossed across the room, literally. She screamed for a moment as she flew through the air before coming to an abrupt stop.

Ranma wasn’t expecting to walk into the Nekohanten, ready for another confrontation with the old ghoul Cologne, and end up catching Akane in the middle of her ungraceful flight out the door instead. He glared at the person who had done it angrily, but was ignored.

“Lime. Mint. We are leaving,” said the figure curtly as it started to brush past Ranma, ignoring him, and head out the door.

Ryouga, in the middle of asking Akane if she was alright, froze at the sound of that voice; it was female, but trying to speak in low male tones… Ranma started to say something, but she cut him of with an ice-cold voice so filled with barely contained anger that the entire café went silent.

“It’s you.”

The cloaked figure turned to look at her slowly. “You!” It was said in a fierce, unbelieving whisper.

“After all this time… you just show up, out of the blue… Die!” With that cry, Ryouga swung a powerful punch at her adversary, which connected to her left shoulder. The counter to that attack, however, was a powerful uppercut that sent her flying up into the ceiling with a loud *crack*. She fell heavily to the ground, stunned from the pain.

“Ryouga!” Akane cried out almost involuntarily. The pink-haired girl’s eyes were blank, but then she blinked, pupils reappearing, and groaned in pain. She’s still not healthy enough to fight!

Luckily, Ranma stepped between the two. “You’re Herb?” he asked, eyes narrow. This girl was not doing much to get on his good list… cursing Ryouga, tossing Akane across the room like a sack of potatoes… he was starting to get mad.

“Wait…” Ryouga had pulled herself up, and was leaning heavily on a table to steady her shaking legs. “Don’t fight her, Ranma… she’ll curse you too. See that bucket?”

Ranma noticed the object that the dog-eared boy was holding casually. “You mean… that’s it?” the thought of what the innocuous object was capable of sent a shiver down his spine. Just the thought of it made him cautious about fighting.

Ryouga nodded.

Herb smirked at Ryouga from within the dark folds of her cloak that was obviously meant to hide her femininity. Indeed, Ryouga didn’t seem to be much of a challenge at the moment. “You are weak, woman…” she said, smugly. “If you want the Kaisufuu, you must defeat me first… and you have no chance of doing that.” She started to leave, Mint and Lime following like the trained subordinates they were.

The Kaisufuu… Open Water Kettle… so that’s the cure… “I will defeat you, Herb-woman, count on that!” she called after them before losing what unsteady balance she had and crumpling to the ground.

There was a faint shout from outside: “Herb! You’re a…” the voices trailed off into nothing before Ranma heard more than that, though.

“Ryouga! Are you alright?” Akane asked worriedly. “You really shouldn’t have tried to fight…”

“I’m fine, Akane,” she told her softly. “It wasn’t much… she just surprised me…”

“That was the person who cursed you?” Ranma asked, and received an angry nod. “Okay. We’ll get her, then, and that kettle, too…” If it’s a cure, I don’t care what I have to do!

Ryouga nodded in agreement and stood again, somewhat shakily but on her own. “Right. If you’ll just help me train, Ranma…”

“Right.” Me training with Ryouga? This’ll be different, that’s for sure.

Cologne decided to comment at this point. “I would not advise fighting Herb, future son-in-law.”

“Why not?” Ranma couldn’t keep the snide tone out of his voice, mostly because he didn’t try to.

Cologne just looked either amused or annoyed; no one could really tell on her wrinkled face. “Your friend seems to have… met Herb before but do you know who she is?”

Ranma just shrugged. “Somethin’ called the Musk Dynasty, right? So?”

The matriarch’s expression seemed to resolve itself in the amused direction. “They are not to be taken lightly. They are descended from a tribe of warriors who tried to master the Shokei Fist.”

“Shokei Fist…” Akane murmured. Something about that sounded familiar… like from some old legend that she had been told as a child.

Shampoo recognized it more clearly, though. “That the fighting style uses shapes and movements of animals, right?”

Cologne nodded. “They went deep into the mountains to study and train… adding the special nature and strength of animals to their arts.” She paused, deep in thought. “But I feel they went too far when they tried to merge with animals.”

“Merge?” Ryouga wondered aloud. A sick look came over her face as she started to realize what the ghoul meant. “Oh, please tell me that’s not what they were doing…”

“After defeating a wild animal, the men of the Musk Dynasty would use the Nannichuan to change it into a woman and make it become their bride. Their descendants then inherited the traits of the animal,” she explained bluntly.

Ryouga looked pale and ready to throw up. Akane was speechless with shock, and even Mousse and Shampoo, who had seemed to know the rest of the story, had shocked expressions at that revelation.

“They did what?!” Ranma exclaimed, the only one able to speak.

“Animals… for brides… that’s what those bastards wanted…” Ryouga whispered. “I’ll kill them!”

“They are people who inherited the powers of the wild beasts,” Cologne continued, too deep in her narration to stop because of the interruptions. “They strength of the tiger, the speed of the wolf… and… as the next successor to the rulership of the Musk Dynasty, Herb inherited the blood of dragons. It is said that the royal family was the most powerful,” she finished the story. “I had thought that they had died out, however…” she mused to herself quietly, but no one heard.

“That… that asshole! I don’t care if she’s a dragon’s descendant or a sea horse’s!” Ryouga exclaimed, eyes dark and swirling with anger. If she hadn’t been in so much pain, she would have displayed a battle aura. “I won’t be defeated by her!”

“But, Ryouga,” Ranma said, not happy about what he had to say, “You’re not recovered yet.” Seeing as how that’s wouldn’t stop her, he continued, “You can’t do it by yourself, at least. I’ll fight with you.” Besides, Herb was still female… that’s means she’s looking for the Kaisufuu. If we follow her, we’ll find it as well… and if it can cure my curse…

Ryouga looked grateful, but still angry. Ranma hoped that he could get the girl back into shape.

“I can assume, then, that your present… condition… is due to the effect of the Chiisuton?” At Ryouga’s agreement, she continued. “Then you will be seeking the Kaisufuu as well.”

Anger was snapped out by surprise and incredulous hope. “You mean… you know where it is?”

Cologne nodded. “Herb was seeking it as well. And you seem to know why…?”

Ryouga nodded, and gave a brief version of the story he had told Ranma, only leaving out exactly what his cursed form had been because of Akane’s presence. Cologne knew, of course, so it didn’t matter.

She held out a rolled up piece of paper. “I will give you the map to the kettle, then, under one condition.” Ryouga grabbed the scroll eagerly, but she held it firm. “You must deliver both the kettle and the ladle to me. They are powerful – and dangerous – artifacts.”

Ryouga didn’t know why the old ghoul would want the two items – probably just another ‘find’ for her collection, she was as bad with magical junk as Happosai was with panties - and didn’t much care. Nodding agreement, she snatched the map away and scanned over it quickly. Ranma looked at it over her shoulder, still not trusting Ryouga with maps, not caring if that curse seemed to be cured or not.

“It’s in Japan?” he asked, surprised.

“Yes,” said Cologne. “During China’s turbulent history, it traded owners many times, eventually ending up in this country.”

Ranma blinked. Convenient…

“Herb and the others came here seeking directions as well. I gave them that, but not the map.”

“Lucky for us,” Ryouga said dryly, rolling the map up. She seemed to have collected herself. She went to leave without another word, limping slightly. Ranma, after a brief hesitation, followed.

Akane was lost in thought. There was something… odd about the story , she thought to herself as she wandered out, but I can’t put my finger on it. I didn’t know Ryouga was cursed… they implied that he got cursed there, right before Herb found him, but for some reason that doesn’t seem right… now that I think about it, Ryouga *did* always avoid water… but if he was cursed before… why didn’t he tell me? She walked back home, trailing the other two at a short distance but not really paying attention, following the familiar path mostly by instinct as she mulled over the mystery.

***

[I have to put in an Author’s note here… First of all, *big* thanks to the people of The New Ranma ½ Project. Most of this part came straight from the manga, with appropriate adjustments for my different plot; if it hadn’t been for the translations I found there this story would quite likely never have existed. Thank you, arigato gozimasu! The New Ranma ½ Project can be found at http://www.techserv.curtin.edu.au/ranmascan/ . I can’t recommend this site enough for anyone who hasn’t read the latter volumes of the manga. ^___^]

~Mordain

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