Part Two, Chapter Six: Random Encounters are the Spice of Life
Crack. Ryouga’s hand came down, striking the log of firewood with a simple motion, a single-fingered poke that hardly seemed capable of anything. It fell into eight perfect pieces, a feat that had made the manager blink with surprise when he had first seen it. He hadn’t shown as much reaction when Ranma had repeated the action. He had used the full side of his hand rather than just a single finger, after all…
To tell the truth, Ryouga wasn’t very happy with the situation. Their plan hadn’t worked, obviously, and they’d gotten lost. Ryouga really wished that she’d committed the map to memory better, but she really hadn’t been expecting to lose it. Loss of money, too… that hadn’t helped, in fact had proven to be more of a problem than either of them had realized it would be. Of course, the fact that most of the food in Ryouga’s pack had been waterlogged at the same time the map and money had been lost had been a major flaw in their plan. She berated herself one last time for overlooking that. So now they had managed to get a temporary job at a hot springs resort they had luckily stumbled unto in the middle of nowhere, filling a few empty spots. Ryouga was bored out of her mind.
Ranma glared at her when he passed by, lugging a basket full of laundry. Originally he had been the one chopping firewood, but then the manager had decided to switch them. Ryouga wasn’t really sure why.
Crack . Ryouga swept up the thirty or so thin logs that had accumulated and placed them in the correct pile. Occasionally another one of the workers at the resort would come by and pick up a wheelbarrowfull – every time seeming shocked, and a bit disappointed, that there was actually enough to constitute a load. He’d tried starting conversations with Ryouga several times to delay his return, but they always fell flat. Ryouga just didn’t seem to have much to say. He was nice enough, but obviously frustrated. Clearly he wasn’t used to someone so efficient with the job of chopping wood, and was used to having a break.
Ryouga could see the steam rising from behind the barricades that blocked off the hot spring. Strangely enough, she almost wanted to go for a dip, although she knew that the hot water would be useless. Pausing for a moment, she looked away from the springs back into the forest that surrounded the resort. It was full nighttime, not very late but still quite dark. She could hear the sounds of animals, and relaxed. Wilderness was nice, as was solitude, she was remembering. Although this was different from anything before.
She heard the sound of the person who carried away the chopped logs settling down next to the building, a good ten feet away. With a little thought Ryouga recalled his name – Akira.
“You didn’t finish, thanks,” was all he said when Ryouga glanced in his direction to confirm who it was.
“Welcome.”
Ryouga reached for another log and tapped it at the correct breaking point without hardly concentrating. The Bakusai Tenketsu was one skill, at least, that she had discovered to be as powerful as ever, even when she was at her weakest. Probably because it had nothing to do with physical strength. She tossed the resulting pieces into the wheelbarrow, which was rolled away a few moments later in silence.
Ryouga sighed, and grabbed another log.
Crack.
***
Ranma tossed towels into the basket with well-placed shots over his back. He had been relegated to cleaning crew for the men’s side of the springs and about a third of the hotel itself, an easy if mindless job. He tried to do most work at the springs itself when it was empty, but the place was busy that evening and that had been impossible. Cold water had pulled the usual tricks to get him, and succeeded a few times, but he’d managed to change back each time before being noticed - so far.
He was scrubbing a sink free of soap residue when a sudden loud clattering from the woman’s side, accompanied by a startled exclamation from the girl working there, caught his attention. A second, also female, voice spoke after her, and although Ranma didn’t catch the words the tone was recognized.
Before he thought about it Ranma bolted. The fastest way to the woman’s side that he knew he took, around the back, the side away from the hotel, and over some rocks that marked the edge of the springs.
Ryouga had beaten him there, and she was already facing off against Herb, who was obviously feminine dressed in nothing but a towel that didn’t hide anything very well.
“You…” Herb and Ryouga said it in unison, glaring at each other with expressions of hate, although Herb’s also contained a measure of amusement.
“I’ll kill you!” That was Ryouga only, said as she prepared to launch herself at the other woman, be it a suicide attack or no. Herb braced herself, prepared a counter –
But the attack never came.
“Let me go!” shouted Ryouga, trying to wriggle free of Ranma’s grasp. In response, Ranma knocked her to the ground, holding her there forcefully. She struggled, but to no avail; he was not kidding this time.
“You stupid, moronic…” Ranma checked the insults, changing tactics. “She’ll kill you!” he reminded Ryouga in a fierce whisper.
A flash of surprise crossed over her face, but then the anger and frustration reasserted itself. “Who cares!?”
“Lots more people than you think! What about Akane? What about me?”
The surprise came back as total, complete shock. No…
“What would I tell everyone at home? That I let you get killed? Hell no! Ryouga, we may not succeed here – I figured that from the start – but I’m bringing you back alive. What would they think of me if I didn’t?”
“Bastard…” Ryouga growled in response, and such intense anger burned in her eyes for a moment that Ranma almost – almost – let her go. The fury had been directed at him… then it faded, and disappeared, turning into blankness. Ranma worried for a moment, but then his danger sense went off like a rocket and the outside chain of events continued.
Herb had been taking advantage of the pause to dress herself. Once finished, seeing the enemy distracted, she launched a large, crackling red energy sphere at the two of them.
Ranma dodged easily enough, carrying Ryouga with him behind a row of changing tables. He placed her a distance away, since she didn’t seem to be able to leave on her own, and joined the battle, determination flaring. It was lucky we ran into her here… and she’s alone, that’ll make it easier.
Ryouga listened to the sounds of the battle, but couldn’t manage to move to watch it, much less join in or run further away. She wasn’t sure if it was shame that kept her immobile, fear, or what. About the time that the ground rumbled and Ranma’s battle cries suddenly became higher in pitch, she finally determined that the fight was reaching a point that would endanger her and stood, shakily, and walked away, but only a short distance. If Ranma was going to fight in her place, fine, but damned if she’d miss the whole thing. She leaned against the wall in the back, near the entrance, and watched.
Herb shouted something and leaped off the top of the tallest of the rocks encircling the spring. Ranma, who had jumped into the water to change back to male form, looked up at her with apprehension and tried to dodge, but to no avail; Herb simply changed her path in midair and swooped over him, flying in loops as she cried out the name of her attack again.
Ryouga couldn’t quite tell what happened then. Ranma braced himself – clearly he’d seen this move before – but all that happened was huge water splashes. Ryouga was pretty sure that she was the only one who noticed that the hot water geysered up in five large circles as Herb passed over.
Herb landed neatly on the opposite side of the spring from the one she had started on. She seemed just as confused as Ranma. “What?!” she exclaimed, seeing that it hadn’t hurt Ranma in the slightest, although he was now soaked in hot water from head to foot. Or perhaps he had been before, Ryouga wasn’t sure.
The two combatants exchanged a heated volley of insults, threats, etc., but it ended in the obvious way, with Herb retreating due to the failure of her attack. Ranma watched her leave then turned away, looking smug as ever despite also being very battered. He turned to Ryouga but she walked away before he finished, ignoring him.
Arrogant jerk…
***~Mordain