Yes, once again I'm back with another horrible fan-fic. After
doing miserable on a mid-term, getting only three hours of sleep (Which
would probably keep Hitomi running for DAYS), drinking five bottles of
Baka Pepper, and eating four Reeses Pieces, I've finally started writing
this. Please, flame privately, praise publically.
Prelude
The men occupying the serving hall of the inn were of
the usual low class warriors, hardly better then the
stinking peasants who toiled and wasted on the fields. The
man who entered, although not wearing any form of armor,
hardly would have caused a stir. His clothes were raggy and
torn, unfit for the coming winter, but his strong arms and
stern face kept the innkeeper from daring to turn him away
from a table. The man was bald and his thin face told of
many hardships. He had a companion, and this turned many
heads.
A woman, no, hardly a woman. She was wearing a
tattered cloak that partially hid her thin figure and the
hood draped over her head. Large clear eyes looked out from
it, her beauty fighting through despite being dirty. Many
snickered as they whispered amongst themselves the possible
relationship between the two. Many could also feel the
desire rise amongst themselves, but they too noticed the
strong arms and rough face of the man. But a little more
than few recognized the twitching fingers of a drunk. They
only need but wait.
They watched the man and the girl sit down, placing
their small belongings besides them, the men snickered again
as the girl placed a huge bamboo umbrella beside her
belongings. She took off her cloak and more than a few
gasped, she seemed to ignore them. None had ever seen a red
haired girl before. There were rumors though, of a great
warrior up north, who had red hair too, and they whispered
amongst themselves that it could be possible, then snickered
again as one commented on the fine "treasure" they had come
upon.
The girl leaned over and whispered something to the
man's ear and he whispered something back. They seemed to
argue, their hands and gestures making it plain even though
one could hardly hear a word. The girl sighed and she
yelled in a tired voice with a strange accent to the
innkeeper what they wanted and also what the men in the room
were waiting to hear. The men also noticed the accent. The
innkeeper demanded to see if they had any means to buy
anything and was satisfied as the girl opened a small sash
and showed him the insides. The innkeeper nodded and left.
A few minutes later, the innkeeper brought out food and
sake. The men in the room nodded to each other smiling and
smiled even broader as they noticed that the first thing the
tired man reached for was the sake. The girl gave a nervous
glance around the room and eyed the sheathed swords randomly
placed around the room, then began to eagerly stuff food
into her belly, quick and unceremoniously. When she was
done she whispered again to the man, who shook his head and
took another giant swig from the bottle. The girl got upset
and brought her mouth closer to the man's ear and nearly
shook him, but he pushed her away and took another drink and
then shook the empty bottle toward the innkeeper who nodded
and brought another. The girl gave another nervous glance
around the room.
The men waited another hour and then nodded toward a
particular large man, who seemed to be the most respected
amongst them. He got up and walked toward the table and
pulled up a chair and sat down next to the girl and placed
his arm casually around her. The rest of the men snickered
as he did so.
"So, little one, where are you coming from?"
The girl shoved his arm off and humphed. The man
smiled and placed his arm around her again, more tightly.
The girl's face flushed and this time moved her chair away
after taking the man's arm off her.
"Haha," another man laughed, "Kyoushiro definitely
wants this one!" The other men laughed too.
The girl gave a vicious stare to all the men that
nearly silenced them. She gave them a gaze that was so full
of hate and pain it nearly frightened them. But they were
men, and why should they be frightened of a girl? They
shifted around in their seats and some of them smiled back.
"So, little one, why are you with this drunken sot?"
The man named Kyoushiro brought his chair closer to the
girl.
"Eh?" The rough man, now drunk, looked up from his
bottle. "Luanma, what's going on?"
The girl moved closer to the drunk man. Kyoushiro
suddenly reached across the table and grabbed the girl's
arm. He brought his other arm up over the table in front of
the drunk man and dropped several coins.
"Old man, I wish to take this girl off your hands.
Here is some money to give more life to your drinking."
"Wha..." it took some time for the drunk man to
understand. Then as if waking a sleeping bear, the drunk
man's face filled with anger and he grabbed the coins and
threw them at Kyoushiro's face. "Dare...dare you to think
of such...my son...no..." then almost as fast, the man's
face lost it's rage and fell once more into a lost
drunkeness.
"Ha, ha!! Kyoushiro, teach him a lesson!!" The other
men laughed at such sport and goaded him on.
The girl, apparently named Luanma, stared around the
room in panic and realized the danger. She got up from her
chair and tried to lift the drunk man off the chair. She
felt herself pushed back down in the chair.
"What, old man, you don't want more to drink?"
Kyoushiro said with a cruel smile, "let me take this
troublesome girl off your hands." At this, he bent down as
if to take a kiss from the girl.
The men were about to laugh but instead gasped as they
saw the drunk man knock Kyoushiro over the table. "Dare!!
Dare!!" The drunk man shouted and then lost his balance and
fell into his chair. The girl dropped her fists as she
looked at the drunk man.
She could hear swords being drawn.
"Stop!!" Kyoushiro shouted as he got up. The men
sheathed their swords. "So, got some strength in you yet,
old man?" Kyoushiro stood above the drunk man, who shivered
in fear as his arms spasmed drunkenly. Kyoushiro grabbed
the drunk man by his shirt then threw him, the man slammed
into and knocked over a table.
"Ba-Ba!!" The girl yelled and ran to the drunk man who
was now slightly bleeding across his cheek.
Kyoushiro walked over, unhidden viciousness across his
features as he said, "So, you care so much for that old man,
eh? OOOFFFF!!!!"
The men on the far wall dodged in time as Kyoushiro's
body smacked into the wall then fell down to the ground,
knocking over chairs.
"What!!" The men stared, they had hardly seen the girl
get up, rush over, pick Kyoushiro above her head, and then
toss him several yards across the room.
"Don't bother us!! Any of you!! I'm warning you!"
The girl had hurried over to her table and began grabbing
their stuff.
The men surrounded her and the drunk man, swords out in
the open. The innkeeper yelled behind them in panic.
The girl stared at all the men, teeth bared.
"Wait!!" Kyoushiro had gotten up. "Let me." He had
his sword out and walked through the circle. "Pieces of
shit, dare to hit me!! You will now be punished."
"Who's the piece of shit!?" The girl yelled back.
"You bitch!!" Kyoushiro attacked, his sword raised
above his head and rushed the girl.
The girl met him and stopped both his arms from
swinging the sword down with one hand, kicked him between
the legs, grabbed his sword, then stabbed the sword into his
leg. Then she picked him up again and Kyoushiro flew across
the room again and crashed into the far wall.
This was no ordinary girl!! All the men rushed her.
"Luanma!!" The drunk man had gained some clarity and
tossed her the bamboo umbrella.
The men had surrounded her and all attacked with their
swords raised and dropped them on top of the girls head.
The girl caught the umbrella, opened it above her, and split
her legs as she dropped to the ground. The swords were
impossibly stopped by the umbrella. Then the umbrella spun
as the girl underneath yelled and spun her leg out and
tripped all the men surrounding her.
She closed the umbrella and knocked three of the swords
out of the three men on the floor in front of her. Then
with another giant swing of the umbrella, smacked all three
across the head. She did the same to two others on the
floor behind her. The others had managed to stand however
and were grouped together blocking the way to the door.
The men attacked and the girl desperately blocked their
attacks, realizing at the same time that they weren't trying
to kill her, just hurt her. She blocked another sword
coming for her head but the large man kept pushing and they
were at a deadlock. She saw the sword coming and knew there
was nothing she could do about it. It slashed her shirt.
Her face flushed in anger and she kicked the one, who
cut her shirt, across the face then the one she was
deadlocked inbetween the legs. She swung her umbrella so
hard against the man's head he crashed into the other one
and both went flying into the crowded men.
"Ma de!!" She yelled then grabbed the drunken man and
threw him above the heads of the men towards the exit and as
they were distracted, crashed into them, swinging her
umbrella left and right. "Ma de, Ma de, Ma de," she damned
in Chinese slamming her umbrella left and right, then
grabbed the drunken man's hand, who had just gotten up,
nearly broke the door off it's hinges as she slammed through
it to the dark outside. It had begun to rain.
Ranma 1/2 Fan-Fic "no title yet"
They ran not knowing if they were being chased or not,
the huge umbrella easily covering the both of them.
"Damn it!" Luanma held onto her father's drunk arms.
Finally they stopped to rest for a little bit. She shook
the drunk man. "Ba-Ba!! Why can't we have one day of
rest!! Why!!"
The drunk man just groaned and took a swig of the
bottle he had managed to carry. The girl grabbed it from
him.
"Why are we here! As if we didn't have enough troubles
living back at China!"
The old man groaned. "But Luanma, this is your home!!
Here is where you were born!"
"I don't care!! At least we found people kind enough
to let us in!! Here they all think we're thieves!! And
back there, what if we didn't have the umbrella!! What if
we lost the umbrella!"
"But Luanma," pain was clearly in the man's eyes, "this
is your home, not China."
"Aaarrrggghhh!" Luanma fell to the ground, she could
almost feel herself weeping. She held it in, staring at the
ground, no longer able to look at her pathetic father. At
least she got to eat, she thought to herself.
Genma too, stood silent, holding the umbrella
unsteadily, crying freely, pride lost long ago.
"How aching." The voice came from behind them.
Had one of the men followed them? Luanma jumped up and
turned around. "Who are you!?"
"Oh, just a traveller, like you," Luanma could see the
outline of the man's body. The man walked closer and as he
did, Luanma saw him clearer despite the half hidden moon.
He was smiling and wore the garments of a warrior. His
teeth shone.
There was something wrong with this man. Something
that frightened Luanma. "Hmph," she stood in front of her
father, "a left over from the inn."
At that, the man looked confused then said, "What inn?"
He smiled a toothy smile and Luanma gasped as his eyes began
to glow red.
"What!?" Something else had changed and Genma and
Luanma stepped back. They stared around them. It was no
longer cold. Luanma held out her hand and felt the hot
rain. "Hot!?" Luanma looked back at the man and nearly
screamed but fear froze her.
The man was changing, a horn grew from his head as his
mouth stretched out and formed jaws like that of a dog's,
his arm's grew longer and thinner until they nearly touched
the ground and from his back grew black wings like those of
a bat, his legs grew long and lanky and bent like a wolf
standing on its hind legs. It howled like a wolf too and
before Luanma recovered from its change from man to monster,
charged toward them.
"Ba-Ba!" Desperation broke the fear as Luanma pushed
her father to the side and jumped out of the umbrella as the
creature swished past them. She could feel the change as
her clothing tightened around her and the strange hot rain
soaked her.
The creature turned around in a malicious smile then
that ugly grin turned into shock. "Man!?" it growled
through saliva that dripped to the floor. It seemed to grow
angry and howled again and rushed Luanma. "MAN!!?"
Luanma jumped over it and as he passed over the
creature, kicked with both legs into the back of its head,
then flipped and landed closer to his father, who had
realized it was now safe for him to drop the umbrella.
"Ba-Ba!! What is it!!?" Luanma breathed heavily, his
knees shaking.
Genma shivered despite the steam around them. "I don't
know! Luanma, quick, remember what you learned!!"
The thing stared at them and then giggled, a nasty,
gurggling giggle.
Luanma tried to concentrate, tried to forget his fear,
but everytime the creature looked at him, his concentration
failed. "Ba-Ba, I can't!" The creature seemed to eminate
fear, a strange almost locking fear, unnatural as the
creature was.
The creature lunged again, claws reaching out to both
of them. Genma and Luanma barely dodged, the claws
scratching at Luanma's clothing. Luanma slipped on the mud
and fell on his back and flipped backwards in a panic, not
knowing if the creature was attacking him or not. He looked
desperately around and saw his father fighting the monster.
Genma ducked underneath the creature's swing and kicked
out one leg beneath it, and as it fell, he kicked out again
into its stomach and sent it flying back. He turned and ran
towards Luanma but then felt something smash into him.
Luanma felt his heart skip a beat as the creature got
up, totally unaffected by Genma's kick, and smash Genma's
head against the tree. "BA-BAAA!!!" Luanma couldn't see if
his father was bleeding or not. "BA-BA?" No reply. The
creature giggled again. Luanma felt cold inside.
The creature sensed the change in its prey. Its prey
was no longer scared. The creature howled and shook its
head and opened its jaws showing its clear teeth. Its prey
was still not scared.
Luanma stared at the creature calmly that had so easily
beaten his father. He raised his hands and breathed deeply,
easily. He could feel the coolness within turn to burning
heat. He was no longer scared. He would destroy this
monster. Luanma forced all that heat into his arms and
could feel it waiting to be released.
The creature howled again, it was furious. It didn't
understand why its prey was no longer scared. Once more it
leapt in rage.
Luanma opened his palms, bent them a little, then
pushed out and let go.
The blast lit up the night.
Luanma watched the creature's body fly toward the
forest, he wasn't sure if he had killed it. He walked
towards his father's body.
Only when she saw her father change into a panda did
she realize that the rain had turned cold again.
"Ba-Ba," whispered Luanma checking over her father.
She felt a large bruise on the side of Genma's head, but
other than that, there didn't seem to be anything wrong.
Luanma sat her father up against the same tree that his head
had smashed into. "Ba-Ba," she whispered and fell asleep on
the ground.
The panda woke up and blinked toward the sun. It felt
ill. It stood up, not knowing how it could, then went back
down on all fours. It looked around, wimpering, noticing
that it was standing underneath a tree amongst a field of
grass. It then noticed the girl. It walked toward the girl
and nudged her slightly across the cheek and then grunted
slightly. The girl woke up.
Luanma shivered, her clothes were wet. "Ba-Ba," she
whispered and pushed the panda slightly away then checked
the bag next to her. Her back ached but she was used to it
and rummaged through the travel stained bag, pulling out her
one other set of clothing, and began to undress.
"Was it a nightmare," Luanma asked the panda then she
shook her head, "but of course you wouldn't understand,
would you?"
The panda just whimpered.
She sighed and shivered then put on the dry pair of
clothing. The weather was getting colder and colder. The
panda whimpered then pressed its large warm fuzzy body next
to her. She pushed it slightly away, a look of annoyance on
her face. She packed everything back up, placed the
umbrella on top of the bag, through the loop, tied it in
place, then placed the bag across her back. She turned
toward the panda, "C'mon, Ba-Ba, let's see where you've
taken us." She began to walk, the panda following her, not
really understanding.
Tendo Akane burned the letter, as she always did with
Kuno Tatewaki's poems of love. She had sent her maid away
so she could be left alone in private and enjoy the recent
writing and honor that Kuno had given her. Its been several
months since Kuno had noticed the youngest daughter of the
Tendo estate and had already had many dinners with her
father to arrange a deal.
"Why wasn't I born a man," thought Akane, staring at
the place where she had hidden the sword. "Oh Shikiri, why
did you have to die?" She remembered the old man, who had
fought in so many wars, but his career ended when he lost
the use of his right arm. He use to laugh at her tears and
take her into his one good arm and tell her not to worry.
That some day a prince would come and take all her troubles
away. When she had gotten older, only relunctantly, and
with great fear and caution, did he teach her how to use his
sword. A year ago he had felt his death approaching early
and had given her the sword and told her to hide it, before
he went back to his bed and breathed his last.
Akane sighed. She had so many dreams but she also
realized how futile it all was. No matter how much she
wanted, no matter how much she dared, she knew father would
force her to marry Kuno. "Father always wanted the best for
you," she said out loud mockingly deep.
Kuno Tatewaki was the head of the Kuno clan and ruled
Ise Taira, a large district only a few miles west of her
father's estate. Her marrying Kuno would gain her father
more power and respect. She also knew that Kuno was
hopelessly in love with her and would never harm her if she
was his wife and that was why her father was finally giving
her up. "But why to such an idiot!! All he wants to do is
die honorable and stupidly in some war with barbarians some
day." Akane needed air and called her maid in.
After preparing her, the maid opened the door and
walked in front of Akane, slowly. They approached the main
door and walked out. For her rides about the land Akane
preferred to wear a simple dress that allowed her to sit
comfortably for hours. It was a red dress however, and died
silk was expensive, straight from the T'ang dynasty, but to
this, Akane hardly gave a thought. Neither did she give a
thought to her painted nails and painted face or to the
comfortable shoes she wore.
Outside many men strode about, some wearing swords and
practicing, some not. Recently the surrounding wall had
begun to deteriorate and Tendo Soun had ordered it rebuilt.
Currently many men were on ladders, the din of hammers could
be heard all over. Akane held her ears and told her maid to
get the carriage. She wished to travel a little bit. The
maid nodded, Tendo Akane was known to do such.
The maid had gotten a carriage and two horses and after
getting the men to rig the horses up, got a driver, and had
him bring it to Akane.
Hibiki Ryouga was sweating a little, he had just put up
several beams for the wall, the other men awing at his
strength, as he pounded nails into the wood in one stroke of
the hammer. He was called down and asked to drive the
horses for Tendo Akane. He smiled in joy and jumped from
the top of the wall and landed lightly on the bottom and
sprinted across to the stables.
Akane looked up and smiled. Her maid had chose well.
Her father's favorite roto would take her around her
father's lands. Akane told the maid to take the day off and
that she'll be back in an hour if father got worried. She
then turned towards Ryouga's offered hand. The quiet man
smiled amiably back and help her up onto the carriage and
then with a slight move of the reins, got the horses into a
light run, and out of the entry.
Hibiki Ryouga was well known on her father's lands,
word of his great strength had spread quickly. Tendo Soun
was quick to grab him and make him into a roto, when the
time to fight came, Ryouga would be great assistance in
carrying many items of war. Also, Ryouga's strength helped
in many things within the protecting walls of Soun's grande
estate.
Tendo Soun was regarded as the most kindest of estate
owners and many people were shown his kind hand, none would
ever think of harming Akane. Hibiki Ryouga, too, loved the
man and would die for him. Tendo Soun had given him the
money to pay for his sick mother's medicine, and would give
him leave from time to time to visit her. Tendo Soun, in
his turn, felt something akin to a son toward Ryouga, but
the best he could do for the poor boy was make him into
roto, since he had no noble blood. He would make a great
warrior too, Tendo had thought often, but only nobles were
allowed to war. But Soun did prefer having Ryouga with
Akane, whenever she was hit with an urge to move about, it
was ensured that Akane would not get hurt.
Akane breathed in easily as the cart finally left the
walls of her confining home. "Ryouga," she said as if to a
friend, "How are you? I hear father has you very busy."
"Oh, its nothing! I'm just glad that Tendo-san has
ordered the wall fixed."
"You're so busy, I never see you!" Akane laughed a
little.
"Heh, heh!" Ryouga blushed, thankful that his back was
toward her. "You're too kind, Mrs. Tendo."
"Ryouga, I have an idea!"
"Yes, Mrs. Tendo."
"Let's go to Ishigi, you know, that town towards Ise
Taira?"
"Ishigi!! But that's off your father's lands!"
"Oh, who cares, Ryouga! No ones going to find out.
Besides, your pants have all these holes in it, I'll buy you
a new one."
"Mrs. Tendo!" Ryouga's found it hard to breathe. "A
present from you! But we can buy one from one of the many
cloth stores on your father's estate, within even the walls!
I'm sorry, Mrs. Tendo, I can't. Your father would be
upset!"
"Don't worry, c'mon, Ryouga. If anything happens, I'll
tell father its my fault."
"Hai," Ryouga sighed and turned the horses toward the
road that Akane pointed out that would lead them to Ishigi.
He could never disappoint his mistress.
They entered the town which had several stalls outside
with men shouting their wares, people walking about, and
other such happenings were occuring. Once in a while,
someone visiting Ishigi, familiar with Ryouga, would shout
out his name and wave and Ryouga would wave back. Akane
would smile each time, glad to see her friend being known so
well.
She looked about and began to daydream what it must be
like living here, on her own. Away from her father's estate
and her worries, and especially Kuno. She did not realize
that Ryouga was letting the horses run on their own as he
glimpsed around him, wondering where he was but trusting his
mistress.
They came upon an odd sight. There was a throng of
people oohing and gasping at something. Akane told Ryouga
to stop the horses which he did. She stood up on the
carriage as did Ryouga. They looked over the heads of the
excited people and they, too, gasped.
A young lady with red hair, was doing acrobats on and
around what appeared to be a bear. A white and black bear.
"A panda," whispered Akane, "that's a panda!!"
"Mrs. Tendo, what is that?" Ryouga asked in a loud
voice over the cheers of the crowd.
"A panda, Ryouga!! They're for real!! Shikiri used to
tell me about them!! They're only found in China!! I used
to laugh at Shikiri, how angry he would get that I didn't
believe!" Akane watched some more as the slight girl danced
about, kicking and flipping while the panda strode about,
allowing her to use its back once in a while.
The girl finally stopped, breathing easily, and landed,
then bowed. "Thank you everybody," she yelled in a loud
voice. "I need money for me and my father."
"She's from China," said Akane excitedly to Ryouga, she
recognized the accent from some of her father's visitors
from that giant land.
The girl went on, "If you would be so kind and donate
some coins?" The girl gave a brilliant smile and went
around with a bowl accepting coins from the people who
surrounded her. The panda seemed upset that so many people
were too close to her and gave a growl, but the girl patted
it harshly on its head and pointed toward the wall which
they had performed in front of. The panda whined and walked
over to the wall and sat down.
Akane jumped down from the cart, uncaring to get her
dress dirty. She prodded her way through the crowd. Ryouga
shouted, "Wait!!" then followed after her.
Akane approached the young girl who held her bowl out
towards her. Akane dropped an obscene amount of money in
the bowl. The people around her gasped. But instead of
being grateful, the girl gave her an insolent stare and
humphed.
"Thank you, lady," the girl said bowing but gave Akane
the feeling as if the girl was looking down her nose at her.
The girl mades as if to turn away.
"Wait, are you from China?" Akane grasped the girl's
arm.
The girl whipped her eyes at Akane's and Akane took a
step back letting go. "Yes," the eyes seemed to forgive and
Akane felt as if she had just escaped death.
Ryouga did not miss that stare.
"Um...uh..." Akane couldn't speak for some reason.
"Well?" The people around them gasped, to talk to such
a noble lady was unheard of.
Akane felt her confidence return, along with anger.
Who was this girl to talk to her like this. "I wish for you
to accompany me to my father's estate."
"And why would I do that?"
"Because I order you to."
"Hmph," the girl turned away.
Ryouga grabbed her arm and the two faced each other,
glaringly. "The lady was speaking to you," Ryouga managed
to get out through his teeth.
Ryouga felt them being covered with a shadow, he looked
up and nearly screamed in terror. The panda had its mouth
open, teeth slightly yellow, and its arms raised above its
head towering above them.
"Ba-Ba!! No!!" Luanma pulled her arm out of his grip
and pushed the panda back.
Ryouga shivered.
Akane had froze too, so preoccupied had she been with
how cute the panda looked, she never realized how dangerous
it could be. She quickly went into her speech mode that she
only used during formal occasions. "We did not mean to
upset you. We are sorry but we would still like you to come
with us if it pleases you."
"For what?"
"I would like you to give a show to my father's men, it
would raise their moral."
The girl seemed to think this over then turned back
towards her with an unfriendly smile. "Do we get food and
lodgings?"
"If you please us."
"Sounds good."
Luanma had refused to ride in the carriage besides the
noble lady, at this the driver seemed to approve of probably
because he didn't want her sitting next to his lady. Luanma
saw the stares he kept giving his lady and couldn't help but
smile. "Stupid fool," she said to herself, "falling for her
fake beauty." But Luanma couldn't help but feel jealous of
the beautiful silk dress that the lady Akane was wearing,
"but why should I feel that?" thought Luanma to herself,
"Better to wear what the driver was wearing, I still have my
pride." The driver's clothing, though simple, was
infinitely better than her's. Luanma forced herself from
picking at her clothing as she rode on top of the panda's
back.
Tendo Akane kept herself from picking at her dress.
She felt nervous around this strange girl, whom she knew was
looking at her but everytime she turned to face her, the
girl was looking away. "Or maybe I'm imagining it. But
what a surprise it'll be for father!" At this, she couldn't
help but smile. She looked over at the girl again, who was
looking straight forward riding the panda along the cart,
and her smile turned to a frown. It was getting cold and
the girl was inappropriately dressed. Akane was going to
have to get her some new clothing, "and this will also be
better for the performance." Akane smiled again.
Ryouga kept the horses from trotting too fast. These
rides with Akane were precious to him, only then did she
ever talk to him like a friend. "But only as a friend," he
sighed to himself. To share this ride with someone else,
however...He looked over at the girl. He had decided on the
outset not to like her, to despise her, but he couldn't help
but notice her simple beauty either. Then the girl suddenly
turned to him and gave a malicious smile, darting her eyes
toward Tendo Akane. Ryouga's face flushed, "Why that...
How did she..? When... Humph!!" Ryouga turned away and
stared at the road, even though he had no idea where they
were going.
Akane turned to the girl, "So when did you come to
Honshu?"
The girl just looked straight.
Akane grimaced then said, "Where did you learn how to
do those flips?"
The same.
"Answer me, damn it!!"
"Gou pi," said the girl.
"What!" Akane was getting angry, "What was that!?
Tell me what that was!"
The girl slammed her eyes upon Akane and said, "Do you
always talk so much?"
Akane was taken aback. "How...how..."
"How dare you!!" Ryouga stopped the horses. "Don't
you dare talk to Mrs. Akane that way!"
"Hmph, why should I care how I talk to Mrs. Akane?"
Luanma and the panda kept walking further.
"Ryouga, please, calm down. Miss? Miss?"
"Yes," Luanma stopped the panda and turned around.
"Please, I'm sorry to have offended you. But I need to
know some information if I am to show you to my father."
"Hmph. Fine, ask what you like."
Ryouga started the horses again.
"Where are you from?"
"China."
"No, I mean specifically," Akane wondered where women
were allowed to do such things. She knew from Ishigi that
in some parts of China, women were allowed to do certain
things.
"China."
"Eh..." Akane gave up, "So when did you arrive to
Honshu?"
"About a week ago."
"Do you know anybody in Honshu?"
"No. Wait...do you know anybody named Saotome?"
"No."
"Ok, then, no, I don't know anybody." Luanma smiled
sadly.
Akane smiled back, now she was getting somewhere. "Oh
look!! There's my father's estate!"
Ryouga yelled at the gate guards who yelled back a
friendly greeting. The gates opened and the group was let
in.
As they entered, all work stopped to stare.
They rode through the main road a bit, passing by small
shops and houses. Luanma stared at everything, all this
belonged to that girl's father.
Ryouga stopped the cart at the end of the road in front
of the main house. He jumped off and helped Akane down.
"Ryouga, I'll go in and tell father what's happening,"
Akane took out some coins and held them out to Ryouga. "Use
this to buy pants for yourself and an outfit for the girl.
OK?"
"Yes, Mrs. Tendo," Ryouga bowed.
"Yes, Mrs. Tendo," mouthed Luanma breaking into a
smile.
Um, I think this is the end of part one.
FYI
Luan-ma = Crazy Horse (yes, Ranma) in Mandarin
Ise Taira - A large district located in Honshu
roto = form of retainer
Gou pi = something like Horse-shit.
Ma de (Ta Ma de) = actual translation means "His mother of" but more like
"Damn it!!"
Blahs: Yes, this story takes place in feudal Japan and yes there is a
lot of stuff in it that doesn't, but hey, sue me. The only person on
this ML who knows anything clearly along those lines is Hit-chan (like
that?). But I could be wrong about that too:) So, if you MLers got any
helpful hints, e-mail me them, everything greatly appreciated.
Oh, if anyone can tell what would be more appropriate then Mrs.
Akane, then please tell me since I couldn't find anything appropriate.
Also, what would Ryouga call Soun?
RR [Geen at Large]