Nihao, China! (2/?)
by: Jenni McCrabb
"Blackbird"
All the characters use in this fanfic are copyright of Rumiko Takahahi and Shogakukan
Inc.
"Akane!" Ranma yelled as he ran towards the mountain where the young ninja
had taken his finacee, Akane.
"Ranma! Stop!" Ryouga rounded a corner and faced Ranma as he ran towards
him. "What have you done with my beautiful Akane?"
"I haven't done anything with her! Get out of my way Ryouga, I have to follow
that ninja!"
"Don't think you're going without me, I could never stand by and let you rescue
Akane! I shall rescue her and then she will love me!"
"Humph, don't count on it." Ranma pushed Ryouga out of the way and continued
towards the base of the mountain. Ryouga followed him at a close distance so he
wouldn't get lost. Genma seated himself back down at the table, finished his food, then
started to eat the food that Ranma and Akane had left behind. They'll show back up here
again soon, he thought.
Ranma and Ryouga reached the base of the mountain. A narrow, steep path led up
the side of the mountain. Akane's cry for help could be heard from far above. Without
hesitating, Ranma started up the path as Ryouga followed. After a while, the wind began
to beat upon the two of them. They had to grasp the side of the mountain at each gust for
fear of being blown off. On one such turn, Ryouga was caught off guard and a gust
knocked him loose from the ledge. Ranma quickly reached out and grabbed Ryouga's
hand and pulled him back up onto the ledge.
"Ranma....why? I mean, if you'd let me fall, Akane would truly have been all
yours." Ryouga looked at Ranma with astonishment.
"Just because you like Akane, don't mean I'm gonna let you fall off a mountain.
Besides, what would Akane want with someone like you when she's got someone like
me?"
"Why you! Just you wait Ranma Saotome, one day, I will prove my love for
Akane and she will love me more than you!"
"Ok, whatever Ryouga, I'll just let you believe that." They started back up the
mountain at a slower pace as to be more cautious. After about a hundred feet more they
reached a small ledge at the opening of a dark cave. The young ninja lay there on the
ground, Akane was no where to be seen.
"You! What did you do with Akane?" Ranma ran up and pulled the ninja from the
ground by the collar of the shirt and began to shake him. "If you so much as laid a hand
on her, I'll throw you off the mountain right now!"
"No! Please. I didn't harm her. I was planning to hold her in this cave, but when I
reached the entrance I was engulfed by this strange white light. I woke up here on the
cliff and that girl I had taken from you was no where around. I had heard that there was
once an old illusionist that resided in this mountain long ago but I thought it only a
myth." Ranma dropped the young man and ran into the cave, calling Akane's name.
"No! You mustn't," the ninja yelled after him. "The illusionist is also said to be a
powerful magician that isn't even human. Some say he's over 500 years old! He can't be
defeated!" Ryouga ignored the ninja's warning as well and followed Ranma into the
black hole. Ryouga managed to catch up with Ranma and relayed the warning to him.
"It doesn't matter, Ryouga. I'll go after her no matter who I have to fight. Besides,
how powerful can this guy be?" As if on cue, a light filled the cave.
"How powerful can I be? Well, we can just see now, can't we?" a deep voice
echoed in the narrow cave.
"Show yourself!" Ranma demanded.
The illusionist materialized into the room. He was young looking, no older than
fourteen. He was dressed in a long white robe with a large cold necklace around his neck
and matching gold bracelets. A simple rope acted as a belt. He floated.
"I have no desire to harm you, cursed one. I, in fact, have a bargain for you." He
smiled playfully at Ranma and Ryouga.
"No deals, you shall return the beautiful Akane Tendou to me at once!" Ryouga
challanged. *WHAM* Ranma backhanded Ryouga and knocked him into the cave wall a
few feet behind him.
"What deal do you offer. Wait, before you tell me, show me Akane is unharmed."
The illusionist nodded, the waved his hand and Akane, bound in what appeared to
be bars of energy stood there struggling.
"This is the deal I offer. I know you are one cursed by the springs at Jusenkyo. I
am one cursed with loneliness. Since I am eternal, any bride I may take dies yet I live on.
Since I have no wish to harm you, I will cure you of your curse if you will simply leave
the girl to me."
"A cure for my..curse..you mean, I can be a whole man again?" Ranma asked.
"Well, as whole as you ever were," the illusionist snickered.
"As much as you tempt me, I can't except, Akane is my fiancee and I can never
let you have her!"
"Very well then, you will have to defeat me and that, my cursed friend, is
impossible."
"We'll just see about that, come on Ryouga."
Ryouga picked his bruised body off the floor and began repeatedly throwing
bandannas at the illusionist who batted them away with lightening-like bolts with ease
and amusement. Ranma attacked with his flying punches but the illusionist easily
deflected with a sort of force-field.
"Ha! Is that the best you two can do?" The illusionist then began to shoot
lightning at Ranma and Ryouga who were doing their best to dodge and not run into one
another.
None of our attacks are working due to his force-field. I gotta think of some way
to get through it. Wait! I got an idea! I only hope it works. Ranma thought. He reached
inside his pack and retirieved a mirror that he used to watch himself practice to see if he
made any mistakes and held it in front of him as the illusionist shot another lightning bolt
at him. The bolt deflected off the mirror and hit the illusionist who looked shocked and
disbelieving that he had actually been hit. Ranma darted around the room, deflecting the
bolts that slammed the illusionist again and again. After several strong hits, the illusionist
fell and hit the ground. Ranma ran up to him and pulled him from the ground.
"Release Akane." The illusionist nodded, sighed, then waved his hand and the
bars around Akane disappeared and she fell to the ground. Ranma dropped the illusionist
and ran over to Akane.
"Are you ok," he asked. He took her hand, then, realizing what he was doing,
quickly dropped it.
"Yes, I am Ranma, thank you. You gave up a chance to rid yourself of your curse
for me. You could have been rid of me for good but you chose not to. I don't know what
to say." Still looking at the floor, she reached out and grasped Ranma's hand. He gasped
in surprise as she hesitated, then leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips. Ryouga
stood there, staring, then turned in defeat and headed back out of the cave and down the
path. She really does love him, he thought. Well, maybe she can still love me as her pet,
P-chan. As he walked out of the cave he realized it had started to rain. How convienent, he thought. P-Chan continued on down the side of the mountain.
After Akane broke the kiss, Ranma stood there, shocked and not knowing what to do next. Akane released his hand and started towards the exit to the cave.
"Wait!" The illusionist cried. "You have defeated me, cursed one. Your name, please, and hers. I'll not try and stop you. I just want to know. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've put you through. I just wanted someone to spend their lifetime with."
"I am Ranma Saotome and this is my fiancee, Akane Tendou. I'm sure you'll find someone sometime just don't go trying to take people by force." He turned and followed Akane out of the cave. They walked down the mountain in silence. The wind had subsided greatly and they had no problems staying on the path. When they reached the bottom of the mountain, P-Chan was there, looking lost.
"P-Chan! There you are! I was so worried about you!" Akane picked up the little pig and hugged him.
"Ranma! Nihao! Shampoo make Ranma ramen, yes?" Shampoo came running towards Ranma with a bowl of ramen in her hands. She tripped on a rock and the bowl of ramen came flying right at Akane. Ranma saw it a little too late to do anything about it except try to slink of unnoticed. The hot bowl of ramen hit Akane, and P-Chan. Akane screamed as the scalding soup hit her and she threw her hands up to protect her face. P-Chan fell to the ground where the ramen hit him and changed him back. Akane saw this happen.
"Ry..Ryouga? You're..you're P-Chan??? Why...why..you PERVERT!" Ryouga cringed as Akane kicked him, knocking him backwards, into Shampoo who fell to the ground and knocked her head on the sidewalk.
"Oh, I can't believe that! All that time, it was Ryouga that slept in my bed! Grrr..." Shampoo started to come to, and notice Ryouga on top of her.
"Ryouga knock Shampoo out?"
"Yeah, it was an accident, Shampoo, sorry" Ryouga rubbed his head and groaned.
"Ryouga defeat Shampoo, so...Shampoo marry Ryouga! My love!" Shampoo threw her arms around Ryouga's neck and began to cuddle him.
"No, Shampoo, you got it all wrong, it was an accident, I swear!"
"Hey! What are you doing with my beautiful Shampoo!" Mousse came running out of the resturant that Shampoo had recently vacated. "Prepare to die!"
"No! Wait! This is a mistake!" Ryouga managed to get himself out of Shampoo's grasp and began to run down the street screaming. Shampoo followed him, professing her undying love for him and Mousse chased after the both of them, swearing to kill Ryouga and win Shampoo.
"Wow Akane, do they deserve each other or what?" Ranma asked?
"Grr...Ranma, did you happen to know that Ryouga was P-Chan?" Akane glared at Ranma.
"I...uh..umm..what gave you that idea?" Ranma scratched his head nervously. Genma came walking up to the pair.
"Are you two ready to go now?" Ranma splashed him with cold water.
"Gee pop, you're some help, I coulda been killed!"
"Where ARE we going next, Mr.Saotome?" Akane asked. The panda held up a sign that said "Jusenkyo".
"That's a nice thought, pop, but do you even know how to get there?" Ranma asked. The panda pointed at the guide standing a few feet away. It was the same guide that they had the last time they were in China.
"Hello again, sirs! We go back to Jusenkyo <holding up sign>, yes?" the guide said.
"Ah! Well, I guess we'd better get going then." Ranma said.
"Maybe you will get a chance to get rid of your curse, Ranma. I mean, next stop, Jusenkyo!" Akane said.
To be continued......