Since I didn't get nearly as much c&c on the updated version of Part I,
I guess it is pretty much good enough to stand. I've already posted it
to my homepage location (now I just need to make a link from my index
page to that page, or no one will see it!)
Anyway, here's version 1 of Part II.:
With a tiny stream of hot water, Yohko, Azusa and Ranma found
themselves back in their original forms again. Kasumi saw to it that
they were well supplied with food, hot water, and warm drinks after
their walk in the rain. Then an uninvited, but not unexpected, crowd
gathered to hear the girls' story.
"Well, we just wanted to go to Jusenkyo to practice exorcising curses,"
Yohko started, "but Jusenkyo turned out to be a much worse situation
than Grandma had ever thought possible. My grandmother was a Devil
Hunter too, you know, until I assumed the mantle of the Mano line of
Devil hunters. I'm the 108th in our line."
"Wow, that seems like quite a lot!" interjected Akane. "I wish the
Saotome's had something like that they could be proud of!" she added
with an irritated nudge to Ranma.
"Ah, who needs it! All that matters is what I do!" answered the
martial artist.
"That's what I said, at first. Who needs this devil hunting stuff
anyway? All I was interested in at the time was �losing it.'"
"Ha!" laughed Azusa. "You still are!" Yohko blushed and motioned for
her to shut up. Ranma and Akane pointedly looked away from each other
until Ranma jumped in and changed the subject.
"So anyway, you became this devil hunter..."
"Yes, Grandma gave me this ring, which is a major part of where my
powers come from. Although, I first manifested my power without any
ring at all. When I use this, I can transform into my Devil Hunter
persona, retrieve my soulsword, and use other magical attacks and
defenses. I can tell when a devil or demon is near, also."
"So you knew about the one that attacked us today?" Akane asked.
"Well, actually I didn't," Yohko made a wry face. "And it kind of
worries me. I didn't feel anything at all when that one attacked."
Ranma butted in with a tactful observation. "Well, what I want to know
is, do you always have to lose all your clothes like that when you
change? Isn't that kinda embarrasing?"
Yohko blushed again, remembering that he had watched her just a hour or
so ago. "Yes, it is. Thanks for noticing!" She thumped him on the
head.
"Ow! Why does everyone keep hitting me around here?"
Akane laughed in incredulity. "Because you're such an insensitive
clod! Y'know, Ranma, sometimes I think you must be nearly as stupid as
Kuno Tatewake!"
Tatewake stared into the glowing light in front of him. The light had
a strange effect on him, and he always seemed to go into some kind of
trance everytime he saw it. He was shaken out of his daze by the voice
of the old man behind him.
"It didn't work, did it?"
Kuno rubbed his eyes and yawned before answering. "No, Master, they
dispatched the beast quite easily."
"Well, we never thought it would work, but it was wise to test the
waters before committing ourselves too heavily. Send another �fetcher'
after them before you go home tonight."
Kuno wasn't bright, but the statement pierced through his hypnotically
induced fog and caused him to wonder. "Is that wise, Master? Won't
they dispatch it just as easily?"
"Leave the thinking to me, boy!" The ancient voice was incapable of
doing anything other than speaking, but Kuno cringed anyway, as if
anticipating a blow. "I promised you that if you worked this simple
magic for me, either Akane or the pig-tailed girl would be yours for the
taking. In fact, both will want you, and you can take either, or even
both of the girls at any time. Just keep your end of the bargain..."
Kuno went back to staring at the light. He felt an impulse in his mind
that he needed to go home. Automatically, he stood up and gathered his
things to leave. Mechanically, he picked up one of the small iron
statuettes that lined a shelf on the wall. He casually tossed it into
the light, then turned and walked outside.
"What am I doing in this part of town?" he asked himself. "I'm as lost
as Ryouga!" He shook his head and looked around him. He didn't
recognize the small house in front of him, although it looked familiar.
He glanced at his watch and was amazed at the time. "Why can't I
remember anything since 3:00?" he said aloud. Shrugging his shoulders,
Kuno merely started walking home. He was used to being confused, so he
just put it out of his mind and promptly forgot all about it.
"Yohko, Azusa, despite the rudeness of my fiance here, we really are
pleased to meet you. I'm glad you could come over and talk to us."
"I'm glad too, Akane. You're the first person who's been very friendly
to me all day. You can't know how much that means to me."
Ranma tried to jump into the conversation too. "Yeah, Akane's like
that, she'll talk to anyone, no matter how weird-looking they seem.
What? Why's everyone always glaring at me?"
Yohko and Akane spoke in unison. "Shut-up, Ranma!"
"Let us walk you home, at least. It's getting kind of late, and I bet
you don't know your way around Nerima too well yet."
"Not to mention the fact that someone is bound to get you wet somehow.
It never fails with me!" added Ranma. "By the way, you look really
stupid as a tall blond guy in that red dress. You ought to think about
getting some different clothes for those �accidents' that always seem to
happen."
"Ohh, that's a great idea, Yohko!" said Azusa. "We could make Ranma
take us shopping for boy clothes sometime!" Ranma rolled his eyes while
Akane doubled up in laughter.
"The only time I've ever seen Ranma shop for clothes was when he got
hit on the head and thought he really was a girl! That was so
hilarious! You should have seen him, a guy trying on bras!"
"That's enough, Akane! They don't really want to hear about it!"
"Yes we do!" said Azusa and Yohko at the same time.
Akane answered for Ranma who assumed a very pouty face and stomped out
the door. "Well, that's about all there is to tell, really. But I'll
go shopping with you if you want. If you're going to be tall and blond,
we should make you out to look like Bateau, y'know from the Ghost in the
Shell?" Yohko nodded. "He's just soooo cool looking..."
"Will you look at yourself, Akane? You're actually talking like a
girl! I can't believe my ears. Now are we going, or am I just standing
outside for nothing?"
"Shut-up, Ranma!" Akane said one more time, this time punctuating her
words with a kick that sent Ranma flying into another yard and headfirst
into a pool.
"Was that really necessary?" the red-head asked, shaking her clothes
dry as she walked back to where the other three girls were. He opened
his mouth for another retort, but his attention was caught by a bright
light growing to his left. The four girls turned in surprise just in
time to see another demon hopping from the mystical portal.
"No!" Ranma said quickly, stopping Yohko and Azusa from their
transformation process. "There's no need for you to...ah, y'know, lose
your clothes again. I'll handle this one." She leaped at the ugly
creature, attacking with her Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken technique, her
fist striking the beast's exoskeletion hundreds of times.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" she said hopping up and down and holding her
hand. "That thing has one tough skin!" The demon's exoskeleton had not
cracked under the technique, but it was dazed from the force of the
blows. Ranma started to glow white, then she unleashed the Moko
Takabisha ki-blast, blowing the creature into a bloody smear in the
street.
"See, piece of cake. In fact, if that's the kind of opposition you're
used to fighting, I'm not too impressed."
Yohko merely shook her head. "That's just the thing! These demons are
incredibly easy to defeat in combat. Not only that, they don't activate
my warning sense. I don't know what the deal is with them, but I
suspect that they must not be real demons at all. We need to ask
Grandma if she knows anything at all about these guys."
"Well, the sooner the better. Where do you live?"
"Just a few blocks that way," Azusa answered. "It's right over that
hill!" Azusa kept up a constant stream of chatter while they walked.
None of the girls were paying much attention to where they were going,
though, being absorbed in the conversation. At the crest of the hill,
Azusa stumbled.
Akane was able to keep from tripping over Azusa, but Yohko and Ranma
weren't so lucky. Both of them fell over heavily, and found themselves
rolling down the hill. They crashed in a heap at the bottom.
"Hey! I can't see anything!" shouted Ranma. She had no idea that her
head had ended up under Yohko's skirt.
"Aaahh! Stop that, it tickles!" Yohko yelped. Ranma desperately
managed to pull her head up and stand. Her face was nearly as red as
her hair by this point.
"I'm sorry, Yohko! Geez, that..."
She was suddenly knocked into the air. Akane shouted after the flying
body, "Ranma! You are such a pervert! Don't you even have the decency
not to try anything right in front of me?"
Azusa cleared her throat. "That's, um, good aim, Akane! You kicked
him right into our house!"
"Y'know, Akane, that really was an accident..." began Yohko.
Akane waved her hand dismissively. "I know, but I can't let a good
excuse like that to pound him go to waste, now can I?" The three girls
smiled at each other, and walked towards the door.
Joshua Dyal
j-dyal@geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arcade/1958/
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