Subject: [FFML] Five Inches From Oblivion Part1, Chapter 3
From: "aaron shattuck" <dilandau2@hotmail.com>
Date: 7/14/1998, 3:19 PM
To: ffml@fanfic.com

Chapter Three: The Sushi Is On The House

	�Hurry up, Ranma!� Akane called to her fiancee. �Why are you so slow 
today?!�
	Ranma sighed, he was shaken by the news of the disappearances. 
Apparently, Mousse still had not shown up at the Nekohanten. Just the 
thought of anything happening to someone he cared about...
	�I said, �hurry up�!� shouted Akane, snapping him out of his reverie. 
�At this rate, we�re going to be late!�
	�Gomen...� muttered the martial artist, absent-mindedly. 
	Akane�s face softened. It wasn�t like the Ranma she knew, to apologize 
so readily.
	�Excuse me...� interrupted a gruff voice from behind them.
	Turning their heads, revealed the speaker to be an extremely large man, 
wearing a trench-coat. That alone, didn�t set him apart, however. What 
was really strange about him, was that he was completely covered in 
clean, white bandages. The only mar on which, were two little eye-holes, 
too small for anything but blackness to be seen within them.
	�I�m sorry to bother you,� the strange man continued, in a voice that 
resembled gravel being ground into sand. �But I�m new in town, and I was 
wondering if you could, perhaps direct me towards a local restaurant.�
	Both of the young students merely stared in reply, though a word seemed 
to be slowly forming on Akane�s lips. After a short time, the large man 
began to laugh.
	�G-gomen nasai...� mumbled an embarrassed Akane. �We didn�t mean to...�
	�It�s quite all right! Quite all right!� assured the stranger, 
cheerfully. �My bandages, right? You see, I have a rare skin disease, so 
it is absolutely necessary, that I do not expose myself to the elements. 
I�m really quite used to the attention, I assure you!�
	�I... I see,� Akane replied, reluctantly. �What did you want to know 
again?�
	�The whereabouts of an eating establishment, my dear lady. Preferably, 
one that serves sea-food. I am a great connoisseur of sea food, you see. 
It would also help, if the establishment were to have been set up 
recently. We must support new businesses, during their shaky 
beginnings,� he finished solemnly.
	�New? Well... I don�t think there�s anything really new... �Ucchan�s 
Okonimiyaki,� is really the most recent, but it�s been around for quite 
some time... Most of the places the serve sea-food, specifically, are 
over that way.� Akane pointed towards the direction of the market area.
	�Ah, thank you very much. You�ve been a great help...� the bizarre man 
bowed low and walked off, in the direction Akane had pointed out.
	�What a weirdo,� commented Ranma, staring at the retreating figure, 
warily. �Come on, Akane, let�s go...�
	Akane took a moment, before she noticed that her fiancee had already 
begun to walk away. She quickly ran to catch up with him, preparing to 
berate him in her usual manor.

	It was time again, for his pilgrimage to silent torture. By the look on 
Gosunkugi�s face, it would be quite fitting, were a small black cloud to 
hover over his head. But, he was without such obvious sight gags, and it 
was doubtful, that many people would notice them on someone like him, 
anyway. To the world at large, he seemed to be little more than living 
scenery.
	�I should�ve at least tried to take some pictures of her, while I was 
there,� thought the unhappy boy. �But... Ranma was there...�
	Suddenly, he felt something warm,furry, and above all, heavy, drop on 
his head.
	�Aaaaaaah!� he shouted, struggling to keep his head up. �What the...�
	But the pale boy was not given much time to investigate, for rushing 
out of a corner in the street, was a I huge pack of dogs. Angry looking 
dogs. Hungry looking dogs. Dogs headed straight for him. Gosunkugi began 
to experience a feeling of dread, that had become all too familiar to 
him. 
	Soon, they were upon him! He was knocked to the ground by strong paws. 
Slavering jaws and sharp teeth were a mere inches from his throat... The 
pack halted and looked up warily. After some low growling, they began to 
slowly inch away, and finally fell into a full retreat.
	Confused, Gosunkugi looked around rapidly, for the cause of the canines 
fear. The only thing he found, was a large man, dressed in bandages and 
a trench-coat, standing down the street from him. The man gave an amused 
snort and walked on.
	Gosunkugi sighed, and touched the top of his head. As he expected, the 
creature had left from its seat there.
	�I can�t take much more of this,� he whined out loud. Slowly, he got up 
and began walking again. It wasn�t long, before he passed by a small 
shop, selling sushi. The proprietor, an old woman with silver gray hair, 
tied up in a bun atop her head, had just put the �Open� sign in the 
window, and noticed the school boy walk past.
	�Excuse me! Young man!� she croaked, waving towards him.
	�Hm?� Gosunkugi replied, surprised that he had been noticed by anyone.
	�Yes, please, would you terribly mind trying a free sample?� she asked, 
holding up an elegantly wrapped piece of fish he could not readily 
identify.
	Gosunkugi thought a moment, he _had_ skipped breakfast again. And his 
mother was quite worried about him eating properly. After all, it wasn�t 
safe for a person with his physique, to skip so many meals.
	�I... I guess so,� he agreed, not seeing any harm in it.
	�If you like it, please come back here and buy some more,� encouraged 
the old woman, handing him the sushi. �We only opened recently, and have 
had so very few customers.�
	Gosunkugi nodded and chewed the fish carefully. It was actually quite 
good! Sushi tended to be on the expensive side, but perhaps he should 
come back, he thought.
	�Mm... Sgood,� he assured, between bites.
	�I�m so very glad you like it,� beamed the old woman.
	He left her with a friendly wave and began walking towards school 
again. Perhaps, things were looking up!

	The red-headed young man of dubious character wandered through the 
streets of the shopping district. His eyes wandered around, taking in 
everything around him. So, inevitably, they fell on the form of 
Gosunkugi.
	�Hey,� he thought, �it�s that kid again.�
	He stared doubtfully at the boy. It seemed that Gosunkugi was just 
standing, with his head lowered. Soon, the boy began coughing and 
clutching his throat.
	�Hey, what�s wrong with him?� he wondered, as Gosunkugi sank to the 
pavement, the crowd walking around his crumpled body, like any piece of 
refuse on the street.

	Gosunkugi moaned, he had spent the last three days in bed, and none of 
them had seen his condition get any better. Pain seemed to circulate 
like blood through his veins, but it was his stomach that received the 
worst of it. It got so, that he could barely remember anything before 
the dull, throbbing ache. Only the blown up pictures of his goddess that 
littered the room, reminded him of his former life.
	�Son!� called his mother, in a voice far more cheerful than he had 
become accustomed to. �Your _friend_ is here to see you!�
	�Oh, that�s nice,� he thought. But then, �Wait a minute! I don�t have 
any friends!�
	�<Hello! Hello! Sicku boy!>,� cried the �lovable scoundrel� as he burst 
into the room. �How�s it going?!�
	�You?!� replied a very confused Gosunkugi, dimly recalling that 
unfortunate night. �What�re you doing here?!�
	�It�s only natural, that your best friend would want to visit you, 
during your time of need,� the red-head stated solemnly, taking a seat 
by Gosunkugi�s futon.
	�What?! I... I don�t even know you!�
	�Hey! I sold you that kawaii little ghost at _discount_, remember?� the 
young man rebutted indignantly. �If that isn�t true friendship, I don�t 
know what is... How�d you like it, anyway?�
	�The batteries ran out, and you can�t replace them,� Hikaru replied. 
Falling back into unconsciousness was beginning to sound like a _very_ 
good prospect indeed...
	�Oh... that�s too bad,� commented the young man disappointedly. �Oh, 
yeah! I brought you this!� He quickly revealed a fully wrapped bento 
with, �Naku-chan�s,� labeled on the handkerchief.
	�Um...  Thanks, but it�s really my stomach that�s bothering me the 
most.�
	�Okay, then I�ll just eat it.� Gosunkugi�s visitor began to quickly 
wolf down the contents of the pre-schooler�s bento. �Byf fa waf,� he 
mumbled with his mouth full of rice, �whaf�s (gulp), that is, what�s 
exactly wrong with you, anyway?�
	�The doctor wasn�t completely sure, but it�s probably just food 
poisoning, since I got sick after eating this sushi...�
	The visitor looked seriously contemplative for a moment, but then 
quickly reverted to his whimsical state. �Hey, I don�t even know your 
name!� he realized, slapping himself on the forehead. �Best friends 
should know each other�s names!�
	�If he doesn�t know my name, how did he know where I live?� wondered 
Gosunkugi, but the pain made strenuous thinking hard, and he had to 
stop.
	�Well?� the young man smiled pleasantly.
	�H-hikaru,� Gosunkugi told him reluctantly, �Gosunkugi Hikaru.�
	�Ah! You must let me call you, �Hikaru-kun!� And my name is Kitsune! 
Chigau Kitsune! And since we�re friends, you must call me, 
�Kitsune-kun,� ne, Hikaru-kun?�
	Gosunkugi made no response.
	�I won�t leave, until you agree,� Kitsune stated, a slight edge 
appearing to his smile.
	Gosunkugi then left the world of the waking, escaping pain, and 
replacing it with blissful visions of his goddess. That, and these 
chubby little rabbit things in bow-ties, but they didn�t really get in 
the way too much.
	�Hmph,� hmphed Kitsune indignantly. �Cheater.�

	�You know,� mentioned Gosunkugi�s father, to his wife, �I had no idea 
that Hikaru had any friends...�
	�Yes,� she agreed, �it�s quite a pleasant surprise, isn�t it? Who 
knows, in a few years he might actually start talking to girls!�


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com