Okay, so this is already up on Myrriden's page, but if he really
shuts it down you won't be able to read it.... and also, I'd like
comments on it. BTW, Phil, thanks for your view on that Sonic story,
I admit it needs some work... I kinda wrote it on the spot as an
intro to the stories I've actually written properly, since that's the
one that never got written... kinda stupid really... anyway, here's
chapter one - enjoy !
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Words in < these > are being spoken in Japanese
Words in * these * are being thought by the character, unless part of
the author's commentary, which are in ( these ), in which case words
in * these * are rather obvious sound effects, usually of one of us
beating the other up.
Ryoga - Chan In England
===================
- by the team supreme, Kai - Chan (main) and Benji - Chan!
Chapter 1 - Hello B - Chan ! Hello K - Chan !
================================
Ryoga peered at his surroundings from under the edge of his umbrella
and sighed in frustration. * Does it ever stop raining in this
country ? Whatever country it is ... * he wondered to himself as he
walked along the dark tarmac of a back alley. He'd stopped walking
along roads, as the cars went past too fast and nearly drenched him
with water from the gutters - but as a result he was even more lost
than usual, which was pretty damn lost. Luckily, it looked as if he
was coming into a pedestrian area with some shops, so maybe he'd be
able to find out where he was and how to get back to Nerima - to
Japan even. He crossed a couple of quiet roads and was soon in a
fairly busy shopping centre. He walked around a bit, receiving stares
from passers - by, most probably because of his unkempt appearance,
then decided to go into a particularly large shop, a Virgin
Megastore, to see if he could find anything telling him where he was.
* This seems to be a music and video store ... I might as well see
what language the video backs are in, for a start ... * thought
Ryoga as he wandered over to a shelf of videos he at least
recognised, i.e the anime, and picked a copy of El Hazard part three
to read the cover, completely ignoring the irritated muttering of a
teenage girl who had just walked round the corner.
"The only bloody copy in Swindon and some bloody idiot picks it up before me when I've
just got enough money...."
* Hmmm.... I recognise that word, it's English... and I can't be in America, because it's not so cold and it
doesn't rain so much.... so I must be in England. Without any English
money.* Ryoga sighed, then turned slightly as he realised he was
being talked to by the irate girl's companion, a slightly calmer girl
wearing glasses.
" I said, are you going to buy that ?" she said, sounding a bit more annoyed now.
" N - nani ?" stuttered Ryoga, totally startled and forgetting what little English he knew.
" Nani ? That's Japanese for, um, what, right ?" said the girl with glasses,
blinking quickly. The other girl looked a bit surprised and a little
less cross.
" Um... I... think so." siad Ryoga slowly, trying to
remember that iddy little bit of English he knew.
" So you're Japanese?"
" Um..."
" Uh, < So you Japanese, yes ?>" she said in a slightly uneven Japanese accent.
" Hai." replied Ryoga, quite relieved that he had run into someone who knew some Japanese, as he
was obviosly less than knowledgeable where English was concerned.
" Okay... um..< you buying video ?>" she asked, pointing to the case he
was still holding. Ryoga looked down and blinked.
"< No, I have no money and I don't want it anyway because I already have it in
Japanese.>" said Ryoga , putting it back.
" What did he say ?" asked the other girl. Ryoga noticed that she was quite cute, with medium
brown hair which fell in waves just below her shoulders, and sharp
green eyes. She was wearing ( "nothing but rubber gloves!" - B-Chan *WHAP* " shut up." - K-Chan ) a white woolen top and very
bright, light blue jeans, "and why's he blushing ?" she added in a
whisper, although of course he didn't understand what she was saying,
and didn't even realise he was blushing.
" I think he said he doesn't want the video and hasn't got any money," replied the girl with
glasses, who had warm brown eyes and straight golden brown hair that
came just below her chin. She was wearing a light purple sweater and
dark blue jeans. She was a little plumper than her friend ( "not
hard, even a beanpole is a close - run comparison " * WHAP* "
Owww..." - K-Chan) , and not quite as cute, at least not to Ryoga's
eye.
" Poor guy."
" And I think he's blushing because he thinks one of us is cute." finished the girl wearing glasses, grinning wickedly.
" Oh, he's not so bad himself." grinned the other girl, and they both
giggled. Ryoga blinked at them, looking confused, and still blushing
slightly. He suddenly realised this, turned even redder, then managed
to stop blushing, although he did look quite embarassed.
" What... um... did she say ?" he asked haltingly.
"< She say she think you cute too.>" answered the girl with glasses, blinking innocently but
with a small smile playing around her lips. Ryoga turned bright red,
and was about to say something in protest, but the other girl
obviously knew some Japanese too ("Well, she knows kawaii " * WHAP *
"Oww..."- K-Chan) because she hit the girl wearing glasses on the
head.
" Ouch ! What was that for ?" she asked plainitively.
" You could have lied ! What did you say anyway ?" hissed the other girl.
" You hit me and you don't know what I said ? How logical." she said,
rolling her eyes.
" I know cute when I hear it !" ( * WHAP * POW * BANG * "Owowoww!
Okay ! You know more Japanese than that !" - K-Chan )
" Um... excuse me, but.. < how did you know I thought she was cute ?>" asked Ryoga, trying to calm them down so that all the people
staring at them would stop staring at them. "
Well, you blushing was a hint - < You mean you do think she's cute ?>" said the girl with
glasses in surprise ( " Surprise is right - to like B-Chan he must
have no taste -" * POW * WHAP * SPLAT * " I'm sorry, I mean, to like
Akane he has no taste, to like you he just has a very small amount -
just kidding, I mean lots of taste, of course. Phew." - K-Chan )
" What ? Did he say I'm cute or what ?" asked the other girl. " Yeah,
he did," *don't say it, don't say it... * " Look, this is going a bit
fast, let's introduce ourselves now, okay ?"
" Okay."
" Um, er... < by way, my name Kaye Miller and this my friend Benji Delaski. What
your name ?>"
" Um... my name Hibiki Ryoga." these girls were a little weird, but at least they were being friendly. And they were
kinda cute, even if not so much as Akane. * I think that one's even
cuter than Akane. * said a voice in his head. * Oh shut up * he said
to it, * Wait, what am I doing talking to a voice in my head - what
am I doing with a voice in my head ?* He stored this question away
for later, since he was in the middle of a conversation, and they
were giggling at him. " What?" he asked, blinking.
"< You put name before surname in England, so Ryoga Hibiki, okay ?>" smiled Kaye.
Ryoga nodded his understanding, and Benji took the video back off the
shelf.
"< I buy this now.>" she said, and walked off to the counter.
Ryoga caught himself watching her just before it became too obvious.
"< So Ryoga, where you staying ?>" asked Kaye after a moment,
pretending she hadn't noticed.
" I don't know. < I'll probably camp somewhere - somewhere fairly dry.>" shrugged Ryoga.
"< Well, I don't know how you'll find somewhere dry to camp in this weather, but...
hang on.>" Kaye said thoughtfully, walking over to the counter and
having a word with Benji. Ryoga watched them having a fairly involved
conversatioon and paying for the video, then they came back over to
him. "< Benji say you can stay at her house. She have extra bed.>"
said Kaye simply, although when he looked closely Ryoga was sure he
saw a mischievious look in her eye.
"< Really ? That's very nice, but are you sure that it'll be alright ?>" asked Ryoga, startled - most
people weren't so hospitable, especially when he'd been on the road
for a long time. Right now he was pretty sure he smelled of fish,
since he'd fallen asleep on a crate, which had ended up on a ferry,
and that was why he was in England.
"< Yeah sure, she have friends over all the time. It'll be fine as long as you're not a pervert.>"
Kaye answered, grinning wickedly ( " I'm so naughty !" - K-Chan ).
Ryoga turned bright red - again.
" Kaye ! Don't be rude !" yelled Benji, also blushing bright red, since she knew enough Japanese
really ( " I am so good at backpedalling." - K-Chan ).
" I'm just checking." said Kaye innocently.
" Gee, thanks." said Benji sarcastically, " Come on, er, < come on Ryoga, I'll show you the way
to my house.>." she continued, taking his arm.
"< I'm not a pervert, really. I'm not.>" said Ryoga embarassedly as Benji yanked him toward
an exit, Kaye wa\lking a few paces behind. This was quite fortunate
actually, as Ryoga reflexively brought his umbrella up and opened it
as they were stepping outside, just narrowly missing whacking Kaye in
the chin on the upward swing. Ryoga realised this just before she hit
him in the head.
" Baka ! < Be more careful,> you idiot." she yelled as he rubbed his head where she had hit him.
"< I'm sorry.>" he mumbled abashedly ("Bwahaha!"-K-Chan, "What's so funny ?"-B-Chan)
* Jeez ! That hurt almost as much as one of Ranma's punches, and she was
only kidding around !*
" Kaye ! Will you stop being so rude to him !" snapped Benji.
" He nearly knocked my head off with that thing." frowned Kaye.
" So ? It didn't hit you, did it ?"
" Well, no..."
" So you shouldmn't hit him. Apologise right now." said Benji
triumphantly.
" Alright," sighed Kaye, "< Sorry for hitting you in head.>"
" That okay. I being, uh, oh, < I should be more careful with
my umbrella.>" said Ryoga, smiling gently so that part of one fang
was just visible over his bottom lip.
" Aww, what cute little fangs..." sighed Benji under her breath.
"< I think you very good with umbrella. No water hit you.>" said Kaye thoughtfully. It was
true, Ryoga was unconsciously manipulating his umbrella so that not
one drop of rain hit him - which, considering the weather in Swindon,
was no simple task.
"< You allergic to water ?>" asked Benji, blinking - she'd been too busy looking at Ryoga's smile and those
clear green eyes of his ( " Plus lower parts, heheh..." - B-Chan ) to
notice this until Kaye pointed it out.
"< Um, something like that... >" murmured Ryoga, looking distinctly anxious for some reason ( "
Gee, I wonder why ?" - K-Chan )
"< Really ? What like that ?>" asked Benji curiously. Kaye also looked intrigued.
"< It's kind of complicated... >." * Yeah, how am I supposed to explain that I turn
into a little black pig when I get hit with cold water ? * he thought
to himself, * And, you don't want that really cute one to look down
on you because you're a pig, * added that annoying voice in the back
of his head, which sounded suspiciously like Ranma, now he came to
think about it, * Will you shut up ! I only care about Akane finding
out, because I love Akane !* * Whatever... *
"< Oh yeah ? Start explaining now or I'll break your umbrella and we'll find out that
way!>" said Kaye in a mock - fierce voice. Benji rather spoiled the
effect by giggling, then they all burst out laughing.
"< Okay, okay ! I'll try, >" gasped Ryoga between breathes, "< just don't hurt my
hair !>" he added in a falsetto. The laughter had been dying down
before this, but now... well, let's just say Concorde would have been
drowned out by the noise.
"< So start explaining.>." said Kaye when the laughter had finally died down.
"< Well, it all started, at least for me, when I got lost in China... >" started Ryoga in a far-off
sounding voice.
" Hm, sounds like the beginning of a flashback to me." whispered Kaye theatrically, and waved her hand snake - like
behind her back.
As the young hiker proceeded steadily up the hill, he wondered where
he was now - was he closer to the Battle, or yet further away ? as he
cleared the bamboo he saw a cliff up ahead, and decided to try and
get his bearings from there. He looked down over the cliff edge and
saw a mountain valley full of small lakes or ponds, with bamboo poles
stuck in them for some reason. He sighed in frustration - Saotome was
unlikely to be in such a place. He turned around and suddenly heard
heard something like a large animal crashing through the bamboo
through which he had come - then a giant panda came bursting out of
the bamboo and charged straight for him. He just managed to jump out
of the way and was in mid - air when he heard a yell and a girl with
wild red hair loomed up out of the bamboo and collided with him,
knocking him out of the air but alright herself. As he plummeted, the
cold air rushing against his body, he desperately hoped to land in
one of those pools rather than the hard, hard ground. It was
something he would come to regret, since for once the gods were
listening. As he fell into a pool of water and sank beneath the
surface, he realised that he was drowning. How ironic, he thought as
the silver bubbles of his life rose through the cold darkness of the
water surrounding him. His body went numb and he was sure he would
soon be dead - but suddenly he was being pushed up and out of the
water, how he did not know. It seemed that he was going further up
than he had sank down, and his body seemed different somehow, but at
least he was alive. As he broke the surface of the water, he tried to
swim to the edge of the pool, but for some reason his arms and legs
weren't working properly. Then he caught sight of his hand. Or at
least, what should of been his hand. But what he actually saw was a
little black trotter. He yelled in shock, but the sound that came out
of his mouth was more like the squealing of a pig. In fact, it was
exactly like the squealing of a pig, because that was what he had
become. Just as this realisation struck him, he was hoisted out of
the water and came face to face with a panda. It looked astonishingly
like the panda from earlier. It began carrying him off by his
headband, which was now round his neck. He wriggled and squealed and
tried to get free, but to no avail. The panda took him into a wooden
hut, inside of which there was a Chinese man in a uniform. " Ah sir,
it's a very nice pig you find. Let's right now cook it very nice."
the man said, taking him from the panda and suspending him over a wok
of boiling water.
" In ground of cursed springs," the man said, looking directly at him as he was lowered toward the wok, "We have
the Spring of Drowned Black Pig . Here is very sad story of a baby
black pig who drowned there twelvehundred year ago. After this whoever
drowns in this has become famed baby black pig." the man now picked
him up and looked him dircetly in the eyes, " Maybe here poor person
who falls in the Spring of Drowned Pig." he nodded vigorously at the
man, his heart leaping at the thought that this man knew what he
realy was, and what had happened to him. The man smiled, let go of the
headband and said " Is good joke, no ?" , turning away as he plunged
into the boiling water. The heat - the searing pain - the bubbles
of hot air bursting violently against his flesh - his body, changing
again, this time growing - his head broke the surface, he gasped for
air and yelled in pain, flailing his arms - his ARMS ! He was human
again ! " Oh it is poor person," said the Chinese man in
disappointment to the panda, " now we cannot eat."
"< So now, I turn into a pig when I get hit by cold water, and turn
back with hot water.>" finished Ryoga. They had stopped walking and
were standing perfectly still in the middle of the street. Ryoga's
head was tilted downwards, so that his dark bangs partially covered
his eyes, which were closed anyway. His face was so serene, almost as
if he were asleep, and yet so full of anguish that, if he were truly
asleep, then he would be having a nightmare. Indeed, remembering
that fateful day was like a nightmare to him. Benji and Kaye stood
frozen on either side of him, Kaye's hand still behind her back.
" Poor Ryoga..." murmured Benji. Ryoga's eyes shot open and he turned
to look at her, frowning slightly.
"< What ? I heard my name,>" he said, sounding agitated, "< I'll bet you hate me now, don't you ?>"
he snapped at her blinking face.
" Huh ?< No, of course not. Why would I hate you ?>" she stammered, a bit startled at his sudden
change of attitude ( "a bit startled being an understatement..." - B-Chan ).
"< Because I'm a pig !>" cried Ryoga. Benji noticed a tear glinting in the corner of his eye.
"< So what ? We like you just fine, and we've only just met you.>" said Kaye. Ryoga blinked in
surprise. It was true, he'd only known them ten minutes and here he
was, telling them his biggest secret
"< Yeah, we like you for who you are, not what you are.>" nodded Benji in reassurance ("I've been
watching too much daytime TV..." - B-Chan ).
"< What ? Really ?>" asked Ryoga in surprise.
"< Yeah, sure. Don't your friends in Japan know ?>." asked Kaye.
"< Um, well, only a couple of them, because I couldn't stop them finding out.>" said Ryoga, slightly embarassed.
"< And they still you friends, right ?>" asked Kaye.
"< Well... yeah.>" said Ryoga slowly. He thought his.... friendship with Ranma was a bit
too complicatd to explain properly. And anyway, Shampoo and Mousse
were kind of his friends, if not really like a best friend, which he didn't have.
"< Well there you be then. Why we no your friends if they your
friends still ?>" said Benji triumphantly, and Kaye nodded in
agreement. Ryoga looked from one smiling face to the other, and
smiled himself.
"< Why not ?>" he said, deciding not to push it.
After all, if they could accept his curse and not treat him any
differently, without being cursed themselves helping them understand,
thaen they were probably friends worth having.
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Please gimme any C&C you see fit, MST me (I like MSTing ^_^), and
even flame me if you feel like it. <dons flameproof armour so all
flames will bounce harmlessly off>
Ja ne, Kai-Chan
Member 30 of SSoAGMA, Deadly Everyday Object Weaponary Technique, Dragon Warrior Style
Mousse no miku
Generally dangerous English otaku
Member of the Chan club; Wos; Head Castrator of the Hotnit Feminisation Project; SOotCiP; Supporter of cliched pairs;
Keeper of the Moneybags for the Hotnit Fan Club; CotMHW - Launderer of the Robes of Death; SLAP;
#WASHU#
AKPReSS, Gen. Div.
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Anyone like my katana ?