Title: Ancestors
Part: Two
Author: Rann Aridorn
Comments: Whee, part two. ... That's pretty much it.
Stuff: Ranma and crew were created by Rumiko Takahashi, who signed them 
over to an evil distribution company that charges twenty bucks for a mouse 
pad with Ranma's face on it, and keeps the characters chained up in their 
corporate headquarters to be beaten and whipped. All other characters are 
copyright Rann Aridorn. (Incidentally, I also beat and whip them. But they 
enjoy it.)

         The temple that the group of teenagers from True Earth and their 
companions stepped into was quiet, save for the faint murmur of many 
far-off voices echoing through the great halls. The room they were in 
stretched on almost to disappearing into shadows all around them, the walls 
and the tall marble pillars lining them flickering steadily with the light 
of many torches. The only person there besides the new arrivals was a short 
figure completely concealed in a white cloak.
         "Your trip went well?" came the surprisingly cheerful and 
normal-sounding voice from the hood's depths.
         "Well enough," Teritha answered, waggling her staff as she used it 
to do a head count. Ranma, Ryoga, Akane, Ukyo, Shampoo, Kodachi, and her 
own companions, Shel and Zek. Yes, that was everyone.
         A cold breeze flickered through the hall, setting several of the 
young people to shivering again. Shampoo actually slid her arms into the 
sleeves of the jacket Ukyo had leant her, doing up the clasps in front. 
"Why it so cold here? Shampoo thought portal would take us to different 
place than mountains."
         "We did. Lebodala's in Germany, and it's the middle of winter 
here." Teritha tilted her head towards the broad, tall hallway that 
appeared to be the only exit, her long ears giving a light flick as she 
moved off in that direction, Shel padding along beside her, the rest of the 
group tagging along after them. "We'll take a floatferry to the alps, where 
my home is. It's large enough, there should be room for all of you."
         "Shampoo can share Ranma's bed," the Amazon called merrily, trying 
to duck around Ukyo so that she could grab the pigtailed redhead's arm, 
only to have Ukyo block the way.
         "No way, sugar, not while I'm still breathin'."
         "Shampoo can fix that!"
         "NO FIGHTING!" Teritha almost roared, then cleared her throat, 
turning and continuing on out of the temple as if everyone weren't staring 
at her with wide eyes.
         They emerged into a bustling marketplace, the cobblestone streets 
lined with vendors that were just as varied and strange as the products 
they were selling. The architecture was a strange mixture of plain, square 
buildings, mostly two-story with intricate linings and window decorations, 
mixed in with fantastical monolithic structures curling up into the sky in 
places.
         "Wow," Akane breathed, looking around with wide eyes.
         "You said it," Ukyo agreed, then sneezed mightily, hugging herself 
tighter and watching every breath frost.
         "Most of these kids aren't anything close to properly attired," 
Zek called from the back of the group. "Better do some shopping while we're 
here."
         "Yeah, good idea." Teritha turned and waved to everyone. "Okay, 
listen up! Everyone gets seven gold pieces! Seven! You shouldn't have to 
pay more than four for a good coat and two for a good pair of boots! If you 
can find something you want with the rest, feel free, but watch out for the 
magic booths, they'll sell you some stuff that'll really fuck you up. 
Everyone clear on that?"
         "Magic! Curse cures!" Ranma shouted, proving that she'd heard the 
parts she wanted to hear. She tore past Teritha at a dead run, followed 
closely by Ryoga. The both of them halted abruptly, and painfully, as the 
elf woman snagged them each by an ear.
         "Not. NOW," she growled. "You don't go to street vendors for stuff 
like that! I'll take you two to a good cleric I know of, soon. Oh, forget 
it, I'm just keeping you two with me." She untied a small pouch from her 
belt and tossed it over to Zek. "You ration it out, and keep an eye on the 
rest while I see about these two." Then she grabbed them both by the ears 
again to lead them off.
         "Ow! Ow! Lemmego!"
         "I already have winter gear! Stop treating me like a child! Oww!"
         Shel sat back on his haunches, chuckling. "Ah, she's always so... 
interesting when she's caring for younglings."
         "Says you. Okay, everybody, gather round!" The girls crowded in, 
though not too close, seeming wary of the man that had recently been 
lassoing them. "Seven, seven, seven, seven. Now try to stay in-" He 
blinked, looking around as he abruptly found himself alone with Shel. "Close?"
         "You really aren't that familiar with young women, are you?" the 
large wolf snorted. "If a girl that age has money and a place to spend it, 
you can kiss your day goodbye."
         "Geez. If they get lost or stolen, Tear's gonna KILL me," the 
mixed-blood groaned, putting a hand to his face.
         "Yes, she will. So, I will go keep an eye on them. You wait at the 
floatferry dock." With that, Shel turned and bounded down the temple steps, 
shrinking with each short jump, until he was small enough to duck through 
the legs of the crowds moving through the streets.
         Shampoo sighed longingly as she looked at the coat hanging in one 
vendor's stall.  Soft, dark brown suede on the outside, with light lines 
where the cloth was sewn together going around the middle and along the 
shoulders, lined with fur that had been dyed a light bluish purple.
         "Somethin' catch your eye, sugar?" Ukyo asked as she shrugged into 
her own quick purchase, a simple brown leather coat that came halfway down 
her hips, lined with mottled white and brown fur.
         "Shampoo think is very pretty," the Amazon admitted, nodding her 
head towards the coat. "But could only get pointy-eared man down to six 
gold, and that too much. Shampoo's feet will freeze without boots."
         "Eh. Lemme have a crack at him." Ukyo stepped up to the vendor, 
leaning forward. "Hey, yeah, give her a deal, huh? I just bought from you, 
we're kinda part of a group, give us a discount."
         "{I just love it when they babble on at you like they expect you 
to understand them if they just talk long enough,}" the vendor, a half-elf, 
muttered to his assistant, who seemed to be a very short man.
         Ukyo blinked a few times, then looked over at Shampoo. "What the 
hell'd he say?"
         "He speaking Dutch." Shampoo wrinkled his nose. "Is funny Dutch, 
but... {She said we're a part of a group, so you should give us a discount.}"
         "You speak German, er, Dutch?" Ukyo said, surprised.
         "Shampoo no talk bad in every language, you know," the Amazon 
snorted. She shook her head at the vendor's reply. "He say no discount."
         "Okay, tell him we'll pay the six, but only if he throws in a 
shirt and some gloves."
         Shampoo blinked, looking suspicious, but relayed the message. 
After getting a reply, she shook her head. "He say give shirt but no gloves."
         Ukyo hrmed quietly, thumbing through the money in her own hand. 
"Hell, girl, I don't like you, but I wouldn't wish frostbite on anybody. 
And I hate to lose a deal. Okay, tell him... nine gold and five of these 
silver for the coat, shirt, gloves, and two pairs of the fur-lined boots."
         "He say... ten gold."
         "Nine and seven silver."
         "He say nine and nine."
         "Sold!"
         A few minutes later, both girls were sitting on some steps to pull 
on the boots. Shampoo glanced over at the other girl. "Shampoo thank 
spatula girl. Spatula girl do some nice things for Shampoo today."
         "Pfft. Like I said... I don't like you, but... don't necessarily 
want you dead." She stood up and patted the front of her coat some, before 
shoving her hands in her pockets, wishing she'd remembered to haggle for 
some gloves for herself.
         "Still, Shampoo in spatula girl... Ukyo's debt." The Amazon stood 
as well, tugging on the rims of her gloves. After a moment, she ventured, 
"We in new place, maybe no should fight so much. At least not while we so 
unfamiliar. Right? So maybe be friends like Ukyo and Akane, when is not 
chasing Ranma?"
         Ukyo looked for long moments at the other girl, then shrugged. "I 
got no problem with it. Whatever makes life easier, I guess."
         "Shampoo glad." She glanced around, making a low sound in her 
throat. "Where crazy girl and Akane go? Shampoo thought they right nearby."
         "Dunno, sugar. Maybe we should make our way back towards that 
temple place."
         "Is good idea. ... Ukyo know which way temple place is?"
         "... Aw, crap."

         "You are SO nuts," Akane asserted, shoving her hands into the 
pockets of her new coat. She still felt cold, her training gi definitely 
not intended to keep icy wind out, but it was better with the coat that was 
lined with what seemed to be snow leopard fur and the warm boots.
         Kodachi, meanwhile, had only bought a pair of knee-high black 
boots with grey fur on the insides, and a black leather jacket that didn't 
even come down to her waist, lined with very thin fur that must have been 
some grey animal's summer coat. Currently, she was trying to spend the rest 
of her money on a love potion at a vendor's stall.
         "Is very good, work much good yes," the dark-skinned elf vendor 
promised, showing his bright white teeth. He seemed to speak just enough 
bad Japanese to get his point across to Kodachi.
         "Perhaps this is just what Ranma-sama needs to realize my 
perfection," Kodachi mused, eyes alight.
         With a groan, Akane grabbed Kodachi's wrist and dragged her away 
from the booth.
         "Unhand me, you common thing!"
         "You should spend your money on something that'd actually keep you 
warm!" Akane growled.
         "Ranma-sama would keep me very warm," Kodachi cooed sweetly, 
trotting to come alongside the other girl and yanking her wrist free.
         Akane swore she could feel the vein in her temple throb. "I MEANT, 
aren't you cold wearing hardly anything but that leotard?"
         "Ha. I am far too perfect and aristocratic to be affected by 
cold," Kodachi sniffed, valiantly suppressing a shiver as a cool wind blew 
open the flaps of her jacket and fwipped her ponytail around. "You see? It 
feels perfectly warm, to me!"
         "Looks a tad bit nipply to me," Akane muttered, looking off to the 
side and blushing just a little.
         "Where is my Ranma-sama?" Kodachi suddenly demanded, looking 
around, a frown on her lips. "That long-eared woman with the wonderful 
fashion sense told me my Ranma-sama would be here for me, but I have yet to 
see him."
         "Lord, you Kunos are dense," Akane sighed. "I bet you wouldn't 
recognize Ranma's curse if he changed right in front of you. How oblivious 
can some people be?"
         "I've no clue what you're talking about, silly girl. Have you 
hidden my Ranma-sama away from me?!" Kodachi's voice was getting steadily 
louder, and her eyes were steadily losing the mildly lucid look of earlier.
         "Oh for! Calm dooown!" Akane hissed, turning to the other girl and 
waving her hands downward. "Ranma's... getting a coat and boots too." Which 
was probably true enough. "He'll be back in a little bit, okay? Now let's 
find our way back to that temple where we arrived."
         "If you say so," Kodachi replied, seeming quite calm now, and 
perfectly willing to follow Akane's lead.
         "Okay, I think it was... over towards that big spiky building that 
leans way to the right and then angles back to the left. ... Or was it away 
from that? Dangit..."
         "Well, hello, pretties." The two men that approached were elves, 
their ears long and backswept much like Teritha's, and both were on the 
beautiful side of good-looking, tall and slim and finely-featured. Their 
skin was almost coal black, their hair platinum blonde, the one on the 
right cut short and tousled, the other wearing it in a long wave down his 
back. Both were wearing black vests over crisp white formal shirts with 
wide collars, black pants, and tall, shiny boots.
         "Er, hiya," Akane said nervously, glancing aside at the silent and 
apparently thoughtful Kodachi, then back to the elves.
         "You two look lost and alone. Maybe we could help you find your 
way." The short-haired one smiled, stepping forward, then suddenly grabbed 
Akane's forearm and lifted her up off her feet. "We'll just show you the 
way to one of the temples that need breeders. You have good birthing hips, 
and your friend would look good in rituals."
         "Hey! Lemme GO!" Akane tried to kick at his stomach or groin, but 
it was hard to aim or actually follow through when being held like that. 
"Kodachi! Help!"
         "Hmm?" Kodachi looked up, seeming rather distant, then seemed to 
focus as the long-haired elf came at her. "Oh. Yes. Of course." Suddenly 
bursting into her trademark laugh, Kodachi pushed off into a standing 
backflip, curling through the air and landing atop one of the vendor booths 
with a wooden roof. The people that had ignored it as a girl was grabbed 
and screamed for help now seemed quite attentive as the ponytailed girl 
ripped the decorative cloth rim off the edge of the vendor's roof and spun 
it around at her side as a makeshift ribbon. "The Black Rose shall indeed 
come to your aid, Akane Tendo! But first, I must find-!"
         "Ranma-sama," Akane muttered under her breath in time with 
Kodachi's exultant yell of same. Growling, the Tendo girl struggled harder. 
"You let me go! HELP!"
         "I think you should put her down now."
         The expression that came over the elf's face was rather comical, 
since it was easy to tell that the deep voice had come from behind... and 
slightly above him. He looked over his shoulder and up to see a 
broad-shouldered man with long, wild black and grey hair, a dark growth of 
beard stubble, and wearing a number of hides that seemed more overlapped 
than sewn together in any concrete fashion. The man narrowed dark eyes at 
the elf, his lip lifting on one side to show pronounced canine teeth.
         "She's mine. Begone."
         "Ah... right." The elf slowly lowered Akane back to the ground and 
turned her loose, patting her lightly on the head before hurrying off, his 
friend in tow.
         "Why does everyone always pat me on the head?" Akane grumbled, 
rubbing a hand over her hair as if feeling dirty. Then she glowered up at 
the big man, despite the fact that he towered over her. "I'm NOT yours."
         "I know." He chuckled, the sound low and rumbling. "They just run 
off quicker if they think you'll fight for something that belongs to you."
         Akane blinked, the man's voice finally clicking. "Shel?!"
         "Mm-hm. I'm a werewolf, Akane my dear. But more on that later." He 
glanced upwards. "Your friend seems to be bouncing along atop carts and 
booths, laughing," he observed, seeming more curious than surprised.
         "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"
         Akane rubbed her face with one hand. "She's... not really a 
friend. And she always does that."
         "Hey!" Ukyo and Shampoo came running up from the crowd, Ukyo 
reaching out to rest a hand on Akane's shoulder. "We heard Kodachi laughing 
and figured she'd be up to no good. You okay?"
         "Yeah, I'm fine. Shel saved me from some guys that wanted to make 
me a... uh... breeder." Akane shuddered a little as the implications of 
that set in.
         "Shel?" Ukyo blinked at the large man standing nearby, his hands 
tucked under the parkalike garment he was wearing over everything else. 
"... Okay, yeah, definitely see the resemblance."
         "Smell pretty much same," Shampoo acknowledged.
         "You can tell, hm? That's a very nice coat, by the way," Shel 
added, seeming a little curious.
         "Oh? Shampoo think so too." The Amazon smiled brightly, pressing 
the collar up around her face to feel the fur rub her cheeks. "Shampoo like 
very much, Ukyo help Shampoo get."
         "Who were those guys, anyway, Shel?" Akane asked after giving 
Shampoo a brief odd look.
         "Soot elves. Most of the ones in this area work as 
'acquisitioners' for some of the less sweet-natured temples in the area. 
That's why it's especially important that you girls stay close to one of us 
until you get acclimated to the way things work here on Second Earth. Human 
girls are rare, so they're pretty prized for that sort of thing."
         "Doesn't that mean we should go after Kodachi?" Akane glanced down 
the street, feeling worried for the other girl despite herself.
         "UNHAND ME! UNHAND ME YOU AWFUL, *COMMON* MAN!"
         "I don't think that's necessary," Shel chuckled.
         The crowd parted somewhat to let Zek through, the redheaded 
mixed-breed dragging a kicking, screaming, tantrum-throwing Kodachi behind 
him by a length of rope, obviously having lassoed her.
         "Much fun as roundups with this bunch are, can we PLEASE actually 
go to the floatferry docks?" Zek muttered, rolling his eyes.
         Ukyo and Shampoo hurried over, undoing the rope around Kodachi's 
middle. Akane walked right up to Zek and looked him square in the eye. The 
redheaded man never saw the mallet coming, merely a lot of stars from where 
he lay on the ground.
         "That's for treating women like cattle," Akane huffed, taking 
Kodachi by the hand, the gymnast having dissolved into little sniffles. 
"C'mon, Kodachi."
         "Are we going to Ranma-sama?" Kodachi asked with another sniffle, 
but a hopeful tone in her voice.
         Akane sighed, then nodded. "Yeah, Kodachi, we're going to Ranma. 
C'mon now. This way, right, Shel?" Receiving a nod, Akane led Kodachi off, 
Ukyo and Shampoo following close behind, both of them turning up their 
noses when passing Zek.
         "Th'hell did I do?" Zek grumbled, clambering slowly to his feet 
and rubbing his aching head. "I mean, what the hell was that?!"
         "That was you learning that Teritha isn't the only woman that 
smacks you when you get out of line," Shel chuckled, turning and moving up 
to lead the girls, Zek hurrying to catch up and walk alongside him.
         "Just what kind of friend are you?" Zek groused, glaring up at the 
other man.
         "One who's bigger than you and higher up on the food chain."
         "Oh yeah, keep forgettin' that."

         Teritha was, at the moment, sitting on a bench at the floatferry 
dock, one hand holding her staff braced on the ground, the other hand 
propping up her chin, sublimely beautiful elven features in such an utterly 
flat look that her nose was in danger of disappearing. On her right, Ryoga 
was shouting things about Ranma being behind everything bad in his life, 
and on her left Ranma was loudly denying that anything that ever happened 
was his fault. Ever.
         'Some species eat their young. I could do that. ... They're a 
little older than usual, and I'm not actually their mother, but I'm a blood 
relative, I could still make a defense for it.'
         Ranma had been switched back to male and outfitted with a plain, 
light brown leather coat with cream-colored fur lining, while Ryoga had 
donned his own winter coat from his pack, the thin, artificial fur thermal 
lining done in a cheetah pattern, obviously chosen to match his headband. 
Both boys had been outfitted with a new pair of heavy-duty wilderness 
boots, and yet Teritha already found herself having visions of them 
outgrowing them, deciding they were unstylish, or destroying them within a 
month.
         'I really was not ready to have children again, and I've gone and 
saddled myself with six,' the elf sighed, ears drooping as she leaned back 
on the bench, leaning her head back. 'And I went ahead and skipped all the 
cute years and went straight to loudmouthed teenagers. So much for the 
whole "intelligent, graceful, and all-knowing" myth crap, I've 
singlehandedly shamed my entire race. ... Okay, so it's not ALL bad...'
         Finally, heaving another exasperated sigh, Teritha shoved herself 
to her feet, then slowly reached her hands out to either side at about the 
boys' ear level. Ranma and Ryoga both immediately silenced themselves, 
leaping to attention with such rigidness of posture that it would have done 
any marine proud. "Okay, you two, pipe down. Fight like this aboard the 
floatferry, and they're likely to ask you to leave. In midair."
         Ranma snorted quietly, starting to open his mouth for a retort, 
only to rock back lightly at a pair of almost simultaneous impacts against 
his front.
         "Ranma-sama!"
         "Airen!"
         "Hey, c'mon!" Ranma flailed his arms wildly, looking down at 
Shampoo and Kodachi, who were alternately resting their heads on his chest 
with contented expressions and giving each other murderous glares. Before 
Ranma could protest any further, Ukyo appeared, grabbing Kodachi from 
behind, one arm going under one of Kodachi's the other going around her neck.
         "Release! RELEASE! BAD puppy!"
         "Let me gooooo!" Kodachi flailed, having to release Ranma to do 
some struggling and kicking. "Stop it! Quit! Ranma-samaaaaaaaaaaa!"
         "Ranma sit next to Shampoo on ride, yes?" the Amazon purred, 
ignoring the mild wrestling match behind her as she batted her lashes at Ranma.
         "Er, well, I GYAK!" Ranma stumbled to one side, hopping on one 
foot, hands raised up in the gesture for 'I'm in paaaaain!', Akane's mallet 
still stuck to the side of his head.
         "You can sit with her on a barrel going over a waterfall for all I 
care, Ranma!" Akane snapped, before turning and stalking off down the 
walkway leading to the ferry.
         Sighing, Shampoo slipped her hands in her pockets, shaking her 
head and following after the short-haired girl. "Airen is no fun after get 
hit by Akane." Ukyo trailed along after the others, dragging the kicking 
and screaming Kodachi with her.
         "You cad, Saotome," Ryoga intoned flatly, giving the statuelike 
Ranma an impassive look.
         "Oh, yeah, that's all so my fault," the pigtailed boy muttered as 
he came around, grabbing the handle of the mallet and pulling, the thing 
only coming free after some stretching and a loud *pop*. "C'mon, Ryoga, I 
better show you the way so you don't get lost."
         "I DON'T get LOST!" Ryoga cried angrily, even as he allowed Ranma 
to grab his wrist and pull him along.
         Teritha pressed two fingertips of each hand against her forehead, 
rubbing in slow circles, eyes squeezed closed. "Nnng. You have any problems?"
         Shel slipped his arms around his wife from behind, squeezing her 
gently back against his large frame. "A couple of procurers tried to grab 
Akane and Kodachi. I scared them off."
         "Good work." Teritha tilted her head back expectantly, and was not 
disappointed when Shel dipped his head down to kiss her gently on the lips. 
After a moment, though, she mmfed and gave a light shove on his forehead, 
making a face. "It scratches to kiss you in this form!"
         "Oh, I never get tired of hearing that..."
         Teritha smirked, then called, in a sweet, lilting voice, "Oh Ze~ek..."
         The redhead erked, stopping in his tracks with one foot still 
raised, obviously having been caught trying to sneak past to get to the 
ferry. "Um... yeah?"
         "The rest of my money?" The elf raised both delicate blue 
eyebrows, holding a hand out.
         "... So glad you caught me, would have comPLETEly skipped my 
mind," Zek laughed, turning around to plop the bag into Teritha's hand.
         "I'm sure. Well, let's go."


         The floatferries very much resembled river ferries, at least in 
their deck design, large and square with elaborate railings all around the 
edges, and with an enclosed area in the center where the restaurant and 
many seats were located. Instead of a large paddle wheel and the curved 
underside of a boat's keel, the floatferry instead had a number of large 
white balloons hanging overhead, seemingly sealed-off, their surfaces 
looking milky and lightly opalescent. Spread out to either side of the 
ferry were a number of elaborate overlapping sails, stretched taut with the 
cold winter wind blowing through them. And, perhaps most interesting 
enough, was a squat little man sitting atop the roof of the inside area, 
his face almost lost amid tangles of bright red hair and beard, sitting 
cross-legged and playing the bagpipes.
         "The balloons I get," Ukyo said, looking around the table where 
the group was seated. Everyone had managed to get themselves situated so 
that Kodachi was as far from Ranma as possible, and the gymnast was sulking 
about it. Everyone else seemed much cheered by the thick hot chocolate 
they'd been served. "Though I don't understand how they stay full or lift 
with being closed-off like that. And the sails, I get. What I don't get is 
the leprechaun with the bagpipes."
         Zek winced, Teritha and Shel making slight faces. The mixed-blood 
leaned aside to Ukyo, clearing his throat. "He's a dwarf. And even if he 
wasn't, don't ever say 'leprechaun' out loud. Even if he was..." Zek 
cleared his throat. "He wouldn't be. They're called 'Fae Folk'. Or 
'Children of Morning', if you wanna get lyrical. But they HATE being called 
leprechauns."
         "Why do they hate being called leprechauns?" Ranma asked, blinking 
over the rim of his cup.
         "Too commercialized," Teritha answered simply, chin resting in a 
hand, the other gesturing lightly with her mug. "We get movies and shows 
from your world over here sometimes... people cross over and bring 'em 
back. Hell, even before that, the stories got 'em pissed off."
         "I went 'I'm the leeeeeeeeeeeeprechaaaaaaaauuuuun!' to one, once," 
Zek mused, face turning solemn. "He turned me into a toad."
         "He turned you into a TOAD?!" Akane exclaimed, her eyes going wide.
         "He turned you into a toad?" Ukyo repeated, in a much flatter tone.
         "I got better," Zek replied with a perfectly straight face, taking 
a long slurp of his drink.
         "No, I just can't believe they ACTUALLY turn people into toads 
here," Ukyo clarified.
         "So he wasn't a particularly imaginative... whatever," Zek added, 
his face splitting in a large grin.
         "Ahem. Anyway, t'answer your question..." Teritha smiled, and from 
the way her cheeks and the bridge of her nose were lightly flushed, Ukyo 
strongly suspected that there was more than milk and chocolate in the elf's 
drink. "They play the bagpipes as part of the way to navigate. The elves 
that fly these ferries apprentice at a really young age, and they stay all 
their lives. Before they ever even touch the wheel, they know the way the 
music should sound coming back off the mountains. If they're off by even a 
couple of degrees, they can tell from the distortion of the notes."
         "That's pretty sharp hearing," Ranma said approvingly.
         "What do you think these are, anyway? Coat racks?" Teritha 
snorted, pointing to the side of her head and raising her ear on that side 
slightly.
         "Well, I did think you must have trouble finding hats," Ranma 
replied, blinking a little and tilting his head.
         A muscle in Teritha's cheek leapt lightly. 'I liked him so much 
better when I couldn't hear him. And I didn't really like him then.'
         "Aiya, we missing someone," Shampoo suddenly spoke up, leaning 
forward to look up and down the table. "Is missing bandanna boy?"
         "Where'd Ryoga go?" Akane frowned in worry, looking around quickly.
         "Shampoo go look, make sure he no lost again," the Amazon 
volunteered, scooting out from between Kodachi and Ukyo and turning, 
heading towards one end of the ferry.
         "I hope he's okay," Akane murmured quietly.
         "Yeah, whatever. HEY WAITER!" Teritha leaned back, waving her 
empty mug wildly. "Gimme another, and I want it so Irish it chucks blarney 
stones at me!"
         The rest of the table just looked at her, sweatdrops beading on 
the backs of their heads.

         Shampoo pulled her cloat closer around herself as she stepped out 
of the forward door, the sharp wind whirling around her and whisking her 
hair to one side, the little bells in her forelocks jingling merrily. After 
a moment, though, it actually didn't feel so bad, the wind seeming to die 
down to a light, constant breeze. Opening her eyes, she saw Ryoga standing 
at the railing, leaning on it and gazing forward.
         The Amazon walked over, pausing for a moment to tilt her head and 
listen to the long, reedy notes of the bagpipe. Then she moved to stand at 
Ryoga's side. "You no cold out here?"
         Ryoga just shook his head a little, not looking at her. Shampoo 
blinked some, then turned more of her attention to just what he was looking 
out at.
         The ground below was a mottled expanse of white with small patches 
of black and green, each seeming pristine and perfect in its own way. Just 
now slipping by to either side of them were the first of the mountains, 
arching majestically up into the sky, the snow draped over them as if 
dabbed on by an artist. Shampoo turned her head, watching one slip by 
beside the ferry, seeming amazingly large so close by, beautiful and 
terrible all at once.
         "I've traveled all over the world. Trudged past and over countless 
mountains," Ryoga whispered, low voice just barely audible over the soft 
wind and the long strains of music. "But I've never seen anything this 
beautiful."
         Shampoo turned her head, regarding the lost boy for long moments, 
before turning her gaze forward as well. "... First time Shampoo come to 
Japan, and is getting close to Ranma... Shampoo look down from where she 
walking, and see Tokyo at night. It all lit up, and sparkly. Seem so big, 
but so pretty. Shampoo never see anything like it in her life." She tilted 
her head a little. "Live in Japan little while, listen to people say how 
crowded Tokyo is, listen to say how dirty Tokyo is, listen all bad things 
about Tokyo. Shampoo guess maybe it true... but Shampoo never forget her 
first sight of it."
         The Amazon looked at Ryoga again, smiling. "Ryoga just go by 
mountains all the time... only seeing them from close up, only seeing bad 
snow and hard rock and remind him is far from home. Now Ryoga is seeing 
whole mountains... yes?"
         "..." Ryoga still kept his gaze forward, his expression 
unchanging. But after a moment, he nodded slightly. "Yeah. I guess that's it."
         Shampoo nodded happily, glad to have guessed right. "Shampoo never 
see quite this way either. Shampoo stay for awhile."
         Ryoga said nothing in response. But somehow, he felt his heart 
lift a little, just knowing someone was there, feeling a little of what he 
felt, seeing the same sights with him. 'Someday... I'll have this with Akane."
         The cold mountain wind continued to caress through black and 
purple tresses as the ferry winded its way through the mountains, the long 
chords of the bagpipe music seeming to surround them and hold them aloft as 
they went.

         Teritha seemed in a much better mood as the floatferry's sails 
collapsed in against its sides and the large transport began settling 
itself in its moorings. The elf woman's cheeks were a blushing red, as if 
she'd been out in the wind instead of Ryoga and Shampoo. "Alright! Now, 
we're going right from the ferry to the gondola which'll take us right to 
my house! And when we get there, you'll all be behaving yourselves like 
good little kiddies, or I'll take you over my lap and tan your backsides, 
oka~ay?"
         "Are you joking?" Akane snorted.
         "No way, sugar," Ukyo added, arms folded over her chest.
         "Shampoo will no be treated like little girl!"
         "Yeah, you can't treat us like children!"
         "No WAY am I gettin' spanked!"
         "It seems perfectly reasonable to me."
         All the teenagers slowly turned their heads to look at Kodachi, 
who merely blinked curiously. "... What?"
         "Heheheh." Teritha leaned against Shel's side. "Startin' to like 
that one."
         "Yes, dear," he rumbled indulgently, patting his wife on the head 
with one large hand.
         "Okay! Then it's THIS WAY!" Teritha whirled around to one side, 
pointing excitedly with her staff and marching forward, almost tumbling 
over the railing and onto the dock, saved by Zek snagging the back of her 
pants waistband.
         "Um, Tear... exit and gondolas're that way," he coughed, gesturing 
with a thumb.
         "RIGHT! Okay, everybody, THAT WAY!" Teritha gestured with her 
staff again, marching off at a brisk pace.
         "You've got family resemblance," Ranma snickered, punching Ryoga 
on the arm.
         "I do not," growled Ryoga, punching Ranma's arm back. "YOU'VE got 
family resemblance."
         "You do!" *whmff!*
         "No, you!* *whd!*
         "You d-!"
         "WOULD YOU LITTLE MONSTERS JUST GET IN THE GODDAMNED GONDOLA?!" 
Teritha roared, sending both boys scrambling for the door.
         "Shampoo no think odds very good when have children with airen," 
Shampoo murmured, following along at a more sedate pace.
         "You said a mouthful, sugar," Ukyo sighed, rolling her eyes.
         "Yeah," Akane added, shaking her head, then flailing a little and 
waving her hands wildly in front of her as the other two looked at her. 
"Not that I would! I mean, of course I wouldn't! But if someone did! 
Then... uh... uh...!"
         "Okay, okay, we buy it, don't strain something," Ukyo snorted, 
rolling her eyes again and stepping into the gondola.
         "Think Akane try much too hard," Shampoo added, following the 
other girl.
         "O-oh yeah?! Well... OH YEAH?!" Akane stormed through the door 
after them, a little black cloud almost visible fuming up from her head.
         "I honestly think something is wrong with all of them," Kodachi 
murmured aside to Zek, apparently having forgotten she was angry with him. 
She regarded him solemnly for a moment, then added, "If at all possible in 
this world, we should get them some professional help. You know. 
Psychiatrists."
         "Riiiiight. In you go," the redhead goaded, making shooing motions 
with both hands and looking nervously over at Shel, who seemed vastly 
amused by this little exchange.
         Once the entire party was aboard, the gondola's doors slid shut, 
and the large cranks of the gondola chord began to move. The gondola car 
was slowly pulled upwards, swaying lightly as it moved toward's Teritha's 
home... intent on delivering a package that would change the household forever.

~End Part Two~


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